Well Father, once again we come to another Meditations Monday here at PhatherPhil.org. This past weekend saw days filled with Your abundant Blessings, and quiet evenings curled up under warm blankets watching movies with the kids. We managed to get our Christmas crafting projects off to a healthy jump-start, enjoyed an inspiring church service Sunday morning, and then while Aidan and Shannon attended a birthday party for one of his classmates, Jonathan and I took advantage of the beautiful weather and went out to Port Mahon and Woodland Beach for a photowalk. I truly love these times of connection with my family and the “extended family” that You’ve placed in my life Father, and I thank You for Blessing me by granting a weekend filled with their company.
In recent weeks Father, my thoughts have often drifted to the connections You’ve placed in my life; my loving family, the wonderful variety of friends I’ve made, and most recently the warm and inviting church family You led me to at Ewell’s St. Paul UMC. I know without question that You’ve placed each and every one of them into my life for a reason Lord, and by doing so have Blessed me with one of the components essential to growing in Your presence…
Fellowship.
“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” – Hebrews 10:23-25 (ESV)
Your path for our lives includes a complex (to us anyways) intertwining of souls. You bring us together for many reasons; to encourage us, to teach us, to comfort us, and to share our spiritual gifts with one another. The Holy Spirit draws us together, creating those vital allegiances that nourish our soul as we journey along the path to Your Kingdom.
Heavenly Father,
As we begin the week, I lift thanks and praise to You for all the wonderful relationships You’ve brought into my life. Through these Blessed connections I’ve seen countless signs of Your gracious love, and they continue to inspire me to reach out and share that love with others.
Last week Lord, I had my annual eye exam as required by Delaware law to renew the prescription for my contact lenses. I’ve never been a huge fan of anyone poking around in my eyes, but since I switched to contacts a few years back I’ve become accustomed to the necessary ritual each autumn. This year’s visit however, yielded a bit of a surprise for me. When the examination had been completed, the doctor quietly informed me that she was going to have to write me a different prescription…
My eyesight has actually gotten stronger.
The doctor explained to me that it wasn’t uncommon for people’s eyesight to vary over the years, but I still feel there’s a parallel here that I shouldn’t ignore nonetheless. My eyesight began to degrade when I was seven years old, requiring me to wear glasses from second grade on. Since that time, I can’t remember even one eye exam where my vision has shown even a minute change for the better. I find it intriguing that while my earthly eyes have become stronger, at the same time I’m seeing Your presence all around me with ever increasing clarity as well.
As Toby Mac stated in the song “Lose My Soul”;
All eyes are on You Lord… All eyes are on You.
Thanks for the smile Father. 🙂
Picking up where I left off on last week’s Thankful Thursday list Lord, this week I’ve been especially grateful for:
331. The opportunity I received to minister to a friend in need this week.
344. Connecting with a wide range of inspiring people and organizations through Twitter.
345. The inspirations You place on my heart each day.
Heavenly Father,
We give thanks Dear Lord, for all the many Blessings You bestow on us each day; both those which boldly announce Your glory, and those that grace our lives in silence. Please open our eyes that we might recognize and praise You for the many gifts you bring to us, and open our hearts that we may share those overwhelming Blessings with those around us.
Last night Lord, we held the second of six meetings for the Small Group Study “Treasures of the Transformed Life” at the house. Like first gathering, it was well attended and everyone brought fresh perspective and insight to the discussion. We even had a couple younger participants this time, and they jumped right in with both feet. It was a productive and inspiring evening, and I felt truly Blessed to be a part of it.
This week’s focus was called “Drawing the Water”. Continuing with the metaphor used in last week’s discussion : “Priming the Pump”, once we’ve prepared ourselves to receive Christ into our hearts by fully committing to Him, we can then begin to draw from that inexhaustible supply of Living Water that You make available to us. The primary way we accomplish this is through the practice of prayer.
The study material discussed a number of types of prayers, methodologies for focusing our prayers and the different ways that You respond to those conversations when we do so. Our group latched onto this topic wholeheartedly, and we had a wonderful exchange discussing the different ways we pray, things we’ve prayed for, and the myriad of ways in which You’ve answered those prayers in our lives. It was a lively, refreshing dialogue, and I believe that everyone who attended came away with some new perspective on making our conversations with You a deeper part of our lives.
