Year / 2011

by Greg

Recommended: Netflix

Sign up for Netflix today!OK, unless you really don’t pay attention to … well, anything… then you’ve likely heard of Netflix. 🙂 And, since you’re reading this online, it’s likely that you already know that if you are a Netflix subscriber you can stream much of their catalog of movies and TV shows via your computer (unlimited streaming for as little as $7.99/month now). (Do you also know that there are many other devices that you can use to do this, like the Wii, XBox, AppleTV, many TVs, Tivo, goodness.. there are literally dozens!)

(It also works great on an iPhone/iPad!)

Well GregsHead.net is a Netflix user, fan, and also affiliate. (That means, they will give us a “commission” for any referrals.) And today they sent out another email with a special link in it for that purpose. (This link … right … here.) asking affiliates to spread the word again, which I am dutifully responding to.

Really, it’s not a very large commission … that’s just a bonus. The reason I’m taking the time to post it here is that is is an excellent service. If you like TV, movies, documentaries, etc… for only $7.99/mo they have thousands and thousands available for streaming. For a few dollars more you have access to their DVDs as well, mailed to your house. We’ve used it for years, and they just keep getting better. (As a tech enthusiast, I appreciate the hard work they’ve put into getting their service to work so well on so many platforms. Netflix on the Wii is super easy to use. It’s fantastic.)

We also love the queue. Every week (on Tuesdays) there’s a list of all the new content available for streaming. I quickly peruse that and add items of interest to our queue. Then later, from any device we choose, we can pull up that queue and start watching. (And, it remembers where you left off, if you don’t have time to watch the full movie or episode. That is often very helpful, too!)

So, if you’ve not tried it yet, they offer a one-month free trial. Give it a try today. We highly recommend.

Note: I was not paid to write this… but I will be “paid” if you click the links and sign up today. 🙂

by Greg

Public Dormancy

This site has been almost completely dormant for quite some time now. There are many factors. Some of which may come out in future postings here, others that will not be shared publicly.

Suffice it to say there has been plenty of thinking, learning, growing going on during this period of public dormancy. I’ve been reading a lot more, as I have said on these pages before, and there has been much focus on figuring out who we are. Individually, and as a family. Not only does that take time, it takes plenty of energy as well. That certainly has limited my abilities to share all that I am learning and pondering on these pages. I have discovered over the past six to eight months that I do not have limitless energy.

(There have been those over the years—myself included—who entertained the possibility that this was indeed the case…)

There are so many stories to tell. God is good, and continues to be so to our family. I love seeing him through the tough stuff. Consider it pure joy when you face trials of many kinds. Not just words. Truth. When we face trials, we first learn more about ourselves and more about life and, hopefully, gain wisdom along the way. But also, we’ve discovered that there is actually more real life to be found in the harder things of life. The “trials”, you might say. Somehow, going through those things with your closest loved ones, and any of those whom God has placed in your life for that season—somehow that deepens the bonds of relationship unlike the good moments that are also shared.

(Thankfully, the good moments become great memories, which also are the jewels of great friendships.)

I am learning to really find peace and strength and rest in every new morning God gives me. Actually, in every moment. When the pressures and stresses of life build up, cumulatively piling on the weight of every decision that has to be made… there is peace in knowing that God is right there with me, that we are going through this together. Trusting his goodness brings a deep peace that is truly beyond understanding. (There’s a neat song that someone once wrote on that subject using the verses in Philippians 4… check it out.) 😉

I know for a fact that it has been a very tough year for several of our close friends. Life is not always (as they say) “sunshine and lollipops”. Are you in a difficult season right now? Would you say you are “facing trials of many kinds”? I hope you can find the peace that our Father promises us. It is ours to have… but it’s definitely not always easy to “find”.

James says:

For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.

And, don’t forget, Jesus says:

Come to me, all of you who are tired from carrying heavy loads, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke and put it on you, and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in spirit; and you will find rest. For the yoke I will give you is easy, and the load I will put on you is light.

Life is full of chances to trust him. I think that’s one thing that we in the Campbell house are listening to and learning to live in these days. Even though it seems so backwards, I hope you are finding lots of ways that you need to trust him, to rely on him as well. What seems so hard, often produces such great things.

Consider it pure joy.

by Greg

A Buffalo Team With Money?

Sabres defenseman, Christian EhrhoffI’ve been a fan of Buffalo sports teams for almost 25 years now. That’s a good long time. Many players, many coaches, many GMs, and—at least for the Sabres—a few different owners. (I’m thinking right now that maybe the Bills could use a different owner…)

Near the mid-way point of last year, the Sabres were purchased by a guy who has made his fortune in the business world, who also happens to be a Sabres’ fan. Terry Pegula sat in the stands as a season ticket holder for a couple decades, watching his favorite team do well, but never well enough to bring home the Stanley Cup. When the Sabres were up for sale, he did what probably most every avid fan would love to do … he bought his favorite team.

