A Foundation on the Rock

Dear Lord; Happy Meditations Monday Father!

Well Father, once again You Blessed my family and I with another lovely weekend.  As I was still recovering from my week-long illness and Shannon wasn’t feeling 100% either, much of our time was spent resting and “puttering” around the house.  Nonetheless, having that down-time to spend in the presence of those we love and enjoying that Blessed fellowship made for a wonderful respite from the week’s activities.

This week’s Meditations Monday Scripture was inspired by an extensive conversation Shannon and I had following church services on Sunday.  You’ve Blessed me with a wonderful wife Father.  Not only has the bond You’ve established between us grown closer over the life of our marriage, but we’re able to talk about absolutely anything with one another without concern of judgment or fear.  In this case, our discussion was centered around some of our past and current priorities as a married couple, and how as our Walks with You progress, we want to be sure we’re following Your desire for our lives in everything we do.  It was an excellent dialogue, and it allowed us to open and reexamine our perspectives on a number of things we’re involved in.

Today, as I spent time absorbed in Christ’s teachings, one particular passage brought our conversation back to mind, and reached into my heart:

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” – Matthew 7:24-27 (NIV)

We have Jesus’ words Father… Your words… And while those words have been researched, translated, paraphrased and debated over and over again, the meaning of them remains timeless and unchanged.  Through the power of the Holy Spirit You write those words on our hearts, and through our prayers their wondrous message is unlocked, and made to live inside us.  It’s up to all of us to put those divine teachings to practice in our lives, thereby bringing ourselves closer to You in the process.

Heavenly Father,

Your Word and Your Voice sustain us Lord; they nourish our spirits, and inspire our actions.  Please continue to reveal Your purpose for our lives, so we may proceed in the knowledge that Your glory is represented to the full.  Guide us Father; fill our hearts with Your presence, that our actions may justify the Blessings You bestow on us each day.

In Jesus’ Name we pray,

Amen.

~Phather Phil

Thankful Thursday: Bountiful Mercies

Dear Lord; Happy Thankful Thursday Father!

Well Father, as You know this has been a complicated week for my family and I.  As I mentioned on Monday, the respiratory infection I contracted last week blossomed and it’s been beating my body up quite significantly.  And although I’m very much still under this bug’s influence, I’m thankful that it seems to at least be getting a little better.  Nonetheless, the true Blessing in all of this has been the amazing amount of support I’ve received from family and friends.  Be it through prayer, dropping off of medicine, checking in on me, or just expressing concern, I’ve seen examples of Your presence throughout.  I am truly Blessed Father, and I thank You for connecting me with each and every one of these kind people.

And now, on to this week’s list!  This week Lord, I’ve been particularly thankful for:

271. The kind, caring people who reached out to me while I’ve been ill.

272. Being Spiritually Healthy.

273. Zithromax.

274. Blueberry Tea.

275. Having the “Torchwood” TV series on my media server for entertainment while laying in bed.

276. Officially becoming members of Ewell’s St. Paul UMC last Sunday.

277. A warm dog on the foot of the bed to keep me company.

278. A wonderful day spent relaxing, cooking and chatting with good friends.

279. A wonderful wife who’s picked up my slack and let me rest this week.

280. Banana Cake.

281. Inspiration from unusual places.

282. My staff providing me the quiet to take a short nap on my couch in the office yesterday.

283. A friend with an excess of nebulizer supplies.

284. The “Scrabble” application for my Android tablet that’s kept me from going stir crazy while resting.

285. New opportunities to spread Your light to others.

So many Blessings Father…

Heavenly Father,

We thank You Lord, for all those Blessings You bestow on us each day; both those that light up the Heavens, and those that grace us quietly without fanfare.  For while our situations here on earth may change, Your bountiful mercies in our lives remain constant.  We are truly Blessed.

In Jesus’ Name we pray,

Amen.

~Phather Phil

Thankful Thursday: Our Most Precious Blessing

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

Praying in Arrogance

Dear Lord; Happy Tuesday Father!

I love when You place things on my heart Lord… I gain so much perspective from those moments.

As You know, I’ve been in “worry mode” lately Father; worried about the business not doing as well as I’d like, worried about the kids being prepared to go back to school, worried about not having medical insurance at the moment, and worried that all this worrying is getting in the way of my hearing You clearly.  And although I’m usually able to squelch those feelings by focusing on the many Blessings in my life, I’ll admit to having allowed those negative emotions to overwhelm me more than once in recent days.  This morning was one of those instances.

Thankfully, You decided it was time to get my attention.

Driving to an appointment this morning, my thoughts were churning; systematically cycling through all of the complications the past month had brought.  I felt weighted, and edgy, and my temples throbbed in sympathetic rhythm with my pounding chest.  I’d almost reached my destination, when You abruptly interrupted my train of thought…

“Turn your worries into prayers.”  You whispered.

“But I have prayed about them…” I thought to myself.  “Haven’t I??”

And then the light bulb went off… Ouch.

I realized that although I’ve been praying Father, it’s not always been from the right perspective.  Instead of first giving You thanks, and then praying for Your direction in fulfilling Your desires for my life, I’ve instead allowed my worries, fears and anxieties to dictate my prayers.  I’ve prayed for what I believed would be the best solutions to my problems, when I should have placed these situations fully in Your hands, and listened for Your guidance as to the proper path to take.  I was praying for what I wanted to happen, instead of to be a part of what You wanted to happen.

I hadn’t realized I was praying in arrogance Father…  Please forgive me.

Heavenly Father, please fill me with Your divine perspective that I may look to Your counsel first, and then act on Your behalf.  I’m very much a work in progress Lord, and my deepest desire is to grow closer to You with each passing day.

More of You Father… Less of me.

In Jesus’ Name we pray,

Amen.

~Phather Phil

Truly Special People

Dear Lord; Happy Wednesday Father!

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.

Amen.

~Phather Phil