by Greg

Coverings

I came across a blog post today that was pretty interesting, and I thought I’d pass it along. Jen and I talked about it a bit tonight on our way home from the evening’s activities… it’s just interesting how we put stuff between us and God. It could be a person (pastor, accountability partner), or a group of people (elders, leaders), or … well, lots of stuff.

As the blog post says, the cross removed shame, and removed the need for a “covering”. You may not be familiar with that terminology, but basically it’s the idea that you need help living your life out with God. You need to be “accountable” to other believers. While there may be truth there, it’s the wrong approach. It puts something between you and God. This blog post/email has an interesting take on that.

by Greg

My Teams

As many of you know, I am a sports fan. Many sports, but not all sports. (You won’t find any baseball, golf, auto-racing, or gymnastics being discussed here…) Well, there’s a good deal going on with all of my favorite teams, so I thought I’d give a brief update to those who might be interested (or wonder what sorts of things I and the Campbell fam are doing these days…)

Buffalo BillsBuffalo Bills
Obviously I am following this team the closest, as I still have the number one Buffalo Bills show on the internet! 🙂 The Bills are also making it fun! Two weeks ago they benched last year’s starter – for good – and brought in the first year guy Trent Edwards, who after a 4-touchdown game last week is now 5-1 as a starter! That’s fairly amazing for a rookie, but when you factor in the unprecedented amount of injuries this team has suffered, and the already “green” talent that he has to work with anyway… that’s almost impossible!

Believe it or not, the talk around Bills country is that this team of injury replacements actually has a very good shot at making the playoffs! If they win their last three games, they will finish 10-6, and the best the other two teams they are contending with can do is 10-6. Now, if they all finish with that record it’s bad – crazy tie-breaking procedures – but, if just one other team is tied with them… the Bills will go to the playoffs. (I know… ridiculously hard to understand, but I do think I finally get it.) Basically, if we win all our games, and Tennessee loses just one… we’ll go to the playoffs for the FIRST TIME since 1999! Wow!

So, we’re pretty excited here, and had one of our most fun shows last night. If you’ve never checked out our Buffalo Bills show, click the link and check it out. You might like it even if you’re not a Bills fan. 🙂

Buffalo SabresBuffalo Sabres
I got to see a Sabres game last night – which is rare these days, since we’re not paying the outrageous price for cable just to get the channel that carries their games! – and it was … not so good. Strange, really. The Sabres (if you’ll recall) were the President Trophy winners last season. That means they finished the season with the most points and the best record. Of all the teams… they were the best.

BUT, this year has been very different. They are near the bottom. Were AT the bottom at one point. Bad bounces, players lost in the off-season, injuries, strange bad luck. I saw more of it last night. They outshot the other team more than 2-1, but only scored one goal! Goal posts, great saves, missing the net, more great saves… it was crazy. And so, they are 13-14-1. I don’t think they had 14 losses till March last year! 🙂

Michigan State UniversityMichigan State Football
Yes, my Spartans are in a Bowl Game! December 28th at 5:00pm you can catch the Spartans and the Boston College Eagles on some channel somewhere. 🙂 They have a pretty good team this year. Some stars on both sides of the ball… lost a lot of close games in a very tough conference. They hung with the #2 team in the country, Ohio State. (Or are they #1? I forget…) They are all a bunch of young guys, too… so expect to see them near the top of the Big Ten next season!

That’s a pretty good update for now. There might be more, but I need to get back to working on websites 🙂

Go Bills, Sabres and Spartans!

by Greg

Chickens

We had dinner with some friends tonight who are back from Mozambique where they have been missionaries for quite a long while. It was a great night of good food and just enjoying time together.

Speaking of food, the conversation turned to food at one point. We began talking about how you make a nice grilled chicken salad in Mozambique. It’s not as easy as just going to the grocery store.

“First you have to kill the chicken!” said our African friend, to which we all laughed. She continued, “Oh, but first, you have to catch the chicken!!!” We laughed even harder.

Without missing a beat, her husband – the more seasoned veteran of life in Africa chimed in, “First… you have to find the chicken.”

At that point I just lost it and said, “THAT is going on my blog tonight!”

So far in life, I have not had to FIND my food. 🙂

by Greg

Venezuelans Say NO To Chavez

Venezuelan Coat of ArmsNot sure if you heard about the vote or not, but any mention in the news of my former place of residence usually catches my attention. There was a vote (yesterday, I believe) where current president Hugo Chavez was attempting to amend the constitution to remove term limits (among other things). He wanted to ensure that he could continue to run for – and win – the presidency. His ultimate goal is to move Venezuela from the democracy that it currently is to a socialist state – with him in command.

The vote was 51% “No”, so not overwhelming (and Chavez is spinning that to his advantage) but it was still ‘No’. This is a small victory, but still a victory.

I was just talking with a former elementary school classmate from Venezuela about the current conditions down there, and her response was, “He won’t last too long.”

