Tagged: The Truth Collective

Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him. For he will rescue you from every trap and protect you from deadly disease. He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection. Psalm 91:1-4 The traveling salesman opened a battered imitation leather briefcase, displaying his wares. Pages filigreed with Quranic verses in flowing Arabic script, others with Bible verses in English. Bits of bone and leather, the striking red and black seeds of the mitipitipi plant, small shells, and… Read More

Everyone was settling down for sleep, but the old woman had to talk to the teacher. What she’d heard tonight was earth-shattering. Mind-blowing. Life-changing. Filth removed, disgrace transformed to honor, rejected now accepted? The story of the sick woman and Jesus was unlike any of the stories told in her tribe. The flickering firelight deepened the rich, warm espresso of her wizened face as she leaned close to the storyteller. “Thank you.” Like the woman reaching her hand out to touch Jesus, she paused to gather her courage for the next words. “I always knew I could be forgiven. But I never knew I could be clean.” To learn more about this woman’s story and how you can be made clean, get your copy of… Read More

 Is being unknown such a bad thing? The thought of being known can be terrifying if we don't like what we know about ourselves. The possibility of rejection looms large and threatening, and sometimes, like during a global pandemic when we are forced to distance ourselves anyway, we wonder if being unknown might be a good thing. It's nice not wearing makeup, working from home in pajamas, just coming as we are to life, nobody watching and judging what they perceive to know about us. But it's not actually being truly known that poses the problem. It's the pain of rejection that may follow being known. So we work hard to protect and groom what is known about us. My Muslim friends are very good at this. So… Read More

It is a truth universally acknowledged that humanity often finds lies easier to believe than truth. -Audrey Frank The sun had set and it was time for salat-al-maghrib. The prayer rugs had been carefully laid out to face Mecca, the Islamic city which is revered and honored as the holiest city in the religion of Islam and the central place of prayer for Muslims. Seven-year-old Areefa stood quietly beside her mother, listening for instruction. Today she would officially begin praying salat. She had dressed carefully, making sure only her face, hands, and feet were visible.  “Stand up straight and make sure your feet are close together, pointed toward the qiblah my daughter,” her mother reminded, demonstrating on her own mat. “Now, let’s make our intention.”… Read More

It is a truth universally acknowledged that humanity often finds lies easier to believe than truth. -Audrey Frank Arresting in their beauty, her brown eyes were gracefully framed by long eyelashes and a carefully drawn line of kohl along the upper lids. I momentarily forgot I was at a surgical clinic, my team’s purpose to repair facial deformities. I saw no deformity in this beautiful young woman. But she had not yet removed the cobalt blue scarf that draped over her hair and face, hiding her complete visage from view. “Peace be upon you and may God give long life to your parents,” she said in greeting. “Could you have mercy on me and see me alone?” I sensed the shame and urgency in her… Read More

It is a truth universally acknowledged that humanity often finds lies easier to believe than truth. -Audrey Frank   This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins (1 John 4:10). Ratna hummed to herself as she washed the dishes. The kitchen was small and sparse, but it was bright with sunshine today and it was hers. Recently married to a kind, gentle man, Ratna was the mistress of her own home. Her heart swelled with joy as she daydreamed about a little baby boy with dark curly hair like his daddy’s. Crack! The glass she was scrubbing slipped out of her soapy hands, glancing off the edge of the… Read More

It is a truth universally acknowledged that humanity often finds lies easier to believe than truth.-Audrey Frank Some lies seem to be written on hearts in permanent ink, graffitied in different languages across cultures and continents, yet all meaning the same. unWorthy. unLoveable. unSeen. unHeard. unKnown. unClean. unDefended.  At The Truth Collective, we are seeking to uncover the lies and help people believe what is True. We are proud to unveil our latest project, the unGallery, premiering in Charlotte, NC, October 10-11. Global artists have contributed exquisite expressions of the lies we often believe and the Truth that sets us free. I hope you will join us by reserving your space here. Be sure to use the code AudreyFrank for a 30% discount. Over the… Read More

We think our work has to be so big to make a difference when all along the Lord is asking us to think small. His thoughts are so much higher than ours, and He is the One who will do great and wondrous things as we steward the small, one step of faith at a time. His command in Matthew 28:19-20 is to go and make disciples of all nations. This command seems so massive that we sometimes get bogged down in the immensity of the task. But we are each given one life, one segment of time and history to be part of this Great Commission. And how we do it may just be by thinking small. This is what my friend and colleague… Read More