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Social Saints Updates
Ha ha ha! I can’t stop laughing at this. Personally I think Obama is doing an ok job but I do expect more. Nonetheless, this video is hilarious! Though it’s meant to be funny what if our president just gave up? How would you react? Surprised? Apathetic? Furious? Before you answer though, here’s a better question. Have you given up? Do you think it’s the President’s job to initiate change, or do you think we all share a part? Either way, enjoy and let me know what you think.
-J.
Well it’s been a few weeks but I figured there is no time like the present to suggest a few good gift ideas for the holiday season. Personally I’ve run into some road blocks when it comes to gift ideas, so I figured why not find a way to give my talents or business expertise instead of tangible items.
Since we all share so many talents, why not give the gift of knowledge to one of your friends, family members, or maybe even a stranger. I personally plan to offer internet marketing strategy (as a service) and XHTML/CSS/javaScript classes to one of my friends. Now I’m not sure of how it will work out but I’ll let you know how it goes. In the mean time, what are some of your talents or gifts that you can offer someone? Is giving my talent a “real” gift?
Happy birthday to me… happy birthday to me… happy birthday to Jdot (that’s me)… happy birthday to me! LOL!! Ok I promise no more singing!
The real reason I’m writing is to talk about what I would like to see over the next 365 days. I don’t want to keep this post too long so I’ll just hop right in. Here are the top 7 things I’m looking forward to over the next year!
What do you think? What’s missing? You can be honest. What other milestones or goals should I add to this list?
Thanks for tuning in and let me know your thoughts!
-Justin
Yesterday I had the privilege of seeing an advanced screening of the movie Precious and I have just one word to describe the film. Amazing. Aside from being a great movie (fantastic storyline, great cinematography, and fantastic acting) there are 3 other reasons why you should see this movie.
I could go on and on but I’ll just say that “Precious” has the ability to change peoples lives. On November 6th take a moment to empower yourself, your family and our communities. You simply don’t want to miss this!
Here’s an HD Trailer
Most of you who know me, know that I am a man of few words unless I want to talk about something near and dear. Well today you all get to read me go on and on about how we need continue to give and support those affected by the recent weather in Atlanta.
Actually… I’ve changed my mind. I was going to take the time to dig deep and express my deepest thoughts but I’ll keep it short so that I can do more and say less.
Just in case you missed it, our city is hurting right now and the media and news outlets just don’t do it enough justice. The images you see are merely glimpses into what people are experiencing. Remember that water is real… this is not a movie! The simple truth is we need to do more. I know we’re all busy but that doesn’t relieve us of our responsibilities as neighbors, Atlantans, Americans,and Christians. A good friend of mine, Jasmine Bacon, said something that made me think while we were talking about donating. After making mention to the fact that very few people have responded to emails and text she said; “Well tell them to look at the news all day like I did and it’ll get a reaction out of them!” My initial thoughts were yea that’s true, but then I asked myself does it really take the news to get people to react? Are we programmed to shake our heads at the screen and then go on with our lives? People have lost EVERYTHING! These are not damp floors, we’re talking water levels that would completely cover most of us if we were standing straight up. Now no offense to Jasmine and the first part of her message, because there is some truth in that, but I would like to believe in the second part of Jasmine’s message where she said; “It just hit too close to home for me!” Now that’s real, and that is what should fuel us. I mean think about it. Some of us live less than 10 miles away (and work even less) from some of the most devastated areas. If the wind was blowing just a few miles per hour in our direction, it could be us standing in need.
So for those of you who have given your time and money, on behalf of all Atlantans I want to say THANK YOU!! But guess what you can do one more very simple thing. Tell someone else about how much OUR city needs us and get them to respond too!
For those of you who haven’t had the time or taken the time, I just ask that you do something… anything. Below are some really easy ways to help and remember it’s not all about quantity (when it comes to time and money). Help out for a few hours after work or donate 5 or 10 dollars… the point is do something!
For those of you who want to donate money, know that Social Saints has set up fund (via Paypal) and you have our commitment to making sure 100% of the proceeds to those in need. No middle man, no bureaucracy. We will take the money, buy supplies or gift cards and get them to those in need. Period.
http://socialsaints.org/give/atlanta-relief/
You may also check out http://www.hopeatl.com/ for additional ways to donate your time and resources to those who NEED you to respond. As it say in the title of HopeATL.com It’s REALLY BAD!!!
Ok this turned out longer than I really want but I want to thank you for reading and responding to this! Remember to forward this to friends and post this to your wall! I love and appreciate you for taking the time to read this now… Let’s RESPOND and answer the call!
-Justin
P.S. If you have questions feel free to call or email me directly.
email: give@socialsaints.org
call: 404-425-9968.
