Kingsley Clan

GEM-K Ministry Comes To an End

2010-08-18T00:10:00.000+01:00

That picture is from 2005. I'm holding Eoin and Hailey's just behind me. We had literally just packed up everything we owned, chucked it in a container (with the help of some friends) and flown to Budapest, Hungary to begin our ministry with GEM-Ks.

Here's a picture from our most recent conference this August (2010) in Wisla, Poland. Five years of GEM-K Ministry and we loved every second of it. Wouldn't change a moment. In fact, I'm really going to miss it.... a lot. These teens are amazing.

GEM-K Conference 2010 was one for the books! It was our first time running a camp in Poland. Turns out Wisla is an awesome place to run a teen camp. There was a folk festival going on which meant lots of live music, arcades and stalls. There was a high ropes course, zip-line and huge hamster ball thing that you climbed in and rolled down a hill strapped inside. There was the water park with its massive toilet bowl slide and then there was all the fun we had just hanging out. Honestly, we probably didn't need all that other entertainment, these teens kept me laughing all week long.

Our theme for the week was "What Fills Your Heart, Guides Your Life." We asked, "what is the heart?" and "why is God so concerned with it in the Bible?" We painted the picture of a God who is in pursuit of our hearts. We spoke about the need to protect our hearts and even took a day-trip to Auschwitz to consider what can happen when our hearts are led astray. We finished by exploring the full life God has for us when we enter into that relationship with him.

Here's a bunch of photos for those interested.

And here's a video composed of a few of our favorite GEM-K memories:

Technorati Tags: GEM-K, Photos, Travel

Belarus

2010-07-19T15:18:00.001+01:00

July 5th-12th 2010 saw me joining up with ten others from Ireland to run a Zest4Kidz summer camp for prison girls aged 10-18 in Belarus. The week was life-changing.

When the girls first arrived in single-file you could see right away that their souls were heavy. They found it hard to smile or even seem interested in the camp they were visiting. They just kept their heads down and waited for orders from the prison guards.

The week consisted of morning talks and discussion groups, lots of games, crafts and sports. We soon found out that the Irish aren't too talented at Volleyball but that we can hold our own in Pioneer Ball (a national sport in Belarus). The activities provided a context for interaction with the girls and an avenue for us to let them know they are loved. Perhaps the most significant times we had with the girls was in the evenings when we could sit and share stories with one another.

I was blown away to find out the minor crimes these girls had committed in order to be in prison. One girl had taken her Mother's mobile to make some calls and her own mother reported her to the police and testified against her! Unfortunately this girl's story wasn't that unique. Most of the girls come from abusive homes where drugs and alcohol are destroying the families. Many of the girls had scars on their arms from attempted suicide and almost all had not received any visits while in prison. There have been 10 visitors to the prison since January 2010 and Zest4Kidz are about half of those.

On the first day a girl named Ira walked up to me and said she'd like me to ask her some questions. I was impressed with her courage to walk up to a stranger so I asked her to tell me her story. She too came from a broken home. Her father had died when she was young and her mother was a heavy drinker and would abuse her. She said she was scared because three days after our camp she was being released from the prison to go back to that abusive home.

We're currently trying to enroll Ira into a Zest4Kidz mentoring program.

I wish you could have seen the girls as we were leaving. They were alive! They were happy. We brought hope into their lives but they ended up changing our lives. Can't wait to see them again!

Be sure to check out PHOTOS FROM THE BELARUS TRIP.

Technorati Tags: Justice, Photos, Prayer, Travel, Youth Work

Interview With Katya

2010-07-19T14:48:00.001+01:00

Here's a quick interview with Katya, one of the first girls Zest4Kidz had the opportunity to help in Belarus. Katya now meets with girls in prison letting them know that there is hope and that they are loved. She is an excellent role-model.

Technorati Tags: Justice, Travel, Video

Samson & Word Pictures

2010-07-16T14:24:00.001+01:00

I told Eoin and Moia the story of Samson last night for the first time. It was quite an experience. I tend to re-enact every scene for effect and had to work hard to keep it appropriate for the young audience. The story's not exactly PG-13 but it's always been one of my favorites. A true story of redemption.

Anyways, I came across the picture above today and thought I'd pass it and a whole series of word pictures along to you. Each picture is inspired by a book of the Bible. There's some great stuff in there. Enjoy.

Technorati Tags: Family, Parenting

Summer Training

2010-06-26T20:51:00.001+01:00

This is the first summer where I have been able to run summer practices for my basketball teams. In the past we didn't have the resources to maintain practices through the summer so this is a real blessing. I'm trying to install a brand new offensive system into all team levels so having this summer is a huge advantage. There is also the potential for me to begin coaching at the club level if an U14 team materializes. I'm praying it does.

Technorati Tags: Basketball

Belarus

2010-06-26T20:26:00.001+01:00

In just under a week I'll be on my way to Minsk, Belarus as part of a Zest4Kidz team. We'll be working with a girl's prison. But this isn't any ordinary prison. It's a maximum security prison for kids aged 10-18, most serving 10 year sentences. In Belarus parenthood isn't a right, it's a privilege and the State can take away children from their parents who they deem unfit. However, the State usually finds such parents when their kids commit crimes of survival, whether it be stealing food or money. The girls are then placed in a reformatory prison. During their time there, their only visitors outside of the jail system are charity workers from Zest4Kidz who have worked hard to build relationships and gain access into such institutions.

We'll be running a summer camp to build relationships with the girls which will hopefully lead to them entering the Zest4Kidz mentoring program once they leave prison.

I'm really excited to be seeing first hand what Zest4Kidz does overseas. Your prayers are appreciated.

Technorati Tags: Justice, Prayer, Travel

Are We Insane?

2010-06-19T19:14:00.000+01:00

Hailey and I recently began the Insanity workout program. It is intense. Lots of cardio, power and speed. Feels good to be on a regular workout schedule again.

Technorati Tags: Family

California Vacation

2010-05-26T18:41:00.000+01:00

We spent just over two weeks in California for a family holiday. It was so good to be able to spend time with Grandparents, Great Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins and friends. The trip was refreshing. We also were able to share with three churches who have partnered with us.

If you asked the kids what their highlight of the trip was they'd probably say something like, "Chuck E Cheese" or "hanging with our cousins," or "going to the beach." If you asked Hailey and I you'd probably hear something like "sun, sun or sun."

Not sure when we'll next be back in the States but I'm already looking forward to it.

As usual we took some photos: California, May 2010.

Technorati Tags: Family

GEM-Ks in Dublin

2010-05-02T23:03:00.000+01:00

Had a great afternoon with four GEM-Ks right here in Dublin. Hailey and I sat for hours chatting with two Ireland-based GEM-Ks and two GEM-Ks from France. Great convos on our doorstep.

Technorati Tags: Dublin, GEM-K

End of Year Basketball Party

2010-05-01T23:03:00.000+01:00

We've made it a tradition of having a year-end celebration for my basketball teams. This year's was the largest yet and they all were piled into our home. At one point they spilled out into our neighborhood to kick the football around. We probably freaked out the neighbors a bit but it was well worth it. I had a chance to tell each of them how proud I was of them, to award a few players who's efforts stood out and to celebrate the four different team's achievements. It really was a special time. One that will stay with me.

Technorati Tags: Basketball, Youth Work

Oslo

2010-04-22T15:10:00.000+01:00

For Hailey's 31st birthday we bought tickets to Oslo. It's been a dream of her's to visit Norway and see where her Grandfather was from. It was in Oslo that her Mom discovered she was pregnant with Hailey. Was fun to be back there nearly 32 years later. I really enjoyed the city but mostly enjoyed the time with my beautiful wife. Thanks to the parents for watching the kids.

Oh, and apparently this crying baby is famous. We spent hours looking for it so Hailey could take this shot.

We have more photos for anyone who's interested.

Technorati Tags: Family, Photos, Travel

Wheaton Chapel

2010-04-17T08:52:00.001+01:00

In the past few weeks Wheaton College has had a few distinguished speakers at their chapel. Of particular interest to me was the talks by Shane Claibrorne and N.T. Wright.

Download the talks in iTunes.

Technorati Tags: Theology, Video

A Trip to Cork

2010-04-15T20:13:00.000+01:00

I know I live in Dublin but it doesn't always feel like Ireland to me. The country-side feels like Ireland to me - green fields, sheep, castles, etc. So, every now and then we grab the fam, squeeze into a car and jet off somewhere over the weekend. Cork is a personal favorite and we had a mission. Hailey was trying to convince us that there was a cable car linking the mainland to an island at the end of one of the peninsulas in Cork. Nobody believed her. In fact, I haven't met another Irish person who knows about this cable car either.

It is there. We found it.

Check out the photos for proof.

Technorati Tags: Family, Photos, Travel

I Love a Good Testimony

2010-04-07T23:04:00.000+01:00

Honestly, I love a good testimony, a story of the Divine entering and changing humanity. One of my favorite questions to ask friends is, "where has God shown up in your life?" Christian Hosoi is a legend in the skater community. Here's a video from the "I Am Second" campaign where he shares his God-altering story.

Sunrise Service

2010-04-06T22:03:00.001+01:00

A few of us from The Journey gathered on Easter to celebrate with some songs, readings, a short teaching and a lot of coffee and muffins. It was a holy and sacred moment and a perfect way to start Easter day.

We found out afterwards that there were other communities doing the same in Sandymount, Blackrock, Dun Laoghaire Pier, Bray and Greystones (all coastal towns on the south side of Dublin).

Here are some shots I snapped at Seapoint. The morning was epic. If Ireland had more mornings like this I'd be inclined to get up earlier.

Technorati Tags: Church, Dublin, Photos

Strategic Planning

2010-04-05T09:38:00.001+01:00

It's that time of year again. The GEM team members here in Ireland gathered at the end of March to discuss the vision of GEM and to decide on how best our resources could be used to see this vision lived out in Ireland. It was a time of prayer and listening. It was a time for brainstorming. It was a time for making decisions. It was a long two days but in the end I think we all felt excited with our direction for the year. We'll be putting the finishing touches our strategic plans in mid-April.

Technorati Tags: Prayer

Rob Bell on the Resurrection

2010-04-05T00:04:00.001+01:00

Rob Bell released a short video on the resurrection for Easter. A great reminder as to why the resurrection matters.

Technorati Tags: Church, Theology, Video

Reconnoissance

2010-03-31T21:55:00.001+01:00

I was in Wisla, Poland this past weekend to do a little reconnoissance for our upcoming GEM-K Conference in August. I can't believe this is going to be our last conference with these amazing teens. I'm sad to be saying goodbye but excited for what the future holds as well.

Back to the trip.

I met Claudia when I arrived in Wisla and it was straight into meeting with activity planners and hotels. In the end we found a great venue to rent out as well as a number of great activities such as paintballing, a high ropes course and a rollercoaster. Everything points to an amazing GEM-K Conference. Can't wait!

Technorati Tags: GEM-K, Travel

Zest4Kidz Shamrock Face Painting

2010-03-19T09:45:00.001Z

Hailey and I took to the streets of Dublin on St. Patrick's Day to paint shamrocks on faces to raise money for Zest4Kidz. We had over 30 volunteers join us for what turned out to be an amazing morning. In the few hours we were out there we painted over 1,000 faces and raised over €2,000. Not bad for a morning's work! What's more, we got to share with many the work that Zest4Kidz is involved with. Be sure to check out some pictures from the day.

Technorati Tags: Dublin, Family, Ireland, Justice, Photos

Too Busy to Be Sick on Paddy's Day

2010-03-15T12:57:00.001Z

This past week our family has been ill, each of us taking turns like dominos. It hasn't been pretty to say the least. Unfortunately sickness didn't get the memo that we're too busy to be sick.

My role at Zest4Kidz has been taking off, writing proposals, updating databases, giving direction to volunteers, planning trips and keeping my head above water in the process. In basketball, I'm still coaching the 2nd Year team at our local school who are in two different leagues (read: twice as many games). Hailey and I have started teaching religion to our final two groups of 4th years (Sophomores). And on top of this we're still meeting up with GEM-Ks and interacting with them online. Crazy.

But nobody told all this to the flu.

I (Matt) was supposed to be in Germany this past weekend running a retreat for German GEM-K teens. I'd been looking forward to it for some time but on Friday as I made my way down to the airport bus, I finally admitted defeat and pronounced myself sick. I made the walk back up the hill to my house, rolled into bed and called our contacts in Germany to let them know I couldn't be there. Really bummed but know that God isn't surprised when this sort of thing happens.

The kids were far less grumpy when they were sick. The two of them were both champs. It's always hard watching your kids be sick. Hailey got it the worst, being sick for a number of days in bed. No good.

So, after a mandetory rest week we're at it again. There's a lot going on this week. We just had Mother's Day on Sunday here in Ireland. Tuesday is Hailey's birthday and Wednesday is St. Patrick's Day. We decided to wait and celebrate Hailey's birthday on the weekend rather than have it get suffocated by all the other festivities.

On Paddy's Day I'm organizing a fundraising event for Zest4Kidz. A few of us will be meeting up in Dublin city with other Zest4Kidz volunteers to paint shamrocks on faces. We'll be raising funds for former child-soldiers in Uganda. I'm looking forward to the excitement but also to providing a way for others to engage meaningfully in the St. Patrick's Day festivities.

Hopefully the sickness gets the memo this time around: we're too busy to be sick.

Technorati Tags: Basketball, Family, Ireland, Justice, Youth Work

Some Great Resources for Thinking About the Future

2010-03-15T12:18:00.001Z

I thought I'd pass along some resources that have come to my attention as of late when thinking about the future:

I was over at Kevin Kelly's blog recently and he pointed me on to a thought provoking talk by Jesse Schell addressing how current trends in computer gaming are influencing advertisers, public policy and the way we live and interact. There's a lot to take in here, especially as we look into what the future holds. Apologies for the crude language.

A second resource I've enjoyed as of late was passed on to me by my Dad. It's a series of three talks by Michael Frost on Mission. Frost has influenced my thinking on church, faith and mission and I hope you give him the chance to influence you too. The talks are put on by Dallas Theological Seminary.

Technorati Tags: Church, Missional, Technological Society, Theology, Video

Basketball Update

2010-03-15T11:51:00.000Z

I'm continuing to coach basketball but three of my four teams have finished their seasons so it's not requiring as much of my time these days. Currently I'm coaching a 2nd Year boys team (8th Grade for those of you in the USA). As you can see from the photo above, we're in desperate need of decent uniforms. Not all the uniforms match colour and some have to turn their jerseys inside out and be renamed "X" or "Y" on the score sheet.

Despite the lack of quality uniforms, they lads are playing great. It's been fun to watch them grow into a team from the beginning of the season. We need to win a few more matches to sneak into the playoffs but I think we can manage.

I'm also running basketball clinics every Monday for players who are working on their game off-season. I really enjoy these practices as there's a real sense of community in the group that shows up.

I honestly love coaching basketball and love working with this group of teens. After four years of coaching, I still get excited before every match and before every practice.

Technorati Tags: Basketball, Youth Work

More Than a Game

2010-02-09T22:06:00.000Z

Just watched a compelling documentary entitled "More Than a Game" which told the story of LeBron James and his team mates. What inspired me the most however was not LeBron, though the kid is amazing, but rather his coach. The film opens with some words from the coach who says, "Basketball isn't the goal, it's a tool. Make sure you use basketball and that basketball doesn't use you." The documentry goes on to tell how he took on the responsibility of coaching five 10 year old boys and moulded them into men through to their senior year in high school when they won the National Championships. It's a compelling story because it focuses on character development through discipline and unity. I felt it really summed up what I'm trying to do with the basketball program at our secondary school. I love to win but what I really want to see is boys become men and girls become women.

Technorati Tags: Basketball, Film, Youth Work

P90X Round 2

2010-02-08T19:52:00.001Z

So Hailey and I started into round 2 of P90X last week. It kicked our butts but it was good to be working out regularly again. Missed it. We're not being as strict with the diet part of the plan as much this time around but we are trying to eat healthy. Tonight was hard. Had to pass up a melted Mars Bar rice crispy cake covered in chocolate with mini smarties on top. Amazing. Only 11 more weeks to go...

Zest4Kidz

2010-02-08T18:23:00.001Z

Many of you know that Hailey and I are in the process of stepping out of our role working with GEM-K teens and have been asking us what is next. We really haven't known what was next but we knew that whatever was next would be something that grabbed both Hailey's and my heart. In December a part-time position became available at a charity called Zest4Kidz. This charity works exclusively with vulnerable children in disadvantaged areas. They take teams overseas and partner with locals to see that these kids are well taken care of and to invest in their future. As a parent, this grabbed my heart right away. Beginning in January I took on the part-time role. We are still very much with GEM and see this as an extension of our work here in Ireland. I get to be an advocate for Zest4Kidz and lead trips for them in the coming year. How amazing is that! All this to say, we're really excited. I'm still coaching basketball, we're still teaching RE classes, and we're still very much involved in GEM-K Ministries so life is FULL at the moment and yet we're really happy. Thanks to everyone who has been praying for us.

