Meditations Monday: Cutting Through the Fog

Dear Lord; Happy Meditations Monday Father!

Good morning Father!  To begin the week’s conversations Lord, I want to first thank You for the many Blessings You graced me with this past weekend.  Although I spent much of the past few days resting in an attempt to fend off the nasty respiratory illness I picked up last week, Your influence was obvious nonetheless.  During that unusual bout of “down time”, I was able to spend a good bit of quiet time with Jonathan and Aidan, made some progress on the redesign of Ewell’s St. Paul’s web site, and even managed to get out with Shannon for a little bit as well.  And while I’m still not completely recovered from this invasive little bug Father, I want to thank You for Your comforting, soothing and healing presence while my body holds the line against these invaders.  You are truly ever-faithful Lord, and I thank You for remaining by my side no matter the circumstances.

Driving in to work this morning, I was confronted with something I seldom run into in this area; pea-soup thick fog.  Now, we certainly get our share of morning “mist” around here, but this was some of the heaviest fog I believe I’ve ever seen in central Delaware.  Visibility was minimal, with only a 30 foot-or-so view in front of the truck before the milky haze completely enveloped the road ahead.  Nervously gripping the wheel, I slowed from my usual morning pace, peering cautiously into the haze as I drove.  I was anxious, and the trip to work seemed to go on for ages.

Then I realized… This reminds me of my life before I knew You Father.

I was anxious, cautious, and fearful…

Quite often I felt cut off, and alone…

The roadblocks and detours in my life often left me feeling insecure and vulnerable…

Every “bump in the road” became amplified, at the thought of the chasm that may lie beneath.

I lived one day at a time, never knowing what lay ahead of me…

And then Lord, You lifted my fog from me.

“Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”” – John 8:12 (ESV)

Your Light cut through all that haze Father, and changed my journey in so many ways.

My fears are now opportunities for hope…

I know that no matter where I am or what I’m doing, I’m never alone…

While I still have quite a few struggles and trials in my life, I know that You desire what’s best for me, and that You’ll guide me down the best path…

“bumps in the road” are exactly that, and are given no more importance that they’re due…

Following Your light Lord, I know exactly where I’m headed. 🙂

Heavenly Father,

As we begin our week together Lord, I lift to You my thanks and praise for all You bring to our lives each day.  Please continue to light the path through the fog that shrouds our earthly journeys, diligently searching us out as the mists of this world threaten to engulf us.  Guide us down that path Lord, and lead us home.

In Jesus’ Name we pray,

Amen.

~Phather Phil

My Traveling Companion

Dear Lord; Happy Tuesday Father!

Heavenly Father,

I come to You today not in pride,

But from humility.

Not in stability,

But from within my brokenness.

Not as a man,

But as Your Child.

Walk with me Father,

And be my Strength.

I seek Your presence Lord;

Your divine touch that rights my troubled spirit,

Your radiant visage that lights my path,

Your comforting embrace that soothes my anxious heart,

And Your guiding hand to lead me.

Walk with me Father,

And be my strength.

I’m tired Lord,

And weary,

And burdened,

And fearful;

And Your voice seems quieter than usual.

Help me silence that dissent Lord,

And free my heart from those things that obscure You from me.

Walk with me Father,

And be my strength.

Draw me to You Lord;

Allow me haven in Your tender mercy,

That I might shed my soul of earthly trials,

And focus on Your will.

Though the road before me twists and turns,

My Traveling Companion knows the true path.

Walk with me Father,

And be my strength.

Amen.

~Phather Phil

Meditations Monday: Intertwining Souls

Dear Lord; Happy Meditations Monday Father!

Well Father, once again we come to another Meditations Monday here at PhatherPhil.org.  This past weekend saw days filled with Your abundant Blessings, and quiet evenings curled up under warm blankets watching movies with the kids.  We managed to get our Christmas crafting projects off to a healthy jump-start, enjoyed an inspiring church service Sunday morning, and then while Aidan and Shannon attended a birthday party for one of his classmates, Jonathan and I took advantage of the beautiful weather and went out to Port Mahon and Woodland Beach for a photowalk.  I truly love these times of connection with my family and the “extended family” that You’ve placed in my life Father, and I thank You for Blessing me by granting a weekend filled with their company.

In recent weeks Father, my thoughts have often drifted to the connections You’ve placed in my life; my loving family, the wonderful variety of friends I’ve made, and most recently the warm and inviting church family You led me to at Ewell’s St. Paul UMC.  I know without question that You’ve placed each and every one of them into my life for a reason Lord, and by doing so have Blessed me with one of the components essential to growing in Your presence…

Fellowship.

“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” – Hebrews 10:23-25 (ESV)

Your path for our lives includes a complex (to us anyways) intertwining of souls.  You bring us together for many reasons; to encourage us, to teach us, to comfort us, and to share our spiritual gifts with one another.  The Holy Spirit draws us together, creating those vital allegiances that nourish our soul as we journey along the path to Your Kingdom.

