Thankful Thursday: Passing the Tradition

Dear Lord; Happy Thankful Thursday Father!

Once again Father, we come to the Thankful Thursday edition of PhatherPhil.org.  In addition to adding to my continuing list of Blessings, I’m also pleased to have “passed on” this tradition to Lindsay over at The Evatt’s Beautiful Mess.  She writes a wonderfully fun, devotional blog and it’s always a Blessing to read it.  Today’s her first Thankful Thursday post, and hopefully it’s just the beginning of many to come!

And now Lord, on to my list!  This week, I’ve been especially thankful for:

241. The patience shown by friends.

242. The sun streaming through the clouds as a gentle rain falls… Absolutely beautiful.

243. The beauty of a rainbow following a rain shower.

244. Jonathan starting Youth Group (called the Jesus Freaks…:-) ) at church this week.

245. The opportunity to introduce some good friends to our church this past weekend.

246. Being invited to become members to Ewell’s St. Paul UMC, and signing the Covenant last Sunday.

247. A final report from the Pediatric Dermatologist that Jonathan’s moles aren’t LCH related.

248. Sharing a game of Scrabble on Facebook with friends.

249. Having a wonderfully diverse, caring and supportive group of friends.

250. Being given the opportunity to redesign and implement Ewell’s St. Paul UMC’s web site.

251. A successful surprise birthday party we threw for a good friend at our house.

252. Cherry Coke.

253. The power and flexibility of the step outside my “comfort zone” in ministering to others.

255. The overwhelming sense of Your presence I feel after taking Holy Communion.

Such wonderful gifts You grace us with each day Father…

Heavenly Father, I thank and praise You for the multitude of Blessings You bestow on us each day; both those that light up the Heavens in glory, and those which grace us in relative silence.  We are truly Blessed!

In Jesus’ Name we pray,

Amen.

~Phather Phil

God’s Comfort Zone

Dear Lord; Happy Wednesday Father!

We’re a cautious bunch Father… Too cautious in many respects.

Over the last month or so Lord, I’ve felt You urgently calling me to take some leaps; to step outside my “comfort zone” and reach out to others in a much more significant way.  I love those “nudges” Father, and I’ve enjoyed increasing my outreach efforts…

But it’s not enough.  I’ve still been playing it safe.

I’ve fallen into the trap that so many others have Lord; instead of placing my fears, insecurities and biases completely in Your hands and bringing Your message to those who may desperately need it, for the most part I’ve kept my efforts within “comfortable” boundaries…

And You desire more than that of me.

As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.

While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” – Matthew 9:9-13 (NIV)

Heavenly Father,

Help me reach those whose spirits are sick; the lost, the broken, the lonely and the hurting.  Draw me to where You need me most Lord, and embolden me to effectively share Your light with those in need.  For my comfort zone isn’t nearly big enough Father, I need to work in Yours.

In Jesus Name we pray,

Amen.

~Phather Phil

Meditations Monday (Tuesday Edition): Our Beautiful Fabric

Dear Lord; Happy Meditations Mon… Um, Tuesday Father!

Well Father, to begin with I want to thank You for a lovely three-day-weekend.  Other than some much-needed housecleaning, we were Blessed to enjoy quality time with friends, have a fun “Date Night” out, and help another of our friends celebrate her 40^th birthday by hosting a surprise party at the house.  All-in-all it was a very pleasant few days respite, and I’m very grateful for that time.

As we’ve discussed many times Lord, Shannon and I consider our friends one of Your most amazing Blessings in our lives.  As I was running around on Monday morning picking up supplies for the birthday party we hosted, it dawned on me how amazingly diverse our group of friends really is.  Truly, nearly every walk of life is represented in some fashion; each person a beautiful, unique thread in the tapestry of our “extended family”.

In his First Epistle to the Corinthians, the Apostle Paul discusses the importance of diversity in Your People along those same lines.  In his example, the diversity comes from the varied Spiritual Gifts You bestow on us through the Holy Spirit:

“The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ.  For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free —and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.  Now the body is not made up of one part but of many.  If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body.  And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body.  If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be?  But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be.  If they were all one part, where would the body be?  As it is, there are many parts, but one body.” – 1 Corinthians 12:12-20 (NIV)

Paul makes a marvelous point in that in Christ, there is no ethnic, cultural or social distinction; each individual member is a loved and important part of the Whole.  We all have roles to play, and gifts to share in the Body of Christ, and each is as important as the others.  You created us all to be exactly what You intended us to be; fearfully and wonderfully made, and designed to offer the unique and precious gifts You’ve granted us for the benefit of Your Family.

