You know Father, sometimes I think that I go to work each week to get some rest after the weekends. 🙂
Once again Lord, You Blessed us with a busy but joyful weekend. From the “Breakfast for Dinner” Friday night get-together we hosted, to hiking and taking photos with the boys and Shannon’s mother during the day on Saturday, to attending the big yearly party at my father’s home on Sunday after church, it was a wonderful couple days spent in the company of family and good friends. Thank You for that time together Father!
This week’s Meditations Monday Scripture selection comes from the 10th chapter of the Gospel of Mark:
People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them. – Mark 10:13-16 (NIV)
Such a powerful image of tenderness and affection this brings to mind Father, and with it some excellent lessons for us as well.
First off, Jesus’ response to His disciples’ attempt to “head off” the children from coming to Him clearly demonstrates His view that all Your Children are precious; none are too insignificant to seek Christ’s Presence. As many of us suffer from feelings of being unworthy of Your Love, this is a powerful truth to remember.
And then Father, Jesus makes a statement that I’ll be meditating and praying on this week;
I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.
“Like a little child”;
Humble…
Trusting…
Accepting…
Obedient…
Faithful…
Heavenly Father, as adults we allow so many things in our lives to obscure our hearts from You. Please open us to experience Your Glory with the wonder, acceptance and understanding that only a truly unencumbered spirit can. Amen.
Well Lord, once again we come to the Thankful Thursday post here at phatherphil.org. It’s been a pleasant week following our return from vacation, however I will admit to missing the wonderfully comfortable weather and serene environment we enjoyed in the mountains. We’ve been beset by days of hot, humid weather here, so the contrast to our time away is made even more obvious. However as one of my fellow Christian Bloggers noted, every season exists for a purpose, and this too shall pass when You intend it to.
Anyways Father, no matter the weather conditions I always have a multitude of Blessings to give thanks for. Such as…
151. Quiet back roads on which to travel to and from work each day.
152. Having the vast research resources of the Internet at my fingertips.
153. A safe drive home from our recent vacation.
154. A lovely dinner out with Shannon on her birthday.
155. Being able to attend the Meet & Greet last Sunday for Kay’s Kamp (Jonathan is SO excited).
156. Whispered challenges on my heart to Dig Deeper.
165. A good cappuccino after church on Sundays from The Young Bean.
Heavenly Father, thank You once again for all those Blessings you grant us, both those that are obvious and those that may go unseen. As we Strive for full restoration in Your service, please open our eyes and hearts to better recognize the amazing gifts You bring to our lives each day. Amen.
For as long as I can remember, I’ve always been one of those people who delights in doing several things at the same time. My brain tends to work on overdrive most of the time, processing stimuli from a number of different directions all at once and reacting accordingly. Combine that with the amazing array of smartphones, tablets, personal organizers and computers that pervade my world, and I spend quite a bit of my day on overload. And while it’s been a useful condition over the years for dealing with a rapidly moving business environment, I’ve come to realize that in many cases my predilection for multitasking is not only problematic, but can be unhealthy as well…
I have significant problems with insomnia.
I get frustrated easily when things around me don’t “keep up”.
I suffer from high blood pressure and hypertension.
My patience with others can become very limited.
I find that when I don’t accomplish as much as I expected to, it leads to feelings of self-doubt.
Thankfully Father, with Your help I’ve been making some headway in controlling this side of my persona. By deliberately choosing to focus my attention on one project at a time, and listening to Your Voice for guidance all the while, I find I actually achieve more and at the same time gain the strength and peace of Your Presence as well. I’ve also been doing some things to “disconnect” myself from the high-speed world around me such as…
Limiting my smartphone usage to emergencies and family needs only outside of working hours (this has been a difficult change for me).
Not spending time logged into Facebook, Twitter or social networking sites when I’m home in the evenings.
Going for long walks in the woods, along the shore, or other places where I can dwell in Your Abundance.
Spending quiet time in prayer, studying Scripture or reading other Christian-focused books.
While I realize that we live in a world that emphasizes constant connectivity and productivity Lord, I’m finding that as my Walk with You progresses my time spent in simpler pursuits is far more satisfying. I’m not planning on finding a cave and becoming a hermit mind You, but I am enjoying the balance and clarity that comes from “unplugging” from the world, and “plugging” into You. 🙂
Ok Lord, yes I do know it’s actually Friday but as the day got away from me yesterday and I didn’t have the opportunity to post my Thankful Thursday article, I decided to do so this morning instead. 🙂
It’s been a wonderful, Blessed week away with my family Father. Our visits to the mountains are something that we all look forward to eagerly each year, and it’s been a joyous, relaxing time once again. Today is our last full day here, and although we’ll be headed home tomorrow the memories of this past week will stay with us for a long time to come.
So, without further ado Lord, this week I’d like to give special thanks for…
136. 78 degree days, and 52 degree nights with low humidity.
137. A sky so clear that at night with a full moon, the clouds light up like it was dusk.
138. Playing an evening game of Bocce with Jonathan.
139. A caring, thoughtful friend who cleaned our house for us while we’re away.
140. Getting the opportunity to attend church services with old friends.
141. Quiet time fishing.
142. Being surrounded by the abundant beauty of Your Creation.
143. An office staff who keeps the world at bay for me while I’m away.
144. Another wonderful visit to Claws ‘N’ Paws Zoo.
145. Seeing the joy on Jonathan’s face as he won the archery competition.
146. Children who continue to have a sense of whimsy and wonder.
147. Sitting on the back porch of the cabin late at night with good friends, good bourbon and a light breeze.
148. Having no signal on my mobile phone for most of the week. 🙂
149. The management and staff at Chestnut Grove Resort who always make our visit feel like coming home.
150. Reservations to come back here next year.
Heavenly Father, I thank You for a restful, rejuvenating and happy week away. In these beautiful and peaceful surroundings I can truly feel Your Presence in abundance, and will be taking home with me a deeper sense of Your Wondrous Gifts to us. Amen.
Well Father, we come again to the end of yet another work-week and I’ll admit to being excited this time. Tomorrow morning, my family and I leave for a week’s vacation at Chestnut Grove Resort in the Pocono Mountains. The kids love it there Lord, and I’ve found that it’s someplace that I can truly relax and spend quiet, meditative time in Your Presence. As Internet connectivity is quite limited, I don’t expect to be able to post our conversations every day, but hope to be able to at least a couple times over the course of the week. Funny enough, it makes perfect sense that in places where my connections to the world are more limited, my connection to You opens up wider. 🙂
In preparation for our time away, I spent some time yesterday picking out new books to read, and music to travel by. For reading material (other than my trusty YouVersion.com Bible App on my Android tablet), I have “Heaven is Real” written by Don Piper, and “Just Too Busy: Taking your Family on a Radical Sabbatical” by Joanne Kraft (Thanks so much Elaine!). As for music, while my iPod is already quite loaded with inspiring songs, I just had to add the albums “Blessings” by Laura Story, and “On Fire” from Peter Furler to the mix. Peter’s song “Reach” has been running through my head a lot the last couple weeks, so I’m excited to have the rest of his solo premier album to enjoy as well…
While we’re up there, we’ve also been invited by friends of ours to attend services at Pocono Community Church. From what they tell us, it’s a wonderful House of Worship and we’re very much looking forward to hearing the Pastor’s message on Sunday morning.
Heavenly Father, I thank You for all the Blessings You’ve bestowed on us this week, and for Your abundant Presence in our lives each day. I look forward with anticipation to spending communal time with You this coming week, and pray that You’ll keep us in Your Loving Embrace as we venture away from home. Amen.
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. 
