I’ve been thinking about my Dad recently. My Dad named Tom, not our Dad “who art in heaven.” From my recent post, to watching a home video from 15 years ago while copying it to DVD, to finishing “Bill Cosby, Himself” with Jen last night. I’ve been thinking about Dad.

You know, I have mixed memories of Dad. They’re mostly positive, but as you likely know, in a family you get to see the best… and the worst of people. So, I know my Dad’s weaknesses, and I think I remember as a teenager that they would really anger me. I was quite selfish, self-centered, immature, and obviously inexperienced in life. And, most importantly, I was not a Dad.

See, this whole parenting thing really helps reveal who your parents are. They are you. You are them. Does that make sense? As you watch your kids grow up into who you used to be, you realize that your parents aren’t the big authoritarian, larger-than-life people that we imagined them to be. I mean, I suppose they were for that time. I know that I am that to my kids. But in reality, they were just people like me, trying as best as they could to love their kids, and give them everything they could for life. That’s what I’m trying to do.

As I was editing the video from 1991, I had to freeze a frame with my Dad in it. When I did, I saw more of him than I ever had before. In 1991, my Dad was often my adversary. Not intentionally on his part. I’m sure it was mostly, or completely my own doing. But that is one of my memories of him, the Adversary. He enforced the rules, and I (to this day) don’t like rules. So, I sorta “didn’t like” my Dad. Ultimately, I loved him (as I do today). But at that stage, I was, as we all do I suppose, testing the limits, and he was in my way.

Again, don’t misunderstand. I was in no way a supremely rebellious kid. I mostly was “in line” with what I was supposed to do. But all of us have this inborn distaste for authority other than ourselves. And, I did too.

So as I looked at the freeze frame, I saw a young guy (he would have been 40 then) who looked a bit tired (no doubt from trying to live in the same house as me!) and who looked so much more real than I remember him. I am trying to explain it with words, but I am not sure I can. I do not mean this in a negative way… I mean it only in a positive way. There was some connection with him at that moment. Deeper than a normal conversation or other interaction. It was as though I saw myself. Just a guy, who doesn’t really know a lot of stuff – doesn’t have life all figured out – doing his best to love the kids God gave him. That’s me. That’s my Dad. And in that moment, I felt like I understood that more.

I remembered the times I would shout back at him. I remembered how I would resist what he would tell me to do. And I wondered why he didn’t look more tired. 🙂 I can’t imagine trying to be my (Greg’s) Dad. That’s quite a challenge, and I am thankful that he was up to it. Knowing who I am, I’d imagine I am not the easiest person to raise.

You who are older than me, with children older than ours, have likely already understood this. You understand your parents a lot better as you watch yourself parent the tiny people God adds to your family. And, you can see yourself in them. It’s a fascinating and awesome connection we have as family. Parent to child to parent, etc. And in all of that, we not only learn about ourselves, and our parents, and our children… but we can see the love of our real Father.

It’s pretty cool what you can learn from a freeze frame.

I love that the Bible seems fresh to me at times. I have read the words on those pages so many times, but as I grow closer with Jesus, as I get to know him more, I can see the words in a different way. I hear him say things differently. Perhaps I understand a bit better. Maybe as I get to know him more, Spirit can reveal more things to me that I may have missed before.

Today was another of those moments.

The boys and I are reading through Matthew, and today Jesus was telling us not to store up treasures here on earth where they will either break, or be stolen. Whatever happens, they won’t last. He said, store up treasures in heaven, where none of that can happen.

As I read it to the boys, I thought, “Well what does that mean, Dad?” So, I asked them what they thought treasure was. Alex said, “Something really cool.” (I forget the words exactly, but it was right on!)

We talked a bit about Jesus’ words about treasure – what we should and shouldn’t do with it – and I realized that the meaning was slightly different than I had understood before. I think I am still slowly breaking out of the idea that the “shoulds” of the Bible are “commands”. God is not a General, or a Dictator, or some sort of “Commander” who tells us what to do, and what not to do – expecting full and immediate compliance. He is a Father, who knows what is best for us.

