Author: Kimberly Fraker

Growing Pains

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For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Peter 1:5-8

Throughout my life I have been happy in my work as long as I am experiencing growth – learning and broadening my knowledge, developing skills. I realized a long time ago that this requires me to get out of my comfort zone. You can’t reach for more without stretching … right? 

Don’t believe me? Try it …

In general, growth of any kind is not experienced without some pain or discomfort – physically, professionally, emotionally, spiritually. 

Consider this example: Soon after my son started high school, I noticed he frequently complained about his legs aching. At the time, little did we know that those nagging aches and pains were ushering him into adulthood. It wasn’t until later that I realized he grew 9 inches from his freshman to his sophomore year in high school. That was unbelievable and incredible to me. I had to start looking up to my sweet son who now towers over me. After he endured the physical strain resulting in his adult height, he began to take great joy in peering down and leaning on me to emphasize his stature. I am a bit vertically challenged and this further emphasized it.

I can cite numerous examples where this has been true for me professionally as well. Keeping late nights and long hours, working to complete a task or project, returning to school for advanced degrees. The list could go on and on. I am certain you have your own experiences to highlight. 

So, it really is true. No pain, no gain.

What about our spiritual growth? Yes, the same concept applies to this too. Even when we stop growing on the outside, we can and should continue growing on the inside.

If you are thinking spirituality is comforting, pleasant, and hopeful. You are correct.

If you extend that into thinking spirituality is not painful, uncomfortable, or difficult, I say you are incorrect.

Spirituality is all of the above. Remember: no pain, no gain. 

I said at the beginning I find I am happiest in my work when I am growing. Examining my life, I can see that this is true personally, spiritually too. When I consider times of unhappiness or discontent in my faith walk, those periods clearly coincide with phases of being spiritually stagnant. 

Consider this: If you are unhappy in your faith or questioning your blessings and beliefs (or the lack of), maybe you need to get out of your spiritual comfort zone. 

Set aside time to read the Bible or join a Bible study group. Listen to Christian music or a faith-based podcast. Try a new Sunday school class or a different worship service.

Become uncomfortable by altering your schedule to make time for Jesus and by making it a habit to focus on your own spiritual growth. 

It may hurt at first – getting out of bed earlier for faith-focused thought and reflection, giving up a free weeknight to fellowship with other Christians, taking time to read a devotional series or the Bible instead of the most recent bestseller, kneeling in purposeful prayer on a regular basis. Through these growing pains you are sure to add to the qualities mentioned in the scripture: faith, goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, mutual affection, and love.

Imagine the new heights you will reach in your relationship with God and your increasing measure in being a productive, effective, happy follower of Christ. 

Short and Sweet

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“Jesus Wept.”             John 11:15

Thomas Jefferson emphasized the worth of the economic use of words when he said, “The most valuable of all talents is that of never using two words when one will do.” I often emphasized this with my journalism students as I coached them in their writing. Now, I feel like I could do better by taking my own advice. (You may agree!)

Have you ever been to an event where the speaker had some great points to make and useful things to say; yet they begin to drone on and on leaving their message muddled and missed by the listeners?

Maybe someone delivered a public prayer that felt like it was the length of a sermon and you became weary and distracted, fidgeting while keeping your eyes closed or worse – you nodded off.

The two word scripture taken from John chapter 11 is a reminder that sometimes you don’t need a lot of words to speak volumes. There is nothing wrong with keeping things short and sweet.

Jesus wept.

This speaks to me on so many levels. These two words reveal more about Jesus than just the literal tears streaming down His face in the wake of a dear friend’s death. To me, this scripture reveals a description of Jesus the person. 

Jesus was caring. Jesus was overcome with sorrow. Jesus had real feelings and emotional connections. In two words, I learned so much about Jesus, the man. 

Sometimes we just need to keep things short and sweet. 

Jesus wept. 

Jesus suffered. 

Jesus loved. 

Jesus preached. 

Jesus taught. 

Jesus lived.

Let the Sun Shine In

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But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.                     

2 Thessalonians 3:3

With thoughts of floating in the pool and putting our toes in the sand, people everywhere are pulling out the pool floats and swimwear, putting on flip flops and sunglasses, and purchasing sunshades and sunscreen for the summer months ahead. 

Spring is in full swing and we just can’t help basking in the warmth of the sun. 

