Thankful Thursday: Where He Was Truly Needed

Dear Lord; Happy Thankful Thursday Father!

You know Father, I truly love reading the Gospels.  In those pages I find myself enveloped in the personal, intimate nature of what Christ Jesus meant to the world, and gain essential perspective to help guide me in my earthly journey.

As an example, while reading in the Gospel of Mark today, I came to the passage which described Jesus spending time in the home of Levi (Matthew), a tax-gatherer for the Romans:

“And as he reclined at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners were reclining with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”” – Mark 2:15-17 (ESV)

Now Father, while I understand the usual message derived from these verses deals with Jesus condemning the self-righteousness of the scribes asking the question, today You laid on my heart a different thought to take away from my reading…

“Reach out in love to ALL My Children, not just those you’re comfortable being around.”

I’ll admit Lord, I play it safe far too often; missing opportunities to connect with those outside of my “comfort zone”, and to share Your message of hope and love with them.

Jesus didn’t restrict His ministry to those places where He was comfortable or safe, He went where He was truly needed.

I’ll be working on this one Father… Message received.  🙂

Continuing to count my Blessings Lord; this past couple weeks have been witness to countless signs of Your love for me, but in the midst of it all I’ve been very grateful for:

586. Attending a fun Kids Construction workshop with the boys last weekend at Home Depot.

587. The opportunity to reach out and minister to someone in need last week.

588. The new Audrey Assad “Heart” CD that I can’t seem to stop listening to.

589. Completing a reading of the Old Testament from start to finish.

590. Having friends with truly open, giving hearts.

591. Two nights in a row of six hours contiguous, uninterrupted sleep.

592. Sharing my morning drives to work with a good friend.

593. Celestial Seasonings Sleepytime Extra Wellness Tea.

594. A relatively easy and inexpensive repair for our squealing clothes dryer.

595. The early arrival of several unseasonably warm days.

596. Making significant progress on home repairs and cleaning this past week.

597. Gaining a more personal, intimate relationship with Jesus through the Gospels.

598. A beautiful preview of gifts to come.

599. Finding a buyer for my large aquarium that will truly appreciate it.

600. Divine reassurance that I’ve made a good decision.

Heavenly Father,

Thank You Lord, for the multitude of Blessings You grace our lives with each and every day; both those that announce Your presence with regal fanfare, and those that whisper Your influence quietly on the spring breeze.

In Jesus’ name we pray,

Amen.

~Phather Phil

Thankful Thursday: God Will Send the Rain

Dear Lord; Happy Thankful Thursday Father!

Well Father, it’s certainly been a little while since I’ve sat down and written to You.  And while our conversations haven’t diminished in the least, I have missed bringing the fruits of our time together to the written word.  So Lord, when You laid it on my heart today to share this post, it gave me a much needed early-morning smile.  🙂

Back in January Father, my family and I attended a viewing at our church of the movie “Facing the Giants”.  It was an absolutely excellent film, filled with inspiring messages and poignant reminders of where our true motivation and priorities should lie.  At one point in the movie, a statement was made that really captured my attention, and has stuck with me since…

“God will send the rain when He’s ready… You need to prepare your field to receive it.”

Such a simple truth Father, and yet one I’ve missed on so many occasions.  While I try to recognize Your many Blessings in my life and in the world around me, in many cases I’ve not been proactive in aggressively preparing myself to receive those gifts.  I want to live my life expecting Your presence at every turn Lord; sowing my seeds in earnest…

Knowing without a doubt that Your Heavenly rain is coming.

Such is my desire Father… Today and every day.

Continuing to count Your many Blessings in my life Lord; these past weeks have been truly filled with Your Grace, and I’ve been especially grateful for:

571. Being given 18 wonderful years with my dog Brandy.

572. A marriage that not only has grown us as a couple, but also allows us both to grow as individuals.

573. Bourbon manhattans with a splash of grenadine.

574. An absolutely beautiful, warm sunny drive into work this morning.

575. Our caring, compassionate veterinarian who made a very difficult situation much easier.

576. A beautiful Valentine’s Day dinner out with Shannon.

577. Seeing Your grace powerfully impacting the lives of some good friends.

578. That no matter what missteps we make or how far we fall, when we come to You we’re welcomed with open arms.

579. The amazing outpouring of encouragement and concern we received upon Brandy’s passing.

580. A number of significant new jobs this past couple weeks.

581. A good “check up” service on Shannon’s van with no major surprises.

582. Those people You place in our lives that connect to our hearts in truly powerful ways.

583. A fun night out with friends last Saturday night.

584. The view of the world I receive when I look through eyes cleansed by faith.

585. The healing power contained in the smile of a good friend.

Heavenly Father,

I thank You Lord, for the wondrous gifts You continue to Bless our lives with each and every day; both those that cause the Heavens to ring out in song, and those that whisper Your mighty love quietly from the shadows.

In Jesus’ name we pray,

Amen.

~Phather Phil

I’m Yours

Dear Lord; Happy Valentine’s Day Father!

Today Father, much of the world’s attention turns to “all things love” as we celebrate Valentine’s Day.  And yet, while the greeting card, candy and jewelry companies would like us to spend our time and money focusing on the romantic and tangible side of our affections, I choose instead to take this time to reflect on those aspects of love in my life that touch me most deeply:

The amazing, intimate bond I have with my wonderful wife, Shannon…

The powerful sense of care and commitment I have for my children…

The deep, very personal relationships I’ve established with a few close friends…

And the overwhelming, transformational and ever-deepening connection I have with my Lord and Savior.

Such wondrous examples of Your love for me Father; such astounding Blessings in my life.

Thank You Lord;

For seeding Your love in me,

For seeking me through my brokenness,

For reminding me that I’m Your Beloved Child,

And that above all else,

You love me; perfectly and completely.

