Life's Full Circle

By Frankie "Punkintown" Smith

All of our lives are full of bad decisions, failures, misfortunes, and hurts created by those around us, along with a host of other things. My life was no different. Jesus said in John 10:10, "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly."

I wrote this book to provide light to all of those who have been knocked down and struggle to get up but are yet to see the need to get up. Put your trust in Jesus. He will lift you up. Some of the struggles you face are in your life and are there to bring glory to your Creator, God. Turn to Him, trust Him, surrender to Him, and watch Him turn your life in a full circle. Use the Bible as the light in your path of life, and know that the Bible is not just a book--it is the Word of God! Allow it to direct your trust to the one who created you and inspired men to write His word.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Oct 5, 2023
• ISBN: 9798886162233

Book preview

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Life's Full Circle

Frankie Punkintown Smith

ISBN 979-8-88616-222-6 (paperback)

ISBN 979-8-88616-223-3 (digital)

Copyright © 2023 by Frankie Punkintown Smith

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Christian Faith Publishing

832 Park Avenue

Meadville, PA 16335

www.christianfaithpublishing.com

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Foreword

Preface

Acknowledgments

Chapter 1

The Beginning

Chapter 2

School

Chapter 3

Receiving My Call

Chapter 4

The Diagnosis

Chapter 5

Ministry

Chapter 6

Rodeo

Chapter 7

Education

Chapter 8

The Bus

Chapter 9

Never Say Never

Chapter 10

The Exhortation

The Inspiration to Write This Book

About the Author

This book is dedicated to Jesus, who changed my life and gave me direction, and to those who poured His love into my life:

My Papa Smith, who not only shared Jesus with me but countless others. What an example he was to me.

Jeffery Lee, my brother who invested in my life. He, too, was driven with a purpose by the Holy Spirit. I am honored to call him my brother, and I love to watch God continue to use him in blessing so many. Keep going, my brother. Great is your reward.

Laurie, my wife, you are an inspiration. Thanks for giving me a push to work on my book when I needed it. Most of all, for praying for me the way you do. I love you!

Foreword

Iwas asked to write a foreword for my buddy's book, and it was such a blessing to sit and do this for him. My name is Chad Jackson, and I had the pleasure of meeting Frankie Smith a few years ago, and I have never been the same since. Frankie had recently moved with his wife to the small, rural area where I live to be closer to her family. He was down at the automotive shop getting some work done on his raggedy, old Ford F-150. It looked to be a 1920 model, but it was his pride and joy. Mike Sims is the teacher for our automotive classes, and he had met Frankie at church. I was down there to talk to Mike about some bus business. I have the dubious honor of being the transportation director for our school district.

Mike quickly introduced me to Frankie, and we began to talk. I could tell in an instant that he had a heart for young people just by watching him interact with the students working on his truck. We talked for a bit, and I had to get back to the office. Later I went down to see Mike, who also drove a bus for me, and hit him with the idea of getting Frankie to drive a bus. We are always low on subs, and I was ready to hire just about anybody with a pulse—Frankie passed for a candidate. I began to go to church with them and knew him more over the next few weeks.

I pitched the idea to him to make some side money and give him a chance to be around and influence young people. He mulled it over and said that he would like to give it a try. We began working on his training, and I got to know him more and more. He influenced me, and I will forever be in his debt. We got him trained and licensed to hit the road in no time, and he began to drive. I have never seen anyone be so excited to drive a school bus! He took it seriously—and not just the driving but also the position he was in to have a Christian influence on young minds. It did not take long for a full-time route to open, and I gave it to Frankie. It was a rowdy bus when he stepped in to take the position. It didn't take him long to get them under control and do things his way. I remember going to sub for him one day while he was away for some clown time. I got on the bus, and the kids loaded, and we got ready to go. I looked in the student mirror and was floored by the fact that they all got on the bus, sat down, and didn't say a word! One student spoke up to tell me where to go, and the rest just quietly rode. I was amazed! Frankie was having an impact on every student on that bus. He loved his new job, and the students all loved him.

I met Frankie at a time in my life when I was struggling personally. I had just gone through a divorce and was having trouble with getting back to life. He will never know how much his friendship meant to me during the few years I had the opportunity to be with him. He asked me to come and go coon hunting with him and just hang out. I would go, and we would talk the entire time, just roaming the countryside listening to the dog. He gave me sound advice and a tender ear to listen. He didn't lay blame or judge. He just encouraged me each time we talked. Our friendship grew, and I began to consider Frankie one of my closest friends. My daughter was just nine at the time, and she always loved to go see Punkin and play with the dogs. Frankie would always put on a little show for her, and she has never forgotten him. He just has a way to make people feel comfortable at any age. That is where his love for working with schools and students grew. He was a natural. The Bible tells us in Ecclesiastes, for everything there is a season, and my season with Frankie was for only a few years. We packed quite a bit into those years, but the Lord had other plans for him and other hearts for him to touch. I just thank the Lord that He gave me a short season with this man and for the impact that he had on my life. If you are fortunate enough to meet him, just know that he is there for a reason, and in time, the Lord will show you his purpose. I miss just sitting and laughing over a chess pie and a glass of sweet tea talking about nothing. I miss my buddy.

May God bless you, Frankie Smith, in all that you do! I love you, brother!

—Chad Jackson

You are about to read Frankie Smith's inspirational story, and I would

Reviews for Life's Full Circle

[Vicki Entrekin · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Quick read, true inspiration a must read! Love it! ❤️