East Coast Tour - Day 27

Hello from beautiful St. Andrew's-by-the-Sea in New Brunswick!

We left Moncton this morning and started the drive south to St. Andrew's, and what a drive it was! The closer we got to the Bay of Fundy, the more beautiful things became.

We stopped for lunch at an unassuming little place called the Bay Breeze. As we walked through the tiny restaurant, we noticed a patio and grabbed a table.

What - a - spot!! The sky was clear and bright blue, and our 180 degree view was the stunning Bay of Fundy. The water was lush and expansive. Sea gulls drifting by and provided a gentle soundtrack. The sun beat down, but the heat was relieved by the gentle breeze.

We couldn't resist indulging in more seafood as we drank in the beauty of our surroundings. By the time our food arrived, we were the only people on the patio, and the silence was golden. It's hard to put the whole scene into words, but it was truly a perfect moment.

The beauty continued as we arrived at our host family's home just outside St. Andrew's. Right on the water, the backyard has a fantastic view of the famous Bay of Fundy tides.

We drove into town tonight for our final tour concert at All Saints Church. We approached the concert with feelings of gratitude for all that we've experienced over the past month. During the intermission, one lady said, "This is exactly what I needed tonight." Moments like that make it all worthwhile.

After the show, we stayed up late, visiting and helping our hosts celebrate their 38th wedding anniversary! We've been blessed to stay with amazing people on this trip.

I imagine we'll do a lot of debriefing over the next few weeks, but for now, all I want is a good night's sleep!

New Photos

We've got new photos up on our SITE and FACEBOOK page!

Click the links above to check them out.

My new Irish penny whistles, from O'Brien's Music Store.

East Coast Tour - Day 26

Hello from Moncton, New Brunswick!

Our ferry crossing was fantastic, and we got on the road bright and early. The weather was just perfect for driving, and with the exception of some construction, we had a great drive.

We stopped at a little seafood stand for lunch and, yet again, I had mussels. I realized that I've had mussels four times on this trip, twice in the past 24 hours! Nothing wrong with that...

We have one more concert left on the tour. I can't believe we're this close to the end of things!

Tomorrow, we sing in St. Andrew's, NB. We were supposed to sing there last year, but we were shut out by infamous Hurricane Irene. Barring all tropical storms and natural disasters, we're really looking forward to tomorrow night!

For tonight, we're settled into a cozy little hotel in Moncton, NB. We're a little tired, so pizza is on the way, and nothing but relaxing is on the schedule for the night....

East Coast Tour - Day 25

For the first time in over three weeks, we're heading west.

We spent our final morning in St. John's visiting family, strolling around downtown, eating mussels, and wishing we had a few more days in the city. Our time has flown by. I always wish Newfoundland was easier to visit, or I wish we were millionaires and could fly in anytime on our private jet. Sometimes you've gotta dream for the impossible...

Tonight, we're on the ferry! I say it every time, but I love being on a boat!!

This will be about a 14 hour trip, so we booked early and got a cabin. When we arrived, we found out our cabin has a window! Score!

So tonight, I'm writing to you from our cozy little cabin on the Atlantic Vision ferry, crossing from Argentia, Newfoundland, to North Sydney, Nova Scotia.

We're relaxed, comfortable, and ready for an easy night on the ocean...

East Coast Tour - Day 24

Today was our last performance in Newfoundland for this tour.

We visited the Agnes Pratt Nursing Home and performed an hour of hymns and popular inspirational songs for the residents. It was a great way to finish this leg of our trip.

This concluded our 6 Concerts in 6 Days. We're a little tired today, but our voices are still in great shape. Last year, we started doing a daily vocal warm-up we found online, and I think it's been instrumental in keeping us vocally healthy on this tour.

We returned the Bose system we had rented, but we won't be without one for long. Gerald is completely hooked, and I'm pretty much sold too. It just has everything we need, and it's so easy to sing with.

The rest of the day was just spent enjoying the city. We had an early supper of fish cakes and cod tongues - we're trying to eat as much Newfoundland food as we can! We stocked up on locally made Purity crackers and cookies. And we enjoyed an evening of listening to locally recorded music with our friends.

I can't believe we leave the island tomorrow! 

It's all gone by far too quickly. 

One more concert left!

I've also posted some photos from the past week. 

You can find them on our SITE or FACEBOOK page.

East Coast Tour - Day 23

It was great to have a day when we didn't have to drive anywhere!

We spent the afternoon lounging on the back deck, eating healthy food and enjoying the company of good friends.

This evening, we took the (thankfully) short drive to Mount Pearl to sing at The Parish of the Good Shepherd. We sang there last year, so we knew we were in for a good night.

The crowd was a good mix of friends, return audience members, and new faces. They laughed and sang along, and the whole night had a wonderful feeling.

After the show, we were talking with a longtime family friend and wishing we had time to grab a meal while we're in town. We made a rain cheque for our next visit, and parted ways.

On the way home, Gerald had a late-night craving for bad food, so we turned into the golden arches. Well, while we were in the line-up, who walked in but our family friend? Looks like we would have our meal together after all!

We chatted and laughed and had a great time. It's been a long few days, but we're still feeling strong, both vocally and spiritually.

One more Newfoundland show tomorrow afternoon!

East Coast Tour - Day 22

Hello from my hometown - St. John's, NL!!!!

We arrived early in the afternoon so we could rent a Bose sound system. Even though ours worked perfectly last night, we've been debating buying a new system for a while. We're just at the point we're we'd like something a little larger that can accommodate more instruments and possibly bigger venues. We've had our eye on the Bose towers, but thought it wise to rent before buying, so here we go.

Our venue for tonight was St. Thomas's Church, which was my home church for most of my childhood. Dad was the rector (head pastor) here for many years, and the sanctuary is full of memories.

There's nothing more powerful than looking out at an audience that is full of family, and folks who have known you your whole life.

Tonight felt like a strong night of ministry, and I believe Gerald has completely fallen in love with the Bose (I have picture to prove it - give me a day or 2 to post it.)

Tonight is performance #13 on our tour. Only 3 more to go!

East Coast Tour - Day 21

Hello from Hodge’s Cove!

This morning started as all mornings should: sitting around the kitchen table, playing songs and sharing creativity with our Eastport hosts, Paul and Helena. After leaving their home, we visited retired Bishop Eddie and his wife, Emmie, for a visit that included tea, poetry, homemade muffins, music, theology, and a wicked thunderstorm.

Unfortunately, the thunderstorm followed us for most of the day. But as we say in Newfoundland, “If you don’t like the weather, wait five minutes,” and by the time we hit Clarenville, things had settled down.

I don’t think I’ve ever been to Hodge’s Cove or this area. The drive was twisty and grey, but when you crest the hill into Hodge’s Cove, you know it was worth the drive.

