Redeemer Healing Prayer Service

Our church has been hit with an unusually high amount of suffering lately. We have many members in the hospital, facing surgery, or dealing with other serious medical conditions. The clergy decided we should do the best thing we can in times like these - pray.

Tonight, about 60 of us gathered in the sanctuary of Church of the Redeemer. Jenna asked if I'd join her for the music, and I'm so glad I did. I had been debating leaving work early and going to the service, and this answered that debate for me. It was just the two on us on music (le petit praise team!) and it was a good partnership. As people entered the church, we encouraged them to sing on songs like "Be Thou My Vision" and "Here I am to Worship." After a brief welcome, we lead them in a series of songs and choruses, including one of my favourites, "In Christ Alone."

Then, we were encouraged to gather in groups of 5 to share prayer requests, and to pray. There was no real guidance other than that. We could pray in any way that seemed right for us. We could pray for each other, the church, family, friends ... the only real theme was 'healing.' The clergy and elders stayed at the altar rail for those wanting individual prayer and annointing, and they played a gentle CD during the prayer time so people wouldn't feel self-conscious about saying their needs out loud. It was wonderful to be in the crowd and, without actually catching any of the details, to listen to the sounds around me. To my right, a group was in fervent prayer; to my left, people were telling stories; and in the back, a few old friends were sharing a spontaneous laugh, maybe because of a shared experience, maybe as a way to relieve the pain.

As the prayer time came to an end, Jenna and I regrouped to lead the congregation in "Blessed Be Your Name." Ever since the accident, I find verse 2 of this song emotional/difficult/challenging to sing - it just has new layers of meaning for me.

After the service, Jenna and I treated ourselves to a long visit at Fido (lemon cake!) and then braved the crazy dark-windy-rainy-thundery-lightningy weather on the drive home. Summer, please?

BLESSED BE YOUR NAME
By Matt Redman

Blessed Be Your Name,
In the land that is plentiful
Where Your streams of abundance flow
Blessed be Your name

Blessed Be Your name,
When I'm found in the desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness
Blessed Be Your name

Every blessing You pour out ,
I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord, Still I will say

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

Blessed be Your name,
When the sun's shining down on me
When the world's 'all as it should be'
Blessed be Your name

Blessed be Your name
On the road marked with suffering 
Though there's pain in the offering 
Blessed be Your name

CHORUS

You give and take away
You give and take away
My heart will choose to say
Lord, blessed be Your name

CHORUS

Ontario in Review

We're back in Nashville! We arrived Wednesday ... in our new car! After weeks of intense car-shopping, we ended up getting an awesome deal in very short time. I'm still just getting used to highway driving again, so my father-in-law, Gerry, drove down with us to relieve the burden. We made sure he was well-stuffed with BBQ and Cracker Barrel before sending him back across the border.

As my lack of posts imply, I'm still having some trouble keeping up with all things cyber. Here's an update on the rest of our Canadian gigs:

- On Thursday, we performed a midday concert for the final series of Music on the Hill. We had an amazing turnout and the whole program went very well. Even though this wasn't the final concert of the series, they decided to use this day to say thank you to those involved, and to hold a fantastic reception. It was great to see so many friends, and celebrate the end of an era.

- On Friday, we sang at the wedding of our friends, Deanna and Michael. Gerald accompanied Deanna as she sang a surprise song for her new husband, and later, Gerald and I sang the first dance. Such a beautiful day!

- On Sunday, we did a full concert at St. George's Church in Guelph. This church was originally built to be the area's cathedral, and it shows in the design - huge, ornate, and stunningly beautiful. The people of St. George's are fantastic (Dad has been the interim there for a few months, and we sang during their Christmas Carol Service.). We had a tremendous response from people, and felt very welcomed throughout the whole experience. Friends and family who attended the show said it was the best they've ever heard us, so that was very humbling and inspiring.

The rest of our time was spent doing this things we wanted and needed to do in Toronto - setting up insurance on the new car, visiting friends, and eating lots and lots of sushi.

Real Big Fan - Review!

I just got a great review of Real Big Fan on SoGospelNews.com!

You can check it out here.

Whoo-hoo!

Gage Park

Tonight, Gerald and I joined 5 other artists in Gage Park, Brampton, ON, for the annual Inspirational Music in the Park. This is the ninth year for this weekly free music festival. Over the course of the summer, Gage Park will host close to a hundred artists singing all kinds of Christian music. Tonight was the opening night. The cooler weather kept the crowds small, but surprisingly enthusiastic.

Gerald and I did a 20 minute set which included "Just a Closer Walk," "A Church Song Broke Me Down," "Neighbour," and "Sin Ain't Nothing." The crowd loved the songs, and sang and clapped along.

After our set, we got to meet the other artists, and share stories from Nashville. It's always neat to see the way other artists are using their talents within their local churches and communities.

Oh, and a little good news: I think our car is going to work out okay! We're meeting with the dealer tomorrow to work out the details. It's going to take a few days to get insurance in place - I'm a Canadian with an American driver's licence buying a Canadian car. Apparently, I'm complicated. But hopefully, by the end of the week, I'll have a car again. Praying!

Tuesday, Tuesday, Never Be a Blues Day...

The past few days have been a mix of Triumphs and Trials.

The Triumphs:

- On Friday, I drove on the highways for the first time since the accident. It was stressful, but I felt stronger after I did it.

- I attended a book reading by the brilliant and fascinating Lisa See. Lisa wrote my favourite book of last year, "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan." Her books are set in historical China and they study the intricate relationships between women as mothers, daughters, sisters, friends. At the reading, she spoke about her family's history, how she researches her books, and future writing plans. It was awesome! I'm currently reading her latest book, "Shanghai Girls." Mission trip to China, anyone?

- On Sunday, Gerald and I sang at our former home church, St. John's York Mills. The church is starting to incorporate Praise and Worship music into their service, so we were brought in to lead the congregation and the praise team. The response was overwhelming! Many of these people have known us for years, and they've been hearing me sing since I was a teenager. To hear them say, "You've both improved so much" was awesome because they have a real 'before' and 'after' image of us.

The Trials:

- Gerald and I continue to struggle with the emotional and the practical issues of the accident. We're tired and stressed. I pride myself on being reliable, punctual, and detail-oriented, but these days, I just can't get anything done. I'm missing all kinds of deadlines, and lots of things are slipping through the cracks. I know I need to be gentle with myself, and the people around me are all very understanding, but still, it's frustrating.

- The car hunt continues. We think we have a car, but now it's not for sure, so we're hoping it all gets sorted out tomorrow. Really praying it all works out as planned. I may have a mini-freak-out if we need to start from square one again.

- This accident is really making us re-evaluate everything we're doing. In some areas, this has been a great affirmation, and in other areas, we can see things we want to change. I know this will affect our plans over the next few months, and I imagine there will be many challenges in this.

The Blessings:

- Tomorrow night, we're singing at Gage Park in Brampton. This is a weekly summer festival that usually attracts some great artists. Praying for good weather!

- We've seen so many friends over the last few days. So good to be surrounded by loving hearts!

- We continue to be so grateful for simply being alive. It's an interesting state of mind to be so acutely aware of this most basic, yet mostly unappreciated, aspect of the human condition. It is all at once humbling, frightening, and invigorating.

Getting Through Thursday

Yes, some days right now, I guess it feels a little like "getting through." I think I must also be feeling a little better though, because I'm really enjoying the inner rhyme in my blog title.

Last Sunday, Gerald and I did our first gig since the accident. It was difficult preparing because we just haven't been able to get ourselves up for rehearsing, but it felt really good to sing and play and be involved in leading worship.

Tonight I took an online Song U class with Sue Smith on "Writing for the Christian Market." Very informative, and Sue always has a relaxed yet passionate teaching style.

The rest of the week has been mostly full of practical stuff, including car shopping, which I'm finding particularly stressful. I would usually like to take a few months to shop around and really weigh out the finances of it all, but we just don't have that luxury right now. Gerald has taken the lead in looking for good cars and great deals, and I really appreciate him for it.

Starting Sunday, we have 5 performances in a week, including singing at our friend's wedding. It's going to be busy, but it's the kind of busy I like, so I'm looking forward to it.

Writing from Canada

I'm writing this from sunny Ontario. Given the events of the last few weeks, it's sooo good to be home right now! We've had this working vacation planned since December, but even if we hadn't, we probably would have come 'home for a rest' (to quote Spirit of the West).

After the initial shock of the accident, our injuries started to reveal themselves. I sprained the muscles in my neck. Gerald had bruising and a contusion. Given the severity of the accident, we're just grateful to both be alive and in whole, complete bodies. People keep asking me to post photos of the car. They're very graphic and disturbing. It still freaks me out to look at them, so I don't know how comfortable I am having them all over the internet.

We're still both fairly tired, and dealing with a lot emotionally. We are pursuing a lawsuit, so that's taking a certain amount of practical energy. I'm currently carless, and might be a for while. My car was paid for, and we hadn't planned on buying a car for at least 2 or 3 more years. We don't have the money for new (or used) car, so we'll have to wait on a settlement, and so I'm still carless, and we don't know how much money we'll get, so we don't even know what kind of car we'll be able to buy, and ... my brain hurts just thinking about it all. Stress.

I'm finding it really hard to keep up with the practical stuff. I've had a lot of pain with my neck, and I've been really tired. I had to take some time off from the Stamps-Baxter School, but with school being so close, I had to go in a few days to clean up the backlog and train new staff to cover me while I'm away. I was so tired, I couldn't even work a full day. I've also fallen behind on all my booking, planning, and all that 'freelance' stuff. I'm hopelessly behind on email.

Here's the one that hurts the most: We've had to put my hymns CD on hold. We were supposed to do vocals the week of the accident, but with all the pain, especially in my neck, singing just wasn't an option. I've found any kind of rehearsing difficult, so I'm certainly in no position to record anything. The plan is to start again when I get back from this trip, and, hopefully, release the CD in July.

