Humility
By Tommy Franks
What is true humility? How many times have you visited a church, a company,
a university, corporation, or other organization...and found very few parking spaces available? Why? Because the pastor/priest, assistant pastor, president of the company, CEO, or chief bottle washer had his own parking space in front of the building?
The trend of our society today is simply this: “The lowly customer or church parishioner can fend for himself and find his own parking space. After all, we are doing him a big favor by being here and providing services to him and for him. He should be grateful to us!”
Many of our utility companies, banks, churches, government agencies and a vast number of service oriented organizations (including Christian organizations) actually think like this.
Have you been to a fast food restaurant, credit union, or bank lately?
Have you been to a hospital lately? Have you been to a church lately?
Some people still think like this. Sometimes, I think they have sawdust between their ears.
Fortunately for us, some of these precarious companies are no longer in business. You see, during this decade, people are beginning to say, "Enough already!"
In some of our churches across America, the pastors, priests, and ministers act more like little kings and demagogues than they do "servants". Some are more interested in another salary raise, church retirement plan, insurance plan, new auto, or bigger building than they are in "serving" the people!
"Why is this?" you ask. It is because we (the people) have allowed this type of nonsense to go on year after year.
The real King once said, "But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister (one who serves)."
What is a "minister"? He is a person, who serves others, genuinely cares, fosters love, promotes fellowship among the brethren, shows mercy, gives people hope when there seems to be none...and the list goes on.
"And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant" (Mat 20:27). Any pastor/priest or man of the cloth should FIRST and FOREMOST be a servant to the people.
"Forget about the parking space in front of the church. Park your car on the backside of the parking lot and walk. The walk will do you good!
A lot of churches have “Pastor’s Appreciation Day”. This is great. To honor our pastors and priests is a good thing. However, what about the homeless, widows, orphans, unemployed, sick, and others who need out help? Do we really have a servant's heart?
What about a "Day for the Homeless" in order to feed them, love them, care for them, clothe them, and wash their dirty little feet? This is the real ministry of a servant’s heart.
"Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister and to give his life a ransom for many" "Mat 20:28).
"But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant."
What has happened to our service organizations?
What has happened to our largest service organization...The Church? Has the Church really provided service to our communities? Do you see any homeless around? If you do, then the Church has not completed her mission. Do you have a coat? Do you have some extra bread? Do you have some extra shoes?
"And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted."
"Be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resists the proud, and gives grace to the humble" (1Pe 5:5).
The humble ones are the individuals who really care. They are not too proud to eat with the sinners or mix with the fatherless, homeless, prisoners, sick, or naked ones. They are the true "servants". Amen!
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Friday, April 13, 2007
The Brick That Hit Me
The Brick That Hit Me
Tommy (Apr 2003)
Last Saturday afternoon, I felt like a brick had hit me in my bald, slick-willy, and shiny head!
Here's why: Last Sat afternoon, I was transporting Karen (my sweetheart)
back to the DC airport. After arriving at the terminal, I got out my vehicle to
help Karen with her luggage. I carried her luggage across the street...literally about
30 feet...kissed her goodbye...immediately went back to my car...a total time of about
20 seconds. As I approached my black Mercedes, an airport rent-a-cop was
standing there grinning and writing me a ticket...and snickering under his garlic breath and greased, slick hair.
He asked, "Boy, are you the owner of this vehicle?"
I responded, "No, I actually stole this vehicle just to joy ride in...and fool all of you crazy rent-a-cops!" NOT!
No, I really responded with, "Yes, it is my vehicle. I have only been here a few
seconds."
Rent-A-Cop: "Well, boy...I don’t like your attitude. I'm gonna have to write you up."
Tommy, the Calm One: "Why?"
Rent-A-Cop: "Because I don't like you!" NOT!
Rent-A-Cop (Actual Response): "Because you got out of your vehicle...That's
one ticket. I am also going to write you another one for leaving your engine running
while unattended."
Tommy, the Calm One: "Listen, you know I was here for less than a minute. You had to have seen me. What was I to do? I assisted my sweetheart.”
Rent-A-Cop: "I don’t give a damn about you or your sweetheart. I saw you. I was ready for you. You should have used the Rent-A-Red Cap luggage man. That's what he is here for. Why didn’t you use him?”
The Rent-A-Cop then presented me with a gift of two $40 dollar tickets ($80.00).
If looks could kill, that Rent-A-Cop would have hit the ground dead as a door nail within three seconds. I bit my tongue until it bled. I rubbed my head until it
was bald and slick. I rolled my eyes around until I was too dizzy to drive. I moaned and groaned underneath my breath. My face turned red, then purple! I coughed. I
gagged! I puked!
I had to grab both hands and hold them down...to keep from showing him (with
my middle finger) what his IQ was. I wanted to punch this guy in the face. He was rude. He was crude. He was asinine. Needless to say, I had to go to church
the next day (Easter) and say some "Hail Mary's", count some beads as I
prayed for this man (Rent-A-Cop)...so that he would NOT immediately go to
hell. I also had to get forgiveness from the Master Teacher.
My prayer went something like this:
"Now, Father, you know I am a relatively good person, especially compared to Saddam Hussein. I give to the poor...those people that are in need…and some that won't work! Yeah, I kick some rear-ends every now in then, but it has to be
done. As a trained combat killer, I normally mind my own business...well...most of the time. I gotta tell You, God...I am really mad as &^%$#@ (hell) right now. This guy was a total nincompoop, weasel, and donut hole. I know I must find it somewhere in my gentler and kind heart to forgive this &^%$#@ (clown).
Okay. I forgive him. But Lord, I must tell you how I feel about this idiot. I would like to ring his neck!
I would love to do some skid marks on his greasy, slick head or back side right now...with my black Mercedes Benz. Okay, Okay. I'm sorry, but these are my thoughts.
Forgive me for feeling this way! Okay, I know I have to...l o v e... everybody...even garlic breath and weasel head individuals.
I'm not like Your Son yet. I wish I was, but I haven't arrived at that state of
perfection yet. I'm still human...and very much alive and passionate with emotions and feelings. But I am working on it...especially my attitude.
Right now, it stinks when it comes to loving Rent-A-Cops. But I will try.
Forgive me Lord. Okay...I will say it. I love this nincompoop...rascal...clown...Okay, Okay...professional airport prickly pear...I mean policeman. Help me Lord. I need help! Thanks for listening and for Your patience with me!
Hello! I don't want to go to hell because I was there for a short time this
past Saturday. Goodbye for now. I love you, Lord!"
God's Response to me: "Son, you have a right to be upset. This creation
(policeman) of mine that wrote you two tickets is NOT perfect either. He makes mistakes like you do. He gets angry like you do. He thinks. He lives. He breathes
like you do. Sometimes, justice on this earth is almost non-existent, but
there is coming a time when My Justice will prevail over the entire earth...the whole universe. Remember, my son...I gave you the money to pay the fines. I have given you a heart to forgive and to love. As you find it in your heart to forgive this man, I also will forgive you. I love you...Your Father."
Don't make God throw a Brick! Read on…I heard this Story the other day…
A young and successful executive was traveling down a
neighborhood street, going a bit too fast in his new
Jaguar. He was watching for kids darting out from
between parked cars and slowed down when he thought he
saw something.
As his car passed, no children appeared.
Instead, a brick smashed into the Jag's side door!
He slammed on the brakes and backed the Jag back to
the spot where the brick had been thrown. The angry
driver then jumped out of the car, grabbed the nearest
kid and pushed him up against a parked car shouting,
"What was that all about and who are you? Just what
the heck are you doing? That's a new car and that
brick you threw is going to cost a lot of money. Why
did you do it?"
The young boy was apologetic. "Please, mister...please, I'm sorry but I didn't know what else to do," he pleaded. I threw the brick because no one
else would stop..." With tears dripping down his face and off his chin, the youth pointed to a spot just around a parked car.
"It's my brother," he said. "He rolled off the curb and fell out of his wheelchair and I can't lift him up."
Now sobbing, the boy asked the stunned executive, "Would you please help me get him back into his wheelchair? He's hurt and he's too heavy for me."
Moved beyond words, the driver tried to swallow the
rapidly swelling lump in his throat. He hurriedly
lifted the handicapped boy back into the wheelchair,
then took out a linen handkerchief and dabbed at the
fresh scrapes and cuts. A quick look told him
everything was going to be okay.
"Thank you and may God bless you," the grateful child told the stranger.
Too shook up for words, the man simply watched the boy push his wheelchair-bound brother down the sidewalk toward their home.
It was a long, slow walk back to the Jaguar. The
damage was very noticeable, but the driver never
bothered to repair the dented side door. He kept
the dent there to remind him of this message "Don't go through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick at you to get your attention!"
God whispers in our souls and speaks to our hearts. Sometimes when we don't have time to listen, He has to throw a brick at us.
It's our choice to listen or not.
Thought for the Day:
If God had a refrigerator, your picture would be on it. If He had a wallet, your photo would be in it. He sends you flowers every spring. He sends you a sunrise every morning. Face it, my beloved friend - He is crazy about you!
Tommy (Apr 2003)
Last Saturday afternoon, I felt like a brick had hit me in my bald, slick-willy, and shiny head!
Here's why: Last Sat afternoon, I was transporting Karen (my sweetheart)
back to the DC airport. After arriving at the terminal, I got out my vehicle to
help Karen with her luggage. I carried her luggage across the street...literally about
30 feet...kissed her goodbye...immediately went back to my car...a total time of about
20 seconds. As I approached my black Mercedes, an airport rent-a-cop was
standing there grinning and writing me a ticket...and snickering under his garlic breath and greased, slick hair.
He asked, "Boy, are you the owner of this vehicle?"
I responded, "No, I actually stole this vehicle just to joy ride in...and fool all of you crazy rent-a-cops!" NOT!
No, I really responded with, "Yes, it is my vehicle. I have only been here a few
seconds."
Rent-A-Cop: "Well, boy...I don’t like your attitude. I'm gonna have to write you up."
Tommy, the Calm One: "Why?"
Rent-A-Cop: "Because I don't like you!" NOT!
Rent-A-Cop (Actual Response): "Because you got out of your vehicle...That's
one ticket. I am also going to write you another one for leaving your engine running
while unattended."
Tommy, the Calm One: "Listen, you know I was here for less than a minute. You had to have seen me. What was I to do? I assisted my sweetheart.”
Rent-A-Cop: "I don’t give a damn about you or your sweetheart. I saw you. I was ready for you. You should have used the Rent-A-Red Cap luggage man. That's what he is here for. Why didn’t you use him?”
The Rent-A-Cop then presented me with a gift of two $40 dollar tickets ($80.00).
If looks could kill, that Rent-A-Cop would have hit the ground dead as a door nail within three seconds. I bit my tongue until it bled. I rubbed my head until it
was bald and slick. I rolled my eyes around until I was too dizzy to drive. I moaned and groaned underneath my breath. My face turned red, then purple! I coughed. I
gagged! I puked!
I had to grab both hands and hold them down...to keep from showing him (with
my middle finger) what his IQ was. I wanted to punch this guy in the face. He was rude. He was crude. He was asinine. Needless to say, I had to go to church
the next day (Easter) and say some "Hail Mary's", count some beads as I
prayed for this man (Rent-A-Cop)...so that he would NOT immediately go to
hell. I also had to get forgiveness from the Master Teacher.
My prayer went something like this:
"Now, Father, you know I am a relatively good person, especially compared to Saddam Hussein. I give to the poor...those people that are in need…and some that won't work! Yeah, I kick some rear-ends every now in then, but it has to be
done. As a trained combat killer, I normally mind my own business...well...most of the time. I gotta tell You, God...I am really mad as &^%$#@ (hell) right now. This guy was a total nincompoop, weasel, and donut hole. I know I must find it somewhere in my gentler and kind heart to forgive this &^%$#@ (clown).
Okay. I forgive him. But Lord, I must tell you how I feel about this idiot. I would like to ring his neck!
I would love to do some skid marks on his greasy, slick head or back side right now...with my black Mercedes Benz. Okay, Okay. I'm sorry, but these are my thoughts.
Forgive me for feeling this way! Okay, I know I have to...l o v e... everybody...even garlic breath and weasel head individuals.
I'm not like Your Son yet. I wish I was, but I haven't arrived at that state of
perfection yet. I'm still human...and very much alive and passionate with emotions and feelings. But I am working on it...especially my attitude.
Right now, it stinks when it comes to loving Rent-A-Cops. But I will try.
Forgive me Lord. Okay...I will say it. I love this nincompoop...rascal...clown...Okay, Okay...professional airport prickly pear...I mean policeman. Help me Lord. I need help! Thanks for listening and for Your patience with me!
Hello! I don't want to go to hell because I was there for a short time this
past Saturday. Goodbye for now. I love you, Lord!"
God's Response to me: "Son, you have a right to be upset. This creation
(policeman) of mine that wrote you two tickets is NOT perfect either. He makes mistakes like you do. He gets angry like you do. He thinks. He lives. He breathes
like you do. Sometimes, justice on this earth is almost non-existent, but
there is coming a time when My Justice will prevail over the entire earth...the whole universe. Remember, my son...I gave you the money to pay the fines. I have given you a heart to forgive and to love. As you find it in your heart to forgive this man, I also will forgive you. I love you...Your Father."
Don't make God throw a Brick! Read on…I heard this Story the other day…
A young and successful executive was traveling down a
neighborhood street, going a bit too fast in his new
Jaguar. He was watching for kids darting out from
between parked cars and slowed down when he thought he
saw something.
As his car passed, no children appeared.
Instead, a brick smashed into the Jag's side door!
He slammed on the brakes and backed the Jag back to
the spot where the brick had been thrown. The angry
driver then jumped out of the car, grabbed the nearest
kid and pushed him up against a parked car shouting,
"What was that all about and who are you? Just what
the heck are you doing? That's a new car and that
brick you threw is going to cost a lot of money. Why
did you do it?"
The young boy was apologetic. "Please, mister...please, I'm sorry but I didn't know what else to do," he pleaded. I threw the brick because no one
else would stop..." With tears dripping down his face and off his chin, the youth pointed to a spot just around a parked car.
"It's my brother," he said. "He rolled off the curb and fell out of his wheelchair and I can't lift him up."
Now sobbing, the boy asked the stunned executive, "Would you please help me get him back into his wheelchair? He's hurt and he's too heavy for me."
Moved beyond words, the driver tried to swallow the
rapidly swelling lump in his throat. He hurriedly
lifted the handicapped boy back into the wheelchair,
then took out a linen handkerchief and dabbed at the
fresh scrapes and cuts. A quick look told him
everything was going to be okay.
"Thank you and may God bless you," the grateful child told the stranger.
Too shook up for words, the man simply watched the boy push his wheelchair-bound brother down the sidewalk toward their home.
It was a long, slow walk back to the Jaguar. The
damage was very noticeable, but the driver never
bothered to repair the dented side door. He kept
the dent there to remind him of this message "Don't go through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick at you to get your attention!"
God whispers in our souls and speaks to our hearts. Sometimes when we don't have time to listen, He has to throw a brick at us.
It's our choice to listen or not.
Thought for the Day:
If God had a refrigerator, your picture would be on it. If He had a wallet, your photo would be in it. He sends you flowers every spring. He sends you a sunrise every morning. Face it, my beloved friend - He is crazy about you!
The Spirit of the Lord is Upon Us!
The Spirit of the Lord is Upon Us!
By Tommy
The Spirit of the Lord is moving like an ocean with wave after wave of blessing. The tide is beginning to come in. The Body of Christ is standing in the water soaking in the waves and the refreshing of calmness.
Chains, sins, and bondages are being broken. The Spirit is now flowing freely throughout the Church. The Church is no longer powerless and helpless. The Spirit is exposing sin as never before.
Our God has not forsaken us. The Church is no longer exhausted, weary, or discouraged. We are on solid ground. Failure is not a word that the Church recognizes anymore. Victory is the word of the day.
The world is standing still awaiting the outcome of the Church’s direction. The tide is beginning to turn. And the tide is coming in. The glory of the Lord is inevitable. The Lord's fullness and power are everywhere.
"Lift up your heads, O ye gates and be ye lifted up you everlasting doors and the King of Glory shall come in. Who is this King of Glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle." Psalm 24:7-8
A giant wave of deliverance is coming upon God's people. The tide is turning. A mighty wave of the Spirit is coming upon God's people.
Joel 2:32 says, "And it shall come to pass that whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be delivered: for in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance as the Lord has said, and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call."
Currently, a great ministry of deliverance has been given to God's people. As the waves of deliverance and healing come in, there will be a great casting out of demonic powers by the Spirit of God. The Church and people are being restored. The new wave is coming and is bringing multitudes who have been shipwrecked back to the God of their Fathers. The next incredible wave is a wave of salvation. Wave after wave of God’s blessings are bringing in the lost.
Hell is letting go of sinners. It has no choice. The gates of Hell are opening and releasing souls that it once had captured. Sinners are now seeing the Light and calling upon the Name of Jesus.
