First off Father, I want to raise Kim Miller up in prayer to You once again. Her powerful testimony in the video I linked to in yesterday’s post has very much been in my thoughts, and continues to inspire further introspection of my own Faith. Lord, please grant Kim Your peace, Your comfort and if it be Your Will, Your healing that she may continue to know Your abundant presence in her life.
Today Father, I’d like to discuss manners and courtesy, or more specifically the lack of them I’ve been seeing as of late.
During a quick trip at lunchtime over to the nearby WalMart, I was confronted a number of times with blatant examples of selfishness, disrespect and a general disinterest in the feelings of others. Simple little things like:
In a busy parking lot, taking up two full spaces to avoid being parked next to…
People not looking behind them when going through a door to see if someone is following close by before letting it swing closed…
Shoppers standing in the middle of a narrow aisle chatting while people and carts sit behind them waiting for them to move…
Parents allowing their young children to run around unsupervised and then getting upset when other people question them…
Leaving shopping carts rolling all over the parking lot when there are plenty of cart return stations nearby…
It’s very frustrating to witness such widespread disregard Father. And while I certainly ran into several smiling, courteous folks today as well, they were somehow less obvious than those whose focus was very much on themselves. Now, I’ve absolutely been guilty of allowing my mood to sidetrack my manners now and again Lord… I believe we all have. This begs the question; how would You have us act towards others so as to best reflect Your Love?
With forgiveness and compassion:
“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” – Ephesians 4:32 (NIV)
With thought and empathy:
“Do to others as you would have them do to you.” – Luke 6:31 (NIV)
In the spirit of peace and unity:
“Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.” – Romans 14:19 (NIV)
With humility:
“For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” – Luke 14:11 (NIV)
And with Love:
“For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”” – Galatians 5:14 (NIV)
It’s so handy having Your Instruction Manual Father. 🙂
Heavenly Father, please help guide our words and actions to best exemplify the behavior that You desire of us. Make Your light visible through our lives, so that others may witness the peace and compassion of Your presence in us.
Well Father, it certainly was a busy weekend, but all-in-all a wonderful couple days’ time spent enjoying time with family and good friends. With Jonathan still at Kamp and Aidan spending the night with friends, Shannon and I got to go out Friday evening for a fun “date night” (I so love “dating” my wife Lord…). Saturday morning we picked up Aidan, and spent the remainder of the morning attending the closing ceremonies at Kay’s Kamp. We got some quiet time to rest Saturday afternoon, and then headed out to have dinner with a group of our friends. It rained much of the evening, but we had an absolutely wonderful time nonetheless. Sunday morning we braved the downpour to attend morning services at Ewell’s St. Paul United Methodist Church, and enjoyed jubilant music, a wonderful Message from Pastor Kris and the fellowship of our church family. We managed to catch up on a little housework while relaxing the remainder of the day, and concluded the weekend with a tasty dinner out together at a new Mexican restaurant in Smyrna. As I said before Lord, it was a hectic few days, but one that was truly filled with Your Blessings… Thank You!
Today’s Meditations Monday Scripture comes from Paul’s Epistle to the Ephesians, Chapter 2. This morning while driving into the office, I heard an extremely inspiring story on 88.7 The Bridge which truly touched my heart. They played an interview with a young lady who is currently facing her own mortality due to an uncontrolled cancer that has now spread to her brain. Instead of dwelling in her suffering, she’s instead focusing on Your Blessings in her life, and lifted praises to You as she was baptized yesterday. It was a humbling message of Faith Father, and it led me to the verse choice I’m praying on this morning:
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” – Ephesians 2:8-10 (NIV)
So often when we get into situations that cause us pain, or discomfort, or even just inconvenience we develop “spiritual short-sightedness”, and mire ourselves down in our burdens rather than allowing those trials to strengthen our Faith, and to draw us closer to You. I pray that we can all learn from her courageous example Father, and seek You even in our darkest hour.
Heavenly Father, I lift my voice in praise for the Blessings You bring to our lives each day. I pray that Your comforting embrace continues to be felt by Kim and her family during this difficult season, and that they can draw strength from the knowledge that You’re always with them.
