SARK and the Dream Boogie

Yes, an odd sounding blog title, but not if you know SARK.

Susan Ariel Rainbow Kennedy is a vibrant, inspirational creativity teacher. She's an artist and writer, and all her books are published written in her own handwriting and accented by her bright watercolours. Most men, and probably some women, would probably find her flaky, but I love her free spirit and carpe diem approach to life.

Tonight, I attended a free tele-class with SARK! "Dream Boogie" is an 8-week course designed to put your dreams into action. I used the time to focus on our plans for a music company, and came away very excited and encouraged!

The technology was the coolest thing - at 9pm, we all called a phone number and were able to hear SARK & her assistant, Trisha, lead the first part of the class. This new technology was incredible because it actually allowed us to interact as if in a live lecture. Throughout the class, SARK would lead polls. We would punch a number on the phone for our response, and within seconds, all the results would be tallied.

Then, we broke up into small groups. Yes, on the phone. At the sound of the tone, I was suddenly on the line with 3 other ladies. We had 15 minutes to share our dreams and encourage one another. At the end of the small group time, Trisha switched the line again so we were back in the lecture setting. At the end, Trisha removed the mute button on our mics so we could all (several hundred of us?) could sing Happy Birthday to SARK. It's a little hard to describe, but very, very cool!

Life is too short...

Last week, a young man from our church passed away. He was young, kind, and healthy, and shockingly killed by hidden heart disease. A few days later, a Stamps-Baxter friend passed away. He was older, and had dedicated his life to singing Gospel music and loving his family.

I've been avoiding my blog.

Somehow, telling you about a great rehearsal, or the fact that I'm subbing in for the Chorale lead, or my new site seemed unimportant, trivial.

Saturday morning, I attended the young man's funeral. As I sat in the pew, I grieved for both men. I grieved yet again for my own Steve. I cried and ached for the people around me and in the States who are hurting so much.

I felt helpless - what can I offer my friends who are in so much pain?

And a few answers came to mind:

I can sing.

I can pray.

I can offer a shoulder to cry on, a listening ear, the few lessons I've learned from my own experiences of grief.

And I can learn.

I can learn from the best of these men - to be generous and loving to my family - to live each day to the fullest - to make music with my friends - to live my life with honour, respect, holiness.

Such basic lessons, but in the day-to-day dealings of traffic and bills and taxes and issues, we forget.

Life is fragile and short.

So, live joyfully - love abundantly - sing boldly - and never miss a chance to walk in the rain, smile at a baby, dance to your favourite song, or indulge in fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies...

Hair we go again...

A year and a half ago, I had a very dramatic hair cut. I grew my hair an extra 9 inches and donated the cut ponytail to Pantene's Beautiful Lengths - a program that creates free wigs for cancer patients who lose their hair in chemotherapy.

After much debate, and a hair consultation from my cousin, Laurel (whose salon runs an annual hair donation day) I've decided to grow and donate my hair again.

It's long now, but over the next few months, I'll wash it, condition it, and care for it as it grows another 5 inches.

By mid-summer, it'll be driving me nuts, but it's all worth it.

It takes 6 donations to create one wig, so my donation isn't enough. If you have long hair, or you know someone who may be interested in donating their hair, you can find more information at Beautiful Lengths. The program runs in both the USA and in Canada.

Easter at St. John's York Mills

Alleluia - He is risen! The Lord is risen indeed - Alleluia!

If you went to church this morning, there's a good chance you heard and said this ancient Easter greeting. I love Easter, because Easter is when it all comes together. Without Easter, Jesus is simply a great man or a great prophet. But with Easter, Jesus is Lord, Saviour, Messiah, Prophecy Fulfilled!

Our morning started with an early rise. This was the Sunday we added 2 vocalists, a percussionist, and all new sound equipment. Gerald and I went over to the church last night to set up the equipment, and it made a huge difference for this morning! We all met at 8am so we could have a full hour's rehearsal before we had to head into the church for sound check.

The church was full (as most churches are on Easter) and it felt amazing to hear all those voices, see all those happy faces, and see the crowd of children gathering up front for the children's focus. Our music was a good mix of hymns and praise songs. Having the extra voices and percussion helped lift everything to a new level.

After the service, Gerald and I went home to our backyard, felt the sunshine on our faces, and breathed a sigh of relief. Holy Week is awesome, but it was a lot of work. 4 services, 3 rehearsals, 2 churches, and 1 new sound system - and I decided to launch my new site this week. Crazy busy, but wonderful, uplifting, and profoundly moving.

Tomorrow, we'll rest, relax, and gear up for the next phase!

Happy Easter!

Allison's April Articles

This month, I'm blessed to have 2 of my own articles online, and a mention in someone else's article.

My SoGospel News article talks about the new site, the free song download, and an interesting piece of family trivia. You can read that article here.

My SGM Radio article discusses a ministry lesson I received while shopping for magazines. You can read this article here.

Awesome songwriter-musician, Andrew Donaldson, mentions "Hymns in the Key of Grace" in a recent article about contemporary hymn writers. You can read his article here.

Always nice to have something to read on a Saturday afternoon...

The new site is up!!!!

I'm soooo excited right now!!!!

The all new AllisonLynn.com is live!!!

I'll write more about it tomorrow, but please head over for a visit when you can.

For April, we're offering a FREE song download! To get your free download of "At the Cross," please visit the Store.

And just in case you couldn't tell - I am sooooo excited!!!!

Good Friday at All Saints

We gathered this morning in the quiet of the All Saints sanctuary to prepare for our Good Friday worship. The normally chatty community allowed the silence of the space to calm them. These are people who carry heavy burdens - coming to the cross and laying those burdens down is vital.

The service opened with prayer and scripture readings, punctuated with moments of silence. The clergy and community read the Passion from the Gospel of John, and I followed it with an acapella rendition of "Were You There." More silence, and a long section of prayer. A wooden cross was brought up through the congregation, and we read prayers in a meditation on the cross. After a hymn and a final prayer, Gerald and I sang "The Good Tree." More silence.

Solemn, holy, and moving - a beautiful way to celebrate and honour Good Friday.

Maundy Thursday

Holy Week is always crazy for church people, and today was the busiest of them all. For Easter Sunday, we're having 3 new people join the team - 2 vocalists and 1 percussionist. On top of that, we have all new sound equipment to accommodate the new members, and today, we had our one and only rehearsal to try and pull it all together.

After 2 hours of learning new tech, new songs, and new parts, we had a short break before this evening's Maundy Thursday service. Today is the day we celebrate the Last Supper and the institution of Holy Communion. A little internet research earlier this week revealed that "Maundy" comes from "Mandatum novum" or "new commandment," referencing John 13:34, when Jesus said, "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another."

If you've never been to a Maundy Thursday service before, it can be very powerful. Our service tonight included music, communion, prayer, and foot washing. The foot washing is always amazing and personal. The music was moving - including Gerald's song, "The Good Tree" - and the prayers were meaningful. At the end of the service, the altar area is stripped to prepare for Good Friday. We exited the church in darkness and in silence.

Holy Week is busy, but I guess the challenge is to be deliberate in taking and cherishing these moments of silence and stillness.

Lessons from a Magazine Store

We spent yesterday afternoon enjoying the sunshine in one of our favourite parts of Toronto - the Annex. For the uninitiated, the Annex is cool, vibrant, and artsy. It's the home of the Fringe theatre festival, Tafelmusick Baroque Orchestra, and rock mecca, Lee's Palace. And on any day, you can wander through countless bookstores, cafes, and tea shops to find interesting people and stimulating conversations.

One of our favourite stops is the magazine store near Bathurst. We usually stick to the music section, but yesterday, I looked to see if they had any Christian magazines - ideally, something related to Christian music. I found my titles hidden in the Literary section, and thus the lesson began.

Of the 14 titles that could be considered 'religious' or 'spiritual', only 3 contained any sort of Christian association. One was evangelical, one Catholic, and one was on sacred history, Christian and otherwise.

Now, I make no judgement on the lack of Christian content in this store. Obviously, the store owner is doing what any wise business person should do - choosing products that reflect the purchasing needs of their clientele.

But as a Christian musician working in Toronto, it does provide some insight into the community and its demographics.

Is there a need for the Gospel in the Annex? Of course - we all need the Gospel.

But the insight provided by the magazines allowed me to contemplate the following questions:

- How would the Gospel be received in this part of town?
- Would people object to the message? Be offended? Be intrigued? Not care?
- Could I use my creativity to present the Gospel in this community?
- How can I be a witness to Christ in a way that won't be seen as preachy or Bible- thumper-ish?
- Many of the other magazines in the store speak to a community that is intelligent, well-read, well-informed. How do I share the Gospel in a way that will not be seen as condescending, insulting, or cliche?

I don't have answers to these questions right now, but I do think it raises questions for all us in music ministry. If we are truly called to take the Gospel outside the walls of the church, first we need to learn about our community, and then we need to learn how we can share the Gospel in a way that will not be taken as manipulative or judgmental.

I'm not saying we change the message, but sometimes, we must be creative and open in the method.

The challenge begins...

Palm Sunday

It's times like this that I'm sooo Anglican!

Today, we kicked off Holy Week - my favourite week of the year. It's that week when we really feel like we're walking with Jesus - into Jerusalem, through the trial, at the cross, and finally, the wonder of Easter morning!

Our Palm Sunday service started outside with a few songs lead by djembe, tambourine, and shakers. Inside the church, we were joined by the handbells for the hymns. The highlight of the service was a dramatized reading of the Passion, punctuated by a few short songs. One of the songs we did was the spiritual, "Calvary." Gerald and I actually recorded this song on my first EP, "It is Well with my Soul." We used to sing it all the time, but we haven't sung it for years! It was awesome to jump in again and rediscover the song.

