Once again Father, we come to the Thankful Thursday edition of PhatherPhil.org. In addition to adding to my continuing list of Blessings, I’m also pleased to have “passed on” this tradition to Lindsay over at The Evatt’s Beautiful Mess. She writes a wonderfully fun, devotional blog and it’s always a Blessing to read it. Today’s her first Thankful Thursday post, and hopefully it’s just the beginning of many to come!
And now Lord, on to my list! This week, I’ve been especially thankful for:
241. The patience shown by friends.
242. The sun streaming through the clouds as a gentle rain falls… Absolutely beautiful.
243. The beauty of a rainbow following a rain shower.
244. Jonathan starting Youth Group (called the Jesus Freaks…:-) ) at church this week.
245. The opportunity to introduce some good friends to our church this past weekend.
246. Being invited to become members to Ewell’s St. Paul UMC, and signing the Covenant last Sunday.
247. A final report from the Pediatric Dermatologist that Jonathan’s moles aren’t LCH related.
248. Sharing a game of Scrabble on Facebook with friends.
255. The overwhelming sense of Your presence I feel after taking Holy Communion.
Such wonderful gifts You grace us with each day Father…
Heavenly Father, I thank and praise You for the multitude of Blessings You bestow on us each day; both those that light up the Heavens in glory, and those which grace us in relative silence. We are truly Blessed!
We’re a cautious bunch Father… Too cautious in many respects.
Over the last month or so Lord, I’ve felt You urgently calling me to take some leaps; to step outside my “comfort zone” and reach out to others in a much more significant way. I love those “nudges” Father, and I’ve enjoyed increasing my outreach efforts…
But it’s not enough. I’ve still been playing it safe.
I’ve fallen into the trap that so many others have Lord; instead of placing my fears, insecurities and biases completely in Your hands and bringing Your message to those who may desperately need it, for the most part I’ve kept my efforts within “comfortable” boundaries…
And You desire more than that of me.
As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.
While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” – Matthew 9:9-13 (NIV)
Heavenly Father,
Help me reach those whose spirits are sick; the lost, the broken, the lonely and the hurting. Draw me to where You need me most Lord, and embolden me to effectively share Your light with those in need. For my comfort zone isn’t nearly big enough Father, I need to work in Yours.
Well Father, life is beginning to return to normal here in Delaware following the excitement surrounding Hurricane Irene this past weekend. And while this particular storm wasn’t nearly as powerful as many that strike other parts of the country, for an underprepared East Coast which seldom sees weather of that nature, it was a challenge nonetheless. Needless to say Lord, it made for an eventful weekend and one we won’t forget anytime soon. For those dealing with damage, pain or loss from this climactic onslaught, I pray that You keep them intently in Your gaze and bring them the comfort and healing only Your presence is able to.
This week’s Meditations Monday Scripture comes from the second chapter of 2nd Timothy:
“Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.” – 2 Timothy 2:23-26 (NIV)
Well Father, the Apostle Paul certainly wasn’t subtle about Your will on this particular subject, and yet this is one of those “problem areas” that I know we’re all guilty of upon occasion. Paul’s point that the nit-picking, “little” things we choose to let get under our skin, more often than not lead only to ungodly conflict. And when we allow ourselves to be a part of such unimportant disagreements, we stray from Your desire as to how we should act towards others; with kindness, patience and respect. I know that over the years I’ve certainly lost my composure with people more than a few times Father, and in doing so I failed to take advantage of those opportunities to show Your influence in my life.
It’s something I’ll be praying about this week Lord…
Heavenly Father,
As we begin this new week, please help focus our hearts and minds to best serve Your will for us. Calm our tumultuous natures, and guide us to provide that “gentle instruction” to those around us that are in need of Your light.
With hurricane Irene looming to our South Father, folks around here are very much consumed with preparing themselves for a difficult and potentially dangerous weekend. We’ve made basic preparations ourselves; ensuring adequate supplies of food, water, propane and medications, as well as taking in any loose items from the deck and yard. Tensions are running high for many people on the East Coast right now Lord, but Your Presence brings comfort to the chaos. I pray that Your peace is felt by all those living in the shadow of fear, and that they can rest easier knowing that even in the midst of seemingly uncontrollable forces, Your sovereignty never falters.
To help combat the “dark clouds” on the horizon Father, I thought I’d end the week on a lighter note. I came across a video today that just gave me a chuckle, so I decided to share it…
I was never a fan of the original song (I truly disliked it actually), but this version works for me! 🙂
Thank You Father, for all the Blessings You’ve bestowed on us this week. Please calm the swirling winds, and shelter those in harm’s way in Your protective embrace that they may know Your might.
This morning Father, the Malmstrom home was a flurry of activity. Jonathan and Aidan eagerly prepared for their first day of the new school year, and Shannon got herself ready for the first day in her new full-time position as a Para-Educator at the school as well. As we’ve discussed many times Lord, I’m very proud of my wife, and love seeing her so excited to take this step.
And with the vision of her smile drifting through my mind, my prayers this morning have been focused on Shannon and all the other educators that strive daily to prepare our children for the future. Teachers are truly special people Father, and I thank You for instilling that love and sense of commitment in their hearts.
With that thought on my heart Lord, I’d like to close today with a prayer I found this morning. It appears to originate from the United Church of Christ’s website, although I wasn’t able to track down a specific author. It’s entitled “A Prayer for Teachers”:
God of Love, Thank you for every teacher who notices a child’s special gift. Thank you for teachers who are listeners and gentle guides. Thank you for teachers who expect much and love enough to demand more. Thank you for the special teacher each one of us remembers.
God of Mercy, Sustain teachers who give everything they have and feel abandoned when society expects too much. Strengthen teachers who assume the blame for so many problems beyond their control. Help exhausted teachers rest.
God of Strength, Encourage teachers to care and inspire them to nourish. Motivate teachers to keep on learning for the fun of it and to make learning fun for children.
We wonder at teachers who know how to quiet a class of five-year-olds or help fourth grade girls be empathetic. We admire teachers who enjoy middle school writers, or teach physics or math or civics. We cannot even imagine how to help every single student achieve Adequate Yearly Progress. Bless the people who are expected to accomplish these miracles and who know how to comfort children when miracles don’t happen.
God of Justice, help our nation find a way to steward our vast wealth to support teachers in their special calling, wherever they teach and whatever the race or religion or gender or wealth of the children.
We pray these things in the name of our Great Teacher, Jesus Christ.
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. 
