GOLD NUGGETS 9

GOLD NUGGETS 9

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 9" to my family, friends, and all who read this book.

INTRODUCTION

Since I have been blessed so abundantly by Our Maker God, I want to again share some of these joys, pains, agonies, ecstasies, and blissful experiences with you in the next few minutes.

Perhaps, after reading it, you might have a story or two that you want told and placed in print. If that is the case, contact me. Meantime, enjoy the gift of LIFE.

First Words

In brief, you were born for GREATNESS. You are the "APPLE" of God's eye. May you always be blessed with success, good health, and healthy emotions in your every day life. This book "Gold Nuggets #9" will assist you in the areas of virtual reality and quality living.

LAUGH…IT'S GOOD FOR YOU!

Just as depression weakens the immune system, there's growing evidence that humor can strengthen it. One thing is for sure, stress is a killer, but a good laugh can chase away stress quickly. Even a smile can counteract the negative energy of gloomy thoughts.

Laughter increases relaxation, one of the major antidotes to stress. As laughter subsides, so does tension. This decrease may last as long as 45 minutes. The greater the intensity of the laughter, the larger the decrease in tension and the longer the effect lasts.

A good belly laugh can also improve breathing and help digestion. It increases oxygen to the blood, benefiting your entire body. In fact, some hospitals are so convinced of the benefits of laughter, stress-busting and otherwise...that they have started "humor programs," including a "Laugh mobile" full of funny audio tapes, books, and toys, and laugher workshops that encourage staff to add a more humorous attitude to their work and lives. Researchers believe that humor may cause chemical changes in the brain that boost the body's resistance to illness.

You can approach life's trials and tribulations with either anger or hostility or with humor. Humor involves the ability to look at yourself with some emotional distance so that you don't dwell upon or give undo importance to any perceived "faults." Here are some tips to help you heighten your sense of humor and share it with others:

Find things that make you laugh and do them. See a funny movie or TV show, read a funny book, look up your favorite cartoon in the newspaper, remember a clean joke to repeat to others, go to a comedy club, think back on a humorous situation in your past or in the past of someone you know.

Use gentle humor to defuse potentially tense situations. But be careful not to make fun of others. Joking about someone else's failing is not really funny.

Invite humor from others and share your laughter with others, especially someone who's feeling blue. Give a cartoon book to a friend who is ill or
donate such books to a hospital.

Send a silly telegram or a bouquet of balloons to someone you know well who could use a "pick-me-up." Play with a pet, even a friend's if you don't have
one of your own. I like kittens, myself.

Talk to someone who always makes you laugh. Adopt an attitude of playfulness (like Tommy Franks). You don't have to be outrageous or become a stand-up comic; but make it clear to others that you're a person who knows how to laugh.

WHAT IS THE WORLD COMING TO?

On May 28, 1981, our youngest son (Thomas II) was born in Long Branch, NJ. He was and still is a bundle of joy. At that time, Long Branch was a quiet little village where the medium income was about $20K a year. For entertainment, people went to the movies, shopping, to the beach, and little restaurants. On Sundays, people went to church. It was a nice place to rear kids. However, all of that is rapidly coming to a halt!

Last night, a demonized nincompoop shot and killed a cop there in the quaint little town of Long Branch. Then he took the policeman's car and led the NJ State Troopers on a sixty mile chase before they cornered him. There was a fierce shoot-out...just like in the Old West. The nincompoop lost and was shot and killed...which saved the tax payer a lot of money! Unfortunately and tragically, Long Branch lost a good cop last night. His wife lost a good husband. His children lost a great father! The community lost a valuable and honorable man! What is the world coming to? Paul said the following
almost 2000 years ago:

2 Tim 3:1-7 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy...Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good...Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

2 Tim 3:13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.

We are indeed living in the "last days", but the read the flip side of this:
Hebrews 13:5 ...For (God) has said, I will never leave you, nor forsake you.

Isaiah 43:2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you: when you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon you.

Psalm 128:5 The LORD shall bless you...and you shall see the good of Jerusalem all the days of your life.

Psalm 134:3 The LORD that made heaven and earth bless you...

Deut 28:8-13 The LORD shall COMMAND the blessing upon you in your storehouses, and in all that you set your hand to do; and He shall bless you in the land which the LORD your God gives you. The LORD shall establish you an holy people unto Himself, as he has sworn unto you, if you shall keep the His commandments and walk in His ways. And all people of the earth shall see that you are called by the name of the LORD...

And the LORD shall make you plenteous in goods, in the fruit of your body, and in the fruit of your cattle, and in the fruit of your ground, in the land which the LORD swore unto your fathers to give you.

The LORD shall open unto you HIS GOOD TREASURE, the heaven to give the rain unto your land in His season, and to bless all the work of your hands: and you shall lend unto many nations, and you shall not borrow. And the LORD shall make you the head, and not the tail; and you shall be above only, and you shall not be beneath; if you will hearken unto the commandments of the LORD your God...to observe and to do them.

MY OLDER BROTHER, DENNIS

The time was summer, 1961. The place was: The small village of Zolfo Springs, Florida. It seems that my brother (Dennis) was about to learn a very valuable experience. He needed some extra cash. Of course, we all did in those days! But Dennis had a plan...a real master plan, a brilliant idea. He had been driving a 1953 Chevrolet at the time; however, it suddenly stopped running and apparently would cost a lot of money to repair.

Therefore, Dennis decided...with some coaching from his little brother...whom that would be me...to chop up his shiny car and sell it to the scrap-iron yard in Tampa, Florida. With a large ax, skill saw, hammers, crow bars, we went to work. We sawed. We hammered. We chopped. We made a lot of noise for the next four days (ten hours each day).

On Friday (at last), we loaded all the parts and pieces of the 1953 Chevrolet onto our father's flat-bed truck and headed off for sunny Tampa Bay. We talked about all the money that we would get from this highly intelligent venture. We just knew that we were going to have all kinds of money to buy things and even burn if we wanted to do such a thing (Ha, Ha).

After about two hours, we arrived at the scrap-iron dealer (recycling metals business). They directed us to the scales to weigh in. We weighed the truck, disposed of the metals, parts, and pieces...and then returned to the scales again. We were going to be rich. I just knew it in my mind and soul. "Yes, we were going to buy a lot of goodies", I thought to myself. Dennis parked the old truck and went inside with a smile on his face...like a cow eating briars. He was happy as a lark. I think I heard him whistling as he galloped inside the grimy, dirty office.

In a few minutes, he returned with...no smile on his face...no whistling...no excitement...just silence! He looked at me and said, "Tommy, we did not get very much money for all the work we did this week. Scrap-iron does not pay very well. It doesn't look good."

I responded, "Well, OK...how much did we earn?" And I will never forget the look of so much disappointment on his face as he replied, "Tommy, we only got thirty dollars."

I said, "What the world are you talking about? You are joking, aren't you? Dennis, say that you are pulling my leg. You are joking...right?"

We both looked at each other and started laughing. We were laughing because of all the hard work that we had accomplished for the past four days (80 manhours), and now the payoff was a mere $30.00. That comes out to be 37 1/2 cents an hour. We laughed some more...and to this day, we never brought it up again. Why? We did not want people cashing in on our great master plan of "How to Be Successful without Even Thinking".

WHO ARE THE HOMELESS?

Many of the stereotypes concerning the homeless are just not true.

Myth: They want to be homeless.
Fact: Less than six percent of the homeless are there way by choice.

Myth: They're to blame for being homeless.
Fact: Most homeless are victims. Some have suffered from child abuse or violence. Nearly one quarter are children. Many have lost their jobs. All have lost their homes.

Myth: They don't work. They don't want to work.
Fact: Many homeless people are among the working poor. A person earning a minimum wage can't earn enough to support a family of three or pay inner-city rent.

Myth: They are mentally ill.
Fact: About 25 percent of the homeless are estimated to be emotionally disturbed, but not mentally ill. One percent may need long-term hospitalization; the others can become self-sufficient with help.

Myth: They are heavy drug users.
Fact: Some homeless are substance abusers; research suggests one in four. Many of these are included in the 1 percent who suffer from mental illness.

Myth: They are dangerous.
Fact: Sometimes an encounter with the homeless may end in tragedy. It is extremely rare, though. In general, the homeless are among the least threatening group in our society. If anything, they are the victims of crimes, not the perpetrators

Most homeless people are not drunks or drug abusers or former mental patients. Most are able or willing to work. They are not the perpetual social problem many people believe they are. So who are they?

