Barb's Bubbly Thoughts and Adventures!
On Automatic Default? - Aug 18
Today I was yet again reminded of one of the grim realities that faces so much of mankind. It is the issue of giving so much of ourselves away to others that we entirely forget to express the beauty that makes us who we are.
Their opinions of us, their lies and the dreaded "what we think they think of us" saga silently plagues the subconscious corners of our precious minds until we make a decision to put our foot down and boldly say "enough!"
In reflecting on where I have been and where I am going really reminded me of how much I have overcome in this regard and how much I still have to press on toward and continue to overcome.
It amazes me how the desire to want to bend to other people's opinions of us seems much more natural than retaining our own individuality.
There is an automatic default in all of us to the negative. But, we are instructed to "choose life;" the positive over the negative. Often, sticking with this decision is a tough one but it is worth it.
So....as I pedalled the elliptical at the gym watching the folks working out around me, I wondered how many of the people there could truly admit to being led by their individuality rather than someone else's opinion of them....or.... would they even be able to know the difference?
Ah, yes...that was the question that revolved 'round my philosophical brain today so I thought I would share it with you.....some nummy food for thought, shall we say.
Today I visited Southside Community Church in Port Alberni for the second time! It was fun seeing some familiar faces again.
My music and message at the Sunday morning service was based on
2 Cor 11:3 which focuses on getting back to the simplicity that is in Christ. Songs were intertwined through the message to illustrate various points.
Special thanks to Pastor Cal, Sherri and other members of Southside leadership for the opportunity to share with the people of Southside.
Also, special thanks to Felix for arriving early to allow me to set up my gear, load it in and help me load it up. Also, thanks to Michael for helping us load up the gear.
Thanks again Southside!
Cathedral Grove - July 13, 2008
Last night I drove to Nanaimo to stay overnight at a friends place. We decided to take the day and spend it at Cathedral Grove since I had discovered it en route to Port Alberni. It was beautiful and educational. The trees were absolutely amazing. So old and huge!
This morning I headed back down the island to a suburb of Victoria called Brentwood Bay for an outdoor church picnic event at Centennial Park. This event was hosted by Centennial Park Fellowship Baptist which is in the process of building of a brand new church building across the street from the park.
It was fun meeting Pastor Jared who organized this event. A stage was set up in the park and sound was provided by a local sound man. Since this event also acted as an outreach to the community, members of Centennial Park Baptist were busy setting up displays of the new church building as well as getting lots of food ready for the picnic.
Jared had also organized to have some neat little pedal cars available for the kids that resembled 1940's Austin's. They all had a designated track to drive on that was laid out with mini bright orange pylons. The kids had a blast driving the cars.
Donald Dunphy was the guest magician for the day and he did a great job keeping the kids totally entranced with his magic tricks.
The weather was perfect for this event since it was sunny but not overbearingly hot. It was nice singing in the gentle summer breeze.
After the event, I had planned to stick around the area to see the fireworks at Butchart Gardens. The park provides an incredible firework show once a week on Saturday, and it was Saturday so I had to go.
The fireworks started at 10pm and boy were they worth the wait. The show was absolutely spectular and was totally unique...unlike anything I had ever seen before. Not only did the show include amazing fireworks but they also lit various metal frames into amazing images with the fireworks. Many of the frames had spinning or moving parts which made the fireworks look even more amazing.
The whole show was perfectly synchronized to music and was absolutely first class. There were several parts in the show that sent shivers down my back because it was so perfectly excellent.
The amount of people at the show was staggering. The entire viewing area was jam packed with people. Since the viewing area was basically a slanted hill by the lake (where the fireworks were), it totally reminded me of Jesus getting into a boat to preach to the people that came in multitudes to hear him. It was really neat.
I just watched the Canada Day fireworks. They were absolutely gorgeous. The colors, styles and glittery explosions were wonderful to watch.
As I took in the myriad of beauty before me it reminded me of how God has given us a world of amazingly breathtaking things to experience. The awe in a single firework portrays just an inkling of the awesomeness that is out there for us to drink in.
I think that it is our duty to choose a better way to live and always look forward to experiencing the best things that God wants to give us.
Today I had the honor of providing music during the Strawberry Tea, Honouring Grads event at Southside Community Church in Port Alberni. Port Alberni is about 1 1/4 hours southeast of Campbell River.
The drive out to Port Alberni was really nice and I was surprised to find that it ran through MacMillan Provincial park that is home to Cathedral Grove. Cathedral Grove has some of the oldest trees on the island, dating back some 800 years.
