Worship Wednesdays - Why We're Recording a Christmas Album!

In 2012, we did a "never again." 

We started out recording our Infinitely More CD and partway through the process thought, "Hey, while we're pouring our blood, sweat, and tears into this CD, we should record a second CD!" So, we did. Every Church Is A Small Town became Gerald's first solo project. We were thrilled with the results, overjoyed when both projects received GMA Covenant Award nominations, but if we're being honest, it was completely exhausting. By the end of that summer, we were drained emotionally, creatively, spiritually, and financially.

Never again.

Or is that, never say 'never again'...

This spring, we began preproduction on our 5th studio project, How The Light Gets In. It's been an amazing journey of songwriting, collaborating, and recording. But partway through the process, a new idea started to surface.

You see, back in 2012, we recorded a single Christmas song, My Heart Is The Manger.

We've loved sharing that song in our concerts, but it's always led to the question, 

"When are you going to make a Christmas album?"

A few years ago, we recorded some live Christmas performances. They contain the beauty and spirit of the season, but they've only been heard by a few friends and family members.

And then we have these great new songs we wrote last Christmas that everyone keeps asking about. It wouldn't be that hard to just record 2 songs...

As we started thinking, the idea formed, "What if we took all those beautiful performances, and brought them together into a special, festive project?"

And the Christmas EP was born!

So this fall, when we release How The Light Gets In, we'll also release our first Christmas album - 

Tonight, Everywhere Is Bethlehem.

You never know where this creative journey will take you. But the beauty of doing more is learning more, and I can honestly tell you: even though we've had definite moments of exhaustion this summer, this time around, the recording process has been pure joy!

We're so excited to share these live and studio performances with you! If you're interested in learning more about both projects and placing your download or CD preorder, you can visit here:

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

BIG Announcements about Our New CD!

Today, we have HUGE news!

Not only are we recording a new full-length CD of original songs and favourite hymns - How The Light Gets In - we're also recording a brand new Christmas EP!

Tonight, Everywhere Is Bethlehem is our long awaited Christmas project, combining sweeping studio recordings with beautiful live performances.

To help bring these projects to life, we've just launched our first ever Kickstarter campaign!

We would love for you to pre-order your CD, and prayerfully consider supporting our recording with some of our exciting pledge packages. You can receive CDs, custom songs, house concerts, and even join our East Coast Tour Club!

Here’s how we want to make this campaign extra special: Our full project budget is $20,000, but if we reach our minimum goal of $3000, every contributor will receive a free Christmas bonus!!!

Please visit our Kickstarter page for all the details:

We'll be posting lots of photos, videos, and song samples over the next few weeks. 

Check back often, and help us bring these projects over the finish line!

Our New CD - Announcing the Songs!

On Sunday, we have a big announcement with our new CD, 

but each day this week, we're posting mini-announcmenets on our Facebook page.

Today, we're sharing the songs!

Stay tuned for more updates!! 

Worship Wednesdays

Worship Wednesdays is on hiatus this week as we prepare some BIG NEWS for you!

Visit us in the next few days for all the announcements and new developments with our New CD!!

Worship Wednesdays returns in its regular format next week...

Worship Wednesdays - The View From The Vocal Booth

The lights are slightly dimmed, save for the summer evening sunshine peering through the shaded window. The warm brown of the soft wall-covering gives the small room the feeling of a cube-shaped blanket.

I carry my lyric sheet, my pink mechanical pencil, and my Contigo water bottle. The water is room temperature, of course. I lay each piece in its appropriate spot, and take a deep breath. My sunglasses and earrings are removed and sit on the stool. They'll just be in the way.

Checking to see which earpiece is marked 'Left', I don the headphones. The room is deliberately silent, but I can hear myself breathing in the phones if I get close to the mic. I swing my arms and stretch my legs a little. Loose is good. Loose allows the breath to flow.

I do a few of the weird sounds that only other singers find attractive - cascading lips thrills, soaringly high sighs, nasal na-na-nas...

I can see Gerald and Carmon, our engineer, in the next room, chatting and trading guitar gear wish lists.

My eyes catch the lyric sheet I've placed on the stand. "A Divine Heart Imagined You" - I love this song. I remember the first time I heard Gerald sing the first draft. The words and the melody were hauntingly beautiful. I was so moved I declared myself "cowriter" and together, we finished the song.

And tonight, we record the vocals.

Photos taken during our current recording sessions at 

Emmanuel Recording Studios, Toronto, ON.

Over the past few months, this song has had to complete in a class of 50 to see who would make it onto this new CD. We created our arrangement, brought it to the musicians in Nashville to add their creativity to the mix, and then shipped it back to Toronto for this moment.

We've sung it live many times, but tonight's performance will be something else. This is the one that people will listen to in their living rooms and on their car stereos. They'll hear it on good days when they feel confident in God's love. They'll hear it on the horrible days when the world feels like its crashing in on them, when they doubt that love or mercy or grace exists at all. As I look at the lyric sheet, I think about all the people who will hear this song, but especially the ones who will need it the most. I imagine them listening to melody, letting the message wash over them...

I hear Gerald and Carmon talking to me. We're ready. Carmon hits play, and the track starts to play in my headphones. I hear Gerald's guitar and that beautiful cello. I take a singer's breath, and start to sing, 

"Before the first face felt the first dawn..."

A few full takes to get the feel of the song. Then, a few passes on individual lines and verses to really work the expression and beauty of each section. We break the song into its most minute moments, using every technical and emotional tool we have to explore the fullness of the song.

After capturing each verse several times, I remove the headphones and rejoin Gerald and Carmon. We sit together to choose our favourite takes and create a vocal that is emotional, powerful, and beautiful. We make sure my harmonies match perfectly with Gerald's melodies. We fuss over the tiniest details to make sure every phrase, every note, expresses the message we want to share.

A little techno magic, and the whole vocal is ready. We take a final listen. Not so long ago, this was simply an idea that entered Gerald's creative space. By the end of the summer, it will be a fully recorded song, ready to play its way into the hearts and lives of folks who need to hear about God's plan and provision for their lives. Amazing.

Our work for tonight is done.

With a click of a button, everything is sent back to Nashville where it will be mixed... 

But that's another story....

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

Worship Wednesdays - The Musical Fountain of Youth

Last week, my Facebook feed was inundated with cell phone videos from this year's Stamps-Baxter School of Music. If you've been reading this blog since the beginning, you'll know that Stamps-Baxter was very influential on my decision to enter ministry.

I've been watching videos like this, of 80-something-year-old Rosa Nell Powell ripping up the piano:

Thank you, Marian, for this video!

Southern Gospel musicians get a lot of flack - some deserved and some not - but there's one thing they do right: they raise their children with music. I saw it every year at the school. Whole families would come, training their children to sing harmony, write and arrange songs, and play instruments.

We would also get the seniors, folks in their 70's, 80's, and 90's who were still singing and playing.