Full-time workers:
One out of four homeless is employed full or part-time, according to the United States Conference of Mayors. The arithmetic is simple and frightening: a person, who works 40 hours a week at the Federal minimum wage grosses less than $1000 a month, takes home less than $850…and is a prime candidate for homelessness.

Case in Point: A shelter run by a synagogue in Westfield, New Jersey...Two neatly dressed women in their thirties arrived one evening. One was a full-time sales clerk at Bloomingdale's; her sister was seeking a job. Two rent increases in a year had eaten their savings and caused them to fall behind in rent. Consequently, they were evicted. By using the Temple's hospitality program, they hoped to save enough for their first and last month's rent and a security deposit for an apartment.

Disabled vets: One third of the homeless are war veterans, most of them from the Vietnam or Desert Storm conflict. Do you remember Ron Kovic's story in the film, Born on the Fourth of July? It dramatized the fact that the veterans of that war were abandoned and discouraged, even dishonored, and in Ron's case wound up on our streets, some of them disabled, others mentally traumatized by their war experiences, others simply unable to find work.

Children:
One out of four homeless people is a child. The fastest growing homeless group in the United States is families with children. Their number nearly doubled between 1984 and 1990, and continues to do so.

Even more appalling, many homeless children are alone. They may be runaways who left home because there is no money for food, because they are victims of rape, incest, or violence or because one or both of their parents is in emotional turmoil. Some are "throwaways" whose parents tell them to leave home, or won't allow them to return once they leave.

I was shocked to learn that in Washington, D.C., when a soup kitchen, Martha's Kitchen, was opened to serve destitute children, within three weeks they were serving thirty children a day.

The Elderly:
Elderly people on fixed incomes don't fit the traditional image of homeless folk. But the fact is that a senior citizen who receives $650 a month in benefits and pays $500 for rent can't survive in any U.S. city. However, Social Security, Medicare, and other senior-oriented programs provide a safety net for many of the elderly, making their numbers disproportionally less among the homeless than other minorities. Although the elderly are not as likely to be found in shelters, it is true that some are afraid to go to shelters, or even a soup kitchen. Others are living in poverty, not homeless, but often homebound and without proper heating, water, or other amenities.

AIDS victims:
Thirty-two thousand people with AIDS and their dependents were homeless in 1990. Now, well over 100,000 AIDS related sufferers have joined their ranks.

Fast facts:
The number who are homeless for at least one night during the year is over three million. The majority of homeless are male; the largest proportion is single men. Illegal immigrants are swelling the ranks of the homeless.
One child in five lives below the poverty line, making children the poorest age group in the United States, which accounts for the growing percentage of children who are homeless. Many homeless people have completed high school; some have attended college and even graduate school. The homeless are found not only in cities, but also in small towns, rural areas, and affluent suburbs. Millions are among the hidden homeless…people who are one crisis away from losing their homes. They may be doubled or tripled up in housing or 48 hours from eviction or about to leave a hospital with nowhere to go.

You know by now...that the homeless are more than the stereotypical drifter, drunk, or bum. A homeless person may be someone with a job, a runaway kid, a member of your family, or someone you know.

You may already know the homeless in your community by sight. You may have spoken to them and know their names. Or you might never have noticed them at all. One of the first steps in helping people is to see them as individuals and to find out what they need.

Notice them; talk to them. Most are starved for attention. And contact your local religious centers, social service agencies, or town hall to find the programs in your community that aid the homeless. (Many national organizations are now available.)

What we are willing to do for homeless people is to a large extent a matter of our attitude toward them. If you think that they are human debris or if you assume that they will always be living in the street and in shelters, you probably also believe that any help you might give them would be a wasted effort. At worst, some people firmly believe that any help given only encourages privation. This is simply not true.

But what if we believe that they have untapped resources? Sometimes their potential may seem to be unreachable. Their talents may be buried deep within and may be covered by layers of neglect, self-abuse, or illness.

With patience, you and I can tap those resources. The first step is to give the homeless people the same courtesy, respect, and dignity that you would accord another person in need. Treat them as you would wish to be treated if you needed assistance.

Son of Destiny! Child of Promise!

General AJ,
I have not sent you a personal note in a while.
I apologize. I want you to know that you are a son
of great destiny...one of His sons...even though we
(your Mom and I) have reared you and will be your parents
forever). We also love you unconditionally. The
words for you today are: "Never give up...NEVER!
Too often we quit when victory is only moments
away. Success is ours when we "hold on" just
a little while longer. Success is doing what others
do not want to do. Babe Ruth did not have much to offer
as a 20 year old kid...or so they said. He believed
that "you could only get a hit if you kept on swinging."
He set a record for home runs that stood for decades.
He also struck out hundreds of times, but he just kept on swinging. Complainers, moaners, and whiners never hit the ball. WHY? Because they are too busy making excuses why they are losers.
The HIGHER you go in life, the less people will
accept excuses! As an OCS candidate the day you were
born, I was able to get by on a few well versed and
acceptable excuses within OCS; however, as I went up the ladder in rank, the less tolerable people became with excuses! Excuses are simply that:
defense mechanisms, self justifications, rationalizations,
and the refusal to accept blame. I have been there!
I know the journey well. It's not the best side of my life.
Sorry to say this, but it has cost me friendships, money,
time, valuable resources, and self-esteem.

You see, everytime…I made an excuse for my actions in life,
each time it cost me a little...in self-esteem, confidence, dignity, and "what I think of me".

The answer: I had to forgive myself, get forgiveness
from God, and try not to make excuses as often as before!
Success is like a well watered garden. It will always need tending to...weeds plucked out, fertilized, tender care, and sometimes, just plain old sweat (POS).
POS has done more for success than any other ingredient in life's recipe. I'll tell you something else. Everyone who is talented does not always win, but it is the person who keeps on swinging.
I love you...Dad

IT'S TIME FOR LAUGHTER!

Today is Friday and it's a good day to make someone
laugh. The shortest distance between two people is
laughter. "The light in the eyes (of him whose heart
is joyful) rejoices the hearts of others" (Pr.15:30 AMP).

Dr. Bernie Siegel (a great author) received a call not long ago from a friend (a policeman). It seems that this friend (who we will call Jack) was on the verge
of suicide.

Jack: I just called to say "good-bye".
Bernie: What do you mean, Jack?
Jack: I'm going to commit suicide.
Bernie: Well, if you do, I will never speak to you again, you hear me?

Jack was so surprised and astounded at Bernie's last response...that he began laughing and laughing. A few minutes later, Jack said, "OK, I won't commit
suicide. I'm coming over to have a long chat with you."

And he did. They both laughed some more and today, the policeman (Jack) is doing fine and is not depressed anymore...thanks to a good friend like Bernie. "A merry heart does good like a medicine" (Pr.17:22).
It is very difficult to remain upset with someone
who makes you laugh. It's even more difficult to
stay sad or depressed around someone who makes
you laugh. And it's just impossible to hold a grudge
against someone who brings a smile to your face and
a giggle to your heart.

Can you be that someone today?
Lighten up. Have a Good Day!

THANKSGIVING

Thanksgiving Day is the only holiday I know of that has three equal faces: one historical, one secular, and the third Scriptural. The historical side of this day, perhaps the most well-known of American holidays, is the Pilgrim face. There probably is not a person in the US of A who does not know the familiar and homey story about the early American Pilgrims who barely survived the first winter in New England and then celebrated their first summer harvest with a feast which included their new neighbors, native American Indians. In the midst of a time of misery and struggles, they took time out to thank God for the blessings of freedom in a new world.

This whole idea of an annual thanksgiving for freedom with gatherings for dinner somehow caught on in America…and has been celebrated regularly ever since.

Indeed, it is one of the least controversial holidays in our calendar and crosses all racial and religious barriers with ease. In one form or another, nearly everyone in this country will sit down at home or at a restaurant, in prison or in an outreach mission, and eat dinner together as free Americans, remembering our history and Pilgrim ancestors, no matter what our racial or religious origins might be. And it may be the only time in the year that many people will hear a grace and thanks to God before eating.

The secular side of Thanksgiving is the national holiday set aside by Congress as time away from work and business as usual. The first secular holiday was established by George Washington in 1789 after the adoption of the National Constitution. This was a controversial move and newspaper editorials complained that states should proclaim their own Thanksgiving holidays.

