When the team arrived at the church building’s steps, our last stop of the night, I beheld a sight like I had not seen before. There were so many people sleeping out in the cold, 50 plus. Last year at this stop there was about one half the number of people. We quickly went to work passing out blankets, gloves, socks, and hand warmers to the homeless men and women sleeping on the church building’s steps.

One young lady had not “bedded down” yet and was up on her feet stumbling around. I went to her and asked her name. Through her broken speech, she said… “My name is Sweat Pea.” I asked if she was prepared for the coming freeze. She said she wasn’t and, “needed to find cardboard.”

Cardboard??? Yes, cardboard. You see, the first step in going to sleep on the cold concrete is putting down a layer of cardboard first. And Sweat Pea was without…

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When I first began working with people living homeless I once asked someone, “why do you sleep on cardboard?” His response to me was simple yet profound. He said, “Have you ever tried sleeping on concrete?” He went on to add, “It’s hard.”

That made a lot of sense. The cardboard mattress works as a means of padding and insulation against the cold ground. Additionally it keeps bugs and other things away from one’s body while sleeping.

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… I quickly began the hunt of trying to find this young lady some cardboard so she could settle down and go to sleep. I asked one man if I could have some of his cardboard and he refused. I continued to search until finally I found plenty to make up a simple mattress.

I asked Sweat Pea where she wanted to lay down. She searched the church steps for a few minutes before finally choosing a spot near the corner of the building. I laid out the cardboard and began to create her bed for the night. I took a blanket and laid it on the top of the cardboard and asked her if that was going to work.

She said it would and began to lay down. A few others from the team covered her up with several more blankets and then we wished her a good night and left.

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This story plays itself out time and time again. The city of Atlanta’s homeless population continues to grow day by day. According to a recently published homeless census for the Metro Atlanta area, there are “more people living on the streets of Atlanta this year than at any other time in the last decade.”

I share this for two reasons….

First… You can join the THREE-OH-WE-GO team and help rescue homeless men and women from sleeping out in the cold. For this one young lady, Sweat Pea, there are probably 10 others that we did not get too. We need your help! Text “alarm” to 63566 or visit ThreeOhWeGo.com to sign up to receive GO-Night Alerts.

Second… Every day, the burden in my heart grows stronger and stronger to want to do something to help “end homelessness” across Atlanta. I am trying to stop these stories from happening. I don’t want to do THREE-OH-WE-GO anymore. Not because I don’t enjoy helping these people, but… I just wish they were not there in the first place.

So many people have said that ending homelessness is not possible. I must agree, the complication of this issue makes even me, at times, feel like it is an impossible fight. However, it is the war I have been created to wage. I am now working harder than ever to develop an idea that can bring us one step closer to ending homelessness in Atlanta. I look forward to sharing more about this in time.

One such person is Jesse Lavender. At the last LIVE LOVE Event, Jesse brought his cameras and captured some amazing footage of our work. Shortly after the event, we got together so he could film me sharing some of the LIVE LOVE story. Jesse edited it all together to create the first LIVE LOVE promotional video.

The end product is amazing! We will be using this video to promote future LIVE LOVE Events…. I couldn’t wait till then to share it… So, here is the video!

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Thank you Jesse for using your talents to LIVE LOVE.

Thank you to ALL of my friends that use their talents and passions to make Project Live Love (LIVE LOVE) a reality!

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Jesse sent me this outtake… I thought it was funny.

When my wife and I were first married she brought several pieces of artowrk into our home that belonged to her grandmother. Flo had traveled to the East many times and brought back with her wall hangings, chests, and hand painted silk pieces.

When I first began getting tattoos I looked at many different types of Japanesse imagery. There is something about the balance of their work that is extremely beatuiful an intreguing to me. I event went so far as to tattoo my entire left arm with such artwork. I now see Eastern influenced art every day.

This piece is one of a few pieces I have created lately that reflect my desires to express my impression of this eastern style of work. In “Waves and Wind” I unkowingly created a Yin-Yang type image. It has a great sense of balance between the light/ darkness, winds/ wave, and drawing/ paper.

In addition to this being a new attempt at a style change it is also an attempt to incorporate new mediums into my life. I am learning how to work with watercolor and it’s interaction with canvas/ paper etc… This has been a fun experiment. I hope you enjoy it’s beauty.

Vinings Lake church asked me to be a part of a video they were shooting for an upcoming series. I agreed to be interviewed. During the interview I share a little bit of the “Why” I do what I do. It is my faith that motivates “me” to live love.

