Dreams are Resilient...

Dream messages have been coming to me all day.

This afternoon, I was a judge in the Senior Star talent competition. We watched a dozen seniors sing and play in an attempt to win the trophy and move on to the next level of competition.

Some had been making music their whole lives.

Some had finally found time to do it in their retirement.

I spoke with one lady who only had the courage to follow her musical dream after receiving her cancer diagnosis.

It reminded me of SARK's statement that:

"Dreams are resilient - they will wait for you!"

A well-timed thought, indeed, because this evening, I spent an hour listening to SARK in another cool teleclass. In the class, we focused on doing a few active things each week towards pursuing our dreams.

She reminded us that dreams are meant to be a part of our daily lives, and not pushed into a corner like an old and unwanted piece of furniture.

I'm feeling very inspired tonight...

Music in the Garden with Sally Barris

This is what I've been working on all day.
Mark your calendars and join us for this intimate and unique music event!

MUSIC IN THE GARDEN
with Sally Barris
Grammy Nominated Songwriter

With your hosts & opening act, Allison Lynn & Gerald Flemming

SUNDAY, JUNE 27, 2010
3:00 pm - Rain or Shine!
Comer House
11 Don Ridge Dr., North York

TICKETS: $20.00

Near Yonge & 401, and York Mills subway
Free street parking available.
BYO lawn chair
FREE cookies & lemonade will be served.
Please feel free to bring your own snacks & beverages.

Comment or email me with any questions!
Allison@AllisonLynn.com

Turn, Turn, Turn...

This month, I've written my final article for SoGospelNews.com. You can read it here.

As much as I love the site, I've decided I really need to reshape my focus and prune away a few activities.

I think I explain it well in the article. Hope you like it, and of course, if you keep reading this blog, you'll know where all the redirection is heading....

Please Don't Jump

So yesterday I went on one of my favourite blogs, Post Secret.

People write their secrets on postcards and mail them in. The secrets get posted on the blog and get made into books. They reveal deep, beautiful, and sometimes disturbing pieces of our humanity.

Yesterday's offering contained a secret that was completely frightening.
On the postcard, the person wrote:

I have lived in San Francisco since I was young.
I am illegal.
I am not wanted here.
I don't belong anywhere.
This summer I plan to jump off the Golden Gate.

My stomach dropped when I read this. I flashed back to the night I got the phone call about Steve - how I wished he had told someone his plans, how I wished he'd revealed how dark it had gotten, how I wished we could have known what was coming so someone, anyone could have stepped in...

I'm not alone my reaction. People around the world have immediately sprung into action. Some have sent emails through the Post Secret blog. Tens of thousands have joined a facebook page to send notes of love and encouragement to this anonymous friend.

I pray that this secret-writer will see the notes, will call for help, will change his or her mind.

But my heart still hurts because I know there are countless others feeling that lonely, countless others who are trying to decide if today will be the day they end it all.

To anyone who is feeling this way, please let me say this:


Don't! Please don't!

You are not alone.

You are loved by people in your life, even if you don't feel it at this moment.

You are loved by God, even if you don't feel it in this moment.

There is a better day coming, if you don't feel it in this moment.


If you're feeling overwhelmed today, please call someone for help.

1-800-273-TALK (8255)
U.S. and Canada
http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/

Please feel free to share this post with anyone who may need an extra hand today.

Another St. John's Double Header!

Gerald and I continue on our quest to sing at every St. John's church in Ontario.

(Just kidding, but it does feel that way!)

This morning we sang at the beautiful St. John's church in Rockwood. Dad is doing an interim there, and it worked out that the one Sunday we had available was the one Sunday that their organist had to take off!

We started with a few originals, and then led the congregation in "How Great Thou Art." When you have a smaller crowd, the fear is always that they'll be shy and not sing, but let me tell you, these people SAANG! (say "saang" with a Southern accent for full effect.) It was awesome!