It was a super hot summer day but perfect for the outdoor event at Southside. We set up my piano outside under an archway of balloons that celebrated graduation for the grads of the congregation.
The grads wore their fancy dresses and suits and were presented with special bibles to commemorate this milestone moment in their lives. I definitely commend the grads for wearing their special outfits on such a hot day. I was boiling in my regular clothes. I could not imagine having layers upon layers of dress on me or wearing a full black tux.... so, congratulations guys for surviving the heat.
Facing the congregation for me meant looking straight out to an incredibly large hill that seemed within walking distance from the church. It resembled the hills I saw in Gold River. The east side of the island is amazing for gigantic hills that are right at your backdoor. It really makes you feel one with nature.
It was fun meeting Pastor Cal, Sherry (the church secretary) and all the folks that came out to the service. I totally enjoyed my time at Southside and I look forward to going back again on August 3rd.
After the Port Alberni event I headed to Nanaimo for the day to spend some time with a friend. Since it was super hot, we decided to go jump in a lake. Well...she jumped and I watched. I waded though and that was nice. We had a nice day in the water and snacking at Dairy Queen.
Mini-Golf Marathon - June 15, 2008
Today my friend and I had planned to do a mini-golf marathon in Parksville. I love mini-golf and Parksville has four aweseome courses to play. We had a hoot in amongst all the mini-decor at each course.
We followed a hard day of mini-golf with a great dinnner at a local Indian restaurant. Lots of fun!
Butchart Gardens - June 14, 2008
Today I had the opportunity to do some touristy things in the Victoria area including browsing one of my favorite places in Victoria, Butchart Gardens. The beauty of that place is absolutely breathtaking. Later I had dinner with my friends and headed back up to Nanaimo for the night.
A Wonderful Time - June 13, 2008
This morning I drove down to Victoria for an evening concert event at First Baptist church. Victoria is located about 2 3/4 hours south of Campbell River. It is a beautiful city that reflects many British traditions. Since it is the capital of BC much of the main harbour is extremely well maintained and embellished with hanging flower baskets on fancy street lamps.
It was a total privilege meeting Nora, my main contact at the church and Tim, the sound man early to set up the sound system and run a sound check.
I was so incredibly appreciative of Nora since she worked extremely hard to promote this event on her end. She truly treated it like it was her event and she went to great lengths to get the word out.
Pastor Axel and the various leaders in the church were so welcoming and warm that they made me feel right at home. Lots of people from the local community and other churches came out to the event as well as some members of First Baptist.
One of my biggest surprises during the event came when I had made my way over to my stool and could look out at the audience. I was literally stopped in my tracks when I saw a couple of my long time friends sitting in the audience that I had not seen for quite some time. It was such a treat to see them and talk to them after the show.
I really had a lot of fun at this event. I loved the sanctuary that seemed the perfect place to have a concert with a nice grand piano at the centre.
After the show, I was kindly presented with a beautiful bouquet of flowers from one of the church members. I was humbled because it was so thoughtful.
The amount of wonderful people that came out to this event was great. I had a blast meeting so many folks at my table after the show. I felt totally blessed by the people and happenings at First Baptist.
Oceanside Bliss - June 1, 2008
Today I had the privilege of providing some special music for two communion services at St. Stephen's United church in Qualicum Beach. Qualicum Beach is located about one hour from Campbell River. The oceanfront in Qualicum is breathtaking and serves as a must-see spot for tourists.
It was a blast meeting Pastor Phil, Adele (the church receptionist) and so many folks from the worship team and congregation. These people sure know how to have a good time! Pastor Phil is a hoot and his easy going, fun approach to Christianity is definitely reflected in his members.
Between the morning services and the evening concert I had a bit of free time so I drove out to a neighbouring town to check out some shops. After spending the morning immersed in "God stuff," meandering through a mall somehow failed to give me any satisfaction.
It was as if I had gone from sunny skies to big black clouds and I was eager to get back to the "God stuff."
Peter and his wife Fiona, were kind enough to do an early sound check for me which I appreciated. Lots of folks from the church and community came out to the evening event. Some friends from Campbell River even drove all the way down for the show since they had missed the Campbell River event earlier this month.
We had a fun time of fellowship and great music through the event. I really enjoyed sharing with the folks in Qualicum. What a great group of people!
Bumpy, Curvy, Beauty - May 31, 2008
Today I drove out to Gold River for an evening concert. Gold River is located about 1 1/4 hours northeast from Campbell River.