You can also follow us on Twitter for additional updates and information (http://twitter.com/socialsaints. We’ll share the information we receive as we get it!
Also If you think home owners insurance and the Red Cross can handle it all… you’re wrong.
Well it’s been a while and the only reason I haven’t posted anything before now is because I’ve been busy working on a new version of my site. It will be my first design change in over 2 years. It’s simply just time. What you will see is my portfolio work, my projects and the technology I build come to the front, while my writings take a back seat for now. I will continue to write of course but not as often. I also plan to focus more on marketing technology, social technologies and some of the other things I’ve worked on in the past year or so. I hope you like it and thanks for checking back in!
I’ll keep this brief so that you may carry on with your day but I want to share with you a particular perspective of mine, in hopes that it may help you manage your stress level a little better.
Let’s face it, stress is an everyday part of life and to be honest some types of stress can be good for you. Sometimes stress (good stress called eustress) can lead to innovation, radical improvements in productivity and even a better perspective on things. What I’ve come to realize, personally, is that I can have all of those things without necessarily having the physical burden put on my body. I won’t turn this into a health seminar but stress has been linked to all kinds of health problems, and according to Dr. Michael Roizen (yes he was on Oprah) can add years to your “real age” (the age in which your mind and body operates at – not your calendar age).
So you’re thinking just get to it already Justin… you said you weren’t going to make this long! Well you’re right so here you go.
My View of Stress
To me stress is a distraction. Stress is one of the many obstacles that we receive into our lives and we just kinda deal with as best we can. For a long time I felt that way but I realized that my mind and body was paying the price for something that I often times don’t have control of. Like many, stress leads to several thing including; lack of mental and physical rest, poor eating habits, and a very poor attitude. With so many “negatives” and too few “positives” I decided to pray a little more and do something about it. With that intitiave and insight from God I figured out that stress, for me, is merely another form of shallow faith. “How so?” you may ask. Well if I am to believe that God can and will handle it all then what am I really doing when I “stress out!” Well for me stressing out equates to wasted time, and being an entrepreneur wasted time equals wasted productivity (and money) further pushing my mind and body into a vicious cycle! So, since I’ve pretty much concluded that stress equals wasted time… I’ve simply decided to stop wasting my time and continue to keep my eyes fixed on God’s kingdom. You may be thinking that’s a fairly shallow explanation but the truth is… that’s it! If you disagree here’s an additional way of looking at it. As a believer, allowing stress to consume you does 4 things;
I don’t know about you but #2 alone is enough for me to stay focused and to worry less. I absolutely hate feeling like I missed something. Anyway what are you thoughts? How do you manage stress? Let’s come up with a plan to maintain our focus and keep our minds, bodies, and spirits free and clear.
I really only have one word to describe just how good God has been, and that is AMAZING! I’ve been through so much the first quarter of 2009, some great, and others not so good, but I’m blessed all the same.
I wanted to write to everyone to let you know what’s going on with me. It’s quite a long update so I’m going to break it down into parts starting with Social Saints (founded last fall)! 
Social Saints
The story behind Social Saints
In the winter of 2007 I started a very long conversation with God about my purpose and what he would have me to do. After months of prayer and dialogue I received my answer. Simply put God wants me to use my talents to empower others. Since I’ve always considered myself a God Fearing Internet Marketer, I decided to combine those two truths into something more real. The result is an internet marketing consultancy designed to assist faith-based organizations and non-profits in the development of strong, relationship-oriented, online communities.
What Social Saints has to offer
Technology Solutions – We can assist your non-profit or faith-based organization in the development of a facebook application, adding social technologies to existing websites and applications, email marketing campaign development, CRM and membership management software integration and so much more!
Social Media Consulting – We can show you how to turn your social capital into solid relationships. Wondering how to use Facebook, MySpace or Twitter to promote your ministry, cause or message effectively? That’s what Social Saints is here to do!
Marketing Technologies Education – We believe in building self-sustaining organizations, so we don’t just consult and build, we also educate. We follow and believe in a train the trainer educational model, so your organization can learn how to use the internet effectively for your message and/or ministries.
You can join the discussion and find out more on Facebook, and Twitter!
Well I thought I should take a minute to tell you that I am alive, and yes I do plan to update everyone soon on what’s been going on. Right now I am in transition and starting to get that ball rolling on some really great ideas.
I would like to say congratulations to my friends Chris and Sydney as they were recently engaged and are about to embark on one of the greatest adventures of their lives. NO not marriage, planning the wedding! LOL!
Anyway I will check back in soon with a little more umph… sorry to leave you hanging.
To all of my readers, family members and friends I would just like to apologize for the delay on posts. I have been extremely busy and just haven’t taken the time to finish revisions to some post, but there are some on the way. There is a lot in store over the next few months and I can’t wait to share.
Be Blessed!