Thankful Thursday: Footprints in the Sand

Dear Lord; Happy Thankful Thursday Father!

As the Labor Day weekend beckons me welcome Lord, I find my spirit more at ease; bolstered by the coming days of rest no doubt, but mainly fueled by a reminder of Your divine and loving nature.

I feel as if I’ve been treading water lately Father; constantly shifting focus in an attempt to quell the rising trials, yet never gaining ground.  More than once in recent weeks Lord, those waves of fear and doubt have sought my breath, and left me weakened.  And yet Father, even while that sinister undertow threatened my heart’s footing…

I knew You were with me.

The “waters” have receded a bit these past few days Lord, delightfully revealing what I felt all along…

Your footprints in the sand, right next to mine.

Thank You Father; for being my anchor against the raging tide, even when I couldn’t see the rope.

As I continue to list some of Your many Blessings in my life Lord, today I’m feeling particularly grateful for:

621. The wonderful summer break my children have had, and that they’re heading back to school on Tuesday excited and refreshed.

622. The revealing and powerful video study our Tuesday night small group has been doing on the Beatitudes, and the truths You’ve brought us through those discussions.

623. Reconnecting with a friend I’ve not heard from in a while.

624. A fun time spent with friends at a BBQ this past Saturday.

625. A visit from a dear friend last weekend, and the visit of another one this coming weekend.

626. My son Jonathan being confirmed as a member of Ewell’s-St. Paul UMC this past Sunday.

627. Seeing Your light overcome pain, fear and doubt in the heart of a dear friend.

628. A new job for a close friend and young Christian after a long period of unemployment, and the fact his negotiations included the need for time off to attend church and our Tuesday night group studies.  🙂

629. A wonderful new job opportunity for my wife Shannon, and the call You’ve placed on her life to shape young minds and hearts.

630. The radical forgiveness modeled by our Savior on the cross, and the inspiration to strive towards that grace in my own life.

And so many more…

Heavenly Father,

I thank You Lord, for the many Blessings You grace us with each and every day; both those that shine like a lighthouse in the night, and those “hidden ropes” that anchor us to Your strength.

In Jesus’ name we pray,

Amen.

~Phather Phil

Thankful Thursday: In Your Divine Company

Dear Lord; Happy Thankful Thursday Father!

On the heels of our discussion yesterday Father, I’ve spent a good bit of time pondering Your promises to us contained in Scripture, and how You always remain faithful to those assurances, even when we fail to recognize it.  And I think Lord, that much of the feeling of “disconnect” we experience in our daily lives may stem from the simple perspective that we believe our trials are ours to face, not roads on the journey You’re walking with us…

“By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence.

And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.” – 2 Peter 1:3-4 (NLT)

Through our new life in Christ Jesus, the presence of the Holy Spirit and Your continuous grace in our lives, You provide us the guidance and resources to live as You intend us to; to participate in Your divine company, and resist the forces of this world that seek to draw us from You.

Thank You Lord, for being my constant companion as I walk these roads…

Guiding my footsteps,

Catching me when I stumble,

And reminding me that throughout this journey I’m on…

I’m never alone.

As I continue to count my blessings today Father, I’m reminded that even when the road ahead seems barren and the going gets rough, signs of Your gracious love still abound.  And while I know I fail to recognize Your many gifts more often than not Lord, this past couple weeks I’ve been especially grateful for:

611. A wonderful network of people I can reach out to when I need expertise or advice.

612. Finding inexpensive options for purchasing the medications that my family needs.

613. Learning more about Your grace in my life each day.

614. That Shannon and the boys are able to spend a couple weeks visiting her mother in Florida.

615. Finding some significant cost-cutting opportunities for my business.

616. Encouragement and inspiration from other clergy and believers I interact with on the Internet.

617. That the drive Shannon and the kids took to Florida went smoothly and everyone arrived safely.

618. An engaging discussion Tuesday evening with my brothers and sisters in Christ.

619. A fun afternoon at my father’s “Jimmy Buffet Theme BBQ” spent with family and friends.

620. Dear friends who reach out to me and keep me company while my family is away.

And so many more…

Heavenly Father, I thank You for the Blessings you grace us with each and every day.  Please open our eyes and guide our hearts that we may recognize Your Glory in the world around us, and lead us to share those gifts more effectively with others.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen.

~Phather Phil

One Brick at a Time

Dear Lord; Happy Wednesday Father!

Today Father, I want to start off by saying “thank You”…

For Your faithfulness,

Your grace,

And Your persistence in pursuing me when I stray from You.