I absolutely loved the scenery on this route which took me passed beautiful lakes, Strathcona Provincial Park, humongous mountainess rocks and giant hills.
I had not been out to Gold River since I did "The Great Walk" (63.5 km from Gold River to Tahsis) as a teenager. I remember that the road was known for being rather curvy and bumpy but I had forgotten just how curvy and bumpy it actually was. The curves were continuous but fun and the bumps were big flowing dips in the road that gave the impression of being on a rollercoaster rather than a highway. They were fun too!
The concert event was held at the Clayworks Cafe and Gallery which is owned and operated by Anita and Neil Lawrence. The event was in affiliation with Christian Fellowship which is headed up by Pastor Rob Hoffman. Since, the Lawrence's cafe is run as an outreach we decided to have the event there.
Anita and Neil are both very talented potters and their gallery boasts beautiful handmade pottery that is one of a kind. The cafe is nestled in amongst the giant hills that surround Gold River and it sits next to the Gold River with its glistening water and soothing sound.
The cafe is brand new and beautifully designed. Both Anita and Neil inspired me tremendously with their diehard committment to do what God was calling them to do even with a family of four young children. They have put pure excellence into the endeavour that God has called them to.
Anita asked Ernie, a local musician, to provide his sound equipment for the event and it worked out wonderfully. Thanks Ernie!
The event was a warm and cozy gathering of folks from Christian Fellowship church and the local community. I totally enjoyed my time sharing in Gold River.
After the show, someone spotted a giant black bear just metres away from the cafe crossing the street. I had never seen a black bear before ever. It was so amazing to see him there right before my eyes! To me, he looked just like a giant teddy bear that you felt tempted to cuddle.
I was just thinking about how interesting it is that a journey really is just that, a journey. What I find most intriguing about it, is that no matter how hard I try to figure things out ahead of time or desperately attempt to see miles down the road, it is impossible for me to properly see anything as clearly as I can see it if I just "go" and arrive at a point, no matter how I get there.
It is funny how when God calls us to do something he simply gives us a promise, then says "go." That's it....and that of course is what leaves me scratching my head going....."um....God.....well...um....can you tell me HOW....to actually get there."
And being the ultra-faith-filled Christian that I am, I quickly run out and start figuring out how in the world I am going to do that when God already knows that no amount of "figuring out" can ever give me as much clarity as just stumbling to "point A" can give me.
So, blind faith is what it is all about. Sounds scary and it often feels like I am not being responsible if I do not figure it out first, but it is the key. The best kind of clarity comes with arriving at a point then having a door effortlessly swing open that allows me to see the next leg of the journey.
This evening I had a concert event at Aaron House Christian Fellowship in Courtenay. Courtenay is about a 40 minute drive from Campbell River.
It was surprising that though the church entrance looked small and gave the impression of having a low ceiling, the inside was very spacious and had super high ceilings.
It was neat meeting Pastor Judy and hearing how God called her to Pastor this church at a time in her life when her and her husband were ready to retire. Pastor Judy took on the challenge and she has been blessed ever since.
What stuck with me the most from what Pastor Judy said in talking about her experiences in ministry was how if we look at people and situations around us when we are doing God's work, it will not necessarily look like anything positive is happening.
In fact, it can often look like the exact opposite is happening. But, we are not suppose to be looking around at what is going on around us. We are suppose to be focusing on God and just believing that we are in his will and that he will do what he said he was going to do.
It was fun sharing my music and message with the folks that came out to the event. It was a good time of fellowship and sharing.
This morning I attended and sang at the morning service at Bethany Lutheran church in Campbell River. There were a few familiar faces in the congregation which was nice. It just so happened that the service included a communion celebration, so I had the opportunity to share communion with the people of the church. That is always special.
Yesterday, I arrived in town and immediately got busy working out my sound needs with Pastor Tom at Bethany. It turns out that we decided to use my brand new sound system for the evening concert. Pastor Tom was a total blessing because, being an ex-roadie, he knew a lot more about my new equipment than I did.
Pastor Tom became the entire backbone of the evening event since he had done so much in setting up and making the connections so that my sound system could function without a hitch.
I really had a great time playing this hometown event. Again, there were several familiar faces in the crowd from other local churches as well as friends and family.
Pastor Tom's daughter, Annelise, graced us all with her lovely voice as she sang the first chorus of "This Little Light of Mine" all by herself! She did a fantastic job. Thank you so much Annelise!! When Annelise finished singing, the kids in the church were invited to come up to the front and lead the rest of the song. The batch of kids even included my 7 yr old niece, Emma.
