Thanksgiving With Strangers

This weekend, we'll do something that has become a bit of a quirky tradition:

We'll spend Thanksgiving with strangers.

The first time we did this was in 2007, during our first year of living in Nashville. October approached, and we realized we would be away from our families for Thanksgiving. We were still new to the city, but everyone there celebrated Thanksgiving in November. We made plans for Skype calls to family and a quiet dinner at home.

The last weekend of September, we attended a songwriter party and met a woman originally from Nova Scotia. As we chatted, she said, "You know, I'm attending a Thanksgiving dinner with some other Canadian friends next week. If you want, I'm happy to get you an invitation."

And that was our first Thanksgiving with strangers. 

We gathered, ate heartily, laughed boisterously, and far from our families and country, we shared our blessings.

Once we returned to Canada, our Thanksgiving became a movable feast. For a few years, we celebrated with our immediate family. As we began our fall concert tours, we were blessed to celebrate with our extended family in Newfoundland.

But then a few years ago, our touring schedule changed. Instead of traveling east each fall, we started to travel west. That first tour was an epic feat to plan - four very large provinces with lots of driving and absolutely no friends or family between home and Alberta. We were literally on the road for over a month before we saw a familiar face!

As we got closer to the holiday weekend, I realized that I had completely forgotten about Thanksgiving! We were destined to spend this great day of celebration alone, in a hotel room, searching for a 24-hour roadside stop to feed us... The whole thing just felt too depressing for words...

So, I did what we do in the modern age - I turned to social media!

"Hey everyone! We're going to be alone in Manitoba for Thanksgiving. Does anyone know of a church or community dinner we could attend?"

What happened next was more than we could "ask or imagine" ...

The host of our Winnipeg concert came to me, "I realized you're going to be around for the long weekend. Would you like to stay an extra night and join us for Thanksgiving dinner?"

Amazing. We gathered with almost a dozen people who, a day before, had been complete strangers to us. In a wonderful twist, the host family was from Newfoundland, so the dinner was filled with familiar traditions and delicacies.

Then, I got a note on Facebook. "I have friends with a ministry retreat in Dauphin. They'd love to have you for Thanksgiving!"

So Monday morning, we drove to Dauphin to find a beautiful house on the edge of the lake. Again, we met strangers who welcomed us into their home for a wonderful night of feasting.

In gratitude to the family, we sang a short concert for their guests and, wouldn't you know it, there were Newfoundlanders at that table, too!


As we tour this beautiful country, we continue to marvel at this great truth:

The family of God is a real thing. 

In every community, we arrive as strangers, 

and yet, we are bonded by a love far greater than ourselves. 

So this Thanksgiving, I encourage you to welcome strangers to your table, and to celebrate with those who might be far from home. In this way, let's show the love of God to one another, and truly celebrate the blessings of our "home and native land."

"Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, 

for thereby some have entertained angels unawares."

Hebrews 13:2 ESV

Happy Thanksgiving! 

Scribbles of Harmony...

This summer, everyone in our area is complaining about the non-summery summer weather.

Truth be told, we haven't noticed the weather a bit. 

We've been indoors for most of it, either in the studio or rehearsing the songs for when we're in the studio.

Long days, but super creative and satisfying. 

Yesterday, we spent the better part of the afternoon creating harmony parts, 

so I thought you'd appreciate this little behind-the-scenes glimpse...

Right now, you're thinking, "Um, secret language? Morse code? Just plain messy??"

This, my friends, is harmony!

What you're looking at is the bridge for our song Through The Dark. Gerald wrote it about a year and a half ago, so some of you have already heard this haunting and moving song in our concerts.

Gerald takes the lead on this tune, so when we arrived at the studio, he jumped in the booth and sang his part.

Next, it was my turn. On this song, I sing a few different types of harmony parts. Some are "oohs" that drift under the lyric. Others are various kinds of echoes to enhance the melodic line. Others are straight up harmony lines where I sing the lyrics an interval from Gerald's lead.

When we got to the bridge, I sang my part as I've always sung it. Andrew Horrocks (our amazing producer!) wondered if I might want to switch up a few notes to give the part more presence and impact. So I pulled out my pencil and started to make the little dots and short dashes that you see. They indicate where the notes are different from what I sang before. The up and down nature reflect the same up and down movements you'd see on a piece of sheet music.

The point of these markings isn't to transcribe an actual part onto the page. I learned the part by ear and memorized it as we went along. The dots, dashes, and doodles are there to guide my memory as I'm working through the recording. They trigger my ear and voice to lock into the harmonic groove of the new part.

When it was just one note that changed, I add the arrow or check mark to show the direction of the new note. When the new note was held long with no or few changes, I drew the longer lines, like the ones after "fear."

The "echo" was always part of the song, but because we were adding so many new bits to the part, I wanted to put it in my notes to remind myself of taking a deep breath and showcasing that moment.