We have 6 gigs booked for this trip, the first one being this Sunday. We haven't had the time or energy to rehearse, so we'll be trying to focus on that for the next 2 days. Luckily, we're performing at a church that knows us well and cares about us, so they let us choose music we already know.

I'm sure I sound tired and cranky, and many days, that's just how I feel. I haven't been sleeping well, I'm nervous about driving, and I have terrible flashbacks.

But I'm also aware of the amazing measure of grace poured on us that day. I feel God's hand on us constantly. We've been surrounded by an overwhelming amount of love and support. We've been prayed for, cared for, and fed til we fell over. I've received emails and facebook messages from friends I haven't seen in years, and industry people who I've only met in the briefest of meetings. If this had happened 2 years ago, when we knew nobody in Nashville, it would have been a very different story.

Tomorrow, Gerald and I are going to find a lovely patio, order a few giant lattes, and enjoy the things we love about Toronto. It's so good to be home!

Please pray...

Gerald and I have just had a terrible car accident. We were hit by an 18-wheeler, which spun us around, pushed us down the highway, dragged us along under its wheels, and eventually flipped us one and a half times before landing upside down.

We are uninjured.

Our car is totalled.

The paramedics were amazed.

I don't know why I'm blogging right now. I don't want to cry or think about 'what if', so I guess, I don't really know what to do with myself.

Please pray for us.

Thursday update

Today, I:

- Shared the rough mixes from last week's recording session with Tara and got great feedback!

- Brainstormed with Gerald about future creative plans.

- Made a worktape of my long-distance, Song U cowrite.

- Signed up to take a Song U class with Sue Smith on "Writing for the Christian Market."

- Made steps towards a possible booking next month.

- Planned our music set for Sunday morning.

- Relaxed and enjoyed the blessings of the day!

Good day...

Home from the retreat!

Last week, I warned people not to call me today. Judging by my sore throat and the very long nap I took today, it was probably a wise decision.

This morning was another early one. The toile bed was glorious, and the only thing that made crawling out of it worthwhile was the stunning view from the balcony. The lake was calm, one person was fishing, and the birds were just starting their song. I love city living, but I would be really happy with this kind of view every morning.

The only thing on the retreat schedule for today was a Holy Communion service. Kendra was the worship leader, and I joined her on vocals. Because the weather was so stunning, we pulled all the chairs out on the large deck and held the service outside. So stunning! The sun was shining with just a gentle breeze. Instead of a sermon, we were given a time to reflect on the weekend. We sat in a circle, and gave communion to each other.

The music was gentle and spiritual. We did great songs like "As the Deer" and "Knowing You." On "Eat this Bread," I sang alto, and thought of the hundreds of times I sang it with Monika singing that same line.

Lake Barkley is so beautiful, and if I didn't have to work tomorrow, I would pack up Gerald and the puppies and drive us all out there again tonight!

Redeemer Women's Retreat

(Posted after the fact - no internet connection in the woods!)

I’m dragging my fingers across the keyboard. It’s been a long but very satisfying day.

Last night and this morning (early this morning!) I was a judge for the TN Fine Arts Competition. It’s basically like a Christian talent competition, where junior high and high school students get the chance to present different kinds of creative ministries. I judged some of the drama categories, and it was really fun. It’s always neat to see what happens when you give kids a chance to tell stories for themselves.

After this morning’s session, I packed up the car, picked up Sally Barris, and drove out to Cadiz, KY, for the Redeemer Women’s Retreat. I’m currently sitting in what only can be called a hotel room in Lake Barkley State Park. People keep saying we’re camping, and let me tell you, if this was camping, I’d be camping all the time! Our room looks like an HGTV version of “rustic chic” - dark stained walls, toile comforters that match the imitation-silk gingham curtains, and a granite and slate lined 3-piece bath. The true piece de resistance: each room has a private balcony and a completely clear view of the lake. Truly stunning!

Sally and I arrived just in time to rehearse with Jenna and Kendra for tonight’s sessions. Crazy rushed, but we worked with the time we had. I had a glorious 25 minutes to sit by the lake. The water was calm, and three fish jumped right in front of me. My kingdom for a pole!

At supper we ate BBQ and banana pudding, and chatted with the Redeemer ladies. It was easy to tell they’d been having a good time - everyone looked beautiful and relaxed. Laughter dominated the conversation.

Right after the meal, we gathered for our evening worship set, which I was leading. Jenna and Kendra filled out the all-girl praise team. Jenna had really blessed me by entrusting me with the leadership position, and it was somewhat intimating to lead with her on the team, but it all worked out so well. She and I have learned each other’s signals, so once I allowed myself to get out of the way, things flowed beautifully. We did a four praise songs, included a little acapella group singing, and Kendra ended the set with prayer. It was powerful and awesome!

After our Bible study session (Ruth - one of my favourites!), Sally and Jenna did a mini-concert. In the rehearsal today, they asked if I knew “Down to the River to Pray,” so tonight, we did it acapella in 3-part harmony. Our voices blended so well! We’ve decided we need to find another song or 2 and do it again some time. Sally did some of her originals, which were fantastic, and then they lead us in a hymn sing. We’d put all the chairs in a circle, campfire-style, and it was lovely to look around the circle and see all the beautiful faces. For the last song, “In Christ Alone,” Jenna called up Kendra and me to sing along. By the end of it, all the ladies were on their feet and the energy was too strong to stop, so we broke out in a round of Michael W. Smith’s “Angus Dei”. So awesome!

As we packed up the sound system (our SoloAmp!) and mics, some ladies prayed, others laughed, and other just hugged and talked about the beauty of the weekend. After the room cleared, Kendra and I did a quick rehearsal for tomorrow morning. I’ve now been on the go almost 18 hours. I’m tired. My voice is tired. My feet are tired, but I feel so good and satisfied and relaxed. Looking forward to climbing into my fluffy bed and dreaming of fishing...

Studio Day!

Okay, now I'm home, I'm still tired, but I have to blog about yesterday before all my memories slip away.

Yesterday, we gathered at the Soundshop on Music Row to record tracks for my new hymns CD. After our Monday rehearsal, I was very confident about the music, but I still had some nerves in the morning. How could I not? Tracking days are always expensive, and you hope and pray that you'll get everything you need in the time you have.

The Soundshop is an amazing studio with a long pedigree. Last summer, Aaron and Johnny Minick bought it and snazzed it up. We were in the smaller Studio B, which is cozy and intimate - the perfect place to record this music. Aaron was there to help us get set up, and my friend, Rebekah, has just started her internship there, so she spent time with us too.

Brian Speer played dual role of engineer/producer, and it was good to have a fresh set of ears hearing the songs. When Aaron heard a bit of "Just a Closer Walk", he pulled out this gorgeous old Gibson for Gerald to play. Ends up the guitar was once played by Chet Atkins. The piano Teri played was, over the course of its history, played by such people as Buddy Killen, Paul McCartney, and Ray Charles. Where else but Nashville?

Then, we started making the music, and it was awesome! We did the guitar songs first. It took a while to get all the sounds balanced (as it so often does) but once we got comfortable with things, it was great. The guitar songs had a lot of flair, and then we moved on to the really intimate piano songs. For most songs, we only did one or 2 takes. We'll do my vocals on a later date, so the most important thing was getting a gorgeous, moving instrumental take.

Once or twice, Teri would replay just a few bars and Brian would "punch it in". (Basically, it's like pasting that little section into the larger song.) But for the most part, every instrumental part you'll hear on the CD was done in one take. Amazing!

When we broke for lunch, we went across the street to the Pie Wagon for blackened chicken and chess pie. As we're walking in, 'Whispering' Bill Anderson was walking out. Ben Speer came to join us for lunch. A few minutes later, the Isaacs walked in. They were recording in Studio A, right across the hall from us. As I was sitting there, I had the most surreal moment. I thought, "I'm recording on Music Row," and it had all the excitement and aura and cool details that you think that moment is going to have. It was awesome and good.

At the end of the day, we had all the tracks, and they sounded excellent. I was tired - physically and vocally - but very, very satisfied. I'll get copies of the tracks on Friday, start rehearsing, and record the vocals in a few weeks. In case I haven't said this in a while: I love my job!

Quick studio update...

Yesterday was awesome! I was way too tired to write last night and I'm working for Ben today, but I'll write an update tonight. Awesome day!!!

Studio tomorrow!

Teri, Gerald, and I met this morning for our final hymns rehearsal. We made sure the arrangements are solid and the endings tight.

Tomorrow morning we're recording the tracks. We're actually recording on Music Row, which is pretty cool.

It'll be an early morning, so off to bed! Soooo excited!!!!

Easter recovery...

Yes, I've been in Easter recovery all week! Don't get me wrong - last weekend was amazing!

On Saturday, I attended a wonderful Seder meal at Redeemer. Sunday morning, Gerald and I led worship at Harpeth Springs. We planned some great songs for Easter, and we were joined by a great bass player. (We're hoping he'll join us again this Sunday!) I'd given up fast food for Lent so, after church, we broke the Fast Food Fast at Fat Mo's. Anyone who's eaten there knows you need a nap after, but we had to clean the house and glaze the ham! Sunday night, we hosted Easter dinner for 9 people. And before you give Gerald all the credit - I did the cooking!

It was an awesome day, and an incredible week, but I was just thoroughly exhausted after all of it. I had to work Monday morning, and I've just been tired all week. Tuesday I really wanted to nap all day, but Tara and I got all glammed up and headed out to Smyrna for the SGN Awards. It was really a fantastic show, and I got to see lots of friends. To be honest, it was actually a bit of a profound night for me. I don't know that I'm ready to write about it yet, but I may in a little while.

Today was the first day I was really feeling ready to get back to work (creative work, not day-job work), so it ended up being a wonderfully creative day! Gerald and I had a creative meeting this afternoon to discuss my CD and his demos. We try to have these meetings every week or 2. In them, we talk about our creative dreams, and then try to put together the steps to make them come true.

Gerald is developing an 8-song demo package that will be a mix of Christian and country songs. To keep things affordable, not all the songs will use a full band, so we'll probably use several studios to make the different demos. We're hoping to get at least 3 done before our next trip to Canada, and we'll post them online when we get them.

