Ann Farabee

By Ann Farabee

     Lord, thank You for sending Your Son to die on the cross for us. Thank You for conquering death. Thank You for our salvation.

     You have everything under control. Nothing that happens surprises You. You are all-powerful. You are all-knowing. Thank You for choosing to allow us to pray and make our requests known.

     Lord, You said for us to pray in all things, to pray without ceasing, and to ask in faith believing. In 1 Timothy 2:1-2, we are told that first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks should be made for all men, for kings, and for all who are in authority, so we may live a quiet and peaceful life in godliness and honesty.

     What a beautiful promise! A quiet and peaceful life in godliness and honesty.

So… we pray.

     Our Heavenly Father, we pray for the United States of America – a land that we love. Help our nation. We pray for our leaders, our government, our military, our citizens, our homes, our children, our families, our workers, our schools, our churches, our spiritual leaders, our missionaries, unity, safety, and so much more! Help us, Lord, to remember the four words inscribed on our money – In God We Trust!

     We pray for those who are living in situations they need deliverance from – whether it be sickness, addiction, trapped in sin, abuse, depression, discouragement, wayward children, homelessness, hunger, poverty, grief, imprisonment, family concerns, and other difficulties – many of which we cannot verbalize to others – because the pain may be too overwhelming.

     Lord, be at work in every heart and heal in every circumstance. Hold us, Jesus. Give us strength. Give us peace. Give us hope. Give us comfort.

     Raise us up, Lord. Help us to proclaim boldly the Gospel to the world, knowing that time is short. Help us to love one another, as You love us.

     Thank You, Lord, for 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18, that tells us that You will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ will rise first, and then we which are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet You, Lord, in the air, and we will forever be with You! What comfort those words bring to our hearts!

     We pray that You convict and speak to the hearts of those who need to accept You as their personal Savior. Help them to realize they cannot delay, because You spoke these words – written in red – in Revelation 22:20, “Surely I come quickly.”

      Even so, come, Lord Jesus. May Your grace – the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with us all. Amen.

  *** Prayer may very well be the greatest weapon in our arsenal! We need to use it!

By Ann Farabee

Sometimes, a wait in the hospital ‘waiting room’ isn’t too bad – like when waiting for a new baby or for a loved one’s ‘simple’ surgery to end, but quite often the ‘waiting room’ can be a very difficult place. I have become quite the expert in this area, so here are some tips to improve your ‘waiting room’ experience:

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*Sometimes, you may have to leave your loved one’s hospital room and go to a waiting room. There, you can allow your tears to flow more freely. This is when others will hug you, comfort you, pray for you, or just know to let you have a few minutes alone.

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*Coffee and water is always available. If the coffee pot gets empty, someone will make more.

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*There are baskets filled with snacks and magazines, often brought by members of local churches. And… Bibles brought by Gideons.

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*Exhausted? Pull two chairs together. Ask someone for pillows and blankets. Voila! You have a bed. ‘Chair sleeping’ can be a bit awkward, so someone will try to convince you to go home and rest, while they take your place in the ‘waiting room’ for a few hours. Take them up on the offer.

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*If it gets cold, ask for a heated blanket. There always seems to be a compassionate person that will find you one.

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*You may notice others waiting, too. Sharing ‘waiting room’ time is precious, since you can be there for each other.

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*People on the hospital staff may stop by to update you. It makes you feel that people care… and they do!

Did this ‘waiting room’ sound familiar? Ever been there? It is so similar to the ‘waiting rooms’ of life – where we spend much of our time. Situations or circumstances need to change. Answers need to come. We pray. We wait.

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Matthew 25:35-40 says: “When I was hungry, you gave me meat. When I was thirsty, you gave me drink. I was a stranger and you took me in. I was naked and you clothed me.

I was sick and you visited me. I was in prison and you came to me. I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto the least of these, you have done it unto me.”

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God always puts people in our path to help in times of waiting. They may provide nourishment for us – maybe a basket with food. Maybe they nourish us by sharing God’s Word. They give us drink – like coffee or water – or maybe they guide us to the water of life, so we will never thirst again. They clothe us – sometimes by covering us with a warm blanket – or speaking warm words to strengthen us. They know our waiting is excruciating – and they support us by their presence and prayers. Sometimes, we feel trapped – as if in prison – during that ‘waiting room’ experience – but God always sends comfort our way – often through others, wanting to help bear our burdens.

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No, the ‘waiting room’ is not always a happy place, but it does not have to be a lonely place. Sometimes, when we are in the ‘waiting room’ and are hurting, we may not even share with others that we are in that season of waiting. People cannot read our minds, so we need to ask for support. How can they know to help us, if they don’t know our need?