It wasn't until 1827 that Thanksgiving Day as we know it…was proclaimed by Congress as the third Thursday of November for all states. The person who settled the issue was Sarah Hale who, along with writing convincing editorials to 30 states, also wrote the familiar poem, "Mary Had a Little Lamb." In 1943 Congress issued its final resolution that Thanksgiving Day would be celebrated on the 4th Thursday of November in the new year.

I suppose the most familiar face of this second side of our holiday would be the annual Thanksgiving Day Parade which marches down the main street of New York City (as well as many other cities) to the delight of us all. We Americans do love parades.

The third side of our national Thanksgiving Day celebration reaches back well beyond the Pilgrim years and into our earliest religious roots some 3,200 years ago. Its face is Scriptural and reflects God's word to His people to give thanks for the many blessings of our lives.
This religious face is best captured in our reading from Deuteronomy. It represents a time in the history of the Hebrew nation very much like the time in the history of our early American Pilgrims. After suffering and struggling in the desert for 40 years to reach the Promised Land of Israel, they had finally made it to their home of milk and honey. And so they gathered together to celebrate, but even more important, to remember who gave them their freedom and their blessings. Hear again Moses' powerful words on what might have been the first international Thanksgiving Day:

"This entire commandment that I command you today you must diligently observe, so that you may live and increase, and go in and occupy the land that the Lord promised on oath to your ancestors. Remember the long way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep His commandments. He humbled you by letting you hunger, then by feeding you with manna, with which neither you nor your ancestors were acquainted, in order to make you understand that one does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.”

"Therefore, keep the commandments of the Lord your God, by walking in His ways and by fearing Him. For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land, a land with flowing streams, with springs and underground waters welling up in valleys and hills, a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive trees and honey, a land where you may eat bread without scarcity, where you will lack nothing, a land whose stones are iron and from whose hills you may mine copper. You shall eat your fill and bless the Lord your God for the good land he has given you." (Deuteronomy 1-3; 6-10).

What is unique about our national American Thanksgiving Day is that all three sides are focused on the gatherings of people. The historical remembrance is celebrated around the Pilgrim dinner table, the secular side with parades, and the third side of our holiday is most appropriately celebrated in worship as the people of God gather in churches and synagogues throughout this country to give God thanks.

The bottom line: As one little boy put it so well when he knelt down to say his evening prayer:

"Thank you God for taking care of me and thank you for taking care of grandmother and everybody I know, but please take care of Yourself, too,
God, because if anything happens to You, we're all sunk!"
AMEN.

GROWING PAINS:

Earlier today, one of my fellow co-workers in the
Department of the Army acted like a complete jackass
and caused all kinds of heart-burn and undue
consternation for me. It was a case of complete mis-communication and misunderstanding. In the process of things, I went to him in private to attempt to sort it all out. He looked at me and said very sarcastically...while raising his voice so that others could hear him, "What's the problem? Can't you understand plain English. Didn't you hear me? Didn't you hear what I said? Do I have to spell it out?"

Fortunately, he did not know what I was thinking
at the time...which was, "Listen, you little pimp-squeak.
I'm thinking about squeezing and choking your little neck...and then
slapping you around a little bit for good measure and
then giving you the boot in your ass…where it hurts." God forgive
me, but that was what I was thinking! Thank God, I did not verbalize it.

Yes, I was very upset with him for his arrogance,
pomposity, audacity, insolence, haughtiness, and
asinine moronic behavior. But somehow, a gentle
peace came over me...sort of like warm honey. I kept
my cool and kept my voice low. I spoke softly to
him which even surprised me. As many of my family members
can tell you, in the old days, I would have exchanged some rather choice words with him and got in his conspicuous ugly face...and perhaps made
some unfavorable gestures...after telling him where to go!

But times have changed and so have I. Perhaps,
I won't have to go around that mountain again...at
least anytime soon. I now have to catch myself and say,
"Self, do not get the big head. You did not keep
your composure yourself. You did it only with God's
help and His mercy."

Aren't you glad that this is NOT the end of the story? The individual that caused this havoc later came to me and apologized. This is what
he said, "Again, I regret my conduct. It is not my usual. It will not happen again. Thanks for your patience."

This was my response to him: "No problem...It takes a great individual to apologize. That means a lot to me. I am certainly no angel myself. I haven't always been successful, but I am really trying to use "a kinder
gentler" approach in dealing with others. Thanks again for coming in."

My heart goes out to people sometimes, especially when I have been guilty of doing the very same thing. And you know something, I am still God's child and He loves me very, very much...without reservation. I don't have to try to be somebody…even with all of my weaknesses. I already am somebody...His son!

THE SERVANT'S HEART

Andrew Davison visited Dr. Albert Schweitzer in the jungle on the banks of the Ogowe River many years ago. During his visit, one morning about 11 A.M. as they were walking up a steep hill, Dr. Schweitzer saw an older African lady struggling up the hill with a heavy load of wood on her back. He immediately ran ahead and took the wood off her back and carried it up the steep hill.

When they arrived at the top, Schweitzer was sweating from the hot sun and was almost out of breath. As he assisted the lady on her way, he looked
at Mr. Davison and the other members of the group and said, "No one should ever have to carry that type of burden alone." Schweitzer was 85 years young at the time.

THIS IS WHAT WE DO KNOW…

Years ago, Steve Jobs went to Atari and said, 'Hey, we've got this amazing thing, even built with some of your parts, and what do you think about funding us? Or we'll give it to you. We just want to do it. Pay our salary, we'll come work for you.' And they said, 'No.' So then we went to Hewlett-Packard and they said, 'Hey, we don't need you. You haven't got through college yet.'"

What did Steve Jobs do then? He founded Apple Computer Inc.

"Professor Goddard does not know the relation between action and reaction and the need to have something better than a vacuum against which to react. He seems to lack the basic knowledge laid out daily in our high schools" (New York Times, 1921).

"Drill for oil? You mean drill into the ground to try and find oil? You’re crazy."
This was said to Edwin L. Drake in 1859. Drake late became a very wealthy man from the oil industry.

In 1929, someone said, “Stocks have reached what looks like a permanent high plateau."

"Airplanes are interesting toys but of no military value” (Marechal Ferdinand Foch).

"Everything that can be invented has been invented” (Charles H. Duell, Commissioner, U.S. Office of Patents, 1899).

In 1872, Pierre Pachet once said, "Louis Pasteur's theory of germs is ridiculous fiction".

In 1981, Bill Gates once said, "640K ought to be enough for anybody."

In 1957, someone said, "I have traveled the length and breadth of this country and talked with the best people, and I can assure you that data processing is a fad that won't last out the year."

In 1875, Western Union said, "The telephone has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value to us."

In 1920, in reference to the radio, some large corporations said, "The wireless music box has no imaginable commercial value. Who would pay for a message sent to nobody in particular? That’s crazy."

"Who the hell wants to hear actors talk” (H.M. Warner, Warner Brothers, 1927)?

Gary Cooper on his decision not to take the leading role in "Gone With The Wind” said the following: "I'm just glad it'll be Clark Gable who's falling on his face and not Gary Cooper."

"We don't like their sound, and guitar music is on the way out” (Decca Recording Co. rejecting the Beatles in 1962).

Take with You Words!
"Take with you words" (Hos.14:2). Words are powerful. They were the beginning of the universe. All creativity begins with words. Every word we speak is a creative force!

We either create positive things (atmosphere) or negative things. "Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks" (Mt.12:34).

The Bible says, "You are snared by the words of your mouth" (Pr.6:2). "Pleasant words are as an honeycomb...sweet to the soul and health to the bones" (Pr.16:24).

Today, contrary to popular belief, words can kill you deader than a door nail...just as sticks and stones can kill you. If you do not believe me, pick up any paper in the country and see why some individuals were killed yesterday. Some were killed because they said the wrong thing at the wrong time. Some died last night because they have been saying words like: "I must be getting old. I must have heart trouble or perhaps a brain tumor. I don't feel good."

Others said, "Well, my days are numbered. When my number comes up, that's it. I'm out of here!"

Another one said, "Did you see that...That thing almost gave me a heart attack."

