Ann Farabee

He had become well-known and a man of fame in that city and abroad. He had gained a magnificent reputation, and He was known as one of exceptional character. He was the Healer.

Multitudes had come to hear him speak and to be healed of their infirmities. Luke 5:15-16 says, “But Jesus walked away from the crowd and went into the wilderness — to pray. Yes, Jesus left the crowd and went to an isolated place to talk with the Father on their behalf.”

That is remarkable.

Jesus loved everyone, so I am sure He loved those in the crowd. But at that moment in time, He needed a “praying in the wilderness” experience.

Sometimes, we need that, as well. Not always just on our behalf, but also on behalf of others. A prayer for someone is one of the greatest gifts we can give or receive.

As for me, I need to give that gift more often. Sometimes, it may feel that our prayers are not a big deal — but they are. Our prayers reach God!

Our prayers transcend the world and go straight to our Heavenly Father.

When God freed His people from slavery in Egypt, instead of going straight to the Promised Land, they went on a journey through the wilderness. But while wandering around in that wilderness, God revealed Himself to them.

Being in the wilderness sounds horrible, but if it brings us to a place of solitude with our Savior, we have the victory. That sure beats sitting around complaining about our difficulties, right? Going into His presence is His present to us — as we are surrounded by love, rest, and peace that comes with being in the presence of our Savior.

If God leads us there, why would we not go into the wilderness — apart from the crowd — to pray?

It would be like failing to accept the gift of His presence. God’s Word tells of many times Jesus prayed. Here are some of my personal favorites:

• “Early in the morning while it was dark.” — Mark 1:35

• “On the mountain during the night while making a decision.” — Luke 6:12-16

• “At a special occasion.” — Luke 3:21

• “With others — Peter, James and John went with Jesus to the mountain to pray.” — Luke 9:28

• “When in need — in the garden, Jesus asked that the cup be removed from him.” — Luke 22:42

• “When in pain — On the cross, He cried out in agony.” — Matthew 27:46

• “For those who had hurt him, Father forgive them.” — Luke 23:34

• “In surrender to God’s will — Father, into your hands, I commend my spirit.” — Luke 23:46 Jesus prayed, and so should we. 1 Chronicles 16:11 says, “Look to the Lord and His strength.”

Seek His face always.

Always means always!

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

By Ann Farabee

I love the sound of that — Part 1.

But I love the sound of this even more — believe for it.

This column begins with an honest Q&A session I had with myself: How often do I pray?

My answer — not often enough.

How long do I pray?

My answer — not long enough.

Why is that?

That is what I am going to attempt to figure out over my next few columns — so join with me. I think we will all be blessed — and hopefully renew and strengthen our prayer lives.

Our lives are busy. I know very few people who get to stay home all day while having the luxury of doing whatever they want to do whenever they want to do it. So, how do we handle our prayer lives in the midst of our busy seasons and daily routines?

As you read my column over the next several weeks, I will be looking into what Jesus said about prayer. I will be sharing about times I “failed” to pray. I will share about times I “fell” to pray — on my knees.

Seeing, hearing, feeling and touching Jesus as He works is perhaps the most amazing thing in the world, except for knowing that Jesus died on the cross, was buried and rose again after three days, so that we could have victory over death and live with God forever in Heaven!

So, if you are looking for great knowledge about prayer, it probably won’t come from my writing, but if you are looking for one who has experienced the power of prayer and the results of prayer, stay tuned, as I will attempt to share some personal insight into the importance of staying committed to a strong prayer life.

How would I know this? It is because I have been on both sides — committed to a strong prayer life — and also committed to a life of barely praying at all.

If we just pray at church, at a meal or at a time that someone expects for us to pray, we are missing out on the power of prayer that God has unleashed in our lives!

I have certainly been in a place and a time where praying was not what I wanted to prioritize. But making prayer my priority is where my heart desires to be and where I know I should be. So join me on this journey as we delve into making our prayer lives greater and stronger than ever! It sounds like something worth pursuing!

