i am thankful challenge...day#13

day#13: i am thankful for heart

i'm a kindhearted guy. who gets taken advantage of a lot. it's hard being the good guy. especially when everyone's always rooting for the bad guy.

but i continue to live my life and stand by principles i believe. i'm not a quitter  deserter, or coward. i'm not afraid to be myself. i'm not afraid to live life. i'm not afraid to go against the grain. paint outside the lines. be different.

i'm different.

that's what makes me, me. i lead with my heart, not my fears. i do not hide my feelings or behind my words. i say what i mean, and i mean what i say. character says a lot about a person. who they are, what they mean, and how they treat others. i strive to be a man of great character and a man of great heart.

i am thankful challenge...day#12

day#12: i am thankful for family...

family is important to me. i'm a family man, i'm a father first. a son, next. a cousin, grandson, godfather & nephew. i'd love to add "husband" to that list, but yanno. . .

being a father has opened my eyes to so much more, now that i have someone i'm responsible for nurturing, raising, protecting & teaching to be a good person. to be a good man. to love himself. to love others. it's the one job that never ends. the one job i'd never walk away from. and the best and most important job i will ever have.   i'm thankful for being a father.

i'm fortunate to have both my parents alive, active, and in my life. i still go and make them breakfast for mother's day/father's day. me & my son still sleep over their house on christmas so we can wake up together. we still go on family trips. we have family dinner night (until they started cheating..lol). we hang out just to hang out. i enjoy being around my parents.

i also have a 86 y/o grandmother who calls me her favorite grandchild. who instantly smiles when i call. she's been through hell and back with health problems the last few years...but she's still here. i can still call and say i love you. i can still visit, hug & kiss her (even though i should do all of it more).

me and my cousin have been best friends all our lives (he's one month younger than me). we went to college together, pledged together, and he's the closest thing i have to a brother. his sisters (my cousins) are like my sisters. my godkids (my second cousins) might as well be my kids, because i love them to death. i have tons of other cousins who all refer to me as their "favorite cousin". because i love my family. i invite them to everything. i attend anything they have going on. family is more than genetics. it's a lifeline to who you are & where you come from. it's a connection that even if you don't want it. even if it embarrasses the hell out of you. it's still there.

i am thankful challenge...day# 11

day#11: i am thankful for my parents...

thank you God for blessing me with my parents. as a father i now see that the guidebook to parenthood is written as you go. and as a child i didn't quite understand that. but as a man, as a father..i've seen firsthand just how hard it is to be a perfect parent. all we can do, is try to do our best. and raise our children to be good people. thank you, for giving me two of the greatest people to teach me how to love. how to live. and how to be a good person. too many times we complain about the things we don't like. that we overlook the things that matter. do you know how many people would give anything to have their parents at their graduation, wedding, birth of their child...any life event. i've never had to know what it was like to not have them there. i love my parents & i can say they have loved me longer than anyone else on this earth.

i am thankful challenge...day#10

day#10: i am thankful for giving gifts...

i'm saying...

but for real, i'm the kind of guy who prefers to give than receive.

ok, i'ma stop. lol

i never realized till i was older how much my dad loved christmas. it's like his absolute favorite holiday. as a child you would have thought i was richie rich during christmas because my dad would have an entire room full of toys, trains, bikes, etc..
he couldn't wait til i woke up and went ape shit over my gifts. it wasn't so i'd think he was the greatest dad in the world, because until i declared i knew there was no santa....all my gifts were signed "love santa". he used to stay up all night putting together my toys so i never had to wait to play the next day. this "joy" he had was passed on to me. christmas is now my favorite holiday as well. and if i posted pictures of the view my son wakes up to on christmas...y'all would think i'd had 20 kids. and it's not about the gifts....it's about watching his face light up when he shows me everything santa knew he wanted.

i've loved that feeling since i was little kid. it's always felt better to give than receive. my dad used to take me to the store to pick out a gift for my mom. and no matter what it was, if i chose it he'd buy it. and even if the gift was a piece of junk, my mom would act like it was the best shit in the world. and that made my day. it made me proud to have made her happy. and i do the same with my son now, except his mom has figured it out and has started coaching him on "things mom likes". but even still the smile on his face when his mom receives his gift and starts going ape shit...priceless.

i try to teach him that it's not about the gift itself,  it's about the giving. we give out of love, because we love. cause i'm kanye in the "birthday song" "i'll get a sweater, kiss her on the forehead....and tell her to do better" lol. naw..i don't do ever do that. because it's not about to gifts, it's about the thought & effort put into the gift. some of my favorite gifts received:

