Just Charlie

A digital commonplace for a Regular Guy called Charlie Pharis

Author: Charlie Pharis (page 16 of 165)

January 1, 2012 / 0 Comments

Sunday Night Unwind, 01.01.12…

Image via spicytec.com

Happy New Year to all my loyal readers – all two of you! Here are a couple of things on my mind as the first day of 2012 begins to wind down…

  • I preached from John 15 this morning, and I talked about the essentials we need for a truly successful and prosperous new year.
  • Above all else, we need a living and vital connection with Jesus. Most believers have plenty of information about Jesus and His teachings. Too many of us substitute knowing about Him for living connected to Him. That vital connection brings clarity to our lives, provides the difference between frustration and fruitfulness, empowers our prayers, and brings real joy,
  • We also need a vital connection to other people. Life is not a spectator sport. Don’t forget the command of Jesus to love one another is just as much a command as the Big Ten.
  • And we need a purpose and a plan to achieve it. Jesus called us and commands us to be fruitful by doing what God intends us to do.
  • By the way, the reason New Year’s resolutions don’t usually work is because we depend on our own effort and ability to make them happen. Jesus is clear that apart from Him, we are powerless to accomplish anything of lasting value.
  • We tried recording my message directly to digital today. I know, I know…old coot, behind the times and all that. I’m going to try my hand at editing that audio in a bit.
  • We are becoming Apple fanboys/fangirls at the Just Charlie hacienda. New iPads for the lovely and gracious Mrs. Charphar and The Boy. They were comparing the size of those little white Apple logo stickers yesterday. Sheesh! 🙂
  • BTW, I’m thinking of stealing one of their stickers and putting it over the Dell logo on my laptop. Not…
  • I interrupted this post to rescue a kitty. From the box springs. Don’t ask…
  • And aren’t pets supposed to lower your stress level?
  • For the past couple of years, I’ve read through John Piper’s Brothers, We Are Not Professionals in the month of January. Each chapter is short enough to use as a daily reading. You may not agree with everything  Piper writes, but this book serves a s a good reminder for those of us “in the ministry.”
  • Speaking of the iPad, it’s pretty cool and all, but right now, I really can’t see where it would replace my laptop. For this old coot, at least, it seems like a pretty expensive toy. Your mileage may vary. Of course, I might could come over to the Dark Side if someone dropped a  nifty 13″ MacBookPro in my hands!
  • Georgia Tech did it again in the Sun Bowl. It seems nobody snatches defeat from the jaws of victory like the Jackets. I can’t decide if they need to find someone to play defense or someone to coach defense.
  • It’s a sad day when the red cups go away at Starbucks.
  • The old grind starts back tomorrow.
  • The old grind is starting to really grind.
  • Next week, I’m starting a series on the challenges of growing older.
  • And with that, I’ve bored you long enough. Pandora’s Hillsong channel is providing the Sunday Night Unwind soundtrack.

Hope your 2012 is off to a great start. See you later!

December 29, 2011 / 0 Comments

The Valley of Vision…

I’m not sure where I first heard of the collection of Puritan prayers and devotions called The Valley of Vision, but I do know the readings and prayers in this classic book are a huge help to me in my daily devotions.

Often, we “evangelicals” tend to look down on anything that is formalized or formulaic, especially when it comes to praying. Yet, it does us good to have some focus to our prayers and thoughts. The Valley of Vision does just that for me. Nearly every time I read a selection from it, it resonates with my heart and with my current situations in life and ministry.

August 25, 2011 / 0 Comments

Once Upon a Time…

(Image via iStockphoto.com)

…there was this guy who discovered blogging. And he was fascinated by the fact that anybody – even little ol’ he! – could hop on the Internet, write whatever came to mind, and it would go out to millions of people all over the world.

And so,  this guy started reading other blogs. And he copied their styles. And he learned that he had a voice as well. And he enjoyed it.

Oh, he never wrote about much that was profound or important. In fact, he mostly wrote about what he was thinking, doing, and seeing. And he enjoyed it.

Then one day, it stopped. It stopped because the guy got preoccupied with a lot of things. Like getting old, failing, and stress.