Oh, what amazing things I have learned in my ‘waiting room’ experiences! Giving and receiving! Loving and being loved! Serving and being served! Trusting God! Resting in His Promises! (Just to name a few!)

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Aren’t you thankful for the ‘Matthew 25:35-40’ people in your life? They are always there when we endure difficult ‘waiting room’ experiences. They help us through what is often the hardest – but yet can be the sweetest – times of our lives. They help us to be ‘better’ instead of ‘bitter.’ Their love and guidance helps the circumstance to become one that ‘makes us’ instead of one that ‘breaks us.’

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And for those in the middle of a ‘waiting room’ experience, here is a verse to enjoy as you wait: Psalm 27:14 – Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.

I’m waiting, Lord. I trust You.

By Ann Farabee

The List

My mother made lists for everything. After her three children had grown up, she began traveling by bus with members of her church to attend a week-long camp meeting in Myrtle, Mississippi. Perhaps it had a more official title, but camp meeting is what she called it.

She stepped out of her comfort zone in going the first year, but after that she had gained the reputation of being the best bed short-sheeter in history, and became well-known among the Myrtle, Mississippi crowd, so I suppose she went annually to defend her crown.

In anticipation of the trip, she would begin months ahead of time making that list of needed items to take. The last list she made was written on a notepad she used at her 3rd shift job in Cannon Mills.

She would talk about it daily, get packed, wait in expectation, and be ready to go. She would be spending her time with others who loved God as much as she did. They would worship, read God’s Word, pray with one another, sing songs of praise, hear preachers preach, and leave the cares of this world behind.

Once on the bus, she was at peace, because she heading to the place she had been longing to go. She always said it was the most beautiful place she had ever been, and being there was what she expected heaven to be like.

During her last trip to Myrtle, she got sick, and the group returned a day early, so she could be admitted to the hospital. A few days later, she was admitted into heaven.

It was the place she had longed for. She had left the cares of this world behind, and was worshipping around the throne of God.

 Her last list? I found it in her Bible.

Cosmetics

Tylenol

Pills

Toothbrush, etc.

Change of clothes

Shoes

Bedroom slippers

socks

P.J.’s

Housecoat

Jacket or sweater

Books

I smiled as I read it.

Not one thing on that list was needed.

All she needed was access to one book – the Lamb’s Book of Life – that her name had been written in when she accepted Jesus as her Savior.

If she could speak to us from heaven, I believe she would say something similar to this, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him will not perish, but have everlasting life.”

Be sure to put accepting Jesus at the top of your list. Why give your heart and life to Jesus today?  Because in Revelation 22:20, Jesus says, “Surely I come quickly.”

By Ann Farabee

Early in my teaching career, which was decades ago, my class was working on 3 digit x 3 digit multiplication. Yes, back in the day, we only taught the standard algorithm. The school had calculators to check out for use, but they were only for special occasions.

On this day, there was one student who continued to struggle, even though she was putting forth great effort. As I was walking around the classroom helping students, I noticed she was getting confused, because she was having trouble lining the numbers up on the paper. I suggested that she turn her notebook paper sideways, so she could better align the problem by using the blue lines to keep it straight.

She seemed pleased. I felt like a good teacher. I walked away.

She tried it. It was not much help.

She remained confused. She looked at me and smiled as she said,“This is the hardest math we have done.” I tended to agree, and was determined to help take away some of her frustration by staying with her as she continued. Noticing an error, I showed it to her, reached for her pencil, and wrote the correct number.

I felt pretty successful at that point, so I watched as she began the next problem. Seeing continued hesitation, I reached for her pencil again. She kindly patted my hand and pushed it away, as she said, “I think I can do it better if I write the numbers by myself.”

Uh…. I had just been schooled. It reminded me of how it is when we are feeding our babies, and then one day they grab the spoon and feed themselves. Yes, it was messy. No, it was not perfect. But – it needed to happen.

After that, I began to let my students ‘hold the pencil’ as they worked. Some even began to work the problems using a different process. It may not have been the way I had learned to teach it, and at times, it was messy and not perfect, but we were all happier.

It really is the same with any learning.

It may be messy.

It may not be perfect.

But it needs to happen.

The student has probably not had reason to complete a similar multiplication problem on notebook paper in many years, and she probably never will, but I sure did learn something that day:

*Leading someone to learning is rewarding.

*Doing it for them is doing it for them.

*They will make mistakes, but that’s why pencils have erasers.

Aristotle said, “For the things we have to learn before we do them, we learn by doing them.”

