Ann Farabee

By Ann Farabee

She did not crawl. She did not hold on to furniture as she tried to learn to walk.

She went straight to running — at eight months and two days old.

Then she climbed. On everything.

Sliding down banisters must have been easier for her than taking the stairs.

If there was a fence or a wall that could be walked on, it was.

Her dad and I often followed behind her in our “hunched over parent” position, prepared to catch her as she fell while calling out to her, “Be easy.”

As she got a little older, she channeled some of that energy into gymnastics, resulting in a trip to the state competition, where we continued whispering, “Be easy.”

Be easy.

Telling a 12-year-old on a 3.9-inch balance beam doing back handsprings to “be easy” seemed a bit futile, but we stuck with it.

Of all things to come to my mind 25 years later as I was thinking about the our world today, right? But I somehow think we all can relate to feeling like we are on a 3.9-inch wide balance beam at times.

Many are in emotional distress.

Many are struggling financially.

Many are anxious or sad.

Many have personal struggles.

Many are sick or grieving.

Times are not easy — but we need to be.

We need to be easy on others — and easy on ourselves.

May we do as Colossians 3:12-14 exhorts us: Clothe ourselves with kindness, compassion, humility, gentleness, and patience. May we bear with each other. May we forgive one another. May we put on love.

May we treat others as we want to be treated. May we be a little softer and a little more tender. May our spirits be stirred up, creating the perfect recipe for being easy.

May everyday life and may everyday people that we may have taken for granted in the past become more precious to us than ever before.

May the times we spend staying apart actually end up bringing us together.

May we learn to be easy. Matthew 11:30 says, “For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.” That is a promise from God. He will give us rest. We need to make sure we get it. May we not focus on the external problems that surround us, but may we focus on the Holy Spirit that dwells within us.

We need to give ourselves a break — because we are not in charge. God is.

We can balance it all! God is with us.

It can be hard being a history maker — but that is what we are.

Future generations will study 2020-2021 in their history lessons.

May they learn how we made it through hard times.

May they learn about our resilience.

May they learn how we showed tender expressions of love to one another.

May they learn how we held on to each other — and to Jesus.

Ann Farabee is a teacher, writer and speaker. Contact her at annfarabee@gmail.com or annfarabee.com .

By Ann Farabee

It was a battle that had gone on way too long.

It had intensified.

Immediate victory was needed.

There was no way to win the battle on my own.

So, I tried one of my favorite strategies — I opened my Bible to a random page and immediately saw this verse from 2 Corinthians 2:11 — “Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.”

I had definitely not seen that verse in a while. I suppose it was not random — for Satan had been trying to get an advantage, but I was not ignorant of his devices!

I stood still for a minute. I listened.

The Holy Spirit spoke to my spirit: Ann, you have a higher power.

I felt the words seep into my soul, and I actually looked around to see who said them.

But I knew — the Lord was reminding me.

Not only did I have a higher power — I had the most high power.

Psalm 7:17 says, “I will praise the Lord according to his righteousness and will sing praise to the Lord most high.”

Psalm 91:9 says, “he who dwells in the shelter of the most high will abide under the shadow of the Almighty.”

Psalm 83:18 says, “he alone is the most high over all the earth.”

I heard it clearly.

I knew where my help would come from.

I called on the name of Jesus.

Did my battle end immediately? No.

But — my higher power — the most high power — was fighting it for me.

All I had to do was hold my peace.

Jesus was born in a lowly manger, died on a lonely cross, rose again, and split the skies wide open with his glory, as his majesty was illuminated and he ascended into heaven from that lofty mountain, and he did that for you and me.

The most high power — that’s our higher power — all the way from earth to glory.

Later, I read a different version of 2 Corinthians 2:11 that made me smile: “Satan will not outsmart us. For we know his evil schemes.”

We win! For we have the most high.

Ann Farabee is a teacher, writer and speaker. Contact her at  annfarabee@gmail.com or annfarabee.com.

