Musings on the Weekend

Dear Lord; Good evening Father!

I know it’s not usual for me to write on Sundays Lord, but so much has happened over the last few days that I wanted to share with You while the events were still fresh in my mind.  It’s been an awesome weekend, and I’m very thankful for all You’ve Blessed me with.

It all began Friday night with the launching of our “Dinner and Drinks on the Deck” evening get-togethers.  This is something we started last year, and ended up having around 15 of them over the course of the spring and summer.  They’re informal cookouts attended by family and friends on Friday evenings where everyone brings something to share, and we provide the grilled food and snacks.  The adults get to relax, sit around the fire pit and wind down from the work week while the kids all get to burn off some steam together.  It’s a wonderful way to kick off the weekend, and this past Friday went extremely well.  In fact, we’ve already had quite a few inquiries about next weekend.  🙂

Saturday morning, Shannon went and taught violin lessons in town and with the help of a good friend I did some heavy-duty scrubbing of our master bathroom.  It had been far too long since I’d had the opportunity to clean and disinfect it thoroughly, and it was satisfying to see it all sparkling clean and smelling fresh.  My words to You from Thankful Thursday came immediately back to mind!

Saturday evening I dropped the kids off at one of their friends’ house for a sleepover visit, while Shannon and I got to enjoy a “date night” out.  We met up with some good friends for a fun dinner, then headed out to a local party for some dancing and socializing.  While we love our children dearly, the opportunity to get out as a couple now and again helps us to “recharge our batteries” and focus on the intimate bond we’re Blessed to have between us.  Saturday night was a great time, and we enjoyed ourselves thoroughly.

Early Sunday, Shannon headed off to play viola at a wedding with the other ladies in her quartet while I got an unheard-of morning to sleep in a bit, and have some “quiet time” relaxing and communing with You.  The boys went to church with the family they had stayed with, and had a wonderful time at Sunday School and participating in the worship service.  I picked them up shortly afterwards, and we headed out to have lunch and spend the day hiking and shooting photos nearby.  It was a bit overcast today, but the temperature was perfect and we managed to get time to walk both out at Blackbird State Forest and then about a half-hour away on the sands of Woodland Beach.  I love spending these moments with them, and each new excursion we take together brings us closer to each other, and to You.

Here are some of the photos I shot today that made me smile Father:

The boys paused for this shot while we were walking down one of the many nature trails in Blackbird Forest.

Always the adventurer, Aidan forges ahead of us, setting the pace.

Jonathan’s photography skills have improved markedly over the last year.  I’ve really enjoyed teaching him about lighting and composition, and he’s really having fun seeing what he can do with the camera.

This little fellow was being harassed by a group of other ducks and was just frazzled beyond words.  I loved the expression and attitude he was exuding and was Blessed to catch this shot.

All in all Father, it was the best weekend we’ve had in a long time and I thank You from the bottom of my heart.  You Bless my family and I in so many ways Lord, and I am very deeply grateful for Your Presence and Guidance in our lives.

Heavenly Father, once again I thank You for a wonderful, relaxing weekend with family and friends.  Please guide my decisions and actions in the coming week to best serve Your Will, and to share Your Light with those around me.  Amen.

~Phather Phil

Thankful Thursday: A Sense of Clean

Dear Lord; Happy Thankful Thursday Father!

Well Lord, once again we’ve come to that day of the week where I attempt to focus my thanks to You on one particular thing.  When I first started following this “theme day”, I thought it would be the easiest conversation of the week, simply because I’m Blessed in so many ways that I’d have an infinite list of things to be thankful for.  Funny enough, that ended up being the reason that Thursdays can be so difficult for me; too many Blessings to pick just one! 🙂

In today’s case, when I started to contemplate all the things I’ve been thankful for this week a seemingly bizarre one popped into my head.  I shook it off and tried to think of other, more important things but it kept coming back to the front of my mind.  I’m really not sure what prompted this one Father, but I’ll throw it out as long as you promise not to laugh:

Today Father, I’m thankful for Chlorine Bleach.

Ok, ok… Even I chuckle when I say this one.  Laughs are ok.

I use bleach on pretty much a daily basis Lord.  I guess it’s not as much the chemical itself, but the known bacterial and viral destruction it leaves in it’s wake.  From caring for a number of relatives who were seriously ill, very old pets with “control issues”, raising little boys with all the associated grubbiness (as my wife Shannon reminds me regularly, boys are gross… lol) and all the time we spent with Jonathan’s immune system being nonexistent I’ve come to rely on bleach as my “germ killing” solution to a great many problems.

I use it on our bathroom fixtures…

I use it in the kitchen sink…

I put some in the rinse water for our carpet cleaner…

I use it in the laundry rinse cycle…

I power-wash the house with a solution of it…

And the list goes on and on…

While there are absolutely many more important things I could praise You for Lord, this is what was in my heart.  No clue why, it just was.  Therefore Father, I thank You for the cleanliness that You bring to my life through this flexible and powerful chemical.  It helps to keep my home cleaner and my family less subject to infectious organisms and in my book, that makes it a significant Blessing.

Thank You for that sense of clean Father.

Amen.

~Phather Phil

Angels in Waiting

Dear Lord; Happy Wednesday Father!

This evening Lord, my heart is heavy.

