Ann Farabee

By Ann Farabee

I got my permit! Those four words may very well be the most exciting words a 15 year old will ever say to their friends.

A permit is defined as the official documentation or authorization to do something.

But… the emotion that goes along with that permit, may pale in comparison to how the parent feels about relinquishing the driving of their 3000 pound vehicle to them while they practice.

And it does not get any easier when they are allowed to practice at night.

However, even though my preferred bedtime is 9:30, I willingly got in the car and traveled on the passenger side to purchase a much-needed milkshake at 10:00, because my 15 year old wanted to practice driving in the dark.

I reported to my passenger seat duty – ready to alert him to any – and all – pending obstacles.

The first comment he made after driving a few minutes was, “Look how the light lets you only see what is right in front of you. We are completely surrounded by darkness everywhere else.”

I felt a ‘God moment’ may have come, so I dared to shift my line of vision from the road in front of us and took a look around me.

He was right. We were enveloped by darkness – except for the light shining out from our vehicle.

I think I actually felt the darkness. To the right. To the left. Above. Behind. It was everywhere. Except in that one place – the direction we were heading – where it gave us all the light we needed to see the way.

Then, a few seconds later, a car was coming from the opposite direction without their lights on, and it honestly seemed a little scary for us both. That was when my 15 year old asked this wise question, “Why would they do that?”

I responded, “They failed to turn their lights on, and they probably do not even realize they don’t have light. They will figure it out before it’s too late, I hope.”

As I said those words, I instantly became a distracted supervising driver, because that was when I remembered a Bible verse I had read that morning: Isaiah 45:7 – I form the light and create darkness. I make peace and create evil. I, the LORD, do all these things.

That Bible verse that had seemed unusual that morning sure was making sense on the dark road that night. It enveloped me – hovered sweetly in my mind – letting me know that my God created the darkness, but He also formed the light – and He watches over us in both darkness and light.

We may prefer to drive through life in the times of light, but we experience both light and darkness, don’t we?

And…both can help us to learn to be the person who God intends for us to be – and to serve the purpose that God intends for us to serve.

*And we do not have to be afraid of the dark because even when it seems to surround us, the light still shows us the way.

*So, I guess we all have our permit – if we know God – because He is the only documentation and authorization we will ever need. He is in control of it all!

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

By Ann Farabee

Our eyes met as I was rounding Aisle 7, while hurrying through the grocery store. I had to do an after school pickup in 20 minutes and honestly, there was no time to talk to my friend that I had not seen in quite a while. But, I knew I needed to talk with her – and I wanted to talk with her. She had lost her husband a few weeks earlier – and I saw the grief in her eyes.

 We hugged. We cried.

She talked. I listened.

Oh, how my heart hurt for her.

 Our short window of time that day came quickly to a close. Our conversation ended as I knew I could not leave my grandson without a ride home from school. So, we prayed a quick prayer together, and as we parted, I said these words, “I’ll be praying for you.”

 I did. That day, I could only think of her – the grief, the hurt, the pain. I prayed. Then, I prayed the next day. And the next. And probably even the next.

 But… one day I realized that it had been days since I prayed for her – during the most difficult time of her life. My promise had been short-lived.

 I put the blame on my memory. I put the blame on my busy life. I put the blame on _______. (Just fill in the blank with any excuse.) I put the blame on everything – but myself.

 I’ll be praying for you. Those words seemed so empty even to me – and I was the one who said them.

 That is when I gave myself a good talking to – through the guidance of the Holy Spirit and God’s Word.

 I remembered:

 *When we pray, God hears. God listens.

*When we say a name in prayer, we are giving that person an amazing gift – their name transcends from earth to the God in heaven.

*A connection is made from our lips, our thoughts, and our hearts to the ears – thoughts – and heart of God..

 It is called the power of prayer.

We forget sometimes that we have a direct link.

Luke 18:1 says we ought always to pray – and not to faint. To faint means we lack in strength or enthusiasm.

Do we believe it matters?

Do we believe God’s Power is > than our power?

Do we believe God hears our prayers?

Do we believe we are really talking to God?

I believe we do.

Do we believe we pray enough?

I believe we don’t.

Can we change that?

I believe we can.

Will it be worth it?

I believe it will.

