“The best prize that life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.” Simply said, by Theodore Roosevelt, it is one of my favorite quotes. Young or old, fulfillment comes when you know you are giving your best to something you know you were born to do.
My first audience was in an old school auditorium in Mansfield Ohio. Just in kindergarten, I entered the talent show to sing, “You Are My Sunshine.” I don’t remember what I sang after the first verse, but I do remember the look on my mother’s face as I composed my own version, on the spot! It must have been good though because that night I took home first place. Still singing and composing, my musical career, like my life, would evolve over time.
Though many are blessed with various gifts and talents, it is an added blessing to be able to make a living doing what you love to do. After graduating high school, the adventurous spirit in me moved south, to the big state of Texas. There I would have many versions of musical ensembles. Starting as a solo act with just my guitar, then a duo, a trio, to eventually forming a country dance band called “Terri Lynn and Texas Tea.” Local clubs and dance halls kept me booked. It was a season that would not last long as destiny was preparing me for another adventurous journey. Somewhere in this chain of events, I met my husband, we married in 1979 and our son Justin was born in 1980. Texas would also bring me to a major crossroad in my life when the message of my song would change and point the listener to Jesus Christ. Somehow this career became a full time ministry, a call, that would take our young family all over America.
Twenty-three years later, nine CD’s of numerous number one songs like “Old Gideon Bible,” “Mama Prays,” “He’s the One on the White Horse,” “Fearless,” “No Stranger to Treason,”
“Alone With Jesus” and at present, working on an all acoustic worship project of songs written in this chapter of my life.
Leaving a music career years ago, to embrace a ministry call, enables my life to be that song that sings to expand the Kingdom of Jesus Christ. What I do is a ministry. It is who I am, a gospel singer, still pointing my listeners to my Savior and my Friend. He is the only reason I still have a song to sing. Jesus is the best prize that life has to offer and singing for Him is a work worth doing!
More information is available at Wikipedia.
