For this to make sense, please read “What is 48by48?”, “Why 48by48? pt.1”, and “Why 48by48? pt.2”.

Welcome to Pragmatist City! Population: this article. If you haven't guessed it yet, today's article is all about the nitty-gritty details of “How” 48by48 will come together and operate. I am hoping that it isn't all about figures and digits but that it gives you a sense of tangibleness to the ideas I've laid out in the previous articles.

Once again, I implore you to keep asking questions to help me iron out some of the wrinkles and to make 48by48 even better.

How will I accomplish the Primary Objectives/Goals of 48by48?

1. Travel to all 48 contiguous states in 48 weeks.

• Primary means of travel: 2002 Mazda Protoge.

• Estimate miles to be added to vehicle: 17,000

• Trip Order (Tentative): Arizona, California, Nevada, Utah, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, West Virginia, Kentucky, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico

• Shelter: supporter's homes, camping, hostiles, churches, organizations, and even my car.

2. Serve / Volunteer in each state for a minimum of 5 days or 25 hours.

• 30-50% spontaneous volunteering | 50-70% scheduled volunteering

• Service project will be found by:

• Interacting with people in communities who of local needs.

• People listing projects on the 48by48 website.

• Using the numerous websites that list volunteer needs.

3. Lead by example in the “Service to Others” (STO) lifestyle.

• Finding practical, yet creative ways to help others.

• Always being on the lookout for people to serve.

• Taking others along on the journey and encouraging them in their ability to serve others.

4. Connect people to local organizations and connect organizations to local people (needs).

• Creating a network of companies, individuals, and organizations who are willing help meet the needs of individuals in their communities.

• Will aid people in discovering their strengths and offer suggestions in where they can best use their abilities.

5. Promote the STO lifestyle.

• Create the 48by48 website.

• Blog twice a week about a variety of topics highlighting the STO lifestyle.

• Contacting local and national media outlets to spotlight the STO lifestyle and highlight area needs.

• Participate in events at schools, churches, clubs, and organizations which emphasize STO.

6. Create a variety of resources to help others accomplish the STO lifestyle.

• Book/E-book/Pamphlets Ideas: A guide to volunteering in different environments, how to make the most out of short term service trips, the STO way of life

• Gather data from community leaders, ministry workers, and other experts; using that info to help make service projects better for both the leaders and the volunteers.

• A skills matching survey to help connect people with ministries/organizations according to their interests.

How will I live (i.e. support myself)?

The whole journey will be funded by donations from supporters, groups, organizations, and corporations. I am not a “twisting your arm” kind of guy, so there will be no gimmicky-style fund raising apart of 48by48. My intention is to genuinely help people and that means doing everything I can to not take from those who are already trying to serve their communities. (Example: A church gives grocery vouchers to those coming down on hard times. I don't want to have to ask that church for grocery vouchers so I can eat.) I strongly believe that there are enough goodhearted people who will contribute to this cause and who will help me live from day. (I hope you will consider being one of those people.)

How will I remain accountable?

The old adage: “trust is hard to gain, but easy to lose” is especially true in the present day. This is why accountability and transparency are absolutely crucial for 48by48 to succeed. To hold myself to the highest standards, I will:

1. Assembled a group of trusted advisors who are topnotch when it comes to asking tough questions and combing through the details. This groups is committed to looking through my books, making sure the money and resources received are being used in the most efficient ways.

2. Write a bi-weekly blog where everyone following will peripherally see what their resources are contributing to. They will be able to comment and make suggestions through the online discussion area and will even be able to directly contact me through email or cell phone.

3. Make available, upon request, a quarterly financial statement to those who have financially given.

How you can help?

In the days ahead, 48by48.com will be up and running. Once up, go to the site, and click on the “Support” page. There you will have multiple options on how to be a part of the 48by48 experiment. While there, make sure you join Drew's Back-Pack (the Pack who got Drew's Back!), subscribe to the 48by48 weekly posts, tell at least one other person to check out this crazy thing, and most importantly, start living with others in mind.

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For this to make sense, please read “What is 48by48?” and “Why 48by48? pt.1”.

Why should others care about 48by48?

Three main reasons:

1. To learn.

   B-O-R-I-N-G...right? Not at all! Education doesn't always mean sitting in a stuffy classroom, memorizing a bunch of facts, all for the purpose of regurgitating them on to a piece of paper. Don't hear me wrong, formal education is important, but there is a huge need for the informal side of it as well. Informal education could also be called spontaneous education where the student learns from their surroundings and experiences. Whether you are enticed by one style more than the other, it really doesn't matter since 48by48 will have both elements to it. I will also be encouraging people to come along and join me on this adventure. This will give individuals or groups the ability to use me and my journey as an avenue to exercise the “service to others” lifestyle.