Technorati Tags: Family, Justice, Youth Work

Aaron & Jeremy

2010-02-08T18:06:00.001Z

I was thinking the other day that there are a few bands I just straight up buy because they've convinced me they're great. Whenever Thrice puts out an album, I buy it. Whenever Wilco puts out an album, I buy it. Whenever Circa Survive puts out an album, I buy it. Whenever Lauren Hill puts out an album, I buy it. I don't listen to it. I just buy it because I know it'll be great. Another purchase-on-release artist I follow is Jeremy Enigk who fronted the band Sunny Day Real Estate.

Recently, a friend of mine passed along an interview he did with Aaron Weiss, lead singer of the band MeWithoutYou (another great band). My friend thought I'd like it because I love music and I love spirituality and he was right. I do love the interview. Maybe calling it an interview is a misnomer. It's more of a captured conversation.

Here's what I love about it. It's a really honest conversation between two guys who are struggling to define their faith. While Aaron seems to be struggling a bit less, both are totally open and what results is a really beautiful conversation that reminds me of the conversations we often have with friends.

Enjoy. You'll have to excuse the obscenities. Download it here.

Technorati Tags: Church, Justice, Music, Theology

The Journey to the Alps

2010-02-08T17:38:00.001Z

For the 5th year in a row, we ventured into the Alps, leading a snowboarding trip of Irish university students. There were 27 of us in total. What sets these Journey Snowboard trips apart from other trips is our value of 1. intense snowboarding and 2. creating sacred space. Every day we were out the door at 9am for a full day on the slopes and every night we spent an hour exploring faith and how that faith directs our lives. Most on the trip wouldn't consider themselves Christians but everyone wanted to engage and share their story. It really was an amazing trip and I think it was tied to that dynamic between our love for snowboarding and our love for God.

I left the week totally wrecked and yet totally refreshed in my soul. Not sure if that totally makes sense but I guess what I'm trying to say is that I loved the trip. My soul was refreshed by the conversations, by the beauty of the Alps, by the joy of snowboarding, by the time with Hailey, by the community. I was wrecked from the late nights, early mornings and long days on the slopes. So good.

We had two guys fly over from the States to help us teach beginners to snowboard. A huge thank you goes out to Jordan Thibodo and Jeff Hull for giving their time and finances to do this. We really couldn't have had such a great trip without them. We also had two girls - Allison and Shannon - who did all our cooking. Amazing. Honestly, if it had been left to me there would have been a LOT of frozen pizzas on the menu. These girls did an amazing job.

Thanks also to all of you who were praying for the trip.

Check out the photos. They'll rock your world.

Technorati Tags: Photos, Travel, Youth Work

GEM-K Winter Camp 2010

2010-01-18T10:21:00.001Z

We just finished up our GEM-K Winter Camp 2010. We had thirty GEM-Ks from around Europe gathered at Camp des Cimes in the French Alps for what turned out to be one of our best camps yet. I'm not sure if it was the day that we got snowed in and invented our own Calvin-Ball game that made it so good. Maybe it was the sitting down and chatting over chocolat chaud with GEM-Ks. Maybe it was watching our kids snowboard. Maybe it was the evening discussions on the need for a robust Christian imagination. Maybe it was the epic battles of fussball we played or the dance-dance mania that took place in the evenings. Maybe it was the camp fire we warmed ourselves by every night that made this camp so great. Maybe it was the quality group of staff leaders God brought together to help facilitate this camp. Maybe it was amazing French baguettes we ate for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Maybe it was those things.

Maybe.

But what really set this camp apart was watching God move in the lives of GEM-Ks.

Here are some pictures of the camp.

Technorati Tags: GEM-K, Travel

Top 40 Songs of 2009

2009-12-24T17:19:00.001Z

I love "best of" lists. I'll spend a good few hours over the Christmas holidays browsing 2009's best movies, best songs, best photos, best stories, etc. Not only is it a nice saunter through the past year, it's also a time to see what I missed. I'm guessing I'm not alone in my love so I thought I'd pass on my top 40 songs of 2009. To keep the list diverse I'm only going to choose one song per band even though a few bands could have easily had multiple songs in my 2009 list. Enjoy the playlist on Grooveshark.

#40. You Don't Have a Clue - Röyksopp. This is my Euro song of 2009. Every time I listen to it I'm transported to a major European city and am drinking coffee at some cafe.

#39. Harry Patch (In Memory Of) - Radiohead. This song sounds like it should be on the soundtrack to an oscar nominated film.

#38. Breathe - U2. U2 were by far my favorite live show of 2009. This song in particular was epic live.

#37. Sing Sang Sung - Air. Air will always have a special place in my heart. Ethereal French pop.

#36. A Stick, A Carrot & String - Mewithoutyou. Insightful lyrics paired with some pop-folk might be a new departure for this band but it's a powerful combination.

#35. Shot in the Back of the Head - Moby. Although his popularity may have withered since the days of Play, Moby still continues to put out insanely good electronica as evidenced by this track.

#34. The Only Child of Aergia - Owen. There are few artists able to put out as many good pop-ballads as Owen.

#33. Laughing With - Regina Spektor. Regina explores faith in crisis and comedy.

#32. Empire State of Mind (feat. Alicia Keys) - Jay-Z. Driving around town with my two kids singing "New York" at the top of their lungs along with Alicia Keys will be a favorite memory of 2009.

#31. The Sea is a Good Place to Think of the Future - Los Campesinos! An emotional song. Sometimes pain need some screaming.

#30. Burial - Miike Snow. Miike Snow was a late addition to my 2009 listening rotation but has quickly become a favorite.

#29. Bless This Mess - David Bazan. I really don't listen to much Bazan but have always had a respect for him. Bless This Mess became part of my regular listening regimen later in the year. Bazan wrestles with some great spiritual questions.

#28. Porcelain - Sleeping at Last. Sleeping at Last continue to put out poetic masterpieces. They're easily one of my favorite all time bands.

#27. Never Had Nobody Like You (Featuring Zooey Deschanel) - M. Ward. Happy, catchy, love song with the timeless voice of Zooey Deschanel. Hard to go wrong.

#26. Take it Easy - Surfer Blood. The twangy surf guitars compliment the indie vibe these guys have.

#25. Set Guitars to Kill - And So I Watch You From Afar. Irish post-rock. Insanely good. Our whole family goes into air-band mode every time this song is on in the car.

#24. Feel It All Around - Washed Out. Few songs say "chillax" better.

#23. Change of Heart - El Perro Del Mar. I haven't pinned down why I like this song so much. Maybe it's the relaxed groove but most likely it's because I feel cool when it's playing.

#22. The Verb - The Swell Season. Few artist manage to muster the passion of Glen Hansard. The fact that he's Irish only makes him cooler.

#21. Beach - Mew. Mew's vocals and guitars get me every time.

#20. Generator First Floor - Freelance Whales. I only started listening to these guys in the past month. They have multiple songs that could be on this list.

#19. Substitution - Silversun Pickups. Pop-rock. Simple and good.

#18. French Navy - Camera Obscura. These indie giants are keeping me groovin' with their brand of quirky pop.

#17. Hysteric - Yeah Yeah Yeahs. This has to be the best song the Yeah Yeah Yeahs have ever put out.

#16. Warm Heart of Africa - The Very Best. African indie pop. No, that wasn't a typo. To that description I should probably add 'infectious'.

#15. The Walls Are Coming Down - Fanfarlo. Their debut is full of indie-pop goodness. Too many songs could have made this list.

#14. Benson Hedges - by fun. Power-pop-gospel-indie. These guys live up to their name.

#13. Walkabout (w/Panda Bear) - Atlas Sound. Few songs have gotten more play-time on iTunes this year.

#12. Quinceniera - Mariachi El Bronx - Indie-mariachi music. The idea might sound insane but the product is perfect. You wonder why no one has tried it before.

#11. Ring Ring - Sleigh Bells. A groove reminiscent of the Beta Band coupled with cool smooth vocals. Life goes into slow motion when this song is playing.

#10. Two Weeks - Grizzly Bear. I'm not a huge Grizzly Bear fan but this song is really good. Really good.

#9. Bubbles - Biffy Clyro. Biffy led the charge for awesome rock this year. Only Revolutions is by far their best effort and I think will be remembered as the album where the band defined their signature sound.

#8. So Insane - Discovery. The Kingsley signature dance song of 2009.

#7. The Weight - Thrice. Beggars was a perfect album. If you get this album for Christmas it's because someone loves you very much.

#6. Moth's Wings - Passion Pit. If you'd asked me who Passion Pit were in 2008 I would have looked at you with a blank stare. Now it's hard to imagine me creating a playlist without them. Moth's Wings was the first song of theirs I clung to.

#5. Two - The Antlers. I came across this song on the same day as Moth's Wings. That was a good day.

#4. Wilco (The Song) - Wilco. Wilco are one of my favorite bands. Tweedy can seem to do no wrong. This song is aptly named because it's pure Wilco.

#3. Horchata - Vampire Weekend. C-A-T-C-H-Y! Can't wait for the album release in 2010.

#2. Boy Lilikoi - Jónsi. Perhaps it's the anticipation of what is coming that makes this song even better. Jónsi from Sigur Rós is releasing a solo album in 2010. If it's anything like this song, 2010 will be great.

#1. Lasso by Phoenix. By far my favorite band of 2009. Every one of their songs could have made this list. Pop-genius.

BONUS: You Make My Dreams Come True - Hall & Oats. OK, this song isn't from 2009. Not even close but I first heard it in 2009 and it's 80's groove is awesome.

Technorati Tags: Music

My Girls

2009-12-10T16:36:00.000Z

I miss my girls. Hailey and Moia flew to the States four days ago to be with Darcey & Evan and the birth of their new baby. So it's Eoin and myself holding down the fort back in Dublin. We're surviving this temporary bachelor pad by eating sandwiches for dinner, watching Dukes of Hazzard, making sure we get in lots of wrestling, and playing the Wii. But all of these fun activities don't stop us missing our girls. So, if you're in the States and you happen to bump into them, say hi and let them know their loved back in Dublin. Only two more weeks of separation to go... Madden Football it is.

Technorati Tags: Family, Travel

Soul Pancake

2009-12-10T09:50:00.001Z

Riann Wilson (aka Dwight from The Office) has put together an impressive website with one simple idea: daily thought provoking discussions. Each day a post is put up dealing with religion, love, politics, art, etc. and readers are given ways to participate. One of the more creative ones - Readers were asked to get some chalk and write a meaningful statement somewhere public, take a picture of it and then post it to the blog.

Riann does a better job of explaining his site here.

SoulPancake.com

Technorati Tags: Justice, Theology, Video, Youth Work

Ski Season

2009-12-08T11:16:00.001Z

Getting excited with all the upcoming winter camps. Found this video and find myself watching it over over.

Technorati Tags: Video, Youth Work

An Evening With Foy Vance

2009-12-07T12:42:00.001Z

My brother took me out to see Foy Vance last night at the Academy 2 in Dublin. Powerful. Here is a prophet of our day, whose songs penetrate the mind and the soul as he openly wrestles with his faith and his humanity. Seeing him live was an experience that won't be quickly forgotten. Thanks for dragging me out Mike.

Technorati Tags: Music

Irish Catholicism

2009-12-07T12:06:00.001Z

John Waters, a columnist for the Irish Times, wrote an article on Dec. 4th entitled "A Catholic rather than a Christian country." In it he pens one of the most honest and accurate assessments of Ireland's religious and belief structures in the aftermath of many reports of clerical child abuse. He argues that walking away from Catholicism isn't the same as walking away from God and Jesus. The fact that many don't see the distinction results their crisis of faith.

The Irish Times - Friday, December 4, 2009

A Catholic rather than a Christian country

We appear not to have absorbed into our culture any real understanding of what Christ came to tell us, writes JOHN WATERS

THERE IS a place, between pew and public square, which has yet to be heard or even acknowledged in the wake of the Dublin diocesan report. It is not reached by either the moral/legalism of the media-driven public conversation or the pious mantras in which the Irish Catholic Church addresses its faithful.

Because our public discourse has an agnostic rulebook, there are limits to its probing. All Christians are citizens but not all citizens Christians, so the discussion avoids showing an interest in matters that might be deemed in-house. The Murphy report has, of course, many implications of a civic, moral and socio-political complexion, and the debate has been pretty exhaustive about these. But there are deeper questions pertaining to Christianity, which by definition cannot be dealt with in a public discussion in which faith has been separated from knowledge of reality.

Catholics can go to church seeking answers, but the most they can hope for is a replication of the responses offered to the civic realm. Some priests may address their congregations, but of necessity their contributions will be tailored to take account of external realities, while adhering to a form of cultural expression that might be deemed part of the larger problem. The bishops are preoccupied with institutional survival.

This crisis did not begin, or become visible, with the publication of the Murphy report, which outlines symptoms rather than root problems. The fundamental crisis is not institutional, but lies at the heart of Irish Christianity. It will not be ended by resignations or public apologies. It has provoked a number of other crises at the social and civic levels, which may well be ameliorated by such gestures, but these are secondary.

Sociological analyses are beside the point. By way of defining the true crisis, I have to ask a question implicitly considered beyond the remit of secular journalism: where does Irish Catholicism stand with Christ? There is a superficial way of asking this that will ground itself immediately in popular piety, provoking a nodding or shaking of heads in acknowledgement of the yawning gap between the principles of Christianity and how certain priests and bishops behaved. But that is not what I have in mind. In fact, this pious understanding of Christianity may be at the root of the evils that have been exposed.

What is assaulted in the Christian sensibility by child abuse and its cover-up is not faith in the integrity of bishops, but an instilled sense of the world revealed by Christ, from the very moments we opened our eyes, in which each of us is loved beyond imagining. The sense of betrayal therefore extends far beyond any sense of the breaching of laws, civil conventions or even moral principles. It is a metaphysical affront.

In their anger, people talk of walking away from the Catholic Church, as though the issue were membership of a club or adherence to an ideology, like a population of Marxists discovering the crimes of its communist rulers. But Christ is not the bearded founder of an interesting philosophical movement, someone we “remember” as having briefly come among us to lay down principles for good living. For Christians, Christ is the incarnation of the mystery that defines humanity.

Somehow, something of this Christ was communicated to us, but our sense of Him remained separate from our relationships with the Catholic Church. In the public expression of faith, we marched under a particular banner, signed up to a moral programme and retained a sentimental idea of a handsome and charismatic man who turned water into wine. But we appear not to have absorbed into our culture any real understanding of what Christ came to tell us. How could we have, if so many of those who told us about Him did not themselves appear to know that He is here every moment? We speak the name of this man-god Christ but no one who eavesdropped on our conversations from outside would gather that we were talking about the redeemer of human fragility and the incarnation of human destiny.

What is missing is not intensity of faith, but awareness of human reality. Christ is not the icon of a popular piety based on a necessary moralism or a salutary tradition. He is a living man, who is here now, and whose presence defines everything. Either we know this or we don’t. It is not a matter of faith, but of knowledge.

Our fundamental – ie religious – relationships are not with priests, bishops, or even the pope, but with a person who happens to be God. Either this is true or it’s not. If it is not, then it is time to discuss the funeral arrangements of the culture we have taken for granted. If we believe it to be true, we need to begin speaking in public about vital things in a way that will allow us to access the full extent of what we imagine we believe.

The shocking possibility arises: Ireland has been a Catholic country, but not really Christian. If so, it should not surprise us that men raised to be priests in such a culture would enjoy no special immunity to evil. But this is the result, not the cause of our problem.

Technorati Tags: Church, Dublin, Ireland, Theology

P90X

2009-12-04T11:40:00.001Z

Hailey and I recently finished the 90-day workout program called P90X which friends of ours put us on to while we were back in the States. The workouts are intense and you're doing six of them a week. Add to this a pretty strict nutrition plan and you're going to see some pretty impressive results.

Technorati Tags: Family

MacHeist nanoBundle

2009-11-06T12:43:00.004Z

I've been a fan of MacHeist for the past few years though I haven't always purchased what they offer, they do tend to offer some impressive apps at huge discounts.

Right now they are offering to give away 6 apps for free if they can rack up 500,000 participants over the next six days. I'd personally like a few of the apps on offer (Write Room & Twitterific to be exact), so I'm doing my part to spread the word.

Stephen

2009-11-06T12:24:00.002Z

Stephen is one of the students who has joined us on snowboarding trips. He's also a madman, eating fire. I found this testimony of his and thought I'd share it.

