Year / 2007

by Greg

Anyone Still Here?

It’s been a quiet week at GregsHead.net, but as I’m sure you all know, that means it has not been at Greg’s House. The Campbell home has been busy with everyday things that a growing family of six has to do. Regular everyday things. But Dad has been super busy with lots of new work! This is a super blessing (which I mentioned here on the blog some time recently) but has left my head spinning at the end of most (abnormally long) days last week. And I’m still behind where I want to be.

This week promises to be more of the same, but I do think I shall chime in here with a link or two, maybe time enough to post an original thought or two. Or three. I do love to (almost need to) process life here on the blog, and love that you join me in the process. I have been reading many blogs (that belong to many of you who read this one) over the past week or so. Perhaps it’s more of a soak in time than a release out time?

What I do know is that BuffaloBillsReview.com is certainly keeping me busy, but less happily so! Our team is a dreadful 0-3, and has sustained such an incredible number of injuries as I have never seen for any NFL team in my history of watching. Crazy.

I’ll check back in later. Hope your week is full of Life.

by Greg

They Killed God

Kirstie joined us for the morning Bible read today. She’s three, and says some really cute things. Perhaps the following is both cute, and insightful? 🙂

After reading the story of the first part of the night Jesus was arrested and taken before the Jewish leaders, then Pilate, and then Herod, we were talking about how crazy it was that they just blatantly lied about such well-known things. Jesus was a very public figure, but his accusers were at best twisting the truth, or just flat out lying about what he said and did. And it eventually got him killed.

And I guess Kirstie knows that, because without reading that today, she said, “They killed God.”

I smiled at her simplicity and replied, “Yep. Well, he let them kill him.” I continued, “Because somehow, when they did, he was able to beat the things that kills us, that destroy us.” (I meant sin and death, but didn’t figure a three year old would grasp such a thing.)

She responded without hesitation, “Yeah, then they don’t destroy us!” She even said it with a finality and even joy at the resolution of it. Then they don’t destroy us. What some people take 1000 pages to say in some theological treatise, my three year old understood, and summed up in two simple phrases.

They killed God. Then they don’t destroy us.

Perfect. 🙂

by Greg

A Bunch of Good News

It’s time for some good news on this blog. Enough of this pessimism! You’re bringin’ me down, GregsHead!

🙂

But anyway… it’s been an interesting week of goodness. It was highlighted last night with a wonderful evening with my wife. She arranged for a babysitter and we went out for a couple burgers, and later a stroll (well, ended up being a “sit) by the Erie Canal with a raspberry chai in hand! It was a wonderful evening of conversation with my wife, and just nice to be with her without the many needs/interruptions from the kiddos. (You know I love them, but… I really do enjoy evenings with just Jen) 🙂

This followed a strange week of LOTS of new work! I mean holy cow… like eight new projects! A few of those are brand new clients, a few are fairly small jobs, and a few are some decent sized projects for existing clients. Add to that the fact that we finally sold our trailer!

On top of that, Mac sales have picked up, and we’ve even gotten a few affiliate and other sales payments.

It’s been a long dry summer. And I don’t just mean the weather.

So, thanks for the super amount of work, God. I am grateful, though a bit overwhelmed. He’ll help me deal with it. It’s a good problem to have, to be sure.

Oh, we also celebrated selling the trailer with a special dinner at Red Robin. We all love that place, and it was a very nice treat!

We even got a call from some friends today that they are going to be picking up their (adopted) son on October 1st! They hvae a date! And even better, they will be back home in California in time to visit with us when we are out there next month! Double bonus!

So, it’s been a good week!

I wanted to share, cause it’s always fun to share goodness. Hope you’re smiling, too. 🙂

by Greg

Enough of That

So, today we read a little further in Luke (which is just a little later the same night that Jesus said “Enough sword talk!“) and would you believe that Jesus said it again? One of the disciples pulls out a sword when the mob comes to arrest Jesus (which, makes sense from what Jesus had just told them a little bit ago…) and he cuts off the ear of one of the dudes. That prompts and “Enough of that!” from Jesus, and it prompted this little dittie that I sang for the boys after we noticed a theme in what Jesus was saying…

Enjoy 🙂

Enough of That
Jesus said, “Get your sword”
Sell some stuff, if you must
The disciples said, “We’ve got two!”
But he said “Enough of that,
Yeah, Enought of that!”

What did he mean?
Oh what did he mean?
Enough of that

Late that night they came to get him
His disciples, well, they were listening
Drew their swords, chopped off an ear
He said enough of that
Yeah enough of that

What did he mean?
Oh what did he mean?
Enough of that
Enough of that

What do we learn from this little story?
Jesus does not like swords
Maybe he shouldn’t have used that example
He should have said buy a dog
Or a donkey

Enough of that
Enough of that
What did he mean?
Oh what did he mean?
Enough of that
Enough of that

Words & Music by Greg Campbell (and Jesus)
Copyright © 2007

by Greg

Very Strange Timing

I was sitting at my desk this morning, typing a quick story to a friend over instant message. As I was most of the way through my story, the phone rang. I saw who it was via caller ID, and figured I would call them back in a minute, since my IM friend needed to leave in about that same amount of time.