We were set to sing in St. Mary’s Church, one of 5 in a multi-point parish. After a great sound check, and an extra prayer over the sound system, we welcomed a full church for a fun evening’s entertainment. The crowd was with us from the start - singing, clapping along, and just smiling back at us. After, many people stopped for a chat and a word of encouragement, which we always appreciate.

One of the things we’re loving most about this tour is meeting so many interesting people. After the concert, we chatted with our hosts, Rev. Jessie and her husband Danny, about the ever-shifting and challenging dynamics of introducing contemporary church music to more traditional congregations. We also threw in a bit of chat about our favourite tv shows, just to keep it all balanced.

Tomorrow, we head into my hometown, St. John’s! Can’t wait!

East Coast Tour - Day 20

Hello from Eastport, and our craziest tech night ever!!

We said good-bye to our family in Botwood today over Gerald's favourite Newfoundland dessert: the Dockside's partridgeberry kuchen. Native to the island, partridgeberries are bright red, a little tart, and completely excellent on any kind of dessert. We were able to finagle a few jars of preserves from the kitchen, so I started the drive east with a happy husband in the car.

The church in Eastport is just gorgeous! It's a large, cross-shaped sanctuary with amazing hand-cut wood beams. There isn't a piece of stained glass in the whole church. Instead, the colour comes from the beautiful homemade banners that line the walls. We actually included the Easter banner in our "In The Garden" video.

One thing we love about this church is its beautiful acoustic. As we started the show, everything felt great. The sound was tight, and the audience was responsive.

At the intermission, I went back to the CD table while Gerald switched out the cables so we could play a few tracks. And that's when I heard it: thunder-like crashes coming out of our sound system.

We started the second half, praying everything would fall into place, but every few bars we'd hear something very non-musical coming through the speaker. We unplugged the tracks and decided to just go back to guitar. No such luck. The thunder/crashing/horror-sounds continued. We made the age-old joke about the devil being in the sound system and tried to laugh it off, while simultaneously trying not to freak out.

After a few minutes of trying to fix it, we just unplugged everything, and moved right down to the front of the audience. Suddenly, it felt like we were in a house concert. Everything was intimate, and somehow very special. After we finished, people said it was their favourite part of the show. Funny how things happen...

I don't know what we're going to do tomorrow night, but if you're in the mood for a weird prayer tonight, please pray for our sound system!

East Coast Tour - Day 19

And so it begins: 6 concerts in 6 days.

Tonight we returned to the Salvation Army Church in Peterview. When we lost Indian Bay on Sunday, we feared tonight would be (to use the theatre term) a 'dark' night. We were so happy when the people at the Salvation Army said "yes" to the idea of a concert tonight!

We arrived at the church mid-afternoon to set up and have a rehearsal. The first people started to arrive over an hour before showtime! We've never had people come that early! By 7:00 pm, the sanctuary had filled up, and the crowd was ready for a good time.

We switched things up a little tonight and added 2 new songs to the program: "My Heart is the Manger" from Every Church is a Small Town, and our funky new arrangement of "What a Friend We Have in Jesus." Love that new groove Gerald has created for this classic song!

Every show tends to be a little different, and tonight's was fun and relaxed. The audience was filled with joyful singers, and we truly felt welcomed and loved.

Tomorrow, we head a little further east to Eastport, and my Dad's hometown of Salvage!

East Coast Tour - Day 18

Today is our last day "off" until our final tour concert next week. Tomorrow, we start a run of 6 concerts in 6 days. After that, we have 3 full travel days (including a 14 hour ferry ride!), and then a concert in New Brunswick.

It's going to be a tight, busy schedule, so part of today had to be about resting and prepping:

We took my aunt and uncle out for a birthday celebration lunch at the beautiful Dockside Restaurant.

We reorganized the car, revisited the concert set list, and had a great rehearsal.

And tonight, we enjoyed a leisurely time on the back deck with the family.

Nobody can deny that being on tour is a lot of work, but it's definitely a lot of fun too!

East Coast Tour - Day 17

Monday is usually our day off, and today, we really needed one.

Today has been dedicated to long walks, a hunt for ice cream, and dinner with the family.

I also updated the East Coast Tour photo album on our Facebook page. 

You can visit it by clicking HERE.

Sound check in Corner Brook.

East Coast Tour - Day 16

This morning we sang at the Salvation Army Church in Peterview, NL. After our concert on Friday, the church's music director invited us to perform a concert the next time we come through Newfoundland. Well, we really don't know if we'll be back this way again next year, so we offered to sing a few songs on Sunday morning. You never know what happens when you say "Yes" to something ...

The morning's service was fantastic! It's the 101st anniversary of this particular corps (congregation), so they had a wonderful guest speaker and a full house. The brass band lead the boisterous and joyful singing, and the junior praise team (featuring my young cousin!) stole the show. We sang Just a Closer Walk, Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone,) and to honour the anniversary, Every Church is a Small Town.

After the service, everyone kept asking us if we'd be back for the evening service. So before we knew it, we were invited back for the evening, and we said "Yes."

This afternoon, we got the upsetting news that our Wednesday concert in Indian Bay was cancelled. We'd had a great time there last year, and the news was really disappointing. But saying "Yes" was still in our heads. Gerald said, "Maybe the Salvation Army would like a concert that night?" So when we returned to the church, we asked, and they said "Yes!"

So, we'll be singing a free concert at the 

Peterview Salvation Army Church, 

this Wednesday, 7:00pm. 

Come if you're in the area!

Back to tonight: the evening service was epic! More singing from the congregation and the junior praise team, and another fantastic message. We sang How Great Thou Art and Give Me Jesus. In celebration of the anniversary, the floor was opened for testimonies, and the stories began to flow. I could listen to testimonies all night long! The heartfelt messages of God's faithfulness were moving and inspiring. Some people chose to tell their stories through song, shouting out song titles to sing, or simply reading the lyrics aloud.

After the service, we enjoyed the anniversary reception. Nobody can put out a spread like church folk!

Cutting the anniversary cake with the oldest & youngest soldiers in the corps.

East Coast Tour - Day 15

Family day!

One of the best things about being in Newfoundland is being with my family. We see each other so rarely that when we get together, we really try to make the most of it.

Gerald and I enjoyed a relaxing morning of writing songs. As Gerald played a guitar riff, I started to hear a lyric. Of course, by the time he finished working out his guitar part, the lyric no longer fit the melody. No problem - now we have the start of 2 new songs!

The afternoon and evening were dedicated to feasting, laughing, telling stories, and just loving every minute. We went out to my cousin's house where we enjoyed fresh mussels, BBQ chicken, fresh cod, salads, and potatoes that were literally dug from the garden and dumped in the pot. The desserts smothered the table, and the drinks were chilled with none other than million-year-old iceberg ice!

