GOLD NUGGETS 8

GOLD NUGGETS 8

By

Tommy Franks, Ph.D.

Copyright © 2007 Tommy Franks
All rights reserved.
Printed in the United States of America.
All rights reserved under International Copyright Law.
International Standard Book Number: 0‑926044‑57‑5

Contents and/or cover may not be reproduced in whole or in part in any form without the express written consent of the Publisher.
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations
are taken from the KINGS JAMES VERSION of the Bible.

Due to the Author's prerogative, some words are in small letters and some are capitalized for clarity and emphasis and not necessarily in accordance with standard grammatical practice.

Whenever pronouns or gender references appear in this book, they refer to both male and female unless otherwise noted.

Second Printing 2007

DEDICATION

I dedicate this book "GOLD NUGGETS 8" to all who read this book.

INTRODUCTION

America is the greatest great nation…and will become even greater. America has favor with God. Be encouraged today. The best is yet to come!

First Words

In brief, you were born for such a time as this. GREATNESS is all around you. You are the "APPLE" of God's eye. May you be blessed today with success, Divine health, and balanced emotions. This book "Gold Nuggets #8" will encourage you and motivate you in to move up to a higher level.
A PERSONAL NOTE TO MY SON, TONY

"A few years ago, a baby boy was born in an infantry hospital on a military installation in the heart of freedom. He grew to become a young man with all kinds of aspirations, dreams, goals, and bunches of energy. He made some excellent choices. Well, for
one thing, he chose a good father...and mother too (just kidding).

This potential world class hero started out like many other cadets at the USAF Academy...but one day...he discovered something about himself. He was not JUST in the MILITARY. The MILITARY was in him.

This is the difference between being a good officer and an outstanding world class officer. This is the difference between being just another officer and being a General Officer. A General discovers that he is not JUST in the MILITARY, but the MILITARY is in him. That's why he becomes a General Officer. The MILITARY (Air Force) gets inside him. This separates the men from the boys. By the way, that little baby boy...in this story...is you!

The difference between an ordinary CEO of a business and a great CEO is simply this: The great CEO discovered that he not only worked for the business, but that the business had somehow gotten into him. That's what happened to Lee Iacoca, Henry Ford, Abe Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, the Micosoft giant, and even President Bill Clinton. The thing they started out working to achieve got inside them and they achieved it.

What the mind can conceive and believe, the mind can achieve!"

Dad

PS: I love you.

FROM THE DESERT TO THE PROMISE

Years ago, the Israelis made a choice to go from the desert to the PROMISE. Forty years and many tears earlier, they had the same choice, but turned it down. It cost them their lives, their dreams, their aspirations, their fortunes, their goals, their families... everything. Crossing the Jordan to the PROMISE is a drastic change. To some it brings the fear of the unknown, the fear of failure, the fear of success, the fear of losing the familiar, the fear of change.

Today is a good day to go from the desert to the PROMISE. Today is a good day for MIRACLES! The Key of David (Rev.3:7) is for all of God's people. With this key (the key of opening and shutting), you can open doors of opportunity, doors of victory, doors of Divine Favor. You can close the doors of failure...doors of sickness...doors of mediocrity...doors of hopelessness. Not only can you enter the PROMISE Land with this key, but you can enter it in style.

The Israelis departed Egypt in excellent health with gold and silver in their pockets...and as far as we know, the ones who entered the Promise Land entered with style, money, health, families, goals, dreams, initiative, and a plan to succeed. They were tired of the desert experience. They were tired of wandering around for 40 years going nowhere fast. And can you believe this? It seems they grew tired and weary of complaining all the time.

They were ready to leave the desert of loneliness, the place of failure/discontentment. They wanted to go the PROMISE Land. Yes, they knew it would mean change. They knew it would mean war. They knew it would mean confrontation and not conformity with the current citizens. In total, they conquered seven nations and 33 kings.