We led all the hymns, and did some originals and signature pieces throughout the service. It was just a wonderful service, and so great to hear Dad preach.

After a short turn-around time, we made our way over to St. John's York Mills for the Gathering service. Drew had asked us to kick it up a notch this week, and we were up for the challenge. Our team included us, Brian on drums, and Monika and Derwyn on vocals.

I'm not bragging, but I have to say, tonight felt great! There was a flow to the songs, and the energy was all very positive. We had some great harmonies happening, and they all kind of built and flowed very naturally. Gerald's guitar grooves kept the energy moving, and Brian's rhythms lifted us in all the right places.

We also featured a song Gerald wrote last year with Sue Smith called "My Soul is Spoken For." It fit in well with the theme, and at the end, we added a repeating refrain so the audience could join us.

We really felt like a team tonight. Awesome.

I've said this before, but it's so true:

Church is always pretty good, but some times, it's just really good!

Today, it was really good!

Tin Pan North - Hugh's Room

I'm writing this the morning after as things went late the night before.

Last night, I attended the closing night of Tin Pan North at the always awesome Hugh's Room. After such a busy week, it was great to just sit back and enjoy the great rounds.


The first round featured country artist Codie Prevost, singer-songwriter Madeline Slate, and Nashville whriter Steve Leslie.

Gerald has been working with Steve for at least year, so he was first on my list to bring up for the festival. Steve is a killer writer and an awesome guitar player. He'll have the whole audience laughing, and then break their hearts with a song like "Full-time Sinner, Some-time Saint" (a personal favourite).

Steve had my favourite line of the night: "We songwriters don't owe the truth a thing."

Codie is a great performer, and Madeline was the discovery of the night with her rooted and passionate songs.


The second round featured ASCAP VP Ralph Murphy, country artist Patricia Conroy, Nashville writer Tim Johnson, and Canadian writer Dean McTaggart.

There was a ton of mutual respect in this round, and lots of comradeship, which made the whole thing very entertaining. Great stories mixed with amazing songs for a round that ended far too quickly.

The rest of the night was peppered reports from the week's shows and cool conversations with creative people of all disciplines.

Tin Pan North is a huge undertaking, and it's been a long week. I didn't book a service for us this morning (we're playing for the Gathering service at St. John's tonight), and I'm so glad I didn't! We're exhausted today, and thankful for a few hours of down time.

Of course, tomorrow I'll need to get my car towed, but that's another story...

Tin Pan North Gospel Show

Tonight was the first ever Tin Pan North Gospel Show! Whoo-hoo!

The show was sponsored and supported by the Tin Pan North festival, but most of the organizing fell to Gerald and me. We pulled together volunteers, did some advertising, and secured a great line-up of songwriters.

We gathered at the church around 6:30 with NSAI songwriters Paul Grady and Tom McInerny and headliner Ali Matthews and her guitar player, Rick Francis.

Two of the committee members provided a sound system for us (yay!), but at the last minute, we lost our volunteer sound person (not yay).

So Gerald and Tom started working on the sound system, trying to make it all work, when Rick showed up and announced that he owns a studio and running sound is second nature to him (cue the Hallelujah Chorus!). Rick set the whole thing up, ran our sound check, and then continued to tweak and run sound the entire show, while also playing guitar for Ali. (final chord: Hal-leeeee-luu-jaaaaaaahhhhh!)

The show began, and it was awesome! We had a total of 6 people on stage, and did 4 songs each in a Nashville round style. Paul's songs were calming and folky, and Tom's songs had a dramatic twist. He also made use of the church's grand piano, adding another cool element to the show.

Gerald did a wide range of songs, including his 9-11 song "Angels in the Dust" and his original rocking version of "Real Big Fan" (as opposed to my jazzy version.) Most of my songs were written in the past year, like "Living Manna," "Brighter Happy Day," and the brand new song I debuted last night, "I Wanna Make Some Noise."

