Dear Lord; Happy Friday Father!
This morning Lord, I had another one of those inspired geek moments that You grant me from time to time. I was working on a laptop PC that was in for service, with the primary customer complaint being that it was running very slowly. External malware and virus scans had come back clean, so I booted into the operating system to evaluate the situation.
It was clogged to the hilt with “stuff” starting up automatically every time it booted.
Now, this is something we see pretty regularly. Between the bundled software that comes loaded on new machines, “add-on” downloads that come along for the ride with installs over the Internet, and all the little “extras” that get installed automatically with new components like printers and scanners, unless you know what’s safe to remove or deselect, it builds up quickly. The result over time is a computer that takes a long time to boot up, and acts slow and sluggish when performing tasks.
As I started to strip away the layers of unnecessary bloat from the machine, my mind drifted back to yesterday, and the “fog” my mind had been in for most of the day…
I was slow…
I was sluggish…
I had problems focusing on tasks…
Your Voice wasn’t as clear as it usually is.
Hmmm… A parallel maybe? 🙂
Like the laptop in my care, my mind yesterday was filled with unnecessary “clutter”. Ponderings and concerns about everything from money, to groceries, to laundry preoccupied my thoughts, making focusing on more important matters (like talking with You) much more difficult.
Therefore Father, going into this weekend my prayer is a simple one:
Heavenly Father, please grant us Clarity;
Clarity of focus to see past our earthly concerns…
Clarity of mind to listen in the Stillness for Your Voice…
Clarity of purpose to make choices that best Glorify You…
Clarity of Spirit to draw us closer to Your Presence.
Amen.
~Phather Phil
Hi, I’m Phil Malmstrom, a.k.a. Phather Phil. I’m self-employed, father of two wonderful young men, an ordained minister who delights in spreading Jesus’ Message of Hope and Love, a science-fiction junkie, an aspiring photographer and above all that one of God’s Children who rejoices in His Blessings each day. 
Phil,
I am having one of those foggy mind days today, lack of concentration on anything, it is days like what I am having today that I need to put everything else aside and just get in His word, dig deep in it and stay there. Sometimes I think He gives me foggy brain to refocus my attention back onto Him.
Blessings.
That’s an interesting perspective Kandi… Maybe God’s purpose for giving us those “hazy mind” days is to remind us to seek Him…
Great point!
Have a Blessed Day!
Phather Phil,
My new blogging buddy, Debra, recommended your site to me and I am so glad she did! These are great thoughts here and I love today’s pray. Yes, we do allow our minds to fill with the most temporal things that rob us of time better spent with God.
If you wish to, please visit my blog entitled Martha’s Daily Devotions at http://marthaorlando.blogspot.com. I would love to have you as a follower and plan to follow you.
All blessings be yours,
Martha
Thank you so much Martha, and welcome! I’ll certainly be checking out your blog, and look forward to your input here as well!
Have a Blessed Day!
This is really good Phil, and so very true! I’ve had plenty of computer issues in my day, lol, and know how slow and run down things can get. We get that way too. God, please clean me!!
Thank you Jenifer! I love it when God puts these little analogies in my path… 🙂
Have a Blessed Day!
Oh God, remove the clutter from my heart and mind that I may clearly see your plan and purpose. What a great prayer to start the weekend, Phil.
Amen Lisa! I hope your weekend was filled with God’s Clarity!
Have a Blessed Day!
What a great lesson Phil, and a perfect analogy with the computer. My system could use a little cleaning too for more clarity of focus, mind, purpose, and spirit. I’m working on it.
Have a blessed weekend.
Thank you Debra! I think we all have the need for some of God’s Clarity in our lives… It’s so easy for us to become “cluttered” with the world’s issues.
Have a Blessed Day!
What a great lesson and illustration. One I will remember. I too have too many day with a slow start. Uncluttering it is!!
I have more of those than I’d like as well Jean, but with God’s help I can see through the haze! 🙂
Have a Blessed Day!
I’m loving the ‘geek’ moment comparison! Clarity is a great thing to pray for and something we can all use a little more of..
Amen Allison! It’s amazing how much clearer things become when we focus on God’s Presence… 🙂
Have a Blessed Day!