Today Lord, I’d like to close the week by discussing something I read over on Pastor Pete Wilson’s Blog this morning which has had my thoughts churning all day. It was a short post based around a question that was phrased at a Church Leaders Conference he addressed recently. Another speaker at the conference, Pastor David Landrith asked the attendees:
“Are you talking about God more than you’re talking to God?”
Wow… Such a simple, yet powerful and convicting query.
Well Father, as it’s my predisposition to dissect things my mind immediately started contemplating all the different ways I involve You in my day and whether each of those were “talking to You” or “talking about You”. For example, I write these “Emails to God” each day and while they’re certainly based on my prayers and things You bring to my heart, in the end they’re talking about You, not to You.
Pastor Wilson made what I feel is a key point in his post:
“It’s possible to talk about God and not be transformed. However talking with God always leads to transformation.”
I’ve been Blessed to have had many transformational moments Father, but I also know I have a long way to go on the journey You’ve laid for me. Therefore, I’ll be “calling” more often. 🙂
Thanks for the wakeup message Pete.
Heavenly Father, I thank You for the Blessings You’ve brought us this week. Please refresh our spirits and deliver Your Message of Renewal to our hearts, so that we may serve You with our whole selves. Amen.
Well Father, today marks week three that I’m celebrating “Thankful Thursday” here at PhatherPhil.org! I’m really enjoying these weekly postings, as it gets my head focused on all the wondrous Blessings You’ve granted me. Starting my day thinking “What am I truly thankful for today?” is an excellent frame of mind to be in for the morning ahead.
Today Father, I’d like to thank You for the inspiration and encouragement I receive each day through the wonderful avenue of Christian Music. Over the last several months I’ve switched to almost exclusively listening to Contemporary Christian Music each day, and it’s brought an amazing change to my mood and perspective. Between the local radio station we listen to in the car, to streaming K-Love on my computer at work, to the Contemporary Christian Music Channel on our digital cable TV I leave on in the background during the evening hours, my ears are filled with songs praising You for much of my day. I never have to be concerned with the content not being appropriate for my children, and we’re all the better for having this melodious form of worship going on while being entertained by such marvelous artists.
Jonathan and I even have tickets to see the Newsboys with Kutless and Disciple in a couple weeks! He’s become a big Newsboys fan, and this is his first concert of any kind so he’s extra excited (ok… so am I. 🙂 ). As I’ve mentioned to You before, listening to my boys sing these songs of praise along with the radio in the mornings on the way to school just warms my heart to no end. This music is truly a Blessing, and makes a wonderful impact on our lives each day.
I think this piece of scripture states it beautifully Father:
“Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous;
it is fitting for the upright to praise him.” – Psalm 33:1
Today Lord, I’d like to start out with a quick prayer of support for my wife Shannon. Between being ill for the past week, a busy work schedule, college classes and symphony she’s been burning the candle at both ends, and has been feeling the results the last couple days. Please bring her Your Loving Comfort and grant her the rest she so dearly needs.
This morning Father I decided to get Jonathan and Aidan involved in our conversation. Therefore, on the way to school I asked them both if they had anything to tell You or ask of You. The responses I got were not exactly what I expected, but I felt good ones all the same:
Aidan (8) : “Is watching over everyone all the time hard?”
I don’t think Aidan realizes what a significant and deep question this is Father. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that while we don’t have a definitive answer that fits in our limited understanding, there are some scriptural passages which shine some light on this question.
First off, we refer to You as “Almighty God”, which implies the omnipotence of Your Power and that You are “All-ruling” (from the Greek word pantokrator used in the early Bible translations) over what You have created. Jesus summed it up quite clearly in Matthew 19:26:
“Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”” (NIV)
You created us all, and have reign over all You have created; Your Word states this over and over quite distinctly. This tells me You have the power to watch over us all without question.
The other piece of this answer in my mind, would be the omnipresence of Your Spirit. Again, referencing scriptures for this I found Psalm 139:7-12:
“Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.
If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,”
even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.” (NIV)
Through Your Spirit, You reach out and have complete access to the whole of Your Creation. Ok, so you have the Power, and the Presence. I realize that this doesn’t answer Aidan’s question specifically about whether or not it’s hard for You Lord, but Your Word clearly establishes the ability for You to do so, and the promise You gave us:
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” – Joshua 1:9 (NIV) (one of my all-time favorite verses)
Great question Aidan! 🙂
Jonathan (11): “What does God have planned for the people of Japan now?”
Bless him Father, he worries about so much and so many people for an 11 year old.
