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Martin Luther King Jr. once said "Everybody can be great...because anybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love. "

In the bible, Proverbs 22:9 states "He who is generous will be blessed, for he gives some of his food to the poor."

Buddha once said "Have compassion for all beings, rich and poor alike; each has their suffering. Some suffer too much, others too little."

Gandhi once stated "Poverty is the worst form of violence."

The great Greek poet Aesop once said "No act of kindness, however small, is ever wasted."

And Finally, Mother Teresa once said "At the end of life we will not be judged by how many diplomas we have received, how much money we have made, how many great things we have done."

We will be judged by 'I was hungry and you gave me to eat, I was naked and you clothed me, I was homeless and you took me in.'

Hungry not only for bread -- but hungry for love. Naked not only for clothing -- but naked for human dignity and respect. Homeless not only for want of a room of bricks -- but homeless because of rejection." 

I've realized these past months that all too often, people become preoccupied with their own sense of identity and uplifting, all while taking for granted the uplifting of others less fortunate. I, myself, have been guilty of this and realize now that as a person and as a Christian, It's time I carry out on engaging in deeds that make me a Christian, an American, and a Man. 

 We all have our obligations to carry out; regardless of faith, citizenship or affiliation. Before all else, we are all HUMAN. Please, I ask you all to please contribute whatever little you may have to the needy. Let us evaluate who we are and carry out our inherent tasks as people. Thank you.  

It's Time, 

David.

"With Your Faith"

Have a little faith in me, you need to know my dreams.

Despite the slow timing, it's better than it seems.

I've thought my life through, beside me, you can stand.

If only you promise I'll have your faith, your full faith in me as a man.

I need you to believe in me, when the rest of the world won't..

.. and when all else has doubted me, promise me you don't.

You see, I'm a man of aspirations, my dreams are of the day;

and I need your full faith in me to not let me sleep my dreams away.

I need to know you're there, with nothing there to hide.

Not to follow, nor to lead, but as my woman, be beside.

I need the up's to keep me afloat, the down's to keep me humble.

I need you to be my rock when the rest of the world crumbles.

When I'm hurting, I need you to notice, cause as a man, I can't show it.

For reasons I can't express, I still need you there to know it.

Your full faith as my woman, and when it comes to the heart of it;

I don't ask to be your world, I just ask to be a part of it.

I come with strengths, I come with flaws; I am merely just a man.

But with your faith, I can take on the world.. With Your Faith, I Can Stand.

"I Dream"

Experience has taught me much, the good and bad I've seen.

To make the good, better and the bad, good; for these reasons alone, I Dream.

I dream when there is no air to breathe, or a sky to see.

I dream when I'm just 1 step away from finding the best in me.

I dream when I am content, I dream when I am upset.

I dream when I rejoice in achievement and dream when full regret.

I dream because of all things in life, my dreams cannot be taken.

I dream because when all seems lost, in my dreams, I am never forsaken.

You see, I've never had much, but many dreams; I've had.

I've had dreams that were so good that I've needed so bad.

I've learned you can exist or you can live; as confusing as it may seem...

... I've learned that while the world is sleeping, it's better to lay and dream.

"Take Me As I Am"

Take me as I am, a man with many flaws.

A man that loves unconditionally, a man that loves without cause.

A man that loves far too much, a man who cannot hate.

I am what I am, I say what I say, despite what it may create. 

I think too much and feel even more; tell me, who should I be?

When my greatest friend and my greatest foe are both found within me?

I say too much and I'm too honest; how do I tell you what's true,

when lying to you hurts me, and telling you the truth hurts you?

When you get mad, I won't react; In anger, I become weak.

In anger I might say things I wish I did not speak.

... And so I don't speak, because I refuse to let my guard down, 

but when I don't speak, you think I don't care; tell me what I do now.

You despise me when I'm  with you and miss me when I'm away.

You couldn't stand me yesterday, but you say you love me today.

Take me as I am, and as in the years we've both been through...

Take me as the Flawed Man who loves too much and is sitting here waiting for you.

"What More Do We Really Need?"

Tell me you're with me, through thick and through thin.