The crazy thing is, though he is certainly not wanting to lose money from the business side of his new sports franchise, as a fan of this team (and hockey in general) and as a man with apparently abundant supplies of cash, he doesn’t only want to make the Sabres competitive. He has repeatedly stated that his only goal is to win a Stanley Cup in Buffalo. Many Stanley Cups.

As soon as he came to town, his infectious enthusiasm really did seem to spur the Sabres to play much better hockey. They finished the season on a strong run to end up in 7th place in the Eastern Conference, and played almost well enough to defeat the Philadelphia Flyers, who were a powerhouse in 2010-2011. The talk from the team and all over the region (among fans, media… everyone!) was that this guy might just have the magic touch. (And… the cash to back that up!)

Pegula has been personally visiting the players that the team is targeting to bolster their roster. That is clearly important to him. The players, the management, and nearly everyone in the organization is impressed by how personally involved (and involved passionately) he has been. It could be a reason that the Sabres have signed a couple players already, even before free agency starts at noon today.

The Sabres have already shown a commitment to improving their ‘D’. Trading a couple young guys (including defenseman Chris Butler, whom I was hoping they’d somehow move…) to the Calgary Flames for D Robyn Regher, a tough, veteran D-man. (They also got former Sabre forward, Ales Kotalik in the deal, but not sure where they are going with that.) And just yesterday, the Sabres signed soon-to-be free agent D Christian Ehrhoff (likely one of the top free agent defensemen) to a multi-year deal after acquiring his negotiating rights from the Islanders (who were apparently unsuccessful in their attempt to sign him).

The Sabres—at Pegula’s direction—are on the move.

And I don’t think they are done.

They have been signing a few players that are currently on the roster. After signing Regher and Ehrhoff, they also traded D Steve Montador to Chicago for a conditional draft pick. And then today at noon, free agency begins.

The name everyone is throwing around is Brad Richards. If the Sabres want him, I would expect that they will be a player in the quest to acquire him. (How strange is it, Buffalo fans, to have an owner that has money and wants to spend it!?) It’s conceivable the Sabres would pursue him as they really don’t have a #1 center (even though Derek Roy had a very productive season last year, despite missing about half of it due to injury) and they also lack “star power”, which this veteran forward would bring.

There still is a salary cap, but expect the Sabres, with their new deep-pocketed and fairly aggressive ownership to pursue the best available players. It wouldn’t surprise me if they make another trade or two here this offseason as well.

Hopes are high here in the Buffalo sports region. The Sabres have not been as frustrating as the Bills have been recently, but there has perhaps not been as much hope as there seems to be now. And with apparently good reason. Regher and Ehrhoff make the Sabres better. And the team is not done.

When the clock strikes noon today, the Sabres will be looking to further increase their chances of bringing home the Cup. That is, of course, everyone’s goal. But right now, it looks like more of a real possibility for Buffalo than it ever has.

Now if only Terry could buy the Bills…

by Greg

Thankful

There are days that it’s incredibly hard to see the good side. Where you’re so completely overwhelmed by the crushing weight of sadness, or failure, or just plain pain that you can’t see a way out of and seems it will never end.

For whatever reason, we’ve had more than our share of those around here lately.

But last night as I was putting the four youngest kids in bed, for some reason I decided to start (quite randomly) naming things that I was thankful for. “Thank you for Mom… and for (insert sibling name here)…” was how I began. Then I began just literally saying any word that came to mind. Some things I saw around their room, or then any related item or word. It quickly exploded into a fun game of who can think of the most random thing to be thankful for!

And the neat thing was, it worked.

The kids were not that excited to go to bed last night, but that little exercise lightened their hearts, and perhaps enlightened mine.

I found it was easy to rattle off all sorts of “good” things that we can be thankful for. Stars, trees, the sun, the moon, Grandmas & Grandpas, other friends we love, books, paper, paint, carpet, air conditioning, and so on. So I began intentionally thinking of “bad” things. (Or at least, weird things to be thankful for.)

“Thank you for toilets. For bottoms. For toilet paper.” Emma (our three-year old) picked right up on that, “Thank you for pee pee… AND poo poo!” And then I actually made myself say, “Thank you for HOT days.” (Reasoning in my mind that, though I loathe and detest the heat, I do love a good, juicy tomato … and they rather enjoy hot days.)

This seemed to work for all of the kiddos from the youngest (just about 2) who would grunt his approval with a little, “mmm hmm” after every word or phrase I’d say, to the room full of his three sisters all spitting out random words as fast as they were able to fit them in. It really was incredible!

