Dear Lord; First off Father, I want to follow up on our conversation yesterday. Last evening, I went to the local mall to pick up a couple of odds-and-ends. I was pleasantly surprised to see a significantly better perspective from the shoppers and vendors. I got smiles, Lord… Lots of them. And when I wished people there a Merry and Blessed Christmas, I got happy faces and well-wishes in return. Thank You for allowing me to witness those signs of Your Joy. It helped my spirits immensely.
Today Lord, my heart is already yearning towards the next couple of days. Work still holds many stresses for me, money is still extremely short and Shannon and I are still recovering from the bug that hit us last weekend, but the Light of the Blessed Event to come is overwhelming all of that. I’m very much looking forward to spending quite a bit of “quality time” with You over the next couple of days, and helping spread the Love and Hope the Birth of Your Son brought to us all. Please help me be an effective emissary of Your Word, and to bring Christ’s Message to as many others as possible.
“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6
Dear Lord; Well Father, I want to start today by thanking You for Your Healing Light; Shannon and I are both feeling much better today. And more importantly Lord, I got Your point from our illness. Through all the stresses, difficulties and worries in our lives we are absolutely Loved and Blessed. What an amazing feeling! We had such an exceptional outpouring of love and concern that both of us could feel Your Presence in abundance, and we’re very grateful.
Today however, I’ll admit to be feeling a little overwhelmed with my earthly realities. Between the demands at work and Christmas being only four short days away, Shannon and I are struggling to not allow our time and money constraints to overshadow the amazing Blessing this Season of Celebration brings to us all. As You know, one of the things I use to keep my spirit focused on what’s truly important Lord, is music. Today, You kept bringing one specific Artist to my mind; Kathy Mattea. Her “Good News” Christmas Album has long been one of my favorites, and today this song just spoke to me :
Thank You Father, for all the Miracles You bring us each day. Help us all lay our worries and burdens at Your Feet and go forward in Love to Celebrate the coming of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen. ~Phather Phil
Dear Lord; As you know Lord, today is an extremely special day for my Wife and I. 11 Years ago today, You Blessed us with our first son Jonathan. I remember his first year quite vividly Father. It was a complicated, and terrifying, and wondrous time. As I’ve mentioned before Lord, I consider that period to be the turning point to finding my path to You, and to some extent that’s made my bond to Jonathan even stronger. I see Your Light in him on a regular basis, and I can’t thank You enough for Blessing us by keeping him in our lives.
He’s a very special child in many ways Father, and while I know I’m biased I can honestly say that he’s been one of the most obvious examples to me that You have a Plan for all of us. He’s touched so many lives, and has an amazing inner light that seems to shine on those around him. For example, due to his medical history and some remaining “hardware” in his body, he’s been unable to go to camp with his friends during the summers. By Your Guidance, we were connected with an amazing organization called Kay’s Kamp which was setting up the first Oncology Camp in Delaware for kids a couple years back. We signed him up, and it’s been the most incredible experience for him. What was most remarkable for me though Father, was the comments I kept getting from the staff at the camp. Many of the other children are still on active treatment, or in serious condition with their futures very much in doubt. Over and over again, I was told how much Jonathan worked to raise them up, and make them feel like they were normal, and special. This year, it became even more obvious to me when one of the Kay’s Kamp kids from the first year was in the hospital, and we found out that there was nothing else they could do for her. We visited her in the hospital, and Jonathan went to her bedside and talked with her for a little bit. We didn’t hear what was said, but she and he both had smiles on their faces afterwards and when I asked him why he said “It’s ok… She’s going to be with God and won’t hurt any more.” As I said Lord, I see Your Light in him regularly and learn so much about You through him.
Heavenly Father, thank You so very much for bringing me this little miracle, and for using him to help me see Your Wonder and Your Love more completely. I lift my prayers to You for this incredible Blessing, and ask for Your Continued Guidance in nurturing him as he grows. Amen. ~Phather Phil
Dear Lord; Well Father, tomorrow’s the big day and I’m actually quite excited. Tonight I go to rehearse with the wedding party, and go over the Ceremony I’ve prepared. While the nerves are still there, I know that You’re with me, and I’m extremely Honored to be representing You by joining these two people in Holy Matrimony.
Today though Lord, I’d like to talk with You about something I’m extremely thankful for. Over the last several months as I’ve been making this blog a daily part of my life, I’ve spent quite a bit of time searching for inspiration and seeking Your wisdom in a number of ways. Some of it’s come from just looking at the events that unfold around me with different eyes, and some has come through deliberate searching through the Bible, and a variety of Internet sites created by like-minded individuals. These people Lord, are a true Blessing to me. I haven’t actually met any of them, and yet their posts and comments have provided me with amazing inspiration, encouragement and wisdom. On top of that Lord, they’ve made me feel a part of their journey of faith, and I feel very Blessed to have them a part of mine as well. Please continue to hold these amazing people in Your Embrace Father, and fill their hearts with Your infinite Love so that they may continue to Glorify You, and bring Your Light to many others. Amen. ~Phather Phil
P.S. While some the sites I frequent are in my Blogroll, it’s by no means all-inclusive. Therefore, please hear my special prayers for Jenifer, Lisa, Bryan, Elaine, Allison, Jean, Kelli and Christopher. These are Blessed Souls indeed, and make my journey to You much more full. Amen.
Dear Lord; Once again Father, I want to start our Monday chat by thanking You for a lovely weekend with good friends and family. While I probably should have spent more time sleeping and recharging for the week ahead, the time spent with those I care about greatly outweighed the need for rest. Either way, it was a wonderful weekend and I thank You for that.
This morning Lord, I’d like to talk with You about the paradoxical effect this Season seems to bring on to some people. With all of the emphasis on the close relationships in our lives this time of year, those people experiencing a personal loss may dwell on that emptiness and end up having adverse feelings about the Holiday in general. Be it death, divorce, illness or physical separation causing those feelings, I’ve seen quite a few folks who are just having a difficult time embracing the love this Time of Celebration exudes. The true shame in this really is that these people are missing the most important relationship that they have… The one with You! Joshua 1:9 reads :
“Have not I commanded you? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be you dismayed: for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”
While we all suffer from losses on this Earth at some point, if we put our focus on Your constant Presence in our lives, we are never truly alone. What an amazing Gift that is! Like all of Your Children at some point, I’ve been guilty of focusing my heart on mortal pains now and again. The closer I get to You though Lord, the less time I spend with my heart in turmoil and the more thankful I become. Please reach out Your Light to all those in pain Father, so that they may feel the Peace and Love of this Blessed time of year. Amen. ~Phather Phil
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. 
