Sharing with Friends in Worship & Splashing

Blessed be the name of the Lord !

Today we had a chance to visit our good friends (Rich & Sherri Carter) church (Sun Valley Community). We had thought about attending a while ago (since it resides less than 1/4 mile from our home) but for many reasons could never actually get to visit on a Sunday.Well, today we did and we had a great time. The new building they have and the facilities are quite amazing. We were greeted by some of the staff upon arriving and seeing Sherri and had a wonderful time sharing in the worship and message provided by Pastors Matthew and Chad.

Afterwards, we retreated to one f our favorite pastimes on a Sunday mid-day / afternoon -- A trip to Costco to get supplies for the new month that is upon us. We decided we would partake of the hot dog and pizza lunch specials today for lunch prior to shopping..Preston seemed to enjoy his trip and even survived the frigid Arctic feel of the Costco FREEZER -- Man that place is chilly....

Well this evening we are celebrating a chance to splash, play and fellowship with our church congregation at Desert Oasis water Facility. The event starts tonight @ 6:30 and goes to 8:30 so the kids and Cheryl and I will enjoy I am sure. Preston is all ready and set to go as well....not into the water quite yet, but he will certainly enjoy his friends and I am sure my arms of love waiting to hold him and share in the joy that is an infant.

PRAYER REQUEST

For those of you that count prayer as a critical part of your lives and walk with our Lord Jesus, I ask that you pray an unnamed prayer with me. There is a desperate call that needs to be answered and I ask you join me in asking God to reveal himself in a life and take away the desperation and sadness that exists in this life. I recall my devotional message from yesterday it and how appropriate it is for this request. 1 Peter 2:20 says "If you suffer for doing good, and you are patient, then God is pleased"....Paul counted it as GAIN to suffer in the name of the Lord and we should as well, despite the pain that is sometimes required in the offering....Praise You Jesus as you are a God who Answers Prayer.


GP

Nat 8th B-Day !!!!

Happy 8th Birthday Natalie !!

On June 23rd, 2000 (8 years ago) we were blessed by the Lord for the 2nd time in our daughter Natalie. She celebrated last night with the traditional sleepover party with a few friends who were able to carve out the time over summer break.






They started the evening with some dinner, some dancing, and some singing (HS Musical on the Wii) and then promptly off to Brunswick XL Bowling Zone for 2 hours of Super-Stupendous Bowling Fun.....and fun it was......




The girls (Natalie, Erin, Jillina, Kaelyn & Alexxis) decided that since I threw a strike the very 1st ball, they would challenge (gang up on) me and add their scores together to compete against me....needless to say (after much trash talking and chanting "no pins, no pins, no pins" I was obliterated by the score of 955 to 330. Oh well, we all had a great time and it was a very fun and memorable evening....see some pics and videos below....Natalie and the rest of our family are so blessed that she has such great friends...Thanks for being a part of Natalie's special day.


Happy Birthday Natalie !!!!!!!

Jesus

Jeremiah 32:27 states "I am the Lord , the God of every person on the earth. Nothing is impossible for me."

Just less than 3 weeks ago, I was wondering if I was going home with a Son and a Wife when the complications arose at the hospital..but God is Good all the time and as he stated so many centuries ago -- he is the God of every person on this earth.

He amazes me at every stop sign and corner I face in my life. Just when we feel that no one cares for us, that the situation is out of our control and we can do nothing, when we feel the world caving in around us...He is right there picking us up, dusting us off, and saying "I Love You", "I have always and will always Love you". Can you imagine....he loves each of us personally. He love is perfect, even though we are imperfect and undeserving.

I encourage everyone and anyone who reads this entry to understand one thing....it is not about us, it never has been...It has always and will always be about Jesus..If you are earnestly seeking to know him, all you have to do is call his name....he longs for an intimate, personal relationship with each of us despite our past, our present and our future....

You might have questions....great...seek them out, open the Bible...read for yourself...test the truths yourself....ask God to take control of your life and give you that peace you seek. Ask someone you know who has made this decision...they and we do not have every answer, but we are witnesses to the change in our own lives, his presence in our lives, and his redeeming love.

My heart cries out for my family, my friends, my co-workers, and anyone passing by to know him. I pray that his presence surrounds you this very moment.

Gabe

Bath & Pool Time for Preston

Nothing Earth shattering over the past week except little sleep.....ok, not terribly bad when you get about 3 1/2 to 5 hours in a row...it is managable...but it wears on ya after about a week of

the 3 hour nights......