My time at Bethany Lutheran was loads of fun. It was wonderful meeting Pastor Tom and his family and many of the folks that came out to the event.
Again, I am totally thankful to Pastor Tom for all his help and patience with the sound and of course for the opportunity to share my music and ministry with the people of Campbell River.
Down in the Valley - May 2, 2008
I headed over to Abbotsford last night for a show at Single Point Ministries at Northview Community church on Friday, May 2nd. Abbotsford is a 1 1/2 hour drive south on Vancouver Island, then a 1 1/2 hour ferry ride to Vancouver, then a 1 hour drive east on the Trans Canada Hwy.
Before moving to Vancouver Island, I lived in Abbotsford for about a year and a half. Abbotsford is a city located in the Fraser Valley that combines urban and rural living. There are lots of farms in the area.
The reason I moved to Abbotsford from Vancouver was because I was at a stage in my life when I was desperate for peace and quiet....and what better place to get peace and quiet than in the country, right?!
Well, I got my peace and quiet allright when I moved into a place that was situated on 28 acres of farm land with crops pretty much right below my window.
My sister, brother-in-law, nephew and niece all live in Abbotsford so it was nice to see them and stay with them for a few days. My 6 year old nephew and 3 year old niece were so totally excited to see me that they immediately filled me in on everything new in their lives.
The Single Point Ministries event the next night was located in the Youth Centre of one of Abbotsford's mega-churches, Northview. It was fun meeting Don, the founder of Single Point and later the folks that came out to the event.
This event was part of the regular Friday night events that happen for the singles group from Sept - June. I really enjoyed my time of fellowship and sharing my music with the folks at Single Point. They were a welcoming group.
It is always neat to see how churches integrate ministries to serve their people and I thought that the singles group at Northview was a great and necessary idea. I was glad to have the opportunity to be with Single Point.
The more I walk in God's will, the more I am blown away by Jesus. It amazes me sometimes, how I can read the same bible passage over and over again but never really know the full impact of that passage until I am in the trenches fighting the battles I need to fight to stay in God's will.
"Doing" what God has called us to do, is the key to allowing God to shape us into who he created us to be. I honestly do not think that God's word can effectively work in our lives unless we are determined to do whatever it takes to persevere toward all that God has for us.
Jesus was the ultimate example of someone who was committed to doing all he was sent to earth to do. Going through my own challenges and overcoming my own situations gives me such a greater appreciation of the things that Jesus did.
I do not have enough room here to get into all the things that amaze me about him but I suppose the biggest thing that intrigues me about what he did was that he constantly plowed forward in accomplishing his mission though it was so different and off-the-wall from anything that the world would consider 'normal.' Actually, it is the same sort of intrigue I discuss in my song "Abandoned Nets."
I love the fact that his spirtual focus was always miles away from being jeopordized by the ignorance and smallness of man. Though it hurt the human side of him, it inspires me tremendously to know that he could rise above any worldly issues by focusing on what matters most...... and I can do the same.
Elk, Hills and Fun - Feb 14, 2008
I totally enjoyed travelling up Vancouver Island to Port Hardy today. Port Hardy is 238 kms north of Campbell River which makes it about a 2 1/2 hour drive. The scenery on the way up the island is beautiful with many lakes and trees lining the highway.
I am not sure if I was just imagining this, but it seemed like I was constantly going up hill on my drive there. The hills were not necessarily steep, they were just a long and steady climb.
It is possible that the hill situation was exaggerated for me since my clutch was on its last legs and desperately lacked pull. Luckily, gearing down enabled me to get up and over each hill.
When I got to Port Hardy, I immediately had the impression that living there must be similar to living in a giant forest because it is so surrounded with natural beauty.
Port Hardy Christian Fellowship was great. What a fantastic group of people! I totally enjoyed meeting Pastor George, his wife Karen and all the fantastic people that came out to the Valentines day dinner and concert.
Pastor George, a former chef, made a wonderful spaghetti dinner with a nice Ceasar salad for all the guests. The youth of the church were the waiters and waitresses for the evening since this event was a fundraiser to help them raise enough money to attend History Maker in Chilliwack this coming May.
The youth did a fantastic job decorating the room in Valentine's decor. They even decorated the piano with a glass candelabra that added much to the ambience of the evening.
The concert was a fun time of fellowship, sharing and reflecting on God's love. I totally, totally look forward to seeing the folks of Port Hardy again in December. Yippee!
