Thursday, December 31, 2015

Our Top 10 Moments of 2015!

"How was your year?"

It's the question we all ask each other in these final days of December. 
As 2015 comes to a close, Gerald and I have been reflecting on the last 12 months with great thanksgiving. 
I don't mind saying: it's been a really special year.

And now, in no particular order, here are our 
Top 10 Moments of 2015:

(I've put in lots of links to bring you to photos & the original stories)



Nine years ago, we sold our marital home to fund our dream of moving to Nashville. This summer, after years of renting and moving, a long held dream was fulfilled to buy a house again! Gerald spent hours digging through real estate listings til he found our beautiful century home in St. Catharines. We've only been in here a month, but to see our Christmas tree in the corner and our puppies on the couch, well, it's just about perfect...



As a proud Newfoundlander, this was particularly special. Our latest CD - How The Light Gets In - was nominated for Gospel Recording of the Year at the 2015 East Coast Music Awards. We traveled to my hometown of St. John's to celebrate in all the festivities, including performing at the Gospel Showcase. As we say on the Rock, "Twas a time!"



Our tours of the East Coast become more special every year. This past spring, we spent 9 weeks travelling and singing throughout Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, and eastern Ontario. We revisited favourite spots, and even had the chance to bring our music to new and wonderful places. Truly a blessing in so many ways!



In the spring, we started an epic hunt for a new guitar that led to an amazing conclusion: we were offered an Artist Deal from Stonebridge Guitars! We're so honoured to represent these amazing instruments, and love having this stunning guitar as our new 'band member.'



For the first time ever, we headed west! This fall, we traveled over 7200 KM over 6 weeks to sing in western Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta. Every single venue was new to us, and we felt welcomed wherever we went. As an added bonus, we had the chance to sing with several other Christian singer-songwriters, such as Ali Matthews, Natalie B, Rhonda, and Sally Meadows!  



To be recognized by the Gospel Music Association of Canada is to be recognized by our peers, so it was a double honour to receive not one, but two nominations for the 2015 Covenant Awards! How The Light Gets In was nominated for Folk Album of the Year, and Tonight, Everywhere Is Bethlehem was nominated for Seasonal Song of the Year. It was amazing to visit Edmonton for GMA Week, where we celebrated the vast and richly creative Canadian Christian music scene. 



This July, I celebrated 10 years since I said "yes" to God's calling on my life. When I first experienced that powerful moment, neither Gerald nor I had any idea where it would lead, but we are so incredibly thankful that it has led to our Infinitely More adventure! 


#8. Most Denominations Ever

Infinitely More feels called to cross denominational lines, and encourage others to do the same. This has been an incredibly diverse year of ministry, singing concerts and leading worship in a wide range of churches, such as Anglican, United, Lutheran, Roman Catholic, Pentecostal, Church of God, Baptist, Christian Assembly, Christian Alliance, and many churches and ministries with no obvious denominational association. The more we do this, the more we recognize how much we have in common, and how we are all part of the family of God. 


#9. Great Health for Everyone

As I read the Facebook statuses of friends, and especially those who also have aging parents, I'm reminded how blessed we are to have such good health in our family. We faced a rough month in July. It started with an allergy attack for me, and continued as extended family, and even our sweet puppy Sebastian, faced challenges. But as we close out 2015, it feels like everyone is on the right path. Help is in place where needed, and we're all able to enjoy an active lifestyle. 


#10. A Surprise for 2016

In the last month, we've been offered and accepted a truly special opportunity. We'll be making a big announcement about it in the New Year, so we still want to keep it under wraps until we work out the details. But trust me, this will be a new level of ministry for Infinitely More, and we're truly excited it about it!


As we move into 2016, we feel so encouraged. Only two years ago, we took the leap from church staff to a full-time touring ministry. It's definitely had challenges, but this year in particular, we've really felt a wonderful sense of growth and momentum in our music and ministry. On a personal note, I also feel it's been a really special time for growing relationships, both in our family and in our friendships.

For each of us, I pray we can look back at 2015 with gratitude and peace. I pray we can leave any struggles and bad habits behind us, and move into the New Year with lessons learned, new optimism, the joy of discovery, and an openness to God's plan for our lives. 


Glory to God, whose power working in us can do 
Infinitely More than we can ask or imagine!

Happy New Year!!!

All the best in 2016...





Wednesday, December 09, 2015

The Blog Is Back!

We're back! After a hiatus during our Prairies Road Trip, we're back and blogging.

It's been an amazing season. Our first Prairies Road Trip was an incredible experience!

