Thankful Thursday: Multitudes on Mondays

Dear Lord; Happy Thankful Thursday Father!

This evening Lord, I’ve decided to try something a little bit different for our Thankful Thursday conversation.  Instead of focusing on one specific thing You’ve Blessed me with, I’m going to take a page from the idea behind “Multitudes on Mondays” as described in the book “One Thousand Gifts” written by Ann Voskamp, and make a list of some things I’ve been thankful for this week.  I haven’t actually read the book, but a number of my fellow blogger friends have taken up this Monday tradition, and reading their posts it just seemed to fit very nicely with the concept of Thankful Thursday.

And there’s so much to list Father, so let me get started…

1. Smiles and hugs from my boys when I come home from work.

2. Dark, fresh, hot coffee in the morning.

3. Photowalks with the kids.

4. Living within 25 minutes of both a state forest and a quiet beach.

5. Feeling the spring breeze wafting over me as I watch the sun set beyond the trees.

6. Sitting at the firepit on our back deck and enjoying time with friends.

7. Holding my wife Shannon as she falls asleep.

8. Dark beer.

9. Cooking for my family and friends.

10. Reading the inspiring and encouraging posts from my fellow Christian Bloggers.

11. Curling up with the kids and watching TV together.

12. Having a job that continues to bring me new challenges and growth.

13. Pulsatile Nasal Irrigation (the only true defense I’ve found against allergies)

14. My son Jonathan continuing to be in remission.

15. Contact lenses.

Heavenly Father, thank You for these and all the other Blessings You bestow on us each day.  You are indeed a wondrous Lord, and I lift my heart to You in joyous praise.

Amen.

~Phather Phil

Thankful Thursday: The Gift of Prayer

Dear Lord; Happy Thankful Thursday Father!

Once again Lord, we come upon another Thankful Thursday here at PhatherPhil.org.  Unlike other weeks where I’ve struggled to narrow down just what I’m most thankful for, this week was almost prescribed for me by, oddly enough, the United States Congress.  Yes, in 1952 the U.S. Congress officially designated that the first Thursday of May each year would be a National Day of Prayer, and it just seems wonderfully fitting to me that it falls on a Thankful Thursday.

I am truly thankful for the Gift of Prayer Father!

I wholeheartedly believe that prayer is absolutely a Gift You’ve given us Lord, and in my opinion one of Your most magnanimous and precious gifts of all.  Through prayer, You Grace us with the inherent ability to commune with You.  Little, flawed, lowly beings such as we, can “dial up” the Creator of Everything and have a one-on-one conversation… How miraculous is that??  Through prayer you give us the path to obtaining the most precious thing we can in this life; a personal relationship with You.

It’s a humbling, and yet amazingly powerful gift Lord, and I thank You for that “Bat Phone” connection to You with all my heart.  🙂

Amen.

~Phather Phil

The Cleansing Rain

Dear Lord; Good evening Father!

Ah Lord, spring is truly here in all it’s glory; the grass is growing, the trees are sprouting, the flowers are starting to bloom…

And the pollen is everywhere.

Heading out to work and school this morning, we exited the garage and were faced with a lesson in color manipulation; my nice dark blue SUV had turned a fuzzy shade of green.  The dusting of yellow pollen was so thick across the skin of the vehicle that it literally looked to be a different color.

Yuck.

The golden film held on all throughout the day, leaving the truck feeling dingy and old.

Driving home from a client’s office this evening, the colorful allergen’s grip on my vehicle was torn away as the skies opened and a cooling spring rain began to fall.  The coating was quickly flushed off the surface of the truck, and everything once again seemed bright and clean.

Now, this seems familiar I thought…

Sin does to our souls what pollen did to my truck; it coats, and covers, and dirties and distorts.  And like the cleansing rain, Your Grace washes that sin from our beings.  We are made fresh and new in Your Love, and able to see Your Path more clearly.

“Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.” – Psalm 51:2 (NIV)

Thank You so much for the rain Lord.  🙂

Amen.

