Ann Farabee

By Ann Farabee

By Ann Farabee

His struggle with addiction was real. The pain associated with his life choices were pounding and reverberating in his heart that day as he sat by the side of the road. He felt he had one thing to live for – his baby girl who was about to celebrate her 2nd birthday. He loved her fiercely – as well as he knew how – during the throes of his addiction.

He was grateful for the maternal grandparents who were raising her, though his guilt sometimes overwhelmed. He wanted to be with her as often as he was able – but he especially wanted to be in her presence personally presenting her a present on her birthday.

He had gotten a ride to a shopping district in a nearby town – about thirty minutes from home. He hoped to use the few dollars he had saved to buy the perfect gift. Quickly, he realized the paltry amount he had in his pocket would purchase almost nothing.

He had given up, sat down on the curb, and was waiting for his ride home. It never came. He lowered his head and covered his face, as he realized it was another day of defeat. His tears began to flow.

Cars passed. People walked by. He paid no attention. Another car came by, pulled over to the curb, and a man called out, “You need help?” Seconds later, he was in the car of a stranger who insisted on driving him home, and who was listening intently as he shared his story: His struggles. His failure to raise his child. His appreciation for the grandparents who were. The birthday plans. The birthday present he had hoped to give.

A few minutes later, he was dropped off where he was staying at that time, but not before the stranger talked with him about putting his trust in the Lord, and asking for the phone number of the grandparents who were raising his little girl. As he got out of the car, he was handed $500 to buy that special gift – and to encourage him that God – and people – care.

The story did not end there.

The next day, a phone call of encouragement came to the grandparents.

The following day, they received a $500 check.

Some may call this a nice story.

Some may call it a streak of luck.

I call it an angel.

An angel sent to encourage an addict who needed to see God.

An angel sent to encourage a small child who deserved great love.

An angel sent to encourage grandparents who were raising their grandchild.

These words from the song, Angels Among Us, seem fitting:

I believe there are angels among us

Sent down to us from somewhere up above

They come to you and me in our darkest hour

To show us how to live, to teach us how to give

To guide us with the light of love.

That ‘light of love’ is exactly what was put in my heart as I experienced this angel at work – for the family this angel had reached out to was part of my family.

Angels at work.

Be the angel.

See the angel.

It may not show up in $500 increments.

It may be even greater!

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

By Ann Farabee

The reminders kept coming. I paid them no attention. As I walked in, employees would cheerfully say, “It’s time to renew!” It was something I needed to do. It was something I wanted to do. It was something I planned to do. Just not that day.

Oh, there could be benefits in renewing – physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. It would take exerting a little effort, though. I apparently was failing to make renewing a priority.

Then, one day, as I scanned my card to gain entrance. Nothing happened. My gym membership had reached the expiration date.

What? I had not renewed it in time? Yes, I knew about it, but I had been too busy!

More bad news. Since I had failed to renew on time – I had lost the best outcome – the lowest price!

This, however, was followed by good news, when I heard these words, “You have been faithful. We are going to waive that additional fee.”

Ahh – I love when grace and mercy are shown.

God’s Word tells us – and His Spirit reminds us – to renew. And renewing on time – is to our benefit. But, if we are late, He still makes provision for us, and may very well waive the additional fee!

Ready to renew?

Renew our mind – Romans 12:2 says for us not to conform to this world, but to be transformed by the renewing of our mind. Transformed means dramatically changed. That is what renewing our minds will bring – a transformation from earthly minded to spiritually minded.

Renew our hope – Jeremiah 31:15-17 tells of Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted. The Lord told her to refrain from weeping, for her work would be rewarded, and that there was hope in the end that her children would come again to their own border. By the authority of Jesus in us…. we have hope. Not only for our children, but hope in all things – God has plans for us – plans to prosper us, not to harm us, and to give us hope and a future.

