Tagged: identity

In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, a descendant of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary. The angel came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one, the Lord is with you!” But she was greatly troubled by his words and began to wonder about the meaning of this greeting. So the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God! Listen: You will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and… Read More

He said to her, “Dear woman, why are you crying? Who are you looking for?" Mary answered, thinking he was only the gardener, “Sir, if you have taken his body somewhere else, tell me and I will go and…” “Mary,” Jesus interrupted her. Turning to face him, she said “Rabboni!” (Aramaic for “my teacher”). John 20:15-16 dear: beloved, loved, much loved, adored, cherished, precious, esteemed, respected Where I live, a common address of another person is loved one.  What if that was the first thought of greeting we had for others, the primary characteristic of their identity to us? Jesus called Mary loved. Loved is not the first thing we usually answer when asked who we are. Especially if we are women. We sing songs… Read More

After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace who called you to his eternal glory in Christ will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. 1 Peter 5:10 To my newest sisters and brothers, If I could erase myself, so all you could see is Jesus, I would. The words He gave me for you when we were together are His own, from His heart. I am just His servant, a steward of His Light Words. Remember Him, not me. It is He who asked me to go beyond my small borders and travel to a land I had not known before. It was His immeasurable love for you that compelled me to obey. Remember how precious you are to… Read More

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not understood it (John 1:1-5). My first language is English. I do not remember when I began learning it, and I cannot remember never knowing it. English is the language of my heart and my dinner table, conversations whispered excitedly with best friends, comforting words murmured into the silky hair of my sweet babies, love notes from the love of my life. Over the… 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 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 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

For my only true Father in heaven on Father's Day God created humankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them, male and female he created them.Genesis 1:27 We all have a Father, and we were made to look like Him. When we know who He is, we will know who we are. It was almost Halloween, and my mother asked me to climb up in the attic to find the plastic jack-o-lanterns we always toted around to collect candy. I was flattered by her request. I had never been trusted to go into the attic before. My sister and I had been severely warned never to go there for fear of stepping in the wrong spot and crashing through the… Read More

I took you from the ends of the earth, from its farthest corners I called you. I said, 'You are my servant'; I have chosen you and have not rejected you. (Isaiah 41:9).Isaiah 41:9 …For I have chosen you and have not thrown you away.Isaiah 41:9b, NLT About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.Acts 16:25 The verse they inscribed in my book was Romans 1:16: For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. They certainly lived this verse. In fact, they demonstrated its primacy in their hearts by risking their… Read More

thanks, Edie Look towards him and shine with joy; no longer hang your heads in shame.Psalm 34:5, New English Bible Hello, readers. I am breaking tradition today and sending you this post a day early. According to the National Day Calendar, today is Save Your Photos Day. In a recent conversation with a friend, I was reminded of the power of shame to blot out our faces, to erase the photos where we once smiled and laughed. The photos where we belonged to a group of other smiling people, arms draped safely and comfortably around each other. Or the photos we didn’t take because we just didn’t think we were worth it. The first yearbook I remember receiving was in elementary school. I will never… Read More