Do you know why God calls it the Key of David (Isa.22:22, Rev.3:7)? It's simple. David never lost a battle...not one. David opened doors of opportunity. He closed doors of failure. He knew his God. He was a man's man. He was a general's general. As a mere kid with this Key from God, he killed a bear and a lion with his bare hands. With only a mere stone and a sling, he killed the giant that was defying his God. He chose to live the Promise, be involved in the Promise, obey the Promise, and never return to the desert of poverty, lack, loneliness, failure, or sickness.

Today is a good day for a miracle in your life. You have the key to shut doors of failure and lack. You have the key to open doors of opportunity for yourself and others. The key is in your heart, mind, soul, and Godly anointing. The key (Mt.18:18) is yours. The power of life and death are in your tongue. Speak forth your miracle today. You do not belong in the desert. You belong in the Promise Land of milk, honey, miraculous grapes, tall cedar trees, waterfalls of opportunity, acceptance, love, and abundance. Your destiny of tomorrow is being played out today...as you explore the limitless Promises of God!

FOLLOW YOUR DREAM

Don't let anyone rob you of your dream. Stay away from people who try to belittle you or your ambition. Small people will do that because they are afraid that if you succeed, it will somehow make them look bad. Yes, I know it sounds absurd...but believe me, after 50 years on this earth, it's the truth. Surround yourself with people of greatness...and eventually...you too, will become great! Great people make you feel great. They excite you with enthusiasm and confidence. Small people talk about other people. Mediocre people talk about material things. Great people talk about ideas! No one can make you feel inferior or intimidated unless you allow them to do it.

Today, speak to yourself and say, "Self, you are a person of great worth. You have class. You have style. It is no accident that you are here. You are here on Planet Earth as a child of destiny. You have seeds of greatness down inside you. They will germinate and grow to the surface. Then they will grow to maturity and blossom out and bear much fruit...fragrant fruit, delicious fruit, juicy fruit, sweet fruit, and energetic fruit. Self, you are unique. Out of 9.2 billion people who have lived on this earth for the last 6,000 years, you are the only you. There is no one else like you. There never has been. There never will be. Therefore, Self, take your PLACE. Do what the Maker has designed you to do. Never take a back seat to mediocrity or apathy. Follow your DREAM. Follow your goals. Build upon your successes. Yes, temporary set‑backs will come, but they are just that...temporary. The real you is a winner and will take nothing less than the best. Therefore, today...Self, you will make it. You will make things happen. Let the dogs howl and the cats meow, but You've decided to move forward because you have confidence in the Creator. You have confidence in the talents and abilities that He has given you. You have faith in Him. You have faith in your own faith. You refuse to give up. Self, you will make it and you will make it happen for others too. PERIOD!"

Tape this to your mirror and read it every morning. It's a great way to start the day off on the right foot. You're a winner. PERIOD!

NO PROBLEMS

It seems that Mr. Drydust was always complaining about something. He was the epitome of UN‑happiness. His face was always L O N G ! Yes, he went to church and even proclaimed to be a Christian. For Mr. Drydust, life was unfair, unjust, boring, not good, problematic, etc. It was either too hot, too cold, too rainy, too dry, or too humid. He was a miserable old coot.

Then one day a nice person ask him how he was doing. Mr. Drydust responded for the next 20 minutes telling him about all his problems. Afterwards, the nice gentleman said, "Mr. Drydust, I know just the place for you. It's quiet, clean, and peaceful...and the people there have absolutely no problems whatsoever. In all the years I've known of this place, the residents there have never had a problem. Would you like to go there?"

Mr. Drydust: "Absolutely, I'm ready to go right now."

Nice Gentleman: "Ok, get in my car and I'll take you over there to have a look."

They took the short trip and arrived a few moments later.

Mr. Drydust: "Why, what is this? This is the Green Lawn Cemetery. What are you saying?"

Nice Gentleman: "Well, you see, Mr. Drydust...The only people on the face of this earth who do not have any problems are DEAD. As long as you are alive, you will have problems...some small...some big, but problems are inevitable. Do you get my drift, Mr. Drydust?"

Happiness and Joy are decisions. Love is a decision. Peace is a decision. A positive attitude is a decision. We can choose to be happy or we can choose to be miserable. The choice is ours!