Your iPhone and Your Bible

2009-11-06T10:55:00.004Z

About a year ago I ran a search in the app store looking for a decent Bible application for my iPod Touch. I was shocked by how few resources were available. Much has changed. The app store now boasts more than 100,000 apps and a quick search for "Bible" yields more results than I care to look at. So what are the best Bible apps out there? Here's what I've used and what I've stuck with:

YouVersion Bible [iTunes Link] This Bible has become my de-facto app for one simple reason - It's easy. There are plenty of great translations available online. I tend to use The NIV, TNIV, NASB, ESV, NLT & The Message but the catch is that they're not downloadable. So, if you've got an iPod Touch or are out of signal with an iPhone the translations become limited. but it's hard to complain when the app is free. You can download the NET Bible which I've gravitated towards. There's a daily reading guide and a capable search engine. When you close the app, it remembers where you were reading for next time. What I'm looking forward to using is You Version Live which allows you to interact with events in real time (download sermon notes, ask questions, answer polls, take notes, etc) Very cool. Where this app is lacking is on cross-refrences, commentaries and study resources but then again that's not really the point of this app. Lifechurch.tv has put out an excellent companion to their You Version online Bible. It will be hard to debunk.

Bible Touch (NASB) [iTunes Link] This was the first Bible I purchased as I wanted a text that was permanently on my iPod. It does what it says on the tin but not much more. You can bookmark verses for later reference but there is again no cross-references or additional commentary which would be extremely helpful. The search is robust. I still keep this app on my iPhone as my good "old faithful."

Pocket Bible [iTunes Link] Here we have a port of a palm Bible over to the iPhone platform. I know a lot of people who like this app and it does have a lot of resources available to it though it's all a bit confusing to deal with. You have to download the app off the app store, then sign up on the Laridian website via the app. You can proceed to download free Bibles and resources such as the TNIV or the works of Josephus. You can't, however, yet make in-app purchases of any other resources. Instead, you have to go to the website and purchase them there and then download them in the iPhone app. Once you've done this you do get some great searching abilities and integration between the resources. I tend not to use this app however. I've already invested a lot into Accordance Bible Software and don't think I'm ready to re-invest similar amounts of cash into a purely mobile app.

The Voice [iTunes Link] I love this translation and was excited to find it for free in the app store. The translation is a collaboration of artists and scholars which brings about some interesting nuances in the text. That said, the app itself is pretty poor. It's basically an amplified PDF without any search function or the ability to read in landscape mode. And yet, I return to it often because I love the translation.

Logos[iTunes Link] This is an impressive app, especially if you've already invested into the Logos Library. Not only does the app provide complete integration between resources but if you use Logos 4 on your PC at home (Mac version is yet to be released), you can access all of your resources via your iPhone. I haven't invested into Logos but this app makes me wish I had. This app is made for studying the Bible and it allows you to do so in an intuitive manner. Tap and hold a word to search it throughout the Bible or in your additional resources. Swipe up to reveal even more in-depth study options like seeing the original Greek or Hebrew, cross-references, media resources, parallel texts, etc. The only think this app is lacking is in-app purchases of better resources and a broader selection of translations (no NIV?).

So, when all is said and done, I have four Bible apps on my iPhone all with separate purposes. It would be great to find one app to rule them all. I have hope that Accordance Bible Software will get moving on creating such an app, especially since they pride themselves on being Mac-only software. That being said, I haven't read of any plans for the company to release such an app and that's a pity because I have a lot of money invested in them already.

There are plenty of other options out there such as Olive Tree's Bible Reader or the Mantis Bible Study. I haven't tried either of those. Are there any that you in particular use?

Time Machine

2009-11-01T19:39:00.001Z

OK, after a few hours of wrestling with Time Machine (Mac's built in data backup manager), I finally figured out the solution to my woes and just in case any of my fellow Mac users out there find themselves in a similar situation I decided to blog my findings.

Here's what was going on: Every time I went to back up Time Machine would take a really long time and then let me know that it failed to back up with the following message:

After a quick Google search I came up with this solution thanks to this post:

To get Time Machine going again, you need to remove the errant files with the following steps:

To get Time Machine going again, you need to remove the errant files with the following steps:

Ensure your backup device is turned on and connected to your computer (wirelessly or wired, it doesn't matter)
Turn off Time Machine using the big button in Time Machine preferences.
Access your backup volume in Finder (it should be named "Backup of your-computer-name..." or something similar) and double-click into the "Backups.backupdb" folder.
Next, click into the "your-computer-name" folder. You should see a bunch of folders with dates. These are all the dates corresponding to days you ran a successful backup.
At the bottom of the folder listing will be one or two things you need to move to the trash. You may see only one or both of these, but delete the file that starts with a date (it should be the date the backup failure started) and ends in ".inProgress." Also delete a file named "Latest" if it exists.
Return to Time Machine preferences and turn Time Machine on.
Initiate a backup using the Time Machine drop-down in the menu bar or wait until the next scheduled backup run.
A final but important step, be patient. Time Machine may sit in "preparing" mode for a while. It's important to at least let it run for an hour or so to see if the process will continue actually writing files to your backup volume.

Hopefully you never have to deal with this issue.

Choose Your Web 2.0 Poison

2009-10-23T11:36:00.001+01:00

Web 2.0 refers to websites and web applications that are designed around information sharing, community and collaboration. Web 2.0 sites have been around for a while now and some even posit that we're moving on to explore Web 3.0 (though there's not too much agreement as to what Web 3.0 is just yet). Some may have no idea what Web 2.0 is but still might use it from day to day. Others have saturated themselves in it so much their not sure where their digital lives and physical lives and and begin. I probably fall more into the latter camp though I've been working to define the lines much more diligently as of late. I've deleted accounts with some Web 2.0 services (such as Bebo & Myspace) as well as cut back on blogging. In the process of pruning, I've developed a list of quality Web 2.0 services I'm happy to be using and I thought I'd pass along the list to those interested.

Facebook - I've used a number of social networking sites and even though I've had my disappointments with Facebook, it is without a doubt the best service currently available, and one that will be extremely hard to de-bunk. Not only do you get to walk down memory lane, re-connecting with old friends, but you can actively connect and strengthen current relationships (though I could argue that too much superficial connection actually distances relationships - but that's another post). In a globalized world where my family is spread across three countries and my friends across even more, there's no better way to keep in touch than Facebook. Invite people to events, update them on what you're doing/thinking about, share photos and videos, chat, and a whole bunch more.

Twitter - I'm still new to twitter but I'm finally "getting" it. I've been a critical user for the past 6 months. For me, it's value lies in its ability to quickly inform and respond. Posts are limited in length to a couple of sentences at most. Some find freedom in this restriction, crafting some intelligent updates. Others don't. I tend to subscribe to a lot of deal/bargain tweets, news tweets and friends. A great way to keep updated at a glance.

Last.fm - I'm a music junkie so Last.fm makes sense for me. For others, it might be a bit excessive. Last.fm keeps track of the songs and bands you listen to. You can then receive updates for when one of those bands you've listened to are coming to town, you automatically receive a personal radio station which only plays the songs you've listened to, and you can share all this info with other Last.fm friends.

Aardvark - Ask and answer questions. Sure, you can google most things but some questions are too nuanced to be adequately answered by an impersonal search engine. With Aardvark, you ask a question and then that question is assigned to users Aardvark believes might know the answer. For example, I was curious about the quality of one clothing brand versus another. My google search wasn't producing any useful results so I took the question to Aardvark. In two minutes I had multiple opinions and was able to converse with a few users who'd used the products.

Del.icio.us - keep all of your bookmarks online. This is a great way to catalogue websites but it's also a great way to share those websites with others. My web browser doesn't manage my bookmarks, Delicious does.

Flickr - I've been using this service for years now. For me it serves three main purposes. 1. It's a place to store images I use on blogs (like this one). 2. It's a means of sharing quality images with friends and family around the world. 3. Flickr acts as an online backup of all my photos. This last function is enough to justify the $25 a year fee I pay for the Pro version.

Skype - This app has saved me more money than any other Web 2.0 app. Every once in a while it still strikes me as odd that I can talk to my family in America via webcam for free. I also use Skype to phone landline and moblie phones throughout the world at a cheap rate.

Evernote - I'm new to Evernote but I'm loving it. I'm not sure I'd have as much love for it if I didn't have an iPhone. Take down notes, take pictures of business cards (the text in the image will become searchable text), record voice memos, etc. I find it really useful when I'm working on a sermon and am piecing bits together from multiple sources (online, pictures, videos, etc.) I also use it when I'm brainstorming ideas. I used to brainstorm and then all my great ideas would go missing on some piece of random paper. Now all those ideas are all searchable.

Google Calendar - Keeping our family organized (ish). Google Calendar not only keeps an online version of your calendar online but syncs multiple computers and phones at the same time. So, if a new meeting comes up and I input it into my phone, Hailey's calendar will make a note of it. Now, I just need to get Hailey into the habit of putting her meetings into the calendar...

So, what's your Web 2.0 poison? What apps or sites do you find helpful and valuable?

Technorati Tags: Internet, Technological Society, Web 2.0

Heaven & Hell

2009-10-07T11:23:00.001+01:00

For one reason or another Heaven & Hell have been repeating themes in my interaction with teens over the past few weeks. The questions have led to some great discussions. "How bad do I have to be to go to Hell?" "Does God love people in Hell?" "Is Heaven boring?" The conversations have encouraged me to look at my own theology and re-engage Scripture. One of the passages we've looked at is John 3 where Jesus speaks to Nicodemus. It has that great, almost iconic passage in it - John 3:16 - which states,

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

While this passage is talking about Heaven, I don't think it's talking about the eternal life most Christians would be expecting. Often when people read John 3:16 they're expecting it to talk about the idea that if we believe in Jesus we'll get into Heaven when we die. While I don't dispute the necessity of God's grace through Jesus for attaining eternal life, I do think we've muddled up the idea a bit.

Let's take a look at it.

Really interesting in this verse is the idea that God loves not just Christians, or the elect, or those who love him. No, God loves the whole world. Everyone.

The next really interesting idea in this verse is the idea that God "gave" us his Son. Theologians call this the incarnation. What's important to note here is that God loves this world not from afar but so much so that he becomes a part of it. He gifts himself to the world. John isn't referencing Christ's death on the cross here.

The last interesting idea I want to mention (of course there are loads more) is this idea of eternal life. The verse reads that whoever "believes in Him will have eternal life." The Jewish understanding of belief was not to accept a bunch of propositional statements as true but to commit one's life to, one's actions and thoughts to something. Belief was about engaging not simply agreeing.

Eternal life in the book of John was not a future notion but a present one. It meant, "the life of the age to come," meaning that Heavenly life starts now. In John's gospel "the life of the age to come" is already here! I often ask my students, "If you become a Christian, when does eternity begin?" The answer I'm looking for is obviously, NOW! John repeats this idea in John 17:3. For John, knowing God is eternal life.

So, what changes?

Everything! If eternity starts now, and I'm a part of it then somehow I'm bringing Heaven to earth. Just like when Jesus is teaching his disciples to pray, he says, "Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven." God's mission is not about getting us up into Heaven after we die, it's about making this world more like Heaven.

If God was so concerned with just getting souls into Heaven, why have this world at all? We serve a God who is Spirit but who is deeply concerned with the physical.

OK, there's an insight into some of the conversations we've been having as of late.

I also just came across an article entitled Exploring One Hell of a Place which is asking some tough questions about our understanding of Hell. Jason Boyett asks if our understandings and fears of Hell are not derived more from culture than Scripture.

So, some final questions. I've been asking these of our students as of late.

If we can bring Heaven to earth can we also bring Hell to earth?

We may all agree that Heaven is full of forgiven people but would we all agree that Hell is full of forgiven people?

Technorati Tags: Theology, Youth Work

Best iPhone Apps

2009-09-19T00:32:00.000+01:00

One of the tragedies to befall me this summer was the loss of my iPod Touch. For those that knew me well, I used it daily as a planner/organizer, I used it to check emails and of course listen to music and entertain myself. Then in June disaster struck when I plugged it into the car power adapter only to see a spark and smell smoke. My iPod was fried.

So, I quickly set about saving for a new one. When we got back home to Ireland I even started selling things around the house online. If it wasn't nailed down, it wasn't safe. With the money we made I then invested into an iPhone. Yes, I have swung to the dark side and am now an iPhone user. Happy days.

So, as a celebration, I thought I'd list my favorite iPhone/iPod Touch applications in case you too have swung or are thinking of swinging to the dark side.

Best Productivity Apps:
Getting things done and done in a timely manner is one of the benefits of having and iPhone. These apps are the secret to the iPhone's productivity.

Google [iTunes Link] Not only do you gain the power of Google search in this app but you'll also find all the other usual suspects - Calendar, Docs, Talk, Reader, Gmail, etc. Perhaps my favorite feature though is the voice search. Simply swing the iphone up and the feature is enabled by the accelerometer. Say what you're looking for and Google searches it. I use this feature way too much.

QuickVoice [iTunes Link] Send yourself or someone else an email without typing a thing. Just speak what you want to say and this app will translate it into text. I've been really impressed with the accuracy. I even let the kids send emails to their grandparents! The email includes the voice recording as well.

Evernote [iTunes Link] If you use Evernote then having it on your mobile device is essential. Have an idea? Send yourself a note, record yourself or even take a picture of it. It syncs via the cloud to both your desktop version of the app and your mobile device. One cool feature is the ability to search text within a picture. So, if you take a picture of a business card, the text in that picture (i.e. the name & contact info) becomes searchable content. Pretty cool.

The Hit List [iTunes Link] OK, OK, there is no iPhone app for The Hit List yet but one is set to be released soon and I can't wait. The desktop version is my go-to app every morning. I sort what needs to get done in that day and get great satisfaction from ticking things off my list. Can't say enough good things about this piece of software. High expectations for the upcoming iPhone companion app.

Best Utilities:
It really is impressive just how many little tools there are for the iPhone and iPod Touch. It's become my digital pocket knife.

YouVersion Bible [iTunes Link] Lifechurch.tv has put out an excellent companion to their You Version Online Bible and the app is set to get even better with the anticipated release of You Version Live. While I still use my paper Bible, this has quickly become my go-to Bible, allowing me to quickly view many translations. You can even download selected translations (such as the NET Bible) for free to view offline.

AirSharing [iTunes Link] Turns your iPhone or iPod Touch into a thumb drive. You access it through wifi and can read iWork, PDFs, Microsoft docs and many more file types. Upgrade to the pro version of the app and you can even send docs in emails and print docs straight from your iPhone.

Google Earth [iTunes Link] All the features of Google Earth on your iPhone. Simply amazing.

Shazam [iTunes Link] Besides being useful, this is a great "show off your iPhone" app. Ever hear a song playing and wonder who plays it or what the name of the song is? Shazam listens to the song via the iPhone's mic, analyzes it and gives you all that info and more. I'm blown away every time.

SnapTell [iTunes Link] Using your built-in iPhone camera snap a picture of a book, DVD, or CD and SnapTell will use picture recognition to find you the cheapest price online. When this becomes useful is when you're at a shop about to buy a DVD and then wonder, "how much cheaper is this online?" One picture later and you have your answer.

The Weather Channel [iTunes Link] Sure the iPhone comes with a built-in, easy to use weather app but I've often found it to be quite vague. If you want all the details get The Weather Channel app which gives you up-to-date information as well as pretty accurate 36 hour forecasts. You can even view weather maps if you're into that sort of thing. This app sits comfortable on my home page.

AirMouse [iTunes Link] Makes your iPhone or iPod Touch a wireless mouse. Very handy. Even includes a keyboard for typing.

Yelp [iTunes Link] Looking for a cool place to eat? Yelp can help. By using your built in GPS it can find reviewed restaurants nearby and give you some suggestions. It also has a "monocle" feature that allows you to view places of interest through your camera. This is one of the first augmented reality apps available on the iPhone and it's pretty cool.

ConvertBot [iTunes Link] Convert kilos into pounds, Euros into Dollars, meters into feet. This app has a great user interface making it simple to use.

Best News & Entertainment Apps:
Keeping up to date and having fun are two of the core values of an iPhone. Here are some apps to let you explore those virtues.

News Junkie [iTunes Link] I used to have a USA Today app, a NY Times app, a BBC app, an Associated Press app and a Wall Street Journal app. Now I just have one app for all my news.

Remote [iTunes Link] Apple released this app which integrates seamlessly with iTunes allowing you to control the media player remotely. Very handy.

Simplify Music 2 [iTunes Link] So you have a large music library but somewhat limited space on an iPhone or iPod Touch. Simplify Music 2 allows you to stream your music from your home computer no matter where in the country you are via your 3G mobile connection or wifi. What's more, if you have a Last.fm account (I do) then your songs will be scrobbled automatically. When the song plays you can find information on the artist as well as read the lyrics to most songs. The only down-side to this app is that here in Ireland we're limited to 1GB of data transfer a month. I'm not sure how much data is being transferred but I would be cautious using it constantly outside of wifi.