ANN-istotle said, “When teaching someone, do not take the pencil.”

By the way, is multiplication in the Bible?

Yes, the Bible says go fourth and multiply.

This column is dedicated to all math lovers.

By Ann Farabee

It was a combination of fun, freedom, and fear. Each day as our elementary school dismissal bell rang, I would meet the other children from my neighborhood so we could walk home together, with textbooks and lunchboxes in hand.

About halfway down the first block, there it was!

The GIANT DOG! It was always looking for me!

It would bark.

It would run.

It would chase me.

Everyone else kept walking and talking and laughing.

Not me! I would keep screaming, flailing my arms around, and running for my life.

The monstrous dog would eventually stop and head back home.

I had survived another walk down Juniper Street!

Sometimes, the GIANT DOG would be sleeping as we walked by.

Then, the walk was fun.

Then, I felt freedom.

But on a day that dog was looking for me, I felt fear.

No fun. No freedom. Only fear.

When I got closer to home, I could not see my home, but I could see my next door neighbor whose name was Cannon Mills. It was ‘loom’ing in the distance and getting closer every step I took. We were very close neighbors, for we were only separated by a cotton-filled chain link fence about six feet away from my house.

Yes, our home was directly beside the very huge mill – but it was merely a backdrop for me – because I was looking for something else – HOME!

Mama would be standing at the door looking for me. She would have a snack prepared for me. She would talk with me about my day. It was good to be home – away from the fears of the world.

Home – there really is no place like it.

It is never perfect, but it sure is special.

My mother is now in heaven.

The house has now been moved.

The land the house was on is now an extremely close neighbor to the NC Research Center.

I still hold that home in my heart.

I can feel it, even though I cannot see it.

I remember the walk.

I remember the way.

I remember the welcome.

One more thing: I like dogs now.

One more thing: I was a teacher at the school I walked home from as a child.

But the feeling of heading home – and being home – has not changed.

In a way, we are all walking home, aren’t we?

Yes, we will have fun, freedom, and fears along the way.

But – Jesus walks with us.

He knows the way.

Actually – He is the Way.

As scary as a neighborhood dog was and as huge and loud as Cannon Mills was – I never really made them my focus – because home ‘loom’ed even bigger in my eyes. It was the place where my loved ones would be standing at the door waiting for me – and looking for me.

As Billy Graham once said, “My home is in heaven. I’m just traveling through this world.”

I think I will say it also:

My home is in heaven. I’m just traveling through this world.

By Ann Farabee

You saved my life

Sometimes, he asked if he could go to church with us. He was 14 and was my daughter’s  friend. He lived in a very difficult home environment and was not doing well in school.  Sometimes, we took him to church. Sometimes, he would fall asleep at church. Sometimes, he would stay awake. Sometimes, he would actually listen.

It lasted for around a year. As it dwindled away, we lost touch.

Until this week – which was 24 years later.

He tapped on my car window as I was backing out of a parking space at a convenience store. Although he looked familiar, I hesitated. But, when he called out my name, I put the car window down to hear what he had to say. I am glad I did.

He told me his name.

My heart was filled with tenderness.

He began to explain, “I didn’t know what it was like to have a family. I didn’t know what a normal life was like. I didn’t know about going to church. I didn’t know about God. You showed me those things. It was all new to me. I am doing good. I have a job and a daughter and a home and I am doing the right things.”

He showed me her photo in his wallet. She was a beautiful sight to see.

He continued, “I am trying to teach her some things I learned from you.”

His next words, “You saved my life.”

The words brought tears to my eyes.

It was all new to me.

You saved my life.

His words also brought deeper spiritual understanding to my heart.

Small acts of kindness shown to a young teen had changed his life.

It was not a decision I had consciously made. It was a result of him being planted in my life and me responding with compassion. I did it without thinking. It was simple. And it introduced him to a different way of life that he later pursued.

Hearing this 14 year old as a now 38 year old – giving ME credit for saving his life – was definitely a God moment reminding me to keep going. There is not a time to stop.

God used me to introduce him to Jesus.

And I was unaware that I was doing it.

Maybe we all do that more often than we realize.

Maybe some of those daily moments that we refer to as ‘having a lot to do today’ will end up being moments that will save someone’s life.

Isn’t that amazing?

Do not neglect to do good and share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.

Hebrews 13:16

Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Philippians 2:4

Love one another as I have loved you.

John 13:34

We may save a life.

By Ann Farabee

Mini Golf

A game of miniature golf is a must at least once a year, right? 