Million-year-old iceberg ice!!

We ended the night with a campfire, complete with weiners and marshmallows. Our trip has been great, but with all the driving and travelling, it's great to just sit in one place for a while...

East Coast Tour - Day 14

Hello from Botwood!

"Where's Botwood?" you may say.

Botwood is a small town in Central Newfoundland that's integral to my family history. It's the hometown of my Mom, Helen, and I spent much of my childhood here, visiting family. We'll actually spend the next few days doing just that.

As we were welcoming people before tonight's concert, the inevitable happened. "It's not hard to tell who you are," I heard. "You look just like your mother."

When I was a child, this was the only thing I hated about Botwood.

Now, I can't get enough of it.

We sang tonight in the beautiful Trinity United Church. Bold stained glass line the walls of the sanctuary, giving snapshots of Jesus's history.

We had a lot of musical folks in the audience, so there was lots of singing and grooving coming from the crowd, and nods-of-approval when Gerald would hit a particularly cool guitar lick.

Our next concert is Wednesday, so we'll take some time over the next few days to squeeze in some good rehearsals before hitting the road. We've had so much driving lately, and so many nights in hotels, that it's been hard to get any real rehearsal time going. My Dad made the best analogy: Like athletes playing road games, we need that daily stretch and play to keep things fresh.

Tomorrow, we stretch!

East Coast Tour - Day 13

Hello from Corner Brook!

It's late here in Newfoundland, and it's been a long one, so please excuse any typos or gibberish. I actually almost titled this post "East Coats Tour"!

I awoke this morning to the sound of a new lyric drifting through the air. Gerald was in the living room of our Rocky Harbour cottage strumming his guitar and working out the details for a new song. We made espresso and sang though the lyric, adding harmonies and polishing the very few rough edges. With a few run throughs, we may just add it to the concert next week.

We really wish we'd had more time in Gros Morne, but we spent the rest of the morning having a little drive, taking more photos, and enjoying a beautiful brunch at the exquisite Java Jive cafe.

The drive to Corner Brook was striking. Hills, mountains, and shade upon shade of deep green.

We arrived at our host home this afternoon, with lots of time for a visit, a rest, and a great meal.

At the end of each concert, we re-evaluate our program. What worked? What could work better? How can we express the message better? How can we add more fun? Tonight, we shifted things around a bit more, and things feel better and better every time. Building a show can get technical, but the goal is simple: How can we create an atmosphere where the audience can emotionally connect with the message?

Tonight we sang for the receptive crowd at St. Michael & All Angels. The whole atmosphere was very relaxed. One person said he felt like the church pews were couches, and we are all in a big living room together. We love that!

We've just finished a long post-concert session of cake and chatting. Looking forward to heading a little further east tomorrow, and seeing some family!

East Coast Tour - Day 12

Hello from Rocky Harbour!

When I realized we had an extra night before our first Newfoundland concert, I decided to take a detour and show Gerald one of the island's (and arguably the country's) most beautiful areas - Gros Morne National Park.

Now, in an ideal world, we'd have a few days to drift around the area, soaking in the incredible beauty, the lingering walking trails, and the host of live music and theatre festivals, but even one night was worth the drive.

We arrived late afternoon (admittedly, we were slow getting on the road after yesterday's epic travel day) and settled into our little cabin. I took a stroll through town and found a great spot on the beach where the tide was out. My camera got a workout as I investigated the tide pools and breathed in the incredible vistas. (I'll post the shots when I get a faster internet speed.)

Earle's restaurant looks like it should only serve burgers and fries, but their seafood menu was extensive and fresh. They literally get it from the fish plant down the road. We grabbed a table on the breezy patio and feasted on Newfoundland delicacies - scallops with bacon, toutons & molasses, moose meat pie, cod fried with scrunchions, and finishing with a homemade molasses cookie.

We're about to enter a busy couple of weeks, so tonight's respite was just perfect. Can't wait to see what tomorrow brings...

East Coast Tour - Day 11

It's been a 14 hour travel day. FOURTEEN hours!!! Whew!

We left Halifax bright and early to drive east to catch the ferry to Newfoundland. It was a great day in the car - clear weather, good soundtrack, and lots of laughing.

Driving through Cape Breton was beautiful, of course. We arrived early in North Sydney, so we found a restaurant right by the water. The weather was perfect, so we grabbed a picnic table overlooking the ferries and ordered the special of the day - lobster casserole! Big pieces of lobster swimming in cheese and cream sauce. Talk about a decadent lunch!

In the afternoon we boarded the ferry! I love any chance to get on a boat (I'm like my Dad that way.) We were able to grab a quiet couple of seats by the window, and settled in for a smooth crossing. I got a couple of great photos of the sunset that I'll post tomorrow.

We also met more Christian musicians on the ferry! A PEI-based Celtic family group called The Skys. They're touring Newfoundland for the first time. Lots of great music is about to hit the island!

We're settled into Port aux Basques for the night. Looking forward to every day of the next 2 weeks!

Toronto is our home where we live, 

and Nashville is our Southern home, 

but Newfoundland, well, that's the original.

Halifax Photos!

I've posted our Halifax photos on our SITE and our FACEBOOK page! 

Come check them out...

East Coast Tour - Day 10

That's right - Day 10. We're in the double digits! 

Today was our play day in Halifax! We took a gentle morning to reset ourselves after a busy weekend and in prep for a long travel day tomorrow. Of course, we had the energy to do all this thanks to our lovely espresso maker!

The afternoon was spent drifting in and out of music stores, playing guitars and chatting about gear. Every once in a while, Gerald would find a new guitar riff, and I would find a melody, so I'd pull out my iPhone and hit the 'record' button. When we get a bit of quiet time, we'll pull them out and see what kind of songs may grow...

Since we had a open night ahead, I sat down with the tourism brochures and set about to plan a wonderful Monday night in Halifax.

The first stop was the Just Us cafe. We'd heard all about this company from our hosts in Kentville. The founders started the first free trade coffee industry in Canada! Everyone here brags about their coffee, so we knew it would be worth a visit. The sprawling, cozy cafe was pretty empty tonight, so we enjoyed our espresso and cappuccino at a quiet table by a breezy window. Delicious and lovely!

The next leg of the night was well planned indeed: drive downtown, park the car, find the Old Triangle Irish Alehouse, eat pub food, and listen to great music.

Well, you know what they say about making plans....

We only got as far as parking the car.

Right by the parking lot was the harbour, and we were seduced to the boardwalk. From there, we found a fish and chips stand, with tables sitting right by the boats. The air was clean and easy, and the atmosphere was vibrant and relaxed.

How could we leave that to sit in a noisy pub?