We spent 6 weeks driving over 7200 KM across 4 provinces. We sang in churches, colleges, cafes, and living rooms. We made many new friends, and had the unique pleasure of meeting people we'd only ever known on social media. We attended the inspiring GMA Week and we celebrated our GMA Covenant Award nominations. The entire tour was rich in blessings, and we are so grateful to everyone who supported us in any way. We can't wait to head west again in 2016!

You can see photos on our SITE and FACEBOOK page.

We've also moved into our new home in St. Catharines! We've already sung at two churches in the area, and we're excited to explore our new city. It'll take a while to unpack during this busy month, so we're seriously debating wrapping the piles of boxes in mini-lights to make them look festive...

And now, it's our favourite season of the year: Christmas! 

As our gift to you, we've decided to offer FREE SHIPPING* for all CDs!



This applies to any and all CDs purchased up til Christmas Eve.

Please visit our Store to purchase CDs & Christmas cards, 
or to download albums and mp3s.



We have lots of great Christmas events lined up this month. 
Stay tuned for more news, photos, and Christmas stories...

It's good to be back! 



*Free shipping within Canada. CDs only. A small surcharge will be added for international orders.



Thursday, October 15, 2015

Worship Wednesdays on Hiatus...

We're on our first, awesome Prairies Road Trip!



It's been a busy time on the road, so I'll be posting as I have time, and not on a weekly basis.

We're posting daily updates on Facebook and Twitter

Please Like & Follow to join in our Prairies adventure!

Wednesday, September 23, 2015

Worship Wednesdays - Concert This Weekend!

This Sunday, we'll have our final local performance until November!

Come join us at First Baptist Church, Ingersoll, for a great night of music. 
We'll even debut a brand new song!

All the details are HERE.

Next week, we leave for our Prairies Road Trip concert tour!



We're so excited for our first visit to the prairies provinces. We'll sing our way across Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta. The first week of November, we'll connect with other Canadian Christian artists at GMA Week. We'll also celebrate our recent nominations at the Covenant Awards gala!

Please visit www.InfinitelyMore.ca for all the details...

Stayed tuned to this blog as we share this next adventure with you!


Worship Wednesdays is a weekly series to encourage and equip worship leaders and songwriters.
Bookmark this page and visit us every Wednesday!

Wednesday, September 16, 2015

BIG NEWS: Our Covenant Award Nominations!

We woke up yesterday morning to amazing news:

We've received 2 Covenant Award Nominations!!!

Each year, the Gospel Music Association (GMA) of Canada gives out the Covenant Awards to celebrate the best in Canadian Christian music. Yesterday, they released the list of nominees, and we found ourselves on the list not once, but twice!


Our latest CD - How The Light Gets In - is nominated for Folk Album of the Year!

Earlier this year, How The Light Gets In was also nominated for the East Coast Music Award (ECMA) for Gospel Recording of the Year.

You can hear samples HERE.




The title track of our Christmas album - Tonight, Everywhere Is Bethlehem - 
is nominated for Seasonal Song of the Year!

You can hear the song HERE.




I can't tell you how excited and honoured we are by this news. If you're familiar with Canadian Christian music, you'll see that we're nominated with some amazing talent. Steve Bell, Carolyn Arends, and Jacob Moon have decades-long careers and shelves of awards. Pretty rarified air...

We're also incredibly excited for all our friends and colleagues who have received nominations! It's so satisfying to watch a friend work hard to create beautiful, interesting, inspiring art, and then see it recognized by the industry in this way.

The full list of nominees is HERE.


We're so grateful to everyone who has and continues to join us on this musical and spiritual journey. Thank you to all the musicians and producers who helped us create these projects! And a huge Thank You to each of you who has supported our music by buying CDs, hosting concerts, or attending any of our live events. You keep us going...

Next month, we leave for our Prairies Road Trip concert tour. Throughout October, we'll sing our way through Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta. Please Contact us to book a concert on this tour! The first week of November, we'll be in Edmonton, AB, for GMA Week - GMA Canada's annual gathering. There will be workshops, showcases, and the big night - the Covenant Awards gala!


We invite you to join us on this adventure! 
We'll be posting regular updates on this blog, Twitter, and Facebook


Glory to God, whose power, working in us, can do 
Infinitely More than we can ask or imagine. 
Eph. 3:20



Worship Wednesdays is a weekly series to encourage and equip worship leaders and songwriters.
Bookmark this page and visit us every Wednesday!

Wednesday, September 09, 2015

Worship Wednesdays - Prairies Road Trip Update!

A few months ago, we told you about our upcoming adventure:


6 weeks. 4 provinces. 7200+ kilometres. 

Our Prairies Road Trip tour route!


