As I have only days left in my 20’s, it’s easy to look back and think on the things I don’t have, the things I have not accomplished and the fact that I’m not, in a lot of ways, the person I thought I would be going into my 30’s. It’s so easy to overlook just how good we have it…how good I have it.

I then come to my senses and see all the things (and there are lots of them) that I do have, the things I am proud I have accomplished and the ways God has shaped me to be better than I could have imagined. But, I still don’t really see how good I (we) have it.

We wake up everyday to tons of resources so many people in this world do not have the luxury of enjoying. I don’t know about you, but I shower every day, enjoy water from the tap in my house, and don’t think twice about what it takes to get it or where it really comes from. We hardly ever even have to take a second to worry that it might not be there the next time we turn the facet. We take so many things for granted.

A billion people in the world are living without clean water - but how much are they really living? Millions contract deadly diseases from contaminated water. 45,000 people will die this week alone. The lucky ones won't, but still walk hours each day to get dirty water to give to their families.

Many of us have no concept of how vital clean, accessible water is to almost every aspect of our lives, from health to education, to even our income. Water changes everything. Please consider watching this video. They can explain better in 3 and 1/2 minutes than I could in pages.

http://youtu.be/BCHhwxvQqxg

This isn’t one of those “save the people” speeches. It’s a plea, a plea to take something so tiny, as small as $5 and use it to give someone a better life. For many of those people, this is a simple fighting chance at life. It would take 300 people giving just $5 to fund my goal. Don’t have $5?? Make it $1. Feeling generous?? Make it $30, $300 or more. There’s no set amount needed to help someone, just give what feels right to you.

This will be my 3rd birthday to campaign for clean water (thank you to everyone who has donated before). As the wells take time to build, we have yet to see the finished results of my other campaigns. However, I have just gotten back info and coordinates on the first project I donated to in 2010. It is so exciting to see the pictures and hear the excitement from this community. This is their chance to build a better life for themselves. Everyone deserves that chance.

Please join me! To me, the reward for this unique count-down to my birthday is not just the benefit of knowing first hand that what we are doing here is making a difference, but also in coming together in community to make that difference. I sincerely hope you decide to be a part of this.

I hope to hit my goal of $1500 by my birthday on Feb 12th. I started a little late this year and raised the amount, but I am hopeful we can do this!! If you still want to donate but cannot before then, my campaign will be open thru mid-April so there’s lots of time to help.

Love you all and am thankful that I can look at my birthday coming up knowing that I need little and have so much!