We're in the studio Tuesday to record the tracks for my hymns CD! So excited!! We're recording them right on Music Row, just steps from the hotel where we spent our honeymoon. On the day, we'll record the guitar and the piano, and I'll do a 'scratch' vocal. This basically means I'll sing along to guide Teri and Gerald, but we may not keep it. We'll focus on the musicians as opposed to spending our time getting the perfect vocal. (We'll do vocals at Brian's studio in a few weeks.)

Tonight, I worked on my part of a long distance cowrite. My partner sent me several lyrics, and I chose the one that sounded most Southern. I've written a melody that I think is pretty solid. I recorded a rough acapella verse/chorus (reminder: learn how to use Garage Band) and sent it to him. Hoping he likes it!

There's a lot to do over the next 10 days. In addition to recording next week, I'm also working for Ben, attending Bible study, judging at the TN Fine Arts competition, and leading worship at the Redeemer's women's retreat in Kentucky. Please don't call me next Sunday afternoon - my phone will be switched off!

Maundy Thursday

I decided last night to give myself today off. It's one of those things that I couldn't really afford to do, but I also couldn't afford not to. Now that I've hit the end of the day, it was definitely the right choice. I relaxed, spent time in a cafe with Tara, and had a long dinner out with Gerald.

Tonight I went to the Maundy Thursday service at Redeemer. It was awesome. We did Holy Communion, foot washing, and stripping the altar. The music was great, and the whole service was powerful and moving.

When I got home, Gerald and I rehearsed for Sunday morning. These are the songs we're doing:

• Holy is the Lord (Chris Tomlin)
• Above All (Paul Baloche)
• In Christ Alone (Stuart Townsend)
  
• Angus Dei (Michael W. Smith)
• Worthy is the Lamb (Darlene Zschech)

The rehearsal went well, so I'm feeling good about it all!

SoGo Central Nashville

Tonight I sang at the SoGo Central Nashville Dinner Theatre. It's a neat little community theatre where they do lots of plays and musicals, and for the last few months, it's been the home of monthly Southern Gospel concerts.

My Stamps-Baxter friend, Brandon Andrews, has been the host, so I was thrilled for the invite to come and sing a few songs. I was also excited because I'm big fans of the headliners for the night - Mike and Kelly Bowling. For the uninitiated, Mike and Kelly are a husband-wife team who have built one of the hottest trios in SG today. They have a great sound and they choose great songs - last year's "Your Cries Have Awoken the Master" was Singing News #1 song for 2008.

I opened the show with "Neighbour" and "Real Big Fan", and both went well. Brandon did a great set with his huge, powerful vocals and awesome songs. Then Gerald and I did our new arrangement of "Just a Closer Walk" and we had the crowd singing along. Mike and Kelly gave a great show with stunning vocals, and an easy, friendly stage presence. They're awesome to listen to, and just so comfortable to watch.

After the show, we got to chat with the audience, staff, and other artists. "Just a Closer" got terrific feedback, so I'm even more excited about putting it on the new CD. Overall, there was a really positive feeling from everyone. Hope we can do it again soon!

Happy Palm Sunday!

I love Palm Sunday! Actually, I love all of Holy Week. I have Bible study on Wednesday, but I'm planning to attend church on Thursday and Friday evenings. I'm also doing a cool reading this week. Max Lucado's "And the Angels Were Silent" covers the final days of Christ as recorded in Matthew. The chapters are all broken down for the days of the week, so this week, I'll read it according to the days of Holy Week.

This morning was a first for us - we each sang at different churches! Gerald was back at Harpeth Springs, where he lead worship by himself for the first time! He was a bit nervous (aren't we all the first time?) but by all accounts, it went well. For the final song, he did his new song, "The Good Tree," which talks about the tree that would become the cross. Awesome song!

I was on the praise team at Redeemer. We had a fairly large group with 7 of us on the team, and 2 more coming up to sing in a quintet for the offertory. I sang "Go to Dark Gethsemane" from the red Anglican hymnal during communion, and it went really well. The whole service was pretty awesome, and we got a tremendous amount of feedback after the service.

Busy week ahead! Must rest up so I'm good for the whole week!

Awesome rehearsal!

Gerald, Teri, and I met this morning to continue our hymns rehearsal.

We started with the 2 guitar songs. When Gerald and I were in Alabama earlier this month, we came up with a really cool arrangement for "Just a Closer Walk." It's got a really cool groove, and Teri is going to play a little solo near the end that's jazzy and fun. Then we worked on the classic "Give Me Jesus." I've really fallen in love with this song, and I imagined singing it with a very simply guitar arrangement. When we were rehearsing last night, Gerald started doing this cool tapping thing with the guitar. Instead of strumming or plucking the strings, he taps them with the tips of his fingers, giving them a ringing, sustained kind of sound. Add in a little piano, and the whole thing sounds so beautiful! I had chills while we were working on it. I am sooo excited about this one!

Next, Gerald got to hear what Teri and I have been working on. It was great getting to touch the songs again. We don't want to overwork them before we get in the studio, but playing them again today allowed us to settle into them a little more. We found some beautiful moments, and most of it is just so pretty and simple.

We need to book a studio day soon for the tracks, but I don't think that'll happen til after Easter. I get more and more excited each time we take another step on this project!

Silence on the Hill

Gerald and I just finished our rehearsal in preparation for tomorrow's rehearsal with Teri. Gerald is going to play "Just a Closer Walk" and "Give Me Jesus" on my new CD, so tomorrow will be a chance to share those arrangements with Teri, and see how her piano skills might fit in on those songs.

I got an upsetting email today: Music on the Hill has been cancelled. This spring will be our last season. Music on the Hill was a lunchtime concert series held at my former home church in Toronto. We started it about 8 years ago as an outreach project. My role was Artistic Director. I found, hired, and coordinated the talent, and I even kept doing the job long distance from here in Nashville. We hosted 6 concerts in the spring and 6 in the fall, and they featured a wide range of music - everything from classical to opera to jazz to world music. We had some amazing performers, and received lots of support from the arts community and the local government.

One of the things that excited me over the years was our growing audience. I remember one first season show that, due to unexpected timing, ended up being held on election day. We had less than 20 people in the audience, and I was crushed. As Dad left the show, he slipped me a note that said, "Don't worry. It will grow." Apparently, over the last year, they've been averaging a hundred people a show - a terrific number for this kind concert. I loved Music on the Hill for many reasons, but the outreach was very important to me. Many of our audience members, and even many of our performers, would never step into a church, but our concerts gave them a reason to walk through the doors and sit in the sanctuary. Who knows how God used that moment over the years?

I don't know the exact reasons why the series has been cancelled. I've been told it has to do with funding at the church. When I got the email today, my heart sank. I'm just so sad to see this happen. But I'm also really proud of the work we did. We gave opportunities to many artists, and welcomed thousands of people through the doors of our church.

And here's the real grace for today: I had my friend Deanna booked to sing in this spring's series. When she announced her wedding date for June, she told me she would also have to cancel her concert. Since Gerald and I will be in town for the wedding, we decided to take her spot. God clearly knew what was coming, because Gerald and I will now sing this June, in the last series of Music on the Hill.

Please join us if you're in the area:

THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 2009
MUSIC ON THE HILL CONCERT SERIES
Allison & Gerald will perform a concert of
original and classic Gospel and Country songs.
St. John's York Mills Church
19 Don Ridge Dr.
North York, ON
12:15pm
Pay-What-You-Can Admission

Return to Harpeth Springs

One of my favourite hymns growing up sang, "The church is wherever God's people are praising..."

This morning, Gerald and I returned to Harpeth Springs Community Church to lead worship. Last week, we met in a parish hall in Pegram, but this morning, we joined the congregation in their new home - a middle school in Kingston Springs. An unexpected place to find church, but still a joyous place to worship on a Sunday morning.

There are definite challenges leading music with a small crowd in a big concrete room. The sound spreads so much and people can't hear each other singing. Everyone feels a little far away from their neighbour, especially after spending the last few weeks in a warm cozy little hall.

That said, I think we rose to the challenge. Our new sound system filled the room brilliantly, and even though we couldn't hear the voices very well, I could see lots of singing and clapping. After the service, we enjoyed fellowship and homemade goodies, and we got some wonderful feedback, so that was encouraging.

Next week will be interesting: I committed to singing at Redeemer over a month ago, so Gerald will be leading worship at Harpeth Springs by himself. It's the first time we've ever worked two different churches on one Sunday morning! There's always a new challenge when God's your boss!

NSAI night!

Gerald and I recently re-upped our membership with NSAI, and tonight was our first meeting in ages! It felt so good to be back there, seeing a few familiar faces, and enjoying a truly unique Nashville experience.

Tonight's meeting featured NSAI membership coordinator, Sheree Spoltore, speaking on "My Hometown - Success in Your Own Backyard." Basically, the focus was on making your songwriting career work when you don't live in a major music centre like Nashville.

It was interesting timing for us. As I've already written, Gerald and I are in Decision Month. Within a few weeks, we'll decide whether we'll move back to Toronto next year, or apply for a visa extension to stay in Nashville. Our visa ends in January, and the visa is never guaranteed, so Toronto could definitely be the place. As we think about moving back there, we've realized that we wouldn't be moving back to the same Toronto we lived in 2 years ago. Not because the city has changed, but because we've changed so much. We've gained new skills and accomplishments, and if/when we move back to Toronto, we'll be living different lives than we did before.

So, it was interesting that this week's meeting focused on how to make it work outside of Nashville.

Sheree is passionate about songs and songwriters. She was one of the first people we met here, and was one of our first supporters. She is always inspiring, and tonight was no exception. She gave lots and lots of practical ideas, and everyone left the room ready to write songs and spread their music. (If you're a member, they'll have it on the webcast archive soon.) Great night!

I Love Rehearsals!

Teri Reid and I met this morning to start rehearsing the hymns!! I was so excited and nervous - mostly excited, but I'm always a little nervous when I start something new.

