Pastor Andy Stanley of North Point Ministries writes: “I keep a little card in my desk that reads: ‘Dream no small dreams, for they stir not the hearts of men.’ More than once that simple statement has kept me from retreating from my dreams. I know from experience that it’s impossible to lead without a dream. When leaders are no longer willing to dream, it’s only a short time before followers are unwilling to follow. So dream! Dream big. Dream often. Somewhere in those random ideas that flood your mind, is one that will capture your heart and imagination. And that seemingly random idea may very well evolve into a vision for your life.” Every great accomplishment begins as a dream in someone’s heart. All things are created twice: first in your mind, and then in your life. Dreamers allow their minds to wander outside the boundaries of what is, creating a mental picture of what can be. They are not always the most talented or best educated—just the ones who refuse to put brackets around their thinking or limit themselves to what others have done. Doing this requires courage, lots of it! On the heels of every dream there’s a demon of doubt. No sooner is your dream conceived than your mind is suddenly filled with all the reasons why it may not work. And there will be folks around you who‘ll be quick to confirm those fears. In spite of that, you must forge ahead and dream; otherwise you’ll spend the rest of your life fulfilling the dreams of others. “Rise up; this matter is in your hands…take courage and do it.”

You may enjoy some more encouragement here.

From my favorite daily devotional “Word for you Today.”

I along with 64 million other Americans have discovered the joys of saving money and finding those unexpected “treasures” (which make up 25% of Costco’s inventory) on any visit to Costco.  Of Costco’s 4,000 items, the biggest selling item is one I bought just yesterday–their own brand of toilet paper!! Kirkland Signature (the name was derived from their hometown of Kirkland, Washington.)

Costco has a testing lab and team that only studies toilet paper.  (what a s%@* job!) Costco also sends a toilet paper squad across country from paper mill to paper mill studying the manufacturing process and other factors like humidity, and temperature which affect the final produced roll.  Who knew?!

Costco sells over $4,5 Billion dollars of beef, $4 Billion dollars in produce and nearly $2 Billion dollars in TV’s every year.  On any given day you can nosh on samples of crab and crackers, rotisserie chicken, drinks and the like all enticing you  to buy more than you planned.  I purchased a tub of $10.00 salmon dip after tasting…and then a $8.00 bag of Doritos, a huge bag of $6.00 popcorn and a $25.00 casserole all from sampling.  Just watch where you push the cart!

Check the end of aisles for “clearance” items, discontinued and markdowns and know that you’re saving money when you shop Costco because nothing is marked up more than 15%.  The biggest amount of profit is from the membership fees.  90% of members renew and that’s one of the highest in the retail industry.

I waited 1 hour to meet the C.E.O. of Costco JIM SINEGAL!

Costco secrets:  A star next to an item on the price tag means it will not be restocked.  Case in point:  The Kashi Blueberry waffles.  Gone from all GA clubs. (damn!)  If an item ends in a “7″ or “0″ is has probably been marked down.  (Most regular prices at Costco end in “9″.)  Buy your electronics at Costco because most come with a 90 day return policy and their concierge service is FREE on most TV’s.   Costco guarantees your 100% satisfaction from membership to products they sell.  So come join us–there’s plenty of room inside for you!

Shop Costco online.  Here is an example of savings!

FOO FIGHTERS AND PEARL JAM TO HEADLINE MUSIC MIDTOWN 2012
The Meadow @ Piedmont Park Friday, Sept. 21 and Saturday, Sept. 22

Already wishing it was Fall in Atlanta for the annual return of Music Midtown!

The 2012 lineup features the following artists on Friday: Foo Fighters, Van Hunt, TI, Joan Jett and The Blackhearts, The Avett Brothers and Saturday includes: Pearl Jam, Ludacris, Girl Talk, Florence and The Machine, Civil Twilight, LP, O’Brother, plus more acts to be announced!

Tickets range from $55 to $1,000 and go on sale Saturday, April 28th 2012 at 10 a.m. HERE.  Presale for Citi Card members is underway now (April 25th-April 27th.)