Because this is such a crazy week, we decided to have an extra rehearsal today, which lead to a long, but good, afternoon. With so much 'church stuff' going on this week, I really wanted to attend the service tonight. I just needed that quiet time to sit in the pew and prepare my head and heart for this week. I needed it for my own personal spiritual journey, but also to prepare myself for leading worship throughout the week.

I feel ready. Well, as ready as anyone can ever feel...

Book Review: "Everyone Communicates, Few Connect" by John Maxwell

I've mentioned several times how much I love "Talent is Never Enough" by John Maxwell. When I saw he had a new book coming out, I knew I wanted it, and then I was super excited to find out I could get a copy for review!

"Everyone Communicates, Few Connect" speaks to the problem many of us feel on Facebook and other online social communities. Everyone is shouting out information, but ultimately, if you don't connect with someone, who cares?

As Christian musicians, we can sing loud, send out tweets, and stick Jesus fish on our car, but if we don't connect with people, are they really going to hear our message?

John did an interesting experiment with this book. He actually posted pieces of the book online while he was writing it, and invited people to send them his feedback. Not only did he quote individual stories throughout the book, but he literally thanked every person by name in the back of the book. Don't you think all those people feel a connection to the book? Brilliant!

The book is written to help people with connecting on 3 levels: one-on-one, small groups, and in front of an audience. Obviously, I'm reading this through the eyes of a performing musician and worship leader. I feel like this book continues the work I started with the Elijah Conference a few years ago. How do I go from simply performing to actually connecting with the audience and offering something of value to them?

John starts with the principles through which we can connect with others, and taking a "it's more skill than talent" approach, leads us through the steps we can follow to help increase our ability to connect with people in both grand and intimate situations. Each chapter has a great summary and application exercises. I would recommend this book to anyone in leadership, but especially to those of us in ministry. Our message is so important, and if all we're doing is shouting at people, they may miss the message altogether.

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

On Eagle's Wings

This afternoon, I sang at the funeral of a friend's husband. Years ago when I walked through my own time of grief, this friend counseled me and inspired me to lean on my faith. To be able to be there now in her time of grief was a true blessing, and one more reason why it's good to be home.

I sang "On Eagle's Wings" - a song of hope and encouragement. It's a song I love to sing, but more and more, the singing has become the secondary goal. As I prepared for today, I thought about the lessons I've been learning from John Maxwell's "Everyone Communicates - Few Connect." As much as I want to sing beautifully, my main goal today was to truly connect with those gathered in the church - to give them this message of hope and encouragement - to let them know that, wherever they are in their faith, wherever they are in their grief, that God is with them, caring for them, loving them.

After all, we can always use a little extra hope.

I hope they felt it.

St. John's Double Header

As I mentioned a few days ago, Gerald and I were handling all the music today at St. John's. We decided to get to the church as early as we could so we could have a nice relaxing start to the service. As we were doing our sound check, I thought, "Isn't it funny that no one is setting up the screen?" Well, tech issues were in the air. The slides (which thankfully, I didn't have to prepare) were not working. The slides cover all the songs and all the prayers.

In moments like this, I'm so thankful that Gerald and I have a lot of theatre and improv experience - craziness just doesn't throw us. Instead of using the opening songs as a sing-along, we invited people to use them as songs of reflection. Our opening hymn wasn't in our current hymnal, so we made a last second switch to "Seek Ye First". We haven't done that song for at least a year, but it had the chords in the hymnal, so it was an easy choice. The offertory, "Amazing Love," was a trickier piece as it's also not in the hymnal. So, I fed the lyrics to the congregation, line by line. I invited those who know it to sing loud and help us lead, and wonderfully, it worked!

Communion became songs of reflection, and thankfully our last song, "How Great Thou Art," was in the hymnal. The response from the congregation was very positive, to both the music and our leadership. I think people respond well in an "we're all in this together" atmosphere.

This evening, we had Monika join us for the Gathering service. We opened with "Holy is the Lord," "Open the Eyes of my Heart," and "Worthy is the Lamb" (Hillsong). It was so beautiful to have Moni's harmonies with us! It always amazes me how we can choose songs, the clergy chooses the sermon, and God somehow ties it all together. By the time we closed with "They'll Know We are Christians by Our Love," we had all been blessed by a message of relationship and transformation.

I like the evening service. It's casual and challenging, and people always bring good treats to snack on!

I first met Tinker...

... in the same way most Stamps-Baxter students met Tinker - as a school greeter in the Nashville airport. His gentle manner and Southern charm welcomed and encouraged all of us as we found ourselves in the sometimes overwhelming atmosphere of shape-notes and convention singing.

When I started to work for the school, I learned that Tinker had a true servant's heart. No job was too small, too trivial, too menial. He was a silent worker, there when you needed him. And he never missed a chance to tell a good story or enjoy a good laugh.

But here's my favourite story about Tinker: My first year at Stamps-Baxter, the school held a bluegrass festival. Students were invited to join the band to sing or play a favourite song. Shaking in my sandals, I stepped up on stage with a copy of my own song, "I Call Out Your Name." I was thrilled to sing the song with a real band of real musicians. But the highlight came when I sat down in the audience. Tinker leaned over and asked if he could have a copy of my song. I was humbled and honoured that someone would like my song enough to take it home with him.

I don't know if he ever sang the song again, but that little bit of encouragement stayed with me.

This weekend, we lost Tinker. We lost an encourager, a gentle soul, a true servant.

Heaven gained a great bass singer.

We'll miss you, my friend.

"Making music with my friends..."

Only the Gaither fans in the crowd will recognize today's post title as a quote and not a cliche.

This week, Monique is in Ottawa enjoying Beaver Tails, so Gerald and I are in charge of musical leadership for 2 services this Sunday. Since we've been knocked out by colds over the past few weeks, I've spent the better part of this week planning all the music.

We're going to have a great Communion service in the morning with a healthy mix of hymns and praise songs. For the evening service, Monika is going to join us on vocals. She came over tonight for tea and rehearsal. We're doing lots of harmony over Gerald's guitar grooves - really looking forward to it!

Now that we're coming out from under our flu-ish cloud, it's nice to be getting stuff done. My new site is close to complete, and I've also signed up for a trial on Sonicbids to help with bookings. We still have an opening for Good Friday, if you need special music at your church that day.

Oh, and I'm reading "Everyone Communicates, Few Connect" by John Maxwell. I got it through Thomas Nelson's book review program, and I just found that it's not going to be publicly released til the end of the month. I have it before anyone else! I am so in the loop! I don't know what that loop is, but I'm in it!

Out from Under my Cold!

Last weekend, I got knocked out by a terrible cold. I still sang both services Sunday morning, but spent the rest of the day and following few days sleeping, coughing, and trying not to be too cranky.

I'm still tired and coughing, but I finally felt productive today! Here are a few cool things:

- My new site is coming along wonderfully! Can't wait to launch in a week or so.

- My new SoGospelNews article is up. "Do You Have a Maintenance or Mission Ministry?" You can read the whole thing here.

- I was recently interviewed for SGM Radio, and you can read that interview here.

- Things have come together for the Tin Pan North Christian Songwriter Night! We've booked St. John's York Mills for our venue, and all our writers are in place. Now, to sell tickets!

- Monique is away March 21, so I've been choosing music for Gerald and I to play. We're doing both services, so it'll be a fun and busy day!

And if you're in or near Toronto, here's something to think about: Our praise team will be playing our Maundy Thursday service next month, which means we're free on Good Friday. If your church is within reasonable driving distance of Toronto and you'd like special music for your Good Friday service, please leave me a comment with your contact info, or contact me via Facebook.

Spring Sally Sites

This afternoon was so sunny and warm that I actually spent an hour outside gardening! Okay, I pulled the dead plants out of the snow and put them in the composter, but still - gardening!

I've had a wonderfully productive day of booking and catching up on my long To Do list. The highlights:

- Things are moving forward on the Tin Pan North Christian Songwriter Night (Friday, May 28, 7:00pm). The venue and artists are almost confirmed!

- The last weekend of June, our awesome Grammy nominated friend Sally Barris is coming up for a weekend of gigs and hanging out. We've already booked her for church on Sunday, June 27 and the Moonshine Cafe on Monday, June 28. I'll have more details in my newsletter and on my...

- New website! I'm getting a new website! We'll be launching it some time this month! Can't wait!

Lots of good stuff happening! Feels like spring to me!

Sing, Sing, Sing

Morning: Last baby music class of the session. Over 30 toddlers plus parents. I felt like a baby rock star.

Afternoon: Gerald and I rehearsed the songs for Sunday. Adding extra harmonies where we can.

Early Evening: Gerald, Monique, and I rehearsed the songs for Sunday. Lots of new songs for Lent.

Evening: I rehearsed with the Chorale for Sunday. Anthems and Mozart. Lots and lots of sight reading.

Night: Tired. Hungry. Happy to be making a living doing something I love!

Still waiting for my day off...

Gerald and I have decided that, with weekends being so busy, Monday is going to be our day off. I think we can definitely say we took the morning off, but not the rest of the day!

Deanna and I spent the afternoon working on our retreat music. We're still waiting for a format for the weekend, so that's slowing us down a little. But we do have the songs for the taize service, so we rehearsed those today. We'll lead the songs on guitar, and I think we'll use djembe on a few as well. Even though we're just singing in 2 parts, we've worked out upper and lower harmonies on most songs. Taize songs are usually sung with 6-8 repetitions, so we'll do a few rounds in unison, then a few with me on lower harmony, and then I'll jump back on lead so Deanna can end the song with a few rounds with a higher harmony. I think it'll add a nice dimension to the music.