Like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord is coming in…wave after wave. Multitudes are being saved as the waves of salvation continue to cover the earth. As these waves increase in magnitude and become like tidal waves, the Lord says, "Truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord like the waters cover the sea."
Never forget that God is in control and He will carry out His plan on Planet Earth. Our faith keeps us from hopelessness and despair. As Christians, God gave us emotions so that we can feel love, experience pain, joy, and sorrow. Our emotions are healthy for us. They keep us in balance.
2 Corinthians 12:9 states:
"And He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me."
Paul is talking about struggles and sufferings that we all battle. God loves our dependency upon Him for strength in weak times, especially during our emotional outbursts. God knows how to be a good Parent, especially regarding our times of sorrow and weakness. He loves it when we allow Him and the Holy Spirit (our Comforter) to comfort us in times of pain. He will never abandon us or leave us during a storm.
For God has not given us a spirit of fear. A spirit of fear causes individual obsessive anxiety. It steals the peace of God from us and can cause us to be defensive rather than offensive. A spirit of fear brings forth a reaction rather than a healthy response. Do not fear. God has you in the hollow of His Hand. 2 Timothy 1:7 states, "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind."
If you have a spirit of fear, pray or ask someone to pray with you to break or renounce the spirit of fear. Pray the following prayer:
"Father, I thank You for my emotions. You have put within me emotions to keep me safe and secure…to alert me when I need to respond to a situation. I confess that I have had fear in my life, but now that is behind me. My confidence is in You. I ask for peace, power, love, and a sound mind to come into my life. Thank you for answering my partition. In Jesus Name, Amen."
Remember His promises…all the promises you have received from the Lord. Stand on the promises and have faith…even during the waters of adversity. Never let your emotions dictate your behavior and decisions. Always go with what you know from the Word, not what you feel.
Do not go by what you see or feel. God's mercy and grace is sufficient. "Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit," says the LORD of hosts” (Zech. 4:6).
The Spirit of the Lord is upon you! Amen!
By Tommy
The Spirit of the Lord is moving like an ocean with wave after wave of blessing. The tide is beginning to come in. The Body of Christ is standing in the water soaking in the waves and the refreshing of calmness.
Chains, sins, and bondages are being broken. The Spirit is now flowing freely throughout the Church. The Church is no longer powerless and helpless. The Spirit is exposing sin as never before.
Our God has not forsaken us. The Church is no longer exhausted, weary, or discouraged. We are on solid ground. Failure is not a word that the Church recognizes anymore. Victory is the word of the day.
The world is standing still awaiting the outcome of the Church’s direction. The tide is beginning to turn. And the tide is coming in. The glory of the Lord is inevitable. The Lord's fullness and power are everywhere.
"Lift up your heads, O ye gates and be ye lifted up you everlasting doors and the King of Glory shall come in. Who is this King of Glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle." Psalm 24:7-8
A giant wave of deliverance is coming upon God's people. The tide is turning. A mighty wave of the Spirit is coming upon God's people.
Joel 2:32 says, "And it shall come to pass that whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be delivered: for in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance as the Lord has said, and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call."
Currently, a great ministry of deliverance has been given to God's people. As the waves of deliverance and healing come in, there will be a great casting out of demonic powers by the Spirit of God. The Church and people are being restored. The new wave is coming and is bringing multitudes who have been shipwrecked back to the God of their Fathers. The next incredible wave is a wave of salvation. Wave after wave of God’s blessings are bringing in the lost.
Hell is letting go of sinners. It has no choice. The gates of Hell are opening and releasing souls that it once had captured. Sinners are now seeing the Light and calling upon the Name of Jesus.
Like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord is coming in…wave after wave. Multitudes are being saved as the waves of salvation continue to cover the earth. As these waves increase in magnitude and become like tidal waves, the Lord says, "Truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord like the waters cover the sea."
Never forget that God is in control and He will carry out His plan on Planet Earth. Our faith keeps us from hopelessness and despair. As Christians, God gave us emotions so that we can feel love, experience pain, joy, and sorrow. Our emotions are healthy for us. They keep us in balance.
2 Corinthians 12:9 states:
"And He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me."
Paul is talking about struggles and sufferings that we all battle. God loves our dependency upon Him for strength in weak times, especially during our emotional outbursts. God knows how to be a good Parent, especially regarding our times of sorrow and weakness. He loves it when we allow Him and the Holy Spirit (our Comforter) to comfort us in times of pain. He will never abandon us or leave us during a storm.
For God has not given us a spirit of fear. A spirit of fear causes individual obsessive anxiety. It steals the peace of God from us and can cause us to be defensive rather than offensive. A spirit of fear brings forth a reaction rather than a healthy response. Do not fear. God has you in the hollow of His Hand. 2 Timothy 1:7 states, "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind."
If you have a spirit of fear, pray or ask someone to pray with you to break or renounce the spirit of fear. Pray the following prayer:
"Father, I thank You for my emotions. You have put within me emotions to keep me safe and secure…to alert me when I need to respond to a situation. I confess that I have had fear in my life, but now that is behind me. My confidence is in You. I ask for peace, power, love, and a sound mind to come into my life. Thank you for answering my partition. In Jesus Name, Amen."
Remember His promises…all the promises you have received from the Lord. Stand on the promises and have faith…even during the waters of adversity. Never let your emotions dictate your behavior and decisions. Always go with what you know from the Word, not what you feel.
Do not go by what you see or feel. God's mercy and grace is sufficient. "Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit," says the LORD of hosts” (Zech. 4:6).
The Spirit of the Lord is upon you! Amen!
Thursday, April 12, 2007
General Jesus Speaks to His Troops
General Jesus Speaks to His Troops
By Tommy Franks
If General Jesus were here right now (in the flesh), what would He say to us, His troops? Read what I believe He would say.
"Now I want you to remember My Word...that no soldier has to die for this universe. Some of you people have wanted to do just that...die on Me...but I gotta tell you, I have already died for this world. I desire that you live for Me. All My soldiers have already died anyhow. You died at the new birth. I also told you that during famine I would redeem you from death...and in war I would redeem you from the power of the sword (Job 5:20). You may not realize this, but there is a real war going on right now all over this land. It is a war between GOOD and evil. The outcome is simple...We win!”
“As your Commander‑in‑Chief, I have raised you up as a great Army that is strong and courageous. You are different and are like no other Army that has ever been or ever will be. You are a nation of blood bought men and women! The power of the Holy Spirit goes before you. Behind you is a flame of fire that brings warmth and protection to all them that will listen to the beat of My drum. Before you lies a land of plenty and prosperity. To the rear, you leave poverty and sickness behind.”
“When you were children, you thought as children...You behaved as children...You understood as children, but now, you have become grown men and women in My Army. You are Champions and Winners set in battle array. Under My command, you will not fail. You will take My Holy Word which is the Sword of the Spirit and beat the devil at his own game. You will kick them all the way back to Hades. The gates of hell will not prevail against you. Begin now to dance, sing, shout, laugh, and clap your hands. Look the enemy dead in the eye and command him to go. Clap your hands, all ye people!”
“You have the eye of the tiger and sound just like the Lion of Judah. You are now a Team...no more asses’ head or dove's dung for you (2 Kgs.6:25). The days of weasel pie are over! You are the head and not the tail.”
“In times past, you neglected and hurt your wounded. That is rapidly coming to a halt. Neither will you break ranks or stab each other in the back anymore. And when the enemy tries to cut you down, you will not be wounded because you are already dead. No one can kill a dead man. The whole earth will shake and quake before you. You will bring terror to the terrorists and fear to the perverted foe. They do not stand a chance before you. You are not just going to stop the enemy, but you are going to grind them to powder. They will be cast into hell and eventually into the lake of fire forever!”
“Troops do your duty. You are going to do fine. You have the finest equipment and armor in the universe. It's heavenly. No power on earth or hell can stop you. Prepare war. Wake up the people. Let them know that it is high time to be a warrior. Advance. Conquer. Destroy. The enemy is already defeated. Take your place. Do your duty. Call on My Name and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things.”
“Are you ready Troops? Follow Me. You and I will go forth and wage war in righteousness, holiness, and justice. We will smite the nations, rule and control them with My Scepter of Iron. I will be the world wide Dictator known as the King of kings and Lord of lords. Let's do it. It's final. That's it. PERIOD!"
By Tommy Franks
If General Jesus were here right now (in the flesh), what would He say to us, His troops? Read what I believe He would say.
"Now I want you to remember My Word...that no soldier has to die for this universe. Some of you people have wanted to do just that...die on Me...but I gotta tell you, I have already died for this world. I desire that you live for Me. All My soldiers have already died anyhow. You died at the new birth. I also told you that during famine I would redeem you from death...and in war I would redeem you from the power of the sword (Job 5:20). You may not realize this, but there is a real war going on right now all over this land. It is a war between GOOD and evil. The outcome is simple...We win!”
“As your Commander‑in‑Chief, I have raised you up as a great Army that is strong and courageous. You are different and are like no other Army that has ever been or ever will be. You are a nation of blood bought men and women! The power of the Holy Spirit goes before you. Behind you is a flame of fire that brings warmth and protection to all them that will listen to the beat of My drum. Before you lies a land of plenty and prosperity. To the rear, you leave poverty and sickness behind.”
“When you were children, you thought as children...You behaved as children...You understood as children, but now, you have become grown men and women in My Army. You are Champions and Winners set in battle array. Under My command, you will not fail. You will take My Holy Word which is the Sword of the Spirit and beat the devil at his own game. You will kick them all the way back to Hades. The gates of hell will not prevail against you. Begin now to dance, sing, shout, laugh, and clap your hands. Look the enemy dead in the eye and command him to go. Clap your hands, all ye people!”
“You have the eye of the tiger and sound just like the Lion of Judah. You are now a Team...no more asses’ head or dove's dung for you (2 Kgs.6:25). The days of weasel pie are over! You are the head and not the tail.”
“In times past, you neglected and hurt your wounded. That is rapidly coming to a halt. Neither will you break ranks or stab each other in the back anymore. And when the enemy tries to cut you down, you will not be wounded because you are already dead. No one can kill a dead man. The whole earth will shake and quake before you. You will bring terror to the terrorists and fear to the perverted foe. They do not stand a chance before you. You are not just going to stop the enemy, but you are going to grind them to powder. They will be cast into hell and eventually into the lake of fire forever!”
“Troops do your duty. You are going to do fine. You have the finest equipment and armor in the universe. It's heavenly. No power on earth or hell can stop you. Prepare war. Wake up the people. Let them know that it is high time to be a warrior. Advance. Conquer. Destroy. The enemy is already defeated. Take your place. Do your duty. Call on My Name and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things.”
“Are you ready Troops? Follow Me. You and I will go forth and wage war in righteousness, holiness, and justice. We will smite the nations, rule and control them with My Scepter of Iron. I will be the world wide Dictator known as the King of kings and Lord of lords. Let's do it. It's final. That's it. PERIOD!"
The Three Spiritual Levels of Man
The Three Spiritual Levels of Man
By Tommy Franks
In the Church and in ministry, it is important to understand the different levels of spiritual maturity in people. First, let us look at the natural man.
The Natural Man is: The unspiritual, physical man without eternal life (1 Cor.2:14). He knows nothing about the things of God. He has never been recreated or regenerated. His mind has not been renewed. He is sensual and spiritually dead...without God, without hope. He is controlled by his appetites, his flesh, and senses. He has no legal standing with God. Unless he accepts Jesus Christ, he will be eternally separated from God in a place called hell. "But the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned" (1 Cor.2:14).
The Carnal Man is: A babe in Christ. He is a born again Christian who is undeveloped and primarily controlled by his five senses...and not the Spirit of God. He is selfish, sensitive, easily hurt, often jealous, and spiritually weak (Eph.4:14, Heb.5:11-14). The carnal man has a tough time chewing and digesting solid food. Look at the following Scriptures:
“I have a lot more to say about this, but it is hard to get it across to you since you've picked up this bad habit of not listening. By this time you ought to be teachers yourselves, yet here I find you need someone to sit down with you and go over the basics on God again, starting from square one—baby's milk, when you should have been on solid food long ago! Milk is for beginners, inexperienced in God's ways; solid food is for the mature, who have some practice in telling right from wrong” (Hebrews 5:11-14, The Message).
“Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection (completion); not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. And this will we do, if God permit” (Hebrews 6:1-3).
The Spiritual Man is: The Believer who has taken advantage of his rights in Christ and has grown to the point where he can bear fruit to the glory of God. He appreciates and understands his righteousness in Christ. He knows that knowledge adds responsibility. He knows His God is able and that he has been given the ability of God to carry out the mission. The spiritual man has drunk deeply at the fountain of God and has eaten regularly at the Master's table. He is saturated with love. He has come to know the reality of the Father, the Lordship of Jesus Christ, and the intimacy of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor.2:12). The Word has gained the ascendancy over his mind, body, and soul. He knows about his inheritance, estate, endowment, legacy, and his Divine Destiny (Col.1:12-17). The spiritual man is longer a babe in Christ. He is a full grown man identified with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection (Col.2:6-15). Read the following:
Col 2:6-7 “As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk you in Him: Rooted and built up in Him, and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.”
Col 2:10, 12 “And you are complete in Him, which is the head of all principality and power: Buried with Him in baptism, wherein also you are risen with Him through the faith of the operation of God, who has raised Him from the dead.”
By Tommy Franks
In the Church and in ministry, it is important to understand the different levels of spiritual maturity in people. First, let us look at the natural man.
The Natural Man is: The unspiritual, physical man without eternal life (1 Cor.2:14). He knows nothing about the things of God. He has never been recreated or regenerated. His mind has not been renewed. He is sensual and spiritually dead...without God, without hope. He is controlled by his appetites, his flesh, and senses. He has no legal standing with God. Unless he accepts Jesus Christ, he will be eternally separated from God in a place called hell. "But the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned" (1 Cor.2:14).
The Carnal Man is: A babe in Christ. He is a born again Christian who is undeveloped and primarily controlled by his five senses...and not the Spirit of God. He is selfish, sensitive, easily hurt, often jealous, and spiritually weak (Eph.4:14, Heb.5:11-14). The carnal man has a tough time chewing and digesting solid food. Look at the following Scriptures:
“I have a lot more to say about this, but it is hard to get it across to you since you've picked up this bad habit of not listening. By this time you ought to be teachers yourselves, yet here I find you need someone to sit down with you and go over the basics on God again, starting from square one—baby's milk, when you should have been on solid food long ago! Milk is for beginners, inexperienced in God's ways; solid food is for the mature, who have some practice in telling right from wrong” (Hebrews 5:11-14, The Message).
“Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection (completion); not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. And this will we do, if God permit” (Hebrews 6:1-3).
The Spiritual Man is: The Believer who has taken advantage of his rights in Christ and has grown to the point where he can bear fruit to the glory of God. He appreciates and understands his righteousness in Christ. He knows that knowledge adds responsibility. He knows His God is able and that he has been given the ability of God to carry out the mission. The spiritual man has drunk deeply at the fountain of God and has eaten regularly at the Master's table. He is saturated with love. He has come to know the reality of the Father, the Lordship of Jesus Christ, and the intimacy of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor.2:12). The Word has gained the ascendancy over his mind, body, and soul. He knows about his inheritance, estate, endowment, legacy, and his Divine Destiny (Col.1:12-17). The spiritual man is longer a babe in Christ. He is a full grown man identified with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection (Col.2:6-15). Read the following:
Col 2:6-7 “As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk you in Him: Rooted and built up in Him, and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.”
Col 2:10, 12 “And you are complete in Him, which is the head of all principality and power: Buried with Him in baptism, wherein also you are risen with Him through the faith of the operation of God, who has raised Him from the dead.”
The Most Powerful FORCE in the Universe is LOVE!
The Most Powerful FORCE in the Universe is LOVE!
By Tommy Franks
Love is always a choice. Love is kind. Love is true. Love is awesome! Love suffers long. Love does NOT envy another or what belongs to another. Love does not brag or boast of itself. Love is not puffed up. Love does NOT behave itself unseemly. Love does NOT seek its own way. Love is NOT easily provoked. Love thinks no evil. Love does not rejoice in failures. Love does rejoice in the truth. Love bears all things…believes all things…hopes in all things…endures all things. Love never fails.
Every human being on Planet Earth needs to love and be loved! Have you ever asked yourself, "Self, is there any love left in this world?" If you have, you are in the company of millions of others as well. With all the TV programs, movies, news stories, and "woe is me" in the world, we sometimes wonder where all the love went! Read on…
Perhaps, you have heard someone say, "Love is scarce and it's something that I have been deprived of at times. There’s hardly enough love to go around. We must cling to whatever little love comes to us." (This is pure poppycock…nonsense.)
Sometimes, these thoughts are deeply embedded and reinforced in our culture, leaving many people stuck in unhappy relationships…because they feel that's all there is available to them.
I gotta tell you what I think: I think there is an abundance of love…everywhere just waiting to happen. I do not think there is ever a lack of love in this universe of ours. I believe (in the purest sense), love is available everywhere…at every moment… wherever we are. I believe God is love and we are made to love and be loved forever!