We spent a good amount of time creating this part, rehearsing it, and then doing several takes to make sure it wasn't just note perfect, but that I also gave it the right kind of performance and energy.

Making music should never be just about hitting the right notes. 

We're there to share a message and an emotion. 

Notes are important, but communicating is EVERYTHING!

So, after I laid down the harmony line, Andrew said, "I hear some third harmonies, too."

This is where the circled words come in. Each word with a circle had an additional harmony part added to it. Since they were all higher parts, I didn't have to add a lot of direction for myself, except where I added in the extra long line after "fear."

A few weeks ago, we had a tremendous band come in to record the tracks for this song. Then, Gerald created his guitar part. Now, we've got lead vocal, harmony line, and extra harmony parts created. And the song is still a work in progress. It's only going to get better from here!

It's always amazing to see how a simple guitar-vocal song can build into a vibrant, exciting album track. 

Stay tuned to hear what happens next with our new CD...

*   *   *   *   *   *   *   * 

Are you excited about our New CD??

You can preorder your copy now! 

All preorders include free shipping & bonuses.

If you'd like to give a little extra support, 

we've got an awesome thank you gifts for you!

Visit www.InfinitelyMore.ca/New-CD for all the details!

Help Us Make Our New CD!

This week, we launched a new page on our website! 

It looks like this:

It’s been three years since we’ve felt called to record. Three years of travelling coast to coast, playing for hundreds of churches, and writing sixty new songs. God has filled the well with both your and our stories. We have listened and transcribed those moments into beautiful new musical acts of worship. And paring those sixty down to twelve was also helped by you. After each performance we took notes…

Did they love “My Soul Is Spoken For”?  

Were they singing along on “Crown Him Lord Of All”?  

Were they moved by the faith filled challenges in “Where Are You Hiding Today"?

We've partnered with 3-time GMA Producer of the Year, Andy Horrocks. Andy brings his extraordinary heart for worship and his remarkable abilities, as well as a band of world class Christian musicians. We're also thrilled to welcome the voices and creativity of some incredible guest artists to this album! (Stay tuned for announcements about all our guest artists!)

God willing, we are two months away from our CD release date! We're still in the thick of the project, and each day, the vision for the album becomes clearer and more exciting.

In the beginning, we asked you to join us by choosing the songs.

Now, we ask you to come on board again!

As you can imagine, making a CD is far beyond the skills and resources of any two people. We often joke that "It takes a village to raise an album" and it's so true!

We have an amazing team of highly acclaimed, uniquely creative, and deeply spiritual musicians on this project. The "skills" part is well in hand!

We would love to have your help with the "resources" end of things.

Every few years, we self-fund a new CD. Our budgets generally range from $15,000 to $20,000 per album. For that season, not only are we paying all that money out in just a few months, but we're also committing hundreds of hours of our own unpaid time to the process.

Imagine buying a new car every few summers, but in addition to paying for the car in cash, you also need to take the time to build the car yourself.

It's kind of like that.

"Wow," I can hear you say, "That's kind of crazy!"

We get that, and yet, every few years, we do it again.

Why?

Because we LOVE what we do and we LOVE you! We love that you continue to show up for our concerts and worship services. We love that you listen to our CDs and give them as gifts. We want to keep creating beautiful and inspiring music for you to enjoy. We are so passionate about these songs and the messages they share - God's unconditional love and grace, walking through this life of faith, and finding light shining in the darkest places.

We have such exciting plans for this CD. We have songs that we want to release to radio. We have songs that are perfect for you to use in your church on Sunday morning. And, of course, we want this to be an inspiring and uplifting album for your CD player and iPod!

Great things happen when we all work together, and this is no exception.

We want you to be part of this new project! 

We need your help to get this CD made, so we can get it into the hands of those who need it most.

Would you please consider supporting our CD through our new webpage?

We've securing most of the funding ourselves, 

but our goal is to raise $3000 to help bring us over the finish line.

In gratitude for your support, we have lots of wonderful gifts, including copies of the new CD, our own photo calendar, house concerts, and even an espresso maker!

Please visit https://infinitelymore.ca/new-cd to read about the project, 

and how you can help in this new ministry venture.

www.InfinitelyMore.ca/New-CD

Thank you!! 

Book Review: Between Heaven & the Real World, by Steven Curtis Chapman, with Ken Abraham

When you admire a songwriter, you get both excited and apprehensive when you see their name on a book cover. You want to hear what they have to say, but can their style successfully make the leap from 3 minutes to 300 pages?

In the hands of a master storyteller like Steven Curtis Chapman, the answer is a resounding "yes!"

I've long been a fan of Steven's writing, and this book was an absolute pleasure to read. I actually read it while we were on our recent East Coast Tour. I devoured pages in hotel rooms, on ferries, and even in the midst of a freak snowstorm on the May 24th long weekend. Reading about Steven's start in the music business and his approach to songwriting seemed all the more powerful in the midst of our own music making.

But I knew the real story was coming.