I've been asked to sub in again with the Chorale at church this week. That means double rehearsals on Thursday, and double services on Sunday. Next Monday will definitely need to be a full day off!

Competing with the Gold Medal Game

This morning's service was awesome! It started with the craziness of a broken piano string that buzzed throughout the service like a snare drum, but not even that string could stop the beautiful energy of the Holy Spirit. Seriously - something was moving in that church, and it was powerful!

In the afternoon, I beat myself up for booking a concert on the closing night of the Olympics. What was I thinking??? I mean, I know we're good, but we can't compete with the gold medal hockey game!

We left home after the second period to drive to Faith Gospel Tabernacle in Brampton. We arrived just in time to hear the pastor cry out, "They tied??" As people arrived during our sound check, we got them to give us updates. All I can say is, "Yay, Canada!!!!"

Luckily, people left their homes after the game to come to church! Faith Gospel is a growing church that hosts monthly Gospel concerts. The evening opened with their passionate praise team leading the audience in a mix of Gospel hymns and praise songs. The other artist on the bill was Elvis Gospel impressionist, Vili V. We love Elvis's Gospel music, so all the songs were very familiar to us.

Gerald and I did a guitar set that mixed our originals with praise songs and hymns. We're trying to eliminate solos, so we did harmony on every song but one. As we started to sing the praise songs, we could feel the audience singing along with us. On "Blessed Be Your Name," we invited them to sing on the chorus, and they sang with gusto! We used the second verse of "Blessed Be Your Name" to transition into a testimony about our car accident. When we ended our set with "Just a Closer Walk with Thee," people didn't even wait for the invitation - they just burst into song, joining us on all three verses and choruses. Sometimes you just tap into something greater than yourself, and we felt that tonight. There was a lot of love in the room, and we really felt like we'd been welcomed into this awesome church's family.

"Blessed be your name on the road marked with suffering
Though there's pain in the offering, blessed be your name!"

Rehearsal and rehearsal and rehearsal...

I love a good day of singing, but tonight, I'm just tired! Good tired, but tired.

I've been teaching some baby-music classes as part of an outreach program in Scarborough, so I started my day singing for babies and toddlers and Moms. Always a bright way to start your day.

In the afternoon, I moved to organizing charts for tonight's praise team rehearsal, upcoming gigs, and past gigs. Later in the afternoon, I decided I need a music secretary to prevent me from drowning in charts.

After a quick review of Sunday's music, Gerald and I joined Monique for an awesome Praise Team rehearsal. We love all the songs for this week, and the vibe was good. We're even throwing in a hint of bluegrass...

After a short break, I joined the Chorale for their rehearsal. Their alto lead was unable to make it tonight, so I subbed in. I can't remember the last time I did so much sight-reading! The first hour was hymns, anthems, and a motet. Challenging, but good. But in the second hour, we switched to Mozart's "Requiem," the focus of the Chorale's upcoming Palm Sunday concert. Sight-reading the alto line of Mozart, in Latin. Okay, the last time I did this much alto sight-reading was a million years ago when I sang in Ontario Youth Choir.

Definitely on the edge of my current skill set, but I feel I held my own. And if I didn't, everyone was too polite to tell me otherwise.

Church people are good that way.

Lute on a Saturday Night

It was so glorious to see the sun today! On a long walk with the puppies, Gerald remarked on how springlike it all felt, and he was right. Maybe that's why all my work today felt so easy.

My big project for the day was a full product inventory. I pulled out all my CDs, bags, angels, and other items that make their way across our product table. I counted what we have in stock, how many we've sold, and the approximate income we've generated through our sales. I won't get into the numbers, but it was very informative. It also feels good just to know where we are with things.

Tonight, we had dinner with Andrew and Wendy, whom I met at last fall's Imagine conference. After a wonderful meal, we pulled out the guitars and shared songs and stories. For the grand finale, Andrew brought out his lute and played a few instrumental tunes for us. Nothing better than sharing time with wonderful, creative people!

Taize at the Convent

Today was one of those crazy days with lots of driving and lots of appointments. I was 10 minutes late for my first appointment, which made me 10 minutes late for everything. That said, it was also an awesome day filled with great productivity, and I'm always happy for that.

In the afternoon, Gerald and I met with Dad about ways we can combine our creativity into some future ministry ventures. Things are still in the early planning stages, but I'm excited about the possibility of the three of us working together.

In April, my friend Deanna and I will be leading worship at the Peterborough AWARE conference. One of the things the committee has asked for is a Taize service. I've done some Taize choruses before, but never a full service. As a bit of a research trip, Deanna and I decided to attend the Taize service at St. John's Convent in North York.

The convent's chapel is lovely - clean and modern with a beautiful acoustic. The chairs are arranged in semicircles on either side of the sanctuary, so we were able to face each other in the service. The congregation consisted of the sisters and many visitors. The music was lead by piano and violin.

Taize choruses are very simple - usually just 2 lines long - and are sung with many repetitions. After the first 2 or 3 times, you're able to memorize the song, and after that, it takes on a meditative quality. You focus on the words and on the thought behind the song. You listen to the other voices, and in doing so, we became a real singing community. We would sing each chorus 6-8 times. Sometimes the piano would bring us to a close, and sometimes, the group would naturally find an ending.

The service contained about 7 choruses (sung throughout the service), a scripture reading, a time of silence, a time of annointing, a chanted prayer, and a sung Lord's prayer. Even in the music, there was a sense of stillness. I was reminded of the verse, "Be still, and know that I am God." (Psalm 46:10 NIV)

After the service, Deanna and I went out to discuss the service and how we can use these tools in the women's conference. The conference will be a busy weekend, and I think a moment of stillness will be needed, just as I needed it today...

Good Church

I generally find church to be a good experience, but some days, for whatever reasons, it's better than others. Today was one of those days.

Before the service, we learned that a beloved member of our congregation passed away earlier this morning. He was one of those "salt of the earth" people. The loss is deep. Drew (our rector) decided we needed to adjust the plan for the service to include some moments of comfort. Gerald suggested our version of "Give Me Jesus" for the offertory. Monique had never heard our arrangement, but she caught on right away.

The whole service felt strong and moving. When we got to the offertory, we sang and play like a true trio. It felt like the right song at the right moment. During communion, we ended with Chris Tomlin's "Amazing Grace." For the final chorus of "My chains are gone," Gerald and Monique dropped out on instruments and we did a 3-part acapella vocal. Powerful!

Our team started in the craziness of Advent, but in the last two months, we've had a real chance to learn each other's strength's and gel as a team. It feels awesome, and I hope it ultimately means that we can provide amazing music that will help lead the people of St. John's in a vibrant time of worship on Sunday mornings.

In the afternoon, we grabbed Monique and Jason for lunch at Swatow in China Town, forgetting that today is the first day of Chinese New Year! There were celebrations up and down Spadina, and while we were eating, a dancing dragon came in our restaurant and danced around the tables. Just another reason why I love living in a multicultural city!

I saw Boni this afternoon and she gave me bags and bags of sheet music, song books, CDs, and Worship Leader magazines! I can't wait to spend an evening going through them. It's like I've been given free reign on a treasure chest!

Good church - good day!

Winterfolk

This afternoon, Gerald and I performed in the NSAI showcase at Winterfolk, and we had a great time! Our showcase featured 2 rounds, 3 performers each. The place was packed, and even though we found out about this at the last minute, we still had a good number of friends in the crowd.

Gerald lead the round with his country songs, and he sounded excellent. The middle seat was held by Bowmanville writer, Terry Maxwell. I was on the end, and I was swamped with sound issues! My guitar wouldn't work through the sound system at all, and after many embarassing attempts to plug in, change the battery, and countless other tricks, we abandoned the plug in and decided to mic the guitar. But, of course, there was only one mic, so Terry and I had to share a guitar mic, swinging the boom between us.

Despite it all, I think I did well. It was a secular restaurant/bar crowd, so I decided to sing songs that were fun and a little esoteric. I opened with "Wedding at Cana" which got some smiles, and followed with "Sing Me a Song," acapella with Gerald tapping the body of his guitar like a drum. Then, I decided to be fearless (or crazy, depending on your POV) and sing the brand new song I wrote yesterday. "Brighter Happy Day" is probably the closest thing I've written to a Gospel bluegrass song. It's lots of fun, with a good theological center, and it got lots of laughs and smiles.

The energy in the room was awesome! We spent the next few hours chatting with friends, listening to the acts that followed us, and eating Mexican food. I wish we could go see some of the other acts tomorrow, but our friend Chris McKhool is performing Monday, so I think we'll try and see him.

Book Review: "Fearless" by Max Lucado

I love free stuff of any kind, but free books send me to a new level of giddiness! I recently found out that Thomas Nelson will give free books to bloggers in exchange for reviews, so here's my first review!

"Fearless" by Max Lucado

I have a funny relationship with fear. There are times when I can walk into a den of lions and walk calmly through the madness to gain my prize on the other side. And then there are times when I'm shaking before I even walk through the door. When I saw that one of my favourite authors had a new book coming out on becoming fearless, I knew it would be a 'must read' for me.

The basic concept of "Fearless" is this: The voice of fear is loud and invasive. Let's find ways that we can shut out that voice, and start letting the voice of God guide our thoughts and actions.

I heard Max Lucado speak a few years ago at GMA Week, and I fell in love with his easy demeanor, effortless storytelling, and brilliant ability to simplify a complicated concept. All of these wonderful traits are woven into the pages of "Fearless." Max bases each chapter on different moments when Jesus commanded us to "fear not," and these Biblical illustrations serve as a platform for how we can approach our fears in the hear and now. Even though the book gives you solid theology and deals with heavy issues, it never feels preachy or intimidating. You feel like you're chatting with your brilliant, caring uncle over a nice cup of Earl Grey.

