Movin'...

George and "Weezy" Jefferson did it - On Up.

Billy Joel did it - Out.

Even Rascal Flatts did it - On.

And now, Just Charlie is doing it, too!

Say goodbye to Blogger (more Billy Joel!).

Say hello to Just Charlie's new home over at the "free" WordPress.

Everything hasn't made it over there yet, but this will probably be the last post here.

Loyal readers - both of you! - can set your reader - if you'd like - to the new feed here.

Thanks! See you on the East Side - in the dee-luxe apartment in the sky...

"Painted Mane of the Painted Horse..."

OUCH! This came from the A.W. Tozer daily devotional, and the picture perfectly illustrates the point: an old man, holding on for the ride, but going nowhere...

We have to consider whether we are just going around and around--like a religious merry- go-round. Are we simply holding on to the painted mane of the painted horse, repeating a trip of very insignificant circles to a pleasing musical accompaniment?...

More Easter Thoughts...

(NOTE: I'm not a theologian or a Bible scholar. Nor do I play one on TV. I didn't even stay in a Holiday Inn Express last night.)

This morning I was reading Mark's account of the first Easter morning. and I jotted down some thoughts in my notebook...

• The three women bought spices to anoint Jesus' body. When they got to the grave, they found the stone rolled away from the entrance and saw a young man in white, and Mark records that they were amazed. The young man said, "Don't be amazed."
• His instructions were to go and tell Jesus' disciples what had happened. But, he implied, you'd better get a move on, because Jesus is already on the move!
  
• Their response? They ran like crazy! They were shaking and amazed. And they said nothing because they were scared!
• Mary Magdalene went and reported that she'd actually seen the risen Christ, and the disciples "refused to believe it."
• Later, Jesus Himself appeared to two others on the road to the country, and they, too went and reported their encounter, "but they did not believe them, either."
• Later, He appeared to the eleven at dinner, and "He reproached them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who had seen Him after He had risen."

I think there is a huge disconnect between what He says and what we see, so for us, the seeing always seems to trump the listening/believing/responding/obeying.

Sunday Night Unwind, 04.08.07...

OK, after an earlier Unwind of Kutless and Hillsong, I've settled into some Mahler for the rest of the evening (heck, it'll take that long to listen to the whole thing!)

Anyway, 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 Resurrection that 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.

Of course, as usual, your mileage may vary...

Dog-Tired...

Beat. Worn-out. Exhausted. What other synonyms can you walking thesauruses (thesaurii?) come up with?

Let's see... how'd it go?

Headed out for our "sunrise"service. I thought Easter was supposed to be in the spring! Not stinkin' winter! Oh, well...one of the stillest, quietest mornings I remember in a long, long time. And I wondered if that first Easter morning was kind of the same way.

Great spread at the early thing, thanks to the lovely and gracious "Mrs. Just Charlie." Oh, and Alaura the Dunkin Donuts gal who wondered aloud why I thought Easter was the biggest day of the year. And who considered the claims of Jesus for the very first time behind the counter at the donut place.

Good turnout at the early thing, including a couple I met at one of those "rent-a-pastor" funerals a couple of months ago.

Almost went to see The Mad Babbler at RidgeStone's 9:00 Easter service, but did a last-minute lookover of my message for 11:00. And spent some time hanging with some of our church folks.

Double our usual crowd at 11:00. Lots of guests. Most connected to our folks in some way or another. Not a home run on the message, but maybe a run-scoring double. We'll see...

Good to hang out with "The Boy" for a few minutes.

Went to three places before finding a place open for lunch. Ended up at good ol' Provino's. Stuffed with lasagna. (Note: Spring break and Easter are now officially over - gotta hit the Y - and hard! - tomorrow!)

Note #2: If it's in the shape of an egg, and if it has a brightly-colored foil wrapper, and if it says something like "Dove Dark Chocolate" on it, just put it down and walk away. I'll take care of the situation!

After lunch, watched another good game. (Note to my buddy Roger: I know we're only six games into the season. I know y'all whacked us 11-1 on Friday. I know your whole lineup is pretty potent from top to bottom. I know your guys can pitch. I know it's a long, long way to September yet, but I think y'all are going to have some company atop the National League East this year. Going to be fun again, maybe...)

Kutless and Hillsong on right now for the Sunday afternoon unwind. Dozing.

Speaking of Hillsong, I know it shows my old-cootness, but I am still blown away for some reason by the fact that I can order sheet music from Australia on Saturday night, and have it in the service Sunday morning! Amazin' ain't, Tom?!?!

That pretty much wraps up Easter '07. Long day. Good day. Jesus is alive.

Maybe the Second Most Popular Guy in Church This Morning...

At least it appears that way to me from all the people who are looking for information on him, and finding my earlier post about a bugler playing Reveille at his funeral!

Book Lovers, Help!!!!!!

Any of you loyal readers (all two of you!) have the new book by Henry Cloud and John Townsend called It's Not My Fault?

If you do, and you have a minute, could you send me the Table of Contents?