Ali and Rick were amazing together! Ali has a beautiful voice and gorgeous songs. Rick would add guitar solos, and at one point he used his pedal to loop a guitar riff and play a solo over it. If you've never seen a guitar player do this before, it's very cool and he basically ended up playing a duet with himself.

For the inaugural Gospel Show, I was very pleased with the results. The crowd was very appreciative, the players were great, and the energy in the room was wonderful! Tonight, we're exhausted, but it was so worth the effort.

Mark your calendars for next year!

Tin Pan North - Trane

After months of planning, Tin Pan North has begun!

The official start was the London show last night, and tonight we kicked it off in Toronto. Gerald and I played the early round at Trane, a neat little jazz club in the Annex. Karl Widmeyer was the third NSAI member, and Katherine Wheatley was our headliner.

Sometimes, a round can be a tedious thing, but not tonight. Karl has a great voice and cool songs, and Katherine is just awesome - wonderful songs and a gracious stage presence.

The room was mostly full, so that felt good as well.

One show down, one to go. Come join us for the Gospel Show tomorrow night!

It's coming soon......

Just a reminder that our Tin Pan North Gospel Show is this Friday!

If you're anywhere close to the GTA, come join us for this awesome night of Christian songwriting!

A Double St. John's Sunday

It amazes me the number of churches we sing at that are named after St. John. We currently have 3, and we've just added a fourth.

Today, we hit 2 of them.

In the morning, we sang at St. John's West in High Park. The request had come in for a service full of old Gospel hymns, so we sang "In the Garden," "Just a Closer Walk," and our own version of "How Great Thou Art." St. John's has been our friend for a long time, and it's always good to go back for a visit.

In the evening, Gerald and I were on board to lead the music for the Gathering service. Our focus was songs of comfort and encouragement, so we asked a member of the congregation to open the service with Matthew 6:25-34. We wanted to build a bit of a team for the service, so our friends Derwyn and Deanna joined us on vocals, which meant lots of great harmonies. Deanna did a solo of "All Who are Thirsty," and we were able to build the harmony from one-part to two-part and ended with 3 parts. Awesome!

There's always a little apprehension when you bring new musicians together for a performance that only has one quick rehearsal, so we went back to basics - listen, sing with sensitivity, and rely on your strengths.

In the best moments, working with other people makes you better...

Better because you bring your best to the table...
Better because you learn to offer and receive grace...
Better because you discover your own strengths and weaknesses...

It can take us outside our comfort zones, but if we can make great music, and learn a little more about ourselves, it's always worth it.

Lessons from Backwoods Barbie & the Gambler

Friday's Oprah guest was the one and only Dolly Parton. She was funny and charming and just so Dolly.

She told an amazing story about the time Elvis wanted to record "I Will Always Love You." She was over-the-moon excited, until Colonel Parker told her that Elvis wouldn't record the song unless Dolly gave them half her publishing. It had already been a hit for her, and she had decided to hold onto that song and leave it to her family.

Imagine what an amazing recording Elvis would have done of that song! We would still be downloading it today, debating its status as a 'classic.' Dolly admitted to crying for days after losing the cut, but her "no" meant that she got to keep her song. Years later, when Whitney Houston recreated "I Will Always Love You," Dolly got to celebrate full ownership of this awesome song.

Sometimes a "No" leads to a bigger "Yes."

As Dolly was singing, she brought out her friend, Kenny Rogers, for a surprise duet. When Oprah asked the secret to their great creative relationship, Kenny said something that all artists should take note of.

He said that every performer has 3 versions of themselves. There's the person the audience sees, there's the person we portray ourselves as, and there's the real us.

He said that if you really want success in the music industry, those 3 people need to be very similar. The closer those 3 people match up, the better it all seems to work.

I guess it all goes back to that word we love to throw around so much: Authentic.

Something to think about on a Friday afternoon...