2. To enjoy.

   FYI: I plan on having a lot of fun while doing this. My hope is that you will too.

3. To do.

   Thinking without doing and doing without thinking seem to have disastrous results throughout history. But when people think ideas through and then act on those principles, incredible things can happen. One of my goals is to motivate people to go out and do something great in the realm of service to others. If I can encourage, captivate, or inspire a group of people to go out and help others, then this world will have already become a better place. Ben Franklin once said, “Money begets money.” I believe that formula is true in other matters of life too. Kindness begets kindness. Service begets service. Love begets love.

Why does the world need 48by48?

Most people could answer this question with the a simple four-year-old's answer...“duh!” But that seems a little rough. I know I've mentioned this a few times already, but 48by48 is meant to be more than just a year-long trek that canvases the U.S. of A., showcasing its beauty and wonder. It is meant to be the start of a movement. To see people raise their hands and say, “I'll help out.” Just imagine if the spirit of serving others was the norm in America. Think of what could be accomplished. Closer communities, better public services, lower crime rates, superior educational systems, and the list would go on and on! It's an exciting world to imagine, but until those dreams are put into action, everything remains the same. I do not know about you, but I want a better world. That is why I'm going to try and make it that way by serving others.

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I've also been asked a few other “why” questions since letting the cat out of the bag. Here are the most common of those inquiries.

Why forty-eight states and not all fifty?

Trust me, I would love to call this 50by50. Even though it is definitely doable, I have a couple of reasons why 48by48 is the best fit.

1. I want to spend the majority of my time helping others. I don't want to spend my time worrying about getting plane tickets and rental cars.

2. The need to have four weeks of flexible time seems crucial to having this succeed. This flexible time makes room for family emergencies, quarterly reviews, and the dreaded tax week.

Why only five days or twenty-five hours a week?

The numbers here are the bare minimum for me to claim 48by48 a success. Just knowing the way I am wired, I have a feeling I could have put 50 hours a week down. But over the years, I have learned the importance of taking time for good rest. Especially when pouring yourself into others, taking the time to step back reaps more benefits in the long run which enables you to serve more.

Even though serving others / volunteering will be the weight of this project, there is a lot of other work that goes into making this be successful. Blogging, accounting, speaking to groups, administrative work, fund raising, writing resources, and even traveling take lots of time and energy. Because of all the extras, I figured five days or twenty-five hours a week would be a good starting point and was at peace with using those numbers. This isn't going to be a walk in the park, which is why I'm prepping for it to be the most challenging thing I've ever done, and with it, the most rewarding thing too.

Why not spend your energy on one community instead of traveling all over the place?

1. As stated in the “what” article, I really enjoy traveling.

2. Sometimes it is necessary to do something big and a little bit crazy to gain attention for a cause.

3. Doing the 48by48 will help promote the “service to others” lifestyle to many instead of a few.

4. I'm planning on collecting a mountain of data which can be used to help people and groups get the most out of short-term service trips.

5. It will help me better assess the needs in my own community by comparing them with others.

Why now?

I say why NOT now? To me, I feel like there is enough in life to put off until later. Why not make life about going after what you desire? Why not do the things you love and let everything else revolve around that? I know that is a simple answer, but it's the best I have.

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I will be posting the “how” article within the next two days. This section of the overall plan for 48by48 will be the nitty-gritty details in what it will all look like. Please make it a point to read all the articles and to leave any comments or questions you might have.

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Yesterday I outlined and described “what” 48by48 is going to look like and its hopeful achievements. Today is the reasoning behind the project. I will do my best to give you the events and the thoughts behind my judgment to embark on this journey. I know that I appreciate something more if I can discern the intentions behind it. I am also a person who thrives on the “why” questions in the world, a lay philosopher if you will, and I figure it only fair for me to be scrutinized with the same questions I would ask anyone who would embark on this same challenge.

However, please don't think I have answered every question that could be asked. That's something I hope you will help me by bringing up tough questions along the way that will constantly refine the vision and fortify the intentions of this journey. Even though the dream may have its roots in my head, it can't stay there for it to be considered a success. My hope is that everyone who reads this will have a stake in bringing this way of life into being.

I figure I'll start with the three “biggie” questions and then finish with some commonly asked “why” questions that I have been bombarded with lately. With that said, I will conduct an interview with myself.

Why is 48by48 so intriguing to me?

I think there are a few recent events and many years of character development that makes 48by48 so exciting/interesting to me. The events that really sparked 48by48 were the spiritual road bumps in February of 2008, the death of my Grandpa Johnson, and being introduced to the writings of Chris Guilleau.

