FAMILY

The WWW Pages of Gary & Lori Franks

Philosophies to live by...

The Golden Rule

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

It's Your Responsibility!

Each day is God's gift to you;

make it blossom and grow into a thing of beauty.

The Station

Tucked away in our subconscious mind is an idyllic vision. We see ourselves on a long trip that spans the continent. We are traveling by train. Out the windows we take in the passing scene of cars on nearby highways, of children waving at the rail crossings, of cattle grazing on a distant hillside, of fields of corn and wheat, of flatlands, valleys, mountains and rolling hills, and of cities and small towns.

But uppermost in our minds is the final destination. On a certain day, at a certain hour, we will pull into the long-awaited station. Bands will be playing and flags will be waving. Once we get there so many of our wonderful dreams will come true and the pieces of our lives will fit together perfectly like a completed jigsaw puzzle. How restlessly we pace the aisles............waiting, waiting, waiting for the station.

"When we reach the station, that will be it!" We say... "When I can drive a car..." "When I'm 18..." "When I buy a new Mercedes-Benz..." "When I marry..." "When I put the last kid through college..." "When I have paid off the mortgage..." "When I get that long-overdue promotion..." "When I retire, I will live happily ever after..."

Sooner or later, we must realize that there is no station, no one place to arrive at once and for all. The true joy of life is the trip. The station is only a dream. It constantly outdistances us.

"This is the day which the Lord hath made; rejoice and be glad in it." (Psalm 118:24). It isn't the burdens of today that drive people mad. It is the regrets over yesterday and the fear of tomorrow. They, regret and fear, are the twin thieves who rob us of today.

So, stop pacing the aisles and counting the miles to the station. Instead, climb more mountains, go barefoot more often, see your friends, swim more rivers, watch more sunsets, laugh more, cry less and look around you to see the evidence of God's handiwork.

Life must be lived as we go along. The station will come soon enough.

The Family

Our family is a circle of love and strength.

With every birth and every union the circle grows.

Every joy shared adds more love.

Every crisis faced together makes the circle stronger.

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