In 2008, Steven and Mary Beth Chapman faced a parent's worst nightmare when one of their children accidentally caused the death of one of their other children. We were living in Nashville when this happened, and the whole city reeled from the shock of the tragedy. It was like it happened to a family member. Steven's music had blessed so many of us, and in that season, we all mourned for this beautiful family.

I can't imagine the strength it took to put these particular chapters into print, both for Steven and for the whole family. He tells the story with raw emotion and absolute transparency. I wept through these pages, reliving my own experiences with grief, and marvelling at this story of grace and forgiveness.

There are so many who will enjoy and value this book. It's for fans of Steven Curtis Chapman's music. It's for those who love autobiographies, and for those with an interest in songwriting and the music business. It's a story about falling in love, and building that love into a family. But it's also a testimony about facing the unimaginable, wrestling with the pain, and finding God in the midst of it all.


Full disclosure: I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for a review. Viewpoints are all my own.

What Happened After The Crucifixion, and Why Does It Matter?

Yesterday, Gerald and I led the annual St. Catharines Good Friday Walk. Hundreds of people followed a large wooden cross down the street. At each of the six downtown churches, the minister read a piece of the Good Friday story from Luke. I gave a reflection, and we shared a song. 

It was an honour to lead our city in this beautiful event.

Today, I'm posting my final reflection of the walk: 

What happened after the crucifixion, and why does it matter?

The crowd gathers at our final stop on the annual St. Catharines Good Friday Walk...

What a change from just a few days ago, when Jesus entered Jerusalem to praises of "Hosanna." 

In just a few short hours: an arrest. A public trial. Flogging. A crucifixion. 

And now, Jesus is laid in a tomb. 

I often think about that time right after the crucifixion. How his friends and followers must have felt. How they gathered and what they talked about. How much they must have cried and just been shocked. Jesus had spoken about his death, but how much had they really understood, and how did it line up with the horrors they had just experienced? 

I can only imagine the flood of emotions they must have felt - 

grief, anger, fear, shock, disbelief, and maybe even betrayal. 

They had given up everything for this cause. 

They had left their families and their livelihoods. They’d trusted in Jesus. 

How could he bring them to this?

And haven’t we been there? Those moments of shock and despair and grief. Those moments when we turn to God and say, “Where are you? How can you allow this to happen? Why won’t you stop it? I trusted you. Why aren’t you here for me?”

But remember, it's only Friday. Sunday is coming...

God is still at work. On a supernatural level, he is still at work. 

It was true that first Good Friday. And it’s true today.

God is still at work. Fighting battles we cannot see or understand. He knows your pain, and cares about everything you’re going through. He will walk with you through it all. He will never leave you nor forsake you. He will be your rock, your salvation, your peace. He never sleeps. He is relentlessly working all things together for the good of those who love him. 

And we can see all of this, at the foot of the cross.

Wait on the Lord. Be strong. Take heart.

Sunday is coming...

10 Favourite Moments of 2016

What a year!

I'm always surprised when we reach the end of another year. 

It's amazing how much we can pack into a mere 12 months! 

This week, I've spent some time browsing the many, many, many photos I took this year.

In no particular order, here are 10 of our favourite moments from 2016:

#1 - OUR 10TH ANNIVERSARY

We kicked off the year with a very special family milestone - our 10th wedding anniversary! It's amazing to think about all that has happened in the last decade. If you had told us 10 years ago that we'd now be touring the country with our own music ministry, we would have not-so-discreetly smirked behind your back. We're so thankful for every moment - the challenging and the triumphant. In February, we gathered with family to renew our vows and enjoy an intimate celebration in our new hometown. Just perfect...









#2 - CHANGING LIVES WITH WORLD VISION

2016 marked our first year partnering our ministry with World Vision. In our concerts, we shared the story of our own sponsored child, Keilyn, and it was amazing to see how you responded. There was the woman who found a little boy with the exact same birthday as her grandson, and the man who found a child from the country of his youth. There was the church who decided to share their blessings and sponsor 5 children! And finally, there was the woman who broke our hearts with her powerful story of infertility, but through World Vision, she could finally have the son she always wanted. Each story was unique and beautiful, but the most wonderful thing is knowing how many lives have been changed by your generosity.




#3 - OUR FIRST YEAR IN ST. CATHARINES

After moving 7 times in 9 years, we finally bought a house in our new hometown of St. Catharines! We quickly fell in love with our century home, and we've loved working on projects and seeing our landscape change through the seasons. We've spent countless hours exploring our neighbourhood, our city, and the glorious Niagara region. The most wonderful thing, however, is how much we've been embraced by the local churches. Through worship services, concerts, and the Good Friday Walk, we've truly had a chance to minister to our city.










#4 - EAST COAST TOUR

Touring the East Coast provinces has become one of our favourite parts of the year! This spring, we spent 2 months on the road singing in churches throughout Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and for the first time ever - PEI! And no trip to PEI would be complete without a visit to the beautiful Green Gables. One of the perks of traveling off season - this is one of the biggest tourist sites in Canada, and we practically had the whole place to ourselves!




