When my daughter Shelby attended school, her bus picked her up and dropped her off right in our driveway every day.  So convenient.  But now we drive 40 minutes round trip to her dayhab.

Generally, I listen to podcasts non-stop.  While doing chores, showering and getting dressed, doing yard work and in the car.  Moreover, I listen to podcasts of varying styles and topics, however all that talk doesn’t interest my Shelby.  For that reason, most days after getting buckled in I will hear her sweet voice say “Dance.”  And if I don’t respond, she will repeat many times, as she is apt to do.  “Dance.”  So I have learned to ask, “Shelby, are you telling me you would like to listen to music?”  Emphatically, she replies, “Yes”.

Shelby’s special needs allow her mostly single word utterances to get her point across, but she usually does.  After her request, I dutifully ask Siri to play an artist of my choosing and wait to hear what the most streamed song by that artist is.  I had just about forgotten how enjoyable singing in the car can be!  As a result of her promptings, we have taken deep dives with many different styles and decades of music.

Most recently, I have been taking a stroll down musical memory lane with the contemporary Christian artists of my youth.  Such as Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith, DC Talk, Wayne Watson.  Sorry if CCM was not your jam.  If you will indulge me for a moment, I do have a point.

Shelby enjoys music, but doesn’t really have the ability to sing.  And yet surprisingly, when she hears one particular word in a song (or in a sermon for that matter) she repeats it over and over again.  “Jesus.  Jesus. Jesus.”  It puts me in mind of the Gaither song I started this post with today.  Even though my daughter only understands the world as a two-year-old does, she knows that the name Jesus is special.  As previously noted, “There’s just something about that name.”

Certainly He is “Master.  Savior.  Jesus.”  And in her innocence, in a way only she and our gracious Heavenly Father know, she understands His significance.  And I can’t think of a better time of year to let my daughter lead me into worshipping Him.

^“5 Have this attitude ^[e]in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, ⁶ who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be ^[f]grasped, ⁷ but ^[g]emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. ⁸ Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death ^[h]on a cross. ⁹ For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, ¹⁰ so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, ¹¹ and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”  Philippians 5:1-11 NASB

Finally, here is this week’s featured post from the link up!

Linda Stoll introduced me to a practice I had never thought of in Who’s Your Advent Buddy?  Advent is not solemn and not meant to be solitary.  So I can’t think of a better way to extend its meaning than engaging a friend in meaningful conversations about our Lord.

The Link Up

 

1. Share 1 or 2 of your most recent CHRISTIAN LIVING posts. (No DIY, crafts, recipes, or inappropriate articles.) All links are randomly sorted.

2. Comment on 1 or 2 other links. Grace & Truth linkup encourages community.

3. Every host features one entry from the previous week. To be featured, include this button or link back here on your post (mandatory to be featured, but not to participate).

We encourage you to follow our hosts on their blogs or social media.

MAREE DEE – Embracing the Unexpected
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LAUREN SPARKS
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LISA BURGESS – Lisa notes
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TAMMY KENNINGTON – Restoring hope. Pursuing peace.
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 Now Let’s Link Up!