Most of the songs are going to be piano driven, and a few will be guitar driven, so today we focused on the piano songs. It sounded so good!! Some of it will be kind of jazzy, and some of the songs are just going to be really, really pretty. A few are standing out already - I'm excited about "In the Garden" and "Come Thou Fount". We're doing "Take My Life" using the Mozart tune from the old red Anglican hymnal, which is the tune I grew up with. To give it a little 'lift', I wrote a little refrain to sing after each verse, and it sounded really beautiful with the piano!

Next, Gerald and I will rehearse the guitar songs, and then we'll start bringing the guitar and piano together over the next few weeks. So excited!!!

Harpeth Springs Community Church

This morning, Gerald and I lead worship at Harpeth Springs Community Church. This is a very young church community - only 9 months old, to be exact. They posted a small ad saying they were looking for "worshipers who could also lead worship", and I gave them a call.

The small, faithful congregation is currently meeting in the parish hall of a more established church, so we had a nice cozy room for worship. There were lots of kids, and the whole atmosphere was warm and friendly.

I had worked very hard to set all our lyrics on a power point thingy so they could show them on the screen. Just by using the word "thingy," you can probably tell I didn't quite know what I was doing. Well, it could have been me, or it could have been that their system wasn't Mac-compatible. Either way, when it came time for the service, the lyrics weren't showing on the screen. Gerald and the sound man started looking for other options to get the lyrics up. As things got later and later, I started to get a little nervous. What if we were messing up their entire morning? What if we were offending the entire congregation? Just as these thoughts were getting worse and worse, the pastor comes over and says, "We just love spending fellowship time before the service. As you can see, people arrive late around here, so we just hang out and get to know each other better." I relaxed completely! We eventually found some printed lyric sheets and started the service.

There was a really gentle energy throughout the whole service. People sang and were joyful, and even the kids sang out. Pastor Jim preached a wonderful message about pursuing Jesus, and we had a great time of prayer.

At the end of the service, we were asked to play a song of reflection during Communion. They did Communion a little differently than I'm used to - the elements were laid out on a side altar, and you could go up and receive them in your own time. It was neat because you really got to receive the bread and wine in a moment of stillness. It reminded me of the fact that our relationship with God is a relationship of choice - God will seek us out, but He will never force Himself on us.

After the service, we got a chance to meet most of the congregation, and the pastor and his wife took us out to lunch. As we enjoyed the Mexican buffet, Jim asked if we would consider leading worship for the next few weeks, up to and including Easter Sunday! We happily accepted, and learned more about what they want to achieve in their new church.

And here's the part where I knew God was in the mix: After the service, Jim and several members of the congregation talked and decided they wanted us back. They loved the music and the way we lead worship, but here's the kicker - they were totally impressed by how relaxed we were when the lyrics didn't work. They loved that we were calm and friendly as we worked with others to find a solution. Good thing they couldn't see my nervousness inside!

Whenever things don't go as planned, I like to say, "I had a plan for today, but apparently God's decided we're following His plan." Well, today, we really were on God's plan, and the results couldn't have been better!

"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)

Saturday Report

Feeling like forever since I've blogged, so I really just want to give a little update. We're leading worship at Harpeth Springs Community Church tomorrow morning, and I still have lots to do tonight, so I'm going to do this in bullet points:

- The hymns CD is coming along nicely! I've axed "This is my Father's World" - love it, but it really doesn't fit my theme of 'intimate' hymns. Instead, I'm going to do "Just a Closer Walk with Thee." Gerald and I figured out a cool arrangement when we were in Alabama, so we're doing to do that instead. I start rehearsing with Teri this week. So excited!!!

- I recently interviewed four of Stamps-Baxter's international students for my SGM Radio article. I'll post a link when it's up. One of the girls found out about the school through the Canadian Homecoming DVD, and I was at that taping! God is so in the details!

- I decided to take on a Song U "Challenge" this quarter and do a "blind date" cowrite. Basically, they match you up with another writer, generally in another part of the country, and you write a song together via phone, the internet, etc. My partner just sent me some lyrics, and one of them screamed Southern Gospel, so I'm going to write a melody this week. Very excited by the challenge!

- I booked 5 gigs in the past 10 days. Whoo-hoo!

- So the big thing is this: It's Visa Decision Time. Basically, our work visa expires in January 2010. If we're going to renew, it should be in August, which means we'll need to start assembling the package next month, which means ... it's time to decide if we're going to renew the visa, or go home to Canada. Needless to say, this is huge. It's all I think about, and Gerald and I are actively discussing it every day. In short, there are great reasons on both sides of the argument. Creatively, Nashville is perfect for us, but practically speaking, Toronto is much better. There are people in Nashville who want us to stay here, and people in Toronto who want us to come home, and we love that people want us on both sides of the border, but ultimately, we need to decide what's best for us as a family.

Really, it's all I think about these days. Any other thoughts are simply distractions. Please pray for us as we truly try to seek and follow God's will for our lives.

Northside Church of the Nazarene

We're home! After a long, but safe, 6-hour drive, we're home and exhausted! I have to work tomorrow morning, but I'm way too tired to go to sleep yet.

We were up bright and early (the clock said 7 am, but my body still felt 6 am) to join Ron at Northside Church of the Nazarene. Neat story: back in the day, Dad Speer founded the main Nazarene church in the area. Speer history! I love it!

The church hosts a small congregation, but what a service! We opened with a congregational hymn, prayers, and announcements, and then it was our time. We had planned on doing four songs, but we got requests! On Friday night, Gerald was talking about his 9-11 song, "Angels in the Dust." One of the veterans showed up at church "just to hear that song," so you know Gerald had to do it. (love that song!!!) It received a great response, so it was well worth it.

At the last minute, Gerald asked if I'd sing "Shepherd of the Hills." I didn't really know if it was the right morning for it. I rehearsed it, but decided I wouldn't do it. After Gerald sang "Angels," I sat down in my pew, thinking this was a lovely way to end the set. Then Ron asked, "Are you going to to do #6?" How could I say No? After I sang it, the preacher walked up to the pulpit and said, "That last song said exactly what I want to say in my sermon." You can't tell me God's not in that!

The sermon was excellent, and after the service a group of us went to lunch. Again, we got to know several people, and I think I may have an invitation to another church in August.

What a weekend! I'm tired, but very, very happy!

Grimes Gospel Lighthouse

Grimes Gospel Lighthouse is a small church just around the corner from Klondyke, in Dothan, Alabama. Each Saturday night, they host artists for a weekly Gospel singing. Like Klondyke, Grimes Gospel Lighthouse is a small ministry that serves a vibrant and committed group of believers. We were welcomed with open arms, and sent home with bowls full of homemade peach cobbler. One of the women brought her little black chihuahua, who sat in the pew with her, so we knew we were in the right place for us!

They open each singing with the song “The Lighthouse” and by praying over prayer cards collected throughout the week. After the prayer, we did our program. The songs from “Real Big Fan” were really well received, with people singing and clapping along, and they loved it when Gerald grabbed his guitar and we sang together.

During the offering, a gentleman from the congregation sang and played a few classic songs, and then we jumped back up to finish with a few hymns. After our last song, we all held hands and ended with prayer. It was a lovely spirit, and we got to chat with everyone present. Unfortunately, the puppy got away before I could take a picture, but trust me - he was so cute! (Yes, we totally miss our puppies right now!)

We’ve had an extra gig added on! Last night, Ron asked if we could sing in his church on Sunday morning, so he’s picking us up bright and early tomorrow morning to drive with him. Of course the time springs forward tonight, so it’s really going to early - don’t know how bright I’ll be!

Klondyke Gospel Music Center

(I didn't have internet access this weekend, so I wrote offline and I'm adjusting the dates as I post these entries now.)

It’s 4:25 Saturday afternoon, and the last 30-something hours have been a whirlwind.

Last week, Gerald and I did something we thought was brilliant. We bought a great new sound system called the Fishman SoloAmp - it’s an all-in-one system perfect for solo artists or duos. Gerald spent the last few months shopping around, and when we found a great price on Ebay last week, we snatched it up. The brilliant part was that the SoloAmp would arrive on Tuesday, and we would have this entire week to rehearse with it.

Well, you know what happens when you start putting your faith in postal stuff. First it wasn’t shipped Monday, then it wasn’t shipped Tuesday, and so on and so on. Finally, the seller told us it was shipping out THURSDAY and would arrive 8 am on FRIDAY morning!

Reason for stress: Friday (yesterday) we had to drive 6 hours for a 7 pm concert in Ozark, Alabama - at a venue where we had to provide our own sound system!

We got up early Friday morning to get ready for the day, finish packing, and prepare for the 8 am arrival of the SoloAmp. Our plan was to do a test of the system before getting in the car. At 9:23 am, a very apologetic UPS man pulled up in front of our house. After a quick unpacking and testing (it works!), we were on the road by 10:15.

Here’s the irony: When we arrived at the Klondyke Gospel Music Center, yesterday’s group, Reign Song, was still in the building. They were just there to see the show, but they had left their sound system in place, just in case we wanted to use it - we didn’t need our own system after all!

After a sound check and freshening up, we started the show. The first half of the show was just me and my tracks and testimony. The crowd loved “Neighbour” and “Wedding at Cana” and “Moving Up to Gloryland.” I had a very cool moment during “Abide With Me” - I had my eyes closed for a moment in the bridge, and when I opened my eyes for the first line of the last verse, “Hold thou thy cross before my closing eyes,” my eyes fell on the 3 white crosses at the back of the room. No one else knew what was happening, but it was one of the those moments when I really felt God moving in the music. I sang “Real Big Fan,” which I always love, and got everyone singing with “At the Cross.”

That’s when I pulled up Gerald. We did “In the Garden,” which always gets people singing. Gerald did some of his originals - “A Church Song Broke me Down,” “The Lovely White Birds,” and “A Hand-me-down Prayer.” We ended with rousing renditions of “What a Friend” and “Just a Closer Walk.”

After the show, the entire crowd made its way over to the Waffle King for a late night scoff. It was great to chat with people and learn more about their lives and community. Gerald and I stayed up very late chatting with Gina and Stacey Cooper of Reign Song (who are actually staying the whole weekend). After such a long crazy day, we also slept in very late this morning. Gerald and I had a lovely, long walk this afternoon, and the rest of the day was spent chatting and sharing music.