Now then, I also believe that before we can experience love in abundance, we must realize that love is plentiful and readily available to us! Don’t buy into the popular belief that love is a commodity and is hard to find…hard to earn…and hard to hold on to. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Therefore, since love is everywhere, we need to believe that we are people (creations) of love! We need to be able to see love. We must believe in love! We each have the power to control our outlook in a situation. However, at times our own negative thoughts and past experiences have blinded us from seeing the abundance of love. That's when we need to release our negative beliefs so that we can let love into our hearts. I have found that when I truly look for love, I can see it almost instantly. Sometimes, love will even track us down…if we will give love a chance!
When we start thinking negatively or buying into traditional fears about love, we then need to start making some affirmations such as:
"This universe is made of love. God is love. Love is everywhere, just waiting for me. Love is wherever I am, just waiting to be expressed. I am a person of value…a person of great worth…a person that deserves to be loved…because I am a person of great love. Right now at this moment, divine love is flowing through me. I am loved!"
Affirmations are positive thoughts and expressions that will consciously replace negativity within us. Verbalizing affirmations at first may seem silly, but if you will persist, you'll find great power and strength in good, solid affirmations, especially about love.
As you may know, I am NOT a "cupid", but I do like to write about IMPORTANT things/issues in life. "Love" is one of those important human elements that we all need. Why? Because, it is part of our human make-up and psyche. We are a tripartite being…a soul, spirit, and body. The soulish realm is where our emotions are born; i.e., fear, hate, love, sorrow, anger, enthusiasm, and other feelings.
In my early life, I did some very stupid things. Oh, yeah! I found out very quickly that "control" is NOT love. No woman wants to be controlled by her husband. I found out very quickly that women…especially independent women…do not want to be controlled. A wife is a separate and whole entity without her husband. She does not need a husband to be fulfilled or to be whole as a woman, wife, or mother. This is NOT easy for husbands to understand. Wives are whole beings before marriage. Marriage does not complete a woman. Marriage may complement, but never take the place of wholeness in a woman’s life.
No woman or man wants to be controlled. Period! Our human dignity and nature crave freedom. If we persist in attempting to control another human being, eventually, rebellion will set in which is absolutely non-productive.
In a truly loving relationship, we feel heard, respected, nurtured, and understood. The continuity of the relationship does not depend upon us always meeting the demands of the other person. Real love nurtures freedom. "Freedom" is an indelible and inalienable right for every human being on Planet Earth. We were created to be FREE!
Assuredly, it is essential to listen to and trust our feelings for a basic sense of well-being. Our intuition is normally correct. Locked up within each of us is a vast magnitude of wisdom that goes far beyond words. As we learn to connect with, listen to, and respect our inner wisdom from God, we are taking a crucial step in learning to love others. At times, we may not be accustomed to accepting the way we feel. Most of our feelings are based on our environment, the things we have been taught, our values, our mores, and previous life experiences.
We live in an incredibly complicated age. Love is at best, complex and confusing. We discuss it and analyze it at length, but we still misunderstand it. There is a simple logic to love, which, like most natural laws…works almost unfailingly…if we respect it.
Some say that the laws of love are as simple as the laws of gravity. I disagree. The laws of love can be complicated. Gravity is pretty simple: If you jump off a building expecting to fly, you will find yourself crashing to the ground. On the other hand, love is a little more complicated than the law of gravity.
When I was a child, I spoke as a child…I acted like a child, but when I grew older…I started acting like a "bigger child", I mean man. As a teenager and young man, some of my relationships were NOT ideal because I had no understanding of love or how it worked. Some of my earlier relationships crashed and burned. I was confused at times. Love was more than just a feeling.
In our lives, we all have…at one time or another…felt betrayed and wounded and perhaps, we did not understand why or what went wrong…Some people begin to feel that something is wrong with them. Others vow never to love again. This is what I did at age 24. I decided to never LOVE again…silly me…
Yes, it was a stupid idea, but there again…I was an idealist and saw the whole world through "pink tinted" glasses in those days. That is when I decided to buy a few books on the subject of "relationships" and later return to college to attempt to understand myself and others. Today, I understand others pretty well, but I'm still trying to understand me. (Just kidding)
After a few years, I realized that few laws are taught on the subject of "Love"…at least in a practical sense. In my case, I quickly learned to "unlearn" what I had preciously learned about what I had learned in the first place about love from my family, friends, and others.
I was taught to be suspicious of others…NOT to trust others…Rely on "self" only. In some cases, especially, in some of my sociology classes, we were taught to help others…but make sure we helped ourselves first. Hello!
Growing up in the 60s and 70s, we were taught to get all we could for ourselves first. The problem: This type of view did NOT result in true happiness, peace of mind, or any true or real love in my life. NOT good…NOT prudent…NOT circumspect…NOT profitable!
This type of thinking was B A A A D D news. The good news is: I chose to change my ways. I decided to change my silly thinking! I chose to live differently from henceforth. In my case, change was good! Within a few days (weeks), I began to feel better about the emotion called "love". I began to see love in the air, the gentle breezes of life, the mountain tops, valleys, clear water brooks, birds in the air, a beautiful lake in the meadows, a baby's smile, squirrels in the tree tops, people's faces, and even the American Flag. That's right…even our flag. The price of our flag has NOT come cheap. It still flies because of love! I am still learning about love.
Love says, “You are a person of greatness, a person of talent, a person of dignity, a person of tremendous value, a person who was created to eat the delicious grapes of eternity, and the very best product that Heaven ever made!"
Love says, “The great tragedy in life is that many of people do not recognize the qualities that they possess.”
The qualities of success that we possess are unlimited. Look at these qualities:
Honesty, Humor, Friendliness, Confidence, Integrity, Persistence, Humility, Goal Setter, Decisive, Hard Working, Learner, Humorous, Positive Mental Attitude, Compassionate, Disciplined, Dedicated, Faithful, Dependable, Knowledgeable, Communicator, Loving, Enthusiastic, Motivated, Patient, Loyal, Organized, Good Listener, Empathetic, Self-Respect, Common Sense, and Good Character.
Most of us do NOT live from a heart of love, but we should. Why should we? Because living from a heart of love means: That we have chosen to live a lifestyle that is true and proper for us and our family. It also means that we have decided to make important decisions based upon our hearts, values, and personal standards. Some people live their entire lives "trying to please somebody else". Some live according to "how others think they should live and what others expect".
Living from the heart means that we can trust our own instincts, our own thought patterns and processes, and our own "gut level" feelings. In others words, we can think for ourselves!
Living from a heart of love means trusting our opinions and judgment more than the pressures of society, friends, family members, and neighbors. This does NOT mean that we become hermits or some recluse or mutineer in our lifestyle. It does NOT mean that we become so different that we become flaky, nutty, or eventually turn others off! However, it does mean that we learn to trust the still small voice within us. Our hearts "actually speak to us" if we will listen. In my earlier years, I spent a large portion of my life NOT listening to my heart. I can tell you, this is extremely non-productive!
The failure to listen and live from the heart will normally cause us a great deal of internal conflict, pain, grief, stress, frustration, and tension. Living from a heart of love will cause the friction to subside and diminish completely. In doing so, we will be "in charge" of our own lives. We will be living our life instead of someone else's (doing what someone else commands or expects us to do).
How do you really want to live your life? Are you living your life based on what others expect of you or want from you? Living from the heart is a basic foundation of human quality and human dignity. Listening to your heart will bring inner peace, inner growth, patience, and great happiness. It causes us to be gentler, kinder, more forgiving, and loving.
As we grow older, our attitude and expectations are the main determining factors of “love” in our lives.
Each of us has two distinct choices to make about how we love and what we do with our lives.
1. First choice: We can make our lives to be less than we have the capacity to be…To earn less….To have less…To read less…Think less…To try less…Love less…and discipline ourselves less. These are the choices that lead to an empty life. These are the choices that, once made, lead to a life of constant apprehension instead of a life of love and wondrous anticipation.
2. Second choice: We can do it all! We can become all that we can possibly be. We can read every book that we possibly can. We can earn as much as we possibly can. We can give, love, and share as much as possible. We can strive and produce and accomplish as much as we possibly can. All of us have this choice…To do or not to do…To be or not to be…To be all or to be less or to be nothing at all…To Love or not to Love.
Sometimes, I tell people that they are being "stretched". To be stretched is a worthy challenge for us. We stretch upward and outward to the full measure of our capabilities. Do we do all that we can do? Do we truly love one another as children of the Most High? Hopefully so! Our ultimate goal, objective, and purpose should be to develop our talent, ability, and skills in the areas of love, giving, being productive, and the acceptance of others. To settle for less…is to fail in the worthiest of undertakings.
Let us talk about “results” for a moment. Results are the best measurement of human progress…Not conversation…Not explanation…Not justification, but Results! And if our results are less than our potential, then we need to strive to become more today than we were yesterday! The greatest rewards are always reserved for those who bring great value and love to themselves and the people around them as a result of who and what they have become…lovable. To love and to be loved even more, we must:
1. Let the past go.
2. If we are holding on to something that doesn't belong to us and it is NOT meant for us, we need to let it go!
3. If we are still nursing past hurts and pains, we must let them go.
4. If someone can't treat us right…love us back…see our dynamic worth, we need to let it go.
5. If someone has angered you, let it go.
6. If you are thinking of "getting even", let it go.
7. If you are involved in a wrong relationship or addiction, let it go!
8. If you are holding on to a job that no longer meets your needs or talents, let it go.
9. If you keep judging others to make yourself feel better, let it go.
10. If you have a bad attitude, let it go!
11. If you are stuck in the past, let it go.
12. If you keep trying to help someone who will NOT receive your help, let it go!
13. If you are feeling distressed and stressed out, let it go.
14. If you have been handling a situation all by yourself and your heart tells you to let it go, Let it GO.
A few days ago as I left our home, I quickly found out that it was raining. At first, I was very disappointed because I had spent the last 30 minutes "blow drying" my hair! But then I said, "So what? We need this slow drizzle. It helps the gardens and the flowers to grow. It helps the birds to find food for their little babies and the squirrels to find acorns for their young.”
What type of world would we have…if it never rained? Rain is good. Life is good! I took out my umbrella and began my long walk (50 yards) to the office. I began to think about how fortunate I am to have a job…a livelihood…a place where people really do care about one another. I began to think about the cool fresh air that my lungs were taking in and breathing! I even began to hum a tune. I would have sung a song, but as a kid, I spent all my "music lessons’ money" on other things; i.e., cars, gasoline, cokes, candy, and…you guessed it, books!
Anyway, today is a very special time in our lives. We have never traversed this territory before…and we will never come this way again. Therefore, any kindness that we can do, we need to do it NOW! This day only has 24 hours in it…and it will be gone before we know it. Today, over 125,000 people (each a human creation) will die and leave Planet Earth. Friends, relatives, and loved ones will gather around. Some will say, "I only wish I had five more minutes to be with this individual and tell her that I truly love her, but she is now gone. There was so much I wanted tell her, but now it's too late!"
Today is special. Today is what we have in the present. Yesterday is forever gone. Forget about it! Neither can we live in tomorrow! Think now! Think about what is important today!
Life is precious. Love is precious. People are special and unique. We each have our own peculiarities and characteristics. Out of over 6 billion people, you are the only you. That is what makes you incredibly special, important, fantastic, marvelous, and fabulously wonderful! There will never be another you.
Today is a good day!
How could anything go wrong?
It's a good day for rolling along.
It's a good day for singing a song.
It's a good day for getting things done!
It's a good day for having some fun!
It's a good day for helping someone!
It's a good day for dyeing my long hair blonde.
It's a good, good, good, good day!
Have an incredible day!
By Tommy Franks
Love is always a choice. Love is kind. Love is true. Love is awesome! Love suffers long. Love does NOT envy another or what belongs to another. Love does not brag or boast of itself. Love is not puffed up. Love does NOT behave itself unseemly. Love does NOT seek its own way. Love is NOT easily provoked. Love thinks no evil. Love does not rejoice in failures. Love does rejoice in the truth. Love bears all things…believes all things…hopes in all things…endures all things. Love never fails.
Every human being on Planet Earth needs to love and be loved! Have you ever asked yourself, "Self, is there any love left in this world?" If you have, you are in the company of millions of others as well. With all the TV programs, movies, news stories, and "woe is me" in the world, we sometimes wonder where all the love went! Read on…
Perhaps, you have heard someone say, "Love is scarce and it's something that I have been deprived of at times. There’s hardly enough love to go around. We must cling to whatever little love comes to us." (This is pure poppycock…nonsense.)
Sometimes, these thoughts are deeply embedded and reinforced in our culture, leaving many people stuck in unhappy relationships…because they feel that's all there is available to them.
I gotta tell you what I think: I think there is an abundance of love…everywhere just waiting to happen. I do not think there is ever a lack of love in this universe of ours. I believe (in the purest sense), love is available everywhere…at every moment… wherever we are. I believe God is love and we are made to love and be loved forever!
Now then, I also believe that before we can experience love in abundance, we must realize that love is plentiful and readily available to us! Don’t buy into the popular belief that love is a commodity and is hard to find…hard to earn…and hard to hold on to. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Therefore, since love is everywhere, we need to believe that we are people (creations) of love! We need to be able to see love. We must believe in love! We each have the power to control our outlook in a situation. However, at times our own negative thoughts and past experiences have blinded us from seeing the abundance of love. That's when we need to release our negative beliefs so that we can let love into our hearts. I have found that when I truly look for love, I can see it almost instantly. Sometimes, love will even track us down…if we will give love a chance!
When we start thinking negatively or buying into traditional fears about love, we then need to start making some affirmations such as:
"This universe is made of love. God is love. Love is everywhere, just waiting for me. Love is wherever I am, just waiting to be expressed. I am a person of value…a person of great worth…a person that deserves to be loved…because I am a person of great love. Right now at this moment, divine love is flowing through me. I am loved!"
Affirmations are positive thoughts and expressions that will consciously replace negativity within us. Verbalizing affirmations at first may seem silly, but if you will persist, you'll find great power and strength in good, solid affirmations, especially about love.
As you may know, I am NOT a "cupid", but I do like to write about IMPORTANT things/issues in life. "Love" is one of those important human elements that we all need. Why? Because, it is part of our human make-up and psyche. We are a tripartite being…a soul, spirit, and body. The soulish realm is where our emotions are born; i.e., fear, hate, love, sorrow, anger, enthusiasm, and other feelings.
In my early life, I did some very stupid things. Oh, yeah! I found out very quickly that "control" is NOT love. No woman wants to be controlled by her husband. I found out very quickly that women…especially independent women…do not want to be controlled. A wife is a separate and whole entity without her husband. She does not need a husband to be fulfilled or to be whole as a woman, wife, or mother. This is NOT easy for husbands to understand. Wives are whole beings before marriage. Marriage does not complete a woman. Marriage may complement, but never take the place of wholeness in a woman’s life.
No woman or man wants to be controlled. Period! Our human dignity and nature crave freedom. If we persist in attempting to control another human being, eventually, rebellion will set in which is absolutely non-productive.
In a truly loving relationship, we feel heard, respected, nurtured, and understood. The continuity of the relationship does not depend upon us always meeting the demands of the other person. Real love nurtures freedom. "Freedom" is an indelible and inalienable right for every human being on Planet Earth. We were created to be FREE!
Assuredly, it is essential to listen to and trust our feelings for a basic sense of well-being. Our intuition is normally correct. Locked up within each of us is a vast magnitude of wisdom that goes far beyond words. As we learn to connect with, listen to, and respect our inner wisdom from God, we are taking a crucial step in learning to love others. At times, we may not be accustomed to accepting the way we feel. Most of our feelings are based on our environment, the things we have been taught, our values, our mores, and previous life experiences.
We live in an incredibly complicated age. Love is at best, complex and confusing. We discuss it and analyze it at length, but we still misunderstand it. There is a simple logic to love, which, like most natural laws…works almost unfailingly…if we respect it.
Some say that the laws of love are as simple as the laws of gravity. I disagree. The laws of love can be complicated. Gravity is pretty simple: If you jump off a building expecting to fly, you will find yourself crashing to the ground. On the other hand, love is a little more complicated than the law of gravity.
When I was a child, I spoke as a child…I acted like a child, but when I grew older…I started acting like a "bigger child", I mean man. As a teenager and young man, some of my relationships were NOT ideal because I had no understanding of love or how it worked. Some of my earlier relationships crashed and burned. I was confused at times. Love was more than just a feeling.
In our lives, we all have…at one time or another…felt betrayed and wounded and perhaps, we did not understand why or what went wrong…Some people begin to feel that something is wrong with them. Others vow never to love again. This is what I did at age 24. I decided to never LOVE again…silly me…
Yes, it was a stupid idea, but there again…I was an idealist and saw the whole world through "pink tinted" glasses in those days. That is when I decided to buy a few books on the subject of "relationships" and later return to college to attempt to understand myself and others. Today, I understand others pretty well, but I'm still trying to understand me. (Just kidding)
After a few years, I realized that few laws are taught on the subject of "Love"…at least in a practical sense. In my case, I quickly learned to "unlearn" what I had preciously learned about what I had learned in the first place about love from my family, friends, and others.