Our prayer lives may feel personal and private, but the results are often public. Prayer gives us a way to talk personally with Jesus. That is unfathomable, to say the least. To think that God provided a way for us — you and me — to connect with the creator of the heaven and the earth. To connect with the one who said let there be light and there was light. To connect with the God who made the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night — and the one who made the stars also.

Feel free to share some thoughts on your prayer journey with me at annfarabee@gmail.com, so that I can have more ideas to share with my readers.

As I was completing the writing of this column, I received an email prayer request. Here is part of what it said, “Will you believe for me until I can believe for myself?”

I sure will. I sure will.

I knew immediately that God was putting His stamp of approval on this prayer journey! Believe for it part 2 will be next week!

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

By Ann Farabee

My family had spent the day at Black Mountain Campground with approximately 100 friends from our church. As the daylight began to end, we began to gather around the campfire, set up our folding lawn chairs, and joined the group to end our day with testimonies, singing, conversation and laughter. The darker it got, the more prominent the light from the fire became. As the darkness began to overcome, the light from that fire became even brighter. If anyone walked away from the circle we were sitting in surrounding the fire, soon they were in darkness. Our focus became the light from the fire — and we stayed there for hours.

Later, some children began falling asleep in the arms of mom or dad. The crowd began to dwindle and families began to slip away to their tents.

It had been a special evening, watching daylight be overcome by the darkness. Flashlights had been turned on and lanterns had been lit. (Yes, this was before we all had cellphones with lights.) Many of us chose to stay around the fire late into the night, soaking in the goodness of God with our brothers and sisters in Christ.

The hour grew even later, the fire dwindled, and we sleepily headed into the darkness toward our tents. I settled in on my air mattress that was on the floor of our tent, and began the process of trying to sleep. I knew I would not be able to, and I was right. Lots of snores were coming from lots of tents. But…the snores were not what bothered me the most.

The main reason I could not get to sleep was because it was too dark! I held my hand in front of my face. I could not see it. Even with my eyes closed, I knew. If I opened them, it would be too dark to see anything. There was no way I could sleep in total darkness. My solution was to take possession of the flashlight from my snoring husband, so that I could flip it on and off anytime the darkness began to overwhelm me. At times, I turned the flashlight on briefly, just to make sure I was still there. I had zero sleep and was thankful to finally see the morning light return.

Light and dark — it is definitely in the Bible.

Darkness has always been a part of our world, but so has light! In the darkness, Mary gave birth to Jesus in a stable so that we could see the light! The wise men were in the darkness, when they saw the light from the star. The shepherds were working in darkness when the angel of the Lord shone on them.

First Peter 2:9 tells us that Jesus has called us out of the darkness into his marvelous light and John 8:12 tells us that Jesus is the light of the world.

That’s about all we need to know, isn’t it? No one wants to live in darkness, although sometimes we allow ourselves to do just that. I will repeat:

Jesus has called us out of darkness, and He has called us into His light.

That light is the light.

Do you need to come from the dark into the light?

Reach up.

The light switch is right above you and the power is always on! Ann Farabee is a teacher, writer and speaker.

Contact her at annfarabee@gmail.com or annfarabee.com.

By Ann Farabee

Even though God is love, our refuge and our strength, there are times we still struggle.

There were often rainy days when my sixth grade students could not go outside for recess, so they would play games in the classroom. It was normally a low-key event, with students in small groups playing board games or talking with friends. But on one of those days, two students ended up rolling around on the floor, struggling with all their might to be the winner of what had become a fight.

I walked toward them as I said these two very magical and effective words: STOP IT! Even though they were fully engaged in this fight, when they heard the voice of authority — which was me — they stopped.

“What’s going on?” I inquired.

“Why are you fighting?”

After some shoulder shrugs and mumbling, the look in their eyes spoke volumes, as they tried to regain their composure and stop the tears from falling. They both looked at the floor and whispered, “I don’t know.”

It was over. A few minutes later, they sat together at lunch. They did not know what had caused the beginning of their struggle, but they knew it had been of their own creation. They also knew that together they could fix it. There had been no real thought of why — or what — they were fighting for or about. But for some reason, they had thought the struggle would be worth it.

