Archives For charity water

The Bottled Water Story

January 7, 2011 — 1 Comment

On Friday I feature a website or a blog that for me has the potential to become a favorite. It maybe a resource, a source of inspiration, or just some distraction I frequent. Give the Friday Favorite a look, read, or listen, and please feel free to comment about mine and share a favorite or two of your own in the comment section. Who knows maybe we will feature one of yours as a future Friday Favorite.

While no one who knows me would classify me as an environmentalist I do try to do my part when it comes to what I can do personally in my home and professionally at the dealership to protect the environment. Recently I stumble across this YouTube video about the Bottled Water Industry from storyofstuff.org where Author and Host Annie Leonard outlines how “Manufactured Demand” creates demand for what is not necessarily needed and in turn destroys what is needed most.

What I do know from my partnership with CharityWater.org is that almost one billion people on this planet don’t have access to clean drinking water while billions of bottles of bottled water are sold every year. Continue Reading…

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Why I Go To Catalyst

October 21, 2010 — 1 Comment

Yesterday I gave you a glimpse of what the worship experience looked like at Catalyst, hopefully today a few of these videos along with some of my comments will explain why I go to Catalyst and how I can look back on 2009-2010 and say with confidence Catalyst helped me grow personally, professionally, and spiritually and also why I hope you might consider joining me there in 2011.

If you only have time to watch one of the videos please watch the Compassion Moment video it has the potential to change lives and you will see!

Video Highlights

Catalyst East 2010: Recap Video from Catalyst on Vimeo.

Speaker Highlights

Speaker Highlights from Catalyst on Vimeo.

Then you get author Donald Miller challenging individuals and leaders alike to ask those the big “What If” questions, which is in itself a reminder to keep dreaming. Leveraging Life the blog is the answer to one of my “What If” questions.

Catalyst West 2010: Donald Miller from Catalyst on Vimeo.

This initial Compassion International moment in the video from 2009 expanded my view of the world and my role in the world. Had I not been there to witness that incredible moment live, a 6 year old boy in Ecuador named Pedro might still be in need of a sponsor but now has the same opportunity Jimmy has. Compassion International is not a hand out, it’s a hand up to help someone realize their fulll potential.I hope you might consider doing the same by sponsoring a child as well.

Compassion Moment – Catalyst 2009 & 2010 from Catalyst on Vimeo.

Another video that left an impression on me last year was this one from Charity Water, not out of guilt for because I saw a lot of myself in it, but because I saw a tangible way I could make a difference.

    Vimeo.

Bottom line is Catalyst is an experience. And for those of us living in Atlanta it is the best kept secret and it’s right in our own backyard. For those looking to make the next 5, or 10, or 15, or 25 years look different than the last 5, 10, 15, or 25 consider attending next year. The Next 25 also happens to be the next series of blog posts I have on the horizon, so check back and thanks for checking in today!

~Tom

trusting God period

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Thank you, thank you, thank you!

October 4, 2010 — 1 Comment

 

It’s amazing how time flies! It seems like it was just a week or two ago when I stepped out of my comfort zone to begin the Lemons to Lemonade Charity Water campaign. While my nature is to give to worthy causes, actually organizing something like this was a first for me.

Words cannot truly express my gratitude to those who spread the word via Facebook, Twitter, and email, and also to those who shared their love by making a contribution. Because of those efforts 54 people will have clean drinking water for over 20 years……not one week, not one month, but 20 years!

100% of the $1,090.00 we raised will be combined with other campaigns so a well can be built within the next 12-18 months. What makes Charity Water so unique is your involvement didn’t end when you pressed send. You will receive the GPS coordinates for and photos of the well you helped build so you will see your money in action and changing lives.

The greatest lesson for me in all this is Hope.

Hope that our effort better equips all those who draw water from the well and in doing so allows them to leverage their life experience for a greater good like YOU already have; and secondarily, if Life deals you Lemons my other Hope is you’ll look for a way to make Lemonade out of that circumstance.

Thanks again and God Bless!

~Tom

trusting God period

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False Alarm….It’s All Good!

September 25, 2010 — 2 Comments

Based on the comments, emails, and private messages I received all day it would appear that my poor choice of words led more than a few folks to worry unnecessarily about the place I was in this morning after reading my Facebook update about a new post to this blog. 

When facing adversity you always have a choice, succumb to it or rise above it…..I’m trying to rise above it and I could use your help today!

The better choice of words would have been…..this is my way of rising above it…..and then went on to describe how I felt my fundraising project for Charity Water was an example of that.

If you didn’t get the chance to read the post, please take a minute to do so and consider partnering with me to help build a well which will bring clean drinking water to a place where this is none.

While my choice of words might have led to some to possibly doubt my mental health;  for me there is NO DOUBTING how much support and prayers I have coming my way on a daily basis, something which humbles me to the point of not really having the words other than to say: 

Thank You, Thank You, Thank You, one and all!

Which brings me to something I want and need to ask YOU…..

How can I be praying for you?

One thing I’m learning in all this is, for me to be able to leverage my faith in the midst of cancer, my focus has to be redirected from within and shifted UP and OUT.

By UP, I mean my focus has to be on God and the lessons He wants me to learn.

By OUT, my focus has to include the community around me, especially the relationships both old and new from which I draw so much strength.

So would you please allow me the opportunity to leverage my faith by letting me know how or what I can be praying for you?

  • One way would be to leave a comment at the bottom of this post which would allow the entire Leveraging Life community the opportunity to pray for you….something I think would be incredible especially when those who do prayed acknowledge it with a comment like so many of you did for me today on Facebook.
  • If you would like to keep the prayer request private click here or on the contact tab at the top and it will stay between you and me.

Thanks again traveling this journey with me!

trust God period!

~Tom

trusting God period

 

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Will you help make a difference?

September 24, 2010 — 3 Comments

The most important Friday Favorite ever!

Most Fridays I feature a website or a blog that for me has become a favorite. 

Our Friday Favorite for September 24, carries far greater importance than anything I’ve posted on Leveraging Life. For me it speaks to the core of what I believe Leveraging Life calls us all to do…Leverage our life experiences and life lessons for a good greater than ourselves.

 

  [cancer]  me + You =Charity:Water

The formula listed above is something that began earlier this summer when I learned my cancer had spread. As I came to terms with another surgery, more radiation, and possibly chemotherapy I fought the frustration by trying to find the silver lining, the lesson that was to be learned,  a way to turn lemons into lemonade.

And this is where my story, your story, &  charity water all intersect….at a WELL….eclipsing briefly one disease by preventing  other diseases simply by providing clean drinking water where there is none.

Please take a few minutes to watch the videos in this post and learn more about the work charity water is doing around the world.

The Turning Lemons to Lemonade campaign comes to an end on September 30 and $5,000.00 is needed to build a well or 100% of what is collected will be combined with other groups to build a well, so it is a “win-win” situation either way!

Is it possible to raise $4,130.00 in a week? That’s not for me to say and only time will tell. But I do believe anything is possible when you have Trust & Faith in God and a group of people put His words into action.  So really this has as much to do with honoring Him by acts and deeds as it does in the final number.

Please take 3 steps right now to make that difference.

  • Boldly pray for the effort and pray for the outcome.
  • Use the share buttons to the right and share this effort with your friends on Facebook, Twitter, & via email by providing a link to this page.
  • Make a donation, remember $10.00 or $20.00 makes a significant impact in the overall picture and the $870.00 raised thus far will change the lives of 43 people.

Thanks for taking the time to read this post, for your efforts to share the formula & this story, and for partnering with me to leverage life for a greater good!!

~Tom

trusting God period

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