#5 - TARA JACKSON VISIT

In the summer, we hosted a visit from our sweet friend, Tara Jackson! We explored the St. Catharines and Toronto areas, and yes, stocked up on Costco-sized maple syrup. Some of the most special times were sitting around the dining room table, with Gerald on guitar and the three of us singing in harmony. Hoping for more of this in 2017... hint, hint....





#6 - ADVENT CAFE

People sometimes question the idea of "God's timing", but I truly believe it was only through God's timing that we were able to join Advent Cafe this year! Advent Cafe is a weekly contemporary worship service in the coffee lounge of St. George's Anglican Church in St. Catharines. Utilizing a rotating roster of worship leaders, we've been blessed to lead worship once a month for this wonderful group. In the summer, we moved the service outside and worshipped right on the main street. I even had the chance to preach at one of these outdoor services. A new challenge, but I must have done alright because I've been asked to do it again in February!


#7 - THE FOOD

As we travel, one of our favourite things to discover is culinary delights we could never have at home. In the east, we indulged in fried clams, toutons, fish & brewis, and Jigg's dinner. Traveling west, we tried elk, bison, deer, and birch syrup. Closer to home, we explored the local market scene with fresh produce and homemade grape pie. In this photo, we're enjoying partridgeberry pancakes at the Treasure Box in beautiful Rocky Harbour, NL. So thankful for everyone who hosted us for a meal, and those who birth wonderful little restaurants with local creations.







#8 - ALL 10 PROVINCES!!


This fall, we headed west for our 2nd annual Prairies Road Trip concert tour. We sang in churches of all sizes and denominations throughout Northern Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. But at the end of October, we had the pleasure of arriving in British Columbia for our first concerts in that province. This marked the completion of a long held dream - to sing in all 10 provinces! I even blogged about it HERE, as a reminder to all of us to keep pursuing your dreams, no matter how long they may take to come true.




#9 - WORKING WITH OTHER ARTISTS

There are few things more special than working with other talented people. This year, we had the chance to make music with some of our very favourite and super talented friends, including a concert with Rhonda Louise, a song session with Sally Meadows, and an inspiring Gaither Homecoming night with our friend & mentor, Allison Speer. In this photo, we're participating in a vocal masterclass with acclaimed singer-songwriter, Mark Masri. A reminder to us all that "iron sharpens iron" ...


#10 - TRAVELING OUR BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY

If you haven't seen all of Canada yet, please plan a trip for next year! From the majesty of the Rockies to the wild scope of the Atlantic, we live in a pretty glorious country. The more we see, the more we want to see. The natural wonders are amazing, but the best thing is to get off the highway, explore the towns, meet the people, and hear their stories. We are so blessed to live in the "true North, strong and free."

We are so grateful for every moment this year - far too many to capture in one blogpost!

A sincere and generous THANK YOU to each and every person who joined our adventures this year.

For those who invited us into your homes and churches, and those who follow and support us online -

we truly couldn't do any of this without you!

We're looking forward to connecting with you all in 2017!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

BONUS MOMENT - STONEBRIDGE VIDEOS

Last year, we were blessed to become a Stonebridge Guitar artist. On a sunny day this fall, we visited Brickhouse Guitars in Kitchener to record some acoustic videos, featuring our beautiful Stonebridge. Since we're still celebrating the 12 Days of Christmas, here's the Christmas one...

And stay tuned for 2 more videos to come in 2017!

Tonight, Everywhere Is Bethlehem

Written & performed by Allison Lynn & Gerald Flemming

When a Dream Comes True...

"You gotta have a dream. If you don't have a dream, 

how you gonna have a dream come true?"

Rogers & Hammerstein, South Pacific

Many years ago, when I first started taking my singing seriously, I attended a church with two opera singers. Eva and Stephanie were mother and daughter - wonderful women with amazing voices. They became mentors to me, and I was so encouraged by them.

One day I was talking to Eva about her career, and she said to me, "You know, my music has taken me to every province in Canada."

"Wow," I thought, "I want that too."

So that day, I set it as a goal for myself:

Sing in every province in Canada.

Not just visit and sing in my hotel, but have an actual professional performance in every province.

Well, for many years, it seemed like I'd never get farther than Ontario. Many, many years...

But then, this unexpected thing called "Infinitely More" was born, and suddenly, we started to travel. And 'my' dream became 'our' dream...

We started touring the East Coast annually, and then last year, we made our first venture into the Prairies.

But this weekend, here in British Columbia, our dream came true:

Infinitely More has now sung in every province in Canada! 

I can't tell you how blessed we are to share our music in so many wonderful communities across our beautiful country. There's no better example of "the family of God" than showing up in a town you've never visited, starting a concert, and feeling like you're already home.