At the back of the book, there's a great discussion guide with chapter questions, further scripture reading, and practical exercises. There were certain chapters that really hit home with me, so I'll probably go back and do the study guide on those chapters. I think fearlessness, at least for most of us, is a journey and a process, and it's nice to have a few more tools in my arsenal for those tough days.

Happy Reading! Be Fearless!!!

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

Proud to be a Canadian...and a songwriter!

I have music to write about, but while it's happening, I just have to say - I am so proud to be a Canadian tonight! I've just cried, smiled, and cheered my way through the opening ceremonies for the Olympics. How often do we get to see performance art on such a grand scale? With the glaring exception of one awkward duet, I thought the music tonight was incredible! And the dancers and visuals! So beautiful!

On our musical front: I really wanted to get Gerald into the Winterfolk festival this year, but things were so crazy when we moved back that I couldn't get his stuff together in time. 2 nights ago, I found out that one of the performers in the Winterfolk NSAI showcase had to back out. I jumped in with Gerald's name, and he was offered the spot! Yay! Then last night, we found out that another songwriter in the round had to drop out due to illness, so I was offered the spot.

Today, I was so inspired by our last minute bookings that I wrote a new song!

So, I wanted to get Gerald in, I wasn't able to do it this year, yet God opened the door for us! It never fails to amaze me...

If you're around the Danforth tomorrow, we'll be singing at the Willow restaurant at 2:00-2:45pm. Free admission!

Grace for the Grieving Heart

My latest article for SoGospelNews is now online. I really feel this is my most personal article to date (which is always a little scary!), so I'm open to any and all feedback.

You can read it here: Grace for the Grieving Heart

Back to Blogging!

For the past week, I've wanted everyone who visited this page to see nothing but our Music for Haiti fundraising campaign, so I haven't blogged for a while, and lots has been happening!

- I'm happy to say we sold enough CDs to raise several hundred dollars for the Haiti relief efforts. What amazes me most is that we didn't have any major events during the campaign, so the money was raised by individual sales, downloads, and the occasional $5 bill someone would slip into my pocket.

- Last Monday, we sang for a Robbie Burns event. Kilts, flings, sings, and haggis - all good fun!

- In church on Sunday, we sang my communion song, "Living Manna, Living Bread." It was so nice adding Monique's piano and vocal harmony to the mix!

- I'm chatting with a great singer-songwriter friend of mine about doing some gigs together in June. Hopefully, I'll have more news about this soon!

- I'm thrilled to say I've booked Ali Matthews to headline our Tin Pan North Christian songwriter night! Mark your calenders for Friday, May 28, 7:00pm! I'm still working on a venue. If you attend a church in the Annex area of Toronto and you think your church would welcome our show, please drop me an email.

- And the big church news: in the next few months, St. John's York Mills will combine our 2 main morning services (contemporary & traditional) into one blended service. This will be a HUGE change for our congregation, and it's going to require a lot of adjustment, creativity, and generosity from our music team. Please keep us in prayer as we decide how best to combine organ, choir, and praise team in a way that is both exciting and satisfying for our congregation!

- Bible study in the morning - must go prepare!

Music for Haiti Fundraising Campaign extended 'til Friday!!

For the past week, we've been giving $5 from every CD sale to the relief efforts in Haiti. The response has been wonderful, so we're extending our campaign until Friday, January 29.

For more info, please read the post just below this one!

Thank you!!!!!!

Music for Haiti Fundraising Campaign

Last night, I was transfixed by the story of a little girl who had been stuck under the rubble in Haiti for 2 days. Her arms and one leg were free, but the other leg was still trapped. Rescue volunteers struggled to free her, while at the same time, whispering love and wiping away her tears.

Like many of you, my heart is breaking, and I'm wondering what I can do to help.

Inspired by a friend of mine, I've decided to put my music to good use.

FOR THE NEXT 10 DAYS,
$5.00 FROM EVERY CD WE SELL WILL GO TO HAITI RELIEF!

This includes "Real Big Fan" and "Hymns in the Key of Grace." We want to make this really easy, so you can purchase the CDs online, through iTunes, by mail, or in person.

We'll be donating the funds through The Primate's World Relief and Development Fund (a very reliable Christian-based agency). All funds will be matched by the Canadian government, so your $5.00 will become $10.00!

We encourage you to buy a CD for yourself, your friends, or anyone who loves Gospel music! We want to get our funds to Haiti as soon as we can, so we'll be running this special until Tuesday, January 26.

Here are the different ways you can purchase CDs.

TO PURCHASE ONLINE:

Real Big Fan
Hymns in the Key of Grace

TO PURCHASE ON ITUNES:

Real Big Fan

TO PURCHASE BY CASH, CHEQUE OR MONEY ORDER:

I'll have CDs with me at St. John's York Mills Church on Sunday, January 17 & 24. Please come find me after the 9:30am service.

If you're attending St. Christopher's Anglican Church, Burlington, you can purchase CDs through my parents, Hollis & Helen.

You can also mail a cheque or money order, made out to Allison Lynn, for $18.00 per CD ($15 + $3 s/h). Please consider emailing me by January 26 to let me know your cheque is in the mail (no joke intended), so we can include your purchase in our relief campaign.

Allison Lynn
c/o St. John's York Mills Church
19 Don Ridge Dr.
North York, ON
M2P 1H3

Please comment or email me with any questions!

Thank you so much for partnering with us! We hope you enjoy the music, but more than that, we pray that our funds will be well used to provide relief and support to the people of Haiti.

New ideas...

I wrote on Facebook this week that a new idea gives me more energy than 10 espressos, and it's so true!

I have a lot of things percolating right now (no pun intended), and I can't wait to get them to the place where I can share them with you.

Right now, there's lots of brainstorming, jotting down ideas, breaking down goals into doable steps, and putting steps into action.

I have a good one that I'll be revealing tomorrow, so stay tuned...

Free Books & Nashville Replanning

Today I had the house all to myself! *bliss*

Two quick things:

- I've just found a company that's providing free books to bloggers in exchange for book reviews. I love free stuff, but I'm especially crazy about free books! I just ordered my first book - "Fearless" by Max Lucado (love him!). It'll take at least a week before I receive the book, so keep an eye out for the review. If you're a blogger, you can sign up here.

- So we're meeting with Monique last week about planning the next few months, and we realized something awful: our NSAI new leader training is in Holy Week! Our original plan was to take one Sunday off (doing an evening service to make up for it) and stay in Nashville for 10 days. But we can't miss a day of Holy Week, much less a Sunday. I'm so peeved with myself for not realizing it sooner. Needless to say, the trip is now up in the air. We'll probably go some time in April, post-Easter. I've contacted NSAI, and we're trying to work out something with the training.

Today I focused on booking research, looking for Gospel festivals in Ontario. If you're interested in having Gerald and me at your church this year, just send me an email at Allison@AllisonLynn.com

Goethe, Mark, and American Idol

A day of good stuff and productivity! I'm finally feeling healthy and good and well rested! It's sad that it takes a stomach bug to make me rest, but I guess that's got to go on my 2010 Goals & Resolutions - "Learn that resting and relaxing is positive and productive, and not a colossal and lazy waste of time."

I started a new Bible study today at St. John's. It's lead by the brilliant Olivia Lee, and we're doing Mark. I know most of the ladies in the group - they're wise and honest, and I'm looking forward to the challenge!

The afternoon was steeped in practical things, which meant I felt shameless when I indulged in my favourite television event: American Idol. You can hate it if you like, but it is my guilty pleasure. I don't keep stats like a football fan, but I love a good voice and a good story.

That said, I think some of the audition candidates need to be reminded of the Goethe quote: "I wish the stage were as narrow as a tight rope so that no incompetent would dare walk on it."

No one would hire me to build a bridge, fly a plane, or perform open heart surgery. At least take a voice lesson or two before stepping out on national television!

This may be Elvis's birthday for most of you...

... but in our family, we celebrate Helen's birthday!

Happy Birthday, Mom!

We love you!

Quiet Day Discoveries...

Happy Epiphany!

It's been a slow start to the New Year for me. Friday morning, I woke up with a tummy ache that ended up knocking me out of commission for 5 days. I'm finally feeling myself again, but I haven't had that energetic, proactive start that I wanted for the year. Instead, I've given myself complete permission to rest and relax, and it's been good.

I've enjoyed the snow, and watched a little too much TV, but I've also done a lot of reading, and here are a few things I've discovered:

- Beth Moore is coming to Toronto in March! Must get tickets...

- My new favourite blogs are Seth Godin (good business advice) and Anne Jackson (honest Christian journey stuff).

- My Dad wrote an article on interim ministry that was in the November 2009 issue of "The Anglican". You can download the issue here. Dad's article is on page 8.

- Sunday morning, I heard John C. Maxwell speak on TV. I'm finally finishing working through his book, "Talent is Never Enough". If you have any intentions of taking your talent outside your living room, I can't recommend this book enough!!!

- I'm considering changing my social networking habits. More on this later...

- I'm working on a new song for infant baptism. More songwriting is definitely in my Goals & Resolutions for 2010.

- And my new favourite quote:

"There is no beautifier of complexion, or form, or behavior, like the wish to scatter joy and not pain around us. 'Tis good to give a stranger a meal, or a night's lodging. 'Tis better to be hospitable to his good meaning and thought, and give courage to a companion. We must be as courteous to a man as we are to a picture, which we are willing to give the advantage of a good light." (Ralph Waldo Emerson)

Wouldn't it be amazing if we all decided to SCATTER JOY in 2010?

