Every day during the work-week, I leave my house and travel a quiet series of back roads to reach my office. There’s only a few “blips” of significant traffic at the major intersections, and other than that it’s a generally straightforward ride.
One day last week however, I needed to make a stop before going in to the office so instead of my normal, peaceful morning commute, I was forced to travel the main roads in through the city of Dover. Now, Dover’s not exactly a sprawling metropolis by any means, but it’s certainly a good bit more hectic than my usual quiet country roads.
As I sat in the stop-and-go traffic, my mind drifted a bit and I found myself noticing how cluttered and complicated the roadways seemed as opposed to my normal route. With all of the multi-way intersections, turn lanes, and bypasses, it dawned on me that without the plethora of road signs dotting the highway, it would be quite easy to get lost in the chaos…
Hmmm… Kind of like the “Road Signs” You’ve give us in Your Word Father…
No Stopping Any Time : “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (ESV)
Yield : “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.” – Proverbs 3:5-7 (ESV)
One Way : “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”” – John 14:6 (ESV)
Water on Road : “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
and the flame shall not consume you.” – Isaiah 43:2 (ESV)
Quiet Zone : “Be still, and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!” – Psalm 46:10 (ESV)
Share the Road : “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” – Galatians 6:2 (ESV)
Thank You Father, for giving us Your Word to guide us safely along the road of life we travel. I pray we see and recognize all Your “Signs”, and that at the end of our journey here on Earth, we haven’t made too many wrong turns along the way. 🙂
To close our conversation out today Lord, I want to take a moment to thank You for one of the biggest Blessings in my life.
Twelve years ago today Father, You brought into our lives a very special, and precious little boy named Jonathan.
He’s a remarkable child Lord; filled with a beautiful sense of wonder and imagination, and the light of Christ in his heart. In this past year, I’ve seen him take amazing strides towards growing into the resilient, caring, compassionate, godly young man I know he’s capable of becoming. Please continue to keep him in Your embrace Father; guide him, nurture him and bring to him that strength and peace that only Your presence delivers.
As You know Father, for the past several weeks our Tuesday night study group has been working through a DVD Book Study based on Pastor Pete Wilson’s book : “Plan B: What do you do when God doesn’t show up the way you thought He would”. I’d read the book earlier this year and very much enjoyed it, so when the time came to choose a new study, I was quite pleased that everyone agreed to pursue “Plan B”. As of this week, we’ve completed three sessions of the study and so far it’s been an inspiring and encouraging examination of how even in the midst of seemingly hopeless situations, You perform some of Your most powerful work in us.
As I was thinking today on some of the things we’ve been discussing in the group these past few weeks, it dawned on me that Christmas itself is the celebration of Mary and Joseph’s “Plan B”. Before being visited by the Angel Gabriel, Mary’s life was proceeding along a fairly normal path. She’d become betrothed to a man named Joseph, and was very likely planning for her role as his wife, and the future mother of their children.
And in a moment, her world turned upside down…
And our world was forever changed.
Her “Plan B” was Your “Plan A”.
This hammers home a very important point Father; in the midst of those situations where our lives seem to be flying desperately off course, You’re not shaken or confused. What we view as turmoil, You see as opportunity…
May we all seize those opportunities Father; embracing the understanding that our “Plan B” moments, were Your “Plan A”s all along. 🙂
And now Lord, on to this week’s Thankful Thursday list! This past week has been simply overflowing with Your Blessings Father, but I’d like to give special thanks for:
421. Having friends that pray for me.
422. Getting to spend much of the day Saturday cooking for family and friends.
423. A quick healing for the eye I scratched.
424. Some helpful advice from a friend that helped get the Jaguar running again.
425. New glasses for Jonathan.
426. That the Rimadyl is making an obvious improvement in Brandy’s pain level.
427. Having friends that can tell when I’m having a rough time, and pushing through my “wall”.
428. A quiet walk in Blackbird State Forest with Jonathan last Sunday.
429. That even though I fall short in so many ways, You know my heart and guide me ahead.
430. Candy Cane Hershey’s Kisses.
431. Real kisses from my loving wife.
432. The Kids Construction Workshops at Home Depot.
433. Seeing my children reach out with giving hearts.
434. Knowing that I’m Your Beloved Child.
435. Having a full collection of inspiring Christmas Music to play on my iPod during the day.
And so much more Lord.
Heavenly Father,
We thank You Lord, for the many Blessings you bestow on us each day; both those that announce Your presence like sirens in the night, and those that grace our lives in Stillness.