I remember the first time Earl Scruggs visited the school with Little Roy Lewis. Little Roy and the band were tearing it up, and poor Earl was off on the side of the stage. I kept thinking, "Why are they making him sit there like that? How can they just parade him around like a mascot?" Then, someone helped Earl out to a chair in the middle of the stage, and he started to play. I was gobsmacked! All of a sudden, this man came to life, playing energetically with precision and passion. The crowd went nuts. I was amazed...

At that same school, a man named Harold Lane spent his days sitting in the back of the auditorium. In his prime, Harold was a prominent vocalist and song arranger, influencing a generation of music makers. But now, he seemed weak and distant. Ben Speer asked if I would please ask Mr. Lane to arrange one of my songs, to give him something to do. I felt terrible asking this frail man to do anything. One afternoon, I sought him out and made my request. He asked me to repeat the question. I wondered if I was causing him confusion, so I nervously asked again,

"Would you please arrange my song with harmony?" 

"Why?" he asked, "Don't you know how to write parts?" 

"No, sir, " I answered. 

"Well then, sit down and I'll teach you." 

He grabbed a piece of chalk, drew a staff on the board, and turned to face me. Remember that scene in The Wizard of Oz when everything turns from black and white to colour? Well, Mr. Lane had turned to colour - bright, vibrant, ready to share his passion for harmony with me. I met with him every chance I could get. When teaching music, he was a man on fire.

When Gerald and I talk about who we want to be as seniors, we never speak about retiring in the traditional sense. We may change how we do it, but we'll always make music. Stopping just isn't an option.

In our travels, we often meet folks like Earl and Mr. Lane, people who have allowed their passion for music making to carry on throughout their lives. As they age, their bodies and sometimes their minds start to fail them. Eyesight fades, limb grow weak, and yet, the music stays alive. They continue to sing, write, and play. If one skill becomes too difficult, they pick up another:

• Soloists with weaker voices move to the chorus where other voices will support them. 
• Double bass players who can't stand learn to play electric bass so they can sit to play. 
• Guitar players with stiff fingers learn to write lyrics and collaborate with other musicians to create melodies.

It's almost as if the music fills the gaps left by aging. 

It energizes them, and propels them forward into living life it all its vibrancy.

I'm reminded of this verse:

Start children off on the way they should go,

    and even when they are old they will not turn from it.

Proverbs 22:6 NIV

Music classes in schools have been on the chopping block for years, and that battle will continue as long as people are foolish enough to think that music and art are frivolous. Those of us who teach and practice the art of music making know that it's essential to who we are as individuals and as a society.

It's critical that we introduce music to children when they're young, so that they learn early how to make music and how to weave it into their daily lives. But I believe it's also critical to make music as long as we possibly can.

Perhaps, in making music, we can find a fountain of youth. 

Let's continue to make music, to teach music, and to encourage others in the art and practice of music making. Let's find a place where our lifetime pool of skills, talents, emotions, experiences, and passions can strengthen and inspire us to explore and enjoy life for as long as possible.

And maybe, in that place, we can inspire the next generation to sing, play, write, arrange, and create...
And the circle will begin once more...

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

Worship Wednesdays - A Visit From My Past Self

Over the past year, Gerald and I have both read "The War of Art" and "Turning Pro" by Steven Pressfield. If you're a musician or artist of any kind, these books need to be required reading, with a pen for taking notes. Pressfield identifies the Artist's greatest enemy as Resistance. Resistance can take many forms, including procrastination, distraction, or negative friends. Once identified, we learn how to overcome Resistance to make our Art.

These books have been, and continue to be, transformational for us this year. Transitioning from staff worship leaders to full-time touring artists has been rife with challenges. How do we book enough dates? How do we balance finances? Do we hire people or do everything in-house? How do we balance creative and business time? Can we afford to record? Can we afford not to?

I was searching for an old blog post this week, when I randomly read my post from Saturday, August 13, 2005. On this day, I had recently returned from my life-changing trip to Nashville. For two weeks, I had been drilled by skilled teachers in performance, songwriting, and music theory. I had said "Yes" to God's calling to transform my life from Performer to Gospel Singer (not even quite knowing what that meant...) But now I was back at home, where the distractions of life and planning a wedding were swimming around me. Resistance was ready to meet me at the front door, waiting to steer me off the path of my new "Yes"...

"I am now in the phases of 'real work'. I no longer have the school's schedule or Allison Durham Speer or Daryl Williams to push and inspire me. This is the tough part of achieving your dreams. The infamous follow-through. Self-discipline. Taking the things I learned, and applying them. Building on them. Keeping the momentum..."

I find it so perfect that I found this post this week. Just a few days ago, we again returned from Nashville. Over the past few weeks, we've been working closely with session players and our engineer to record the tracks for our next Infinitely More CD. Yesterday, we were so tired - physically, mentally, spiritually. The temptation was to simply collapse for the rest of the summer. After all, people do take it easy in the summer. Facebook is full of holiday updates, beach sunsets, and patio party selfies.

Without warning, Resistance was in full swing, like a silent monster gliding through the house, throwing glittering, sun-soaked temptations into every room to distract us ....

But this music, this CD, is our Dream, and there's work to do. We have vocals to record, cover photos to take, graphics to design, and funds to raise. There are hours and hours of rehearsal and creative planning in the next few weeks. We have concerts and worship services to plan and perform, and a 5-province East Coast Tour to book.

As I felt the battle of Resistance surging around me, I read this paragraph written by my 2005 Self:

"With a good gospel song, I can change (someone's) life. And that's what I've always aimed for as an artist. To shake people up. To bring them out of the ordinary. For them to leave my performance with questions, new thoughts, new considerations."

The power to change someone's life. Well, that's still the path I'm on. The post continued:

"I know that God has affected my life in amazing ways in the last few years. I can't wow people with my Biblical insights. That's just not my strength. What I can say is this: I was in the darkest place imaginable. My life took a turn that I thought I would not survive. I can't explain it, but this force we call God brought me through it. I can't explain it, but I know that this God loves me, cares for my everyday thoughts and actions, and stays faithful to me in good and bad. And I know that when I gave my art, my career, and my life to Him for His controlling, that my art, my career, and my life changed in ways I could never "ask or imagine"*. I can't explain it, but I can tell you that I know all these things to be true. And if you have any doubts, try it. Just give your life over to God, and see what will happen. It's truly amazing."

Wow. There's nothing like remembering the first moments the Dream was born...

So in the new few weeks, when I'm overwhelmed, when I'm stressed, when Resistance is trying to convince me that a TV marathon is really the way to go, I'm going to remember these paragraphs. I'm going to remember that the Dream has changed and grown over the past years, but the goal has not.

I still want our music to bring people out of the ordinary, 

For I've met the Extraordinary. 

He changed my life, 

He can change yours, 

And I can't think of a better reason to sing...

*When I wrote this post in 2005, Gerald and I were on separate music career paths. We had no inkling that we would ever become a duo, and we certainly had no idea that we would name ourselves Infinitely More, the same verse containing the phrase "ask or imagine." Until yesterday. I hadn't even looked at this post since I first wrote it in 2005. Don't tell me God isn't in the details!

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

Nashville - The Drive Home

On Wednesday morning, we started to head north again, making the long trek home.

