Another Chance…

Dear Lord; Happy New Year’s Eve Father!

As my mind wandered this morning Father, drifting along this past year’s erratic path and pondering the days ahead You spoke to my heart; a whispered phrase of things to be…

“Another Chance…” You promised.

 And with that I realized Lord… Every day I wake with breath in my lungs You’ve granted me Another Chance…

“I will never forget this awful time,

as I grieve over my loss.

Yet I still dare to hope

when I remember this:

The faithful love of the Lord never ends!

His mercies never cease.

Great is his faithfulness;

his mercies begin afresh each morning.” – Lamentations 3:20-23 (NLT)

Another Chance to recognize my mistakes…

And hopefully to learn from them.

Another Chance to receive Your gracious love…

And to share that love with others.

Another Chance to look with wonder at the Blessings all around me…

And Another Chance to worship; to lift my heart to You in gratefulness.

Another Chance to cast off the chains of my self-imposed guilt and failures and place them at Your feet…

And Another Chance to grow closer to You in the process.

Another Chance to read Your Word…

And know You more through each passage and verse.

Another Chance to gracefully accept the assistance of others when it’s offered…

And Another Chance to reach out to them in love as well.

Another Chance to strive for righteousness Lord…

Another Chance to draw closer to the man You desire me to become.

Thank You Father…

For Another Chance.

Amen.

~Phather Phil

It Began in a Lowly Manger

Dear Lord; Happy Christmas Eve Father!

When I think of Christmas Lord, so many things come to my heart…

Hope…

Love…

Peace…

Joy…

And an overall sense of Wonder.

And yet, with all of the situations that have surrounded me throughout this Blessed Season Father, I’ll admit that much of that child-like excitement has felt quietly subdued this year…

However this morning as we talked Lord, You breathed some life back into my weary spirit.

Today Father, I asked You a very pointed question and You very clearly answered it… Although I’ll admit Your response wasn’t even on my radar…

“Lord… You know my heart hasn’t been in the right place this Season, and for that I’m truly sorry.  I need You more than ever Father… Please tell me what You want of me this Christmas… What do You want me to learn?”

And in the prayerful silence that followed Lord, You Blessed me with an answer…

“Forgiveness, Phil…”  You whispered… “For yourself most of all.”

Silence returned as I grappled with Your intent…

Forgiveness??  At Christmas??

And then Father, in a moment of realization reminiscent of the Grinch’s heart enlargement it came to me…

Christmas is all about forgiveness.

In the midst of our pain, our sin, and our brokenness Lord,

On that Silent Night so many years ago,

You came among us in the humblest of ways…

That by Your life we could know Your will for us,

And by Your blood we would be…

Forgiven.

“Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.” – Luke 23:34 (NIV)

The redemption of our world…

All began in a lowly manger.

And today Lord, as I sought the light which beckoned the Magi You parted the clouds around my heart and let me see…

That I’d allowed my circumstances to define me, and permitted my self-imposed feelings of guilt and disappointment to divert me from that Holy Pilgrimage.  And that for me to begin that journey forward Father, You needed me to let go of it…

To forgive myself, as You forgave us all.

So as Christmas day approaches Lord, I yearn to meet You with a lighter heart; to rest by the manger’s side and know that sense of newness and hope.  To leave those burdens which keep me from You along that tired path, and renew my spirit with the peace You ushered in that Holy Night.

Come Lord Jesus…

~Phather Phil

The Isle of Misfit Toys

Dear Lord; Happy Thursday Father!

Ever since I was a little boy Lord, I’ve loved this time of year.  Beautiful lights and decorations adorn our homes, joyful Holiday music overwhelms the airways, and our hearts eagerly await the celebration of that Silent Night so many years ago.  And along with the many festive practices that grace this season Father, December also ushers the return of some of my favorite childhood Christmas shows…

Dr. Seuss’ Grinch once again attempts to steal Christmas…

Linus reminds us of the miraculous meaning behind this Holiday…

Frosty the Snowman makes us yearn for that serene blanket of white…

And Rudolph… Well, Rudolph’s story was on my mind as I drove into the office this morning…

“I certainly feel like I belong on the Isle of Misfit Toys…” I mumbled to myself…

For the first time in a very long time Lord, I’m having a difficult time filling my heart with the joy this Holy Season offers.

As You know Father, this year has seen a great many trials for my family and I; many of which still have uncertain endings.  And although I have faith that You’ll see us safely along this valley path in Your perfect time, the light from that Holy Star seems dimmer through the clouds this year.

And as I look around at the world joyfully celebrating this Season of Hope Lord…

I feel out of place… A “Misfit Toy” stranded far away from You.

