Warmth of the heart

The cold wind blew hard against the window pane as I pulled the covers up above my head.
I could barely turn over with the heaviness of the quilts which seemed a foot thick above me.

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The mirror reflects only what it sees

Many of us find ourselves each morning at least for a few minutes peering into a silver backed piece of glass which reflects back towards us the mirror image of ourselves.
We see the teeth as we brush, the pores of our skin as we wash our face, shave, and/or trim the hairs which grew out since the day before. Finally, we put each hair left on top of our head in place with a comb or a brush.

Then off we go to dress and then we pop back in for one last look before we run off to meet the day and all that entails.

As the day progresses, we will stop by other bathrooms like a racing car making a pit stop, and once again we will have a moment to peer into the silver backed glass to see if all is still in its proper place.

These are rituals that we have been taught passed from parents, siblings, friends and they are common to most every human being who has access to such an opportunity.

As a child, at amusement parks and fairs, I can remember going through a house of mirrors which distorts the mirror image to make us look short or tall, skinny or fat, oddly shaped in all forms and sizes. It was always a laugh to see yourself or your companions going through the metamorphosis of illusions that the fun house mirrors reflected.

The present day mirror was brought to us from the work of German chemist Justus von Liebig about 180 years ago. For nearly 200 years, human beings found the looking glass a means of self-discovery.

I have often heard people say something to the effect of ‘You won’t be able to look at yourself in the morning.’ I really wonder how many of us take that to heart.

Have you ever really looked in a mirror and tried to see beyond the superficial image of yourself staring back? Have you tried to look down into your own heart, soul and mind to see if what is reflected upon that image is something you really want to see or you want others to see of you?

We all have blemishes, scars, warts, sores and sometimes wounds that can be seen when we look close enough that we want to cover over and hid from the outside world. No matter how much concealer that is used, they eventually once again rise to the surface trying to once again draw your or someone else’s attention.

I guess no matter how hard we try, we must learn to live with those and become comfortable in our own skin allowing all those imperfections not to bother us or anyone else. God did not create vessels of perfection in human beings. He created people who have the opportunity to strive for perfection despite the brokenness within their lives and their souls.
The image in the mirror will never be perfect, to strive for that is an exercise in vanity but to use the mirror to step closer to internal perfection might be an interesting step into the looking glass.

 

Darkness is overcome by the Light

Inside the depths sometimes there emerges evil from the darkness.

This is often the image seen as we sit watching a film or TV show as we sit on the edge of our seats, sometimes even screaming at the character – don’t go in there!

But inevitably, to push the story along, the character presses on often to his/her own dismay or demise.
I wish that these moments were left to the world of fiction but sadly there is a reality that finds each of us at some point in our lives when the darkness envelopes the circumstances of our lives.

The darkness can be brought on by others or us, or a mixture of both. They can also simply be the reflection of things within you not working the way they were intended. Chemical imbalances, mental illness, addictions are all part of that mix.

These moments can push a person on much like the character in the movie. That can entail them doing things that they would never do otherwise.

I wish I could say in my life that I have not seen such moments, but I have seen my family struggle with the impact of the darkness.

The only thing in science that will chase away the dark is the light.
In my belief, the greatest light emanates from God’s love shared through Jesus Christ.
He is always there waiting to shine upon even when we wish to cover our own lives in the darkness. There is no deep cavern of shame, regret or guilt that any of us can enter that His light cannot find where we are. All we have to do is ask.

The asking isn’t always easy, but one thing for sure, beyond the asking comes the hardest part of the work to push the darkness away each and every time it creeps into our environs. He will walk along with us providing the Light even when we are weak. He will cry with us when we fail, fall short and are flat on the ground begging for him to take us back.

The greatest gift is He never let us go, He was there hoping for us to prevail. While we may not do it each and every time, He is still there.

He is why so many are also still there and did not completely give up to the darkness.

I pray that you always find the Light shining upon your path.

 

Randall’s Latest Movie & Book – Official Trailer

Lukewarm & Encouragers II : Walking with the Masters

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Southern Style by Randall Franks

Helping millions smile or reflect since 2001…

Randall Franks began writing the newspaper column Southern Style in February 2001 sharing boyhood stories, humor, commentary on daily life, tales shared from my mother and folks from the Gravelly Spur Mountain, features on friends from TV, Music and Entertainment. Since beginning in one local newspaper, the column has become a mainstay in newspapers across the South and Midwest from the Carolinas to Texas. Franks was awarded over 20 state and one national press association awards.

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Welcome to RandallFranks.com…

 

Friends,

Thank you for sharing a bit of your time with me. On one of the pages of this website, I hope you will find some aspect of my acting, music, writing or simply experiencing life that will inspire, encourage, or entertain you in a way that will bring you back to randallfranks.com again and again.  I wish you all the best and hope to see you somewhere along the path.

Randall Franks

Do you have gremlins in your house?

You know those little critters that move things around when you are not looking.

Mine will leave a drawer open so when I get up in the middle of the night I never seem to miss it. There is nothing like a few vocal exclamation points filling the air as you stumble through the house in the middle of the night.

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Brighter days are just ahead

A new year brings the promise of starting over. Many folks see it as a point to make a resolution to complete or change things in their life. Perhaps coming out of the Christmas season gives them hope to make their lives better.

In reality, each new day brings us the chance to improve our lives.

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“Dolly Parton’s Coat of Many Colors” Airs December 10 at 8 p.m. CST / 9 p.m. ET on NBC

Probably one of my favorite Dolly Parton songs of all time is her 1971 “Coat of Many Colors.” It evokes images of my own families’ Appalachian roots and I am pleased to share with you will be able to watch the movie based on the song Dec. 10.

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Crystal Gayle honored with some Wabash recognitions

Throughout my career in music, one of my favorite singers is Crystal Gayle. Crystal’s legacy continues to have a lasting impact in her childhood hometown with the unveiling of a theater named in her honor and an exhibit profiling her iconic career.

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