THE WORD FOR TODAY IS "SERENDIPITOUSLY"

Everyone needs a new word in their lives once in a while. Try this one on for size: Serendipitously.

It comes from the old Arabic name of the island of Ceylon. The word was coined from the place‑name as it appears in a Persian fairy tale: "The Three Princes of Serendip".

What does it mean? It means: The finding of valuable or agreeable things not sought for...in other words looking for one thing, but finding another by accident. The discovery of America is an example of serendipity. Another example would be the discovery of penicillin...quite by accident...Remember the moldy bread episode?

Serendipity was coined by Horace Walpole on 28 Jan 1754. Horace said that heroes in the above mentioned book were always making discoveries by accidents. In other words, serendipity means the ability to make lucky finds while looking for something else.

I serendipitously found the Lord. I was looking and searching for a better life and in all my ignorance and naiveté and lack of knowledge, I found something far better than what I was looking for. I found the real thing...Jesus Christ. Now, I have it all...a great life, wonderful family, good education, and wonderful friends. Ain't God good? Listen, we are now kings and priests...on Planet Earth!

BEING A LEADER IS NOT EASY!

We can call ourselves leaders when our followers lead others! As leaders, we are to produce and reproduce. True leaders set others free to think for themselves, make decisions for themselves, make mistakes for themselves, and have successes for themselves. Success without a successor is failure!

The GREATEST display of leadership is service. Leadership is born out of character and a need to serve. There is a hidden leader in all of us crying out to be FREE...free to help others...free to set others free...free to heal...free to forgive...free to train others so that their potential and talents can be fully maximized. A LEADER IS NEVER QUALIFIED TO LEAD OR GIVE ORDERS UNTIL HE CAN RECEIVE THEM! A leader has a tremendous love for people...not a desire to be great. True Leadership brings greatness, but a true leader is not motivated to be great...but to serve others. Servitude brings greatness; ie, Jesus Christ, Martin Luther, George Washington Carver, John Bunyon, John Wesley, Dwight L. Moody, Martin Luther King, Jr., General York, etc.

Authority does not make you a leader. It simply gives you the opportunity to become one. Vince Lombardi was a great leader, not because he had the full authority of a Pro‑Football coach, but because he had a multitude of followers that listened to him...not just subordinates...but future leaders. What was his secret? He INSPIRED! Inspiration is the key to leadership. Is that always easy? NO...NO...NO.

"Inspire" means to activate, stimulate, energize, illuminate, or breathe into. Believe it or not, there are some people out there that will fight you tooth and toenail when it comes to inspiration. Some do not want or desire to be energized because energization brings change. Inspiration brings change. Activation brings change. Illumination brings change.

So what do you do? You do what Christ did. He told His disciples, "Let them alone. If the blind lead the blind, they will all fall into the ditch." Some will, some won't, so what! Keep on trucking. Keep on keeping on. Hungry people, thirsty people will come to be served. And you will serve them...and in doing so, you will become GREAT, especially in the Kingdom of Light!

TRUE LEADERSHIP

True Leadership is ordained by God and usually comes unsought. The person who is faithful is the person who is granted leadership ability. We can only lead others as far as we have gone ourselves.

Great leaders are ordinary people who have done extraordinary things because circumstances made demands upon them and their potential. A leader is an innovator. He does things that other people refuse to do or do not want to do. He makes old things new. His goal is never to become a great leader. His goal is to serve and maximize himself in helping others. Leaders are NOT smarter than other people. They are NOT wiser than others. They are NOT gifted more than other people; however, they are highly motivated with a sense of purpose, direction, goals, and sense of destiny.

A leader must be calm in a crisis and resilient in adversity. As weather shapes a mountain, problems and adversities make great leaders. Leaders learn to control their anger.

ALL LEADERS will be criticized. Period! The moment that you step forward as a leader (man or woman), you become a target for criticism. But just remember, a true leader does not follow the crowd. The crowd follows him. WHY? Because he knows where he is going. He knows what's ahead around the bend. He has been there before. People will follow someone who knows where he is going. The rule is: LEAD, follow, or get out of the way...or stick your head in the sand and make believe that you are an ostrich.