Lord, help us to remember to pray always and not to faint. Help us to give – and receive – the gift of prayer. Help us to remember to pray for someone when we say we will. Amen

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

The Lifeguard

Salisbury Post- July 27, 2019 – By Ann Farabee

While perched comfortably in my beach chair, surrounded by all the stuff you carry to the beach with you, I was watching my two children play in the waves. Although still young, they were old enough to give me the freedom of watching their every move like a hawk from my chair, instead of being in the water with them.

Watching intently and staying focused on them only, I realized they were now oblivious to me, as they waited on the next wave to break.

Ride a wave. Go back out. Ride a wave. Go back out. They were quite entertained, and unaware that they were continually drifting further and further down the shore. But I knew.

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Each time they ran up on the sandy beach, I waved my arms to let them know I was still there, but they never looked my direction.

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Even though I did not have their attention, they sure had mine. I kept my eyes totally on them – because I knew there were things they needed to watch out for:

*The undercurrent – An undercurrent is water that is below the surface that moves in a different direction from the current. The powerful channels of water can pull swimmers out, knock them down, or push them to a place they never intended to be.

*The underwater – Anyone who has spent time in the ocean has probably felt something swish by their legs, leaving them with a question, “What is in the water with me?” Hmm? Maybe fish, sharks, debris, trash, broken seashells, seaweed, jellyfish, assorted marine life? There are things we cannot see – and we need to stay alert.

*The underestimated – And how about those things we just do not think about? Like how the shallow water could quickly become areas of deep water. How the sunny day could bring about a painful sunburned evening. How the cloud coverage that cooled things off could become a dangerous storm that created damage. How the wave coming toward you that looked like ‘a good one’ could bring you to your knees.

No, my children were not watching out for those things – but I was watching out for them – because I was their lifeguard.

What is a lifeguard? It is one who guards your life.

Even though this was years ago, I remember vividly the look on their faces as they finished riding the waves, burst out of the water, and ran with ‘shore faith’ that I was there waiting in the beach chair for them.…and then realizing they were not seeing the one they were looking for – me- their lifeguard.

They had drifted far from where I was – and far from where they needed to be. But, even though they were not seeing me, I had not taken my eyes off them.

Nor will I forget the relief on their faces as they looked around for me – and saw me coming toward them, waving my hands in the air, and calling out their names.

The first question they asked when we reunited, “How did we get so far away from where we were?”

Good question, kids. Good question. I have had to ask myself that often.

• 6000 waves break at any given shore per day – Our Lord sees them all.
• 2 Chronicles 16:9 says that the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth.
• Aren’t you glad to have the Lord as your life guard?

Things I Will Never See

Salisbury Post- July 13, 2019 – By Ann Farabee

It was the trip of a lifetime. Early July. Freezing temperatures. Four layers of clothing. An aerial tram to the top of the mountain. And we had arrived – the most beautiful place ever!

Mt. Alyeska, Alaska. Breathtaking. I could not stop staring. The green was the greenest green I had ever seen. The waterway, Turnagain Arm, was the bluest blue, greenest green, and clear like crystal, all at the same time. Identifying where the snow peaked mountaintops stopped and clouds started was next to impossible to discern.

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There were others on the mountaintop with us, but the silence was deafening as we all became immersed in the beauty around us. Each one of us had ridden the tram up the mountain that morning – and all seemed to be impacted in the same way – overcome by it – sensing that only God could have created something of such beauty.

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I had been transplanted right into the middle of a place of serene beauty that I did not want to leave – and could not walk away from. What a feeling! I have always believed God can speak to us through nature – and that moment proved it.

I continued to stand there frozen – literally and figuratively. I remember thinking, “I do not want to leave here. This is one of those things I will never see again.”

Had I never been on Mt. Alyeska, I could not have felt it as deeply, or understood its beauty, because I would not have seen it. But once I saw it…the beauty of it stayed with me.

Things I will never see. That thought on the mountaintop stayed with me, and eventually formed into a question with some answers from God’s Word:

Things I Will Never See?

I will never see:

*Love fail – 1 Corinthians 13:8

*The righteous forsaken – Psalm 37:25

*My need not met – Philippians 4:19

*My call not answered – Jeremiah 33:3

*My sins remembered – Hebrews 10:17

*A lack of grace – Hebrews 4:16

*Death – John 8:51

Had I never been on mountaintop experiences in life with my Jesus, I could never have felt as deeply the power of these promises of things I will never see. I could never have understood the beauty of the promises of these things I will never see. Once I saw it – the things I would never see – the beauty of them stayed with me.