Because I can never replace the love that I'm in.

We've been up, we've been down; always hand in hand.

For years we've wondered, "How much more can we stand?"

So just when we think we can't bear these pains anymore,

I just want to remind you, love; we've been down this road before.

Yes, we said we can't make it, and yes we've said we need help,

yet despite the struggle and uncertainty, look at how far we've dealt.

In case you forgot, I Love You; Now and Forever More.

In all the struggles that we've endured, we should never forget what they're for.

The times are going so fast, and it's hard to keep up to speed.

but If I got YOU, and you got ME; what more do we really need?

I'm Just Now Seeing...

... What if I've been so fixated on my career, I've forgotten about what really matters in my everyday life?

What if I've been so preoccupied with the people I'm supposed to meet that I forgot about the people I've already met?

What if I put myself before my family and broke my promise to them?

What if, in my pursuit of who I am to BECOME, I've forgotten who I AM?

Taking a Few Steps Back...
David.

Interesting Political Comics

Sometimes a picture with a caption can make for so much more conversation than an article,  and remember; I don't own ANY of these. Leave the lawyers at home, people. Enjoy.

To Imagery,
David.

Moammar Gaddafi Is No More...

After months of rebellion and assaults, Moammar Gaddafi has finally met his fate and was killed Thursday by gunshot wounds. Libya's revolution has reached a milestone that guarantees the liberation of the people after decades of Gaddafi's rule. New questions arise though:

What will Libya transform into?
If Libya becomes an Islamic state, will NATO intervene again?
Will the killing of Gaddafi result in an increased hostility among the Arab populations currently living in dictatorships?

Short and simple, what are your thoughts on not only Libya's future, but the region's future?

- David.

Occupy Wall Street: Precursor to a Revolution or A Leftist Tea Party?

In the past few weeks, a small group of protesters on Wall Street have caught the attention of the mainstream media. In what was originally a small gathering of people protesting economic inequality and the greed on Wall Street, the protest has spread to several major cities and towns throughout the United States. The protest in New York City has also rekindled a number of questions concerning economic inequality, class warfare and the Obama Administration's ability (or inability) to take on the demands of the Occupy Wall Street protesters.

Some see the protesters as the precursors to civil disorder and revolution..

Some see the protesters as naive liberal unemployed Americans..

Some see the protesters as the Left's answer for the Tea Party Movement..

Me? I'm glad to see Americans are gathering in the thousands to protest our government.. PERIOD. I don't care if you're protesting the atrocities from the Bush administration or the Obama Administration's inability to handle the economy and wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The fact that Americans are coming together to oppose failed and flawed policies of our government, present and past; I'm relieved to see that Democracy is in fact, at work. This protest highlights an important aspect of our nation, that is that the government is failing in it's role as portrayed in the American adage that it must work "In Pursuit of a More Perfect Union."

Wall Street Firms haven't quite been the most constructive of institutions, both before the 2008 financial collapse and after. Most are very apprehensive of the regulations being proposed and those already passed after the collapse. For this reason, I believe the protests are sparking much needed discussion between regular people, government regulators and wall street firms. The reactions from all will determine how much progress or mayhem is to be brought on by these protests.

I will admit though, I have several concerns with this protest; many of which I share with the Tea Party Movement as well. I'm concerned that this protest will enrage the poor and middle class against the wealthy and vice versa. My biggest concern is that these two protests will polarize the country and its policies at a time when unity is desperately needed. Many people will genuinely believe this era is one which became a time of the rich vs. the poor. Between the unemployed and the ultra wealthy, a national crisis could hurt the middle class the most. I feel that should this spiral into a dispute of "Occupy Wall Street vs. Tea Party Movement", more crises are to arise and the messages of both protests stand to be watered down.

My other concern is that Occupy Wall Street will become a political tool for the left as the Tea Party Movement is a tool for the right. It's clear that far right policies haven't fixed the economy in the 8 years under Bush and the far left policies of the Obama administration are only making matters worse. I feel that not enough Americans are gathering to just admit "The Republicans AND Democrats got this all wrong; Therefore I won't vote for either of them." Not enough discussion has been made (yet) of doing the impossible: Creating a major third political party. Recently, Moveon.org and Labor Unions decided to endorse and take part in the occupy wall street protests. This is reminiscent of when right-wing organizations and companies decided to take part in the tea party movement protests. Once outside money and influence is injected in these protests, the message is hampered and the protests become politically polarized; something that hasn't worked for us as a nation.