• pictures my son has drawn me. 
• one of my girlfriends knew i only liked root beer bottlecaps and bought a whole bunch of boxes and picked out the rootbeer one's for me.
• one of my friends sent some of the most unique ga tech belt buckles..she also sent me a stupid book she won at secret santa that she kept telling me she was sending it to me and i didn't believe her till i got it in the mail...i love the book (and no i haven't read it..) lol
• cards from friends & family...with personal messages
• all of the gag gifts from my friends (we get each other stupid shit like pogo sticks, my little ponies, hair club for men subscriptions, etc..instead of real gifts)
• crazy gadgets from the home shopping network and tj maxx that my mom sees and can not help but buy for me
• my son

i'm thankful for any gift i receive, and i could list a million things because i love them all. but it's the one's like these that i never forget. i may not be able to tell you what i got from christmas when i was ten years old. but i can tell you about seeing my dad go back and forth from the car with gifts in his hand trying to make sure my christmas was amazing. the gifts that last forever...memories.

i am thankful challenge...day#9 (late edition)

day#9: i am thankful for gratitude...

i'm not the most reliable blogger. i pop in and out sometimes like i'm visiting. but one of the things i'm thankful for are all of you who still hold me down. no matter how long it may have been, i get those threatening "get off instagram & twitter and do another manfive!" messages from a lot of you. y'all hit me up and tell me to get back to blogging. y'all encourage me when i'm i'm feeling down. your kind words and funny replies sometimes make my day. It's not said enough but the kinship you form with people that you share your thoughts, feelings, and words with is strong. i feel like i know a lot of you, and i feel like a lot of you know me. i'm grateful for all of the friends i've met and shared my moments with, i am grateful for all of you. yes, even you people who NEVER comment but read my blogs. don't think i don't notice you anonymous people on my stats list. lol

i'm grateful for all of your comments, suggestions, and for checking me out. i'm thankful for YOU!

(and that y'all don't get mad when i'm late w/ posting shit...)

i am thankful challenge...day#8

i have to admit, sometimes i just want to pump my gas. or eat my fiber one bar at the traffic light in peace. i'd like to be able to walk to my car without feeling like i'm being followed, watched, sought out.

i'm not a fan of a beggar. yes, i just saw you ask the dude before for money. yes, i see your sign. no, i don't want to give you money if i see you smoking cigarettes or holding a cell phone. feeling this way doesn't make me selfish, but reaching in my pocket when i see someone who looks like their hungry and pulling out change when i have money in my wallet does. i'm a believer in people. i've given money to ungrateful people. i've given money just so someone would leave me alone. i've bought dinner for a man laying outside on the ground in front of KFC who didn't even ask me, put a $10 bill inside the bag and listened to him curse me out before he even looked inside the bag because i didn't buy him a drink. i've given just because.

and then...i've given because God moved me to. i still til this day say i had one of the greatest conversations i ever had with a homeless man on the expressway ramp at wesley chapel. i rolled my window down, because  before i even exited i felt a feeling. i can't quite describe what it was, but it was one of those things where you  just feel good for no reason. i saw him walking down the ramp, and before i knew it i had rolled down my window and reached out with a $20 bill. the guy walked up to me and said, "thank you sir, thank you. God bless you". and i have no idea how it happened, but we shared a conversation about God that has never left me til this day. I just remember driving away and feeling amazing. it wasn't even about the money. it was a connection i made with someone who was in need. it wasn't about me or him in that moment, that was God. i have no idea what the guy did with the money, i could care less. i just know that it made me feel good, just to give. just to talk to him like he was a person. just to share the word of God with someone.

giving to other's is not always something you want to do, but it's something you should do. it's something you will get a lot more back from, than you may expect. i am thankful for the spirit of generosity. i am thankful that God is with me at times when i forget that everyone on this earth is my sister or brother. and if i am able, even if it's the last penny i have to my name to help someone else...i should not hesitate  because God is always going to make it alright. he blesses you, so that you can bless other's. remember that year round, not just holidays or disasters.

"I was hungry and you fed me,

I was thirsty and you gave me a drink,

I was homeless and you gave me a room,

I was shivering and you gave me clothes,

I was sick and you stopped to visit,

I was in prison and you came to me.’

Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me. - Jesus

i am thankful challenge...day#7

day#7: i'm thankful for encouragement...

yesterday, represented a beautiful change. we as a country are evolving, we're changing. it's not about who you voted for. it's the fact that so many people took action and voted. looking at my timeline on twitter, having random conversations with strangers, discussing with friends and family there was an excitement. one thing i can say about President Obama, he ignited a young nation. four years ago many young people discovered how important they are. how important their vote is. how they can make a change. even in states like mine, that are soaked in prejudice & racism the number of people who voted is amazing. that's beautiful. that's encouragement.

there are a lot of people who voted for Obama because he was black. there were a lot of people who did NOT vote for Obama because he was black. and then there was the rest of us that voted for him because he's the best man for the job. we re-elected a man who cares for america. not just black america or white america, all of america. and that's the difference, he just wants everyone to have an equal shot. whether it's education, healthcare, ..etc. it's not about one class or race of people. he wants everyone to have these basic necessities, because he understands this is the difference between the haves and have nots. this is the kind of man you want your children to look up to. he's educated, he loves his wife & his children, and he's humble. being from the south, i know that racism is still right around the corner. but seeing the country change the way it has these last four years i'm more hopeful for my son's america. the first president he'll remember is a black man. he'll grow up in a country where him wanting to be president won't be scoffed at. he has a chance not to experience the same racism i did, my parents did, or my grandparents did. i'm thankful for his encouragement that we as a country can change.

i believe, do you?

i am thankful challenge...day#6

day#6: i am thankful for writing...

i'm not a writer in the sense of a journalist, columnist, novelist, or any other "ist". trust me, people who feel they are any of those categories are quick to let you know you aren't "on their level". my attitude is, who the hell cares? i blog for myself, it's just another outlet to channel my creativity.

my real writing badge was earned through my music. my entire life i've been writing songs. even when i was child, i'd make up songs about everything. if i was eating it was about my food. if i was taking a bath it was about my bath water being too hot, too cold. even today, my friends will tell you i randomly start singing things we're talking about. it's always been a love. it's always be a gift. i thank God for my creativity. i thank him for the ability to tell a story through music and my words.

i'm a word play man. i like to play around with words and trigger emotions. this is what i do for a living. i compose (write) music. i write songs. i make love to a melody. i give voice to a note. i can say so much without saying a word. honestly it's spiritual. me & my engineer will listen to something a million times. then when we think we got it: we'll turn it up, close our eyes, and just listen. it's like an experience i can't even explain. this is when it's ballads: love, relationship type songs. when it's more uptempo i'm dancing around the studio like diddy. i literally can not sit down, because i become too engrossed. me and my production partner will skype when we're not working together in the same state and you'll see my engineer and his engineer rolling their eyes because we are cursing, dancing, and getting crunk over a......justin bieber song. seriously. lol

i am thankful challenge...day#5

day#5: i am thankful for acceptance...

one thing about me is i love myself. i'm not the tallest guy around. i'm not even the average height guy. i'm downright short...and i'm okay with that. a lot of people joke and think i'm just saying it because i can't change it. but honestly, i'm okay with it. my dad once told me, "it's usually the people who don't like their own reflection that have a problem with yours. don't let people like that dictate how you view yourself". and that has stuck with me my entire life.

i feel like women especially want to make it an issue for me, because they always find issue with it. i can't help if me being short makes you insecure. i've had girlfriends not wear heels because they were so self conscious about being taller than me. when the truth is...i've dated TALL women, who have no issue with it. it's the women who are like 1-4 inches taller than me that act like i'm webster and their some amazon model.

proof that it's all in chicks heads...

me and my girlfriend at the time drove out to a park. we were at the gas station, she was in the car..i was pumping gas. these two dudes walk over to me. me being a gentleman and not knowing what the nature of the conversation was going to be..i locked and closed the door to the car for her safety  so these two dudes are asking me where i'm from, and inviting me to check out their barbershop..and just talking about the park we just came from. so i get back in the car, and she's all scary eyed asking me what they wanted. so i start telling her, and she exhales and tells me she thought they were going to jump me. now one of the dudes probably was 4 inches taller than me and skinny as a rail. the other dude was a midget. like a true legit midget. it was a very funny experience but it also showed me how she really felt about me being a protector. and that did bother me. but at the end of the day, i accept who i am. i accept how God made me. i am thankful that i can look at myself in the mirror and like who i see.

i am thankful challenge...day#4

day# 4: i am thankful for love..

i am thankful that i love, love. even when it doesn't love me i still seek it, want it, need it. i receive love from so many people, that i feel bad when i harp on not having it in the one area i'm lacking it in.

