Sep 23, 2011
Posted by PhatherPhil on Sep 23, 2011 | 14 comments
Dear Lord; Happy Friday Father!
Forgiveness Father, is sometimes very difficult.
This past week, I’ve had several instances where people have gone out of their way to say or do something they know will upset me. Now, generally Father, I’m able to filter out that sort of thing and place my ire in Your hands. This week however, my thresholds have been a bit lower than usual, and I’ve found myself holding on to those negative feelings instead of releasing them to Your care.
And then today, I reread the Scripture selections You placed on my heart to share on Facebook this week…
Tuesday : “We love because he first loved us. Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.” – 1 John 4:19-21 (NIV)
Wednesday : “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” – John 13:34-35 (NIV)
Thursday : “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.” – 1 Peter 5:6-9 (NIV)
I usually feel that You give me these verses each day to help others in their Walks Lord, but I think this time You were talking to me as well.
Jesus gave us two very powerful commands to follow, above all else;
Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” – Matthew 22:37-40 (NIV)
In those verses this week, you were reminding me the importance of the second part to that teaching…
“Love your neighbor as yourself.”
In my weakened state, I allowed the enemy to use those moments of pain to gain a foothold inside my heart, temporarily blinding me to the fact that we are all brothers and sisters in Christ; even those who still need to find You Lord. The “roaring lion” had fresh meat for a few days, but no longer.
Thank You for the reminders Lord.
Heavenly Father,
I thank You for Your gentle guidance when I waver from Your path. Fill me with Your divine presence, and help me see others through Your eyes, that I may cast aside my earthly notions and recognize Your Blessings in us all.
In Jesus’ Name we pray,
Amen.
~Phather Phil
Sep 22, 2011
Posted by PhatherPhil on Sep 22, 2011 | 20 comments
Dear Lord; Happy Thankful Thursday Father!
Well Father, as You know this has been a complicated week for my family and I. As I mentioned on Monday, the respiratory infection I contracted last week blossomed and it’s been beating my body up quite significantly. And although I’m very much still under this bug’s influence, I’m thankful that it seems to at least be getting a little better. Nonetheless, the true Blessing in all of this has been the amazing amount of support I’ve received from family and friends. Be it through prayer, dropping off of medicine, checking in on me, or just expressing concern, I’ve seen examples of Your presence throughout. I am truly Blessed Father, and I thank You for connecting me with each and every one of these kind people.
And now, on to this week’s list! This week Lord, I’ve been particularly thankful for:
271. The kind, caring people who reached out to me while I’ve been ill.
272. Being Spiritually Healthy.
273. Zithromax.
274. Blueberry Tea.
275. Having the “Torchwood” TV series on my media server for entertainment while laying in bed.
276. Officially becoming members of Ewell’s St. Paul UMC last Sunday.
277. A warm dog on the foot of the bed to keep me company.
278. A wonderful day spent relaxing, cooking and chatting with good friends.
279. A wonderful wife who’s picked up my slack and let me rest this week.
280. Banana Cake.
281. Inspiration from unusual places.
282. My staff providing me the quiet to take a short nap on my couch in the office yesterday.
283. A friend with an excess of nebulizer supplies.
284. The “Scrabble” application for my Android tablet that’s kept me from going stir crazy while resting.
285. New opportunities to spread Your light to others.
So many Blessings Father…
Heavenly Father,
We thank You Lord, for all those Blessings You bestow on us each day; both those that light up the Heavens, and those that grace us quietly without fanfare. For while our situations here on earth may change, Your bountiful mercies in our lives remain constant. We are truly Blessed.
In Jesus’ Name we pray,
Amen.
~Phather Phil
Sep 15, 2011
Posted by PhatherPhil on Sep 15, 2011 | 13 comments
Dear Lord; Happy Thankful Thursday Father!
Well Lord, once again we arrive at the Thankful Thursday edition of PhatherPhil.org. In addition to posting my usual list of 15 things I’m particularly grateful for this week, I also want to pay special notice to one in particular.
Last night was not one of my more restful evenings Father. Yesterday afternoon, I started feeling the tell-tale signs of increased sinus pressure and drainage, and some accompanying stomach discomfort. I increased my fluids and tried to push through it, but as of 3:30 this morning my head felt like it was in a vice and my whole body ached. I was awake, and uncomfortable, and exhausted, and grumpy… Not a good combination. I tried lying quietly in the bed, focusing on the stillness around me, but the thumping in my head readily thwarted my efforts. By that point, my frustration level was elevated and I resigned myself to the thought that I’d had all the sleep I was getting for the night.
“Rest in God’s Word.” drifted through my mind.
I’ll be honest Father, in the shape I was in at that wee hour of the morning the thought of focusing on Scripture (or on anything else for that matter) wasn’t particularly appealing. Nonetheless, I decided to trust the “urgings” and do some reading. I grabbed my Nook Color off the nightstand, fired up YouVersion and picked up where I’d left off earlier in the day in 1st Kings. I’d read three chapters or so when I realized…
The thumping in my head had stopped…
My nerves had quieted…
And I was feeling tired again.