A PR lesson to start the year off right!

New Year's Eve, Gerald and I decided we would keep it simple - visit friends in the afternoon, spend the evening at home with good food, and call family at midnight. We had recently visited a lovely sushi restaurant in our neighbourhood that offered free delivery. I called the afternoon of the 31st, just to confirm they were still delivering that night, which they were. Perfect! It's a new place without a website, so we decided we would drop by the restaurant on the way home from visiting our friends to pick up a takeout menu.

Around 5:30pm, excited by the prospect of California rolls and spicy tuna, we dropped by the restaurant. Parking was terrible, so I stayed in the car while Gerald ran in to get the menu, only to reappear seconds later, empty-handed.

"They don't have takeout menus," he said.

"What do you mean? They ran out?" I questioned.

"No, they actually don't have them."

"Well, how do they expect us to order food from home for delivery?"

"The waitress told me to look at the menu, memorize it, then go home and tell you what they have."

Seriously????

They offer delivery, but you actually have to visit the restaurant to look at a menu?

So here we were, New Year's Eve, with no plan for food.

On the way home, Gerald spotted another sushi restaurant on a side street. We pulled in, and Gerald went in to ask if they did delivery. They didn't, but they did takeout and had tables available, so we decided to eat there.

Long story short, we will never go to the first restaurant again. Not only were they unable to fulfill the delivery service they advertised, but the second restaurant had better food, better parking, comparable prices, and lovely takeout menus! And even though they don't deliver, the rest of the services were so much better that we would gladly drive a few minutes to pick up our order.

Lesson: Don't advertise a service until you are ready to fulfill that service for your customers! Not only will you disappoint your customers, but you may lose them to a competitor!

Isn't it always nice to start off the year a little bit smarter?

Happy New Year, everyone!

"Hymns in the Key of Grace" now available online!

"Hymns in the Key of Grace" is now available for purchase online!

Since we're still in Boxing Day Sale madness, we're offering 30% off all multiple online purchases.

To purchase, please visit here.

Christmas Week

A very Merry Christmas to you!

Yes, it's still Christmas. In our family tradition, we celebrate the 12 days of Christmas, which means we don't take down our decorations or stop celebrating until January 6, Old Christmas Day, Epiphany. Of course, Mom's birthday is January 8 (Elvis's birthday!), so we really don't stop celebrating til after then.

We had an incredible Christmas! After our final caroling gig on Christmas Eve, we had a wonderful church service at St. John's! Gerald was still unable to play guitar (find out what happened here), so he took lead on a lot of the vocals, and I had the chance to sing harmony. We spent Christmas Day and Boxing Day relaxing with family, and returned to St. John's Sunday morning to play for our morning service. We were blessed to have Chris McKhool join us again. With his fiddle, Monique's piano, and our particular talents, we're a great team. Hoping this combo doesn't have to end just cause Christmas is over! (yes, that's a less-than-subtle hint!)

Since then, there's been lots more relaxing and eating, eating, eating. Today, I wrote my January article for SoGospelNews.com, and wrote a few of my professional thank yous, and then more eating.

Seriously though, this is my week for reflecting on 2009, and planning for 2010. I love this time of year - the world is fresh, exciting, and full of potential. Hope you're feeling inspired too!

The Day After Christmas Carol Service Day!

We were all up far too late to do any decent writing last night. As I write now, I'm listening to lovely Christmas music, and gearing up for a very Christmasy day of tree decorating, gift shopping, and making chocolate!

So, yesterday was all Plan B! Gerald stayed home in the morning, resting and recovering from Friday's 'incident'. We were scheduled to sing at St. John's Weston, and it was the first time in years I sang somewhere without him. Their awesome organist, Marianne, stepped in and accompanied me on most of my songs, and I played guitar for "Infant Holy, Infant Lowly." Sometimes, having to change things at the last minute can wreck havoc, but sometimes, it gives you a new energy and a we're-all-in-this-together feeling. Happily, the latter happened yesterday morning. I sang well, people loved it, and there were lots of smiles and long conversations at the coffee hour after the service.

Gerald really wanted to rest up so he could be part of the Christmas Carol Service at St. John's York Mills last night. With the organ, choir, handbells, and praise team, it's one of the most musical and wonderful services of the year. We revamped our songs so Monique did all the accompaniment on piano, and we could have 3 voices on all the songs. Overall, things went really well! The carols were great, and our songs (non-traditional as they may be) were really well received. Mom and Dad came to the service, so it was reunion night as well.

Now, to get to that chocolate...

Gerald's Accident and Plan B...

Yesterday morning, we were getting ready to head out for the day, when I heard a horrible yell coming from outside. Gerald had somehow got his right hand caught in the car door. It was crushed and bleeding and awful.

Long story short, we spent the day in emergency. Nothing is broken (praise God!), but his hand is severely cut and swollen. Today, he's still in pain, and exhausted. We've been told it'll be a week before he feels better, but til then, there is no way he can play guitar!

This has drastically changed our plans for tomorrow! In the morning, we were supposed to be guest artists at St. John's Weston for their Christmas Carol Service. I contacted their wonderful organist, Marianne, and she's going to accompany me on 3 songs, and I'll play guitar on one.

In the evening, we're scheduled to appear with the praise team at St. John's York Mills Christmas Carol Service. (Seriously - this would happen just before the biggest services of the year!) I'll be singing as planned, and Monique will lead all our songs on piano. If Gerald is feeling up to it, he may come along and sing, but we're going to play that by ear.

I'm dividing all my time today between taking care of Gerald and the puppies, and re-planning tomorrow. If you're the praying kind, please throw one up for us tonight for quick healing, and for our gigs tomorrow. I am so ready for an eggnog latte!

St. Luke's, Centennial Park, and a Gospel choir!

This is my quick weekend wrap-up. 'Quick' because I need to get up at 6:00 am tomorrow, and as you know, that's not my favourite time of day!

This weekend was awesome! On Friday, we caroled for Toronto City Church's Christmas dinner. We were a surprise for the guests, and they loved it! We took requests, sang all our favourites, and were treated to dinner and Yule log cakes.

Saturday, we caroled at a seniors home in Etobicoke, and then made our way out to Oakville for a concert at St. Luke's Palermo. This was a fundraising concert for the Stephen Lewis Foundation, and we had an awesome time. Gerald and I did a full night of Gospel, Christmas, and original songs, wrapping the whole thing up with a lively carol sing-along. There was a great reception after where we stuffed ourselves and made new friends.

This morning at St. John's York Mills, we were treated to a visit from the St. Stephen's youth choir. This 16 voice Gospel choir features children ages 10-16, and they were fantastic! They brought a keyboard player and a drummer, and their music gave a new energy to the service. There is already talk of having them back next year.

This evening, Monika joined us for the Christmas celebration at Centennial Park in Etobicoke. Similar to Allan Gardens last week, this beautiful (free!) Christmas event features apple cider, sleigh rides, a bonfire, a brass quintet, and fabulous Christmas carolers (yes, us!). As it gets dark, they light candles throughout the conservatory, and the effect is so lovely and Christmasy!

Tomorrow will be a 3 gig day, starting at 7:30 am. Yes, A.M. Time for tea and sleep...

New CD - Hymns in the Key of Grace!

I'm thrilled to announce the release of my new CD, "Hymns in the Key of Grace"!

This collection of 'intimate' hymns celebrates our quiet moments with God. Featuring songs like "Just as I am," "Sweet Hour of Prayer," and "Just a Closer Walk With Thee," this album is perfect for reflection, prayer, or just singing along!

This special project features some wonderful talent! Producer Brian Speer created the perfect balance for our intimate ensemble. Jazz pianist, Teri Reid, created beautiful accompaniments and solos. My talented husband, Gerald Flemming, brought his own brand of creativity to the guitar arrangements. My dear friend, Tara Jackson, added her voice to the background vocals. And Gaither Homecoming artist, Allison Durham Speer, joined me for a duet of "In the Garden."

"Hymns in the Key of Grace" is the perfect stocking stuffer, hostess gift, or present for yourself!

We're not set up for online orders yet, so to purchase, please drop me an email at Allison@AllisonLynn.com

"Hymns in the Key of Grace" and "Real Big Fan," can be purchased at all live performances this December! For a full list of concerts and other events, please click here.

Hope you enjoy the artwork! The photos were taken Shannon Fontaine, and the graphics were designed by Lyndsay Brewer, both from Nashville.

Allan Gardens - Christmas has begun!

This morning's service at St. John's was great! We did 2 wonderful songs that were new for Gerald and me - "Emmanuel (Holy Manger Ground)" by Chris Tomlin, and "My Deliverer" by Rich Mullins. Both were great, and I think Gerald and I are going to add "My Deliverer" to our program some time.

This afternoon, Monika joined us for Christmas caroling at Allan Gardens in Toronto. Today was the official start of their Christmas Flower Show. I think this is the sixth or seventh year we've done this event, and for me, it signifies the start of my Christmas celebrations. Allan Gardens is one of my favourite places in the city at any time, but it's especially beautiful this time of year. The Victorian greenhouses are full of special arrangements, Christmas cactus, rosemary trees, and poinsettias in every shade of pink, white and red. Yesterday, they had cider, cookies, sleigh rides, and Christmas carolers - us! We've been going so many years that we've gotten to know many of the regulars. One mother told me that we're in all their Christmas photo albums, and that her son has been coming to see us each year since he was a baby.

Next week we'll do a similar event at Centennial Park in Etobicoke. The season has begun!

St. Barnabas, Peterborough

(Very, very late and very, very tired. Will probably post this after the fact...)

