Wow Father, what a long and tiring day this was. I started the day at a client’s site at 7:45 this morning, and finally drove into my driveway at 8:45 tonight. I’m wiped.
Heading home this evening, I was driving along some back roads while Andrew Peterson’s “Counting Stars” CD massaged my mental temperament following the day’s toils. It was a dark and clear evening, and the stars seemed especially bright away from the street lights and incursions of blatant civilization. My mind drifted a bit, and I found myself pondering how much I actually enjoy driving at night; soaking in the Stillness and clarity of the draped surroundings.
And then track 9 started up…
It always fascinates me Father, how You manage to guide my thoughts and link them up with external reinforcements to get my attention. In this case, it came in the form of a song on the CD called “In the Night My Hope Lives On”. From my own thoughts of how in the Stillness of night I find comfort in Your Presence, this ballad reached in and awoke my spirit. What an amazingly powerful song this is Lord:
The lyrics are truly wonderful Father… such a potent description of the Hope we find in Your Love for us.
“I can see the crowd of men retreating
As he stands between the woman and their stones
And if mercy in his holy heart is beating
Then in the night my hope lives on
I remember how they scorned the son of Mary
He was gentle as a lamb, gentle as a lamb
He was beaten, he was crucified, and buried
And in the night, my hope was gone
But the rulers of the earth could not control Him
They did not take his life–he laid it down
All the chains of death could never hope to hold him
So in the night my hope lives on”
What a perfect way to end my day Lord; focusing on the Hope You so freely gifted us with. And in the night, my hope lives on.
Well Father, it was certainly a hectic weekend here! Friday night we decided to be a little lazy, ordered a pizza and then watched the new Narnia movie together (I love family movie night!). Saturday however, was nothing resembling quiet and restful. Shannon and Aidan headed off to an ice skating production themed around Peter Pan’s Neverland adventures, and Jonathan and I hit the road to Williamsport, Maryland for his first concert…
And what an experience it was Father.
Jonathan’s favorite group for quite some time now has been the Newsboys. Well, when I learned that they were starting a new tour and the first stop was within driving distance (a long drive mind you), I snapped up the opportunity to get tickets to the event. As this was also to be his first concert, I opted for the VIP Passes as well to give him a more personal experience.
He was so excited Father… He anxiously counted down the days, waiting for it to come.
The day of the concert finally rolled around so we loaded up the Yukon with everything we might need (travelling music cds, camera, junk food, etc.) and headed out. It was a three hour drive, about 167 miles each way but the time seemed to pass quickly. We arrived nicely ahead of time, and after a short wait in the line for the VIP Entrance we were taken inside, given our gift bags containing a CD and poster, and brought upstairs to the pre-show “meet the band” area.
After another short wait, the Newsboys came out to greet the group. They started by answering a few questions from the crowd, and telling us about themselves a little more. During this Q&A session, a comment made by another of the attendees really caught me, and has stuck in my head. It was from a gentleman there with his two teenage sons, and he said to the band (paraphrasing):
“First off guys, I just want to thank you for what you’re doing. I’m raising boys and it’s tough today, but with the great music and even better message you’re putting out, it really helps.”
Amen Sir. Well stated.
Anyways, following the questions from the audience they played a quick acoustic version of “In the Light” for us. It was wonderful in that intimate setting, and Jonathan loved every minute of it. We then were awarded the chance to meet them personally, and to get a signature or two. Jonathan got his poster signed by each band member, and I even managed to get a picture of him with Michael Tait and Jeff Frankenstein. Jonathan was glowing… It was so wonderful to see him that excited Father.
We then headed over to the concert hall, where they had a set of reserved seating put aside for us. When everyone was in and seated, the concert opened up with a couple numbers performed by Carlos Whittaker. He did a great job of getting the crowd “juiced up” and had everyone on their feet singing Your Praises in no time.
Now Lord, this is the first worship concert I’d been to so I think I was probably as excited as Jonathan was. There’s something about the positive energy of 2000 God-Loving Believers on their feet, hands raised to Heaven singing to Your Glory together… The Holy Spirit was in abundance in that room for sure Father!
Carlos was followed up by performances by Disciple, and then Kutless; both of which were absolutely excellent and revved the “congregation” up even further. Although the volume was a lot louder than Jonathan had expected, as soon as they started playing songs he knew, he was on his feet as well singing right along… I was so proud of him Lord. 🙂
Following Kutless they had a short intermission while the stage was set up for the Newsboys to play, and a speaker who talked about Compassion Ministries and the impoverished children they represent.
Then the Newsboys took the stage.
They put on an amazing show Father… So much energy… So much spirit… So much praising Your Glory!
The best moment for me came when they played Jonathan’s favorite Newsboys song; “He Reigns”. Everyone was on their feet, swaying back and forth with hands raised towards Heaven singing at the top of their lungs…
And yet, in the midst of all the glorious sounds echoing through the hall all I could hear was the 11-year-old boy next to me with a huge smile on his face and hands in the air, joyously singing Your Praises.
It was a truly wondrous evening Lord. 🙂
Heavenly Father, thank You so much for Blessing me with these moments. Seeing my boys finding joy, excitement and wonder in You does wonderful things for my heart. Please keep them in Your Embrace, and fill them with Your Holy Spirit so they can grow into the men You Desire them to be. Amen.
