Emails to God
Each weekday I transpose and share the whispers and messages God places on my heart in the form of “Emails to God”.
Just Love Them…
Dear Lord; Happy Monday Father! You know Father, I’ve very much come to enjoy our morning discussions as I make my way into the office each day. That period of quiet communion, when I’m able to open my thoughts and heart to You have provided a great many insights on Your perspective and will for my life… And this morning was no exception. My head was a noisy place today Lord, with threads of thought shooting off in a seemingly endless variety of directions… Most of them not happy ones. As we’ve discussed many times in recent months...
read moreI Surrender
Dear Lord; Happy Friday Father! “Surrender, Phil…” Your words echoed painfully throughout my heart this morning Lord; binding me to a realization I’ve been purposefully ignoring these past several weeks… I haven’t been trusting You completely. I’ve worried… I’ve struggled… I’ve panicked… I’ve tried to handle things under my own strength… And I’ve been feeling that crushing weight on my shoulders Lord… A weight You never intended for me to carry alone. I’ve been swimming upstream Father, and I’m tired. And...
read moreThe Chains of Understanding
Dear Lord; Happy Wednesday Father! As You know Lord, for the last five weeks the group I lead on Tuesday evenings has been working through a study on Francis Chan’s book “Crazy Love”. It’s been an eye-opening and convicting exploration so far, and has challenged quite a few perspectives I’ve held on how to pursue a truly intimate relationship with You. The group discussions this study have led to have been powerful to say the least, and have also stirred in me some challenging thoughts about other facets of my “Faith Life”, and...
read moreMissing the Message for the Words
Dear Lord; Happy Wednesday Father! Today Father, I’d like to spend our time together talking about a topic You’ve placed on my heart a lot lately… Context. Some time ago, I was interviewed by a local TV station. They were doing a story on a recent computer virus outbreak, and wanted to get my perspectives and recommendations to assist their viewers in recognizing and dealing with the threat. The reporter and cameraman came to my office, and we spent the better part of a half-hour discussing ways to protect against these digital...
read moreSo From My Knees…
Dearest Lord; I hurt Father. I hurt with the ache of all the things my broken shell won’t release; My failings… My mistakes… Bad decisions I’ve made… Those times I’ve closed my heart to You… All flood in and overwhelm my spirit. So from my knees I reach for You. I feel alone Father. Alone with all those self-imposed burdens I allow to linger; The pain I see in others’ lives… Missed opportunities to serve… Those “What ifs” that haunt my heart… All sobering reminders of my limitations in this mortal coil. So from my...
read moreOn My Knees Again Lord
Dear Lord; Happy Thursday Father! On my knees again Lord; A prayer… A petition… A tear. The stains within come pouring out, And lie scattered at Your feet. I’m broken Father… So deeply broken. And yet, In the midst of my distress; My pain… My anxieties… My fears… You remind me who I truly am; Your Beloved Child. You are my hope Lord; My portion… My redemption… And my serenity in the chaos. Yet even through that shield, The world creeps in; Those voices that tell me I fall far short… And don’t deserve Your love. My...
read moreThankful Thursday: Where He Was Truly Needed
Dear Lord; Happy Thankful Thursday Father! You know Father, I truly love reading the Gospels. In those pages I find myself enveloped in the personal, intimate nature of what Christ Jesus meant to the world, and gain essential perspective to help guide me in my earthly journey. As an example, while reading in the Gospel of Mark today, I came to the passage which described Jesus spending time in the home of Levi (Matthew), a tax-gatherer for the Romans: “And as he reclined at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners were...
read moreBoth You and I… Again.
Dear Lord; Happy Friday Father! Today Lord, You’ve led me to repost an article I wrote on this date last year about remembering the life of a truly wonderful author on the anniversary of his birth. His works have touched countless lives including those of mine and my children, and I’m honored to again share this tribute. Father, today marks the birth of someone who greatly influenced my early years, as well as the lives of many other children throughout the world. And while he’s no longer with us here, the legacy he left behind...
read moreThankful Thursday: God Will Send the Rain
Dear Lord; Happy Thankful Thursday Father! Well Father, it’s certainly been a little while since I’ve sat down and written to You. And while our conversations haven’t diminished in the least, I have missed bringing the fruits of our time together to the written word. So Lord, when You laid it on my heart today to share this post, it gave me a much needed early-morning smile. 🙂 Back in January Father, my family and I attended a viewing at our church of the movie “Facing the Giants”. It was an absolutely excellent film,...
read moreI’m Yours
Dear Lord; Happy Valentine’s Day Father! Today Father, much of the world’s attention turns to “all things love” as we celebrate Valentine’s Day. And yet, while the greeting card, candy and jewelry companies would like us to spend our time and money focusing on the romantic and tangible side of our affections, I choose instead to take this time to reflect on those aspects of love in my life that touch me most deeply: The amazing, intimate bond I have with my wonderful wife, Shannon… The powerful sense of care and commitment I...
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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. 