TuneWiki [iTunes Link] If you want to find the words to a song just play it in Tune Wiki and the lyrics are displayed as they're sung.

Last.fm [iTunes Link] Play infinite songs tailored to your listening tastes. Great way to discover new music especially if you already use the Last.fm service.

GigBaby [iTunes Link] Turn your iPhone into a 4 channel audio recorder. Great for recording song ideas on the fly. Even has a metronome and limited drum machine. Very fun.

Best Ireland Apps:
The iPhone has taken Ireland by storm. New Irish apps pop up every day. I'm excited to see what they come up with next.

Dublin Rail [iTunes Link] Lets you know when the next few trains are set to arrive at your selected station.

Dublin Bus [iTunes Link] Lets you know when buses on your route departed from their main 1st stop.

Ireland's Phone Book [iTunes Link] Look up anyone's number. Very handy.

Flight Watch Ireland [iTunes Link] Keep track of flights landing in and taking off from Dublin Airport.

Byki Irish [iTunes Link] Learn to speak irish via your iPhone. Has flash cards and will even speak the pronunciation of words. Especially good for vocabulary.

Dublin Bikes [iTunes Link] You may have noticed those bikes in Dublin city center that you can rent from one station and drop off at another. This app lets you know how many bikes are available at any given station and how many spaces there are.

Best Photo Apps:
The built in iPhone camera still isn't the greatest camera in the world (there's still no flash) but it's come a long way. Here are some apps to make it that much better.

Camera Bag [iTunes Link] Some great camera effects. My personal favorite is the polaroid look.

Postage [iTunes Link] Take a photo, add some effects and frame, then email it as a digital postcard. Great for when you're traveling and want to share the moment with people back home.

Photogene [iTunes Link] Crop and adjust photos on the fly with this mobile image editor.

Best Social Networking Apps:
The iPhone makes it really easy to keep in touch, not just by allowing you to call people but by keeping you connected to your social networks.

Facebook [iTunes Link] If you use Facebook at all, then this is the app for you. The latest version (3.0) allows you to upload photos and video as well as chat with other Facebook friends. I use this app as much as I use email and I use email a lot.

Twitterrific [iTunes Link] If you use twitter (i do) then again this is a great app. It lets you snap and post photos, check nearby tweets based on your GPS, search tweets and of course just check in on what your friends are thinking. I've also heard good things about TweetDeck [iTunes Link] but haven't tried it out. There's also a paid version of Twitterific but all it does is cut out the ads. Other twitter apps I use that deserve a mention are TwitVid [iTunes Link] which lets you capture video and then upload it as a tweet and TweetMic [iTunes Link] which does the same for audio.

Skype [iTunes Link] Skype has saved us hundreds in phone calls all over the world. Now we get to use it on our iPhone. If you have a 2nd generation iPod Touch just buy the headphones with mic built in and you're set. If you use more than one instant messaging service (like MSN or AIM) then I'd recommend using Fring [iTunes Link] as it incorporates all of these instant social networking apps into one.

Mobile Fotos [iTunes Link] I bought this app two days before Flickr decided to release their own app. While the Flickr app is free, Mobile Fotos has been a pleasure to use. It integrates well with my Flickr account, allowing me to view sets and photos as well as upload pictures and videos. You can also search for photos taken near you using the built in GPS.

Aardvark [iTunes Link] Sharing knowledge is what makes the aardvark community so appealing. Have a question? Ask Aardvark and you'll have an answer soon. The app even uses push notifications to alert you when someone's answered your question.

myDelicious [iTunes Link] I guess I can't say that this is one of the "best" apps out there because it's missing many features I'd love to use such as adding bookmarks from the iPhone Safari web browser and viewing tags from friends. I bought this app over a year ago and since then many more advanced Del.icio.us clients have become available. myDelicious does, however, what it says it will do - namely, allow you to search your tags and bookmarks. For that reason, I do tend to use it quite a bit.

Best Games:
Not many people realize that the iPhone and iPod Touch are quite powerful gaming machines on par with a Nintendo DS or Sony PSP.

Real Racing [iTunes Link] Amazing graphics and precise responses to the built in accelerometer makes this a really fun game to play. Also, if you happen to meet a friend who also has Real Racing on their iPhone or iPod Touch you can do a multiplayer over wifi.

F.A.S.T. [iTunes Link] A great fighter-jet simulator where you battle others online. Graphics and controls are both excellent.

Real Soccer '09 [iTunes Link] I've probably played this game more than any of the others. Very addictive. Take your team through a season. You can again play with others if they are on the same wifi network as yourself and have Real Soccer in their iPod Touch or iPhone. Real Soccer 2010 is set to be released in October.

Assassin's Creed [iTunes Link] Great graphics and game play as you explore the medieval Middle East and kill a few bad guys along the way.

iMech [iTunes Link] You control a mech as you pit it against others online. Again, great graphics and loads of repeat play online as you constantly meet people of varying skill.

Scramble [iTunes Link] It's a slight variation of the board game boggle. You can compete online or just with your own personal score. I'm training with this app in order to one day beat my brother in boggle.

Lux Touch [iTunes Link] It's basically the board game Risk without all the mess and the small plastic pieces that hurt your feet every time you step on them.

Well, there they are - some of my favorite apps for the iPhone. If you own an iPhone or iPod Touch, what are some of your favorite apps?

Technorati Tags: Family, iPhone, Mac

My New Basketball Team

2009-09-05T12:19:00.001+01:00

A while back a friend of mine asked me to join him and some friends for a bit of basketball. I took him up on his offer and showed up expecting maybe five or six others. What I forgot to consider is that my friend is Filipino. As I entered the gym I realized two things. One, I'd never seen my local gym so packed. There must have been eighty people squeezed in there. Two, I was the only white person around. I figured I'd made a mistake but then I saw my friend and he quickly called me over and introduced me to a few of his friends. Most of the conversation was in Filipino but I felt really welcomed. Before I knew it I was on the court playing a game.

As we finished up, my friend informed me that there was actually a Filipino basketball league in South Dublin and would I be interested in joining. I'd been looking for a team for a while but most of the Irish leagues are pretty serious. This seemed ideal. So I signed up.

Yesterday my friend dropped by my uniform. It's basically the New Orleans Hornets uniform. Literally. The factory that makes the uniforms for the NBA is based in the Philippines. One of the guys we play basketball with is friends with on of the factory workers. A few phone calls later and design changes and we have some sweet kits!

Our first game is today but it's only a friendly. Can't wait.

Technorati Tags: Dublin, Friends, Missional

Preparing for the Upcoming School Year

2009-08-19T15:26:00.001+01:00

These last few weeks in August are pretty quiet around here. Many are away on holidays and teens seem to huddle in fear of the looming school year. For Hailey and I these weeks are all about planning and strategy. I'm taking on more responsibility with the basketball program at our local secondary school, now coaching three boys teams. It's been a dream of mine to really develop the basketball program there and this year looks like I may have the sway to pull it off. I'm really excited for the year.

We are also going to be teaching a course on Jesus in modules to 4th years at the school. I've decided to read Re-Jesus by Frost & Hirsch to get the brainstorming juices flowing. 1st chapter down and the ideas are already flowing.

At the same time we're planning for this final transition year, putting some thought into how to best transition out of GEM-K Ministry. We want it to be as smooth as possible for the GEM-Ks, parents & ourselves.

Our transition back to Ireland has been really good and encouraging. There's nothing like reconnecting with friends and neighbors, hearing their stories and sharing yours. It's even more fun watching your kids do the same. Eoin and Moia are in high anticipation of their upcoming school year. For them, it can't come soon enough.

Hailey and I are pretty excited for this up-coming school year too.

Technorati Tags: Books, Ireland, Prayer, Youth Work

GEM-K Conference 2009 Report

2009-08-12T18:08:00.001+01:00

Well, we're back in Ireland trying to rest during the official days of recovery from GEM-K Conference 2009. It was a crazy week in all the right ways. We were understaffed this year but God used that "weakness" to his advantage and allowed us some really intimate times with the teens. The Hotel Babylon we were in was full of distractions but we were able to keep a sense of unity and cohesiveness. There were over 10 first time GEM-Ks at this Conference but all had an amazing time. It truly was a great week.

We did have to share some hard news however, namely that Hailey and I would be stepping out of our role with GEM-K Ministries this school year and passing on the baton. It wasn't easy to tell teens you care deeply about and who you are really close to that you feel God is moving you in a new direction. The GEM-Ks, while emotional, also took time to pray over us and encouraged us in our decision. It was a real honor.

GEM-K Conference 2010 will be our last Conference at youth pastors to GEM-Ks.

Thank you to all who prayed for the week and who continue to pray for this year of transition.

Here are some photos of the Conference.

Technorati Tags: GEM-K, Photos, Prayer, Third Culture Kids, Travel

GEM-K Conference 2009

2009-08-05T23:57:00.001+01:00

Well GEM-K Conference 2009 is in full swing. We're at a new venue in the Czech Republic this year as well as having a smaller staff than normal but we're really excited to be here and to be spending time with such awesome teens. Honestly, GEM-Ks are unlike any other group of youth I've worked with in the sense of their maturity, goofiness & sincerity. I feel really privileged to be getting this time with them. Rod Taylor is speaking on identity and what it means to know who you really are. Be praying for us as we find out.

Technorati Tags: GEM-K, Prayer, Travel

Confessions of a Craigslister

2009-06-29T22:58:00.001+01:00

When we're back in California we tend to stock up on things that are much more expensive in Ireland. About 90% of our shopping happens at Target, Marshall's, Ross, Thrift stores and now, Craigslist. I've begun to dabble in the world that is Craigslist recently and as we try to squeeze as much purchasing power out of every penny, Craigslist has been getting an unfair amount of attention in comparison to the rest.

OK, I'll confess: I'm addicted and I'm loving it.

However, besides the great deals on items, one of the things I'm appreciating most is the stories that result. I've sat and had long chats with hispanics in their converted garages in Oxnard. In Camarillo I met a family moving to Sicily to take a year sabbatical. One of the guys I bought a keyboard off of said he was a programmer and invented the 1st electronic medical file. Perhaps my favorite story was when I met a gentleman with a slight disability. We talked for the good part of an hour on life and living in California. Now I know there are horror stories out there concerning Craigslist and it's important to be careful but so far every one of my encounters has been enjoyable, maybe even refreshing.

Technorati Tags: Family, Missional, Shopping

Sweet Home Chicago

2009-06-20T19:47:00.001+01:00

We spent the past week visiting our supporting community College Church and friends in the Wheaton/Chicago area. It was such a great trip. We felt especially encouraged by the Dorcas fellowship - a group of ladies who gather to pray for ourselves and for others around the world. We took a day to ourselves and visited Chicago city. It is one of my favorite, from the deep dish pizza to the neo-gothic architecture. The above photo is of the new Millennium Park Theatre where we met with a GEM-K who's taken a year to serve the homeless community there. I'm not sure when we'll get back to Wheaton but it won't be soon enough.

A big thank you to the Wisdoms who once again put us up (or should I say put up with us) during our time there. We really enjoyed our stay.

Here are some more photos of our time there.

Technorati Tags: Family, Friends, GEM-K, Photos, Prayer, Travel

Introducing Evan

2009-05-27T18:06:00.001+01:00

Many of you probably already know my awesome bro-in-law Evan so I'm not exactly introducing him. I am, however, introducing his awesome blog aptly titled Evan's Blog. Read it. Enjoy it. And be awesome because of it.

Technorati Tags: Blogging, Family

Our New Car "Hope"

2009-05-26T23:05:00.001+01:00

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Erik and Christine Hodge were awesome and helped us buy a '93 Ford Taurus for our time here in the States and while white is a great color, we've always had a dream of driving a piece of art. For those who don't know yet, we got a new paint job on our car. We were out of town on a vacation and asked a teen here in California if he'd be up for tagging our car. The theme he chose was "hope." The word wraps the car and then is repeated on the roof. We love it.

Check out the photos.

Technorati Tags: Family, Friends, Photos

Home Sweet Home

2009-05-12T17:30:00.000+01:00

It's pretty much a fact that you can't be a part of the Hailey's side of the family without at some point having lived in a trailer so for the next 3 months we'll be joining a long family tradition camper van living. It's been really fun.

In fact, so far our whole trip here has been pretty fun. We've been able to speak with loads of our financial partners as well as attend churches. We've also been able to shift into the Californian lifestyle, getting Eoin on to his first soccer team, spending time at the beach and getting used to shopping at Target.

We have a huge praise. So far we've been funded for about 1/3 of our needed monthly shortfall. There's still a long way to go but we can't help but share our excitement.

We're planning to be in Chicago June 12-18 and are hoping to catch up with a few of our friends out that way. Let us know if you're around then.

Check out some of the photos of our time here.

Technorati Tags: Family, Photos

Liberec

2009-04-10T11:57:00.001+01:00

I recently returned from a trip to Liberec in the Czech Republic. We were checking out a new hotel for this year's GEM-K Conference as well as negotiating prices. It looks like we'll be using Hotel Babylon. Funny name but great facility. We'll have our own waterpark, laser tag, mirror maze, bumper cars, bowling alley, restaraunts, cafes, shopping center, IQ science park, fussball, pool, climbing wall, mechanical bull, etc. The place is huge. When the managment was showing us around we walked for over three hours before taking a break! I got a blister! This place is a youth worker's dream and a parent's nightmare. Can't wait.

The hotel is located in the Czech town of Liberec which has many cobbled streets with great little shops. I've taken some photos of the hotel and town for those who'd like to see it: PHOTOS.

I was able to spend a good amount of time with a few GEM-Ks who came along to see the hotel as well which made the trip even more fun.

Technorati Tags: GEM-K, Photos, Travel

Prepping For America

2009-04-02T13:13:00.001+01:00

We're only leaving for three months in America and yet it feels like we're having to say a load of goodbyes in the process. Today we teach our last religion class and while we'll see most of the students in the halls next year we won't have the same level of structured interaction. Eoin's last day of pre-school is tomorrow. He's had such a great year there that we're going to send Moia there next year. But for Eoin, tomorrow is goodbye. Hailey has been an integral part of a Moms & Tots group but with Moia going into pre-school next year she won't be investing in that community any more. Today is also my last basketball practice before the summer. Most of my team will be back next year but having to say goodbye to the seniors bums me out.

So, we're having to say goodbyes but we're also really looking forward to everything that's coming up. We're going to be staying with Sean, Randi, Evan & Darcey (and Tank the dog) during our trip back to the US. I'm really looking forward to that. Their house is like a playground for the kids. Plus it's just great to be around family. We'll also be seeing loads of friends back in the States which means loads of laughs, bbqs and good times. We're planning to get the kids involved in soccer and swimming as well. I'm really interested to see how Eoin will interact in a team environment.

This weekend I'm off to the Czech republic as we're looking into possible hotels where we can host the summer GEM-K Conference. I haven't traveled since February so it'll be nice to do a final trip before our return to the USA.

Just wanted to keep you up to date on the Kingsley life.

Matt

Technorati Tags: Family, Youth Work

Celebrating 30

2009-03-20T17:00:00.001Z

Hailey turned 30 this March. We'd begun planning her party almost six months ago, visiting pubs and nightclubs. When we'd tell them the date of the party they'd just laugh at us saying, "we don't even have a calendar for 2009 yet!" We finally got the Purty Loft to confirm a date with us a few months back and were really excited to celebrate this amazing woman. Girls got on their party dresses, guys pulled out their dancing shoes and we all stayed up late laughing the evening/morning away. The night was a real joy. So many of our friends from the past three years were there. We took some time to watch a slideshow of Hailey's life. Every time I view it I'm amazed by how much she has done and how many people she's come to know. I'm glad to know so many others have been blessed by this amazing woman. Hailey, I love you.

Technorati Tags: Family, Photos

Failing Graphics

2009-02-27T16:39:00.002Z

Well I'm computerless once again. Apparently the graphics card failed. A brief call to Apple and we discovered it was a known issue. These graphic cards in 2 year old mac book pros were faulty. The screen basically goes choppy and you can't access any files. The card is attached to the logic board so I guess I'm getting a whole new logic board. I spent two weeks without it in January (granted one of those weeks I was running a snowboarding camp) so having to drop it into the repair shop today was frustrating to say the least. Ah well, at least I'll have plenty of time to fix our glass shower door which fell down last Thursday ;)

Understanding Recession

2009-02-26T19:32:00.001Z

There's a great episode of The Office where Michael Scott, the inept but lovable boss, gets a report explaining surplus and budgets from Oscar, the branch's accountant. When it seems a bit complex he asks Oscar to explain it to him like he was an ten year old. When that gets too confusing Michael asks him to explain it to him as though he were a five year old. At which point Oscar breaks it down into a lemon stand analogy. Very funny.

