phil wing

On Monday, April 20th, eat at the Chick-fil-A in Centerville and 20% of your purchase will go to support our adoption!

You’ll need a coupon at the time of purchase for the funds to be designated - get your coupon here: Chick-fil-a coupon (2 coupons on each sheet - print off as many as you’d like)

This coupon is good for purchases all day long.

I’ll be there playing from 5-8pm so come on out and enjoy some live music with your dinner.

For more detailed info on the event, go here.

The Art of Reproduction.

No, I am not referring to the art of baby-making, although I’m sure that would be a topic that would get a lot of comments. I’m referring to the call of a disciple to be making more disciples…or to reproduce himself.

A disciple is one who knows, loves, and obeys God. Pretty much every biblical command of a disciple fits into that summary. (My bro and some others will be teaching on this at Apex on Jan. 28th & 29th. If you live in the area, you should come!)

In the Kingdom of God, a leader is not a leader unless he/she is reproducing himself. It’s one of the big principles of true discipleship.
(definition: When I say “leader”, I am not referring to just pastors, I’m referring to anybody who professes to follow Jesus. We’re all leaders. We’re all called to be influencers. end definition.)
As disciples, we go out into the world and make disciples…not just believers, but disciples! We’re not just responsible to introduce them to Jesus - we’re responsible to aid in the process of them growing deeper in that relationship with Him.

I believe that the life of Jesus shows that we cannot make disciples unless we truly care about them. We have to care about others. I know, sounds pretty basic, right? Sounds like the Sunday School lesson you heard when you were 6 yrs old. But, if it is so basic, why is it so hard to actually do? Why is it so increasingly difficult for us to put others’ needs above our own? Why do we constantly struggle to love our neighbor as ourselves? It’s as though we “know” what we should care about, but still battle with whether or not to actually do it. Sounds familiar. Let’s be really straight here - self-centered Christianity is not Christianity at all! It is not Christ-like. Christ set aside His own comforts for the sake of those He wanted to reach. He walked with His disciples; through their strengths and through their weaknesses. He taught them about the things that really mattered and challenged them about the things that didn’t. He cried for them, laughed with them, ate with them, served with them, and ultimately died for them. You don’t do that with people unless you really care for them; unless you love them. So, to make disciples like Christ made disciples, we must love others. We must care about them enough to desire and help facilitate God’s best for their lives.

When you understand your call and ability to influence others, and you care enough about them to see God’s best for their lives, you begin to scratch the surface of leading like Jesus.

My wife “tagged” me (whatever that means) to do this Kreativ Blogger survey thing.

So this calls for you to list seven things about yourself under each heading, but I’m not so sure I can do that many under each. I guess we’ll see.

What I did before (job): youth ministry, landscaping, retail sales, phonebook delivery, snow removal, groundskeeping for a funeral home (yes, seriously), fast food (Mickey D’s!!!…for 1 month)

What I do now: I am on staff at Apex. I write music as often as possible. I try to be someone who helps train/equip other worship leaders. Above all that, I’m really trying to be a good husband and father. I also try my hardest to procrastinate from cleaning (specifically my car or office) and to avoid my wife’s house projects. Oh, and I do yoga.

What I’d like to do: go on more dates with my wife. play with my kids more. make more music. become a better teacher. learn to write about things that matter. take a vacation. love Jesus more deeply.

What attracts me to my wife: I can’t say that in public!!! jk. I’m attracted to Amber because she is Godly. She is kind. She is loving. She adores our kids. She has beautiful eyes and an even better smile. She is friggin’ hilarious! She is a servant in so many ways. She has compassion for those who are hurting. She’s not materialistic. She values holiness over culture. She will never let my daughter dress like a hooch. She will never let my son date a hooch. She constantly helps me remember what really matters. She is the best woman I have ever known, literally! That’s why I’m attracted to her. I guess that’s more than 7.

Favorite foods: most EVERYTHING made by Amber, Thai 9, Skyline, Chipotle/Qdoba (interchangeable), Pompano Joe’s, PF Changs, and any steak house where I can get a sweet potato with my steak.

What I say most often: “definitely”, “fo sho”, “zoinks!”, “YOP!” (like a loud old man saying yep), “just to be honest”, “whatev!” (said sarcastically), “whaaat?!?!?”

So, I guess that’s it. I’m supposed to “tag” 7 other people to do this survey but I don’t know if there are even 7 people who read my blog. So, if you’re reading this…TAG, YOU’RE IT!

p.s. I don’t really do yoga…but I think it’d be hilarious to see me try.

So, Amber and I have the $7 cable plan from Time Warner…yes, there is a $7 cable plan! They don’t advertize it cause they don’t want you to get it, but it is available if you ask for it. It’s called “Basic”…not to be confused with “Standard” which is the normal $30-40 plan.

Basically, “Basic” is just all the local channels like ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, CW, PBS, etc. (with perfect reception - no more rabbit ear antennas) plus a bunch of public access type channels. Well, in every different part of town, there are a couple of “cool cable” channels that come with it. Our “cool cable” channels are TBS, LMN (which I like to call the “Ladies Movie Network”), and Fuse.

Anybody who knows me, knows that I’m a big fan of live music. Well, on Fuse, there is a show called “Later: with Jools Holland” that is on weekdays at 11am.