We couldn't resist the chance to visit Memphis one more time, so we stopped for a visit to the Stax Museum of American Soul Music. The history of Memphis soul music was traced from its humble beginnings in a local garbage to the record label that brought us Otis Redding, Isaac Hayes, and The Staple Singers. The original building had been destroyed, but the museum used original gear and historic photographs to faithfully recreate the studio. The museum also helps fund a music academy and charter school for young students. We loved the exhibits and took lots of photos, which will probably come tomorrow...

For today, we're exhausted. After leaving Memphis, we stayed in Nashville for the night, followed by two more long days in the car. In total, we clocked almost 24 hours of highway driving this week! Thankfully, the weather and the border crossing were both easy, but today, we're feeling the fatigue.

We collapsed last night, surrounded by the comforts of home and an abundance of puppy love. We feel blessed and grateful for the events of the past few weeks - safe travels, amazing recording sessions, decadent meals, and beautiful visits with friends.

In just a few days, we'll be back in the studio, recording vocals for our songs. 

The journey continues, but first, we rest...

Nashville - Day 17

Little Rock continues to treat us well, with great meals, beautiful shopping, and lovely cafe visits. 

But the best part has been the music and the company.

Tonight, Tara was leading worship for a youth service, so we visited to attend rehearsal and hear her lead worship. It was awesome to see such a vibrant youth program, with teens involved in missions, outreach, and worship. There's also something powerful about having your friends lead you in worship. I always imagine a trust between worship leader and congregation, and when you know that leader well, it makes the process even more powerful and intimate.

Our spontaneous performances continued tonight as we spent the evening playing our new CD tracks for Tara and Kyle. In the past week, we've sung our songs in a car, a music store, a hotel room, and now a living room. It's been a whole new feeling to sing them along with the tracks. Tara and Kyle haven't heard us sing live for a long time, and even though this wasn't a 'concert setting,' it was still awesome to get their reaction to the songs, and to our performances. Like seeing Tara sing earlier in the evening, we can all see growth in each other's musical abilities, and there's so much encouragement in that.

Tomorrow, we start the long drive home but for tonight, 

we are so thankful we made this side trip! 

Nashville - Day 16

If you haven't seen it already, I spent some time today documenting yesterday's visit to the National Civil Rights Museum. You can read the post HERE and see photos HERE.

Hello, Little Rock! As I shared yesterday, we've taken a little 'side trip' to spend time with our awesome friends, Tara and Kyle. This is our first visit to Arkansas, and so far the weather has been a suffocating heat, followed by wicked thunderstorms. Rethinking the winter gloves we brought as a gift for Tara...

The Big Dam Bridge. No, I'm not making that up...

One of our favourite things to do when we visit a place is check out its music stores. When we walked into Little Rock Frets, we were underwhelmed with what we saw. Mostly a repair shop, the store had a small selection of guitars, only two of which were acoustic. But owner and staff member were friendly, and we soon got into a conversation and told them about Infinitely More. They asked if we'd sing one of our songs. When we said "Sure," they said, "Then we want to play too." They grabbed a guitar and bass. Gerald started to play our Christmas song, "Tonight, Everywhere is Bethlehem." Within the first few beats, we had a small band formed with our impromptu performance. It was such a special moment, and a reminder that the most unassuming places can create special memories.

In the evening, Tara had worship band rehearsal, so I visited the church with her. It's a huge church, with an elegant, circular sanctuary. It was such a pleasure to simply sit in the pews and observe another band at work.

Tonight, we feasted on catfish and frog legs - well, I might have been the only one ordering frog legs - told stories, and laughed louder than any other table in the restaurant. As you know, I'm a planner, and our plan was to leave tomorrow, but after some cajoling and shifting of schedules, we've decided to stay one more night. It's so rare for the four of us to actually spend time together - these are the moments in life when you just need to say "Yes"...

Nashville - Day 15 - The National Civil Rights Museum

Today, we left Nashville for a little side trip before heading home. 

Hello, Memphis! 

We had the chance to visit Memphis a few times when we lived here, but a few sights escaped our view, one of which was the Civil Rights Museum. After a divine feast of ribs at Corky's BBQ, and potentially dangerous visit to a guitar store that had just lost its lease ($7000 guitar for a mere $4000 anyone?), we headed over to the museum.

The National Civil Rights Museum is a site specific experience. The founders of the museum purchased the original Lorraine Hotel - site of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination - and the boarding house from which the fatal bullet was shot. Around these historic locations, the museum was built to showcase the history of the civil rights movement in America.

 The Lorraine Hotel and the National Civil Rights Museum.

Your first exhibit is a circular room showing the history of slavery, including a statue demonstrating the actual-sized space in which slaves would be forced to travel on the ships. (I was reminded of the powerful novel, The Book of Negroes.) From there, you enter a movie theatre with a short film explaining the major stages of the movement to overcome slavery and legal oppression. The film ends with the message that we're all moving forward in this journey, with the sounds of footsteps and an image of silhouetted people marching across the screen. Suddenly, a door slides open in the screen, and the audience is invited to join the march as we move into the larger part of the museum.

What follows is room after room of exhibits, showcasing both the horrors and triumphs of humanity. Larger stories like the Freedom Riders, integrating schools, and students sit-ins are showcased. But smaller, lesser known stories about individuals and their part of the story are also shared.

The museum is full of life-sized statues, showing scenes like Rosa Parks on the bus, and the Memphis Sanitation Strike. Coming face to face with these silvery, ghostlike forms brings history into reality.

Words like 'disturbing', 'overwhelming', and 'inspiring' are pale descriptions of the experience. In moments, my stomach turned and my eyes welled up at the intense and bizarre cruelty. Turn the corner, and I'd be reading a story of intense bravery, and the waves of hope that act generated in the rest of society.

The most powerful parts of the visit were Room 306, and the boarding house. Using police photographs, the museum has recreated both rooms to show how they would have looked on that day. In each space, we read a timeline of events, to make the experience present and palpable. We read how Dr. King was laughing and joking on the afternoon of his assassination. We see ashtrays full of cigarettes, a neat hotel room, a messy boarding house. The one detail that wasn't there on that day is the flower wreath hanging on the balcony rail, marking the fatal spot.

The museum was crowded today. People of all races and ages moved through the halls, reading the stories and staring at the photos. As we walked through, I wondered how the different groups were processing the experience. As a Canadian, this isn't my history, but as a human being, this is my history. As we've traveled throughout the South, we've often visited places where you can feel a racial tension. Sometimes it's said aloud, but oftentimes it's simply felt, perhaps in the way that people make eye contact, or even more disturbingly, in the way that they won't. I wondered if we might feel that in the museum, but we didn't. Folks moved through the crowded spaces with a sense of reverence and gentleness. Children laughed and played with the statues. People gave each other space to take photos. 'Please', 'thank you', and 'excuse me' were said often.

It's hard to put into words how we felt after we left the final exhibits. We spent a full 3 hours there, and we could have spent much more time. It's already spurned hours of conversation, and I have a feeling we'll be talking about it for a while yet.

