Addicted

One of the rarest delights I enjoy in life is discovering a new band. This is something I put effort into; I listen to perhaps 100 new bands a year, if at the rate of 2 a week, more if I’ve purchased the latest edition of Hot Press. However it is very seldomly, say once [...]

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Wanted: One Irish Upbringing

Tonight I spent a marvellous evening at a charity fundraising concert, The Swell Season & Friends at Vicar Street. I went to hear Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, and I came back with some thoughts to chew on:
One, what exactly it is about the Irish culture that is unique. Now I [...]

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Ever Wondered Why Lions Are Yellow?

I can’t decide whether Christians are cowards, or atheists have the hearts of lions.
Maybe neither is true, but looking from my position of skepticism, one or the other is likely to become true for me.
It took this episode of Scrubs to force me to really take a look at what I believe about death. Sure, [...]

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Civilisation

How do you define “civilised”? As in “he’s a while civil crittur”.
Perhaps someone personable and polite, with good table manners, someone you could invite to dinner with your parents. Perhaps someone reasonable, not forceful or demanding, but considerate.
How do you define “civilised”, as in a civilised society?
Perhaps one with a strong democracy, a good law [...]

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One year on…

Today marks one year since I started working in the finance industry in Dublin. A year ago, I was told (by my bosses) that the industry was facing some challenging times, now I’m being told (by the media) that we are in the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression.
One year on, whenever I leave [...]

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Destiny

Below is a quotation we looked at this evening in home group, on the topic of ‘planning’:
“Destiny is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice. It is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved.”
~ William Jennings Bryan, laywer, orator, three time candidate for president [...]

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Parody and Preaching

I have two links to share, both from the Burnside Writers Collective.
The first is just brilliant parody:
God Wants You to Read This Article
The second is more thought provoking, about the value of sermons as the primary teaching tool in modern Christianity. Don’t let the title put you off reading, it’s genuinely thoughtful.
Why I Hate [...]

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Simplicity

At university, I spent a lot of time studying money and the Biblical view of stewardship. I still have grand ideals about the stewardship of the resources God has given us – about giving, spending, time management, community and work, among other related issues. I read extensively on the topic, in particular on the theme [...]

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Change is the only constant

“In this world, nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” – Benjamin Franklin

I would argue with Benjamin here, and say: “The only constant in life is change”. Maybe I’ve heard that somewhere before.

I have found myself in a place a great change in my life. Coming up on nine [...]

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Reverence and Relativism

This weekend I’m at a conference called “Mind Your Head”, about engaging your brain in Spiritual matters. I need to note my thoughts now before they’re replaced with someone else’s thoughts.
I find I’m becoming a lot more relativist in my views on Christianity. Don’t get me wrong, I believe there are very important truths found [...]

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