Along with my interview there are two others that share their stories as well… Enjoy!

I am so, so proud of you. You told me once when we were 19 that you were created to change the world … and you are one person at a time. Thank you for bringing me on this crazy ride with you!

These words got me thinking… It’s true, for some reason, I have felt for a long time that I was created to change the world in some way. Sure, we all change the world every day in some way, but I have felt that I was created to change this world for the better. I have felt like I was designed to leave this world better than I found it and try to influence others to do the same.

This past Saturday’s LIVE LOVE Event was for me, an opportunity to live into the reason I exist. It was a chance for me to see the change I have been working so hard to create.

On Saturday, almost 200 people from all different backgrounds came together to show their love to the city of Atlanta through hands-on opportunities of service. We served meals to homeless people, painted at several non-profits, built tables for families, and so much more.

I am blow away by the impact Project Live Love is making! It is not only making a difference in the lives of those we are serving but it is also making a difference in those who serve.

Following the projects on Saturday we had an after party at Steamhouse Lounge. At the party, volunteer after volunteer came up to me to share about how the event had changed them that day. They were so thankful to have the opportunity to put their love in action.

You see… “Love In Action” changes things… It is not “me” that is changing anything, but rather an idea that I agreed with and am helping populate. “Love changes things.”

I am honored to lead Project Live Love. Together we are changing the world with LOVE IN ACTION. It’s really happening! Let’s stay the course!

“Drew, Drew, Drew!” everyone is shouting my name…. “Are you OK?”

“You had a seizure!”

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Here I sit two days after having had a major seizure. I’m finally starting to feel a little better. So many things are filling my mind. So many thoughts have raced through since Thursday.

One thought that stands out is my desire to live. I want to continue on in this life. I want to continue making a difference for love. It is who I was designed to be. Now more than ever I am resolved to that end.

One of my favorite shows “Whale Wars” aired its season finale this past Friday night. If you have not heard of this show you must check it out. The show chronicles the journey of the Sea Shepherds (an anti-whaling activists group) as they attempt to stop Japanese whalers in the Southern Ocean off the coast of Antarctica.

When my wife and I first caught an episode of Whale Wars in 2009 we were hooked. The leader of the activists is a man named Paul Watson. His passion for saving whales is unquenchable. He and his entire crew are literally willing to die in order to save a whale. In fact, there are moments of the show that I cannot believe no one was killed. As a result of the Sea Shepherd’s work they were able to shut down the Japanese whalers for the rest of this season and perhaps indefinitely.

It seems to me that many people today are afraid to be “for” anything.

The other day I was talking with one of my best friends about this very subject. He was noticing that so many people today take such a half-assed view on any gamete of subjects. It seemed to both of us that much of our generation simply drifts to the center on so many different issues.

“Acceptance” is the big word today. Everyone wants to fit in with those around him or her. As long as we are “normal” people will like us. As a result, many will never attempt anything outside of the status quo. Never discovering the deep-rooted motivation to do something significant in this life.

Imagine if Paul Watson had been focused on being “accepted” rather than on action. Entire species of whales could be killed, ecosystems could be destroyed and our way of life could be compromised. But now, because of one man’s passion, whaling is decreasing across the globe.

I am passionate about changing culture with the power of “love in action.”

This passion swells in my heart each day. It confronts me early in the morning and does not let go until the end of the night. It is the light that burns inside of me and is the motivation for many of my actions. If I don’t have my passion then what do I have?

Acceptance, approval, and apathy are the opposite of passion. They are the reason so many will never discover their “energy of the soul”. Do not become a victim of such attitudes. Live as a person full of passion and do not apologize!

Imagine if we organized with a few of our friends, friends that are real people, and began to meet on a regular basis and talk about how we could love the community around us. What if for a few weeks we all went out in different directions into the community and find people who have been neglected, rejected, people from church society the community. What if we found some practical ways to begin to love people simply in Jesus name. Loving people simply because that is what we feel compelled to do. Loving people just because. Loving them with no agenda. Loving them with no “thing” to invite them to. What if we could love them just to love them because we have been loved. No “Church” just the kingdom. It is people not just going to church, but being the church. What if we partnered with local business, churches, civil organizations, etc… and rallied together community changing efforts. All in the name of love. The love of God could spread like wildfire into the hearts of people. The convincing love of acceptance flowing through people reach to their soul. And that would be when we connect them to God.