I only have fond memories of Caracas. I mean, it’s a huge city, and I’m not too fond of huge cities now, as an adult, but what I remember from living there with my family is all good. I’m sure a lot of that goodness is still there, but it’s so sad to hear in the news, and from Venezuelan friends that it is not the same place it was when we left more than two decades ago. Maybe someday it will be again.

If you are interested, here are a couple articles I found today about the election.
Venezuela Rejects Chavez’ Power Play (CBS News)
Hugo Chavez tastes defeat in referendum (The Telegraph, UK)

by Greg

Some Teams…

There are just some teams that I never like to see win. I know, I should root for a team instead of against the other one, but … that’s just the way it is.

Tonight I am rooting for probably my second favorite team, the Cincinnati Bengals, but it’s not looking good for them. The Steelers (one of those teams I never want to see win…) are getting lots of “homer” calls, and it’s pretty annoying. Probably wouldn’t be as annoying if I didn’t like the Bengals and so strongly dislike the Steelers…

Just so it’s in writing, here are the teams I always root against (and if they are both playing, I usually just don’t even watch the game!) 🙂 Steelers, Cowboys, Patriots, Giants, Eagles, and Ravens. So yeah, remember those two Super Bowls that featured Giants vs Ravens and Eagles vs Patriots? Didn’t see ’em. 🙂

There are some other teams in other sports, but since it’s primarily football season, I’ll leave it at that.

On a more positive note… my Bills did pull out a last-second, one-point victory today! Nice job, Bills!

by Greg

Love

The other night we got to spend the evening with our good friends. We don’t usually get to hang out with all of them together, so we decided to make a late night of it – and were welcomed to do so – and had a fantastic time. The kids played great together, and that allowed us adults to grab some drinks, and a little dessert and just talk about life together at the dining room table.

Earlier in the night, since my birthday was coming up, there was also a bit of a surprise birthday party! Another family was invited to join us (our friends’ neighbor) and then after dinner together, I was told to go in the other room and stay there. I knew something was up… 🙂 After a few minutes, a plate of chocolate chocolate chip cookies was brought in … with candles in it! 🙂 I found out later that was the plan all the time, disguised as a regular evening together as friends. It was fun. Really nice surprise. Even got presents! 🙂

Well, as the adults hung out after all of the other festivities, we got to talking about the people that God has put around us. We’d been sharing stories of what was in front of us at the moment, and a couple stories reminded me of something God seems to keep weaving through many different areas of my life.

We all have heard the verse of Scripture, “Now these three remain: Faith, Hope & Love. But the greatest of these is love.” It’s used many times at weddings, and of course, it’s true. But, at least for me, the fullness (and yet, simplicity) of that has escaped me.

Our friend was telling us how one of the people he works with told him that she feels comfortable talking with him. Different than other people. What God has been teaching me lately is just how life-changing love can be, and it sounded like this was an example of it. I don’t know for sure in this example, but I am pretty sure that this is the core of the gospel – the “Good News”.

“For God so loved the world…” is another famous quote, that just gets glossed over many times. But really, I think it’s the core of the gospel. It’s not the theological discussions, the Mosaic law, transubstantiation, or propitiation. It’s not the way that Jesus was the perfect sacrifice as well as our High Priest. There are certainly things that can be learned from all of these things, but really, life change only happens when we realize we are loved.

After all, God is love. It’s the core of who he is. And when we really get who we are to him, how he feels about us… we begin to be able to love as we have been loved. There is freedom that comes from knowing how much we are loved by our Father, and in that freedom – as opposed to obligation – we can truly love other people (out of the overflow of how we are loved by God) without agenda or any other “strings attached”.

We try so hard as Christians to plan and create opportunities to share the “good news” with people, but really, the intellectual arguments while they may be true, will not change lives. At least, not as much as real love will. It’s so simple, but so infrequently employed – mostly because most of us have still not really experienced the reality of God’s love. We may know it intellectually… academically. But until we really know it, the best we can do is to share our academic understanding of God and his love with people. Which usually just doesn’t cut it.

My point? I don’t really have one. Just sharing what God has been showing me. It’s not something you can just “fix” or “put into action”. You can’t just “feel more loved”. But when we do, freedom abounds. And in that freedom, we can love other people – which can begin to produce a changed life in them.

Pretty cool stuff.

It really is all about love.

(Just a fun link to a great album.) 🙂

by Greg

On Sean Taylor

The Bills play the Redskins this weekend, and the importance of the game has been seriously diminished by the killing of safety Sean Taylor. Taylor is one of the Redskins best players, leaders, and loved by all of his coaches and teammates.

A lot of people think that will motivate the Skins this weekend, but from what I have read, and especially heard and seen in press conferences and interviews, they are not thinking about football. I could be wrong, but I have a feeling the Bills will end up winning – maybe easily – and they won’t get the credit for it. The Redskins are definitely mentally and emotionally somewhere else.

