The Lord Was With Him

Dear Lord; Happy Monday Father!

Wow Father, what a busy weekend!  Between projects for work, helping the kids with homework, cleaning, laundry, dishes and cooking I think the craziness at the office will seem a little easier this morning.  🙂  Either way, I was Blessed to spend lots of time with people I love and was wonderfully productive so for that I thank You!

Along with the plethora of activity this weekend Lord, I was able to spend some time with Your Book reading in Genesis.  For some reason, I was drawn to the narrative of Joseph and reread it several times.  It made enough of an impact on me Father, that with Your indulgence I’d like to discuss this important story this morning.

Following Joseph’s betrayal at the hands of his brothers and being sold into slavery, he was taken to Egypt and sold into the service of one of Pharaoh’s officials named Potiphar.

“The Lord was with Joseph so that he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master.  When his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did, Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant.  Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned.  From the time he put him in charge of his household and of all that he owned, the Lord blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph.  The blessing of the Lord was on everything Potiphar had, both in the house and in the field.” – Genesis 39:2-5 (NIV)

This really struck several points with me Father.  First off, it must have been very obvious to Joseph’s master that You were with him to bestow that level of trust to a slave so quickly.  I so want Your Light to shine through me like that! Secondly, through the trust placed in Joseph by Potiphar, his household became Blessed as well.  This emphasized a very significant truth to me as well Lord; If we show Your Light to those around us, we Bless them as well!

But as you know Father, Joseph’s trials didn’t end there.  He was later falsely accused and imprisoned, and yet his faith in You was stalwart.  Even then, It was evident to the jailer that You were by his side and he was therefore placed in charge of the other prisoners.

“So the warden put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison, and he was made responsible for all that was done there.” – Genesis 39:22 (NIV)

This position then led to his encounter with two of Pharaoh’s officials who had offended the king and been imprisoned for their indiscretions.  Through Your Voice, Joseph interpreted dreams from each man, the events of which then came to pass as described.  However, the official that had promised favor for Joseph upon his release quickly forgot his vow, and Joseph remained incarcerated for two more years.

And yet, Joseph’s faith never wavered.

Then Pharaoh had some dreams which left him troubled.  He called on the expertise of his magicians and wise men, but none could provide a meaning for the nighttime messages.  Pharaoh’s chief cupbearer, whom Joseph had aided those two years prior was suddenly reminded of his accurate reading, and made Pharaoh aware of Joseph’s ability.  Joseph was then summoned, and again through Your Voice was able to interpret Pharaoh’s dreams.  Yet again, Your Presence in Joseph was so obvious that Pharaoh placed him in charge of his palace and of all his subjects, second only in authority to the king.

“Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one so discerning and wise as you. You shall be in charge of my palace, and all my people are to submit to your orders. Only with respect to the throne will I be greater than you.”” – Genesis 41:39-40 (NIV)

With his newly found position, Joseph went to work preparing Egypt for the famine which had been prophesized to come.  Once again, Joseph’s rock-solid faith not only granted him Blessings in his own life, but also Blessed those around him as well.

Heavenly Father, thank You for placing Joseph’s example in my heart this weekend.  I pray that I can find the strength to be as faithful, as dedicated and as courageous as he was in Your Service.  May Your Light be that obvious in me, so those I encounter have no doubt of Your Influence in my life.  Amen.

~Phather Phil

Parenting Help from The Father

Dear Lord; Good afternoon Father.

I’ve decided that 11 is a complicated age Lord…  Let me tell You a little about my morning.

Today started out like most weekday mornings do; with everyone scrambling to compose themselves and prepare for the work and school day ahead.  Still shaking off the effects of a restless night, I stepped out of the shower and immediately picked up on yelling coming from the opposite side of the house.  Quickly wrapping a towel around myself I headed for the source of the turmoil.

Jonathan and Aidan were firmly entrenched in a verbal battle with each other.  Apparently, Aidan had taken a seat at the table that Jonathan had set up for himself, pushing his things aside in the process.  This in turn lit Jonathan’s fuse, and the battle royale had begun.

Both were intractable, and it had progressed from a basic disagreement to an angered exchange complete with name calling (luckily, nothing too terrible) and yelling.  (Looking back to it now, Dr. Seuss’ story “The Zax” comes to mind.)

