Well Father, it certainly was a busy weekend that You Blessed us with! Between household chores that needed to be done, cooking (lots of cooking!), baking and time spent enjoying the fellowship and company of friends, our weekend was jam-packed and quite enjoyable. Thank You so much for that time together Lord!
And on top of such a happy, hectic weekend Father, yesterday marks the one-year wedding anniversary of two wonderful friends of mine; Dan and Francine. One year ago Sunday, I was both honored and Blessed to stand with them in Your presence, and pronounce them joined as man and wife. It was a beautiful event Lord, and Your love was abundantly felt by all those in attendance.
“The man gave names to all livestock and to the birds of the heavens and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper fit for him. So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man.
Then the man said,
“This at last is bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called Woman,
because she was taken out of Man.”
Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” – Genesis 2:20-24 (ESV)
From the first days of Adam in the Garden Father, You knew that it wasn’t good for man to be alone. To bring him that “completeness” and give him a partner to share Your love, You drew from his flesh and breathed life into the one with whom Adam’s life was to be made whole; man and woman joined together in the presence of their Creator.
And so it continues to this day. 🙂
Heavenly Father,
We thank You Lord, for Your faithfulness in bringing together those whom You intend to be joined, and uniting them through Your gift of Holy Matrimony. For those awaiting Your match for them Father; please grant them the patience, comfort and discernment to take the time necessary to know Your will. For those that You’ve already brought together in that union, guide them Father; Bless them with the knowledge of Your will for them, the compassion to put their spouses first, and the discipline to cling to one another when difficulties occur. Help us Lord, to recognize marriage for the Blessing that it is, and to honor You by holding it sacred as You intend.
As You know Father, for the past several weeks our Tuesday night study group has been working through a DVD Book Study based on Pastor Pete Wilson’s book : “Plan B: What do you do when God doesn’t show up the way you thought He would”. I’d read the book earlier this year and very much enjoyed it, so when the time came to choose a new study, I was quite pleased that everyone agreed to pursue “Plan B”. As of this week, we’ve completed three sessions of the study and so far it’s been an inspiring and encouraging examination of how even in the midst of seemingly hopeless situations, You perform some of Your most powerful work in us.
As I was thinking today on some of the things we’ve been discussing in the group these past few weeks, it dawned on me that Christmas itself is the celebration of Mary and Joseph’s “Plan B”. Before being visited by the Angel Gabriel, Mary’s life was proceeding along a fairly normal path. She’d become betrothed to a man named Joseph, and was very likely planning for her role as his wife, and the future mother of their children.
And in a moment, her world turned upside down…
And our world was forever changed.
Her “Plan B” was Your “Plan A”.
This hammers home a very important point Father; in the midst of those situations where our lives seem to be flying desperately off course, You’re not shaken or confused. What we view as turmoil, You see as opportunity…
May we all seize those opportunities Father; embracing the understanding that our “Plan B” moments, were Your “Plan A”s all along. 🙂
And now Lord, on to this week’s Thankful Thursday list! This past week has been simply overflowing with Your Blessings Father, but I’d like to give special thanks for:
421. Having friends that pray for me.
422. Getting to spend much of the day Saturday cooking for family and friends.
423. A quick healing for the eye I scratched.
424. Some helpful advice from a friend that helped get the Jaguar running again.
425. New glasses for Jonathan.
426. That the Rimadyl is making an obvious improvement in Brandy’s pain level.
427. Having friends that can tell when I’m having a rough time, and pushing through my “wall”.
428. A quiet walk in Blackbird State Forest with Jonathan last Sunday.
429. That even though I fall short in so many ways, You know my heart and guide me ahead.
430. Candy Cane Hershey’s Kisses.
431. Real kisses from my loving wife.
432. The Kids Construction Workshops at Home Depot.
433. Seeing my children reach out with giving hearts.
434. Knowing that I’m Your Beloved Child.
435. Having a full collection of inspiring Christmas Music to play on my iPod during the day.
And so much more Lord.
Heavenly Father,
We thank You Lord, for the many Blessings you bestow on us each day; both those that announce Your presence like sirens in the night, and those that grace our lives in Stillness.
First off Father, I want to take a moment to thank You for a truly marvelous weekend. For once, we didn’t have much in the way of plans laid out in advance, so we used that wonderfully uncommitted time to spend enjoying each other’s company, sharing a meal and some laughter with friends, and reveling in the Blessings You’ve given us. It was a joy-filled, productive weekend Lord, and I thank You very much for that time of respite.
Last Friday Father, as I was driving to our veterinarian’s office to pick up some medication, Jason Gray’s song “Remind Me Who I Am” began to play on the radio. Now, I’ve heard this song more than a few times Lord, but for some reason this time the lyrics came alive for me and I found myself drawn into the song’s poignant message…
After a week comprised of what seemed to be a never-ending series of struggles and trials Lord, this simple reminder wrapped in verse made a wonderful connection for me. It brought to the surface an inescapable truth that my mind had laid to the sideline for much of the week…
We’re Your Beloved Children. Broken, hurting, rebellious or doubtful… You love us all the same.
“See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.” – 1 John 3:1 (ESV)
Through our rebirth in Christ, we exist as genuine Children of God; adopted completely into this divine family through the mercy of Your Fatherly love and grace. We walk in faith, knowing that the lure of this world need hold no control over us, as Your love has set us truly free. We live to be…
Your Beloved.
When the world seeks to draw me from You Lord, please, remind me who I am.
“Behold, what I have seen to be good and fitting is to eat and drink and find enjoyment in all the toil with which one toils under the sun the few days of his life that God has given him, for this is his lot. Everyone also to whom God has given wealth and possessions and power to enjoy them, and to accept his lot and rejoice in his toil—this is the gift of God. For he will not much remember the days of his life because God keeps him occupied with joy in his heart.” – Ecclesiastes 5:18-20 (ESV)
Our lives are a gift from God; in times of prosperity, times of struggle, times of toil, and times of rest. If at all times we find the joy of Christ in those Blessings we’re given, then we not only lead happier, more fulfilling lives, but at the same time we also glorify God’s benevolence in the process.
And once again Father, we come to the Thankful Thursday “edition” here at PhatherPhil.org. Today, I’m picking up where I left off on my list two weeks back, as for Thanksgiving I was Blessed to be able to present You with lists from Shannon and the boys instead. You graced us with a truly wonderful holiday weekend Father; filled with family, friends, fellowship and the beautiful promise that the beginning of Advent brings to our hearts. So much to be thankful for Lord, so much…
And on that note Father, continuing from where we left off, this past week I’ve been especially grateful for:
406. An absolutely beautiful Thanksgiving gathering with close friends and family.
407. You Blessing me with exactly what You know I need, when I need it. (Not to be confused with what I think I need, or what I want…)
408. Having close brothers and sisters in Christ to help keep me accountable.
409. An inspiring and encouraging Small Group gathering Tuesday evening as we delve deeper into the “Plan B” study.
410. Getting the outside Christmas lights up last weekend.
And the list continues to grow Lord, with no end in sight… 🙂
Heavenly Father,
We thank You Father, for the multitude of Blessings you bestow on us each and every day; both those that shine brightly with Your radiance, and those that uplift us quietly from the shadows. As we rejoice in the anticipation that this Season of Advent signifies, please open our hearts Lord, and fill us with wonder and gratitude at the coming of the Christ Child.
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. 