As I’m sure You can tell Father, I’m very much enjoying leading this group of people through the study. It’s a warm, inviting, friendly gathering each week, and I think all of us have learned a great deal so far; both from the study itself, and from the wonderful input each member brings to the discussion. I’m thankful for being a part of this endeavor, and look forward to continuing it next week.
Heavenly Father,
I come to You today Lord, with arms open wide and a heart committed to Your presence in my life. Through Your gift of prayer, You grant us a personal audience and an open invitation to deepen our relationship by seeking You. For that heavenly connection, and all of the other ways You come into our lives, I give thanks.
As You’re aware Lord, over the last few weeks my Scripture reading time has been spent wading through the Old Testament books of Kings and Chronicles. I won’t pull any punches Father, they can be some onerous books to read, but without a doubt they’re chock-full of Your wisdom nonetheless. This morning, as I was nearing the end of 2nd Chronicles the thought crossed my mind:
“Wow… They just didn’t learn very quickly, did they.”
It really wasn’t meant to be disrespectful or nearly as sarcastic as it came out, but reading about king after king that “…did not do what was right in the eyes of the Lord”, and by doing so led their people down paths of destruction and pain, I was struck by the fact that even with all they knew to be true, they still turned away from Your path.
“You do that now and again yourself…” You whispered.
Double Ouch!!
Yes Father… yes I do…
While I may not erect idols and temples to other gods, I certainly have allowed my focus and desires to shift away from You, and to cling to earthly things.
I sometimes allow my pride to overwhelm me and try to rely on my own strength to “fix” things, instead of humbling my heart and following Your lead.
Although my Walk with You has grown ever closer, there are still times that the concerns of the world get their hooks in my heart, and Your voice becomes drowned out in the turmoil.
While I very much try to look towards others with Your love in my heart, there have certainly been more than a few cases where I’ve allowed negative feelings to get the better of me, and not treated people as Jesus’ example directed us.
I guess I don’t learn very quickly Father…
Thankfully, You haven’t given up on me. 🙂
It’s convicting to read through those pages and see reflections of our own behaviors Father, but if that realization helps guide us closer to You, then we’re truly bringing Your Word into our hearts.
Heavenly Father,
I lift my praises Lord, for the lessons and messages You bring us through Scripture, and for the guidance we receive through Your Holy Spirit. For although the truths we uncover may be convicting, uncomfortable or even painful, if in the end they draw us closer to Your will, it’s a path we need to follow all the same.
Well Father, I couldn’t have asked for a lovelier weekend. Coming off of a tiring and complicated week, Shannon, the boys and I were all well-worn by the time Friday evening rolled around. With that being the case, we made the decision to spend a good bit of our “down time” as the description implies… down. Friday evening we curled up on the couch together and watch movies until bedtime. Saturday morning we lounged around the house in the morning, and then headed outside to do our “Fall clean up” of the planting beds along the house. The rest of the day was split between miscellaneous housework, and more movie-time with the kids. Sunday morning began with an uplifting service at church, then back to the house for a tasty, fun breakfast of Cinnamon Roll Pancakes (Thanks for pointing me to the recipe Alida :-)). Jonathan, Aidan and I then gave Mommy some quiet time and headed out to Blackbird State Forest for a long walk in the beauty and abundance of Your Creation. The rest of the day was spent finishing up some odds-and-ends around the house, and then yet another quiet evening on the couch with the boys. This was the first weekend in quite some time where we didn’t have a packed schedule of activities, and it was ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL. Thank You so much for that much-needed respite Lord!
This week’s Meditations Monday Scripture is actually inspired by something John Waller talked about at the worship concert we attended last Thursday. One of the songs he played discussed his desire to be used to bring Your light into other people’s lives. The song is appropriately titled “Somebody Else’s Story”:
Out of all the wonderful music he shared with us that night Lord, this is the one that really hit home with me. As a Christian, I can think of no greater joy than bringing Your message to the hearts of those around me; to show them the true wonder of Your love for us, and to share the gifts You’ve Blessed me with in Your service.
“And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”” – Matthew 28:18-20 (ESV)
I take that Commission very seriously Father, and when I get the opportunity to be a part of someone else’s “Story”, It’s a Blessing beyond words for me. Mr. Waller’s song captures that desire beautifully, and I thank You for placing it in his heart to share with us.
Heavenly Father,
As we begin the week Lord, please help guide our choices and actions to best reflect Your desire for our lives. Inspire us to reach out and share Your message of love and redemption with those we encounter each day, and to faithfully serve Your will.
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.
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. 
