My Assumption

After returning from the youth mission trip to Honduras in July (NC Baptist Men's Deep Impact), I've been pondering ways to "transfer" my abundance to those who simply need clean water and a healthy environment in Honduras and other third world countries. After the teachings we sat under and the circumstances we witnessed in the medical clinic, I feel convicted that if I, and if each of us individually, will examine ourselves, our lives, our possessions, and determine to make a change and make a difference in just one plot of land somewhere in the world...........little by little, it will make a BIG difference. My focus is on helping to change those "plots of land" in the world in Honduras where I served, Camp Betel and El Tablon. Already plans are in place to provide a monthly medical clinic for the children and families already being served in other ways at Camp Betel. Plans are being developed for possible water filtration systems that we hope can be used in these areas. For a small glance inside the implications of living with unclean water, check out this link at World Vision http://donate.worldvision.org/OA_HTML/xxwv2ibeCCtpItmDspRte.jsp?item=1753162

God is already at work in Honduras. We joined Him for a week, and are continuing the partnership with His people at work there. It's exciting! But back to real life here in Salisbury.......how can I make real changes in my life that will really be able to affect lives in Honduras? The way I feel most convicted these days is to make great changes in how we celebrate the Christmas holidays. I'm still thinking and exploring, but I will strive this Christmas to develop more thoughtful gift-giving. And if that means no gift at all to someone who already has everything they need in exchange for giving that money to the medical clinic at Camp Betel, then that's what I'll do. Free email Christmas cards instead of beautiful snail mail cards and the money to buy them and stamps to mail them. Buying decorations? I already have more in my attic than I can use! One website that I plan to explore for more ideas is The Advent Conspiracy. Giving to those who truly "need" seems to me to be the best way to honor Jesus.

Now to share another viewpoint along these same lines...........I don't usually sit around and watch sermons at home. I do my share of listening to good teaching, but on Sunday nights, gathering around the TV to watch Charles Stanley is not usually on my agenda. But this past Sunday night, my husband happened across Andy Stanley preaching at First Baptist Atlanta (subbing for his dad), and his sermon title was "The Assumption of Consumption." His thoughts really spoke to me and to the situation that I'm pondering regarding my possessions and how best to use them. I recommend this video to you. http://www.intouch.org/broadcast/this-week-on-tv

Praying that we will all do what it takes to make everyone's piece of the world better for them, being Jesus' hands and feet.............

This Is Our God

Who is this Light invading our darkness?

Glorious might the Sun rising for us.

Conquering night, He captures the hardest of hearts.

Who is this Hope that Heaven has given?

Coming for souls our rescue His Mission.

Tenderness flows, and without condition He loves.

This is our GOD living and breathing,

Call Him courageous, relentless, and brave.

This is our GOD loving and reaching,

Scandalous mercy and mighty to save.


Hallelujah this is our GOD,
Hallelujah this is our GOD,
Hallelujah this is our GOD,
Sing praise!

Who is the One Who will not condemn us?

Why would He come to shoulder our sentence?

Nothing we've done will keep Him from giving us grace.

Who is this One? We watch and we're speechless,

God's only Son embracing our weakness.

He overcomes all death, and frees us to live.


This is our GOD suffering and dying,

Call Him the Hero redeeming the lost.

This is our GOD Love sacrificing

All that is Holy, accepting our cross.


Hallelujah this is our GOD,
Hallelujah this is our GOD,
Hallelujah this is our GOD,
Sing praise!
Sing praise!
Sing praise!

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

Ambition

Give me one pure and holy passion,
give me one magnificent obsession,
Jesus, give me one glorious ambition for my life...
to know and follow hard after You,
to grow as Your disciple in the truth.
This world is empty, pale, and poor
compared to knowing You, my Lord,
lead me on and I will run after You.
-Mark Altrogge

bad blogger

I know, I know, I'm a bad blogger. The lack of blogging is in direct proportion to the busy-ness of my life! Since I last blogged I have 1) planned an entire handbell track to teach at FBC's Creative Arts Camp, 2) taught 60-ish 1st through 6th graders in said camp, 3) enjoyed having Cameron home for a few days, 4) had a mammogram (from which the results were NORMAL, praise the Lord!), 5) welcomed Jordan home from UNC summer school, 6) taken my parents and my niece, along with Jordan and Pete, to Nags Head for our beach "vacation", 7) attended Deeper Still in Greensboro with Priscilla Shirer, Beth Moore, Kay Arthur, and last but certainly not least, Travis Cottrell and team, 8) kicked off the fall season of Sanctuary Choir at church, 9) attended Choral Festival in Spartanburg, 10) shopped (till I dropped) with Jordan during NC's tax-free weekend, 11) dropped, exhausted, in my own bed when I finally made it home. Home for a while, I hope! July and August so far have been a whirlwind of activity. All good, but exhausting nonetheless.

The rest of August into September promises more busy-ness. We kickoff the Living Christmas Tree season in just over a week. Can you believe it? Christmas is in 4 1/2 months! We'll also move Jordan back to Chapel Hill for her junior year in a couple of weeks, and I'll be preparing for startup of worship team and youth handbells later this month.

Life is full of activities, but God wants only for me to rest in Him. Hard to remember in the middle of the craziness of life, but essential. That's why I so desperately need to have my alone time with God, with His word, and with music that is inspired by Him to speak to our hearts. Stillness..........so essential but so hard to achieve. Lord, may I follow your example to work as You did, meeting needs, serving in the interruptions, turning aside to spend quiet time with Your Father. Teach me to be still.........

www.gettymusic.com/hymns.aspx?id=174

Still my soul be still

And do not fear

Though winds of change may rage tomorrow

God is at your side

No longer dread

The fires of unexpected sorrow

God You are my God

And I will trust in You and not be shaken

Lord of peace renew

A steadfast spirit within me

To rest in You alone

Still my soul be still

Do not be moved

By lesser lights and fleeting shadows

Hold onto His ways

With shield of faith

Against temptations flaming arrows

Still my soul be still

Do not forsake

The Truth you learned in the beginning

Wait upon the Lord

And hope will rise As stars appear when day is dimming

Words and music by Keith and Kristyn Getty and Stuart Townend
(Psalm 46:10, Romans 8:31, Psalm 51:10, Ephesian 6:16, Isaiah 40:31 among other scriptures.....this writing team really knows how to weave scripture through their hymns!)

God's Provision

"Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9

The Teague family has kept the roads busy lately. Over the past couple of weeks:

• Pete drove back and forth to Pinehurst for a conference.
• I drove to Chapel Hill and back to visit with Jordan at her church (Summit Church in Durham).
• I drove to Asheville for a music conference, drove home on Wednesday for choir rehearsal, then drove back to Asheville for the remainder of the conference. Then home again.
• Jordan drove home from Chapel Hill, then to Andrews (at the far western corner of NC) for a couple of vacation days with friends. Then home again. Then back to Chapel Hill.
• Cameron drove home from Charleston for a friend's wedding, then back. In the same day.

Looks like we're supporting the gas companies! Even though Cameron and Jordan have been driving for several years, I still worry about them when they're on the road for extended periods of time. They're good drivers, but those other folks out on the roads are crazy! I ask God for His barrier of protection to surround them, and it does. I pray for God's protection over them, and He provides

There have been lots of crises in families around me over the last few months. Three friends facing prostate cancer, one breast cancer, another a tumor in an unborn baby, another the death of a well-loved brother, another the death of a 26-year-old daughter-in-law. Job losses and searches, marital problems, financial hardship.......life is hard. But God is good. And He's in control. He provides.

"And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:19