We’re getting ready now to sing at Grimes Gospel Lighthouse tonight. If all goes well, we’ll use our sound system and present the same show as last night. If God has another plan, well, we’ll just have to see what happens!

Off to Alabama!

We're heading off to Alabama in the morning. We have concerts in Ozark and Dothan, and we're really excited about it all!

Tomorrow's going to be a bit tough - a six hour drive and a concert at night - so please keep us in prayer for energy and safety.

I won't have email access, but I'll be blogging each night and I'll post on Sunday.

Happy Weekend!

Hymn Stories

My latest SoGospelNews article is up! It's called Hymn Stories and you can read it here.

Hymns CD - shortlist

I've been spending hours and hours going through hymnals and listening to suggestions, and I've come up with a shortlist of hymns for my upcoming recording. One or two may change, but here's what I'm working with right now:

HYMNS CD - SHORTLIST:

1. I Surrender All
2. In the Garden
3. Take my Life and Let it be - tune "Mozart"
4. Sweet Hour of Prayer
5. My Jesus, I Love Thee
6. Jesus Loves Me - possible new 2nd verse by Allison + Gerald
7. Softly and Tenderly
8. Just as I am
9. Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing
10. This is my Father's World
11. The Lord's my Shepherd - new tune by Allison
12. Give me Jesus

Sunday night surprise

I just got a phone call from Tara - apparently, I'm getting radio play on XM's Southern Gospel station, Enlighten. Whoo-hoo!

Pajama Worship

So first, a little inside information: I am a hint-o'-Type-A personality. I really don't think I'm full-fledged Type A, but I do like to know what's going on. What time are we starting? What's the order? What is expected of me?

Tonight was amazing and special and wonderful. We met at FAM around 7:00 as they were getting ready for their first ever women's retreat. The idea was to encourage comfort and community. Women and young girls were invited to come in their pajamas and spend the whole night in the sanctuary. Everyone brought pillows and blankets and found their own cozy spot on the pews. We were just there for the evening, but yes, Gerald and I wore our pajamas too!

Before the event began, Gerald and I met with Pastor Glenda to find out more about the church and the community. As with most inner city ministries, the needs are great and the resources are few. But FAM is approaching their work with passion and focus, and lives are being changed.

Here is where my Type-A-ness comes into play: I knew that we were going to be involved in the candlelight worship, but I really didn't know what that meant. Gerald and I had some songs prepared, but I didn't have an order for the evening. Was there a speaker? Did they want song and prayer? If so, who would lead the prayers? (add several more similar questions...)

I asked my list of questions. Pastor Glenda said, "We're just going to worship." I shifted a little in my chair, and asked my questions again. Pastor Glenda smiled and said, "We're just going to worship." Gerald looked at me with that you-need-to-go-with-the-flow look in his eyes. I took a deep breath, and found a quiet place to pray.

It was in that quiet place that I realized, "It's okay to step outside my comfort zone, because God is there too."

With that, the evening began. And we worshipped!

We sang great songs like "Lord I Lift Your Name on High" and "Blessed Be the Name". The ladies sang and clapped and waved their flags. The little girls danced and smiled. We had prayer, and after more song, I opened the mic for testimonies. We heard brave and honest stories of struggles and redemption. And we had a beautiful moment when each of the little girls took her turn to share a blessing or story from her week.

Pastor Glenda and I have been talking for a few months about having me at one of their services, but I was completely honoured that they would trust us with such an important event. It was humbling and inspiring, and I can't wait to go back.

My new CD is official!

I've mentioned that I'm working on a new hymns CD, but I feel I can 'officially' announce it today, as the last major piece of the puzzle has landed in place.

This morning, Gerald and I met with Teri Reid to discuss her involvement in the project. Teri is the daughter of Miss Mary Tom (Speer) Reid, and an awesome singer and pianist in her own right. I met Teri at Stamps-Baxter where she bravely teaches our children's class. Teri has done some amazing things in her career, but what caught my ear was her jazz piano.

For this CD, I want to do 12 classic hymns in intimate piano-vocal arrangements. Teri and I both love Gospel, both love Jazz, and we really get along well, so she was an easy choice for this project.

We met today and talked about the music and the purpose of the album. We batted around song titles and thoughts on the musical direction. And we planned out our next few steps.

I've been planning this project for a few months, but as of today, it feels like we're really on the path to making it happen! Sooo excited!!!

Latte, Stamps, and Tea

Today was a day of wonderful details, like the friendly teenage cashiers at Kroger, and the wonderfully funny lady who sold me my iced latte. But that was just the start of today's great blessings...

I found out today that I'll be working an extra day a week for Stamps-Baxter, which is not only a financial plus for us, but with our new change of venue, it also means I'll be able to do a lot more work for the school. Yay!

Gerald and I will be playing and singing at the Family Affair Ministry Fellowship (FAM) women's retreat this weekend, so I called the church today and arranged a visit there tomorrow. We're going to lead worship on Friday and sing at the service on Sunday, so we want to see the space and find out how we can best serve the retreat. I've been talking to the pastor about singing there for a few months now, so I'm very excited about this.

Tonight, I joined my first women's Bible study group. We're doing Beth Moore's "Esther" study, and I'm really excited about the whole thing. It's kind of like Alpha in that you have a DVD of Beth speaking and a discussion, but there's also a workbook and weekly homework.

Most of the group members attend BCC, which sponsored the Women's Tea that I sang at last October. After we finished tonight's session, one of the women asked where she could buy my CD. (my purse is always well stocked!) Apparently, her daughter has been singing "Do You Wanna Be My Neighbour in Gloryland" since last October. Did you catch that detail? She doesn't have the CD, yet she's still been singing the song since October! Talk about a great way to end an awesome day!!!

Let's Dance

I just read this awesome quote and had to share:

We're fools whether we dance or not, so we might as well dance. ~ Japanese Proverb


Made me smile!

Things have been busy. I'm continuing to book dates for our May/June visit to Ontario, as well as some local gigs here in Nashville. This weekend, we're going to play for the Family Affair Ministry's women's retreat. It's a last minute thing, so it's a little crazy pulling it all together, but we're also very excited about working with this awesome church.

Last Thursday, Gerald had an amazing mentoring session. They're just weeks away from going in the studio to record some demos and start the 'shopping' process. Originally, we were going to do full band demos, which you can also call very-expensive-and-therefore-stressful demos. But apparently, a lot of cuts these days are coming from great guitar-vocal demos. Still done in a studio with killer musicians, but having fewer people in the studio means less money and less stress. Big yay on both accounts! This change will cut our budget in half and will also mean Gerald can probably record 5 songs instead of 3. More yay!

I sang on the praise team Sunday. It was one of those mornings when nothing quite felt rehearsed by the time the first service started. But God still had His way, and it was awesome. I was the cantor for the beautiful Psalm 30 which contains the lines, "Weeping may last for a night, but joy comes in the morning." For those that know my experience with grief, you can imagine how much it meant to me to sing this message. It was one of those things that was both difficult and amazingly satisfying. In the second service, at the end of the song, someone from the audience spoke out in the silence and said, "Amen." That just shook me. I know it had nothing to do with me or Jenna or the tune, but that God was using all of these things to express His peace and comfort to someone who needed it. Amen, indeed!

Today is a writing day. Gerald is upstairs having a (very long) co-writing session. I finished a Song U course earlier, and I just finished working on a few new lyrics using my free 30 day trial of Masterwriter. This is an amazing songwriting program that allows you to organize your lyrics and music, while also putting a whole bunch of tools right in front of you - rhyming dictionary, thesaurus, word families, and a complete Bible, to name a few. I've been working non-stop all day, and I've reached the point where nothing good is coming out anymore. My brain is now like vanilla pudding, and I feel it's probably time for an afternoon espresso!

Three Years Ago Today...

... we gathered in the church on the hill.

... there was a perfect layer of snow on the ground.

... friends sang, family cried, lots of people took photos.

... we took the next step in our Adventure together, exchanging vows and feeling the love of family and friends.

... we danced and partied 'til they kicked us out, and then met again the next morning to tell stories about it all.

Most people get married to settle down.

Today, Gerald and I are celebrating three years of travel, adventure, and joy!

Happy Anniversary, My Love!

Elvis Cake

Redeemer has started a new monthly service of praise and testimony. Last night was our first time doing it, and I was thrilled to see such a large crowd! Redeemer has chairs instead of pews, so they'd taken the back rows and arranged them in a semi-circle in the back of the church, still facing the altar, for an intimate and informal setting. Jenna had her keyboard set up at the end of the semi-circle, and as soon as I walked in, she motioned for me to sit with her and help lead the singing.

The service was lead by one of our laypeople (I'm assuming she's layperson), and it was awesome! There was no set program, but the evening flowed between times of singing and prayer and testimony. It was all very relaxed and encouraging. There was no pressure to speak or sing, but the atmosphere was so comfortable that several people shared a brief testimony or prayer request.

And as a reminder that we are never the ones in charge, halfway through the opening songs, the keyboard lost power. We all kept singing, and I thought, "Well, we can lead acapella if we have to," but Jenna, being the pro that she is, grabbed her guitar and started strumming away without missing a beat. Very cool moment, and definitely made everyone smile!

After the service, they had a small reception with tea, coffee, lemonade and snacks, and you could tell everyone had enjoyed themselves by the long lingering conversations. After helping with the clean-up, Jenna and I went to a local favourite where I tried Elvis cake.

Yes, Elvis cake - rich banana cake with peanut butter filling and cream cheese icing. Mercy! Only in the South...

Hunting for Hymns

My SoGospelNews article this month is called Hunting for Hymns.

I'm about to start work on a new hymns CD, and this article is kind of my love song to hymns (appropriate for Valentine's month, n'es pas?)

I'm asking people to suggest some of their favourite hymns for the project, so please feel free to read the article, and suggest your faves in either the comments section or via email.