It's been a big challenge putting this all together. This will be our first time singing in Western Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, or Alberta. If you imagine it in terms of sales, that means 4 provinces worth of cold calls!

It's also been an incredibly encouraging season! 

  • We have lots of concerts confirmed, and many more awaiting confirmation.
  • We're planning events with other talented artists, including many people who will be part of GMA Week.
  • The Saskatchewan Anglican newspaper even wrote this great article for their September issue! 

The Saskatchewan Anglican, September 2015


If you're in Western Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, or Alberta, 
we would love to sing for you this fall! 

We're booking concerts in churches, living rooms, and colleges. 
We're also teaching workshops on Songwriting and/or Worship Leading. 

Please Contact us for more info!

Thank you! 



Worship Wednesdays is a weekly series to encourage and equip worship leaders and songwriters.
Bookmark this page and visit us every Wednesday!

Wednesday, September 02, 2015

Worship Wednesdays - Side By Side Worship

A few weeks ago, I had the chance to sit in the congregation for a worship session.

As I slid into the seats, I could feel the energy of the people around me. Some were excited to be there. Others had probably been dragged by a well-meaning family member. Some were distracted as they sorted out purses and jackets. Others waited in anticipation.

The first song was How Great Thou Art. The people sang boisterously, and on the the chorus, you could hear faint harmony. I noticed a couple a few rows ahead of me. They were a little older, and seemed comfortable standing close, as you might after a lifetime together. As the last chords wrapped up the song, he leaned over and put his arm around her. It was an intentional action. He whispered something in her ear. She smiled and leaned her head to his shoulder. It was a brief, private moment in a large, public place. I wondered what had transpired. Had the song brought back a memory? Did she need a moment of comfort that only he could recognize?

The family in the row to the left of me started to sway. Four adults. You could tell they weren't singers by their faint lip syncing, but they loved the music. They changed rhythm with each song. They weren't dancers - just swayers. Every once in a while, one of them would close their eyes and lift a hand and belt out one or two lines of the chorus. The music and worship were in their bones.

Then, the Alto entered my row. At first, I only noticed her as a woman arriving late, fussing to make sure her elderly mother was comfortable in her seat. But once she was organized, her voice opened up and her presence was undeniable. A Soprano and Alto in the same row - here we go! I could feel my own voice lift as she added her rich, dark harmonies. As we sang together in our unscripted duet, I could feel the voices of those around us lifting in unison. As we hit the chorus of In Christ Alone, I heard bass and tenor notes drifting into the mix. It was glorious!

As we all sang and worshiped together, I was reminded of the importance of community. It's not just about having our attendance recorded and our offering collected. We are necessary to each other. You and your participation are a blessing to me. And, God-willing, I and my participation are a blessing to you.

Time and time again, Jesus demonstrated life in community. He told stories to large groups, ate meals at parties, and sang hymns with his friends. He knew that we needed each other in ways that are sometimes hard to define, but are palpable in experience.

As I see you offer yourself to God - perfectly, brokenly, honestly - it encourages me to do the same. I find courage in your strength. I feel compassion in your willingness to be weak. I see grace in our shared experience of coming together, marked by our failures and imperfections, and finding nothing but mercy and forgiveness waiting for us at the cross.

So this Sunday, let's stand together, side by side, and sing... 




Worship Wednesdays is a weekly series to encourage and equip worship leaders and songwriters. Bookmark this page visit us every Wednesday!

Wednesday, August 26, 2015

BIG NEWS: Our New House!

Gerald and I married on February 10, 2006.
Our first year of marriage, we sold everything we owned, tied the dogs to the roof of the car, 
and moved to Nashville!

We often tell this abbreviated story in our concerts, but most people don't realize that when we say 'everything', we actually mean - our house.

We literally sold our house, and almost everything in it, to move to Nashville.

It was a bold choice, but we had no doubts about the decision, and we have never regretted it.

Owning a home had been a long held dream of mine. When we sold our little townhouse, I told Gerald, "One day, I'll want to buy a house again."

Well, today, that dream has come true!

We are thrilled to announce that we have bought a new home! 

Our new home! 

Front porch, ready for a glass of sweet tea!

It's a beautiful century home built in 1913. It has the perfect mix of original character with fully updated wiring, plumbing, and appliances.


Front rooms with 10-foot ceilings, fire place, and original woodwork.

Original stained glass, in all my favourite colours!

The sellers had painted a forest in the nursery. This is my new creative space!

We even have pillars in the master bedroom!

Perfect size for a Newfoundland kitchen party! 

Why yes, that is a clawfoot tub...