A struggle can mean that one makes forceful efforts to get free of restraint or constriction. It can refer to having problems handling or coping with something. Struggling can also mean that one is making his or her way — but with difficulty. How do we get through our struggles?

We need to remember that we can make our way — but there will be times of difficulty. John 16:33 says, “In the world, we will have trouble, but we can be of good cheer. Jesus has overcome the world!”

• We need to remember that Christ lives in us. We need to dwell on that! First John 4:4 says that we are of God, little children, and we have overcome: because greater is he that is in us than he that is in the world!

Even though we may feel we are struggling,

God is with us all the way! We win in the end!

There will be victory through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! Ann Farabee is a teacher, writer and speaker.

Contact her at annfarabee@gmail.com or annfarabee.com.

By Ann Farabee

Mary, why did you have to ride on a donkey to go pay your taxes while pregnant?

That would not be on any mom’s wishlist.

Mary, why did the time for you to give birth have to be while you were out of town?

Home would have been much more comfortable.

Mary, why did you have to endure that smelly animal-filled stable while giving birth?

A room at the inn would have been much better.

Mary, why was your situation not perfect?

You were giving birth to Jesus — the Son of God — The Savior of the world! God was completely in control. God had the power to give you a perfectly easy birth experience in a nice warm spot surrounded by flowers, instead of a barn filled with animals.

Mary, you witnessed and experienced the greatest birth story in the history of the world. The angels came. The shepherds came. It was then that you kept — and pondered — those things in your heart. (Luke 2:19) How often did you ponder those things?

My guess is that it was a lifetime of pondering.

To ponder means to weigh on the mind, to think about or to reflect on.

We all ponder at times, don’t we? We have things that weigh on our minds, thoughts we dwell on, and times of reflection in our lives, which always remind us of the goodness of God.

Mary, your story — which is also HIS-tory — never ceases to amaze!

What an incredible role God had for you to fulfill!

The fullness of time arrived. God sent His Son to redeem us.

Because He came:

• We became children of God.

• God sent His Spirit into our hearts.

• We became heirs of God through Christ.

That inheritance is described in 1 Peter 1:4 as:

• Incorruptible — which means everlasting and not subject to death or decay.

• Undefiled — which means pure.

• Will not fade away — which means it will not disappear.

May we choose not to entrap ourselves in the busy-ness of the holiday season, but instead may we choose to be like Mary — and ponder the birth of Jesus in our hearts.

There has never been — and will never be — a greater gift than the gift of Jesus.

Ponder it.

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

By Ann Farabee

The wise men brought gifts to baby Jesus. They were gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

If the wise men went shopping, so should we.

Thanksgiving Day — 3 p.m. Stores were opening. The shopping season had begun. I refused to believe that Black Friday had the best deals.

Not me. I opted for shopping from home on Thanksgiving Thursday. A cup of coffee, a slice of pecan pie and my computer. I smiled as I saw that everything was 40% off! I knew it! Shopping with the crowd on Black Friday had no real advantage!

I shopped. I did it! I got $600 worth of stuff for only $360. I proudly shut down my computer — and rewarded myself with a turkey sandwich. I was a super shopper!

Friday morning arrived. An email informed me that everything was now 50% off. Mental math informed me that my $600 purchase could have been $300 — not the $360 I had spent. It was heartbreaking.

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

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

DEAL OF THE DAY! IT’S FREE! You do not even have to make the purchase! Jesus died on the cross for our sins to purchase our salvation!

Don’t know how to locate the deal? Here is the special access code: John 3:16

For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes 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!

Lord, help us to never become complacent about the gift of a lifetime that You freely gave to all who will accept it. Amen.

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

By Ann Farabee

It seemed that he talked about it non-stop. The same stories over and over. I remember very little about it — mostly about him being in Normandy, France, and some stories about being a cook in the Army.

After the war ended, my father later became a member of the VFW — Veterans of Foreign Wars. He served a term as commander there, and always participated in everything that was offered.