It seems so long ago that I ran into what I call my spiritual road bumps, but the truth is it was only a year and a half ago. I resigned from a wonderful church in November of 2007, serving as their youth director, and left thinking I was called to plant a church or ministry somewhere in the world. While spending my newly found downtime reading and studying for my new ambition, I came across an excerpt by Francis Schaeffer. Before Schaeffer started the L'abri Fellowship in Switzerland, he went through a season of doubting. He later positioned himself on the side of an unbeliever in order to work out the reasonableness of the faith before giving his life over to this same faith. I thought this was a great discipline to undertake but instead of it making my faith soar, I got stuck on a some “road bumps” along the way. Needless to say, I got to a point where I didn't think it would be in the best interest of others that I be in the church planting arena until these bumps got worked out. But what did come out this time (and the months to follow) was the knowing that even though a person's worldview doesn't always line up just right, that person still has to function. That person is still required to act upon the good they perceive and understand to be true.

The second event happened in late June with the death of my Grandpa Loren. My dad and I had the privilege to be with him for a week before he died. Those long days came with many hours of me reflecting on my grandpa's well-lived life and also brought a healthy dose of self-examination along with it. I remember looking at my grandpa and thinking to myself, “just imagine all the things he saw and experienced.” (My grandpa served as a medical assistant in China, Burma, and India for the US Army in World War II.) It made me think about why I chose not to go into the armed service (I was kind of a pacifist at the time) and it made me imagine myself in his shoes. I also thought about his decision to come back to the States to farm and raise a family. My grandpa was praised for being a great father and an all out servant in his church and community. With all this said, I think that the seriousness of death is powerful motivator to correct and change one's life to do what they know they should. I think regrets can be looked at from two angles: 1) stuff we did that we wish we didn't, and the more uncommon thought of, 2) stuff we didn't and wish we did. Either way you look at it, I am quickly beginning to think I will have a regret in life if I don't at least try to do 48by48.

The third juncture was the introduction of Chris Guilleau's writings. Chris is an expert at unusual living and makes a living creating resources for people who feel like they are in the same boat he is, all while completing his goal of traveling to every country in the world in five years. I've read through his works and have been encouraged and motivated to seek out what you love in life and then use that to help others. He also emphasizes that a person doesn't have to live life the way others tell him/her to. Taking his advice, I spent a couple of weekends figuring out what those loves are. (To recap from the “what” article”, they are: travel, technology, and volunteering/helping others.) Once I figured these things out, I had an epiphany to travel throughout the United States, volunteering as I go, and to use technology to communicate a “service to others” lifestyle.

Apart from these events, I also have strong characteristics that fit the 48by48 adventure perfectly.

1. I am a people person. The story goes that once I started to talk as an infant, I never stopped. I also have an uncanny ability to speak to strangers.

2. I like to do lots of things. Variety really is the spice of my life and I naturally gravitate toward it. Just check my iPod.

3. I love storytelling. Once upon a time...just kidding. Other people's stories and having experiences myself that warrant a good tale have always been apart of who I am.

4. I get charged serving others. I think this developed from the flood of opportunities I've had being involved with service programs. Working with people from a multiplicity of ethnic backgrounds, varying ages, and from all across the country (and beyond), my passion for people being successful in their own life only grows the more I serve.

5. I really believe this can have a lasting impact. Our communities need a renaissance uprising of servant leaders and participants. 48by48 would be the perfect event to kick off a modern movement of people living a “service to others” lifestyle.

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Since this section is already over a thousand words, I will publish part two tomorrow answering the rest of the “why” questions.

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About two weeks ago, I had an epiphany while showering. This inspirational thought was the product of months of me trying to figure out what I love to do most in life. It boiled down to three things: traveling, technology, and helping others or volunteering. While I was dwelling on those three areas and shampooing my hair, my mind shouted, “why not travel throughout the United States, volunteering as you go, to promote a lifestyle of service to others while using technology to tell the story?” Insanely simple, right? Well, not really.

Even though I was in a euphoric state of mind about the idea, I decided I better take a personal day to start breaking this down. Is it realistic? Is it needed? Will it even matter? Is it too simplistic? Can I live off of donations and goodwill for a year? Etc.... I also contemplated the impact it would have on my current business, wondering if it would completely destroy the confidence others had in me to create and maintain their websites. These were heavy questions, but they needed to be answered.

The more I thought and planned, the more eager I got to go out and do this. But instead of just doing it, I made a deal with myself to actually work through this with others. I wanted them to share their insight with me and for me to use the time beforehand to give structure and stability to this idea. The hope was to make this a lasting, sustainable movement that would be successful in its goals, not just a hasty action that would be later interpreted as a silly intention.

