Archive for the 'All Journal' Category

12
Jan

Journal: Sitting With My Father In Law

By chuck 7 Comments
Categories: All Journal

Happy Tuesday!

I’m with my family in Richmond today. According to the doctors, my father in law is not doing too well right now. My heart is broken, what a great man he is. For 20 years, Merle has loved me like his own son… the most kind and patient man I’ve ever known. His influence in my life is beyond words.

Since the day my son was born, I have prayed a thousand times, that Coree Balsamo would grow up to be JUST LIKE MERLE.

I’m not writing him off yet… Merle has a powerful faith and he’s become quite an expert at moving mountains. Merle talks about eternity like it’s in the next room. He told Coree, “Don’t worry about me Coree, I’ve prepared for this and the Lord is taking care of me.”

I’m feeling so much pain for Emily, she is the biggest daddy’s girl I’ve ever met… understandably! She’s hurting and there’s nothing I can do except pray for Gods grace. Thank God for grace… for times like these when we cannot take another step… and he carries us.

Sorry for taking so long to post this mornings blog… expect delays these next few days. I’m still praying for you all… hope you feel the difference.

Dream Big, Live Bold, and Make the Difference!

Chuck

Facebook, Twitter, Make me a Legend, Destiny Family Center, You Tube, The Donate Link

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15
Nov

journal 11.15.9

By chuck 2 Comments
Categories: All Journal

Happy Sunday Everyone!

I’m getting ready for an ultra amazing final message to the sermon series: You’re Better Than This! Todays message: ONE Life Can Make a Difference… So Do Something With YOUR Life! Worship is going to be perfect, the message will be ANIMATED, we’ve got a line up of special singing, special stories… and a whole lot of love and laughter! Hope you can make it in person or catch the live webcast!

As you know, Emily and I ran the Richmond Half-Marathon yesterday… thought you guys might like to enjoy a few of the photo’s I captured with my iphone!

I do not recommend any person running more than 100 yards-while that far OUT OF SHAPE! It’s just that on Friday, Emily seemed bummed out about so many things… and she never gets like that. So I decided to CHEER HER UP by running 13.1 miles! We didn’t break any records… but we had a great time together! Hope you enjoy the photo tour! (caption BELOW each shot)

Couldn’t find parking-ten minutes late to the start-not able to stretch!

There’s my Emily @ something like mile 2. Isn’t she beautiful!

Homeless guy-stood at mile 5 cheering everyone on! He was saying, “You’re all number ONE!”

I love photo’s of cups just beyond a water stop… notice the tree reflecting in the puddle.

Emily standing in front of the segway shop with her medal and a banana.

WHAT! A Segway Christmas Lights Tour… sounds like the funnest thing EVER!

Talented singer on the walk back to the car. Next American Idol? He’s so colorful!

Ok, thats all for today! Have a most triumphant Sunday everyone! Oh, and if you’re in town… we’re having a Thanksgiving Dinner 5pm TONIGHT at Destiny Family Center! Love you all!

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14
Nov

Journal 11.14.9

By chuck 5 Comments
Categories: All Journal

Happy Saturday!

I spent nearly two hours writing todays blog from my iPhone only to have it vanish while uploading! (grrrrrr) Now I’m out of time… lets see if I can re-muster the inspiration! lol

Thanks for all the enthusiasm you guys demonstrated over yesterdays 365 milestone! I love blogging because I sincerely CARE about you good people! We really are becoming so much like a family here at chuckbalsamo.com. The interaction we have with each other makes us all better for it! I really feel like were gaining gigantic momentum towards the dream of building tomorrows better world!

Synergy: the combination of two substances that when mixed together… they have a multiplied far greater effect then the sum total of each individual substance!

This tribe causes its members to travel farther FASTER… something for each of us to cherish!

This morning, Im in Richmond Va with my lovely wife Emily Balsamo! As mentioned in yesterdays blog… She’s running the Richmond marathon… And now it looks like Im going to run it with her. Yes, you are reading this blog correctly! But don’t worry, because were doing the half marathon today! ONLY 13.1 miles in possibly the worse shape of my last decade! Really, Emily’s in good enough shape for both of us! lol Dear God, what have I gotten myself into?

Im already so excited about tomorrows service at destiny family center! The worship is going to be perfect! The message is going to blow people away! There’s going to be special music, and special stories, and a pile of fun and love! I do hope to see you there at 10am or live on the webcast… that is of course, if you don’t already have a fine church of your own.