Jazzy Sunday

We decided to step outside the box a little tonight and start incorporating a little jazz into the Gathering (evening service). Gerald worked up 2 great arrangements of "Be Thou My Vision" and "People Get Ready." We met before the service for a quick rehearsal with Monique on piano and Brian on drums.

We ran the songs a few times, and then played on all the songs for the service. Drew preached on 'conversion', basing his discussion on Paul's conversion in Acts. It lead to an inspiring and challenging discussion.

After the final song, we ran our 2 jazz songs. By that time, the vibe was just right, and the songs were musical and spiritual. After the second song, one of our friends in the congregation told us how much she loves our rendition of "Give Me Jesus," so we offered to play it for her. We've never done it with drums before, but it all just flowed and felt fantastic.

There are times when the music, the message, and the worship all swirl together to take us to the next level, and it felt like we were touching on that tonight. And trust me, there's no ego in my saying that - when things get to that level, it has very little to do with us.

Choir... Jazz... Gonna be a Good Sunday!

We had a terrific rehearsal tonight! Gerald and I are going to join the Gathering service Sunday evening to sing a bit of Gospel jazz, so we ran through those songs this afternoon, and then brought them to Monique tonight. She's going to add a little piano, Brian will add a little drums... it's going to be good!

But first, the morning service will host St. Stephen's Youth Choir as our special guests. The school-aged children were part of our Advent celebrations, and it's awesome to have them back with us again. The children will join us for 2 songs, they'll do the offertory on their own, and one young girl is singing a solo. After tonight's rehearsal, we shared subs, social time, and a few good knock-knock jokes. Really looking forward to Sunday...

New project in the works...

I love a new project! It's like Christmas and Easter and Birthday Week all rolled into one!

Every week, Gerald and I have our Weekly Creative Meeting. That may sound like the weirdest thing ever to some people, but I assure you that it is one of the greatest things we do together. In that time, we postmortem past opportunities and dream up new ones. We make plans and celebrate our progress.

Yesterday's meeting was a kicker, and it's got us on a new project that's occupying a surprisingly large part of my brain. I'm not quite ready to lay it out here yet, but I promise I'll do that soon.

In the meantime, we're pulling together details for our upcoming performances at Tin Pan North, including our awesome Gospel Show, and also working on some cool church stuff.

I also had a great chat today with Sally Barris, who will be coming up for a weekend tour in June.

All the details for Tin Pan and Sally can be found on the Calendar of my site. More details coming soon!!!

Seriously - it's like Christmas and Halloween and Canada Day and Valentine's, all in one!

Radio Interview airing Saturday!

I started my day with a radio interview! I chatted with Jim McLachlin of UCB Canada about my new site, "Hymns in the Key of Grace," and the Tin Pan North Gospel Show.

(On a cool side note, I first met Jim when he interviewed me and Tara Jackson at NQC in 2008.)

I just found out that today's interview will air tomorrow night!

Here's the info, if you'd like to listen in:

Saturday, May 8,
some time between 7:00-8:00pm

UCB Canada 89.3 FM

It will also air online at http://ucbchathamkent.com/

Photos from AWARE Weekend

After taking a bit of much needed quiet time this week, I've finally posted my photos from the AWARE conference this past weekend!

You can find them either on the Gallery page of my Site or on my Facebook page.

One year ago today...

... Gerald and I survived our car accident.

I don't have much to say about it tonight, other than this: I am so incredibly grateful for my family, our friends, and God's faithfulness.

Carpe diem, everybody.

AWARE Conference - Day 3

When I think back over the last 3 days, all I can say is, “Amazing.”

Deanna and decided to have some quiet time this morning. We rehearsed by the lake, and after brunch, spent some quiet time in the chapel. We wanted to be well prepared - musically and spiritually - for this afternoon’s Communion service.

