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

Empty Nestin'

It's June........a couple of weeks ago we helped Cameron move into a new apartment in Goose Creek SC on Friday, then the following Monday we moved Jordan back to Chapel Hill. (Oh, my aching back!) Cameron's training as a student at prototype is complete, now he's qualifying as staff for his company. Jordan has begun her studies in the radiological science program at UNC in this summer school session. Pete and I.........well, we're empty nesting.

But as I think about our nest being empty, I think about going to Charleston to visit Cameron, looking forward to visiting Jordan in Chapel Hill and attending Summit Church with her this Sunday, Cameron's upcoming visit back home for his birthday. Rather than our nest being empty, I think it's more like my horizons are expanding. Nothing about my life feels empty! Rather than sitting at home alone, I'm continually having relationship time with somebody - in Chapel Hill, in South Carolina, in our roots-filled Chatham County - reaching out to relatives and friends through my trusty cell phone, instant and text messaging, Facebook, emails. Technology is a wonderful relationship-building tool! Instead of being empty, my life gets fuller and fuller!

And not only is my life full, it's good. Cameron and Jordan were wonderful children........they're even greater young adults. What they are doing with their lives is an amazing process that I'm enjoying being privileged to watch. To see God's work and His plan unfolding is an absolute miracle. "Train up a child in the way he should go......" Watching God work in the life of your child is an awesome gift.

My heart is content.

"I pray that God will fill your heart with dreams, and that faith gives you the courage to dare to do great things. I'm here for you whatever this life brings, so let my love give you roots and help you find your wings."

Forgiven and Loved

"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death." (Romans 8:1)

Why is the therefore there for?

Because "when you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; He took it away, nailing it to the cross." (Colossians 2:13-14)

Thanks be to God for His mercy and grace.........


Tell me I’m forgiven and loved
‘Cause I hear it from the street corner priests
On how God is love and how man can be clean
But my joy has been on holiday
And my peace has almost passed away
Tell me I’m forgiven and free

O I tried and tried to rectify my hopeless situation
But I bought the lie I still have work to do
Now I’m working nine to five like I can earn my own salvation
But there is no condemnation in You

O whisper to me now that it’s for real
‘Cause in the silence of these walls righteousness lost its appeal
Dirty deeds have done me in
O but that can’t stop the faithful friend
Giving mercy once again as You heal
Here it is I’m feeling it

O He died, He died to rectify my hopeless situation
And His blood commands my guilt to leave
Now on Calvary I stand
Empty pockets, open hands
O there is no condemnation for me

Child, you’re forgiven and loved
Child, you’re forgiven and loved
Child, you’re forgiven
And child, you are loved
Child, you’re forgiven and loved

Hear Jimmy Needham's "Forgiven and Loved" at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0QeT4xI2yA

Giving My All

'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might'.....with all your everything-ness...That's total surrender, giving my all! Deuteronomy 6:5, plus Marty Parks

I've heard You in the thunder,
I've felt You in the rain,
I've met You in the turmoil,
I found You in the pain.
But here in the stillness
When this moment, all is well,
Here I'm prone to wander,
Hear my rebel tale.

Cure my heart of chasing whirlwinds,
Of needing earth to quake,
Of wrestling made-up angels
To keep myself awake.

There's passion in the stillness,
There's fire in the cloud,
There's rest that brings a man to life,
There's a Voice that whispers loud.
Oh, bid my restless wandering heart
To find its pulse in You,
In stillness know that You are God.
In rest, You make me new.

---"In Rest", Travis Cottrell

In Him...........

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. And He is the head of the body, the church; He is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything He might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through His blood, shed on the cross. [Colossians 1:15-20]


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_e4zgJXPpI4