This is WAY cool :: an OBAMA moleskine

Obama + moleskines = wow

Check them out here and here.

Thanks to moleskinerie

This is cool :: The joy of pottering

No telephones, no meetings, no e-mail notifications popping up all around you. Just an infinite list of little jobs, which can be done in any order, and which you can tackle secure in the knowledge that you would never manage to reach the end of the list so there's no point stressing about it.

The joy of pottering

This is cool :: Photojojo

I am a Flickr geek and love all the mashups that people have built using it.

One that I love is photojojo - sign up for their bi-weekly time capsule newsletter that picks photos you have taken/uploaded a year before... and drops in into your inbox to give you a sweet wee reminder of your life a year ago. I think we tend to forget where we have been... we don't always look back to the stuff we have created/ commented/ discussed/ produced... and I think the idea behind the photojojo time capsules is a sound one which helps me to remember.

Here's the link to my latest time capsule :: 2008-6-1 :: enjoy it... and sign up for your own one (that you are welcome to share with me). In doing so... you get some fab tips/ ideas too to help with your photography.

Nice!

Walking round Chatelherault

The White Bridge

Spent a lovely couple of hours walking at Chatelherault in Hamilton. Absolutely glorious day to spend with Olly, the we'ans and Pippin. Peace and quiet... except for birdsong and the flowing river.

Olly & the we'ans

More pics here - I am, however, suffering today from numerous bites from flying beasties... some of which are rather large and inflamed. Ah well... good times non the less.

Does Jesus live in Motherwell???

Thanks to my buddy Derek for making me laugh this morning. According to my profile on this fine blog... Jesus lives in Motherwell, Scotland.

Wow... I knew He was close by.

What I've been up to lately...

It feels like ages since I posted some of my thoughts/feelings on the ol' nanolog - thanks for your patience.

I've been busy... busy being part of a family... and busy with a few personal projects (which I'll talk about later).

We've been to a garden festival (the Viewpark Garden Festival)...

celebrated our Dayna's birthday... went for a walk to see the Falls of Clyde and Peregrine Falcon chicks... and picnic'd with Janey at the Calderglen Park. Truly good times.

Olly and I have both been working hard... Olly has been working full time while her boss takes some overdue leave... and I have been trying to get my head around the finer points of foreign exchange... and studying for a Business Analysis qualification.

I have also been connecting with more folks using skype and enjoying it. The above screen dump was taken when I connected with Jonathan and he couldn't speak. So I did the talking and he responded with words typed onscreen and the odd laugh. That was a fun conversation. Chats with Paul E and Chris have been beneficial and improved through the use of skype. I am "headphonaught" on skype if you want to talk with me sometime. Please give me some notice... and consider any potential time difference... but otherwise would love to chat.

As for personal projects... 4 things come to mind:

(1) I have been examining my understanding of church based on what I have experienced and what I know/believe/hope is possible.

Forgive me first love, but I’m tired.
I need to get away to feel again.

Adele from her track "First Love" on her "19" album - this is how I feel about my church at the moment (please note - my first love is Jesus and not the church). This examination is ongoing.

(2) I have started a podcast with my friend Jonathan using the wonder of skype - it kind of came about through a random conversation and a joint love for the Nick and Josh podcast and Homebrewed Christianity (both great pods that I would heartily recommend). We dreamed of a podcast where we both shared in conversation with people... ordinary radicals... who have stories worth talking about. The name :: something beautiful :: comes from a line in Brian McLaren's book - Everything Must Change...

If we believe, we can be transformed into agents of something beautiful that is trying to be born in our world. We can be caught up in the unfolding, emergent, spiraling process of God giving birth to a beautiful whole, the kingdom of God.

We'll see where it goes... but I am excited. For a deeper explanation go to http://somethingbeautifulpodcast.com/ or head straight to iTunes for the podcast. Give us your feedback and your suggestions for improvements - its still young and needs to grow. Edition 1.1 uses audio from the videos from ((deep)) which will spread the word that wee bit further. I am also interesting in stories from members of the ol' nanolog community. Want to share? Let me know... would love you to be part of this new journey.

(3) I have been in communication with a wonderful couple called Chris and Michaela (again using skype) about the possibility of bringing interested "emerging" people together for an ongoing/regular time of sharing, inspiration and support. I will keep you posted on progress but I am quietly confident that this is something inspired and encouraged by the Spirit... and will happen.

(4) Lastly... I have been asked by Jen & Paul to be involved in organising a gathering in June. The Essential Band have a gig in a cafe in the City Centre and I was hoping to bring Adam Howie through to show off some of his work... gallery opening style. Its still early days and I will keep you posted... all I can say just now is keep Friday, 20th June free if you are in or around Glasgow.

Oh and I have joined Jaiku too through an invite from a good pal in Geneva. If you are a member... please hook up with me and say "hi".

So anyway... here's to the weekend.

Stories from Dan & Laura...