From Memphis, we hit the road again and headed to Little Rock, Arkansas! After a bit of schedule juggling, we realized we could take a few days and visit our friends Tara and Kyle. Feeling blessed and tired tonight.

Between Gerald and I, we took over a hundred photos today. I've sorted through the highlights and created a photo album HERE. One final thought on the day...

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; 

only light can do that. 

Hate cannot drive out hate; 

only love can do that."

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Nashville - Day 14

Apparently, the new tourist trend in Nashville is to visit town looking for characters of the hit show, "Nashville." Well, today, we hit the trend when we saw Charles Esten - aka Deacon Claybourne! We weren't able to speak to him, but we definitely had our geeky do-you-see-who-I'm-seeing moment.

It was so lovely to attend Redeemer again this morning, to be with this wonderful congregation and see even more friends. When we came to the 'prayers of the people' section of the service, there's a place where people can add their personal petitions, either silently or aloud. As people lifted their prayers this morning, I had a flashback to 5 years ago, when we attended Redeemer on the first Sunday following our accident. When we came to this point in the service, I lifted my prayer, "I'm thankful I'm alive, and I'm thankful Gerald is alive." As this memory swept over me, I was reminded of that deep, visceral feeling of gratitude to simply be alive. We say it all the time, "We should just be thankful we're alive and healthy," but it never rings true until we walk the edge of death. This morning, I silently lifted that prayer again. I added prayers of thanksgiving for our family and our Redeemer congregation that supported us in that time, and I gave thanks for where we are today.

After the service, Jenna and our new friend, Heather, joined us for a classic treat: Sunday homestyle chicken at Cracker Barrel! The ability to see friends more than once on this trip has been an enormous blessing. We've been able to get past the 'catching up' conversations and move onto actually just hanging out and creating new memories.

Jenna was anxious to hear our recording, so after lunch we all sat in her car to listen to the CD. There are no vocals yet, so Jenna and Heather sat in the front, while Gerald and I sang the vocals from the back seat. To sing the songs to the new tracks in that intimate setting was incredibly moving. Seeing Jenna and Heather's reactions gave us new inspiration in the power of the songs, and the importance of creating a beautiful CD. We've also decided that "car concerts" should become the next big thing...

Tomorrow, the adventure continues with a visit to Memphis!

Nashville - Day 13

This is what 5 days in the studio will get you:

We started the day by picking up the rough mixes of our tracks! What an amazing feeling to hold them in our hand. One step closer to feeling that completed CD in our hands. Next, we'll return to Ontario and start recording vocals. Before we left the studio, we prayed with Denny, giving thanks for the beauty of the project thus far, and asking for God to be with us during the rest of the process.

After picking up the tracks, we headed downtown for a visit to some of our favourite spots: Lifeway Christian Bookstore and Gruhn Guitars. Our credit cards were trembling with excitement as we entered the stores! Luckily, they left only slightly bruised.

Tonight, we enjoyed another night of stories, bbq, and time with friends. Our last few trips to Nashville have been so rushed. To spend time with so many friends has been a tremendous blessing! Can't wait to attend our Nashville church again tomorrow...

Nashville - Day 12

Happy 4th of July!

Today, we celebrated by feasting on classic Southern homestyle cooking at Monell's! This was high on the To Do List when we arrived. Monell's was one of our favourites when we lived here, and we always brought company when they visited. For those of us not raised on meat-and-three dining, Monell's is a unique experience. You sit at a big table with strangers and share food and conversation over all-you-can-eat bowls of Southern cooking. We were there for the end of lunch and ended up at a table by ourselves - 15 bowls of food for just us! Skillet fried chicken, corn pudding, fried catfish, biscuits with peach preserves, fried green tomatoes and banana pudding were just a few of the treats. Needless to say, we didn't need supper ...

We opted for a quiet celebration tonight, enjoying neighbourhood fireworks and reflecting on the past two weeks. It's been such a whirlwind. Tonight, words like "blessed" and "grateful" are both cliché and perfectly suited to the conversation.

Nashville - Day 11

The tracks are officially recorded!!! Whoo-hoo!

This morning, we met to capture the final piece of the puzzle - the cello and remaining violin parts. Cello is one of our favourite instruments. We've been blessed to do some live performances with a cello, but this is the first time we've had one on our recordings. That low, rich, sound created a haunting feeling on some of the more delicate songs. Both the violin and cello combined to add an orchestral element to the full and vibrant track for There's A Light At The End Of The Tomb.

On Saturday, we'll have a final meeting with Denny and receive the rough mixes. The next step: return to Ontario and start recording vocals.

But our work for this trip is done, which means it's time for some Nashville play time! We visited our favourite shopping area tonight, and feasted one of our all time favourite restaurants, Jim 'n' Nicks. It was such a treat at the end of a long few days, and our wonderful waitress even slipped us a dozen biscuits on our way out! If you've ever had their signature biscuits with the honey butter, you'll know how happy we are right about now...

Oh, and we have a new favourite thing: white BBQ sauce.

Yes, I said white. We'd never heard of it before either, but it seems to be all the rage in Nashville these days. It comes from Alabama, and it's a blend of tangy, spicy, and sweet, depending on the recipe. I'm on the hunt for a bottle to take home with us...

I've uploaded lots of new photos in the last day or so. 

You can see them HERE.

Nashville - Day 10

We woke this morning with the satisfied fatigue that comes from a week of great work. I've finally had the time to post the photos from the studio. You can see them HERE.

When we lived in Nashville, we became great friends with Kyle and Tara Jackson. Today, Tara drove 5 hours from their new home in Little Rock to spend the day with us! It's been 2 years since we've see each other, and it was so awesome to have the whole day together!


We spent the day enjoying some of the pleasures of Nashville:

- the Redneck Taco at Martin's BBQ

- shopping at Opry Mills Mall

- visiting Tara's aunt, whose late husband played piano for Rosemary Clooney, and singing Amazing Grace acapella for her

- sampling rosemary, pear, goat cheese, and other exotic-flavoured ice cream at Jeni's

- singing, laughing, telling stories, and sharing our music dreams...

We've said this so many times this week: we're so grateful for email, Facebook, and Skype for giving us the ability to keep in touch with people. 

But nothing, nothing beats sitting face to face with a great friend...

Nashville - Day 9

Happy Canada Day!!!

When we realized we'd be in the studio on July 1, we decided to bring a few special treats for the band. We chose Canadian classics: Tim Horton's coffee, Laura Secord Miniatures, maple sugar candies, maple cookies, and flag pens for everyone! And, we spent the day creating lots of brand new Canadian Content!

Today was dedicated primarily to the more intimate songs on the album - A Divine Heart Imagined You, All I'm Called to Be, and Time To Leave This Place, to name a few. Yesterday, we heard the musicians rock out on our more uptempo songs. It was beautiful to hear them switch into playing sensitive, ethereal parts today.

Originally, we had a cello/violin player booked for the whole day, but then he got a "bus call." Yes, that was a new term for us too. A "bus call" is when you're on salary for a major artist, who then books a gig, and you get the call to drop everything and get on the bus.

