All I Have to Give

I've been meaning to write this blog for a couple of weeks now. The topic? The deep spiritual truths contained in the song "Alabaster Jar" that has come to our worship team from Gateway Worship. I was planning to speak eloquently about the relationship between the lyrics of that song and people who gave it all away in the Bible.........Mary and the jar of expensive perfume, the widow and her two coins, Abraham in the offering of Isaac, Jesus' pure and holy and unblemished sacrifice.

But last night, during our worship team rehearsal - worship time! - I realized the lyrics of the song reflect the Scriptures perfectly........without any embellishment from me.

This alabaster jar is all I have of worth
I break it at Your feet Lord
It's less than You deserve
You're far more beautiful
More precious than the oil
The sum of my desires
And the fullness of my joy
Like You spilled Your blood I spill my heart
As an off'ring to my King

Here I am take me as an offering
Here I am giving ev'ry heartbeat for Your glory
Take me

This time that I have left is all I have of worth
I lay it at Your feet Lord
It's less than You deserve
And though I've little strength
And though my days are few
You gave Your life for me
So I will live my life for You
Like You spilled Your blood I spill my heart
As an off'ring to my King

Worthy worthy
You are worthy
Worthy is the Lord

Like You spilled Your blood I spill my heart as an off'ring to my King.....
You gave Your life for me so I will live my life for You.....
Giving every heartbeat for Your glory.....


That says it all.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkP52EZ2HFY

Do It All

I've been a bad blogger again! It's been weeks since my last post, and again I use as my excuse the busy-ness of the fall season.

We moved Jordan back to UNC in late August. That was a great adventure, moving her into a wonderful on-campus apartment. We drove through a deluge about 5 minutes outside of Chapel Hill, and I thought we'd be moving her in during the monsoon. However, the storm headed to Durham instead, so we were only briefly sprinkled. We worked on the move-in, shopped at Target, moved in some more, ate dinner at P.F. Changs, shopped more at A Southern Season and Harris Teeter, then finally I headed back to Salisbury, climbing into my sweet, soft bed waaaay past my bedtime.

Jordan's return to school was only one of many things signaling the start of fall and the beginning of KICK-OFF SEASON at First Baptist Church. The music ministry has kicked off Sanctuary Choir (earlier in August), Living Christmas Tree Choir, children's choirs, and worship team. The last remaining kick-off is for handbells - both youth and adult bell choirs start up next Sunday. Preparing for, organizing, and caring for all these PEOPLE is a huge task. There is music to be chosen, rehearsal folders to be filled, information to be gathered, copyright permissions to be granted, notebooks to be distributed, children to be signed up, leaders to be trained and informed, equipment to be set up, calendars to be coordinated. All-consuming is the word (or phrase!), until all the groups are up and running. But through all this, I am convinced, once again, that this is my calling. This is what makes my heart sing (no pun intended)!

Kenneth's word from God for us today was on the topic of WORK, in keeping with the observance of Labor Day this weekend. Some of his points were:

• View your job as a blessing - I do!
• You're blessed if your vocation (how you earn a living) is combined with your calling (what makes your heart sing) - mine is!
• Autograph your job with excellence.
  
• It's not what you do, but how you do it.
  
• Pay attention to why God has placed you were He has - your job is a mission field.

Those were things I needed to hear, for this busy season. But God had already been at work on my attitude the last couple of weeks, encouraging me in the tasks, confirming my calling, making my heart sing in the busy-ness. I'm thankful for that. And for this reminder:

Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, DO IT ALL in the name of the Lord Jesus......

I don't claim anything of the work. It is His work. I am like a little pencil in His hand. That is all. He does the thinking. He does the writing. The pencil has nothing to do with it. It is His work. I think God wants to show His greatness by using my nothingness.
---Mother Teresa