“Look among the nations, and see;
wonder and be astounded.
For I am doing a work in your days
that you would not believe if told.” – Habakkuk 1:5 (ESV)
Quite often, we miss the forest for the trees; we allow the world around us to cloud our vision, and look past the amazing wonders that our Heavenly Father places all around us. To embrace His great works and live abundant lives, we need to suspend our disbelief and peer through eyes cleansed by faith.
“Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me.” But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went on board, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the Lord.” – Jonah 1:1-3 (ESV)
Like Jonah, many of us make vain attempts to “hide” from God’s calling; we convince ourselves that His voice is our minds playing tricks on us, we ignore the signs He places in our lives each day, and we “write off” His Blessings as happy coincidence. When we open our hearts to the understanding that we’re in the grip of a loving Heavenly Father and accept His guidance into our lives, we take on new purpose and can truly live in abundance.
“For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God.” – James 3:7-9 (ESV)
Our words are powerful things; they can be used to either share the light of Christ with those around us, or to spread the venomous intent of our sinful natures. It’s very often not an easy internal conflict to resolve, but through the guidance and Grace our Heavenly Father offers us, we can make our speech reflect His glory and goodness.
Dear Lord; Happy Valentine’s Day Father!
Today Father, much of the world’s attention turns to “all things love” as we celebrate Valentine’s Day. And yet, while the greeting card, candy and jewelry companies would like us to spend our time and money focusing on the romantic and tangible side of our affections, I choose instead to take this time to reflect on those aspects of love in my life that touch me most deeply:
The amazing, intimate bond I have with my wonderful wife, Shannon…
The powerful sense of care and commitment I have for my children…
The deep, very personal relationships I’ve established with a few close friends…
And the overwhelming, transformational and ever-deepening connection I have with my Lord and Savior.
Such wondrous examples of Your love for me Father; such astounding Blessings in my life.
Thank You Lord;
For seeding Your love in me,
For seeking me through my brokenness,
For reminding me that I’m Your Beloved Child,
And that above all else,
You love me; perfectly and completely.
I’m Yours Father. 🙂
Amen.
~Phather Phil
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Dear Lord; Happy Thankful Thursday Father!
Ok Father, yes, I realize it’s not Thursday anymore but I really didn’t want to let the week pass by without adding to my ever growing list of Blessings. It’s been an amazingly busy week Lord, but one that absolutely overflowed with Your love for us.
Continuing to count my Blessings Father; while this week Your many gifts were abundantly apparent, I’ve been especially grateful for:
556. A powerful, Spirit filled evening at our Tuesday night small group gathering this week.
557. Finding new truths in Scripture that I’d overlooked before.
558. Some extra income this month through jobs Shannon’s had playing her viola, and teaching violin lessons.
559. My “comfy jeans”.
560. The arrival of a “DVD 3-Pack” containing “Fireproof”, “Facing the Giants” and “Flywheel”.
561. Your subtle reminders of who I was, who I’ve become, and the man You desire me to be.
562. The cozy feeling of wearing clothes straight out of the dryer.
563. Protection from the lions.
564. God Moments.
565. A new MIUI ROM release for my Nook Color.
566. Having dear friends that pray over my marriage, and my family.
567. That Shannon has been healed from the sinus and ear infection she suffered with last week.
568. Getting good seats for the Casting Crowns concert coming up in July.
569. Your benevolent Grace which cleanses and renews me.
570. An ever-deepening relationship with my Lord and Savior.
Heavenly Father,
We thank You Lord, for the many Blessings You bestow on us each and every day; both those that light the sky with Your radiance, and those that grace the night in silence.
In Jesus’ name we pray,
Amen.
~Phather Phil
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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. 