Gerald scoured hundreds of listings searching for my perfect dream home. We spent the summer visiting open houses and touring homes. Because we're a freelance ministry, we're not locked into any location, so we actually looked at several different towns and cities. We finally settled on beautiful St. Catharines - The Garden City!


Can't wait to see our puppies running around here! 

Hydrangeas in the yard...



We're so excited to share this news with you! We wanted you to join in the celebrations, but I also wanted to share this thought with you:

Throughout this whole process, I've been reminded of God's faithfulness. These words keep running through my mind:

"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, 
“plans to prosper you and not to harm you, 
plans to give you hope and a future."
Jeremiah 29:11


If you know our story, you'll know that we've faced some significant challenges in the days since we first sold that house. Perhaps you've also had to put aside a dream to pursue something else. But remember, God knows the desires of your heart.

You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.
C.S. Lewis


The timing or the results might not be quite what you had in mind. Maybe the dream will look different in reality than in your imagination. Or perhaps as your life changes, you discover dreams you didn't even know you wanted.

On this day, I encourage you to pursue your dreams. 

Big dreams, small dreams, impossible dreams. 

They may come true. They may not. 

But in pursuing them, we make the world a better place. 




Worship Wednesdays is a weekly series to encourage and equip worship leaders and songwriters. Bookmark this page visit us every Wednesday!

Wednesday, August 12, 2015

Worship Wednesdays - 7 Essentials Bands Often Forget to Bring on Their First Tour

Sonicbids has fantastic articles for indie musicians. They offer inspiring, practical tips for booking tours, promoting your music, and surviving the industry. Last week, they posted an article that caught my eye: 7 Essentials Bands Often Forget to Bring on Their First Tour. Being a touring musician myself, I clicked the article. I'm such a fan of their advice, but this was pretty much useless. A skateboard? A solar-powered shower? Seriously? Since when are these things considered 'essential' to touring?

In response, I started writing my own list.

Here are my 
7 Essentials Bands Often Forget to Bring on Their First Tour:


#1. Contracts in Triplicate

We never leave for tour without well-organized contracts. I have copies online, copies on my computer, and a binder with printed copies. It gives me all the practical info about time, place, and contacts. The printed copies are handy to pull out when you arrive at the gig and there are disagreements about fees, etc.

#2. Non-Perscription Drugs

Obviously you need your prescriptions, but I also bring a stash of antihistamines, aspirins, and vitamins. I've been known to put a thermometer and cold medication in my bag during cold/flu season. To save space, I pack our pills in small baggies (one baggie for each pill type). Write the name, dose, and instructions for each pill on the baggie with a sharpie. You never know when a headache or sniffle will hit, and Murphy's Law tells you the closest Walmart will be an hour away.

#3. GPS - Online & Offline

We love the ease of using Google Maps on our iPhones. However, on our first few tours, we found ourselves in rural areas with no signal. Since then, we've added an offline GPS to our phones. They take up a bit of space as you need to download the maps to your phone, but they're worth it. If space is an issue, just add the ones you need before the tour and delete them after.

#4. Car Care

In the rush before the tour, your car can be overlooked, but on the tour itself, a healthy car is vital. Before leaving, get an oil change, ideally at a garage that includes an overall safety check. Make sure your CAA/AAA membership is up to date. And depending on season and area, consider purchasing new windshield wipers or snow tires.

#5. Change of Season Clothes

Before leaving for tour, check out the general weather reports for your tour area, and be aware of changing seasons. In our first tours, we packed for fall, but winter came early. We found ourselves shopping for winter coats and mittens. It was annoying to have to buy items we already had at home, not to mention the added time, and trying to find space for big coats in an already full car. Now, we pack a bag for our daily clothes, and store anything extra in vacuum-packed bags under the seats.

#6. Your Smart Phone

Okay, I know you're not going to forget your phone, but taking advantage of apps will save you a tonne of space when packing. In addition to being our phone, my iPhone is also my camera, video camera, alarm clock, tuner, metronome, voice recorder, GPS, and e-book reader. We use songwriting apps to turn hours of driving into creative time. My phone contains my vocal warm-up, my Bible, and my morning devotional. And one of the most valuable tools: my phone takes credit card payments! How, you ask? Read on...

#7. Square

If you sell CDs or any kind of product, you need Square! Perfect for the indie musician, Square is a free app that allows you to take credit card payments. I could write an entire blogpost about how much I love Square. It's easy to use with lots of free resources. They take a small percentage (which you can write off) and handle the full transaction for you. The money is literally deposited into your bank account, so you're not responsible for handling anyone's credit info. And you'll find a huge increase in sales. People without cash will be able to purchase CDs, but also, folks with only a $10 in their pocket will sometimes choose credit cards so they can make a larger purchase. Seriously, I could talk all day about Square...