We stayed till dark - chatting, watching the boats, and indulging in fantastic fish and chips. A group of kids (wow, don't I sound old???) who looked prom age headed out on a boat for a night of celebrating. We watched the sky fade and the lights shimmer on the water. We strolled and saw other relaxed families enjoying the pleasures of patios and buskers.

Tomorrow will be a long day with a drive to North Sydney and the ferry to Newfoundland, but it was completely worth staying the extra night in Halifax!

New Photo Page!

I've been posting our tour photos on our FACEBOOK page, but I've also just started a new photo album on our site.

To see the photos from the first week of our East Coast Tour, please click HERE.

Getting some puppy love with our host family in Kentville, Nova Scotia.

East Coast Tour - Day 9

We started the morning back at St. James's Church to sing for the morning worship service. Their summer readings have all been based on Jesus as the Bread of Life, so after Communion, we sang Living Manna and Amazing Grace (My Chains are Gone.)

After church, we joined 'the crowd' for brunch. Full platters, lively conversation, and much laughter filled the table.

We said our goodbyes,  promised to return again, and then set off for Halifax.

I've posted photos from the weekend on our FACEBOOK page.

After a bit of a rest (and watching the Olympics closing ceremonies!) we set out for the evening with Gerald's high school buddy who lives here in town. We indulged in fantastic Chinese food, and hit The Company House to catch a line-up of local stand-up comedians.

We'll squeeze in one more fun day here before crossing over to Newfoundland - going to make the most of it!

East Coast Tour - Day 8

We left Halifax late this morning to head to our next concert. I sometimes wish we had a camera in the car to capture our on-the-road vocalizing and rehearsing. We've been using a warm-up designed by Jamie Wigginton in Nashville, and we play it every day as we lip trill, ooh, and mum-mum-mum our way down the TransCanada.

Tonight we're writing from Kentville, about 90 minutes outside Halifax.

There's a group at St. James' Church in Kentville that's planning a mission trip to the Dominican next spring. Sixteen people will spend a week building a house, and sharing skills and resources with the local people. A few church members saw our Bedford house concert last year, so when they heard we were coming down this summer, they thought - Fundraiser!

So tonight, we performed our concert in support of the mission trip. We had a great turnout, and got to hear about the plans for the mission. Gerald and I have never done a mission trip, but the idea of it continues to keep a slow simmer in our brains. There was a great energy in the air tonight, and it was just a wonderful time of music and community.

After the concert, we returned to our hosts' gorgeous house on the lake. A night of homemade bread and stories ensued....

It's late, but we must be up early. We've been asked to sing at the worship service in the morning.

East Coast Tour - Day 7

One week on the road! 

We're writing tonight from Halifax, Nova Scotia. 

We started with grey, rainy weather in New Brunswick this morning, but once we crossed the border into Nova Scotia, the skies cleared and it was beautiful and sunny all the way. We decided to push through and spend the night in Halifax - I don't know anyone who's been here who doesn't love it. I asked for restaurant recommendations on Facebook and received enough to last us a month!

Tomorrow, we head out to Kentville for a concert at St. James Anglican Church. It's been a fun couple of travel days, but we're really looking forward to getting back in the singing groove!

Song Downloads Available Now!!!

You can now download our new albums, 

Infinitely More and Every Church is a Small Town.

Visit www.InfinitelyMore.ca to download individual songs or whole albums. 

Payment can be made with a major credit card or Paypal.

We hope you enjoy the music!

East Coast Tour - Day 6

Writing from Edmunston, New Brunswick!

Today was a long, but clear, day of driving. We knew we were truly east when we started seeing Irving gas stations.

We're tucked into a comfy hotel for the night. Tomorrow will be another long drive, getting closer to Nova Scotia for Saturday's concert.

If you haven't seen them yet, I posted our Montreal photos at www.Facebook.com/InfinitelyMoreBand

If you're not a Facebook member, don't worry - all our content is public!

East Coast Tour - Day 5

What a decadent day in Montreal!

We started with another leisurely patio brunch, sitting under a clear sky, and sipping freshly blended juice. Mine was named Pink Perfection, of course.

We wandered and shopped and eventually landed at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. All the permanent collections are free to the public, so we spent hours drifting through the galleries. Medieval, Impressionism, Modern, Naturalism, Realism, sculpture, stained glass, paintings, and wood inlays, and we barely scratched the surface of this impressive collection.

More wandering brought us back to the hotel and a little rest before heading out for the evening. Gerald was in dining bliss as we found place that served 19 different kinds of poutine, and a Montreal smoked meat sandwich the size of two fists. I indulged in one of their 17 varieties of burgers that include buffalo, elk, rabbit, and kangaroo. I kid you not.

We hit an IMAX theatre tonight to watch The Dark Knight Rises. In an early scene, gunfire rings out. With the IMAX sound, you could hear it ringing around the theatre. I couldn't help but flash back to the stories of the Colorado shooting. You can tell why the patrons would have been so confused, thinking the real shots were part of the film. It was a disturbing thought to experience, recognizing the safety we all take for granted.

After the film, we had a glorious late night dessert at the charming Montreal chain, Juliet et Chocolate. This place is known for their creative chocolate concoctions, and their legendary hot chocolates. Their hot chocolate menu actually reads like an extensive wine list, naming the origin of the coca beans, the acidity of the chocolate, and a host of other tasting details. I had a rich, dark chocolate from Peru. It was like sipping a bowl of thick, melted chocolate. The perfect end to a decadent day.

Tomorrow, we hit the road again in earnest. We have 15 hours between us and our next concert on Saturday, so we'll try to get in a few long drives tomorrow and Friday. I've taken some great photos over the past few days but they'll have to wait til tomorrow to get posted.

East Coast Tour - Day 4

There's few things more lovely than a sunny, relaxing day in Montreal. After the craziness of the past month, the main goal of the day was to eat and relax!

We started with a late brunch at our favourite, Eggspecation, which we later found out has been rated one of the best brunches in Montreal. The bulk of the day was dedicated to strolling and visiting music stores. We played some beautiful guitars, including a little mahogany Gibson that stole my heart.

For dinner, we enjoyed all you can eat sushi, with decadent treasures like wasabi mussels, and eggplant & salmon sushi pizza.

I've also spent a few moments catching up on some online stuff. Be sure to visit our SITE to see the final photos in our CD Recording album. I'll start posting Montreal photos tomorrow.

And if you haven't found us on Facebook yet, come 'like' us and follow all our tour adventures! www.Facebook.com/InfinitelyMoreBand

Our CD Artwork!!!

Here are the covers for our new CDs!

You can see all the artwork on our FACEBOOK page or on our SITE.

If you're interested in purchasing CDs, please visit our STORE.