Wonderful, beautiful worship

Despite last night's sniffing and sneezing, we were still up at 6 am for praise team this morning. Luckily, the weather was pleasant, so that kind of made things easier.

We had a great team this morning, with me on vocals, Gerald on guitar, Jenna on keys, Roy on bass, Jeff on percussion, and Betty on organ. Jenna had chosen some great songs, with a healthy mix of classic, triumphant hymns and beautiful, gentle praise songs.

The team gelled quickly, with vocal harmonies and good chemistry. You could tell there was something wonderful going on in the rehearsal. The first service (which, on a rough morning, feels like dress rehearsal) was fantastic. The music flowed, the sermon was great, and the energy in the church was very moving.

But in the second service, we shifted gears. I was starting to feel the effects of my lack of sleep, so I said, "God, you've got to take control of this for me." I guess everyone else said the same thing, because when we hit Communion, you could feel the electricity in the air.

Our first Communion song was Darlene Zschech's "Worthy is the Lamb". People started singing right away, and a few people closed their eyes and raised their hands. But by the time we got to Michael W. Smith's "Agnus Dei", the Spirit was really moving. People started to stand, and raise their hands, and worship with abandon. By the end of the song, almost everyone in the church was on their feet. From our position in the front of the sanctuary, I could see everyone - their beautiful faces, their absolute love. It was so incredibly beautiful! I had to close my eyes to keep from crying. It was just so overwhelming. I tried to keep eye contact with Jenna so I could follow her cues, but it was so hard to look at anyone without crying. I eventually closed my eyes and thought, "God, if Jenna needs me to do something, please let me know." I could feel her direction, and the whole song ended beautifully, seamlessly.

The last hymn was joyful and vibrant. We all lingered and chatted long after the service. My headache had returned from last night, which was the only thing that drove me to go home. In the car, Gerald and I talked in hushed tones about what we had just experienced. It was humbling, and just so incredibly beautiful. I'm sure I'm babbling, because I know my words can't accurately describe what I saw or felt this morning. All I hope is that you'll experience it some time soon...

Sing the glory of his name; make his praise glorious!
(Psalm 66:2 NIV)

Song U Chat

Song U, in its university-style concept, has several different clubs on 'campus'. I'm a member of the CCM Club and the Performing Songwriter Club, which basically means I can go into those sections of the discussion boards and join in the discussions of related topics.

This morning, the CCM Club met online for a live chat. We all met in the e-auditorium. I think there were 7 of us who chatted over the course of the hour. There was the option of using a mic, but we kept it all to typing, which just seemed easier.

This kind of gathering was all kind of new to me, so it took a bit to get used to the flow of things, but after a while, it got to be pretty fun. I didn't really know anyone there, so we passed around a few introductions. One new member of the group brought up the topic of "what makes a Christian song Christian?", an oft-discussed topic in Christian music circles, but actually a great topic for getting to know people and their knowledge and background in Christian music.

Later in the chat, one guy suggested we take on the exercise of a group co-write. We're going to start with a hook, and write the whole thing on the discussion boards. Once the lyric is down, a few people will work on the music, and then one of the members has volunteered to demo it. I have no idea how this'll turn out, but it'll be interesting if nothing else!

By the way, I don't know if I've shared this yet, but I do have a webpage on Song U. It has songs, news, and an interview about my songwriting influences. You can visit it here.

I had great plans to go out tonight, but I'm fighting some kind of sicky thing. I can't afford to get sick because I'm on the praise team tomorrow. Gerald is forcing me to watch TV and sip tea. I feel blah, blah, blah.

A bit of quiet time...

Writing late at night in a quiet moment...

Gerald and I spent a good part of tonight rehearsing. He's a last minute addition to this Sunday's praise team (I was already on the roster, but we were short a guitar player). We met with Jenna yesterday to pick up music and we'll squeeze in a few rehearsals before Sunday. Tomorrow is busy, but I have no doubt it'll all work out.

I've spent a good part of the week organizing the house. I recently painted the living room a warm, country yellow, which has made a huge difference! A great colour just affects everything - your mood, your efficiency, your creativity... I then decided I wanted to put up the rest of the art that's still in boxes, so I've pulled out every box that was still packed up. That lead to emptying out closets, armoires, shelves. You can probably see where this is going. For the past week, my house has looked like one of those 'before' shots in an organizing show on HGTV, but there's light at the end of the tunnel. I've been able to recycle bags full of paper and piles of cardboard boxes. The walls are full of great photographs and pictures, and my creative room is close to near-perfect organization. There are new little decorating vignettes in the living room, and my receipts are almost ready for tax season.

"If you give a mouse a cookie..."

Calvary Baptist Revival

Calvary Baptist Church was the first church to welcome Gerald and me when we moved to Nashville. I met their music director, Don, at an NSAI meeting, and within a few weeks we were singing in their sanctuary. This morning, we returned for an awesome service billed as their Deacon-lead Revival.

The entire service was lead by the men of the congregation. The ladies of the choir sat in the congregation, and the 'mens' choir lead the congregational singing and sang a great anthem by Don called "One Man". The message was delivered by five of the church's deacons. Each man gave a five minute testimony about their walk with God. None of these men were professional speakers, but each one spoke from his heart. The honesty of their testimonies was powerful and moving. Many tissues were used in those 25 minutes.

Gerald played an instrumental during the offering, and then I joined him on harmonies for "A Church Song Broke Me Down." I followed this with "Neighbour", which got the whole church clapping. My Elijah Conference training really came into play during my segues. I wanted to give very short intros to the songs so that our music became a seamless part of the revival theme. I think it all worked out very well, and we got a wonderful response from the congregation.

Visiting Calvary again really got me thinking about how much we've learned in the past 2 years. Some of our accomplishments are easy to see - my CD, radio airplay, Gerald's 150 new songs. But today highlighted the intangible, non-quantifiable things. We're just better. Gerald plays better. We write better. We sing better. And as a duo, my ability to sing harmony and our ability to blend has gotten better. That's no slight on anything we did two years ago, but it's awesome to recognize that living here and being in this city has made a wonderful and positive improvement on our skills and abilities.

The rest of the day was very "Nashville". Gerald had a writing appointment booked for the afternoon, and we wanted to go to lunch. But being Nashville on a Sunday afternoon, most restaurants had a 20-30 minute wait. We ended up at a Chinese buffet that, in addition to the expected items, served duck (always great), frog legs (love 'em!), and crawfish (my first taste - salty but interesting).

After Gerald's appointment, we attended a birthday dinner for our awesome friend, Tom. Tom is a songwriter, painter, and overall awesome human being. After a wonderful feast and several hours of chatting, we turned to the five guitars Tom has lined up in his living room. Gerald and I did a mini-concert of half a dozen songs. Tom and other guests played several of theirs as well. As Gerald played, another guest improvised solo guitar parts. I improvised harmonies. Those who didn't play hummed and clapped and smiled. It was so awesome, and so wonderfully Nashville!

"Winter"

Yesterday, it was so warm you could go for a walk without a jacket.

Today, I have all the windows open and the heat turned off.

I love "winter" in Nashville :)

January stuff...

I've been getting subtle complaints that I haven't written lately. I knew it had been while, but it wasn't til I looked at the date of my last post that I realized just how long it has been.

This month has been a mix of things, and to be honest, I've been on a bit of an internet diet. I've had such a range of stuff going on that, for whatever reason, hitting the internet has become one of my least favourite activities. Gerald will laugh a little at that, because up til this month, I've been pretty internet obsessed. In addition to my blog diet, I've barely gone on Shoutlife or MySpace, and I think my Facebook status says I'm still opening Christmas presents. I have at least a hundred unanswered emails, and that's the only thing I really feel badly about. Really, we all deserve a decent turnaround time on emails.

So why the silence? Well, when we first got back from Canada, I think I just needed a rest from things. December was amazing, but with the gigs and the family stuff and the driving and the everything, I needed some silence, some rest, some regrouping. I spent a significant amount of time working on my New Year's Resolutions. As I wrote for my SoGospel News article, I take New Year's Resolutions very seriously. Gerald and I both see this as a significant time to start things anew. This year, I wrote 2 lists: one for Resolutions and one for Goals. It's probably self-explanatory, but the Resolutions are larger changes I want to make - create an inspiring home, take creative risks, get healthier. The Goals are practical realizations of the Resolutions - paint the living room, record a new CD, walk 3-5 times a week. The lists are fairly long and involved, but they're reflective of a very large and somewhat intimidating reality - we have one year left on our visa.

One official year left on the Dream. We're going to apply for another visa in August, which would give us another 3 years, but even with all that work, a great lawyer, and astronomical fees, there are no guarantees that we'll get another year. It's a little scary, and a little overwhelming. But I'm trying very hard not to get ahead of myself. I'm trying not to think about Plan B. Instead, I'm really trying to focus on making the most of these 12 little months. We've decided to approach this year with the attitude of "this could be our only 12 months left". If that's the case, we don't want to go home with any regrets. We want to record and perform and do everything we can while we're here in Nashville. We're recognizing that we may have to go into some debt to make that happen. Anyone who knows me well will know that this prospect just freaks me out, but I'm willing to cope with that situation if it means doing the thing we want to do in our (possibly) short time here. I'm thinking of it as "noble debt", and I'm also trusting God wholly and completely with our finances. If He wants us recording and touring and making the most of this opportunity He's given us, then He's also going to need to open some doors for us financially. I'm contacting everyone I know who has a church and saying, "You know how you said you'd like me to come and sing for you some time? Well, my time is getting shorter. When can I come?"

I know it may sound dramatic, but we are limited in our time here, and it's making us hungry. Not literally (we hope :) but hungry and passionate to pursue our dreams and follow this path with commitment and focus.

It's "Live Like You Were Dying" rewritten as "Live Like You Might Be Moving".

That said, it's been a very emotional month as I'm putting these plans together in my heart and in my mind. I'm trying to be very balanced in terms of creative time and practical time and family time and friend time. I'm studying and writing and singing on an almost daily basis (It's harder to do it all on days when I work 8 hours in the office. This is why people with full-time jobs have trouble making time for art. Quit your jobs, people!)

