Thankful Thursday: Passing the Tradition

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

As Long As You’ll Permit

Dear Lord; Happy Friday Father!

Thank You Father!!  Thank You, thank You, thank You!!

What a wonderful Blessing You’ve given us Lord… Such a beautiful way to start the weekend!

For those who follow our conversations and don’t know the source of my joy Father, please indulge me while I explain.

A couple months ago, we had Jonathan in for his yearly check-up with his pediatrician.  It was a routine visit, but due to his complicated medical situation (Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis), doctor’s appointments always place some concern in our hearts.  For the most part, everything went quite well; nothing obviously scary to report.  Then the doctor examined some new “growths” that had popped up on him over the last year; up went the red flags, and down went our spirits.  She labeled them as “suspicious”, and indicated that we should have them looked at by Jonathan’s oncologist as soon as possible. We tried of course to stay optimistic, but the seed of worry had been sown all the same.

The oncology visit didn’t yield much in the way of answers either, but added another round of “concerns” and a referral to a pediatric dermatologist for a specialized examination and if necessary, treatment and surgical intervention.  The oncologist did however, indicate that the possible skin involvement was all that appeared out of the ordinary at the moment, and that all his other tests and scans looked perfectly normal.  That news certainly eased our fears a bit, but based on past experience with this disease, our guard was still up nonetheless.

Today, Jonathan went to see the dermatologist.

They’re moles Father… All perfectly normal, and nothing to be concerned about.  But You already knew that, didn’t You?  🙂

Please forgive my doubts Lord… I know he’s in Your hands no matter what, and I’m so thankful for that.  But each time we have the specter of this disease rear it’s gnarled claws, it takes our hearts back to that terrifying time of uncertainty and fear, when the possible loss of our son was very real.  And while I realize Lord, that this life is temporary and simply a step towards Your Eternal Kingdom, Shannon and I are selfish in that we love this little boy dearly, and very much want him to remain with us for as long as You’ll permit.

Apparently, that’s Your desire for the moment as well… And I thank You from the bottom of my heart for that Blessing!

In Jesus’ Name we pray,

Amen.

~Phather Phil

P.S. September is Histiocytosis Awareness Month.  To learn more about this life threatening disease, and what you can do to help in the search for a cure, please visit : http://www.histio.org.

Thankful Thursday: Our Most Precious Blessing

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

Praying in Arrogance

Dear Lord; Happy Tuesday Father!

I love when You place things on my heart Lord… I gain so much perspective from those moments.

As You know, I’ve been in “worry mode” lately Father; worried about the business not doing as well as I’d like, worried about the kids being prepared to go back to school, worried about not having medical insurance at the moment, and worried that all this worrying is getting in the way of my hearing You clearly.  And although I’m usually able to squelch those feelings by focusing on the many Blessings in my life, I’ll admit to having allowed those negative emotions to overwhelm me more than once in recent days.  This morning was one of those instances.

Thankfully, You decided it was time to get my attention.

Driving to an appointment this morning, my thoughts were churning; systematically cycling through all of the complications the past month had brought.  I felt weighted, and edgy, and my temples throbbed in sympathetic rhythm with my pounding chest.  I’d almost reached my destination, when You abruptly interrupted my train of thought…

“Turn your worries into prayers.”  You whispered.

“But I have prayed about them…” I thought to myself.  “Haven’t I??”

And then the light bulb went off… Ouch.

I realized that although I’ve been praying Father, it’s not always been from the right perspective.  Instead of first giving You thanks, and then praying for Your direction in fulfilling Your desires for my life, I’ve instead allowed my worries, fears and anxieties to dictate my prayers.  I’ve prayed for what I believed would be the best solutions to my problems, when I should have placed these situations fully in Your hands, and listened for Your guidance as to the proper path to take.  I was praying for what I wanted to happen, instead of to be a part of what You wanted to happen.

I hadn’t realized I was praying in arrogance Father…  Please forgive me.

Heavenly Father, please fill me with Your divine perspective that I may look to Your counsel first, and then act on Your behalf.  I’m very much a work in progress Lord, and my deepest desire is to grow closer to You with each passing day.

More of You Father… Less of me.

In Jesus’ Name we pray,

Amen.

~Phather Phil

Thankful Thursday: On Our Toes

Dear Lord; Happy Thankful Thursday Father!

Well Father, You’re certainly providing us with an eventful week here in Delaware.  Between the earthquake that we experienced on Tuesday and the impending arrival of hurricane Irene this weekend, we’re very much “on our toes” around here.  And while we’ll of course be preparing as best we can for the potential effects of the storm, my fears are allayed by the knowledge that we’re in Your capable hands.

It’s been a slightly stressful week for me Lord, however as always Your Blessings in my life shine through that haze.  To continue my Thankful Thursday list, this week I’m especially grateful for:

211. The sounds of crickets serenading me as I sit on our deck at night.

212. Jonathan and Aidan having a great first day back at school.

213. Shannon having a wonderful first day of work.

214. A smooth server installation for a new client today.

215. No damage or injuries from the earthquake that happened this week.

216. The soothing effect Praise Music has on Jonathan when he’s stressed.

217. Feeling more “in-tune” with Your Presence each day.

218. A significant surge in business this past week.

219. Having a dedicated Service Manager (and close friend) who keeps my business going.

220. Melatonin supplements to help with getting my sleep cycle back on track.

221. Fabric Softener.

222. The inner peace I draw from Your Presence.

223. Port wine cheese spread on Ritz crackers.

224. The fact that my kids still like to snuggle up with me.  🙂

225. Neighbors that keep a watchful eye on our home, and let us know when they see something that may be wrong.

And I’m just getting started Father.  🙂

Heavenly Father, I pray that the peace of Your presence is felt by all those gripped by fear as this hurricane heads towards us.  Please keep those in harm’s way in Your watchful gaze, and bring us all safely through the storm.

In Jesus’ Name we pray,

Amen.

~Phather Phil