Tagged: Christmas

[caption id="attachment_3700" align="aligncenter" width="596"] For my mother-in-love, a Master Gardener who taught me the fruitful practice of hard pruning.[/caption] I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful (John 15:1-2). Well, it seems we are all going to have a holly, jolly, pruning Christmas. The Oxford Languages Dictionary defines pruning in various degrees: trim (a tree, shrub, or bush) by cutting away dead or overgrown branches or stems, especially to increase fruitfulness and growth. cut away (a branch or stem). reduce the extent of (something) by removing superfluous or unwanted parts. December is a bit… Read More

For my mentor, her family, and all who hurt this holiday season. The Lord is close to the broken hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit (Psalm 34:18). No one wants to spend the holidays in a hospital.  No one ever wishes to spend Thanksgiving planning a loved one’s funeral.  No one ever chooses to spend Christmas unwrapping bandages instead of gifts, tending wounds instead of Christmas dinner. Wounds on their child’s burned body so deep they don’t even bleed. Such thoughts are horrifying. But they are a reality for many people this holiday season. The word holiday derives from the old English “holy-day”. How ironic for those who hurt on the holidays, those in excruciating circumstances they never chose. How could a day meant… Read More

Lord, how magnificent is your reputation throughout the earth! You reveal your majesty in the heavens above.Psalm 8:1 (Jesus), being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.Philippians 2:6-8 In the quiet night sounds of the little town of Bethlehem, among softly rustling sheep and the gentle munching of hay, the God of all Creation laid aside His magnificent reputation.  In the prickly straw of a manger, He yielded His praise.  Within rough-hewn homespun… Read More

And the angel of the Lord came again a second time and touched him and said, “Arise and eat, for the journey is too great for you.” And he arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mount of God.1 Kings 19:7 When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.Matthew 2:13 Sometimes the journey is just too great for us. We would never be able to make it without supernatural intervention.  Both the… Read More

It was Christmastime in a land far from home, I was expecting our third child, and my sense of smell was working overtime. Nauseated and homesick, my attitude was anything but joyful. I was pretty sure I was inadequate for the tasks in front of me at that time in my life, and a sick pregnancy was not helping me feel courageous or motivated.  Bundling up one afternoon, I sought solace and fresh air outdoors where I could ruminate alone with my thoughts. The small dirt path behind our bungalow wound up and over a hill, inviting me to explore. I climbed the hill slowly, avoiding the mud. Rounding a bend I came upon a rudimentary stable where a despondent donkey and two wooly sheep huddled… Read More

@audreycfrank Tears streamed down her face as she tried to explain between sobs what was causing her so much woe.  “Jusdhat siadillf mmmeisgah wumph!” I do not speak Sobbing Hiccup very fluently, and I truly had no idea what was making my child so upset. One minute we were driving happily down the road on a sunny afternoon, talking about Christmas. The next thing I knew she was unintelligible and crying her eyes out. Turning my rearview mirror so I could look directly at her splotchy sweet face, I implored, “Calm down, and tell me what is wrong.” “I-I-I-I’m a bad girl. I know I am on the naughty list! And now I won’t get any presents on Christmas morrrrrrnnnnning,” she wailed. I took a… Read More

@audreycfrank I struggled to open the lock on our massive wooden front door. Bang, bang, bang! Whoever was on the other side was impatient. Finally, the latch gave way, the weight of the door pushing it inward. Standing in a pool of golden lamplight was a woman about my age. The burqa she wore was shabby and torn but tidy and clean. Chin held brave and high, she looked directly at me with dignity despite her apparent poverty. “Peace be upon you, honored woman, pleasing to the Prophet,” the woman greeted. I returned her peace and waited expectantly to hear what promised to be an urgent message. Her words came tumbling out like an avalanche. “Please have mercy on me and my children. It is… Read More

@audreycfrank It was Christmastime in a land far from home. I was expecting our third child, and my sense of smell was working overtime. Nauseated and homesick, my attitude was anything but joyful. I was pretty sure I was inadequate for the tasks in front of me at that time in my life, and a sick pregnancy was not helping me feel courageous or motivated.  Bundling up one afternoon, I sought solace and fresh air outdoors where I could ruminate alone with my thoughts. The small dirt path behind our bungalow wound up and over a hill, inviting me to explore. I climbed the hill slowly, avoiding the mud. Rounding a bend I came upon a rudimentary stable where a despondent donkey and two wooly sheep… Read More

@audreycfrank It was Christmas Eve and we were very far from home. I made my way out of the ancient, walled part of the medieval North African city where we lived and wound up the narrow road that clung precariously to the towering hillside. My small car joined a throng of little taxis, dusty vans, donkeys, and people on foot. The sounds of one of my favorite Christmas carols rose in my ears as I turned up the volume on my CD player. O come, O come, Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel, who mourns in lonely exile here, until the Son of God appear. The Jewish quarter rose to my right, its shops spilling forth spices, furniture, linens, and colorful shoes onto the busy streets.… Read More

@audreycfrank Our family has one secret recipe. I gladly share all the others with friends, but this recipe is top-secret, and only my children will carry it on. It tells the story of our love and our life, and one day, our legacy.  Deep in the bush of Africa as a new bride, I had to figure out how to meet my husband’s need for chocolate. Over time I developed a moist, dark and delectable chocolate cake slathered with chocolate gravy (a nod to my great-grandmother, who used to indulge me as a little girl on Saturday mornings with biscuits and homemade chocolate gravy). I learned to make it with the most basic ingredients, findable in most parts of the world. I have baked it on… Read More