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

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

LosWhit gave me a moment’s pause this evening.

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

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

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?

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.

~NickShoe

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.

Impact. The word has different connotations, depending on whom you’re asking.

I want to impact.

Or make one. Impact the world around me. Impact as many as I can. As I’m supposed to.

Is this enough?

In case that it’s not, I’ve added new links. If you want to call it self-glorifying, you may- you’re entitled to your opinion. It’s not.

This is me. This is my world. This is our world.

I’m going to impact it. Join me or not- your choice.

My last post I claimed that I was going to write every day with a max of 500 words.

Maybe 500 characters would have been more realistic.

A week.

Twice a month.

During even quarters.

On odd years.

Starting next year.

I’m way too freakin busy for every day. My weekly dose of creativity seems to go to the video announcements for The Pursuit. Check it here.

And since those pretty much rock. I’m out.

New Year. It has a hollowness to it. Well, to me it does.

Last year went so quickly-

and this one is sure to flywheel towards that end as well.

To look at the next 365 days all-together makes it seem big. Maybe not. Tomorrow is big.

There’s so much to do.

Wow. I can sit here and think of all the cliche’s that surround today, and they’re all true. We only have today. Tomorrow may not come. Live now. Et cetera.

So I’ve decided to do this. To write everyday down in nor more than 500 words. Interesting adventure this should be

~NjS