Boys to Men

Dear Lord; Good morning Father!  To start off today, I’d like to thank You for the emotional “purging” You helped me with yesterday.  Sometimes, the hidden feelings that quietly eat at our spirits are the hardest to control, and it feels absolutely wonderful to have laid that one down.  Every negative I can shed brings me that much closer to You.

As You know, for Christmas I got both my boys new Children’s Bibles.  These are lovely books Lord, which tell Your story and give Your Word to them in a way that they’re excited to read each night.  Most evenings I’ve been reading with Aidan, but he’s also taken to reading some of it on his own and has just been devouring the stories.  We’re almost completely through Genesis, and both my boys are amazed and filled with wonder at Your Power and Love for Your Children.  I’ve been thrilled to see them so enthralled with learning about You, and I pray it continues to interest and excite them.  Jonathan has taken to reading our daily conversations as well, and it warms my heart that he wants to know You so much more.  I so want to raise these boys to be God-Loving, compassionate and righteous men.

“Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.” – Proverbs 22:6

Heavenly Father, please help me continue to bring Your Loving Presence into my childrens’ lives.  Fill them with the Holy Spirit, and make Your Heavenly Light shine through them so all may see Your Influence.  I pray that You grant me the wisdom, the strength and the resolve to help them be the men I know they can be.  Amen.

~Phather Phil

Birthday Prayers for Jonathan

Dear Lord; As you know Lord, today is an extremely special day for my Wife and I.  11 Years ago today, You Blessed us with our first son Jonathan.  I remember his first year quite vividly Father.  It was a complicated, and terrifying, and wondrous time.  As I’ve mentioned before Lord, I consider that period to be the turning point to finding my path to You, and to some extent that’s made my bond to Jonathan even stronger.  I see Your Light in him on a regular basis, and I can’t thank You enough for Blessing us by keeping him in our lives.

He’s a very special child in many ways Father, and while I know I’m biased I can honestly say that he’s been one of the most obvious examples to me that You have a Plan for all of us.  He’s touched so many lives, and has an amazing inner light that seems to shine on those around him.  For example, due to his medical history and some remaining “hardware” in his body, he’s been unable to go to camp with his friends during the summers.  By Your Guidance, we were connected with an amazing organization called Kay’s Kamp which was setting up the first Oncology Camp in Delaware for kids a couple years back.  We signed him up, and it’s been the most incredible experience for him.  What was most remarkable for me though Father, was the comments I kept getting from the staff at the camp.  Many of the other children are still on active treatment, or in serious condition with their futures very much in doubt.  Over and over again, I was told how much Jonathan worked to raise them up, and make them feel like they were normal, and special.  This year, it became even more obvious to me when one of the Kay’s Kamp kids from the first year was in the hospital, and we found out that there was nothing else they could do for her.  We visited her in the hospital, and Jonathan went to her bedside and talked with her for a little bit.  We didn’t hear what was said, but she and he both had smiles on their faces afterwards and when I asked him why he said “It’s ok… She’s going to be with God and won’t hurt any more.”  As I said Lord, I see Your Light in him regularly and learn so much about You through him.

Heavenly Father, thank You so very much for bringing me this little miracle, and for using him to help me see Your Wonder and Your Love more completely.  I lift my prayers to You for this incredible Blessing, and ask for Your Continued Guidance in nurturing him as he grows.  Amen.  ~Phather Phil