Im planning to ad updates to twitter and facebook from the marathon throughout the day as I am able or after I recover! I hope everyone has a most triumphant day! I just finished praying for you all… hope you really feel the difference all day long! Prayer moves mountains!!

Sorry for any typos you may find… and the lack of an inspirational photo. Technology problems… did I mention this already? (still grrrrrrring) lol

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28
Oct

A Few Interesting Days in the Life of Chuck!

By chuck 2 Comments
Categories: All Journal

Happy Wednesday!

Made it through my busiest day in pretty long time yesterday. During my extensive travels, I stopped off at my dear friends chocolate factory! Every time I go to the Cocoa Mill Chocolate Company in Lexington, VA… I feel like little CHARLIE at the Willie Wonka chocolate wonderland! Mike and Sarah Mayo make the most delicious chocolates I’ve tasted from ANYWHERE in the WORLD. Oh… and their pumpkin fudge (a seasonal delight) was so amazing I couldn’t even DRIVE MY CAR while eating it!

The Cocoa Mill Chocolate Company has a great website… they ship all over the world! So, head over to their web store and SHOP TILL YOU DROP people… TREAT YOURSELF or treat a special friend or TREAT ME to the most delicious chocolates you’ve ever laid your tongues on!

Last night, I attended the Comfort Care Women’s Health annual benefit dinner. The meal was delicious, table fellowship was very enjoyable… speaker: Ambassador Alan Keyes was HIGHLY MOTIVATIONAL! I Had a great time supporting a BEAUTIFUL organization! Emily and I have attended every one of these dinners for something like 18 years… and every year, we walk out awestruck at the PERFECTION modeled in EVERY aspect of their amazing mission! Hats off to Deb Fan and all the staff and volunteers of Comfort Care Women’s Health… what a DIFFERENCE you guys are MAKING!

Today: I’m driving to Richmond to visit my daddy-in-law. He’s been fighting blood cancer and having a difficult few weeks… so Emily and I are going to ENCOURAGE HIS FAITH! Merle is the greatest MAN I’ve ever met. My earnest prayer for my own son from the day of his birth-is that Coree would grow up to be like his grandfather, Merle. I pray this over my own life too-that I would take on so much more of Merle’s amazing personality and CHARACTER… that I would love and serve my family as he has loved and served his family EVERY day I’ve known him! I pray for Merle’s healing and believe for this with him, despite the gloomy odds!

Are you also believing God for some kind of physical or emotional healing! All things are possible to them that BELIEVE! Check out the Joyce Meyer Ministries COMPREHENSIVE List of Healing Scriptures! Read through the entire document OVER AND OVER AND OVER again… until YOU OWN IT! Then, WATCH HOW YOUR SEEMINGLY IMPOSSIBLE CIRCUMSTANCES start to TURN AROUND! And also, don’t forget to leave your prayer requests… because WE PRAY and WE SEE MIRACLES all the time!

Tomorrow: we’re doing a reenactment of the memorable Mark Brooks 08-18-2002 salvation-for The 700 Club… gonna be filmed in the Destiny Family Center sanctuary… should be a blast! Pray for Mark and all the rest of us… that this documentary will honor God in a very big way as it airs around the world. Marks story really is miraculous-I’m happy and honored to be a very small part of his miracle! Please pray also for Mark, that God will finish preparing him for all the doors of opportunity this documentary will open to him. He has a beautiful story to tell… a story the whole world should hear!

There it is everyone… just a few days in the life of Chuck! Check out some of the links I included in todays blog… go ahead and buy some chocolates… learn about HEALING… pray for some sick person… and have a most outstanding day! Remember to Dream Big, Live Bold, and Make a Big Difference with your lives EVERY DAY… EVERY DAY… EVERY DAY! I will see some of you TONIGHT at Destiny Family Center… it all starts at 7pm! (smiling)

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26
Oct

I Accidentally Killed My Daughters Pet Mouse!

By chuck 14 Comments
Categories: All Journal

Happy Monday!

Excellent weekend that was!