It is such a beautiful place to be – I never want to leave. What a feeling!

Ecclesiastes 3:11 says that He has made everything beautiful in his time: he has set eternity in our hearts.

1 Corinthians 13:12 says that for now we see through a glass darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then will I know even as also I am known.

We only have a glimpse of the beauty and joy that eternity will bring when we meet our Savior face to face. We may not have answers to all our questions, but we can be thankful for those things we will one day see – and for the things we will never see.

Surrender

Salisbury Post- July 6, 2019 – By Ann Farabee

Once again, Philippians 4:6 slipped my mind: Don’t worry about anything. Pray about everything.

There was a project that was taking all my attention. It was requiring all the organizational, management, and relational skills I had in my arsenal. I was too far in to quit. I had to complete the good work. Day after day, hour after hour, as I worked toward its completion, I kept thinking, “Why did I say YES?”

But, I had said YES. And… I had to finish it. And… I had to give my best.

My daily thought was, “If I can just get through this…”

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As a friend was helping me sort out details to make it perfect, we began to realize that the outcome really did not just depend on us, but depended on the work and decisions of others, too. We really did not have total control.

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There. I said it: CONTROL.

Yes, I was in charge of the project, but there were parts of it that I could not control. I stopped dead in my tracks when my friend said, “We just have to surrender.”

That word changed it all: SURRENDER.

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All to Jesus, I surrender. All to Him I freely give? Right? Isn’t that how the hymn goes?

The word kept ringing in my ears: SURRENDER. I felt like the fugitive on the run who held up his arms in surrender almost gratefully to the one who had been searching for him.

Being on the run had not worked – and the moment of surrender brought instant relief.

The meaning of surrender is ceasing resistance, submitting to authority, to give in to, or to give up a possession. I had been assigned this huge project. I was trying to complete it. I knew I had to surrender.

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I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and prayed, “Lord, I surrender this to You. I can’t do it on my own.”

God then began to pour into my spirit what surrender looked like:

• It was not ‘look what I did.’ It was ‘look what God did.’

• It was not about being in control. It was about releasing control.

• It was not about working for God. It was about God working in me.

• It was not about having power to do the work. It was about the power of Christ in me.

• It was not about personal results. It was about God results.

• It was not about my desires. It was about resting in God’s desires.

• It was not for the glory of Ann. It was for the glory of God.

• It was not harder after I surrendered. It actually was much easier.

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Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

His plans – not ours. For me. For you.

Be sober. Be vigilant. We have an enemy — the devil. He is as a roaring lion. He walks about. He is seeking whom he may devour.

Okay, I admit. This is not an encouraging start to a column. Thankfully, those words from 1 Peter 5:8 have a BUT GOD that shows up two verses later: But God, of all grace, has called us to eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after we have suffered a little while, will restore us making us perfect, stablished, strengthened, and settled.

That’s a great promise.

But, how about those roaring lions seeking whom they may devour?

Lions attack the weak, the sick, the young, the straggling, the helpless, those who are not alert, and those who are alone.

Once while on a field trip to the zoo with my kindergarten class, we saw the area where the lions were enclosed in front of us. My students were very excited, and began to run ahead to get a closer look.

As soon as they reached the enclosure, one of the lions let out a huge ROAR. All 22 students immediately backed away — and kept backing away — until they had all gathered safely around me.

They had been willing to get close to the lion at first — just a big cat, right? But then… the roar came — and the danger appeared. As the roar began, the lion began walking about, seeking whom he may devour.

Even though we know there was no real danger at the zoo that day, the response of those 5-year-olds sure can teach us a great lesson, as they exemplified what is taught in 1 Peter 5:6-8:

• 1 Peter 5:6. Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time. The children humbled themselves and backed away, as they became fearful. They knew where their help would come from.

• 1 Peter 5:7. Cast all your care upon him, for he cares for you. Cast means to throw something forcefully. When they backed up right to where I was standing, they immediately felt peace. They had cast their cares on the one they knew that cared for them — their teacher.

• 1 Peter 5:8. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about, seeking whom he may devour. Sober means serious. Being vigilant means to carefully watch for dangers or difficulties. The children sensed danger — backed away from the enemy — and got to a place of protection.

Lord, help us to humble ourselves. Help us to cast all our care upon You. Help us to be sober and vigilant. Amen.

