Tunes for my break

Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust by Sigur Ros (nice cover!)

I've been listening to this album for a while... first as a stream on Last.FM... I then bought it earlier this week... and I love it. Its warmer and rawer than their previous studio albums... with greater feeling... making it more accessible. Tracks like Festival and Ára bátur are awesome... and in keeping with their "sound".

50:50 compilation from Earth Monkey Productions

50:50 is another fantastic collection of bleeding-edge electronic soundscapes and progressive ambience from Simian Shaun and his pals. Stand out tracks for me include ::

• Fossil by 4th Alternative :: more excellent ambience from my pal Rob. Fresh... New... Progressive... Atmospheric... Beautiful!
• Watersmouth by Clutter :: fantastic blend of electronics over found sounds... refreshing.
• Room 50 Hotel Ereso by Cousin Silas :: Wow! This is a track I have been fortunate to have for a while... Si passed a demo disk to me a while back... and this was a stand out track for me. More Tangerine Dream than his previous work... this has to be my favourite track of 2008 so far. The synths build into a hypnotic rythm that is just magical.
• Deka by Adrian Carter :: Simply a wonderful slice of techno. Energetic and imaginative. Awesome!

I am looking forward to digging into the other tracks... these were the ones that initally stood out for me... and I thank Rob, Shaun, Dave & Adrian respectively for making beautiful music!

Check them out.

Books for my break

The Shaping of Things to Come: Innovation and Mission for the 21st Century Church by Alan Hirsch and Michael Frost

Finally, a book which offers a real alternative to the contemporary church leadership mindset. Frost and Hirsch's most important point in this book which contains so much good stuff, is that Christ's desire for his people, the church, is to be a transforming presence in the world - an Incarnation. They illustrate, in slightly tongue in cheek fashion, the way that the church has signed up pretty much wholesale to an Attractional model of church - essentially tipping the great commission on its head, turning Christ's 'Go' into 'Come'.
I really hope loads of church leaders read this book and begin to realise that attracting people to their building is totally NOT what their job is about, Jesus came to destroy the temple and rebuild it out of living stones.

[ review from the Nanolog Community's own Matt "Piccadilly" Wilson ]

The Gift: How the Creative Spirit Transforms the World by Lewis Hyde

Lewis Hyde is not only a beautiful prose stylist but he is a thinker to match, for The Gift offers a challenging and provocative argument about how we value things. He uses wide-ranging examples from across cultures and epochs and leaves you at the end valuing all the more those things that can't have a monetary worth attached to them.

[ review from Leo McMarley ]

Two books for reading on my break - the first one (the shaping of things) is from my pal Innes and my thanks to him for the lend... the second one (the Gift) is from my library. I can't wait to dig into both of them.

Check them out.

Motherwell :: Lido di Jesolo, Italy

On Friday night / Saturday morning... Olly, Dayna, Miriam and my outlaws are heading back to Lido di Jesolo north of Venice in Italy (the most beautiful city in the world)... and yes... we are traveling by bus.


View Larger Map

The iPods, DS' and my PSP are all charged and ready for this monumental journey. We have books and puzzles too... oh and some wonderful scenery to see on the way... including, if we are blessed, Mont Blanc in the morning light.

We intend to visit Venice more than once... we hope to see more of the city... get off the regular tourist trails... find our own special places.

We are looking forward to the beach... the pool... the food... the town itself... and, most of all, we are looking forward to switching off and just being together.

I am going to use this time for a pseudo Mental Detox ::

The idea is simple: take your TV, your DVD player, your video iPod, your XBOX 360, your laptop, your PSP, and say goodbye to them all for seven days. Simple, but not at all easy. Like millions of others before you, you’ll be shocked at just how difficult - yet also how life-changing - a week spent unplugged can really be.

I say pseudo because I will have my iPod... and will play some games, now and again... This is more about me unplugging from the 'tinterweb... and taking time out for me and mine. To relax and recharge... and prepare for the future.

To this end... there won't be many blog posts or tweets while we are away... the mobile wont be on... comments wont be published... and I will try to read without listening to music.

I intend to read... eat great food with great company... to connect and share with my family... to walk and talk and smile in the sunshine... and play ping pong in the fading remnants of the day.

I can't wait.

My del.icio.us tags as a Wordle tag cloud

This is my Wordle cloud shaped from my tags in del.icio.us - its amazing to see a visual representation of what you consume... in a manner like this. Nice.