BONUS: #8. Paper Towels

Poke a roll of paper towels and/or wet wipes in the back seat. At some point, a drink will spill or mud will get on the speaker or some other type of mess will happen. At that moment, you'll be so glad you thought to pack them!


So, these are my 8 essentials for your tour. It should go without saying, but remember extra cords, batteries, chargers, and any other small tech thing you might need. Have a backup of any midi programs, tracks, etc, on a hard drive.

Our motto: It's better to have it than wish we did!

Please feel free to add your suggestions in the Comments section.

Happy Touring!!!! 


Worship Wednesdays is a weekly series to encourage and equip worship leaders and songwriters. Bookmark this page visit us every Wednesday!

Wednesday, August 05, 2015

Worship Wednesdays - Where Does The Music Go?

When you arrive at our concert, you'll notice a long green table covered with our CDs. Our 'product table'. We believe strongly in the ministry of recorded music. Not only do you get to take our music home with you, but at the table, we also have the chance to meet people and exchange stories.

At the product table, after our recent concert at St. John's Ida.
Meeting with Darrin Gaudreau, director of Street Hope Peterborough. 

At the end of the night, we pack up, and move on to the next venue. As our travels continue, we often talk about the church, the event, the community, or someone special who really touched our hearts. But you know what we never used to think about? The CDs.

Yes, the CDs.

We would lay them on the table, sell them, and never think of them again.

That was, until this spring in Trinity, Newfoundland. Partway through the first half of the show, I introduced our original song, "Every Church Is A Small Town." I heard a woman gasp, "Oh, I love this song!" It caught my ear, but by then Gerald was playing the opening chords and singing the first verse. The chorus arrived and I added my harmony. But what was I hearing? Was there some kind of feedback, or echo? Why was I hearing other voices?

Because they were singing along! 

A number of audience members who had bought CDs on our last visit had listened to them so much they had learned to sing along on their favourite songs.

Gerald and I were humbled and thrilled. We'd heard stories over the years of people sharing their favourite songs, or letting us know how a particular CD had encouraged them during a rough time, but this was something different. It's already pretty awesome when you lead a group in a song you wrote, but when they start singing along uninvited, well, I just have no words for that.

After that moment, we started to become very aware of what was happening to our CDs when they leave our possession. We imagined people playing the discs in living rooms or loading the mp3s on their iPod. They might listen on their drive to work, or while making dinner. Maybe it's their exam soundtrack, or perhaps they choose a favourite song when they need some encouragement.

It was brought home to us again this past Sunday at a church in Toronto. A woman told us that she uses our CDs in an exercise class that she teaches! It's not a 'Christian exercise class', but the group loves the songs, so she includes them in her playlist. A use for our music we never imagined on our own!

I once heard Gloria Gaither speak about her and Bill's classic song, "Because He Lives." She talked about the third verse and its powerful message of passing from this world to the next. She said she chose that topic for the verse because she felt it was the strongest songwriting choice. A few years later, when struggling with the death of a family member, that was the verse that gave her the most comfort. She told us, "Write great songs, because you never know when you'll need them to minister to you."

I would also add, "Write great songs, because you never know where they'll end up."

Write great songs. 
Use amazing craft. 
Be intentional with your message. 
Make beautiful recordings. 
Then, send them out into the world.

You may never know where they land, but if you've created something meaningful, 
it may just change someone's life.



Worship Wednesdays is a weekly series to encourage and equip worship leaders and songwriters. Bookmark this page visit us every Wednesday!

Wednesday, July 29, 2015

Worship Wednesdays - 10 Years Ago Today...

... everything changed.

All summer long, I'd been praying for direction. What should I do with my life, my art, my passions?

"Dear Lord. Smack me over the head!"

And then, 10 years ago tonight, it happened.

I could have happened a hundred different ways, but there in the heart of Nashville, it happened.

Last winter, I told the story as part of our Musical Residency in 
St. Andrews By-the-Sea, New Brunswick:




The past 10 years have been an extraordinary journey. Gerald and I married, moved to Nashville, and began the greatest adventure of our lives. I pursued a solo Gospel career that brought me into Music Row studios and the National Quartet Convention. Gerald wrote hundreds of songs, some with Grammy winners and Hall of Fame songwriters. 

And in a twist no one saw coming (or at least, that we didn't see coming), all our hopes, dreams and talents came together in the birth of Infinitely More. Since our 2013 debut album, we've toured thousands of kilometres, recorded 4 CDs, received 6 national music award nominations, and were recently honoured with a Stonebridge Guitar artist deal.