Stories from Dan & Laura from thomas mathie on Vimeo.

Taken from the 5th ((deep)) gathering on the 24th May... Dan and Laura speak openly of who they see Jesus as.

Worship from ((deep)) -- no.5

((deep)) worship [240508] from thomas mathie on Vimeo.

The Essential Band bring a 3 song "unplugged" set featuring...

1. Open the eyes of my heart
2. In the secret
3. The splendour of the King

Enjoy!

((deep)) -- no.5

I like the way each ((deep)) is different. The Spirit shows up and makes the evening His own. Saturday night was no exception.

The Essential Band were without a drummer for the evening... but they made some beautiful lemonade with this lemon they were thrown - they stripped it down and played an "unplugged" set... with Paul on acoustic guitar... Jen & Laura on vocals... and Stuart & John on bongos... with John playing the trumpet too. Special times.

Another reason why this ((deep)) gathering was special - Adam Howie joined us to express his worship through paint. He produced 2 paintings - the one at the top of this post (which was purchased after the gathering by an anon benefactor and my sincere thanks go to them) and the picture below entitled "deep" ::

I received very positive feedback that reinforced my gut feeling - watching a painting unfold connects with visually stimulated people thus keeping their attention while folks are speaking. Adam did a sterling job and I hope he will join us again.

After worship... we had a period of testimony... where various folk spoke of who they thought Jesus is... along with an open mic for participants who wished to speak. This was another special time. Hearing testimonies is always moving... but to hear from folk who I haven't heard speak before is wonderful - Stuart's testimony was simple... Jesus is his best friend... and yet he spoke with a heartfelt eloquence that proved for me, there and then, the power of testimony. Peoples' stories move mountains. My thanks to Dan, Laura, John, and Stuart for their preparation. Moving.

It was fab to see Jon, Leeanne, Bobby and Dan... as well as those not pictured including Lorna, Ian, Kirsty, Lauren and the other Bobby. Thanks to you all for making the effort to be there.

Thanks too... to Gary and the youth group from Hamilton who were in the neighbourhood. Thanks for being part of the gathering.

All in... another great night. Last word of thanks goes to Lucy who is a top notch organiser and number one responsible person... and I am glad she is part of this.

Here's to the next one in August.

((deep)) -- tonight's team thought...

The following is my thought for the ((deep)) team...

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I am presently rereading Shaine Clalborne’s “The Irresistible Revolution” and this jumped out at me...

“...few things have more transformative power than people and stories.

...The things that transform us, especially us “Post-Moderns” are people and experiences. Political ideologies and religious doctrines just aren’t very compelling, even if they’re true. And stories disarm us. They make us laugh and cry. Its hard to disagree with a story, much less split a church or kill people over one. And certainly no one hurts others with the passion of those who do it in the name of God, and its usually over ideologies and doctrines, not stories. Besides people seem to loosen up after a good story. I think that’s why Jesus told so many stories - stories about ordinary first-century Mediterranean life, stories of widows and orphans, debts and wages, workers and landlords, courts and banquets.”

((deep)) is about storytelling. Its about opinions. Its about who I say Jesus is... either as the guest speaker or as one participant coming alongside another. Its about the power of personal experience... in the here and now experience... what God is doing right here... right now.

The Salvation Army has a great tradition for testimonies... and tonight, in a way, we are having a testimony meeting. An open mic and a sense of the spirit working... and I, for one, can’t wait.

We read in Matthew 13:10-17 (The Message) the following...

The disciples came up and asked, "Why do you tell stories?"

He replied, "You've been given insight into God's kingdom. You know how it works. Not everybody has this gift, this insight; it hasn't been given to them. Whenever someone has a ready heart for this, the insights and understandings flow freely. But if there is no readiness, any trace of receptivity soon disappears. That's why I tell stories: to create readiness, to nudge the people toward receptive insight. In their present state they can stare till doomsday and not see it, listen till they're blue in the face and not get it. I don't want Isaiah's forecast repeated all over again:

Your ears are open but you don't hear a thing.
Your eyes are awake but you don't see a thing.
The people are blockheads!
They stick their fingers in their ears
so they won't have to listen;
They screw their eyes shut
so they won't have to look,
so they won't have to deal with me face-to-face
and let me heal them.

"But you have God-blessed eyes—eyes that see! And God-blessed ears—ears that hear! A lot of people, prophets and humble believers among them, would have given anything to see what you are seeing, to hear what you are hearing, but never had the chance.”

Stories don’t just loosen people up... but prepare the way... just as a farmer prepares the her soil... stories prepare the ground for the seed that is God’s good news for the poor.

Tonight... we are storytellers... we have our own unique experiences that are valued. Please use them. Don’t rely on doctrine or a sales pitch - that’s done and gone... tonight is about stories... Let’s release the transformative power that God has given each and everyone of us for His benefit.

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((deep)) tonight... from 7pm...
@ Salvation Army - City Centre Corps... 1 Houldsworth Street... Glasgow