Still sporting my towel, I quickly intervened on the situation trying to get a handle on who did what and to calm things down.  Unfortunately, Jonathan was riled up way past the point of reason and redirected his attitude towards my authority.  Needless to say, it went downhill from there.  Shannon and I take disrespect very seriously, and Jonathan had gone WAY too far to allow it to go unchecked.

“Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.” – Exodus 20:12

We then entered the correction phase of the conversation; No computer games for the next couple of days… At which time, Jonathan went off the deep end.

I’ve never seen anger like this from him Father, and it really caught Shannon and I off guard.  He threw what can only be described as a massive “hissy fit”, told us he was leaving home forever, and without a coat, hat or gloves stormed out the front door onto the snow covered lawn.

I watched quietly out the window for a couple minutes, then went outside and got in the truck to go fetch him.  He’d made it down to the end of the street, and when I pulled up on him he stood shivering in the snow and firmly refused to get in the car.  More concerned for his health than the attitude at this point, I promptly picked him up, put him in the truck and closed the door.  Unfortunately, that still wasn’t the end of it and the ride to school was filled with further venomous outbursts and disrespect.  As it hadn’t completely abated when we turned into the school parking lot, I decided to err on the side of caution and keep him with me for the day.

As we pulled out of the school after dropping Aidan off, I quietly focused on Your Guidance Father.  I was at a loss… He’d never shown me this kind of behavior before.

“Hold him close to you.” I heard drift through my head.

With that directive in my heart and an image of You holding him in Your Arms in my mind, I spent the rest of the trip to my office working to release some of the tension that the morning had brought.  We arrived at my workplace, where I set him down on the couch in my office to contemplate the events of the morning.

“Jonathan” I said, “You tell me you talk to God quite a bit… Now would be a good time to listen to Him.”

He gave me a half-quizzical look, but sat quietly on the couch for quite a long time all the same.  When he finally turned and spoke to me, his voice was much softer and more reserved.  We discussed what had happened, and he remorsefully explained how he’d allowed his anger to run away with him and about the difficulty he’d had “getting the genie back in the bottle” once he’d lost control.  There are days Father, that I think he’s far too deep for a child of 11… Today was one of those days.

When I spoke with him later on, I asked him if he’d heard from You while he laid on my couch.

“Yes… And he didn’t sound happy.” Jonathan replied.  “We talked about how I was going to make it better, and not let it happen again.”

Thank You for the assist with him Father, and for focusing me as well.  Sometimes we all need some parenting help from the “Head of the Household”.  🙂

Amen.

~Phather Phil

There is a Time for Everything

Dear Lord; Good morning Father.

Today Lord, I was having difficulty deciding how to “frame” our conversation.  This morning brought along with the dawn a seemingly continuous stream of headaches, problems and complications which made it very difficult for me to focus on Your Voice through the “noise”.  I started writing several times, but always ended up clearing it from my screen because it just felt wrong.  Instead of forcing the issue, I decided to leave myself open to You as best I could, and work through the day’s labors until we could connect up properly.

Well Father… I’m here now.

It’s terribly disconcerting to me when I get to the point where I can’t focus enough to have our morning discussion.  I’m dependent on You Lord, and when earthly influences overwhelm me to the point of not being able to concentrate on You, it’s upsetting to say the least.  I felt lost, and embattled.  For my human frailties Lord, I apologize and thank You for being ever faithful to me during my moments of weakness.

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” – Isaiah 41:10 (NIV)

Thank You for Your Comfort and Strength Father, and Your Unwavering Dedication to Your Children.  We are truly Blessed.

Now Lord, if I may, I’d like to shift the subject.

As I mentioned yesterday, over the weekend I got a chance to head out with Jonathan and Aidan to Blackbird State Forest for a photowalk in the woods.  It wasn’t overly cold per-se, but the wind was in upwards of 40mph, providing a stark reminder that while the temperature was up a bit we were still in the grips of winter.  I hadn’t been there during this time of year before, and it was a truly different place with the foliage stripped from the trees and bushes.  The veil of green we were accustomed to seeing was cast aside, and had been replaced by a vast sea of towering gray trunks reaching into the sky.

Life seemed to have packed up and left for warmer climates.

