Crashing California

So, I think I am having the "after Christmas let downs" or something. I was actually pretty happy that Christmas was over. We had a good one. Christmas Eve service @ North O' went well and pretty much without too many hiccups ... I was a lot calmer than last year =) We did a nice dinner at an Italian place Christmas Eve and got home and went to bed, to awake, make some good ol' fashioned bacon and eggs and open gifts from my mom (lots of yummy Canadian goodies) and from each other (mostly clothes) but Jay did get me a fantastic Shoe-organizer -- so he was using his noggan =) We made Christmas dinner for friends who also had no family here for the holidays and ate and had wine and laughs and got to hang out with some very cool people. Then (for me at least) Monday hit. And I am just feeling it. And here now, coming to the end of another year, you wonder, what have we really done, and what's next. I think a lot of our band, and how I thought this year was the year...

Seeming as it's so close to Christmas, and now that Jay and I live so far away, we are forced (when I say we, I mean me) to plan ahead quite a bit. If my gifts of Christmas to my family have any hope of making their way to their tree's before December 25th, I need to mail them far in advance. I'm happy to say I was pretty on the ball this year. I got my mom's gift out last Saturday -- just to give you some perspective, last year I sent her gift in March, not kidding. So I'm feeling pretty good about things. My mom called me on Monday to say that she too, had sent my gift(s) in the mail -- last year, she also sent them in March. So I guess it pays to plan ahead! And it's special because now enters the "great expectation". The longing and looking forward to receiving her presents is magnified because of distance and separation, and though I know they will not be some spectacular expensive "thing", I know they will be filled with care and l...

This blog is going to be about questions. And I'll start with this one: Why do we do such a poor job of representing what "Christian" looks like in this North American world? I feel like here (maybe I speak specifically of Southern California, or maybe the US), the word stands for people who are self-righteousness, judgmental, greedy, moronic and close-minded. It seems it has nothing to do with what it should be. The biblical definition is one of self-less-ness, acceptance, compassion, graciousness, humility, faithfulness and ofcourse love. How is it that we have somehow skewed this SO much that when the world thinks Christian, they see the opposite? When, how and why does this shift take place? And can we shift it back? It makes me frustrated because sometimes I look at "the church" (general term used here) full of "Christians" and I COMPLETELY see what the world sees. And I serve and work in one! It scares me to be quite frank. The responsibil...

(this photo taken at our drummer Mikes' birthday party two weeks ago. We played four songs for about 75 of his "closest" friends, and his sister (who also celebrates her birthday the same week) had her photographer there, some cute shots were snapped ... this included so you don't forget what we look like, haha!) So, beginning on the 20th of November, Jay and I began the annual "remembrance" our Exodus to the United States. Every year, I marvel how God brought us down here for such a time as this. Little did we know that when we were leaving in our car, packed with our lives, materials and otherwise, that we would have a National Holiday to help commemorate this event =) American Thanksgiving (which is pretty much a religious holiday here) was yesterday. We went to some "friend-strangers" home and shared a meal, I baked some bread and a dessert to share and we sat with Cedrick (our mixing engineer/producer) his girlfriend, and the whole family wh...

"Some times I wrap up, in a ball of fears and uncertainties. But in these times, Spirit help me unwind into your arms of grace, fall and kneel and surrender my utmost for His Highest. My soul longs, my soul thirsts!" You can tell when my life gets very busy because the blog becomes silent for a time until I resurface myself here to let you in on what's going on in life =) The last two and a bit weeks *almost* drove me off the deep end @ JC. I was responsible for a project of such conveluted proportions, it made me want to quit! But I ended up on the other side, and once again, just happy to resurface. So, I have =) More to come ~ love .a

So, I'm going to admit how pathetic and "of little faith" I can be with this post. Of course, there needs to be a bit of prelude-type explanation. On Nov. 20th my husband and I will celebrate a special anniversary -- 4 years since leaving our home -- the only one we've known in Sherwood Park, Canada -- and driving, with only our car, clothes and guitars across the border and down, down, down to San Diego, California. (that's 1751 miles south) Our reason for the move was to pursue our music, our mission and our dreams and just a new life, pioneers of sorts. It would take me many blogs to say how many times God has shown me his love through the whole process, from easy stops at border crossings, to precisely timed Visa interviews, to lenient border guards, to miracles in paperwork and finding jobs, it is astounding how He has continually provided for us, and continually strengthens my faith through circumstance. So, enter here and now, almost 4 years later after V...