He was more thatn the 158 words that the local newspaper mentioned of him.

In the same week that the world lost a starlet, it also lost Kevin Johnson.

The world will never know him for what he WOULD have been or COULD have done.
We can now only speak of him in the past tense, his future gone as he drew his last breath.

I remember Kevin as a kind young boy, eager to listen to and record music in my husband's make shift music studio. (Awe how his eyes would light up!)

Kevin was kind, respectful, full of life and always SMILING!

I could go on to ask "what this world is coming too", or declare that the killings must STOP!

More than ever, what I do understand is that each voice that calls out for CHANGE is capable of DOING SOMETHING!

Please find SOMETHING that YOU can do to keep our Kevin's from falling victim to homicide!

I pledge to DO MY part... DO WHAT I CAN to influence the CHANGE that I WANT TO SEE!

Anyone inspired to DO SOMETHING to Intercept Our Youth is welcome to join the team!


Kevin (Right), pictured with his little brother "Dude"

May you rest in God's company, we will miss you Kevin!

Staying in my LANE!

How many of you that know me know that there is NOTHING I think I CAN'T Do!

Some of my friends and family have only begun to see this attitude within the past year! So focused! Giving my every waking breath to what I'm passionate about! On a mission to be successful, not caring if I fall on the way.

Growing up I was always shooting for the stars! Setting goals, and working my butt off to achieve them, proving a bunch of people wrong along the way.

Today, I'm encouraged to not try and do too much. I'm human not Jesus! I've realized that part of my journey has been wanting to prove to God that I can do it. Instead I have to stay in my lane and give it all to him. Wow!

Ok people, to the ones I really care about... You know who you are :) I really regret not scraping my plate to have room to love the way I want to be loved. I want companionship from my friends, and love, and martinis! :) And girl trips! And movie nights with Jimmy, and daily walks with Jazz and Zigg.

I know my plate is full, and I've done an awful job of balancing.... all because of my passion and thirst for success by any means necessary. The biggest blunder has been not making time for God, and thinking just because I talk with him throughout the day that I can make up for that intimate quite time with him.

I want you all to travel the road with me and be there as I achieve goals to celebrate them. Most of all I want God to be proud of what I'm doing because it's what he wants for me and not what I want for me.

Today's devotion has really brought me to this point of reflection.

Dear Lord, Forgive me for allowing busyness to overtake my life, crowding out others and worst of all You. Help me as I purpose to place only those items on my plate that You long for me to have. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

http://www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/encouragement/#Close

Sista Girls

Ey Na! Nia and I go wayyyyyy wayyyy wayyyy back! To skinny Nia, and the girl from the projects back!

We're all grown up now. Can't run and hide when life starts to get rough. Got to stand up, be strong!

Today my heart aches. I know she won't say it, but her heart aches too. Her bestie... her sweetie.. her boo has just been called to Duty!

I have so much respect for Mr. Wilburt Lee. Sorry if i butchered your name. And even more respect for what he does to keep us safe. I know that my sista Girl is strong. She's gonna beee OK! (im my crisette michelle voice)!

Because words elude me now, I LOVE YA! AND PRAYING EVERYDAY.... not the kind that people just say! I mean I really am!

Love Ya Sista Girl.... and ure extra cool hubby 2!

Nia & Lee Tynes on his date of deployment

Chasing God!

Oh My O WOW!!!!!

BOY DON'T ASK GOD FOR ANYTHING YOUR NOT READY TO RECEIVE RT NOW!

I just got back fr0m my google search and stumbled upon a plethora of devotionals. Ok before I get started about the devotional.. Let me just say that I have an 8am alarm set every morning for devotional time. Many mornings I'm just to busy to stop and find my book.

This morning... my house is in complete disarray and I have to make a delivery of products to a store. Still not finished tagging or inventorying anything.

I decided this morning that I was gonna give all of my first thoughts, heart, mind to God. I want him to be in charge of my time. Tears welling...

As I began to read the devotional I didn't think it was for me... it was about training up a child.
After reading I realized that God had given me the word I was seeking. I'm his child! and I'm chasing him.

Here's the link to the devotional... Hope it gives you the word you need for today too.
http://www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/encouragement/

Chandra

Time for the Lord

It seems there is never enough time in the day. Maybe because I don't give God my time first. Starting today, I'm gonna try and get my morning devotion done before doing...touching anything else. I can't find my book rt now... So like anything else I'm gonna Google Search one. Lord what would I do without Google... lol

ITS NOT EASY BEING ME!

Remember that episode from the Cosby Show when Rudy wanted to wear that dress but it was cold out and her mom wanted her to wear a warm sweater instead....

I remember that song playing... "it's not easy being me".... and how sad Rudy was that no one around her seemed to understand her perspective.

My husband and I just returned from a Cruise to Cozumel. The cruise was planned about a year ago as a fundraiser for our foundation's scholarship program. We were joined by some of our friends and family.

Yall.. just gotta understand that I'm EXTRA CONFIDENT BEING ME!!!! I realized that subliminally that bothers a bunch of folks. The ship was definitely a mix of groups, none that really associated to much with the other. I however felt like I could relate to most, but didn't really feel that any particular group thought I could.

so what...
I like COUNTY MUSIC
can enjoy High TEA
love having WINE at the Piano Bar
will sing every lyric and dance to any BEYONCE song
don't care if my hair gets wet while SNORKELING in the ocean
believes in rewarding good service by TIPING
will say yes mam, please and thank you, because its MANNERABLE
don't care if my DOG KISSES ME
give GOD credit for everything

I would say that I'm a good mix of hood, ghetto-fabulous, prissy, classy, with a smidgen of southern arrogance, and lots of love for Jesus. Do I think I'm too much? HELL YEAH! I DO! I AM!

WHY SHOULDN'T I BE?

If you can't handle the fact that I
speak proper English
wear green contact lenses
have 18inches of hair that I grew myself that will curl when it gets wet and make you wonder what nationality my parents are
can walk in 5in heels and make you hate me and your dude wish you could be me
wear a skirt as a top and start a fashion trend
have friends that are coon asses, country, hood, sanctified, "fit the description", college graduates, law makers, accountants, teachers, entertainers, athletes
can do anything that I set my mind to doing, even when all odds are stacked up against me

I can't help that..... I will not apologize for being me....

I can't help who I am.. I'm me. Just like you are YOU.

I can appreciate the differences in people, embrace it, love it, welcome it. I refuse to try and understand why I should be put in a box to be one way or another!

I can't be only HOOD, because I'm from the HOOD! or only INTELLECTUAL, because of my DEGREE!
I can't be quiet when my opinion differs from yours
I can't be FAKE... because your definition of me defies who I am
I can't be anything but who I am...

The girl who's life experiences has made her everything that God created her to be.

ME!

Jimmy and I celebrating our anniversary back in may

Our foundations scholarship cruise with family, and college friends

Defining Me

If my name was written in Websters Dictionary... what words would follow my name? Would I have any synonyms, antonyms.. Would I be a verb, noun, adjective?

Here goes my definition of me....

Chandra Marie Joseph Williams

force that continually changes with the ability to adapt,
not predictable, unbreakable, dangerously independent

Derivatives
Chandra
Chandra Marie
Chandra Joseph
Chandra Williams

Trying to find synonyms and antonyms.... i'm sure i'll think of something