  • Friday: Spoke at an unbelievable youth event: Friday Night Fire @ PHWC- Harrisonburg VA!
  • Saturday: Went with Heaven (my daughter) to Washington DC for Senior Day at The Art Institute (a college she’s considering for her culinary education). Had a very fun time (as always) with Emily’s brother Dave. Ate the BEST Cheeseburger of my LIFE @ Ray’s Hell-Burger!
  • Sunday: Had another epic church service at Destiny Family Center… preached from the message series: You’re Better Than That! part 4: Dry it Up! Aaron Huffer led worship after a week with the Swine Flue… it was BEAUTIFUL! Then after church: went to a 1:30pm lunch fellowship at Betty Dorondo’s house (FUN & TASTY), then a 2:30pm bday party at Dorothy Langenstine’s house… then, our DFC Lead Team surprised Emily and I with dinner at the MELTING POT and a stroll around the Charlottesville Downtown Mall! We felt SO LOVED and APPRECIATED!

Oh… and then LAST NIGHT: dun dun-dun-dunnnnnn! Heaven ripped open my bedroom door @ something like 12am… VERY UPSET!

You see, yesterday I decided to put her two pet mice OUTSIDE because she needed to clean the cage and they smelled awful… and really, the little gals needed some FRESH AIR!

Well, I FORGOT to bring Kiddy & Puppy Balsamo back inside… and once the sun dropped, the cold apparently killed one of Heaven’s beloved RODENTS!

I tried convincing Heaven that it was probably just old age… and last night was Kiddy’s (similar to photo above) appointed time to go be with Jesus. She didnt buy that suggestion and I’m not sure if she’s going to talk to me for a while. I did however, bring her other mouse back from the dead… with a blow drier!

Here’s how the rescue went down: when I arrived at Heavens bedroom at approximately 12:03am, Puppy was STIFF and barely breathing! No-one can IMAGE THE PRESSURE I felt knowing that IF both mice died, I would end up having to buy Heaven some new exotic creature… like maybe the EMU she’s been hinting about! (photo below)

THANK GOD… he HEARD MY PRAYERS (really, I way praying like crazy!) And after about 15 minutes of warmth, Puppy Balsamo opened her eyes and started walking around the cage… and Heaven smiled for the first time in what felt like an ETERNITY! It’s the MIRACLE I needed to salvage whatever was left of my daughter and I’s relationship! lol

Heavens last words to me: thanks Dad, for saving Puppy’s life (I felt a brief moment of HOPE)… even though you killed Kiddy (I left the room feeling like the ultimate CREEP of all time).

So, guess what I’m doing today! First, I’m heading over to Pet’s-N-Pals this afternoon to spend another ONE DOLLAR, buying Puppy a new friend! God, help my SEVENTEEN YEAR OLD daughter to forgive her DADDY for accidentally killing one of her PET mice! Oh, and I forgot to tell you guys… Heaven insists upon giving Kiddy a proper BURIEL this afternoon! SO, a celebration of kiddy Balsamo’s SHORT mouse life will begin at the Balsamo Pet Cemetery @ 3:45pm (after heaven gets home from school)! Grrrrr! lol

Ok… thats all for today! We have a FUNERAL to go prepare for! Hope you enjoyed the laugh… I’ll write something spiritual tomorrow! Have a super Monday everyone!

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24
Oct

Journal: Friday Night Fire-Day Trip 2 Washington DC

By chuck 5 Comments
Categories: All Journal and Announcement

Happy Saturday!

Last night’s “Friday Night Fire” @ the Potters House Worship Center was ultra GLORIOUS! Really, it felt like a MOVEMENT… like a REVIVAL! Pastor Dan Garber has done an AMAZING job prepping his people with HUNGER and ANTICIPATION like I have NOT seen anywhere in many years! Really, there is an ATTRACTION to that place… a divine attraction!

Thanks Ryan Huffer… and the drama team who helped me now for the second time-to pull off that illustrated message! You guys and gals were SUCH a blessing to PHWC last night! It was a BLAST working with you all… seeing God take our best and turn it into SUBSTANCE! There is such a MESSAGE for THIS generation in Dameon’s story… I know some of those young people will NEVER forget the warning AND calling we presented last night! I pray that somehow, God will use what we did to FAN their FLAMES for some time to come!

Today… I’m not able to write my normal blog message. After getting home last night at something like 1:00am, I am now leaving for Washington DC at 6:15am. Our daughter Heaven is considering a culinary college in Washington! The bonus: we get to spend the day with Emily’s brother Dave… LOVE THAT GUY!