Tonight's concert was awesome! We were invited to sing at St. Barnabas Anglican in Peterborough - a new church and a new area for us. The music was a mix of old and new, Gospel and Christmas, with a little Country thrown in for good measure.

We came up with a new program tonight, and I think it really worked. In addition to mixing Gospel and Christmas, we also did a mix of acoustic songs and songs with tracks. We ended it all with an "authentic" Victorian caroling experience. And let me tell you - these people could sing! I found out after that several of the choir members were in the audience, which explained the gorgeous harmonies.

Tonight was also the first night I was able to sell "Hymns in the Key of Grace." It felt so good to see it on the table!

We've already been invited back to St. Barnabas for next December. Yay!

Wrapping Up & Starting Up

"Hymns in the Key of Grace" is now at the manufacturer! Tomorrow, I'll see a proof the graphics, and Thursday I'll pick up CDs!

Can't believe we've finally reached this place!

Tonight was also our first Christmas gig of the season. Overall, it was good and fun and well received. At this point, we have 22 gigs, including church services, for the month. We'll probably pick up a few more as we get closer to Christmas.

Time for lots of water, rest, and vitamin C.
A little eggnog every now and then won't hurt either!

Listening to the mastered hymns...

I'm currently bringing navel-gazing to a new level. At this moment, I'm listening to myself, looking at a photo of myself, while writing about myself.

Never has the word "diva" seemed more appropriate.

It's actually far less self-indulgent and far more practical than it sounds. Tomorrow is the absolute deadline to get my hymns CD to the manufacturer. God willing (and I pray He is), I'll be able to pick up CDs Thursday afternoon, just in time for our concert in Peterborough on Friday.

I picked up the fully mastered music this afternoon, and that's what I'm listening to right now. It sounds so beautiful. Yes, I'm biased, but I'm also highly critical of myself. Teri and Gerald did such a beautiful job on the accompaniment, and Allison and Tara's voices sound fantastic.

When I think back to my original concept for the album, it's like looking at a line drawing. What I'm listening to now is a painting with colours and layers and dimension.

The graphics still need a few tweaks, and I'm praying that will be done by tomorrow afternoon too.

I can't believe it's almost done. I'd get really excited right now, but I'm way too tired.

I'll dance about it in the morning.

My hymns-stress is lifting!

We had a great praise team at church this morning! Monique choose great songs, and with 5 of us on vocals, the sound was great. Gerald's song "For God so Loved the World" was beautiful, especially with Chris's fiddle sounds.

This afternoon was dedicated to getting stuff done! I've contacted 3 people about being headliners for Tin Pan North 2010. So far, 2 have responded positively. They aren't booked yet (which is why I'm not naming names), but they're interested and are working out details.

I've also been putting together the final details for "Hymns in the Key of Grace." I can't believe it's almost done! I'll pick up the reference disc tomorrow morning. This will be the music as we'll hear it on the final CD. Once I approve this disc, we get the PMCD and we're ready for manufacturing.

I got the graphics tonight as well - they're beautiful! There are a few small tweaks, but overall I'm just so happy! Once I approve this, the graphics get sent to the manufacturer and we're ready to go.

So, we're 2 quick approvals away from manufacturing! We don't have time any more for a full run of 1000 CDs, so I'll need to get a "short run". You can get a short run in just a few days, but you pay a lot more per unit. Not ideal, but few things about this production have been ideal! I can't believe all the obstacles we've had to face over the last few months. I've been so stressed this past week as we've pulled together the final details. I didn't want to have to sacrifice quality in order to get CDs done in time for Christmas concert season, but I was also really working in a time crunch. (After months of waiting and delays, I end up in a time crunch. Always the way...)

Once I saw the graphics tonight, however, my stress started to dissipate. The end is in sight, and it looks and sounds great! I'm so happy with the mixes, I have faith in the mastering, and the graphics are going to be gorgeous! Maybe I'll get a good night's sleep tonight?

From mixing to mastering!

Just found out that the hymn mixes have now been successfully delivered to Ray, who will master the songs. Once that's done, and the graphics are finalized, it's a quick trip to manufacturing!

I can't believe it's almost done!

Happy birthday to me! Happy birthday to me! Happy birthday to me-ee...

Everybody sing along!

Rehearsal, mixes, and turkey.

"Got kind of tired of packing and unpacking, town to town, up and down the dial..."

That song has been in my head all night! We're having birthday company over the next few days, so I wanted to get the boxes in some kind of "order" and have the house look more like a home and less like a storehouse. Exhausted now!

We had a great rehearsal at St. John's tonight. Sunday morning, the team will be me, Gerald, Monique, Michelle Pillar on vocals, and Chris McKhool on fiddle and guitar. Tonight was our first time working as a group, and it was great!

During communion, we're going to do Gerald's new chorus "For God so Loved the World". The fiddle solo really lifts the whole thing!

In other news, I am days away from finishing my hymns CD! Finally, finally, finally! For a while, the frustration was all I felt, but now, I am truly excited again. The mixes sound wonderful, I have someone lined up for mastering and graphics, and I'll have CDs in hand by the end of next week. Can not wait!!!

After celebrating American Thanksgiving over the past 3 years, I found myself craving sweet potato casserole and deep-fried turkey this week. I am so thankful that I have friends on both sides of the border. Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Tin Pan North 2010

Tonight I finally made it to a Tin Pan North planning meeting, and it was worth the drive to the west end!

Tin Pan North is Toronto's version of Nashville's annual songwriting festival, Tin Pan South. We're actually the only regional workshop to do a Tin Pan festival, so that's pretty cool. Gerald and I have played it before, and it's been growing every year.

The festival runs several days at several venues in 3 or 4 different cities. Each show is a Nashville-style round featuring one hit writer and 3 NSAI members. It's always fun and very entertaining.

Since we're going to be regional leaders ourselves in 2010, I thought it would be a good idea to get involved in planning the festival. Tonight was a great overview. I'll be working with volunteers and probably some publicity, but here's the very cool news:

There's going to be an all-Christian night at one of the venues!! I am so crazy excited about this! I suggested a Christian writer as one of our headliners, and then other people in the group suggested having an all-Christian night. In my heart, I really wanted to suggest this, but I didn't want anyone to think I was pushing my own agenda. When other people suggested it, and then got excited about it, I knew it had to be God working.

I'll be organizing the shows, so my first job is to find a downtown church who is willing to offer us a free venue, and then find 2 amazing headliners.

The shows will be Friday, May 28, 2010, at 7:00 and 9:00pm. Mark your calenders!!!

Faith Gospel Tabernacle & St. John's York Mills

Today was a 2 church day.

We already had Faith Gospel Tabernacle in Brampton booked when we were contacted about working at St. John's, so we did Faith Gospel this morning and St. John's tonight. What a day!

Faith Gospel is a growing church - literally! When I was there a few years ago, they were just talking about their new building, but when we drove into the parking lot yesterday, we could see the huge frame of the new sanctuary. They have a full praise team, but each week they invite guest artists to sing 2 songs for each of their morning services. We opened with "Do You Wanna Be My Neighbour in Gloryland" and closed with "Give Me Jesus". This is a friendly and encouraging congregation, and we met lots of wonderful people. We've been invited back for one of their monthly Gospel concerts, so hopefully, we can work that out.

The morning started early (up at 6:30!!) and ran long, so after a short afternoon nap, we got ready for the evening service. Monique is away this week, so Gerald and I were on our own for leading the music. We invited Monika to join us on harmonies, so that was all good. We did some great praise songs - "Blessed Be Your Name," "In Christ Alone," and "Amazing Love" - and we also introduced a new chorus Gerald wrote based on John 3:16. And here's where God had to be stepping in - even though we didn't plan this, part of Drew's message was based on John 3:16! I love it when that happens!

We're feeling more and more comfortable at St. John's. We have a lot of support, and we're excited about Advent - it's just around the corner!

First St. John's Sunday morning!

Okay, we've had our first St. John's rehearsal, our first St. John's evening, and finally, our first morning service at St. John's.

It's all still a little surreal to me. Sitting in church today, it was all so familiar, with so many friends in the congregation. At the same, we're there for different reasons than before, and we've both experienced so much since we were last there.

A lot of people were away today for the Alpha weekend, but there was still a good crowd. We opened with "Be Thou My Vision," "Here I am to Worship," and "Holy is the Lord." I really tried to choose a good mix of classic hymns and newer songs. We sang "Spirit of the Living God" in reference to the Alpha weekend and "On Eagle's Wings" in response to the sermon. During communion, we did "Living Manna, Living Bread," and "Give Me Jesus," and closed out the whole service with a rousing rendition of "How Great Thou Art." I couldn't always hear people singing, but I could see lots of mouths moving, and a few smiles, so that was good.

After the service, we were greeted by hugs and "So glad you're here" and "How're your parents?", and of course, "Aren't you Hollis's daughter?" We were grateful for the welcome, and even more grateful for the positive feedback.

There are a few technical things we still need to tweak - where to stand? where to put the SoloAmp? - but overall, I think this was a great start to our new adventure.

All Saints & St. John's York Mills

It's been a long, but good, day!

This morning, we sang at All Saints Church. I've talked a lot about how much we love visiting All Saints, and today was no exception. The crowd was about 40 people, which is great for this small downtown church. The readings today included a story from Ruth, and the tale of the widow's mite (2 of my favourites) and Jeannie used them to preach a great sermon on compassion. After the sermon, Gerald sang "A Prayer Will Find You" which was calming and beautiful. During communion, we did "Just a Closer Walk With Thee" - a little uptempo for communion, but these are people who appreciate an extra jolt of joy.

