Tagged: persecution

…I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know the one in whom I have put my trust, and I am sure that he is able to guard until that day what I have entrusted to him (2 Timothy 1:12, NRSV). What if he doesn’t come back?  I tried to swat the harassing thought away like a wasp, knowing it had the power to hurt me if I allowed it to alight. Do you know where the passport file is? Yes. There are three currencies inside, and enough money for plane tickets if you need them. The contact list is there as well. Remember, just follow the plan and it will help you navigate whatever happens. I boosted the baby higher… Read More

It was under unique circumstances I learned one of my life's greatest lessons of gratitude. The voices of the congregation rose sweet and pure, purer than I’d ever heard in my life. Our tremulous faith, tender yet mighty, was transmitted in song like a desperate, beautiful sonnet brought to the Savior by love so fierce it seemed it might shatter the vessels which bore it.  I held my baby close to my heart as my husband and I gripped the hands of our toddler and young son. The children seemed to understand that today was a day for seriousness, and with angelic faces, they watched us intently. The walk to church along cobbled streets and broken roads had been quiet and brisk that morning. The… Read More

@audreycfrank Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” He answered, “And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” Jesus said to him, “You have seen him and it is he who is speaking to you.” He said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him. (John 9:35-38) The tender picture of Jesus seeking and finding the outcast here is breathtaking.  There are those during this season of Lent who have been outcast because of their faith in Jesus. Yet they stand courageous and humble, declaring boldly their belief in the Son of Man, no matter what they have given up. Many of us give up rich food or… Read More

@audreycfrank Admirers eagerly pressed forward as the beautiful actress swept through the adoring crowd. “She is crushing life,” one said, eyes glowing with a dreamy mix of veneration and envy. A rumored yoga expert, clean eater, human rights activist, and size 2 waistline, this woman seemed to have everything. Even the very shoes she wore sold out online within five minutes, purchased by young girls and middle-aged women wishing to somehow capture a bit of her elegance for themselves. Everyone wanted to be like her. Not far from the undulating crowd was a rehab facility, a very specialized place where those who had suffered traumatic brain injuries were cared for in the months after release from the hospital. Nurses, doctors, and caring staff helped people… Read More