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

Both You and I… Again.

Dear Lord; Happy Friday Father!

Today Lord, You’ve led me to repost an article I wrote on this date last year about remembering the life of a truly wonderful author on the anniversary of his birth.  His works have touched countless lives including those of mine and my children, and I’m honored to again share this tribute.

Father, today marks the birth of someone who greatly influenced my early years, as well as the lives of many other children throughout the world.  And while he’s no longer with us here, the legacy he left behind continues to inspire, educate and delight those who read his works.  I’m of course speaking of Theodor Seuss Geisel, better known by his pen name of Dr. Seuss.

While he made a point of not speaking to any one religion or group in his writings, his messages of tolerance, understanding and peace were obvious and recurring themes in the books he wrote.  Through whimsical characters, engaging stories and tongue-twisting rhymes he made learning fun while passing along the underlying positive messages to his young audience.  Even as an adult, I still get a smile reading his stories.

The one published exception to his self-imposed rule of not writing works with obvious religious connotations came in a full-page, full-color article in the December 23, 1955 issue of Collier’s Magazine, where he wrote “A Prayer for a Child”* :

“From here on earth,
From my small place
I ask of You
Way out in space:
Please tell all men
In every land
What You and I
Both understand . . .

Please tell all men
That Peace is Good.
That’s all
That need be understood
In every world
In Your great sky.

(We understand.
Both You and I.)” – Theodor Seuss Geisel

Heavenly Father, thank You for the gifts this man brought to me and to so many other children.  While his words may not specifically carry Your name, Your Light shone brightly through his works all the same.  Amen.

~Phather Phil

*The poem and image used are Trademark and Copyright of Dr. Seuss Enterprises, L.P.

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: Comfy Jeans

Dear Lord; Happy Thankful Thursday Father!

Ok Father, yes, I realize it’s not Thursday anymore but I really didn’t want to let the week pass by without adding to my ever growing list of Blessings.  It’s been an amazingly busy week Lord, but one that absolutely overflowed with Your love for us.

Continuing to count my Blessings Father; while this week Your many gifts were abundantly apparent, I’ve been especially grateful for:

556. A powerful, Spirit filled evening at our Tuesday night small group gathering this week.

557. Finding new truths in Scripture that I’d overlooked before.

558. Some extra income this month through jobs Shannon’s had playing her viola, and teaching violin lessons.

559. My “comfy jeans”.

560. The arrival of a “DVD 3-Pack” containing “Fireproof”, “Facing the Giants” and “Flywheel”.

561. Your subtle reminders of who I was, who I’ve become, and the man You desire me to be.

562. The cozy feeling of wearing clothes straight out of the dryer.

563. Protection from the lions.

564. God Moments.

565. A new MIUI ROM release for my Nook Color.

566. Having dear friends that pray over my marriage, and my family.

567. That Shannon has been healed from the sinus and ear infection she suffered with last week.

568. Getting good seats for the Casting Crowns concert coming up in July.

569. Your benevolent Grace which cleanses and renews me.

570. An ever-deepening relationship with my Lord and Savior.

Heavenly Father,

We thank You Lord, for the many Blessings You bestow on us each and every day; both those that light the sky with Your radiance, and those that grace the night in silence.

In Jesus’ name we pray,

Amen.

~Phather Phil