About Darren B. Rankins of Pure Thoughts

Darren B. Rankins is a poet, photographer, and owner of Pure Thoughts Ministry, which provides God-inspired products available for sell or for donation to your cause.

A Rising Poet

Darren Barnard Rankins was born to James William and Barbara E. Rankins on September 24, 1966 in Rutherford County, Tennessee. He is the sixth child of seven children. He has one sister, Maxine, and five brothers: James, Kerry, Kevin, Felix, and Vernon.

Darren resides in Murfreesboro, Tennessee with his lovely wife. In addition to working full-time, he has four wonderful children which he loves very much. Some of his greatest learning experiences have come from his children.

Darren is a very talented poet. He began his writing career in sixth grade. He really became excited about poetry when the MTSU Honors Program Director, John Paul Montgomery suggested that Darren take part in the 1994 MTSU Poetry Slam. This was his first opportunity to share his poetry with other writers in an informal setting. He began to submit his poems to publishers and found satisfaction in seeing his work in print. He has since had publications in several magazines and newspapers.

Darren began feeling that writing Christian poetry was a calling that God had for him to do. He wanted to find a way to make an even bigger impact with his poems, so he changed from writing as a hobby to starting his own business. He called his new business Pure Thoughts and things moved to a new level in 1995. This gave him an avenue to distribute the items he had begun to make.

Darren expanded his talents to include designing plaques and Christian T-shirts. His plaques are beautifully made from wood and then lacquered to a shiny finish. Darren’s biggest items are his several original screen-printed t-shirt designs. He writes an appropriate poem and then designs graphics that illustrate the meaning he wants to convey. Many of his T-shirts also contain Bible scriptures to emphasize the importance of his poems.

Even though it is important for Darren to earn money to support his family, he also tries to find good causes to support. He has sold or donated over 5,000 T-shirts worldwide. Darren has a strong conviction that he can make a difference in people’s lives by helping them to hear the word of God. He has struggled through hardships in his own life that have given him the strength and empathy to be sensitive to the needs of other around him.

What are Darren’s plans for the future? He will continue to write poetry to spread the word of God to others. As his name becomes more recognized, he hopes to expand his business as well. He continues to design t-shirts and loves to find new ways to share his designs with the community.

Venmo

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PayPal

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Cash App

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Email

Find out ways to donate to this ministry by emailing me at [email protected].

Volunteerism

To God Be The Glory!

Publications and Write-ups
Charity & Non-Profit Donations
Time and Talent Donations
+
Television Appearances

Publications and Write-ups

We are excited to share with you some of the publications from across the world in which Award-Winning Poet, Darren B. Rankins, has been featured:

“The Rose and the Snowflake”, Night Roses, Prospect Heights, Illinois
“Grow in God’s Love” and “Inner self”, Face the Demon, July/August 1994
“Poets,” Nashville Banner, April 21, 1994 page B-2
Poetry Slam, Sidelines, April 25, 1994 p. 9
Frog Pond, Haiku Society of America, New York, New York, summer 1995
“Poet expresses messages through plaques, T-shirts,” Daily News Journal, April 11, 1997
Murfreesboro Magazine, April 1997, p. 27.
The Spiritual Herald, Vol. 2 No. 4, April 1999, Murfreesboro, Tennessee
“God’s Love”, Broken Streets, Bristol Connecticut
USA White House October 4, 2004 (We Are a Nation)
Talking Crocheting with Carol Alexander August 18, 2004
www.Anylit.com, www.poetrypoems.com and many other online websites. Search Google For Darren B. Rankins
Cannon Courier Newspaper, January 2005
Middle Tennessee business news; November 2002 (Wax Family Printing, LLC) pg. 7.
Christian Focus Magazine, p. 52 March/April, 2005
Middle Tennessee State University African American 5th Annual Gospel Music Extravaganza, 2005. (DVD) Chapter 2
No Time for God or You (Intermission) Don’t Lose the Faith, Homeless and We Are a Nation
AMAG Magazine-Issue Number 10, 2005
Rebel Poetry, Ivrocks.com studio Las Vegas, NV
http://poeticmic.com/personal_pages.php?UserId=816(Fallenkid)
Ivrocks.com studio (Poems on the air)
[email protected] George L Cook III (interviewed 11/24/05)
www.letstalkhonestly.com Live on the air 1/22/2006
www.disilgold.citymaker.com/page/page/2807198.htm alone with picture 1/16/2006
Murfreesboro Daily News Journal, January 30, 2006 and MTSU Records for Concert Benefiting Katrina Victims.
http://blackexpression2005.com/GettoknowDarrenRankins.html 4/12/06
Conversation May Issue www.cawebbconversations.com 5/1/06
2008 http://www.divasontheprowl.com/poetry.htm
The Murfressboro PULSE pg. 20 2/2008 Freedom; The Day I Died and The Memories of Yesterday
http://www.divasontheprowl.com/ 2008
Introduction pg. xvii in Literary Divas The Top 100+ Most Admired African-American Women in Literature (Heather Covington)
Bridge Your Soulful Journey The Margaret Smith-Beach Award April 17, 2010 Nashville, TN
www.artistfirst.com http://66.49.193.35/Authors-First_2010-09-15_Darren_Rankins.mp3
http://authormichellealford.viviti.com/
The Cat’s Meow for Writers and Readers July-Sept. 2014 Vol.14 and 15
www.ireport.cnn.com/1d651ed Darren B. Rankins
www.ravellomagazine.com 2014 (Italy Magazine)
Good Shepherd 2013 (India) Magazine
Pride Publishing Group – “Darren B. Rankins: Man of the Times”
Murfreesboro VIP Magazine 2/2020 issue photo Frosty 5K Run page 21