That's how I often feel with this whole recession debacle. I'm confused. I need someone to break it down and explain it to me like I was a five year old (okay, maybe not that simple but pictures would be helpful). That's why I really like the video below. It gives me a framework for understanding how we got to where we are.

The Crisis of Credit Visualized from Jonathan Jarvis on Vimeo.

A Better Day

2009-02-25T19:44:00.001Z

Well, after yesterday we needed a good day. Today was better. Eoin brought the mail up to our bed and we noticed a letter from the Department of Justice. Hailey has been granted an additional year of residency in Ireland. This is great news. So much effort has gone into this visa process. We're really thankful.

We've been slowly getting back into the swing of teaching religion class and coaching basketball. Pray for the teens as tomorrow we discuss what God has to say about death and loss.

Technorati Tags: Family, Prayer

A Rough Day

2009-02-24T20:25:00.001Z

We joined the Shaws in burying Robert yesterday. It was hard but good to know this step in a long grieving process was done. His thanksgiving service was a blessing in itself with around 800 in attendance. Please keep praying for Cormac, Karen, Conor, Lauren & Daniel.

Today was a rough one though. We arrived home late last night to an email from GEM letting us know they could only pay us 1/4 of our salary this month. When you're living paycheck to paycheck news like this is stressful to say the least.

We then got a phone call from Eoin's school letting us know that he had a temperature of 103. He's been in good form all day but is fairly exhausted.

Add to all this that we had little food in the house as we haven't been around the past few days. So Hailey went to the shop stressed that we couldn't afford to buy much. She was comforted by the fact that we had food in our freezer at home only to find upon her return that Moia must have pushed the defrost button without our consent a few days ago and almost all of the food had to be thrown out. Stress.

Finally, we've still not heard if Hailey can stay in the country or not. We did speak to a Garda friend yesterday who said he may be able to help us so we're praying. Things will need to happen fast.

It's been a rough day.

Technorati Tags: Family, Friends, Prayer

Robert

2009-02-20T10:04:00.001Z

Yesterday morning I received a tragic phone call from one of my closest friends here in Ireland. Cormac Shaw informed me his son Robert apparently had a seizure in the early morning and died in his sleep. The Shaws are not just friends. They are family and loosing Robert has been like loosing a brother. At 12 years old he was taken away too soon. Our hearts, our tears and our mourning is all with the Shaws.

Robert had a joy for life that was contagious. He loved music, GAA, rugby, football, basketball, snowboarding but most of all he loved sharing those good times with others. Robert, we miss you deeply.

The picture above is from our time with Robert and Cormac at the Electric Picnic festival last September.

This is the second son Cormac and Karen have lost. Parents should never bury their children.

Hailey was with Lauren Shaw on The Journey snowboard trip in France and flew home with her yesterday afternoon.

Please keep your prayers with the family: Karen and Cormac, Daniel (age 5), Lauren (age 15) and Conor (age 19).

Update: the service for Robert will be held on Monday the 23rd of Feb. at 10:30am at Dun Laoghaire Evangelical Church, Glenageary Road Lower, Dun Laoghaire.

Later there will be a brief prayer service at St. Mary’s Church, Ravensdale, Dundalk; followed by a burial at Calvary Cemetery.

Family flowers only. Donations can be made to Special Olympics Ireland.

Technorati Tags: Friends, Prayer

Hailey Snowboards

2009-02-15T01:21:00.001Z

Well Hailey left early this morning to lead a group of teen girls on a snowboard trip to France. She could use your prayer over the next week. This will be the first time Hailey's graces a snowboard with an actual instructor but most of the girls going are in the same boat. It's an awesome group and Hailey is really excited to be joining them. Most of the women are from the high school where we volunteer in different capacities. In the past God has used these weeks away for awesome things. Our prayer is that he'd continue to.

Technorati Tags: Prayer, Youth Work

How Long Does Your Teen Spend Online?

2009-02-11T12:02:00.001Z

In a recent survey by http://www.cybersentinel.co.uk and reported by The Telegraph, it was discovered that of the 1,000 teens interviewed, an average of 31 hours per week was spent online. That's an amazing amount of time. How much time do you spend online?

Technorati Tags: Internet, Youth Work

As Fast As a....

2009-02-06T19:35:00.001Z

You know you're living in Ireland when your son blurts out comments like, "Dad, I'm super fast. I'm faster than a sheep!"

Enough said.

Technorati Tags: Family

Journey to Les 2 Alpes

2009-02-05T20:25:00.000Z

We made it back from this year's Journey University Snowboard trip. Our first two days we were snowed-in which meant that our last four days were amazing snow. In the evenings we sat around and discussed Rob Bell's book Sex God which often took us into the early hours of the morning. I really enjoyed this trip because it was with seven guys who I've come to know quite well through the past three years. The conversations were deeply personal.

Photos of the University Trip

Technorati Tags: Photos, Travel, Youth Work

How to Get University Students Into Church

2009-02-05T20:01:00.001Z

Last night I joined about 350 Trinity students in watching the DU Orchestral Society performing the music of Sigur Rós. The concert was performed in Trinity's chapel and was an ideal setting for the ambient sound. It was an experience to say the least from the nodding heads of students thumping to the beat while their bodies sat motionless, trained by years of pew-sitting as children, to the fact that a chapel was full of university students. Apparently the DU Orchestral Society does this every year. I'd highly recommend it.

Technorati Tags: Dublin, Music, Youth Work

Sick & Leaving

2009-01-21T00:17:00.001Z

Well our home has been a bit sick the past week. Not fun. The coughs still linger for many of us. In a few days I'll be leading another snowboard trip to France for Irish University students. I'm really excited about this trip as it is a group of guys I've come to know really well over the past few years. These trips are always extremely valuable so I'm expecting nothing less this time around. The trip is a lot smaller than usual but the group also much tighter because of it.

Looking forward to what God does on mountains.

Please be praying for Hailey and the kids at home. Leaving is not fun. It is hard.

Technorati Tags: Family, Prayer, Travel, Youth Work

Our New Kitchen Wall

2009-01-13T23:56:00.001Z

While we were in France running the GEM-K Winter Camp, we gave the keys to our house to one of our students here in Dublin. Why? Because a few weeks prior Hailey and I had decided we didn't like our green wall in the kitchen and wanted something new. Ian, had done some artwork for us before so we decided to invite him to design and paint us a new kitchen wall. He did an amazing job. The images below show his work:

Ian is available as an artist for hire. Let me know and I'll pass along his info.

Technorati Tags: Photos, Youth Work

GEM-K Winter Camp 2009

2009-01-13T18:09:00.001Z

Well, we made it back safe and sound from this year's GEM-K Winter Camp. This has always been one of my favorite camps we run. It is intentionally fun and relaxed. We had a team from the USA helping us. I wasn't sure how the team would do as their leader's dad passed away suddenly thus he wasn't able to attend the camp. It really was sad. The team came anyway. Most had never been out of the States before and only a few actually knew others on the team. It could have been a recipe for disaster but each and every one of them was amazing. They all contributed in huge ways from cooking, to snowboarding, to small groups, to taxi drivers.

The teens were awesome too. I love this group of teens so much. They are always eager for adventure and ready for deep discussion, for really questioning their faith. We spent the week discussing identity and what it means to be an image barer (sorry, no mp3s). I'd do a brief talk and then send groups into short discussions, show another video, and then send them back to discussions. I really enjoyed the interactions and believe God switched some lights on.

Thanks again for all who supported this camp financially and who prayed for it. It is such a treat to be the person passing along your gifts to these teens. Thank you.

GEM-K WINTER CAMP PHOTOS

Matt

Technorati Tags: GEM-K, Photos, Prayer, Travel

McCarthy's AIB Commercial

2009-01-13T14:52:00.000Z

John McCarthy is a friend who's been joining us on our snowboard trips with Irish teens. He's a bit of a madman, not because he surfs massive waves off the Cliffs of Moher but because he braves the freezing Irish Atlantic Ocean. Madman. Here is an ad he did recently for AIB.

Technorati Tags: Friends, Ireland, Video

After Christmas: The Life of a Hermit

2008-12-30T12:33:00.001Z

Well, Christmas was once again a great family celebration. We spent Christmas eve in the Dublin city watching the chaos without having to feel chaotic. We ate out at a great Chinese restaurant for dinner and topped the night off with a Butler's hot chocolate. It really was a fun way to anticipate Christmas together. It's become a tradition of sorts, as much of a tradition as we have in the Kingsley family. Check out some photos from the day. I love this picture in particular:

Christmas was spent at my parents home. We ended up spending the following two nights there just hanging out with Mom, Dad, Liz, Michael and a bunch of other guests who'd stop by for the festivities. When we got home Hailey and I both felt lonely. It was such a good celebration. It was such a good rest.

But now life is busy. I have become a hermit of sorts sitting in my office and writing away on talks I'm going to be giving at the our GEM-K Winter Camp (Jan. 5-10). We leave in a few days and I don't even have one of my five talks finished. Ouch! It'll happen though (at least I keep telling myself that). We'll be discussing identity and what it means to be "in Christ." The more I study this idea, the more I'm fascinated by it (probably why it's taking me so long to finish). Some key questions we'll be looking at:

"Is there a difference between who I understand myself to be and who I am? Is our identity that which we think of ourselves or that which God thinks of us?"

"Do we create community or do we discover it? Do we create commonality with others or do we find that we share a common identity?"

"Who we perceive ourselves to be is a complicated mess of experiences, relationships, culture, history, desires, etc. Is Christ against all that mess, offering himself as other or is Christ in that mess, working in it? How much of our practical daily-living identities are decided by culture and brands and how much by Christ?"

We'll be looking at Jacob and his wrestle to become Israel. We'll look at how those healed by Jesus are identified and we'll explore the true realities found in identifying with the poor.

I'm excited, confused but confident that God is going to do something great at this camp.

Please be praying for the teens coming, that God would speak to them and that they'd leave the camp encouraged, having had a really fun time.

Pray for the team from the States. Their leader Mark just lost his Dad to an illness and so wont be able to join us. This leaves the rest of the team (most of whom lack travel experience) a little worried. Please pray for both Mark and the team.

Thanks.

Matt

Technorati Tags: Dublin, Family, GEM-K, Photos, Prayer

Christmas Thought: Beginning The Conversation

2008-12-25T00:23:00.000Z

Hailey and I have been teaching a class on Jesus at our local public high school here in Dublin over the past few months. It's been a highlight of our year. One of the first decisions we made was not to use any curriculum but to simply read the stories of Jesus and interact with them. To accomplish this we bought each of the students a copy of The Voice Revealed, which is a new translation of the Book of John. I love how John 1 reads:

"1 Before time itself was measured, the Voice was speaking. The Voice was and is God. 2 This celestial Voice remained ever present with the Creator; 3 his speech shaped the entire cosmos. Immersed in the practice of crating, all things that exist were birthed in Him. 4 His breath filled all things with a living, breathing light. 5 Light that thrives in the depths of darkness, blazing through murky bottoms. It cannot, and will not, be quenched.
6 A man named John, who was sent by God, was the first to clearly articulate the source of this unquenchable Light. 7 This wanderer, John who ritually cleansed, put in plain words the elusive mystery of the Divine Light that all might believe through him. Because John spoke with power, many believed in the Light. Others wondered whether he might be the Light, 8 but John was not the Light. He merely pointed to the Light; and in doing so, he invited the entire creation to hear the Voice.
9 The true Light, who shines upon the heart of everyone, was coming into the cosmos. 10 He does not call out from a distant place but draws near. He enters our world, a world He made and speaks clearly, yet His creation did not recognize Him. 11 Though the Voice utters only truth, His own people, who have heard the Voice before, rebuff this inner calling and refuse to listen. 12 But those who hear and trust the beckoning of the Divine Voice and embrace him, they shall be reborn as children of God, 13 He bestows this birthright not by human power or initiative but by God's will. Because we are born of this world, we can only be reborn to God by accepting His call.
14 The Voice that had been an enigma in the heavens chose to become human and live surrounded by His creations. We have seen Him. Undeniable splendor enveloped Him - the one true Son of God - evidenced in the perfect balance of grace and truth. 15 John, the wanderer who testified on the Voice, introduced Him. "This is the one I've been telling you is coming. He is much greater than I because He existed long before me." 16 Through this man we all receive gifts of grace beyond our imagination. He is the Voice of God. 17 You see, Moses gave us the rules to live by, but Jesus the Liberating King offered the gifts of grace and truth which make life worth living. 18 God, unseen until now, is revealed in the Voice, God's only Son, straight from the Father's heart."

(Italic type indicates words not directly tied to a dynamic translation of the original language)

Here we have one of the earliest theological treatises on the Incarnation by an eye-witness, the disciple John. Now John doesn't include the details of Christ's birth that Matthew and Luke explore but he doesn't skip over them either as Mark does. John is trying to get to the significance of Christ's birth. John is exploring the meaning of Christmas and he sees it as the beginning of a conversation with humanity, a conversation begun by the Voice taking on flesh.

I hear you ask, "So Matt, how do you get that out of the text? Why does the Voice becoming human begin a conversation?"

So glad you asked.

Let's remember that John is writing at an old age (in fact, he's probably not even writing but having a disciple or scribe transcribe for him). It is not as though he's sitting next to the manger reporting on the breaking event as Mary gives birth. John is teasing out the implications of a past event. For John the incarnation happened long ago and he's had a while to think through it. Indeed, almost all the theology of the early Christians was a reaction to the person of Jesus. The idea of the Kingdom of God was being figured out on the basis of what Jesus did and said. The idea that Jesus would take our place on the cross is an idea understood and written in the Gospels after the event took place. During the event they were confused.

John is having a conversation with the past event of Jesus' birth.

It's in this conversation that John comes to realize the centrality, indeed the grounding of the Incarnation. This Voice who has been around since before the creation of time somehow invades time: "The Voice that had been an enigma in the heavens chose to become human and live surrounded by His creations." It is this Light, this truth, breaking into quantifiable reality that brings understanding to such a reality. When the unseen creator of reality finally becomes visible (v. 18) then a conversation can begin which perviously was never possible. For the first time we have definitions.

For the first time we have true reality in our midst.

Think about this for a minute. It is as though the writer of a play actually writes herself into the plot. Her characters would not be able to fully comprehend her but she does them, indeed, she imagined them.

In Christ, the author walks among us. The incomprehensible becomes visible. The Voice is seen.

John realizes that any conversation with God must now be a conversation with God's messenger, Jesus. This is not a limiting factor but a limitless factor. The God of the limitless has become accessible to humanity for the sake of humanity. The author of the play is here to explain its intricacies and now true conversation can begin!

Here's where I'm going with this (there is a point, I promise):

The incarnation doesn't just make possible an exclusive conversation between John and Jesus, or an exclusive conversation between the writers of the New Testament and Jesus. No, the incarnation allows true and deep conversation between all humanity and Jesus because the reality Christ brings shines upon the hearts of everyone (v.9).

What do I mean by conversation? I mean a discussion of what is true about humanity; I mean that which is worth discussing. In Christ we have not only the catalyst for such discussions but the spark which started the whole thing. Christ wasn't trying to bring understanding to the religion of Christianity but to the workings of reality, ultimate reality.

So, when the first Christians went out proclaiming the Good News. They went with the understanding Jesus was not in the business of making himself unknown to people but in making himself present and real. They went with the belief that Jesus was already active in the lives of those to whom they went (cf. 1 Cor. 15:55-58).

When Hailey and I decided to shy away from curriculum this semester and focus on the stories of Jesus we did so not because we thought it would be the coolest thing to do but because we believed the reality of these stories would resonate with what the students knew to be true. We did so because we wanted deep and honest conversations. In reading the stories of Jesus we were interacting with the person who made THE conversation possible.

I'd love to say that the entire class left with their eyes wide open to the Gospel but I can't. What I can say though is that a bunch of teens have been shaken by Jesus. They have a new set of questions at their disposal and are a part of a conversation they didn't know existed.

All this because of a baby in a manger.

My Christmas Thought posts have become sort of a tradition. Previous posts include Incarnation as Orthodox Event (2007), Tell Your Christmas Story (2006), The World Right Side Up (2005) and Celebrate This Christmas in Awe (2004).

Technorati Tags: Theology

2008 Films

2008-12-24T09:27:00.001Z

If you're like me and you like films... a lot, then making sure we watch the best films is important lest we waste our time on pop-culture chewing gum. That's why I was excited to find indieWIRE's poll of 100+ film critics. My "must see" list just got a bit longer.

Technorati Tags: Film

Moia Stories

2008-12-22T00:37:00.001Z

I thought I'd take a quick moment to catalogue some classic Moia stories of recent. Some scary, some funny.