He arranged for Taps to be played at funerals of soldiers, and he would often hold the flag during military services.

One day, our family went on a long car ride to Walter Reed Hospital in Washington, D.C. My father’s nephew, who was in his early 20s, had been transferred there from Vietnam. He had been shot.

After being discharged from the hospital, he came to live with our family of five in our small mill house. Cannon Mills sent out a crew to build a wheelchair ramp for him, because he was now paralyzed.

I do not remember my cousin talking about what happened in Vietnam — but I do remember him wheeling that wheelchair around the house, trying to go about his life, and holding out hope that he would be able to walk again. He never did.

Both died at what now seems to be a young age — my father at age 60, my cousin at age 46.

What you have read so far is all I really remember about the military lives of my father and my cousin, who defended our country in two different wars — World War II and the Vietnam War.

Yes, it is all I remember!

My father talked about it and I did not listen. My cousin did not talk about it and I did not ask.  And that I greatly regret.

How I wish I could hear their stories now. How I wish I could ask a few questions. How I wish I could know more about what it was really like for them.

But, no. I was too busy growing up and thinking about other things, like “young girl” or “teenage” things. Things that I was able to enjoy because I was living in a free country. A country whose freedom has been defended daily by those who have served — and are serving — in our armed forces.

Veterans Day is a day dedicated to veterans of all wars. It occurs on Nov. 11. In 1918, on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, an armistice was declared between the Allied Nations and Germany in World War I. In 1938, it became known as Veterans Day.

Know a veteran? Love a veteran? Listen to their stories. Ask lots of questions. Don’t let the stories die.

To all the veterans — we thank you. We know that our freedom is not free, and it has been paid for by your sacrifices.

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

By Ann Farabee

It was a typical day when the family comes to visit. Instead of four of us, the number increased to double digits. The fun began.

Video games, board games, puzzles, 4 Square, basketball, trails in the woods, bikes, hover boards, one wheels, swings, sandbox, trampoline and a treehouse. I would describe it as somewhere between a playground and a park — or both. It was given the name “Farabee Fun House” by a previous guest.

During a break, the refrigerated pre-packaged chocolate chip cookies were placed in the oven. We may — or may not — have eaten some of the raw cookie dough, which the writing on the package forbids. After the oven timer beeped, and the cookies were ready, one would think everyone had been handed a meal fit for a king, as opposed to three cookies on a paper plate.

As the afternoon began to come to a close, and the crowd dwindled, I felt like I always do — grateful that we had been able to get together one more time.

After waving good-bye to the last ones leaving, I went back inside to straighten up.

That was when I noticed the greater than usual assortment of broken leaves and dirt, that had been brought inside on the bottom of quite a few pairs of shoes.

What in the world? Had they not known they were carrying dirt and leaf particles around on their shoes? Had they not seen the “Welcome Mat” that is there all the time for them to shake that dirt off their shoes? Sigh…

One bit of dirt here, one bit of dirt there, one bit of dirt everywhere. The same was true for the crisp bits of leaves — they were everywhere. The kitchen floor seemed to be covered with dirt, so I began to sweep it all toward the center of the room, and was surprised to see how much dirt had accumulated in that pile. Each small particle had seemed minute, but when put together, a mound of dirt had formed.

As I grabbed the dustpan and bent down to sweep the dirt up, this thought came into my heart, “Just like my sin.” We may not even notice one small sin, until that pile of sin grows larger, leaving us feeling that we are becoming entrapped, as even more dirt accumulates around us.

Isaiah 64:6 (NCV) says, “All of us are dirty with sin. All the right things we have done are like filthy pieces of cloth. All of us are like dead leaves, and our sins, like the wind, have carried us away.”

But Ephesians 2:1-5 says, “And you has he made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins. In times past you walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now works in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lust of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature children of wrath, but God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love for us, even when we were dead in sins, made us alive with Christ, by grace are we saved.”

Ephesians 2:8 says, “For by grace are you saved through faith, and not of yourselves. It is the gift of God.”