Free concert downtown is HERE!

Centennial Olympic Park’s PARTY IN THE PARK announced the addition of the band Ponderosa to the one-day concert on May 19, which finalizes the lineup that includes previously announced bands: The Flaming Lips, Young the Giant, AWOLNATION and Dawes. The first ticketed, self-produced concert by Centennial Olympic Park in 10 years, the lineup reflects the venue’s goal of encouraging the community to support live and diverse entertainment in downtown Atlanta.

Meet the lineup!

The Flaming Lips: Formed in Oklahoma in 1983, the Flaming Lips are one of the more daring rock bands of the last three decades, embracing everything from psychedelic tunes to orchestral pop. Acclaimed for their elaborate live shows, which feature costumes, balloons, puppets, video projections, giant hands and a man-sized plastic bubble, the Lips were named by Q Magazine as one of the “Top 50 Bands to See Before You Die.” The group has won three Grammy Awards, including two for Best Rock Instrumental Performance. Flaminglips.com.

Young the Giant: An alternative-rock band, Young the Giant released its debut album under Roadrunner records in 2010, with the singles “My Body” and “Cough Syrup” peaking at number five and three on the Billboard’s U.S. Alternative Songs chart, respectively. After a successful year that includes performing at the MTV Video Music Awards, headlining the Billboard Showcase at South by Southwest, and touring with Incubus, the band began their first headlining tour in February 2012. Youngthegiant.com

AWOLNATION: Formed and fronted by Aaron Bruno, AWOLNATION is an electronic-rock band signed with Red Bull Records. The band’s most recent album “Metalithic Symphony” was released in March 2011, and included Gold single “Sail”, which reached top 10 on both Billboard’s U.S. Alternative and U.S. Rock Songs charts. Bruno writes all of the songs himself, with guidance from friends, family and respected artists. Awolnationmusic.com.

Dawes: A folk-rock band from Los Angeles, Dawes combines organic melodies and raw emotion with bluntly-delivered lyrics. The band released their sophomore album “Nothing is Wrong” in June 2011 and was later named the “National Overall Band of The Year” at the TriState Indie Music Awards in February 2012. They are currently in the midst of a tour with shows across the U.S. and United Kingdom. Dawestheband.com.

Ponderosa: The Atlanta-based act crafts music that is genuine, soulful and psychedelic. Ponderosa released their New West Records debut album “Moonlight Revival” in January 2011,  years after a representative of the record label noticed the group for their ability to “click with the crowd” during a 2009 performance at Athfest. Ponderosamusic.com

Tickets are just $25 in advance and $30 at the door, and can be purchased through Ticket Alternative; ticketalternative.com. Gates open at 3 p.m. with live music until 11 p.m. Tickets are valid for admission with no re-entry; rain or shine event. Patrons may bring blankets, lawn chairs and personal umbrellas. For the safety of everyone, no pets, bags, coolers, bottles, picnics, recording devices, bikes or alcoholic beverages may be brought to the Park during PARTY IN THE PARK.

Jazz up your life HERE!

This year’s performance schedule includes jazz greats Roy Ayers, Cyrus Chestnut, Kathleen Bertrand, Russell Gunn, Edy Martinez, Ojeda Penn and Johnny O’Neal.   Newcomers to the festival include the rhythmic Tito Puente Jr. Orchestra, soulful singer and saxophonist Grace Kelly, and the R&B and hip-hop influenced Robert Glasper Experiment.  

Check out the complete lineup, locations, schedules and activities for all ages here at The Atlanta Jazz Festival.

While you’re in the park, stop here for a stroll in one ofmy favorite Atlanta destinations.

Beer and football together for Open Hand Atlanta!  I’m getting together with my friends  Holly Firfer and Ryan Cameron as we help select the best brew in Shula’s 347 Grill Microbrew Challenge taking place Tuesday, April 17th from 6:00 – 9:00 p.m. in Buckhead.   Sweetwater brewing company, Red Hare brewing company and The Terrapin Beer Co. will all be there showcasing their best and you can vote–again and again! 