The service started outside with a parade around the chapel. Ladies carried flags and banners, I played the djembe, and we all sang, “We Are Marching.” The sun was shining, the air was clear, and the whole thing was glorious!

The Communion service was a wonderful way to end the weekend. The ladies sang and praised in all the songs, the prayers were beautiful, and the sharing of the peace could have gone on for hours.

After lots of hugs and long goodbyes, Deanna and I left for Toronto. I made it home in time for a quick clean-up and then went to hear Gerald sing a little Elvis in the church’s annual Musicfest concert. He was a hit, and it was great to just sit back and be in the audience after such a busy weekend.

AWARE Conference - Day 2

Today was a long and wonderful day with the women of AWARE. We started bright and early with a few solos as the women were entering the chapel, which lead into a joyful time of worship. These women really came here to sing! When they see a song come up on the screen that they love, we get a collective gasp of surprise, followed by joyful and boisterous singing.

This weekend has been crazy busy, so Deanna and I took a little time this morning to sit by the lake with our tea. Lovely.

Gospel artists often debate (ie: argue) about “preparation” vs “following the Spirit.” Well, today was an example of how good preparation can allow you to follow the Spirit. When I was packing my music on Friday, I decided to throw in a few charts for some of the Gospel hymns I like to sing: “Just as I am,” “He Touched Me,” “Jesus is Lord of All,” and so on. This afternoon, we gathered in the chapel for the much anticipated Taize service. We moved our instruments to the floor so we could sit on chairs and be closer to the people, the candles, and the small altar. We did a quick sound check, and as we were waiting for the service to begin, the organizers informed us that, following the service, there would be a short time of annointing. Did we have a few gentle songs we could sing during that time, perhaps something like “Just as I am”?

Why yes, yes we do.

The service was wonderful. We sang about 8 Taize choruses, and in between each one, different women would either read scripture or say a prayer. There was a gentle stillness about the whole thing. After the service proper, I took the guitar and played my collection of hymns. A few people gently sang along. I needed one more, so I played my own song, “I Call Out Your Name.”

The times in between services and worship sessions has been filled with chatting, laughing, deep breaths by the lake, and lots and lots of food! What is it about church folks and eating???

Our evening worship was awesome! They sang and danced and waved flags and it was beautiful! I wish I’d had my camera up on stage with me to take a picture of it, but a photo couldn’t have captured the beauty of the faces and the voices. After our session, Melanie spoke again and then did a short concert of her songs.

We’re all very tired tonight, but it’s a satisfied tired.

AWARE Conference - Day 1

I’m writing this from Elim Lodge in Peterborough. On our drive up here, Deanna and I went from skyscrapers to country fields. We’re staying in a great little cabin that’s just a few feet from the water. We have plans for tea by the lake tomorrow afternoon.

We’re here in the middle of the woods with over a hundred Anglican women who are ready to sing, socialize, and get spiritual. Deanna and I opened tonight’s session with a vibrant time of worship. We did songs like “Days of Elijah,” “Shine, Jesus, Shine,” and “Majesty.” They loved all the songs, and sang and danced with gusto!

The theme of the weekend is Transformation, based on Romans 12:1-2. The speaker, Melanie Hart, is also a singer-songwriter, and she ended tonight’s session with testimony and a powerful song about forgiveness and restoration.

We ended the night with snacks and fellowship. The response to the music was fantastic, and we’re getting to know some great women. Looking forward to tomorrow...

Getting ready for AWARE

Tomorrow afternoon, I'll head out to Peterborough with my friend, Deanna, for the AWARE women's conference. Over the course of the weekend, we'll lead 4 worship sessions, a Taize service, a Communion service, a musical parade into the Communion service, and 3 pre-worship sessions featuring our own songs.

We've been planning and practicing for a few months now. Even though Deanna and I have been friends for a few years, it's always a new experience when you start working together. I think we've developed a good dynamic, and I'm excited to bring the music to an audience.