After the service, we stayed for lunch. They provide a full lunch each Sunday for anyone who wants to stay, and it was a good chance to get to know the All Saints crowd. One thing about that congregation, you never know who you'll end up talking to, and you never know what may come out of their mouths! It's always vibrant, and sometimes a little outside reality, but the people there have good hearts and kind souls. We always come away humbled and blessed.

Tonight was our first official service at St. John's York Mills. I have to admit, I was a little nervous this afternoon. After all, they pursued us, and they want us to be part of a transformation, so we want to bring our best to the table.

It was a good 'soft' entrance into the new St. John's. Just because it used to be my former home church doesn't mean I'm assuming I know how it's all going to work. There is new leadership and new congregants and new ways of doing things. And Gerald and I aren't the same people or musicians we were three years ago.

As I put the poppy on my coat today, I realized that 3 years ago this weekend, we drove to Nashville to find our apartment and start our move south. How amazing that 3 years later, on the same weekend, we'd be starting this new chapter, back at St. John's?

The service tonight was wonderful! They call it a dialogue service because the sermon usually takes the form of a loose Bible study/discussion. Drew recently returned from a conference at Princeton, so that formed the topic of tonight's discussion. We opened the service with prayer, a psalm, and music. Monique was on piano, Gerald on guitar, and all of us on vocals. Our first set included "Praise to the Lord," "Indescribable," and a new one for us, "King of Love." On this one, Gerald took the vocal lead, and I sang harmony. What a gorgeous song! We ended the service with "They'll Know We are Christians by Our Love," with Gerald pumping a cool guitar groove and me on tambourine.

Next week, Monique is away, so we'll be leading the 9:30 service on our own. We'll meet with Drew tomorrow to plan. We just have such a good feeling about all of this, and tonight helped us to get even more excited. It's going to be an interesting year...

First St. John's Rehearsal

I've dropped by Mom and Dad's to pick up a few more boxes, so I finally have a few minutes of internet. I don't mind not having a phone or TV, but I'm definitely in wifi-withdrawl!

Last night, Gerald and I had our first rehearsal with Monique at St. John's. We'll be playing the evening service this Sunday, just the three of us. For a first rehearsal, I think it was a good success. There was a good exchange of ideas and creativity, and the songs came together quickly.

There are a few exciting plans for Advent, and we don't know yet what Christmas will entail. Overall, a good start to everything!

In Our New Home!

Today was a great moving day! Everyone was in good spirits and things went really smoothly.

This house is so beautiful - I feel like we've snuck into this gorgeous house and the owners are on vacation and we love it so much we've just moved our stuff in.

This is going to be a good home for us - lots of space to play and write and make music and be a family.

Dropping tired - teaching and rehearsing tomorrow - hope I can find all the things I'll need!

Moving tomorrow!

The contract has been approved, the boxes packed, and we've picked up the keys.

We're moving to Toronto tomorrow!

Okay, we didn't need to pack a lot of boxes. Most of them are still packed and in storage from our last move, a mere 3 months ago. A few weeks ago, we thought we'd be here in Burlington til some time in the New Year. This time tomorrow night, we'll be in our new home in Toronto. And we can't wait!

Sunday evening, 7:00pm, will be our first Sunday in our new position at St. John's York Mills. (We won't be doing evening services on a regular basis, but we were already booked for All Saints in the morning.) If you're around Yonge and York Mills Sunday night, drop by the service and say Hi!

I'll be away from internet all day Wednesday, and we won't have internet at home til Monday (ugh!), but I'll try and blog soon to give a update!

Gerald at the Moonshine

Tonight kicked off the first of a series of NSAI Songwriter Nights at the Moonshine Cafe in Oakville. Gerald and I played the Moonshine a few years ago, and we've been looking forward to a return engagement.

Tonight's show was a Nashville-style round featuring Gerald, Laura Ranieri, and Joe Hash. There was supposed to be a fourth writer, but his last minute cancellation meant the three on deck got to play extra songs.

The whole night was fun and relaxed. John Marlott, owner of the Moonshine, threw some burgers on the grill, so the audience had full and happy tummies. Laura has an energetic performance style, and Joe has a great sense of storytelling with his songs. Gerald was, of course, excellent. He did some of my favourites, including "When Saturday Morning was All Day Long," "Up on the Watertower," and "Whiskey and Dragonflies."

I was supposed to join him on harmonies, but I've been knocked out of commission this week by a terrible sinus infection. So glad I was well enough to attend tonight, though. So proud of my talented husband!

Busy week coming up: Brian has sent me the mixes for my hymns CD! We'll be reviewing them this week, and also working on the graphics. Hoping to have product in hand within the next few weeks!

Also, tomorrow we sign the contract with St. John's, and on Wednesday, we move! Very exciting times, indeed!

Imagine, Music & Word - Day 3

What an incredible weekend! I’ve attended a lot of music conferences, but I don’t think I’ve ever attended one that was so organic and creative.

This morning, after a little sleep and a great breakfast, I attended a workshop on blending traditional and contemporary music within a worship service. Then I gathered with my songwriting buddies from yesterday. While I was out last night, they wrote the verses and finished the song. It sounded so good! Our group consisted of keyboard, guitar, bass, me on lead vocals, and everyone else on harmony. We had a short but effective rehearsal so I could learn the verses and we could add the harmonies.

I was able to grab a little quiet time to enjoy the beauty of the day, then another quick rehearsal, and then the closing worship. Last night, people gathered in workshops to write the service. Some wrote prayers and liturgy, some planned the music and wrote a new song, and others designed the space.

This afternoon, we gathered in the main hall and sat in chairs arranged in a circle. The service opened with prayer and music, and what followed was spiritual and creative and beautiful. Every prayer and reading was detailed and special. Andrew Donaldson’s ‘musical homily’ addressed the question “What was Jesus up to?” The music was carefully planned, yet felt spontaneous and free. Our song went really well, and by the second chorus, everyone was singing along. The whole thing was so moving and beautiful - why can’t church be like this all the time? Therein lies the challenge...

It will take a while for me to recognize all the things I’ve gained from this weekend. I have new friends and new musical connections. I have a full list of resources. I’m part of a new song. I sang lots of harmony and gained a new confidence on the djembe. I had a deeply moving spiritual experience. I laughed and told stories and ate pie and laughed some more.

Good weekend, indeed.

Imagine, Music & Word - The Day After Day 2

Saturday’s blog is being written Sunday morning - you’ll find out why.

Oh, and as I write I’m also eating the ‘late night pie’ - awesome!

Saturday was a great day for the Imagine workshop. We started with a hearty breakfast in Lion’s Hall, complete with a fire roaring in the stone fireplace. The day began with a presentation by Steve Hopkins, rector of St. Christopher’s in Burlington (where Gerald and I have sung several times). He spoke and facilitated small group discussions around the topic of instigating change within a parish - how do we do it effectively, and what have we learned from our mistakes and successes? Since Gerald and I are about to be part of a change at St. John’s York Mills, I found this to be really helpful and encouraging.

For my first workshop, I chose songwriting. We talked about writing and shared songs. I did “Living Manna, Living Bread," and everyone joined in on harmonies. Up til now, I’ve only sung it as a solo, so the harmonies were a real treat. We all decided we wanted to write a song for tomorrow’s worship, so after lunch, we met again. The theme for the weekend is “Colouring Outside the Lines”, so that was the inspiration for the song. We completed the chorus, and then I had to go. Gerald and I were booked to sing at a wedding in downtown Toronto as part of a small ensemble, so I had to change out of my camping mode, put on my fancy wedding clothes, drive to Toronto, sing for 3 hours, drop off Gerald, change back to my camping mode, and drive back to Ancaster.

Apparently, I missed a great night of songs and worship planning, but when I arrived at the conference just before midnight, I was met with a great welcome. The jam session was in full swing, so I grabbed a mic and joined the party. We sang and sang and sang and sang. I did harmony and rhythm on the pop and rock stuff. When we moved into the more mellow stuff, I still did harmony, but also took the lead on “People Get Ready” and a Norah Jones song. (Yes, we’ve been jamming to every possible genre!). Around 3 am, we decided it was time to shut down the band. We closed up and headed back to the cabin, which turned into laughing and story-telling time. Around 4 am, I decided it was too late to blog, thus my mid-morning entry today.

About that time, the ladies were deciding that yes, 7:30 am would be the perfect time for their early morning walk.

Again, I respectfully declined.

Imagine, Music & Word - Day 1

I’m writing at 1:35 in the morning. I’m pretty much in the middle of nowhere, or at least it seems that way. I drove here in the dark and rain. There were deer waiting on the side of the road to jump in front of my car.

So, what does all this mean?

After supper tonight, I drove out to Ancaster to spend the weekend at the Imagine, Music and Word conference. We’re located at lovely Canterbury Hills Conference Centre, which is a camp-style conference centre. We’re all staying in cabins, and I’ve ended up in the party cabin. We have six ladies sharing one bathroom, and at 1:38am, none of us have made it to bed yet.

The evening started with an introduction to the theme “Colouring Outside the Lines” - how do we find new and innovative forms of worship. Over the weekend, creativity will be paramount.

Our evening worship started with prayer, and then a leader started playing a djembe. As the drumming continued, lots and lots of drums were brought out, and before long, everyone had a drum in their hands. We hit a rhythm as the drumming circle grew. Every minute or so, someone would walk up to the mic to read a prayer or scripture. The drumming would get softer, but the rhythm never ceased. The whole experience was organic and awesome.

After a little socializing, the jam session began. I really don’t know anyone here (just a few people I’ve met in passing), but I knew if I didn’t jump in tonight, I’d regret it. Our band topped out at 9 or 10 people, singing and playing worship songs. Then most people drifted off to bed, so we just kept going. After a while, we switched to classic pop songs. And then I realized - I still hadn’t found my cabin, much less unpacked yet.

