Well Lord, yet another weekend has come and gone at the Malmstrom home. As seems to be our norm as of late, it was a somewhat hectic weekend but also one filled with fun, laughter, and the company of good friends. Your Presence was felt in abundance, and I thank You for Blessing us with these times of recreation and fellowship.
This week’s Meditations Monday verse is taken from Chapter 4 of Paul’s Epistle to the Ephesians:
“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)
Wow… no pressure there Father. 😉
This a powerful, relevant verse Lord, and one all Your Children should take to heart more thoroughly. As the fragile, broken beings we are, we often allow our sinful natures to overshadow Your Desires for us. Feelings of inner conflict and malicious intent eat away at our souls, and obscure us from Your Voice. In this passage, Paul reminds us that You Blessed us with the perfect example of Divine Forgiveness. You set the bar, and guide us in our Walk to emulate that behavior in our dealings with one another.
And as we discussed on Friday’s post Father, You know our hearts, not just the persona we put on for others. “Surface forgiveness” isn’t what Your edict to us defines, but instead we’re to strive for true, transformational benevolence. It’s a steep climb to be sure, but one that leads us ever closer to Christ’s Footsteps and to Your Kingdom.
Heavenly Father, I thank You once again for Your consistent guiding Presence in my life. Please help me to cast off the chains of sinful emotions, and reach out to others in the nature of true forgiveness and compassion. Help me to make decisions that best glorify Your Will, and to bring Your Light to those around me. Amen.
Well Lord, once again we come to that day of the week where I compose my list of some things I’ve been thankful for over the past seven days; Thankful Thursday. It’s been a topsy-turvy week, but even in times of uncertainty and sadness, I still find so much to give thanks for. These posts have ended up being a Blessing to me Father, as each week I now take more special care to note all the “little” miracles in my life, instead of being consumed by the chaotic world around me and missing them. As I’ve said before, I am truly Blessed. 🙂
Anyways Father, on to the list! Some of the things I’ve been thankful for this week are:
91. Jonathan’s excitement in starting confirmation class at church.
92. Father’s Day dinner with my Dad.
93. The Holy Bible.
94. Facebook.
95. Fax Machines.
96. Seeing my children perform unprompted acts of kindness.
97. Twizzlers. (These should have a warning label about being addictive)
98. Neighbors who mow your lawn while you’re out. (Thank you Donna!)
99. A “Wall-E” toy robot of Aidan’s that he gave to me for my desk at work. (I smile every time I look at it)
100. Boston Crème Donuts.
101. Watching the blur of glow sticks flying around the back yard on Friday nights as the kids burn off steam.
102. The family of cardinals that’s taken up residence near our home.
103. Having a local Christian Bookstore with a good selection.
104. Teriyaki grilled salmon.
105. Feeling and recognizing Your Presence in my life.
And so much more…
Heavenly Father, I lift my heart in praise for all of the Blessings You bring to our lives each day. You are truly a compassionate and caring Shepherd, and I rejoice in the love You show to Your flock. Please help us see through the veil of our mortal shells, and relish the joy that Your Divine Presence brings to us all. Amen.
And once again Lord, we stand at the conclusion to yet another work-week. The weekend ahead is poised to be a busy one, but one where much of our time will be spent in the company of good friends and family, so I’m very much looking forward to it. You’ve Blessed us immeasurably through the souls You’ve brought into our lives, and we relish these times with them.
On my way in to work this morning, I was listening to the local Contemporary Christian radio station when a song came on that I hadn’t heard before. As the music played I found myself inspired by the lyrics, so when I reached the office I spent some time researching the song’s origins. As it turns out, although I hadn’t heard it before the song was part of an album released in 2005 by Paul Colman called “Let it Go”, and is entitled “The One Thing”.
What a great song.
But the one thing I don’t question is You
You really love me like You say You do
We question so many things in our lives Lord, but as long as we cling firmly to the knowledge that You love us unconditionally, all those other concerns pale in importance. 🙂
Heavenly Father, I thank You for the Blessings You’ve bestowed on us this past week. Please continue to guide our motivations and actions to best glorify Your Will, and stir us to act as Your Hands and Feet so that all those around us can’t help but see Your Love. Amen.
Over the last few years Lord, I’ve been “hearing” more and more from You in my daily life and I have to tell You, it’s been a transformational change for me. While I know through Scripture and Faith that You’ve always been with me and always will be, as my Walk has progressed and I’ve learned to “listen” more carefully, I find Your Voice in almost every part of my day.
You speak to me through…
The wave of comfort and peace I get when I reach out to You in prayer.
The quick inner “watch it!” scolding I get after doing something that isn’t in line with Christ’s teachings (eg. Letting loose a nasty comment when someone cuts me off in traffic).
The warm feeling that crosses my heart when I see my children do things that Glorify You.
The quiet urgings I receive each day to step “outside my box”.
The song that plays on the local Christian radio station which delivers a message I need to hear, exactly when I need to hear it.
Feeling Your Presence whisper through the trees when I take long walks in the forest.
The “Spiritual Nudges” you give me to reach out and share Your Love.
And many others…
Heavenly Father, You speak to me in so many wonderful ways and I delight in continuing to discover new ones. As our steps grow closer, I pray that I’m able to hear Your Voice above all other sounds and make decisions that Glorify the Blessings You bestow on me.
“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” – John 10:27 (NIV)
To start our week’s conversations Lord, I want to thank You for yet another wonderful weekend. From the “Dinner and Drinks on the Deck” get-together we hosted Friday night, to a relaxing day with good friends on Saturday, and concluded by an inspiring church service and day with my family on Sunday, it was a lovely couple days respite. Thank You so much for those Blessings!
Today Father, I’m beginning a new weekly post which I’m calling “Meditations Monday”. The concept for this recurring theme is to pick a passage in Scripture each week, and then to focus my thoughts and prayers on that particular piece of Biblical wisdom and inspiration. I love the idea of anchoring the week’s conversation in “Scriptural Mortar”, and I’m excited to see where this initiative will take us.
As yesterday was the celebration of Pentecost Father, it seems only fitting that for our first Meditations Monday the verses of focus be taken from the second chapter of Acts, which describe the Descending of Your Holy Spirit on the Apostles of Christ:
“When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken.” – Acts 2:1-6 (NIV)
This was a staggering Gift Lord, and one that continues to define our spiritual existence as Christians today. In that moment of transformation, You Blessed us with access to the most invasive and encompassing relationship with You that our mortal shells can have.
Heavenly Father, we give thanks and praise for this most remarkable and Holy Gift. I pray that we all take this time to search deep inside our hearts and dwell in that Divine Connection to You. Please guide my motivations and actions to best serve Your Will, and make my witness of Your Works effective in sharing that Grace with others. Amen.
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. 