It made me think of a book that Jen asked me to read, One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp. Jen reads her blog, and so decided to purchase her book, and was challenged (in a good way) to try to change her perspective on life, as Ann has tried to do. It’s kind of a “glass half-full vs glass half-empty” idea, but a bit different. Her challenge was just to write down 1,000 things that you are thankful for. A few each day.

I think we may have hit about 400 last night alone! 🙂

There are so many things that we can be thankful for. It really just depends on your perspective. If you can come at life looking for goodness, you’ll often (usually) find it. If you’re expecting bad, you’ll usually end up there.

So maybe try it tonight. Putting kids to bed… after they are in bed… on your way home from work… just let you brain bounce from one thing to the next and speak it out, “Thank you for _____.” Not just things that God directly gave us, necessarily, but think about the things that are part of our everyday lives, and how they help us. We really do take much of life “for granted”, as they say. Doing so lifted my spirits last night, and four other tiny spirits.

Perhaps it can lift yours, tonight, too.

by Greg

Realistic Expectations

It’s been a rough day.

It’s been a rough season. Not sure exactly how long that extends, but right now it feels almost like it’s never been any different than the way it is now. The main reason I know that is not true is this deep yearning in me for a return to something of “the way it used to be”.

Right now it feels like every single person I know has let me down. I really think every one. Whether it’s something they did to me (or failed to do), or some way I messed up and have not been allowed to restore the relationship… I’m pretty tired of most everybody right now.

So, what is it? I am ordinarily one of the more gracious, friendly, accepting, forgiving people you could ever know. Why do I have no allowance for people’s failings today?

One reason is the sheer volume of the troubles I am currently enduring. They are too many to list here. Maybe someday. Likely just in part. But, not now. Suffice it to say, the cumulative weight is approaching unbearable.

Now, don’t think I am naive. I know of several friends and some close family that I would not want to trade places with right now. (And many more complete strangers of whom I could say the same thing.)

But I don’t know if it’s possible to bear more.

So I know that’s a factor. But is that it? It’s just a bad time? A bad day?

Or is it something else?

I’ve been in a dark place all day, thinking about not only the things done to me (or, as I said, failed to be done) and even worse, I’ve been projecting into the future potential outcomes of these failures and actions. I find that I can get even more down, if that were possible, when I dwell on these things.

“So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.”

Yes, I know. I know.

Why do I cling to these unrealistic expectations? Not that I think everyone will always be perfect. I do not. But perhaps if it wasn’t nearly every part of my life crumbling at once?

To be fair, though of course they have failed me many times (and will again) I have enjoyed the spirit of my family today. (Which is odd, and cool, in that some of them are the source of other griefs I am bearing today…) I am super grateful for that.

We are all broken. Every one of us. You, your friends, your family, and me. That means we’ll all disappoint each other, regularly. But the part I’m struggling with today is that I’m not seeing the understanding of that. I’m not seeing grace. (In some cases, grace directed inward.) I think that might be the heaviest part of my burden.

What can I do, but press on? I am responsible for my actions and choices. No one else. I can be hurt by others, but I can’t make them fix it, or want to fix it.

I do wish I could sometimes. But somehow, in his wisdom, God decided it was best to give us the full ability to choose, good or bad. He’s there in both cases, always adding his good.

I also know that what I am feeling (and writing) can not be true. Some of you out there reading this (if you know me, and almost definitely if you do not know me) have in fact not let me down. Thanks. 😉 And I do know that life is an ebb and flow of good and bad. I’m just definitely in the ebb of good and the flow if bad. Perhaps that means a reverse of that is in my future?

Who knows? We do not. Definitely do not. We have today, right now, and that is all we have. Thankfully, I know that my Father is here with me through all of it, and that he will not disappoint me. (Though it could seem that way if I beloved more in my unrealistic expectations than I do in him.)

For you are all children[m] of God through faith in Christ Jesus. And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes. […] But when the right time came, God sent his Son […] to buy freedom for us […] so that he could adopt us as his very own children. And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.” Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child. And since you are his child, everything he has belongs to you.”

(selections from Galatians… a book that has encouraged me lately…)

Last one… “It’s always darkest before dawn.”

Must be just about daybreak.

by Greg

It’s Just a Long Way Home

Steven Curtis Chapman - re:creationSteven Curtis Chapman has a new album out. It’s called Re:Creation (I think because many of the songs on the album are new versions of old songs, some are really good! Others will take getting used to…)

But for now I’m not talking about the whole album. Just a song (or two). I started listening yesterday to a few songs, and one song in particular kinda caught my ear. Could be the ukelele. That was different. But I think it was the words. Especially this part:

And my heart gets so heavy with the weight of the world sometimes

Then this morning, I woke up singing another song from the album, Morning Has Broken. An old hymn that his son did with him. (That part is neat, too.) But the words from the song, “Praise with elation, praise every morning, God’s recreation of the new day.”

