Thankful Thursday: Through the Heart of a Friend

Dear Lord; Happy Thankful Thursday Father!

Yesterday morning, I hit the wall Father.  The cumulative weight of many insomnia-driven nights had finally exacted its penance on me.  And when the alarm abruptly announced it was time for me to awaken for our time together, for the first time in a great long while Lord, I shut it off and laid back down.

An hour or so later the alarm once again fulfilled its mission, brutally reminding me of the day that lie ahead.  Caving in to its insistent call, I pulled myself from beneath the covers.  As I sat on the side of the bed desperately attempting to shake the cobwebs loose from my resistant mind, the loss of my “Still time” in Your presence sat uneasily in my heart…

I count on that time…

I look forward to it…

And yet, today I’d missed it.

Determined to refresh my spirit, I reached for my daily bread; the daily devotional message I read each morning from my Stand Firm men’s magazine.  This attempt however, also proved fruitless as I realized that a new month had begun, and my February edition was nowhere to be found.

“Wow…” I thought.  “I’m really not doing very well for You today Father…”

As my failings of the morning took deeper root, my weariness took on new life.

And then my mobile phone lit up.

“Hmm… No one texts me at this hour… This can’t be good.” I thought.

Resolved to more of the morning’s direction, I begrudgingly picked up the phone and read the message…

“Good morning.  You came to my mind, so I prayed for you and your family.  Just wanted to let you know that.  :-)”

And in a single moment Father, my day changed.

I’d overslept…

I’d missed my Scripture time…

I’d misplaced my devotional…

And yet,

You found a way Lord,

To remind me that You love me,

Through the heart of a friend.

Thank You.  🙂

Continuing to count my Blessings on this sunny Thankful Thursday Father, this week I’ve been especially grateful for:

541. An upcoming visit from some dear friends.

542. Some beautiful unseasonal, spring-like weather this week.

543. Getting to catch up a little with a friend I haven’t seen in a while today.

544. The honor of being asked to pray for someone in need.

545. “Remote Control” software that allows me to service computers anywhere.

546. A wonderful surprise gift of a Jason Gray CD, containing the song “Remind Me Who I Am”.

547. A wonderful, long walk in Blackbird State Forest this past Sunday with my two boys.

548. Finally getting to watch the movie “Courageous” with friends this past Saturday.

549. Getting to “Sit in” on a worship practice today.

550. The most powerful act of love in history.

551. That a good friend of our family is experiencing the relief of Your healing following some serious health problems.

552. The opportunity to assist another church with their web presence.

553. Text messaging on my phone that helps keep me connected to those I care about.

554. Chicken Cordon Bleu, shared with friends.

555. Seeing Your hand at work in my relationships with others.

Heavenly Father,

I thank You Lord, for all the many Blessings You bring to our lives each and every day; both those that boldly reveal Your presence, and those that grace us in the silence.

In Jesus’ name we pray,

Amen.

~Phather Phil

The Most Powerful Act of Love in History

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” – John 3:16 (ESV)

For many, the onset of February brings thoughts of love to the front of our minds.  However, as we’re inundated by the seemingly endless procession of bright red gift boxes and jewelry advertisements, it’s important that we remember the single, most powerful act of love in history; the divine birth, life, death and resurrection of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

One Significant Obligation

“Owe nothing to anyone—except for your obligation to love one another. If you love your neighbor, you will fulfill the requirements of God’s law. For the commandments say, “You must not commit adultery. You must not murder. You must not steal. You must not covet.” These—and other such commandments—are summed up in this one commandment: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Love does no wrong to others, so love fulfills the requirements of God’s law.” – Romans 13:8-10 (NLT)

As Christians, we have one significant obligation to everyone; to love them, as Christ loves us.  When we strive to wrap our lives in the outpouring of His mighty love, we draw ever closer to meeting those guidelines that God laid down for us.  For in the light of true, all-encompassing love, sin cannot exist.

Trust Begins With God

“Trust in the LORD and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper. Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you your heart’s desires. Commit everything you do to the LORD.
Trust him, and he will help you. He will make your innocence radiate like the dawn, and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun.” – Psalm 37:3-6 (NLT)

Trust isn’t easy.  As we live our lives, finding people we can place our trust in can be a difficult and sometimes painful process.  However, when we place our full faith and trust in God and allow Him to guide our hearts when making those connections, the result is stronger relationships that glorify Him as well.

Thankful Thursday: An Opportunity to Share

Dear Lord; Happy Thankful Thursday Father!

Today Lord, I’m truly Blessed to be sharing some of the inspirations you’ve given me over at a fellow blogger and friend’s site; Healthy Spirituality.

Jean’s blog is always an amazing source of encouragement, education and inspiration to me Father, and I was absolutely honored when she asked me to write a post for her.  I’ll admit it Lord, I struggled for some time with what I felt You wanted me to share, and then again with finding the right phrasing to bring that truth to life.  Thankfully though Father, the words did come and I pray that I did Your message justice through their employ.

Continuing to count my Blessings Lord, on this very Thankful Thursday I’m especially grateful for:

526. That I have people who challenge me to grow closer to You, and hold me accountable for that commitment.

527. A wonderful movie event held at Ewell’s-St. Paul UMC last Friday night.

528. The care and assistance of a business client when some friends of mine were in need.

529. Skype and webcams allowing me to “visit” with friends far away.

530. An unexpectedly good client meeting today.

531. Steak Fajitas.

532. Your healing presence with two members of our Tuesday night study group as they dealt with injuries and illnesses this past week.

533. That the Internet allows me to connect with other believers all over the world.

534. A fun evening last Saturday playing cards with friends.

535. Being reminded of some powerful truths while watching “Facing the Giants”.

536. The abundant opportunities You give me to share the Gospel Message with others.

537. The lessons of Winter.

538. Friends that see when my heart is heavy, and push through the barriers I put up.

539. That when crises struck members in our Tuesday group this past week, the other members came together in love to support them.

540. That in You, we don’t have to be defined by our past.

Heavenly Father,

I thank You Lord, for the many Blessings You bestow on us each day; both those that light the night as a monument to Your love, and those that grace us quietly, whispering Your message from the shadows.

In Jesus’ Name we pray,

Amen.

~Phather Phil

Our Past Does Not Define Us

“Though I say to the righteous that he shall surely live, yet if he trusts in his righteousness and does injustice, none of his righteous deeds shall be remembered, but in his injustice that he has done he shall die. Again, though I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ yet if he turns from his sin and does what is just and right, if the wicked restores the pledge, gives back what he has taken by robbery, and walks in the statutes of life, not doing injustice, he shall surely live; he shall not die. None of the sins that he has committed shall be remembered against him. He has done what is just and right; he shall surely live.” – Ezekiel 33:13-16 (ESV)

Life is a journey.  Our Heavenly Father knows that we’ll make incorrect choices, and stray from His path from time to time.  And yet, while we need to remain diligent in our pursuit of righteousness and fulfilling God’s desires for our lives, when we do err it’s important to remember that those moments don’t have to define us; when in humility and repentance we ask for forgiveness and learn from those mistakes that we’ve made, God joyfully refreshes our spirits and draws us to Him.