Heavenly Father,

As we begin the week, I lift thanks and praise to You for all the wonderful relationships You’ve brought into my life.  Through these Blessed connections I’ve seen countless signs of Your gracious love, and they continue to inspire me to reach out and share that love with others.

In Jesus’ Name we pray,

Amen.

~Phather Phil

Thankful Thursday: All Eyes Are On You

Dear Lord; Happy Thankful Thursday Father!

Last week Lord, I had my annual eye exam as required by Delaware law to renew the prescription for my contact lenses.  I’ve never been a huge fan of anyone poking around in my eyes, but since I switched to contacts a few years back I’ve become accustomed to the necessary ritual each autumn.  This year’s visit however, yielded a bit of a surprise for me.  When the examination had been completed, the doctor quietly informed me that she was going to have to write me a different prescription…

My eyesight has actually gotten stronger.

The doctor explained to me that it wasn’t uncommon for people’s eyesight to vary over the years, but I still feel there’s a parallel here that I shouldn’t ignore nonetheless.  My eyesight began to degrade when I was seven years old, requiring me to wear glasses from second grade on.  Since that time, I can’t remember even one eye exam where my vision has shown even a minute change for the better.  I find it intriguing that while my earthly eyes have become stronger, at the same time I’m seeing Your presence all around me with ever increasing clarity as well.

As Toby Mac stated in the song “Lose My Soul”;

All eyes are on You Lord… All eyes are on You.

Thanks for the smile Father.  🙂

Picking up where I left off on last week’s Thankful Thursday list Lord, this week I’ve been especially grateful for:

331. The opportunity I received to minister to a friend in need this week.

332. A wonderful, inspiring evening’s discussion at this week’s Small Group Gathering : “Treasures of the Transformed Life”

333. A tasty Sunday after-church brunch trying a new recipe : Cinnamon Roll Pancakes.

334. Having a weekend with a good bit of “down-time”.

335. My thoughtful Administrative Assistant bringing me two big bags of Twizzlers for Boss’ Day.

336. The comfort of Your presence when life’s situations begin to overwhelm me.

337. A wonderful photowalk with Jonathan and Aidan in Blackbird State Forest last Sunday.

338. The convictions of the Holy Spirit helping me to focus and grow as You desire me to.

339. A powerful evening of music and worship at the John Waller concert last Thursday night.

340. A successful first attempt at making homemade calzones this week.

341. Seeing the Holy Spirit growing in my wife Shannon more and more each day.

342. An eye exam showing that my vision has actually improved slightly.

343. The opportunity to be a part of Someone Else’s Story.

344. Connecting with a wide range of inspiring people and organizations through Twitter.

345. The inspirations You place on my heart each day.

Heavenly Father,

We give thanks Dear Lord, for all the many Blessings You bestow on us each day; both those which boldly announce Your glory, and those that grace our lives in silence.  Please open our eyes that we might recognize and praise You for the many gifts you bring to us, and open our hearts that we may share those overwhelming Blessings with those around us.

In Jesus’ Name we pray,

Amen.

~Phather Phil

Reflections in the Word

Dear Lord; Happy Tuesday Father!

As You’re aware Lord, over the last few weeks my Scripture reading time has been spent wading through the Old Testament books of Kings and Chronicles.  I won’t pull any punches Father, they can be some onerous books to read, but without a doubt they’re chock-full of Your wisdom nonetheless.  This morning, as I was nearing the end of 2^nd Chronicles the thought crossed my mind:

“Wow… They just didn’t learn very quickly, did they.”

It really wasn’t meant to be disrespectful or nearly as sarcastic as it came out, but reading about king after king that “…did not do what was right in the eyes of the Lord”, and by doing so led their people down paths of destruction and pain, I was struck by the fact that even with all they knew to be true, they still turned away from Your path.

“You do that now and again yourself…” You whispered.

Double Ouch!!

Yes Father… yes I do…

While I may not erect idols and temples to other gods, I certainly have allowed my focus and desires to shift away from You, and to cling to earthly things.

I sometimes allow my pride to overwhelm me and try to rely on my own strength to “fix” things, instead of humbling my heart and following Your lead.

Although my Walk with You has grown ever closer, there are still times that the concerns of the world get their hooks in my heart, and Your voice becomes drowned out in the turmoil.

While I very much try to look towards others with Your love in my heart, there have certainly been more than a few cases where I’ve allowed negative feelings to get the better of me, and not treated people as Jesus’ example directed us.

I guess I don’t learn very quickly Father…

Thankfully, You haven’t given up on me.  🙂

It’s convicting to read through those pages and see reflections of our own behaviors Father, but if that realization helps guide us closer to You, then we’re truly bringing Your Word into our hearts.

Heavenly Father,

I lift my praises Lord, for the lessons and messages You bring us through Scripture, and for the guidance we receive through Your Holy Spirit.  For although the truths we uncover may be convicting, uncomfortable or even painful, if in the end they draw us closer to Your will, it’s a path we need to follow all the same.

In Jesus’ Name we pray,

Amen.

~Phather Phil