Story #1 The first happened this morning and is a testament to our daughter's desire to beautify. She loves putting lotion on, combing her hair, applying chapstick, etc. Well this morning she walks into my office with a distinct smell that I couldn't place until I looked at her face. She'd applied pink glitter nail varnish generously in an attempt to apply "lipstick." I did what every good parent would do and freaked out calling for Hailey to come take a look. We smelled her mouth and sure enough she's also sucked on the nail varnish brush (the container was still nearly full thank God). A google search followed by a phone call to the hospital soon confirmed that she was in no major danger and allowed us to laugh a bit at the situation.

Story #2 If there was one phrase to capture the zeitgeist of Moia it would be "I do it!" Everything from putting on her seatbelt to opening doors and walking down stairs. She must do it herself. It's fun to watch her grow in independence but also scary. Remember back on December 10th when Hailey was taking Moia to play group? It turned out Hailey was sicker than she thought. She was sitting with a bunch of Moms while the kids played in the same room. She was in a deep conversation, one of those conversations where it was obvious that God is at work in our lives - when suddenly she became extremely nauseated. Not wanting to part from the conversation she continued and remembered feeding Moia raisins. Not two minutes later there was a woman standing at the door to the room holding Moia asking for the mother. The mother's in the room exclaimed, "Hailey, isn't that Moia!" It turned out that Moia had somehow made it out of the room and down the hallway through two heavy doors, down the driveway and onto the major road outside the play group building! She wandered down outside a supermarket where this stranger found her. Unable to find Moia's parents she walked over to the play group building to inquire. Hailey was so nauseated at that point that it was all she could do to grab Moia, put her in the car, phone me and drive home. She spent the next 24hrs in bed before she felt well again. God was so good to watch after Moia. There are so many bad ways this story could have ended. It freaks me out just thinking about it.

Story #3 OK, after that we need a happy story and I have one, albeit a short one. We've been pulling out the Christmas movies as of late to get into the festive spirit. One of our yearly viewing requirements is Irving Berlin's White Christmas starring Bing Crosby. We haven't watched it with the kids yet but while we were doing some family baking on Saturday we thought we'd play it in the background. The film soon consumed Moia. She started singing the songs and choreographing her own dances. It was priceless and a testament to this young girl's passion for life. We love her very much.

Technorati Tags: Family

Missional Guinness

2008-12-21T22:36:00.001Z

I came across this quote recently as I was browsing one of my favorite books, Exiles by Mike Frost. On pages 190-191 he tells the story of Arthur Guinness. The story is an example of how mission should be tied to life. It's a story I repeat often so I thought I'd post it here before I forget where I heard it first.

"In 1759, a determined man named Arthur Guinness, thirty-four years of age, rode through the gate of an old dilapidated, ill-equipped brewery situated at St. James's Gate in Dublin. He had just signed a lease on the property for nine thousand years (no, that's not a typo!) at £45 per annum (this would be about $79 US today). Mark Rainsford's Ale Brewery (as it was known then) was no different from any other, and it had been for sale for ten years, with no one having shown any interest in it. At that time, beer was almost unknown in rural Ireland, where whiskey, gin and poteen were the alcoholic beverages most readily available. Cheap to buy, high in alcohol content, and readily available, these drinks were responsible for widespread alcoholism and indolence.

Arthur Guinness was a builder. He was an entrepreneur who could dream up business plans and marketing strategies, who could make a worthless brewery into a booming industry. He was also a devout Christian with a deep social conscience. He was concerned about the plight of young Irish drunks who wandered aimlessly around the whiskey and gin houses found on nearly every street corner. Once, while walking the streets of Dublin, he cried out to God to do something about the general drunkenness of Irish society, and he felt overwhelmingly burdened to be a part of the answer to his own prayer. Like a true apprentice-child, he decided there and then to brew a drink that the Irish would enjoy and that would also be good for them.

Guinness decided to brew a beer relatively new to Ireland at that time. The beverage contained roasted barley that gave it a characteristically dark color. This brew, well known in England, was called "porter" because of its popularity with the porters and stevedores of Covent Garden and Billingsgate in London. But Guinness's recipe produced more than your average dark beer. With its rich creamy head, it's the beer we'll drink in heaven. Full-bodied, smooth, creamy, slightly bitter, it's a wonderfully delicious beverage. In fact, it's more like a meal, since it is so full of minerals and natural trace elements. It has incredible qualities to it. Guinness was so heavy and full of iron that most drinkers couldn't drink more than a couple of pints. This, coupled with the fact that it has a considerably lower alcohol level than whiskey or gin, meant that fewer people were getting drunk.

So young Arthur Guinness made a beverage for the Irish that was good for them. Soon, his porter was overtaking the sales of Irish ales and English porters, and then it became even more popular than Irish whiskey. Today it is the national drink of Ireland. I don't doubt that many preachers today would have difficulty seeing the building of a successful brewing business as the work of God. But by following his impulse as an entrepreneur with a social conscience, Guinness showed himself to be a faithful apprentice-child, a creator and a builder."

Technorati Tags: Books, Ireland, Missional, Theology

Music 2008 Part 2

2008-12-21T02:34:00.000Z

December has become one of my favorite months of the year. Not because of all this festive cheer or the fact that it's the month of Jesus' birthday and my own. No, it's my favorite month because it's that month when all the year-end best-of lists are typed up and scattered across the world wide web via online magazines and mp3 blogs. You can check up on what others were listening to during the year and find a few musical treasures you missed along the way.

In Part 1 we looked at which songs received the most airtime on my iPod/iTunes and ended up with a pretty accurate picture of some of my favorite acts of the year. That said, there were some huge omissions I'd like to correct during this post. Here I'm going to explore some musical trends which I couldn't get enough of in 2008 and some bands that exemplify them. It's basically a list of what I'm liking at the moment.

Part 2: My Favorites of the Moment
The first trend we'll explore is what I'd call happy-pop. I'm not going to pretend I'm proud of this trend in my iTunes library but neither am I ashamed of it. Many dances have spontaneously broken out in our home thanks to these songs. These bands are fun, creating feel-good masterpieces:
1. The Real Tuesday Weld aren't entirely happy-go-lucky. They seem to explore comedy and tragedy, sometimes at the same time. A great example is, "It's a Wonderful Li(f)e."
2. If there's a king of feel good tunes his name is Brian Wilson. Even though he's gone through some rough patches after the Beach Boys, he's managed to put together an excellent album of surf melodies. Check out "Forever She'll Be My Surfer Girl."
3. Headlights put out a quality, happy album without coming off cheesy. "Cherry Tulips."
4. Jack Johnson released an album in 2006 that I only came across after we bought the DVD for our kids. Jack composed the soundtrack to the Curious George film. There are some real gems on here and in 2008 they kept both Dad and the kids happy. "Talk of the Town."

A few one-hit wonders in this happy-poppy trend:
5. Van McCoy is a one-hit wonder who's been keeping 2008 in a healthy 1970's groove. 2008 will be known as the year when I couldn't get enough of "The Hustle."
6. Chairlift. I've only listened to this one song and what I've heard from the rest of their album I've been less than impressed but what a catchy song! Seeing as it was used on a Mac commercial I knew it had to be quality so I purchased it of iTunes... Apple owns me. "Bruises"
7. Xylos are a band from New York and if they never put out another song they will still have achieved greatness with "In the Bedroom."
8. Lastly, Alizée. From what I can tell, she's kinda like a French Brittany Spears. I have no idea what this song is about and I'm pretty sure I'm not a fan of her catalogue but this song has stood the test of time in 2008. "Fifty Sixty (Rubato remix)"

My second trend is similar but distinct from the first. Here the emphasis is on electro beats. So here is my Electro-Pop trend.

1. Hot Chip take electro-pop to a whole new pop-driven level with their album Made in the Dark. Check out "Wrestlers"
2. Air France has done an excellent job of creating chilled-out danceable grooves. Confused? Listen to "Collapsing At Your Doorstep."
3. Shout Out Louds released a short EP in 2007 with the anthemic "Tonight I Have to Leave It" which was remixed by The Russian Futurists.
4. David Holmes put forth an original album this year. It was great to hear some stuff from the man behind all those cool Ocean's 11 & 12 & 13 movie soundtracks. There's a bit of Irish pride going on here as David hails from Belfast. "I Heard Wonders."
5. Monkey, the operatic experiment of Damon Albarn (of Blur and Gorillaz fame), is only a piece of a larger puzzle (there are animations and a live opera on tour) but the album stands on its own. "Heavenly Peach Banquet" is the standout track.

My third trend was my love for all things indie. I know that the label indie can cover a multitude of sins by being a painting bands in broad strokes rather than actually identifying their sound but that's why I'm using the label. I need something broad. Indie is my third trend.

1. Broken Social Scene released one of my favorite albums of the year led by Brendan Canning. BSS have always prided themselves on strong rhythms and ethereal vocals and Canning's turn at the helm follows suit. Enjoy "Hit the Wall."
2. Frightened Rabbit broke onto the indie scene making it onto best-of list after best-of list this year. They opened for Death Cab for Cutie in Dublin but a "quick" run to the ATM meant I only caught the last song of their set! Pity because they really have earned their place on those lists. Scotland has something to be proud of in Frightened Rabbit. "Modern Leper."
3. Ireland can be proud of Cathy Davey who released Tales of Silversleeve in 2007 but Hailey and I only found it in September of 2008 at her Electric Picnic show. "Sing for Your Supper."
4. Another bit of Irish pride lies in Bell X1 and their release of Flock. "Bad Skin Day" has been on regular rotation in 2008.
5. My Morning Jacket surprised me with an excellent release in Evil Urges. The title track is a great place to start exploring this southern rock inspired album. I guarantee you'll have fun listening to this album.
6. I'm still exploring Snow Patrol's latest effort, A Hundred Million Suns and it's too early to make any judgments but I'll admit to loving "Crack the Shutters." It's hard not to like these guys. They've been responsible for so many great road-trip soundtracks.
7. As Tall As Lions put out an excellent EP. "Breakers" was the highlight for me. I'm not sure why these guys aren't getting more attention.
8. Anathallo have burst onto my radar in the past few months. Their second full-length album was released in November and it's a maze of airy melodies, textured rhythms and non-traditional song structures. Check out "Noni's Field."
9. I listened to Johnny Foreigner on a whim and fell in love with them right away. No need for caffeine when these guys are playing. They remind me of a more chaotic Bloc Party. "Yes! You Talk Too Fast" is a great place to begin.
10. Cold War Kids put forth an excellent sophomore effort with Loyalty to Loyalty. Had a great time at their concert here in Dublin back in November and even convinced a few of them to head out afterwards for a chat. "I've Seen Enough."

Other honorable mentions in this trend: David Byrne and Brian Eno (how could this not be amazing!!!), Shearwater, Deerhunter, Neil Finn, Grand Archives, The Sea and Cake, Goldfrapp and Nada Surf.

I must take a moment to mention two tracks that I only discovered in 2008 but are from much earlier. First, there's "Waterfall" by The Stone Roses of their self-titled 1989 release. I discovered this song at Electric Picnic back in September. Second is "Regret" by New Order. This was one of those songs you'd heard but never identified. Both of these songs have been mini-anthems in 2008.

My fourth listening trend of 2008 found me delving into the realms of Ambient Post-Rock.

1. For whatever reason, I find myself constantly returning to City Breathing. Their songs verge on indie-pop but their guitar sensibilities scream post-rock. Who cares. I'm a fan. You can download their album Look How It's Snowing Upwards, Look How They Move Towards Heaven for FREE over on my last.fm playlist (as well as a few other tracks).
2. The Ghost Orchid are fairly upbeat when you compare them to the likes of Mogwai or Explosions in the Sky but similarly their melodies take you on a musical journey. I often have these guys playing when I'm reading.
3. I only recently discovered This Will Destroy You and was bummed to have missed them pay Dublin this Fall. What is it about Texas that produces such good post-rock? "the world is our ____"
4. Goodnight, Sleep Well. Trust me, you'll like them. "It is Done."

And what would post-rock be without some rock? My fifth and final musical trend of 2008 was Rock Your Socks Off.

1. Elbow (great website by the way) released The Seldom Seen Kid this year - perhaps the defining album of their career. It's excellent. "Grounds For Divorce" is one of many standout tracks on the album.
2. Scary Kids Scaring Kids put out a fun album. I've worked out to this album quite a bit. Check out "My Darkest Hour."

Well that pretty much sums up my year in music. I probably could have been a bit more discerning and carved it down to my top ten albums but there are plenty of other blogs doing that. If you want to check a few of them out Stereogum is a great place to start as they're keeping tabs on a good few lists as well as having extensive lists of their own.

I'd love to hear what you've been listening to in 2008. Leave a comment or send an email (or join last.fm and add me as a friend). I would love to know.

Technorati Tags: Music

Music 2008 Part 1

2008-12-19T23:45:00.000Z

It's been a great year in music with many new acts attracting my attention for various reasons. Over the past few weeks I've been pondering how to share my 2008 musical finds with you and unable to settle on one list, I've chosen to share two lists: 1) My last.fm 2008 band chart, 2) My favorites of the moment.

Part 1: My Last.fm 2008 Band Chart
Here are the bands that, according to last.fm, I listened to most (last.fm keeps track of every song I listen to on iTunes and my iPod):

1. Death Cab for Cutie - I'm glad these guys are on the top of my list. Their concert in Dublin in November was a highlight of the year and their new album has some real gems on it though I'll be honest and say I haven't grown to appreciate it as much as Plans, Transatlanticism or The Photo Album. Gibbard continues to impress however with gems like "Your New Twin Size Bed" and "Bixby Canyon Bridge."

2. Coldplay - These guys are playing here in Dublin in a few days. I'm scouring the web for tickets. It you have any ideas, let me know. I'm a bit shocked that they're number two on my listening rotation but I'm by no means disappointed. Many seemed less than impressed by Viva La Vida but I found it to be quintessential Coldplay. Standouts for me were "Death and All of His Friends" and "Lovers in Japan."

3. Thrice - In The Alchemy Index, Thrice explore the clash of faith and practical living. The result is much more raw and emotion-driven than I'm used to from the band and it's that surprise which made it one of my favorite listens in 2008. It's no shock, however, that it's number 3 on my last.fm list. Check out "As the Crow Flies" and "Broken Lungs"

4. Sigur Rós - Hailey and I fulfilled lifelong goals by seeing Sigur Rós live in concert back in September at Electric Picnic. Their latest album Með Suð Í Eyrum Við Spilum Endalaust, was the star of that party and it's earned its place at number 4 on my list. I'm not sure why this album isn't at number one. Tracks such as "Inní mér syngur vitleysingur" and "Gobbledigook" have become my anthems of 2008.

5. Bloc Party - Intimacy was their latest offering in 2008 and while it's by no means my favorite of theirs I appreciated the high-adreneline approach. "Halo" is a good example. I don't remember listening to the album enough to make Bloc Party number 5 on my list so I'm guessing the scrobbles came from earlier albums all of which I highly recommend.

6. The Notwist - I was in Germany over the summer and was excited to relate to my Deutsch friends by letting them know that I too liked one of their native bands. It didn't work. Not one of them had heard of The Notwist. I couldn't believe it. I was mezmerized by the band's performance in Dublin, especially by they guy who'd rigged a wii and the wii remotes to function as synthesizers. Genius. Their album The Devil, You + Me has some real gems on it including "Boneless," "Good Lies" and the title track.

7. M83 - I first fell in love with M83 via classics like "Teen Angst" and "Don't Save us From the Flames" so I naturally drifted towards their most recent release, Saturdays = Youth. You have to be in the right reflective or melancholic mood for the album to work but work it does. Anthemic songs like "Graveyard Girl" and "We Own the Sky" will keep me returning for more.

8. Flobots - I have no idea how I came across these guys but I still haven't forgiven myself for not making the effort to see them this Fall in Dublin. Political activists + media ecologists + hip hop + violin = exactly what I didn't know I was looking for. Songs like "Handlebars" and "Rise" act as summons to a new way of living in America all while keeping you groovin'.

9. Halfset - The album release party of Another Way of Being There was one of my favorite gigs this year in part because it took place at the luxurious Sugar Club but mostly because Halfset have found an ambient groove few other bands can muster. Songs like "Desire Lines," "Work" and "Solar" are reason enough for this band to be in my top ten for the year. I'm proud these Dubs are here.

10. Stars - I've only recently discovered that Stars released their Sad Robot EP in September so that 2008 release can't be the reason they've made it into the coveted number 10 spot on my list. My only guess is that after discovering them in 2007 I couldn't get enough of their songs like "Ageless Beauty" and "Calendar Girl."

11. Fujiya & Miyagi - Lightbulbs was Fujiya & Miyagi's major release of 2008. They were the second band I regretted missing this Fall especially because I know they put on a great show closing out Dublin's Fringe festival. Their electro-pop is contagious so be warned before you listen to the likes of "Knickerbocker."