Renew our strength – Isaiah 40:31 tells us that if we wait upon the Lord, He will renew our strength. We will run and not be weary. We will walk and not faint. How is our strength renewed? You heard it right! The Lord renews it for us – all we have to do is wait.

The word ‘renew’ can be defined as resuming something after an interruption. Sometimes, it seems we tend to get interrupted from things of God – by things of the world. That can be a time when we may feel that our minds, our hope, and our strength – are about to expire.

God’s Word tells us differently:

Our mind can be renewed.

Our hope can be renewed.

Our strength can be renewed.

And… there is no expiration date.

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

By Ann Farabee

Shopping? How did Black Friday go?

Black Friday is the name for the day after Thanksgiving, which is considered the beginning of the Christmas shopping season. It began in 1952 – although the term Black Friday was not used until 1961. It has become the busiest shopping day of the year.

I personally have refused to ‘buy in’ to the belief that Black Friday has the best deals.

Not me. My plan was to shop from home – on Thanksgiving Day – beginning at 3:00. No fighting traffic, no pushing through crowds, no waiting in line, no trying to navigate where to go when.

A cup of coffee, a slice of pecan pie, and my computer from the comfort of home.

I found a deal! 40% off! I knew it! I knew it! Shopping with the crowd on Black Friday was no real advantage – this store had what I needed – why keep looking? I went for it!

I selected needed items. It was taking some time, but it would be worth it! It was only Thanksgiving Day – and much of my shopping would be done! I am a super shopper!

$600 worth later for only $360 – I smugly shut down my computer – and rewarded myself with a turkey sandwich.

I smiled. I had a heads up on the Black Friday shoppers.

But…sigh…. Black Friday morning arrived. I awoke to an email from the same store I had made my purchase from. It now offered not a 40% off, but a 50% off. Mental math informed me that my $600 purchase could have been $300 – not the $360 I had spent.

Too much time had been spent looking for what I thought was the best deal – and it ended up not even being the best deal.

So – hats off to you savvy shoppers out there!

I tried.

However, there is one great deal none of us can afford to pass up!

In case you missed it, here is some info:

DEAL OF THE DAY! IT’S FREE! We do not even have to make the purchase! It has already been made – when Jesus died on the cross for our sins to purchase our salvation!

Don’t know how to locate the deal?

Here is your special access code: John 3:16

For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

As for Black Friday? And the greatest Door Buster?

No sale – or gift of any price – could begin to compare with the gift the world was given on the darkest Black Friday – as Jesus gave His life for our sins.

And three days later, He became the real Door Buster – as He burst forth from the tomb – giving the world the greatest gift ever given – victory over death!

It was – and is – the deal of a lifetime!

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

By Ann Farabee

The days must have felt like an eternity – and they slowly turned into months while sailing on that ship.

They had been willing to make sacrifices in order to travel to a new land. It was a stormy season. Food began to run out. They slept on wooden pallets. No baths. Chamber pots. Seasickness was rampant. The smell onboard was horrendous. Sickness came often – in many forms. The work load was heavy because maintaining and sailing a ship 24 hours a day involved the efforts of everyone.

And the children? Their days and nights probably felt long due to the hardships. But, they helped with work around the ship and took care of younger siblings. They also spent time playing games and running around.

The desire of all their hearts was to attain a new life where they could worship God freely.

We call them the Pilgrims.

And they were on a pilgrimage.

A pilgrim can be defined as one who travels on a long journey. A pilgrimage can be defined as the journey. It is hard to clearly envision their days, because recorded accounts often leave out the heart – but as we know, being in a relationship with the God of the universe includes matters of the heart – like love, dreams, goals, feelings, desire… not the seen, but the unseen.

They were people like us:

Dads wondering if maybe they should not have come.

Moms worrying if the trip was too hard on the children.

Children – sick and hungry – trying to find something to pass the time.

There were even some orphans onboard – who may have felt alone and fearful.

Doubts probably crossed everyone’s mind at times.

And then… perhaps as hope seemed lost – LAND AHOY!