Because of Jesus — we have been made worthy. If you do not know Jesus, invite Him to live in your heart today. You will not regret it!

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

By Ann Farabee

The people of Cana of Galilee may not have realized that a divine agent and his mother were in attendance at the wedding. His mom told the servants at the wedding to do what her son told them to do. Apparently she, the mother of Jesus, already knew he was the divine agent from God — and would become known as not only the Savior of the world, but also as the miracle worker.

Did the servants take heed? Yes, they did exactly what Jesus told them to do, which was to fill six pots with water.

They probably did not understand the purpose, but they filled those pots to the brim. That simple act of obedience led to a miracle, because when they drew water from the pots — that water had turned into wine.

Jesus was the miracle worker:

• Fed 5,000 people with 5 loaves and 2 fish.

• Healed a diseased woman when she touched the hem of his garment.

• Sent a demon out of a man who had an unclean spirit.

• Walked on the water on the Sea of Galilee.

• Restored the sight of two blind men.

• Healed 10 lepers.

• Restored a man’s ear.

• Raised Lazarus from the dead.

Do you believe Jesus performed those miracles? I do, too.

Do you believe Jesus performs miracles in 2022? I do, too.

The same Jesus I learned about as a child, through Sunday school quarterlies and flannel board pictures, is the same Jesus that now lives in my heart. If we can trust Jesus for our salvation, we can also trust Jesus for our miracles!

When we need a miracle, we do not see Jesus standing physically by our side, delivering that miracle like He did for those in the Bible.

What we see is even more amazing — Jesus lives in our hearts — which is even closer than face to face. Since Jesus is in our hearts, our miracles are there, as well.

Why do we sometimes not receive our miracle? Is it because we do not do what Jesus tells us to do? Is it because our faith is weak? Is it because we are not expecting a miracle?

“Why can’t I have my miracle, Lord?” I prayed. I sat. I waited. I listened.

“You do,” the Holy Spirit spoke tenderly to my heart, “You do have your miracle.” Immediately, understanding came. Even if I do not see my miracle, it is on its way and it is from God.

A miracle can be defined as an extraordinary manifesting divine intervention in human affairs that cannot be explained by natural or scientific laws and therefore is considered to be the work of a divine agent.

For me — my divine agent is God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Amazingly, He lives in my heart and can live in your heart at the same time. Now, that is a miracle!

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

By Ann Farabee

Who, me? God, You are always thinking of me? What? Did you say that I am your friend? How can that be?

Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the thoughts I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you hope and a future.”

James 2:23 says, “And the scripture was fulfilled that said Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness and he was called a friend of God.”

God is always thinking about us. God is our friend, and He is so good!

We are in a beautiful season where leaves are changing from green to red, orange, yellow, brown and even purple, reminding us of our beautiful world.

I have a few questions about leaves:

Why do leaves fall from dogwood trees? They are afraid of the bark.

Why were so many people collecting leaves under a tree? It was a poplar tree.

How do maple leaves and elm leaves get along? They sign a peace tree-ty.

What did the tree say after he made an offer? Take it or leaf it.

And a personal favorite: Why don’t you make like a leaf and leave?

All right, let’s just LEAVE the jokes for now…

Genesis 1:12 says that the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the fruit tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

Yes, right in the middle of creation, God made the trees and said they were good. And, He paints their leaves different colors every fall, and He repaints them the next morning and the next!

Are all those amazing colors even in our color spectrum? We have the privilege of watching it all unfold!

Trees begin from a seed to a sprout, a sapling to a young tree, to a mature tree, to a snag dead tree whose life is coming to an end as it falls to the ground years later.  But even then, it continues to provide shelter for animals in its cavities and tree holes, food for animals, nesting for animals and a place for woodpeckers to peck.

As I was finishing this column, I convinced my husband to help me count the trees on our property. Not one of the approximately 1,500 was exactly alike. As far as counting the number of leaves, many of which were on the ground — only God can do that.

God works out every single detail in nature, and we get to enjoy the beauty! Isn’t it amazing?

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