At the end of he Day it is all good -- he is doing well and I am just updating with some pictures of his first Bath and some time @ swim team practice with his new best friend Jackson....

Enjoy...Love you all.

Phillips6

Dance, Swim, & Camp

2 Corinthians 4:18 says "What we see will last only a short time, but what we cannot see will last forever."

Gas Prices are soaring, costs are up in every one's budget, we all have less to spend than we wish too....and it seems as though it is only going to get worse....

I love this country we live in, but it has become a society of instant gratification, a "must have it now" and an "I deserve it" mantra. I am no different, I know I struggle with that same attitude, the same worldly desires...the "I want it now" attitude. Some might think that the above statement in 2 Corinthians justifies that attitude -- If we are only here for a short time we might as well make the most of it...take what we can while we can....but Paul actually meant the exact opposite. You might say Huh? How can it mean that....well.......

If you read the preceding chapters and verses and look at the bigger picture, Paul was encouraging the church in Corinth in their faith, that they can praise God for the trails and troubles they go through....to stay the course and not lose sight of Christ. No matter what adversity we face, we can keep going. Paul spoke from experience - he was shipwrecked several times, beaten almost to death several times, hunted, imprisoned, and received a "thorn in his flesh -- a physical affliction of some type that never went away...Paul speaks from experience, he doesn't just speak out of idea..but he speaks out of reality, out of his own personal trials.

Paul in no way encouraged the "get it while you can" motto. Rather, he encouraged us to understand that our troubles should not diminish our faith or dissolution us. we should realize that there is a purpose in our suffering. Problems and human limitations have several benefits 1) they remind us of Christ's suffering for us 2) they keep us from pride 3) they cause us to look beyond this brief life 4) they prove our faith to others, and finally they give God the opportunity to demonstrate his power. We should see our troubles as opportunities not dead ends or bad luck.

I find refuge in the scriptures God has given us to guide and have us live by....I find when my attitude becomes cynical or poor I just need look into the word of God - and I am re-energized...encouraged and refreshed...I pray this is the case for you today as well..

Daddy / Daughter Dance

I had the pleasure of accompanying Natalie to the Brownies Daddy/Daughter Dance this past Friday night. We got dressed up, and headed to Trilogy Country Club for the festivities. When we arrived we took a few pictures, then went inside for our seating and what would turn out to be a very very fun evening. I don't think I have danced that much since Cheryl's and my wedding. Natalie was glowing all night....she was in a beautiful purple dress, and was all over the dance floor once it seemed all the other Dads and Daughters were on the floor. We enjoyed Hawaiian BBQ for dinner, more dancing, cake, and lots more dancing....It was a blast and I pray it is something she remembers for a long time. Here are a few pics from the evening.

Swim Team Events Begin

Saturday morning came rapidly after the Daddy Daughter dance and Preston's awake time in the early am every day....But the Girls really were up to the challenge of the 1st swim meet of the summer. We drove to Clark Park and joined Tempe and Clark Pools for a combined meet against Rio Salado Swim Club. It was Hot, but the heat did not keep them from doing a great job in their events. Both Alexxis and Natalie were right back to where they left off last summer...turning in really good times in their heats and soaring through the water. Payton was a little nervous as this was her 1st meet ever but had no hesitation and did an excellent job -- participating in Backstroke, Breaststroke and freestyle...Coming in 4Th, 3rd and 5Th respectively...She DID GREAT and she loved it. Here are some more pics of the mornings events....

PRESCOTT PINES CAMP or BUST

Alexxis is spreading her wings for the 1st time this week as she took off for Summer Camp today up in Prescott Pines. She is joined by her friends Emily and Maddy for the next 5 days of cooler weather and fun times...We miss her already but we know she is going to have a great time and grow up a bit all at the same time. Here are some of the pre-camp drop off pics.....

Preston, Pool, & Photos.....

Today I am singing that wonderful song 'This is the Day, This is the Day that the Lod hath made, I will rejoice, I will rejoice and be glad in it"....I have so much to be thankful for (A Georgeous Wife, 3 Beautiful and intelligent young daughters, and a sleepy young son -- oh and most of the time a good dog....Yes Pongo your good once and a while.

Took Preston to his first Dr. appt today and Cheryl wanted to go to - so we went together. All his checks went well and they poked his heel again for his 2nd PKU test (which he really did not like) but he is home now and enjoying the downstairs today rather than being stuck in bed with cheryl upstairs. Everyone is feeling much better and some sense of normal-ness has resumed here.