~Phather Phil

Thankful Thursday: Ever Faithful

Dear Lord; Good evening Father!

And we come again Father, to another “Thankful Thursday” post at PhatherPhil.org.  This is turning out to be one of my favorite weekly posts to write, but it’s usually difficult to pick just one thing to focus my thanks and praise on.  Well Father, today wasn’t so hard, in fact it was staring me in my spiritual face.  Today Father (and really every day), I’m most thankful for Your Faithfulness to me.

The last couple of years have seen drastic changes in my life, and in the lives of my family.  We’ve had amazing highs, and desperate lows and yet through all of it… You were there:

When Shannon was injured and unable to move without pain… You emboldened and supported us, and sent her Your Healing Touch.

When my best friend passed away from cancer last year… You held me in Your Comforting Embrace and reminded me that he lived on in Your Kingdom.

Through all the economic turmoil and business nightmares of the last year… You encouraged me, and helped me to refocus on what was truly important in my life.

When Jonathan became part of the Kay’s Kamp Program and we watched his heart shine Your Light to so many others… You cried for joy along with us and cheered at each of his accomplishments.

When Shannon finally found a job that was the right fit, where she was welcomed and encouraged… You stood proudly beside her.

When I was Blessed to have the opportunity to join two friends in marriage last year… You filled the room with Your Presence, and Your Light was felt by everyone in attendance.

And the list could go on, and on, and on… 🙂

“The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” – Deuteronomy 31:8 (NIV)

Heavenly Father, I thank You from the bottom of my heart for Your Faithfulness to Your Children.  We are undeserving of such Grace, and yet You lift us up in Your Loving Hands and make us more than we could ever hope to be.  Amen.

~Phather Phil

The Rainbow Connection

Dear Lord; Good morning Father!

As You’re undoubtedly aware Father, it’s a dreary, rainy day here in Delaware.  It’s just one of those mornings where I wake up, look outside, and seriously contemplate finding some excuse to crawl back under the covers.  Alas, today that wasn’t an option so out into the weather I went.

Driving into the office following teacher conferences at the boys’ school (which went very well… thank You!), I started contemplating the lingering clouds and falling rain a little bit more.  Like all of Your Gifts to us, the rain has a purpose; it supports and nourishes life, and cleanses the landscape it traverses.  While we may not always feel joyous when the weather shifts, it is one of Your Blessings to us all the same.

And then comes the rainbow…

“And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth.  Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind.  Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life.  Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.”” – Genesis 9:12-16 (NIV)

I LOVE this Lord: a rainbow is the reminder of Your covenant with us.  What an amazing signature You have Father!  Noah must have had such a smile on his face seeing that first rainbow.  🙂

Today Father, You also placed on my heart the idea to start “Thankful Thursday” here on phatherphil.org.  The concept I had was that on each Thursday’s message to You, I’d close by listing some of the things I’ve been especially thankful for this week.  Just for curiosity’s sake, I did a quick Google search on the phrase and found that it was already something that was being done and coordinated on another site.  The site is a blog called “Grace Alone…”, and I’m pleased to link to her site today.

This week has been a hectic roller-coaster-ride Lord, but it’s funny that during those crazy days I find myself even more thankful for Your Blessings.  As this is the first “Thankful Thursday” entry for me, I’ll start with the most obvious and significant miracle in my life:

I’m extremely thankful for the unending support of my wonderful wife Shannon.  As You know Father, things have been difficult business-wise over the last several months.  Through every up-and-down, she’s always been there for me with words of comfort and encouragement.  Her love is an amazing gift Lord, and I feel truly Blessed having her as my wife.

There are so many other Blessings You grant me each day Lord, but we’ll start there.  🙂

Heavenly Father, I thank You for the cleansing rain and the vibrant reminder of Your Covenant that will soon follow.  I pray we can all see through the apparent gloom and witness Your Shining Majesty in each of our lives today.  Amen.

~Phather Phil