First off Father, I want to take a moment to thank You for a truly marvelous weekend. For once, we didn’t have much in the way of plans laid out in advance, so we used that wonderfully uncommitted time to spend enjoying each other’s company, sharing a meal and some laughter with friends, and reveling in the Blessings You’ve given us. It was a joy-filled, productive weekend Lord, and I thank You very much for that time of respite.
Last Friday Father, as I was driving to our veterinarian’s office to pick up some medication, Jason Gray’s song “Remind Me Who I Am” began to play on the radio. Now, I’ve heard this song more than a few times Lord, but for some reason this time the lyrics came alive for me and I found myself drawn into the song’s poignant message…
After a week comprised of what seemed to be a never-ending series of struggles and trials Lord, this simple reminder wrapped in verse made a wonderful connection for me. It brought to the surface an inescapable truth that my mind had laid to the sideline for much of the week…
We’re Your Beloved Children. Broken, hurting, rebellious or doubtful… You love us all the same.
“See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.” – 1 John 3:1 (ESV)
Through our rebirth in Christ, we exist as genuine Children of God; adopted completely into this divine family through the mercy of Your Fatherly love and grace. We walk in faith, knowing that the lure of this world need hold no control over us, as Your love has set us truly free. We live to be…
Your Beloved.
When the world seeks to draw me from You Lord, please, remind me who I am.
And once again Father, we come to the Thankful Thursday “edition” here at PhatherPhil.org. Today, I’m picking up where I left off on my list two weeks back, as for Thanksgiving I was Blessed to be able to present You with lists from Shannon and the boys instead. You graced us with a truly wonderful holiday weekend Father; filled with family, friends, fellowship and the beautiful promise that the beginning of Advent brings to our hearts. So much to be thankful for Lord, so much…
And on that note Father, continuing from where we left off, this past week I’ve been especially grateful for:
406. An absolutely beautiful Thanksgiving gathering with close friends and family.
407. You Blessing me with exactly what You know I need, when I need it. (Not to be confused with what I think I need, or what I want…)
408. Having close brothers and sisters in Christ to help keep me accountable.
409. An inspiring and encouraging Small Group gathering Tuesday evening as we delve deeper into the “Plan B” study.
410. Getting the outside Christmas lights up last weekend.
And the list continues to grow Lord, with no end in sight… 🙂
Heavenly Father,
We thank You Father, for the multitude of Blessings you bestow on us each and every day; both those that shine brightly with Your radiance, and those that uplift us quietly from the shadows. As we rejoice in the anticipation that this Season of Advent signifies, please open our hearts Lord, and fill us with wonder and gratitude at the coming of the Christ Child.
Well Father, the long Thanksgiving weekend has come to a close and once again we find ourselves in the grip of another workweek. And while I’m sorry to see that celebration of gratitude pass, my heart is already embracing the beginning of the Season of Advent. It’s a wondrously exciting time of year Lord, filled with a spark of anticipation as we celebrate the miraculous birth of our Savior, and at the same time eagerly long for His return.
This past Sunday, my family and I were Blessed to have the opportunity to light the first candle on the Advent Wreath at Ewell’s St. Paul UMC. Along with the lighting ceremony, Shannon and the boys recited some devotional statements, and I read to the congregation from the Gospel of Luke:
“In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”
And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.” – Luke 1:26-38 (ESV)
Such a powerful, pivotal moment this passage describes. Approached by an Angel, and told that her virginal womb was to bear the Son of God, Mary handles this overwhelming news in a truly amazing way; with humility and obedience.
Here she was; betrothed to be married, maintaining her virginity prior to that marriage, and in the midst of her carefully laid plans an Angelic visit turned her world completely upside-down:
She didn’t know how Joseph would take the news…
She didn’t know how society would treat her…
She didn’t have a clue why You had chosen her for this…
And yet, even beneath that mountain of uncertainty, she placed all of her fears and doubts aside and affirmed her commitment to You Father:
“Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.”
Such a commanding statement of faith Lord… And the beginning of a transformational journey.
Heavenly Father,
As we begin this Season of Advent Lord, please open our hearts to embrace the spirit of wonder and anticipation this holy time imbues. Guide us Father, to not only revel in the glory of this Season, but to take a cue from Mary’s example, and always place Your path above our own.
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.
No Stopping Any Time : “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (ESV)
Yield : “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.” – Proverbs 3:5-7 (ESV)
One Way : “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”” – John 14:6 (ESV)
Water on Road : “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
Quiet Zone : “Be still, and know that I am God.
Share the Road : “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” – Galatians 6:2 (ESV)
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. 