And of course what goes better with beer than one of Shula’s signature steaks!!

When you get home, head to Ireland!

Man’s best friend.  As a dog lover I had two over the past 15 years.  Parker passed in November of 2010 and this video resonated with me because Parker was abandoned and lost in this crazy world.  He found me and his personality went from scared to loving.  I say that looking into the eyes of a dog allows you to see the soul of God.

This video for Hope for Paws charity chronicles the rescue of an abandoned dog.  The song by Avril Lavigne “I’m with You” captures the message perfectly.  Watch and feel….

 Read about my dog Parker in a new book titled “Dog Stories” coming out this fall from Simon and Schuster publishing.

11 Easy Steps to Protect Your Privacy on Google

Now that you’ve learned everything there is to know about Google privacy issues, let’s do a quick recap of 11 steps you can take to protect your privacy on Google:

1. Understand your privacy rights, located in Google’s Privacy Center.
2. Change the privacy settings on Picasa photo albums.
3. When using Google Chrome, surf the web in “incognito mode.” [18]
4. Delete items from your web history, or turn it off all together.
5. Opt-out of Google Analytics.
6. Opt-out of Behavioral Advertising and download “Keep My Opt-Outs” for Google Chrome.
7. Customize your Gmail privacy settings.
8. If you find an inappropriate image on Street View, report it to request removal.
9. When using Google Talk, chat off the record.
10. Change your settings on all Google apps on your mobile phone.
11. If all else fails, contact Google directly.

Ready to share your information?

Were you thinking I’d be wearing red?

Watching NBA Superstar Jeremy Lin with the N.Y. Knicks rise from bench-warmer to star has been so incredible.  Lin was even cut by two prior teams but  his heart, determination and belief in himself carried him to the top.  Take for instance J.K. Rowling who wrote the successful Harry Potter books.  12 publishers passed on Harry Potter until someone finally said yes.  NFL great Tom Brady was passed on by every NFL team 5 times!!!  Sara Blakely had doors slammed in her face countless times while creating Spanx and now is a Billionaire! I love Sara’s spirit and advice: “every failure is a gift.”  Jennifer Hudson was voted off American Idol way too early coming in at 7th place.  She wasn’t even in the top 5 but look at her now!!

James Watt spent twenty years perfecting the steam engine. William Harvey worked for eight years to demonstrate how blood circulated in the human body, then for another twenty-five years trying to convince the medical establishment. Most of us underestimate the time it takes to achieve anything of lasting value. You’ve got to be willing to pay your dues. Cutting corners is a sign of impatience and poor self-discipline. The secret of every breakthrough is to follow through. Albert Gray says, “The common denominator of all success lies in forming the habit of doing things that failures don’t like to do.” If you find yourself continually giving in to your moods, you need to change your approach to doing things. To do this, you must set standards for yourself that require accountability. Suffering a consequence for not following through will keep you on track like nothing else. Once your new standards are in place, work according to them, not your moods; that will get you going in the right direction. Self-discipline is a quality that’s won only through practice. Successful people have learned to do what doesn’t come naturally. They are willing to confront discomfort, distractions and doubt, and act in spite of them. R. H. Macy, founder of Macy’s department stores, failed at five different professions—whaler, retailer, gold miner, stockbroker, real estate broker—before he finally succeeded. When asked what sustained him through failure after failure he replied, “Purpose and persistence.” That’s what separates those who achieve from those who merely dream! It’s why Paul wrote: “Don’t get discouraged and give up, for we will reap a harvest of blessing at the appropriate time.”

When you’re staring failure in the face, push on.  Like Sara said, it’s another gift!!! Unwrap it and learn from the gift of another life experience.  And if you’re given a chance, take it and prove yourself.  Believe in and manifest your dreams.  Do the “Lincredible.”

Have a dream of singing on television?