Road Route: http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=5280413

www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vGrSaFfaV0

www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pfeh2U8dQU

www.youtube.com/watch?v=qH-Zqudx06Q

www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-IUWlzjVHU

www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzaJBOMh_08

Now some would wonder where I’m coming from since 2012 started in January. I started celebrating my new year at the beginning of my birth month years ago while serving in Saudi Arabia. The one thing that serving in the military and participating in war teaches you is that you’re not promised tomorrow. So when I’m able to make it to the next day and then to my next birthday sane and capable I see that as reason to celebrate. In addition with me being a late bloomer there’s always something lingering at the end of the year which ends up carrying over into the next year. So I usually need a little time to clear my slate before I’m able to really get into any of the plans I have for the new year.

So here’s my ending to 2011:

The time has come to cleanse my plate,
and account for consequences which sealed my fate.
I wipe the slate and bid thee adieu
of the pains and sufferings inflicted by you.
Farewell to promises I couldn’t keep,
fueled by broken dreams of prosperity which hindered my sleep.
Farewell to dreams that told of riches and glory,
replaced by spoiled fruit harvested with tourmoil and worry.
Farewell to negative thoughts spoken outloud and from within.
I set aflame to these burdens and will account for my sins.

Phase I of my Charles R. Drew member directory project is complete and the new website is online and accessible here: Charles R. Drew Alumni. I’m going to leave registration free to all members with payment options for business advertising and sponsorships coming in the near future. I may even allow blog purchases for anyone looking to add one to the niche network.

Purpose of Project
Member Directory
A member of the Alumni Creator network, the website was initially created to serve as a member directory and online repository for anyone who would’ve attended Charles R. Drew elementary school located within the East Lake Meadows housing community at 301 East Lake Blvd in Atlanta, GA. The school has since been renamed and was converted to a charter school in 2000.

The way the project works is simple in that members register to create an account and upload member data. This is no different from any other member based social networking site as it allows other alumni members to locate and re-establish lost connections. So imagine having graduated from elementary school in 1980 and now having a specific place to locate old classmates.

Network Inclusion & Revenue Generation
In addition the project will also exist as part of my niche network and help to increase my Google Adsense earnings.

I’m very excited for the project as my sole intent is for it to bring people together. A former resident of the East Lake Meadows housing community I graduated from “Drew” in 1983 and later attended high school at East Atlanta starting in 1984 so I’m definitely targeting residents of the East Lake Meadows housing community and surrounding areas with the intent of bringing awareness to this and other initiatives such as the East Atlanta High & Murphy High alumni committees. More on these later.

Task List:
1. Add content to Advertise & FAQ pages.
2. Configure pricing options for business advertising purposes.
3. Add social media value options to sign up page:
Facebook
LinkedIn
Twitter
4. Create marketing campaign.

Wishlist:
Redo logo. I don’t have any other images of the school so this is the vision that came to me.

With this being a completely new undertaking I’m open to feedback and suggestions. So anyone who may have attended Charles R. Drew should stop by, create an account, and subscribe to be alerted on new member postings.

More to come…

Kirk Franklin – The NU Nation Project
Track #9 Hold Me Now

The spring of April’s gone, the leaves have all turned brown.
The children are all grown up and there’s no one around.
I’m looking over my life and all the mistakes I’ve made.
And I’m afraid, afraid!
Somebody told me that you would wash all my sins,
and cleanse me from the scars that are so deep within.
So I’m calling to you! If you can hear me I don’t know how!
I was wondering, can you hold me now?

You are the only one that patient when I fall.
Your angels come to save me everytime I call.
You don’t laugh at me when I make mistakes and cry.
You’re not like man, You understand me!
See people change one day they don’t like you, the next they do!
I wish that everyone could love me just like you.
So here I am, this sinful man, peace won’t allow.
I was wondering, can you hold me now?
I was wondering, can you hold me now?

I know it seems like the storm will never pass,
and it seems like the rain will never end.
The red sea is infront of you, Pharoah and his armies behind you.
But my brother if you look your head up to the sky,
God has not forgotten you and His angels will camp around you.
For he’ll never leave you nor forsake you.

To every broken person that may hear this song.
To every boy or girl that feels their smile is gone.
I know exactly how it feels to lay in the bed at night.
and cry, and cry!
Don’t you worry God is Faithful and He cares!
Of all the tears of joy and the pain you feel, He’s there!
When you are, that’s when he’s strong!
Even though you don’t know how!
God can and He will hold you now!
God can and He will hold you now!
God can and He will hold you now!
Don’t you worry He can hold you now!

I’ve been feeling like crap these past few days and could really use a good word! So whenever I get this way I pull out this CD and listen to tracks #9 & #10. Because I’m so thankful for this song I felt like writing the words to have as a point of reference.

What are Dreams and Desires?
I define a dream as a subconscious response to a desire. Desires to me are things that satisfy, or speak to, particular or specific needs. If you think or want something bad enough you begin to dream and justify your reason for having it. So much so that you see yourself participating in, or living, that dream.

At What Cost?
Dreams and desires can be expensive and the chances you take pursuing them can cost you dearly. So I ask how far you’ve gone and at what cost because there are times where they can become unrealistic, unattainable, and unnecessary. At some point you have to realize that you’ve become so consumed that you’ve lost touch with the reality of your situation. This reality can be that you simply don’t NEED what it is you desire. So the first problem is coming to grips with this revelation and the other is learning how to either deal with or walk away from it. This can be hard depending on the amount of time, energy, or effort you feel you’ve invested into this, or any, particular endeavor.

Easier Said Than Done – My Dream or Desire Example
I write about it as I live it. I have a deep fascination with Range Rovers and the Porche Carerra. They’re expensive luxuary vehicles with a high cost of ownership and I absolutely love them! Do my lifestye warrant the need for either of these vehicles? No? But my dream and desire is to own the latest of either of these particular models. So I’m working my @$$ off to get to a point to where my lifestyle affords me the opportunity to own either of these vehicles. In the meantime I currently own a 1994 Range Rover County LWD. It suits my lifestyle because it represents where I’m at and what I’m trying to get to, which is the next level. So I absolutely adore this vehicle and had dreamed of owning one for years. At the time of purchasing it I had another vehicle so the plan is, and always has, been to restore and drive the Rover sparingly. I’ve treasured this vehicle and it has gotten me through some tough times. In fact it’s lasted longer than any of my other vehicles. Over the years this thing has become more of a burden than a desire because I’ve had to drive it more than expected. This has resulted in expensive repairs and continued maintenance. So I’m at a place now where I have no stability in the form of transportation and I’m not where I can go out and purchase another Range Rover.

My Reality
I ask myself if it’s time to walk away from this dream, or desire, and seek stability through some other form of transportation? This is just the reality of this particular situation. I still have a continued dream and desire to own this type of vehicle but I need a more stable mode of transportation. So my challenge is not just walking away from my Range Rover but also walking away from a lifestyle which I’m pursuing.

Closing
It’s usually obvious, as in this particular scenario, what needs to be done. The challenge, for some, is figuring out how to move on. You get stuck on hope so you find yourself regressing and remaining idle. As I right this I’ve come to grips with the reality of leaving my rover in pursuiant of stability. It sucks but it’s necessary as I still dream and desire for that which I don’t need, at this particular time.