So what does today look like? This morning, I'm writing and singing. Gerald is doing the same. We painted the living room a bright, warm country yellow on the weekend, so today I'm going to finish putting the room back together. It's already a much more inspiring place to be! Last Sunday, Gerald and I sang on the Redeemer praise team together, and we had an awesome time. This Sunday, we're singing at Calvary Baptist here in Nashville, so we have some rehearsing to do for that. This evening, Gerald will meet up with his songwriting mentor to continue on their plans for demoing Gerald's songs next month. I'll spend that time sipping hot chocolate, hopefully with a friend. Tonight, we'll find something to do together - well, I say that not knowing if there's a basketball game on...

Gerald at the Bluebird

Last night ran late, so I'm updating today. Long story short: Gerald rocked last night!

He's been so sick all week with a terrible cold that we started making back-up plans: Should he stand or sit while performing? Which of his songs could I sing? How could he make a funny joke about coughing through an entire song?

But prayers obviously worked.

The illness drastically cut his rehearsal time, which meant we weren't able to work out harmonies. My role for the night was adoring-wife-eating-sweet-potato-fries-at-the-table, and I was happy to do it. We had a nice number of friends show up for the night, and we knew a few of the other performers from Gerald's last performance.

Despite the shortened rehearsal time, Gerald did really well. He opened with "Modern Day Outlaw", followed by "Saturday Morning". (I think he calls this something else, but it's one of my favourites, so I've given it my own name.) He closed with "Water Tower", which is just awesome.

Sundays always end with a set by a pro-writer. Tonight we were treated to a performance by Joie Scott. I didn't know any of her songs, but she's fantastic. Really cool voice, and awesome songs, including a new cut by the Imperials.

After the show, Gerald and I closed the place out, chatting with new and old friends. Ger received a lot of great feedback from people in the audience, so we're hoping he books another date there soon. We'll find out on Tuesday...

Home again!

We got back to Nashville 10:00 last night. Thankfully, we had a great drive with clear weather and very little traffic.

Today, I'm resting and recovering while Gerald is preparing for his Bluebird appearance tonight. He's been suffering with cold and flu symptoms all week, so most of his prep today involves rest and tea and honey.

I'm watching decorating shows and trying to get the energy to take the dogs for a walk. (the same dogs who are also resting and recovering today!) The show I'm watching now is decorating a children's room and the little boy just said, "I like pirates cause they don't brush their teeth." That is my biggest laugh of the day!

Please pray for Gerald's voice and health tonight!

Winds of Change?

This morning, we sang at St. Christopher's Church here in Burlington. It was nice to be so close to home on an early morning! It's been wet and mild all weekend, and this morning, the wind was whipping through the trees. A lone discarded Christmas tree rolled off the snow and down the street. Sad sight...

When we visit St. Christopher's, we sing during communion. Since we're still in the Christmas season, we sang "I Wonder as I Wander", "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen", and "My Heart is the Manger." We were well received, and "Heart" received lots of great feedback. More and more, I'm getting asked "Where's your Christmas album?" Maybe 2009 will be a 2 CD year?

As a change of pace, this is the Sunday where St. Christopher's asks the congregation to choose the carols. At the start of the service, the priest said "Today we'll need 4 carols for the service. What do you want to sing?" People shouted out hymnal numbers, and these were the carols we sang. Very cool idea!

As we were doing our sound check, we couldn't help but notice the odd noises in the building. We thought it might have been something in the sound system, but no - it was the steeple. Yes, the wind was so wild that the church's tall thin steeple was swaying back and forth. The whole church creaked and groaned throughout the entire service. Partway through, I actually had the thought, "If the steeple falls and the roof breaks open, we'll just keep singing."

The show must go on!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Yes, it's still Christmas! I had a lady snap at me yesterday when I said that to her. I reminded her that we're in the 12 Days of Christmas, so we're still in the Christmas season til January 6th. Her coworker piped up, "I've been telling her! I've been telling her!"

So, MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We've had an amazing week! I'm happy to say we were able to reschedule both gigs from last week's Snow Day. It made this week a little busier, but it was also wonderful to sing for people this week. On Christmas Eve morning, we sang at a seniors home where we visited all the different floors. On one floor, we found a woman with a huge soprano voice. After we finished our songs, she asked if she could sing us a Polish carol. It was such a gift for us! On another floor, we were asked to sing in a private room that contained a woman in bed, with her husband sitting on a couch. After we left the room, we were told that she's dying, and may only have a few days left. Having had a Christmas death in our family, my heart goes out to this couple. There's just something about Christmas that makes the mix of life and death even more pronounced and poignant.

That night, we returned to St. John's Weston where we sang for both of their Christmas Eve services. We did "Twas in the Moon" with djembe as our 'special', and "My Heart is the Manger" during communion. Rev. Michelle did an awesome sermon describing the Christmas story as part of the love story between God and humanity. (I think Gerald might have a new song coming from that any day now.) We didn't leave the church until one in the morning, so it made for a long night, but we were so thrilled to be there. The services were beautiful and the people were amazing.

Christmas Day, we sang at a seniors centre in a rougher area of Toronto. I spent the first few songs trying to sing through tears. A lot of these people were in rough shape, and most of them were alone in their rooms. Earlier in the day, I was feeling cranky for having to leave my family for a few hours on Christmas Day, but once we got there, I was so thankful that God had brought us there. In a wonderful twist of irony, we were given a parking pass for the day. They didn't have a "musician pass", so we were given a "spiritual pass". If they only knew ...

The rest of the day was wonderfully Christmasy - lots of food, smiling children, piles of snow, puppies chewing wrapping paper, lots of food (it deserves the second mention!). We sang again yesterday, which also felt wonderful, and today, we enjoyed a lovely day off. We won't be here for Mom's birthday next month, so we celebrated tonight with fresh lobsters. Such a treat!

I can't believe we'll be back in Nashville this time next week! Where has this month gone?

Carol Service Day

(I'm dating this for Sunday, but Sunday went waaaay too late, so I'm writing the next day!)

Today was our day for Carol Services. I'm actually a huge fan of Carol Services. I love the mix of readings and music, storytelling and symbolism.

We started the day by driving through near-snow-storm conditions to St. John's Weston in Toronto. Dad had an interim there last year, and we were invited back this year for their Carol and Christmas Eve services. I would call this morning's service more of an Advent Carol Service. The readings ranged from Creation through Christmas, with a strong emphasis on the world's preparation for the coming of Jesus. We sang three songs - "I Wonder as I Wander", "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen", and "Welcome to Bethlehem". I was a little hesitant about doing "Welcome". I didn't know if it would be seen as too fun, or even too irreverent. Wow, was I wrong! People loved it! We got more compliments on that anything else. I actually had a very proud moment when someone asked if Gerald wrote it. High praise, indeed!

St. John's Weston is a stunning little church with a dynamic, multicultural congregation. They're a lot of fun, and very spiritual. Tonight, we sang at Dad's new interim, St. George's Church in Guelph (lots of driving today!) and in terms of church size, it couldn't have been more different. Where St. John's looks packed with 100 people, St. George's seats hundreds and hundreds. It's a gorgeous old church with stained glass, carved wood, marble floors, and restored vintage paintings. The similarity is a wonderful and dynamic congregation.

Tonight's service was a beautiful traditional English-style Christmas Carol Service. They started with the church in darkness, and the servers had a wonderful, extended candle-lighting ceremony that gradually lit the entire sanctuary. The readings also started with Creation, but focused more on the actual Christmas story. There were lots of great hymns, and the choir sang the wonderful Willcocks descants (choir people will know what I mean!). St. George's has a great choir, and they sang some beautiful pieces including one of my favourites, "Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day."

We weren't originally booked to sing at tonight's service, but when Dad found out we were free, he asked if we could come and sing during his homily. The message is always short at a Carol Service, so he told a few different Christmas stories - some funny, some poignant - to remind us that our story may be told in different ways, but that the truth is the same throughout. We sang the song "Sweet Little Jesus Boy" to relate how the Christmas story was interpreted during the Great Depression, and how those circumstances are so relevant to us today.

The entire service was so detailed and beautiful. We were very well received, and I think we may be visiting again in May.

The weather was better but not perfect tonight, so we were all very late getting home. No one was tired, so we had eggnog lattes and watched The Vicar of Dibley Christmas special. If you like Brit-coms, you must check it out. It's one of our favourites!

Official Snow Day!

Our second gig has been postponed til Monday!

SNOW DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

First gig cancelled!

From Mom and Dad's front window, you can look down a street that stretches out for several blocks before ending in a cul-de-sac. Usually, you can see to the end of the street. Today, you can hardly see past the first house.

Yes, our first gig for today has been canceled due to 'snowmageddon' - the term coined by our weather broadcasters for this storm. Toronto is scheduled to get 20 cm of snow today. Our particular area is going to get a minimum of 30 cm, plus wind squalls, zero visibility, and a wind chill of at least -10 C.

We were up bright and early to get ready for the gig, so we've now named it Christmas Movie Day. We'll give tonight's gig a call later on to see what they're thinking. Hopefully, both events can be rescheduled for next week.

In the meantime, I wanted to share this awesome photo from the St. John's West Christmas pageant. You may recognize the 'carolers' in the lower right hand corner....

Oh, the weather outside is frightful...

Not quite frightful yet, but the predictions aren't good.

The past few days have been stunning - gorgeous sunny cold days highlighting the picture perfect Christmas card display of snow. The family down the road has made a perfect snowman that's as tall as me, and everyone's Christmas lights look beautiful against the pure white backdrop. Walking the dogs has become a bit of an extreme sport as we slip and slide over the icy sidewalks, but I'm also hoping my 20 pound winter coat is acting as weight resistance for optimum workout value.

The weather people are freaking out tonight. They're predicting a terrible storm for tomorrow and Sunday. Of course, we have 2 gigs each tomorrow and Sunday.

Please keep us in prayer for safety on the roads and, if we lose any of our gigs to weather, please pray that we will be able to make up those financial and ministry opportunities.