New day. His mercies are new every morning.

No matter the weight (or greatness) of the season, that is true.

The song was an encouragement to me, so I am sharing it here. (I’m probably not supposed to, but hopefully he’ll be OK with me sharing the lyrics below …)

(And if you want to hear it, you can play it at Spotify or buy it at iTunes or Amazon.)

Enjoy.

Long Way Home

Steven Curtis Chapman

I set out on a great adventure
The day my Father started leading me home
He said there’s gonna be some mountains to climb
And some valleys we’re gonna go through
But I had no way of knowing
Just how hard this journey could be
‘Cause the valleys are deeper and the mountains are steeper
Than I ever would have dreamed

But I know we’re gonna make it
And I know we’re gonna get there soon
And I know sometimes it feels like we’re going the wrong way
But it’s just a long way home

I got some rocks in my shoes, fears I wish I could lose
That make the mountains so hard to climb
And my heart gets so heavy with the weight of the world sometimes
And there’s a bag of regrets, my “shouldda beens” and “not yets”
I keep on dragging around
And I can hardly wait for the day I get to lay it all down

Well I know that day is coming
I know it’s gonna be here soon
And I won’t turn back even if the whole world says I’m going the wrong way
‘Cause it’s just a long way home

When we can’t take another step
Our Father will pick us up and carry us in his arms
And even on the best days
He says to remember we’re not home yet
So don’t get too comfortable
‘Cause really all we are is just pilgrims passing through

Well I know we’re gonna make it
And I know we’re gonna get there soon
So I’ll keep from singing and believing what all my songs say

‘Cause our God has made a promise
And I know that everything He says is true
And I know wherever we go he will never leave us
Cause he’s gonna lead us home
Every single step of the long way home

(keep going, we’re gonna make it … I know we’re gonna make it … we’re just taking the long way home…)

by Greg

Whispers

I am hearing whispers on the wind.
Signs that life may return to these pages.
Evidence on the horizon that this keyboard will once again freely bring forth thoughts long subdued.
Could it be?
Dare I hope?

I do.
I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill [me] completely with joy and peace because [I] trust in him. Then [I] will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. (Rom 15:13)

Yes.
Overflow.
I hear it coming.
A whisper… but I hear it.

There is a cautious but giddy excitement but almost apprehension in me right now.
But I have hope.
And faith.
And definitely love.

And those remain forever.
Loud and clear.

by Greg

Clocks

Sometimes in life, you just have to take the bad with the good.

I’ve always loved the “fall back” Sunday, where you get an hour of your life back. Who couldn’t use an extra hour!? Either another hour of sleep in the morning, or really, whatever suits your fancy!

The extra hour was always especially helpful when we were regularly working Sunday mornings, doing music for churches around the country. Sometimes that was quite early, and/or after a gig the night before… and sometimes that was in a different city or state! So an extra hour was a very welcome gift. We loved ending Daylight Savings Time!!

But it does seem that every good things has a bad side, too, no?

In the spring, when you lose an hour (the bad), it’s at least very easy to just bump all the clocks up one hour. All you need to do is click the “hour” button once (the good).

In the fall when you gain an hour (the good), depending on the clock, you may be able to do 60 minutes backwards, or, you may have to go 23 hours backwards. That’s 23x more button clicking! (The bad.)

The best part is, one of my wife’s favorite things is to have a clock in every room. (Some rooms have more than one.) So… 23x more clicking … times many clocks…

Well, let’s just say I’m super glad I have an extra hour. 😉

by Greg

So Cliché

It’s football season, and this year’s campaign is no different than any other. Each team is going to be taking it one game at a time, giving 110%, and leaving it all on the field, hoping to come away with a victory.

When the game begins, when the chips are down, if you’ve put in your time in the film room, studied your opponents tendencies so you know what they’re going to throw at you, and you’ve got your game face on, even though the outcome is always up in the air, chances are you’ll have the upper hand. Plus, if you’re playing in your own back yard, you’ll have the aid of the 12th man!

Once the game is underway, you’ll have to keep your head in the game. Stick to your gameplan. Your best defense is a good offense. Let your backs pound the rock, or your QB air it out, and get a jump on your opponent by getting on the board early. Then get ready for the ensuing kickoff.

On the other side of the ball, you’ll need to just pin your ears back, step up, and play a full sixty minutes. Make sure you cash in on your takeaways, and whenever possible flip the field on special teams. You have to win in all three phases of the game.

At the end of the day, when the final whistle blows, the better team always wins the game.

And that’s why we love this game.

Note: I didn’t “scratch the surface” of the breadth of terms employed by football players, coaches, and especially media personnel “week in and week out” in the world of NFL football. So, if you have some to add, “throw your hat in the ring” in the comments below. (What does that really mean, anyway?)