Summertime…. and the living is easy. Unless your child has SUMMER HOMEWORK! During that last week of school, while students are tremendously excited about completing the school year and beginning the lazy hazy days of summer – a teacher often lovingly hands them their summer homework.

But…for those who were given no summer homework, here you go:

Q: What is one of the first math problems in the Bible?

A: Go 4th and multiply.

Q: What time of day was Adam created?

A: A little before Eve.

Q: Does Jesus want us to grow a garden?

A: Yes. He said, “Lettuce pray,” and “Peas be with you.”

Q: Should we learn division?

A: No, Jesus didn’t like division.

He said that if a house is divided, it cannot stand. (Mark 3:25)

Q: What is an example of an opposite?

A: Refuse the evil. Choose the good. (Isaiah 7:15)

Q: Did Jonah trust the ocean?

A: No, he knew something was fishy.

Q: Where is an example of ‘cause and effect’ in the Bible?

A: The work of righteousness shall be peace.

The effect of righteousness quietness and assurance forever. (Isaiah 32:17)

Cause is righteousness. Effect is quietness and assurance forever.

Take this to ‘heart’ and you may ‘cause an effect’ in someone’s life.

Q: Why didn’t they play cards on the ark?

A: Because Noah was standing on the deck.

Q: Where is a ositional word, geography, geometric term, and simile all in one verse?

A: God sits upon the circle of the Earth and its inhabitants are likegrasshoppers.

(Isaiah 40:22)

Q: Where should we keep the commandments of God?

A: On the table of our heart. (Proverbs 7:3)

Q: What Bible verse has ordinals and addition?

A: Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness.

And all these things shall be added unto you. (Matthew 6:33)

Q: How many apples did Adam and Eve eat?

A: Adam 8 + Eve 8 = 16 apples

Q: What is the best multiplication fact?

A: Grace and peace be multiplied unto you. (2 Peter 1:2)

Q: What is the best subtraction fact?

A: Jesus will take away our sin. (1 John 3:5)

Homework for Parents:

Q: Who should prepare the morning coffee?

A: The men. The Bible says He-brews.

Q: How should we teach children to study the Bible?

A: Luke into it.

DISCLAIMER: (A disclaimer is a statement denying responsibility.) My readers know that my writing is much more intellectual and thought-provoking than this. My mind must be on summer break. Enjoy.

Nick is a well known person in town. You may have heard his name, since he is on the Council. He is a highly educated, in-charge kind of guy. It would be safe to say that he is a religious leader, who tends to be hypocritical.

People probably think of him as having a lot going for him. One would expect him to be content. One would expect him to be confident. But… he isn’t.

Because …he has a spiritual problem. One night, he could not stop thinking about it. Sleep would not come. He knew about Jesus. He knew Jesus had the answers to his questions. So, in the dark stillness of the night – while others slept – while no one was around – he went searching for Jesus.

It was as Jeremiah 29:13 says: You will seek me, and find me, when you search for me with your whole heart.

Nick found Jesus. And, after that encounter, his heart was changed. He decided not to share the news with others, though. Instead, Nick became a secret believer.

As time passed, the details of his days began to show his growing faith, and at one of his Council meetings, he publicly defended the name of Jesus.

There may be a bit of Nick in all of us. We have all been there at times – as secret believers – not quite boldly ready to proclaim the name of Jesus from the rooftops at that moment – or even the next moment – but slowly becoming stronger and stronger in our faith each day. Then, one day – the boldness shows up!

That happened with Nick:

He heard the news. Jesus had died on the cross. He knew he needed to be there. He no longer cared if he came secretly! He carried seventy five pounds of myrrh and aloe with him to anoint the body. That was enough to bury royalty! Along with Arimathaea, he began to compassionately, respectfully, and lovingly prepare the body of his Jesus.

Surely, as he began to wrap and anoint the body, he thought back to how Jesus had welcomed him in the dark of the night – and how his life had been changed.

Surely, his tears were flowing – even on to the linen cloths of his Lord – as his actions boldly informed the world that Jesus was his King.

Surely, it was a time of communion like none other, as the honor of serving his Jesus was just as real in His death as it had been in His life.

Nick knew.

We know, too.

As it was the story of Nicodemus, it is also the story for each of us:

In the dark of our night.

In the details of our day.

In the death on the cross – that led to our victory.

The answer is Jesus.

The story of Nicodemus was brought to you by John 3:1-21;7:50-52; and 19:39-40.