Thanks! We're so excited to finally share this music with you.

Downloads coming soon!

East Coast Tour - Day 3

We left Elim Lodge this morning after a leisurely breakfast with the camp director, David Rivers, and started to head east.

After a clear, easy day of driving, we arrived in Montreal!

We don't have any concerts here, but we'll be enjoying a well needed mini-vacation before heading to Nova Scotia for our next concert.

In the meantime, let the fun begin! We took it easy tonight and hit a fantastic little pizza place on St. Denis where I tried (and devoured) an escargot pizza. Yes, that's snail pizza.

I'm a picky eater in many ways, but give me the chance to eat something weird, and I'm game!

New Photos!

I've just posted the photos from last week's Garden Concert. I'll get some tour photos up tonight.

You can see the photos by visiting our Facebook page. 

Don't worry if you're not on Facebook - all our content is public!

www.Facebook.com/InfinitelyMoreBand

East Coast Tour - Day 2

What a full day here at Elim Lodge!

This morning, we sang for the camp's main worship service. The large sanctuary was packed with campers and folks from neighbouring towns. We sang You Take Me Higher, A Divine Heart Imagined You, and Amazing Grace (My Chains are Gone.) 

Before the service, I went out in the field next to the church to do some vocal warm ups. On the other side of the field, a man was doing his own warm up - stretching, push ups, and jumping jacks. I couldn't help but smile at the dichotomy of the images - me in my Sunday best, him in his work out clothes, and both of us stretching our muscles for the big game.

You'll never go hungry at Elim Lodge, and lunch was a feast of roast beef, Yorkshire pudding, and all the fixings. I think it's a safe bet that most people took a nap this afternoon.

I actually spent the better part of the afternoon sitting by the water and painting. Pure bliss...

This evening, we sang a few songs for the evening service. The preacher wanted to speak on 'healing' so for the song before the message, we gave our testimony about our car accident and sang Healing is in Your Hands. It's been a while since we've shared that story, and it felt good to minister in that way.

It's really been a fantastic kick off to the tour. Tonight, we spent time chatting with new friends at the Snackery and packing up. Tomorrow, we head to Montreal for a much needed mini-vacation before heading to Nova Scotia for our next concert! 

East Coast Tour - Day 1

It has begun!

After months of planning, we are officially on our East Coast Tour!

Today we pulled out of our driveway with a car full of guitars, gear, CDs, maps, clothes, and of course, our espresso maker. Over the next month, we’ll drive 6000 kilometers, sing in 4 provinces, and do our best to eat a lobster or two.

Our first stop is Elim Lodge campground, just north of Peterborough, ON. We came here last year and loved it. They’ve put us up in a little cottage right by the water. Tomorrow, I have grand plans to sit outside and paint a bit …

Tonight was our opening concert. It feels so great to sing our songs, and actually give people the opportunity to take the music home with them!

After the show, we visited the Snackery for late night hotdogs and ice cream.

Tomorrow we’ll be singing at both the morning and evening worship services, so tonight we’re planning songs and getting some much needed rest.

THE CDS ARE HERE! THE CDS ARE HERE!!!!

It’s official:

We are thrilled to announce the release of our 2, 

yes TWO, new CDs!!

Infinitely More contains 10 songs featuring our signature vocal harmonies, Gerald’s ripping guitar, and a fantastic band of Nashville musicians. We wrote 8 of the songs, and also included “How Great Thou Art” and “Amazing Grace (My Chains are Gone).”

Every Church is a Small Town is Gerald’s debut songwriting CD! This awesome collection of songs, written entirely by Gerald, is a great blend of inspirational anthems and country story-songs.

You can purchase CDs at any of our live events,

or online at www.InfinitelyMore.ca/Store

The CDs are in the oven!!

Well, at the manufacturer...

After a week of 14 hour days - listening to mixes, listening to masters, getting photos, working on graphics, looking at proofs, singing a concert & two church services - the CDs are finally being printed!

We're getting a "short run" which means we'll have CDs to take on our East Coast Tour this month.

This is sooooo exciting!!!!

Here's a sneak peek at the packaging:

More photos!!!

We hit Toronto Beaches today to get photos for our Infinitely More CD artwork.

I took a few shots on location. 

You can find them on our SITE and FACEBOOK page.

With our graphics designer, Linda van der Beek. 

The Joy & Challenges of Recording...

The busiest month of my life was January, 1999. Toronto residents will remember that winter as the year the snow was so bad the city called in the army reserves to haul it out.

In 31 short days, I:

• moved into my first solo apartment
• booked and shot a commercial
• booked and shot a short film
• booked and started full-time rehearsals for Tony & Tina's Wedding at Second City
• taught preschool 5 mornings a week
• sang as a soloist for a church choir every Sunday

Why mention the snow? Because, not only did I spend the month walking and taking transit through several feet of it, but the snow banks were so high that all we could move into my apartment was a cot, a TV, and an armchair.

I remember walking down King St. to a dress rehearsal at Second City and feeling incredibly disoriented. "Ah," I thought, "This is what it feels like to be sleep deprived."

I thought of this time period last week, because I found myself overwhelmed at our current schedule and thought, "When is the last time I was this busy?"

January, 1999.

Recording these CDs will probably go down in our family history as one of our greatest challenges ever. Taking on 2 CDs at once is crazy at any time, but add in 3 weeks worth of lost recordings due to studio issues, 2 weeks of laryngitis for me, and all the other things that have needed to be done, and I think it's fair to say it's been a bit wild.

Our days have been filled with long studio sessions, hours of listening to mixes, arranging photo shoots and graphic design, getting everything in place with the manufacturer, mastering the projects, planning our August tour, teaching baby music, and of course, and planning, rehearsing, and playing 2 church services a week. Oh, and did I mention I signed up for an 8-week Musicians Summer School to study music marketing?

Needless to say, we're tired, a little overwhelmed, and a frightfully antisocial.

But I'll also say this: 

We're inspired, excited, and tremendously hopeful 

about the future of our CDs! 

"Every Church is a Small Town" is full of amazing songs played by incredible Nashville players. Gerald really sang the you-know-what out of them, and the mixing created a CD that sounds ready for the radio. I know people will be inspired by Gerald's song-stories of love and hope.

"Infinitely More" is so much larger, bolder, and moving than either one of us ever imagined (asked or imagined?) Every piece - from musicians to harmonies to mixes - has come together to create something that both represents us as a duo, and surpasses our expectations. I feel these songs will find a place in both personal iPods and church worship services.

We're in the final days - a photo shoot today, one more vocal session on Saturday, some more mixes, working out graphics, the final mastering, and then, getting them pressed into actual hold-in-your-hand CDs!

We've been so challenged in these recent months, but I feel confident that we're following God's plan, leaning on His strength, and singing His song.

