Tagged: Audrey Frank

@audreycfrank The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. (John 1:5) Walking in the dark night of Africa is risky. The black mamba, one of the world’s deadliest snakes, can completely camouflage himself within the inky darkness. He is one of the few snakes who are active at night and has a particular love for wood or metal that has absorbed the heat of the day.  We encountered the black mamba only once, coiled around the grating on our screen door. After a long night of good conversation and milky hot chai by lantern light, we saw our guests to the door. As my husband reached out his hand to open it the darkness moved, alerting us to the killer’s… Read More

And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.  Matthew 16:18 The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times.”  Luke 22:61 Lent is an opportunity to discover who God says we are as opposed to who we think we are. The contrast can be crushing.  If we are honest, we all know the weight of disappointment in who we really seem to be compared to who God says we are meant to be. Maybe we don’t even know who He says we are in the first… Read More

@audreycfrank And as he rode along, they spread their cloaks on the road. As he approached the road leading down from the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works they had seen: “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” Luke 19:36-38, NET My early introduction to the Easter season was a small country church where little girls like me wore new dresses, hats, gloves, and white patent leather shoes. We awoke to Easter baskets left by the Easter bunny, overflowing with chocolate and jelly beans. After church, we would race around the churchyard searching for… Read More

The best gift a mentor can give is the example of a heart still learning from Jesus. @audreycfrank She had delivered thousands of babies during the French occupation of the medieval city. When the French left, only she was permitted to stay. All other expatriates were sent away, leaving the nationals to redeem their own country once again. But the beloved English midwife was nurse, mother, and grandmother to many, and her place in the old city was secure. No one could imagine life without her, so she was allowed to remain. By the time I arrived, Miss C was in her seventies. I was a first-time mother and new to the exotic Muslim world. God knew I needed Miss C. Hers was one of… Read More

@audreycfrank Recently on Twitter Brené Brown, shame researcher and storyteller, posted this thought: “It’s not fear that gets in the way of showing up - it’s armor. It’s the behaviors we use to self-protect. We can be afraid and brave at the same time. Armor suffocates courage and cages our hearts. The goal is to create spaces where armor is neither necessary nor rewarded.” Brené Brown (Twitter) https://twitter.com/BreneBrown/status/1093981324644401152 Her comment is insightful and started me thinking about armor. The behaviors with which we arm ourselves are certainly one kind of armor. But what about the armor others put upon us? We can take up our own armor, or others can put armor on us. Others can load us down with oversized, misfitting armor they feel… Read More

@audreycfrank If you are new to reading the Bible through the lenses of honor and shame, the Old Testament book of Esther is a great place to start. Like a true fairy tale, the story of a beautiful orphan girl’s rise to the status of a queen is enchanting through any worldview. In Esther: An Honor-Honor-Shame Paraphrase, Jayson Georges gives us a new pair of reading glasses equipped with super-powers. Through them we can see the colors and sounds of honor and shame shimmering throughout the book, making the familiar story enthralling and brand new. We find ourselves giving God a standing ovation at the closing scene as He faithfully brings His people from shame to honor in a dramatic status reversal. An Honor-Shame Paraphrase… Read More

@audreycfrank Jesus was getting ready to leave in the boat. The man who was freed from the demons begged to go with him. But Jesus would not allow the man to go. Jesus said, “Go home to your family and friends. Tell them how much the Lord has done for you and how he has had mercy on you.” So the man left and told the people in the Ten Towns about the great things Jesus had done for him. All the people were amazed. Mark 5:18-20, ICB When Jesus asked him his name, the man of the Gerasenes answered with the name shame had given him: “My name is Legion, because I have many spirits in me” (v.9). The evil forces that had stripped his… Read More

@audreycfrank And Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “My name is Legion, for we are many.” Mark 5:9 “What’s your name?” the kind man in the appliance department asked my eighteen-month-old daughter. Blonde curls framing her dimpled face, she looked up at him through big blue eyes and answered, “Fweetie.”  Fweetie was her version of the name we always called her: Sweetie. She knew who she was, dear to her father and me, no matter how she pronounced it. Not everyone knows how precious they are to their Father in heaven. Too many of his children when asked their names respond with lies they have been forced to believe about themselves. Lies like Rejected, Ugly, or Unloved. Shame has forced them into… Read More

Mourn with those who mourn. Romans 12:15 @audreycfrank I love you Audrey jaan! Where are you? The text popped up on my screen as I searched for the pastor’s phone number. I was in high crisis mode, standing by a childhood friend in need during a tragic loss. My sweet Muslim friend Hunoon was looking for me and I had forgotten in the rush of emergency to let her know I couldn’t come by today. I had to go out of town to comfort a friend but I’ll call you as soon as I get back! Three days later, Hunoon and I sat together over hot cups of spicy tea while I told her about the past four terrible days of mourning. Her eyes glistening… Read More

@audreycfrank I was minding my own business when God’s Word took me by surprise, threw its handcuffs on me and placed me under arrest. As part of my research for a new book, I was studying Psalm 51 because it is one of the many Biblical passages about being clean and pure. I am fascinated by the offer of a holy, pure God to make His followers clean. Dirtiness comes from many sources. Sin is the most obvious, and the most nebulous category, sort of allowing us to toss our little selfishnesses into it like an ambiguous garbage can without taking a close look. However, as I dug into the Hebrew of verse 10, I could not avoid the piercing examination of my own heart… Read More