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, the wedding on Saturday went very well. Thank You so much for being there and Blessing the joyful proceedings. It was an amazing honor for me to be a conduit for Your Love, and I absolutely felt Your Presence throughout. Please continue to Bless the happy couple’s marriage, and fill their lives with Your Love for the rest of their days.
This morning Lord, I did something I very seldom do… I lost my temper. It was over a verbal personal attack that was made against me behind my back by someone I’ve known for a long time, and it absolutely incensed me. Father, with Your help I do what I consider a very good job at maintaining my composure and “turning the other cheek”, but I’m ashamed to say that this morning I failed in that capacity. Searching for my center in Your Book today, I found :
Proverbs 16:32 – Better a patient man than a warrior, a man who controls his temper than one who takes a city.
So true Lord. Please Father, help me purge those feelings from my spirit and focus my energies on serving Your Will. Fill my heart with Your Love and Kindness, and please help me be an effective agent of Your Disposition to those in need. 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; First off, let me say Thank You for watching over Jonathan yesterday during his trip. He had a wonderful time, and seems to have learned quite a bit from the experience. Seeing that light in his eyes brings me more happiness than almost anything else in this world.
Secondly, I want to thank You for all of the inspiration You provided me with yesterday while finalizing the wedding script. I have to say, I’m very happy with the results and the Bride seems to be as well. Now I just pray that I can deliver Your Words with the reverence You deserve, and bring Your Loving Presence to those in attendance.
Also in my thoughts today Lord, is my Wonderful Wife Shannon. As You know, she teaches a preschool class and is absolutely amazing at working with those children. Like any group of kids, she has some that are far more challenging than others and over the last couple of weeks she’s been struggling with one in particular. Father, she takes her care of these children so personally that when she has difficulties reaching even one it hurts her heart very deeply. Please comfort her spirit Lord, and fill her with the understanding that every act of love she performs for these little ones is never in vain. Take her in Your Embrace, and let her feel Your Presence so that she can continue to bring her love to these children. Amen.
And today Lord, I’m actually going to add a P.S. to our conversation. The other night on TV, they showed “A Charlie Brown Christmas”. I was thrilled to see a happy piece of my childhood still being aired, and my kids absolutely loved it. More importantly Father, it’s one of the few Christmas specials that talks about the real meaning of Christmas and not the more generalized “Holiday” messages. One of my Facebook friends posted this link this morning, so I thought I’d close by sharing it.
Your Loving Message comes to me in so many ways Lord. 🙂
Dear Lord; Good morning Father! To start our chat off today, I’d like to say a quick prayer for You to keep a watchful eye on my son Jonathan as he goes on a class field trip to the Native American Museum in Washington DC today. I know he’s under careful supervision, but I worry about him all the same. Please let him feel Your Protective Touch throughout the day, and bring him home to us safely. Thank You!
Well Lord, as I’m sure You know this weekend I’ll be officiating a marriage for the first time. I hold marriage in an amazingly high regard, and while this is a true honor for me I’ll admit to being a little nervous. I’ve done some public speaking in the past, but this is quite a bit different and although I’m excited to be acting as Your Representative to bring together these two people, it’s somewhat daunting all the same. Please help me to be a Good Instrument of Your Love Father, and Bless their union through this Ceremony. Inspire my words, and give me the courage to deliver them with the conviction, emotion and reverence that this Blessed event deserves. 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.
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.
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. 
