Thankful Thursday: Drawn Closer With Every Word

Dear Lord; Happy Thankful Thursday Father!

Looking back over the last year Lord, so much has transpired here at PhatherPhil.org.  Hundreds of “Emails to God” were shared, precious connections with fellow Christian bloggers were formed, friendships were developed and nurtured, and each word I wrote drew me ever closer to Your side.  It’s been a powerful first full year Father, and I’m excited to see how You’ll use this ministry in the coming months.

Continuing my weekly tradition into the New Year Lord, I present You with the first Thankful Thursday list of 2012!  And even though we’re only a little less than a week in, signs of Your gracious love abound.  This past week I’ve been especially grateful for:

481. Our Tuesday night Small Group Study gatherings starting back up following a two week break.

482. Seeing the excitement in Jonathan’s eyes working with his new electronics project kit.

483. Seeing Your Blessings showered on a friend and her family this week.

484. Sharing a stuffed crust pizza with the kids.

485. The “Walking Dead” marathon on AMC last Saturday.  🙂

486. A wonderful visit from our good friend Katie over the weekend.

487. Seeing Your influence in unexpected places.

488. An extra day off this past Monday to relax and rejuvenate.

489. An inspiring and uplifting message delivered by a guest pastor at Ewell’s-St. Paul UMC last Sunday.

490. That during the many struggles I faced in 2011, each time You used those times of trial to draw me closer to You.

491. A reminder from a dear friend today that even in the midst of our struggles, Your Blessings abound all around us.

492. Your calming restraint when I feel myself getting angry.

493. Celebrating the beginning of the New Year in the company of close friends.

494. The cleansing appearance of our first (albeit minor) snow this morning.

495. You nourishing us in our drought.

Heavenly Father,

We thank You Lord, for the many gifts You grace us with each day; both those that announce Your glory like the first light of dawn, and those that Bless us subtly like the shadows of the setting sun.

In Jesus’ Name we pray,

Amen.

~Phather Phil

The Divine Responsibility

“In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.” – Ephesians 5:28-33 (ESV)

Men: As Christ provides for every need of the church, so we are called to provide for our wives; to love them, nourish them, and care for them as they are part of ourselves.  When we truly embrace the divine responsibility and gift that our marriages are, we honor God’s design and intention of that special union.

Let Go, and Let God

Dear Lord; Happy Wednesday Father!

This morning Lord, I spent some time chatting online with a friend regarding some trials she and her family were going through.  We were discussing the importance of remaining open to finding Your assistance in unexpected places, and a story I’d heard some time ago came to mind…

There was a man whose farm was located on the banks of a flood-swollen river. As the water rose, a neighbor drove up in a Jeep, urging him to leave before the farm was flooded. “Oh, no,” said the man confidently, “God will save me.”

The water rose higher, and the man was forced to move into the second story of the farmhouse. A police boat soon came, and the officers called for the man to hurry and get into their boat.

“Oh, no, that won’t be necessary,” the man insisted. “God will save me.”

Finally the house was completely engulfed in water, and a Coast Guard helicopter swooped in to rescue the man, now perched on the roof. Again he refused. Just then, a huge wave of water swept over the house, and the man drowned.

When he got to Heaven, he stormed at the Lord, asking WHY God had let him die when his faith had been so strong.

“What do you mean?” asked the heavenly Father. “I sent a Jeep, a boat, and a helicopter … and you wouldn’t budge!”

When I look at some of the most powerful Blessings You’ve brought into my life Father, a good many of them came about in ways that I never would have expected.

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.” – Isaiah 55:8-9 (ESV)

Help us Lord…

To realize Your Blessings don’t always present themselves as we expect,

To recognize Your gifts when You place them in our path,

And to suspend our disbelief, accepting Your aid when it’s offered…

To let go, and let God.

In Jesus’ Name we pray,

Amen.

~Phather Phil

A Matter of Integrity

“Like the partridge that gathers a brood that she did not hatch,
so is he who gets riches but not by justice;
in the midst of his days they will leave him,
and at his end he will be a fool.” – Jeremiah 17:11 (ESV)

When we make the achievement of worldly success and material gain of a higher priority than conducting ourselves with godly disposition and integrity, we sacrifice building our eternal treasures for the lure of seeking worldly riches.

Anchored to the Rock

“The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,
my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” – Psalm 18:2 (ESV)

Life is unpredictable.  From one moment to the next, we never know exactly which way our paths will turn… But thankfully, God does.  Instead of clinging to the constantly moving targets of this world, when we anchor ourselves firmly to our Rock, we gain His strength, His stability and His peace.

Meditations Monday: The Year of Drought

Dear Lord; Happy Meditations Monday, and Happy New Year Father!

As we bid farewell to 2011 Lord, I confess that my feelings on it’s passing are somewhat conflicted.  In a number of respects, this past year brought with it some of the most difficult trials our little family has experienced in quite some time.  And yet, along with those stresses and struggles, I can honestly say that Your presence in our lives has never felt more powerful, or been more obvious…

In the midst of our fears, You comforted us.

When we struggled for direction, You guided our hearts.

When we doubted our value, You reminded us that we’re Your Beloved.

In our moment of need, You provided a path.

When we sought for community, You led us to our church family.

As our financial security was threatened, You showed us that our true wealth lay elsewhere.

The world knocked us down Father, over and over…

And yet, You were there… each and every time.

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,
whose trust is the Lord.
He is like a tree planted by water,
that sends out its roots by the stream,
and does not fear when heat comes,
for its leaves remain green,
and is not anxious in the year of drought,
for it does not cease to bear fruit.” – Jeremiah 17:7-8 (ESV)

While from a worldly perspective 2011 was a trying, difficult year for us Father, every time we stumbled, You picked us up and drew us to You.

The drought came Lord, but in You we were nourished.

I pray that 2012 brings us even closer.

Amen.

~Phather Phil