How can we not feel blessed? 

New Photos!!

We've got new photos posted of our recent vocal sessions, 

and the photo shoot for Gerald's CD - "Every Church is a Small Town."

You can see the photos on our SITE or our FACEBOOK page.

Gerald and our graphics designer, Linda van der Beek, at the tower door of St. John's York Mills Church. St. John's was the inspiration for the title track, "Every Church is a Small Town."

Studio Update!

Today was a big one - 9 hours in the studio!

Gerald started the day and I took the early evening shift. It's been weeks since I've been well enough to record anything, so I was a little nervous, but it all went really well.

I'm happy to say that we've now finished 

all the vocals for Gerald's solo CD!!!

Denny, our producer in Nashville, has all the pieces, and he's already started mixing. By next week, we'll be ready to master.

Now, to turn the focus on completing the vocals for our Infinitely More CD. There's a lot of work to do in a very short time, but everyone is bringing their A game, and it's exciting to see it all come together.

Just a reminder that you still have a few weeks to pre-order the CDs and get free shipping. Visit www.InfinitelyMore.ca for more details.

Friday - back in the studio! 

Canadian Worship Night - The Stories Behind the Songs

When I realized July 1 was a Sunday, I thought, "Wouldn't it be cool to have all Canadian worship music at The Gathering for Canada Day?"

So tonight, that's just what we did! I did some research and found the stories behind all the songs, and gave it out to the congregation.

As my Canada Day gift to you, 

here are the stories behind the worship songs*

 we sang tonight:

*The Gathering often incorporates secular inspirational songs into worship, so for tonight's purposes, Gordon Lightfoot and Neil Young are worship writers! 

Heart of Gold

By Neil Young

"Heart of Gold" was released on the 1972 album Harvest, and was a #1 hit in both Canada and the USA. In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked it #297 on their list of the 500 greatest songs of all time. The song is one of a series of acoustic pieces which were written partly as a result of a back injury. Unable to stand for long periods of time, Young could not play his electric guitar and so returned to his acoustic guitar, which he could play sitting down.

Come, Now is the Time to Worship

By Brian Doerkson

In the mid-1990’s, Canadian worship leader, Brian Doerkson, and his family were in their lowest place - they lost everything financially, experienced a tremendous ministry failure, and discovered a genetic illness in 3 of their 6 children. In the midst of this time, he took a prayer walk and heard the line, “Come, now is the time to worship…”. He realized that the call to worship sounded in all times and in all places, not just for those who have it all together - we are called to worship even at the lowest  points in our lives. Doerkson wrote the song and used it in his private worship for weeks. Within months of bringing it to his church, it was being sung in churches around the world. 

You Take Me Higher

By Gerald Flemming

Gerald wrote “You Take Me Higher” in 2011 as a congregational song of praise. It expresses the joy and energy of a personal encounter with an all-powerful God. “You Take Me Higher” has been featured in The Gathering’s recent video teaser, and will appear on Infinitely More’s upcoming debut CD.

Hallelujah (Psalm 31)

By Leonard Cohen 

Tonight’s verse text: King David

"Hallelujah" was originally released on Cohen’s studio album, Various Positions (1984). Cohen's original version contains several biblical references, most notably evoking the stories of Samson and the traitorous Delilah from the Book of Judges, as well as the adulterous King David and Bathsheba: “she cut your hair" and "you saw her bathing on the roof, her beauty in the moonlight overthrew you." Tonight’s text draws from Psalm 31 - ironically, a psalm attributed to King David.

If You Could Read My Mind

By Gordon Lightfoot

"If You Could Read My Mind" reached number one on Canadian music charts and was Lightfoot’s first recording to appear on the American music charts, reaching number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in January 1971. Lightfoot has cited his divorce for inspiring the lyrics, saying they came to him as he was sitting in a vacant Toronto house one summer.  

Living Manna

By Allison Lynn

Allison wrote “Living Manna” late one night in her parent’s Burlington living room. The song speaks to the wholeness of God, as found through bread, water, blood, and the Trinity. “Living Manna” will appear on Infinitely More’s upcoming debut CD.

Refiner's Fire

By Brian Doerkson

One day, while stuck in traffic, Brian Doerkson felt the presence of the Holy Spirit and ‘heard’ two lines being sung repeatedly - “Purify my heart, let me be as gold…” He rushed to his church, hid away in a back room with his guitar, Bible, and concordance, and began to search through all the references to “purify.”  Doerkson says this about the song, “...singing words like ‘Purify my heart’ is so dangerous and so important. It prepares us to see God. … Our calling and role in God’s unfolding redemption depends on our hearts being purified. And our relationship with God depends on it as well.” 

God keep our land, glorious and free!

Happy Canada Day!!

Lose a Voice - Read a Book...

So, as frustrating as my recent bout with laryngitis has been, I've been reminded by friends and supporters that this is also a time to rest, think, and allow myself some quiet time.

One gift has been hour upon hour of reading. I've started and finished 3 books in the past week!

I've enjoyed all three, so I wanted to share them with you. Here goes:

HEAVEN IS FOR REAL

By Todd Burpo

I will totally admit that I secretly mocked this book for months (which goes against my personal philosophy of not judging a book I haven't read, a movie I haven't seen, or a song I haven't heard, but I digress...) I had so many people recommend it that I finally gave in. And I have to admit, I was moved. I don't know how much of it I can believe, but I do believe that this family had an extraordinary experience, and it's one worth sharing. The book is well written, and I think the discussions it can evoke are worth having.

THE PATRON SAINT OF LIARS

By Ann Patchett

I read Ann's book Bel Canto as my 'airplane book' a few years ago, so I was excited when I saw this on the table at Costco. I love books that tell stories from multiple points of view. A theme in a lot of my reading and watching this year seems to be "the power of being loved." This book investigates the consequences of not accepting that love. Great storytelling and writing!

UNLEASHED

(Previously released at THE BARBARIAN WAY)

By Erwin Raphael McManus)

I heard Erwin at this year's Break Forth conference and he was my favourite speaker of the weekend. This book encourages us to rip away at civilized Christianity, and answer the primal call of Christ to "Follow me." What do we do when Christ calls us into risky places? What does a Christian 'barbarian' look like? It's obvious that Erwin is a bit of an adrenaline junky, so it would have been nice to have a few examples of risk taking that don't involve waterskis, ATVs, or visits to the ER. That said, I love this book. It's one of those books that shouldn't be simply read and closed - instead, we should use it to re-evaluate our faith walk and practices.

Every Singer's Nightmare...

Over a week ago, I started to feel a tightness in my throat. I told myself I was just tired and needed to warm up a little more gently, but I was wrong. Before long, I had every singer's nightmare: a lost voice!