So here I am, 1:45 in the morning, not quite in the middle of nowhere - in a warm cabin, with my bunk bed ready for me, surrounded by a wonderful group of musicians, and soon-to-be friends.

I think we’re about to have late night pie...

(After note: Late night pie didn’t happen because the ladies decided they wanted to get up at 7:00 am to take an early morning hike. I respectfully declined.)

GREAT NEWS!!!!! BIG ANNOUNCEMENT!!!

A few weeks ago, I got a call from the rector at St. John's York Mills Church in Toronto. (St. John's was our home church for many years, and Dad's church before he retired.)

The church is going through many changes as they try to build a new kind of contemporary worship service. They invited Gerald and me, as a team, to join the music staff and be part of the music team for Sunday mornings!!

We are so crazy excited about this!

When we got back from Nashville, everyone kept saying, "Such-and-such a church is looking for a worship leader." But we have this ministry that takes us different places, so that wasn't what I was looking for. But when I got the call from St. John's, my heart was very open to the idea.

After some wonderful phone calls and meetings, Gerald and I said, "YES" this week!

We are so excited to be returning to our former home church in this new capacity! We'll be working with pianist and worship leader, Monique Ingalls, who ironically enough, just moved here after three years in Nashville!

We will sing and play at the 9:30am service on Sunday mornings, and special services like Christmas Eve. By having Sunday mornings booked, I can focus my booking efforts on concerts, women's ministries, festivals, etc.

I'll write more about this over the next few weeks. Right now, I'm finishing my packing for the weekend. I'm heading off to Ancaster for the Imagine, Music & Word conference. I don't know if I'll have internet, but I'll still blog each night and post something by Sunday.

Soooo excited!!!

No voice - No gig - Blah

I was really hoping tonight to send you a glowing report on our performance at the Week Without Violence service from Buckhorn. Unfortunately, no can do.

A few days after arriving home from the DIVA weekend, I got that awful, telltale tickle in my throat. That yucky, something's coming, kind of feeling. By yesterday morning, I was full out terrible - sore throat, achy, no voice, blah.

Gerald made the phone call letting the organizer know we'd be unable to sing today. I made tea with honey, stayed in my pajamas all day, and grabbed a note pad and pen so I wouldn't have to talk.

These are the tough weekends of being a singer. Nothing is more frustrating that losing (even temporarily) my main source of communication and creativity.

So my weekend: Finished a great book ("The Book of Negroes" - amazing!!). Drank lots of tea. Complained about my plight on facebook. Drank more tea. Did some Bible study. Cuddled the puppies. More tea. Started a new book ("The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society"). You guessed it - tea.

Doesn't sound so bad when I put it that way.

DIVA Weekend - Church & Concert Day

We have to be up in 5 hours to get me to the airport on time, so this is going to be short and, potentially, full of typos.

The morning started bright and early (6ish) so we could all make our way to our different churches. Tara and I sang 2 services at Highland Hope, where we sang last night. Today was Pastor Appreciation Sunday, so being PKs ourselves, Tara and I were able to share quite a bit. Tara sang "Wonder Working Power" and "Except for Grace", and I sang "Neighbour" and "At the Cross". At the second service, we had a bit more time to work with, so I added "Real Big Fan." I spoke a little about being a PK, and some of the unique things about pastors, and then Tara came out and wrapped it up with "Preach the Word." The people were awesome and very supportive. We just felt so welcomed and blessed!

In the afternoon, we did interviews with DeAnne for the Christian DIVA radio show, and then drove out to Belleville for tonight's service. This huge church does two services on Sunday nights, and we sang for the one they nickname "The Old Time Gospel Hour." DeAnne had to go home early, so Leah, Tara, and I did a 40 minute music program within the service. We did all the group numbers from last night, plus two songs each. I started with "Neighbour" and then did "Shepherd of the Hills." I guess the past few days of travel, sleeping in a strange bed, and extra rehearsals have taken their toll on my neck, because as I started singing "Shepherd", the back of my neck got really tight and stiff. It was incredibly distracting and difficult to sing, and I was half-tempted to stop the song, but I kept going. Tara and Leah said it sounded good, but it was a real struggle. It'll be good to get back to my bed and my medical treatments.

Long travel day tomorrow. Long story short - so glad I came this weekend!

DIVA Weekend - "Redesign Your Mind"

We're back at the hotel, and we're exhausted! We all need to be up by 6:30 tomorrow morning so we can get to our morning services, so it's short blogging tonight.

Tonight, we held our first ever "Redesign Your Mind" event, and it was a great success! We had a lot of competition with other events in the area, but we still had a good crowd. Our group songs went really well, each DIVA did a great individual set, and the drama got lots of laughs.

After the show, the women all had great things to say about the night. They loved the music, and many women commented on how encouraging they found the whole thing. The church has already asked about having us back next year!

It was a lot of work, but well worth it. I'm so glad the doors opened for me to be here this weekend. Outside all the work, we're having a great time laughing and telling stories. But for tonight, it's sleep, sleep, sleep.

(Okay, we're still talking, but soon, it's sleep, sleep, sleep!)

DIVA Weekend - Rehearsal Day

Long, long day of rehearsal!

We arrived at the church around noon and spent an hour or so just organizing the space and figuring out our tech. The church is quite large with friendly staff who are excited to have us. The ladies hosting the event will also be serving dessert, so the front part of the sanctuary has been cleared and outfitted with tables and chairs.

After lunch, which was graciously provided by the church staff, we started the music rehearsal. We'll be doing 3 songs together - "Lean on Me," "Your Grace is Enough," and "Dear God," which was written by Leah and Beth. Tara took control of the musical rehearsal, assigning parts and solos. For a group of women who've never sung together (and Tara and I just met DeAnne yesterday), we actually sound really good together. It started to get really fun, so that's always a good sign.

Next, we rehearsed the drama portion of the event. It's in a talk show format where the host, Darlene Carmichael (played by moi!) interviews several Bible ladies. (I have the most wonderful pair of pink cat's eye glasses trimmed in rhinestones that I wear. Stunning!) It's a lot of script to handle with just a few hours rehearsal, and I was assigned the role of director. The goal became making everyone as comfortable as possible with the cues, blocking, and lines. I also reminded the ladies that it's better to have clear dramatic intentions than perfectly memorized lines. No one has ever been saved by a precisely memorized speech - it's better to communicate the heart of the character and her message.

Around 6pm, we were all ready to stop, so we went to Farmer's restaurant for home-cooking. Due to a waiter's mistake, I managed to go home with a free piece of pecan pie, so it was a good night all around.

Since then, we've all just been chatting and sharing stories and enjoying each other's company. Tomorrow will be long and tiring, so some sleep is in order.

It's raining tonight. I wonder if the buffalo sleep out in the rain? Just wondering...

DIVA Weekend - We're here!

Writing this from the hotel in Greenville, Illinois. I'm here with Tara Jackson, Leah Martensen, and DeAnne Arnold, and we're ready to start our DIVA weekend! Tomorrow, we'll have our first ever "Redesign Your Mind" women's event. Sunday morning, we'll all be at different churches in the area - Tara and I will do a church together - and Sunday night, Tara, Leah, and I are doing a concert together (the concert was just booked yesterday!).

This morning, we're gathering ourselves together. Our hotel is next to a buffalo farm, and when we were having breakfast, we could see the buffalo, including the babies, in the field outside the window. In a few minutes, we'll head off to the church for rehearsal. I'll write more tonight...

Heading off to Illinois!

Within the hour, Dad and I will leave here to drive to the Buffalo airport. By tonight, I'll be in Highland, Illinois, with Tara, Leah, and DeAnne for the first ever Christian DIVAs "Redesign Your Mind" event!

When we decided to move home early, I pulled out of the event, but God had a different plan. So now my bags are stuffed with CDs, tracks, performance clothes, and neck pillows. I'm nervous about how the travel will affect my neck, which is still a daily frustration. But I'm also excited about the weekend. "Redesign Your Mind" is Saturday night, and then Sunday morning, we'll all sing in different area churches. I think Tara and I might sing at the same church, so that would be cool.

Weird, ironic thing: For the past few years, I've been in the States for Thanksgiving. Now I'm living back in Canada, and I'll still be in the States for Thanksgiving! Funny, wha?

Puppies, All Saints, and the Moonshine Cafe

It's been a long few days. On Wednesday, Dante and Tyler got into Mom's post-surgery medication. The two spent 48 hours in puppy intensive care, and are now receiving 8 doses of medication over the course of each day. When it rains, it pours.

This morning, we returned to one of our favourite churches - All Saints Church in downtown Toronto. Jeannie gave a fantastic sermon about Job, after which we sang "Give Me Jesus." During communion we did "Living Manna, Living Bread," and post communion, we sang "A Church Song Broke Me Down." We ended with the congregational hymn, "Majesty." We're back there again next month - can't wait!

Tonight, we went to the Moonshine Cafe - Ontario's answer to the Bluebird Cafe. We played the Moonshine a few years ago, and Gerald is booked there for November 1 (mark your calender!). Tonight's round featured Nashville songwriter, Bruce Michael Miller, and Toronto writers Joe Hash, Linda M, and Annie Marleau. The whole show was fun, and it was cool to meet up with a few NSAI friends.

Now that we're home to stay, we're trying to find lots of local places where we can play our songs. Churches are the obvious place for me, but we want to find cafes and songwriter venues where Gerald can play his country stuff as well. Now that we're so close to the Moonshine, I think we'll be visiting there more often.

Three and a half days til I leave for Illinois and the DIVA event. So much to do!!