But it was a blessing in disguise. In making a Plan B, we were able to get the talented Jason Roller to join us on electric guitar and violin this afternoon. He made the tracks sound amazing! We've rescheduled cello/violin for Thursday, so nothing is lost - we've only gained from the situation.

After a full day in the studio, we spent the evening at a songwriter workshop hosted by our friend, Tom Manning. Nine of us gathered to share our latest song, and give and receive feedback. It's been ages since we've attended this kind of night, and it was so inspiring and encouraging. The songs and critiques were all really strong and well thought out. Tom even gave us a chance to sing our latest Christmas song, and it felt great to share it in that intimate setting.

Our time in Nashville is flying by. Only five days left. Still so many friends to see, songs to hear, and BBQ to eat...

Nashville - Day 8

A short blogpost for a long day...

Today was our first day with the session players in the studio. We had an ambitious goal - to record 8 songs with full band tracks. We arrived early in the morning, with boxes of fresh donuts to fuel the musicians.

All four players played on our last two projects. It was an honour to start the day by thanking them for their talents, and to let them know that the CDs had received Covenant Award nominations.

What followed was a long day of laughing, joking, and hardcore musicianship. These guys walk in, yanking each other's chains and always trying to have the best comeback, but the moment the downbeat hits, it's all business. But you know, that joyful, generous, creative kind of musical business...

Tonight, we're exhausted and inspired. Today surpassed all our expectations. We knew it would be good, but as I wrote yesterday, putting your music into the hands of other musicians is the 'great unknown.' But now that we do know, I'm happy to say, it's pretty awesome.

I took a lot of photos, but they'll have to wait a day or two before I can go through them.

Back in the studio tomorrow! 

Nashville - Day 7

As promised, here's a sneak peek into what we've been working on. 

Just a little iPhone video of Gerald in the studio:

On any given Sunday in Nashville, you have your choice of over 700 churches to attend. There are the beautiful old buildings with high steeples, the auditorium style worship spaces, and the hundreds of church plants that crop up in living rooms, school cafeterias, and movie theatres across the city. But for us, there's only one real choice - Church of the Redeemer.

We found Redeemer the first summer we were living in Nashville. We were attracted to the music, the preaching, and the outreach, but what we really loved were the people. When I walked in this morning, it was like coming home. Smiles and greetings were exchanged as I caught the eye of friends I haven't seen in years.

Redeemer is the place where Gerald and I grew from Music Leaders to Worship Leaders, and it all happened under the mentorship of Jenna Martin. Jenna became a dear friend, and has had her own amazing journey that has led to her ordination as an Anglican priest. This morning, I was not only able to see Jenna in her priestly robes, but I also got to hear her preach! For the first 30 seconds, I couldn't hear a word she said. My brain kept screaming "JENNA'S PREACHING!!! JENNA'S PREACHING!!!" I was so crazy excited and proud. Once I could settle myself, I heard a sermon that was engaging, Biblical, loving, and passionate.

I was also able to pick up a copy of The Anglican Way, written by Redeemer's amazing pastor, Rev. Thomas McKenzie. When I commented about this on Facebook, a Toronto friend said he had just read the book! Small, small world we live in...

Tonight was dedicated to more CD prep. In just 12 hours, we'll be on our way to the studio to start recording with the musicians! This is where the creative leap happens. We basically put our songs in the hands of the band and say, "Work your magic." We know it'll be amazing, but even with all our planning, we ultimately have no idea what will happen. This is the wonderful, terrifying, inspiring risk of inviting other people into your art.

We ask that you please continue to keep us in prayer over the next few days as we work on these tracks. By the end of Tuesday, all the instrumental parts of the CD should be recorded. That's 13 songs in 2 days. We'll be praying for openness, creativity, generosity, and that these songs will be what they need to be to honour God and serve God's people...

Nashville - Day 6

Today included some much needed quiet time. It's been such a jam packed week, so moving a little slower today seemed like the right call.

In the morning, we started to receive the rough mixes of our guitar tracks and scratch vocals. We wanted copies so we can be as prepared as possible for Monday. As we listen to each track, we'll be able to imagine the bass, percussion, keyboard and strings layering themselves around the guitar. We've been collecting different production and arrangement ideas over the past few months, but when you start to actually record, it's like seeing the whole thing in colour.

I spent the afternoon with one of my favourite people, Teri Reid. I got to know Teri when I was with the Stamps-Baxter School of Music. She's an amazingly talented musician and vocalist, and we were honoured to have her play piano for Hymns in the Key of Grace. Her husband, Shannon Fontaine, took our gorgeous photos for the CD cover. It's been far too long since we've had a visit, and we spent hours catching up. Teri and Shannon have just opened an art gallery in the very cool 12th South area, so it was great to see their new project in person.

I've been trying to eat as much Southern food as possible on this trip, indulging in local treasures that just can't be replicated north of the border. Today's offering: shrimp and grits. Fab-u-lous!!!

Nashville has been a rush of memories for me. Our last visit, 2 years ago, was so short that we barely saw anyone. Facebook is a blessing for keeping up with people and seeing snapshots of their lives...

But nothing beats sitting face to face, 

enjoying platters of local delicacies, 

sharing stories, 

and laughing too loud to be considered polite...

Nashville - Day 5

As live musicians, we can perform a concert every night of the week and feel completely energized. Doing studio work is a whole different energy. Tonight, we're happy, and thoroughly exhausted.

Gerald continued to record his guitar tracks today, and he sounded amazing. He did a lot of practicing with the click track before we arrived in Nashville, and you could tell the results. My favourite is A Divine Heart Imagined You. When you hear the final song, Gerald's guitar track is one, beautiful take.

I always love Gerald's arrangements, but I, of course, hear them in relation to our vocals. To hear only the guitar track, almost as an instrumental piece, was a unique experience. I heard things I hadn't really noticed before, and I gained a new appreciation for the detail of his compositions.

We finished earlier than expected and had lots of energy left, so we decided to record the scratch vocals. This is basically a guide vocal to help the band know the melody of the song. For us, we also wanted to give a sense of the harmonies and the emotional tone of the song. Singing through each of our songs, I was reminded of how blessed we are to have written these songs, and to have the opportunity to share them with others.

A busy day needed a relaxing evening, so tonight we feasted on Southern BBQ - pulled pork, skillet fried cornbread, mac and cheese, fried apples, and sweet tea. We, of course, had our choice of five different BBQ sauces, 'cause one is never enough.

On the drive home,  I saw something blinking on the side of the road. It was fireflies. They were twinkling all along the drive, and even in the garden of our rental. We stood in the yard and watched their fascinating beauty, giving us a perfect moment of calm as we reflected on a creative and productive day.

We've made some additions to our recording schedule, so next week we'll actually have 4 full studio days. Which means, the weekend is pure socializing and relaxation!

I've started posting photos HERE.

I'll be adding more each day, and I'm hoping to post some video this weekend!

Nashville - Day 4

Before I start into today, I forgot something excellent from last night - our round was on the radio! We didn't know this until we actually got on stage, but it was broadcasting live on 107.1 Nashville Free Radio. Pretty cool, huh? I think they're going to post the show on their site later this week, so I'll post a link if I can.

