Well Father, we come again to the end of yet another work-week and I’ll admit to being excited this time. Tomorrow morning, my family and I leave for a week’s vacation at Chestnut Grove Resort in the Pocono Mountains. The kids love it there Lord, and I’ve found that it’s someplace that I can truly relax and spend quiet, meditative time in Your Presence. As Internet connectivity is quite limited, I don’t expect to be able to post our conversations every day, but hope to be able to at least a couple times over the course of the week. Funny enough, it makes perfect sense that in places where my connections to the world are more limited, my connection to You opens up wider. 🙂
In preparation for our time away, I spent some time yesterday picking out new books to read, and music to travel by. For reading material (other than my trusty YouVersion.com Bible App on my Android tablet), I have “Heaven is Real” written by Don Piper, and “Just Too Busy: Taking your Family on a Radical Sabbatical” by Joanne Kraft (Thanks so much Elaine!). As for music, while my iPod is already quite loaded with inspiring songs, I just had to add the albums “Blessings” by Laura Story, and “On Fire” from Peter Furler to the mix. Peter’s song “Reach” has been running through my head a lot the last couple weeks, so I’m excited to have the rest of his solo premier album to enjoy as well…
While we’re up there, we’ve also been invited by friends of ours to attend services at Pocono Community Church. From what they tell us, it’s a wonderful House of Worship and we’re very much looking forward to hearing the Pastor’s message on Sunday morning.
Heavenly Father, I thank You for all the Blessings You’ve bestowed on us this week, and for Your abundant Presence in our lives each day. I look forward with anticipation to spending communal time with You this coming week, and pray that You’ll keep us in Your Loving Embrace as we venture away from home. Amen.
And once again Father, we come to the Thankful Thursday edition at phatherphil.org! It’s been an eventful seven days to be sure, and I’ve felt Your Blessings overflowing around me throughout. I usually have to take some time to go back over the past week carefully in my head to pick out the little Blessings I’ve missed, but today for some reason they sprang to mind quickly and easily. It’s wonderful to have days of such clarity, and to feel like I’m walking the right path with You. 🙂
Anyways Lord, on to the list! This week, some things I’ve been thankful for are:
121. Living in a country that allows me to worship You without fear of persecution.
135. The medical technology that allows Jonathan to live a normal life.
Heavenly Father, I thank You for all the Blessings you grace us with, both those that are seen and those that may pass unnoticed. You are indeed a God of compassion and of wonders, and I pray that my choices, decisions and actions will properly Glorify Your gifts to us all. Amen.
What a wonderful weekends’ respite that was Father! I’m not usually a big fan of three-day-weekends as I tend to try to fit too much in, and end up more tired than usual. This past several days however, we were Blessed to be able to spend time with family and friends, get some things done around the house, and yet still have ample time to rest and recuperate. All-in-all, it was a lovely long weekend and I thank You for such Blessings in our lives.
Well Father, as yesterday was a holiday and I didn’t post our conversation to phatherphil.org, I thought I’d fly in the face of convention and write a Meditations Monday article… On Tuesday. I know Lord, I’m a rebel. 🙂
Today’s Scripture comes from the Book of Romans, Chapter 8. In this passage, the Apostle Paul is discussing our suffering while here on Earth, and how we should be looking at it in the context of Your Plan:
“I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.” – Romans 8:18-21 (NIV)
This is a terribly important piece of Truth Father, and one that all of us overlook from time to time. Our existence here is a season; temporary, and in the eternal scheme of things, brief. And while the suffering, trials and tribulations we go through may seem overwhelming upon occasion, their magnitude and duration pales in comparison to the glory those who are one with Christ will receive when finally raised up in Your Kingdom. Paul also emphasizes the passing nature of our Earthly problems in 2nd Corinthians where he states:
“For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” – 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 (NIV)
If we indeed view our trials here as “light and momentary”, and focus on the “eternal glory” that awaits those who persevere and preserve in the Love of Christ, then our burdens take on a completely different perspective… Through Your Eyes Lord.
Heavenly Father, as we begin this week’s endeavors I pray for Your guidance and assistance in assigning the proper level of importance to our burdens. Please anchor our Spirits in Christ Jesus, and instill in our hearts a glimpse of the wonder and glory that is to come. Amen.
Quite often Lord, when I sit down to write out my list of Blessings for the Thankful Thursday post, I have a difficult time putting them in writing. It’s not that I don’t feel Blessed of course, just that for some reason my mind goes “fuzzy”. When that happens, I replay the previous week’s events in my head, a day at a time, and when I reach something that makes me smile, I write it down.
What a wonderful exercise that’s turned out to be Father.
Forcing myself to go back, step-by-step, and taking special note of the Blessings You’ve graced me with over the past seven days makes me realize even more thoroughly how much You Love me. We allow so many of Your Gifts to slip by unnoticed, that the thought of “catching” some of them and giving thanks while they’re still fresh very much appeals to me.
And to that end Father God, this week I want to give special thanks and praise for:
106. Sixteen years of marriage to my wonderful wife Shannon.
119. No obvious significant issues found at Jonathan’s yearly checkup with his oncologist today. 🙂
120. A Heavenly Father that listens patiently to my prayers.
I have so much to give thanks for Lord…
Heavenly Father, thank You for all the Blessings you gift us with each day. Please open our eyes and our hearts to better recognize those moments around us that radiate Your Glory, and guide us to share those Blessings effectively with others. Amen.
Today Lord, my heart is rejoicing in celebration. Sixteen years ago today, in a little church in Newark, Delaware, You joined together Shannon and I in the bonds of Holy Matrimony. Our marriage is by far one of Your greatest Blessings to me Father, and I can’t thank You enough for Your abundant Presence and support during our life together…
We felt Your Presence that day, when we said our vows to one another.
You comforted and strengthened us when my mother passed away less than a month later.
You led us to find our wonderful new home in Smyrna when building plans fell through at the last minute.
You faithfully held us in Your arms through a number of serious medical problems with Shannon.
After being told by a number of doctors that we couldn’t have children naturally, You proved them wrong… Twice. 🙂
When Jonathan was born with a life-threatening disease, You surrounded him in Your Healing and gave us the courage to fight for his life.
Although we’ve gone through periods of severe economic uncertainty, You’ve always provided what we needed and given us the fortitude to move past the situation.
You’ve connected us with so many wonderful friends over the years who have Blessed and enriched our family, and continue to do so.
You refresh and renew my love for Shannon each day, and bind us ever closer as we go through time together.
I view our marriage as a testament to Your Love and Compassion Father, and I lift my heart in thanks and praise for the Blessings You bestow on us each day. I pray that You continue to Bless our union, and that we’re effective in reflecting Your Light to those around us as well.
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. 
