Charlie Wear’s Notes

I’d like to write something profound, but what can I say? It’s Monday morning. I checked in with some of my favorite bloggers for some inspiration: Andrew Jones, Jordon Cooper, Bob Hyatt and Chris Elrod. Lot’s of profound stuff there, that’s for sure.

I took a moment to drop by my good friend, Scott Bane’s blog, just wanted to see if he had posted anything new since he was looking for apostles on April 2. Of course I can’t blame him, I usually eke out about one post every week. He and his wife Sheryl had a new baby daughter to go with their three boys in the last few weeks. And according to Sheryl’s blog, Aisling doesn’t like to sleep very much and really enjoys exercising her lungs! Scott and his family are gearing up to move and plant a church staring in June. Wow!

Last week my wife decided we should go camping. There is a lake about 15 minutes from our house and before I knew it, I was getting a message, "We are camped at site 423, see you tonight." Sleeping on an air mattress, even if it is a queen-sized Coleman is a challenge for me these days. But there we were, Ben, Loretta, Opie (our dog) and I. It was cozy, that’s for sure. Getting up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom was really fun! My favorite part, telling bedtime stories just before we went to sleep. We all took a turn.

Yesterday we took the cover off the hot springs spa in our backyard. Bailed out the old and dirty water, cleaned it, filled it and heated it up enough to enjoy a good soak. It was Mother’s day. Loretta got a card from Walmart, some purple petunias, and a day cleaning a spa! A board broke and I fell through the deck, but recovered enough to help bail out the water. We had two hoses siphoning for about 3 hours and the level lowered about 4 inches. Thirty minutes of bailing and the tub was empty. The payoff was sitting in warm water, wind rustling through the trees in the twilight. Maybe that is about as profound as things got this weekend…

I did find some inspiration in this video by Martina McBride.

I found my easter sermon here today, thanks to Sheryl Bane at Peanut Butter and Jelly Boats.

Are people really struggling to make connections? Is "authentic" community as big a deal as church leaders make it out to be? My friend Scott Bane is talking about these issues on his blog. These days I have some extra time to think about these quandaries. Just about a year ago I was up to my neck in thinking about how a new church would deal with some of these issues. Now I am observing from 2000 miles away what is happening in that same new church on these same issues.

I think it is basic to say that most people fulfill their need for community in their families. If this is true, then the need for community increases proportionately when family ties are weakened or broken. Likewise, where families are strong, these church-generated "community connections" are less important. For me the most valuable connections have been those I have made "on mission." This is because I am more of a human "doing" than a human "being."

Ah well, it’s Friday and another weekend is just around the corner. Time to spend with the family!

For over a week now I have been under the weather. Nothing serious, just some kind of congestion with a dry cough and some loss of voice. Unfortunately it makes it very hard to work and ply my trade. I can go to work, but I just don’t feel like doing anything. Unfortunately my daily tasks don’t know the difference and they just begin to pile up. Anyone have a gift of healing for colds with post-nasal drip?

"I think if you get down to basics, whatever the problem is, it’s usually to do with love. So I think ‘All You Need is Love’ is a true statement. I’m not saying, ‘All you have to do is…’ because ‘All You Need’ came out in the Flower Power Generation time. It doesn’t mean that all you have to do is put on a phoney smile or wear a flower dress and it’s gonna be alright. Love is not just something that you stick on posters or stick on the back of your car, or on the back of your jacket or on a badge. I’m talking about real love, so I still believe that. Love is appreciation of other people and allowing them to be. Love is allowing somebody to be themselves and that’s what we do need." — John Lennon, 1971