And yet Father,

I know You’re with me all the same.

Even in my hurt…

Even through my pain…

And even on the Isle of Misfit Toys.

So Lord, as I make my weary pilgrimage to rest by the side of that Holy Manger this year, I pray that You walk that path beside me.  Give clarity to my sight Father, and resolve to my steps that I may seek this Celebration of Hope with the wonder and awe of a child…

Your beloved child.

For it’s in Your precious name I pray Jesus,

Amen.

~PhatherPhil

Reminded of the Promise

Dear Lord; Happy Wednesday Father!

Over the past couple weeks Father, I’ve been listening to and enjoying a sermon series called “Times and Seasons” preached by Steven Furtick, the lead pastor over at Elevation Church.  It’s been a powerful series for me so far Lord, and has touched on some areas of my life that are very raw right this moment.  This morning as I pondered the most recent message I’d listened to, You placed on my heart a guest post I wrote for Healthy Spirituality a couple years back.  I chased down the document containing the post, and as I reread the words You’d given me during a very different season of my life it dawned on me that even now, Your Promise still holds true…

The Promise

Stark…

Cold…

Bleak…

Unyielding…

Such is the way many choose to view the winter landscape.

And yet,

I believe that winter carries with it a deeper message;

A Promise from God.

I absolutely love taking long, quiet walks in the woods; spending that communion time with my Heavenly Father, surrounded in the majesty of His bounty.  In that Stillness, I find that I feel powerfully connected to God’s presence, and He’s used those moments of intimacy to bring me some wonderful revelations.

I try to visit our local forest as often as possible, even during the “less comfortable” seasons.  Seeing the many transitions and phases of God’s creation never fails to unveil new truths to me, and whatever the conditions are I always come away feeling Blessed for my time there…

Even in the dead of winter.

Hmmm… The “dead” of winter…

Not a very accurate description in my opinion.

I actually enjoy walking through the woods in the winter months.  Strolling among the leafless timbers, the barren landscape lies in stark contrast to the lush foliage that normally fills the scene.  And yet, while first impressions are that all life has left this place, nothing could be further from the truth…

Life still resides here…

Waiting…

Promising to burst forth and begin anew with the breath of spring…

Just as God designed it to.

And Funny enough, He designed our lives that way as well.  Like that forest, our paths are bound to the seasons God lays out for us…

“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:

a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
a time to tear, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace.” – Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (ESV)

Times of abundance, and periods of trial; both are gifts from God.  We celebrate those moments when His Blessings shine brightly all around us, and yet those times of wanting are also cause to rejoice…

When instead of dwelling on our pain,

We give thanks for His promise;

The promise that it is in fact, a season,

And that in the “dead” of our Winters, there is still life,

And there is still love.

Thank You for our Winters Lord, and Your promise of the Springs ahead.

Amen.

~Phather Phil

And There Was a Great Calm

Dear Lord; Happy Tuesday Father!

You know Lord, it’s a vicious circle we face.

Storms erupt around us in our lives; casting the shadow of doubt upon our hearts and threatening to draw our focus from the peace You freely offer.  We allow fear to gain hold, and from there we proceed not from faith but instead become driven by our false perception that for some reason, You’re not interested in our current plight.

Eventually, the waters recede as they always do and in our illuminated hindsight we realize that once again You’ve led us through… Unshaken by our circumstances, and unwavering in Your love.

Yesterday as I pondered this recurring tendency to doubt that we all seem to have, You placed in my heart a reminder that we’re in good company…

“As evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.” So they took Jesus in the boat and started out, leaving the crowds behind (although other boats followed). But soon a fierce storm came up. High waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water.

Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. The disciples woke him up, shouting, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?”

When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Silence! Be still!” Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. Then he asked them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

The disciples were absolutely terrified. “Who is this man?” they asked each other. “Even the wind and waves obey him!”” – Mark 4:35-41 (NLT)

Now these were men Lord, that had personally witnessed You performing miracles and seen firsthand Your divine Love at work…

But still they doubted.

And over the course of my life Father I’ve seen Your hand in so many places, and experienced Your love in so many beautiful ways…

And yet, I also allow those doubts to cloud my heart.

Thankfully Lord,

You remain unshaken by our fears…

Unwavering in Your devotion…

And stalwart in Your love for us.

So when the storms rage about us and our hearts feel that grip Lord, I pray You help us see beyond those crashing waves; resolute in the knowledge that You’re in that boat with us and that soon we’ll once again be able to state…

“And there was a great calm…”

For it’s in Your precious name I pray Jesus,

Amen.

~Phather Phil