I was taught to be suspicious of others…NOT to trust others…Rely on "self" only. In some cases, especially, in some of my sociology classes, we were taught to help others…but make sure we helped ourselves first. Hello!
Growing up in the 60s and 70s, we were taught to get all we could for ourselves first. The problem: This type of view did NOT result in true happiness, peace of mind, or any true or real love in my life. NOT good…NOT prudent…NOT circumspect…NOT profitable!
This type of thinking was B A A A D D news. The good news is: I chose to change my ways. I decided to change my silly thinking! I chose to live differently from henceforth. In my case, change was good! Within a few days (weeks), I began to feel better about the emotion called "love". I began to see love in the air, the gentle breezes of life, the mountain tops, valleys, clear water brooks, birds in the air, a beautiful lake in the meadows, a baby's smile, squirrels in the tree tops, people's faces, and even the American Flag. That's right…even our flag. The price of our flag has NOT come cheap. It still flies because of love! I am still learning about love.
Love says, “You are a person of greatness, a person of talent, a person of dignity, a person of tremendous value, a person who was created to eat the delicious grapes of eternity, and the very best product that Heaven ever made!"
Love says, “The great tragedy in life is that many of people do not recognize the qualities that they possess.”
The qualities of success that we possess are unlimited. Look at these qualities:
Honesty, Humor, Friendliness, Confidence, Integrity, Persistence, Humility, Goal Setter, Decisive, Hard Working, Learner, Humorous, Positive Mental Attitude, Compassionate, Disciplined, Dedicated, Faithful, Dependable, Knowledgeable, Communicator, Loving, Enthusiastic, Motivated, Patient, Loyal, Organized, Good Listener, Empathetic, Self-Respect, Common Sense, and Good Character.
Most of us do NOT live from a heart of love, but we should. Why should we? Because living from a heart of love means: That we have chosen to live a lifestyle that is true and proper for us and our family. It also means that we have decided to make important decisions based upon our hearts, values, and personal standards. Some people live their entire lives "trying to please somebody else". Some live according to "how others think they should live and what others expect".
Living from the heart means that we can trust our own instincts, our own thought patterns and processes, and our own "gut level" feelings. In others words, we can think for ourselves!
Living from a heart of love means trusting our opinions and judgment more than the pressures of society, friends, family members, and neighbors. This does NOT mean that we become hermits or some recluse or mutineer in our lifestyle. It does NOT mean that we become so different that we become flaky, nutty, or eventually turn others off! However, it does mean that we learn to trust the still small voice within us. Our hearts "actually speak to us" if we will listen. In my earlier years, I spent a large portion of my life NOT listening to my heart. I can tell you, this is extremely non-productive!
The failure to listen and live from the heart will normally cause us a great deal of internal conflict, pain, grief, stress, frustration, and tension. Living from a heart of love will cause the friction to subside and diminish completely. In doing so, we will be "in charge" of our own lives. We will be living our life instead of someone else's (doing what someone else commands or expects us to do).
How do you really want to live your life? Are you living your life based on what others expect of you or want from you? Living from the heart is a basic foundation of human quality and human dignity. Listening to your heart will bring inner peace, inner growth, patience, and great happiness. It causes us to be gentler, kinder, more forgiving, and loving.
As we grow older, our attitude and expectations are the main determining factors of “love” in our lives.
Each of us has two distinct choices to make about how we love and what we do with our lives.
1. First choice: We can make our lives to be less than we have the capacity to be…To earn less….To have less…To read less…Think less…To try less…Love less…and discipline ourselves less. These are the choices that lead to an empty life. These are the choices that, once made, lead to a life of constant apprehension instead of a life of love and wondrous anticipation.
2. Second choice: We can do it all! We can become all that we can possibly be. We can read every book that we possibly can. We can earn as much as we possibly can. We can give, love, and share as much as possible. We can strive and produce and accomplish as much as we possibly can. All of us have this choice…To do or not to do…To be or not to be…To be all or to be less or to be nothing at all…To Love or not to Love.
Sometimes, I tell people that they are being "stretched". To be stretched is a worthy challenge for us. We stretch upward and outward to the full measure of our capabilities. Do we do all that we can do? Do we truly love one another as children of the Most High? Hopefully so! Our ultimate goal, objective, and purpose should be to develop our talent, ability, and skills in the areas of love, giving, being productive, and the acceptance of others. To settle for less…is to fail in the worthiest of undertakings.
Let us talk about “results” for a moment. Results are the best measurement of human progress…Not conversation…Not explanation…Not justification, but Results! And if our results are less than our potential, then we need to strive to become more today than we were yesterday! The greatest rewards are always reserved for those who bring great value and love to themselves and the people around them as a result of who and what they have become…lovable. To love and to be loved even more, we must:
1. Let the past go.
2. If we are holding on to something that doesn't belong to us and it is NOT meant for us, we need to let it go!
3. If we are still nursing past hurts and pains, we must let them go.
4. If someone can't treat us right…love us back…see our dynamic worth, we need to let it go.
5. If someone has angered you, let it go.
6. If you are thinking of "getting even", let it go.
7. If you are involved in a wrong relationship or addiction, let it go!
8. If you are holding on to a job that no longer meets your needs or talents, let it go.
9. If you keep judging others to make yourself feel better, let it go.
10. If you have a bad attitude, let it go!
11. If you are stuck in the past, let it go.
12. If you keep trying to help someone who will NOT receive your help, let it go!
13. If you are feeling distressed and stressed out, let it go.
14. If you have been handling a situation all by yourself and your heart tells you to let it go, Let it GO.
A few days ago as I left our home, I quickly found out that it was raining. At first, I was very disappointed because I had spent the last 30 minutes "blow drying" my hair! But then I said, "So what? We need this slow drizzle. It helps the gardens and the flowers to grow. It helps the birds to find food for their little babies and the squirrels to find acorns for their young.”
What type of world would we have…if it never rained? Rain is good. Life is good! I took out my umbrella and began my long walk (50 yards) to the office. I began to think about how fortunate I am to have a job…a livelihood…a place where people really do care about one another. I began to think about the cool fresh air that my lungs were taking in and breathing! I even began to hum a tune. I would have sung a song, but as a kid, I spent all my "music lessons’ money" on other things; i.e., cars, gasoline, cokes, candy, and…you guessed it, books!
Anyway, today is a very special time in our lives. We have never traversed this territory before…and we will never come this way again. Therefore, any kindness that we can do, we need to do it NOW! This day only has 24 hours in it…and it will be gone before we know it. Today, over 125,000 people (each a human creation) will die and leave Planet Earth. Friends, relatives, and loved ones will gather around. Some will say, "I only wish I had five more minutes to be with this individual and tell her that I truly love her, but she is now gone. There was so much I wanted tell her, but now it's too late!"
Today is special. Today is what we have in the present. Yesterday is forever gone. Forget about it! Neither can we live in tomorrow! Think now! Think about what is important today!
Life is precious. Love is precious. People are special and unique. We each have our own peculiarities and characteristics. Out of over 6 billion people, you are the only you. That is what makes you incredibly special, important, fantastic, marvelous, and fabulously wonderful! There will never be another you.
Today is a good day!
How could anything go wrong?
It's a good day for rolling along.
It's a good day for singing a song.
It's a good day for getting things done!
It's a good day for having some fun!
It's a good day for helping someone!
It's a good day for dyeing my long hair blonde.
It's a good, good, good, good day!
Have an incredible day!
Discipline Tips (Communication Ideas) For Parents
Discipline Tips (Communication Ideas) For Parents
By Tommy Franks
Effective discipline has more to do with COMMUNICATION than control. Sometimes, parents feel that to control their children is to be a good parent. However, studies indicate that less coercive discipline can be related to better outcomes for children.
If coercive parenting is replaced with a firm and kind style of communication, the child tends to do better. This also builds the child’s self-esteem and self-worth.True parental control is developed over time and becomes more of an influential control than a physical control (Being a good EXAMPLE is crucial!). This is true parental power …to influence the child to behave better…while building self-esteem…and teaching long range life skills.
Communication Ideas (Discipline Tips) with great results:
1. Read to your child: We are the same person today that we were 10 years ago with the exception of two things…the books we have read and the people that we have met. Think about it. One of the most important things that you can do for your child is to read to her.
2. Write to your child: Begin at a very young age. Incorporate written communication intoyour parenting style. This will be an effective form of communication for parents and kids that seem to have trouble communicating verbally…and for parents that want to be more effective (with better influence) in the child’s thoughts and actions. This can begin as young as three or four. You may want to use pictures that communicate the meaning of what you are saying…Perhaps a happy face to say “good for you!” When the child is school age, the notes can be placed in lunch boxes, or handed to kids on their way to school. The notes should be positive, acknowledging the child with heartfelt statements or requests. Parents who write notes to their children notice that the children will begin to write notes to them. This is an excellent method of communication. Isn’t it nice to receive a compliment or request in writing so you have time to think about it during the day? You may even want to encourage your child to keep a diary or journal. The important thing is to get them to write, write, write!
3. Listen to your child: Give your child’s ideas and opinions a great deal of credence. When your child understands that you are giving weight and consideration to his concern, her respect for you will soar.
4. Lead the child to the answer: Often, the parent knows the best answer to any given situation. Why? Because you are older and wiser! You have the age and experience. Therefore, the most effective and beneficial manner to respond and answer your child’s question is…through allowing your child to come up with the answer for himself. You make this happen by asking leading questions. Help the child work through the pros and cons of an issue, while maintaining a neutral stance. While it may seem backwards, the parent will become more influential to and more respected by the child when communication is handled in this way. Ask the child, “What do you think?” The child will begin to trust you more…have faith in his own ability to work out problems…and will begin to ask your opinion and advice. As long as the parent constantly tells the child what to do about everything, the child sees the parent as an adversary. There are times when the parent needs to “tell it like it is”, but this approach allows some great opportunities to communicate.
5. Maintain integrity: What does integrity mean to you? Each person has a different sense of personal integrity. Each person has a different set of values. What are your values and standards of conduct? Do you place value in honesty, kindness, contribution? You will certainly want to behave in such a way that expresses those standards. Parents are notorious for bending and breaking the truth with children! Our intentions are innocent enough, yet the results are confusion and lack of trust with our children. If you believe in truthfulness, do not lie to your kids or ask them to lie for you or make excuses for lying. We begin this “fuzziness” with the truth with our children at a very young age. Before they are able to tell the time, we tell them “Just a minute” or “later” and this allows us the freedom to enjoy refraining from commitment. However, this undermines the children’s respect for us as parents over time. Kids will begin to beg, plead and pester. It is better to be honest and clear “up front”. Tell them exactly when you will respond. Tell them exactly how much time…and then follow through with it…even if your child does not yet tell time. She will soon!
6. Maintain physical touch, closeness, and connection: In this age of molestation and child sexual abuse, many parents are afraid to be physically close to their children. Sometimes this discomfort can also be caused by abuse when the parent was a child. However, children and all of us need physical closeness! Hugging, cuddling, playful fighting, rocking, combing their hair, and bear hugs are just a few ways to be physical with kids.
When my kids were young, I road them on my back and pretended to be a pony. I wrestled with them in the floor. They loved it. There are many family ways to physically bond together!
Sometimes, when you speak to your child, you may want to place a gentle hand on his shoulder. Or touch his hand. Maintaining this physical connection takes work, especially when children become teens and may go through stages of resisting touch. Always be respectful. When the kids are small, you might consider back rubs. Touch is very important to a child.
There are so many ideas for effectively communicating with children that can build mutual respect and self-esteem. As with most effective parenting tools, the results come through time and repetition. The above ideas should also take the child’s age and ability into consideration. It might not be too cool to get into some of the above conversations with a tired, cranky two-year-old.
The times of parental frustration should be used as times to re-group, re-think, and re-evaluate. Attempting any form of thoughtful discipline takes time. Relax and think about it, especially if you are stressed out. Give yourself and your child a cooling off period. Good answers will come to you.
Parents have been on this earth for 6000 years. Parents and children have been here for a long time…and will be here through eternity.
Discipline does not need to be punitive, coercive, manipulative, dominating, intimidating, accusatory, or negative. Children learn better and quicker in a positive, upbeat, firm, and kind environment. The parents set the tone for the family environment. Parents have great influence over their children! Dream big!
Children are capable of so much more than we give them the chance to express. I truly believe that we as parents…have much more influence in our families than we realize. We need to take this to heart! We need to strive to do our best! We must NEVER give up on our children!
By Tommy Franks
Effective discipline has more to do with COMMUNICATION than control. Sometimes, parents feel that to control their children is to be a good parent. However, studies indicate that less coercive discipline can be related to better outcomes for children.
If coercive parenting is replaced with a firm and kind style of communication, the child tends to do better. This also builds the child’s self-esteem and self-worth.True parental control is developed over time and becomes more of an influential control than a physical control (Being a good EXAMPLE is crucial!). This is true parental power …to influence the child to behave better…while building self-esteem…and teaching long range life skills.
Communication Ideas (Discipline Tips) with great results:
1. Read to your child: We are the same person today that we were 10 years ago with the exception of two things…the books we have read and the people that we have met. Think about it. One of the most important things that you can do for your child is to read to her.
2. Write to your child: Begin at a very young age. Incorporate written communication intoyour parenting style. This will be an effective form of communication for parents and kids that seem to have trouble communicating verbally…and for parents that want to be more effective (with better influence) in the child’s thoughts and actions. This can begin as young as three or four. You may want to use pictures that communicate the meaning of what you are saying…Perhaps a happy face to say “good for you!” When the child is school age, the notes can be placed in lunch boxes, or handed to kids on their way to school. The notes should be positive, acknowledging the child with heartfelt statements or requests. Parents who write notes to their children notice that the children will begin to write notes to them. This is an excellent method of communication. Isn’t it nice to receive a compliment or request in writing so you have time to think about it during the day? You may even want to encourage your child to keep a diary or journal. The important thing is to get them to write, write, write!
3. Listen to your child: Give your child’s ideas and opinions a great deal of credence. When your child understands that you are giving weight and consideration to his concern, her respect for you will soar.
4. Lead the child to the answer: Often, the parent knows the best answer to any given situation. Why? Because you are older and wiser! You have the age and experience. Therefore, the most effective and beneficial manner to respond and answer your child’s question is…through allowing your child to come up with the answer for himself. You make this happen by asking leading questions. Help the child work through the pros and cons of an issue, while maintaining a neutral stance. While it may seem backwards, the parent will become more influential to and more respected by the child when communication is handled in this way. Ask the child, “What do you think?” The child will begin to trust you more…have faith in his own ability to work out problems…and will begin to ask your opinion and advice. As long as the parent constantly tells the child what to do about everything, the child sees the parent as an adversary. There are times when the parent needs to “tell it like it is”, but this approach allows some great opportunities to communicate.
5. Maintain integrity: What does integrity mean to you? Each person has a different sense of personal integrity. Each person has a different set of values. What are your values and standards of conduct? Do you place value in honesty, kindness, contribution? You will certainly want to behave in such a way that expresses those standards. Parents are notorious for bending and breaking the truth with children! Our intentions are innocent enough, yet the results are confusion and lack of trust with our children. If you believe in truthfulness, do not lie to your kids or ask them to lie for you or make excuses for lying. We begin this “fuzziness” with the truth with our children at a very young age. Before they are able to tell the time, we tell them “Just a minute” or “later” and this allows us the freedom to enjoy refraining from commitment. However, this undermines the children’s respect for us as parents over time. Kids will begin to beg, plead and pester. It is better to be honest and clear “up front”. Tell them exactly when you will respond. Tell them exactly how much time…and then follow through with it…even if your child does not yet tell time. She will soon!
6. Maintain physical touch, closeness, and connection: In this age of molestation and child sexual abuse, many parents are afraid to be physically close to their children. Sometimes this discomfort can also be caused by abuse when the parent was a child. However, children and all of us need physical closeness! Hugging, cuddling, playful fighting, rocking, combing their hair, and bear hugs are just a few ways to be physical with kids.
When my kids were young, I road them on my back and pretended to be a pony. I wrestled with them in the floor. They loved it. There are many family ways to physically bond together!
Sometimes, when you speak to your child, you may want to place a gentle hand on his shoulder. Or touch his hand. Maintaining this physical connection takes work, especially when children become teens and may go through stages of resisting touch. Always be respectful. When the kids are small, you might consider back rubs. Touch is very important to a child.
There are so many ideas for effectively communicating with children that can build mutual respect and self-esteem. As with most effective parenting tools, the results come through time and repetition. The above ideas should also take the child’s age and ability into consideration. It might not be too cool to get into some of the above conversations with a tired, cranky two-year-old.
The times of parental frustration should be used as times to re-group, re-think, and re-evaluate. Attempting any form of thoughtful discipline takes time. Relax and think about it, especially if you are stressed out. Give yourself and your child a cooling off period. Good answers will come to you.
