Just Charlie

A digital commonplace for a Regular Guy called Charlie Pharis

Category: Thoughts (page 7 of 15)

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!

April 8, 2012 / 0 Comments

Sunday Night Unwind, Easter, 04.08.12…

Another Easter comes and goes. As I’ve done every Easter evening as long as I can remember, I’m unwinding with Mahler’s great Symphony #2, “Resurrection.” It was the first Mahler recording I ever owned, and it has been one of my favorites! On Easter evening, exactly five years ago, I posted this…

…the “Resurrection” that Mahler’s Symphony No.2 refers to is not THE Resurrection that we celebrate today. But the Mahler Second is bold, powerful, inspiring.

And that is almost like – but not nearly as bold, powerful, and inspiring as – THE Resurrectionthat we celebrate today!

The last movement – for me, at least – is like Beethoven’s Ninth or even the great Puccini aria Nessun dorma. Even if you say you don’t like classical music or opera, it still has a way of moving you.

Anyway, you get the idea…

So, how’s your Easter been? Anything exciting happen? Anything inspiring? Here’s what’s on my mind as Easter 2012 loses its identity into another Monday…

  • As Easter winds down, I’m reminded of this post from 2005, in which Brad Abare asked, “Why can’t every Sunday be like Easter?” See…next Sunday will be here in seven days. There will be people who need the power of the Resurrection in their lives. And Jesus will still be alive!  Every Sunday ought to be Easter, don’t you think?
  • Our services were a little down today, as they have been since we’ve become tenants in property we used to own. We have to fix that. And quick!
  • More people than usual. Just not a lot more energy.
  • Hey, I thoroughly enjoy reading all my pastor buds’ accounts of huge crowds, multiple conversions, wonderful activities, etc. but I’m just trying to paint an honest picture of what our Easter was like.
  • Oh, we had good preaching! As my hero, E.V. Hill once said: “When I’m at myself, there’s not anyone else I’d rather hear!”
  • I asked the question: “What do you do with a story that has been around for years, and that almost everyone in the world has heard?”Answer: “Re-release it in 3-D!”
  • And with apologies to another of my heroes, Rick Warren, I talked about Easter in 3-D.
  • Hold on…the great second section of the fifth movement of Mahler’s Second just started! Air conducting at its finest! 🙂
  • OK..where were we?
  • So, I just had a vision in my mind of my friends conducting, singing, and playing French horn in the final movement of Mahler’s Second!
  • Anyway, I’m rambling, so it’s time to quit trying to write, get that other cup of coffee, and focus on Mahler!
January 15, 2012 / 0 Comments

Sunday Night Unwind, 01.15.12…

Sunday Night Unwind, 01.15.12...

(Image via iStockphoto.com)

In honor of, and in solidarity with, my friend, Tony McCollum, the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack and a few other random disco favorites are powering the Sunday Night Unwind tonight!

Here’s what I’m thinking about tonight…

  • Long, LOOOOOONG message this morning at The Crest.
  • I started a series last week about facing the challenges of growing older. Today’s installment focused on regret.
  • BTW, I developed the series with help from our folks, who identified some of the most critical challenges they face while getting older.
  • BTW #2: Getting older is not a function of a particular age. You and I are older than we were yesterday, and in fact, whether we are 30 or 90, we’ll continue to get older until we die.
  • Anyway, I digress…I used the story of Samson to help us see some lessons about dealing with regret. This article was a springboard for the message.
  • The discomfort of discipline will help us avoid the pain of regret. Our choices now have consequences later.
  • We can’t change the past. But hopefully, we learn valuable lessons from the past.
  • It’s never too late to fulfill God’s purpose for your life. But time is running out. And it may not look exactly the same at 40 or 50 0r 87 as it may have looked at 16 or 21 or 30.
  • Fulfilling that purpose will likely – no, assuredly! – require us to lose our own selfish and prideful agendas, and follow His.
  • In other news, it was a real special day for my friend and former colleague Melanie Christianson. She celebrated her retirement after 43 years of musical service at my last headquarters. Melanie was (hopefully, still is!) a great friend, an excellent musician, an effective leader, and the best assistant I ever had! Thanks, Melanie, for everything! Well done, good and faithful servant! Oh, and how does someone who’s only 39 serve for 43 years?
  • The lovely and gracious Mrs. JustCharlie and The Boy continue their headlong plunge, lemming-like, into Apple fanboy-/fangirl-dom. They’ve plastered those little white Apple logos on their vehicles! And The Boy just went and traded in his two-week-old iPhone4 for the 4S.
  • Apparently, that Siri can be a real snit!
  • What’s next, I wonder..a MacBook Pro? (13″, 8 gigs of RAM, etc., etc.)? OK…twist my arm…
  • It was good to see some old friends at The Crest today.
  • No YMCA, no school tomorrow…hope you have a great night! Later!
January 8, 2012 / 0 Comments

