The Reason for the Season

Dear Lord; This morning Father, I’d actually like to rant a little bit if you don’t mind.  The focus of my rambling is the overabundance of “Political Correctness” that seems to be even more overblown this time of year.  I’m generally a very flexible person Lord, especially when working with peoples’ beliefs and religious (or lack thereof) affiliations, however why do some people find it necessary to force those restrictions and connotations on the rest of the world?  Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve started seeing the typical “Take the Christ out of Christmas so as not to offend anyone” actions brought about by certain governmental bodies and other secular groups, and it just irks me to no end.  It’s actually funny, but I have friends that are Jewish, Wiccan and Buddhist and even they’re bothered by this attitude our culture seems to have as of late.

So Lord, this year to try and help balance all the “P.C.” that’s going on, I’m working even harder to focus on the true reason for this Blessed Season; The Celebration of Your Son’s Holy Birth!  Please Lord, shine Your Divine Light on our hearts and minds, and help us all Honor the Greatest Gift the world was ever given.  Fill our Spirits with Your Presence, and let the world feel the Peace that was ushered in that Holy Night.  Amen.  ~Phather Phil

Inspiration for a Monday Morning

Dear Lord; Good morning Father!  To start off with, I want to Thank You for a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend with my family and friends.  It never ceases to amaze me that when I focus on the blessings in my life, how truly rich I feel.  Thank You for that.

This morning however, I’ve been having a difficult time getting motivated Lord.  Maybe it’s just the “coming down” effect following a four-day weekend, but I started the day feeling a little rough.  After a little searching for inspiration though, I found Psalm 18:32-36 :

It is God who arms me with strength
and keeps my way secure.
He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;
he causes me to stand on the heights.
He trains my hands for battle;
my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
You make your saving help my shield,
and your right hand sustains me;
your help has made me great.
You provide a broad path for my feet,
so that my ankles do not give way.

I love this one… I know that no matter what Lord, You are my strength, my heart, and my salvation and you never leave my side, and this Psalm describes that perfectly for me.  While I know this week is going to be filled with personal difficulties, I can approach it knowing You’re there for me.  May everyone that’s dealing with fear, uncertainty or personal turmoil feel Your Loving Presence, and know that all Your Children are Blessed with Your Grace.  Amen.  ~Phather Phil

From the Voices of Children

Dear Lord;  Good morning, and Happy Thanksgiving Father!  Over the last few days, I’ve been focusing our correspondence on some of the Blessings that I’m thankful for, so today I thought I’d share our time together and get my children involved in our chat.  Quite often I’ve heard Your Voice or seen Your Light in them, so it made sense to me to find out what they were truly thankful for.  This morning I asked them, “What would you like to thank God for?”, and here are their replies…

Aidan, Age 8 : “I would like to thank God for giving me a family, a home, for my pets, that my family’s really smart, that our new kitty wasn’t too sick when we got her, that I have nice friends, that I’m healthy, that my whole family is ‘mostly healthy’, that Me and Jonathan get along sometimes and that I have a good time at school.”

Jonathan, Age 10 : “I want to thank God for a healthy family, a caring family, great friends, a house around me, food in my tummy, for all the things You’ve done for me, having pets, having things to do, for having good education, having a brother, being able to go off and do things, for having clothes, making it so I can have video games, making me able to play with my family, forgiving me when I’ve done wrong and giving me courage for getting through tough situations.”

As I’ve mentioned before Lord, these two little boys are up towards the top of my Blessings list.  My heart is shaped daily by their presence, and I lift my prayers of thanks to You for having them in my life.

May all of Your Children feel Your Loving Touch on this day, and know Your Grace that we may honor Your Presence and go forward in Love.  Amen.  ~Phather Phil

Thoughts on Prayer

Dear Lord; I love our morning correspondence.  It’s become an important part of my day, and I find that it helps me to explore my motivations and feelings, and at the same time to get closer to You.  Thank You for that.  Last night during a quiet moment, I was thinking about our daily time together and it started me contemplating about what prayer really was and about how others commune with you.

As children, the traditional “pray on your knees, eyes closed, head bowed and hands pressed together” was the de facto standard for us, and I know for many this is still the way they feel like they’re best in contact with You.  I know some who choose to sit in a quiet place, close their eyes and meditate to focus on what’s in their heart.  For many, I know that certain places can provide a more open conduit to hearing Your Voice (as I’ve mentioned before, the woods of Blackbird Forest have that significance for me).  And for a large number of people, attending regular Church Services are still their special time to hear Your Word and gain that Fellowship.

So, here’s my take on prayer Father.  First off, I believe that if I leave my Spirit open to Faith then I’m really in constant communication with You.  You know my heart, and the more my relationship with You grows, the more I feel that I’m always in Your Presence.  In 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, it reads: “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”.  By allowing the Spirit to fill my heart, I leave myself open to hearing Your Voice;  That’s prayer for me.  And in writing these public emails to You Lord, I’ve found yet another conduit to focus my thoughts, hopes and prayers, while hopefully inspiring others to listen in the Stillness for Your Voice, and to better revel in Your Grace.  Amen.  ~Phather Phil

Prayers for Motivation…

Dear Lord; First off, I want to thank you for a very nice weekend.  I was Blessed to spend the bulk of my time the last two days with my Family and good Friends, and other than a serious lack of sleep, enjoyed it thoroughly.  This morning however, I’m having a serious problem finding my inner motivation.  It’s not that there’s anything specifically wrong, I’m just not focusing well on how I can make the most from this day and serve Your Path for me to the fullest.  Therefore Father, my prayers today are for inspiration.  Please fill my head and my heart with Your Presence, and guide me to conduct myself in such a way as to honor Your Blessings in all I do.  Amen.  ~Phather Phil