The point is: Words will either work for you or against you. Words are powerful! They are creative. They bring health and healing or hurt and disaster. They bring blessings or curses. It all depends on us. Do our words line up with His (God's) Words? Our words can create a heaven or a hell for us.

Someday, we will give an account for every idle word that we speak (Mt.12:36). What is an idle word? The Greek describes an idle word as: inactive, lazy, useless, barren, slow, negative. It also means: passive, lifeless, motionless, static, dormant, dead, apathetic, lethargic, inanimate, languid (weak, feeble, faint, listless), indifferent, shallow, trivial, and superficial.

Do we speak dead words or lively and vivacious words? It is our choice. Godly inspired words that we speak will bring about miracles and a harvest of blessings for others and for ourselves! PERIOD! The Master Teacher once said, "For by your words, you shall be justified (innocent, free, righteous, person of character)...or condemned" (Mt.12:37).

Remember: We are overcomers by His Blood and the Word of our testimony (Rev.12:11). Two million Israelites died in the wilderness because of negative words being taken to heart.
Words are very important! God framed the worlds by His word (Heb.11:3).

A Sure Way to Victory!

When I was a kid going to church, oftentimes some
churchianity religious individual...filled with poppycockology would approach me and ask, "Do you have the victory? Tommy, do you have the victory, son?"

They meant well...Bless their hearts, but I never
quite understood how you could leave the church on Sunday night filled with the victory of God and then lose the victory by prayer meeting time on Tuesday night! That was always a mystery to me.

Throughout the years, I have found that one of the greatest avenues to VICTORY is the "POWER of Agreement" between two or more people. The Bible says, "Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven" (Mt. 18:19).

First, agreeing with God releases great power in our lives. Secondly, agreeing with God and at least one other person releases faith and power in both hearts that simply says that God will do what He said He would do. PERIOD! When we stand in agreement with another individual (especially with our spouses) according to God's Word...movement will begin in the spiritual realm and will manifest itself in the natural. The place of power is the place of agreement. The place of disagreement is the place of NO-power or lack of power with God! God's entire universe is based upon this principle...the principle and power of agreement.

For example: Gen.11:1-3 And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech. And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there. And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for mortar.

Genesis 11:4 And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.

Genesis 11:5 And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men built.

Genesis 11:6 And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.

Genesis 11:7 Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech.

Genesis 11:8-9 So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city. Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.

God had to confound their languages or "nothing would have been restrained from them, which they had imagined to do." They were in agreement.

The power of agreement is a dynamic tool in the Kingdom of God. When a husband and wife are in agreement in the home, the power of God flows. The children are at peace. The devil runs and hides. The imps run away in fear! The anointing causes an increase in finances. Sickness is a rarity. Harmony is everywhere. The home becomes a place of security, safety, love, joy, strength, prayer, confidence, assurance, a place of deposits (to be withdrawn when needed), affirmation, and integrity.

When two people agree in accordance with the Word,
faith and confidence begin to soar. You actually begin to believe that God is: FOR YOU...WITH YOU...IN YOU...and ON YOUR SIDE.

Many children of the world also act on this and it oftentimes works for them. WHY? Because it is a Biblical principle. But normally and eventually, confusion and chaos supersede...Case in Point: Ananias and Sapphira agreed together on a certain issue. They agreed to lie to the man of God and to the Holy Spirit. Did they prosper? Not really! They ended up dying prematurely the very same day. WHY? They had "agreed together to tempt the Holy Spirit". This type of negative agreement is extremely non-productive.

Therefore, agreement can be either positive or negative. If the enemy knocks on my door to deliver a package of poverty or cancer, I can either agree with God's Word that says that I am whole, well, complete, prosperous, and healed or I can agree to receive the devil's packages and pay the costly price for doing so. The choice is up to me! I had rather refuse his parcels...and as he is leaving my premises...place a dynamite stick in his little red satchel. As he goes around the corner, an explosion takes place. He then stays away from me for awhile!

More on Giving!

FACT: Giving opens blessings. Many times the financial battle is won on our knees or our closet. And the most appropriate answer to receiving is giving. In 1972, the Lord spoke to me and said, "Tom, if you are ever going to get out of debt, you must give yourself out of debt. This was foreign to my way of thinking. I had very little to give...but nonetheless, I reluctantly obeyed. Remember, this was new to me. But afterwards, financial miracles started to happen! It was wonderful. The Bible (Pr. 10:27 TLB) says, "If we will reverence (pay homage to, honor, respect, regard, worship) Him, He will add HOURS TO EACH OF OUR DAYS." What is one way that we can worship the Lord? Through our tithes and offerings...YES! Giving opens BLESSINGS!

FACT: Do not limit God or tell Him how to do His job...or tell Him how to meet your financial needs or bring money into your storehouse. Leave that up to Him. The children of Israel limited God and it cost them (approximately 2 million) their lives. Our Father has more petty CASH in His petty cash drawer than all the treasuries (to include the national debt) of the United States and the world. He will provide for your needs and even beyond your needs...even if He has to create it. He wants you to be happy and filled with JOY! PERIOD! There is always someone around that supposedly has good advice for you in reference to your finances. They will give you their sincere opinions about why you are going through this or going through that in your cash flow dilemma. However, good advice quite often...is not the same as Godly advice (counsel). In the natural, some things look real good. For example:

In 1985, I had some excess cash because of the Blessings of the Lord. In the natural, I decided to make some investments in Florida real estate. The deal (in my finite mind) looked real good. It also looked good to other investors. I got on a plane...went to Florida...bought ten condominiums...and flew back to Maryland. While I was in Florida...about ten minutes before the consummation of the deal, the Holy Spirit spoke to me and said, "Don't do it. It looks good in the natural, but it's not a good deal."

I was now in a dilemma. If I backed out of the deal, I would look real bad to many of my friends and relatives. Also, pride swelled up within me and said, "Go ahead. Make the deal. It will be all right. You'll make all kinds of money." WRONG. Because of my pride and disobedience to the voice of the Holy Spirit, it took me ten LONG years to sell the units. And then it was only because of me humbling myself before God. I asked for His forgiveness. In the process, I discovered something: Humbling precedes BLESSING! We must humble ourselves. Nowhere does the Bible say that God will humble us. We must humble ourselves before Him and others, especially in the areas of finances. I prayed, I cried, I fasted, I made promises to God...if He would just help me out this quandary (impasse)...I felt like a heel...because I had been a heel. I admitted it...got forgiveness...and moved on...and God was merciful.

More About MONEY!

Fact: Just as there is a cycle of God's supernatural provision, there is also a man-made cycle of financial defeat. This is where the majority of God's children are now, but they are seeing the light and are getting out of this type of non-productive syndrome pretty fast.

Cycle of Defeat: The little nincompoop (satan the stupid) attacks the Believer's finances. The Believer (through a lack of knowledge of God's Word) begins to fear...then worry...then doubt. Eventually, he gets his eyes off of God and on his circumstances...then he stops giving (or starts being stingy) with God. This brings a closed heaven...and as we all know because we have been there...This type of defeat cycle brings debt and more debt until we are in BIG trouble financially.

We must give to the poor. The entire Church today must realize that "giving to the poor" is a command from Jesus Himself.

Matthew 25:34-36 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, you blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungered, and you gave me meat: I was thirsty, and you gave me drink: I was a stranger, and you took me in: Naked, and you clothed me: I was sick, and you visited me: I was in prison, and you came unto me.

Matthew 25:37-39 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?

Matthew 25:40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as you have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, you have done it unto me.

Mt 25:41-43 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, you cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was an hungered, and you gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and you gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and you took me not in: naked, and you clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and you visited me not.

Matthew 25:44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?

Matthew 25:45-46 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to me.
And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

God made some pretty good offers to those that would obey this command of "giving to the poor".

Prov 19:17 He that has pity upon the poor lends unto the LORD; and that which he has given will He pay him again.

Prov 22:9 He that has a bountiful eye shall be blessed; for he gives of his bread to the poor.

Prov 28:27 He that gives unto the poor shall not lack: but he that hides his eyes shall have many a curse.

Psalm 41:1 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.
Blessed is he that considers the poor: the LORD will deliver him in time of trouble.

MONEY!

Now that I have your attention, let's talk about it.

FACT 1: Admit that God is our Source. The cycle goes like this: Give to God...receive from God supernatural provisions (plus increase)...give to God...receive from God supernatural provisions (plus increase). This is the first financial principle to increase.