Well, I finished the story, and figured that the caller might still be on the line, leaving a message. So I picked up the phone. I was correct. The caller was still leaving a message. I quickly said, “Hello! I’m here! One moment…” and then clicked on the hang up thingie (what is that called?) to stop the answering machine from recording, without hanging up on the caller.

What happened next was extraordinary.

When I lifted my finger off the hang up thingie (mind you, this is all within about 1.2 seconds) I said, “Hello?” just to make sure the caller was still there. Imagine my surprise when the voice responding was ANOTHER, totally unrelated caller!!! (Of a different gender, to boot!) Somehow caller #2 had squeezed in a call in those few moments where the answering machine had picked up, and when I tried to switch it off remotely, my phone picked up the call on call waiting – though I had no idea it was there!!

So then, caller #1 thought I had hung up, and calls back! I put caller #2 on hold, explained briefly to caller #1 (and #3?) what happened, and finally got back to #2.

That was crazy. Crazy enough to make the blog. 🙂

by Greg

Didn’t He Just Say … ?

Jesus asked his disciples, “When I sent you out without a moneybag or a traveling bag or sandals, did you need anything?”

“No!” they answered.

Jesus told them, “But now, if you have a moneybag, take it with you. Also take a traveling bag, and if you don’t have a sword, sell some of your clothes and buy one. Do this because the Scriptures say, ‘He was considered a criminal.’ This was written about me, and it will soon come true.” The disciples said, “Lord, here are two swords!”

“Enough of that!” Jesus replied.

Luke 22:35-38

Didn’t he just say they should get a sword, even if they have to sell stuff to get one? And then, when they say, “Look! We have two!” he basically tells them they’re totally off track?

This one definitely perplexed me and the boys today. 🙂

by Greg

Interesting Articles: Space, The Web & Miracles

I found a couple articles that interested me in my news feed this morning…

One Small Step Toward a Mars Landing … at Sea
Reid Stowe and Soanya AhmadReid Stowe is a “professional adventurer” (what exactly is that?) who is 100 days into a 1000 day stay on a small boat in the middle of the South Atlantic Ocean. His goal is to help NASA prepare for what it will be like to have a very small group of people on a small vessel for close to three years. Interesting research project. He also has a website aptly named 1000 Days At Sea.

How Mark Zuckerberg Turned Facebook Into the Web’s Hottest Platform
FacebookWith my recent delve into the world of Facebook (finding and reconnecting with friends whom I have not had any contact with for over 20 years!) I noticed this headline, and found the article quite interesting. I had heard earlier that Zuckerberg, founder of Facebook, had refused a $1 Billion purchase offer, but did not know the rest. Including the estimate that Facebook is now worth at least $5 Billion. Good job, Mark.

‘Minor Miracle’ For Everett
Bills TE Kevin EverettThis is the best article, at least regarding the substance of its content. As you likely know, Buffalo Bills TE Kevin Everett suffered a life-threatening spinal injury on Sunday during the Bills/Broncos game. We were there. It was awful. Even worse was the report from the doctor who performed surgery the next day. (Watch Monday’s press conference at BuffaloBills.com.) But last night, reports began surfacing that Everett was able to move his arms and legs, and doctors are actually optimistic that he will walk out of the hospital. That’s just insane!

If it’s true.

I would suggest guarded excitement as I am having trouble corroborating this story. There are no updates on BuffaloBills.com, which is extremely suspicious. I’ll keep digging, but the linked article above does seem quite hopeful, and credits a few trustworthy sources. We shall see. From what I heard on Monday, even Kevin’s survival is a “minor miracle”.

More Kevin Everett Links:

by Greg

Bills Lose More Than a Football Game

Kevin EverettWe were four of the 74,000 fans in attendance at yesterday’s home opener for the Buffalo Bills, and we were four of 74,000 shocked fans at the end of the game thanks to a winning field goal with only one SECOND left on the clock (which was still running down when they snapped the ball!)

Unfortunately, we were also four of 74,000 stunned and silent fans when Kevin Everett made a tackle that may have paralyzed him for the rest of his life. He suffered a cervical spine injury (I believe that’s a neck injury) when he tackled the return man on the opening kickoff of the second half. He was down for around 15 minutes, and when I saw the hit I reacted audibly, thinking it was a super hit. A little too super. The ambulance came out on the field, and I was just hoping he was not dead.

He’s not dead, but I bet he’s scared. A lot.

The Buffalo News reported last night that he had surgery, and the doctors want to wait till later today to make any further diagnoses. We can still hope for the best. Certainly God can heal/restore anything. But for now, it does not look good for this young man. So sad.

We’ll be doing a show tonight, and I’m sure talking about that. Strange how that is in the forefront of the minds of most Bills fans today, rather than the shocking last second loss by one point on a day when the Bills led for 59 min and 59 seconds of the game.

Perhaps our priorities are actually in the right place.

by Greg

The Streak Has Ended

As you may recall, I spent every day of national ice cream month (July) eating ice cream! Well, that carried over to August… and even into September! But, with a busy day at the Bills game yesterday, and no ice cream in the fridge last night… the streak ended at 70 days. I fully expect to begin another one sometime soon. But for now, the streak has ended. Just thought I should let you know. 🙂