Cuib-Nest-Nodo. Nr. 12, noiembrie 2012

INTERVIU CU POETUL AMERCAN DARREN B. RANKINS
NEW YORK MAGAZIN 7 NOIEMBRIE2012
http://www.nymagazin.com/interviu.html?aid=4049
New York Magazin

REVISTA CLIPA ( USA)
Editia: 1055 – 10 Noiembrie, 2012 – Anul XXII

CONFLUENTE ROMANESTI
Articol publicat la data de: 30.10.2012
http://confluente.ro/Literatura–Dialoguri/Intereviu_cu_poetul_american_darren_br_al_florin_tene_1351601451.html

ARMONII CULTURALE

DANIELA VOICU ( BLOG)

INTEREVIU CU POETUL AMERICAN DARREN. B.RANKINS

OBSERVATORUL

Charity and Non-profit Donations
The Potter’s House, T.D. Jakes Ministries
Amazing Facts
Pregnancy Support Center
Salvation Army
Chapel Computers for a Bible verse contest
Hope Ministries
Exchange Club Family Center
Kaig Jergenson Medical Fund
Feed the Children
Ever Increasing Faith Ministries
Crenshaw Christian Center
Columbine High School
Tennessee Fosters Supporting Children Charities (Kicks for Children) For Vanderbilt Children Hospital 10/2005
“Walk of Honor” outside the Rosa Park Library and Museum complex in Montgomery, Alabama 2007(Brick)
Book donation to Middle Tennessee State University 2007
National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, TN walkway the Darren B. Rankins Brick 2007
March for Babies, Cancer, Dimes, MS, Lungs etc.
2019 NFL Draft Volunteer Team in Nashville, TN
The Capt. Jeff Kuss USMC Memorial hosts the inaugural Top Gun Night Run 6k on Friday, May 31 at 9:00 p.m. in Lee Victory Recreation Park in Smyrna.

Time and Talent Donations of Photography
Since 2008 my photos and stories as featured on several news programs such as ireport.cnn, News 5, 4, 2, 17 of Nashville, TN and more.
Autism
Heart Walk
Leukemia
Lung Walk
MS
Brain Tumor
Breast Cancer (LP Field)
March of Dimes
Step Out Walk to stop Diabetes (11/8/2014)
and many others.

NAACP 50th March on Washington
8/24/2013 8am
Lincoln Memorial
Jackson, TN

Ronald McDonald House Charities of Nashville, Tennessee, Inc.
2144 Fairfax Avenue
Nashville, Tennessee 37212
Office: (615) 343-4000
Fax: (615) 343-4004
[email protected]

Operation Gratitude
Alex’s Lemonade Stand
Cancer patient at Aldi stores

Saturday at 10 AM – 4 PM
Nashville Music City Center
201 5th Ave S, Nashville, Tennessee 37203

Wounded Warriors 2019
Nashville
Directional Support – Event Perimeter (7:00 am – 8:00)
Cheering Station at Start Finish Line (8:00 am – 9:00 am)
Event Breakdown and Cleanup (9:00am until departure)
Weight Station (7:30 am – 9:30 am)
Event Breakdown and Cleanup (11:30 am until departure)

Walk/run at Nissan Stadium
1 Titans Way, Nashville, TN 37213

St. Jude
Handed out t shirts, water, and trophies.
9/28/19

Nashville Women’s Half Marathon
9/29/19
5th Ave North at First Tennessee Park Sound Stadium
Handed out trophies.

Allstate Hot Chocolate 15k/5K Run
2/15/2020
Handed out metals at the finished line.

I have also donated t-shirts to the Nashville Rescue Mission, Cape Town Africa, Sudan, Nigeria, WGNS To God Be the Glory (Mary Glass) and so many other non-profit organizations.

Television Appearances
Nashville TV Show (Seasons 2, 3) 2013-14
Season 5 The Wayfaring Stranger 1/5/17
Season 5 A Little Bit Stronger 2/5/17
I’ll Keep Climbing 1/15/14
Final Episode May 14, 2014
On the Other Hand 9/17/2014
Road Happy 10/22-29/2014 (305)
She’s Got You 11/13/2013 (306)
Hanky Panky Woman 11/20/2013
Tomorrow Never Comes 12/11/13
The Toby Mac Video 2017 (Love Broke Thru) Riot Police
Still the King (3 Season) 2017
The Motion Picture, “All Saints.” August 25, 2017

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