Sep 19, 2011
Posted by PhatherPhil on Sep 19, 2011 | 24 comments
Dear Lord; Happy Meditations Monday Father!
Well Father, as always I want to begin the week by thanking You for the multitude of Blessings You bestowed on us over the past weekend. Due to a nasty respiratory infection I’ve been fighting since late last week, our time was spent in much less energetic pursuits than usual, but it was a lovely couple days nonetheless. On Saturday we went on a short outing with friends to a local alpaca farm, followed by a quiet afternoon and evening at their home enjoying a tasty home-cooked meal and wonderful conversation. Sunday morning we attended the contemporary service at Ewell’s St. Paul UMC, and were officially accepted into the congregation as members of the church. We feel truly Blessed to be a part of this church family Lord, and I thank You so much for bringing us together with them.
As You know Father, it’s been quite some time since I’ve gotten sick, so when this illness came on me hard and fast last week, it very much caught me off guard. Respiratory infections have always hit me rather intensely, and this current bug is no exception. However, as I was driving in to work sniffling and coughing this morning, something important dawned on me…
My physical body may be ill at the moment, but I’m more Spiritually Healthy than I’ve ever been.
The distinction between physical and spiritual health is actually one I believe to be fairly significant Father. I’ve known a number of physically sound people who are absolutely lost spiritually, and yet, some of the brightest signs of Your Holy Spirit have come to me from people whose bodies have turned against them.
In the opening greetings of his Third Epistle, John indicates this division as well by wishing his friend Gaius good physical health, while noting that he’s already quite sure of Gaius’ spiritual well-being:
The elder,
To my dear friend Gaius, whom I love in the truth.
Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well. – 3 John 1:1-2 (NIV)
“…even as your soul is getting along well.” John already knew Gaius’ devotion to Your Truth was firm, and with that “spiritual fitness” as a reference, he sent wishes that Gaius’ physical well-being would follow suit.
So Father, what can we do to achieve the Spiritual Health that’s so vital in our lives? If we break it down clinically as we would a physical ailment, I believe it would go something like…
Examination: Evaluate our lives regularly, and ensure that we’re living as God desires us to. Identify sinful behaviors and actions.
Diagnosis: For the “symptoms” noted during the Examination, consult the appropriate reference (The Bible) and seek additional consultation (pray) to determine the correct course of treatment.
Treatment: Follow the prescribed course of action as determined in the Diagnosis. Quiet time and rest (Stillness), and increased fluid (Living Water) consumption will aid in healing.
Follow Up: A proper diet (Daily Bread, Eucharist) and exercise (Worship) will help maintain Spiritual Health.
Now that’s reasonable health care reform. 🙂
Heavenly Father,
I thank You for the “Heavenly Health Care Plan” You’ve provided for us Lord. Please nourish our needy spirits, and bring to us that divine healing that only You can provide.
In Jesus’ Name we pray,
Amen.
~Phather Phil
Sep 12, 2011
Posted by PhatherPhil on Sep 12, 2011 | 20 comments
Dear Lord; Happy Meditations Monday Father!
To begin our week’s conversations Lord, I want to thank You for yet another lovely weekend filled to the brim with Your Blessings. Friday night we attended a spaghetti dinner at Ewell’s St. Paul UMC to benefit the “Jesus Freaks” youth group. The food and fellowship were wonderful, and it was very well attended. Saturday, the boys stayed with friends for the day while Shannon and I got the opportunity to attend an end-of-summer pool party. Sunday began with an inspiring church service, and then while Shannon played her viola in the Dover Symphony at a local patriotic concert, the boys and I were able to catch up on overdue housework, grocery shopping and laundry. As seems to be our “normal” lately Father, it was a very busy weekend, but certainly time we’re thankful for.
As You know Father, each morning I’ve been reading a daily devotional message from the Stand Firm magazines that Shannon got me a subscription to for Father’s Day. This morning’s message was focused on love and commitment, and it very much resonated with things that You and I have been discussing quite a lot as of late. The passage cited in the devotional was from the first chapter of the Book of Ruth, and details Ruth’s response to Naomi when Naomi attempts to send her back to her family following the death of Ruth’s husband (Naomi’s son):
But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.” – Ruth 1:16-17 (NIV)
Such a powerful statement of commitment Lord, and unfortunately something we see far too little of in society today. Unwavering devotion to those we love, and to You Father, should be our firm goal and desire each and every day. If we all looked to replace our selfish, wayward thoughts with the yearning to care for and serve others, and to praise You with each waking breath, our world would be truly transformed.
It’s certainly something I’ll be praying on this week Lord.
Heavenly Father,
As we go through the day Lord, please fill our hearts with the desire, devotion and drive to unselfishly and openly bring Your love to those around us. Grant us the resolve in our hearts Father, that we may committedly focus ourselves on those relationships that You Bless us with; our marriages, our families and our friendships, that we may glorify You thorough those connections.