By Ann Farabee

By Ann Farabee

For many, going to a Christmas play is a holiday tradition that helps us visualize the story of the birth of Jesus, so we can hold it more tightly in our hearts.

As a young teenager, I participated in a Christmas play at church. As an angel, my role was to stand near baby Jesus and hold my arms up in praise — like angels are supposed to do. The lights were off and the sanctuary was totally dark, but a light shone brightly over the manger scene where I stood. That moment is one of the few memories I still have of Christmas plays — and is also a powerful one.

My heart was touched and tears filled my eyes, although at the time, I was not sure why. I am sure words had been spoken, but I do not remember hearing them. I do, however, remember feeling them. That night’s spiritual connection had a lifelong impact. As an “angel” I had been allowed to stand in the only place there was light in the room. I was standing in the light with the light of the world, and everything around me seemed to be in darkness.

I realized that the manger would have been a much darker place as baby Jesus was born than it was portrayed that night. The shepherds would not be as neatly dressed. The sheep would not be pure white — but grayish and dirty. The other animals milling around in the stable surely would have been unsettling.

After I got home from the play, I remember standing in my front yard and looking up at the stars in the sky. That’s when I knew. I believed in Jesus. And maybe the star that was shining down on my life that night was the same star that was shining down on the manger the night Jesus was born.

Look up. The light of the world is with us.

Jesus is the light of the world — and we are his light in the world.

John 1:5 says the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

I don’t know about you, but something about that verse gives me heavenly peace.

Gazing up at those stars became something I did often and I still do, for if the bottom of heaven is that beautiful, how much more beautiful will heaven be?

Lord, may we know that the story of the birth of Jesus is not just a story — but is his-story.  Help us see the light of the world and hold tightly in our hearts. Amen

Ann Farabee is a teacher, writer and speaker. Contact her at  annfarabee@gmail.com or annfarabee.com.

By Ann Farabee

At my home, we have an abundance of Legos. Christmas means more Legos are coming — if there are some available we do not own yet.

Here is a sample of what we have displayed in our Lego closet. Yes, I said sample. And yes, I said Lego closet.

Taj Mahal: 22,000 laborers worked on building this tomb for the king’s wife. It has 28 different types of jewels.

Roller Coaster: It has twists, turns, mountains, deep valleys, steep climbs, and parts that are smooth — just like life does.

Ferris Wheel: George Ferris wanted to build something better than the Eiffel Tower, so he said, “Make no little plans!”

Empire State Building: 102-floor skyscraper in New York City. It has its own zip code and it lights up at night.

Parisian Restaurant, Bank, Detective’s Office: These are places we go as part of a community. Well, we do not go to the detective’s office that often.

Statue of Liberty: It is a sculpture on Liberty Island in the New York Harbor that was dedicated in 1886.

US Capitol Building: It houses the legislative branches of the federal government. It is where the street numbers start in Washington, D.C. It is used for Sunday church services. Moses, who received the 10 Commandments from God, has a marble relief portrait over the gallery doors.

Ship in a Bottle: 18th century monks in monasteries were the first to build a ship in a bottle.

Great Wall of China: This wall kept out the enemy and was a symbol of strength.

International Space Station: It is a modular space station in low orbit earth. It goes 17,100 mph. It has been visited by more than 200 astronauts or space tourists from 20 different nations.

I have just shown you 26,485 Lego blocks.

What if I took the structures all apart and put them in a big pile? Can you imagine that?

Each Lego block was added one piece at a time. Each Lego structure has a foundation and a framework. That means it has support.

If we were looking at our pile of Legos, we would not think of any of them being real superstar pieces. None of them would be as special individually as they would be when they are together in the place they were meant to be.

It reminds me of how each of us are important and each of us have a role in life that God has just for us to fulfill.

1 Corinthians 3:9-10 says that by God’s grace, we are wise, master builders. We are building our lives and we should build them carefully — by doing the right thing, making the right choices, and allowing Jesus to be the foundation of it all.

Ann Farabee is a teacher, writer and speaker. Contact her at  annfarabee@gmail.com or annfarabee.com.