The world is a better place when we follow our dreams. I meet so many people who become discouraged because their dreams haven't come true. But you know, dreams are funny things. Sometimes things take a long time to happen, or their 'coming true' form might look differently than we imagined. Or they might morph and change and transform into something else altogether.

I encourage you to follow your dreams and to enjoy the journey. 

And when one finally does comes true: 

Enjoy the moment. Celebrate it. Give thanks. 

And then the next morning, find a new dream, and start all over again... 

Summer Concerts!

We love touring, but this summer, 

we're excited to have lots of close-to-home concerts!

Please come join us for a concert or worship service near you.

Full details at www.InfinitelyMore.ca/Calendar

Worship Wednesdays - FREE Song!

To celebrate the Easter season, we're giving away a FREE SONG:

There's A Light At The End Of The Tomb

Gerald was inspired to write this anthemic song by this photo he saw of a stone tomb, flooded with light. As soon as I heard his first verse and chorus, I declared, "I need to cowrite this!"  We loved crafting a song that celebrates the promise and power of that first Easter morning.

We debuted it on Easter Sunday,
and it quickly became a year-round favourite.

In that first year, I wrote a blogpost about the natural evolution of the song's vocals and arrangement. You can read that post here.

And we recorded a live performance for the tv show Artisans of Charlotte County during our musical residency in St. Andrews, New Brunswick:

But the final thrill came when we brought it into the studio. Denny Martin and his amazing band of Nashville musicians created a powerful soundtrack, and Carmon Barry of Toronto captured our vocals.

There's A Light At The End Of The Tomb was included on our 

ECMA and Covenant Award nominated CD, How The Light Gets In.

To get your free song, please visit our Store:

http://www.infinitelymore.ca/store 

We're offering this for a limited time, but we want to give away lots of downloads! 

Please feel free to share this link with your friends and family...

Worship Wednesdays is a weekly series to encourage and equip worship leaders and songwriters.

Bookmark this page and visit us every Wednesday!

Worship Wednesdays - We're Heading East!

We're so excited to plan our 6th annual East Coast Tour!

Mapping out the route...

Our tours to Canada's beautiful East Coast have become a very special tradition for us. Each year, we visit churches throughout Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland. We sing concerts that help raise funds for local outreach projects. We lead worship for weekend conferences and Sunday mornings. We even work with bands and choirs to teach workshops on worship leading and songwriting.

St. Mary The Virgin Church, St. John's, NL

The relationships we make on these tours are amazing! There are some churches we visit year after year, building friendships and creating music with their bands and choirs. And on each tour, we visit new areas, ministering to churches for the first time. We love learning how each church works within their community. There are so many incredible outreach projects happening in towns across this country. These are stories that never make the news, and yet these volunteers are making a profound difference in their corner of the world. It's an honour to meet so many people who are bringing the Gospel to life - feeding the poor, caring for the outcast, loving their neighbour as themselves... 



These travels are also a time for great creativity. Many of the songs on Infinitely More and How The Light Gets In were either written on these tours, or inspired by stories shared with us after concerts or during our teaching.

We feel blessed to explore this amazing part of the country - making music, meeting people, learning about local history, and feasting on some of the best seafood ever!

Peggy's Cove, NS

This year, our tour will start after Easter and will keep us on the road 

throughout April, May, and into early June.

We're currently booking concerts, worship events, and music team workshops in 

Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland.

And for the first time ever, we're hoping to visit Prince Edward Island!

We'd love to bring our music to your community! 

Booking a fundraiser concert is easier than you may think. 

To reserve a date, or just to ask questions, please visit our Contact page and send us an email.

www.InfinitelyMore.ca/Contact

St. James' Drop In, Rosemere, QC

Worship Wednesdays is a weekly series to encourage and equip worship leaders and songwriters.

Bookmark this page and visit us every Wednesday!

Worship Wednesdays: Guest Post by Rev. Hollis Hiscock

Today, I'm welcoming a very special guest writer to the blog: Rev. Hollis Hiscock.

AKA: My Dad!

Dad was a full-time minister in the Anglican Church for over 40 years. In retirement, he took on the ministry of editor of the Niagara Anglican Newspaper.

Dad has always loved the Peanuts comics. Inspired by the 50th anniversary of A Charlie Brown Christmas, he wrote some thoughts about the Peanuts gang and their unique approach to theology.

I love this whole article, but the last line is something we should all take to heart...

 You can read the full issue HERE, 

including some powerful stories of churches bringing Syrian refugees to Canada.

Charlie Brown, Life and the Bible is on page 3.

Worship Wednesdays is a weekly series to encourage and equip worship leaders and songwriters.

Bookmark this page and visit us every Wednesday!

Big News: Infinitely More Joins The World Vision Artist Collective!

We're thrilled and humbled to announce that 

Infinitely More is the newest member of the 

World Vision Artist Collective!

Keilyn is one of the most important people in my

 life, and yet, we've never actually met in person...