Oh, and somewhere along the way, he also discovered Twitter and Facebook, and he realized those formats offered a better platform for his brand of quick, cynical, sardonic hits. And he enjoyed it. And he forgot about the blog.

Except every now and again, when he would crack it open, blow the dust off, and look wistfully through the old posts. And he wanted to write something. Something important. Something profound. But he realized he would never write anything important or profound until he started writing something!

And so here we are. One more attempt at restarting the blog.

August 22, 2010 / 6 Comments

Sometimes, You Just Have to Wonder…

I pride myself on being somewhat of an astute observer. It is amazing how much you can learn sometimes, just by watching. Sometimes when you watch, though, you just have to scratch your head and go, “Huh?!?!” Here’s a little list of some of those head-scratching, head-shaking, huh?!?!-inducing things I’m wondering about tonight.

Sometimes, you just have to wonder…

  • Whether people who claim to be “all about those far from God” really are. Or not.
  • How Jesus might respond to the modern equivalent of the disciples’ attitude in Luke 9:49-50.
  • How quickly the “cool kids” turn out to be just the same as the “uncool kids” they’re trying hard not to be like.
  • How quickly people who owe so much to their spiritual “ancestors” try to whitewash history, as though it never happened.
  • Why it’s not nearly as easy to learn from the mistakes and sins of others as it ought to be.
  • Why we focus so much on the kid who blew it and went off into the far country, but came to his senses and returned home, while we are the real prodigals, allegedly in close proximity to Dad, but farther away than our kid brother ever was.
  • How in the world people at local youth organizations with gyms and pools can behave as though they are pretentious members at some privileged exclusive club.
  • What it takes to walk your own walk.
  • What was _____________ thinking? (Fill in your own blank here. You must have scratched your head and asked, “Huh?!?!?” at some point today.)
  • Why God doesn’t just zap most of us and get it over with.

I’m sure there are others, but that’s enough for now.

May 14, 2010 / 0 Comments

You Would Think…

You would think somebody who helps other people start and stick with an exercise program would be the picture of health and fitness.

You would think somebody charged with teaching a class on effective written communication would be a pretty good writer.

You would think somebody whose calling is to lead others in Christian ministry would be a devoted follower of Jesus.

You would think so. But you might be wrong.

May 14, 2010 / 0 Comments

The War of Art…

I’ve just finished reading Steven Pressfield’s great book The War of Art. Some parts of it – OK, most of it – jacked me up pretty good. Here are some of the quotes that are doing it to me today…

Most of us have two lives. The life we live, and the unlived life within us.

The most pernicious aspect of procrastination is that it can become a habit. We don’t just put off our lives today; we put them off till our deathbed.

What counted was that I had, after years of running from it, actually sat down and done my work.

It is one thing to study war and another to live the warrior’s life. (Telamon of Arcadia)

Make the tale live for us in all its many bearings….(T.E. Lawrence’s translation of The Odyssey)

May 2, 2010 / 0 Comments

Sunday Night Unwind, 05.02.10

In a jazz mood for tonight’s Unwind. The Bebop/Combo channel on Pandora is filling the bill quite nicely, thank you. At this moment, Stan Getz is playing a song called “Beatrice,” and it really is in that cool jazz mode.

Anyway, here’s what’s rolling around in my head and my heart, and dropping out on the keyboard…

  • Speaking of jazz, I would’ve enjoyed these guys at the Jazz Mass this morning!
  • And who knew Cartersville, Georgia has a live jazz place? Cartersville?!?! Get outta here!
  • Oh, and that bassist? yeah…he’s pretty much my musical hero!
  • Cartersville?!?!?
  • It was good to be back at The ‘Crest today, after a week away at Fusion Church.
  • I finished a series called “Running on Empty,” and talked about how we need to take the time to refuel and recharge in our walk with Jesus. I thought it was pretty good stuff!
  • Got to spend the afternoon with the lovely and gracious Mrs. Just Charlie and The Boy…a little lunch, a little clothes shopping, and little hanging out…a good time!
  • The Boy is hopefully winding down this this part of his academic journey soon.I really feel for newly-minted college graduates trying to find a real job in this economy.
  • Heard some disturbing new about one of our elderly members today that makes my blood boil! I’m not sure there’s anything we can do, but I sure am hacked off about it!
  • Getting back on track with my health and fitness again. It’s impossible to live today on what you did yesterday. Or four years ago.
  • I’m on the lookout for a new bag in which to carry my laptop and other assorted junk. I’m leaning toward the Timbuk2, although I haven’t really scoped out the specific model. If it’s good enough for Tony McCollum and Randy Bohlender, it’s good enough for me!
  • Yeah, yeah! I know…who’s got time to go to blogs anymore? That would be tonymccollum and rbohlender, respectively, thank you very much! Sheesh!
  • Dang! John Coltrane could play!
  • I’ve been a reader for as long as I can remember. This Kindle for the PC app has re-ignited a passion for reading though! I’ve just finished Peter Scazzero’s Emotionally Healthy Spirituality, and Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson’s Rework, and I’m about to dive into Ben Arment’s Church in the Making, along with some classic Bonhoeffer and St. John of the Cross. How’s that for eclectic?