On this day, I'm filled with memories of that awesome summer, and overwhelmed with gratitude for this journey. I'm humbled beyond thought that God would see fit to call Me - broken, faulty, messy Me - to spread His message. I'm honoured by the countless people who have brought our Infinitely More music into their homes and churches. I'm thankful for the many talented and supportive friends we've met along the way. 

And I'm lost for words in this one fact: I get to share this all with my creative, amazing, generous husband. Gerald, I can't imagine this adventure without you. 
Thank you for being my partner in all things good and true.

So today, I look to the future with great anticipation and excitement. We're planning a radio release, new concerts, and our first Prairies Road Trip. We have new songs bubbling up every day, and we find endless inspiration in the incredible people we meet on musical adventures.

And the thing that continues to amaze me the most: every day, I get to make music that shares God's unfailing mercy, grace, and love. I can't imagine a better way to spend a life.

Here's to the next 10 years! 

Glory to God, whose power, working in us, can do 
Infinitely More than we can ask or imagine. 
Eph. 3:20


Worship Wednesdays is a weekly series to encourage and equip worship leaders and songwriters. Bookmark this page visit us every Wednesday!

Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Worship Wednesdays - Booking the Prairies Road Trip!

This fall, we take on a new Adventure:

Our first Prairies Road Trip!

For the last five years, we've toured East, but for the first time, we're heading West.

We'll leave Burlington, Ontario, in the final days of September. Throughout October, we'll sing concerts, lead worship, and teach workshops in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta.

By the first weekend of November, we'll hit Edmonton, Alberta, for GMA Canada Week! We'll have 4 days of workshops, showcases, and other great events with our fellow GMA artists.

From there, we'll drive home to Burlington with just enough time to take a little break before jumping into the Christmas season.

To summarize: 6 weeks. 4 provinces. 7200 kilometres. 

Our tour route! 

Booking a tour of this size is always a challenge, but booking a tour this size when we've never sung in any of these areas is a particular challenge! We need a huge number of events to make this happen. My days are currently filled with reaching out to churches across our tour route, introducing our Infinitely More ministry, and asking the all-important question, "Would you like to host a concert?"

How can you help?

- If you're in the any of these areas, or you know friends in the area, we'd love to sing for you! We'll be performing church, community, and house concerts. Please contact me for more information.

- Please keep us in prayer that we'll book the number of events that we need.

- Please feel free to share this post with anyone who might be interested!

- Join our mailing list or follow us on Facebook and Twitter for the most recent news.


Thank you! We're so excited about this new adventure, and this opportunity to share our music and message with a whole new audience.

I'll keep you updated on how things shape up!



Worship Wednesdays is a weekly series to encourage and equip worship leaders and songwriters. Bookmark this page visit us every Wednesday!

Wednesday, July 15, 2015

Concert Tomorrow Night!

We're looking forward to our return visit to St. John's Ida tomorrow night!

This special concert will be a fundraiser for Threshold Ministries, 
which provides outreach to people in the Peterborough area.

Please come join us!



Worship Wednesdays is a weekly series to encourage and equip worship leaders and songwriters. Bookmark this page visit us every Wednesday!

Wednesday, July 08, 2015

Book Review: Aloof, by Tony Kriz

I first fell in love with the writing of Tony Kriz when I reviewed Neighbors and Wise Men. I jumped at the chance to review Aloof, with its intriguing subtitle: Figuring Out Life With A God Who Hides.

What do we do with a God who says He wants to be in relationship with us, yet so often seems distant and silent? Through stories, memories, and theological wrestling, Kriz takes on this most difficult and ultimately unanswerable question. Throughout the book, I found myself drifting away to ponder the ideas and possibilities raised in his vibrant and engaging stories. I turned down page corners and wrote my own thoughts in the margins. I circled my favourite chapters in the table of contents.

This is a book for anyone who has straddled the thin line between doubt and wonder. It's a book for people who understand that recognizing how far we are from God is our first step towards intimacy with God.

I highly recommend it.


Worship Wednesdays is a weekly series to encourage and equip worship leaders and songwriters. Bookmark this page visit us every Wednesday!


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Wednesday, July 01, 2015

Worship Wednesdays - Happy Canada Day!

One year ago today, we were in Nashville, recording How The Light Gets In. We celebrated Canada Day with Tim Horton's coffee, maple syrup candies, and Laura Secord Miniatures for all the musicians.

Today, we're blessed to celebrate in Canada with our family!

Wherever you find yourself today, we hope you celebrate our beautiful country.