It’s a very powerful lesson Lord, and one I know we could all stand to implement more effectively in our daily lives.

Heavenly Father, I thank You for the wonderful people You’ve brought into our lives; each a unique, beautiful, and Blessed thread in our family’s fabric.  Please help us see through any improperly perceived barriers between one another, and to reach out with our Spiritual Gifts to further the business of Your Eternal Kingdom.

In Jesus’ Name we pray,

Amen.

~Phather Phil

As Long As You’ll Permit

Dear Lord; Happy Friday Father!

Thank You Father!!  Thank You, thank You, thank You!!

What a wonderful Blessing You’ve given us Lord… Such a beautiful way to start the weekend!

For those who follow our conversations and don’t know the source of my joy Father, please indulge me while I explain.

A couple months ago, we had Jonathan in for his yearly check-up with his pediatrician.  It was a routine visit, but due to his complicated medical situation (Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis), doctor’s appointments always place some concern in our hearts.  For the most part, everything went quite well; nothing obviously scary to report.  Then the doctor examined some new “growths” that had popped up on him over the last year; up went the red flags, and down went our spirits.  She labeled them as “suspicious”, and indicated that we should have them looked at by Jonathan’s oncologist as soon as possible. We tried of course to stay optimistic, but the seed of worry had been sown all the same.

The oncology visit didn’t yield much in the way of answers either, but added another round of “concerns” and a referral to a pediatric dermatologist for a specialized examination and if necessary, treatment and surgical intervention.  The oncologist did however, indicate that the possible skin involvement was all that appeared out of the ordinary at the moment, and that all his other tests and scans looked perfectly normal.  That news certainly eased our fears a bit, but based on past experience with this disease, our guard was still up nonetheless.

Today, Jonathan went to see the dermatologist.

They’re moles Father… All perfectly normal, and nothing to be concerned about.  But You already knew that, didn’t You?  🙂

Please forgive my doubts Lord… I know he’s in Your hands no matter what, and I’m so thankful for that.  But each time we have the specter of this disease rear it’s gnarled claws, it takes our hearts back to that terrifying time of uncertainty and fear, when the possible loss of our son was very real.  And while I realize Lord, that this life is temporary and simply a step towards Your Eternal Kingdom, Shannon and I are selfish in that we love this little boy dearly, and very much want him to remain with us for as long as You’ll permit.

Apparently, that’s Your desire for the moment as well… And I thank You from the bottom of my heart for that Blessing!

In Jesus’ Name we pray,

Amen.

~Phather Phil

P.S. September is Histiocytosis Awareness Month.  To learn more about this life threatening disease, and what you can do to help in the search for a cure, please visit : http://www.histio.org.

Thankful Thursday: Our Most Precious Blessing

Dear Lord; Happy Thankful Thursday Father!

Once again Lord, we come to the day of the week on which I add to the ever-growing list of Blessings You’ve bestowed on me.  Between Hurricane Irene, the kids starting school, Shannon starting her new job, and a significant spike in business at my office, it’s certainly been a roller-coaster of a week.  Funny enough, through all of the ups-and-downs we’ve gone through this past seven days, Your Blessings have shined brilliantly through it all.

Therefore Father, continuing where I left off last week, today I’d like to give special thanks to You for:

226. Shannon getting “back on track” with her thyroid medication.

227. That even when my prayers are “arrogant”, You know my heart and forgive me.

228. Dove chocolates with caramel centers.

229. The boys doing well taking on increased household responsibilities.

230. An extra day off work to enjoy with friends and family this weekend.

231. The arrival of my Blood Pressure Medication shipment today.

232. Minimal damage to our home and no injuries from Hurricane Irene last weekend.

233. That I have a Heavenly Father who always has confidence in me, even when my view of self-worth is in question.

234. Dreams that make me wake up with a smile.

235. Finding a new Family Doctor after our existing one closed his practice.

236. Connecting up with all my “Bloggy” friends on Facebook.

237. Five days of absolutely beautiful weather following the hurricane.

238. Merlin’s seizures continuing to be suppressed by the Phenobarbital he was prescribed. 

239. The loan of a carpet cleaner by a good friend when ours broke unexpectedly.

240. Being married to a lady who goes out of her way to remind me that she loves me every day.

…Such a multitude of Blessings You grant me Lord.  🙂

Heavenly Father, once again I lift thanks and praise to You for the many Blessings You grace us with each day; both those that light up the sky with Your presence, and those that Bless our lives without fanfare.  You are indeed a doting Father, a watchful Shepherd and a skillful Potter, and we marvel in the fact that with all that You have in Your care, You still give us individual, personal attention…

Our most precious Blessing.

Amen.

~Phather Phil