Imagine that moment. The moment they had kept in view in their hearts the entire trip – knowing that it one day would come. Envision them gathering around on deck and staring at that speck of land ahead, watching it appear to grow larger and larger right before their eyes.

They had not belonged on the ship, nor had they felt at home on the ship. In their hearts – they knew they had been strangers and pilgrims who were bound for their permanent dwelling place.

When they reached the shore – they knew. They were HOME. As their feet touched the ground, their emotions plummeted them to their knees as they began to cry out prayers of thanksgiving to God.

Their faith in their God – and sacrifices made – had not only impacted each of them – but impacted generations to come. Worth it.

*Like the pilgrimage of Abraham to the Promised Land.

*Like the pilgrimage of Paul, as he traveled on foot to share the Gospel to the world.

*Like the pilgrimage of Jesus from heaven to earth – so we can go from earth to heaven.

*Like our pilgrimage from our home on earth – to our eternal home in heaven.

Be a pilgrim. Stay on your pilgrimage. It will be worth it.

God promises provision for it.

God provides power for it.

God has a prevailing purpose for it.

By Ann Farabee

He was surrounded. He was on the run. He was hiding. Often.

In Psalm 3:1, David said that they who were troubling him had increased – and that MANY rose up against him. Psalm 3:6 indicates it was an army of around 10,000. That’s a big number!

I know the feeling, David. I know the feeling.

It reminds me of what many days in my life seem to hold.

It also reminded me of the arcade game Whack-a-Mole. You have a weapon – a soft rubber mallet. You use it to whack a mole on the head as he pops up at random times. But… as soon as you get that mole whacked and out of your way, another one pops up. And another one. And then another one. And before you know it, the original troublemaking mole pops up again. I have never seen anyone quit the game. The only way the battle ends is when your time runs out.

Yes, David was in the middle of a time when the enemy was on the move and trouble was coming from every direction.

As king, he had an army he could have sent out, but he knew his stronger power was calling on the Lord. Instead of choosing hopelessness, he chose to go to his Helper.

The Helper showed up as David cried out in Psalm 3:3 –

Thou, Oh, Lord, art a shield for me! It does not say the Lord GAVE him a shield. It said the Lord IS his shield. This shield was a buckler that went above, beneath, around, without, and within. That’s what I would call full coverage.

Lord, You are my glory! If we belong to God, we can have faith we will be triumphant – and have grace to see our future glory in the midst of our present suffering.

Lord, You are the lifter of my head! Have you ever been to a place in life where you did not even want to lift your head – maybe because of sadness, sickness or shame? Envision this: The Lord is the One who lifts our head – it’s a personal touch!

David’s personal prayer received a personal answer.

Sometimes, we may feel like we are whacking the mole.

Sometimes, we may feel like we are the mole that is being whacked.

But, no matter the circumstance:

The Lord’s shield surrounds -and brings us protection.

The Lord’s glory embraces – and brings us His promises.

The Lord’s lifting of our heads – brings us peace.

So, what happened in the next 3 verses – Psalm 3: 4-6?

David’s personal prayer received a personal answer:

He cried unto the Lord and the Lord heard him.

He laid down and slept.
The Lord sustained him.
He was not afraid of the 10,000.

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

By Ann Farabee

It is not something anyone would ever want to face. He was robbed, stripped of his clothing, and wounded. As he fell to the ground, the attackers finally left him.

He had been heading downhill from Jerusalem to Jericho. It was isolated terrain and desert conditions. And now…he was wounded, had fallen, and was in despair. He tried to reach out to those walking by, perhaps gasping, “Help me.”

Finally, in the distance – a priest was heading toward him. But…he soon crossed over to the other side. Did the priest NOT see him? Or did he not WANT to see him? Apparently, he had no interest in helping a fallen man.

Blood pouring from the wound, naked, no money – and the one who could help had just passed him by.

