Dear Lord; Happy Thankful Thursday Father!<\/p>\n
I fear Lord, that we miss the point far too often\u2026<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n
Jesus taught us to reach out to all those in need\u2026 Yet, we find ways to justify being selective with our service to others.<\/p>\n
You make it very clear through Scripture that Your primary desire for our lives is to love\u2026 But more often than not we cling to judgment in its stead.<\/p>\n
As the body of Christ, the church\u2019s mission is to act as the hands and feet of Jesus and aid one another on our walk to You \u2026 However far too regularly that directive is tainted by individual ambitions and agendas.<\/p>\n
We sit in condemnation of the sins of those around us, feeling superior for our elevated moral perspective\u2026 All the while completely missing the plank sticking out of our own eye.<\/p>\n
We dwell on legalism and focus on how many Bible verses we can recite on command\u2026 Instead of praying for Your truths contained therein to guide our hearts\u2026<\/p>\n
And yet, even with all that corruption peppering our mortal lives Father\u2026<\/p>\n
You love us,<\/i><\/p>\n
And comfort us.<\/i><\/p>\n
You shower us in your mercy,<\/i><\/p>\n
And fill our world with signs of that gracious love.<\/i><\/p>\n
Thank You Father.<\/p>\n
From Christ\u2019s 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\u2026<\/p>\n
And get the point.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n
As I continue to list some of Your many blessings in my life Father, this week I\u2019d like to give thanks for:<\/p>\n
676. Your nourishing and cleansing rain which is helping our new garden grow.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n
677. A wonderful \u201cministry moment\u201d while chatting with a friend the other night.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n
678. Your perfect timing, even when I don\u2019t recognize it.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n
679. A safe and uneventful flight for Shannon yesterday on her way to visit her family.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n
680. A fun evening of fellowship and good food with some dear friends.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n
681. A good checkup for Jonathan at the eye doctor this week, and finding an optician who takes his insurance for glasses.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n
682. The opportunity to visit Aidan\u2019s class for \u201cCulture Day\u201d and see him be a living statue of the Greek deity Poseidon. <\/i><\/b><\/p>\n
683. Your gentle hand holding my heart and guiding my words when upsetting situations arise.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n
684. Eggs cooked in bacon grease.\u00a0 \ud83d\ude42<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n
685. Finding a wonderful deal on some photography equipment I needed.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n
686. Your protection and comfort for Shannon and her family as they were hit with a tropical storm this week while she was visiting.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n
687. That both my boys are finished another school year as of tomorrow.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n
688. Simple solutions.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n
689. Pastor Kris receiving her well-earned official Ordination by the United Methodist Church this week.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n
690. That even when we \u201cmiss the point\u201d, Your gracious love for us remains.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n
And so very, very much more Lord\u2026<\/p>\n
For it\u2019s in Your precious name I pray,<\/p>\n
Amen.<\/p>\n
~Phather Phil<\/p>\nPin It<\/a>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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