I have been asked by a group of bloggers to blog with them this month to raise $30,000 for Charity: Water.

If you haven’t heard about this check out my last post.

Who are the other 30 bloggers?

Here is the list… Go to all of their sites…

Lauren and I have been blown away by the generosity of our friends and family over the past few months. We have been training to ride for a cure for diabetes and have raised over $8,000 for Type I research. In a week and a half we get to go ride for the cure at Lake Tahoe.

Through our training, I have gotten to experience the feeling of what it means to live a bigger story. I was inspired to ride in response of new Donald Miller book. The book is about his journey to understand more what makes a good story, and realizing his life didn’t reflect one worth retelling.  He calls his readers to live stories that long to be retold.

So, with that said I want to challenge you with something… $30,000 in 30 days…

Over the next month 30 bloggers and I will be raising money to provide clean water to families who cannot find it. Clean water is something we take for granted.

Charity: Water is the organization we will be raising money through… Here are some stats from their website:

Unsafe water and lack of basic sanitation cause 80% of diseases and kill more people every year than all forms of violence, including war. Children are especially vulnerable, as their bodies aren’t strong enough to fight diarrhea, dysentery and other illnesses.

90% of the 42,000 deaths that occur every week from unsafe water and unhygienic living conditions are to children under five years old. Many of these diseases are preventable. The UN predicts that one tenth of the global disease burden can be prevented simply by improving water supply and sanitation.

Check out this video too:

CLICK HERE TO DONATE

Leadership and Self Deception

Have you ever read a book that just dominates you?  I just finished Leadership and Self Deception by The Arbinger Institute. After getting my emotions back together, my first reaction after closing the book was:

“This can change everything…”

Nearly 180 pages long, not including an appendix for practical implementation principals, the book is page after page convicting.  The main subject is build upon the idea that ‘you‘ are the problem.  Through the self-betrayal of your own innate good virtues you deceive yourself in thinking that others are the source of your own reason to blame and justify your image to others.

Just a little light reading I know…

Unlike most leadership books, fact and point driven, the content is communicated through the eyes of a narrative between a recent senior management hire and the top executives of a large corporation.  Through the dialogue you experience the humble transformation of Tom and the wise exhortation of his seniors Bud, Kate, and Lou.

I believe this book is one of the most life changing books I have ever read.  It has challenged me to think about my ‘boxes‘ that I live in toward key relationships in my life.  It has brought to light emotions and feels towards people I never even thought existed.

This book has shown me what living outside of myself towards people could do for more than just those around me, but also by using this tool in discipleship and effective leadership relational cultures can change.

That could change everything…

I get to hunt imagery a good bit… Here are some images that have evoked some emotion over the past couple of days…

How do they stir you? Comment after you take a look…

So, Its been a while… Mainly the summer was crazy for me.

I traveled a decent bit.
I have been riding my bike like crazy.
I have been involved with some new things at Grace.

Not only that, but the blog got attacked by some malware… blah, blah, blah…

But now we have a New Look at treyboden.com!

Leave some love and tell me what you think about it!

More updates to come! See ya!