A few years ago, as we approached November, my family started asking the inevitable, "What do you want for your birthday?" I really wasn't seeking another gift, but then it struck me: Every day, there are children in this world who can't get an education, medical care, a decent meal, or even a clean drink of water. I couldn't think about it without my heart breaking...

What I really wanted was to help a child.

So for my birthday, I asked my family to help me start sponsoring a child through World Vision.

I smiled when I saw Keilyn's photo, and her gentle face. She lived alone with her mother, who couldn't find employment. She wanted to learn a foreign language; her favourite chore was washing dishes.

Within months, we were exchanging letters and photos. It's wonderful to know that our support gives this sweet girl healthy food, clean water, medical care, and an education. But the letters are the best part. She tells me about her community and how they celebrate holidays. She lets me know about her favourite subjects in school, and how much she likes to dance. All her letters are handwritten with a typed translation. I can't read the original Spanish, but she draws flowers and animals around the edges. As a fellow doodler, this makes my heart sing.

One of the most powerful moments in our sponsorship occurred a few months in when I received a letter from her Momma. I really know didn't much about her. I knew she lived in a community so impoverished that a relief organization had to drill a well and provide a health clinic. I can't even imagine what it must be like to be a single mother under these circumstances. She let me know that they pray for us every night. This just broke my heart - we'd been praying for them every night as well. I realized that we weren't just sponsoring Keilyn; we were helping this young mother as well. I imagined our shared prayers for each other reaching God's ears at the same time. I marvelled more and more at how we are all interconnected when we live out God's love and grace.


Last year, Gerald and I started praying that God would find a way for us to partner with World Vision. Our prayers were answered by an amazing invitation. The Artist Collective is a diverse group of musicians, actors, athletes, and speakers who are using their talents to tell the stories of the marginalized and oppressed. Through concerts and other events, we hope to motivate the incredible compassion and generosity of folks across Canada.  We want to show them how rewarding it can be to reach out to families living in extreme poverty, and help save lives through child sponsorship.

We feel humbled and challenged that we've been asked to join this incredible group of servant hearts.

"How can I help?"

We would love for you to pray for this new phase of our ministry! We pray that we will continue to create engaging music, minister the Gospel, and act out God's unconditional love and compassion through this outreach.

If you feel called to personally sponsor a child, we would love to help you! Please contact us so we can connect you with a child in need.

We would also love to bring the World Vision message to your church! It's really very simple: when you host us for a concert or worship service, we ask for a few minutes to share our personal story of getting to know and sponsor Keilyn, and allow folks the chance to learn about other children who are still in desperate need of sponsorship.

We know this won't be a fit for every church or event, and that's okay. If you're not able to include World Vision in your event, you can still book us for a regular concert or worship service. Infinitely More will continue to make it as easy as possible for you to host our music and ministry.

Please feel free to contact us through 

our Website, Facebook, or Twitter 

to ask any questions, or to book us for a concert or worship service! 

Worship Wednesdays is a weekly series to encourage and equip worship leaders and songwriters.

Bookmark this page and visit us every Wednesday!

New Video! Psalm 8...

On last fall's Prairies Road Trip, we took a few days to visit gorgeous Lake Louise, Alberta. The day we toured the lake, the weather was overcast, yet the glorious colour of the water shone through the grey. The mountains and the surrounding woods were breathtaking. 

We were so overwhelmed by the beauty and majesty, we turned to Psalm 8. We recorded it for ourselves, but we loved this moment so much we decided we wanted to share it with you as well...

Worship Wednesdays is a weekly series to encourage and equip worship leaders and songwriters.

Bookmark this page and visit us every Wednesday!

Worship Wednesdays - Epiphany Thoughts...

Epiphany - the final day of the Christmas season!

It's the day we celebrate the arrival of the Three Wise Men, 

and the amazing gifts they brought the baby Jesus:

Gold, a gift for a king.

Frankincense, a gift for a priest.

Myrrh, a gift for one who is to die...

I've been thinking a lot about the Three Wise Men this year. Historians and theologians tell us that they were scholars, possible royalty. They traveled for years from a far off land to the east, probably with a large caravan. Their only guide: a star that they believed would bring them to the Messiah. In a world with no GPS and where travel could cost you your life, what an amazing undertaking.

I've often been taught that the Wise Men are important because they represent the universality of the newborn Saviour. Jesus wasn't just for a specific group of people - He came to save the world.

This year, I had a new thought about them:

Think about that first Christmas for a moment, and all the different people who witnessed the arrival of the baby Jesus. For most of them, the miracle took them by surprise. Sure, in a scholarly and religious sense, they'd been told to await the coming of the Messiah, but most of them didn't know it would happen that night in their own backyard. It was shocking, and overwhelming in its unexpectedness.

But the Wise Men were different.

They knew this was happening. They had been following the star. They had intention. As they got closer, the time and the location of the birth became ever clearer. When they met the baby for the first time, they were ready. They had gifts. They were prepared to worship. They had arrived at their destination, and they would never be the same again.

