Christ As Lord

I came across this as I was scrolling through my notes to teach my worship students.

It was a post I did for our women's ministry blog, Joli, awhile back.

I never posted it here, but when I read it today, I thought I should.

Enjoy!

Christ As Lord

“But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear.”

(1 Peter 3:15)

When I first read this verse in my Bible, I figured, “I already sanctify God in my heart.  I recognize Him as Lord, I want to tell everyone the Good News of what Jesus did for me, I realize He is holy, He is the One True God.”

Then, recently, I came back to this verse.

Sanctify.

When I took that word apart, it literally means “To Set Apart.”

Set apart.

Separate.

Isolate.

Single Out.

The Lord God.

These three words were translated “Christ As Lord.”

As King of all kings.

As Lord of all lords.

As ruler above all rulers.

The only One claiming the right of owning my heart.

The only One worthy of all my worship.

All.  My.  Worship.

How many other things in my little world crowd Jesus out until I can’t differentiate His voice from the demands of life pulling me towards the wider road?

Away from the Still Small Voice calling me to come deeper?

He doesn’t demand me to come.

He bids me to come and lean my head on His lap and receive strength.

Yet, as I come and fall at His feet, I know He requires my all.

Fully abandoned.

Completely surrendered.

Surrendering everything.

Any hope of recognition by man.

Every thought that wanders in its desire for the world.

Any thought that makes Christ less than He is.

Every vain imagination.

Without all of me, there cannot be room for all of Jesus.

Without Him, I am hopelessly undone.

And in that understanding, there is freedom.

Complete peace.

Because, as I empty out the needy caverns of my heart, Jesus fills them with Himself.

Drummer Boy Skills

I took this video a couple months ago at a friend's house.

{Exhibit A}:

We don't have a real drum set at our house, although a drummer friend of ours gave his old electric drum set to Drummer Boy for Christmas.

He plays drums constantly.

With anything resembling drumsticks.  Pencils, straws, sticks from the yard, his index fingers, you get the picture.

So it came as quite a surprise when he suddenly showed a knack for the fiddle, upon hearing Charlie Daniels on the radio.

{Exhibit B}:

He's definitely got the music (in him).

Living Life....and not posting about it.

I've been hanging out with these two lovelies.

It's one of the main reasons for my not posting since May.

But I'm not regretful of my decision to use my off-time not to blog, but to read, play, talk, etc. WITH my children.

How else would I learn that Ranch Oyster Crackers dipped in hot chocolate is a delicacy? (As I sit here watching them eat said crackers, an unexpected shiver goes up my spine, but I want to try it myself.)

What other 10 year old girl could make me proud by saving her hard earned babysitting money (don't freak out and label me an absent mom, she had adult supervision.) and buying Christmas gifts for her brother, younger cousins, grandparents, aunts and uncles.

What other 8 year old boy would challenge me to read my Bible, pray, trust wholeheartedly in God for anything, by his example in daily life?  (Just now, his sister burned her finger making hot chocolate, and his immediate response was, "I prayed for your finger to feel better, Ellie.")

We are beyond blessed to have had my parents spend Christmas with us.  We get another whole week of grandparent fun before they have to head back to Oklahoma, and then back home to Australia.

Can I even begin to express how grateful I am for these amazing parents of mine?

I've been trying to glean as much wisdom and Biblical truth from them as I can.

Lots of late night talks, afternoon talks, morning talks, in-between talks.

The presence of Christ surrounds them wherever they go, and our house has felt the effects.

I'm seriously going to try to share them later on this week with some friends, but for now I'm content to be considered selfish in my time with them.  (See?  Sometimes selfishness isn't all bad.  Like that counter with the sink in it you use in the bathroom.  It's a vanity.  But that doesn't make it a sin.)

I look forward to many many more memory-making moments with my extraordinary family.

And I shall endeavor to be more consistent in posting on my blog.