Today, my friend, you only have one choice...LEAD as you were born to do!

Many leaders have been counted out several times, but they did not hear the referee. They kept on going and going. They did not recognize defeat. They were knocked down, stamped on, left wounded and dying...but they would not give up, nor submit to defeat.

It is never an outside force that defeats us. It is we! We defeat ourselves. If we stay in the battle long enough and refuse to give up, we'll soon overcome our self‑imposed limitations...and SUCCEED. No one can stop us but us! If we push ourselves to the max, beyond what some buttheads and airheads are doing around us, we will succeed. Even if we don't get there right away, defeat is never permanent...it's only temporary. However, victory will come and it will be sweet!

BEING A LEADER IS NOT EASY!

Let me talk to you about the Law of Giving. John Templeton says, "Giving is a law of life. Successful people give and give. Watch the top people...they give...they attract customers...their giving leads to success..."

It has been Templeton's practice for over 30 years to pay his employees about 20% more than the going salary rates. "When you pay people more, you will develop a better quality working force (team)", says Templeton. He also says, "You really do get what you pay for."

In my own short life of 50 years, I have discovered that giving is a lifestyle. Selfishness will eventually kill your witness. Giving will attract people to you. Giving will kill the self‑centeredness, greed, and insecurity in your life. Insecurity is: the preoccupation of SELF...thinking of self all the time. Giving will remove this type of preoccupation. It will return dividends 30, 60, and 100 fold back to you...in this current life.

Everyone has something to give...EVERYONE. It may not always be money or things. It may be a compliment. It may be a word of encouragement to someone. It may be just sitting down with someone over a cup of coffee and LISTENING...just listening...keeping our trap shut for a few precious moments while the other person pours his/her heart out. Yes, we can give something.

What will giving do for you? It will make you feel good about yourself. It will give back to you a better quality of life. The law of sowing and reaping will work for you in a positive way. Try this today. Give something away. It could be money...a pair of shoes...a kind word...perhaps doing an errand for someone or taking a friend out for lunch, etc. Try it. Do it! GIVE OF YOURSELF! And SMILE.

BELIEVE IN YOUR DREAMS!

Whether they are born in the conscious or subconscious, your DREAMS are extremely important. A man without a dream is like a desert without an oasis or a summer cloud without rain. Everyone should have a dream. Joseph had a dream. Martin Luther King had a dream. Jacob had a dream. Believe in yourself. Believe in your dreams. "The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams," said Eleanor Roosevelt.

We must have long range dreams/goals to carry us through short term failures. It will not be easy. Life is part pain, part pleasure, part excitement, part mundane, sometimes good, sometimes disappointing, but never boring. We can live our lives to our maximum potential as we dream to the fullest. The person without a dream is not truly alive. He is a walking dead man with an enemy called "average".

Yes, dreams help us to develop patience in our lives. However, most people on Planet Earth mistaken LAZINESS for patience. Some individuals are really not patient at all. They are lazy. That's why we must continue to move toward our dreams. Tom Franks says, "I would rather have a dream...even if it fails, than to have a temporary triumph that will one day fail."

And when you dream, dream BIG. The problem with most dreams is: They are too small. Balance, you ask? Yes, we need to have balance in anything we do. Always ask yourself the questions, "What would God do in this situation? Would He be mediocre or would He be dynamic in His dream to do the impossible?" Great pioneers have great dreams. Remember this: Little people talk about other people. Mediocre people talk about things. But Great people talk about ideas and their dreams. There is no amount of poverty/lack that can stop your dream as you go forth in diligence. God has equipped you to fulfill your dream or He never would have given it to you. God is on your side to make it happen. He is for you...not against you. Your dream will happen! Go for it! Happy Dreams!

ADVERSITY MAKES US BETTER PEOPLE!