Are we the same? 

Are we actively seeking God in this world? 

Are we focused on finding the miraculous, 

despite the challenges and distractions that may come our way? 

Are we ready to worship when we finally meet Him face to face?

The Wise Men remind us that, no matter how far we need to travel, 

or how long it takes us to get there, there is alway room for us at the manger.

I pray that, as you make your goals and resolutions for 2016, you will choose to seek the newborn King.

Tonight, we'll celebrate Epiphany by leading worship at a brand new weekly service called Advent Cafe in St. Catharines, Ontario. You can find the full details HERE.

Happy Epiphany!

Worship Wednesdays is a weekly series to encourage and equip worship leaders and songwriters.

Bookmark this page and visit us every Wednesday!

Our Top 10 Moments of 2015!

"How was your year?"

It's the question we all ask each other in these final days of December. 

As 2015 comes to a close, Gerald and I have been reflecting on the last 12 months with great thanksgiving. 

I don't mind saying: it's been a really special year.

And now, in no particular order, here are our 

Top 10 Moments of 2015:

(I've put in lots of links to bring you to photos & the original stories)

#1. Our New House

Nine years ago, we sold our marital home to fund our dream of moving to Nashville. This summer, after years of renting and moving, a long held dream was fulfilled to buy a house again! Gerald spent hours digging through real estate listings til he found our beautiful century home in St. Catharines. We've only been in here a month, but to see our Christmas tree in the corner and our puppies on the couch, well, it's just about perfect...

#2. Our First EMCA Nomination

As a proud Newfoundlander, this was particularly special. Our latest CD - How The Light Gets In - was nominated for Gospel Recording of the Year at the 2015 East Coast Music Awards. We traveled to my hometown of St. John's to celebrate in all the festivities, including performing at the Gospel Showcase. As we say on the Rock, "Twas a time!"

#3. The 5th Annual East Coast Tour

Our tours of the East Coast become more special every year. This past spring, we spent 9 weeks travelling and singing throughout Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, and eastern Ontario. We revisited favourite spots, and even had the chance to bring our music to new and wonderful places. Truly a blessing in so many ways!

#4. Stonebridge Artist Deal

In the spring, we started an epic hunt for a new guitar that led to an amazing conclusion: we were offered an Artist Deal from Stonebridge Guitars! We're so honoured to represent these amazing instruments, and love having this stunning guitar as our new 'band member.'

#5. Our First Prairies Road Trip

For the first time ever, we headed west! This fall, we traveled over 7200 KM over 6 weeks to sing in western Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta. Every single venue was new to us, and we felt welcomed wherever we went. As an added bonus, we had the chance to sing with several other Christian singer-songwriters, such as Ali Matthews, Natalie B, Rhonda, and Sally Meadows!  

#6. Covenant Award Nominations

To be recognized by the Gospel Music Association of Canada is to be recognized by our peers, so it was a double honour to receive not one, but two nominations for the 2015 Covenant Awards! How The Light Gets In was nominated for Folk Album of the Year, and Tonight, Everywhere Is Bethlehem was nominated for Seasonal Song of the Year. It was amazing to visit Edmonton for GMA Week, where we celebrated the vast and richly creative Canadian Christian music scene. 

#7. Ten Years of Yes

This July, I celebrated 10 years since I said "yes" to God's calling on my life. When I first experienced that powerful moment, neither Gerald nor I had any idea where it would lead, but we are so incredibly thankful that it has led to our Infinitely More adventure! 

#8. Most Denominations Ever

Infinitely More feels called to cross denominational lines, and encourage others to do the same. This has been an incredibly diverse year of ministry, singing concerts and leading worship in a wide range of churches, such as Anglican, United, Lutheran, Roman Catholic, Pentecostal, Church of God, Baptist, Christian Assembly, Christian Alliance, and many churches and ministries with no obvious denominational association. The more we do this, the more we recognize how much we have in common, and how we are all part of the family of God. 

#9. Great Health for Everyone

As I read the Facebook statuses of friends, and especially those who also have aging parents, I'm reminded how blessed we are to have such good health in our family. We faced a rough month in July. It started with an allergy attack for me, and continued as extended family, and even our sweet puppy Sebastian, faced challenges. But as we close out 2015, it feels like everyone is on the right path. Help is in place where needed, and we're all able to enjoy an active lifestyle. 

#10. A Surprise for 2016

In the last month, we've been offered and accepted a truly special opportunity. We'll be making a big announcement about it in the New Year, so we still want to keep it under wraps until we work out the details. But trust me, this will be a new level of ministry for Infinitely More, and we're truly excited it about it!

As we move into 2016, we feel so encouraged. Only two years ago, we took the leap from church staff to a full-time touring ministry. It's definitely had challenges, but this year in particular, we've really felt a wonderful sense of growth and momentum in our music and ministry. On a personal note, I also feel it's been a really special time for growing relationships, both in our family and in our friendships.