Well, this post that started out rather promisingly has now started to drag, so I’m going to quit, and read some, drink a cup of coffee, and get ready for the storm that’s on the way later tonight.

March 7, 2010 / 1 Comment

Sunday Night Unwind, 03.07.10…

Good evening, both of my loyal readers! Wait…there’s only one of you left! Anyway, here’s a long-overdue contribution to the old blog.

  • Hanging at home, with an iTunes Genius playlist fueled by the great Hillsong classic Mighty to Save. For some reason, that song never, ever gets old and tired to me.
  • The hanging at home thing is also powered by a French press full of Brazil Peaberry, one of my favorites from WeeklyRoast.
  • BTW…why aren’t you getting your coffee from my buddy Ken at WeeklyRoast? Well, why not?
  • I finished a series-within-a-series this morning on the parables of Jesus from Luke’s blog…uh…Gospel.
  • We looked at the familiar story of The Prodigal Son. No, not that one. The other one. The one that stayed around but was farther from home than his kid brother.
  • See, in the context of the story – see Luke 15:1-2 for the setup – the older son was the one that needed the dad to go find him. Even though he was right outside in the field.
  • Yeah, yeah…I know. We’ve always focused on the kid brother. It’s the twist that makes the story powerful, though. What twist?
  • I’m glad you asked!
  • Part 1 of the Lost and Found trilogy is about a shepherd with 100 sheep. One gets away. What does the shepherd do? He goes looking for the lost sheep. He expends energy. He does everything he can to find the lost sheep. And when he finds the little lamb, wandering in the wilderness, he loads it up on his shoulders and takes it home, rejoicing!
  • Part 2? A woman has ten coins, and somehow loses one. What does she do? She turns her house upside down trying to recover ten percent of her wealth. She expends energy. She does everything she can to find the lost coin. And when the coin turns up in the sofa cushion, she calls her neighbors for a little impromptu party! (I made up the part about the sofa cushion.)
  • Part 3 is the biggest chunk of the story. It’s about a man with two sons. The younger gets all uppity one day, says some horrible things about his dad, demands his share of the old man’s money, and splits! Get ready…here comes the twist.
  • Oh, wait…Third Day’s Your Love Oh Lord just kicked in on the iTunes playlist. Love those guys!
  • Where was I? Oh, the twist…
  • What does the dad do in response to his immature brat of a kid taking his money, leaving for a far country, and blowing the whole wad on riotous living? Go ahead…I’ll wait while you tell me about the dad’s response…
  • Got it? Good! How far did the dad go to find the kid? How far was that again? If you said something like, “All the way to the far country,” or something like that, that would be a good guess. But it wouldn’t win the prize tonight!
  • The dad waited at home. Yep, he was there, everyday, watching, hoping, trusting. But he was waiting. And one day, the kid had come to his senses in the pigpen, and realized his need for his dad. He came home, and his dad was there, waiting for him. And the par-tay ensued!
  • What about the older son? He’s the one the dad had to look for. He’s the one the dad expended energy to find. The older son is the one that was far from the dad’s heart, and he was literally in the house the whole time!
  • And as far as we can tell from Luke’s careful reporting of the story, the older son still hasn’t dropped his resentment, self-centeredness, and superiority complex and joined the party!
  • Hmmm…how about that for a twist? And did you catch the connection to the setup? Yeah, I thought so…
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