12. Mates of State - Re-Aranger is an insanely good album. The more I listen to it the more I'm pressed to find a song I actually don't like. The husband wife duo are indie-pop royalty with signet songs like "Get Better" and "My Only Offer."

13. Wilco - Sure Sky Blue Sky came out in 2007 but I'm a die-hard Wilco fan who can't help but love these guys. Check out "Impossible Germany" and fall in love with them too.

14. Bon Iver - Songs for your perfect chill evening. For Emma, Forever Ago is simply great song writing. This makes the third concert I regret missing in Dublin this year although he'll probably be back again soon as he's releasing a new album he'll want to promote in January. I'm looking forward to it. Check out "Skinny Love" and "Stacks."

15. Daft Punk - Ever since seeing Daft Punk back in 2006, I've been addicted and even though they're supposedly finished as a band, I still need to hear "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger (Alive 2007)" about once a week to get the heart pumpin'.

Technorati Tags: Music

Venice Photos

2008-12-18T10:07:00.001Z

Our trip to Venice was amazing. A well-placed Christmas vacation. In the midst of all the chaos we were able to take time to just enjoy Venice, Mirano, Florence and Padoua. The highlight for me was family. It was great to stay up late chatting, eating great food and drinking local Italian wine. It really was a blessing.

Technorati Tags: Family, Photos

Being Matt Kingsley on 12/10/2008

2008-12-10T10:46:00.001Z

I have many things to blog about but haven't had the discipline as of late to sit down and string my thoughts together. I really do want to though. So, I decided to make myself sit down and write this post even though at present there are many other tasks I need to be attending to. And, to be honest, because my mind is elsewhere this probably wont be a great post. If I was you I'd stop reading now. It's all downhill from here.

Because my mind is elsewhere I'm going to take you there too and just blog about what's going on today. Hailey is off to playgroup with Moia after which she'll drop off our acceptance letter to Eoin's new school (it's hard to get into schools here and we were just awarded a place for Eoin) and then do some shopping before she picks up Eoin from pre-school. Hailey's feeling sick still but hopefully will be better soon. A friend is then coming over to hang out in the afternoon which should be fun.

I'm in my office. I'm stressing out over flight costs for our upcoming snowboard trip in February so that I can finish the long over-due brochure, jotting down notes and thoughts for talks at our GEM-K winter camp in January, prepping for the religion class we're teaching at our local high school tomorrow by reading a chapter of Rob Bell's Sex God book, organizing a referee and strategizing for two basketball matches I'm coaching this afternoon, sending out texts for our university snowboard trip in January, prepping for a meeting with Rod over Skype this evening, printing out flyers for a basketball bbq at the end of next week and putting together an outline of events for a 4th year spiritual class retreat in January. It's 10:35 right now and I want to be in the gym for noon.

In the midst of all this there are larger issues that still consume our thoughts, major life-questions that wont be answered quickly so they just hang there.

I'm so glad our family is taking a vacation soon. I need to stop and be reminded that the world goes on without me, that God's mission is something I join, not lead.

Hopefully your Wednesday is allowing you some time to stop in the midst of the chaos.

This post was therapeutic. Thanks for reading my drivel.

Technorati Tags: Family, GEM-K, Missional, Parenting, Prayer, Youth Work

Matt Pond PA

2008-11-26T23:01:00.001Z

Not sure if there are any other Matt Pond PA fans out there but he's giving away his winter EP for free HERE.

Technorati Tags: Music

Deers, Cars & Guns

2008-11-21T18:18:00.001Z

We just finished watching King of the Hill again tonight. If you know our family you know we're fans. We have the first six seasons on DVD (we're slowly collecting the rest). Tonight we watched an episode where Bobby and his friends all embark on their Texan right of passage, namely shooting a deer. As Peggy states, "At 12 they shoot a deer, at 16 they learn to drive and at 18 they finally become 18."

After finishing the show Eoin turns to us and asks, "When I'm Bobby's age, can I drive your car?" Hailey and I just laughed and said, "we'll see," to which Eoin replied, "When I'm Bobby's age can I have a gun and shoot a deer?" Again, laughter. If we didn't have extended family in Texas I'd write all of this off but you never know.

Technorati Tags: Family

To Greece & Back Running

2008-11-20T11:41:00.001Z

Hailey and I are just back from Greece today. I flew out last Friday and spent a few days with some GEM-Ks we have in Athens. The time was really valuable. I was able to speak at a youth group as well as get some insight into how teens live life in Athens which basically meant I spent a lot of time at the mall.

On Sunday Hailey flew out to Greece as well so we could have two days to ourselves (thanks Mom & Dad for minding the kids). The Greek Bible Institute kindly let us stay on their campus. On Monday we visited Andros, the most northerly of the Greek Cyclades islands. We were able to get there via a 2 hour ferry from Rafina. While the island was lovely the weather wasn't the greatest and we'd probably have done better to have rented a car rather than take the local bus but we enjoyed our time there none the less. The following day we left for Athens where we enjoyed the sights, atmosphere, weather and food.

Good times abroad. Check out THE PHOTOS.

Today Hailey and I begin teaching a course on Jesus at our local high school. We were asked to teach a religion module to a bunch of 10th graders (4th years). We're praying it goes well and are excited for the opportunity. I'm also coaching a home game today for basketball so we're really hitting the ground running. Add to that the fact that Eoin's pretty sick (sorry Mom & Dad) though he is feeling a bit better now. Tonight Hailey is off with a bunch of women she's corralled into helping pack boxes for Samaritan's Purse at their warehouse. So, there's loads going on. Let's see what tomorrow brings ;)

Technorati Tags: Family, GEM-K, Photos, Prayer, Travel

Leadership Summit '08

2008-11-12T12:34:00.000Z

This past weekend I attended the Willow Creek Leadership Summit here in Dublin. I've got a lot of love for Willow even if we don't agree on everything. This was their second year presenting the talks in Dublin (here's my reflections on the first year). I was really excited to discover how many of the talks centered around justice. Willow had done a great job in the past of giving leaders insights into techniques, systems and ideas that can help leaders grow and thrive and they've usually had one or two justice-minded speakers along for the ride. This time around justice was front and centre. I think Gary Haugen said it best: "If you want your leadership to matter then lead in the things that matter to God."

Here's a video on Gary in case you don't know who he is or what he does:

Gary was by far my favorite speaker of the event but others surprised me as well. One of my favorite quotes was from David Groeschel as he interpreted a Franciscan blessing:

“May God bless you with discomfort at easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships, so that you may live deep within your heart.
May God bless you with anger at injustice, oppression and the exploitation of people, so that you may work for justice, freedom and peace.
May God bless you with tears to shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, and starvation, so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and to turn their pain into joy.
And may God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that you can make a difference in this world, so that you can do what others claim cannot be done.”

I was also inspired by the testimony of Catherine Rohr who has set up the Prison Entrepreneurship Program which trains, mentors and equips inmates who are about to be released. She can boast a staggering 98% employment rate among men who have gone through her program as well as 40 businesses started. It's quite an achievement and even more so when you discover Catherine was living the high life on Wall Street but gave it all up to start this program.

The conference on a whole was a reminder to avoid the safe options, to place myself in situations where I need God.

Technorati Tags: Church, Ireland, Justice, Theology, Video

Jesus Wants To Save Christians

2008-11-11T12:44:00.000Z

Just finished listening to Jesus Wants to Save Christians by Rob Bell and Don Golden. The book is an exercise in New Exodus theology which understands Scripture as a narrative unfolding from the perspective of the oppressed. This is less a book about that perspective and more a book about what that perspective says to the Western Church.

Their conclusions are challenging and unsettling. I'm actually re-listening to it in order to process all of their points. They begin with the Exodus and move through the Biblical narrative which is enjoyable in itself, allowing you to connect things like how Solomon ruled to how Pharaoh ruled or what Isaiah prophesied about the Messiah actually had to do with Jesus. Bell and Golden do an excellent job of illuminating the New Testament with the Old Testament. Great stuff. Worth the price of the book alone.

But for me where this stuff gets challenging is when it gets political and when it gets critical of the Church.

A central argument throughout the book is that Empires are anti-God's Kingdom; that they seek opposite ends to what God seeks. Don and Rob make connections between the Empires of Egypt - where Israel was oppressed - to the Empire of Solomon and the Kings - where Israel oppressed others - to the Empire of Babylon - where Israel was oppressed in Exile - to the Roman Empire - where Israel expected a Messiah who would overthrow the oppressing empire - to the present Empire of our day, namely the USA (perhaps the most powerful empire the world has ever seen). In that comparison they challenge readers to question whether they are the oppressed or the oppressors because God has something he wants to say to both. Are our hearts aligned more with Pharaoh's and Solomon's than Christ's?

The duo argue that in a world where Christians can put $25 Million extensions on buildings but fail to change statistics on local poverty rates there is something wrong; that we're in need of saving.

I've been a Bell fan for a while and heard Don speak online a few times but reading this book was a rare treat. It was reminder that God isn't finished with me yet, that he still wants to save me. I would highly recommend it.

Also, for those interested, until Nov. 13th you can watch the premier of the latest Nooma Tomato on their facebook page.

Technorati Tags: Books, Church, Justice, Theology, Video

Permanent Resident

2008-11-05T00:36:00.001Z

Well it's late. I'm just back from an 11-hour day at Dublin's Immigration Office (though I did wander a bit as I waited). I'm now officially allowed to stay in Ireland "without reference to time" and my kids along with me. We're still working on Hailey's status but we have a few tricks up our sleeves. So, even though today was a long one, it's been a good one.

I'm off to bed. In the morning we awake to a new president elect.

Technorati Tags: Family, Ireland, Prayer

Family Photo

2008-11-04T09:37:00.001Z

We've had a few great days of weather here in Ireland. Not warm, but sunny. So, we drove out to County Wicklow to visit the Powerscourt Waterfall and on the way pulled over to take a family picture. Time delay camera + roof of car + balancing act = picture above. I love it.

More Family Photos

Technorati Tags: Family, Photos

Sin Boldly... For Free

2008-11-04T00:49:00.001Z

For a limited time Cathleen Falsani's book Sin Boldly can be downloaded for free from the Zondervan website in mp3 format. Cathleen (aka "God Girl") blogs over at The Dude Abides (Big Lebowski reference duly noted). She is the religion columnist for The Chicago Sun-Times and I've been a fan of her writings for some time.

Here's what Scott McKnight had to say about her book:

How do you define “grace” and how would you define “grace” in a missional context?

In fact, it’s a journey around the USA and over to Africa in search of grace. The meaning of “grace” in this book is shaped for those who doubt grace is around, and Cathleen finds experiences that point toward God. Take the book, then, as a search for icons in life. “It is much easier,” she says, “and, I would argue, more helpful to describe what grace feels like through stories and images that illustrate the varied ways grace is experienced when encountered in the wild than it is to attempt to define it conclusively, to trap it or cage it” (12). Thus, “Justice is getting what you deserve. Mercy is not getting what you deserve. And grace is getting what you absolutely don’t deserve” (14).

Cathleen Falsani is a consummate storyteller, and each of these stories — 20 of them — somehow leads us to her theme, which is not a theological definition but an experience that speaks deeply of God’s goodness. Yes, she’s got a traditional theory of grace at work in one chp — one of traipsing around Montana with a rabbi and his wife — and she’s got the graces of mercy and people and images and finding a place to live and the poor, suffering of Africa and women who have resisted tradition to show compassion to others in Kenya and pouring-down rain and noisy neighbors when she was on retreat. Not to forget watermelon gazpacho and Elvis.

Cathleen Falsani is an excellent writer, and she slid in words at times that caught me off guard and I paused and said, “Nice one.” And there’s good wit, a little irreverent at times, but good and fun and enough to make pages sparkle. Also, I need to add this: there’s a maturity of journalism at work behind this book and it shows — in every chp. I’ll be mentioning this book to many for a long time.

This is the making of a memoir — she grew up Catholic, became Southern Baptist, went to Wheaton, and became an Episcopalian. Religion newswriters have a challenge unlike most of us: they are required to tell stories of various faiths, suspending judgment often, to get into the skin of what others think and believe, and those experiences soften one’s convictions and shape one’s faith. I often wonder how religion writers can believe.

I’ll tell you why: learning to suspend one’s faith or bracket one’s faith is a way of deconstructing one’s faith, a way of learning to live and think and even be outside one’s faith. I know this is heavy for a review on Cathleen’s book, but this book made me think of this belief of mine.

This might be the first time I’ve done this. I chose to put this book in the category of “missional” because, deep inside, this book is a missional exploration for those who are seeking for grace.

To download the book CLICK HERE.

Technorati Tags: Books, Missional, Theology

Where Does Our Hope "Lie"?

2008-11-03T20:46:00.001Z

The Irish Times website had this headline on Sunday: Hi-Tech Christmas Tree 'To Offer Hope Amid Recession' (HT: Dublin Community Blog) Apparently this French-designed coniferous weighing 5-tonnes and lit by 100,000 bulbs (that's amazing! - such an even number) will set the atmosphere in Dublin that might save us from this global economic downturn. The magic begins on November 9th when the LED Christmas tree will be switched on. The project is funded by the Dublin City Business Improvement District, the Dublin City Council and Dublin City Business Association so I guess I shouldn't really be too surprised to see savior language associated with an early shopping season.

And yet I am.

I'm confused because they're offering the same disease that got us into this whole mess in the first place as a viable solution to the current economic crisis. "Get more money out of the savings, the pockets and into the market where it can do some good." The problem is that most don't have the money to spend.

The system of an unbridled free-market with few to no checks is not a sustainable (nor just or ethical) economy. And yet, it is the very object of the hope that this Christmas tree is supposed to point to. In other words, if we were to, "go back to the good 'ol days" of the Celtic Tiger and economic "prosperity" we had a few years back, we'd simply end up here again in crisis.

So, surely the solution can't be to do the same as we've always done. Surely the way forward is a new economy which takes into consideration the limits of our resources and calls into question our expectations and our ill-imagined dream-lives.

If you pushed me hard enough I may even suggest Jesus had this sort of economy in mind less than 2000 years ago. As Christians, we need to be imagining the way forward lest shining lights on a plastic tree point us back to our current reality.

Technorati Tags: Dublin, Ireland, Justice, Theology

India

2008-10-27T12:27:00.001Z

We sat in a flickering fluorescent-lit basement outside New Delhi listening to The General explain current church growth movements in India. We had only arrived to the country in the early morning (around 3:30am) and the lack of sleep was having its effect on members of the audience, myself included. That morning had started out with a bang however. The driving in India is nuts. There is an order to it but it basically goes like this: keep honking your horn and if you hit anyone or anyone hits you, keep moving. Steve and I found this out first-hand as our taxi crashed with another car after 15 seconds in the vehicle. Our driver looked ahed and accelerated. Absolute craziness. Nothing starts off a morning like a collision.

So why was I in India? Twenty five of us from Europe had been asked to interact with, learn from and report on the rapidly growing church in India. We came from a number of countries but all shared the common interest of wanting to see God's Kingdom realized in our Western contexts.

So we sat listening to The General and others for nearly eight hours. The idea was to bombard us with information about what God is doing and how the movements are growing at the beginning and then to experience the churches in practice throughout the rest of our visit. It was a long first day but highly informative.

The following day we gathered at a a Mosque in Delhi. I wasn't aware that India has the second largest population of Muslims in the world (Indonesia is first). There are more Muslims in India then all of the Middle East. Of the 200 million Muslims in India, 2 Million are in Delhi. We were split into groups of two and sent into one of the Muslim districts to pray and meet people there. The experience was one of my highlights. Many there had never spoken to a Westerner before and they all smiled as we spoke the traditional Muslim greeting.

The poverty in some of these sectors was horrific, with people in the dumps searching for scraps to eat and recycle, kids as young as 3 running around the busy roads and alleys without much supervision and a swage system that found its way onto the streets. It's odd to think that Delhi has more millionaires than any other city in the world and yet this can exist on its doorstep. Steve and I were definitely out of place. It was as though we were the most chaotic thing happening in these chaotic streets of honking horns, shouting, bartering and business. Everyone would stare at the two whities walking down a random alley. At one point we found ourselves in the middle of a rally for a Pakistani politician. I'm not sure who was more confused as to why we were there, us or them. We'd take polaroid pictures of individuals so they could have photos of themselves. At first they'd have no idea what we were doing but after the first pic was taken we'd get swarmed by loads of eager models. We finished by eating at a dodgy restaurant in the area. Surprisingly no one got sick.

The following morning we were off to Ludhiana by train. We rode through the midst of extreme poverty. It was difficult to look out the windows at times. It was even more difficult to watch people take pictures of it from the comfort of the train. We were constantly reminded of our privilege in the West. Hearing about the stock problems back in the States when you're in this context made me feel a little ridiculous.

That said, I was still happy for our hotel room and western-style toilet.