Please, if you havent had a chance… go back and read through some of the blog posts from this past week. We broke records all week long! Oh, and just so you’ll know… we’re something like 20 days away from celebrating 365 days of DAILY blogging!

What should we do to CELEBRATE? Any ideas??

Ok, have a most outstanding Saturday and don’t forget CHURCH tomorrow. If you’re local: Destiny Family Center is EPIC! Catch the service LIVE on the webcast if you’re not able to bring your beautiful self to 36 Rose Ave.!

Don’t forget to leave your IDEAS about the 365 celebration! Love you all!

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23
Sep

Party @ Chucks Blog!

By chuck 11 Comments
Categories: All Journal and Announcement

Happy Wednesday!

Internet problems early this morning… sorry about the delay in posting today’s blog! I know you guys look forward to reading all the blah, blah, blah things I write every morning! Right?? (cheese smile)

Well, I look forward to writing EVERY BLOG… and interacting with you guys each and every day! (rolling my eyes… Joke)

Blogging is one of my favorite things to do! Except when I get writers block… and that is a PAINFUL thing my friends! Sitting in front of a blank screen with nothing to say! Thank God that doesn’t happen too often.

Ok, let me get to the point! I’m taking a few days off from blogging… and I really need your help! Actually, I’m offering you the opportunity of a lifetime! (devious grin)

It would be super if a few of you regulars could post an inspirational comment or two… today, tomorrow, and Friday.

I’m asking you to take over the blog for JUST THREE DAYS! (puppy dog face)

INSPIRE each other to greater heights! Talk about dreaming big, living bold, and making a difference! (hand up for a a high-five)

Be funny, be serious, be you… journal, teach, write prayers, post your favorite quotes, and do whatever else you can come up with that will BLESS your fellow tribe members!

Don’t get too long winded… add a space in between each short paragraph… keep it light… and POSITIVE.

Then I will be BACK ON SATURDAY!

Oh… and I will be pooping in from time to time to see what you’ve come up with… happy Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday! Lots of love and prayers to you all!

ps: There’s an on purpose typo in this post… did you FIND IT? (laughing pretty hard!)

Ok, really I’m signing out… have FUN happy bloggers! CHANGE THE WORLD!

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21
Sep

Here’s My Journal, Can I See Yours?

By chuck 4 Comments
Categories: All Journal

Happy Monday!

Today, I’m just going to journal about yesterday! Please, if you can, take a few minutes to tell me about your yesterday! EVERYONE, please do this… reading journal entries is one of my favorite things to do!

Had a fun day yesterday… until I found out that my New England Patriots lost to the NY Jets. Good thing football is not a high priority of mine! lol

The day began with a little early morning drama… some little diaper devil trying to throw me off my game. Thank God, I prayed enthusiastically and the dark clouds rolled away very fast! Then, church was PROFOUND… filled up the ENTIRE floor section, not many seats left open… just about ready to reopen the balcony… OH YEAH!

Brian Johnson of Jammerz Music tweaked the sound into near perfection… the worship team pulled of a GLORIOUS WORSHIP SET… Roger and Rebecca West visited and sang a special song… and showered us with LYRICS OF FAITH and VOCIES OF ANGELS!

The message was ok! lol Really, I haven’t been preaching SERMONS these past four weeks… I’ve been delivering a NOW message from God! And people from this area seem to be consuming every bite of it!

At the end of service, we prayed over Jeremy & Elaine Spedding as they venture out to help Justin and Ashley Franich with a new church plant (Freedom Outreach & Worship Center) in Front Royal, Virginia! It was SO MOVING for me to SPEAK A BLESSING over such a fine group of young adults! I cannot WAIT to see them all two years from today!

After church, we were invited to lunch at the home of Brian and Caroline Law… had a great time with them and the other beautiful people they invited!

After lunch, my lovely wife Emily Balsamo and I stopped by the movie store and rented: New In Town (Emily’s pick), Mail Order Bride (Emily’s pick-LMN movie), XMen Origins: Wolverine (my pick), and State of Play (my pick). First movie night in a VERY long time!

We watched Emily’s picks first… Mail Order Bride turned out to be a VERY GOOD movie! New In Town was also VERY GOOD! Then I fell asleep on XMen… loved the 30 minutes I saw!