Fact 2: It's Harvest Time NOW: God is giving to His people like never before in history. God's people must start practicing what they preach (tithing and giving offerings above the tithe). As we (the children of the Most High) begin to obey His laws on giving, we will begin to experience a new level and realm of miracle living. Period! God is constantly planting new seeds of revelation, love, faith, power, and seeds of increase. We need to receive these seeds, water them, dig around them to keep the weeds out, fertilize them, and get ready for the exponential harvest...one that the whole world is going to see with their own eyes and take notes on. We are there now. Do not say, "Four months and the harvest will come. The harvest is now nigh upon us. Period!"

Fact 3: When we give to God, we can expect an increase. Why? Because that is the way God is in accordance with Scripture. He is a Giver. He is a Lover. He will be indebted to no man or woman. When you plant a seed or seeds into His Kingdom, you will be rewarded with much more than you gave...sometimes 30...60...and even 100% increase over what you gave. Remember, God has a timing for everything. However, in these last days, the planter (plowman) is going to overtake the reaper. In other words, seedtime and harvest will begin to overlap. The seeds you plant today will begin to multiply and grow immediately...so quickly that the harvest will begin as soon as the seed is planted (Read Amos 9:13).

More on the Topic of Change!

Recently, I talked to you about change. I told you that "Change is a series of entrances and departures. It is always a process of entering and leaving. The only two things in the game of life that we do are: enter and leave; ie., we enter life through birth. We depart through death. We leave the birth canal and enter infancy. We leave infancy and enter childhood...leave childhood and enter the stage of adolescence, etc.

Change is normal. Crisis is normal. Change is defined as transition. We are constantly in a state of transition... either good or not so good. We are changing. Where you are on the journey of change is not so IMPORTANT as who you are or Whose you are. During this process, change comes. Yesterday, I also said, "How you leave one situation and enter into another will determine your lot in life. For example, if I leave my home mad at my wife, I will enter the office (church, meeting, appointment) with the same kind of attitude or spirit...and bringing the seeds of anger, hostility, or bitterness into an entrance will be non-productive (counter-productive)."

What you carry in your spirit from your last departure will inevitably show up at your next juncture of entry. Jesus left heaven and all of His glorious attributes of power and splendor to enter into a hellhole on Planet Earth. He left the perfume of heaven to be born in the smelly stalls with the farm animals. He left His Kingdom as a King in all of His wealth and beauty...to become poor...so that you and I would not have to be. So what did He do? He brought with Him the spirit and warmth of Planet Heaven. He also brought with Him "forgiveness". His forgiveness opened up heaven to us.

Remember this: Forgiveness always opens. Unforgiveness always closes. To continue in the realm of transition and change, we must forgive. PERIOD! I have been guilty of a lot of things in my life, but I have made it a habit for over twenty-five years to forgive those that have wronged me. There have been Christians that have stolen from me, lied about me, assassinated my character, thumbed their nose up at me, have attempted to have me thrown out of their city and church, have taken my offerings, and some have even prayed for my failure and death, etc. What did I do? What did Jesus do? He forgave. I forgave them. And I still forgive those that wrong me. Has it always been easy? Are you kidding me, man? Years ago, I wanted to call down fire from heaven and blast them into the next world, perhaps even hell itself, but God said, "No, you cannot do that, My son. That is wrong and is non-productive." He went on to say, "Have patience, My son. Forgive them as I have forgiven you and you will see a change, especially in your own life." And change did come!

Change brings about unreserved forgiveness for those that wrong you! PERIOD! For example: If two people get married and they both leave their parents' homes harboring unforgiveness in their hearts for their parents in past experiences...and enter the marriage with this type of negative trait...the marriage will not survive without change. The unforgiveness will spoil the new union. Therefore, a real change of heart is necessary for peace and harmony in the marriage. You see, unforgiveness is communicated from one person to another, even when nothing is said. Unforgiveness closes. Forgiveness opens. Unforgiveness shuts out other people and eventually kills the relationship, especially with our spouses. The answer: Unreserved forgiveness!

Is this easy? Was it easy for Christ in the garden prior to His crucifixion? Remember...Forgiveness is always a gift. It is never earned, nor can be. To forgive means: absolve, pardon, acquit, exonerate, clear, to free and release an individual. Today, let us free and release those that have wronged us. It would be a sin not to! PERIOD!

Change is Normal to Life!

What is change? Change is a series of entrances and departures. It is always a process of entering and leaving. The only two things in the game of life that we do are: enter and leave; ie., we enter life through birth. We depart through death. We leave the birth canal and enter infancy. We leave infancy and enter childhood...leave childhood and enter the stage of adolescence, etc.

We hear the alarm clock each morning. We leave the bed...enter the bathroom ...leave the house, enter the car...leave the car, enter the office...and the beat goes on. We are constantly leaving (departing) and entering. During this process, change comes. How you leave one situation and enter into another will determine your lot in life.

For example, if I leave my home mad at my wife, I will enter the office (church, meeting, appointment) with the same kind of attitude or spirit...and bringing the seeds of anger, hostility, or bitterness into an entrance will be non-productive (counter-productive).

Many of our veterans departed Viet Nam with a wounded spirit and entered America carrying the wounded spirit or spirit of rejection. At first, each veteran tried to cope with this type of spirit (sometimes hostile); however, eventually the seeds began to sprout and produce a crop. Unfortunately, it was the same type of thing that they thought they were leaving behind. A wound needs to be healed. With healing comes warmth, kindness, love, and mercy for others.

Some Christians are leaving churches with animosity, bitterness, and unforgiveness in their hearts and ENTERING another church with these same seeds which will eventually spring up again unless the individual gets free and delivered from these types of un-Christian traits. What is needed? CHANGE!

How we leave adolescence determines how we enter Manhood or Womanhood. How we leave single life determines how we enter marriage. How we leave (depart) one church determines how we enter another. Change is necessary for us to go from one place into another. Change is necessary for a single person to enter into the covenant of marriage. Change takes us from the OLD into the NEW!

The place where we are going is far more important than where we have been! Period! Elijah exited this earth in a fiery chariot in order for his ministry to be multiplied through another prophet (Elisha). Jesus did the very same thing. Am I saying that we must exit this earth like they did? Not exactly, but I am saying that we must enter into change if our ministries are to be multiplied. Elijah changed and entered into the very presence of God. One day we will depart (leave) this earth and we will enter into the next phase of our eternal life...but in the meantime, we will have many more opportunities for leaving and entering...Change.

Leaving is a necessary part of entering. The drawback to leaving is simply this: There will be those around you that will want you to stay. Most of the time (not always), this is selfishness. When you know in your heart that it is time to depart (leave) and enter into another place, do not let sentiment or feelings deter you from God's best. Timing is important here. SUCCESS comes through change! Success comes when you are the right person at the right time at the right place.

And the place where you go will become like the place where you have been because you will take the same kinds of seeds with you for planting, watering, and reaping...Unless...change comes into your life. Some of us have been carrying the same kinds of seeds around with us for over 40 years. If those seeds are non-productive, that will have to change in order for success to come. Today, I have decided to change...even if it means leaving the cocoon stage and entering into the beautiful butterfly stage. I believe the butterfly stage would be more productive: READ ON...

Butterflies (Lepidoptera) are some of the most beautiful insects in the world. Butterflies (brightly colored) look like flowers flying in the sky. They live all over the world except in really cold places. There are more than 7000 kinds of butterflies in North America alone. The smallest (1/8 of an inch long) and the largest (over 11 inches long). If you touch a butterfly's wings, the powder that comes off on your fingers is the scales from its wings. Most butterflies have compound eyes.

Butterflies go through four stages in their lives: egg, larvae, pupa, and adult. Their favorite food is pollen. My favorite butterfly is the Monarch butterfly which is found almost everywhere. When monarch butterflies are babies, they eat a special plant that is poisonous called "milkweed". It will make other animals sick, but not the monarch butterfly. Therefore, animals have learned to leave the monarch butterflies alone.

Butterflies (Lepidoptera) are some of the most beautiful insects in the world. Butterflies (brightly colored) look like flowers flying in the sky. They live all over the world except in really cold places. There are more than 7000 kinds of butterflies in North America alone. The smallest (1/8 of an inch long) and the largest (over 11 inches long). If you touch a butterfly's wings, the powder that comes off on your fingers is the scales from its wings. Most butterflies have compound eyes.

