I love when You place things on my heart Lord… I gain so much perspective from those moments.
As You know, I’ve been in “worry mode” lately Father; worried about the business not doing as well as I’d like, worried about the kids being prepared to go back to school, worried about not having medical insurance at the moment, and worried that all this worrying is getting in the way of my hearing You clearly. And although I’m usually able to squelch those feelings by focusing on the many Blessings in my life, I’ll admit to having allowed those negative emotions to overwhelm me more than once in recent days. This morning was one of those instances.
Thankfully, You decided it was time to get my attention.
Driving to an appointment this morning, my thoughts were churning; systematically cycling through all of the complications the past month had brought. I felt weighted, and edgy, and my temples throbbed in sympathetic rhythm with my pounding chest. I’d almost reached my destination, when You abruptly interrupted my train of thought…
“Turn your worries into prayers.” You whispered.
“But I have prayed about them…” I thought to myself. “Haven’t I??”
And then the light bulb went off… Ouch.
I realized that although I’ve been praying Father, it’s not always been from the right perspective. Instead of first giving You thanks, and then praying for Your direction in fulfilling Your desires for my life, I’ve instead allowed my worries, fears and anxieties to dictate my prayers. I’ve prayed for what I believed would be the best solutions to my problems, when I should have placed these situations fully in Your hands, and listened for Your guidance as to the proper path to take. I was praying for what I wanted to happen, instead of to be a part of what You wanted to happen.
I hadn’t realized I was praying in arrogance Father… Please forgive me.
Heavenly Father, please fill me with Your divine perspective that I may look to Your counsel first, and then act on Your behalf. I’m very much a work in progress Lord, and my deepest desire is to grow closer to You with each passing day.
Well Father, life is beginning to return to normal here in Delaware following the excitement surrounding Hurricane Irene this past weekend. And while this particular storm wasn’t nearly as powerful as many that strike other parts of the country, for an underprepared East Coast which seldom sees weather of that nature, it was a challenge nonetheless. Needless to say Lord, it made for an eventful weekend and one we won’t forget anytime soon. For those dealing with damage, pain or loss from this climactic onslaught, I pray that You keep them intently in Your gaze and bring them the comfort and healing only Your presence is able to.
This week’s Meditations Monday Scripture comes from the second chapter of 2nd Timothy:
“Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.” – 2 Timothy 2:23-26 (NIV)
Well Father, the Apostle Paul certainly wasn’t subtle about Your will on this particular subject, and yet this is one of those “problem areas” that I know we’re all guilty of upon occasion. Paul’s point that the nit-picking, “little” things we choose to let get under our skin, more often than not lead only to ungodly conflict. And when we allow ourselves to be a part of such unimportant disagreements, we stray from Your desire as to how we should act towards others; with kindness, patience and respect. I know that over the years I’ve certainly lost my composure with people more than a few times Father, and in doing so I failed to take advantage of those opportunities to show Your influence in my life.
It’s something I’ll be praying about this week Lord…
Heavenly Father,
As we begin this new week, please help focus our hearts and minds to best serve Your will for us. Calm our tumultuous natures, and guide us to provide that “gentle instruction” to those around us that are in need of Your light.
With hurricane Irene looming to our South Father, folks around here are very much consumed with preparing themselves for a difficult and potentially dangerous weekend. We’ve made basic preparations ourselves; ensuring adequate supplies of food, water, propane and medications, as well as taking in any loose items from the deck and yard. Tensions are running high for many people on the East Coast right now Lord, but Your Presence brings comfort to the chaos. I pray that Your peace is felt by all those living in the shadow of fear, and that they can rest easier knowing that even in the midst of seemingly uncontrollable forces, Your sovereignty never falters.
To help combat the “dark clouds” on the horizon Father, I thought I’d end the week on a lighter note. I came across a video today that just gave me a chuckle, so I decided to share it…
I was never a fan of the original song (I truly disliked it actually), but this version works for me! 🙂
Thank You Father, for all the Blessings You’ve bestowed on us this week. Please calm the swirling winds, and shelter those in harm’s way in Your protective embrace that they may know Your might.
Well Father, You’re certainly providing us with an eventful week here in Delaware. Between the earthquake that we experienced on Tuesday and the impending arrival of hurricane Irene this weekend, we’re very much “on our toes” around here. And while we’ll of course be preparing as best we can for the potential effects of the storm, my fears are allayed by the knowledge that we’re in Your capable hands.
It’s been a slightly stressful week for me Lord, however as always Your Blessings in my life shine through that haze. To continue my Thankful Thursday list, this week I’m especially grateful for:
211. The sounds of crickets serenading me as I sit on our deck at night.
212. Jonathan and Aidan having a great first day back at school.
213. Shannon having a wonderful first day of work.
214. A smooth server installation for a new client today.
215. No damage or injuries from the earthquake that happened this week.
216. The soothing effect Praise Music has on Jonathan when he’s stressed.
217. Feeling more “in-tune” with Your Presence each day.
218. A significant surge in business this past week.
219. Having a dedicated Service Manager (and close friend) who keeps my business going.
220. Melatonin supplements to help with getting my sleep cycle back on track.
221. Fabric Softener.
222. The inner peace I draw from Your Presence.
223. Port wine cheese spread on Ritz crackers.
224. The fact that my kids still like to snuggle up with me. 🙂
225. Neighbors that keep a watchful eye on our home, and let us know when they see something that may be wrong.
And I’m just getting started Father. 🙂
Heavenly Father, I pray that the peace of Your presence is felt by all those gripped by fear as this hurricane heads towards us. Please keep those in harm’s way in Your watchful gaze, and bring us all safely through the storm.
This morning Father, the Malmstrom home was a flurry of activity. Jonathan and Aidan eagerly prepared for their first day of the new school year, and Shannon got herself ready for the first day in her new full-time position as a Para-Educator at the school as well. As we’ve discussed many times Lord, I’m very proud of my wife, and love seeing her so excited to take this step.
And with the vision of her smile drifting through my mind, my prayers this morning have been focused on Shannon and all the other educators that strive daily to prepare our children for the future. Teachers are truly special people Father, and I thank You for instilling that love and sense of commitment in their hearts.
With that thought on my heart Lord, I’d like to close today with a prayer I found this morning. It appears to originate from the United Church of Christ’s website, although I wasn’t able to track down a specific author. It’s entitled “A Prayer for Teachers”:
God of Love, Thank you for every teacher who notices a child’s special gift. Thank you for teachers who are listeners and gentle guides. Thank you for teachers who expect much and love enough to demand more. Thank you for the special teacher each one of us remembers.
God of Mercy, Sustain teachers who give everything they have and feel abandoned when society expects too much. Strengthen teachers who assume the blame for so many problems beyond their control. Help exhausted teachers rest.
God of Strength, Encourage teachers to care and inspire them to nourish. Motivate teachers to keep on learning for the fun of it and to make learning fun for children.
We wonder at teachers who know how to quiet a class of five-year-olds or help fourth grade girls be empathetic. We admire teachers who enjoy middle school writers, or teach physics or math or civics. We cannot even imagine how to help every single student achieve Adequate Yearly Progress. Bless the people who are expected to accomplish these miracles and who know how to comfort children when miracles don’t happen.
God of Justice, help our nation find a way to steward our vast wealth to support teachers in their special calling, wherever they teach and whatever the race or religion or gender or wealth of the children.
We pray these things in the name of our Great Teacher, Jesus Christ.
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. 