Adversity is not necessarily our enemy...Even though we certainly think so at the time of its endurance. Adversity brings out certain characteristics in our personage. It can make us better or bitter. It can make us merciful or mad. It can bring out love or hate. Or it can take us to higher heights or lower valleys. The choice is strictly ours...not God's or other people's.

John Bunyan wrote "Pilgrim's Progress" while in prison for 13 years. His crime: He had been caught "red handed" reading the Bible. Only the priests could read the Bible during his day. Therefore, he paid the price. Sir Walter Raleigh wrote "History of the World" while also in prison for 13 years. Martin Luther translated the Bible into German while confined to the Castle of Wartburg. Sir Winston Churchill was refused admittance to Oxford and to Cambridge...because he was "weak in the classics". Adversity came to these great men of character. They laughed in the face of adversity. Why? Because they knew that adversity always passes and the rainbow occurs after the thunder, lightning, and the rain!

The expensive pearl was created during adversity. The beautiful diamond was created under tremendous pressure. The discovery of Peanut butter was created by a black man who had been a former slave. He also invented the glue on the back of each postage stamp. George W. Carver would not give‑in to adversity. He laughed at it!

ADVERSITY, GET OUT OF THE WAY. WE ARE COMING THROUGH!

Recently, during a time when my son, Tony, was experiencing some difficulties, I wrote the following note: "The words for you today are, YOU can do it. You were created for such a time as this...to be a LEADER for this great nation. This country needs you as never before. Remember, YOU are training for reigning...schooling for ruling. YOU have an unction to function. God will put you over. He is never late or too early. And His promises are YEA and AMEN. In other words, His promises are always YES...never no or maybe. His 32,000 promises are always YES to His children...and YOU are one of His precious children. Learn, look, and listen to His Spirit. His protection and care are upon your life, especially during this phase of your life. His strength is your strength. His abilities are your abilities. His knowledge is your knowledge. You are not only a soldier (airman) for America, but YOU are also a soldier in God's Army. I love YOU, Dad."

SET GOALS

Read the following story that has been told a thousand times: The time was 1939. Young Buddy (8 years old) was lying in his bed dying of polio. He faintly heard the voices of the doctors dismissing his life. However, they did not know the will‑power of Buddy. He set his first goal in life...to live and not die.

Although he did live, he was left as a cripple. His mother cried over his withered body, but again Buddy set a goal. He told his mother that one day, he would walk and run as a normal child. Four months later, he stood on his feet alone for the first time since his sickness. He asked his mother for an exercise bike. And Buddy set his 3rd goal...to ride the exercise bike.

During the next 8 years, Buddy rode more than 100,000 miles on the stationary bicycle. Finally, he made it to high school and yet set another goal...go out for sports. People thought that this 6 foot 8 inch cripple was crazy for even thinking such a dastardly thing. But they did not know the will‑power of this young man. Not only did he play basketball in high school, but he went on to Texas A&M to play basketball, run track, and set records in the high jump. He then set his next major goal...to win a gold medal at the 1952 Olympics. Again, people thought he was nuts, but he proved them all wrong. He won the gold and met his goal by setting an Olympic record by jumping 6 feet, 8.32 inches.

You might think that this was enough for young Buddy, but think again. His next goal was to beat the world's record of 6 feet, 11 inches. The experts of the day said that this was humanly impossible. It simply could not be done. Buddy believed in himself and he believed that he could do this. Five months before the world meet in Ohio, Buddy broke his ankle. The doctors told him that he could not possibly jump within the next five months. Therefore, 5 weeks before the meet, Buddy cut off the cast and began the tedious process of walking and applying pressure to his ankle. The day came for the high jump.

In intense pain, Buddy grit his teeth and propelled himself over the bar of 6 feet, 11 and 3/4 inches for a new world's record for the high jump. Today, Walter "Buddy" Davis is in the record books forever. He reached his goals. He knew where he was going. He had a destination. He has a purpose. Greatness was on the inside of him wanting to come out. He had a hunger to achieve. He used the roadway obstacles as stepping stones. Today, there are literally tens of thousands of Buddy's out there with God‑given abilities, talents, and aspirations just wanting to go forward. The moment you set your Godly goal, all heaven comes to assist you. You will not fail as you unlock that ability within you.

