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!
Thank You Father!! Thank You, thank You, thank You!!
What a wonderful Blessing You’ve given us Lord… Such a beautiful way to start the weekend!
For those who follow our conversations and don’t know the source of my joy Father, please indulge me while I explain.
A couple months ago, we had Jonathan in for his yearly check-up with his pediatrician. It was a routine visit, but due to his complicated medical situation (Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis), doctor’s appointments always place some concern in our hearts. For the most part, everything went quite well; nothing obviously scary to report. Then the doctor examined some new “growths” that had popped up on him over the last year; up went the red flags, and down went our spirits. She labeled them as “suspicious”, and indicated that we should have them looked at by Jonathan’s oncologist as soon as possible. We tried of course to stay optimistic, but the seed of worry had been sown all the same.
The oncology visit didn’t yield much in the way of answers either, but added another round of “concerns” and a referral to a pediatric dermatologist for a specialized examination and if necessary, treatment and surgical intervention. The oncologist did however, indicate that the possible skin involvement was all that appeared out of the ordinary at the moment, and that all his other tests and scans looked perfectly normal. That news certainly eased our fears a bit, but based on past experience with this disease, our guard was still up nonetheless.
Today, Jonathan went to see the dermatologist.
They’re moles Father… All perfectly normal, and nothing to be concerned about. But You already knew that, didn’t You? 🙂
Please forgive my doubts Lord… I know he’s in Your hands no matter what, and I’m so thankful for that. But each time we have the specter of this disease rear it’s gnarled claws, it takes our hearts back to that terrifying time of uncertainty and fear, when the possible loss of our son was very real. And while I realize Lord, that this life is temporary and simply a step towards Your Eternal Kingdom, Shannon and I are selfish in that we love this little boy dearly, and very much want him to remain with us for as long as You’ll permit.
Apparently, that’s Your desire for the moment as well… And I thank You from the bottom of my heart for that Blessing!
In Jesus’ Name we pray,
Amen.
~Phather Phil
P.S. September is Histiocytosis Awareness Month. To learn more about this life threatening disease, and what you can do to help in the search for a cure, please visit : http://www.histio.org.
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.
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…
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.
Well Father, You’re certainly providing us with an eventful week here in Delaware. Between the earthquake that we experienced on Tuesday and the impending arrival of hurricane Irene this weekend, we’re very much “on our toes” around here. And while we’ll of course be preparing as best we can for the potential effects of the storm, my fears are allayed by the knowledge that we’re in Your capable hands.
It’s been a slightly stressful week for me Lord, however as always Your Blessings in my life shine through that haze. To continue my Thankful Thursday list, this week I’m especially grateful for:
211. The sounds of crickets serenading me as I sit on our deck at night.
212. Jonathan and Aidan having a great first day back at school.
213. Shannon having a wonderful first day of work.
214. A smooth server installation for a new client today.
215. No damage or injuries from the earthquake that happened this week.
216. The soothing effect Praise Music has on Jonathan when he’s stressed.
217. Feeling more “in-tune” with Your Presence each day.
218. A significant surge in business this past week.
219. Having a dedicated Service Manager (and close friend) who keeps my business going.
220. Melatonin supplements to help with getting my sleep cycle back on track.
221. Fabric Softener.
222. The inner peace I draw from Your Presence.
223. Port wine cheese spread on Ritz crackers.
224. The fact that my kids still like to snuggle up with me. 🙂
225. Neighbors that keep a watchful eye on our home, and let us know when they see something that may be wrong.
And I’m just getting started Father. 🙂
Heavenly Father, I pray that the peace of Your presence is felt by all those gripped by fear as this hurricane heads towards us. Please keep those in harm’s way in Your watchful gaze, and bring us all safely through the storm.
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. 