Butterflies go through four stages in their lives: egg, larvae, pupa, and adult. Their favorite food is pollen. My favorite butterfly is the Monarch butterfly which is found almost everywhere. When monarch butterflies are babies, they eat a special plant that is poisonous called "milkweed". It will make other animals sick, but not the monarch butterfly. Therefore, animals have learned to leave the monarch butterflies alone.

Hold On...God is Working!

Your decisions today will determine your destiny tomorrow. Do not compromise your integrity. David loved the Lord, but one of his decisions took him away from God's perfect will; however, he was still within God's care, love, grasp, and His voice. God was merciful!

David did not look for ways to make excuses for his failures. He accepted responsibility for his actions. God always honors a man or woman who will own up to his/her baggage and/or sins...get forgiveness and roll on down the road. David made mistakes (sins), but he confronted his sins in truth and continued to seek the face of God. Making excuses for our failures is non-productive and time consuming. It leads to waste!

Prayerlessness is a form of hiding! This is my most devastating weakness as a man. I must find time and make time to pray more. PERIOD!
God spoke to David and said, "You will PURSUE, OVERTAKE, and RECOVER all." And he did.

Another one of my weaknesses is: Impatience. It has been very costly in my life. It has literally cost me tens of thousands of dollars. The opposite of impatience is composure, poise, self-control, tolerance, and dignity. It takes a certain amount of dignity to wait sometimes. Impatience is a form of unbelief!
The prodigal son was impatience. He paid the HIGHEST price for the LOWEST kind of living!

I have missed some of my most precious dreams and the fulfillment of some of my sweet hopes and aspirations through this negative element called "impatience". But God is faithful...even when I was not. There is absolutely no impatience with God...and that makes me happy!

Paul was a faithful and patient man. He told the captain not to go on the voyage, but the captain was impatient. He went anyway. The captain lost his baggage, but not his passengers! The ship sank. Paul then went from the deep water to the hot fire on the beach. When the snake from the wood pile bit him, the people said that he was probably a murderer (a BAAAAD person). But when Paul did not die, they quickly changed their minds and said that he was a god!

Even though I have been very impatient at times in my life, God has never disowned me. He has never denied that I am His son. That He will not do!
God was faithful to Elijah. God was faithful to Moses. God was faithful to David. God has been faithful to Tom Franks. He has never left me...even in my weaknesses and failures. God is faithful.

David went from Ziklag to the throne. Elijah traded his juniper tree for a chariot of fire. The woman traded her precious ointment and perfume (one year's salary) to anoint the feet of Jesus. In doing so, she now has an eternal memorial before the heavenlies and all the kingdoms of the universe.

Decisions determine destiny. Therefore, do not make hasty decisions under pressure, fear, compromise, trepidation, worry, or anxiety. Bad decisions can take us out of the perfect will of God, but not from His reach. His BLOOD will wash away every bad decision and His anointing will empower us to go forward. Seeds of HARVEST are everywhere. The crops are now ripe. Let's eat from the fat of the land and assist others to eat as well! Good Day!

The Day After the Battle!

The day after the battle is more important than the day of the battle. A Great Victory is normally followed by great temptations. While the victory is of extreme importance, the after action is very significant.
Normally, after a crisis has been crushed and the noise has acquiesced, then great temptations come.

CASE IN POINT: Elijah being chased by Jezebel after he had killed 850 of the Baal prophets and the victory for David just prior to Bathsheba.
If the enemy cannot get you to sin by temptation, he will use the IPA and DIM formulas: Intimidation, provocation, and accusation (IPA); Domination, intimidation, and manipulation (DIM).

Just remember the five main temptations during a crisis are: Rejection, oppression (depression), hopelessness, failure, and the feeling of inferiority.
Another element is this: Motion causes or brings about emotions. Emotions bring about actions. Actions bring about change. And change brings about reforms which bring about corrections or course adjustments.
Contrary to popular belief, we all have tempers, emotions, feelings, opinions, and passions. So what's the point? The point is...After an achieved victory, do not let down your guard. Be on the look out for the little foxes running around trying to nibble at your ankles.

Just after the greatest accomplishment of his life, Alexander the Great sat down at the Euphrates River and said, "Is this all there is to life? I have conquered the entire known world. What is there left to do?" Shortly after these words, he died as a broken and confused man at the age of 33.

fter each victory, go on to your next goal or objective. My poverty stricken grandfather at the age of 90 still had goals and objectives. I admit, they were quite simple; nevertheless, he had goals to accomplish, places to go, and things to do.

Today, heroic and courageous victories are inevitable in all of our lives. We will triumph. We will succeed. We will go over the top. We cannot go under for going over. The money will come in. Success will be sweet. Just remember...after the baptism of success and great victory may come 40 days of the wilderness experience. During these times in the hot desert of life, great character will be built in our lives! Good day!

WHAT WE SAY IS WHAT WE GET!

The time was June 1956. The place was just north of Louisville, Kentucky. My family (Dad, Mom, five sisters, and one brother) was on our way to Bangor, Michigan, to work on Mr. Bert Hills' farm for the summer...in order to make some extra money for the next school year. I was now at the grand old age of ten.

Riding in the car (an old black Kaiser, four door sedan) with eight other passengers was very uncomfortable...to say least. Even though the traffic was quite heavy, we were traveling along (northbound) at a pretty rapid pace...minding our own business and enjoying the beautiful Kentucky scenery. Suddenly out of nowhere, came a fast driver in a relatively new shiny car and almost cut my father off the busy four lane highway. My father managed to maneuver the car safely without running into the "hot foot" driver.

Then to my surprise, my quiet and humble Dad said, "Look at that hair brain. Somebody is going to run into him if he keeps that up. Some people just do not know how to drive these days (1956). He is going to cause an accident driving that way...just wait and see. Look at him dodging in and out of traffic. I'm telling you, someone is going run into that young jabe."

Finally, my father cooled down and we continued on down the road enjoying the Blue Grass music on the radio and the Blue Grass Kentucky landscapes. I looked up and could still see the "hot foot" fellow about ten car lengths ahead of us and his car was going from one lane to another.

About thirty minutes later, I was startled by the horrendous screeching noise of skidding tires, flying gravel, and the clanging sound of iron hitting iron. As I looked up through the windshield, I could see smoke, steam, and broken glass on the highway. What happened?

Well, it happened exactly as my father had said. The young "hot foot" driver was following another automobile too closely and had managed to run into the rear of a nice luxury sedan. And consequently, someone had then run into the rear of his vehicle which made a three-car pile-up.

I can still hear those words of my dad ringing in my ears, even as I write this small episode of that page in my life: "I'm telling you, someone is going run into that young jabe."

Little did my dad know that day, that he was in fact giving out a "self-fulfilling prophecy". You see, the person that ran into that "young jabe" was none other than Dad himself.

To this day, I do not know how we did it, but somehow, we managed to patch up the old Kaiser and continue on our way. My heart went out to my father. For the remainder of the trip, he hardly opened his mouth. No one ever mentioned it again! Don't get me wrong. My father was a giant of a man; however, he learned a very valuable lesson that hot summer day in June. Lesson Learned: We get what we SAY.

Wealth: What is it? What does it take to get it? When do you have enough?

This is probably one of the most popular subjects during this century. Currently, there is a tremendous anointing of finances being poured out from the Throne-room above to people (whom God can trust) all over the earth. God has always had a people to accomplish His will, objectives, and mission on Planet Earth. Currently, there is a transference of money (wealth) taking place...from the wicked to the just (righteous ones).

In 1923, the eight richest men in the world met in Chicago (Edgewater Beach Hotel). They had everything. A few blocks away were paupers and children who were cold with almost nothing to eat. But these men had everything. They had it all...or so they thought!

Together, they had more money and assets than the U.S. Treasury. Some of them had good qualities. Some did not. However, they all had one trait that destroyed them: Trust in their riches rather than the One Who created their fame, fortune, and riches. Each of these men could buy or barter and get anything in the world...cars, horses, houses, clothes, gold, silver, vacation homes, yachts, beautiful diamond jewelry, anything.

Then suddenly (I believe, with warnings) it happened...the crash of 1929 that the world still talks about. As you know, history repeats itself. Soon, it will happen again, except this time, on a much larger scale. We must place our trust in the Man who made us. He is the True Resource for everything that we possess. If we have Him, we have wealth. And He is MORE THAN ENOUGH!