Me too..!

"I can't stand your religious meetings.
I'm fed up with your conferences and conventions.
I want nothing to do with your religion projects, your pretentious slogans and goals.
I'm sick of your fund-raising schemes, your public relations and image making.
I've had all I can take of your noisy ego-music.
When was the last time you sang to me?
Do you know what I want?
I want justice—oceans of it.
I want fairness—rivers of it.
That's what I want. That's all I want."

God [taken from Amos 5:21-25 (The Message)]

Me too..!

Current TV :: Vinyl Curtain

This pod made me cry. I love music. I love the hunt... looking... searching for something special... and it makes me sad to see Record Shops shut up shop. I was gutted when FOPP went under... then jubilant when HMV brought my FOPP on Union Street back from the dead.

One of the things I am excited about when I think of heading back to Italy this weekend is the record shop in the main part of town... I can't wait to get the Euros out :-)

Celebrate music!

This is cool :: How to be interesting

Found this article on how to be interesting on Russell Davies' blog... and thought it was worth sharing. It reinforces some of this things I do... and inspires me to try new things ::

1. Take at least one picture everyday. Post it to flickr.

2. Start a blog. Write at least one sentence every week.

3. Keep a scrapbook

4. Every week, read a magazine you’ve never read before

5. Once a month interview someone for 20 minutes, work out how to make them interesting. Podcast it.

6. Collect something

7. Once a week sit in a coffee-shop or cafe for an hour and listen to other people’s conversations. Take notes. Blog about it. (Carefully)

8. Every month write 50 words about one piece of visual art, one piece of writing, one piece of music and one piece of film or TV. Do other art forms if you can. Blog about it

9. Make something

10. Read:

• Understanding Comics - Scott McCloud
• The Mezzanine - Nicholson Baker
• The Visual Display Of Quantitative Information - Edward Tufte

I'm not sure about no. 7 but would encourage people to take time out in a coffee shop to read / write on their own... as well as meeting with friends to talk.

I also think that blogging (no. 2) isn't for everyone... but I would encourage everyone to write... keep a journal or something... record stories... capture ideas / dreams / inspiration... for reference at a later date.

As for no. 8 - seek out new music... go looking for new art... borrow everything you can from your local library... keep your eyes & ears open. If you can't read a new magazine... then at least try to read a new blog / website... seek out new things - follow links from blogs... and then follow their links. I find inspiration in the weirdest places... but then I go looking for inspiration.

Any other ideas? Thanks Russell!

This is cool :: Jay-Z's comments

I have found Jay-Z's comments on the backlash against him headlining Glastonbury very inspiring... from a music perspective and, with a wee bit of imagination, have been considering them from a faith / culture perspective too ::

"It's ridiculous, if we don't embrace what is new, then how do we progress?"

"It's 2008, what is that about? That's such old school thinking, that's not even how the world thinks anymore. So I was really taken aback (by the criticism)."

"These barriers that they have are only put up there to separate us.

"They are there so people have a way of filing the music but that's not the way kids today listen to music.

"I listen to all types of music and that's what should happen, that's what the world should be about, mixing culture.

"There's only good music and bad music."

Personally... I don't like most mainstream rap... all the money, guns, girls and stuff jars with me... but I do love the beats.

The concept of mixing culture is something we need to embrace in the church... examine... develop... we need move towards consumption, production and sharing... so we can progress... instead of building barriers.

Post-Spooned Out???

The Spooned Out??? gathering on Friday night was pretty special...

The Essential Band were sounding good... with a selection of sweet covers... creating a special sing-a-long ambience. Nice!

It was fun being behind the counter for once... I now know how to make lattes and americanos... and random panninis. Fun! Thanks to Lauren (pictured) for teaching me all you know - each one teach one :-)

Adam had a ton of art to display... which was sweet - I love his stuff! I want to incorporate his work (and the work of others) into these kind of gatherings... make it a multi-sensory thing.

It was great to see some fab friends... especially Chris and Dan from Glenrothes. It was weird, however, to speak to them with more than 140 characters at a time :-)

The highlight for me was the impromptu jam session... where folk like Scott (me included) grabbed random things to keep the beat going. My right hand is still sore from playing the bucket... good times! I think we have proven concept... here's to making this something regular. Thanks Jen & Paul for making this happen!

emchurch in Glasgow

I am heading out shortly to meet up with other members of the Emerging Scotland Facebook Group at St.Arbucks in Borders at the Fort. Here's the deets ::

The original reason for this group was the hope that we might find new ways to connect with and support one another.