I headed back home that evening and to my surprise was greeted by a herd of elk on the highway. I had never seen a herd of elk before. There were about 30-40 of them crossing the highway. They looked so cute with their little white bottoms reflecting my headlights.
Finally, a new blog - Feb 12, 2008
Well, I finally gave up on tring to figure out all the ins and outs of my vox blog so I transferred my blog over to my own site.
Kudos to those of you that can figure out the 'how to's' on various websites but for me, trying to figure out how to input pictures, fonts etc on vox properly was just too time consuming. That is why I started my new blog on my own site.
Hope you enjoy it! I know I will!
Art Isn't Art If It Has No Heart - Nov 23, 2007
Today was such a special day because I got to share it with one of my musical mentors, Allison Crowe. Allison is originally an island girl too, (from Nanaimo, Vancouver Island). I was totally blessed by the opportunity to open for her at the kick-off show for her Tidings Concert series.
To me, Allison epitomizes the true meaning of what an "artist" really is. Though the musical world often shouts and nags at us to conform to a plastic, cookie cutter, Top 40 style, artists like Allison have managed to build a growing career on the basis of integrity, honesty, truth to oneself and one's art, and an artistic passion that has bulldozed even the slightest "need" to conform.
Allison is an inspiration because she constantly reminds me of what is really important when it comes to expressing art. She reminds me that art isn't art if it has no heart. She also reminds me to never lose the child-like fascination and passion for creating beauty through music.
Thanks Allison! Check out Allison's website and music at: www.allisoncrowe.com
Going Deeper With God - Aug 9, 2007
Thanks so much for stopping by. Over the past little while I have been thinking a lot about my journey with God up to this point....and boy has it been a journey!
Years ago I prayed a prayer in which I said to God " I don't want anything but you and me God....just you and me." It's a long story and there's a very strong reason why I prayed that prayer.
Well, since then, it has been amazing how God has been constantly staying true to that prayer. Sometimes, to be honest, I wish I never prayed it...but at the end of the day, I'm glad I did.
My passion for music is simply a tool God uses to draw me closer to him. Gloria Gaither once said, "God gives us a dream not so much to see what we will make of it, but rather to see what the dream will make of us." Boy is that true. God has been shaping, molding and pruning me for years and the more I journey with him, the more intense his work in me gets. He hasn't forgotten my prayer and I am thankful for that because though walking this journey alone with him is tough, there is really no other place I rather be.
I often feel like Peter who flippantly said "I'll go with you Jesus, even to death" and the next day was denying Jesus. It's a constant battle between will and flesh, but it is one that is inevitable if we are called to serve God with our whole lives. Just learning what it REALLY means to trust God and have faith is taking on a whole new meaning for me. In fact, I'm often blown away by the awkward things God asks of me. They seem ludicrous in the flesh but perfectly normal in the Spirit. Just as my song "Abandoned Nets" conveys.
Anyway, that's what Christianity is all about. There is SOOOOO much more to it than just attending church on Sunday.
So...those are a few of my thoughts for today. Hmmm, to be honest, I'm not r e a l l y walking this journey alone with God.....see.....I've got my wonderfully loyal fans right beside me all the way. Here are 2 of the most loyal ones right here:
....
..Precious #1.......................and.................Precious #2
What can I say....I love cats! Especially these two!
Let the Kid in You Rule! - June 9, 2007
(Introduction message to my previous blog on Vox)
"...receive the Kingdom of God like a child..." Mk 10:15 paraphrase
Wow! I'm so excited about this super cute blog! Don't you just love the elephants?! I do! Stuff like this makes me happy: vibrant colors, excessive cuteness and just all 'round fun! I love anything that nurtures the kid in me. Whether it's Disney Theme Parks, Rollercoaster parks, Mini-Golf parks, cute pictures on a blog, I just love it!!
Truth be told, I've never made a very good adult. I just can't understand the philosophy on adulthood that says "now that you're an adult, you need to make 'beige' your best friend, get use to serious conversation, and become really boring."
Uh....no thanks. Just 'cuz we get taller and look more "adultish" doesn't mean that our desire to race down that super long waterslide, go vroom, vroom in go-carts or yell "yee-hah" on a Six Flags rollercoaster automatically disappears. It doesn't. For me, it just gets more persistent!
Life isn't about hiding your passion, it's about living it. And cute little elephants are part of my passion!
So, join me on the journey. Let's let the "kid" in all of us rule!!
It's great having you here!
