Broken To Grace by Ronda Rae Franklin

01/15/2024

I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.
~ Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

09/24/2018

09/11/2018

It is not how much you do in this life, it is how you do it. The amount of heart, soul, thought, spirit, joy, love and kindness you put into your actions - whether it be work, play, volunteer, hospitality or charity - is what matters. Place the same emphasis on all that you choose to do with the time you’re given, and choose wisely. That’s where difference is made; that’s where Love spreads; that’s where miracles happen.

Simply put: Live on purpose in every moment God gifts you.
~Ronda Rae Franklin

07/25/2018

“If God has called you to be really like Jesus, He will draw you into a life of crucifixion and humility, and put upon you such demands of obedience, that you will not be able to measure yourself by other Christians; and in many ways,
He will seem to let to let other good people do things which He will never let you do.
Other Christians and ministers, who seem very religious and useful, can push themselves, pull wires and work schemes to carry out their Christian goals, but these things you simply cannot do.
Others may boast of their work or their writings or their success, but the Holy Spirit will not allow you to do any such thing, and if you ever try it, He will lead you into some deep mortification that will make you despise yourself and all your good works.
Others may be allowed to succeed in making money, but most likely God will keep you poor, because He wants you to have something far better than gold, namely, a helpless dependence on Him and the joy of seeing Him supply your needs day by day out of an unseen Treasury.
The Lord may let others be honored and keep you hidden and unappreciated because He wants to produce some choice, fragrant fruit for His coming glory, which can only be produced in the shade. He may let others do a work for Him and get the credit for it, but He will make you work on and on without others knowing how much you are doing; and then, to make your work still more precious, He may let others get the credit for the work which you have done, and thus make your reward ten times greater when Jesus comes.
The Holy Spirit will rebuke you for little words or deeds or even feelings, or for wasting your time, which other Christians never seem to be concerned about, but you must make up your mind that God is an infinite Sovereign and He has a right to do whatever He pleases with His own. He may not explain to you a thousand things which puzzle your reason in the way He deals with you, but if you will just submit yourself to Him in all things, He will wrap you up in a jealous love and bestow upon you many blessing which come only to those who are very near to His heart.
Settle it then, that He is to have the privilege of tying your tongue, or chaining your hand, or closing your eyes, in ways that He does not seem to use with others. Now, when you are so possessed with the living God that your secret heart becomes pleased and delighted with this peculiar, personal, private, jealous guardianship and management of the Holy Spirit over your life, then you will have entered the very vestibule of heaven itself.”
- G.D. Watson (1845-1924)

08/21/2017

Sometimes it's true what they say - "When it rains it pours". So thankful that His reign pours over us all the more. Lord, I invite You, reign over me.

06/09/2016

FAITH, PHYSICAL PAIN & FULL OF JOY: Feeling the need to share. I am a member of a number of rare illness support groups. Everyone shares so much in the confines of those walls, and a constant theme is how little understanding there is out "in the world". So I want to share a little something outside of those walls, and I hope you'll read.

Severe & constant physical pain is often more harmful to our bodies that the illness or condition that causes the presence of that pain. And I've watched as too many succumb to the pain rather than the illness. They lose hope, faith and give up there lives. I'm blessed to have my amazingly caring neurologist of nearly 16 years who has never given up and understands the role my faith plays because he is also a Christian. I realize it is difficult or even impossible for some to grasp what I'm about to share - and having this love-hate relationship with my body often leads to an exhaustion that I can't put words to and tend to keep the deep reality of this disease private. Yes, I put up prayer requests, share what's going on with this piece or that, but honestly it's quite on-the-surface of what my daily life entails. With all that said and as I lay here mostly immobilized today and fighting a migraine as well - I have this to share:

I'm honestly grateful for this in my life - it's a constant, humbling reminder to a stubborn spirit that God is in control of everything in my life all the time. And the more I think or try to take control, the more He uses this to humble me before Him.

He never promised us we'd have full understanding of the why's in this life. We were promised something much greater. We are promised that through faith (active trust) in Him alone, that He will do a work in us for all things good. We were never promised that while living in these bodies we would experience no pain, no trials, no suffering. In fact, we were told we would most certainly face those things - but never more than God himself equipped us to handle. In fact, in the beginning years of the Church after Christ's resurrection, believers welcomed and prepared themselves for the trials and sufferings of this world. Even going so far as to pray for their coming. It was seen as a blessing; a refining of their spirit; the Holy Spirit at work in them to bring them closer to a life lived more like Jesus. I hope that understanding returns to the Church.
We miss the blessings and the miracles God places before us when we hold tight to control. Control that many of us find ourselves in constant prayer to give up, but keep going back to grab hold of it again and again. God isn't a thief - He waits, long-suffering with us, for us to hand over ourselves to Him in complete and childlike trust. A reckless (yet not at all reckless) abandon type of trust that brings us face to face with His perfect love.
One of many things I've learned that I believe with everything I am --- Control & Trust cannot peacefully coexist in a Christian life. In fact, I don't believe they can coexist in any life. With all the love I possess from a God that never ceases to amaze me, I remind you once again to Let Go & Let God. Trust Him with the life & world He created. If we can't trust our perfect, Holy God with abandon, why do we think we can trust - or love - a broken human being?
Be blessed,
Ronda

03/27/2016

Easter:
The Bible tells us Jesus is both God & Savior (Titus 2:13, 2 Peter 1:1, Romans 9:5); that He literally came to this world as God-in-the-flesh (John 1:14) and lived a sinless life. (Hebrews 4:15); that He was crucified on a cross as the perfect sacrifice for our sins (Good Friday) (Romans 3:23-25); that three days later (Easter Sunday), HE ROSE TO LIFE FROM THE DEAD (1 Corinthians 15:3-4), OFFERING ETERNAL LIFE for ALL THAT BELIEVE in HIM and call on HIS name (Romans 10:13, John 3:16).

As Christians we look forward to Jesus' imminent return, in what the Bible calls, "The blessed hope and the appearing of our great God & Savior, Jesus Christ." (Titus 2:13)

Easter: Remember that Jesus is the only bridge by which we can reach God.

Amen. May God bless this day. May we trust in His perfect timing and knowledge of all things; and find comfort and peace through Him who offers us an over-abundance of grace & love & mercy.

HOLY SPIRIT YOU ARE WELCOME HERE!

08/29/2015

Raise yourself up to your highest standard. Lower yourself to your darkest place. Somewhere in the middle is where most of us live. God is the highest standard. Satan is the darkest place. Somewhere in the middle is human. God reaches down to pull you up. Satan reaches up to pull you down. Give God both your hands so Satan's pull has no bearing on where your feet stand. -Ronda Rae Franklin

12/13/2013

"If you succeed in cheating someone, don't think that the person is a fool...realize instead that the person trusted you much more than you deserve."
I liked this as soon as I read it. I don't know who wrote it, but I would add this - realize that oftentimes the person that you cheated knows you did so and is praying for you to come forward and make it right. Make it right and regain trust - I guarantee that their trust is worth much more than whatever you cheated them out of.

05/30/2013

If we knew the outcome, would we change our steps? And if we do change our steps, does the outcome really change - in the end? We have only the job of being children of God and seeking His will. He will show us His will - even if it isn't until the very end of a thing.