Sunday Night Unwind, 01.08.12…

(Image via iStockphoto.com)

Once again, Hillsong on Pandora is providing the soundtrack for the almost-county-famous Sunday Night Unwind! Long, interesting day, in case you’re interested…

  • I’ve been in a Hillsong mood the last couple of days. Somehow, I still think we need a chick worship leader!
  • Speaking of worship, who’s doing music that’s (A) theologically rich, (B) singable, (C) and at least a little bit celebratory? I love some of the contemporary takes on classic hymns, but man! What’s with the emo/Debbie Downer mood? And how can you get older folks to sing along when the music is unsingable? Just a thought…
  • Re: “older” folks…I started a new series this morning focusing on facing the challenges of growing older.
  • I know, I know…it’s supposed to be all about reaching younger people. You do realize, don’t you, that even your 30-year-olds are older than someone? And they’re facing the getting older thing, too.
  • For the record, I started fretting about the getting older thing at 30. Just sayin’…
  • Anyway, I told the story of Caleb, and tried to challenge our folks to be a “different spirit” like Caleb was.
  • What made him different? His undying optimism, his wholehearted devotion to God, his unrelenting quest for the next challenge, and his investment in the next generation. Not bad for an 85-year-old.
  • And can you imagine Joshua and Caleb sitting and playing checkers at the Cracker Barrel? Well, that’s how I told it anyway! 🙂
  • Even though the message was OK, I felt more drained than I have in a long time when it was over.
  • God really challenged me through my own words today.
  • Some NY writer said the Falcons beating the Giants in the NFL playoffs would reward the worst sports fans in America. Just in case you were wondering, it’s not the fans in Atlanta , it’s obviously the teams! For a team that’s supposedly so good, the Falcons sure are pretty bad! Two points? Really?
  • Oh, well, it’s back to my normal “Who cares about pro football?” status now.
  • Oh, and did you realize we were thaaaaaaaaaat close to not having to tolerate another NBA season? Too bad… 🙂
  • Four folks showed up for our new Second Sunday prayer gathering at The Crest. We were in bonus territory, I guess!

Kitties are winding down – hopefully! Opportunity clock will sound promptly at 4:00 a.m. See you later! Good night!

January 4, 2012 / 0 Comments

I Wonder…

(Image via flickr.com/striatic)

It’s a cold winter day in North Georgia, and I’m wondering about a few random things.

  • I wonder if the apostles ever begged anyone for money to accomplish “their major projects.”
  • I wonder if they ever taught a series on finances.
  • I wonder if we didn’t make such a big deal out of high school athletes and their recruiting status if they would turn out to be better athletes, students, citizens, and people.
  • I wonder what makes people think two days of New Year’s resolutions will reverse 10 years of unhealthy living.
  • I wonder where all the money goes.
  • I wonder if there will ever be a time when we don’t stay as frustratingly busy as we are now.
  • I wonder if there’s an end to this funk.
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.

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