I'll be blogging over the weekend, but I don't know if I'll have access to internet, so check back next week for AWARE updates.

Oh, and yesterday while I was caught in traffic, I wrote a new song! I didn't write at all over the winter, and now, it's like spring thaw - ideas and melodies are just flowing. Of course, being in traffic, I had no way to write it down, so I sang the song 30-something times so I wouldn't forget it. Must have worked cause I woke up singing it this morning!

I just want to bang on the drum all day...

One week today, Deanna and I will be heading off to Peterborough for the AWARE conference - us and a hundred Anglican women, singing and having a great time. Preparation has been a bit 'hurry-up-and-wait', but I feel we're in a good place now.

Today, we ran almost all the songs for the weekend - 4 worship sessions, 1 Communion service, and 1 Taize service. Deanna will be leading on guitar, we're both singing, and I'm the Percussion Queen, playing shakers, tambourine, and djembe.

One of the things the ladies have asked for is a 'parade' into the Communion service. Basically, we're going to gather outside 30 minutes before the service, and sing the African song "We are Marching" as the ladies process to the chapel. I'll be playing my djembe to lead us, and I'm hoping lots of spontaneous clapping, harmony, and dancing erupts.

Must bring comfortable shoes!

Gaithers in Hamilton

I wanted to write last night, but we got home so late, there was only time for tea and pajamas!

Last night, Dad and I worked Gordon Mote's product table at the Gaither show in Hamilton. We drove out a few hours before the show, just in time to have pie (I've never seen a Swiss Chalet line-up literally trailing down the street!) and pay too much for parking.

I met Gordon and his manager, Bob, at Stamps-Baxter a few years ago, and it's always great to see them - good, cool people. Working the table was fun, and there's no one friendlier and happier than Gaither fans at a show.

It's been a few years since I've seen a Gaither show, and I have to say - we had a great time. Our seats were prime - 3rd row, almost center - so we could really see the music happening. There were some amazing acoustic sets with Buddy Greene, Gordon Mote and the Isaacs, sometimes with all of them playing together. Really - amazing!

The show contained some lovely vocal performances by Karen Peck, Charlotte Ritchie, and Gene MacDonald. There was also an wonderful moment with Lynda Randle. I know she has a great voice, but I've never really understood the extreme devotion of her fans. Well, partway through "Sparrow", she noticed someone in the front row to the right of us. I couldn't see the person, but he or she must have doing sign language. Lynda noticed, and every time she turned to that side of the audience she looked directly at that person and signed the lyric of the song. She didn't do it any other time or in any other direction. It was so obvious that she was reaching out to a specific person, that other people in the audience started looking around to see who she was looking at. It was a beautiful moment of an artist in a venue of thousands reaching out and connecting with one person. Extreme devotion explained.

Tonight was also my first time seeing the new GVB. Michael English is still out, so Reggie Smith filled in! I know Reggie through Stamps-Baxter, and he sang on 'Real Big Fan', so it was so cool to see him! The group sounded great, but loud. The only complaints of the night were the volume and the cold (I think the ice is still down in the stadium).

Oh, one more lovely moment - during the 'homecoming' part of the show, Bill pulled a chair to the front of the stage, sat down, and sang a song by himself. His voice cracked and warbled and did everything else a 'good' voice shouldn't do, and yet it was one of the most moving parts of the show. Why? Because he communicated the message of the song. Beautiful!

So overall - good music, good show, good pie!

Double Rehearsal Night

Tonight, I did a 2 hour rehearsal with the Praise Team, and 30 minutes later, another 2 hour rehearsal with the Chorale (I'm subbing in for the alto again.)

Both rehearsals were great, but I just have to brag on our Praise Team rehearsal. We have Brian joining us on drums for the next few weeks, and it just lifts everything! We were rocking and grooving and doing all the things that make rehearsals awesome - creating, arranging, and really making music.

I love what I do!!!

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.