Father, I’ll be honest; it’s been a rough time writing this post today. I usually look forward to composing the “Thankful Thursday” edition, but the last couple of days have been filled with nearly-paralyzing stress and anxiety, and I’ve been having a very difficult time focusing on the many Blessings You’ve bestowed on me. I know in my heart that You’re here with me, and have never stopped hearing my pleas but the voices of fear and doubt have been quite loud and insistent. Either way Lord, I thank You for being ever-faithful and ask that You forgive me this weakness. Our trials temper us, and I continue to cling to Your Strength secure in the knowledge that You will guide me down the proper path as always.
Therefore Father, for today’s “Thankful Thursday” post instead of focusing on some of the more “major” Gifts in my life, I’d like to run down a few simple, little things I’ve been thankful for this week instead:
This Blog. Not only does writing these daily chats with You help me solidify my thoughts and prayers, but I’ve been Blessed to meet some truly wonderful people through doing it as well.
Warmer Weather. I truly enjoy grilling Father, and for the last couple of weeks the weather has allowed me to do quite a bit of it. Milder temperatures have also allowed the boys to get outside for some much-needed recreation and for us to start our pilgrimages to Blackbird State Forest.
Simple Acts of Kindness. During this current period of fear and uncertainty, I’ve been uplifted by the kind actions of a number of people around me. Little signs of caring can speak volumes to a troubled spirit and have helped me immensely.
Hugs from my Kids. While I work diligently not to let my concerns and burdens be visible around the boys, they’re amazingly empathetic children and have spent a great deal of effort to show me extra signs of their affection this past couple weeks. 🙂
Heavenly Father, I thank You for all the Blessings You bring to my life each day. Please forgive my human frailties, and help me to cast my burdens at Your feet so I may find that Peace in Your Embrace. In Your Holy Name Lord, Amen.
First off Father, I want to thank You for another enjoyable weekend. I was Blessed to spend quite a bit of quality time with my wife and children, Shannon and I got out for a “date night” on Saturday, I managed to catch up on some laundry, dishes and housework, and the boys and I even went on an outing to walk the trails at Blackbird State Forest on Sunday afternoon. All in all, it was a restful and satisfying couple of days and I thank You so much for that respite.
As I’ve mentioned to you before Lord, Blackbird Forest is one of those places where I feel most connected to Your Presence. It was a lovely day here on Sunday, and our time spent trekking through the majesty of Your Creation was wonderful as always. I’m extremely pleased that Jonathan and Aidan have developed such a love of nature, and that they eagerly look forward to our exploration time together. We’re already planning some longer day trips together as the weather improves, so we can hike some of the more lengthy trails. Either way, I look forward to spending lots of communal time with You on those paths in the upcoming seasons. 🙂
Today Father, while doing some reading I ran across a passage in Romans that loudly spoke to me and I’d like to share it:
“ 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.” – Romans 8:18-19 (NIV)
Wow Lord, what a powerful statement the Apostle Paul makes here! Not only is he reminding us that the trials and tribulations we go through in this lifetime are insignificant when compared to the glory we will receive in Your Kingdom, but also that creation itself is anxiously awaiting what’s coming as well! From walking through the forest yesterday and feeling Your Presence in such magnitude, these verses just reached out to me today when I came across them.
Heavenly Father, thank You once again for a lovely weekend and for continuing to bless us with Your Presence. I pray that we all may see past the daily burdens we encounter, secure in the knowledge that these trials are temporary and that Your Glory to come far outweighs any suffering we endure here on Earth. Amen.
Well Lord, it’s certainly been a whirlwind day for me. In the last week or so, we’ve had an amazing outpouring of new clients coming on board with my company, as well as a significant increase of projects that need to be bid out. It’s a wonderful and hopeful sign of things to come, and I’m very thankful that You’ve Blessed me with these opportunities.
Getting in the door to new customers can be a difficult endeavor, and with several of these recent additions it was through a complicated series of relationships that I was given the opportunity; a friends of friends who know someone type of thing. This evening, one of the people who was integral to my getting those introductions texted me, and indicated he was fascinated with the way that chain of relationships had played out. My response was simple, but I’ve been thinking about it ever since:
God’s ways aren’t always a straight path… That’s for sure.
(Now Father, the gentleman I sent that message to is a devout follower of Yours, and has been an amazing Blessing to me over the years. I have no doubt in my mind you brought us together for a reason, and I pray that You continue to keep him in Your Gaze.)
Anyways, the more I thought about the reply I gave the more it led me to contemplate other events in my past that came about through seemingly bizarre “coincidences”. Knowing You as I’ve come to Lord, I realize now that those coincidences were in fact orchestrated twists and turns on my journey personally programmed into Your Divine GPS.
You always know how to get me where You want me to go… I just need to follow the directions You give.
Heavenly Father, thank You for the Blessings You’ve bestowed on me this week. Please make Your Presence felt by all those faced with uncertainties, fears and doubts; not knowing where to turn. By following Your Holy “roadmap”, we always get to our intended destination. 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. 