My hope is admittedly, a long shot... That the Tea Party Movement and Occupy Wall Street protests decide to combine their demands and efforts in a way that compromises their own ideals yet contributes and creates a movement that unites the country and institutionally reforms the flawed policies and programs within our government and public policy.

Below is a video I found VERY interesting and informative. Please watch the whole video and give me feedback on how you interpret this man's message and ideas.

In Hopes of A Greater Democracy...

- David.

America's Debt; MY take on it...

Recently, Congress decided to increase the debt limit the U.S. government is allowed to possess. At more then 14 trillion dollars, Congress increased the debt limit by more then 2 trillion dollars. In return, Congressional Republicans were guaranteed budget cuts by the trillions. Amongst the political wrangling and bickering, it seems though that we've forgotten the significant reasons for debating debt limits and debt limit increases.

While Congress was busy debating what should be cut from the budget, how much of an increase was necessary and what programs were hands on and off, the discussion shifted away from what I think was the biggest question: How do we avoid future debt limit increases in the future?

For anyone who's confused about this whole topic and why it's so important to our economy, politics and way of life, I'll be sure to explain all the complex details in short, comprehensible ways in a later post. In the meantime, What do some of you suggest we cut out of the budget?

Military funding?
Welfare?
College loan funding?
Obamacare?
Social security?
Medicare/Medicaid?



- Keeping discussion fresh,
David.

Where Are We Headed As A Community?

Lately, the news and media has given us less and less reason to have faith in our sense of community and identity. Matters such as the debt ceiling, our trade deficit, our unemployment rates, our decline in educational advantages, three wars being waged and increase in prices on EVERYTHING (most notably Gas) has our community feeling overwhelmed. We struggle to get by everyday and since so many people are living check to check and day by day, we have a hard time believing we can make not only ourselves better as individuals, but even more difficult, ourselves better as a community. Now I'm not going to have you sit here and read a to-do list I made for our world; I simply want to know what YOU believe as an individual our community needs, lacks, and has too much of.

Trying to get the talking started,

David.

If I Knew THEN What I Know NOW...

Last Night, I finished my last undergraduate class I'll ever take and realized that as fast as I came is as fast as I'm leaving. I never realized the extent of everything I'd see these past four years and the significance of all my experiences. There have been up's and down's; though far mores up's then down's. FAR MORE. I wish I could say it wasn't over but it is. There's a time for everything and I'm moving on to the next chapter in my life. I can say though, there are things I wish I either knew well in advance of college, or things I did in college.

1. ENGAGE PROFESSORS : None of us are perfect in EVERY part of our curriculum and I wish I really understood the amount of help and insight professors and teaching assistants could provide. I wasn't at first fond of the idea of attending meetings I wasn't required to go to but after a number of difficult classes, I've realized that the best answers sometimes can't be found in a textbook. Some answers and material just needs to be explained by an actual person who can sit down and talk it through with you.

2. SCHOLARSHIPS : Unless you're on a free to college (not most of us), we could never have too many money from scholarships. Although a substantial amount of money was given to me in grants and scholarships, I never realized the extent of how much free money for school there was out in the world until I was already in college. Also, I was one of the many people who went through college with the idea that after high school, there weren't many more new scholarships that could be attained. WRONG. Big mistake on my part and unfortunately, I'll be paying for it (No pun intended)...

Moving Right along..

3. NETWORKING: I was lucky enough to appreciate the value of networking way before college yet was not anticipating the extent it would have on not only my academic life, but my career. I will say I've done a substantial amount of networking in college, yet wish I did even more considering just how competitive it is out there "in the real world" (a phrase I DETEST, by the way). Bottom line is the timeless saying remains more true than ever in today's world: "It's not about WHAT you know; It's about WHO you know."