Besides all of this, I had to endure a big old PILE OF SASS from two of my childhood friends from when I lived in New York. They we’re not New England Patriots fans as you can IMAGINE! Grrrrr Lee Jorgensen and Kelly Satterley! lol

Tonight, our football team has a game at Montgomery Hall Park, starts at 8:30pm… come if you can! This Wednesday night, we’re gonna review the results of our last GO Outreach and talk about what’s still to come… don’t miss it: 7pm Wednesday night… in person or LIVE on the internet broadcast!

There’s MY Sunday… now PLEASE tell me about YOURS! I’m WAITING everyone! Come on, don’t be shy… who’s FIRST?

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08
Aug

Opening the Archives: India 2004 (Photos)

By chuck 3 Comments
Categories: All Journal and Announcement

Happy Saturday!

Special guest at Destiny Family Center tomorrow morning… David Kumar of Bangalore, India! An amazing individual and a great man of God… Kumar was our interpreter in 2004. Together with Dr. Wesley Paul Warren Was, and my wife Emily Balsamo, we impacted THOUSANDS throughout the Indian State of Tamil Nadu.

Even though conversion meetings were forbidden in Tamil Nadu at that time, we held meetings for almost 3 weeks… saw miracles beyond anything before or after that trip… blind eyes opened, deaf ears opened, lepers were cured, crippled people walked, witch doctors we saved and un-demonized, Pastors were blessed, orphans were clothed and fed… we purchased a building to be used as a medical facility for a village… and held CONVERSION meetings with thousands in attendance… leading hundreds to Christ in every village!

David Kumar is a person of tremendous INFLUENCE throughout southern India. Tomorrow morning… Destiny Family Center 10am, David Kumar is our special guest! I pray you can make it in person or catch the LIVE webcast!

Hope you enjoy the photos from India 2004. Head over to my facebook for other photos… and HEY, have a most outstanding day everyone!

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26
Jul

The Oyster Cookout

By chuck 3 Comments
Categories: All Journal and Announcement

Happy Sunday!

How’s your weekend turning out thus far? Mine’s been EVENTFUL… good times with family! We spent most of yesterday in Richmond, honoring Emily’s oldest brother for turning FIFTY. Poor guy… old fart. lol

At THIRTY-EIGHT fifty doesn’t seem so bad really. I cant elaborate on this thought without slipping in to “where did all those years go” mode… so, I’m moving on to HAPPIER thoughts.

Davids brother Jeff Wall hosted the party… Jeff and Anne are lovely hosts! Ever heard of The Jeff and Anne Show? Check it out on their myspace… and listen to Jeff and Anne perform a folk song! (joke)

They had an OYSTER cookout for Dave… ewwww! (gagging as he types)

Jeff’s brother in law, Eddie has to be the most passionate OYSTER ENTHUSIAST I’ve ever met. He came VERY close to talking the Chuckster here into eating one. Well, one does not actually EAT an oyster… he DRINKS, or SLURPS the slimy mud sucker down his throat… as shivers race up and down his back… and his gag mechanism stands by on ULTRA HIGH ALERT!

After SPANKING Jeff and Wayne at the last horseshoe game on vacation… Wayne decided to bring a new game for us to play. It was called “Chuk”… nice name, but the “stupidest” (word I learned from my President last week, lol) game ever. Actually, it was ok I suppose… if I could have only won a game! Yes, Wayne and Jeff… there it is… I admit, you two beat Coree and me fair AND square. We’ll ALMOST fair and square… next time Coree and I will be sure to have our glasses. lol

The real gaming highlight of the day was when my wife Emily and her cousin-in-law Stephanie DOMINATED the other two “CHUCK’S” of the family at the Chuk game! Oh yeah, I almost forgot to explain… there are THREE Chucks in our combined families. Such a beautiful name by the way!

Good job Emily and Stephanie… you gals were absolutely UNSTOPPABLE with that “Chuk” game! Way to REPRESENT the Balsamo’s, Emily! And don’t even try it Jeff and Wayne… Emily has been a BALSAMO longer than she has been a WALL.

We went and visited Emily’s dad in the hospital before the party… had a beautiful time with an amazing guy! I appreciate you guys praying for Merle… he’s had SEVERAL blood transfusions this week and his white blood cell count is still at ZERO. His faith is strong and we’re all believing that yesterdays bedside prayed made the difference! Standby for glorious testimony!

Appointment Reminder: church at Destiny Family Center 10am TODAY! If you can’t make it IN PERSON, watch the entire service ONLINE starting at 10am EST.

Have a super day everyone!

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