So what's the one thing you should do in the morning before you head in the studio to record 13 songs? 

Write the songs!

Well, not all the songs... There's one song on the project that's never quite felt complete. We love it as it is, but every time we sing it, I think "We need an opening section." Well, this morning, we wrote it. Gerald had one idea, and I had another, but when they came together, we had the perfect piece.

Denny Martin's warm and cozy studio has birthed two of our CDs, so returning today felt both comforting and exciting. We started the morning as we always want to start anything important - in prayer. We offered thanksgiving for the talents of everyone who will be involved, for the songs, and for the opportunity to make this project.

Our goal today and tomorrow is to record all Gerald's guitar tracks. He has so many signature riffs and grooves. We want to capture them all, and then let the band play around his guitar and our voices. When I sell our CDs, I describe them as "us with the world's best band," so that's the balance we want to attain.

Gerald's work was so beautiful today! The pace was relaxed yet productive, and we managed to get 4 tracks completed.

This week, we've heard the best words we could hear in Nashville - 

"Welcome home."

We heard it yesterday as we met each of our friends, and as we met our friend, Tom, for dinner tonight, he gave us the same greeting. We were only here 3 years, but it was most definitely our home, and it's nice to be welcomed back so warmly. Tom is a songwriter, and an incredible encourager. When we lived here, he gave Gerald the opportunity to sit in on his late Saturday round at the Bluebird Cafe, a real privilege for an unknown writer.

Tonight, we're resting and refocusing for tomorrow. 

Five songs and two short solos are on the docket. 

Photos coming soon...

Nashville - Day 3

I woke up this morning and thought, "We're in Nashville. Today we're going to work on music, tonight we'll perform, and tomorrow we're going to record. Wow ..."

We spent the morning in the very funky 12th Avenue South area - home to cafes, music stores, art galleries, and cool artsy spots. We sipped cappuccinos and enjoyed brunch with our songwriter friend, Jim. We've decided that this will be a very social trip, with as many friend visits as possible.

Last week, we skyped with Denny in Nashville, who will record tracks and mix this CD. This afternoon, we skyped with Carmon in Toronto, who will record the vocals for the CD. We're so grateful for the technology that allows us to do all of this over the miles! (or, as we say, kilometres...)

Tonight, we played a songwriter round at the Commodore Lounge. We were invited by our producer, Denny Martin and Scott Neubert, a talented guitarist who's played for everybody, and we're humbled that he's also played for our projects. We sang How The Light Gets In, Thou Shalt Not, and our new Christmas song, Tonight Everywhere is Bethlehem. The response was extremely positive, which in the completive Nashville market, is really encouraging. 

We perform all the time, and we know these songs like the back of our hand, and yet, tonight we sang them in Nashville. Not to sound too over the top, but playing music here isn't like playing it anywhere else. Every room is steeped in talent and history. The guy sitting by himself in the corner might have a Grammy nomination hanging up on his wall. The next song performed might be a hit in a month. To perform in this world is challenging, inspiring, intimidating, awesome...

Tomorrow, we hit the studio... 

the next chapter begins...

Worship Wednesdays - The Day Before We Begin...

Tomorrow is Studio Day!!

It's been months since we made the decision to record our new CD. We immediately entered the long and wonderful journey of choosing our songs. (I wrote about that process HERE.) From there, we started to put the other pieces together.

It takes a village to raise a CD, so who would be our team? We would need a producer, engineer, musicians, photographer, graphic designer, manufacturer...

Next, we had to choose how to record. Nashville? Toronto? Tracks in a day? Build each song individually? Since we know the Nashville system so well, and we've had success with it in the past, Nashville seemed like the obvious choice. Then we asked a few talented friends their advice:"Well, everyone is just trying to create the Nashville sound anyways, so if you can get the real thing, go to Nashville!" Asked and answered...

Then came the planning, the details, and the scheduling. And tomorrow, we finally enter the studio! We'll spend the first 2 days recording all of Gerald's guitar tracks. He'll record to a click track, which is like having a metronome keeping the beat throughout the entire song. The click is removed in the final recording, but during the process, it's an invaluable tool. It's like laying out a pathway that all the musicians can follow. We can come in later and add extra parts, and the click makes sure everyone can lock into that perfect tempo.

For live players like ourselves, the click is a bit of a new challenge. But Gerald has a great sense of inner timing and groove, so I know he'll be great.

I'll be on detail management for these first few days. I'll keep track of what tempo and key we use for each song, which guitar is played for which track, and making afternoon espressos - the key to any good recording session!

We'd love your prayers tomorrow and Friday as we start this recording! We're so crazy excited about these songs, and we can't wait to share them with you.

I'll be blogging every night of this Nashville adventure, 

and also posting photos & updates on Facebook. 

Join us daily! 

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

Nashville - Day 2

We're here! We're here! We're here!!!!

We stayed in the hotel a while this morning, doing more song prep. On Thursday, Gerald will play the guitar tracks using a click track, so we sang through them today, making sure we have the best tempo for each song.

Then, back in the car for another day of driving. A few observations: 

- Even thought it's been 2 years since we've made the trek to Nashville, I knew the almost 1200km route like the back of my hand. Landmarks like the Corvette Museum, the Florence Y'all waterpower, and the infamous Jesus-in-the-Pool (the new version) came out to greet us like long lost friends.

- We lost count of the number of thunderstorms we hit. 

Thankful for good wipers and cautious fellow drivers.

- Kentucky and Tennessee are by far my favourite parts of the drive! After the crowded racetrack roads of Detroit and Cincinnati, the rolling hills and lush greenery were balm to my driving soul.

We've found a wonderful place to stay on our visit here - a condo that rents exclusively to songwriters. It's cozy and spacious, the perfect place to be creative, and get lots of rest after long days in the studio. 

Tonight, we rest. 

Tomorrow, the singing/playing/writing/recording begins!!! 

Nashville - Day 1

We're on our way! 

Over the next two weeks, we're visiting Nashville to start work on our next CD! It's been two years since our last trip to Music City, when we recorded the tracks for our Infinitely More debut CD. Each night, I'll be blogging about the recording process, any performances we do, and all kinds of other Nashville adventures.

We do the 13 hour drive over two days, so tonight, we're settled into a cozy hotel in Troy, Ohio. It was a mostly good day of driving. We hit a few thunder storms along the way, one of which was so bad we had to pull off the highway and into the comfort of a Starbucks to wait it out. Ah, the comforting nature of a latte...

After a great meal tonight (which might actually inspire a future Worship Wednesdays blogpost), we came back to the hotel for a short rehearsal. Here's hoping the folks around us are music fans...

I can't tell you how excited I am to be on this trip and getting ready to record again! 

Feeling very thankful tonight...

Worship Wednesdays - Is Your Church Better Than a Burger Joint?

Last night, Gerald and I took my Dad out for his Father's Day present - a burger feast! We braved the thunder storms and headed off to The Works. We perused their seemingly endless menu and chose thick milkshakes, fresh cut fries, and burgers topped with such delicacies as grilled pineapple and sliced brie.