And yet, as we walked through the silent, barren trails we were greeted with some signs of rebirth.  Through the carpet of fallen leaves and pine needles poked streaks of color; tufts of early grasses and fungi protected by and feeding on the remains of the previous year’s abundance.  Like our spirits journeying to Your Light Lord, the forest was quietly feeding and nourishing the life it held hidden beneath the surface.

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:  a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.” – Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (NIV)

Heavenly Father, that walk opened my heart to the transitions You’re making in my life.  I pray that You continue to feed my hunger for Your Presence, and nourish my imperfect and yearning spirit so that my human failings are no further impediment to Your Plan for me.  Amen.

~Phather Phil

Listening Through the Anger

Dear Lord; Happy Monday Father!

First off Lord, I want to thank You for a lovely weekend surrounded by family and friends.  I was even able to get out with the kids for a photowalk in the forest, and enjoyed it very much.  All in all, it was a pleasant couple of days and I am truly thankful for You Blessing me with that respite.

Today Father, I’d like to discuss something I’ve seen more and more evidence of lately; People seem to be increasingly frustrated, angry and confrontational.  Now, I realize this is a gross generalization however it feels like the overall “threshold” of people’s tolerance and temperament is much lower than it has been in recent past.  Little everyday issues that could easily be talked through or handled with minimal effort are launching people into flashes of ire that are way out of proportion to the immediate cause.  We’re deluged with examples of it in the news, I’ve seen it when dealing with clients and vendors at my office, and even when observing the actions of other shoppers while out grocery shopping.  It’s getting tense down here Lord.

“Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil.” – Psalm 37:8 (NIV)

I’ll admit that with all the increased stress I’ve been under professionally lately Father, I’ve been guilty of having a “shorter fuse” upon occasion, but You’re always very quick to remind me that’s not Your Way and I get back on track.  This being the case, it leads me to a significant concern…

Are there that many people that aren’t listening to You?

I’m quite afraid I already know the answer to that question, but I guess I hadn’t realized the scope of the issue.  I do know that I’ve come to depend on Your Voice and Presence in my life Father, almost like I need air to breathe.  You encourage me, sustain me and guide me throughout my day and I am forever thankful for Your Blessings.  Do I sometimes get upset anyways?  Absolutely!  I’m imperfect and flawed and I realize that.  Thankfully, when my humanly failings rear their ugly heads I have You to forgive me, bolster me and guide me back to Your Path.

“Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” – Ephesians 4:31-32 (NIV)

Heavenly Father, today I pray for all those who are lost and without the clarity to hear Your Comforting Voice.  Please calm their restless spirits, and clear away the self-imposed barriers in place which prevent them from Your Wondrous Counsel.  And Lord, please assist me in acting as an emissary of Your Word and in bringing Your Message to those in need.  Amen.

~Phather Phil

Life is Noisy

Dear Lord; Happy Friday Father!

This morning Father, I had what I think is an important realization; my life is noisy.

Each morning, I’m awakened by an alarm clock which at the same time starts an hour-long process of dogs barking to go out, my smartphone reporting to me all the things that I missed while I slept (or tried to anyways), and the daily rush to get our family moving forward with the day.  Then I don the mobile headset for the ride to school and the office, on goes the radio and all the while I’m serenaded by the beeps and blips from the boys’ Nintendo DS’s from the back of the SUV.  Once at work, the constant sounds of phones, computers, streaming radio, and a plethora of other office chatter persist throughout the day.  The ride home is spent back on the headset along with the radio helping me to drown out the commute noise.  Evenings at home are filled with more barking dogs (yes, we have little yappy dogs… lol), television, phones and other such sounds of modern life.

As I said… Noisy.

I’m beginning to think that the struggle I’ve had with insomnia over the years may be partially related to the amount of constant noise in my day.  In the wee hours of the night, I can truly find the Stillness and quiet to properly direct my thoughts and listen to Your Voice.

Hmmm… Stillness… It’s been a while since I’ve truly had some.

“He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”” – Psalm 46:10 (NIV)

Well Lord, this weekend I’m going to try and focus on that.  It’s supposed to be nicer weather the next couple of days here, so I’m planning to try and take advantage of it and visit one of the few places I can almost always get the Stillness I need to hear You; Blackbird State Forest.  It’s been months since I’ve been able to go and just walk in Your Splendor, so I’m going to do exactly that.

“You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.” – Isaiah 55:12 (NIV)

Amen.

See You soon.  🙂

~Phather Phil