Sep 29, 2011
Posted by PhatherPhil on Sep 29, 2011 | 14 comments
Dear Lord; Happy Thankful Thursday Father!
Well Lord, once again we come to the Thankful Thursday edition of PhatherPhil.org. My life has virtually overflowed with Your Blessings this past week, so compiling my list of gifts that I’m grateful for was a relatively easy process.
Continuing from the previous week’s list, today I’d like to give special thanks and praise to You for:
286. Having a wife with whom I’m comfortable sharing and discussing absolutely anything.
287. Having the Holy Spirit in my life to guide me in Your will.
288. Some wonderful photo opportunities coming up this weekend.
289. The repair I made to our central air conditioner working perfectly.
290. Revised priorities.
291. Understanding friends.
292. Free ROMs for both my phone and tablet from MIUI.us that make them a pleasure to use.
293. All the seasons in our marriage, and the Blessings they’ve brought us.
294. The laughter of my children.
295. The fellowship, friendship and encouragement I receive from my fellow Christian Bloggers.
296. The shift in weather brought on by moving from summer into fall, and the cooler air it brings.
297. Wonderful inspirations for Christmas crafts.
298. Halloween candy filling the store shelves. 🙂
299. The fellowship we receive from the “Parents Place” small group at church.
300. 300 shared “emails to God”.
(And 300 Thankful Thursday entries now too! 🙂 )
Heavenly Father,
We give thanks Lord, for all the Blessings You bring to our lives each and every day; both those that shout Your presence from the mountaintop, and those that grace us in a gentle whisper.
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 8, 2011
Posted by PhatherPhil on Sep 8, 2011 | 16 comments
Dear Lord; Happy Thankful Thursday Father!
Once again Father, we come to the Thankful Thursday edition of PhatherPhil.org. In addition to adding to my continuing list of Blessings, I’m also pleased to have “passed on” this tradition to Lindsay over at The Evatt’s Beautiful Mess. She writes a wonderfully fun, devotional blog and it’s always a Blessing to read it. Today’s her first Thankful Thursday post, and hopefully it’s just the beginning of many to come!
And now Lord, on to my list! This week, I’ve been especially thankful for:
241. The patience shown by friends.
242. The sun streaming through the clouds as a gentle rain falls… Absolutely beautiful.
243. The beauty of a rainbow following a rain shower.
244. Jonathan starting Youth Group (called the Jesus Freaks…:-) ) at church this week.
245. The opportunity to introduce some good friends to our church this past weekend.
246. Being invited to become members to Ewell’s St. Paul UMC, and signing the Covenant last Sunday.
247. A final report from the Pediatric Dermatologist that Jonathan’s moles aren’t LCH related.
248. Sharing a game of Scrabble on Facebook with friends.
249. Having a wonderfully diverse, caring and supportive group of friends.
250. Being given the opportunity to redesign and implement Ewell’s St. Paul UMC’s web site.
251. A successful surprise birthday party we threw for a good friend at our house.
252. Cherry Coke.
253. The power and flexibility of the step outside my “comfort zone” in ministering to others.
255. The overwhelming sense of Your presence I feel after taking Holy Communion.
Such wonderful gifts You grace us with each day Father…
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 1, 2011
Posted by PhatherPhil on Sep 1, 2011 | 20 comments
Dear Lord; Happy Thankful Thursday Father!
Once again Lord, we come to the day of the week on which I add to the ever-growing list of Blessings You’ve bestowed on me. Between Hurricane Irene, the kids starting school, Shannon starting her new job, and a significant spike in business at my office, it’s certainly been a roller-coaster of a week. Funny enough, through all of the ups-and-downs we’ve gone through this past seven days, Your Blessings have shined brilliantly through it all.
Therefore Father, continuing where I left off last week, today I’d like to give special thanks to You for:
226. Shannon getting “back on track” with her thyroid medication.
227. That even when my prayers are “arrogant”, You know my heart and forgive me.
228. Dove chocolates with caramel centers.
229. The boys doing well taking on increased household responsibilities.
230. An extra day off work to enjoy with friends and family this weekend.
231. The arrival of my Blood Pressure Medication shipment today.
232. Minimal damage to our home and no injuries from Hurricane Irene last weekend.
233. That I have a Heavenly Father who always has confidence in me, even when my view of self-worth is in question.
234. Dreams that make me wake up with a smile.
235. Finding a new Family Doctor after our existing one closed his practice.
236. Connecting up with all my “Bloggy” friends on Facebook.
237. Five days of absolutely beautiful weather following the hurricane.
238. Merlin’s seizures continuing to be suppressed by the Phenobarbital he was prescribed.
239. The loan of a carpet cleaner by a good friend when ours broke unexpectedly.
240. Being married to a lady who goes out of her way to remind me that she loves me every day.
…Such a multitude of Blessings You grant me Lord. 🙂
Heavenly Father, once again I lift thanks and praise to You for the many Blessings You grace us with each day; both those that light up the sky with Your presence, and those that Bless our lives without fanfare. You are indeed a doting Father, a watchful Shepherd and a skillful Potter, and we marvel in the fact that with all that You have in Your care, You still give us individual, personal attention…
Our most precious Blessing.
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. 