I would appreciate it a lot! Thanks!

Strange and Wonderful Thursday Night Unwind...

Got a really, really mixed bag on the ol' Unwind tonight...

The latest edition of Runner's World magazine has "101 Kicks in the Butt" - ideas to help you and me improve our time and performance on the road. The list includes several "playlists," and I've got most of 'em going right now. For example...

• "Don't Stop Me Now" by Queen
• "Break On Through (to the Other Side)" by The Doors
• "Beautiful Day" by U2
• "Run in Place" by The Nadas
• "Invincible" by OK Go

Then there's an assortment of Sheryl Crow's stuff, like...

• "Every Day Is a Winding Road"
• "The First Cut Is the Deepest"
• "If It Makes You Happy"
• "Soak Up the Sun"
• "All I Wanna Do"
• "Always On Your Side"

And for some reason, I've included...

• "All Around the World" by Lisa Stansfield (You know..."been around the world and I-I-I...")
• "Sweet Love" by Anita Baker

And finally, some pretty rockin' worship, from Kutless.

Go figure...it's one of those nights!

TV I Just Don't Get...

Remember "Must-See TV?"

Well, flipping through the channels tonight, I think the new slogan ought to be "Must Have Missed It TV." I guess I'm showing my old-cootness, or my lack of cool, or whatever, but there are some things on TV I just don't get...

• Bam Margera
• Ultimate Fighting
• Women boxing (ultimate or otherwise!)
• Miami Ink (see "Women boxing")
• Poker (multi-channels!)
  
• [adult swim] (huh?!?!?!)
  
• The fascination with Anna Nicole Smith
• These folks. And these.

I'm sure there are other things on TV I just don't get, but that list'll have to do tonight.

I Wonder If Somebody's Trying to Tell Me Something...

Sometimes you just have those synchronicity kind of days, where it seems like Somebody's trying to get your attention and tell you something important. I wonder if today may be shaping up to be one of those kind of days...

I've been pumped for a few days about hanging out with the cool kids today. Yep, I'll be easy to spot...look for the old coot with a dazed and confused look on my face. Oh, and I won't be in uniform (let the reader understand!). I do hope to soak up what God is doing in our world, and be challenged not to substitute dust for ashes (see the Jack London post below - or above - or however your reader lists them!)

Then, the aforementioned Jack London quote pops up in my Inbox.

Then, Roger does this to me. And does it again.

OK, bottom line...right now, at 5:53 a.m. on Thursday, March 29, 2007, sitting in the semi-darkness of my office, with a half-finished cup of coffee and my workout clothes and shoes on, and getting ready to walk out the door, I do not - I repeat, I do not - see myself suddenly becoming a church planter! I don't think I have what it takes to do that! But...I am leaving open the possibility that God is going to do something astounding in my life today and beyond.

In fact, He already has...

Inspiration...

This from Jack London...

You can't wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club.

And speaking of Jack London, check out this Credo, believed to have been written - and believed and lived - by Jack London...

I would rather be ashes than dust!
I would rather that my spark should burn out
in a brilliant blaze than it should be stifled by dry-rot.
I would rather be a superb meteor, every atom
of me in magnificent glow, than a sleepy and permanent planet.
The function of man is to live, not to exist.
I shall not waste my days trying to prolong them.
I shall use my time.

Random Stuff on a Wednesday...

Just a few things on my mind, on my heart, in my Moleskine, on my screen, and in my backyard...

• Apple blossoms on two trees! Cool! (Here's hoping we'll have our own home-grown apples in the fall!)
• Crepe myrtle leaves that literally just appeared! (The branches were bare yesterday when I started mowing the lawn. By the time I finished, they were covered with leaves!)
• Impatient prophets lose their edge when they are away from the front lines where the action is.
• Not much has changed since Jesus' day. We still have split-personality critics who are never satisfied, no matter what you do. Make that childish split-personality critics.
  
• Sometimes the Psalmists must be "guest bloggers" here. Like yesterday. And today.
• I've taken more of an interest in American Idol this year, and Simon Cowell does get a bad rap. I can't remember where I read it first (Google has not been my friend!), but someone rightly pointed out that even though Simon has a reputation for being mean, insensitive, or rude, or whatever, he really is just "telling it like it is." (Henry Cloud defines integrity as the courage to face the demands of reality.) Did you ever notice what Simon does when one of the contestants really nails it? He lavishes on the praise!
• Love God. Love others. Prove it. The slogan from EPIC City Church has grabbed me this week. Thanks, Tally, for pointing to EPIC's story.
• Gary Lamb kicked my butt yesterday. (But he's buying my lunch tomorrow and letting me hang out with a bunch of cool guys, so I forgive him.) Uh-oh...he did it again today!
• Oswald Chambers in today's My Utmost for His Highest: Just because I don't understand what Jesus Christ says, I have no right to determine that He must be mistaken in what He says. And a little further down: Many of us are faithful to our ideas about Jesus Christ, but how many of us are faithful to Jesus Himself?