The words I noticed today, that I most discussed with the boys were:

Your heart will always be where your treasure is. Matt. 6:21

Yes, I know… you’ve heard that before. And so have I. But today, in the context of what we were talking about, in the context of what we have been reading… I saw the heart of a father. Of the Father. He has told us that our heart is the essence of who we are (the source of our life flows from it), and so he wants to help us protect that. Because he loves us, not some code of righteousness, as I think I have always believed.

Whatever we treasure in life, that’s where we attach our hearts. “If we love things like video games,” I told my computer-loving son, Alex, “then when they break, so will our hearts.” If we “store up our treasures” on earth – where things will always break, or fail – then our hearts will do the same thing. But if we treasure things that are eternal (loved ones, memories, anything God says) then our hearts will be more secure. We will not lose pieces of our heart, since eternal things never fail.

Obviously I am not saying we’ll never hurt. I think I hear my Father saying, the less you treasure things that won’t last, the less of your heart you will lose. Our hearts will always be where our treasure is, he said. Always. That’s understandable with material things. We get that. But we still tie up our hearts in those things. But what about with people? Sometimes I think we tie up our hearts in people’s physical presence here. And rightly so, that’s part of who we are. But at times we cling to this part of our life, where there is so much more beyond what we are experiencing now.

I’m slightly off track, but coming back to the initial point… God does not tell us what to do and what not to do because he expects compliance. He loves us, and wants us to know what will work best for us. He will not reject us when we fail. I love knowing that. I love how being a father has taught me more about how my Father feels about me. He only wants to help us. That’s so cool.

So, in light of that… take Dad’s advice today and figure out what you treasure, and what your heart is attached to. If you can’t, ask him to help you. I bet he will.

I’m really enjoying the Mighty Mouse that came with my new iMac. 🙂

I am totally cool with the one-button mouse system that I have used for 10 years. But I must say, I use the scroll ball (including the click feature) and the right mouse button, and even the squeeze feature (when you squeeze the sides, that is another function of the mouse.

What’s next? I praise anything Microsoft?

Perish the thought!!

Get your own Mighty Mouse

The one thing I both like and dislike about the Easter holiday season…

SUGAR.

I am eating far too much sugar these days. I do not have any self control that way. 🙂 I either eat sugar (and lots of it) or I just don’t eat any. There is no in between for me! 🙂 I know that’s crazy, but it’s true.

And right now, I’m am eating sugar.

Might as well bust open a bag of the white stuff and just pour it on in there. 🙂

Ha ha. I am probably posting this blog because I ate too much sugar just now…

My baby likes her Daddy. 🙂 Julia will smile just upon hearing my voice. 🙂 (That’s quite nice) 🙂 So, I captured a little bit on video today, but I was too late for the good stuff 🙁 Oh well… this will do! 🙂

At times, I am still surprised these days at the little things I notice that might not be what I always thought they were. You would think I would stop being surprised when so much of what I thought was essential has become something I don’t even think about anymore. But there are still moments.

Like yesterday morning, reading the Bible with my boys. We’re in Matthew now. Just started not too long ago. This particular day we were reading the end of chapter four, and the beginning of chapter five. Yep! The Beatitudes. The Sermon on The Mount. A collection of very cool teaching from Jesus that has spawned countless sermons since he first spoke the words.

As we were reading in context, I noticed that Jesus may have acted differently than I have always thought he did.

News about him spread all over Syria, and people with every kind of sickness or disease were brought to him. Some of them had a lot of demons in them, others were thought to be crazy, and still others could not walk. But Jesus healed them all. Large crowds followed Jesus from Galilee and the region around the ten cities known as Decapolis. They also came from Jerusalem, Judea, and from across the Jordan River.

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on the side of a mountain and sat down. Jesus’ disciples gathered around him, and he taught them: (Matthew 4:24-5:2)

We had been reading in chapter four about how Jesus was traveling all over the region, probably the size of one of our counties, telling people about the Kingdom of God. And more than that, he was healing people of any disease they could present him with. As the section above says, news was certainly spreading about this amazing carpenter from Nazareth.

But when I think of the Sermon on The Mount, first of all… I capitalize it. Then, I picture Jesus in his white robe and blue sash, arms raised, voice booming, as he addressed the great throngs that he had assembled by performing these miracles. Wasn’t that the point? Didn’t he do all of that so he could have an audience, so that people would know he was from God? That’s what I have been taught. But I think I’m seeing a slightly different Jesus these days.