For each of us, I pray we can look back at 2015 with gratitude and peace. I pray we can leave any struggles and bad habits behind us, and move into the New Year with lessons learned, new optimism, the joy of discovery, and an openness to God's plan for our lives. 

Glory to God, whose power working in us can do 

Infinitely More than we can ask or imagine!

Happy New Year!!!

All the best in 2016...

The Blog Is Back!

We're back! After a hiatus during our Prairies Road Trip, we're back and blogging.

It's been an amazing season. Our first Prairies Road Trip was an incredible experience!

At the Covenant Awards!

We spent 6 weeks driving over 7200 KM across 4 provinces. We sang in churches, colleges, cafes, and living rooms. We made many new friends, and had the unique pleasure of meeting people we'd only ever known on social media. We attended the inspiring GMA Week and we celebrated our GMA Covenant Award nominations. The entire tour was rich in blessings, and we are so grateful to everyone who supported us in any way. We can't wait to head west again in 2016!

You can see photos on our SITE and FACEBOOK page.

We've also moved into our new home in St. Catharines! We've already sung at two churches in the area, and we're excited to explore our new city. It'll take a while to unpack during this busy month, so we're seriously debating wrapping the piles of boxes in mini-lights to make them look festive...

And now, it's our favourite season of the year: Christmas! 

As our gift to you, we've decided to offer FREE SHIPPING* for all CDs!

This applies to any and all CDs purchased up til Christmas Eve.

Please visit our Store to purchase CDs & Christmas cards, 

or to download albums and mp3s.

www.InfinitelyMore.ca/Store 

We have lots of great Christmas events lined up this month. 

Stay tuned for more news, photos, and Christmas stories...

It's good to be back! 

*Free shipping within Canada. CDs only. A small surcharge will be added for international orders.

Worship Wednesdays on Hiatus...

We're on our first, awesome Prairies Road Trip!

It's been a busy time on the road, so I'll be posting as I have time, and not on a weekly basis.

We're posting daily updates on Facebook and Twitter. 

Please Like & Follow to join in our Prairies adventure!

Worship Wednesdays - Concert This Weekend!

This Sunday, we'll have our final local performance until November!

Come join us at First Baptist Church, Ingersoll, for a great night of music. 

We'll even debut a brand new song!

All the details are HERE.

Next week, we leave for our Prairies Road Trip concert tour!

We're so excited for our first visit to the prairies provinces. We'll sing our way across Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta. The first week of November, we'll connect with other Canadian Christian artists at GMA Week. We'll also celebrate our recent nominations at the Covenant Awards gala!

Please visit www.InfinitelyMore.ca for all the details...

Stayed tuned to this blog as we share this next adventure with you!

Worship Wednesdays is a weekly series to encourage and equip worship leaders and songwriters.

Bookmark this page and visit us every Wednesday!

BIG NEWS: Our Covenant Award Nominations!

We woke up yesterday morning to amazing news:

We've received 2 Covenant Award Nominations!!!

Each year, the Gospel Music Association (GMA) of Canada gives out the Covenant Awards to celebrate the best in Canadian Christian music. Yesterday, they released the list of nominees, and we found ourselves on the list not once, but twice!

Our latest CD - How The Light Gets In - is nominated for Folk Album of the Year!

Earlier this year, How The Light Gets In was also nominated for the East Coast Music Award (ECMA) for Gospel Recording of the Year.

You can hear samples HERE.

The title track of our Christmas album - Tonight, Everywhere Is Bethlehem - 

is nominated for Seasonal Song of the Year!

You can hear the song HERE.

I can't tell you how excited and honoured we are by this news. If you're familiar with Canadian Christian music, you'll see that we're nominated with some amazing talent. Steve Bell, Carolyn Arends, and Jacob Moon have decades-long careers and shelves of awards. Pretty rarified air...

We're also incredibly excited for all our friends and colleagues who have received nominations! It's so satisfying to watch a friend work hard to create beautiful, interesting, inspiring art, and then see it recognized by the industry in this way.

The full list of nominees is HERE.

We're so grateful to everyone who has and continues to join us on this musical and spiritual journey. Thank you to all the musicians and producers who helped us create these projects! And a huge Thank You to each of you who has supported our music by buying CDs, hosting concerts, or attending any of our live events. You keep us going...

Next month, we leave for our Prairies Road Trip concert tour. Throughout October, we'll sing our way through Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta. Please Contact us to book a concert on this tour! The first week of November, we'll be in Edmonton, AB, for GMA Week - GMA Canada's annual gathering. There will be workshops, showcases, and the big night - the Covenant Awards gala!

We invite you to join us on this adventure! 

We'll be posting regular updates on this blog, Twitter, and Facebook. 

Glory to God, whose power, working in us, can do 

Infinitely More than we can ask or imagine. 

Eph. 3:20

Worship Wednesdays is a weekly series to encourage and equip worship leaders and songwriters.

Bookmark this page and visit us every Wednesday!