On September 13, 1985, (age 13) I met Gary Shapiro who was my host whom organized the RAMBO II contest that my godmother won for us to both meet Sylvester Stallone in Hollywood, CA. Mr Shapiro did the casting for Tri-Star Pictures and on my last night in Los Angeles, CA before returning home he told me his next movie project. They were going to be having a world-wide talent search for a girl and boy to play the lead in THE NEW ADVENTURES OF PIPPY LONGSTOCKING! 🙂

Following our dream come true trip to CA when I returned home I immediately wrote Mr Shapiro a “thank you” letter. Correspondence is crucial to me. Ironically, I placed an 8×10 picture of me in the envelope. What I loved about Babe Ruth was he had just as many strike outs as homeruns but when he was at bat he was certainly swinging for the fence. My mom said: “Frankie, you already met the man – why are you mailing a picture of you?” I smiled and said: “Mom, someone may walk past his desk – see the picture and say THAT’s THE FACE!” Who is that kid? LOL Well, a week later I got a letter from Mr Sharpiro in Los Angeles inviting me to audition for the lead part of Tommy in New York City on the legendary Avenue of the Americas for the upcoming major motion picture. FACT: I had no prior acting lessons much less auditioned for a movie but I just knew in life that with God “all things are possible.” I also knew if God opened this door or any other I would do my best to be hard-working, humble and honor Him in the entire process. TO WHOM MUCH IS GIVEN MUCH IS REQUIRED.

My parents encouraged us to dream and dream big. So to their credit, they packed our car and we left 4 AM for the drive to New York City to be there in time for the afternoon audition. New York looked larger than life to this teen (still is overwhelming as an adult). Being born in our Nation’s Capital, I must admit I never felt like such a country bumpkin while in that city. One memory etched in my mind is when I was eating at a pizzeria with my parents in NY and this guy walks in and immediately the insults fly. The man preparing the pizza screams at the man whom just walked in – “Joe, go back to Jersey – you’re a BUM!” Wow, not quite southern hospitality! We ate and my parents rushed me to the audition.

We then learned that parents would not be allowed upstairs where the audition was held. Nearly 1,000 boys and girls showed up to audition. They took me upstairs and told us our lines and we had to act out a scene while improvising. I said a private prayer and came out swinging. Something happened during that audition – half way through I felt this peace and confidence and the presence of God. Honestly, similar to a gymnast I really felt like I nailed it. Sure, I didn’t have a lick of training, or we hadn’t spent tons of money for previous auditions (not a dime), nor a talent scout or agency behind me but I never in life was afraid to fail. That is one secret to success. My fear was not trying for God’s Glory.

The two selected from New York (to play Pippy & Tommy) were going to have to compete with finalists from London and ultimately Los Angeles. It was a WORLD-WIDE search for these two characters. They thanked us for auditioning and sent us little dreamers dejected down the escalator. Mom & Dad patiently waited downstairs with the other parents and when they saw me coming down my mother asked: “Frankie, how did the audition go?” I told her that I really believed I nailed it (age 13) and actually went good – real good! Mom was probably thinking: “Poor kid, he lost it” and right at that time a little girl was just getting off the escalator. Mom told me later that as I faced her this little girl (who also auditioned) is coming behind me with her eyes as BIG as saucers pointing at me while talking loudly to her mom: “That’s him! That’s him! Mommy, that boy (yours truly) was better than everyone who auditioned for Tommy but they told him he was TOO TALL!”

Well, I didn’t land that movie roll but it was a great consolation prize to hear one of my peers thought we did pretty good. Honestly, it was an honor just to try out. My motto is better to atttempt and fail than fail because you didn’t attempt. In my heart, I sometimes wonder what would have happened if we got that part. By God’s grace, I really believe I would have done by best to honor Him in Hollywood and wherever I went. I have also seen the horror stories of childhood stars that did more than destroy their career but crippled their families and lives in the process. Looking back, I wouldn’t have changed it for a second for not getting that role because God used me in a powerful way in middle school as President of my Student Government. Played three years of basketball in high school and crowned Prom King my senior year out of 1,200 peers in a public school. Go off to serve as President of Student Christian Fellowship at the community college before graduating from Gardner-Webb University in North Carolina. Plus, working 17 years on Capitol Hill and now preaching at a couple churches per year. As Vestal Goodman sang: “I WOULDN’T TAKE NOTHING FOR MY JOURNEY NOW.” God’s favorite tv show is “FATHER KNOWS BEST” and better to be faithful and faith-filled locally than famous and faith-less globally.

Nikita Koloff, FIVE time World Wrestling champ, evangelist and dear friend told me in my house two years ago that he auditioned to play Ivan Drago in ROCKY IV. Over 800 men applied to fight Sly Stallone (Rocky Balboa) in the fourth “Rocky” saga. Out of 800 contestants it came down to Dolph Lundgren and Nikita Koloff. Nikita was already known across America as “The Russian Nightmare” and he noted that had he been selected it may have been the best and worse thing ever to happen to him. Nikita wasn’t living for the Lord and fame may have taken him away from now preaching the Gospel around the Globe for God’s glory. It is true, man’s rejection is God’s protection! Enjoy this clip of Nikita and I talking about this very same subject and his passion for Christ on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9jyiKo2AAs The Champ and I are going to preach in Jamaica in May 2011 – JOIN US www.CruisewithaCause.org It is good to give thanks for not only the blessings but the doors that were shut. God was in it either way.