Jesus never wanted to be the center of attention. He did not elevate himself above others, whether physically or hierachically. He was a teacher, so you could argue that in some way he did, but look at those verses above. He had a large crowd following him, and he could have taught these truths to so many people in one place, at one time. But he didn’t. Instead, in every translation I read (save the Easy-To-Read translation) it says that when Jesus saw the large crowd, he went up on the mountain with his disciples. Away from the crowd.

Jesus didn’t hate crowds. He loved people. But Jesus didn’t have this drive that seems to pervade current thinking throughout the church that we must “maximize” our time and energy by addressing the most people at one time as we can. To do less would be an inefficient use of our resources. It strikes me as odd that Jesus did not feel that way.

It was just a small thing, but for me was a neat look at who Jesus was. Who Father is. He wants a relationship with us. It’s why we exist. To live alongside him as his children, his friends. Read Romans chapter five again, if you have not recently. It’s a great reminder of what Jesus was doing on the cross, and the life we can know and live because of that.

I imagine more things that I have always thought will continue to fade into the past. And even “new” things that I think now will be revealed as “not quite right”. If my life were based on the facts that I know, or the knowledge I have amassed, then I would be very glum indeed. But my life is in Jesus. He is the way, the truth, and my Life.

Seems to me that’s the way it oughta be.

I had heard through many websites and other places about the movie detailing the rise of Apple Computer and Microsoft. It is a sort of documentary, but more like a movie? Found a copy (on VHS, which was weird) at the Library, and watched it last night with Jen. There were some strange parts, but overall it was great. We loved it! Those are two strange guys (Steve Jobs (Apple) and Bill Gates (Mircrosoft)) with crazy stories.

First, Apple tricked Xerox into showing them all the tricks about this cool graphical user interface that they had developed. So Apple “stole” the OS from Xerox. Then, in a cunning move, Microsoft convinced Apple to let them help them develop software for the new Macintosh. Apple gave them three prototype computers from which the Microsoft guys pirated the Operating System, and claimed it as their own. And thus was born Windows.

Best part of the movie… after Steve Jobs finds out that Gates and Co. have sold the Mac OS as their own OS, and are shipping computers using that software, they argue a bit. Both are apparently hot tempered guys. Finally, Jobs gives up. He admits defeat, but he says as Gates is leaving:

“We’re better than you, you know. Our stuff is better.”

Gates replies, “You just don’t get it! That doesn’t matter!“

And Gates leaves, and the movie ends with Gates being the richest person in the world. 🙂

I just thought it was classic. And so true. Apple is creative, original, and always pushing the limits of technology. Microsoft pilfers the OS and brands it, and knows how to create demand for their product. It doesn’t matter that Apple is better… Microsoft still won. For now. 🙂

Ha ha. It was a fun movie for an Apple fan, and probably just a computer geek in general. I recommend. Click the link above to purchase from Amazon, if you are so inclined. 🙂

I have another blog where I detail the daily goings on in the Campbell home… I’ve been pretty good at keeping up. But the past two days were COMPLETELY INSANE. So, I posted a (rather lengthy, and yet somehow, not all inclusive) version of events at that blog site.

It’s worth the read, perhaps, so I thought I’d provide a link here. 🙂
Everyday in 2006: Missing Days

The other day, Apple released software called Boot Camp that allows you to run Windows (and OS X) on a Mac. That was cool. This may be cooler? It’s virtualization software that will allow you to run several platforms… without rebooting.

Check it out.
Macworld: News: New software lets Intel Macs run Windows sans rebooting

This will be a good thing. No more excuses. Just buy a Mac. Now you can have a Mac, and Windows, too.

Bonus is, the next release of the Mac OS will include this feature. Mac OS 10.5 (Leopard) will be ready to boot either Mac or Windows OS. (You would have to purchase a full install version of Windows.) This is good, except, now your computer would be susceptible to all the things that plague Windows software – viruses, spyware, and other malware. Perhaps the drive partitions will protect the Mac side from the ugly Windows maladies.

We shall see.

But overall, this is a great move. Apple’s plan for world domination marches on…