HAPPY CANADA DAY!!!!!



Worship Wednesdays is a weekly series to encourage and equip worship leaders and songwriters. Bookmark this page visit us every Wednesday!

Wednesday, June 24, 2015

Worship Wednesdays - What Worship Leaders Can Learn From Wedding DJs...

Last week, this article appeared in the Toronto Star.

The basic idea behind the article is that many new couples are choosing to program their own wedding playlist instead of hiring a professional DJ. The bride and groom load up their iPod with their favourite songs, and ask a willing guest to run the list throughout the night.

As someone who chose to have a friend make our wedding video, and as someone who will go through life with no wedding video, I'm a fan of hiring professionals to do professional jobs on your big day. But I digress...

The reasons for not hiring a DJ ran from budget to simplifying the wedding process, but the biggest reason was music choice.

"Outside of the budget-conscious, the couples most likely to program their own playlist tend to have — as (DJ Scott) Rideout puts it — 'specific tastes.'"

Couples want a particular kind of music, only their favourite songs, played throughout the evening. It makes sense on first glance, but this is the statement that really caught my eye:

“Generally, I find those people try to cater to a smaller number of people and don’t look at the big picture,” Rideout said. “You’ve got a room of 100 people — 
you want 100 people to know the songs you’re playing.”

Wow. My mind flashed to the many conversations I've had with worship leaders and music directors.

In most churches, the music director will have the job of choosing all the music for Sunday morning. There may be input and consultation with clergy, but the main direction for a congregation's song choice will often come from one person.

What happens when that one person allows their personal taste 
to dominate the musical voice of a congregation?

I've talked with music directors who only want hymns, from one specific hymnal. I've chatted with worship leaders who only choose songs from the CCLI Top 20 list. I've met others who insist that their congregation only likes Country, or refuses to listen to Jazz, or some other genre prejudice.

But here's the truth: 
You want your 100 (or 10 or 1000) people on Sunday to know the songs you're playing.

I'm certainly not saying we shouldn't introduce new music or stretch our musical boundaries - anyone familiar with our Infinitely More ministry knows that we're big fans of creating and sharing new music. And yes, the personal taste, knowledge, and skill set of any worship leader will always affect the music we play. But we need to think about all 100 people when we're planning our songs for worship. They may not 'know' every song, but wouldn't it be great if they could at least find one song that connects with them personally in worship?

Do you have folks in your congregation who love hymns? Include some. 
New worship songs? Teach some of those too. 
Do you have children in your worship? Make sure there's a song for them. 
Do you have songwriters? How could their music influence your worship?

Music style influences worship, but no one style dictates or defines worship. 
All music styles can be used for worship when directed towards God.

What I'm proposing definitely makes our jobs harder. Searching multiple sources, creating new music, finding fresh ways to play ancient songs, performing a variety of styles, and being cognizant of the full diversity of your congregation is a lot of work. But here's the payoff: at the end of Sunday worship, the Soccer Mom, the Overworked CEO, the Rebel Teen, the Kind Grandmother, the Struggling Doubter, the Tween, the Lifelong Faithful, the Visitor, the Flag Waver, and the Prayerbook Defender can all leave saying, "I felt connected in that worship. That song... That song was for me."

Let's rise to the challenge. We can't please all the people all the time, but perhaps, by expanding our own personal palette, we can create a musical voice that represents our full church family, draws us closer into worship, and brings joy to God.



Worship Wednesdays is a weekly series to encourage and equip worship leaders and songwriters. Bookmark this page visit us every Wednesday!

Thursday, June 18, 2015

Infinitely More named Stonebridge Guitar Artists!

Yesterday, we shared the story of our recent Guitar Hunt. 
You can read all the details HERE.

Today, we're sharing the awesome conclusion!

As we searched and played, Gerald discovered a guitar he'd never heard of before: Stonebridge.

We hadn't seen them in any stores (and we visited a lot!) yet we saw them in videos, played by master finger-style guitarists.

A quick Google search uncovered the story behind these European gems. Only in North America for less than a decade, Stonebridge Guitars are distributed in a handful of select, boutique guitar stores. Some of the stores even feature an appointment-only policy. Fortunately, their North American distribution - Brickhouse Guitars - is only an hour from us.

It was a short trip from Discovery to Love. Gorgeous handcrafted instruments with stunning tone and playability. The search for our dream guitar had ended.

It wasn't long before we discovered the Artist Collaboration Program and filled out our application.

We're proud to announce that Infinitely More 
is the newest Stonebridge Artist!

Infinitely More, with our new band member! 

We're honoured to represent this wonderful guitar, and can't wait to add its beautiful sound to our live shows.