One would perhaps assume I was pretty good at it, since it is an annual family priority. But no. I tend to always come in a strong 4th position on our four person team.

The original mini-golf was Putt Putt, which was founded in Fayetteville, NC, in 1954. All Putt Putt holes were a Par 2. It was designed to where a ‘hole in one’ would be a possibility for each hole. When I was a teenager, the orange and white Putt Putt facilities were quite the popular spot for date night.

When playing Putt Putt, a player finishes his hole before the next player starts. In mini golf, each player takes his first putt, then the player farthest from the hole takes his second putt.

Putt putt or mini golf – I love it – but I never win. I never come in 2nd place. I used to hold back on my skills when my children were young so they could win. That went by the wayside very quickly, but I still never won.

My strategies for success:

• I align my body with the golf club and the hole.
• I keep my eyes on the ball and the hole.
• I tap the ball easy or hard, depending on how far I want it to go.
• I assess the layout and make my plan for the hills, valleys, and traps.
• That’s about it – unless you count how to make adjustments based off the fact that you are carrying a bag with everyone’s stuff in it, while trying to keep score on that little scorecard with the little pencil with no eraser. That takes skill.

Options for making mini golf more fun:

*Hit the ball so it hits the hole, circles around it several times, and then fails to go in.

*Hit the ball so that it hits the hole and then jumps out of the hole, crosses the boundary, and ends up near another hole where another family is playing. (This works in bowling, as well.)

*Hit the ball to where it leaves the course and cannot be found.

Yes, I have done all of these.

Sometimes, it tends to not be 100% fun. Too hot. Too cold. Too crowded. Too slow. Too impatient. Too cranky. Too tired. And that is just me – I am not sure how the rest of the family feels.

The only part of mini golf I have not experienced is winning.

But, on our way home, we always realize we made a good memory.

Making memories matters.

Genesis 1:31 says that God saw all that he had made and it was very good.

Not just good – but very good!

We took time to do something for fun.

We took time to be with people we care about.

That time is never wasted.

Now that I think about it, I guess I win every time I play.

We all do.

Lord, thank You for family and friends. May we cherish those moments with them. May we remember that these special times are not just good – but are very good! Amen

By Ann Farabee

*It was time for the big reveal:

Pink balloons burst out of a huge box and began floating away. It was now official! Everyone began talking at once, hugging each other, and expressing their excitement! There was not a doubter in the crowd. We all knew what the pink balloons were revealing to us. A baby girl would soon arrive! How exciting!

*It was time for the big reveal:

The gift had been wrapped and placed on a table, waiting for the recipient to unwrap it, so it could be revealed to him. The paper was ripped away and the little boy squealed with joy, while running around the room saying, “I wanted this! I wanted this! I can’t believe I got it!” He ran off quickly to put that remote control car to good use! How exciting!

*It was time for the big reveal:

The high school athlete stepped up to a microphone to reveal the name of the college he planned to attend to play basketball. Three different college jerseys were on the table if front of him, so he reached down and picked up the one with the name of the school he had chosen. Cameras clicked! The crowd cheered! How exciting!

*It was time for the big reveal:

A group of children huddled around the table waiting on the birthday cake to be revealed. When they saw it, their eyes lit up. They then began to yell, “Happy Birthday!” at the top of their lungs to celebrate the birthday child! Ooh’s and ahh’s took place! How exciting!

*It was time for the big reveal:

I had finally begun to believe that my problem was going away, but on this day, it reappeared with a vengeance. Discouragement crept in. I prayed, “Lord, I need help!” I then opened up my Bible because I knew words from those pages would reveal God’s promise of peace to me.

There it was! The big reveal was taking place:

John 14:27 – Peace, I leave with you. My peace, I give to you. It is not peace that the world gives you. I give it to you. Do not let your heart be troubled. You do not need to be afraid.

The revealing of the pink balloons. How exciting!

The revealing of the remote control car. How exciting!

The revealing of the college the athlete would attend. How exciting!

The revealing of a birthday cake, followed by ooh’s and ahh’s. How exciting!

The revealing of God’s Word to our hearts.

The Spirit of God revealing himself to us!

How exciting!

How miraculous!

How powerful!

Lord, may we always be amazed that You reveal Your Word to us.

May it always be a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path.

May we always cherish it.

May we always realize how blessed we are that we have access to our God in heaven through the revealing of Your Word to us.

May we pay attention.

Amen

By Ann Farabee

I couldn’t help but smile when I saw the young mother whose T-shirt was imprinted with the words, “I’M SO TIRED.” Her six month old son had the words, “I’M NOT TIRED” on his T-shirt.