As You’re aware Lord, my life has been a bit more complicated than usual and increasingly stressful as of late.  And while I’ve tried as diligently as I can to keep myself open to Your voice throughout these trials, I’ll admit I’ve failed to do so more often than not.  I’ve allowed my pain and fears to cloud my connection to You Lord, and it’s left me feeling much more “disconnected” than I’ve become accustomed to…

Until last Friday, when You broke the silence:

“Hold on to your Joy, Phil.” You said…

“My Joy??” I thought, “ I’m hurting Father… Really??”

“Hold on to your Joy.”

And then I realized…

You’re my Joy Lord… And I’ve let the world get between us.

I’ve built a wall Father, using my burdens as bricks and anxiety as the mortar that binds them together.

And yet Lord, even with this self-constructed barrier in place…

You came for me.

“For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out. As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness.” – Ezekiel 34:11-12 (ESV)

The wall is there Father, of my own making…

And still You seek me out.

The wall is there,

But with Your help Father, we’ll tear it down,

Together…

One brick at a time.

Amen.

~Phather Phil

Thankful Thursday: Through Brighter Eyes

Dear Lord; Happy Thankful Thursday Father!

“Count your Blessings…” You instructed.

“Really Father??”  I responded…

Following what could easily be described as a week of nightmare situations Lord, I’ll be honest, I was having a rough time focusing on the positives in my life.  But driving into the office this morning, as I mournfully ran down the tasks at hand for the day in my head, You made it clear my head was in the wrong place…

“It’s Thankful Thursday, Phil.”

Ouch…

I’d nearly forgotten about those posts Father…

It’s time to see through brighter eyes again;

Focused on Your light that surrounds my life,

Not on the shadows that lie in waiting.

So today Father, I pick up where I left off in March… Counting Your many gifts, and giving thanks for all You are:

601. Celebrating 17 years of marriage to my wonderful wife Shannon on June 29^th.

602. Being involved in a very successful Vacation Bible School at Ewell’s-St. Paul UMC last week.

603. A wonderful week away at Chestnut Grove Resort with my family and friends.

604. Attending an amazing night of music and worship at the Casting Crowns and Building 429 Concert at the Delaware State Fair last Friday.

605. Being presented with new opportunities to minister to others in unexpected places.

606. Quiet evenings at home watching movies with family and close friends.

607. Having the opportunity to spend lots of time with my best friend.

608. Jonathan getting to attend another amazing week away at Kay’s Kamp this past June.

609. Having a new “furry family member” in our lives; my Pomeranian puppy Guinness.  🙂

610. That when the lies of the enemy invade through my weaknesses, You remind me who I really am.

And so many more Lord…

Heavenly Father,

I thank You Lord, for the many Blessings in my life; both those that light up the skies with Your radiance, and those that soothe my tattered spirit in the stillness of the nighttime hours.  Help me Father, to speak with a heart unburdened, and see with eyes that clearly rest on You.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen.

~Phather Phil

Out of the Valley

Dear Lord; Happy Tuesday Father!

“I’m a failure Father.

I’ve failed my family…

I’ve failed my friends…

And I’ve failed You…

I’m so sorry Lord… Please forgive me.”

Those words hung painfully in the quiet presence of the sanctuary at Ewell’s-St. Paul last Tuesday evening as I knelt at the altar, while the joyful sounds of children enjoying Vacation Bible School in the rooms below brought contrast to the silence.  Tears flowed freely down my cheeks as I looked up at Hofmann’s painting of Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane, realizing in anguish how distant I felt from You right at that moment.

The world had come crashing in around me; laying waste to the essence of my being with such force that I scarcely knew what direction to turn.  I felt beaten, and worthless, and in the midst of that weakness the enemy found me…

“You’ve let everybody down…

You’ve squandered the opportunities God gave you…

You’re a failure.”

And yes Father, at that moment I believed it; every whisper, every word.

I was ashamed Lord…

Ashamed of my impotence to resolve the current crises, but even more so that I believed myself unworthy and was unable to lay them at Your feet.  I’d separated myself from Your presence, and in that valley realized the true depth of my limitations.

I’d lost Your voice Father, and felt isolated and alone in my pain; defined not by my heavenly inheritance, but instead by my fragile humanity.

And yet, as I have so many times before Lord, on that altar covered in tear-stained apologies I began the journey out of that valley, and back to You.

No booming voice came from the sky to direct me…

My struggles and pain weren’t instantly silenced by Your divine hand…

And my heart still ached from the perception of my failings.

But kneeling in the quiet,

As the fading light of dusk gave life to shadow,

I knew that You were with me…

And that You still love me.

So with that truth as my guide Lord, I reach for You; climbing out of the valley one step at a time until Your heavenly light banishes these lies from my heart, and I’m reminded that I’m not defined by my worldly perceptions of failure, but instead through the love of my Heavenly Father.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen.

~Phather Phil