I fought it for days - keeping silent when I could, drinking herbal throat tea with honey, breathing through my nose - but it was no use.

By Wednesday night, I was silenced.

On Thursday, I had to cancel a class. I started communicating with Gerald by texting.

On Friday, we had to cancel my time in the studio. Gerald told me I was off the team for Sunday's Gathering service.

On Saturday, I listened as Gerald and Monika rehearsed for Sunday.

And today, I spent the afternoon in a glorious bath of self-pity. 

I was just so frustrated!!! Here we are, recording vocals for our CDs, and I have no voice!! Our schedule is so tight, and we've already been put behind with some technical stuff, and now, I'm completely useless.

So tonight, I sat in the pew while Gerald led worship for the Gathering.

I was tired, but I knew I needed to worship. I opened my hands, lifted my arms, and sang my heart-song to God. I prayed, and listened, and felt the spirit.

I had chosen the songs for the service last week. How was it that I planned "Be Still and Know"? Did God plant that in my heart because He knew I'd need to hear it tonight?

I can't say I'm happy that I'm still voiceless, but I can say this:

Refreshed by worship, encouraged by friends, loved by my husband, and loved by God - 

I feel at peace tonight.

Book Review: The Truth About Grace by John MacArthur

I choose this book to review for 2 reasons: I had heard great things about John MacArthur, and I'll take any chance to read about grace. I finished this book for two reasons: I had agreed to review it, and I hoped I'd learn something about grace.

Don't get me wrong. I didn't hate this book, but there were 2 things in the first chapter that, if I hadn't agreed to review it, would have made me put it down. First, instead of quoting scripture, it gave scripture references. Now, unless you have your Bible memorized (which truly, I do not) then you either need to stop reading and look up every single reference, or you need to keep reading and think, "Well, I assume that reference meant something." Either way, you're not getting the most out of the message. Second, even though I feel solid in my basic theology and church terminology, I still felt like he was speaking academically at times. It made me wonder if this was written for a different kind of target audience?

Now, all that said, I think there's actually some great insight in this book. MacArthur is at his best with his play-by-play of Gospel stories, explaining hidden meaning and historical context. His descriptions of common grace versus salvation grace are wonderful, and I found lots of quotes and paragraphs to underline for further reference.

Would I recommend this book? I don't know, but it's a reminder that, sometimes, sticking with a book you don't love can still give great rewards.


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

Recording "You Are..."

Back in the studio for another great night of vocals!

Tonight we focused on "You Are..." - a song Gerald wrote for me. We played it at The Gathering one night, and Rev. Anne called it a "love song" for God, which was a perfect description. It has a soaring melody, and Denny created a gorgeous instrumental track for it.

So tonight, all I had to do was be in the moment, and sing this beautiful love song. I did three full takes, and then we did a little bit of detail work on the second verse. This verse is thick with emotional imagery, so we wanted to make sure that the performance was really telling this piece of the story.

After I finished my lead, Gerald jumped in the booth to do some lovely harmonies for the chorus. I feel so good about what were able to do tonight. I've been teaching a lot lately and that can be vocally tiring, so we've really focused on Gerald's vocals in the last few sessions. Tonight has left me feeling energized and ready to lay down the rest of these songs!

Next session - Friday!

Recording the Vocals...

We've now got three vocal sessions under our belt. The first one really was an exercise in experimentation - how do we capture the sound we love live in the unique setting of the studio?

This week, we've focused on Gerald's solo vocals. He's done some lead vocals on songs from both our Infinitely More project and his solo CD. He's just sounding great, and the more he does, the better he sounds.

Carmon and Gerald working out parts with guitars in hand...

Recording is such a different beast than performing live. Everything feels vaguely odd - no audience, the mic is different, people staring at you through a window...

And in the worst moments, you can start to feel very self conscious - "Oh no! This is being recorded! If I mess up, people will hear my mistakes... forever!!!!"

We're just trying to be relaxed about things - to remember that this is a crazy time, but a time to savour every moment.

Next week, on to my vocals!

Musician as Marketer...

One of the challenges about being an indie-musician is also being a part-time marketer.

I created these posters and order forms last week to help people preorder our CDs. At times like this, I'm really glad I have a MacBook. Nothing replaces a real graphics person, but for simple stuff like this, it's nice to be able to create at home.

I've created a few mini-posters for the CD table we put up at concerts, and some orders forms to keep track of everything.

If you're interested in our preorders, you can find us in person, or you can visit www.InfinitelyMore.ca/Store. 

Hair Cut for Cancer - Over 2000 YouTube Views!

Our video of my recent 10-inch hair donation has received over 

2000 views on YouTube! Whoo-hoo!

If you haven't seen it yet, here 'tis:

You can see photos & info on how you can donate at 

www.InfinitelyMore.ca/CutForCancer 

CD Preorders have begun!!!!

It's official! You can now preorder your copies of our 2 new CDs!

Preordering guarantees you'll be among the first to receive your CDs. 

As soon as the first batch is printed in late July, all preorders will be placed in the mail. 

Oh, and did we mention we're offering FREE SHIPPING on all preorders?

Infinitely More features 9 original songs of praise and reflection, and our signature arrangements of "How Great Thou Art" and "Amazing Grace (My Chains are Gone)."

Every Church is a Small Town is Gerald's first solo CD! 

His soulful vocals will shine on 10 of his original Inspirational and Country songs.

Both CDs are backed by an incredible band of Nashville musicians!

Each CD is only $15.00 CAN, and let me say again - FREE SHIPPING!!!! 

To place your preorder, 

please visit www.InfinitelyMore.ca/Store

New Video for The Gathering at SJYM!

Every Sunday night, Gerald and I lead the worship band for 

a contemporary worship service called The Gathering.

We've just completed a teaser video to give a sense of what we do there. 

It features our song, You Take Me Higher.

The Gathering runs every Sunday night, 5:00-6:00pm

St. John's York Mills Church, 

19 Don Ridge Dr., North York, ON 

www.sjym.ca

Come join us!

We're on Twitter!

We've finally joined the world of Twitter!

You can find us at www.Twitter.com/Infinitely_More

New "Hair Cut for Cancer" Video!

I've finally put together a video from my recent 10 inch hair donation!

We've also created a new page on our website to share the video, photos, and info on how you can donate your hair.

For years, I had long hair and never even knew I could donate it. The only reason I started donating was when I heard someone else sharing their story.

Please feel free to share this link & video with your friends!

Our new Cut for Cancer page: 

www.InfinitelyMore.ca/CutforCancer

Here's the video - enjoy!

The Beads Songwriter Night

Tonight felt so Nashville!

Our friend, Susan Hookong-Taylor invited us to be part of her songwriting series, The Beads. We performed in the event room of the charming Family Tree House Cafe. 

