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gregshead.net

I just turned it off. Toward the end of the fourth quarter of the Atlanta/Philadelphia game… I just turned it off.

So far, only one out of 11 teams have won the 10 playoff games played. (Yes, I really wish it were possible for BOTH Pittsburgh AND New England to lose the game this afternoon badly!) 🙂

I just find it hard to root for teams full of arrogant players. Mouthy players. And, easy to root against them. The Steelers are the only team left to root for (sorry, Pittsburgh…) as they are not mouthy, they are just this year’s media favorite (like the St. Louis Rams of a few years ago) that I almost automatically have to root against… can’t go with the crowd, ya know…

One out of 11… that’s not good. Makes for a slightly frustrating playoffs.

If only the Bills had won that last game……..

Wow! What a couple of days it has been! We have gotten between 18 and 24 inches of snow (by my unofficial count) and it’s still blowing around out there! (The snow has stopped, but it keeps shifting places!)

We were scheduled to sing at Crosswinds this weekend, but got the call around 2:30 or so on Saturday that the service was canceled for that night, and we’d see about Sunday. Well, we pretty much knew (at least by looking out our window) that Sunday was not looking like a very strong possibility!

Even still, I wanted to be ready, so, while the snow was still coming down, I went out and shoveled two tracks in our driveway, and knocked all the snow off of the van. The snow was light and powdery and about 14 inches deep at that time — and STILL coming down! Fast! But, I figured at least I’d have a head start on it.

So, set the alarm for 5:30, because to get to Crosswinds by 7:00 (to prepare for a 7:30 sound check) I’d have to leave at around 6:00… AM!!! Well, I somehow managed to turn the alarm off at 5:30 and woke up on my own at 6:36!!! ARGH!!!

I hurried downstairs to check on the snow… STILL SNOWING!!!!! OH MY!!!! There was probably another 6-8 inches of snow since I had shoveled… but the problem was the drifting. My tracks in the driveway were covered over, so there was a good 12-15 inches of snow to dig through… or more!

I called the church (since I had not yet received a call) and was just going to let them know if we were still going to try I was going to be VERY late! 🙂 IT WAS STILL SNOWING!!!!

Well, the services were canceled. So, that put the early morning phone tree in motion (very sorry to any of you I had to call at 6:45am… I hope to NEVER have to do that again…) 🙂 And, finally, around 7am, we got to go back to sleep.

Until Kirsten woke up. 🙂

We have a fun slideshow of our winter wonderland for you. Click the photo below for the slideshow (a Quicktime Movie).

It’s time!

Henceforth, this blog shall be located at:

GregsHead.net

Just thought I would bring you up to speed on the new blog home – GregsHead.net.

NEW BLOG FEATURES

• BlogMail – Now you can get my blogs sent directly to your e-mail! Sign-up at the top right of the page, and you’ll be added to the list!
  

• XML Feed! – If you have an RSS/Atom/XML reader (or anything like that) we now have made GregsHead.net available in an AtomXML feed. Click the link to the right to get the link to add to your reader.
  

• A much better, easier domain name (GregsHead.net) complete with new e-mail! (click here to e-mail me!)
  

• A nifty picture of my head! (Well, Jen doesn’t think so…) 🙂

Stay tuned for more amazing features!

🙂

I was listening to one of our many Wayne Jacobsen audio MP3s today… and he was talking about how in his many travels and speaking engagements, he loves to spend time with the folks there before he gets up to speak. The conversations are always open and genuine and great. Then he is introduced as the speaker, and there are gasps of, “THAT’S who that WAS?!?” and the embarrased attendee will approach him afterward with apologies for not knowing WHO he was.

In fact, they were more right when they didn’t think they knew.

He made the comparison then that I was already making in my head (which is probably what he wanted me to be doing…) That is like Jesus. Jesus is God. But he was also a man, and as a man, he got to spend face-to-face time with the ones he created and loves – without them cowering in fear of the Holy and Awesome God.

How funny is that?! The disciples were hanging out with God… and still found time to bicker, to doubt, and even to have fun and laugh… there was no fear… there was “equal” relationship.

It seems that is what God is longing for. To return to Eden. Where he had an open and amazing relationship with the ones he created. Jesus made that possible again. As a man, without people knowing (really knowing) who he was… he was able to have genunine relationship with everyone.

Have you noticed that since we have figured out that Jesus was God, we have re-deified him? We have created a religion to surround him and separate him from us? We paint halos on him. We have put him back in his “proper” place… as God.

Granted, Jesus is to be worshipped as God. He is God. But I think we see that he also wanted to eat and drink with friends at weddings. He also wanted to hang out with the low-lifes in society. He just wants relationship with us. When we didn’t know who he was, that was even more possible.

If we really knew who he was, it would be better still.

God is so much more accessible than we let ourselves believe. He is not put off by our sin. We are not untouchable. (Look at all the “untouchables” whom Jesus physically touched while he was here) We are the object of his affection, the reason he put on skin and died.

It’s time to remember, rather than subjects in his Kingdom, or slaves who call him Master… he calls us friends.