I have spoken to a few of you already about how we might do this- and I think the common idea was that we should just meet, and decide together if we wanted to take this thing further.

So does anyone fancy meeting up for coffee, Glasgow Fort, Starbucks (upstairs at Borders) on Sunday afternoon, 22nd June. I will be there, Latte in hand, hoping for some good chat...

I am looking forward to meeting f2f with The Goans and spending more time with Stewart Cutler (aka swryv) - will update this post later with pics and more deets.

This is cool :: The latest Happiness Factory ad for Coke

I think this is awesome! Its a shame its for an advert... in that it wont be appreciated in and of itself... it will only be measured with abstracts like effectiveness and penetration. It reminds me of Abe's Odyssey on the PS1... and that's a good memory to have!

to just be in His presence

To be in Your presence,
To sit at Your feet,
Where Your love surrounds me,
And makes me complete.

This is my desire, O Lord

To rest in Your presence,
Not rushing away;
To cherish each moment,
Here I would stay.

This is my desire, O Lord

Noel Richards

As I enter the silence this morning... this is my desire... to be in the presence of God.

Thoughts of why I am not at church this morning... thoughts of what I have done this weekend and what I have yet to do... thoughts of the pain & cynicism, and the joy & belonging I feel are all given to God... as I seek to just be in His presence.

Logging out... and switching on.

H A P P Y A N N I V E R S A R Y ! ! !

Hey everyone... today is my 11 year anniversary! 11 years ago today... Olly and I started on this wild journey called together... and its still as wonderful today as it was then... more so now, if I am truly honest.

So here's some thoughts on marriage...

So yeah... HAPPY ANNIVERSARY Olwyn... here's to the rest of our lives together.

Reminder :: Spooned Out???

Be there if you can... I'll post pics and possibly a wee video of tonight's shenanigans.

Results not time

In our research at Behance, we have found that placing importance on hours and physical presence over action and results leads to a culture of inefficiency (and anxiety). The pressure of being required to sit at your desk until a certain time creates a factory-like culture that ignores a few basic laws of idea generation and human nature:

(1) When the brain is tired, it doesn't work well,

(2) Idea generation happens on its own terms,

(3) When you feel forced to execute beyond your capacity, you begin to hate what you are doing.

Behance Mag :: focus on results not time

Maybe the church too should consider their effectiveness with regards to the fruit... and not time expended. Too many people I know equate busy-ness with holiness... always on the go... here... there... everywhere! Where is the fruit? Where are the results of all this effort? What happens when we spend soooooo much time doing stuff that we don't have time to just be with our family, friends, community etc? Well... things break down... and we fail to be the people God wants us to be.

I completely understand the third point... its kind of where I am just now.

Anyway... lets stop being so hung up about presence and start worrying about the quality of what we produce.

Read the full article here

This is cool :: Daniel Edlen's vinyl art

Loving Daniel Edlen's vinyl art - check out his blog for more of his work. Something special!

This is cool :: God Only Knows on ukulele

Thanks to JD for the heads up. I dedicate this video to my pal Darrin Reeves.

This is cool :: guerrilla gardening

For Olly's birthday... I bought her the book on guerrilla gardening by Richard Reynolds - the idea was to inspire her... and maybe encourage her to use her God-given green thumbs for the community.

Well...

My wife reclaimed a piece of waste ground near our house and planted some shrubs. Intention was to create a low maintenance space that will be pleasing to the eye of the surrounding community.

So there you go... another Mathie who makes me proud a punch.

Now imagine a world where churches reclaimed open air spaces instead of filling the open air with hot air... where they demonstrated the love of Jesus in practical ways... instead of just talking a good game.

What if bands and choirs used their "practice" time for the benefit of others in this (or other) ways... instead of trying to improve their "sound".

Yeah... we call all dream. Well done Olly!

This is cool :: my we'ans' cards

Both Dayna and Miriam made me Fathers Day cards... and I thought they were worthy of a "this is cool" post ::

Miriam's had a real RAWK flavour... apparently she loves my music... although that doesn't quite explain why she always wants High School Musical on in the car.

Whereas Dayna's card was more subtle... can you guess what it is?

Yes... its a MacBook... how cool is that? It does, however, point to the previous post when my we'an thinks of me... she thinks of my MacBook.

I am proud as punch with them both.