Gerald and I took the opportunity to sing a lot of songs from our upcoming CDs, such as You Take Me Higher, Real Big Fan, and You Are. It was great to play them for a new audience and get such positive feedback. We also had the chance to jam out a few worship songs with Susan - so great to play with such a talented lady!

With Susan Hookong-Taylor.

After the show, we spent a long time chatting, sharing stories, and eating late night ice-cream. 

We'll definitely be back... and yes we'll have more ice-cream, please!

Ascension Sunday at St. John's York Mills

Today, we doubled up at St. John's York Mills as we helped lead both the morning service and the evening Gathering in a celebration of the Ascension.

Okay, a week ago, I don't know if I was that excited about celebrating the Ascension. In theory, I would have defined it as a good thing - Jesus going up to Heaven can't be all that bad. But in reality, I really had never given it a second thought.

As I planned our Gathering music, I looked to songs that had themes of praise and exultation - "God on high" and that kind of thing - and I think that was on the mark.

But as I dug deeper, I began to see the beauty of the Ascension, 

 the reminder that Jesus didn't die a second time. 

He's still living, 

still able to hear our prayers, 

still waiting for us on the other side.

That changed everything.

At tonight's Gathering, a woman shared the story of her near-death experience. I've known this woman for a while. She's smart and sensible. She's not one for exaggeration. But she told this phenomenal, beautiful story about coming close to death, and feeling surrounded by the full and all-encompassing love of God. I could retell all her words, and I could never come close to truly capturing the feeling of love, acceptance, and grace that was shining in her eyes as she told her story.

That's the Ascension.

... God living ...

... loving us now ...

.... waiting to receive us home ...

So that's what we celebrated tonight...

The Ascension stained glass window at St. John's York Mills.

The Vocal Sessions Begin...

Since we recorded the instrumental tracks for our new CD in March, we've been searching for the right place to record our vocal tracks. We wanted a studio with great vocal mics, a strong knowledge of Christian music, a great ear for harmony, and in an ideal world, somewhere close to our house.

And we found it! So tonight, we went to Emmanuel Recording Studios for our first vocal session.

Gerald and I have a really tight musical synergy when we perform live. Our voices blend seamlessly, and we can follow each other's every move. The challenge is capturing that in the studio.

Between the Infinitely More CD and Gerald's songwriting project, we're going to have lots of sessions over the next few months, so we decided to treat tonight as a playground session. We experimented with different mics, played with the song, tried different ways of recording our sound, and just got used to the whole set up.

Gerald and Carmon trying out different mics.

I'll be taking a photo or two at every session, and you can visit our photo album to see the whole set.

My 3rd Cut for Cancer

As we speak, 10 inches of my hair is in the hands of Canada Post.

My family and I gathered today for my 3rd Cut for Cancer. The first happened when we were living in Nashville and the second in Toronto.

Donating your hair is a fascinating process. During my first growing period, I was washing my hair one night, and I realized, "This isn't my hair!" The hair at the top of my head was mine, but the long strands in my hands actually belonged to someone else. Like a surrogate, I was caring for this hair until it was ready to be delivered to someone else.

At that point, I began praying for the woman who would get my hair. I imagined all the different things she could be - a mother, a grandmother, a teenager, an artist, a business woman, a woman of faith, an atheist. I wondered how far along she was in her disease. Maybe she didn't even know she was going to get sick. I prayed for healing, for all those who would handle getting my hair to her, and no matter what her faith walk, I prayed she would feel God's peace in her life.

The process has been no less profound this third time around.

At today's cut, Mom, Dad, Gerald, and I discussed the unique consequences of hair donations. With surrogacy, you know who owns the baby and where it's going next. With organ donations, you either know your recipient, or you've died and the whole process is anonymous. I think the closest similarity is blood donors - it's anonymous, and we're all walking around the next day. Who knows? I could ride the bus some day with the woman who's wearing my hair, and neither of us would be the wiser.

So my hair has been snipped and shipped, and I feel fantastic. Physically, I really do feel lighter! And I feel thankful that I have the hair to donate.

All this week, I've been reminded of these words from the Book of Common Prayer:

And here we offer and present unto Thee, O Lord, 

our selves, our souls and bodies, 

to be a reasonable, holy and living sacrifice unto Thee…

The cut is done! Me and my 10-inch ponytails!

I'll be posting photos and a video of the day on our site soon, but in the meantime, you can view photos on our Infinitely More Facebook page.

Book Review: A Year With Jesus, by R.P. Nettelhorst

It's been ages since I've reviewed a book! Not that I haven't read a slew of them, but it's just been a while since my last review.

Here we go:

"A Year With Jesus" is a devotional based on the words of Christ. Devotionals can be a real mixed bag for me. I find it so inconvenient when only the scripture reference is given, so you need to pull out a second book to look it up. And combine that with a flippant little interpretation about the passage, well, sometimes it just seems like a wasted death of a tree.

Happily, this book is something different. Each page contains a passage of scripture that includes the words of Jesus, and a meaningful piece of application. The scripture is long enough to actually give you a sense of context and story. The year is divided into themes of contrast and struggle: Love and Hate, Truths and Lies, Arrogance and Humility, Friends and Enemies, Deserved and Undeserved, and so on.

I really appreciate the style of this book. The entries are numbered but not dated, so you can pick it up anytime and start reading from any spot. It's the perfect length for a daily devotional, or it could also be used to read and reflect on a particular theme. Overall, I've really enjoyed this book, and it's earned a place in my daily reading book pile.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://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 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Cause one CD is never enough...

This spring, we took on the long-awaited challenge of recording our first Infinitely More CD. We visited Nashville to record the instrumental tracks, and after much searching, we've found an awesome studio in Toronto to capture our vocals. This Saturday, we'll lay down our first vocal session!

Making a CD is always a challenge, and things are moving smoothly.

But then....

We got to thinking (always a dangerous notion for the Creative Brain) - Gerald recorded demos of his country songs a few years ago.

What if we removed the demo singer's vocals, had Gerald record his own vocals, and then released a solo CD for Gerald?

So that's what we're doing!

After going through the demos, we chose 5 tracks that we thought would fit well on a country, inspirational, songwriter type of CD.

As we speak, Gerald is upstairs on Skype, working with our producer and the session players, recording 5 more tracks to fill out the CD.

If you've been to any of our concerts in the past year, you'll recognize many of the songs on this project, including one of my favourites, "Every Church is a Small Town."

Arg!! Two CDs!!! My practical mind is thinking: twice the finances, twice the work, twice the stress.

But my Creative Brain is thinking: 

10 times the creativity, 

100 times the adventure, 

1000 more ways to put some good out into the world.

I think I'll let my Creative Brain take control...