I mentioned in previous NFL postings that I have a really hard time rooting for any player or especially a whole team who just exudes arrogance. But it seems that two of the most arrogant teams in the NFL made it to the Big Dance. (That’s the Super Bowl, for those less versed in NFL colloquialism…)

So, do you need to have such an attitude to have an edge in pro sports? Can you succeed at such a level if you are not just out for yourself… stuck on your abilities… or just a big jerk? 🙂 (Sorry, had to get that one in there…)

I am not refering to the fun of celebrating a touchdown, or a take away, or just an all-around good play. There is not a thing wrong with celebration. BUT, the attitude that comes through can still just be a humble, fun, exuberance rather than a superior, arrogant, condescending, mean-spirited, taunting word or look or gesture made toward the opponent.

I don’t really have an answer. We watched Spy Kids 2 last night with the boys and at the end, young Juni Cortez wants out of the spy biz cause he has “seen what it takes to be the best”, and he wants no part of that. Selfish ambition and vain conceit. We are told to avoid these things and consider others better than ourselves.

I don’t see a lot of that going on with the two remaining NFL teams.

So, believe it or not, I – football fanimus maximus – am not going to watch the Super Bowl. I wish both teams could lose. I just can not celebrate a victory by either team.

I welcome your comments on this… what do you think? Is that just part of the package? Can you win, can you succeed at such a high level without some bit of selfish ambition or vain conceit? Are the “just having fun?”

You watch the game, and let me know what you think.

I’ll be playing Wheel Of Fortune on Jen’s new computer…

New book on the shelf (from our amazing Library system… any book I want.. FOR FREE! Amazing!)

It’s Not About Me – by Max Lucado

Read the first couple chapters this morning. He is a great writer. Simple, engaging, says things in a way that makes you want to think about them more.

I think he’s right. 🙂 In fact, when we saw this book, Jen & I looked at each other astonished because for a few years now, I have been discovering this truth at the heart of many life issues and have said I hope to write a book about it someday. Even by that title!!!

Max beat me to it! 🙂

So, not to fear, I have another title in mind, and actually my book is slightly different. Max seems to be heading in the primary direction of that phrase… it’s not about me, it’s all about HIM. The first part of the Greatest Commandment, as it is called, is to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength.” And there are many other scriptures that along with our very inner being proclaim the supremacy of God – he is all in all. Life is definitely all about Him.

But, the other part of that commandment is more my focus in that. So often our me-ness messes up life. First it should be about him, not us. THEN, Jesus said, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” After God, our attention should rest of the others around us. NOT on us. See, there are lots of other scriptures that let us in on this secret…

Are you ready?

God loves you.

How about that? The all-powerful creator of the universe King… he loves you. So much that he would risk his life for you. Wait, he DID… and he lost it… for you. In romans, it says, “If God is for us, who can be against us?”, and those words should echo through your life as a foundation for everything we do… our every action and reaction in life.

I don’t have to worry about me, because God has my back. Completely. So, my focus can be on knowing him first, and THEN on loving everyone he puts around me. Not worrying about my own life (because He does), but having genuine concern and compassion and yes, even… JOY from serving other people around me. Letting them go first in line, and not demanding my rights or needing to speak my mind. Giving my last (insert your favorite thing here) to the person next to me instead of sneaking in the other room to make sure that I get it, and NOT them… Holding a door open for someone, shoveling mountains of snow of the sidewalk, even if you don’t plan to use it.

There are so many ways to put other people first. It’s a key to God’s kingdom. Life would be better if we would. So, let’s.

And I’ll keep you updated on the Lucado view on the subject… 🙂

I mentioned in the previous blog that I am thinking of writing a book on a simliar subject to Max Lucado’s It’s Not About Me book. I will let you know how work progresses on that book, I had a pretty significant idea for layout of the book today, which is the first step toward actually writing it. 🙂 Progress reports will most likely be posted here…

But… I have another book in mind, as well…

Would you buy a book of my best blogs? It was suggested to me that I should collect my blogs – just the better ones, the ones that apply to everyone, like, probably not all my complaining (or raving!) about the Buffalo Bills… If I was to compile 40 or so and put them in paperback book form and sell for between $9.99 and $12.99… would you buy it? You would get, (1) a book, instead of a computer screen, (2) an organized by topic collection of writings, (3) an edited (perhaps expanded) version of random & wandering thoughts from greg’s head (4) something to give to non-tech-savvy friends and family? My thinking is I will somehow publish a short run of books and then offer them through this blog page, and on Amazon.com.

Would that interest you? Is that just silly?

Comments are welcome.

Stay tuned…

You heard it here, as soon as it was made public… the new Apple computer that fits in the palms of your hands, and weighs a ridiculous 2 pounds… is creating quite a buzz. Lots of talk amongst computer folk on the internet about this little power-packed ‘puter. (As Alex likes to refer to them… why add that extra syllable??) 🙂

I was talking with my sister last night about getting one. They have a GateWay? PC that just won’t do anything for them. Has had a lot of issues since they purchased it. SO, they have a nice monitor, and keyboard and mouse… I said, just get a Mini. I think they’re going to check it out. Once they do, I think they’ll see how much they are getting for their money. It’s way more than just a competitive price… it’s An APPLE. No viruses. No spyware. Superior software. SO easy to use. Operating system that never crashes.

Need I say more?

Well, one quote for today, from MacDailyNews.com. This is how they describe the Mac Mini…

“As we’ve said before, to really understand the Mac mini, think of it as a $499 software and operating system bundle that is unprecedented in personal computing history that also comes with a free Macintosh computer.”

Read the whole article at MacDailyNews.com

Find your nearest Apple Store