I want an iPhone

Photo Credit :: daddytypes.com

I want an iPhone. OK... there... I said it. I want an iPhone.

The functionality (excluding the camera... which sucks) is next level and will really add to my life. I want it for the browser... and for all the cool new apps... and, well... because its cool.

Thing is... I have been meditating on it and I have to curse Brian McLaren because he has challenged my thinking... In his book "everything must change" he quotes Catholic Theologian Tom Beaudoin's concept called "Theocapitalism" (page 190 onwards) and I can't help but look at the iPhone in this new context...

1. He states that it gives us identity... helping to create our true selves. I openly identify as being a Mac Geek... the iPhone is an extension of this.
2. He then speaks of it help me to belong to a community of kindred spirits who share our faith - I am a member of the cult of Mac. Its me and the other however many percent against the windoze world.
3. Next up is trust... which develops through the making and keeping of advertising promises... thus reducing my anxiety in making choices. Buying a phone is pretty stressful because it needs to work with my Mac set up. I trust Steve Jobs. etc etc.
4. We experience ecstasy. Not sure about this... but then I have queued up for Mac openings etc... thats pretty close to a Whirling Dervish in my books.
5. He talks of the communication of transcendence through sacred images & symbols - who watched Steve's last keynote? I followed from a blog but... nevertheless... that's the closest I will come to following a global leader's every word/movement. When Steve speaks... its like a Papal audience... with the faithful (me included) lapping up everything he says. I ooh and ahh with every Apple-branded gizmo announcement.
6. We are promised conversion to a new life if we try their product and join their brand "family" - err... anyone remember the "switching" campaign? oh and how many friends have I tried to convert to Apple? err... all of them!
7. Lastly... theocapitalism promises rest for the restless - think of all the satisfied Apple users... especially the ones featured in the last Keynote. Satisfied!

Whoa! That's pretty close to the mark. I am devotee to theocapitalism... although it could be any for of consumption... Sony... Nintendo... Stussy... Nike... you get the gist.

So where do I go from here? With awareness of the above... can I still buy an iPhone and not be a hypocrit?

To be honest... I don't know.

Does the following count?

1. Its the second generation iPhone - I'm not that devoted!
2. Its come down in price - Its still expensive compared with other phones that are "free" and will require an increase in my monthly subscription.
3. It will give me pretty much 24-7 access to the web and to tools such as this blog... twitter... facebook etc. I can blog at lunch... while in a wi-fi zone. I can keep in touch with all my remote friends. I can read the BBC News on the train instead of the paper.
4. Extra harddrive space is always welcome... my 80gb iPod has 3gb left.
   

Maybe I should worry about things like contentment and how I can use the tool for the greater good... but then contentment would suggest I keep with the phone I have (which has a better camera) and if I am that concerned with the greater good then I will use whatever I have to hand... iPhone or not.

Maybe I should just consider it like I currently consider my phone - a tool for connecting with people & taking photos. Maybe the issue is about the idolatry and not the tool itself.

I just don't know. What do you think?

This is cool :: a rainbow over Motherwell

Olly shouted me through to show me this awesome rainbow... it was so clear and vibrant... something truly beautiful!

This is cool :: Emil Kozak

Loving Emil Kozak's work - awesome!

Something Beautiful :: 1.3 :: Dave McHam

something beautiful is now on its third proper episode... in it, JD interviews a friend of his called Dave McHam who has been working and dreaming to start an after school program for the youth of Waxahachie, Texas (where JD is lives) - in the midst of his dreaming and planning God has called him to a slightly different ministry in Waco, Texas - 60 miles south of Waxahachie. His is an awesome story and one I am glad to share.

Check it out... and, in doing so, check out this week's music... its from Shawn MacDonald's awesome new album "Roots" - our thanks go to EMI Records for permission to feature some tracks and for giving us a couple of CDs to giveaway. Listen to find out how you can win your own copy of Roots.

In the pipeline is an interview with Matt Wilson from the Message Trust in Manchester... as well as some other conversations with ordinary radicals making things happen where they are.

Technorati Tags: something beautiful, podcast

Happy Fathers Day

Dayna & Miriam... with some assistance from Olly... woke me this morning with a bizarre mashup entitled Happy Fathers Day to you.

I received breakfast in bed (choco hoops & toast with ham, cheese & boiled egg) washed down with OJ and some rooibos tea. Oh and a cake... yes a cake... that had Homer Simpson rocking out on it to the slogan... you rock!