i struggled with this topic as soon as i saw it on the list. i wasn't looking forward to it, or had any clue of what i'd write. a lot of you know my stance on love, especially romantic love. i'm a hopeless romantic who wears my heart on my sleeve. when i'm in love, everyone knows i'm in love. i'm not afraid to share how i feel, what i want, or need.
i'm thankful i know what love is. i'm thankful i know how to love someone the right way. i'm thankful that my love is patient & kind. and i'm thankful that one, two, three, or even a million people couldn't spoil me on love if they tried. it's not love that's let me down, it's people. it's people who make empty promise, pledges, vows and take no personal responsibility for them. it's not God's fault for pointing me in the direction of someone who seemed deserving of my love. everyone deserves love. everyone deserves only the best love, they just don't understand that you need to return only the best love to others. so you get in situations where you know you're giving the best, to someone who isn't being fair to you. this is why life is full of lessons, experiences, and tests...and unfortunately i stay being someone's life lesson or experience. and the chicks i date stay being my test. how many heartbreaks does it take before you just give up? how many times can you be the good guy, and not win. no matter how hurt, bitter,sad, upset, disappointed, or angry love makes me, i still know that "that's not love" making me feel like that. so many people will nurse a heartbreak as if it's just a part of love. it's not. love doesn't hurt. love doesn't make you bitter, sad, upset, or disappoint you. people do. i'm thankful that despite my heart being broken that i still love, love. and i can see it, feel it, and receive it from everyone & everything around me. i endure my test, because one day i'll be rewarded for my diligence. and anyone i have loved will search forever for someone to love them half as much as i did. my test, your lesson.

i am thankful challenge...day#3

"a friend is one that knows you as you are, understands where you have been, accepts what you have become, and still, gently allows you to grow" - William Shakespeare

day# 3: i'm thankful for my friends...

when i'm happy, they're there. when i'm sad, they're there. even when i think i'm alone, they're there. my friends aren't deserters. even the one's who i don't talk to as often or they pretend to be fake mad at me. at any moment i needed them or they needed me we'd be there for each other. because that's the type of person i am, and those are the kind of people i befriend. we stay to the end and are always here →←, there →, and everywhere ↔. i thank God for surrounding me with people who feel more like family than friends. you are who your friends are, and if i'm a reflection of my friends it must mean i'm a pretty damn good person myself. cause my friends are kick ass awesome. every single damn one of them.

i'm not the kind of guy who calls everyone my friend. it's never been easy for me to trust or depend on others. so when i say i totally trust & depend on these people i'm honestly saying i love them to death. you get a lot of people who pass through your life, but it's the people who never leave that make your life amazing. once i'm your my friend, we're friends forever...even if you piss me off. because that's what friendship is. it's a bond. it's a relationship. it isn't dependent on things we do, or say to one another. it's dependent on how much that person matters to you. and even if i curse you to the depths of hell...i don't mean it, because at the end of the day i still care about you. you're still my friend, and i'm thankful for the memories and times shared with you. i may want to throw you into the fire, but i'd risk 3rd degree burns trying to pull you back out. because real friends don't grow on trees, aren't easy to find, and aren't ever possible to replace.

i ❤ my friends...

i am thankful challenge...day#2

day #2: i'm thankful for my life..

thanks be to God for the gift of life and that i'm breathing right now. thanks for waking me up, raising me up, protecting & leading me into an amazing life.

life to me is like a book. from your introduction there are people who are anticipating all of the wonderful, fantastic, amazing things you will do and become. your pages are filled with twist and turns. your plot thickens. and there will be people who never  want your story to end.and just like a book, you have to take it "one page (day) at a time" .

my story isn't done, my life is yet to be complete. i have a lot of living left to do, a lot of pages left to write. but i'm thankful for the experiences i've had. good & bad, i only get stronger & smarter. i'm happy i have my life together. that i'm not lost, or looking for "me". you can be happy with life, and not have everything you want. it's what you choose to focus on, that controls your happiness. i know too many people who think their happiness is dependent on their job, their relationships, their finances..etc. when in reality no one controls your happiness but you. if you're unhappy with yourself....it starts and ends with you no one else. take responsibility for your happiness, and be thankful for all the blessings you overlook daily. when you add them up, you'll find the good outweighs the bad..always.

write on.

i am thankful challenge...day#1

day #1: what i'm thankful for right now...

thursday nights....anyone with kids knows how your life has to operate on a schedule. you have to get them up, get them out, pick them up, get them settled, homework...etc. everything i do from tuesday  to saturday  all revolves around my son's schedule. we get up at the crack of dawn. get home just in time to do homework and get him in bed before 9pm. one day that is the break from the norm is thursday.

this is the one day we either hit our local mexican resturant, or some random resturant to watch thursday night football with my boy Chuck, grab a beer (my son gets a cherry coke), and some good eats. it's become one of my son's favorite days as well as mine. at first i'd leave him with my mom or my cousin (the mother of my god kids)...but he started telling me he wanted to come with me. so we make it a night. we still get back in before 10:30pm, so he get can in the bed. but it's one of our special nights where he feels like one of the boys. and i get to relax, grab a drink, & hang out. thank God it's thursday!

Thanksgiving Challenge...

so since i've been missing in action....i've had a few naysayers, who think i'm not about that challenge life.

so just to prove them wrong. i'm committing to this Thanksgiving challenge brought to me in part by my girl Freckles.

starts..nov. 1.

*if you're participating hit me up and let me know so i can check you out.