It’s actually a BBC show, but it plays on Fuse during the day. I’d have to say it may be one of my favorite shows ever! The format of the show is just 4-5 bands, in a room together, in a circle, taking turns playing their songs. So it’s an hour long and every band plays 2-4 songs live (depending on how many bands are in the lineup). It’s apparently one of the biggest shows in England so they get all kinds of good acts to come there. Well, I was watching it today and the lineup included Red Hot Chili Peppers, Keane, and Thom Yorke of Radiohead. Wow, talk about a sweet hour of music!

In the past, I’ve seen many great lineups. Another episode that was awesome was Pearl Jam, Corrine Bailey Rae, John Legend, and Regina Spektor. I’ve seen all kinds of great bands on there like: Coldplay, Jon Mayer, Explosions in the Sky, Radiohead, Foo Fighters, Beck, The Killers, Muse, Franz Ferdinand, Amy Winehouse, and all kinds of others.

I always catch it on my late days or days off. I highly recommend it. There’s no junk, no marketing, no nothing. Jools rarely even does an interview. Just good live music played for a solid hour on TV. It’s everything that Music Tele Vision should be!!!

Click on the little quiz below to see which candidate’s views you line up with the most:

SELECT A CANDIDATE 2008 QUIZ

My top 5 results in order:
1. Huckabee
2. Edwards
3. Romney
4. McCain
5. Clinton

That kinda made me laugh a bit…I mean, I knew I’d line up most with Huckabee. He’s the man, in my opinion. But honestly, I figured Obama would be the democrat I lined up with most…interesting.

my precious little daughter is apparently becoming a goat…or a ghost…

I would just like to go on record saying that I think the new Jimmy Eat World CD called “Chase this Light” could quite possibly be their best! I got it as a gift for Amber for Christmas…and now I’ve stolen it from her and can’t stop listening to it.

our house is officially for sale…

We’re hoping it sells quickly…for a few reasons:
1. We want to spend less on living costs (refer to previous post entitled “love“)
2. Getting into our new home means we can take the next step in the adoption process
3. We’re lookin’ forward to a little more space for our kids
4. We can’t wait to live closer to Jason, Rachel, baby Reagan, Joe, Carol, Rob, and all my other Dayton homies.

so, you wanna buy it?!?!?!?!?

***warning, this is long…but it’s the thing that is deepest in my heart right now***

In the last month or so, I’ve been wondering if I really know much at all about real love. Don’t get me wrong, I experience great love for and from my wife, kids, family, close friends, etc…but I’m starting to get the hint that love is much deeper than anything I’ve ever really known before.

All over the gospels (and Leviticus) it says that I should be loving my neighbor as myself. What does that even mean?!?!? That’s what I’ve been asking for the last month or so. What would it look like if I really loved my neighbor as myself???

First, who is my neighbor? This is talking about all those God has placed around us. Family, friends, co-workers, classmates, strangers, etc. How can I exemplify love for them in the same way I love myself?
I don’t know…but God’s definitely giving me hints. Here’s a couple things God is showing me about loving my neighbor:

- I Corinthians says “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” Do I feel this way for those God has put around me? Do I feel this way for Jesus? My wife? My kids? My church? Do I feel this way for “the least of these”?

- If I really want to love Jesus, I have to love those in need. Jesus says that in Matthew…read it here.

- I need to seek out the lonely, hurting, needy, and poor. It is my job/duty/pleasure to find them. I can’t just wait for them to show up…they will, but I don’t need to wait for that. They are all around me and somehow I’ve blinded myself to the needs of others. Open my eyes Lord.

- I need to give to others in the same way I give to myself. (refer to the “loving my neighbor” link above) This is REALLY hard for me to comprehend! Music or conversation on weekends ain’t even close. What am I currently giving to those in need? What would it look like if I lived my life on a 50/50 mindset? Meaning, what if I spent only 1/2 of my income on me and gave 1/2 of it away? What if every bit of money I spent to feed myself, I spent to feed others? What if every time I got some clothing, I gave some away? What if???

- I need to stop regarding stuff as “mine”. God has blessed us with things so that we may bless others as well. I learned this greatly from one of my best friends. I watched him give the shirt off his back…literally…to a guy he met on the street. He also told me to return something I had purchased because he already had it and would let me use it as often as I needed it. He said “if we’re really gonna get in ‘community’, we better learn how to share stuff!”

- In Deuteronomy, I learn that giving to strangers, widows, orphans, etc. isn’t just a nice thing to do, it’s actually something that was required of those who followed God. You can read about something called “the ancient boundary” which was a line marked in every field that the reapers could not go past. There was a section of every field designated for the needy (including strangers, homeless, etc.) to come and reap for themselves. In Proverbs 23:10-11, it actually says that moving or forsaking the boundary was something that God Himself would oppose you for. All this means that the needy have a right to our stuff. Hard to swallow, huh? It’s not just a nice sentiment or kind action, it’s a necessary part of life for those who want to walk with God…for those who really want to know love.

So do I love? Do I really love??? Do we? Does my family? Does my church?

What do you think???

Oh God, please teach me to love…to truly love…like You do.

For some related ideas, check out:
Fields of the Fatherless by C. Thomas Davis.
or go here to read Cornerstone’s church building vision

go check out the band’s journal page to read up on the crazy camp we got to be a part of in June.

don’t forget about the acoustic show today at Starbucks…