Today... I have to disagree... the ones who RAWK in the Mathie household are Olly, Dayna & Miriam... for giving me such a beautiful day. Thank you!

Oh and sorry for all the white flesh above... in a couple of weeks its should be nice & brown... that is if I get to the beach without Greenpeace finding me and trying to throw me back in. It gets annoying after a while :-)

Double oh... Happy Fathers Day to my dad & to James, my outlaw. Thanks for everything!

Photojojo timecapsule - June 9th to June 23rd, 2007

Check out my latest photojojo time capsule - photos from June 9th to June 23rd, 2007 - with some nice surprises like Paul Clement with short hair. Enjoy.

Technorati Tags: photojojo

Enter the silence

When life is heavy and hard to take,
go off by yourself. Enter the silence.
Bow in prayer. Don't ask questions:
Wait for hope to appear.
Don't run from trouble. Take it full-face.
The "worst" is never the worst.

Why? Because the Master won't ever walk out and fail to return.
If he works severely, he also works tenderly.
His stockpiles of loyal love are immense.
He takes no pleasure in making life hard, in throwing roadblocks in the way.

Lamentations 3: 28-33 (The Message)

These words from Lamentations bring great strength to me... they provide direction for where I am with regards to my church just now. I am currently off by myself... I have entered the silence (albeit there is the sound of tapping keys on a keyboard or the swish of my pen) and I have stopped asking the kind of critical questions that seek to destroy rather than build up. I sit here waiting...

I have been trying to capture my thoughts/feelings in writing. Examining my thoughts/feelings on what/how church should be... and where the gaps are in my current experience. Once a business analyst... always a business analyst... I suppose... but this gap analysis comes from the heart. The questions come from a desire to build up... to create as well as recreate... to seek to imagine as well as reimagine... to seek to start from scratch as well as seeking to repair & recycle.

Silence is hard for me. Hence why I am capturing a snapshot of my experience here... as a means to break up the silence. The silence of being alone scares me. Don't get me wrong... I know I am not alone... I have a wonderful family who gave me Indiana Jones Top Trumps for Fathers Day... and wonderful friends who call / text / email / tweet / grab coffee with me... and generally keep me busy and distracted (in a good way).

Its not that kind of alone. This is the alone of being open, intimate and vulnerable before God. The silence is necessary so I can hear His voice. No questions... just communion with God:

God, our God!
God the one & only!
Love God, your God with your whole heart:
Love Him with all that's in you,
Love Him with all that you've got!

Deuteronomy 6: 4&5 (The Message)

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This is cool :: Vampire Weekend playing for free

Thought this was cool... up & coming next-big-thing band Vampire Weekend are playing a free show in New York's Central Park today. Wish I was there.

Return of vinyl???

I've been saying for a while that if record companies sold records with a voucher to download a high quality mp3 rip then I would be a happy bunny... well Rolling Stone are reporting on an upsurge in demand for records... and even mention the very thing I have spoken about ::

In April, Elvis Costello and the Imposters' Momofuku arrived first on LP, though it included a coupon for a free digital download (the CD version arrived weeks later).

This is the future, if you ask me. I love the warmth and simple pleasure of sitting down and listening to a record... and want to combine this with the convience of a download for my iPod (without the hassle of having to try and rip the record).

I love the physicality of music and will always buy CDs/records over downloads. I love the art and the hunt - I lose hours trawling through FOPP or other record shops. I love to talk about music too with passionate people. Notice the word "love" in this paragraph. Music is a passion of mine.

Downloads just don't do it for me. Don't get me wrong... I love netlabels and see them as having a fantastic distribution model for getting their leftfield (but awesome) music out there. I'm just not that passionate about "normal" downloads... downloads for albums I can buy in a shop. I don't need convenience that much for it to replace CDs or vinyl.

So yeah... I welcome the return of vinyl (for some of us... it never really went away) and hope that the industry will see sense and offer records with downloads. This is a "best of both worlds" that could actually work.

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feeling spooned out???

Sometimes its great just to chill out & recharge... in the company of some likeminded friends.

On Friday, 20th June (from 7ish) the Essential Band with Jen & Paul will be playing some uplifting tunes at The Travelling Spoon - a sweet little cafe venue in the Trongate area of Glasgow.

Whats more... Adam Howie - the fab artist from ((deep)) no.5, personal friend and Nanolog Community member - will be exhibiting some of his new work for your inspiration and, hopefully, your house (he will be selling some pieces so bring your wallet).