Niagara Falls Winter Festival of Lights

Gerald and I are enjoying a few days off right now, and it feels great!

I really wanted to do something Christmasy that didn't involve me as part of the show, so tonight, Mom and Dad and I drove out to Niagara Falls for their Christmas light show. In my humble opinion, the Falls are definitely at their best in winter. There's a great build-up of ice and the water has to rush and crack over the huge frosty formations. Also, visiting the area in January and February gives the benefits of no crowds and great hotel deals. But I digress...

Each year, Niagara puts up a light display all along the road that goes by the Falls. On each side of the road are a variety of pictures and images made of LED lighted outlines, many of which are animated. Actually, in searching for photos, I just found a site that lists the display as one of The 7 Best Christmas Light Displays in the World. The stretch along the Falls is great, with snowpeople, Christmas villages, and RCMP on horses, but the best part of the show is around the Dufferin Islands. As you drive through the woods, you pass by a wonderful and intimate area with a narrow stretch of water and an island on your right. Along the shore are displays of natural wonders, such as a polar bear fishing, deer in the woods, life under the ocean, and a wonderful picture of Noah's Ark. As the animals come off the Ark, you realize they are all the quintessential Canadian animals - bear, moose, caribou and beavers. Each image is reflected in the water, which just heightens the romantic effect of it all. (trust me - photos don't do it justice!)

The whole thing is fun and pretty and wonderful. On the weekends, there are concerts and fireworks, but we were happy to go when it was quiet. We stopped briefly by the Falls themselves. The mist has covered the trees right by the Falls with a thick and spiky covering of icicles. Even in the dark, the rainbow still shone through the mist. Stunning!

The snow picked up on our way home. It made for treacherous driving, but Dad and I went for a late night walk when we got home, and it was great then. Should look gorgeous tomorrow...

Confessions of a Victorian Christmas Caroler

Here's the other link I mentioned last week.

Each month, I write artist interviews for SGMRadio.com, but this month, I decided to write an article about my experiences in caroling.

Here 'tis: Confessions of a Victorian Christmas Caroler

Basketball fans may recognize a familiar red face in the photo!

As of yesterday, we've now completed 13 performances since arriving here in Ontario. We added one more to the schedule today, making it a total of 25 for the month. Loving it!

St. John's West & Centennial Park

Today was full of great music, great people, and great food!

We got up early to drive in to Toronto to play the morning service at St. John's West. At this church, we always play all the music for the service - hymns, anthem, liturgical music, etc. - but today was their pageant, which meant even more music than usual. Fifteen songs to be exact, not including a prelude and a postlude. The pageant was wonderful - kids and adults in costume, with lots of carols scattered throughout for the congregation to sing. I made the mistake of turning around to watch the Nativity scene while we all sang 'Silent Night.' I suddenly had a lump in my throat and tears welling up in my eyes, neither of which is conducive to leading a song. Yes, I'm a sucker for all things Christmas!

St. John's is always a cool and creative place to be, and everyone got really involved in the service. The congregation was invited to come to church in costume, and several people did. One woman even brought her little Jack Russell terrier in a lamb costume. So cute!

After the service, we had a bit of time in between events, so we drove downtown for lunch. We have a list of favourite restaurants we're working through this month. We found our way to Spring Rolls on Front St. where we stuffed ourselves with Tom Yum soup and Pad Thai. So good! We didn't have time to wander through St. Lawrence Market, but all the vendors were outside with their tables overflowing with Christmas gifts, antiques, and other treasures.

Late afternoon, Monika joined us for the Centennial Park Flower Show. This is like our Allan Gardens gig (and run by the same people), except it has a bit of a different feeling. Centennial is smaller and the whole event is much more intimate. We sing in the greenhouses, which are lit by candlelight and filled with incredible displays of poinsettias, handcrafted cedar garlands, and exotic plants. The people are very relaxed, and many of them remember us from year to year. And again, in between sets, we stuffed ourselves with cider and cookies. I feel some festive exercising coming on...

We knew today was going to be long and a lot of work, but it was just wonderful all around. That said, we're looking forward to a few days off. We've done 7 performances in the past 5 days! And, as is often the case, they were all different kinds of gigs requiring lots of different kinds of preparation and rehearsal. It's much more relaxed for the next little while. Looking forward to spending time with loved ones, seeing more of Toronto, and working through that restaurant list...

Me on SoGospelNews!

I am so all over SoGospelNews.com these days!

Susan Unthank wrote about my cancer wig hair cut. You can read that article here.

And, I'm now a monthly writer for the site! Each month, I'll write a little post about my music and ministry. You can read my first post here.

I have another article online this month, but this computer is giving me 'issues', so I'll have to add that link later.

By the way, 'tis the season for eggnog lattes! Bliss!

All Saints and Allan Gardens

Long, wonderful day of singing and spirit!

I spent the morning at All Saints Anglican Church. When we lived here, I used to visit them a couple of times a year, but this is my first time back in a while.

All Saints is known as an 'outreach' church. For the most part, they are unable to fund themselves. They are supported by the larger Anglican community in Toronto. Needless to say, they can't afford much of a music program. When their priest, Jeannie, came to speak about their work at our home church, we got to talking, and that's how the relationship began.

Most people who attend All Saints wouldn't be welcomed at most churches. Let's be honest - we Christians like to say 'come just as you are', but we really prefer it if people are neat and clean and fairly well balanced before they sit beside us in the pew. I once met a woman at All Saints who told me she'd attended four churches before finding All Saints. The other churches had, in their own special ways, told her that she wasn't welcome. All Saints hugged her and loved her, and now she's there every Sunday. Why do we Christians mess that up so much?

It was great to be back there this morning, and see some of the positive changes that are happening there. There's a wonderful energy, several new faces in the pews, and lots of involvement from parishioners. As usual, the service was theologically and liturgically rich. I sang 2 songs in the service, and people were very appreciative. And as always happens at All Saints, I bring in my little offering, but I always walk away with so much more.

They always have a lunch after the service, but I had to run half a block west to get myself to Allan Gardens for the afternoon.

This is the fourth year we've sung for the Allan Gardens Christmas Flower Show. The 'show' goes on all month, but today was the opening. It is so stunning! Imagine walking from the cold, snowy streets of Toronto into 5 Victorian greenhouses filled with palm trees, water ponds, and exotic plants from around the world. It's beautiful any day of the year, but at Christmas, they fill it with every poinsettia imaginable, white mini-lights, special arrangements, and candlelight. So lovely!

Gerald, Monika, and I donned our Victorian Caroling gear and spent three hours singing our favourite Christmas carols. By the end, we'd seen old friends, met lots of happy children, had our photos taken by tourists and newspaper reporters, and had eaten more than our fair share of hot apple cider and Christmas cookies.

We've had a few gigs this past week, but somehow, this gig has become the 'official' start of our Christmas season!

St. Luke's Palermo

Last year, I visited a very old, very tiny church in Palermo, Ontario (part of Oakville, ON). I loved the look and spirit of the church, so of course, I asked if Gerald and I could sing there some time. The church changed rectors over the past year, so it was a bit of a journey working out the details, but tonight, it all came together, and we did a concert at St. Luke's Palermo.

The original plan was to do a concert to attract people to the growing parish, but along the way, we got involved with an awesome cause - the Stephen Lewis Foundation. It was decided we'd do a concert to help raise funds and awareness for the plight of those affected by AIDS and HIV in Africa. Gerald and I couldn't be more thrilled to help this awesome cause.

The weather was cold tonight, but a small crowd of us gathered in the tiny sanctuary for a great night of Gospel and Christmas music. We did some of our originals, including "My Heart is the Manger" and Gerald's new song, "The Lovely White Birds" (looove that song!). We did a fair bit of Christmas music, including "Welcome to Bethlehem" and "Twas in the Moon of Wintertime" using only voice and djembe. People loved that!! Since there were hymnals in the pews, we had some singalong carols as well. After the show, we wandered over to the parish hall for an incredible reception with cheese, pate, fresh berries, homemade Christmas cookies ... nobody does it up like church people!

The response from the audience was just awesome! They loved the songs and the harmonies and meeting me and Gerald. They practically cleared the product table. And ... we've already been booked to do another concert next December 5! (Mark your calenders!) The women's group has decided to sell tickets for the event next year so we can pack the place and really gain awareness for the cause. So excited! What an awesome night. Long time coming, but worth every moment!

Happy Christian New Year!

Happy Christian New Year! Today marks the Sunday known as Advent 1, which is the start of the Christian year. We have only four Sundays til Christmas, and it's gonna fly by!

This was the one Sunday this trip that I couldn't book us anywhere, and it really worked out okay.

Last night, we sang for the Christmas dinner for Bethany Evangelical Missionary Church in Kitchener. I didn't know all these details til last night, but the pastor, who has a radio show, discovered me on Radioactive Airplay! You never know where people will find you! The dinner was held on the campus of U. of Waterloo, where Gerald attend school in his younger days. The world became smaller when we realized that, years ago, one of the men at the table had attended a theatre production at U. of W., starring Gerald!

The food for the meal was prepared by the Mennonite cooks who run the cafeteria, and it was awesome! After each course, Gerald and I would lead the crowd in a few carols. After dessert (huge pieces of homemade pie and ice-cream!), we did a 45 minute concert. I did some songs from Real Big Fan, and then Gerald joined me for some Christmas songs. We ended with a duet version of Gerald's "My Heart is the Manger." How much do I love singing this song?

It was a great night, we were well received, and we've already been invited back! No complaints here.

We were pretty tired this morning, so I was just as happy to have the chance to visit Dad's new church in Guelph. He just started this interim position a few weeks ago. The church is huge and old and gorgeous! This morning was the Advent Carol Service of hymns and readings, and it was beautiful. At the end of the service, we all gathered in the chancel to sing for the Amazing Grace Project. To hear everyone singing in that tight little gathering just gave me shivers! I've been in touch with one of their wardens about singing there next spring, so it was good to see the place and meet some of the people face to face.

The rest of the day was spent eating sushi and celebrating my birthday with friends. Lovely!