Daily Walking, Working, and Winning by God's Word by Rev. Dr. Alvin C. Hathaway Sr.

We held our jobs meeting today for persons interested in working construction jobs on the State Center Project.

In today's Baltimore Sunpapers you will find an article about 2011 Charter Schools. One of the schools mentioned is The Furman L. Templeton Elementary School in the Upton Community of West Baltimore.

My daughter as an alumnus of Morgan State University generates the excitement in my home when Homecoming Weekend comes around. My wife and I had the opportunity to experience the Morgan Gala last night at Martin's West. It was an outstanding affair. Heard the new President Dr. Wilson speak. He is destined to have a positive impact on the school.

In Friday's Afro American Newspaper, the position the clergy and community has set on the State Center Project job opportunities is posted.

I promised to give my endorsement of a candidate for Governor of the State of Maryland after the interview on WOLB by Larry Young. The radio interview was held this morning. I am now ready to state my endorsement. I must admit that the choice is really limited to the major party candidates. While I encourage alternate party candidates to run, we have a long way to go within the State of Maryland to create a viable third party option.

Mr. John H. Murphy III has joined the celestial band of angels. Throughout his life and career he stood for the best within our race and exhibited excellence in all that he did. He permitted me and other youth in Baltimore City to carry with pride the "Afro" newspaper.

God blessed me today with the opportunity to share in the opening day worship at New Psalmist Baptist Church in the Holy City of Zion. Bishop Walter Scott Thomas, Sr., the officers, and members of New Psalmist are to be commended for being obedience to God and believing that all things are possible for them who believe. The experience was awe inspiring and spirit filled. May God continue to bless this cutting edge ministry. It provides an example to us all of what it means to be attentive to the details and directions God requires in Kingdom building.

With family and friends went to see the play, "The Wiz" at The Center Stage last night. They have an amazing cast of talented singers and actors. You can find world class entertainment in Baltimore. For those who wish to escape the regular and mundane, go see "The Wiz."

The 1st Phase of the State Center Project in Baltimore is on the street for bids by construction managers. It's an impressive project that will forever alter the landscape of West Baltimore. Since its inception I have been involved with the singular goal of insuring that local residents and businesses benefit from this $1.5 Billion project. I firmly believe that all parties have operated in good faith. Nevertheless, life has taught me that unless you are at the table when decisions are being made, you are out of the loop. At present the people who are out of the loop are the persons who live within the community who may desire to work one of the many construction jobs that will be available. Persons are saying to me to wait until the contract is awarded and then the jobs will become available. For me that is too late, I believe the local residents who wish to work, should be identified, trained, and organized so that they are able to report to the job site on day one. I don't want local residents to wake up one day with a job sign being posted and their being hired is catch as catch can. Therefore, in partnership with the International Labor Union, I'm seeking to organize 200 persons who wish to work and are willing to be trained to work on Wednesday, October 27th at 3:00 p.m. at Union Baptist Church.

The rescue of the Chilean miners has captivated the attention of the world. The brilliance of engineers, architects, and planners are on display. The intestinal fortitude of the miners has people all over the world in awe. Since yesterday, periodically the men are being transported from deep in the mine to the surface by a capsule designed for that purpose. In other words a specific rescue plan was developed for them.

This evening is the debate between O'Malley and Ehrlich. Is it a waste of time to watch two men who are so disconnected from the needs of my community push positions that will not change the trajectory of the misery and despair so many people feel? Will either one make a difference in the misery index that is felt and is real? Both have had the opportunity to demonstrate their governing ability, both are known commodities, and the results of both are lackluster at best.

This morning I am sharing a side view of Union Baptist Church and the multi-colored stain glass windows that so beautifully adorn our sanctuary. Our ancestors understood simplicity and beauty. They designed a sanctuary that exemplified their respect and worship of God. As we move through this Saturday towards Sunday, I pray that each of you pause for a moment and "think about the goodness of the Lord while we are in the land of the living." I believe we all will conclude, "that God is good!"

This stained glass window is prominently placed in the rear of the main sanctuary of Union Baptist Church. It was designed by John LaFarge, an American stain glass designer who developed the opulent glass technique made famous by Louis Tiffany.

My mother would say to me that, "an apple a day keeps the doctor away." She was reminding me of the importance of eating fruit as a part of my diet. In our health conscience society we find eating fruits and vegetables is very important. Having a healthy body is what God wishes for everyone.

There is a Negro Spiritual entitled, "There is a Balm in Gilead." This song communicates the biblical textual meaning of Jeremiah 8:22, "Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then is not the health of my daughter of my people recovered?"

The formal process begun over three years ago came to its logical conclusion with a dedication program at Union Baptist Church. The process of which I speak is what the church undertook to have it placed on the National Register of Historic Places by The Department of Interior's National Park Service. Forever in the national records of The United States of American, this African American Baptist Church will have its many accomplished noted and its record of service maintained. Rev. Dr. Harvey Johnson, a former slave, did not permit his enslavement to curtail the power of his mind and spirit. Once free he attended and graduated from Wayland Seminary in Washington. D.C. and proceeded to work for the cause of freedom of people of African descent everywhere. Much can be attributed to his 50 years of service as the Pastor of Union Baptist Church. He understood, long ago, that the Constitution of the United States of America was a tool that could be used for liberation of African American people. He, along with Attorney Waring, would take cases to court on behalf of African American people and won. So successful was his strategy that W. E. B. DuBois replicated it on the national level through his work with the N.A.A.C.P. I commend the members of Union Baptist Church for persevering through this process. The role of this church and the legacy of our ancestors will forever be in the national records of our country.

For anyone that wants to understand how "FACEBOOK" came to be and why we are using it right now; go see the movie "the social network." I saw it last night with my daughter and it is the bomb! It walks you through the nuances of an entrepreneur. It explains the role of Harvard University when it says, "its students are not educated to get a job, but to create jobs." It outlines how FACEBOOK has become an global force that has no limits. It's originators and investors have all become billionaires. The tag line is, "You don't have 500 million friends and not some enemies."

If I tell you a secret, can you keep it to yourself?