Our Spiritual Surge Suppressor

Dear Lord; Happy Friday Father!

Wow Lord… What a hectic day it’s been!  As I’m sure You’re aware, we had some violent thunderstorms roll through here last night which always causes a “surge” (pun intended) in business the next day.  In this instance, one of my clients took a spike which routed through their network wiring, killing off five machines and several pieces of infrastructure hardware… Not a pretty picture.  As I was surveying and extracting the damaged equipment for repair this morning, it got me thinking that sin works very much like that surge…

Once we allow sin to enter our lives, it runs rampant, corrupting and damaging everything else it can.

Now, in this client’s case there was very little they could have done to prevent this particular hit from doing damage; we’re very much the same way with regards to sin.  While as Christians, we try to avoid sin wherever we can, we’re certainly not always successful.  It’s a constant battle in our souls Father; the pull of our corrupted, sinful natures versus the righteousness of Your Spirit within us.  Thankfully, with Jesus Christ as our “Spiritual Surge Suppressor”, we have the protection we need to arrest sin’s progress in us so we can best operate as You intend.

Heavenly Father, as we go into the weekend we thank You for all the Blessings You’ve surrounded us with this week.  I pray that for all of life’s “surges” that present themselves, we remember to place our trust in the One that can see us through the storms safely.

In Jesus’ Name we pray,

Amen.

~Phather Phil

Thankful Thursday: The Right Perspective

Dear Lord; Happy Thankful Thursday Father!

You know Father, as I’ve mentioned before I really LOVE Thankful Thursday posts.  While I try to give thanks each day for the abundance of Blessings You grace me with, having a weekly post that leads me to recollect all the little things that bring a smile to my heart puts me in exactly the right perspective:

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. – 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NIV)

I ran across a blog posting today at stevenfurtick.com that said it beautifully:

“With God, ‘thank you’ should always come before ‘please.’ The first thing that needs to come out of my mouth in prayer and worship needs to be praise for who God is and what He has done. Not just instructions for what I want or even need Him to do.”

So true.

Therefore Father, with that perspective firmly embedded in my heart, this week I’ve been thankful for:

196. A silly, giggly, tasty dinner with Shannon and the kids at a new Mexican Restaurant.

197. Getting some “one-on-one” time with Aidan while Jonathan was away at Kay’s Kamp.

198. For a sweet Bloggy Friend who reminded me to look at flowering weeds as flowers, and not weeds (Thank you Jean!).

199. Cool, clear mornings which let me leave my windows down in the truck on the way to work.

200. A fun night out with my lovely Wife last Friday night.

201. Getting the opportunity to attend “Media Day” at Kay’s Kamp, and seeing the Blessed work they do for the children.

202. Inspiring testimonies from courageous people.

203. Getting well over 50,000 miles on my truck tires before having to replace them.

204. Free lifetime map and software updates available for my GPS.

205. Finding new school uniform clothing for the boys at Goodwill dirt cheap.

206. Jonathan having another wonderful week away at Kay’s Kamp.

207. Having inexpensive generic versions available for the medications we take.

208. Tootsie Fruit Rolls.

209. My portable digital voice recorder that allows me to note things I’m thankful for at the time they come to me.

210. Waking up next to the lady I love each and every day.

Heavenly Father, once again I thank You for all the Blessings You grace our lives with each day; both those that shine brilliantly with Your Light, and those that Bless us quietly, without fanfare.  I pray that You will continue to open my eyes wider to Your gifts, that I may appreciate them to the full.

In Jesus’ Name we pray,

Amen.

~Phather Phil

Thankful Thursday: Kampers Give Thanks

Dear Lord; Happy Thankful Thursday Father!

As I wrote to You yesterday Father, Wednesday morning I was Blessed with the opportunity to visit Kay’s Kamp at St. Andrew’s School, and got to witness first-hand the wonderful work the Kamp Staff does for the children that attend.  As Jonathan has been a Kamper since they opened their doors in 2009, it was an emotional and eye-opening visit for me, and I left feeling very thankful for the Blessings You deliver through their hands.

As part of my visit, I spent time with the “Newsletter Group”.  Each day at Kamp, a newsletter is created by the staff and children which describes what’s going on, reports on Kamp gossip and lists some answers to interview questions posed by the Kamp “reporters”.  With the assistance of the staff, I was able to add a question to the list for the day…

What about Kamp are you thankful for?

Here are their answers Father.  🙂

– All the activities we do because can’t do this stuff at home.

– The Pillow Fairy coming every year.

– That kids get to enjoy themselves here!

– Thankful for just being here.

– Pranking the boys.

– Sports and Games.

– Coffee.

– Zoo Keepers.

– Just being part of it.

– The food.

– Bathrooms.

– Dessert.

– Jennie and all floaters.

– Bugspray.

– Learning new things.

– For coming here every summer.

– The Kampers.

– Derek.

– The kitchen staff.

– The counselors.

– Markie.

– Mr. Bling.

– Kristin.

– All the stuff they do for us so we can have fun.

While I don’t actually know what all of these mean, or who some of these folks are Father, it’s obvious that the staff and the Kampers are very thankful for this week of fun.  🙂

Heavenly Father, for all of the Blessings you bestow on us each day; both those that are obvious and those that grace us without fanfare, we give thanks.  I pray that Your Light continues to brighten our hearts, and that we are effective in shining that divine radiance to those around us.

In Jesus’ Name we pray,

Amen.