As we’ve discussed a number of times before, a huge Blessing in Jonathan’s life over the last couple years has been his involvement with Kay’s Kamp.  It’s a wonderful organization, and it’s meant so much to Jonathan to have that connection with children who share and understand his medical situation.  The bonds he’s formed with that group have been amazing, and we’re very thankful to be part of their “family”.

Over the rest of the year when Kamp isn’t in session, the Kay’s Kamp staff is wonderful about keeping everyone in contact with each other, and in passing along any important events that may occur so that everyone can come together when needed.  Today, I heard from them… and it wasn’t happy news.

One of the Kampers’ medical condition has deteriorated, and he and his mother are in need of Your Comfort Father.

Whenever we come up against news like this, it hits us extremely hard Lord.  We’ve worn those shoes, and I believe it’s one of the most difficult things that anyone can deal with in this lifetime.  When I received the email, past realities flooded back to me and my heart caved knowing what they must be feeling.  Although we’ve been truly Blessed that Jonathan’s disease has stayed in remission so far, the fact it still lives in him becomes much more real when we see others in that situation suffering.  I realize we don’t have the “Big Picture” Father, and that You’re still in control even in cases like this, but those answers can seem very distant when our spirit cries for those in pain.

Heavenly Father, please bring Your Divine Healing to this little one and his mother.  Let them know Your Love and Comfort, and the Eternal Hope that Christ brought to us all.  Your Light is strong in these families Lord, and I pray that they see it and feel Your Peace in this time of turmoil and darkness.  Amen.

~Phather Phil

P.S. For further information on this remarkable little boy and his struggle, they have a web page at: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/dorianh .  Please pray for them.

Happy 200th Father!

Dear Lord; Happy Monday Father!

Today Father, I received a wonderful surprise when I logged into the statistics page for PhatherPhil.org.  Yesterday’s Easter Day Post “Christ is Risen!” was my 200^th article, with a total of 1,200 comments to date and as of this moment, 12,105 site visits since I began writing it last year.  It’s been a wonderful journey Lord, and I feel truly Blessed to have had this level of interest in and response to our daily conversations.  Through this ministry I’ve grown steadily in my Walk with You, found fellowship with  some absolutely wonderful people, and hopefully passed on Your Messages in ways that have proved valuable to others.  Either way, I want to thank You for our daily “chats”, and very much look forward to the next 200.  🙂

Easter weekend was wonderful as well Father.  From the small gathering of people we had over for the kickoff of our Spring and Summer “Dinner and Drinks on the Deck” Friday evenings, to celebrating the Glory of Christ’s Resurrection with friends and family Saturday and Sunday, it was a Blessed time and Your Presence was felt in abundance.

As the weather abated, I also was able to spend some time enjoying one of my hobbies; photography.  And while these shots are certainly not representative of my best work from an artistic perspective, they made me smile so I thought I’d share them all the same:

Jonathan was in rare form at “Uncle” Steve and “Aunt” Kay’s house on Saturday.  While not blood-related, we consider them family in the truest sense of the word, and the boys love them to no end.  In this shot he was out in the yard, playing with their dog and having a wonderful time doing so.

While the children ran around and blew off a little excess sugar energy, Shannon got the opportunity to relax a bit and work on a crocheting project.

While I don’t remember the conversation he was having when I shot this, I loved the light and shadows and the expression on Aidan’s face.

All in all Lord, it was a peaceful, inspired and Blessed Easter Weekend and I thank You for those Gifts.  The Glory of what this wondrous event signifies was on my heart throughout, and as You know I spent a great deal of time in contemplation of your Love for us all.

Heavenly Father, thank You so much for our daily conversations; they truly Bless me well beyond written words on a page.  I pray that our relationship continues to deepen, and that through what we’ve begun I’m able to continue to use this site to serve Your Will, and reach out to those in need.  Amen.

~Phather Phil

Christ is Risen!

Dear Lord; Good morning Father, and Happy Easter!

My heart is light today Father; filled with the power of what this day of celebration represents!

Following a dreary, rainy Good Friday (which seemed somewhat appropriate weather to me), the weather broke late yesterday; almost as if the light were yearning for the coming dawn.  Today I awoke to a beautiful sunlit morning, as if the world itself is rejoicing on this Day of Resurrection!

Brought up in a Lutheran Church, I’ve been hearing the following phrase whispered through my heart quite a bit the last few days:

Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again!

Such a simple, yet in my opinion powerful statement of Faith this is Lord.  We can never hope in this life to comprehend the magnitude of the Gifts Christ brought to us, but my heart stretches and my spirit grows each time I contemplate these wondrous events.

This morning Father, I read the story of Jesus’ Resurrection from the Gospel of Matthew to Jonathan and Aidan.  Over the last week, I’ve been talking with them about the significance and importance of what this celebration represents, and although they’re still young in their walk with You, I see Your Light in their eyes more and more each day.  Please continue to bring Your Love and Guidance to their hearts, that they may grow in Your Kingdom and more fully appreciate the Blessings You bring to us all.

“After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.

There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it.  His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow.  The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.

The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified.  He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.  Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”” – Matthew 28:1-7 (NIV)

Heavenly Father, we rejoice at the wonder of Christ’s Resurrection on this sunny Easter Morning, and for the Salvation and Hope that act of Love signifies.  I pray that our hearts will all be filled with Your Glory, and for Your Will to guide us along the path Jesus laid for us.

Christ is Risen!

Amen.

~Phather Phil