ThePursuit.org: Video Announcements March 1, 2009

(tweet):contest

Twitter. It's something like a phenomenon. I like it.

I like it so much- I want to test the waters about holding a contest using it. (Humor me, please.)


Here's the details on how to win a $5 Starbucks gift card:


1) Follow @nickshoe on Twitter.
2) Simply tweet the following message:

Just entered to win a$5 Starbucks gift card. Just
follow @nickshoe and Retweet. details at: http://tinyurl.com/bnvkta

This contest is open to people anyone in North America. It is free to enter.
Winner will be announced on Twitter on Friday, February 27 at approximately 4 PM, Mountain.

~NjS

volunteering:defined

volunteer (vŏl'ən-tîr')
n.
1. A person who performs or offers to perform a service voluntarily
2. Botany: A cultivated plant growing from self-sown or accidentally dropped seed.
adj.
1. Being, consisting of, or done by volunteers
2. Botany: Growing from self-sown or accidentally dropped seed.
v.
volunteered, volunteering, volunteers
To give or offer to give voluntarily
1. To perform or offer to perform a service of one's own free will.
2. To do charitable or helpful work without pay
-dictionary.com

Now that we've gotten that out of the way.

Where is the logic in this?:

Take the time to find a great place for someone to volunteer their time (their most precious resource); one that they are excited about and that has them utilizing their natural talents and abilities;

And then ask them to do it once-in-a-while; to give their bare minimum- and then to remain excited about it.

Talk about a let down- and, by definition, a paradox.

"Well... they're not paid." Comes the retort.

How does that even find it's way into the conversation?!

Yes- volunteering is not a job. (Duh!) And the expectation isn't that one should treat it as such.

People will take pay for something they loathe. Very few will do that repugnant action for free. Volunteers want to be there. They love what they are doing.

Yes? No?

~NjS

ThePursuit.org: Video Announcements February 22, 2009

vision:defined

vi-sion [viz-shun]:
_noun
-the act or power of sensing with the eyes; sight.
-the act or power of anticipating that which will or may come to be: prophetic vision; the vision of an entrepreneur.
-an experience in which a personage, thing, or event appears vividly or credibly to the mind, although not actually present, often under the influence of a divine or other agency
-something seen or otherwise perceived during such an experience: The vision revealed its message.
-a vivid, imaginative conception or anticipation: visions of wealth and glory.
-something seen; an object of sight.
-a scene, person, etc., of extraordinary beauty
_verb (used with object)
-to envision

That's what dictionary.com says.

What do you say?

~NjS

One thing...

If there were one thing you could do today, what would it be? (regardless of circumstance- money, position, distance, et cetera)

Let me hear it...

~NjS

The Pursuit: Video Announcements February 15, 2009

Givin props

I admire the creativity here...

But have to give props where they're due. Apple. In California.

I "borrowed" the idea for my team. SO... thanks to Apple and the gal that did the other one. Sweet stuff.

The Pursuit: Video Announcements February 8, 2009

A(part)

LosWhit gave me a moment's pause this evening.

So I followed the link there to Mark and Angie's blog. It's an epic story. Yes. Epic. It moved me. And I wrote this;

"Angie,
I don’t believe we know each other. I linked to your site from ragamuffinsoul.com. Thank you for your honesty!

My uncle, whose name is also Mark, passed just over 20 years ago. I was so young, 9 I think, and I still remember the impact.
I was talking about it recently and remember the conversation I had with my grandmother the night we found out:
My parents and I were driving to be with the rest of the family. And I prayed, asking Abba to raise my daddy’s brother back to life- the story of Lazarus burning in the back of my mind.
As soon as we got to my grandparents house I bee-lined for my grandmother; I knew that she could answer my questions, because she knew more about God than anyone. I tugged on her dress as she was finishing her conversation with our pastor. She leaned over and took my hands, somehow sensing the desperation in that moment for me.
“I prayed to Jesus that Uncle Mark would come back to life. Will he?”
“Oh, honey, he’s been gone too long….”, she said, after a slight pause,her voice quivering.
The whole event expanded my world. My cousin and I, 16 days apart, became best friends even to this day. It was a day of firsts: The first time I saw my hero- my daddy cry. (I still know the exact path his tears took as they rolled over his eyelids and down his cheeks.) The first time I knew that somehow it just wasn’t all fair. And the first time I doubted even God.

I can’t imagine, nor pretend to know, all of everything you are going through now. May Abba continue to bring His mercy every morning. Blessings.

~Nick"

On Adam Kasper

He just got married!

Congrats bro! And welcome (home)... back from Mexico, being tan (for a white guy) and loving being locked-down and hooked up by Abba!

Glad to have you and Kara as part of the family! Mucho loveo

~Nick

Give props to the Kasper's

Denny's!

For those of you that missed it... sorry.

Denny's gave a free Grand Slam breakfast to all comers from 6am-2pm. It was slammin!

Did you get a free breakfast today?

On Ted Haggard

On two blogs I follow there were authorships recently centered around Haggard.

Both seem to have opposing views to his recent re-surface in the media (he was on Oprah and Larry King last week, and a documentary recently came out about him- post "fall"). One author takes pause at Haggard's embrace of the media; his supposed carte blanche they have in his life. The other observes Haggard's reflections on life post-ministry and its circumference to their situation. One almost laments Haggard's use of the spotlight. The other appreciates it.

Both are right. Neither contradicts the other.

What do you think?

former racist

I read a compelling, no moving, story today...

I live in, and grew up in, (white) Idaho. No- I wasn't ever a part of those that seem to be synonymous with my state (with their shaved heads and WWII-era tattoos; who hate because they believe they have to; who think that MLK,Jr. was a nuisance to be dealt with). But there wasn't much diversity.

Slowly Idaho, and more specifically Boise, has become more and more diverse. I remember coming to a similar point as Seanna did... but I was in my twenties. I realized I saw people differently. And as I wrestled with that I thought maybe that was ok. But then my college chaplain said something at a chapel centered around Black History Month, "For the Christ follower, there is no such (racial) distinction."

It rocked my world. Not because a man I deeply respected had said it, but because I called myself a Christ follower. And those words have deepened my love for others. There is no distinction- all are short of His glory- we are all in the same sinking ship- USS Humanity.

The Pursuit: Video Announcements February 1, 2009

post-it notes

I have a bunch of post-it notes on the wall above the desk I work at- they were left over from the Feb 1 Pursuit video announcements (or see above).

And I've been writing notes on others and putting them up. I want to invite you to put yours up as well. I want your thoughts, doodles, illustrations, et cetera on my real life wall. If you can stop by, please do so. If not, please just simply mail it to me and I'll put it up*.

The Pursuit
Attn: Nick Shoemaker
6151 N Discovery Way
Boise, ID 83713

*Disclaimer here. I won't put up crude, fowl, private, or non-tasteful stuff. Use tact, please.

The Pursuit: Cleaning Crew Promo