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.
Well Lord, I had every intention of writing You a completely different post today. It came to me this morning, I thought about it throughout the day, I researched the Scriptures involved at length, and then…
You shifted gears on me.
It happened while I was driving back from picking up a prescription refill at our veterinarian this afternoon. I’d elected to take the back way there; giving myself a little added “quiet time” to gather my thoughts and contemplate my post a bit. There I was, riding along deep in thought, when all of a sudden I got that “pay attention” nudge I’ve come to know. The song on the radio had just changed, and the lyrics immediately caught my notice…
Wow Lord… I’ve felt like this more than once as of late…
You think I’d have it down by now
Been practicin’ for thirty years
I should have walked a thousand miles
So what am I still doin’ here
Reachin’ out for that same old piece of forbidden fruit
I slip and fall and I knock my halo loose
Somebody tell me what’s a boy supposed to do?
I get so clumsy
I get so foolish
I get so stupid
And then I feel so useless…
Clumsy… What an apt description of how I feel on my journey to You sometimes Father…
I stumble…
I trip…
I take the wrong “fork in the road”…
And yet…
But You’re sayin’ You love me
And You’re still gonna hold me
And that You wanna be near me
‘Cause You’re makin’ me holy
You’re still makin’ me holy, yeah
Looking back over the last year Lord, so much has transpired here at PhatherPhil.org. Hundreds of “Emails to God” were shared, precious connections with fellow Christian bloggers were formed, friendships were developed and nurtured, and each word I wrote drew me ever closer to Your side. It’s been a powerful first full year Father, and I’m excited to see how You’ll use this ministry in the coming months.
Continuing my weekly tradition into the New Year Lord, I present You with the first Thankful Thursday list of 2012! And even though we’re only a little less than a week in, signs of Your gracious love abound. This past week I’ve been especially grateful for:
481. Our Tuesday night Small Group Study gatherings starting back up following a two week break.
482. Seeing the excitement in Jonathan’s eyes working with his new electronics project kit.
483. Seeing Your Blessings showered on a friend and her family this week.
484. Sharing a stuffed crust pizza with the kids.
485. The “Walking Dead” marathon on AMC last Saturday. 🙂
486. A wonderful visit from our good friend Katie over the weekend.
487. Seeing Your influence in unexpected places.
488. An extra day off this past Monday to relax and rejuvenate.
489. An inspiring and uplifting message delivered by a guest pastor at Ewell’s-St. Paul UMC last Sunday.
490. That during the many struggles I faced in 2011, each time You used those times of trial to draw me closer to You.
491. A reminder from a dear friend today that even in the midst of our struggles, Your Blessings abound all around us.
492. Your calming restraint when I feel myself getting angry.
493. Celebrating the beginning of the New Year in the company of close friends.
494. The cleansing appearance of our first (albeit minor) snow this morning.
We thank You Lord, for the many gifts You grace us with each day; both those that announce Your glory like the first light of dawn, and those that Bless us subtly like the shadows of the setting sun.
This morning Lord, I spent some time chatting online with a friend regarding some trials she and her family were going through. We were discussing the importance of remaining open to finding Your assistance in unexpected places, and a story I’d heard some time ago came to mind…
There was a man whose farm was located on the banks of a flood-swollen river. As the water rose, a neighbor drove up in a Jeep, urging him to leave before the farm was flooded. “Oh, no,” said the man confidently, “God will save me.”
The water rose higher, and the man was forced to move into the second story of the farmhouse. A police boat soon came, and the officers called for the man to hurry and get into their boat.
“Oh, no, that won’t be necessary,” the man insisted. “God will save me.”
Finally the house was completely engulfed in water, and a Coast Guard helicopter swooped in to rescue the man, now perched on the roof. Again he refused. Just then, a huge wave of water swept over the house, and the man drowned.
When he got to Heaven, he stormed at the Lord, asking WHY God had let him die when his faith had been so strong.
“What do you mean?” asked the heavenly Father. “I sent a Jeep, a boat, and a helicopter … and you wouldn’t budge!”
When I look at some of the most powerful Blessings You’ve brought into my life Father, a good many of them came about in ways that I never would have expected.
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.” – Isaiah 55:8-9 (ESV)
Help us Lord…
To realize Your Blessings don’t always present themselves as we expect,
To recognize Your gifts when You place them in our path,
And to suspend our disbelief, accepting Your aid when it’s offered…
Today Father, we come to the final Thankful Thursday edition of PhatherPhil.org for this calendar year. When I began this recurring post 31 weeks ago (whew!), I honestly never expected the profound impact it would have on me, or that it would draw me so much closer to You in the process.
As I sit down each week to write out my list Lord, my mind drifts back over the past seven days; revisiting those moments that left their marks on my heart. What I’ve found in doing so Father, is that even in those situations where things don’t seem to go my way, when I look closely enough, Your Blessings pour out nonetheless. That little shift in vision Lord, has been a major Blessing all by itself. I still have struggles and times that tax my strength, but when I look through my “Thankful Thursday Goggles”, I’m much more able to place those moments in their proper light. It’s been an eye-opening experience so far Lord, and I can’t wait to see what Blessings You’ll reveal to me in the coming year.
Therefore Father, to close out the year on a joyful note, this past week I’ve been especially grateful for:
466. Time spent alone with Shannon last Friday afternoon and evening.
467. Google Music which allows me to listen to my music on all my devices, anywhere, at any time.
468. The pain relief provided by our heating pad last night.
469. Hickory Farms New York Cheddar Spread (Used to be called Chutter).
470. That when my stubbornness blinds me to common sense, my wonderful wife Shannon “nudges” me back on track.
471. The Living Water that satisfies my spiritual thirst.
472. Having three days off over Christmas spent with those I love.
477. That the stabbing pains I had in my lower back yesterday have settled down today.
478. Seeing the expressions of wonder and joy on my children’s faces Christmas morning.
479. The opportunity to support other local ministries.
480. The trust of a good friend.
Heavenly Father,
We thank You Lord, for gracing us with such a multitude of Blessings this past year. As we start anew in 2012, please clear our eyes to reveal Your gifts in all circumstances; both those that lift our hearts in song, and those in which Your Blessings may be masked within our trials.
Hi, I’m Phil Malmstrom, a.k.a. Phather Phil. I’m self-employed, father of two wonderful young men, an ordained minister who delights in spreading Jesus’ Message of Hope and Love, a science-fiction junkie, an aspiring photographer and above all that one of God’s Children who rejoices in His Blessings each day.
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.
Hi, I’m Phil Malmstrom, a.k.a. Phather Phil. I’m self-employed, father of two wonderful young men, an ordained minister who delights in spreading Jesus’ Message of Hope and Love, a science-fiction junkie, an aspiring photographer and above all that one of God’s Children who rejoices in His Blessings each day. 