But wait… a Levite was coming! He was looking his direction! Levites were known for following ceremonial law and customs of the day. Surely, he would care for a wounded man, wouldn’t he? But he only looked upon him briefly – and curiously. And he, too, passed over to the other side,

He had fallen. There was no hope.

Enter…the Samaritan.You may recognize him by his modern day name – The Good Samaritan. Samaritans of that day were often hated and thought of as being the ones doing the robbing, not the ones stopping to help.

The Good Samaritan took action:

Day 1 – He saw the man. He had compassion. He went to him. He poured in oil and wine and bound up his wounds. He lifted him up. He set him on his own beast. He took him to an inn. He took care of him.

Day 2 – The Good Samaritan went on with his journey – but not until he paid the innkeeper to take care of the man. He told him if he had not left enough money, he would repay him when he came back by.

I tend to believe he made sure to come back by, don’t you?

Sometimes, we fail to make allowance for the fallen, don’t we?

We see them heading downhill in isolated terrain and desert conditions.

We realize they have fallen to the attackers and need help.

We may intentionally look the other direction.

We may look their direction – but only out of curiosity.

Perhaps the priest saw the fallen man as someone to judge.

Perhaps the Levite saw the fallen man as someone to look at – and avoid.

Perhaps the innkeeper saw the fallen man as someone to help – for a price.

But The Good Samaritan.

That’s The Good Stuff.

I mean – that’s The God Stuff.

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

By Ann Farabee

In the courtroom, those words bring silence. Voices stop mid-sentence. Everyone stands. Why? It is out of respect for the judge and the court. Often, those standing feel fear or face uncertainty. The judge is the authority – and the verdict is coming.

At night, we go to sleep. We become disengaged from our surroundings. Energy is restored, muscles relax, tissue growth and repair takes place, and our immune system is supported. Our problems are on hold as our bodies and minds rest.

Morning comes. We all rise.

To rise means to move vertically, while increasing in intensity, at a smooth, consistent pace. It means to go from a lower position to a higher position. It means to succeed in not being limited or constrained by our environment or situation.

What does the Bible say about rising?

Rise when we fall. Micah 7:8 says for the enemy not to rejoice over us when we fall, because we WILL rise. Even when we sit in darkness, the Lord will be a light to us.

Rise and build. In Nehemiah 2:18, when the walls needed to be rebuilt, the people responded, “Let us rise up and build.” Then they strengthened their hands to do the good work.

Rise and pray. In Luke 22:45-46, Jesus rose from prayer to go tell his disciples to rise and pray.

Rise and praise. Psalm 113:3 says that from the rising of the sun until the going down of the same, the Lord’s name is to be praised.

A verdict in the courtroom can be life changing – sometimes for the good – but often for what feels like the really bad.

They are told to rise as they face being sent to prison, as their marriage is dissolved, as the custody of their children is settled, as the bankruptcy becomes a reality, or as a sentence is read that would have once seemed unimaginable.

But, whether we are told to rise in the courtroom to hear the potentially life-changing verdict, or whether we are rising to face a new day, God is always present. He helps us rise when we fall. He will be with us as we rise to build – or rebuild. And our greatest weapons in each day – no matter the situation – are to rise and pray – and rise and praise.

Can we do it?

Yes. We can do all things through Christ, who gives us strength.

• What? Are you too tired to rise?
• There are 365 days in a year.

* The word rise is in the Bible 345 times.

* Does that leave us with 20 days a year we do NOT have to rise?

• It does not.
• 24. 7.
• Rise and shine. Give God the glory.

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

By Ann Farabee

Need time to pray? Take it.

Go to that place.

It is the place where you pray – by yourself.

It is the place where you pray – with your family.

It is the place where you pray – with your church congregation.

It is the place where you pray – with anyone who wants to pray.

It is our altar.

Leviticus 7:29-30 teaches that we are to bring our offerings personally to the Lord – no matter where we are – and to not just rely on others to pray for us. We need to personally pray.

In Biblical times, there were some directions for building altars. They were built in a raised place, by the hands of the people, with broken rocks, and dirt from the earth. No tools were used.