For anyone graduating, these things might be a tad too late for you as they are for me. But for anyone who can still take advantage of more college years to come, do so. Remember how fast your first year of college was?

... It doesn't get any slower.

Time Flies and just when you feel like you're catching up, it gets faster.

To The Years,
- David.

My First Blog Poem

As I was rummaging through my old papers, I came across a few poems I wrote last summer (just to see if I still had it in me!) I was a little rusty after so many years, but I tried! haha, I figure I'll put a few up that some people might be able to relate to.

"You've been hurt, battered and bruised; left out on your own.

You entrusted him with all you had, now you're all alone.

You had your heart broken and it still has not healed

Tell me this, tell me now; how do you really feel?

Do you see your life with another, or is your life just you?

When another man steps to the plate, tell me; what will you do?

Is one man at fault for another man's neglect?

You think with your mind but love with your heart; which one will you protect?

Will animosity run your life or will you live life by fear?

Are you scared of love and getting hurt; are you scared of tears?

To love is to be helpless; are you scared of trust?

You know there are other beautiful women, so are you afraid of lust?

What is it you're scared of and why is it you run?

Is it because you Hate Love from the harm one man has done?

I see your lessons learned, and you say you will not bend

but tell me this, tell me now.. When will you love again?"

In my attempts to get my poetry swag back!
- David.

The State of Hip Hop in 2011: Has it Come Out The Coma?

Hip Hop Is Back!

Why do I say this, some might ask. The reason I say this is because while there are still several rappers and artists who do not deserve the radio air play or the financial success given to them, it is becoming more and more apparent that the mainstream Hip Hop audience has become sick of the trend that came about from what I call, snap-rap. "Crunk" rap is becoming less and less played on the radio airwaves. Ringtone Rappers are becoming decreasingly popular and as a result, are putting out less music and receiving less airtime. It's fair to say, I think they got the hint. They Suck.

What do you folks think, Is Hip Hop back on the come up and out of it's Coma, or do you disagree and say either it was never in a "coma" or it still hasn't recovered from the slump in recent years?

Hip Hop Forever,

- David

The Falling Dominos in the Middle East.

First Tunisia.
Then Egypt.
Now the oppressive regimes of Libya and Bahrain are battling for their tyrannical holds on power against their own citizens.

Moammar Gadhafi appears to be the next domino to fall in a line of decades-long dictators who've refused to loosen his grip on power within his respective nation. It appears that the longer the dictator has been in power (in Gadhafi's case, close to 40 years), the less willing they are to accept changes to the status quos' they've imposed and developed. After Gadhafi is kicked out of power, which he WILL be based on news reports and the atrocities he's committed over the past weeks, Libya will be faced with the difficult task Tunisia and Egypt have encountered. The question of rebuilding and reform will fall upon the nation of Libya and as is often the case, the youth will have more say in the fate of their country; both short term and long term. With so many protests going on in the region, it begs the question:

Who's Next To Go?

Best Wishes To The Youth of The World,
 - David

Julian Assange: Our Necessary and Contemporary Dark Knight

When our government discourages the public from reading something, we have reason to be suspicious.

When one man's organization takes the task of whistleblower that media outlets like CNN and Fox News refuse to do, we must be worried.

When Democratic governments around the world collaborate to shun, cover-up and silence one man's work and free speech, we need not apologize for our curiosity.

When political leaders call someone a terrorist, despite that person never causing any violence or responsible for anyone's harm, we need to see through the fog.

When the media and the government demonize one man and his efforts to speak out on ANYTHING, we must ask “Why?”

Julian Assange is 2010's Dark Knight for the simple fact that he has taken on the spoiler role to the many secrets governments around the world possess. Governments like England, France, Spain, Australia, the United States and other Democratic governments are making attempts to minimize Assange's reach to the internet community and taking steps to prevent people from reading the leaked documents Assange has released. I find this disturbing considering the extent of how international governments are working together in order to silence one man and the secrets he possesses. Keep in mind Assange's documents aren't entirely military secrets. According to reports, banks and major corporations are aware that Julian Assange has thousands of documents concerning their ways of business; most likely cases of corruption, fraud and other illegal practices they are afraid of being revealed to the public and stockholders.