Our meals arrived and after the appropriate photo opp, we began to indulge. Everything tasted fantastic, and the conversation flowed. But as Dad and I made our way through our meals, we noticed something wasn't correct with our order. It wasn't a big deal, but our food hadn't arrived as ordered.

When the waiter came to take our empty plates, we let him know that we had no complaints, but that our orders had been incorrect. We assured him that we were completely satisfied and sated, but we just wanted to bring the discrepancy to his attention.

What happened next blew us away.

The manager came out to ask about our concerns. He then apologized, explained their regular kitchen procedure, and apologized again. Then, he told us that our entrees would all be complimentary - including Gerald's meal, which had been perfect. And then, he handed each of us a coupon for a free meal on our next visit! He stayed a full 10 minutes at our table, chatting, asking about our evening, and making sure we left feeling good.

We couldn't believe it.

We left the restaurant overwhelmed with the amazing customer service, and confident that we would make a return visit. As we retold the story later that evening, I thought,

"Do we make people in the church feel this good?"

The manager's apology was more than enough. Remember, we hadn't actually made a complaint. When he comped our meal, it was a way to make us feel good about the evening's experience. And when he gave us the coupon, it was his way of saying, "Give us another chance!"

In the last few months, I've had the opportunity to visit a few churches, not as a guest musician, but as a guest worshiper. When I visit churches like this, I make a point of not speaking to anyone first. I want to see if I'll be welcomed, if anyone will reach out to me as a visitor. Some churches have been very welcoming. In others, I've arrived, worshipped, and left without a single parishioner or pastor saying hello to me.

There are lots of reasons why people choose a church, but most people will also tell you that the friendliness of the congregation themselves can make or break that decision.

• How do we make people feel when they walk through our doors? 
• Are we welcoming and inviting? 
• Do we make it easy to join in our rituals and activities? 
• Do they leave feeling valued and appreciated? 
• Do we treat visitors and long time attendees with equal love and compassion? 
• Are we letting people know, "We're so glad you came! There's a home here for you. How can we serve you?"

The Works didn't want to lose us as customers, and they made sure we knew it.

As Christians, we should want to keep folks in our churches for higher reasons.

Are we willing to give extraordinary service to keep them coming back for more?

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

Worship Wednesdays - The Church Debate That Makes My Blood Boil...

I was glued to my TV on Sunday night as I watched The Tony Awards!

As a theatre girl myself, The Tonys are must-watch television. I find myself in awe of the talent. These writers, directors, actors, singers, and dancers are at the top of their game. Endless hours of training and sacrifice have gone into raising their craft to such a high level. Watching their performances inspires me to rehearse more, learn more, create more...

Yesterday, I had lunch with a friend, and she explained how her church is going through the all-too-cliche battle of Performance versus Worship. Sitting in the glow of Sunday's telecast, and thinking back to the thousand times I've been caught in this exact argument, my blood began to boil. This is an argument that, at its core, is based in an ignorance of what we do as artists.

I could write a book about how we need performance skills to be effective worship leaders, Gospel artists, and even preachers. But here's where I think this argument is so horribly misguided: It sees all performers as divas and all performances as selfish. And that's just wrong.

The best performances are always an act of generosity.

When a Work of art is created, it is in one state of being, but it's truly not complete until it's performed in front of an audience. The artist chooses the Work because it speaks to them; it has a message that connects with the soul of the artist, something he or she thinks must be communicated. The artist learns, rehearses, and perfects the Work until the audience is present. And then, the Work is shared.

And in that living moment, something important is given to the audience - a story, a song, a character, a dance that has the power to transform, enlighten, afflict, sooth, fill. The artist wants the audience to leave changed, to experience the world differently than before the Work.

Isn't that what we're trying to do with worship music?

Yes, there are some artists that are in it for the fame and the adulation, but you know who they are. You can sense their selfishness when you watch them. They leave you feeling cold, unmoved, uninspired. They clutter the airwaves. We don't need them in the theatre, or the studio, or the Church.

But true artists aren't that. True artists want to communicate. They want to share their passion, their trials, their hopes, and their convictions with the audience. And you know what these artists look like too. They create the art that changes your life - the song that you always need when you're sad, the play that made you laugh til your gut hurt, the painting that was so beautiful you bought the poster to take home, the book you reread every summer.

Aren't these the kind of artists we want in the church? 

Aren't these the kind of artists we want sharing the Gospel?

It's dynamic relationship between the Creator, the Artist, and the Listener. God creates the Artist and gives them the skills of creativity and performance; the Artist uses those skills to share their message, and as a result, the Listener hears the Gospel in a way that is transformative, enlightening, afflicting, soothing, filling...

As an artist, I've chosen to use my talents to share the message of God's love and grace. Not every artist will make that choice, and that's okay. Artists need to be able to tell the stories of their own humanity. Whatever our walk through life, we need to hear the stories of all people if we're ever to learn about each other. It's that unique telling that allows us to share in the human experience, discover the greater truths of the universe, and learn to love our neighbour as ourselves.

But when artists do make the choice to use their voices for the Church, let's not pin their heels and limit their expression. Let's encourage them to use the full breadth of their talents - their artistry, their creativity, and yes, their performance - to generously share the Good News...

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

Worship Wednesdays - Pentecost Playlist

This Sunday, churches around the world will recognize Pentecost. As recorded in Acts 2:1-13, Pentecost is a vibrant celebration marking the arrival of the Holy Spirit and the birth of the Church. Tongues of fires, the rushing wind, and speaking in various languages give us a variety of themes and images for creative worship planning. Some churches will invite their congregations to wear red - the liturgical colour of the day. Others will have a cake to celebrate the birthday of the Church.

There are lots of wonderful songs to celebrate Pentecost. 

Here are a few of our favourites:

Spirit of the Living God

This is the Sunday to pull out all your favourite Holy Spirit songs! We love this one for its melodic simplicity and beautiful lyrics. It crosses denominations, and can be performed in pretty much any musical style. We will often sing two verses congregationally, and insert an instrumental verse or two in the middle, either for reflection or to underscore spoken prayer.

Shout To The North

We love singing this song! The images of fire, Church unity, and singing to the world make it a great fit for Pentecost. The Celtic feel of this song makes it a great crossover - perfect for bands, but a simple enough melody to make it accessible to choirs and more traditional congregations.

They'll Know We Are Christians

This is one of our favourite songs to celebrate Christian unity, and particularly for ending worship. We love sending people from Church into the World with the reminder that people will recognize us as followers of Christ by the way we love. Some folks dismiss this contemporary classic as being "too dour" with its minor melody, but use those emotive chords to your advantage to create an arrangement that's soulful and moving.





Holy Spirit, Living Breath of God

We haven't performed this song, but I found it in writing this blog. I'm such a huge fan of Keith and Kristyn Getty - soaring melodies, scriptural and liturgical lyrics, and songs that can adapt to fit any church's musical tradition.