Parents have been on this earth for 6000 years. Parents and children have been here for a long time…and will be here through eternity.
Discipline does not need to be punitive, coercive, manipulative, dominating, intimidating, accusatory, or negative. Children learn better and quicker in a positive, upbeat, firm, and kind environment. The parents set the tone for the family environment. Parents have great influence over their children! Dream big!
Children are capable of so much more than we give them the chance to express. I truly believe that we as parents…have much more influence in our families than we realize. We need to take this to heart! We need to strive to do our best! We must NEVER give up on our children!
How To Be An Effective Witness For Christ
How To Be An Effective Witness For Christ
By Tommy Franks
1. First, what is a witness? A “witness” is someone who gives testimony either by word or deed as to what he or she has seen or perceived by one's senses.Someone who sees an event and reports what has happened.In a court of law, it is a person who testifies under oath what he has seen.Sometimes, it is a person who is a very close observer.
2. Second, why is a Christian supposed to be a “witness”? The Bibles says that we are to be witnesses. Today, God seeks the lost through the witness of His people.Sharing our faith is a direct command from Jesus Christ. He said, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19). Being a fisher of men means bringing men and women to Christ. Jesus also says, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit - fruit that will last” (John 15:16).“You are to be a key witness to everyone you meet of what you've seen and heard” (Acts 22:15).“And you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). This includes where you live today.“And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations” (Mt.24:14).Jesus said, “Go…make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Mt.28:19-20). Another version says, “Jesus, undeterred, went right ahead and gave his charge: "God authorized and commanded Me to commission you: Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you. I'll be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age” (Mt.28:18-20, The Message).As a witness, we bring glory to God. Jesus says in John 15:8, “This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.”As a witness, we have experienced the love of Jesus Christ. That is why we will also want to introduce Him to others.Everyone benefits when we witness. We do. The sinner does. The Kingdom of God benefits. Also, witnessing stimulates our spiritual growth. Witnessing leads us to pray and to study God’s Word and encourages us to depend on Christ even more. As a witness in the power of the Holy Spirit, we sow love, joy, and peace. As we sow love, God will bless us with love. As we sow joy, we will experience joy. As we sow peace, we will reap peace.
3. As a Christian, the following are the characteristics and attributes of God in which we have seen with our own eyes and in which we can attest, witness, give evidence, and testify:God LOVES us, and offers a wonderful PLAN for our life. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (Jn.3:16, NIV).God's love is not self-centered. He is constantly reaching out to us, regardless of our past thoughts or actions. By giving His own Son as a sacrifice, God sets the pattern of real love…the basis for all love relationships. When we love someone totally, we are even willing to give our life for that person. God paid dearly. He allowed Jesus to die a brutal death for us…the highest price He could pay.Jesus accepted upon Himself the punishment that we deserved. He paid the price for our sins, and then offered us the abundant life that He had bought for us through His actions.“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (Jn.10:10).
4. All men/women have a destiny. God’s perfect will is for all men to go to Heaven; however, the Gospel must be taught or witnessed to them…and they must accept God’s plan for themselves. Normally, this is accomplished through witnesses (saved sinners like you and me) who have experienced this eternal gift…Basically man is:· SINFUL and SEPARATED from God. Therefore, he cannot know and experience God's love and plan for his life until someone is a witness to him. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom.3:23). “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom.6:23).No one can be neutral about Jesus Christ. Man is free to choose which master he will serve…God or sin (satan). If man chooses God, he chooses eternal life. If not, he chooses eternal separation from God…Hell.Eternal life is a free gift of God because He loves us so much. All we have to do is accept it. Our salvation is not the result of any righteousness on our part. Instead, it is God's mercy and grace.
5. God has provided a ransom for man….Jesus Christ is God's ONLY provision for man's sin. Through Him we can know and experience God's love and plan for our lives. Let’s look at God’s provision for a moment:“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom.5:8). "Christ died for our sins...He was buried...He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures...He appeared to Peter, then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred..." (I Corinthians 15:3-6).Jesus answered, "I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (Jn.14:6). Jesus says that He is the only way to God the Father. God has provided the Way (Jesus Christ) for man to receive eternal life!
6. As Christians, our job is to witness to others. What they do with the message is up to them and the Holy Spirit. Our desire is for others to receive Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord; however, we cannot force anyone to accept Christ against their will. The following is what we would like for others to experience when we witness to them:Receive Christ. "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name" (Jn.1:12). Jesus said, "Look at me. I stand at the door. I knock. If you hear Me call and open the door, I'll come right in and sit down to supper with you” (Revelation 3:20, The Message).Turn to God from their sins (repentance). Experience the “new birth”.Trust Christ with their lives forever!
7. Suggested Prayer: “Lord Jesus, I need You. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. I now open my heart and confess that You are my Lord and Savior. Thank You for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. I believe in my heart that You Father, raised Jesus from the dead. Take control of my life. May Your will be done in my life. Thank You in Jesus’ Name. Amen!”
8. We must be sensitive to the individual's interest and the leading of the Holy Spirit. We must not be pushy, over-ambitious, or too aggressive.
9. The only way to change the world is to change individuals. Their hearts must be changed. Changed hearts bring about changed people. Changed people will produce changed communities. Changed communities will produce changed cities. Changed cities will bring about changed states, and then changed nations. Changed nations help produce a changed world. Jesus Christ is the only Person who can change people’s hearts! We can help change the world by introducing people to Jesus Christ. How? By our witness!The greatest misconception among Christians is the idea that men and women do not want to know God. They do! The Holy Spirit has created a hunger for God in the hearts of people everywhere.I believe that people (nonbelievers) throughout the earth are ready to receive Christ when properly approached by a true witness (Christian) who is sensitive to the Holy Spirit.
10. Tragically, most Christians have never introduced a single person to the Lord Jesus. Why?Let’s take a look at some of the reasons:Please don’t shoot me for saying this, but sometimes, some Christians are living defeated, spiritually impotent, fruitless, worldly (carnal) lives.Some are not walking in the full authority, richness, and power of the Holy Spirit.Many unfruitful believers feel like their kind of Christianity is not worth exporting.Some Christians do not witness because of a lack of training. They have never been taught how to effectively communicate their faith in Christ. They have never learned how to begin a conversation about Christ…how to explain the gospel in a simple and clear manner. The Gospel is NOT complicated, but many feel frustrated and do not experience the joy of seeing someone come to Christ because of inadequate or no training.
11. What happens when we fail to witness for Christ? We deny the Holy Spirit His right toempower us…His right to use us to introduce others to Jesus Christ. “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).
12. How To Be An Effective Witness For Christ:Know that you are a Christian. Know who you are!Know that the Holy Spirit has empowered you. He is with you 24 hours a day!Know how or learn how to relate to people in a loving, natural, and personal way.Avoid being mechanical. Everyone responds to love. Walk and talk in love. The Holy Spirit will assist you. People will know that you are genuine…and that you have taken the time to talk to them…because you truly love them with God’s love.13. Know this: Not everyone will respond positively. Some may even be antagonistic. Know this: Not all fruit in an orchard is ripe at the same time. Some individuals will be ripe for harvest and others will NOT. However, God may want you to sow the seed. Someone else may water the seed. Yet, another may reap the harvest.
Please Note: The following is taken from the All Saints’ Church, Lakeland, FL…web page link "How to become a Christian":
1. BELIEVE: Romans 10:9 says, "Because if you confess (admit) with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." Believe in your heart that Jesus is the risen Son of the living God and state that belief.
2. REPENT: To repent means to be sorry that you have sinned (rebelled in thought, word, and/or deed) against God. All sin is against God (Psalm 51:3-12). To be a Christian, with the sorrow must come the decision to leave the sin. Acts 3:19 says, "Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord." Repenting literally means to turn your life around. It means turning from a life of sin (rebellion against God) to a life with God, a life that honors a Godly lifestyle that will bring you health and joy.
3. CONFESS: You agree with God that you are a sinner and tell God that you have sinned and that these sins have resulted in a broken relationship with him. I John 1:5-10 says in part, "If we confess our sins, He who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
4. RECEIVE: You open your heart and mind and welcome Jesus Christ, not only as your friend, but also as the Lord and Savior of your life. The words in John 1:12-13 show the connection between believing and receiving - "But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God."
PRAYER: “Father, I know that I have broken your laws and my sins have separated me from you. I am truly sorry, and now I want to turn away from my past sinful life toward you. Please forgive me, and help me avoid sinning again. I believe that your son, Jesus Christ died for my sins, was resurrected from the dead, is alive, and hears my prayer. I invite Jesus to become the Lord of my life, to rule and reign in my heart from this day forward. Please send your Holy Spirit to help me obey You, and to do Your will for the rest of my life. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.”
Becoming a Christian is a life changing event that takes us off the wide (rebellious) road of destruction and places us on the narrow (focused) road to a better eternal life. The decision to become a Christian must be taken sincerely with the desire to have a living relationship with God and to please God…
We need to know that we are sinners. We need to turn from our sins. We must believe in Jesus Christ and that He died on the cross and rose from the tomb for our salvation. We need to allow Him to come into our hearts and control our lives through the Holy Spirit.
By Tommy Franks
1. First, what is a witness? A “witness” is someone who gives testimony either by word or deed as to what he or she has seen or perceived by one's senses.Someone who sees an event and reports what has happened.In a court of law, it is a person who testifies under oath what he has seen.Sometimes, it is a person who is a very close observer.
2. Second, why is a Christian supposed to be a “witness”? The Bibles says that we are to be witnesses. Today, God seeks the lost through the witness of His people.Sharing our faith is a direct command from Jesus Christ. He said, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19). Being a fisher of men means bringing men and women to Christ. Jesus also says, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit - fruit that will last” (John 15:16).“You are to be a key witness to everyone you meet of what you've seen and heard” (Acts 22:15).“And you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). This includes where you live today.“And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations” (Mt.24:14).Jesus said, “Go…make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Mt.28:19-20). Another version says, “Jesus, undeterred, went right ahead and gave his charge: "God authorized and commanded Me to commission you: Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you. I'll be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age” (Mt.28:18-20, The Message).As a witness, we bring glory to God. Jesus says in John 15:8, “This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.”As a witness, we have experienced the love of Jesus Christ. That is why we will also want to introduce Him to others.Everyone benefits when we witness. We do. The sinner does. The Kingdom of God benefits. Also, witnessing stimulates our spiritual growth. Witnessing leads us to pray and to study God’s Word and encourages us to depend on Christ even more. As a witness in the power of the Holy Spirit, we sow love, joy, and peace. As we sow love, God will bless us with love. As we sow joy, we will experience joy. As we sow peace, we will reap peace.
3. As a Christian, the following are the characteristics and attributes of God in which we have seen with our own eyes and in which we can attest, witness, give evidence, and testify:God LOVES us, and offers a wonderful PLAN for our life. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (Jn.3:16, NIV).God's love is not self-centered. He is constantly reaching out to us, regardless of our past thoughts or actions. By giving His own Son as a sacrifice, God sets the pattern of real love…the basis for all love relationships. When we love someone totally, we are even willing to give our life for that person. God paid dearly. He allowed Jesus to die a brutal death for us…the highest price He could pay.Jesus accepted upon Himself the punishment that we deserved. He paid the price for our sins, and then offered us the abundant life that He had bought for us through His actions.“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (Jn.10:10).
4. All men/women have a destiny. God’s perfect will is for all men to go to Heaven; however, the Gospel must be taught or witnessed to them…and they must accept God’s plan for themselves. Normally, this is accomplished through witnesses (saved sinners like you and me) who have experienced this eternal gift…Basically man is:· SINFUL and SEPARATED from God. Therefore, he cannot know and experience God's love and plan for his life until someone is a witness to him. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom.3:23). “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom.6:23).No one can be neutral about Jesus Christ. Man is free to choose which master he will serve…God or sin (satan). If man chooses God, he chooses eternal life. If not, he chooses eternal separation from God…Hell.Eternal life is a free gift of God because He loves us so much. All we have to do is accept it. Our salvation is not the result of any righteousness on our part. Instead, it is God's mercy and grace.
5. God has provided a ransom for man….Jesus Christ is God's ONLY provision for man's sin. Through Him we can know and experience God's love and plan for our lives. Let’s look at God’s provision for a moment:“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom.5:8). "Christ died for our sins...He was buried...He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures...He appeared to Peter, then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred..." (I Corinthians 15:3-6).Jesus answered, "I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (Jn.14:6). Jesus says that He is the only way to God the Father. God has provided the Way (Jesus Christ) for man to receive eternal life!
6. As Christians, our job is to witness to others. What they do with the message is up to them and the Holy Spirit. Our desire is for others to receive Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord; however, we cannot force anyone to accept Christ against their will. The following is what we would like for others to experience when we witness to them:Receive Christ. "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name" (Jn.1:12). Jesus said, "Look at me. I stand at the door. I knock. If you hear Me call and open the door, I'll come right in and sit down to supper with you” (Revelation 3:20, The Message).Turn to God from their sins (repentance). Experience the “new birth”.Trust Christ with their lives forever!
7. Suggested Prayer: “Lord Jesus, I need You. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. I now open my heart and confess that You are my Lord and Savior. Thank You for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. I believe in my heart that You Father, raised Jesus from the dead. Take control of my life. May Your will be done in my life. Thank You in Jesus’ Name. Amen!”
8. We must be sensitive to the individual's interest and the leading of the Holy Spirit. We must not be pushy, over-ambitious, or too aggressive.
9. The only way to change the world is to change individuals. Their hearts must be changed. Changed hearts bring about changed people. Changed people will produce changed communities. Changed communities will produce changed cities. Changed cities will bring about changed states, and then changed nations. Changed nations help produce a changed world. Jesus Christ is the only Person who can change people’s hearts! We can help change the world by introducing people to Jesus Christ. How? By our witness!The greatest misconception among Christians is the idea that men and women do not want to know God. They do! The Holy Spirit has created a hunger for God in the hearts of people everywhere.I believe that people (nonbelievers) throughout the earth are ready to receive Christ when properly approached by a true witness (Christian) who is sensitive to the Holy Spirit.
10. Tragically, most Christians have never introduced a single person to the Lord Jesus. Why?Let’s take a look at some of the reasons:Please don’t shoot me for saying this, but sometimes, some Christians are living defeated, spiritually impotent, fruitless, worldly (carnal) lives.Some are not walking in the full authority, richness, and power of the Holy Spirit.Many unfruitful believers feel like their kind of Christianity is not worth exporting.Some Christians do not witness because of a lack of training. They have never been taught how to effectively communicate their faith in Christ. They have never learned how to begin a conversation about Christ…how to explain the gospel in a simple and clear manner. The Gospel is NOT complicated, but many feel frustrated and do not experience the joy of seeing someone come to Christ because of inadequate or no training.
11. What happens when we fail to witness for Christ? We deny the Holy Spirit His right toempower us…His right to use us to introduce others to Jesus Christ. “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).
12. How To Be An Effective Witness For Christ:Know that you are a Christian. Know who you are!Know that the Holy Spirit has empowered you. He is with you 24 hours a day!Know how or learn how to relate to people in a loving, natural, and personal way.Avoid being mechanical. Everyone responds to love. Walk and talk in love. The Holy Spirit will assist you. People will know that you are genuine…and that you have taken the time to talk to them…because you truly love them with God’s love.13. Know this: Not everyone will respond positively. Some may even be antagonistic. Know this: Not all fruit in an orchard is ripe at the same time. Some individuals will be ripe for harvest and others will NOT. However, God may want you to sow the seed. Someone else may water the seed. Yet, another may reap the harvest.
Please Note: The following is taken from the All Saints’ Church, Lakeland, FL…web page link "How to become a Christian":
1. BELIEVE: Romans 10:9 says, "Because if you confess (admit) with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." Believe in your heart that Jesus is the risen Son of the living God and state that belief.
2. REPENT: To repent means to be sorry that you have sinned (rebelled in thought, word, and/or deed) against God. All sin is against God (Psalm 51:3-12). To be a Christian, with the sorrow must come the decision to leave the sin. Acts 3:19 says, "Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord." Repenting literally means to turn your life around. It means turning from a life of sin (rebellion against God) to a life with God, a life that honors a Godly lifestyle that will bring you health and joy.
3. CONFESS: You agree with God that you are a sinner and tell God that you have sinned and that these sins have resulted in a broken relationship with him. I John 1:5-10 says in part, "If we confess our sins, He who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
4. RECEIVE: You open your heart and mind and welcome Jesus Christ, not only as your friend, but also as the Lord and Savior of your life. The words in John 1:12-13 show the connection between believing and receiving - "But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God."
PRAYER: “Father, I know that I have broken your laws and my sins have separated me from you. I am truly sorry, and now I want to turn away from my past sinful life toward you. Please forgive me, and help me avoid sinning again. I believe that your son, Jesus Christ died for my sins, was resurrected from the dead, is alive, and hears my prayer. I invite Jesus to become the Lord of my life, to rule and reign in my heart from this day forward. Please send your Holy Spirit to help me obey You, and to do Your will for the rest of my life. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.”