Elegant and beautiful! 

It's a stunning instrument - rich cedar top, master grade shimmering koa sides and back, paduak binding and appointments.

The light shimmers off the stunning koa!

The sound is incredible, but when we sang with it, and heard its tone blend with our voices, well, that was just magic. We brought it home on Tuesday and it's already inspired at least one new song!

Deep cutaway and simple inlays add the perfect finishing touches.

What an awesome end to our Guitar Hunt! 

We hope you'll come out to see our new guitar at an upcoming event.

In the meantime, we're off to make some great music with the newest member of our band...

Wednesday, June 17, 2015

Worship Wednesdays - The Guitar Hunt!

"I want a new guitar."

Common words from a guitar player like Gerald, but when he said it this spring, I knew something was in the air.

Years ago, Gerald found a stunningly beautiful Martin Simpson Bourgeois guitar. This handmade instrument has a rich tone and moving sound. It's so special, it's actually featured in 1001 Guitars to Dream of Playing Before You Die.

The Bourgeois guitar as featured on Be Thou My Vision (How The Light Gets In)

But we're not playing the Bourgeois live. We just drove it 9767 KM throughout the East Coast, and it barely left its case.

"I want to sell the Bourgeois, and buy a new cornerstone acoustic guitar for us."

So, the hunt began.

We've bought a number of instruments and lots of gear since we first met, and nothing, nothing has been as intensive as this guitar search.

It started in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, where we met this charming limited edition Taylor. Only 75 were made, exclusively for Long & McQuade. Mahogany body with a burgundy finish and maple leaf inlays in the fretboard. Lovely.

Limited edition Taylor in Dartmouth


We visited stores in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, and Ontario. At each one we played Taylors, Martins, Breedloves, Collings, and all kinds of locally made treasures. (We actually played 3 of the 75 limited edition Taylors as we visited Long & McQuades across the country. The Dartmouth one is best.)

A few weeks in, we visited Musicfest at Cosmo Music. There, we attended the Taylor road show, getting an education on the various effects of body shape and tone woods on the sound of each guitar. We spent the better part of the day with the Taylor reps, playing instruments and hearing stories about how their guitars are made.

Taylor Guitars road show

Later in the day, we were introduced to Cole Clark guitars. These gorgeous instruments are made in Australia, primarily with indigenous woods. Interesting look and great sound.

Trying Cole Clark Guitars at Cosmo

Our search began to occupy all our waking thoughts. At home, Gerald was pouring over hours and hours of Youtube videos. He watched finger-style superstars like Don Ross and Calum Graham to see what they're playing. He studied guitar manufacturing, and the fascinating work of Andy Powers, who's using techniques used on violins and cellos to bring a new sound to Taylor guitars.

We began visiting guitar stores all around Southern Ontario. Every day we found a new one. No store was too big or too small to be excluded from our search. Along the way, we found fantastic stores, each one owned and staffed by people with a passion for guitars. As we played close to 100 guitars, we began to narrow down our requirements of size, shape, tone ...

At one point in the search, we realized that we weren't just looking for a guitar - it was like we were searching for a 3rd member for our band. Since our live concert is basically guitar and two voices, we needed an instrument that wasn't just beautiful sounding. It also needed to fit into our blend. It will shape and influence our sound, our vibe, and our creativity.

The hunt continued....

We discovered The Guitar Shop in Mississauga. The search was narrowing to the new line of maple Taylors. We sampled and played, and started to weigh our options.

Waves of guitars at The Guitar Shop

The Acoustic Room in Hamilton had only opened a few days earlier. We played Taylors and more Cole Clarks in this gorgeous, intimate store.

The Acoustic Room - worth the drive to Hamilton

We finally found ourselves in Brickhouse Guitars in Kitchener. Probably the smallest store we visited but one that held the biggest surprise...

Guitar dreaming at Brickhouse Guitars...

What did we find at Brickhouse Guitars? 
Will we ever find our dream guitar?
Stay tuned tomorrow for the exciting conclusion, 
and our big news!!!


Worship Wednesdays is a weekly series to encourage and equip worship leaders and songwriters. Bookmark this page visit us every Wednesday!

Wednesday, June 10, 2015

Worships Wednesdays on Vacation!

Well, technically it's a STAYcation! 

We had an amazing time on our recent East Coast Tour, 
and now as the song goes, we're 'home for a rest.'

You can see photos from the tour on our SITE and FACEBOOK page.

We'll be back next week with a brand new post...



Worship Wednesdays is a weekly series to encourage and equip worship leaders and songwriters. Bookmark this page visit us every Wednesday!