Bring on the Summertime!

Amidst the excitement of returning to the outdoors to enjoy more fun in the sun, I was given a reality check by a dermatologist. As it turns out, the same sun that warms the soul and provides the body with much needed vitamin D can also cause great damage – not just during the summer months but all year long, rain or shine. 

Now, much older and somewhat wiser, I am adhering to the advice of professionals and applying sunscreen every day to protect my skin- even when its cloudy. 

Spiritually, we need protection everyday too. As revealed in 2 Thessalonians, God is our protection from the evils in the world – the troubles we see and those we can’t see. Just like that sunscreen offers protection to minimize damage caused by those harmful UV rays, God sent Jesus as our sonscreen for life to minimize and manage our troubles. The directions for daily use are easy: Read the Bible. Pray. Repeat.

So, as you head out to spend these spring and summer days in the sun and you reach for the suntan lotion, remember to reach for the ultimate protection for everything life throws your way. 

Dear Lord,

You are my refuge and my shield;  I have put my hope in your word (Psalm 119:114). Thank you for providing me with the protection I need each and every day.

Pa-Paw’s Orchard

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The fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.                                                                                 Galatians 5:22-23

Standing over my father’s shoulder, staring down the long, pasture-lined highway, the excitement was building. I couldn’t wait to get there. To that special place with so much to explore. The fresh air, rolling hills, and steak for breakfast – Nan-Naw and Pa-Paw’s house!

My grandparents lived in a different state, so my family visited primarily during summer vacation and Thanksgiving break. I loved it there. Surrounded by my cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents and all that space. So much for us to do yet nothing but the land and our imaginations. 

My grandparents owned a beautiful piece of property with a few outbuildings and a small home where they raised their five children. I always wondered where they put all those kids in that meager home. On part of the property, my grandfather had several apple trees. I remember the time and care my grandfather took tending to his small orchard. Making sure the trees were free of pests and disease and gently caring for the fruit they produced. He would even stretch white fabric underneath the trees, elevated off the ground to catch the apples as they fell to prevent damage to the fruit. 

Oh, how I loved it when he would pick a fresh apple, cut it with his pocketknife, and offer me a slice. What I didn’t fully comprehend or appreciate as a young girl was the fact that more than one type of apple was produced from a single tree in my grandfather’s orchard. But how could that be? How is that possible?

My grandfather would graft a branch from one tree onto another of a different type. As a result, an individual tree would yield different types of apples. How neat is that?! 

In the same manner, the fruit of the spirit is not limited to one type. When reading Galatians 5:22-23, I began to wonder, “How can this be? … How can such a variety of fruit come from one source? Then, I remembered my Pa- Paw’s orchard and the answer seemed clear and simple. 

When we allow the Holy Spirit to become part of us, we yield a variety of fruit. We continue to produce fruit as before, but it is enhanced and increased. The fruit called love being of primary importance. I Corinthians 13:13 states, “But now abideth faith, hope, love, these three; and the greatest of these is love.”

From love through faithfulness, we will find joy, peace, and patience. As a result, we produce kindness, generosity, gentleness, and self-control.

By allowing God to work in our lives, grafting the Holy Spirit to us, we are able to bear all of the fruits of the spirit.

As tasty and satisfying as the apples were from my grandfather’s orchard, so is the fruit of my life and yours when enhanced by the Holy Spirit.

Stations of the Cross

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Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.   Mark 15:15

During Holy Week, Christians around the world pause to reflect on the sacrifice and to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Individual churches have their own traditions and unique ways to mark the end of the Lenten season and transition from the darkness encapsulating Christ on Good Friday into the light and hope of His resurrection Sunday. 

This year our church is offering something new to me – The Stations of the Cross*. We are invited to visit the church this week to meditate and pray as we move through each of the stations. This devotional journey depicts the final days of Jesus on earth, from His betrayal and condemnation to His crucifixion and burial. 

Reflecting on each stop along the way from the Garden of Gethsemane to Golgotha to the tomb, I am reminded of Christ’s real-life journey. Sometimes we are inclined to consider His life and sum it up as a miraculous birth in a manger, a sacrifice of love on the cross, and the promise of eternal life through his resurrection. How often do we stop to ponder the other moments that are part of the whole story? Not often enough – or at least I haven’t.