In Jesus’ Name we pray,
Amen.
~Phather Phil
Sep 8, 2011
Posted by PhatherPhil on Sep 8, 2011 | 16 comments
Dear Lord; Happy Thankful Thursday Father!
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.
249. Having a wonderfully diverse, caring and supportive group of friends.
250. Being given the opportunity to redesign and implement Ewell’s St. Paul UMC’s web site.
251. A successful surprise birthday party we threw for a good friend at our house.
252. Cherry Coke.
253. The power and flexibility of the step outside my “comfort zone” in ministering to others.
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!
In Jesus’ Name we pray,
Amen.
~Phather Phil
Sep 6, 2011
Posted by PhatherPhil on Sep 6, 2011 | 20 comments
Dear Lord; Happy Meditations Mon… Um, Tuesday Father!
Well Father, to begin with I want to thank You for a lovely three-day-weekend. Other than some much-needed housecleaning, we were Blessed to enjoy quality time with friends, have a fun “Date Night” out, and help another of our friends celebrate her 40th birthday by hosting a surprise party at the house. All-in-all it was a very pleasant few days respite, and I’m very grateful for that time.
As we’ve discussed many times Lord, Shannon and I consider our friends one of Your most amazing Blessings in our lives. As I was running around on Monday morning picking up supplies for the birthday party we hosted, it dawned on me how amazingly diverse our group of friends really is. Truly, nearly every walk of life is represented in some fashion; each person a beautiful, unique thread in the tapestry of our “extended family”.
In his First Epistle to the Corinthians, the Apostle Paul discusses the importance of diversity in Your People along those same lines. In his example, the diversity comes from the varied Spiritual Gifts You bestow on us through the Holy Spirit:
“The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free —and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body.” – 1 Corinthians 12:12-20 (NIV)
Paul makes a marvelous point in that in Christ, there is no ethnic, cultural or social distinction; each individual member is a loved and important part of the Whole. We all have roles to play, and gifts to share in the Body of Christ, and each is as important as the others. You created us all to be exactly what You intended us to be; fearfully and wonderfully made, and designed to offer the unique and precious gifts You’ve granted us for the benefit of Your Family.
It’s a very powerful lesson Lord, and one I know we could all stand to implement more effectively in our daily lives.
Heavenly Father, I thank You for the wonderful people You’ve brought into our lives; each a unique, beautiful, and Blessed thread in our family’s fabric. Please help us see through any improperly perceived barriers between one another, and to reach out with our Spiritual Gifts to further the business of Your Eternal Kingdom.
In Jesus’ Name we pray,
Amen.
~Phather Phil
Sep 1, 2011
Posted by PhatherPhil on Sep 1, 2011 | 20 comments
Dear Lord; Happy Thankful Thursday Father!
Once again Lord, we come to the day of the week on which I add to the ever-growing list of Blessings You’ve bestowed on me. Between Hurricane Irene, the kids starting school, Shannon starting her new job, and a significant spike in business at my office, it’s certainly been a roller-coaster of a week. Funny enough, through all of the ups-and-downs we’ve gone through this past seven days, Your Blessings have shined brilliantly through it all.
Therefore Father, continuing where I left off last week, today I’d like to give special thanks to You for:
226. Shannon getting “back on track” with her thyroid medication.
227. That even when my prayers are “arrogant”, You know my heart and forgive me.
228. Dove chocolates with caramel centers.
229. The boys doing well taking on increased household responsibilities.
230. An extra day off work to enjoy with friends and family this weekend.
231. The arrival of my Blood Pressure Medication shipment today.
232. Minimal damage to our home and no injuries from Hurricane Irene last weekend.
233. That I have a Heavenly Father who always has confidence in me, even when my view of self-worth is in question.
234. Dreams that make me wake up with a smile.
235. Finding a new Family Doctor after our existing one closed his practice.
236. Connecting up with all my “Bloggy” friends on Facebook.
237. Five days of absolutely beautiful weather following the hurricane.
238. Merlin’s seizures continuing to be suppressed by the Phenobarbital he was prescribed.
239. The loan of a carpet cleaner by a good friend when ours broke unexpectedly.
240. Being married to a lady who goes out of her way to remind me that she loves me every day.
…Such a multitude of Blessings You grant me Lord. 🙂
Heavenly Father, once again I lift thanks and praise to You for the many Blessings You grace us with each day; both those that light up the sky with Your presence, and those that Bless our lives without fanfare. You are indeed a doting Father, a watchful Shepherd and a skillful Potter, and we marvel in the fact that with all that You have in Your care, You still give us individual, personal attention…
Our most precious Blessing.
Amen.
~Phather Phil
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. 