What happened to the wealthy eight? Well, Charles Schwab (Steel Company President) died without a penny. Richard Whitney (President of the N.Y. Stock Exchange) served a life sentence in Sing Sing. Arthur Cutton (a very wealthy speculator in wheat futures) went bankrupt and never recovered. Albert Fall (a U.S. Cabinet Member) went to prison and was later pardoned so that he could die at home. Jesse Livermore (Wall Street magnate), Leon Fraser (Bank President), and Ivan Krueger (who owned and operated the largest monopoly in America) all committed suicide. They once had it all...more money that the U.S. Treasury. Where are they today?

There is coming in this generation...a world wide financial crisis that will send shock waves from New York to California, from Washington D.C. to London, England, from The Hague to Tokyo, from South Africa to China. It may not be tomorrow or next year, but it will come. Those that have their trust in the Creator of all things have nothing to fear whatsoever. We will have plenty and will eat the fat of the land. The transference of the sinner is coming home to the Christian.

Sense of Humor

I believe we MUST have a sense of humor today in order to be positive and 100% productive. We must be able to laugh and laugh, even at ourselves at times.

I was in court the other day. The lawyer asked me if I was sure the prisoner in the orange suit was the man who stole my car. I replied, "I was until you cross-examined me. Now, I'm not sure if I ever had a car!"

I knew I was in trouble when my mother-in-law showed up with 6 suitcases and her cemetery plot deed.

I read a report the other day that stated that "4 out of 5 accidents" happen in the home. QUESTION: If that be case, why doesn't everybody move?

I recently applied for a job on Wall Street. They had a question on the questionnaire that asked about "race". I started to write "Caucasian", but then I knew it was a trick question; therefore, I responded with the word "rat". The interviewer did not get the jest of it and took it personally. He showed me the door!

I knew I was getting older when I suddenly had the urge to put tenderizer on my puffed rice.

None of the above stories are true, but hopefully, at least you smiled!

PEUCHENNIE (Our Family Dog)

When I was a kid living on Fourth Avenue in Zolfo Springs (population: 300), Florida, we had a family dog, named Peuchennie. He was charcoal black with some tan and white on his chest. He was pretty ugly, dug a lot holes, chased a lot of cars, had foul breath, and was smelly at times. But he loved people. And we loved him. I did not like giving him a bath. He would get water all over me
and breathe his foul breath in my face...all the time laughing at me with
his tongue hanging out. But we loved him.

He would run into the woods and get wet and nasty. He would then return from his hunt and jump up on any of us who were standing around not noticing what he was about to do. He seemed to enjoy getting our clothes dirty with his wet paws. But we loved him anyway.

One day as he was chasing a car, he got too close to the front tire of the vehicle and ran up under it! I thought he was dead. We all gathered around him and were very sad. We had almost begun to cry...when all of a sudden, Peuchennie jumped up and as if to say, "April's Fool. I got you this time." He took off like a streak of
lightning...running around and round in circles. We were glad he was alive. We loved him.

He would bark at strangers; however, if they spoke to him in a loud voice, he would dart under the house for a spell. Speaking of spells, Daddy would often say, "Peuchennie, come here, boy. Peuchennie, have me a spell. Roll over. Have a little spell. Show off, now. Have a spell."

And sure enough, Peuchennie would roll over and over. Then he would get up and run around in circles for awhile. He would then come back to Daddy and jump sky high as if to say, "Look at me. I can run. I can jump. I can roll. I can bark. I can even fly! I am man's best friend." And we loved him.

As he got older, he chased cars less and less...and finally gave up car-chasing. He would dig himself a cool hole and lie in it for hours. He eventually even gave up rabbit-chasing. But everytime he saw one of us children, he would wag his tail, jump up on us, bark, and say with his dark eyes, "I love you. I want to be your best friend. I may be only a little dog, but I am a good dog. I love people, especially you!" And he did love us.

After being in the Franks' family for over seventeen years, Peuchennie knew his dog days were numbered. He had never wanted to be an inconvenience or a burden to us; therefore, he began to plan his exit...from earth to dog heaven (wherever that may be). One afternoon in the cool of the shade, he walked off the old home place and never returned. Daddy called for him day after day, but there was no Peuchennie to be found anywhere. For months, Daddy looked for him. I believe that Peuchennie knew that his time was short
and that he had just very quietly walked away and never returned. I just wish that he would have let us care for him during his departure. No one (in this case, no dog) should ever have to die alone. "Peuchennie, we miss you and will love you forever! Goodbye, old Friend...Goodbye!"

My Little Red Headed Sister (Lavonda Kay)

In September of 1953, the Franks' family almost lost their mother. As I recall the incident, Mom had gained a lot weight over the past several months. I was almost seven, so I did not pay any attention to most of the details during that timeframe; however, one night our mother did not return home (Bangor, Michigan). Since this was indeed most unusual, I asked our father, "Daddy, where is Mom? I miss her."

He replied, "Son, she is in the hospital at Paw Paw (Michigan).
She should be home in a day or two. She will be fine."
Little did I know that she would almost die from a loss of blood
and complications from having a little baby, later to be named Lavonda Kay. It seems that Mama had always had her children (seven previously) at home, not in the hospital. Yet, this time was different. Things did not go as smoothly as before. During the birth of Lavonda Kay, Mama lost a lot of blood. The Paw Paw Police Department implemented an all-points bulletin for help...for someone to give blood to a mother that badly needed this life-giving liquid of hope.

In just a matter of hours, the donor had been located...a Paw Paw Policeman! He donated his blood. Mama lived. The tiny baby lived. Upon Mama's return home, she was carrying a blanket filled with a bundle of joy...a bright, scarlet, red headed little girl...our baby sister. I took one look at her and was almost frightened. I was seven years old and had never seen such bright red hair before in my entire life. My other sisters were either blonde, dark haired, or light haired. My brother's hair was brown. All of us soon got use to seeing our red headed beautiful little sister around all the time.

And over the years, we all spoiled her because, after all, she was the baby of the family. Almost twenty years later, I remember standing in a hospital room at Walker Memorial, Avon Park, Florida, and visiting this same bright, red headed little girl...who had only moments before...given birth to her own little bundle of joy.

Today, Lavonda Kay is not only a mother of two daughters, but also a grandmother. And yes, she still has the red hair. However, her hot temper has mellowed out over the years and now her grandchildren call her "Granny Red Marshmellow". I would not advise anyone else to call her marshmellow...unless you are ready for the wrath of Red (Ha, Ha)!

Lavonda Kay is a wonderful sister and great friend. She loves life, her devoted husband, her family, people, and this wonderful country of America.

MARY GAYLE

The time was summer, 1953. The place was Bangor, Michigan. Our family of eight which later became nine, were living just a few miles outside the village of Bangor. We were working during the summer trying to make some extra spending money for school.

What were we doing? We were all, from the oldest to the youngest, picking blueberries. Mary Gayle (my little sister) was in fact...the youngest member of the family at the time. And sometimes, she worked and sometimes she didn't.

On this particular day, our father said, "Children, if you all work hard today and do your best, we will stop at Brow's Corner (a small grocery store) on the way home and everybody will get an ice-cream cone or ice-cream bar...your choice. How does that sound?"

Of course, we thought it sounded GREAT! We worked and worked very hard that day, all except Mary Gayle (grand old age of five). She had decided not to participate in the work effort. We all attempted to persuade her to pick some blueberries, but to no avail. She laughed at us and went right on playing in the blueberry field.

As we were returning to our temporary quarters late that afternoon, our father...true to his word, stopped at Brow's Corner...to buy ice-cream. Prior to going inside, he said, "Gayle, since you did not work this afternoon, you will not get any ice-cream."

Gayle did not like this idea at all. She thought, "What, no ice-cream? How can this be?" Daddy returned with seven huge ice-cream cones and bars. He gave them all out to family members except Gayle who by now, was almost ready to cry. Suddenly from behind Daddy's back, he brought out a smaller version of an ice-cone cone. He said, "Gayle, I'm not going to give you what you deserve, but since we all have large ice-creams, I bought you a small one. Next time though, I expect you to work as hard as we did."