This week is a reminder of the human suffering Christ endured. He was betrayed by those closest to Him. He was wrongly accused. He was publicly humiliated. He was physically battered and beaten. He was ridiculed. He was stripped bare for all to see. 

Jesus was the only perfect man, our Redeemer; however, he was also a man of great sorrow. If we skip from Palm Sunday to Easter morning without considering the anguish of the in between, we’ve missed so much. 

No one can clearly understand the power of the resurrection without learning what He went through to get there. He experienced the unimaginable to take on the sins of mankind. He became truly human, relatable. We know no pain greater than that experienced by our Savior. 

Similarly, we may not or cannot clearly understand the dark times in our own lives or the challenges along the way until we, too, are resurrected to live life eternal with our Lord and Savior. 

Parents can feel like their children will never understand their sacrifices. Not so with God, our Father. The sacrifice made for you and for me is visible, in detail. Don’t miss the message of Holy Week. Stop. Reflect. Meditate. Pray. Make His pain your pain. Only then, can we reap the genuine joy coming with the dawn of Easter morn. A true celebration of a life of love, sacrifice, and resurrection. The whole story. The complete picture.

Also be reminded that we all have a full story. Our lives aren’t defined by just a couple of moments of great pain or instance of great joy. We must put it all together to get the full picture. His story continues and so does ours. Take comfort in knowing whatever you are experiencing, He has too. He walked the road before us and will walk alongside each of us.

There is no good without grief, no pleasure without pain, no darkness without light, no life without death. 

As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus. Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him. Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away.    Matthew 27:57-60

It is always darkest just before the dawn …

*Learn more about the Stations of the Cross (also, Scriptures of the Cross) online – how they evolved and the variations. “Tradition holds that Mary, the mother of Jesus, set up stone markers at her home outside Jerusalem to prayerfully retrace the steps of her son’s Passion, but the origin of the devotion in its present form is not clear.” https://www.britannica.com/topic/Stations-of-the-Cross

Just Keep Swimming

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Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Galatians 6:9 (NIV)

I love swimming. Quite frankly, it is the only exercise I don’t hate.

As a young person, I took every lifesaving/water safety class offered at our local swimming pool leading me to develop this love of the water. I appreciate the physical benefits, and I love the versatility too. With this skill, you can swim for exercise, leisure, cooling down, or to save a life (possibly your own).

During the summer months, I try to swim 50 laps a day. Well … on the sunny days. Sometimes, I even push myself to do more. Most days when swimming, I am moving along, gliding through the water on a mission to complete a workout. When I’m done, I float enjoying the warmth of the sun watching the clouds drift by. However, there are times when I find myself treading water, dog-paddling to keep my head above water, not making much progress.

Life is a lot like swimming. There are moments/weeks when I’m making great gains. Moving forward toward my goals. Then, I find myself treading water. Kicking like crazy under the surface, struggling to keep my head above water. 

As reflected in the scripture above, I discovered when I push myself … one more lap, one more set, 10 more minutes … I become stronger. When I don’t give up on my goal, I feel so much better when I’m done. Then, I can float – bask in the sun. Over time, I reap the benefits of perseverance. 

My advice for you today is – Just keep swimming.

Encountering difficult circumstances – Just keep swimming.

Feeling like giving up – Just keep swimming.

You must keep pushing through the rough waves to reach the calm waters. Don’t become stagnate or get stuck treading water.

Just keep swimming.

Where are you today? Is there something that is good for you that you laid aside? Did you abandon a goal? Do you think that the peace you seek is unattainable? 

No matter where you are in your workout of life – toiling through the laps, floating in the sun, or treading water so you don’t drown … Remember, just keep swimming.

You, too, will reap the reward for not giving up

Begin … Again

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But if you will seek God earnestly and plead with the Almighty,if you are pure and upright, even now he will rouse himself on your behalf and restore you to your prosperous state. Your beginnings will seem humble, so prosperous will your future be.   Job 8:5-7

After my last post (December 2024), I decided to take a month-long hiatus from my regular writing.

Now, one year – not one month – later, I find myself here. Ready to begin … again.

2025 was complicated and challenging in a variety of ways. Navigating a new phase of life and changing family dynamics put me a bit off balance and I struggled to find a new rhythm. 

As an educator, I appreciated and anticipated the ending of one school year and the beginning of the next, viewing it as a chance to wipe the slate (or desk) clean and start new and fresh. Erasing the things that did not work or I did not like and carrying forward only those things that were successful and positive. 