It was during this time that I found out via Hailey that there was some tough family issues going on back home in Ireland. I was thankful that Randi and Gawkey could be there for Hailey but it still made it hard to be so far away. I won't go into the details here.

We were able to visit a local school project reaching out to kids from the slums as well as teaching about Jesus. The kids were very excited we were there and all kept introducing themselves to me asking us to pray for them specifically.

We spent a good deal of time visiting churches in Ludhiana and the surrounding regions. We heard amazing stories of God's healing powers, resurrection, and liberation. The testimonies where incredible. We all felt a little silly sharing our testimonies with them but our Indian brothers and sisters truly loved hearing what God was doing throughout the world.

We made it out the Pakistan border at one point as well as the Harmandir Sahib temple in Amristar, the central temple in Sikhism. On our way back to Dehli I contracted the infamous Delhi belly (or was it Punjab belly?). It made for a rough last day in the country but I found it to be a blessing as I experienced firsthand the love of my new friends there. Many pulled me aside to pray for me as well as track down all sorts of anti-biotics and pills. By the flight home I felt safe to travel.

The trip was extremely valuable. Not in just learning from another culture about Kingdom movements but in opening my eyes to what the majority of the world is like.

View photos here.

Technorati Tags: Church, Friends, Photos, Travel

Catch Up Post

2008-10-07T11:27:00.000+01:00

Thought I'd use this post to just catch up on what's been going on the past few weeks. Not sure why I haven't been posting more. There's loads to say...

I've again taken on coaching basketball at our local secondary school. This year I've been given both the cadet and senior boys teams while my cousin Liz, who is over in Ireland for the year helping out with an Irish youth program, is coaching the cadet and senior girls. Add to that, another Christian in the school is coaching one of the beginning groups and Christ has quite a presence in the program. I can't say how much I enjoy coaching the lads. The seniors had their first game today and we lost horribly but their attitude was amazing they never gave up which I admire. I can honestly say these lads (seniors & cadets) are special. There are no standout stars unlike the past two years but rather a real team-effort to achieve. I was even able to take my point-guard out to the Slovakia vs. Ireland basketball game a few weeks back. Ireland lost in overtime but the game was both a chance to get to know my guard better and to show him a higher level of basketball (something they really only see on youtube).

I've also been given a chance to teach a religion module at the school. Had some time with students on Thursday and I really enjoyed it. The students really engaged the topic and if it wasn't for the bell we could have talked all afternoon.

In the past while I've met with a group of Christians hoping to start a magazine that will focus on the connections between faith life, justice & culture. There are some good people behind it and I'd love to contribute in whatever way I can.

I've also been frantically putting together a book my residency request to the Irish Department of Justice. The letter itself was small but the copies of proof documents were quite substantial. Now we have to wait and see if they will approve or deny my request.

The Evangelical Alliance Ireland recently put on their annual CS Lewis Lecture and I was able to take a friend along for the ride. Dr. Greg Carke spoke on how the West owes much of its cultural and societal roots to Christianity (from the individuality of the human to equality of races and genders). While some of what he said was insightful, it wasn't until the responder, Gerard O'Neill spoke that I really found myself engaging.

While we've had to reduce my travels as of late for various reasons but I was able to get away this past weekend to visit my brother and to hear Mike Frost speak. If you know me, you know I'm a fan of this man so it was nice to hear him speak though I'll be honest and say I wasn't too impressed with the conference as a whole (many people there seemed more concerned about their church than about those in need - depressing). I felt Mike had to walk a tight rope of challenging traditional-minded church folk without distancing them. Pity. I did take something away from the meetings though - namely the need to have communal rhythms (he talks about this in his book Exiles - an amazing read). The five rhythms you must do to be a part of the community Mike lives life with are 1) Bless three people each week, 2) Eat with others in the community at least three times a week, 3)Take significant time each week to listen to God, 4) Take a significant time each week to study Jesus 5) Regularly journal about how God has sent them (see p. 150-151 for those interested). I love this idea. Instead of telling people to be generous, hospitable, Spirit-led, Jesus-following, missionaries... you simply show them how.

And while I enjoyed Frost (he is a gifted story-teller), the real value of the weekend was on Sunday. My parents were out for the Frost Conference as well so we all joined up (my parents, my brother & I) and visited Michael's church in Southampton. From there we visited 3 consecutive pubs dotted around the area. We laughed, re-told stories, got frustrated with one-another, encouraged one-another and felt blessed. It's been a long time since I've had that heart-connect with my family and I really valued it.

The only other traveling I'll be doing before Christmas will be India, Greece & Ukraine.

OK, that's plenty to catch up on. As usual, there are a few pictures up on our flickr for those wanting to know how we look.

Technorati Tags: Church, Family, Friends, GEM-K, Missional, Youth Work

Weekend Activities

2008-09-14T19:38:00.000+01:00

This weekend has been fun. Friday started out with a bang as Hailey joined some of our co-workers here for a progressive dinner while I went out with some friends from the neighborhood to the Leinster vs. Edingurgh match and then a few pints afterwards. It was fun to be able to hang with the lads, laugh and support the local club. Hailey had a great time catching up too (we actually don't see our co-workers that often).

Saturday saw us out in Dún Laoghaire. Hailey had lunch with a good friend while I took the kids down to Teddy's for some ice cream and then over to the park for a run around (if you ever visit, here is a good list of to do's in Dún Laoghaire). That night I took a teen into the city for Dublin's Hard Working Class Heroes Festival. I love the idea of this music festival. It takes over six city center music venues, promotes over 100 emerging bands, and then lets you see them over a weekend. I'd love to see more city festivals like this. Now I'll be honest and say that the caliber of bands was mediocre but I quite liked Fight Like Apes. They put on a really energetic show and have already achieved a small level of success here in Ireland. We were hoping to see Frightened Rabbit but couldn't make it. You can watch a few of the bands yourself over at muzu.tv. It was a great night out.

By Sunday, we were wrecked. We had a great time at The Journey after which Eoin went over to a friends house and Moia went to sleep. Quickly Hailey and I grabbed a bunch of junk food and sat down in front of the TV to watch John from Cincinnati, our show of the moment (I'll be writing more about the show later). It was so relaxing to sit with just Hailey and watch the telly on a rainy day. Much needed.

Technorati Tags: Dublin, Family, Friends, Music, Youth Work

Recent Pictures

2008-09-09T10:35:00.000+01:00

Mama Mac taught our kids to do this face. Moia has perfected it. I laugh every time.

I've grown up living close to Bono nearly all my life. I've passed by his house numerous times and had my fair share of Bono sightings but I've never had it in me to take a picture of his gate before. I was taking pictures of the kids in the car and happened to have the camera out while driving past his residence on our way back from the beach. So, for all those wandering what his gates look like, here they are. He's had words to various songs engraved on them.

Looking from Kiliney Hill back at Kiliney beach stretching into Shankill with Bray head and the Sugarloaf in the distance.

Technorati Tags: Family, Ireland, Photos

Youth Ministry in a Missional Church

2008-09-08T12:06:00.001+01:00

I wandered over to Hugh Halter's blog (on a recommendation from my Pops) and was happily surprised to find a post on youth work in a missional church setting. I've arrived at similar convictions to Hugh's - namely that youth ministry will thrive better in mentoring/apprentecship model as opposed to a program-based model. The post is worth the read.

Technorati Tags: Missional, Theology, Youth Work

Man vs. Wild Ireland

2008-09-06T20:29:00.001+01:00

We have been having horrible weather here in Ireland the past few days. Hailey and I are fighting off depression as we see less and less of that glorious sun. It's meant that this weekend we've watched our fair share of movies and TV. I'm a fan of the show Man vs. Wild though I don't get to watch it that often. So, you can guess how grateful Hailey and I were to discover the survivor man Bear Grylls' latest treck was in Ireland. Finally, we can get some tips on how to battle this weather. Watch it yourself (iTunes). Here's a clip:

Bear Grylls recounts his top ten memories of the Ireland adventure.

Related: The Office - Survivor Man (Hulu).

Technorati Tags: Ireland, Video

Recent Eoin & Moia Stories

2008-09-06T11:23:00.001+01:00

I thought I'd share some fun stories while I'm in the blogging mood.

Eoin has a new phrase: "Awesome blossom," a phrase which those in the know have already associated with Andy Bernard, a hilarious character in NBC's The Office. Eoin uses it with such sincerity, for times when he really thinks something is amazing. Last night, after Eoin's bath he was sitting, talking to Hailey and said, "I love you Mommy, so you need to wear a necklase." He then proceeded to run to our bedroom and pick out a necklace for her to wear. Hailey was subsequently awarded the prize of being awesome blossom. I'm not sure Eoin has a higher category of praise to award.

Moia is miss independent. We found her the other day (and almost every day since) on the big toilet, peeing, wiping (only using a few squares might I add), and then washing her hands all by herself. When we opened the bathroom door to discover this we were confronted with Moia's autonomy as she screamed, "Go away!!!" That's our little girl.

Technorati Tags: Family, Video

Random Thoughts on Saturday Morning

2008-09-06T11:07:00.001+01:00

OK, readers beware - this post is random. I post my thoughts here not to promote these ideas but to acknowledge the randomness of my mind at 7am in the morning on a Saturday while at the same time pouring cereal for my kids, opening curtains to a rainy day, and questioning my rationale for staying up late on Friday. This is where my mind wanders...

Random Thought #1: I was struck by how integrated Irish TV (i.e. RTE 1, RTE 2, TV3 & TG4) is with our social lives here in Ireland. I don't mean this in a, "I always watch Magnum P.I. on Saturday mornings on RTE 1," kind of way. I'm thinking more of how programming is orchestrated with the expectation of a social life. We don't have serials like LOST, 24, or American Idol repeating on weekends because the expectation is that you'll be busy with friends. Instead we find movies and re-runs. Now, here is my random thought: There's nothing worse than being mocked by your TV. I was watching my TV last night and since we only have the four Irish channels (some more static-free than others) my choices were limited to two soaps, a documentary and an unrecognizable mess of salt & pepper fuzz with periodic words in Irish spewing forth. I realized my TV was saying, "It's Friday night. Why are you watching me? You have nothing better to do than watch me on a Friday night? Where are your "friends"?" To this I responded, "Internet."

Random Thought #2: I've been noticing recently how many object associations I make subconsciously and yet consistently. For example, I own a pair of blue stripped boxers and every time I see them I think, "I have a shirt with the exact same pattern," (which I do). It's not the fact that I have the matching shirt that bothers me, it's the fact that I can't help thinking that phrase whenever I pick up those boxers. Oddly enough I don't think the reverse every time I see that shirt. Maybe that will change now that I've actually given thought to this. There are many more but I feel I have already sacrificed enough of my dignity for the sake of this post.

Random Thought #3: I was struck by the idea that my kids don't know what ugly is yet. For example, they could meet someone that society believes is ugly and think they are the coolest person in the world because they have Spiderman shoes. I love that. My kids are definitely opinionated. They can tell you what and who they do and don't like but thus far, ugly hasn't come into the equation. I wonder when they'll first notice society's definition of ugly? I hope they don't.

Technorati Tags: Family, Ireland, Parenting

Obama & Miller

2008-09-03T14:30:00.001+01:00

As many of you may be aware, author Donald Miller said a prayer at the Democratic National Convention. What has only recently come to light is the amazingly personal relationship Obama had with Donald prior to the convention. All is revealed in their email exchange which Miller posted online.

Technorati Tags: Humor

Electric Picnic

2008-09-02T09:53:00.000+01:00

Hailey and I are just back from a weekend away in Stradbally where the annual Electric Picnic Festival was taking place. The festival is a celebration of Irish art, world music and creativity. I've never been to a place quite like it. Perhaps the best description would be Disneyland for adults except that there were plenty of kids there too. The festival is broken up into different sections and each section runs its own programs as well as much of its own musical and performing acts. Scattered throughout these areas are stages where hundreds of bands play throughout the weekend. Hailey and I were fortunate enough to catch Kíla, New Young Pony Club, Goldfrapp, Sigur Rós, The Discovery Gospel Choir, Cathy Davey, Elbow, Wilco, Josh Ritter, Santogold, Des Bishop, Maeve Higgins, Karl Spain and The Roots.

I'm convinced that anyone wanting to work with the younger generations in Ireland needs to be at this festival. Not only do you get a taste for their values but you get to talk into the wee hours of the night at a place where faith, spirituality and charity are all central concerns. What's more, you share in a liminal experience. You separate yourself from your normal routine to camp in tents (yes, Hailey camped in a tent), share food, and intentionally celebrate together. I've already met a number around town who were there (but I didn't see) and automatically we're connected through the intense experience.

Photos From Electric Picnic

Okay, now for some tips for those who attended and/or are planning to attend next year:

Best eats:
Sausage & Mash Cafe (excellent sausage & mashed potatoes)
The Celtic Boar (the Kangaroo burger was especially tasty)
A Taste of Thailand (Couldn't resist the chicken pad thai)

Best Chill Areas:
The Walled Garden (enjoy freshly pressed apple juice while strumming a guitar and making a hat out of felt)
The International Comedy Tent (Sit for hours giggling to the best Irish comedians around)
Body & Soul (Where else can you listen to a DJ in a tree house, ride a reverse bicycle, watch a fire show, warm yourself by a campfire, play piano in a turf house, or drink chocolate chai in a teepee?)
The Spoken Word area (enjoy theatre, free tea, artists waxing eloquent, or not so eloquent depending)

General Tips:
Camping is much nicer in the family area.
Velvet toilets (fancy toilets) are cleaned at 11am. The queue starts at 10:30 ;)
Wellies are not just fashion accessories, they're practical.
Whoever invented wet wipes is a genius.
Toutless.com & gumtree.ie are good places to purchase tickets last minute (we bought ours the night before for a reduced rate)
Don't try to see and do everything. It's impossible.
Put a tarp over your tent. It will rain. You're in a tent.

And my last bit of advice - start saving now for next year.

Technorati Tags: Friends, Ireland, Missional, Music, Photos, Theology, Youth Work

The Return of The Office

2008-08-25T00:29:00.001+01:00

Hailey and I can't wait for season 5 of The Office. Dwight has brought this family closer through laughter....at him.

Technorati Tags: Humor, Video

Immigration Update

2008-08-22T16:20:00.001+01:00

Thank you so much to those who have been praying. Your kinds emails, letters and texts have been a real encouragement to Hailey and I.

This morning we awoke to Eoin throwing up in our bed. Not exactly the start we were looking for today but after a few battles with his gut he settled and was able to keep down some food so we decided to go ahead with the plan and meet with the Irish Immigration Dept. The staff we met with were very nice but also firm that they would not be able to grant us a further year in the country. At first they offered only three months to appeal the decision but after a conversation with the supervisor they were gracious enough to extend it to six months. So, that's where we stand. We were hoping for another year but are happy to at least have some solid dates with which to play with.

So what's next?

We'll be appealing the decision based on my length of time living in Ireland with the Department of Justice over the course of the next few months. Please keep praying for this situation.

Technorati Tags: Dublin, Family, Prayer

Immigration

2008-08-21T12:45:00.001+01:00

Well tomorrow (Aug. 22nd) is a big day here in the Kingsley household. We will be making our way into the city for our yearly legal-alien registration. We could use your prayers as we apply for yet another year of living in Ireland.

Technorati Tags: Family, Prayer

Pastors & Politics

2008-08-20T18:09:00.000+01:00

Well in the lead-up to the USA presidential election we're finding ourselves once again barraged with sound-byte commercials, endless media coverage and loads of potentially uncomfortable (or comfortable) conversations exploring political persuasions. The influx of ads and campaigns is obviously not all that invasive in Ireland but there's still plenty of coverage available. Yet, despite the mass amount of propaganda information available to the consumer (thanks Google) I'm finding more and more people confused on political issues, facts and candidates. Recently I came across this video by the Matthew 25 Network which in my opinion just ads to the mess already out there.

Brian McLaren, Kirbyjon Caldwell and Lisa Cahill all voice their support for Senator Barack Obama. Now, I have no problem with people voicing who they're voting for. I do, however, cringe when someone identifies themself as a pastor and then goes on to hype any candidate. This is by no means a desire for the separation of faith and politics; I deeply believe the two are intwined. I believe the role of those in church leadership is not to promote political candidates but to help individuals engage critically in the political process. Short sound-byte ads do the exact opposite - someone will think, "I like Brian McLaren and if he likes Obama, I guess he's a candidate worth voting for," or vice versa, thus forgoing any inductive exploration. Pastors should be asking hard questions of individuals who think that a candidate can actually solve the epidemic problems of the Country (and dare I say the world) - such thought makes our candidates our Messiahs and Christians already have one.

And please don't read this post as me bashing Obama any more than I'm willing to bash McCain (or any of the other "candidates").

What do you think?

Technorati Tags: Justice, Technological Society, Theology