call for children's book reviews ... (two cents worth, aug. 7 '11)

call for children's book reviews... 

A few years ago my mother gave me some of the books she used to read to me as child.  I've realized just how many of them were about animals, and how much her reading them with me (over and over again, no doubt) must have influenced my love for God's creatures.  I imagine many of you can relate, and so we'd love to invite you to share a tribute to one of your favorite animal books, whether from when you were a child or one you may have read to your own children, grandchildren or others you care for. 

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two cents worth, March 1 '11

Hi everyone, and sorry for the long layoff between newsletters.  We've been very active in other respects however, and here are a few highlights from early 2011 ...

new prayer group...  A long time in the making, we launched a much needed not one sparrow prayer group on Facebook last week.  So often we're confronted by instances of animal suffering, personal or massive in scale, both of which can be overwhelming and deflating.  We hope the prayer group will encourage us all to share these burdens with each other, and to pray individually and collectively for the needs of God's creatures and those who care for them.  So far, it's off to a wonderful and enheartening start.  Please read our introduction to the group, and consider joining with us!

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a post-anniversary two cents worth

change of pace...  At our anniversary a few months back (and thank you for all the well-wishes), I mentioned how we were hoping to move ahead with incorporating not one sparrow as an official nonprofit.  In the weeks following, we gave that a solid effort, but unfortunately the process proved to be too much to take on in every respect, from administrative red tape to financial costs.  It became a very stressful experience, which detracted from the work we were doing and left us in a bigger hole than we started in.

As a result, I'm having to pull back on the amount of time I'm able to invest in not one sparrow.  I've taken on a part-time job as a janitor at our church, and would appreciate your prayer as I continue to look for supplemental work.  Please know I intend to keep the blog going as best I can in more of a volunteer capacity, along with the social extensions and of course personal correspondence, which have been our main points of connection anyway.  I still feel not one sparrow has work left to accomplish on behalf of God's creatures, and I'm grateful for those of you who have communicated the same encouragement. 

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two cents worth, we're two years old!

turning two...  Yesterday marked not one sparrow's second birthday!  Since we don't often have the opportunity to see each other "in person," I thought I might put together an informal video retrospective.  It looks back on some of the developments not one sparrow has seen this past year and what might be ahead in the coming months.  It also touches on the kind of community we want to be, and some of the need we continue to face.  I hope you'll watch it!

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two cents worth, thank you

thank you...  Your response to our request for help in the last eletter was one of the most encouraging, energizing and humbling moments I've had working on not one sparrow.  Thank you, many times over, for your sensitivity and response to the need.  It means the world to me, and to keeping not one sparrow afloat.  Recent weeks have been more dry, and we very much need your continued support each month.  But I am so grateful for your compassion and generosity to this point - thank you.

what sound does a sparrow make?...  As one of our Facebook friends mentioned, it's appropriate for not one sparrow to be tweeting.  So, I'm (mostly) glad to pass along that we finally have our own Twitter profile.  And if you're connected to us on Facebook, are you getting not one sparrow's feed?

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two cents worth, we need your help

request for help...  Every effort has been made to avoid leading with this request so far, and we're always grateful for your encouragement and word of mouth, but not one sparrow urgently needs your financial support as well.  Keeping in touch with community members, posting new content to the website and blog, networking with other efforts, developing other outreach opportunities and administrative responsibilities all require a substantial amount of time and energy far beyond volunteer hours.

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two cents worth, november 09

changing seasons...  We have a new Fall look at not one sparrow, based on another brilliant banner by my brother Josh DeVries.  Some other tweaks have been added as well, which I hope enhance the experience.  I'm also thrilled to introduce not one sparrow's new logo.  After months in development, and meaningful contributions from several friends, Ali Beem took over the project and came up with this beautiful embodiment of what not one sparrow is all about.  Thank you, Ali. 

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two cents worth, september 09

tell us how you really feel...  I'd love to know how you connect, or don't connect, with not one sparrow's website, blog and social networking.  I put together a brief, 10-question survey and would be honored to have your feedback.  The survey, courtesy of SurveyMonkey, is completely secure, anonymous and you can fill it out to whatever extent you care to: click here to take survey.  Many thanks if you do, and of course, you're always welcome to send me feedback personally if you'd prefer!

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nos update, may 09

still fledgling, but no longer hatchling ...
(see the development of our unofficial mascot 'Spoggy')

This past Saturday, May 16th, not one sparrow turned one year old.  As alluded to in a recent blog post, anniversaries are often special to me, and this one was especially so.  When I think of all the ups and downs of the past year, I'm grateful not one sparrow survived some difficult circumstances. Launching and maintaining an animal advocacy effort in the Christian community was going to be a stretch in the best of times, and Lord knows this year has been far from that.  Maybe some of you can relate.

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NOS update, January 09

Hey everyone, it’s been longer than I would have hoped since last sending an update around. I’ve battled a number downturns over the past year-plus since committing to not one sparrow, related to personal factors along with hazards of the trade. But I’m glad to say I’ve been going at things strong again the past couple of weeks, with some positive developments to pass along:

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