I shut of the Nook, and lay back down. I’m not sure exactly how quickly I fell asleep Father, but it certainly didn’t take long. And while I didn’t have long before the morning alarm broke the silence and jolted me into the day, it was sleep I would not have had otherwise. Therefore Father, I want to give special thanks for #265 on today’s list. 🙂
Continuing from where I left off last week Lord, this week I’m especially grateful for:
256. Our cat curled up on my chest, purring softly.
257. A strong cold front coming through bringing with it mid-60s temps for the weekend.
258. Allergy medication.
259. Unexpected opportunities.
260. Discerning Your whispers in the noise.
261. Courteous, responsive customer service at the online pharmacy I use.
262. The opportunity to host an upcoming Small Group Bible Study in our home.
263. Free stock photo sites from which I can pull images for my blogs.
264. Finding three pairs of jeans in my size at the local JC Penney, and on sale.
265. That on those nights when I can’t sleep, I have Your Word to bring my spirit rest.
266. The opportunity to read the Old Testament Scripture at church last Sunday.
267. Pizza nights with the kids.
268. Inexpensive, reasonably reliable high-speed Internet at my home.
269. Key Lime Pie.
270. The daily devotions found in Stand Firm Magazine which start my days off in the proper frame-of-mind.
My life is truly “chock-full” of Blessings Lord…
Heavenly Father,
I thank and praise You for the multitude of Blessings You bestow on us each day; both those that light up the Heavens in glory, and those which grace us in relative silence. We are truly Blessed!
In Jesus’ Name we pray,
Amen.
~Phather Phil
Sep 12, 2011
Posted by PhatherPhil on Sep 12, 2011 | 20 comments
Dear Lord; Happy Meditations Monday Father!
To begin our week’s conversations Lord, I want to thank You for yet another lovely weekend filled to the brim with Your Blessings. Friday night we attended a spaghetti dinner at Ewell’s St. Paul UMC to benefit the “Jesus Freaks” youth group. The food and fellowship were wonderful, and it was very well attended. Saturday, the boys stayed with friends for the day while Shannon and I got the opportunity to attend an end-of-summer pool party. Sunday began with an inspiring church service, and then while Shannon played her viola in the Dover Symphony at a local patriotic concert, the boys and I were able to catch up on overdue housework, grocery shopping and laundry. As seems to be our “normal” lately Father, it was a very busy weekend, but certainly time we’re thankful for.
As You know Father, each morning I’ve been reading a daily devotional message from the Stand Firm magazines that Shannon got me a subscription to for Father’s Day. This morning’s message was focused on love and commitment, and it very much resonated with things that You and I have been discussing quite a lot as of late. The passage cited in the devotional was from the first chapter of the Book of Ruth, and details Ruth’s response to Naomi when Naomi attempts to send her back to her family following the death of Ruth’s husband (Naomi’s son):
But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.” – Ruth 1:16-17 (NIV)
Such a powerful statement of commitment Lord, and unfortunately something we see far too little of in society today. Unwavering devotion to those we love, and to You Father, should be our firm goal and desire each and every day. If we all looked to replace our selfish, wayward thoughts with the yearning to care for and serve others, and to praise You with each waking breath, our world would be truly transformed.
It’s certainly something I’ll be praying on this week Lord.
Heavenly Father,
As we go through the day Lord, please fill our hearts with the desire, devotion and drive to unselfishly and openly bring Your love to those around us. Grant us the resolve in our hearts Father, that we may committedly focus ourselves on those relationships that You Bless us with; our marriages, our families and our friendships, that we may glorify You thorough those connections.
In Jesus’ Name we pray,
Amen.
~Phather Phil
Sep 6, 2011
Posted by PhatherPhil on Sep 6, 2011 | 20 comments
Dear Lord; Happy Meditations Mon… Um, Tuesday Father!
Well Father, to begin with I want to thank You for a lovely three-day-weekend. Other than some much-needed housecleaning, we were Blessed to enjoy quality time with friends, have a fun “Date Night” out, and help another of our friends celebrate her 40th birthday by hosting a surprise party at the house. All-in-all it was a very pleasant few days respite, and I’m very grateful for that time.
As we’ve discussed many times Lord, Shannon and I consider our friends one of Your most amazing Blessings in our lives. As I was running around on Monday morning picking up supplies for the birthday party we hosted, it dawned on me how amazingly diverse our group of friends really is. Truly, nearly every walk of life is represented in some fashion; each person a beautiful, unique thread in the tapestry of our “extended family”.
In his First Epistle to the Corinthians, the Apostle Paul discusses the importance of diversity in Your People along those same lines. In his example, the diversity comes from the varied Spiritual Gifts You bestow on us through the Holy Spirit:
“The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free —and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body.” – 1 Corinthians 12:12-20 (NIV)
Paul makes a marvelous point in that in Christ, there is no ethnic, cultural or social distinction; each individual member is a loved and important part of the Whole. We all have roles to play, and gifts to share in the Body of Christ, and each is as important as the others. You created us all to be exactly what You intended us to be; fearfully and wonderfully made, and designed to offer the unique and precious gifts You’ve granted us for the benefit of Your Family.
It’s a very powerful lesson Lord, and one I know we could all stand to implement more effectively in our daily lives.
Heavenly Father, I thank You for the wonderful people You’ve brought into our lives; each a unique, beautiful, and Blessed thread in our family’s fabric. Please help us see through any improperly perceived barriers between one another, and to reach out with our Spiritual Gifts to further the business of Your Eternal Kingdom.
In Jesus’ Name we pray,
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. 