I worry Julian Assange's necessary 'evil' will be silenced due to international pressure and organized attempts to keep the secrets from reaching the public. Ask yourselves.. Why do the governments and businesses want to keep the secrets concealed so bad? What exactly are they afraid of?

Ron Paul recently came out in support of Julian Assange and said “When truth becomes treason, we're in trouble.”

I hope you all agree.

Timeless Democracy,

David Javier Solis

Good Point, Ron Paul.

Ron Paul, while not someone I always agree with, is someone I'm always impressed with. His ability to raise questions very few are willing to raise is a trait I believe more politicians should possess. Here are a set of questions he rhetorically asked to Congress on February 12th, 2009 that I believe we can all ask ourselves, as citizens and as students.

What if we wake up one day and realize that the terrorist threat is a predictable consequence of our meddling in the affairs of others?

What if propping up repressive regimes in the Middle East endangers both the United States and Israel?

What if occupying countries like Iraq and Afghanistan - and bombing Pakistan - is directly related to the hatred directed toward us and has nothing to do with being free and prosperous?

What if someday it dawns on us that losing over 5,000 American military personnel in the Middle East since 9/11 is not a fair trade-off for the loss of nearly 3,000 American citizens, no matter how many Iraqi, Pakistani, and Afghan people are killed or displaced?

What if we finally decide that torture, even if called "enhanced interrogation techniques," is self-destructive and produces no useful information - and that contracting it out to a third world nation is just as evil?

What if it is finally realized that war and military spending is always destructive to the economy?

What if all wartime spending is paid for through the deceitful and evil process of inflating and borrowing?

What if we finally see that wartime conditions always undermine personal liberty?

What if conservatives, who preach small government, wake up and realize that our interventionist foreign policy provides the greatest incentive to expand the government?

What if conservatives understood once again that their only logical position is to reject military intervention and managing an empire throughout the world?

What if the American people woke up and understood that the official reasons for going to war are almost always based on lies and promoted by war propaganda in order to serve special interests?

What if we as a nation came to realize that the quest for empire eventually destroys all great nations?

What if Obama has no intention of leaving Iraq?

What if a military draft is being planned for the wars that will spread if our foreign policy is not changed?

What if the American people learn the truth: that our foreign policy has nothing to do with national security and that it never changes from one administration to the next?

What if war and preparation for war is a racket serving the special interests?

What if President Obama is completely wrong about Afghanistan and it turns out worse than Iraq and Vietnam put together?

What if Christianity actually teaches peace and not preventive wars of aggression?

What if diplomacy is found to be superior to bombs and bribes in protecting America?

What happens if my concerns are completely unfounded - nothing!

What happens if my concerns are justified and ignored - nothing good!

Kiva: Where You Can REALLY Make a Difference

Most of us wonder what charity we can contribute to and which charity can contribute the most to those who need it. I asked myself this question for years and made up my mind after I spoke with my economic development professor. Organizations like the Red Cross, March of Dimes, ACS, Salvation Army, and other charitable organizations do a great job in helping out towards the causes they stand for. The problem with these types of organizations though, is we often do not see our donation make a particular difference and while we know the donations given to these charities make a major difference in the causes they work for, the lack of visible results can sometimes discourage a prospective donor from contributing. With Kiva, donors can see their contributions at work and even have their contributions returned to them after they've served their purpose and paid back.

We know families throughout the world are struggling to find adequate work and many are struggling to even feed their families. Through Kiva, we can contribute a small loan to families in need throughout the world (including the United States) and as opposed to other aid programs, these contributions often allow the borrower to become self-dependent and not rely on future donations to get by. Secondly, the contributions are paid back to us, the lenders.

Whether your passion is economic development, universal education, health care, human rights, medical causes or other social awareness causes, I truly believe organizations like Kiva provide opportunities to contribute to all these areas. Think about what you would look for in a charity and take Kiva into consideration.

Trying to make the world a better place then I found it,
- David.

