Life with Matt McChlery

New Mailing List

Fri, 04 Jan 2008 02:39:06 -0800

I wish to apologise to all those who signed up to my mailing list on Scriggle-it.com as they have seemed to have vanished off the face of the internet! I have since created another mailing list with a more reliable provider. Please sign up again (sorry for the inconvenience).

You can sign up by going to my website www.mattmcchlery.com and enteering your email in the orange box.

Christmas is coming!

Thu, 06 Dec 2007 04:44:41 -0800

I don't know about you, but Christmas is an extremely busy time for me. Being a primary school teacher as well as a worhip leader equals absolute melt-down at this time of year!

I am swimming through a mountain of reports, School nativity plays, christmas disco's, leaving dinners, magicians, christmas displays and hyper-active kids! Then at church I am madly searching for and rehearsing Christmas worship songs, carol singing events (x3), market place outreach etc. etc.

Hurray - my house is ready!

Mon, 15 Oct 2007 13:53:12 -0700

I've been in the process of buying a house. All the legal stuff is finally over and I can move in really soon.

Praise God

Hurray for Gordon Brown and Zimbabwe!

Thu, 27 Sep 2007 04:46:41 -0700

Gordon Brown has at last acknowledged that the people of Zimbabwe are in desperate need of help and support! His decision to boycott a forthcoming summit of Mugabe attends, as well as extending targetted sanctions is a great thing! Opposition voices from Zimbabwe are often silenced, so I feel it right that I voice my thanks now that I'm living in a country where freedom of speech and human rights are respected.

Busy Busy!

Wed, 12 Sep 2007 13:38:10 -0700

Hello again

It has certainly been a long while since I bolgged last! My life as a school teacher has come back with a vengence, with a new school year starting! It feels like my feet haven't even hit the ground in the last 3 weeks or so. Anyway, God is good!

I'm also moving into a period of transition with the worship band at church. Trying out new things and training various people to enable them to grow and reach their true potential. This is not to say everyone is entirely happy. Some are quite scared about the unknown and changes ahead. But with prayer and with God's grace and guidance leading the way, it will be alright.

New Song - CHEMA (Cry)

Mon, 06 Aug 2007 03:55:16 -0700

I have written a new song about Zimbabwe - the country where I grew up. It's in a state of such termoil it's inspired me to write! It's designed to be a protest song, but don't know if it fits that box as neatly as it could.

'Chema' means cry.

Have a listen and let me know what you think.

To download this song for free go to my website

Re-wiring!

Mon, 06 Aug 2007 01:56:59 -0700

My landlord told me yesterday that the flat I am living in needs to be totally re-wired. So I'm up for a week or two of total upheval! my door is even being moved! So there's going to be dust and banging and plaster flying everywhere. I'll have to move furniture etc etc.

I really couldn't be bothered to do it all, but it will make the property safer and better.

New song & holidays

Tue, 31 Jul 2007 09:44:24 -0700

Well, I've just been away for a refreshing week with some friends. We stayed on the coast, near Minehead and had a great time. I was able to unwind and relax as well as continue writing some of my novel on the rainier days.

I've also enjoyed re-connecting and catching up with many friends from uni and high school on facebook whom I had lost contact with! Its amazing how life has moved on - people getting married, kids on the way etc. Its great to be back in touch.

No more help for Zimbabwe from outside

Thu, 19 Jul 2007 08:21:58 -0700

My parents, still living in Zimbabwe are struggling to survive, like everyone else! In the last few weeks, the madness of the regime has got extensively worse. The government are now enforcing price controls that are ridiculous as they force shopkeepers to sell goods way below cost price, thus forcing them out of business! So shops are going bankrupt all over the country, and if they try to flout the new laws, they are ransacked and then arrested and beaten up. So as a result shops are now absolutely empty! No food or goods at all!

Reading and Writing

Sun, 15 Jul 2007 00:03:53 -0700

Gigs gigs gigs!

Tue, 03 Jul 2007 13:04:12 -0700

Hi guys, after recently playing in my local place of abode - Wisbech and having another gig lined up in Bedford in August, I am getting gig-hungry!

I must say, it has not been without disappointment that I have embarked upon the gig-searching road. Upon the release of my worship album 'fly' a couple of years ago, I sent CDs to as many major christian events / festivals as I could - all to no effect! Despite being a bit dishartened, I continue to keep going. Some gigs have been had and have gone very well, however, the more gigs/events the better!

Busy week

Sun, 24 Jun 2007 14:32:11 -0700

Well, it's been a very busy week for me. Teaching at school is increasingly getting frustrating as there is still so much to do within such little time! Its been raining all week (with some sunny breaks) but this adds to the frustrations - field trips cancelled etc.

Things aren't all bad though - I had some meetings with people in my church band, which was a very valuable exercise - am looking forward to our band BBQ thats coming up!

Love?!?

Tue, 12 Jun 2007 14:40:29 -0700

I saw this advert a while ago and it got me thinking.

Firstly, it jumped right out and got my attention, and it immediately also made me want to take a picture of it (I guess the advertisers did their job well).

But it causes me to pause and think - what is my concept of 'love'? Love exists on many levels, from the mundane and basic such as a cold coke all the way through to love for a spouse and for God.

Back from the Wisbech gig!

Sat, 09 Jun 2007 15:44:54 -0700

WOW. I've just got back from a great night. I had a gig in Wisbech where my band played, supporting Howard Williams from Lincoln.

The morning started with a weather report that said our region should prepare for torrential rain and flash floods - then I stepped outside and the sun was shining brightly, and it remained that way! I guess that was a picture for the rest of the day.

Pray For Zimbabwe!

Fri, 08 Jun 2007 08:18:08 -0700

As a Zimbabwean myself, now living in a foreign land, I have come from the situation that plagues the nation. My parents and sister still live in Zimbabwe and so my thoughts and prayers are with them as well as for the country. You only have to watch / read the news to know what is happening there and from where the once great country, has fallen.