KEEP LOOKING UP!

The time was 1983. The Place was Landstuhl, Germany. Our son, Tony was almost 6 years old. He was and is a child of destiny. Tony was doing fine in school and was highly charged with energy; however, he was born with a small hernia that could cause him some real trouble later in life. Therefore, his mother and I prayed many times for him to be touched by God. So in 1983, we took him to the best hospital in Germany (Landstuhl).

When we arrived, Tony was everywhere. He laughed. He smiled. He stole the hearts of the nurses. He talked. He giggled. Everything was just a bowl of cherries! And then the operation...

Tony woke up and was a very sick kid. If I remember correctly, I brought him some ice‑cream a couple of days later, but he could not keep it on his stomach. He even threw‑up water. He was a VERY, VERY sick kid. As a matter of fact, he looked pitiful...I couldn't take it any more...But I couldn't let him see me cry, not his father, so I hid my face from him. I then asked the Lord to touch him and give him strength and to make him well again. And God did... That was many years ago!

Tony probably doesn't remember the operation and how sick he was...and that's good because today, he is in tremendously good health.

Ironically though, only four years earlier, I was sent to Landstuhl, Germany by the State Department on a live mission...to set up satellite communications from Iran to the White House. One of my teams was in Iran and the other team was at Landstuhl. We implemented the satellite communications and got everything up and running. Life was good...until...I got a call from Ft Monmouth, NJ. Tony was in the hospital at Monmouth. He had the hooping cough! He was in pitiful shape...coughing all the time... dehydrating...fever, etc. His puppy dog eyes told the story...He had seen better days!

I got on a plane and came home. By the time I got home, he was home. His strength was returning. His normal skin color was back. His puppy dog eyes had turned to BRIGHT BROWN BEAR eyes. Tony was back! So, as you can see, Landstuhl, Germany is full of memories for me. That was a long time ago. And I'm sure Tony doesn't remember those days! The gist of the story is: Every leader goes through some pain. Every leader goes through some sorrow, but there is always the hope of tomorrow. Every General goes thru some disappointments, but sometimes, these are Divine Appointments. MOST OF ALL, GREAT OBSTACLES BRING GREAT VICTORIES!

THE MAN WHO SAVED MY FATHER'S LIFE

The time was in the early 1930's. The place was the Mid-West, USA. My father (Tony Franks) was homeless (a hobo) without a job...without money. He was in his early 20's hitch-hiking freight trains every chance he got...in order to look for work. This particular day was cold and damp and the railroad cars were slippery. He had been warned not to ride the freight cars because it was too dangerous, but he continued to jump on them every chance he got.

The train began rolling out of the station near Omaha, NE. My father who had been hiding in the bushes, ran out to grab hold of one of the iron ladder rails on the side of the box car. To his dismay, he lost his footing, hurt his knee, and began to fall...almost directly under the train wheels. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a hand of a Black man (African-American) appeared. The Black man yelled, "Take my hand. Hurry, take my hand!"

Since the man (another hobo) was already on the train, my father was grateful and grabbed the man's hand for dear life...and finally made it to the inside of the freight car...all the time, the train was gaining momentum.

My dad said to him, "Mr., I sure am grateful to you and I want to thank you for helping me. I was in a hopeless situation. Thank you so much. I could have really been hurt bad."

The truth is: My father could have been accidentally killed that day by the wheels of that box car...and I wouldn't be writing this story because that was several years before I was born. As a matter of fact, that was prior to my father meeting and marrying my mother some time later.

So Mr., wherever you are, I want to personally express my "thanks" to you for stretching out your hand that day and saving my father's life.

LAST WORDS

Let us advance with confidence toward the fullness of Christ. Let us embrace the heartbeat of our Divine Destiny. The Lord delights in you because you are His child. Look into the mirror and see yourself as one who already has the victory. You already possess the authority necessary to be successful in life. The devil is under your feet where he belongs. You are no longer a victim. You are a victor!