I can’t even tell you how excited I am for tomorrow night!!! You may be thinking, “what is tomorrow night?…other than a Wednesday…what could be happening that has gotten Phil giddy as a schoolgirl?” Well, let me tell you… … …
COLDPLAY!!!!!!!!!!!! Live, in front of my face. Amber and I driving up to Columbus to the Germain Amphitheatre to catch the masters of musical beauty in action. I may pee my pants…but I won’t leave my seat because I’ll enjoy the fact that my pants have been soiled during the gorgeous music of the British bohemoths known as Coldplay.
I don’t know if I’ve ever been into a band this much before. My Crowder craze in 2003 was probably close, but Coldplay has definitely surpassed it.
The one downside to the concert tomorrow night - having to leave Gibson with a babysitter for the first time. We’re nervous. Not because we doubt the babysitter(s), but because it’s the first time we’ve left him like this. We’ll miss him fo sho…but all will be cool. Oh, by the way, Gib’s babysitters are this dude and this chick. He’ll be in good hands…and if he’s not well taken care of, I think I can take them both. :o)
“…lights will guide you home, and ignite your bones…”
mad props to this…
brother part 2 will be coming soon…
(refer to ‘brother part 1′ here)
In the month of July, I traveled more than I have in the last 12 months combined. I’ve been to KY, CA, IN, IL, WI, MN, and MI all within the last 5 weeks. During the aforementioned travels, I feel as though I have learned some things about myself and the world around me. If you will indulge me, I’d like to share some of them…
(I don’t know why I said “IF you will indulge me”, it’s not like you have any say in the matter…it’s my blog for crying out loud!…ok, I’ve taken my medicine, now I’m ok.)
I learned that…
1. I love traveling, especially when doing music. I’ve debated that for quite some time, but I’ve come to the conclusion that I greatly enjoy it. I feel as though that may become more frequent in the future.
2. I greatly dislike IKEA. Not the product, just the store itself. You know it’s going to be bad when you pull into the parking lot and immediately say “CRAP! Is that all just one store?!?!?!” It’s the size of a football stadium and it’s all home decor. Now so far, it’s not bad. I actually like most of the products in the store…it’s just the size and the people that are dislikeable. The place is packed! On a Tuesday at 11:00am?!? It resembles the Dayton Mall the day after Thanksgiving. Everyone’s grumpy and greedy and it’s hip-to-hip. If Amber wants to go back, more power to her, but I doubt I’ll ever go back. Online ordering - here I come. I did get this table and lamp though.
3. Illinois is a horrible state to travel through. $.80 tolls on the expressway every 20 miles or so and $.30 tolls at every exit, sheesh, come on!
4. One of America’s favorite pastimes is complaining. We have whole TV/radio shows dedicated to it; most of our humor is related to it. I even realized that it tends to be the way we start conversation with new people. “Hey, I’m Phil. How are you? Man, did you catch that traffic? Wasn’t it awful?!?” or maybe “How about this weather, huh? Can it get any hotter!” I’m not opposed to challenging the process or shaking things up…but I think there’s a big difference between that and complaining. I’m also not saying that this applies to every American, but certainly a majority…and unfortunately me on many occasions. For proof, refer to #2 and #3 above.
5. These 2 people are the best things that have ever happened to me next to Jesus. Words can’t communicate how blessed I am to have them. This wasn’t a new lesson, rather something that I was greatly reminded of. Not to mention, Amber is one of the funniest people I’ve ever known. Most of you probably think of her as quiet and shy, which she is, but she is also stinkin’ hilarious.
6. The “Question Game” is a great way to pass time while traveling. Amber and I do this often and it’s great. The basic premise is that you ask the questions that you probably wouldn’t ask in any normal conversation. Example - “what is one thing about your personality that you would change?” or “on looks only, which movie star would you want to go out with?” or “if you had $500 and you could only get 1 thing, what would it be?” Try it, it’s great!
7. I do too many things based on my preference. I let my preference sway my view when determining truth. I do this at home, in my ministry, with relationships, and probably a lot more. Here’s an example - we only do rock music at Apex because it’s what I prefer. It’s no better than any other type of music, but I like it, so we do it. Now, that’s not necessarily bad, but it is bad if I say (or don’t say but still think) “we’ll ONLY do rock music at Apex.” I’m not saying we’re going to do a different style every Sunday, but I can’t be opposed to something different just because I don’t like it. Now, that’s a very small example for this HUGE lesson that God hammered into me this month, but it is a good example of how I tend to work. That needs to change. One way we serve God is by serving those He has put around us. I realized that I had subconsciously started serving myself instead of others. In the words of Crystal Yexley (possibly quoting Rob Turner) “It’s preference, not principle.”
8. This is a big part of home for me, and these people have a deep place in my heart. Being away so much has really made me appreciate the family I have here in OH.
9. Obedience is powerful. Doing what God has given us to do can have a greater impact than we could ever imagine. I needed to be reminded of that. In the face of discouragement, you can tend to lose sight of what’s really happening around you. I noticed this in my ministry. God is faithful to do great work through obedient people…even if those people don’t see it.
10. I’m just an extra, but it’s a great scene to be in.
I didn’t intend for this to be so long, but I did learn a lot this month. There’s actually a lot more than this but, “that’ll do pig.”
Next time you’re out, here’s some great traveling music: X&Y, Live, Better Days, Bleed American, World Service, Bullet, Divine Invitation, and When It’s Over