Since it will be people like you (those who are reading this) that hopefully will be supporting, sponsoring, encouraging, and following along with me on this journey, and even participating in it, I want to lay out the “what” part of this dream. This is not a one-way avenue where I only tell you what I would like to do and accomplish without allowing any input. I STRONGLY WELCOME feedback, questions, helpful criticism, and encouragement. Tell me what you like about this or what you don't like about this. Let me know some of the bumps you foresee, some of the troubles that could lead me to crash and burn, or even if you think this is the dumbest thing since the “Snuggy”. (Encouragement would be nice too.)

What is 48by48? 48By48 is the name of my plan to travel to the forty-eight contiguous United States in forty-eight weeks doing a variety of volunteer/service work in each state.

What's the Mission Statement of 48by48? To lend a hand to people and organizations of all ages, backgrounds, and affiliations around the United States while promoting a “Service to Others” lifestyle.

What are the Primary Goals of 48by48?

1. Travel to all 48 contiguous states in 48 weeks.

2. Serve / Volunteer in each state for a minimum of 5 days or 25 hours.

3. Lead by example in the “Service to Others” (STO) lifestyle.

4. Connect people to local organizations and connect organizations to local people (needs).

5. Promote the STO lifestyle.

6. Create a variety of resources to help others accomplish the STO lifestyle.

(How these goals will be accomplished is a separate article in itself and will be expounded on next week.)

What does the “Service to Others” lifestyle look like? The identifying marks of a person who exemplifies the STO lifestyle is one who:

1. Cares deeply about the needs of others.

2. Actively looks for ways to serve others.

3. Has a good balance of realism and creativity when helping to meet the needs of others.

4. Spends ones thoughts thinking about how to see others succeed.

5. Using their influence to bring about positive outcomes in the people and organizations they serve.

What comes next? Tomorrow I will be doing my best to describe the “why” of the matter. This will consist of the story behind the idea along with the “why this matters to me”, “why this matters to you”, “why now”, and other “why” questions. Then on Monday, I will post the “how” article. This will consist of all the gritty details (ya!). After that, I will start to layout a more detailed plan of action, including tentative dates and a list of needs. Along with all that, I will continuously be gathering data and feedback to update the founding articles for final presentation.

What do you think? Please share your thoughts with me. All are welcomed and I even encourage you to share this with strangers to see what they think. Believe me, I know I have blind spots and I deeply believe you can help me see where I cannot. Also, remember that each one of these articles are in beta form and will be reformed when all is ready to go.

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I had a funny epiphany this morning...and it went something like this...

(Inner Voice) "Hey you! Get up and get going. It's a beautiful day out there full of possibilities and promises. You have everything inside you to accomplish anything you can imagine...just believe you can and trust in the promise of past victories."

(Other Inner Voice) "Ummm...you sound really familiar..."

(Inner Voice) "I should."

(Other Inner Voice) "You should?"

(Inner Voice) "Absolutely!"

(Other Inner Voice) "Ah-ha! I know who you are! I've let Joel Osteen become my motivational coach inner voice. How'd that happen?"

(Inner Voice) "All I know is that you would rather have it be my voice than Al Franken's Stuart Smalley voice."

(Other Inner Voice) "How true. OK...you can stay."

Obviously, I am a very disturbed individual. No argument there. But I find it interesting that the people in life who I once characterized as destructive and damaging have made their residency in my subconscious as positive inner voices. Maybe they have the reputation of being the angel on the shoulder and I unknowingly personify them as the voice inside...or maybe...I've talked about them so much that they naturally became a byproduct of my everyday.

Either way (or something completely different), I just know that I'm glad it's Joel's voice verses these other possibilities:

• Stuart Smalley (SNL Character)
• Barney the Purple Dinosaur
• Tony Robbins
• Billy Mays or Vince Offer
• Gilbert Godfrey
• Rush Limbaugh

Any other I'm missing?

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If you didn't know, my primary job is not blogging but web/graphic design. My company name is changing to Ruryl Studios (pronounced rural) and I value your opinions so much that I want your help in choosing the new logo. Actually, I just need your help in picking one of two colors...black or white. I also would greatly appreciate a small comment to why you like the one that you like. Nothing big...it just helps me chose. Who knows, I might just give something away for the best response. I'd like to have your votes in by Sunday if possible...the site really needs to be launched early next week. Thanks in advance.

I'm opening the youth ministry vault today with a golden oldie: the theme to "Game Show Garage". If you missed out on this gem of a theme night, wow...I feel for you. Anyway, now you can at least enjoy the theme song over and over by adding it to your iTunes playlist or by coming back to drewbe.com on a regular basis. Enjoy!

P.S. - You can request other items in the vault to be unlocked. Just leave your request in the comment's section below.

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