No matter the stage of life we are in, there is always a need for rest – even if we think we are okay without it.

Here are some examples about rest in the Bible:

*Exodus 3:17 – In six days God made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.

*Mark 6:31-32 – Jesus took his disciples in a boat to get away from the crowds and to go into a time of rest.

*Matthew 8:24 – A great storm arose in the sea. The ship was covered with waves. Jesus was asleep. Yes, Jesus was resting in the middle of the storm!

Jesus demonstrated the importance of rest by resting, showing us that rest was refreshing and … restful.

So, what is rest? Definitions include:

1. A bodily state characterized by minimal functional activity. (Sitting or reclining?)
2. Freedom from labor. (Doing nothing?)
3. A state of being motionless. (Perhaps a nap?)

Charles Spurgeon stated, “In the long run, we shall do more by sometimes doing less.”

Convinced? Ready to rest? It will take dedication and commitment, but there are quite a few RE-wards when we  RE-st.

We can:

*RE-fresh

*RE-member

*RE-store

*RE-direct

*Re-lax

*RE-juvenate

*RE-cover

*RE-group

*RE-vitalize

*RE-connect

Ready to rest?

Let’s intentionally make time for rest and see how we like it!

As a teacher, I daily worked at home on lesson plans and grading assignments. I felt God leading me to commit to setting aside Sunday as a day of rest – and I did. Yes, I am talking about working six days a week and resting on the seventh day. (Not only did I stop doing schoolwork on Sunday, but housework, as well!) It allows more time with family, more time in worship, and I am rested and ready for the week ahead. It may very well have been one of the most helpful steps I have taken in my Christian life.

If you do not feel you can ‘jump’ into that commitment, how about a daily time of rest?

Take 10, 20, or 30 minutes daily where you do whatever you feel is restful.

Create your plan and schedule it into your day.

You deserve it.

God set the example.

Jesus set the example.

That’s enough for me.

Ready…Set…REST!

By Ann Farabee

*GET UP AND GO.

Joshua rose early. He and his people were headed to the Promised Land.

*PREPARE YOURSELF.

He told his people to prepare themselves, for the Lord would do wonders among them.

*GOD IS WITH YOU.

They took the Ark of the Covenant with them. It included:

God’s Law – 10 Commandments

God’s Provision – Manna

God’s Authority – Aaron’s rod

*LISTEN.

The people walked. Right at the brink of the Jordan River, Joshua told them to stand still in order to hear the Word of the Lord. They stood still. They listened. They heard.

*STEP INTO THE WATERS.

As soon as the soles of the feet of the priests bearing the Ark of the Covenant took the first step of faith into the flood-like waters, the waters receded. The people passed over on dry ground.

*GIVE GOD PRAISE.

After crossing over, God directed one man from each of the 12 tribes to take a stone out of the deepest part of the Jordan River and build a monument. Then, in times to come, when the children ask their fathers, “What do these stones mean?” they could tell them about the great works God had done.

Can you envision it? One man at a time – tearfully laying down his stone – and then lifting his hands toward heaven to express thankfulness and praise for all that God had done.

Try to grasp some of the passion and emotion we might feel if it were us carrying a stone on our shoulders that may at one time have represented a heavy burden – laying that stone down, and then lifting our arms and voices in praise to God for our victory.

Maybe it would sound something like this:

Your LOVE! Thank You, my God, for loving me even when I didn’t love myself!

Your FAITHFULNESS! Oh, God, You have been there for me in the darkest of nights!

Your HEALING! The doctors said I wouldn’t make it. You, my God, said I would!

Your PROMISES! I’m grieving, but Your promise is that I will see my loved one again!

Your SACRIFICE! You looked ahead in time and died on the cross for me!

Your SALVATION! Oh, God! I am unworthy! Thank You for saving me!

Your MIRACLES! I felt hopeless, but You sent victory!

Your GRACE! Oh, God! Thank You for showing me undeserved favor!

Your PRESENCE! When I was depressed and alone, the Holy Spirit brought comfort!

Your MERCY! Thank You, Lord, that Your mercy follows me!

Your PROVISION! When my family was in need, You provided.

Your FORGIVENESS! I was in sin. You forgave me.

What do our stones mean?

Yes, they will ask us.

Yes, we will tell them.

Because they need to know.

Maybe we can also show them. Here’s how:

*Buy some small stones at a craft store or find some stones in your yard.

*Make a list of some of the great works God has done in your life.

*Use a marker or paint to describe them on the stones.

*Put the stones in a special location in your yard as a monument.

*As the blessings and answers to prayer continue, add more stones.

*Look what the Lord has done.