I imagine this is how many or most people view the new calendar year, making resolutions and promises of improvement or vowing to leave behind the bad habits and destructive patterns of the previous year to enter January with a clean slate. 

But do we, really?

We don’t or can’t truly leave it all behind. 

Real life doesn’t stop and start like that. Real life is To Be Continued … much like your favorite binge watch. When whatever show your streaming ends a season, the next season picks up where it left off. Sure, some story lines end all neat and tidy but there is always something from the past that surfaces driving the storyline in the new season.

So here we are entering 2026, right where we left off in December. 

What was “so last year” is very much still right here with us. Those missteps and mistakes and those questionable choices and bad breaks didn’t disappear or miraculously vanish. 

It is all still here lying heavy on the heart. 

This new year is not the blank slate it is hailed to be. It is, however, an awakening. A calling to begin … again. January is a fresh start, an inhalation of hope and a renewal of self and spirit.

Whether your entrance into this New Year was accompanied with great fanfare and excitement or entered into as a whisper in the wind, there is encouragement ahead. No matter your circumstances coming into 2026, God is here for you and with you. HE is ushering us into this time and space as we begin … again – continuing our walk with Him.

When Job was at his lowest and humbled in ways we cannot fathom, he was reminded of God’s mercy and faithfulness. God longs to restore each of us in the same way – as often as needed. 

This year let’s seek God earnestly and prosper through what He has in store for us.

To Be Continued …

Born in a Barn

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 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” 

Luke 2:10-12

Have you ever heard someone say, “Were you born in a barn?” It’s usually a playful (but sometimes frustrated) remark made when someone leaves a door open or neglects to close something correctly. The saying points to the idea of a person not having manners or not paying attention to the little details that matter with the implication that barns are cold, drafty, and not the most ideal place for a person to be born among the dirt and animals. 

During this season of Christmas, we are reminded that Jesus was, in fact, born in a barn – a stable – a humble, ordinary place, far from where we would imagine the birthplace for the King of kings. In this most humble of settings, the Savior of the world was placed in a feeding trough … a manger … when He made His entrance into humanity. This unexpected setting is rich with meaning for us today.

As we take a few moments to reflect on the significance of this most modest of beginnings, the significance is profound. 

Jesus’ birth in the stable with a manger as a cradle was no accident. It wasn’t about being “born in a barn” for simplicity or poverty. It was more deliberate than that. God allowed His Son to enter this world in a way that made it clear that the Kingdom of God doesn’t operate like the kingdoms of this world. His kingdom is not about wealth, power, or privilege. His kingdom is about humility, service, and love.

Through the lowly circumstances of His birth, Jesus demonstrated that He could relate to ordinary people. That he could understand their brokenness, challenges, and struggles. He didn’t wait for the perfect circumstances. His birth was a miracle in the midst of a mess. Our mess, our imperfections, and our need. And that is the heart of the message – Jesus entered the world as one of us, sharing in our humanity and not as a distant, untouchable king.

Isn’t this what we need? A Savior who is near, who is accessible, and who understands the struggles of ordinary, everyday life. A Prince of Peace whose love and grace covers us all. 

Sometimes you may feel like you’re not good enough or that your circumstances are too messy for God to make a difference. But the birth of Jesus reminds us that God can take the most ordinary places, the humblest beginnings, and turn them into something extraordinary. No matter how scarred or imperfect our lives appear, God can and will come into our hearts and work through each of us.

The message of Christmas — the message of Jesus being born in a barn — is that God is near. Because He is near, we can come to Him with our worries, our doubts, our sorrows, and our insecurities as well as, our joys and our triumphs. No matter where we are and no matter who we are, Jesus is accessible to us all.

When you’re feeling insignificant or facing difficulties, remember the light of God shines brightest during our darkest times. If God could step into a barn in Bethlehem long ago and change the world, imagine what He can do in the “barns” of our own lives today.

Merry Christmas to all!

Grand Plans

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“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb …Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.”   Psalm 139: 13, 16

There is nothing like the joy, hope, and dreams brought about upon the birth of a child. I remember when my own children were born and the way I looked at them in awe of their newborn perfection. It didn’t take long for me to begin formulating grand plans about what they each would do, be, and become in their lifetime. I imagined them having the same wonderful experiences I had with friends and in school and in church. I wanted them to grow up exactly like me! 

