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

Thankful Thursday: Through the Heart of a Friend

Dear Lord; Happy Thankful Thursday Father!

Yesterday morning, I hit the wall Father.  The cumulative weight of many insomnia-driven nights had finally exacted its penance on me.  And when the alarm abruptly announced it was time for me to awaken for our time together, for the first time in a great long while Lord, I shut it off and laid back down.

An hour or so later the alarm once again fulfilled its mission, brutally reminding me of the day that lie ahead.  Caving in to its insistent call, I pulled myself from beneath the covers.  As I sat on the side of the bed desperately attempting to shake the cobwebs loose from my resistant mind, the loss of my “Still time” in Your presence sat uneasily in my heart…

I count on that time…

I look forward to it…

And yet, today I’d missed it.

Determined to refresh my spirit, I reached for my daily bread; the daily devotional message I read each morning from my Stand Firm men’s magazine.  This attempt however, also proved fruitless as I realized that a new month had begun, and my February edition was nowhere to be found.

“Wow…” I thought.  “I’m really not doing very well for You today Father…”

As my failings of the morning took deeper root, my weariness took on new life.

And then my mobile phone lit up.

“Hmm… No one texts me at this hour… This can’t be good.” I thought.

Resolved to more of the morning’s direction, I begrudgingly picked up the phone and read the message…

“Good morning.  You came to my mind, so I prayed for you and your family.  Just wanted to let you know that.  :-)”

And in a single moment Father, my day changed.

I’d overslept…

I’d missed my Scripture time…

I’d misplaced my devotional…

And yet,

You found a way Lord,

To remind me that You love me,

Through the heart of a friend.

Thank You.  🙂

Continuing to count my Blessings on this sunny Thankful Thursday Father, this week I’ve been especially grateful for:

541. An upcoming visit from some dear friends.

542. Some beautiful unseasonal, spring-like weather this week.

543. Getting to catch up a little with a friend I haven’t seen in a while today.

544. The honor of being asked to pray for someone in need.

545. “Remote Control” software that allows me to service computers anywhere.

546. A wonderful surprise gift of a Jason Gray CD, containing the song “Remind Me Who I Am”.

547. A wonderful, long walk in Blackbird State Forest this past Sunday with my two boys.

548. Finally getting to watch the movie “Courageous” with friends this past Saturday.

549. Getting to “Sit in” on a worship practice today.

550. The most powerful act of love in history.

551. That a good friend of our family is experiencing the relief of Your healing following some serious health problems.

552. The opportunity to assist another church with their web presence.

553. Text messaging on my phone that helps keep me connected to those I care about.

554. Chicken Cordon Bleu, shared with friends.

555. Seeing Your hand at work in my relationships with others.

Heavenly Father,

I thank You Lord, for all the many Blessings You bring to our lives each and every day; both those that boldly reveal Your presence, and those that grace us in the silence.

In Jesus’ name we pray,

Amen.

~Phather Phil

A Very Special Gift

Dear Lord; Happy Wednesday Father!

Today Lord, I simply want to say thank You.

As You know Father, the last couple weeks have been particularly stressful for me, and I’m afraid in several situations I allowed myself to weaken and give audience to Satan’s voices of dissent within my heart…

You’re not worthy of God’s attention…

You’re weak…        

You’re alone…

I can still get to you…

And yet, through all these attacks on my spirit Lord, You were right there.  You’ve quietly reminded me of my true identity, sent me fellow brothers and sisters in Christ to bolster my reserve, and through Your Word have helped keep my eyes focused on Your Kingdom.

And then this morning, You gave me a very special gift…

As I’ve mentioned before Father, I quite enjoy the path I take to work each morning.  I consciously avoid the highway, and instead travel a series of smaller back roads that run through much more rural settings.

My route also holds one further benefit.

For a short portion of the drive, my truck heads due East; affording me a wonderful front-row seat as the sun lifts above the horizon behind the farmlands ahead.  Most mornings it’s a lovely scene, but today it was particularly breathtaking.  The air was vividly clear, save for a thin line of clouds that dotted the horizon.  Lying behind that smoky veil, the morning sun’s radiance streamed upwards, seeming to burn rays of light into the heavens.  It was truly a marvelous sight, and as I smiled in recognition of Your handiwork, You let me know why…

“It’s for you…” You said.

For me??  I momentarily struggled with my disbelief, but it was just too powerful; the wall came crashing down and I clearly understood Your message:

You love me Father, and You’d move heaven and earth that I should know it.

What an amazing gift Lord… I am truly humbled, and forever changed.

Amen.

~Phather Phil

“My One Word” 2012

Dear Lord; Happy Tuesday Father!

About this time last year Lord, I joined with many of my Christian Blogging brothers and sisters and began to think and pray about choosing a single word to guide my steps throughout the year.  In the end, although I was unsure as to why at the time, You very clearly placed the word “Accept” on my heart.

As I look back over the past year Father, Your reasons for Blessing me with that word become very apparent.  2011 was a year filled with struggles, and joy, with pain, and enlightenment.  And yet, when I attempt to “compile” the year’s experiences and summarize what truths I’ve been given in that time, Your word for me keeps showing up…

I Accept that I can’t fix everything, or solve every problem…

I Accept that I’m dependent Father; needy of Your presence in all parts of my life.

I Accept that only by consistently seeking humility before You, can I find true strength.

I Accept that I’m Your Beloved Child.

And so many others Father…  “Accept” makes perfect sense to me now.

So now we come to 2012.

As You know Father, I started praying about this year’s word a couple weeks ago.  You’ve been relatively quiet on the subject so far, but this morning on my ride to work You broke that silence…

Well Lord, once again, it’s not what I would have chosen, nor what I expected.  Nonetheless, I trust You Father, with all my heart, and Accept this word as the precious gift it is.  I have no idea what part my word will play in the coming year, but I Promise to keep my mind, and my heart, open to Your voice.

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