Gayle looked up and her frown quickly turned into a happy face. She smiled at us and began eating her delicious ice-cream bar. I have never forgotten that lesson on MERCY given by my father that summer day. To this day, I remember it so vividly. Mary Gayle did not deserve any ice-cream and we all knew it, especially our father. But he had a bigger lesson to share with his children...a lesson on MERCY. Thank God, we do not always receive what we deserve. If we did, it would be catastrophic, don't you think?

My Brother Dennis

In the past few days, I have been reminiscing about my childhood
and family. Today, I want to convey an incident that happened in the
early 1960s timeframe featuring my brother, Dennis:

It seems that our family was taking a trip from Zolfo Springs, Florida to Bangor, Michigan during one of those explosive summers of the 1960s. We had stopped for a rest break in the beautiful Smoky Mountains near the Tennessee state line. As we were stretching our legs and sort of walking around looking at the exquisite and gorgeous mountain tops and forestry, I decided to look over the edge of the cliff. I got just as close to the edge as I possibly could. Suddenly, my feet began to slide and give way. It was a good 300 feet to the bottom of the cliff. I did not want to die. I was too young to die. What was going to happen to me when I hit the bottom? I then frantically realized that my life on this earth...as I knew it then was about to come to an end...unless some miracle happened immediately. It did! Read on...

Dennis (my older brother) saw what was about to happen. He reached out and grabbed me and pulled me back to safety. After regaining my composure and dignity, I made some minor remarks and small talk...as if nothing had occurred. After all, I was now 14 years old and brave as a lion. I did not want anyone to think that I had been scared senseless and had, in fact, done
such a dastardly and stupid deed by tempting death itself. No, I had to give the appearance of being cool as a cucumber!

Today, I look back on that event and realize that Dennis did save my life from disaster and an early grave. "Dennis, if it is not too late now, I would like to say ...thanks...and to confirm to you what you already knew... that I was not, nor am now...as brave as I pretended to be that hot summer day! Neither was I
as smart as I thought I was. I appreciate you and I love you for being there for me when I needed you."

The moral of the story is: The man or woman that will not admit his/her mistakes is a fool or on the very edge of becoming one!

Barbara Joan, another Fine Sister

The time was 1962. The place was the village of Zolfo Springs, Florida. I had just recently purchased a small Harley Davidson motorcycle...and Barbara Joan, one of my five sisters, decided that she wanted to ride/drive it.
Reluctantly, I agreed that we would both go for a short ride. I would ride directly behind her and give her some coaching in motorcycle maneuvers.

She got on the cycle and checked the gears and raced the engine several times, but went nowhere! Within a few minutes, I said, "Joan, you must first put the engine in gear before we can go anywhere."

She asked, "Oh, how do I do that?"

I thought, "My, my, my, we are in trouble now." However, after I showed her the proper way to work the gear shift and use the clutch, she took off like a bat out of a cave with me behind her...praying for mercy.

We eventually came to an intersection. She skidded to a stop, looked both ways, and again took off like grease lightning. But this time, she decided to turn left in the middle of the intersection. (As you know, a woman always has the prerogative of changing her mind, even in the middle of an intersection.) I was almost thrown off the motor bike, but somehow managed to hang on for dear life. Instead, we went through a neighbor's front lawn which greatly disturbed their LARGE, barking, unfriendly dog!

At this point I very discreetly attempted to coach Joan...to get out of there...because the canine was about to take a huge bite out of my rear. Nonetheless, Joan went from the lawn to the middle of the ditch with the dog pursuing my backside with great haste and vigor. Suddenly, I felt the excruciating pain on my buttocks. The dog had succeeded.

Trying to remain the dignified person that I truly am, I said, "Joan, this is not working out. You need to stop and let me take over the controls of the bike."
Of course, by now, Joan was having a lot of fun and was laughing herself silly. We eventually made it back home which made me a very happy camper indeed!

Today...some 44 years later, I look back on this motorcycle lesson (adventure) and laugh too, but at the time, it was not funny at all.

The moral of the story is: When a canine is chasing you and taking a bite out of your chimes and lovely time, just remember...don't stop on a dime, but continue the climb of a lifetime...What a great paradigm!

MINNIE BELL

The time was March 1965. The setting was Orlando, Florida. I had just completed basic training and tech school at Lackland AFB, Texas.
It was almost time for me to leave for Loan AFB, France. I spent some
time with my older sister (Minnie Bell Franks Jones) and her family in Orlando before my final preparation for the long flight over to Paris.

On the day of departure, I was awakened with anticipation and great enthusiasm. I was ready for my first military assignment at Laon AFB...just north of Paris, France.

I got up early, had breakfast, and said my "goodbyes" to my sister, her husband (Billy), my nephews and nieces. I had the world by the tail and everybody knew it. I had been trained as a combat-ready enemy killer for the
US Air Force. I had been destined for this day in history!

As a good bother-in-law, Billy offered to take me to the Orlando Airport.
We arrived at the airport early. I said my last goodbye to Billy and I was off to the gate for the Paris departure.

I approached the counter and set my sixty pound duffel bag and blue flight bag on the scales. The attendant said, "Ticket please." I opened my small carry-on case and ...to my immense surprise...no ticket. I looked everywhere! What was I going to do? I could not find my ticket. I was devastated. I could not afford to be AWOL on my first assignment. They would put me in the detention center! “My career is over already”, I thought.

Where could those tickets be? I said to myself, "Tommy, be calm. You still have about an hour before the plane leaves. Think about where you might have placed them."
And then it hit me. That morning when I got up, I had looked at the tickets to see what time I was suppose to depart Orlando. I laid the tickets on the
dresser. Yes, that's where they are. Yes! Perhaps, it's not too late.

I called my sister, Minnie. I explained my unfortunate dilemma. She was not upset. She did not scold me. She was calm. She did not attempt to tell me
how irresponsible I had been or how much trouble it would be to bring the tickets to the airport. She responded, "OK, Tommy, I will call Billy at his office and he will get the tickets and meet you out in front of the airport in about half an hour. Don't worry. Everything is going to be all right."

"This is a wonderful sister," I thought. "She even encouraged me to keep cool. She is an angel."

Within a short while, Billy arrived in the hot sun and gave me the misplaced tickets that I so desperately needed. He too, was a gentleman. He did not once chide me nor remind me of how much trouble I had caused him that morning. As we said our "goodbyes" again, he even smiled and said, "Have a good flight."

I never saw Minnie Bell or her family for another three years. To this day, she nor Billy have ever reminded me of that unfortunate incident that happened in 1965. I am so blessed with such a great family. Thank you...Minnie Bell Franks Jones. Thank you!

MY OLDER SISTER

The time was June 1964. The place was Zolfo Springs, Florida. I had planned a wonderful week-end with a girl friend in Jacksonville, Florida. I needed transportation. I went to my older sister (Ruby Nell) and asked her if I could borrow her new car, a 1964 Comet Mercury. To my own disbelief, she said, "Yes."

Now remember, here I was as a 17 year old teenager with a less than perfect driving record. However, Ruby had more confidence in me than I had. I borrowed her 1964 Comet (turquoise and white in color) and took off like a bat out of a cave.

I had a wonderful week-end in Jacksonville. As I was returning to Zolfo Springs, I had an accident about six miles outside of Zolfo Springs. A man driving a large Mercury with four bald tires ran into my sister's Comet which cost several hundred dollars to repair.

When I explained to Ruby what had happened, she had mercy upon me and did not scold me nor rebuke me. She told me that everything would be OK. I was ecstatic. I was so relieved that she was not going to chew me out for the next two hours.

Ruby has always been an older sister with class and dignity. She has always been highly intelligent and so forgiving.

She is the type of person who makes the world a better place in which to live. She has the gift of "KINDNESS" and "courage". Ruby is the type of person who lives the truth and teaches the truth by ultimately "living it". I have tried to live a life like hers, but to no avail. She has been like a second mother to four other sisters and two brothers. We all love her for her unselfish acts of kindness toward us.

She is a winner. She believes in dignity and self-esteem.
She believes in dreams and aspirations. I think that I will keep her as an older sister.

LAST WORDS
Let us advance with confidence toward the fullness of Christ. Let us embrace the heartbeat of our destiny…for the Lord delights in His kids…and you are one of His kids. All we will ever want…need…or desire is found in Jesus Christ. If we lack power, wisdom, or prosperity, we will find it in Him. He is all that we will ever need. He has all that we will ever need or asked. We have no lack in Him!