I explained to him that in cases like this, we have to understand that we don’t truly have the “Big Picture” that You do, but that You were still there for those people, still loved them and were still in control.
I’m sure he’ll be talking with You directly later on about this Lord. Maybe You can give him a better answer than I was able to at 7:45 this morning. 🙂
Heavenly Father, I thank You for the lessons I learn each day through my children. I love seeing them growing in Your Kingdom and yearning to know You better. Please continue to guide them along the path You have chosen, and help me bring Your Love and Wisdom to their hearts and minds. Amen.
First off Father, I want to thank You for the weekend. As we discussed Friday, Shannon and I both went into it sick and we ended up spending most of the weekend inside. I did manage to sneak out a couple hours on Saturday with Jonathan for a trip to Barnes & Noble, and made a quick grocery run on Sunday but other than that it was a quiet, reserved couple of days. Thankfully, Shannon and I seem to be on the upside of this bug, but it’s obviously going to take a few more days to completely clear out. Either way, although our weekend didn’t exactly go as we planned I did get to spend lots of quality time with my family. 🙂
And then, Monday happened.
We were actually doing unusually well for a Monday morning Father. Everyone got up on time, got things together and out the door on schedule, and we made it to the kids’ school with time to spare. About 10 minutes after dropping them off however, came the call…
With no warning, Jonathan had vomited on his way to class. ~sigh~
I dropped my things at the office, and made my way back to school to retrieve him. He’d been complaining about some headaches for the last week or so, but other than that this was the only symptom he presented with. Unfortunately, because he still has a VP shunt in place we have to look at those two particular symptoms very carefully as they can indicate problems with it’s operation. I picked him up, made a call, and off to the pediatrician we went.
The wait to be seen at the doctor’s office was typical for a Monday morning; a little over an hour. We sat waiting in the truck (the office lobby was full), me spending time reading in Exodus on my Nook Color (I’m really enjoying my new toy) while Jonathan quietly played a puzzle game on my phone. When we finally got in to see the doctor the appointment was short and to the point, and we were quickly sent next door to have some sinus x-rays done. Those too, went without issue and about an hour later we received a call from the doctor indicating that his sinuses looked perfectly clear, and that if his symptoms persisted we would need to have Jonathan evaluated by his neurologist.
So… No immediate answers; just more questions.
Each time we get a reminder of Jonathan’s unique medical needs Father, it’s a vibrant flashback to some very scary times. For the most part, we’ve slipped back into “normality” in regards to his health; sniffles are just sniffles, not a trip to the emergency room at 2AM. When situations like this come up though, we’re thrust back into the world of the unknown and the “what if” scenarios. It’s a place we know far too well, and pray often to avoid.
And yet Father, I know in my heart that You’re with him. And armed with that bit of Truth, those “what ifs” aren’t nearly as frightening as they once were.
I still worry of course. That’s my job as his father, and I love him dearly. You’ve entrusted him to our care, and I’ll do whatever is required of me to honor that assignment. However, knowing that all the while he’s in Your Loving Arms brings amazing peace to my spirit. Thank You for that confidence Lord.
Heavenly Father, please continue to watch over Jonathan and bring to him Your Healing Touch. I thank You for the comfort of Your Presence, and pray that all those in need of reassurance can also feel that peace. Through Your Love Father, “what ifs” can truly become Amens. Amen.
Well Father, it’s certainly been a hectic day around here albeit a positive and somewhat enlightening one. Some “puzzle pieces” in my life are starting to fit together into something recognizable. Thank You for that glimmer of a picture… I can’t wait to see the completed image.
Today Lord, I started the morning with a happy grin on my face. While driving the kids to school, the song “Children of God” performed by the group Third Day came on the radio:
My head was elsewhere initially, but I snapped to when I realized I was being serenaded by my two boys in the back seat singing the children’s part. What a joyous smile it brought hearing them praising You in song first thing in the morning! Better than coffee Father. 🙂
On another note Father, I started a new book yesterday that I’ve very much been looking forward to reading. It’s written by Pete Wilson, Senior Pastor for Cross Point Church and the book is titled “Plan B: What Do You Do When God Doesn’t Show Up the Way You Thought He Would?”. I only had time to get through the first couple chapters last night, but I’m enjoying it so far. Pastor Wilson brings a wonderful “genuine” feel to his writing, and I’m excited to see where this tome takes me in the chapters ahead.
Heavenly Father, thank You for the smiles of the day, for fitting puzzle pieces, for connecting me with others who inspire me along my journey, and for remaining ever-vigilant and ever-faithful in Your Love for us all. Amen.
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.
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. 