Navin: Well I’m gonna to go then. And I don’t need any of this. I don’t need this stuff, and I don’t need you. I don’t need anything except this. (picks up an ashtray)
Navin: And that’s it and that’s the only thing I need, is this. I don’t need this or this. Just this ashtray. And this paddle game, the ashtray and the paddle game and that’s all I need. And this remote control. The ashtray, the paddle game, and the remote control, and that’s all I need. And these matches. The ashtray, and these matches, and the remote control and the paddle ball. And this lamp. The ashtray, this paddle game and the remote control and the lamp and that’s all I need. And that’s all I need too. I don’t need one other thing, not one - I need this. The paddle game, and the chair, and the remote control, and the matches, for sure. And this. And that’s all I need. The ashtray, the remote control, the paddle game, this magazine and the chair.
Navin: And I don’t need one other thing, except my dog…I don’t need my dog.
– Steve Martin as the Jerk, 1979

"There’s nothing you can know that isn’t known.
Nothing you can see that isn’t shown.
Nowhere you can be that isn’t where you’re meant to be.
It’s easy.
All you need is love, all you need is love"– Lennon/McCartney

I find it difficult to find contentment. How about you? I know that there are those who practice living in the present, being satisfied with the status quo, remaining calm and peaceful, and experiencing "joy." I just don’t seem to be one of those people.

I am always looking at the present in terms of the things that need to change in order that a "better" future might be attained. There are certain subjects that I really get worked up about. For example, the state of the church in America. Another example, the state of organizations that I have once been a part of. Even though my current involvement is minimal, or in some cases, non-existent, I think I could actually froth at the mouth without trying very hard!

Some folks take medication for this kind of condition. I have not found a magic pill that will take away this discontent. Maybe I could at least be nicer about these things that make me downright angry. Ah well, these are the kinds of reflections that are crossing my mind on the eve of 2008!

[My sister, Liz Wear, snapped this photo of me as I was waxing on at the annual Christmas eve gathering at my father’s house.]

Having friends, true friends, is kind of a rare thing, I think. I have been blessed over my life to have some really close friendships. You know the kind I am talking about. While you may not be spending much time together, even if there are months of separation, or lack of contact, you can almost pick up the conversation right where you left off.

One of my more recent friends is a guy named Scott Bane. I met him as I was working for Steve Sjogren over the past couple of years. Scott is one of those unique people who just oozes integrity. He is well-educated, hardworking and knows the Bible inside and out. These are excellent qualities in a Christ-follower, but they are especially good in a pastor.

He’s been going through some physical ailments for years and more acutely over the last several weeks. I really didn’t understand how tough the sledding has been until I read his blog post today. Before you think this is a plea for sympathy, it is not. His post was making the point that most of us need someone who will "just listen" to the stuff we are going through.

From his post:

I am more convinced than ever that one of the greatest failures of the church is our unwillingness to listen to people.  We already know how to fix them so why would we care to hear the unique details of their story?  If you have ears to hear it, you’ll notice the way people try to tell you their story long before you’ve even given them reason to believe you’d listen.  They are so lonely, feeling like no one understands the way they feel, that they will start spilling their guts to almost anyone.  This is a vicious cycle because each person they tell that does not truly listen only perpetuates the isolation and the heartache.  They go through life feeling as if no one knows and no one understands so they begin to believe that no one cares.

Do you see what I mean? That is deep stuff. Well, one of the things I have to be thankful for in 2007 is that I have had a good friend named Scott Bane to listen to me.

Things have been a whirlwind since we have returned to California. I have renewed friendships, and broadened my client base. And I have been working very hard to keep up with everything coming my way. Tonight I have been burning the midnight oil getting ready for a big case tomorrow. Hopefully the eye of the storm will come soon!

The trip from Tucson to Moreno Valley, CA was not uneventful. Just about 30 miles from Quartzite, Arizona we blew a tire on the trailer holding our minivan. U-haul came to the rescue and two hours later we were back on the road. We pulled into our new home and were asleep on the air mattress by 9 p.m. We had about 9 hours on the road that day!

I spent yesterday working with a client. This morning it is RAINING! Good for the wildfire problems, bad for moving in! Ah well, this is life…

We are leaving Las Cruces, NM. Tonight in Tucson!