“I read your column every week,” she said with a slight smile, but the look on her face told me this was not a casual conversation.

“The one about your daughter,” she whispered, “I really needed it. I keep a copy of it in my purse.” I opened my mouth, but no words came out. I knew exactly what she was saying to me. The look on her face reminded me of myself at times. There was no doubt in my mind. She loved an addict – and she was hurting.

The column she referenced was almost two years old. And… as part of my personal story, I knew it all too well.

The tragedy flashed through my mind as we stood there:

The call had come that morning. My then 19 year old daughter woke up in an apartment and found her boyfriend dead from an overdose. She was arrested, facing numerous drug charges. The life I had envisioned for her would not be happening. What had been a mostly private addiction dealt with by our family, on that day became very public – on TV and on the front page of the newspaper. I was heartbroken, angry, and grieving. I had lost the battle I had been trying to fight for her.

Later, as I watched her cry while standing over his casket, my bitterness remained. Until… I saw the words she had carefully chosen for the card attached to the single rose she had sent to the funeral home: Love U 4-Ever. But, the word love had been replaced with a heart. As the power of those words infiltrated my heart, so did the power of God. God somehow broke through my stony heart and sent healing to our relationship.

Love – of all things – the emotion I felt the least of at that moment – is the emotion that brought the healing.

I had written that column 15 years later, when I finally felt peace about sharing it. I love for someone to approach me and tell me how something I wrote impacted them. But…on this day, I somehow knew that this lady I did not know would ask this question I did not want to answer: How is your daughter doing now?

I shook my head, looked down at the ground, and felt the tears begin to fall. She hugged me, and prayed the sweetest prayer over my family. Then, she told me about her daughter, and I prayed for her.

That one day. That one person. While looking to me for reassurance, she ended up being the one to offer reassurance. And in turn… may the words I write – or say – in this column reassure you and lead the ‘addict you love’ to freedom.

John 6:33 tells me that in Him, I can have peace. In this world I will have trouble, but I can take heart! He has overcome the world!

I refuse to lose heart. The battle is the Lord’s. I will live in victory.

Love an addict? As the child of an alcoholic, sister of an alcoholic, and mother of an addict, I understand. We are not alone. Many suffer as we do. We do our best to make the right decisions, based on our knowledge of our loved ones. We do not have time to worry about what others think. God CAN do a great work in the lives of those we love. Our love and prayers may be all we have to give, and sometimes it may be ‘tough love,’ but it still counts as love. Proverbs 3:5 says to trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding. We trust You, Jesus!

Are you an addict? No matter where you are, God is right there. God knew you before you were conceived. He knows your heart. He knows your pain. No one wants to be an addict.

When life is at its worst, God is at His best. Ask for help- and mean it! This may be your day to be set free. Love U 4-Ever.

Wasting Time?

Everyone in my 6th grade class was working diligently on an assignment, except for one student. She had not even picked up her pencil. I finally walked over to her and whispered, “You need to stop wasting time.”

She looked up at me and said, “I was thinking about my daddy.” Tears welled up in her eyes as she told me that her army dad had left that morning to serve overseas in what she referred to as an unsafe place.

What I realized most at that point – was that I had been mistaken. She had not been wasting time. It was far from that. For her, this was a time of war. This was a time to weep. This was a time to mourn.

And…the other students apparently felt it was no longer a time to work at their desks. They knew instead that it was a time to speak. They began to ask if they could help.

They knew it was a time to love. One student walked over to her – and the others followed. She tearfully shared some of the emotions she was feeling.

Some knew it was a time to help her heal, so they offered words of encouragement. Some knew it was a time to embrace, so hugs were given.

Some knew it was a time to speak, and they closed their eyes to speak to their Savior.

I saw her months later in the mall, after a new school year had begun. Her dad was with her. It was my time to weep, as I realized that for her family, a time of peace had come.

God had made everything beautiful in his time.

I lost count of the number of times I used the word time as I wrote this, but I do know that God’s timing is important and we should trust it – as we face times in our lives that, according to Ecclesiastes 3:1-11 have a season and a purpose under heaven.

I learned some valuable lessons from that young lady and her classmates that day:

–What may look like – or even feel like – wasting time – may not be wasting time.

–We sure can learn a lot from taking time to look beyond actions – and see the heart.

–Sometimes, we should stop – and make time for those who need us.

​No wonder the word time is in the Bible 623 times…