As I followed the familiar route into my office earlier this week, my chest tightened while my mind raced; methodically detailing each project and deadline that loomed ahead of me, and allowing those shadowy voices of foreboding to gain audience in my heart.
“It’s not the mountains that you face that are the obstacles Phil, it’s your doubts.” You interrupted…
The world paused for a second; my thoughts held hostage by Your statement…
And then I realized You were right… I’ve been my own tallest mountain.
You know my needs Lord, far better than I do…
And yet, I often view the trials and challenges in my life as if I’m the only one who understands,
As if I’m facing them on my own;
Allowing those whispers of self-doubt to draw me into myself,
And obscuring me from knowing Your loving hand in every facet of my life.
Help me climb that lonely mountain Father;
To scale its craggy face and stand high upon the summit,
Boldly facing all life’s moments in Your steadfast company.
Such is my prayer Lord… In Your precious name,
Amen.
As I continue to list some of Your many Blessings in my life Father, my heart swells with the recognition of finding Your loving hand in more and more places every day. And while I know that my existence is awash in Your grace Lord, this week I want to give special thanks for:
691. Both my boys having the opportunity to attend Camp Pecometh this summer.
692. An inexpensive repair to our air conditioner.
693. Shannon having a safe flight home from Florida.
694. An inexpensive update to Lightroom 5 that was released last week.
695. A wonderful Father’s Day spent with people I love.
696. Wonderful photo opportunities while walking in Blackbird State Forest last week.
697. Watching the sunrise over Port Mahon this past Saturday morning.
698. Your protecting and healing presence while a friend of ours recovers from surgery that was performed last week.
699. The Histiocytosis groups on Facebook that allow us to share information, encouragement and prayers for other families dealing with LCH.
700. The encouraging comments I’ve been receiving regarding my photography work on 500px.com.
701. Your protecting and comforting hand as I drove through some very severe weather last Thursday.
702. Your patience with me.
703. The opportunity I had to watch and photograph an osprey flying in to feed it’s young at Port Mahon.
704. New glasses for Jonathan.
705. The wonderful message and discussion about living in a state of gratefulness at our “Where Two or Three Are Gathered” Tuesday night small group.
I fear Lord, that we miss the point far too often…
Jesus taught us to reach out to all those in need… Yet, we find ways to justify being selective with our service to others.
You make it very clear through Scripture that Your primary desire for our lives is to love… But more often than not we cling to judgment in its stead.
As the body of Christ, the church’s mission is to act as the hands and feet of Jesus and aid one another on our walk to You … However far too regularly that directive is tainted by individual ambitions and agendas.
We sit in condemnation of the sins of those around us, feeling superior for our elevated moral perspective… All the while completely missing the plank sticking out of our own eye.
We dwell on legalism and focus on how many Bible verses we can recite on command… Instead of praying for Your truths contained therein to guide our hearts…
And yet, even with all that corruption peppering our mortal lives Father…
You love us,
And comfort us.
You shower us in your mercy,
And fill our world with signs of that gracious love.
Thank You Father.
From Christ’s perfect example, the presence of the Holy Spirit within us and the blessings you pile upon us each and every day, I pray we draw ever closer to Your true intent…
And get the point.
As I continue to list some of Your many blessings in my life Father, this week I’d like to give thanks for:
676. Your nourishing and cleansing rain which is helping our new garden grow.
677. A wonderful “ministry moment” while chatting with a friend the other night.
678. Your perfect timing, even when I don’t recognize it.
679. A safe and uneventful flight for Shannon yesterday on her way to visit her family.
680. A fun evening of fellowship and good food with some dear friends.
681. A good checkup for Jonathan at the eye doctor this week, and finding an optician who takes his insurance for glasses.
682. The opportunity to visit Aidan’s class for “Culture Day” and see him be a living statue of the Greek deity Poseidon.
683. Your gentle hand holding my heart and guiding my words when upsetting situations arise.
684. Eggs cooked in bacon grease. 🙂
685. Finding a wonderful deal on some photography equipment I needed.
686. Your protection and comfort for Shannon and her family as they were hit with a tropical storm this week while she was visiting.
687. That both my boys are finished another school year as of tomorrow.
688. Simple solutions.
689. Pastor Kris receiving her well-earned official Ordination by the United Methodist Church this week.
690. That even when we “miss the point”, Your gracious love for us remains.
For the last month or so Father, I’ve been having “rumblings” in my heart telling me that I’m not seeing You as completely as I should; that although in my joy-filled moments I sing to You in praise and in my times of trial I cry out to You for help, during those “in-between” periods I fail to recognize Your loving hand in my life more often than not…
My eyes see the world, but stare blindly past the “burning bushes” all around me.
And as I contemplated this the other night Lord, and prayed for Your guidance to help me see through clearer eyes, You laid it on my heart…
“Thankful Thursday…”
Ouch… It has been a while…
But I get it Father.
While I certainly try to remember to thank You when I recognize a Blessing in my life, the exercise of spending dedicated time thinking about the past week’s events and writing out some of the less “obvious” signs of Your presence is a powerful tool in my walk of faith.
It places my heart in a state of gratitude, and directs my mind to seek Your light in my daily life.
Therefore Father, I present You with this week’s contribution to my continuing “Thankful Thursday” list of Blessings. And while no list could ever adequately express the vast array of miracles you place in my path each day, today I am especially grateful for:
631. Your protection, comfort and strength given to Shannon as she underwent a surgical procedure last week.
632. Finding wonderful DIY patio furniture plans on Pinterest.
633. Seeing Your influence in the “Letters to God” written by the kids in my Sunday School Class.
634. Your comforting embrace when my world feels shaken, and I allow uncertainty to grip my heart.
635. The time spent with Shannon and Lisa redesigning and rebuilding our backyard space.
636. The persistence You have in getting Your messages through to my heart.
637. The opportunity to join two wonderful young people in the union of marriage last weekend.
638. A beautiful Mother’s Day spent with Shannon, Lisa and the boys.
639. The assistance of a close friend in getting lighting installed in our outdoor bar.
640. The opportunity to minister to a dear friend who’s going through a difficult time.
641. A fun-filled evening with good food and wonderful friends to open our newly-redone backyard deck and patio spaces.
642. The new contact lenses I’m wearing that allow me to keep them in for a whole month before changing them.
643. Evenings curled up on the couch watching TV with the people I love.
644. Having excellent auto insurance coverage which helps pay bills following Shannon’s accident.
645. All those “burning bushes” in my life which I fail to recognize.
Today’s entry in the “Joyce Meyer: Promises for Your Everyday Life” devotional reading plan I’m following made a powerful point about finding meaning and fulfillment, and where we should really be seeking it…
“Love is the energy of life. It’s what motivates people to get up each day and keep going. It gives life purpose and meaning.People often have times in their lives when they believe they are unloved or have no one to love. They develop this mindset because they are looking for fulfillment in ways that seem good at first but often leave them feeling frustrated, disappointed and empty inside.Does this ever happen to you? Do you ever look for love and end up feeling unfulfilled? Let me ask you this: What kind of love are you pursuing? You may be looking for love, but really, you’re looking for God, because He is love. Any love you gain that is disconnected from God is not really love and will leave you feeling unfulfilled.…”
When we seek love, in effect we’re truly desiring the source of all love; God. When we keep Him at the center of our lives, that overwhelming love flows through us and allows our other relationships to truly be as He intends them to…
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. 
