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

Be Still…

“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)

We live in a very noisy world.  Between TV, radio, cell phones and computers, we’re constantly being deluged by a seemingly never-ending stream of information.  In that din that surrounds our lives, sometimes our conversations with God can become muffled, leading us to feel disconnected and stressed.  Finding time each day to simply “be still” and refresh the link to our Heavenly Father is an important part of our spiritual journey, and can make all the difference when dealing with uncertainties in our topsy-turvy lives.

Such Is My Prayer

Dear Lord; Happy Wednesday Father!

I love those moments Lord,

When in the course of my daily routine,

You reveal Yourself to me;

In a whisper,

Or a child’s smile,

Or while watching the rising sun cut through the morning fog.

Such miracles Father,

Such wonders You’ve given us,

And yet,

Every So often,

I forget,

I doubt,

And my broken flesh denies You;

The world’s lies creep in,

And fill my head.

Guard my heart Lord,

Overwhelm me with Your Spirit,

Until in that union,

It’s not apparent,

Where I end,

And You begin.

Such is my prayer,

Today,

And Everyday.

Amen.

~Phather Phil

All For God’s Glory

“Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.

“Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” – Matthew 6:1-4 (ESV)

In this powerful passage from the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus warns against performing acts of charity strictly to obtain the recognition of others.  While we’re certainly called to reach out to those in need, it’s important to do so with pure intentions, and in such a way that God’s glory is the recipient of those Blessings, not our own.

I Get So Clumsy

Dear Lord; Happy Tuesday Father!

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

Yeah.  🙂

Thanks for the reminder today Lord.

Amen.

~Phather Phil