Thankful Thursday: A Shift in Vision

Dear Lord; Happy Thankful Thursday Father!

Today Father, we come to the final Thankful Thursday edition of PhatherPhil.org for this calendar year.  When I began this recurring post 31 weeks ago (whew!), I honestly never expected the profound impact it would have on me, or that it would draw me so much closer to You in the process.

As I sit down each week to write out my list Lord, my mind drifts back over the past seven days; revisiting those moments that left their marks on my heart.  What I’ve found in doing so Father, is that even in those situations where things don’t seem to go my way, when I look closely enough, Your Blessings pour out nonetheless.  That little shift in vision Lord, has been a major Blessing all by itself.  I still have struggles and times that tax my strength, but when I look through my “Thankful Thursday Goggles”, I’m much more able to place those moments in their proper light.  It’s been an eye-opening experience so far Lord, and I can’t wait to see what Blessings You’ll reveal to me in the coming year.

Therefore Father, to close out the year on a joyful note, this past week I’ve been especially grateful for:

466. Time spent alone with Shannon last Friday afternoon and evening.

467. Google Music which allows me to listen to my music on all my devices, anywhere, at any time.

468. The pain relief provided by our heating pad last night.

469. Hickory Farms New York Cheddar Spread (Used to be called Chutter).

470. That when my stubbornness blinds me to common sense, my wonderful wife Shannon “nudges” me back on track.

471. The Living Water that satisfies my spiritual thirst.

472. Having three days off over Christmas spent with those I love.

473. A beautiful candlelight Christmas Eve service at Ewell’s-St. Paul UMC.

474. Andes Mint Cookies.

475. Sharing the celebration of Jesus’ birth with friends.

476. An inspiring guest post on Tuesday by Jean Wise from Healthy Spirituality.

477. That the stabbing pains I had in my lower back yesterday have settled down today.

478. Seeing the expressions of wonder and joy on my children’s faces Christmas morning.

479. The opportunity to support other local ministries.

480. The trust of a good friend.

Heavenly Father,

We thank You Lord, for gracing us with such a multitude of Blessings this past year.  As we start anew in 2012, please clear our eyes to reveal Your gifts in all circumstances; both those that lift our hearts in song, and those in which Your Blessings may be masked within our trials.

In Jesus’ Name we pray,

Amen.

~Phather Phil

The Water That Satisfies

“A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” (For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.) The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” The woman said to him, “Sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock.” Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”” – John 4:7-14 (ESV)

Like drinking water from the well will eventually leave us thirsty again, when we seek to find personal fulfillment in things of this world we’re always brought back to finding something “missing” in our lives.  Only when we give our lives over to Christ can that hole in our hearts truly be filled, and our spiritual thirsts be quenched.

Do Not Be Anxious

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?” – Matthew 6:25-27 (ESV)

For many people, anxiety can be a pervasive and overwhelming force in their lives.  It can gnaw at our very beings, and obscure from us those Blessings that surround us each and every day.  In this teaching, Jesus warns us against allowing such emotions to poison us, and reminds us that as our Heavenly Father provides for the necessities of other creatures of the world, He will make available those basic needs to support our lives as well.  When we allow our fears and doubts to overcome us, we place a barrier between ourselves and God, denying His many gifts in our lives.

Thankful… Friday?: That Greatest of Gifts

Dear Lord; Happy Thankful… Friday?

Well Father, as You’re no doubt aware I didn’t manage to get my Thankful Thursday post out yesterday afternoon.  Instead however, of going into the Christmas weekend without listing out some of Your many Blessings in my life, I decided to make this “Thankful Friday”.  🙂

As we focus our hearts on celebrating the miracle of Christ’s birth Father, it seems only fitting to mark the beginning of this weekend by giving thanks; thanks for the daily Blessings You grace our lives with, and thanks for that Greatest of Gifts that Blessed our world so many years ago.

On that note Lord, this past week I’ve been especially grateful for:

451. The inspiring and entertaining selection of Christmas Music that’s been playing on 88.7 The Bridge this season.

452. The official release to the world of the new Ewell’s-St. Paul UMC website.

453. A fun dinner out last night with Shannon and Aidan.

454. A lovely array of Christmas Lights that brighten my drive home from the office each evening.

455. Free overnight shipping from Amazon.com.  🙂

456. That Jonathan doesn’t see brokenness, flaws, or differences in other children, just opportunities for new friends.

457. That Jonathan had a wonderful sleepover birthday party last Friday night.

458. The Light of a Star leading my heart to His manger.

459. A wonderful Chick-Fil-A lunch bought for our office by a good friend.

460. Being asked to write a guest post for a friend’s wonderful blog next month.

461. A wonderful afternoon with friends celebrating their foster son’s birthday.

462. The healing power of a good laugh.

463. Simple beginnings.

464. A fun night of fellowship with our Tuesday night Small Group.

465. The most important Christmas Gift even given; the birth of our Savior.

Heavenly Father,

We thank You Lord, for the multitude of Blessings You grace us with each day; both those that shine high in the Heavens, guiding us to a manger, and those that whisper Your love for us gently on the evening breeze.

In Jesus’ Name we pray,

Amen.

~Phather Phil

Good News of Great Joy

“And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”” – Luke 2:8-14 (ESV)

As we rush around trying to put all of the finishing touches on our Christmas celebration preparations, we need to keep in our hearts the true meaning of the season.  Two thousand years ago, brought into the world in the most humble of circumstances, God sent us His only begotten Son; to teach us, and guide us, and finally to die for us that we might be released from our bondage of sin.  Christmas isn’t about presents, or lights, or festive holiday parties… It’s about a Child, divine made incarnate, born to save the world.