Investment In The Next Generation

Improving the American Economy has been the focus of all political talk for years now, yet we've failed to understand that without first enhancing the American workforce, we can do very to little to retain our Economic advantages and edge in the global economy. I believe it's time to bring education reform to the attention of everyone from students, parents, school boards, state governments, non-profit organizations and most importantly, Congress. For too long, our American government has recklessly spent trillions of dollars that gave back to America very little in return,  and the one issue that can most significantly improve the state of our country and economy is being ignored. There should be nothing political about educating the students of our country and in education reform, partisanship and political bickering will only hurt OUR generation and the next to come. If fixing the economy is the number one issue among all Americans and American institutions, why then, do we ignore education reform? We must all realize that we cannot have one without the other.

For tomorrow's America,

- David.

The Meaning of Faith

WHAT IS FAITH? 

"complete trust or confidence in someone or something"

I often struggled with the term, 'faith'; not because I did not have trust and confidence or believe in a higher being but because I did not know how to interact with that higher being. I struggled with the idea that you can acquire strength from a belief you never could've had without it. One of the greatest assets in human nature is the idea that we are stronger than what we hold within ourselves. Here's a few quotes on what some people believed was faith and how they felt about it. Hope this clarifies the meaning of Faith for those who aren't quite so sure as I was. Enjoy

A FAITH that hasn’t been tested can’t be trusted.
- Adrian Rogers 
 
FAITH, as Paul saw it, was a living, flaming thing leading to surrender and obedience to the commandments of Christ.
- A. W. Tozer

FAITH is different from proof; the latter is human, the former is a Gift from God.
- Blaise Pascal 

A FAITH to live by, a self to live with, and a purpose to live for.
- Bob Harrington

FAITH is the art of holding on to things your reason once accepted, despite your changing moods.
- C. S. Lewis

Obedience is the fruit of FAITH.
- Christina Rossetti 

FAITH is building on what you know is here, so you can reach what you know is there.
- Cullen Hightower

FAITH is the refusal to panic.
- David Martyn Lloyd-Jones 

FAITH makes all things possible… love makes all things easy.
- Dwight L. Moody

The key to FAITH is what we are willing to sacrifice to obtain it.
- Elder Cloward 

If you desire FAITH, then you have FAITH enough.
- Elizabeth Barrett Browning

FAITH is not belief without proof, but trust without reservation.
- Elton Trueblood

Flatter not thyself in thy FAITH in God if thou hast not charity for thy neighbour.
- Francis Quarles

There are no miracles for those that have no FAITH in them.
- French Proverb 

The beginning of anxiety is the end of FAITH, and the beginning of true FAITH is the end of anxiety.
- George E. Mueller

To love means loving the unlovable. To forgive means pardoning the unpardonable. FAITH means believing the unbelievable. Hope means hoping when everything seems hopeless.
-Gilbert K. Chesterton 

FAITH is a higher faculty than reason.
- Henry Christopher Bailey 

The smallest seed of FAITH is better than the largest fruit of happiness.
- Henry David Thoreau 

FAITHless is he that says farewell when the road darkens.
- J. R. R. Tolkien

FAITH is not believing God for the inevitable but for the impossible.
- SoulSupply

Patience in the present, FAITH in the future, and joy in the doing.
- George Perera

The greatest act of FAITH is when a man understands he is not God.
- Oliver Wendell Holmes

FAITH has to do with things that are not seen, and hope with things that are not in hand.
- Saint Thomas Acquinas 

FAITH is to believe what we do not see; and the reward of this FAITH is to see what we believe.
- St. Augustine 

Vision looks inwards and becomes duty. Vision looks outwards and becomes aspiration. Vision looks upwards and becomes FAITH.
- Stephen S. Wise 

You can judge the quality of their FAITH from the way they behave. Discipline is an index to doctrine.
- Tertullian

The errors of FAITH are better than the best thoughts of unbelief.
- Thomas Russell 

Painting is a FAITH, and it imposes the duty to disregard public opinion.
- Vincent Van Gogh

It’s not dying for FAITH that’s so hard, it’s living up to it.
- William M. Thackeray 

When you put FAITH, hope and love together, you can raise positive kids in a negative world.
- Zig Ziglar