Entry is free... with coffee/refreshments available to buy... from cool baristas (like me... hahaha). Photos etc will be posted after the event.

All welcome. Leave a comment if you can make it... and feel free to pinch the pic and post it on your own blog.

but not to be "of" it

Having learned from the past, I would hope we could strive to live faithfully in the world of today - an increasingly postmodern, postcolonial, post-Industrial, post-Christendom, and otherwise post-al world. Our goal should be to live fully "in" the world - incarnationally in it, missionally sent into it ... but not to be "of" it, as Jesus said.

Brian McLaren - Note to critics and self

Something Beautiful v1.2

The latest episode (1.2) of something beautiful - the podcast JD and I are working on - is up and live. In it JD speaks to Chad Crawford from the Homebrewed Christianity podcast and then JD and I have a blether.

Check it out... and spread the word. Oh and if you fancy being featured, please let me know... its all about the extraordinary done by ordinary folks...

The Big Ask

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I've signed up for the big ask

In boarding this flight you've joined thousands across the UK in demanding that all UK emissions are included in the new climate change law from the start, including those from international aviation and shipping.

There are still some seats available. So, please don't fly solo, invite your friends and make this one plane the Government can't ignore.

I'm sitting in 229F - 229G is free... someone come sit beside me.

This is cool :: Skype Nomad

Rebecca has possibly the coolest job in the world... although this is nearly a had as I came to the party late on this (d'oh). She is Skype Nomad - traveling the world to demonstrate Skype in a mobile setting.

I'm taking up the Skype Nomad challenge to travel non-stop around the globe. Over 33 days I'll be using as many different forms of transport possible for a girl - from jumbo jets to dog sleds, canoes to camels, sky diving to revolving restaurants... Definitely not what I though I'd be doing 6 months ago.

So watch this space for my escapades, encounters, films, pics, highs and lows from my adventures in China, Alaska, Australia, USA, Europe and the UK. I'll be sending it all for free using the gadgets Skype has given me.

It's all for a good cause - the charity Motivation which helps provide ways for disabled kids to get around.

Sounds good to me... check it out at skype.com . Oh and you can follow her on twitter too. Nice.

East of Scotland Divisional Ladies Night Out

I was there... the only bloke... surrounded by ladies... The things I do for Olly, eh???

Olly was invited to sing at this gathering by Maj. Dawn Mizon. She was awesome... but then I am biased. Afterwards, Helen - the manager from Ashbrook House Homeless Hostel spoke and I wish I had my MacBook... her story would have been ideal for something beautiful.

Anyway... all was not lost... their chocolate covered fruit & marshmallow kebabs were excellent.

I am a strong advocate for giving space for peoples stories... and tonight was another example of how strong they can be. Great night.

Oh and it was great to see Dawn and Babs from Glenrothes there too.

June's calendar

Only a couple of days late with June's calendar... sorry. Above is a version for the iPhone if you are one of the privileged few... and below is for your desktop... if you like it. Nothing like a bit of green and a vanishing perspective. Enjoy.

Responding to criticism

How ironic that Emergent, which is often criticized for not defining itself, can be so easily defined by its critics. I propose a new tag line for, to use a New Jersey term, "this thing of ours." Rather than "Emergent: A Generative Friendship," I propose "Emergent: We're like pornography. You know it when you see it."

Creatio Ex Nihilo

I think this post from Don Heatley demonstrates a real graciousness and is deeply God-honouring. Please read the whole article to get the gist of the quote above... and let's remember 1 John 4: 20 (NIV):

If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.

Think about it. Thanks to Jake for the heads-up.

This is WAY cool :: Wallpapers by Brad Ruggles

I love a good wallpaper... I have a ton of them on my MacBook and tend to display them randomly for a few minutes each. I have for some reason (I <3 Marion) kept the above wallpaper for a wee while now.

I have, however, changed it for this one above from Brad Ruggles who has quoted Helen Keller...

I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something. And because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do the something that I can do.

Powerful... and inspiring. Just the kind of thing I need on my MacBook just now. Personally I think it should be on a tee too. What about Threadless Brad?

So anyway... check out Brad's blog - its one worthy of your google reader... its now in mine!

Thanks Brad for the wallpaper and the inspiration.. Thanks to Evan for posting about Brad's wallpaper... Oh and thanks to JD for reading and sharing via google reader Evan's post.

Technorati Tags: wallpaper