Just Charlie

A digital commonplace for a Regular Guy called Charlie Pharis

Month: April 2008 (page 1 of 1)

April 18, 2008 / 0 Comments

Quick Friday Afternoon Hits…

Whassup in Cherokee County, Georgia this afternoon…

  • The sunburn is not nearly as bad as I thought and wrote yesterday! In fact, it turns out the really, really bad red was actually because of some of “The Boy’s” leftover sun lotion stuff. I just noticed the label warning today: “Not recommended for outdoor use.” Hmmm….
  • Nevertheless, I’m inside this afternoon. With John Rutter’s fantastic Gloria playing loud and clear. And the operative word is loud. (OK, so it’s not Chris Tomlin, or Hillsong, or Steve Fee, or even Lee McD. But it is contemporary. And it is praise and worship. But…it’s a choir and organ and orchestra. And it rocks!
  • Reading Timothy Keller’s The Reason for God. It rocks, too…

How’s your Friday going so far?

April 17, 2008 / 0 Comments

Beautiful Day, Stupid Me…

Right now it’s 74 and gorgeous in our neck of the woods. So I decided around 1:45 this afternoon to take my work outside. Dumb, stupid move…really dumb, stupid move!

See, my “work” involved reading. The book I’m reading isn’t exactly a page-turner. In fact, it’s got some pretty downright boring parts. Those parts led to a sleepy state. That sleepy state lasted until my phone rang. At about 2:45 this afternoon.

Let’s just say a 47-year-old old coot ought not to be looking for something with the cooling, soothing properties of healing aloe. I can’t remember the last time I was this sunburned! I’m going to pay for that little nap for a while!

April 17, 2008 / 0 Comments

Where Should Ministry Decisions Get Made?

On the front lines of ministry, of course! Where else?!?!?

I was reminded of this lesson again in a powerful and practical way today. I’m sure glad the “guys in the field” understand and appreciate that principle. Now if only the “higher-ups” understood the same thing, that “service” is about people and their needs, not necessarily about policy and procedure.

I’ll be chewing on that one the rest of the day today.

April 13, 2008 / 1 Comment

Miscellaneous…

What’s on my mind, in my heart, and in my notebook tonight…

  • New book: Journeys: Transitioning Churches to Relevance by Todd Wright and Marty Duren
  • New book #2: The Aladdin Factor by Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen
  • New book #3: Eat This, Not That by David Zinczenko
  • When the “convenience charge” to pay a bill online is more than the bill itself, something is way out of whack!
  • Coming next week at The ‘Crest: “The Church of the People Who Play It Safe.” (I’m their leader, BTW!)
  • The Sunday morning “events” just keep piling up in our family. Two weeks ago, it was “The Boy’s” unfortunate little handgun incident. This morning, it was the lovely and gracious “Mrs. Just Charlie’s” twin sister’s husband’s office – and the speeding car in the front door. Yikes!
  • Tax refund deposited. And spent. Life is good…one extra large insanely stupid debt gone, along with a couple of other not quite as large and not nearly as stupid ones.
  • The song “God of This City” is rocking my world these days!
  • My neighbors are a microcosm of our culture. And a reminder of our strategic placement in it for divine appointments to happen.
  • Indigenous worship means a worship style that is inborn – but not inbred.
  • If prayer, a clear and compelling vision, indigenous worship, small group opportunities, meaningful membership, and the people in ministry are levers for moving our church to new relevance and all that means, I’ve got to live out and model those values in my own life.
  • Don’t tell her, but I’ve really enjoyed spending this week with the lovely and gracious “Mrs. Just Charlie.” A little yard work is good for your soul – and your marriage. Back to the grind for her tomorrow.
  • It’s winter again here for a couple of days! Brrrrrrr!
  • I’m tired…but I need to finish up some reading. See y’all later!
April 13, 2008 / 0 Comments

Sunday Night Unwind, 04.13.08…

I’m going to see this guy Friday night. I really, really like the “new treatments” of old classic timeless hymns. Pretty good stuff for a change of pace – and for a Sunday night unwind. BTW, I’ve got a couple of extra tickets for the Friday evening event…hit me up if you’re interested. (Free with a love offering, you know the drill…)

April 13, 2008 / 0 Comments

What to Do with a Burden…

Timely and challenging insight from Oswald Chambers in today’s My Utmost for His Highest selection…

If we undertake work for God and get out of touch with Him, the sense of responsibility will be overwhelmingly crushing; but if we roll back on God that which He has put upon us, He takes away the sense of responsibility by bringing in the realization of Himself. Many workers have gone out with high courage and fine impulses, but with no intimate fellowship with Jesus Christ, and before long they are crushed. They do not know what to do with the burden, it produces weariness, and people say – “What an embittered end to such a beginning!”

“Roll thy burden upon the Lord” – you have been bearing it all; deliberately put one end on the shoulders of God. “The government shall be upon His shoulder.” Commit to God “that He hath given thee”; not fling it off, but put it over on to Him and yourself with it, and the burden is lightened by the sense of companionship. Never disassociate yourself from the burden.

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