Becoming a Christian is a life changing event that takes us off the wide (rebellious) road of destruction and places us on the narrow (focused) road to a better eternal life. The decision to become a Christian must be taken sincerely with the desire to have a living relationship with God and to please God…
We need to know that we are sinners. We need to turn from our sins. We must believe in Jesus Christ and that He died on the cross and rose from the tomb for our salvation. We need to allow Him to come into our hearts and control our lives through the Holy Spirit.
ANGER
ANGER
By Tommy Franks
1. What is "anger"? Wrath, indignation, resentment, fury, rage, scorn, displeasure, violence, madness, turbulence, irritation, temper, impatience, animosity, fretfulness, passion
2. "And Cain was very angry (wroth)..." (Gen.4:5).-God talked to Cain.-Cain refused God's way (acceptable sacrifice).-Cain's anger grew. He killed Able (Gen.4:8).
3. "The Lord said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiff-necked people: NOW therefore let Me alone, that My WRATH (anger) may wax HOT against them, and that I may CONSUME them: and I will make of you a great nation" (Ex.32:9-10).Remember the quail episode? "While the meat was yet between their teeth, the ANGER of the Lord kindled against them, and the Lord smote the people with a very great plague" (Nu.11:33).Remember Solomon? "And the Lord was ANGRY with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the Lord God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice...Solomon kept not that which the Lord commanded" (1Kg.11:9-10)."Therefore the Lord was VERY ANGRY with Israel" (2 Kg.17:18)."God is ANGRY with the wicked EVERYDAY" (Ps.7:11)."He that believeth NOT the Son shall NOT see life; but the WRATH (anger) of God abideth on him" (Jn.3:36).-the wrath of the Lamb (Rev.6:16)-the day of His wrath (Rev.6:17)-the wrath of God (Rev.14:10)
4. "Whosoever continues to be ANGRY with his brother without a cause is in danger of judgment" (Mt.5:22)."Be you ANGRY and sin NOT" (Eph.4:26).-not soon ANGRY (Titus 1:7).-slow to anger (Ja.1:19)."Jesus looked round about on them with ANGER" (Mk.3:5).
5. Anger is an emotion. Love is an emotion. Hate is an emotion. Joy is an emotion. Fear is an emotion. Happiness is an emotion. Peace is an emotion. God made us like Himself. We feel. We breathe. We love. We hate. We do get angry!
A. Moses got angry and killed a man. "He looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no man, he slew the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand" (Ex.2:12).
B. David got angry because Uriah would not go down and sleep with his wife (Bathsheba). So, he had him killed. David wrote a letter to General Joab and sent it by the hand of Uriah. In other words, Uriah departed Jerusalem with his own deathsentence in his hands. The letter said, "Set Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and then withdraw from him that he may die" (2 Sam.11:15).
C. Peter got so ANGRY that he cut off the right ear of a man named Malchus (Jn.18:10).
D. Paul got angry. "The contention (dispute in anger) was so sharp between them (Paul and Barnabas) that they departed one from the other. Paul took Silas. Barnabas took John Mark" (Acts 15:39-40).-Another time Paul got angry with the high priest..."God shall SMITE you, you whited wall...Do you judge me & yet you are in defiance of the law" (Acts 23:3)?
E. Jesus got angry (Mk.3:5). Jesus said to the scribes and Pharisees, "You blind fools (morons, pinheads)...hypocrites, serpents, vipers...How can you escape the damnation of Hell" (Mt.23)?-Another time when Jesus was referring to Herod, He said, "Go tell that fox (cunning, crafty, cowardly individual) that I cast out devils and I do cures TODAY and tomorrow" (Mt.14:32).
F. John the Baptist who wore camel's hair and a leather girdle...and ate locusts and wild honey got angry. He said to the Pharisees and Sadducees, "You generation of snakes...Who has warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth fruitsmeet for repentance...The axe is laid unto the root of the trees. Every tree that does NOT bring forth good fruit is cut down and cast into the fire" (Mt.3:7-10).
G. Even ten of the disciples got angry with two of the other disciples who were brothers (James and John). They were moved with indignation (anger) against them (Mt.20:24).
H. These two sons of Thunder (James and John) even wanted to command fire to come down and destroy a Samaritan village (Lk.9:54).
6. ANGER CAN BE TURNED INTO "CREATIVE AGGRESSION" and "ASSERTIVELIVING".
By Tommy Franks
1. What is "anger"? Wrath, indignation, resentment, fury, rage, scorn, displeasure, violence, madness, turbulence, irritation, temper, impatience, animosity, fretfulness, passion
2. "And Cain was very angry (wroth)..." (Gen.4:5).-God talked to Cain.-Cain refused God's way (acceptable sacrifice).-Cain's anger grew. He killed Able (Gen.4:8).
3. "The Lord said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiff-necked people: NOW therefore let Me alone, that My WRATH (anger) may wax HOT against them, and that I may CONSUME them: and I will make of you a great nation" (Ex.32:9-10).Remember the quail episode? "While the meat was yet between their teeth, the ANGER of the Lord kindled against them, and the Lord smote the people with a very great plague" (Nu.11:33).Remember Solomon? "And the Lord was ANGRY with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the Lord God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice...Solomon kept not that which the Lord commanded" (1Kg.11:9-10)."Therefore the Lord was VERY ANGRY with Israel" (2 Kg.17:18)."God is ANGRY with the wicked EVERYDAY" (Ps.7:11)."He that believeth NOT the Son shall NOT see life; but the WRATH (anger) of God abideth on him" (Jn.3:36).-the wrath of the Lamb (Rev.6:16)-the day of His wrath (Rev.6:17)-the wrath of God (Rev.14:10)
4. "Whosoever continues to be ANGRY with his brother without a cause is in danger of judgment" (Mt.5:22)."Be you ANGRY and sin NOT" (Eph.4:26).-not soon ANGRY (Titus 1:7).-slow to anger (Ja.1:19)."Jesus looked round about on them with ANGER" (Mk.3:5).
5. Anger is an emotion. Love is an emotion. Hate is an emotion. Joy is an emotion. Fear is an emotion. Happiness is an emotion. Peace is an emotion. God made us like Himself. We feel. We breathe. We love. We hate. We do get angry!
A. Moses got angry and killed a man. "He looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no man, he slew the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand" (Ex.2:12).
B. David got angry because Uriah would not go down and sleep with his wife (Bathsheba). So, he had him killed. David wrote a letter to General Joab and sent it by the hand of Uriah. In other words, Uriah departed Jerusalem with his own deathsentence in his hands. The letter said, "Set Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and then withdraw from him that he may die" (2 Sam.11:15).
C. Peter got so ANGRY that he cut off the right ear of a man named Malchus (Jn.18:10).
D. Paul got angry. "The contention (dispute in anger) was so sharp between them (Paul and Barnabas) that they departed one from the other. Paul took Silas. Barnabas took John Mark" (Acts 15:39-40).-Another time Paul got angry with the high priest..."God shall SMITE you, you whited wall...Do you judge me & yet you are in defiance of the law" (Acts 23:3)?
E. Jesus got angry (Mk.3:5). Jesus said to the scribes and Pharisees, "You blind fools (morons, pinheads)...hypocrites, serpents, vipers...How can you escape the damnation of Hell" (Mt.23)?-Another time when Jesus was referring to Herod, He said, "Go tell that fox (cunning, crafty, cowardly individual) that I cast out devils and I do cures TODAY and tomorrow" (Mt.14:32).
F. John the Baptist who wore camel's hair and a leather girdle...and ate locusts and wild honey got angry. He said to the Pharisees and Sadducees, "You generation of snakes...Who has warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth fruitsmeet for repentance...The axe is laid unto the root of the trees. Every tree that does NOT bring forth good fruit is cut down and cast into the fire" (Mt.3:7-10).
G. Even ten of the disciples got angry with two of the other disciples who were brothers (James and John). They were moved with indignation (anger) against them (Mt.20:24).
H. These two sons of Thunder (James and John) even wanted to command fire to come down and destroy a Samaritan village (Lk.9:54).
6. ANGER CAN BE TURNED INTO "CREATIVE AGGRESSION" and "ASSERTIVELIVING".
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
The Mummy Approach
The Mummy Approach
By Tommy Franks (Written in 1999)
That’s right. You heard right. I got up this morning
and said, “Self, you need to get a life. You need to do
something humorous, exciting, spontaneous, and
downright different today…expand your horizons…
live a little.”
I looked in the “Yellow Pages” and there it was…
“The Body Wrap”, better known as “Suddenly
Slender”. Since, I must fit into my Army
Uniform in a few days and commission our
son (Tony) at the Air Force Academy, I thought
it prudent to take off a couple more inches of
my sagging waistline. So away I go to “Suddenly
Slender”.
When I arrived, I was met by the Egyptian Queen
who had a real Egyptian name…Nancy Smith.
She explained how “The Body Wrap” worked.
Then I was shown a 20 minute video.
BOTTOMLINE: You are wrapped with wet cheese
cloth from top to bottom. The area in which you
want to lose inches/pounds is wrapped especially
tight. The “Wrap” as it is called is supposed to take
out toxins and poisons and fat cells from your
pleasantly plump body…and you will never over-eat again!
“Suddenly Slender” guarantees that you will
lose a minimum of four inches off your body within the hour.
So the fun began…or should I say pain?
· First, they weigh you. Then they measure your
arms, legs, waistline, head, neck, hips, chest, ears,
eyeballs, fingers, feet, etc. No, I was not naked.
I had my bathing suit on.
· Next, they wrap you from head to toe. I’m
not kidding. The only area not wrapped is your
eyes and nose. The cloth is soaked in some type
of biodegradable, hot, liquid acid…Just kidding
about the acid. But the cheesecloth is soaked
in a “secret formula” liquid before they wrap
you…I think it was soap and foam.
· So, here I am in a few minutes…a mummy,
a certified and authentic wrapped-up mummy. I could hardly
breath. They then placed me in a pink robe.
I looked in the mirror and almost passed
out. The only thing that I could see was my mustache
and beady brown eyes. Oh, one or two hairs on my
head were sticking through the wrap. That’s when I had hair.
· As I looked in the mirror, I said, “Self, I didn’t
exactly have this in mind this morning. I can hardly
breathe…and I have a minimum of one hour to be
in this “get-up” and feel the pain.”
· About this time, one of the Egyptian Queens
comes over and say, “Mr. Franks, you must move
around…exercise your body…walk, twist, turn,
do cartwheels, had springs, sky dive, and ride the exercise
isometrics equipment that we have provided.”
· “OK. That’s fine for you to say, but I’m in
here where it’s tight, real tight…as my father would
say, ‘Tighter than Dick’s hat band’. Steer me in
the right direction.”
· After great neck mummy speed, in about ten
minutes I arrived at the exercise equipment…which
was only about five feet away.
· Reluctantly, I got on the sports equipment and away
I went. Within a few minutes, I had had enough!
However, now, I couldn’t stop it. Get this picture
now: Here is a grown man…who is suppose to be
intelligent…dressed up in mummy wraps
(cheesecloth)…in an athletic body suit…
in pain…cannot breath very well…losing at
least a pound a minute (I wish)…wondering
when this merry-go-round will stop.
· Eventually, I was able to sabotage it. It stopped.
I got off. Bad move. One of the assistants saw me.
She said, “Oh, I think we need to tighten up your
wraps. They look a little loose!”
· I tried to talk to no avail. Oh boy, I can hardly move.
She squirts some more secret formula liquid on me…Wraps me extremely
tight around the tummy with more wet cheesecloth…and
says, “Go exercise some more.”
· Eventually, my 2 ½ hours was up. I was one happy mummy!
This mummy was ready to escape from the Nile and the desert sand
and head for a cool, clear oasis with palm trees and some Egyptian cool-aide.
· I am too embarrassed to tell you how much this
cruel, savage, brute punishment cost me. However,
one thing for sure came out of it though. “I got a life.”
Or I should say, “I have my life back from Mummyville.”
RECOMMENDATION: I think everybody should get
a “Body Wrap” once in their lifetime. Get yourself
wrapped up, tied up, tangled up, bound up, knotted up,
stitched up, tensed up, tethered up, and anchored up
and become “Suddenly Slender”. Hello!
Somebody once said, “There’s a sucker born
every minute.” Well, think of it another way.
I have some great experiences to share with
my grandkids when they arrive. Hello!
By Tommy Franks (Written in 1999)
That’s right. You heard right. I got up this morning
and said, “Self, you need to get a life. You need to do
something humorous, exciting, spontaneous, and
downright different today…expand your horizons…
live a little.”
I looked in the “Yellow Pages” and there it was…
“The Body Wrap”, better known as “Suddenly
Slender”. Since, I must fit into my Army
Uniform in a few days and commission our
son (Tony) at the Air Force Academy, I thought
it prudent to take off a couple more inches of
my sagging waistline. So away I go to “Suddenly
Slender”.
When I arrived, I was met by the Egyptian Queen
who had a real Egyptian name…Nancy Smith.
She explained how “The Body Wrap” worked.
Then I was shown a 20 minute video.
BOTTOMLINE: You are wrapped with wet cheese
cloth from top to bottom. The area in which you
want to lose inches/pounds is wrapped especially
tight. The “Wrap” as it is called is supposed to take
out toxins and poisons and fat cells from your
pleasantly plump body…and you will never over-eat again!
“Suddenly Slender” guarantees that you will
lose a minimum of four inches off your body within the hour.
So the fun began…or should I say pain?
· First, they weigh you. Then they measure your
arms, legs, waistline, head, neck, hips, chest, ears,
eyeballs, fingers, feet, etc. No, I was not naked.
I had my bathing suit on.
· Next, they wrap you from head to toe. I’m
not kidding. The only area not wrapped is your
eyes and nose. The cloth is soaked in some type
of biodegradable, hot, liquid acid…Just kidding
about the acid. But the cheesecloth is soaked
in a “secret formula” liquid before they wrap
you…I think it was soap and foam.
· So, here I am in a few minutes…a mummy,
a certified and authentic wrapped-up mummy. I could hardly
breath. They then placed me in a pink robe.
I looked in the mirror and almost passed
out. The only thing that I could see was my mustache
and beady brown eyes. Oh, one or two hairs on my
head were sticking through the wrap. That’s when I had hair.
· As I looked in the mirror, I said, “Self, I didn’t
exactly have this in mind this morning. I can hardly
breathe…and I have a minimum of one hour to be
in this “get-up” and feel the pain.”
· About this time, one of the Egyptian Queens
comes over and say, “Mr. Franks, you must move
around…exercise your body…walk, twist, turn,
do cartwheels, had springs, sky dive, and ride the exercise
isometrics equipment that we have provided.”
· “OK. That’s fine for you to say, but I’m in
here where it’s tight, real tight…as my father would
say, ‘Tighter than Dick’s hat band’. Steer me in
the right direction.”
· After great neck mummy speed, in about ten
minutes I arrived at the exercise equipment…which
was only about five feet away.
· Reluctantly, I got on the sports equipment and away
I went. Within a few minutes, I had had enough!
However, now, I couldn’t stop it. Get this picture
now: Here is a grown man…who is suppose to be
intelligent…dressed up in mummy wraps
(cheesecloth)…in an athletic body suit…
in pain…cannot breath very well…losing at
least a pound a minute (I wish)…wondering
when this merry-go-round will stop.
· Eventually, I was able to sabotage it. It stopped.
I got off. Bad move. One of the assistants saw me.
She said, “Oh, I think we need to tighten up your
wraps. They look a little loose!”
· I tried to talk to no avail. Oh boy, I can hardly move.
She squirts some more secret formula liquid on me…Wraps me extremely
tight around the tummy with more wet cheesecloth…and
says, “Go exercise some more.”
· Eventually, my 2 ½ hours was up. I was one happy mummy!
This mummy was ready to escape from the Nile and the desert sand
and head for a cool, clear oasis with palm trees and some Egyptian cool-aide.
· I am too embarrassed to tell you how much this
cruel, savage, brute punishment cost me. However,
one thing for sure came out of it though. “I got a life.”
Or I should say, “I have my life back from Mummyville.”
RECOMMENDATION: I think everybody should get
a “Body Wrap” once in their lifetime. Get yourself
wrapped up, tied up, tangled up, bound up, knotted up,
stitched up, tensed up, tethered up, and anchored up
and become “Suddenly Slender”. Hello!
Somebody once said, “There’s a sucker born
every minute.” Well, think of it another way.
I have some great experiences to share with
my grandkids when they arrive. Hello!
CONTINUE TO THINK BIG!
CONTINUE TO THINK BIG!
By Tommy Franks
Did you know that Kinko’s started with very little money, but with a big thinker named Paul Orfalea? Today, they have over 1,000 centers worldwide. He started small, but thought BIG!
Mike Ilitch started small, but was a BIG thinker! With very little money, he started the Little Caesar's pizza chain. Have you heard of it lately?
What about Subway’s? The same type of thing occurred. Fred Deluca started Subway’s with very little money, but with BIG thoughts. He started out small and is finishing BIG!