Whew… What a week it’s been Lord. Between a hectic schedule at my office, my visit to Kay’s Kamp and a myriad of other “life” events (getting new tires for the car, dealing with ill dogs, etc..), I’m quite ready for the weekend to begin. That being said Father, even with the fast-paced nature of the past few days I’ve had a very deep sense of Your Presence this week. That embodiment of peace in my Spirit has helped keep me focused, calm and joyful throughout, and for that I thank You.
To close out the week Lord, I’d like to share a song that’s been in my head as of late. It’s actually a song that’s been out for quite some time, but when I heard this rendition it was like hearing it for the first time. The song is called “Bless the Broken Road”, and this recording is by the group Selah :
Such a haunting performance, and a powerful message Father. 🙂
Heavenly Father, thank You for Your overwhelming presence in my life this past week. The more I open my heart to Your Voice, the more I realize that it’s been there all along. I pray that with Your guidance we’re all able to traverse life’s broken roads, and find our way into Your Loving Arms.
First off Lord, I want to begin the week by thanking You for all the Blessings You granted us this past weekend. The medication the veterinarian put Merlin on seems to have abated the seizures, and although the effects are still taking their toll, he’s made a marked improvement. Saturday night Shannon got to go out with her mother and uncle to see a musical production of “Kiss Me Kate” held at Longwood Gardens, and the boys and I got some time to “hang out” and do some fun cooking with friends. And Sunday after church we delivered Jonathan to Kay’s Kamp for his week away, and then spent the rest of the day relaxing together at home. All in all Father, it was a wonderful weekend’s respite and I thank You for that time!
Today’s Meditations Monday Scripture comes from Paul’s Epistle to the Ephesians, Chapter 4:
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. – Ephesians 4:29 (NIV)
You got me this morning on this one Lord. Driving into work I was running a little behind and the car in front of me was crawling along a bit under the speed limit…
“I wish these people would learn how to drive!” I exclaimed.
“Phil… You know better.” You whispered back.
Busted.
You’ve actually been correcting me along these lines quite a bit lately Father, and it’s been humbling as to how often I find myself saying or thinking unkind or unflattering things about other people. I allow personal frustrations such as being a little late for work to set the tone in my head, and like a weed in a flower bed the negative feelings spread to the rest of my thoughts. Little moments like this morning’s outburst, although no one was there to hear it (except You of course…), still serve to poison our spirit and can further affect other parts of our lives.
Thankfully, Your gentle reminders to keep my mood in check have helped me to make a positive change in that respect. There is however, certainly still room for improvement, as this morning’s experience displayed. 🙂
Heavenly Father, as we begin this new week please help us to shine Your Light to those around us, not mire them in the grey clouds of our own inner conflicts. Our words are powerful influencers Lord, and I pray that You guide our usage of them to best encourage and support Your Children.
My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. – James 1:19-20 (NIV)
Well Lord, first off I want to say a quick thank You for a break in the steamy weather we’ve been having. It’s still good and warm to be sure (90 degrees or so), but the humidity has dropped substantially and the over-100 degree temperatures have abated for the moment. Based on the forecast things will be getting warmer again soon, but nonetheless the intermission is very much appreciated!
Today Father, I was reading in the Old Testament in 1 Kings, Chapter 3 and came across something that touched my spirit and got me thinking. It was early on in king Solomon’s reign and while visiting Gibeon to offer sacrifices to You, You came to him in a dream with an amazingly magnanimous offer…
At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.” – 1 Kings 3:5 (NIV)
Wow… Now that’s a proposition! The Author of all Creation asking “what can I give to you?”. For most people, this question would instantly flood their minds with thoughts of wealth, power, longevity or other earthly gifts. Solomon however, had a slightly different request of You…
“Now, O LORD my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties.
Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number.
So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?” – 1 Kings 3:7-9 (NIV)
Such a humble, thoughtful answer he gave to You Father! It makes me wonder what kind of world we’d be living in if all of our leaders petitioned You in such a way? Or for that matter, what kind of world would it be if we ALL prayed for the strength, wisdom and temperament to serve others selflessly in Your Name…
It’s a powerful and inspiring thought Father, and one I’ll be praying on.
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. 