Sweet, Sweet Spirit

This is a classic song, performed so beautifully in this clip by J.D. Sumner and the Stamps Quartet. I love this video - in the middle of his concert, the great Elvis Presley asks his audience to listen, not to him, but to the amazing acapella harmonies of this spiritual song.



What songs will you be singing this Pentecost?
Share your selections in the Comments section...

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

Worship Wednesdays - Book Review: How High Will You Climb? by John Maxwell

This book was such a natural choice for review. First, I'm a huge fan of John Maxwell, ever since reading his amazing "Talent is Never Enough." Second, not only is he a excellent educator in communication and leadership, but his teachings are all based on Biblical ideals and examples.

The subtitle for the book "Determine Your Success By Cultivating The Right Attitude" might lead you to think this is simply a book for the upwardly mobile professional, but like the best in the self-help genre, this book takes a holistic view of success. How can our attitudes affect our work, our art, our families, and our spiritual lives? The book approaches the topic from lots of angles - where do we develop our attitudes, how can we thrive in difficult times, and how to rebuild your attitude from the ground up.

This book is also full of useful tools. Each chapter has several Attitude Application sections to help you work through the subject at hand. At the back of the book is a Study Guide for either group discussion or more in-depth personal exploration.

If you're a worship leader, songwriter, or concert artist, you should never underestimate the power of your attitude to influence your efforts to lead others and communicate the Gospel. This short but intense book would be a great addition to your bookshelf.

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."

Worship Wednesdays - How Tuesdays Make Dreams Come True...

Yesterday, we did the healthiest thing we do all week - we had a meeting.

Many of you are rolling your eyes right now and thinking, "A meeting? Who wants to go to a meeting? I do meetings all the time."

When Gerald and I started to form Infinitely More, we realized there were many roles we would need to share - musician, songwriter, manager, social media, administrator, radio, publicist, and of course, spouse. With the unconventional work hours that can come with a musician's life, we needed to find ways to balance our roles and add some sense of structure to our lives.

Thus was born, the Tuesday Meeting!

Why Tuesday? Because we take Mondays as our Day Off, so Tuesday is kind of our Monday. We always go to a cafe, so we're not distracted by laundry, puppies, and other home priorities. A good cafe also allows us to indulge in sweet treats and listen to jazz, keeping the atmosphere fun and creative. We give a start time but not an end time, to allow for free flowing discussion. The goal is always to be positive, honest, and pro-active. The key, like all healthy life choices, is to be consistent. It's easy enough to say, "We're busy this week, let's skip the meeting." But like skipping prayer, exercise, or taking your vitamins, after a few days, you'll start to notice that something's off. Also, by meeting on a weekly basis, we're able to handle things in small pieces, rather than allowing issues to build into crisis moments.

We always have 4 important themes in our meetings: 

Celebrate
We strongly believe in the power of encouragement, both for ourselves and others. Each week, we take time to celebrate our recent accomplishments and give thanks for the blessings in our life and ministry. We also take time to express our gratitude (via email, phone, or social media) to anyone who has joined us on the journey in the past week.

Improve
Early in our relationship, Gerald and I got in the habit of having a performance post-mortem. Sometimes we would do it in the car on the way home from a concert. If we felt there was sensitive feedback to give, we might wait until the next day. It was very important that we were always lovingly honest. We learned to give each other both support and healthy criticism. At each Tuesday Meeting, we look at the different aspects of our ministry - music, booking, online, etc - and ask how we can make them better.

Dream
This is one of our favourite parts of the meeting! What is it we want to do with Infinitely More? Where do we feel God is calling us? Do we want to record a new CD? Tour a new part of the country? Create something special for our online friends and fans? We write down every idea. No dream is too big or too small.

Plan
This is where Dreams turn into Life. How can we make each Dream come true? What are the steps? Can we do them ourselves, or do we need to seek out talented friends and mentors? What Dreams can happen soon and which might need more time to ferment? We create lists, timelines, and assign tasks. Each week, we check in with these lists to see how our Dreams are progressing, which of course, leads us to Celebrate...

If you are in a band, ministry, any other kind of self-employed or creative team, 

we highly recommend a Tuesday Meeting! 

For us, it's probably the most valuable tool we have for aspiration, inspiration, and activation.

Do you have similar meetings with your team? 

If so, what are the parts that work best for you?

Please leave your thoughts in the Comments section...

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

Weak For A Week...

Two weeks today, I was packing for our long awaited Prairies Road Trip. Everything was in order - gear ready, gas tank filled, and last minute supplies purchased. I suddenly felt tired. Within minutes, I was in the bathroom as all hell broke loose. My body wracked itself violently in an attempt to rid my digestive tract of whatever dragon had taken up residence within it.

This continued for two full days. By the third day, my body was still trying to reject the dragon, but there was nothing left inside. My skin was dry with dehydration. I could barely speak. I couldn't sit up.

My family took me to the hospital, where I was treated with medication and 3 bags of saline through an IV. The damage of the dragon and my body's inability to receive food and water had left me completely depleted. Within a few days, I wasn't 'sick' anymore but in, what is still proving to be, a relatively long recovery.

Eventually, I started to have enough energy to observe myself and I marvelled at the fascinating, frustrating weakness of my usually healthy body.

Everything made me tired. 

Everything.

I felt like an air mattress that had been completed deflated - flat, unable to support myself, useless.

As I lifted a glass or stood up, I could feel the energy slipping from my limbs like sand through a sieve.

Walking to the bathroom put me out of breath.

I needed pillows to prop me up because sitting was exhausting.

Every task was so tiring that I didn't have enough energy left over to read, watch tv, or even listen to music.

I could do nothing but lie and heal.

After my hospital visit, I decided to set a goal or two each day to aid in my recovery. One day my goal was "eat a cracker." Another it was "sit outside." Small, specific, tangible goals to get me stronger. I could do this because I knew I would get better. Once the illness itself had passed, I knew it was only a matter of time and gentle care before I would be back to health.

"But what would it be like," I imagined, "if I didn't know I'd get better?"

As I lay there, I thought about the countless folks in hospitals every day who suffer from a similar experience of physical weakness, but with no guarantee of a return to full health.

I thought about people struggling with daily hunger, and how it leaves them too weak to spend mental energy on dreams and plans and new ideas.

I thought about my dear friend who just lost her final battle with ALS, and the years she spent under the weight of a body that slowly lost each function, with no hope of gaining them back.

My heart went out to these souls. I prayed for them. I prayed for their caregivers and families.

And I was reminded of the power of Hope.

As I started to get better, I watched a moving TED talk by retired Sergeant Kevin Briggs who would patrol the Golden Gate Bridge for potential suicide victims. He spoke about the absence of Hope in so many of these broken hearts.

I was blessed to be surrounded by love and to have Hope of a healthy outcome. But what about those who are not so blessed? What about those who can't see a happy ending?

Maybe, sometimes, we need to be the ones to offer Hope to others.

How do we do that? 

I know for us, the answer is tied into God and music and community and love. 

I don't know the answer for you. I think it's different for each of us. 

But I pray that on this long weekend, as you enjoy some downtime yourself, you'll take a moment to consider the question. Imagine what could happen if you did ...