Exactly 26 years later (last week) I was invited as some of you know as a guest on FOX NEWS – Fox & Friends/God Talk in New York City on their national television network. The day before, I had just preached seven times in two days in High Point, North Carolina and got to preach four times in the beautiful sanctuary at Green Street Baptist Church behind the same pulpit that Dr Mac Brunson preached when he was senior pastor before going off to FBC Dallas and now FBC Jacksonville. Ironically, one of my heroes of the faith and friend, Dr Johnny Hunt is hosting one of his Men’s Conferences at that same church this Fall 2011. I was blessed to preach to nearly 1,000 students for their SPIRITUAL EMPHASIS week at High Point Christian Academy and preached Wed night at Gate City Baptist Church. My dear high school buddy, Shawn Meheegan opened the door to preach and he is campus pastor of this great school. I couldn’t be more proud of him. From there, I caught a plane from Greensboro, NC on Thursday Feb 24 and flew to LaGuardia, NY. Got in a classic NY cab and taken to my hotel on the 21st floor of the Wyndham overlooking Times Square. I was to report on the 14th Floor of FOX NEWS studio at 9:30 AM EST on Fri Feb 25 to tape LIVE at 10 AM.

I had a hard time sleeping and at 3 AM I got on my knees at the hotel room and began to ask God to fill me with His power, wisdom and grace. That morning, I got in another cab and made the trek a couple streets down in the pouring rain to get to the studio. We turned the corner and sure enough their studio is located on AVENUE of AMERICAS. The same street I had been on over a quarter century ago (age 13) auditioning for the movie!

DREAMS delayed are not dreams DENIED. I got out of the cab, tipped the driver and ran through the rain and signed in at the massive building that Fox News calls home. Got on an elevator and went up 14 floors and was whisked into the “green room.” Right about when they put make up on your face, I said a silent prayer and asked that God would use me for His Glory. I had been on national and world-wide tv before but honestly I was quite nervous. For starters, I was just assigned the topics to speak hours before. They asked me to to be ready for 1) The crisis in the Middle East and with Libya 2) President Obama against DOMA – Defense of the Marriage Act 3) A public superintendent of schools in VA just took down the Ten Commandments and we had to be ready to answer any of their questions. One never wants to look like a deer in the headlights (especially on national tv). The first time I was on this street I was auditioning to have a part with a young freckled face girl named Pippy. Now I am minutes away from being interviewed and sitting side by side the former Miss America – Lauren Green, Fox News host. The stakes are higher but the Scripture is clear: “If you’re faithful in small matters you will be faithful in larger.”

We just added the first part on my homepage (on the sliding banner talking about my visit to FOX & FRIENDS) www.FrankShelton.com CLICK PLAY to watch part one of my recent appearance or watch it here
http://video.foxnews.com/v/4557151/region-in-revolt-is-religion-behind-it/?playlist_id=162726
God showed UP on the second part as I defended God’s principles on the institution of marriage and Truth. I was reminded that Truth is more than a program or policy but found in a Person, Jesus – The Christ. As soon as we can find the second 9 minute clip I will share that with you. After taping the show, the producer of FOX NEWS sent me an e-mail saying that they already want me to return as a guest in the future to serve as a contributor and panelist. PRAISE THE LORD! NEWS FLASH: My friend, MEADOWLARK LEMON is going to be back in NYC on Monday, March 14, returning as a guest on Sean Hannity’s FOX NEWS show promoting his book TRUST YOUR NEXT SHOT!

Starving and running on empty, I grabbed a sandwhich and had lunch with a NYPD officer on his lunch break who I met in line at a deli in downtown New York and like Elvis not only left the building but the city (Thank ya, thank you very much). My flight from NY to BWI had me for some strange reason connecting in Detroit, MI. I am not the sharpest tool in the shed but that sounded like driving in reverse. For a guy on the run I despise going backwards so I caught a one way train ticket from Penn Station (adjacent to MADISON SQUARE GARDEN) and took it to Baltimore-Washington International Airport on Amtrak. Got in my car – and drove home. Slept in my own bed (Friday night) had lunch with the family at Panera Bread in my hometown on Saturday only to race to Reagan Airport (DCA) and fly from Washington to Pittsburgh and drive an hour and half to Morgantown, WV and preached three times at Pierpont Church of the Nazarene on Sunday, Feb 27. At the 11 AM service we had 17 adults trust Christ and the entire altar full of folks making commitments to Christ. I had the privilege to preach at TWO of their UPWARDS events and at the first one we had 101 adults and teens trust Christ and the second program we had 52. That was 170 salvations for the day and in one week God opened the door for me to be in TEN states in just seven days and we saw God saved 297 to Himself. PRAISE THE LORD!

PLANES, TRAINS & AUTOMOBILES is more than a movie but a way of life for this traveling preacher. I don’t know where you are at in your journey in life. I do know if we delight ourselves in the Lord He will give you the desires of your heart. It is imperative that our dreams are really His Divine Plan for us. A dream can be a NIGHTMARE if God is not in it. Let God dictate your steps and when you hit a wall let Him open the door. After all, He is not only the Way for life but the Door to grow in grace in this world and the one to come. My pastor, Marvin Harris always said: “Our dissapointments are Divine Appointments.” The brief video of Cody below who lost his legs after birth is one of the most inspirational stories I will ever come across. This kid STANDS way taller than me. Don’t let the lies of Satan, the loss of limb or life’s sucker punches stop you from your Divine Destiny. REMEMBER THIS – a delay is not a denial.