There is a bit of “good news” regarding the murder. I found this article today which says that the police have charged three suspects and detained a fourth. The “good” is that they have the people who are responsible (and confessions from them) but it’s really sad that these guys are just teenagers. And, according to the story, were not intending to kill Taylor, just got “unlucky”.

Not sure I’m buying that.

So, it’s a really sad series of events, and certainly overshadows any of the fun of this game. It was going to be kind of fun, two 5-6 teams, Trent Edwards starting, London Fletcher playing against his old team, Derrick Dockery for the Bills doing the same… but sometimes there are things more important than football.

by Greg

33

Well, yes, today is my birthday, but it has already begun to be celebrated. My sister made me a cake while we were down there with them at my Mom & Dad’s… they sang and everything. I got presents from the extended family. Many have been wishing me a happy birthday, including calls/IMs from Dad & Sister who have started this interesting tradition of wishing me a happy birthday on November 29th, so they can be the first one or something… 🙂

Last night we all went out as a family to celebrate. Red Robin gives you a free burger on your birthday, so we like to take advantage of that! We went there for dinner, they sang me a song. It was tons of fun!

During dinner, Kirstie (our awesome 3-year-old) says something about how we need to go to Chuck-E-Cheese for my birthday! I just smiled (as I am now!) and realized that to her, THAT is a birthday! We have done the Red-Robin-Chuck-E-Cheese birthday circuit for several birthdays running now! 🙂

So after dinner, we piled in the van and headed over to Chuck-E-Cheese!!

We got inside and the guy at the entrance said, “Is there a special occasion today?” I answered, “Yes……” He probed further, “Is it a birthday?” We all said, “Yes…….” He said, “Whose birthday is it???”

Everyone pointed to me and said, “Dad’s birthday!” He looked a little surprised, but handed me the birthday balloon!

We got a few dollars worth of tokens and headed out to have some fun. Strangely, most of the stuff we tried to do was broken, but the one thing I wanted to do – that cool little sketch/photo machine – did work and we got a funny photo memory from the night. I did get to play one game of skee ball with the boys, too. 🙂

So, for my 33rd birthday, I went to Red Robin & Chuck E Cheese! 🙂

But, there’s more. So far today I have received some awesome steak “plates” (they are boards!) hand-crafted by my almost-9 year old son and his crafty Grandpa Tom, and a BUNCH of e-mails, IMs, and other electronic birthday greetings. Jen has some plans for tonight too, but won’t divulge them just yet. 🙂

More later… unfortunately today is still a busy work day! Just wanted to tell the stories of how everyone has been celebrating my birthday. It’s been really fun so far, and much appreciated.

Thanks! 🙂

by Greg

Post-Thanksgiving Thoughts

We had a marvelous time with family in Ohio over the past several days. Besides my parents and my sister and her family of six, we also got to spend some time with my grandparents, two aunts, one uncle, three cousins (and one first cousin once removed). That was all topped with the news this morning that another cousin had delivered healthy TWINS the night before. (Funny part was, twin #1 was born at 11:52pm Nov 24th, while twin #2 entered breathable air at 12:03 Nov 25th! These twins have different birthdays!! Ha!!)

All in all, it was a wonderful trip, and a great time with family.

Tonight, reflecting on all of it (and troubled a bit by our current financial standings) I was truly thankful. Not some cheesy kind of Hallmarky thankful induced by an annual over-commercialized holiday. I mean really thankful. It was kind of a neat feeling. I was looking around me at all the stuff that we do have and enjoy. Much of which has been given to us by our generous family. And I was thinking about my four kids and my wife, along with the other tot on the way. All of these that God has given me.

Money may be an ever-present pressure, cause of stress, and the lack thereof a source of fear, but really… in the important things, I’m set. Life could not be better.

A few stories for tonight.

First, at one point on our trip a random file came up in our iPod song shuffling, and it was just precious. It was a little audio clip I had recorded of Ian and Alex for our now stagnant basicmm radio show. Man, I forgot how cute the three-year-old Alex was! The kids all wanted to hear that one several times.

But, speaking of cute three-year-olds, our current three-year-old, Kirstie, was dishing out her own cuteness throughout the weekend. She had plenty of classic lines all weekend, some of which I won’t repeat here, but one particularly cute moment was when I offered to lay down with her when she was supposed to be taking a nap. Unfortunately, at the moment, I forget what it was! 🙂 (I’ll add it tomorrow if I can remember it!)

Other cuteness came from little Julia this weekend. She doesn’t say much, but over the holiday at Grammy’s house – which is well-stocked with chocolate – she learned to use the word “Choc-latt” well, and OFTEN. AND, the best part was the true, deep sadness that followed any time she uttered the new word, without the appropriate results! 🙂 If we ever said no to choc-latt, the tears flowed freely!

Pretty cute, and apparently she has a sweet tooth like her dad!!

There’s a bunch more obviously, but as my sleeping time is quickly dwindling, I think I will head to my bed to get what I still can. (Yes, I really do sleep!)

Hope you are aware of and enjoying the blessings in your life, as God has reminded me of mine tonight.