Ezra 3 tells of the Jews setting up an altar showing their commitment to stay close to God – because they knew staying close to God mattered. They learned to obey God from the heart – not from habit. Their altar continually burned.

Leviticus 6:13 says, “The fire shall ever be burning upon the altar; it shall never go out.” That is the fire of the Holy Spirit that lives in us. God started the fire – we did not.

The altar is the center of worship, a place of covenant, a place of prayer, and a place of personal encounter with God. The altar would stay in place for years – as a reminder of God’s protection and God’s promises.

At our personal altar, we surrender. We die to ourselves. We cry out to God. We bring our sins, our brokenness, our sickness, our fears, our needs, and our hopes. It is a place of breakthrough.

Where is our altar?

*In our heart – our central and innermost part of our being – where the Holy Spirit resides. Our heart is where God and man meet.

*In our home – and is built by the work of our own hands, guided by the Heavenly Father. Within the altar of our home lies our heritage.

*In our house of worship – which is defined as a place where a congregation gathers for prayer – at an altar.

We look up to the Lord – His ways are higher than ours. We come empty-handed. We build our altars with our own hands. We only have pieces of broken rocks and dirt of the earth. We have no tools. We have nothing to offer.

But we surrender to the Lord, because we know. He is the Alpha and Omega. He is the beginning and the end – Who is – and was – and is to come.

We surrender to the Lord, because of the truth we know in our hearts – the flame shall forever be burning on the altar – it will never go out.

Genesis 8:20 – Noah built an altar unto the Lord.

Genesis 8:21 – And the Lord smelled a sweet savor.

Let’s build our altar.

And…may it be a sweet savor to our Savior.

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

By Ann Farabee

*In the darkness of the night, the baby cries. You walk in the nursery and whisper, “Shh…it’s okay.” You give them a gentle pat of encouragement. Comfort comes.

*The doorbell rings. It’s a friend – with a meal and a hug. They knew you were hurting. Comfort comes.

*A co-worker stops you at work. They know you are embroiled in a daunting storm in your life. They pray with you. They offer help. Comfort comes.

*You are not even sure if you sat down at all today. You work as hard as you can, feel overwhelmed, and get weary. But then, someone speaks kind words of affirmation into your life. Comfort comes.

*As you begin to wake up, you know you will still be facing the huge battle in your life that you faced the day before. Fear momentarily fills your heart. You open your Bible and your eyes land on a verse that seems to be there just for you. Comfort comes.

*Why is the world still going on while you are grieving? Hopelessness overtakes you. But, through the prayers of others – even when you are too disheartened to pray for yourself – one day the sun begins to shine again. Comfort comes.

*A loved one is on their deathbed. It seems as if they are waiting on something – or someone – before they slip away into eternity. That visitor arrives to say good-bye. Comfort comes.

Each of these circumstances have happened in my life – and some of them have probably happened in yours, as well.

To comfort means to strengthen in spirit and body, to encourage, to console, to support, to refresh, or to free from distress.

The Holy Spirit is our Comforter, our advocate, our helper:

*John 14:16 – I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever.

*John 14:18 – I will not leave you comfortless. I will come to you.

Not only does the Holy Spirit comfort us, but we are to comfort others:

*Isaiah 40:1 – Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.

2 Corinthians 1:4 – God, who comforts us in all our tribulations, that we may be able to comfort them who are in any trouble, by the comfort that we ourselves are comforted of God.

Does the comfort brought by others take away our times of adversity? No.
Does the comfort brought by others ease our adversity? Yes.
And… it can give us renewed strength to do what we need to do.

*And…as our day draws to a close, we slip into bed, pull the comforter up over us and wrap ourselves in it, allowing our bodies, minds, and spirits to rest.

And…the real Comforter covers us – and comforts us – that blanket of protection over our lives, reminding us to rest in Him.
He was with us today and He will be with us tomorrow.

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