Just Charlie

A digital commonplace for a Regular Guy called Charlie Pharis

Month: September 2012 (page 1 of 1)

September 30, 2012 / 0 Comments

Sunday Night Unwind, 09.30.12…

Where in the world has September gone? The great philosopher, Steve Miller, was right! Time DOES keep on “slippin’, slippin’, slippin’, into the future!” Here’s what’s happening in this little insignificant piece of the world on a drizzly September Sunday night…

  • Kind of bummed out – no, REALLY bummed out! – by Georgia Tech’s performance(?) yesterday! I’m not sure CPJ has a lot of time left. I’m guessing CAG will be the first to go. What I AM sure about is that Climpsun is licking its chops for next Saturday. It’ll probably be 84-0 at the half. Oh, well…it’s just a game, right?
  • Speaking of games, did you notice the Atlanta Braves are 3 games out with 3 games left? There may be TWO single playoff games before the real deal starts! Hmmm….
  • And of course, the Atlanta Falcons miraculously went to 4-0 on this young NFL season. If you care about such things, that is. But enough sports..that’s not what all two of you loyal readers come to the Sunday Night Unwind for, is it? 🙂
  • We finished our Galatians series today at The Crest. It’s been a pretty good series.
  • Today, we talked about some of the relationship ramifications of freedom in Christ.
  • Most of the time, there are opportunities for “doing good for others” right around us, and we neglect them while looking “out there” for the opportunities. Paul challenged us to take the opportunities we have, with those closest to us.
  • Oh, and the message included a serendipitous find from Disney’s Beauty and the Beast! Did you catch it?

    Life is so unnerving
    For a servant who’s not serving
    He’s not whole without a soul to wait upon
    Ah, those good old days when we were useful…
    Suddenly those good old days are gone
    Ten years we’ve been rusting
    Needing so much more than dusting
    Needing exercise, a chance to use our skills!

  • Some time tomorrow, I will have hung around this planet for 52 years. In case you were wondering, that’s about 624 months. 2,704 weeks. 18,928 days. 454,272 hours. 27,256,320 minutes. 1,635,379,200 seconds. For some reason, 624 months just doesn’t seem that long.
  • Anticipating the beginning of another trip around the sun always makes me contemplate Psalm 90.
  • According to the “life expectancy figures” in that Psalm, I can reasonably assume that I’ll get to hang around for another 216 months. 936 weeks. 6,552 days. YIKES! It’s about time I got busy!
  • But for now, I’m going to sleep! Good night!
September 20, 2012 / 0 Comments

Reading Hemingway…

 

I read Hemingway. I like to read Hemingway. I encourage my students to read Hemingway.

But sometimes, I think I read Hemingway because I’m supposed to read Hemingway. Even though I can’t follow him sometimes. Even though I think his “one true sentences” don’t always seem that “true.”

I read Hemingway – or at least act like I’m reading Hemingway – because of what he said about writing.

I saw somewhere recently that some writer sat down and typed The Great Gatsby word for word to get a feel for how writers write.

Maybe I need to try that with Hemingway.

September 18, 2012 / 0 Comments

Creative Un-Stereotypes…

All the things we assume about being “creative” ain’t necessarily so…

  • You don’t have to be gay to be creative.
  • You don’t have to be a liberal to be creative.
  • You don’t have to be an atheist or an agnostic to be creative.
  • You don’t have to be weird to be creative.
September 18, 2012 / 0 Comments

Late Night Thoughts, 09.18.12…

(Image via http://www.flickr.com/photos/stitch/12738176/)

As long as I can remember, I’ve loved reading and writing while lying on the floor.

In school, I did my best work (and there’s a relative term!) on the floor.

I made it through seminary mostly by working on the floor in our little apartment.

When I first committed to “the ministry,” I remember getting my yellow pad and writing lists of resources I wanted from the Baptist Book Store catalog, all while lying prone on the floor.

When we first got married, I would lie on the floor in our den, surrounded by books, and study and prepare sermons.

The floor has been my zafu, if you will. My launching pad. My creative place.

Maybe that’s the reason I’ve not been nearly as “creative” as I once was. Maybe “graduating” from the floor to the desk, to the computer, looks like progress. But maybe, it’s a step backward.

Lying prone on the floor is not conducive to typing, even on your laptop.

Maybe, instead of a cool, hip, trendy standing desk, I need a decidedly lower and un-cool lying desk!

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