Our thoughts determine our future. We all start out with tremendous dreams and aspirations, but as we travel along, sometimes our thinking gets smaller. Our minds begin to wonder and we eventually lose sight of our goals. We make such statements as: “Well, there is NOT anything I can do about it. Fate has dealt me a bad hand. I guess, I will just have to live with this sort of thing.”
What has really happened here? We have begun thinking small again. It takes energy or synergy to continue to “think BIG”. Sometimes, we think we lack experience, money, or education. We tend to play the “blame game”. Sometimes, we listen to a relative, friend, or neighbor who says, “I told you it couldn't be done. Why don’t you just play it safe and stick with what you are doing? Does it really matter if you're miserable in life?” Hello!
Since the beginning of time, people have had BIG dreams. Noel had a BIG dream. He built an ark to hold 100s of animals. Moses had a BIG dream…to successfully lead 3 million individuals out of Egypt to a better land. Solomon had a BIG dream…to build the most elaborate temple in the world…and he did. Mother Teresa had a BIG dream…to see little children and poverty stricken people fed a hot meal. Alfred Nobel had a BIG dream. He invented dynamite in 1866; however, he had BIGGER dreams and plans. He eventually acquired over 350 patents for his inventions. But Nobel wanted his legacy and ideas to continue after his death. What could he do? He decided to give away most of his fortune…in order to promote peace for mankind. This was always close to his heart. Today, we have the Nobel Peace Prize and the Nobel Foundation.
In 1900, not too many people actually thought that we would one day fly airplanes, jets, or rockets. The Wright brothers did. In 1963, not too many people thought that we would ever go to the moon. President Kennedy did. In 1975, not too many people thought that the majority of homes would one day have powerful computers! Bill Gates did. Why did these individuals think this way? They enlarged their thinking.
Unadventurous and conformist thinking offer very little hope to those who think BIG or dare say, “It can be done!” We must have “hope”. We must believe, especially in ourselves. We must dare to think “outside of the box”…beyond “small”. Examine the
possibilities. Regardless of our situation, we can always expand our thinking. We can look beyond “small” at the BIG picture. We can continue to believe in ourselves…even when others may not.
Therefore, our dilemma is NOT that we don’t think. We do. Our quandary is: We tend to think too small! Most of our major inventions were created by someone who did not “follow the crowd”. He/she thought “outside the box”.
As we continue our journey with positive attitudes, we will attract others to us. As we continue to believe in ourselves as well as other people, our thinking will grow. Continue to be persistent. Never give up. Never quit. “Continue to Think BIG!”
By Tommy Franks
Did you know that Kinko’s started with very little money, but with a big thinker named Paul Orfalea? Today, they have over 1,000 centers worldwide. He started small, but thought BIG!
Mike Ilitch started small, but was a BIG thinker! With very little money, he started the Little Caesar's pizza chain. Have you heard of it lately?
What about Subway’s? The same type of thing occurred. Fred Deluca started Subway’s with very little money, but with BIG thoughts. He started out small and is finishing BIG!
Our thoughts determine our future. We all start out with tremendous dreams and aspirations, but as we travel along, sometimes our thinking gets smaller. Our minds begin to wonder and we eventually lose sight of our goals. We make such statements as: “Well, there is NOT anything I can do about it. Fate has dealt me a bad hand. I guess, I will just have to live with this sort of thing.”
What has really happened here? We have begun thinking small again. It takes energy or synergy to continue to “think BIG”. Sometimes, we think we lack experience, money, or education. We tend to play the “blame game”. Sometimes, we listen to a relative, friend, or neighbor who says, “I told you it couldn't be done. Why don’t you just play it safe and stick with what you are doing? Does it really matter if you're miserable in life?” Hello!
Since the beginning of time, people have had BIG dreams. Noel had a BIG dream. He built an ark to hold 100s of animals. Moses had a BIG dream…to successfully lead 3 million individuals out of Egypt to a better land. Solomon had a BIG dream…to build the most elaborate temple in the world…and he did. Mother Teresa had a BIG dream…to see little children and poverty stricken people fed a hot meal. Alfred Nobel had a BIG dream. He invented dynamite in 1866; however, he had BIGGER dreams and plans. He eventually acquired over 350 patents for his inventions. But Nobel wanted his legacy and ideas to continue after his death. What could he do? He decided to give away most of his fortune…in order to promote peace for mankind. This was always close to his heart. Today, we have the Nobel Peace Prize and the Nobel Foundation.
In 1900, not too many people actually thought that we would one day fly airplanes, jets, or rockets. The Wright brothers did. In 1963, not too many people thought that we would ever go to the moon. President Kennedy did. In 1975, not too many people thought that the majority of homes would one day have powerful computers! Bill Gates did. Why did these individuals think this way? They enlarged their thinking.
Unadventurous and conformist thinking offer very little hope to those who think BIG or dare say, “It can be done!” We must have “hope”. We must believe, especially in ourselves. We must dare to think “outside of the box”…beyond “small”. Examine the
possibilities. Regardless of our situation, we can always expand our thinking. We can look beyond “small” at the BIG picture. We can continue to believe in ourselves…even when others may not.
Therefore, our dilemma is NOT that we don’t think. We do. Our quandary is: We tend to think too small! Most of our major inventions were created by someone who did not “follow the crowd”. He/she thought “outside the box”.
As we continue our journey with positive attitudes, we will attract others to us. As we continue to believe in ourselves as well as other people, our thinking will grow. Continue to be persistent. Never give up. Never quit. “Continue to Think BIG!”
No Greater Friend Than a Sister
No Greater Friend Than a Sister
By Tommy Franks
There is no friend like a sister
From childhood to adulthood to the golden years.
The weather doesn't matter.
A sister will understand during a cool gentle breeze
Or during a hot rainy thunderstorm!
A sister knows you through and through,
Yet still loves you as a friend…
Though for many, this is difficult to comprehend!
In my life, I am truly blessed with five.
Who have seen me when I was tired and barely alive.
As they will tell you, my patience is sometimes short,
Yet in their wisdom, I will confide and resort.
At times, we have walked the same road…
Be it short, wide, sharp curves, long, rugged, or cold.
The road has never been too bumpy or too long…
You see, their friendship brings peace, comfort, and a fragrance like cologne!
Sisters are very nice to have around,
Even when…at times I have acted like a clown.
Their words of fellowship and encouragement bring much cheer
Because they so willingly lend me their ear.
As children, we fought, scratched, and disagreed…
But now, we have matured, blossomed, and become close friends indeed!
With fond memories, I think of my five sisters often with adoration.
With great consolation and affirmation, I will love them eternally for their inspiration!
Your Brother and Friend…Tommy
By Tommy Franks
There is no friend like a sister
From childhood to adulthood to the golden years.
The weather doesn't matter.
A sister will understand during a cool gentle breeze
Or during a hot rainy thunderstorm!
A sister knows you through and through,
Yet still loves you as a friend…
Though for many, this is difficult to comprehend!
In my life, I am truly blessed with five.
Who have seen me when I was tired and barely alive.
As they will tell you, my patience is sometimes short,
Yet in their wisdom, I will confide and resort.
At times, we have walked the same road…
Be it short, wide, sharp curves, long, rugged, or cold.
The road has never been too bumpy or too long…
You see, their friendship brings peace, comfort, and a fragrance like cologne!
Sisters are very nice to have around,
Even when…at times I have acted like a clown.
Their words of fellowship and encouragement bring much cheer
Because they so willingly lend me their ear.
As children, we fought, scratched, and disagreed…
But now, we have matured, blossomed, and become close friends indeed!
With fond memories, I think of my five sisters often with adoration.
With great consolation and affirmation, I will love them eternally for their inspiration!
Your Brother and Friend…Tommy
One Bad Hair Day (A While Back)
One Bad Hair Day (A While Back)
By Tommy Franks
At one time, I had hair…a lot of hair…Well, it’s been awhile, but I used to have dark brown hair just like Elvis Pressley. Well, maybe I am embellishing it a little bit. But I did carry a comb once…a big black nylon comb in my right back pocket!
Anyway, here’s the scoop: A few years ago on Valentine’s Day, I took a trip with someone special. On our return trip to Dulles Airport from London, UK, we were told that all flights in and out of Dulles Airport or anywhere on the East Coast…had been cancelled. I knew we were in trouble when we arrived at Heathrow Airport, London…and 4000 angry people were in line…kicking and yelling at each other…attempting to get a flight to the East Coast, USA.
Since we had British Airways tickets, we were met by a British Airways attendant who gave us a sheet of paper that basically inferred that we were on our own…and that they had no responsibility whatsoever to assist us. Being the good Floridian that I am, I asked the question… “Why?”
His response: “Sir, because there is a snowstorm on the East Coast…and we are not responsible for inclement weather!”
Through the mercy of a caring customer service person, we eventually got another ticket to Chicago, IL. We departed London for Chicago that afternoon. After the eight hour flight, we landed to find out that all flights to Washington DC had been cancelled due to snow. However, we would not be defeated in our plan of attack.
Even though snow was everywhere, we rented a car and drove until midnight…stayed the night in a “high priced” motel; however, they did provide us with a continental breakfast the next morning.
As we prepared for breakfast, I looked out the window only to find out that it had snowed again during the night. This was not good! This was in fact…bad! We finished our delicious continental breakfast (coffee and yogurt)…and started on our snowy way.
We drove all day long in snow, ice, and sleet…through Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Maryland. As we approached Washington DC, we saw thousands of stopped vehicles in front of us…Some were blowing their horns in disgust and hostility!
The line of congested traffic on Interstate 495 was at least 10 miles long. We were only 10 minutes away from Dulles Airport…where we had left my black Mercedes. This 10 minute trip took us over two hours to complete. Next hurdle: I was supposed to turn the rental car in with a full tank of fuel. I had to get off the interstate in order to accomplish this feat. Snow and ice were everywhere!
I finally made it to a service station. As I drove to the gas pump, I read a big, bright, fat, yellow sign that said, “No gas, no fuel…It’s snowing!” … I knew what Willie Nelson meant when he sang, “Back on the road again…I feel so tired and frustrated again…I want to pull out my hair again…if I only had some!”
Next, we arrived at the long term parking lot where I had parked my car. Fortunately, in the corner of my eye, I saw another service station. Unfortunately, they had no fuel either. I said to Karen, “Look, I’m going to go ahead and get my car from the parking lot. I should only be a few minutes. I will be right back.” Yeah…Hello!
First I had to locate my car. Snow was four to five feet high in some places! I looked. I saw. I found it. I walked up to my auto…only to find that it was almost completely covered with ice and snow. I couldn’t even get the door open. I started digging with my very bare, cold hands.
Within a few minutes, I managed to get the driver’s door open. I got in. I started the car. I got the heaters going. I put it in gear to go backwards. Nothing! I put it in gear to go forward. Nothing! Even though my tires were new, they were no match for the four feet of snow around and under my car. However, Tommy Franks does NOT give up! He is a survivor!
I flagged down a man driving a snow plough. We talked. We communicated. He ploughed the snow. Still nothing! He jury rigged an old rope…attached it to the car’s chassis…pulled it out of the frozen snow. I was so happy! I paid the man a big tip. He was then happy! What should have been a few minutes to get my car…turned out to be about 50 minutes! But we were making progress!
We returned the rental car…and were once again…on the road again; however, this time, in my beautiful black Benz. When we finally arrived back at my condo, I looked in the mirror and said to myself: “Self, you have had a bad hair day…today. You have endured… even without hair to keep your head warm. You have traveled many a mile. Cheers!
By Tommy Franks
At one time, I had hair…a lot of hair…Well, it’s been awhile, but I used to have dark brown hair just like Elvis Pressley. Well, maybe I am embellishing it a little bit. But I did carry a comb once…a big black nylon comb in my right back pocket!
Anyway, here’s the scoop: A few years ago on Valentine’s Day, I took a trip with someone special. On our return trip to Dulles Airport from London, UK, we were told that all flights in and out of Dulles Airport or anywhere on the East Coast…had been cancelled. I knew we were in trouble when we arrived at Heathrow Airport, London…and 4000 angry people were in line…kicking and yelling at each other…attempting to get a flight to the East Coast, USA.
Since we had British Airways tickets, we were met by a British Airways attendant who gave us a sheet of paper that basically inferred that we were on our own…and that they had no responsibility whatsoever to assist us. Being the good Floridian that I am, I asked the question… “Why?”
His response: “Sir, because there is a snowstorm on the East Coast…and we are not responsible for inclement weather!”
Through the mercy of a caring customer service person, we eventually got another ticket to Chicago, IL. We departed London for Chicago that afternoon. After the eight hour flight, we landed to find out that all flights to Washington DC had been cancelled due to snow. However, we would not be defeated in our plan of attack.
Even though snow was everywhere, we rented a car and drove until midnight…stayed the night in a “high priced” motel; however, they did provide us with a continental breakfast the next morning.
As we prepared for breakfast, I looked out the window only to find out that it had snowed again during the night. This was not good! This was in fact…bad! We finished our delicious continental breakfast (coffee and yogurt)…and started on our snowy way.
We drove all day long in snow, ice, and sleet…through Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Maryland. As we approached Washington DC, we saw thousands of stopped vehicles in front of us…Some were blowing their horns in disgust and hostility!
The line of congested traffic on Interstate 495 was at least 10 miles long. We were only 10 minutes away from Dulles Airport…where we had left my black Mercedes. This 10 minute trip took us over two hours to complete. Next hurdle: I was supposed to turn the rental car in with a full tank of fuel. I had to get off the interstate in order to accomplish this feat. Snow and ice were everywhere!
I finally made it to a service station. As I drove to the gas pump, I read a big, bright, fat, yellow sign that said, “No gas, no fuel…It’s snowing!” … I knew what Willie Nelson meant when he sang, “Back on the road again…I feel so tired and frustrated again…I want to pull out my hair again…if I only had some!”
Next, we arrived at the long term parking lot where I had parked my car. Fortunately, in the corner of my eye, I saw another service station. Unfortunately, they had no fuel either. I said to Karen, “Look, I’m going to go ahead and get my car from the parking lot. I should only be a few minutes. I will be right back.” Yeah…Hello!
First I had to locate my car. Snow was four to five feet high in some places! I looked. I saw. I found it. I walked up to my auto…only to find that it was almost completely covered with ice and snow. I couldn’t even get the door open. I started digging with my very bare, cold hands.
Within a few minutes, I managed to get the driver’s door open. I got in. I started the car. I got the heaters going. I put it in gear to go backwards. Nothing! I put it in gear to go forward. Nothing! Even though my tires were new, they were no match for the four feet of snow around and under my car. However, Tommy Franks does NOT give up! He is a survivor!
I flagged down a man driving a snow plough. We talked. We communicated. He ploughed the snow. Still nothing! He jury rigged an old rope…attached it to the car’s chassis…pulled it out of the frozen snow. I was so happy! I paid the man a big tip. He was then happy! What should have been a few minutes to get my car…turned out to be about 50 minutes! But we were making progress!
We returned the rental car…and were once again…on the road again; however, this time, in my beautiful black Benz. When we finally arrived back at my condo, I looked in the mirror and said to myself: “Self, you have had a bad hair day…today. You have endured… even without hair to keep your head warm. You have traveled many a mile. Cheers!
One of Aesop’s Fables
One of Aesop’s Fables
You're going to like this story. It seems as if the farmer and his son were on the way to the market to sell their donkey.
As they approached a group of young girls on their way to the market, someone yelled, "Look at those two fools walking when they could be riding on the back of the dumb donkey."The farmer thought about what was said and decided to let his son ride the donkey and he would continue walking along side of him.
Meantime, they came across some neighbors who said, "You will spoil your son if you let him ride while you walk. You are the father. You should be riding and your son walking."The farmer followed their advice. He rode the donkey while his son walked. Soon they came across some women and children playing.
One of the women exclaimed, "What a selfish old man...making his son walk while he rides. How selfish can you get?"Hence, the farmer made his son get up behind him and they both rode off together toward the market. Everything was going fine until they met some fellow travelers. The travelers asked the old farmer, "Are you taking that donkey to the market?
"The farmer replied, "Yes, we're on our way there now.""Good heavens," they exclaimed, "by the time you get there, that old donkey will be exhausted and no one will buy him because he will be so weak and tired from carrying you two. Why, you old fool...you'd be better off carrying him!""OK...OK...anything to please the people. We will carry the dumb donkey then," said the farmer.So they tied the donkey's legs together and slung him on a pole...with the farmer at one end of the pole and his son at the other...moving on toward the market.
As they approached the market site, they started across a little wooden bridge. However, by this time, there was a huge crowd of people pointing at them and shouting, "You are two stupid fools...carrying a donkey on a pole. Who has ever seen such a sight before?"The crowd laughed and laughed and unmercifully harassed them and called them names such as lunatics & morons.
By now, the donkey was getting frightened by all the noise. He began to kick and bray and finally broke loose from the rope and pole...and fell into the water and drowned.The farmer and his son returned home very sad without the donkey or any money.
The moral of the story is quite simple: When you try to please everyone, you please no one...and you may lose your ass in the process. This was a true story written 600 years BC Even though it's found in Aesop's Fables, it was a true story. What do you think of the story?