There was only one problem. Nothing stays the same. The world changed. Society changed. 

The world my children came to know and be a part of was very different from the world I knew as a child and young adult. The technology alone had an enormous influence on that. I was saddened that my children wouldn’t be reliving the happy, seemingly simple pleasures I knew as a child but excited about the possibilities I saw unfolding for them. Possibilities I could not have fathomed from my background and personal frame of reference. 

Even in the excitement of all the positive things I witnessed as my own children changed and grew, I couldn’t let go of all the grand plans I had for their lives. In my normal motherly way, I pushed them. Pushed them to make the choices I thought were best. Pushed them to do the things I wanted them to do. Pushed them away from influences I found detrimental to their goals … their goals which were really my goals. 

With all the wants I had for their lives came the worries as well. What if they don’t do … be … or become? I pride myself on expecting the unexpected – but what if something unexpected happened? 

Guess what? It did. 

My two beautiful, wonderful children grew up and did a lot of unexpected things. Many truly awesome and some that tried my soul. 

Have you read The Power of a Praying Parent or The Power of Praying for Your Adult Children by Stormie Omartian? A friend gave me one of those books and the other I picked up for myself. I don’t know why I didn’t think of that sooner – Praying, I mean. 

Of course, I prayed all along the way but not the intentional, focused prayers of the parent I wanted to be. So, I became one eventually and intentionally … a praying parent who realized only God is in control and that only He knows the real grand plan for each of us – even my children. I realized these two humans I raised to be independent really were. Making their own choices. Living their own lives. 

Guess what? It is all turning out just as God planned. In God’s perfect timing.

Last week, we became grandparents for the first time. Grandparents of not one but two beautiful babies … twins, a boy and a girl. In their first few days of life, I once again found myself gazing at them in awe of their newborn perfection with grand plans entering my mind. This time, of course, everything is even more GRAND – the grand plans of a grandparent. 

Guess what? Things are different this time. 

I am much more at peace with the grand plan for each of their lives because of Psalm 139: 13, 16. I know the wants and worries are not gone for good, but I have them in perspective now. God knows these babies. He saw their unformed bodies before they were introduced to us, and He knows every day that they have yet to live. 

Guess what? I find that comforting and powerful. 

In this same way, God knew me and you when we were in our mothers’ wombs. All our days are written in His book. He saw this day coming way before I did. I am thankful He has gone before me and is beside me – every day.

We have so much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving and beyond. Each person is a blessing and each day a gift to be enjoyed. 

Keep making those grand plans (I know I will) but know who has the master plan. Embrace the comfort and power of His plan.

Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone!

Glory Days

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And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. 2 Corinthians 3:18

Do you ever catch yourself reminiscing, your mind drifting back in time – thinking of “the good old days”? I do. If you don’t, you’re just not old enough yet. Just wait – you will.

It happens unexpectedly – memories brought back by a song or experience causing you to long for that time again. Maybe those memories are the antics or achievements of your youth. Maybe you have memories of the bygone glory of a professional peak. Mine are a little of each. (cue Bruce Springsteen … )

Glory Days. 

My mind knows it’s impossible to have any of that again, but my heart sometimes aches for the high times – causing me to wish I had enjoyed things more in the moment. The first friends who’ve moved on … infants that are now adults … those loved and lost … challenges faced and overcome … simple success of a job well done … fleeting spotlight moments and momentary accolades. 

Glory Days.

In our lifetime, we journey through different stages. When we leave one, we cross into the next leaving behind what we will later call Glory Days. 

As we grow and mature entering each new season (so to speak), it’s easy to get stuck reliving those Glory Days gone by making it hard to see those high times that surely lie ahead – those we have yet to experience.

Today, if you’re stuck thinking all those Glory Days are over and done – remember those moments aren’t one and done. No matter what stage of life you are in now, there are more of those memorable moments ahead. If you can’t see more of the great things for which you are destined, pray and ask God what He has in store for you next. 

Turn to the scriptures and be reminded that the ultimate glory days are ahead. One day, we will reach the final stop on our journey through time and bask in the ultimate glory God has planned for us. Then, all those times from the past for which we have longed will pale in comparison. 

Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” John 11:40

He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Thessalonians 2:14