Mom & Nana dressed him in his "Man" clothes today as you can see here -- so it is really really nice to have another male in the home....

Tomorrow is Natalie's big "Father/Daughter Dance" where we get dressed up, professional pictures, etc for her Brownie troop. We are both excited and it should be a very fun evening of pictures, food, and dancing.. Here is a picture of her at her last brownie meeting where she got all of her final badges for the year...she did such a great job between all the fundraisers, events, and parades she participated in this year. She will beign again in July and I am sure many many more adventures to come.

Alexxis, Natalie, and Payton are off and swimming in their Swim team league...We were a little leary about Payton who just turned 5 in April making the jump into swim team due to her strength and stamina in the pool....but she has really taken to the water like a fish -- keeping up with the rigors of the team requirments and enjoying it every night with her Best friends the Sivleys....They are so so so so fun and we all love spending so much time with them every evening at practice.

Thanks again for all of the email's, card's, prayers, thoughts, gifts, etc. etc. etc.....

The Phillips Family

HOMECOMING !!!!!!

2 Corinthians 12:9 reads - And He said to me, "My Grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore, most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Have you ever really thought about that?....I hadn't until now and the events of late. Christ's strength is made perfect for us in our weakness...his glory is magnified through us and our afflictions, our persecutions, etc, etc, etc.... I don't mean our sinful infirmities, but rather those where He can manifest the power and sufficiency of his grace resting upon us. When we are weak, we are then strong in the grace of our father. Sounds like a paradox right -- when we are weak we are strong...but think about it again...our tank is empty and we remove ourselves from trying to control it....that's when we can let Christ reign....when his grace is strongest in our situation....What an Awesome God we serve.

PRESTON UPDATE:

Mom and Preston are Home.....Praise the Lord!!!!! Everyone is doing well, set up, and ready to start getting back to a semi-normal environment (sleep aside). The girls are thrilled to have him home and Cheryl is loving being able to be in her own clothes, her own bed, and with the family once again.
Here are some more pictures from the last few days and the other 2 videos I neglected to post the other day while in the hospital of the other sisters holding Preston.

If you want to stop the music to hear the videos, all you have to do is scroll all the way down the blog until you see the music player and hit pause. Then you can re-scroll back up and play the video with the audio so you can hear and understand.

We want to express our heartfelt "Thanks" for all the flowers, cards, gifts and visits we have been showered with over the past 7 days. Special thanks to Mom (of course), Dziadek, Sara Sivley, The Carters, The Copes, The Hayden's, Roger, Julie, and all of the wonderful nursing staff at banner Desert. Your Love and assistance is truly a blessing to us.

More in the coming days, and weeks.....

Gabe, Cheryl, Alexxis, Natalie, Payton, Preston, & Pongo !!!

HONOR DUE

Matthew 15:4 says "Honor your father and mother....". I would be remiss and out of line with scripture if I did not take the time to honor my mother specifically. I am certain of two things specifically when it comes to my Mom:

1) She truly is a God-send to us.

God has blessed us so very much to have her as such a critical part of our lives. She is always there for us: night, day, vacation, discovery trip, movie night, you name it. Great sports teams cannot win titles, championships, or make that final push to victory without the support and service of those folks behind the scenes always sacrificing to advance the goals and the team.

The Phoenix Suns despite being short of the title in the recent years call their fans "The Sixth Man" referring to the sixth player that is emotionally on the court at all times with them to help push them to victory...without the fans, and their support the team would not go anywhere. My mom is our "6th Man". Her tireless support, her constant service, her Love of Jesus, and her love for us speak volumes as to why we are the family that we are today.

2) She deserves more than I can give.

In my heart of hearts I yearn to have the resources to honor her the way she deserves to be honored..Tickertape parade, Hall of Fame Induction, Nobel Prize, and the list could go on...but I know that she does not want those things. I know she strives like many of us to hear those few precious words we so desire to hear from Jesus one day 'Well done good and faithful servant".

I am as convinced as I am of my salvation in Christ that she will hear those words one day and that she will receive a crown of un-imaginable beauty and majesty from the Lord himself for her service...........only to immediately lay it at his feet and cry "Holy is the Lamb". She is the kind of servant of the Lord I aspire to be someday.

I cannot comprehend our lives without her, nor do I wish to.

Mom, it is so unworthy to honor you with only words, but I cannot think of a more simple and gratifying way than to just express my most gracious "Thank You" and more importantly "I Love You".

Gabe