You're going to like this story. It seems as if the farmer and his son were on the way to the market to sell their donkey.
As they approached a group of young girls on their way to the market, someone yelled, "Look at those two fools walking when they could be riding on the back of the dumb donkey."The farmer thought about what was said and decided to let his son ride the donkey and he would continue walking along side of him.
Meantime, they came across some neighbors who said, "You will spoil your son if you let him ride while you walk. You are the father. You should be riding and your son walking."The farmer followed their advice. He rode the donkey while his son walked. Soon they came across some women and children playing.
One of the women exclaimed, "What a selfish old man...making his son walk while he rides. How selfish can you get?"Hence, the farmer made his son get up behind him and they both rode off together toward the market. Everything was going fine until they met some fellow travelers. The travelers asked the old farmer, "Are you taking that donkey to the market?
"The farmer replied, "Yes, we're on our way there now.""Good heavens," they exclaimed, "by the time you get there, that old donkey will be exhausted and no one will buy him because he will be so weak and tired from carrying you two. Why, you old fool...you'd be better off carrying him!""OK...OK...anything to please the people. We will carry the dumb donkey then," said the farmer.So they tied the donkey's legs together and slung him on a pole...with the farmer at one end of the pole and his son at the other...moving on toward the market.
As they approached the market site, they started across a little wooden bridge. However, by this time, there was a huge crowd of people pointing at them and shouting, "You are two stupid fools...carrying a donkey on a pole. Who has ever seen such a sight before?"The crowd laughed and laughed and unmercifully harassed them and called them names such as lunatics & morons.
By now, the donkey was getting frightened by all the noise. He began to kick and bray and finally broke loose from the rope and pole...and fell into the water and drowned.The farmer and his son returned home very sad without the donkey or any money.
The moral of the story is quite simple: When you try to please everyone, you please no one...and you may lose your ass in the process. This was a true story written 600 years BC Even though it's found in Aesop's Fables, it was a true story. What do you think of the story?
Thursday, April 5, 2007
The Best of Times…and the Worst of Times
The Best of Times…and the Worst of Times
Written from Heidelberg, Germany (1998) By Tommy Franks
Yes, we are living in the BEST of TIMES and the WORST of TIMES! For the sinner, it will get worse. For the Christian, things will only get better! We have a Divine Destiny. How can we have a constant Visitor of this Magnitude (Jesus) living in our houses and for things to get worse? It's impossible! He got up with me this morning. He talked with me as I was getting dressed. He had breakfast with me a little later. I raised both of my hands and arms toward heaven as I praised Him (this heavenly Visitor) before I left my quarters. He said to me personally, "Son, everything is going to be all right today!"
Don't you just have to love someone like this? Things can only get better for the Child of the King. I have already gone to hell and back; therefore, to go to heaven is the best thing that could ever happen to me or to any Christian. As my precious Father-in-law use to say, "I have no sad tales to tell."
Look up. Move out. Move forward. Move on up! You can do it. Make it happen...for you and others! We can do all things through Him! Read on…
WE CAN DO ALL THINGS!
By Tommy Franks
"I (we) can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me (us)" (Phil.4:13). Do we actually believe these words by Paul? Some do. Some do not. Today let me tell you
about one person who did and still does believe the above Scripture.
Years ago, a little child was born in Aurora, North Carolina. He was the fifth of 11 children and grew up in a three-room farm-house. He failed the first grade and was labeled mentally retarded. He also suffered a speech impediment. His so-called friends made fun of him. However, his mother never stopped believing. She had faith in him. She just knew that one day he would be a role model for all America.
As this young lad grew up in rural North Carolina, his class mates jeered him, joked about him, called him names, and made his life difficult. As he grew to manhood, he fell in love with a beautiful young lady and eventually asked her to marry him. She said, "No, I cannot marry you because you are retarded."
This type of rejection almost broke his heart and certainly caused him a lot of grief and sorrow; yet, he continued to have a good attitude and pursue his dreams and goals. He refused to give in and give up. He developed a dynamic philosophy for business and life: "I am, I can, and I will". He developed a tremendous faith in God. He actually believed Phil.4:13.
Today, this African American entrepreneur, who started with a mere ten dollars in 1967, has built a multi-million dollar Beauty and Hair Empire in Kernersville, NC. His international company (Dudley Products, Inc.) is known for quality products all over the world. Mr. Dudley is a very wealthy man today!
In one of his books (WALKING BY FAITH), he describes his trials, errors, difficulties, his faith in God, determination, and hard work. He also discusses some of the following successful principles which have contributed to his wealth and success:
1. Change Your Attitude to Change Your Life
2. Listen and Read Your Way to Success
3. Choose a Good Mentor and Role Model
4. Overcome Adversity with Determination
5. Accept Challenge in Faith
6. Be Committed and Be Concerned
7. Get Faith to Move Your Mountain
8. Make a Difference in the World
9. Be a Bridge Builder
Mr. Joe Louis Dudley, Sr. has used these principles to solve so many problems
that frequently plague today's society. He truly believes in "walking by faith". He
truly believes that our dreams can come true. He truly believes that we can overcome any
type of setback or obstacles...such as a speech impediment, poverty, a mental retardation
label, and even business failure. He believes that his faith-led journey has contributed to
his success. Mr. Joe Louis Dudley, Sr. truly believes: "We can do all things through
Christ Who strengthens us" (Phil.4:13).
In 1995, Dudley Products, Inc., had sales in excess of $35 Million and over
500 employees. Mr. Dudley is also a leader in education with 16 cosmetology
schools located in North Carolina, Illinois, Florida, Washington, D.C.,
Maryland, Zimbabwe, Africa, and Brazil. His company also provides advanced studies and continuing education. Dudley Products, Inc. operates a manufacturing plant, travel agency, convention center, publishing division, hotel and dormitory facilities. Mr. Dudley was the 1995 elite recipient of the Horatio Alger Award.
As I began this article...do we actually believe the words of the Apostle Paul? Do we believe the words, "We can do all things through Christ Who strengthens us" (Phil.4:13)? Do we? Some do. Some don’t. Mr. Dudley does! I do! And I believe that you do too...because you are continuing to read this article! Good Day!
Written from Heidelberg, Germany (1998) By Tommy Franks
Yes, we are living in the BEST of TIMES and the WORST of TIMES! For the sinner, it will get worse. For the Christian, things will only get better! We have a Divine Destiny. How can we have a constant Visitor of this Magnitude (Jesus) living in our houses and for things to get worse? It's impossible! He got up with me this morning. He talked with me as I was getting dressed. He had breakfast with me a little later. I raised both of my hands and arms toward heaven as I praised Him (this heavenly Visitor) before I left my quarters. He said to me personally, "Son, everything is going to be all right today!"
Don't you just have to love someone like this? Things can only get better for the Child of the King. I have already gone to hell and back; therefore, to go to heaven is the best thing that could ever happen to me or to any Christian. As my precious Father-in-law use to say, "I have no sad tales to tell."
Look up. Move out. Move forward. Move on up! You can do it. Make it happen...for you and others! We can do all things through Him! Read on…
WE CAN DO ALL THINGS!
By Tommy Franks
"I (we) can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me (us)" (Phil.4:13). Do we actually believe these words by Paul? Some do. Some do not. Today let me tell you
about one person who did and still does believe the above Scripture.
Years ago, a little child was born in Aurora, North Carolina. He was the fifth of 11 children and grew up in a three-room farm-house. He failed the first grade and was labeled mentally retarded. He also suffered a speech impediment. His so-called friends made fun of him. However, his mother never stopped believing. She had faith in him. She just knew that one day he would be a role model for all America.
As this young lad grew up in rural North Carolina, his class mates jeered him, joked about him, called him names, and made his life difficult. As he grew to manhood, he fell in love with a beautiful young lady and eventually asked her to marry him. She said, "No, I cannot marry you because you are retarded."
This type of rejection almost broke his heart and certainly caused him a lot of grief and sorrow; yet, he continued to have a good attitude and pursue his dreams and goals. He refused to give in and give up. He developed a dynamic philosophy for business and life: "I am, I can, and I will". He developed a tremendous faith in God. He actually believed Phil.4:13.
Today, this African American entrepreneur, who started with a mere ten dollars in 1967, has built a multi-million dollar Beauty and Hair Empire in Kernersville, NC. His international company (Dudley Products, Inc.) is known for quality products all over the world. Mr. Dudley is a very wealthy man today!
In one of his books (WALKING BY FAITH), he describes his trials, errors, difficulties, his faith in God, determination, and hard work. He also discusses some of the following successful principles which have contributed to his wealth and success:
1. Change Your Attitude to Change Your Life
2. Listen and Read Your Way to Success
3. Choose a Good Mentor and Role Model
4. Overcome Adversity with Determination
5. Accept Challenge in Faith
6. Be Committed and Be Concerned
7. Get Faith to Move Your Mountain
8. Make a Difference in the World
9. Be a Bridge Builder
Mr. Joe Louis Dudley, Sr. has used these principles to solve so many problems
that frequently plague today's society. He truly believes in "walking by faith". He
truly believes that our dreams can come true. He truly believes that we can overcome any
type of setback or obstacles...such as a speech impediment, poverty, a mental retardation
label, and even business failure. He believes that his faith-led journey has contributed to
his success. Mr. Joe Louis Dudley, Sr. truly believes: "We can do all things through
Christ Who strengthens us" (Phil.4:13).
In 1995, Dudley Products, Inc., had sales in excess of $35 Million and over
500 employees. Mr. Dudley is also a leader in education with 16 cosmetology
schools located in North Carolina, Illinois, Florida, Washington, D.C.,
Maryland, Zimbabwe, Africa, and Brazil. His company also provides advanced studies and continuing education. Dudley Products, Inc. operates a manufacturing plant, travel agency, convention center, publishing division, hotel and dormitory facilities. Mr. Dudley was the 1995 elite recipient of the Horatio Alger Award.
As I began this article...do we actually believe the words of the Apostle Paul? Do we believe the words, "We can do all things through Christ Who strengthens us" (Phil.4:13)? Do we? Some do. Some don’t. Mr. Dudley does! I do! And I believe that you do too...because you are continuing to read this article! Good Day!
Subject: The Un-Welcomed Visitor
Subject: The Un-Welcomed Visitor
(True Story by Tommy Franks)
The strangest thing happened to me a while back. I had put in a hard day’s work at the office (Heidelberg, Germany) and returned to my quarters at the Heidelberg, Germany (The Guesthouse)...only to find a visitor in my room when I opened the door. This is a true story. I am not making this up. Read on...
I asked the visitor, “How did you get in here? What are you doing in my room? What is your business here?”
Without saying a word, the unwelcome visitor came out from behind the window drapes...and attempted to hit me in the head. I asked, “What the world are you doing?
This is my room. Get out. Get out now before I call the Military Police (MPs). If you don’t, you and I are going to have a fight right here. You cannot stay in my room. PERIOD!”
Suddenly, the strange visitor charged me again. This time I took a swing at this miserable uninvited guest. I missed. Hence, the struggle began. Within a few minutes, the entire room was in a mess. Finally, I said, “Listen, you nincompoop...I am going down to the Training Room (Health Spa) downstairs and when I return, you had better be gone. If you are not, I’m warning you now...I will do something drastic...like kill you!”
In a flash, I was gone! As I went into the sauna, I thought about what I was going to do if this unsought visitor was still there when I returned. Perhaps I should go ahead and call the MPs now. What if they do not believe my story? What then? In my own mind, I was now in a pickle.
I said, “OK, now Tommy, do not panic. There must be a reasonable explanation to all of this. There has got to be. It must be a sick joke that someone is playing on me! Yes, that’s it. It’s some type of a joke.” Who would do such a dastardly thing?
I took my time in the Physical Training Room and afterwards, I headed back to my quarters. I opened the door and did not see the visitor...at least for the first few seconds. Then suddenly, out from behind the large window curtains...came the unwelcome visitor...running at me…charging me at full speed and trying to hit me in the head again.
“That’s it. You are history. If you do not leave right now, you’re dead. I will unequivocally kill you. After all, I’m a trained combat killer,” I said.
The fight began. I had no weapons except a small penknife...but it was clear across the room. As the contest developed and within a few minutes, my quarters looked like a tornado had blown through. Suddenly, a stroke of genius struck my mind. I grabbed a large “Rest and Recuperation” Magazine (good Army European magazine)...and rolled it up like a sword. I said, “OK, if you want to die, then you shall.”
We looked at each other...sort of like a bull and a matador in Barcelona. All at once, I charged this unpopular and uninvited guest. I swung the R & R magazine over and over hitting this diabolical creature with all the energy I could muster.
Like a flash, it was over. I was now standing over this stranger who was writhing with pain. I took the man-made sword and made one more swipe against the head of this un-welcomed creature. All movement stopped. All noise ceased. I had killed this deranged
fool.
Now what do I do? I turned on the TV so that I could think more clearly. The movie “Thelma and Louise” was on. This was my third time seeing it, but I watched it closely this time. I took out a bottle of cream soda and made a toast to “life” and “staying alive”.
After the movie, I said, “OK, it’s time to dispose of this riffraff. I'll make it quick.”
I went to the window and looked out. I checked the hallway...closed the curtains...double locked the door. I went over to the dead dunce and said (with almost tears in my eyes), “I told you this would happen if you didn’t leave, but no, you wouldn’t listen. You had to harass me and cause me all kinds of undue consternation, didn’t you? Well, you will never fly again. You are now a dead horse fly...and to me the only good horse fly…is a dead fly. Bye Bye.”
With that being said, I took a large tissue, picked up the dead carcass...horse fly...and threw it in the trash can. Silence was golden for the rest of the night!
(True Story by Tommy Franks)
The strangest thing happened to me a while back. I had put in a hard day’s work at the office (Heidelberg, Germany) and returned to my quarters at the Heidelberg, Germany (The Guesthouse)...only to find a visitor in my room when I opened the door. This is a true story. I am not making this up. Read on...
I asked the visitor, “How did you get in here? What are you doing in my room? What is your business here?”
Without saying a word, the unwelcome visitor came out from behind the window drapes...and attempted to hit me in the head. I asked, “What the world are you doing?
This is my room. Get out. Get out now before I call the Military Police (MPs). If you don’t, you and I are going to have a fight right here. You cannot stay in my room. PERIOD!”
Suddenly, the strange visitor charged me again. This time I took a swing at this miserable uninvited guest. I missed. Hence, the struggle began. Within a few minutes, the entire room was in a mess. Finally, I said, “Listen, you nincompoop...I am going down to the Training Room (Health Spa) downstairs and when I return, you had better be gone. If you are not, I’m warning you now...I will do something drastic...like kill you!”
In a flash, I was gone! As I went into the sauna, I thought about what I was going to do if this unsought visitor was still there when I returned. Perhaps I should go ahead and call the MPs now. What if they do not believe my story? What then? In my own mind, I was now in a pickle.
I said, “OK, now Tommy, do not panic. There must be a reasonable explanation to all of this. There has got to be. It must be a sick joke that someone is playing on me! Yes, that’s it. It’s some type of a joke.” Who would do such a dastardly thing?
I took my time in the Physical Training Room and afterwards, I headed back to my quarters. I opened the door and did not see the visitor...at least for the first few seconds. Then suddenly, out from behind the large window curtains...came the unwelcome visitor...running at me…charging me at full speed and trying to hit me in the head again.
“That’s it. You are history. If you do not leave right now, you’re dead. I will unequivocally kill you. After all, I’m a trained combat killer,” I said.
The fight began. I had no weapons except a small penknife...but it was clear across the room. As the contest developed and within a few minutes, my quarters looked like a tornado had blown through. Suddenly, a stroke of genius struck my mind. I grabbed a large “Rest and Recuperation” Magazine (good Army European magazine)...and rolled it up like a sword. I said, “OK, if you want to die, then you shall.”
We looked at each other...sort of like a bull and a matador in Barcelona. All at once, I charged this unpopular and uninvited guest. I swung the R & R magazine over and over hitting this diabolical creature with all the energy I could muster.
Like a flash, it was over. I was now standing over this stranger who was writhing with pain. I took the man-made sword and made one more swipe against the head of this un-welcomed creature. All movement stopped. All noise ceased. I had killed this deranged
fool.
Now what do I do? I turned on the TV so that I could think more clearly. The movie “Thelma and Louise” was on. This was my third time seeing it, but I watched it closely this time. I took out a bottle of cream soda and made a toast to “life” and “staying alive”.
After the movie, I said, “OK, it’s time to dispose of this riffraff. I'll make it quick.”
I went to the window and looked out. I checked the hallway...closed the curtains...double locked the door. I went over to the dead dunce and said (with almost tears in my eyes), “I told you this would happen if you didn’t leave, but no, you wouldn’t listen. You had to harass me and cause me all kinds of undue consternation, didn’t you? Well, you will never fly again. You are now a dead horse fly...and to me the only good horse fly…is a dead fly. Bye Bye.”
With that being said, I took a large tissue, picked up the dead carcass...horse fly...and threw it in the trash can. Silence was golden for the rest of the night!
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