I’m Yours Father.  🙂

Amen.

~Phather Phil

Thankful Thursday: An Opportunity to Share

Dear Lord; Happy Thankful Thursday Father!

Today Lord, I’m truly Blessed to be sharing some of the inspirations you’ve given me over at a fellow blogger and friend’s site; Healthy Spirituality.

Jean’s blog is always an amazing source of encouragement, education and inspiration to me Father, and I was absolutely honored when she asked me to write a post for her.  I’ll admit it Lord, I struggled for some time with what I felt You wanted me to share, and then again with finding the right phrasing to bring that truth to life.  Thankfully though Father, the words did come and I pray that I did Your message justice through their employ.

Continuing to count my Blessings Lord, on this very Thankful Thursday I’m especially grateful for:

526. That I have people who challenge me to grow closer to You, and hold me accountable for that commitment.

527. A wonderful movie event held at Ewell’s-St. Paul UMC last Friday night.

528. The care and assistance of a business client when some friends of mine were in need.

529. Skype and webcams allowing me to “visit” with friends far away.

530. An unexpectedly good client meeting today.

531. Steak Fajitas.

532. Your healing presence with two members of our Tuesday night study group as they dealt with injuries and illnesses this past week.

533. That the Internet allows me to connect with other believers all over the world.

534. A fun evening last Saturday playing cards with friends.

535. Being reminded of some powerful truths while watching “Facing the Giants”.

536. The abundant opportunities You give me to share the Gospel Message with others.

537. The lessons of Winter.

538. Friends that see when my heart is heavy, and push through the barriers I put up.

539. That when crises struck members in our Tuesday group this past week, the other members came together in love to support them.

540. That in You, we don’t have to be defined by our past.

Heavenly Father,

I thank You Lord, for the many Blessings You bestow on us each day; both those that light the night as a monument to Your love, and those that grace us quietly, whispering Your message from the shadows.

In Jesus’ Name we pray,

Amen.

~Phather Phil

Thankful Thursday: A Day Late, But Still Thankful

Dear Lord; Happy Thankful Thursday Father!

You know Lord, as I look back over the “Emails to God” I’ve written to You over the past year, it amazes me how much we’ve discussed, how much ground we’ve covered, and most importantly how far I still have to go on my Walk to Your side.

The other thing I find fascinating Father, is to see how those who’ve come to share this journey have found us.  Through the statistics engine in place “behind the scenes” here on phatherphil.org, I can drill down and get very detailed information as to what sites, searches and links were followed to land people on these posts and pages.  It also allows me to see which of our conversations generated the most interest, and which posts led the most readers to comment as well.

It’s a fun look back over our year together Lord, and today I’d like to share those results.

Top 5 Search Terms Used

Google’s engine is some kind of mystery Father.  While in some cases I understand completely how certain search phrases lead people to find this site, there are others that just leave me scratching my head.  Nonetheless, the top five phrases that were used last year to find this site were:

1. my son’s birthday

2. come to me all you who are weary

3. being used

4. mercies in disguise

5. a beautiful prayer

Top 5 Posts by Views

It’s always interesting Lord, to see exactly which of our conversations were most sought out.  Not only does it help to give me a better perspective on what topics are close to people’s hearts, but it also serves to help guide my prayers going forward.  Funny enough, the top five posts for 2011 contains several of my personal favorites as well:

1. Jumping In

2. On My Son’s Birthday

3. Come to me, all you who are weary

4. Really God??

5. A Beautiful Prayer

Top 5 Commenters

One of the most profound Blessings that’s come from sharing our time each day Father, has been the wonderful people I’ve connected with.  Through their emails, comments and fellowship, these beautiful souls have been an important part of our conversations Lord, and I am forever Blessed by their contribution.  Everyone I’ve connected with has been a true gift Father, but in 2011 these ladies were a part of the most conversations:

1. Lisa from A Moment With God

2. Jenifer from ~Sweet Blessings~

3. Kandi from Get Out of the Boat

4. Jean from Healthy Spirituality

5. Martha from Martha’s Daily Devotions

All in all Lord, 2011 was an amazing year of spiritual discovery and growth here at PhatherPhil.org, and I’m very excited to see where You’ll take this journey in 2012.

And now Father, on to the Thankful Thursday list of Blessings!  This past week has been an eventful one to be sure, yet through all the peaks and valleys Your Blessings have shone brightly.  I’m truly thankful Lord, for all of the many gifts You surround our lives with, but this week I’m especially grateful for:

496. A fun “dinner and games” night with some wonderful friends last Saturday.

497. A powerful, inspiring final session of the “Plan B” group study this past Tuesday.

498. That You are a God of infinite contingencies.

499. The cleansed feeling the world gets following a morning rainstorm.

500. The difference in perspective I’ve received by listing these first 500 Blessings.

501. Fresh Draft Beer.

502. The outpouring of compassion and support we received upon the passing of our dog this past weekend.

503. That when I begin to doubt that I’m following Your desire, You find a way to send me reassurance.

504. Friends with beautiful hearts who share them willingly.

505. That even when I’m clumsy in my Walk to You Lord, You’re there to steady my footing.

506. New members to our Tuesday night small group.

507. Being given almost seventeen years with our little Pomeranian, Hunny.

508. A good friend who came to my aid last Saturday morning.

509. That following a week-long illness, Jonathan is back to his happy, obstinate self.  🙂

510. Situations that stretch my faith, and help me grow in my Walk.

Heavenly Father,

I thank You Lord, for the multitude of Blessings You grace our lives with each and every day; both those that reveal Your presence with splendor, and those that Bless us in the Stillness.

In Jesus’ Name we pray,

Amen.

~Phather Phil