~Phather Phil

The Power of a Dream

Dear Lord; Happy Wednesday Father!

Today Father, my heart is virtually overflowing from this morning’s experience.

As I mentioned last week, through the kindness of the Kaylyn Elaine Warren Foundation I had made arrangements to attend “Media Day” at Kay’s Kamp today, so I could see first-hand what this unique camp is all about.

Kay’s Kamp is currently the only pediatric oncology camp in Delaware.  It’s the realization of a vision held by Kaylyn Elaine Warren, who left this earth to join You in March of 2007 at the tender age of 18.  While going through treatment for leukemia herself, she learned first-hand the effects that battling a life-threatening illness can have on the world of a child.  With that thought in mind, she envisioned a way for other children in that situation to have a place to revel in their childhood; to spend time not focusing on survival, but on being a child and living.  When Kaylyn left to be with You Father, the torch was taken up by her family and close friends who formed the Kaylyn Elaine Warren Foundation in her loving memory, and began the long journey of making Kaylyn’s dream a reality.

Kay’s Kamp opened for the first time on August 8, 2009, and has been an amazing Blessing for the children they’ve hosted each year.  Since Jonathan attended that first year, we’ve come to think of these people as family Lord, and I thank You from the bottom of my heart for bringing us together.  It’s a testament to Your love that the selfless vision of one sick young girl could bring such light, laughter and hope to so many others.

And today, I got a wonderful opportunity to see the love they bring to these children.  🙂

As Jonathan had attended Kamp for two years already, I thought I had some concept of what was involved… I wasn’t even close.

As I drove onto the beautiful grounds of Saint Andrew’s School where Kamp is currently being held, I was immediately overwhelmed by the sight I beheld.  The main field was full of blue-shirted Kampers and staff, all standing around a huge multi-colored hot air balloon.

As a surprise for the children, the Kamp planners had arranged for hot air balloon rides and they were in the process of rotating the kids through their turns.  When the breeze kicked up making further rides impossible, the Kampers paused for some quick photos and then were whisked off to the main building for the rest of the day’s activities.

In the watchful company of one of the Kamp’s wonderful staff, I spent the rest of the morning going between buildings, and experiencing some of the myriad of well-coordinated activities they filled the children’s days with.  From arts and crafts projects, to a brainstorming session for the Kamp’s daily newsletter, to splashing around in the beautiful indoor pool, the Kampers were kept well entertained and cared for by the tireless and devoted Kamp Staff.

On every Kamper’s face I saw nothing but smiles, reflecting joyful memories that I know they’ll take with them when Kamp ends this Saturday.

On the way out, I got the opportunity to stop by “The Zoo” (the Kamp Medical facility), and spoke with Mary Ellen McKnight who heads and coordinates the medical staff that resides there throughout the week.  Although certainly tired from the week’s activities, like every other staff member I encountered today she was positively beaming about the experience and couldn’t say enough about how thankful she felt to be involved with such a worthwhile endeavor, and such wonderful people.

All in all Father, it was a joyous and humbling visit.  I was absolutely Blessed by the experience.

Heavenly Father, I thank You for the wondrous gifts You bestow on these children through the selfless efforts of the Kaylyn Elaine Warren Foundation.  Please continue to Bless them on this inspired mission, and allow the light You shine through their efforts to be sent out to the world through the children they serve.

In Jesus’ Name we pray,

Amen.

~Phather Phil

Meditations Monday: Building Others Up

Dear Lord; Happy Meditations Monday Father!

First off Lord, I want to begin the week by thanking You for all the Blessings You granted us this past weekend.  The medication the veterinarian put Merlin on seems to have abated the seizures, and although the effects are still taking their toll, he’s made a marked improvement.  Saturday night Shannon got to go out with her mother and uncle to see a musical production of “Kiss Me Kate” held at Longwood Gardens, and the boys and I got some time to “hang out” and do some fun cooking with friends.  And Sunday after church we delivered Jonathan to Kay’s Kamp for his week away, and then spent the rest of the day relaxing together at home.  All in all Father, it was a wonderful weekend’s respite and I thank You for that time!

Today’s Meditations Monday Scripture comes from Paul’s Epistle to the Ephesians, Chapter 4:

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. – Ephesians 4:29 (NIV)

You got me this morning on this one Lord.  Driving into work I was running a little behind and the car in front of me was crawling along a bit under the speed limit…

“I wish these people would learn how to drive!” I exclaimed.

“Phil… You know better.” You whispered back.

Busted.

You’ve actually been correcting me along these lines quite a bit lately Father, and it’s been humbling as to how often I find myself saying or thinking unkind or unflattering things about other people.  I allow personal frustrations such as being a little late for work to set the tone in my head, and like a weed in a flower bed the negative feelings spread to the rest of my thoughts.  Little moments like this morning’s outburst, although no one was there to hear it (except You of course…), still serve to poison our spirit and can further affect other parts of our lives.

Thankfully, Your gentle reminders to keep my mood in check have helped me to make a positive change in that respect.  There is however, certainly still room for improvement, as this morning’s experience displayed.  🙂

Heavenly Father, as we begin this new week please help us to shine Your Light to those around us, not mire them in the grey clouds of our own inner conflicts.  Our words are powerful influencers Lord, and I pray that You guide our usage of them to best encourage and support Your Children.

My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. – James 1:19-20 (NIV)

Amen.

~Phather Phil