Canadian Model and Talent Convention

After 6 months of planning, my hubby and I had the opportunity to go with our daughters to the Canadian Model and Talent Convention (CMTC) in Toronto. This is a 4 day convention where 250 of Canada's top models and actors/actresses (and their parents) come to learn, compete and meet with over 50 of the world's top agents. Our girls each competed in a few competitions and Savannah even took home First Runner up in Runway and First Runner up in Photograph! MacKenzie's age group (12 - 15) was huge and the competition was very stiff. We attended every seminar possible and met many wonderful, wonderful people!

At the end of the 4 days, 8 agents asked to meet with MacKenzie and 13 asked to meet with Savannah!! Lots and lots of girls were leaving in tears because no agents had asked to meet with them, so we felt very, very honoured. Some of the agents want to have indepth interviews with the girls right away and spoke of possible print jobs and some acting ones for Savannah. Other agents just wanted to say that one or both of the girls were beautiful and they were looking forward to watching them grow and working with them in the future. We will have an interview next week with our local agency, Mode Elle, and get direction about which opportunities to pursue.

We had decided that just attending the convention, learning all we could and competing to the best of their ability would be enough. Getting 21 call-backs between the two of them at the end was certainly the icing on the cake!

Several things about this process have amazed me ...

*God provided every single cent we needed to go to this event! The details about how the money came in, the exact amount and at exactly the right moment could only be accomplished by God Himself!
*There are so many very normal, but wonderful people that are part of the modeling industry.
*How my girls were so very content to be themselves and did not feel pressure to wear what the others were wearing or look like some of the other girls.
*How my girls came running to me after each competition with smiles and hugs to let me know how it went when I didn't see any other kids hugging their parents. (we must be doing something right!)
*How many people knew us by name! Every day there were two or three families or agents that approached us and called us by name. I think that's Favour!
*How excited the agents were to find out the girls were homeschooled!
*How exhausting sitting in seminars and waiting in lines can be!

From the moment we began this process we have asked the Lord to open the right doors, close the wrong ones and to give us wisdom. He's been Faithful to do just that and we will continue to be sensitive to His leading.

Home ...

I'm thankful that the Lord has CALLED us to do what we do. I can't imagine trying to do it without His strength, guidance and provision!

*7 days away from home
*7 nights in motels
*sharing a motel room with the 3 people that I love more than anyone else in the world, but still, that's 3 more people than me in one small room!
*setting up, sound checking, "performing" (see a previous post!), and tearing down gear 6 times
*listening in awe as my sweet hubby expelled every ounce of energy each night to give folks an unforgettable concert. His voice still makes the hair on my arms stand up!
*sharing our testimony over and over, watching hope spark in people where there hadn't been any hope for a long, long time
*listening to heartwrenching stories of heart ache, disappointent and, of course, mental illness
*driving hundreds of kilometers and seeing thousands of acres completely flooded and knowing how devasted the farmers must be
*encouraging a hotel clerk who had been married to a youth pastor who abused her
*encouraging the grandma beside me on the plane who seemed frightened by every bump ... her hubby of 52 years had recently passed away and she was learning to live life alone
*encouraging the young dad beside me on another flight who woke up in the morning in Calgary and decided to move to Toronto that very day to be close to his little girl. He was so disraught about his decision. He was from a broken home and was fighting hard not disappoint his mom or dad and at the same time be a father himself
*doing laundry in a filthy little laundryroom in a tiny motel in the middle of nowhere (the INSIDES of the machines were clean!)
*dragging bags of groceries from motel to motel in an attempt to eat a bit healthier and save the expense of restaurants


We also did get to connect with my cousin and her sweet family over a meal. We reconnected with some awsome fans. We had a picnic in a hotel room with some old friends. We got to share the stage with one of our all time favourite groups ... Double Portion! We got to spend some time with our dear friends, Dr. Richard and Elaine Horner, who drove in from Edmonton to be with us.

We flew from Saskatoon to Calgary yesterday afternoon before catching our connection to Toronto (I know that route doesn't make sense, but try and tell that to WestJet!). In Calgary airport they have a Chili's, one of our all-time favourite restaurants, so we sat back, relaxed and enjoyed a delicious meal. We were wandering around, doing a bit of shopping afterwards when MacKenzie came running out of a shop saying they had just called our names over the loud speaker. I walked calmly to the gate wondering if they were going to upgrade us or something. The desk clerk picked up the phone and started yelling, "Cancel baggage removal ... they're here!" She asked me for our boarding passes. I gave them to her and reminded her that we had another hour before we flew. Oh no we didn't! There is NOT an hour time difference. The plane was loaded and they were waiting for us! In fact, they were just getting ready to remove our bags from the plane because we hadn't shown up! We nearly missed that flight!

We arrived in Toronto at midnight, got our bags (yes, they were all there), jumped in our van and headed home. We pulled into our driveway at 3:00am ... tired, but with a sense that we had accomplished what God had sent us to do. We are blessed indeed!

Adventure to SK

Just a quick overview of how our quick tour to SK is going.

-we left for the airport a tiny bit late and 10 minutes down the highway, the traffic was STOPPED. There was a huge accident and they were rerouting all the highway traffic. Thankfully my hubby knows the back roads and so we were able to make up some time on them.

-In the middle of Toronto, in bumper to bumper 140 km/hour traffic, a man decided to run across 16 lanes of traffic. We were in the 8th lane across and he ran in front of the car in front of us. We all jammed on our brakes, but thankfully we were fine. Unfortunately sirens started screaming right afterwards, so I think his venture across the Westbound lanes was not so successful.

-We got to the airport 50 minutes before our flight, so were anxious, but everything seemed to go fine.

-After checking in, we noticed our boarding passes weren't right. I didn't have the seat the my hubby had paid extra money and spent a bunch of time on the phone to get.

-After boarding, the lady who had my desired seat, realized I wasn't with my family and offered to change seats with me! Yahoo. Great flight, nice movie.

-Got into Saskatoon and went to pick up our rental van. They wouldn't accept our 25% coupon because it was issued in another province even though we had called ahead to check.

-Went to baggage claim and got our lugguage ... all but our gear box arrived safely. After much frustration with Air Canada Baggage Claim, we left without our box. They assured us it would be in Prince Albert by the morning. It wasn't. It didn't arrived until 4pm and our concert started at 6:30pm!

-Everything else has been wonderful! The people, the pastors, the concerts ... incredible! Looking forward to what God has in store for the rest of the week!

Thank you Lord for Freedom!

Thanks to Teena's hubby for the reminder!

Listen to "Ordinary Miracle"

Amazing ....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMqn0pdCNRM

Ordinary Miracle

This week the girls and I had a movie day while dad was away on business ... just us girls, take out pizza and a couple movies we've been wanting to see. One was "Charlotte's Web". My mom had read the book to my girls once when she was visiting, but we hadn't seen the movie. When the movie ended with Sarah MacLachlan singing "Ordinary Miracle" I was so drawn in! Time stopped and the hair stood up on my arms as I listened to the beautiful words.

Lord, open our eyes to see all the "Ordinary Miracles" you've provided for us.


Sarah McLachlan Ordinary Miracle

It’s not that unusual
When everything is beautiful
It’s just another ordinary miracle today
The sky knows when its time to snow
Don’t need to teach a seed to grow
It’s just another ordinary miracle today

Life is like a gift they say
Wrapped up for you everyday
Open up and find a way
To give some of your own
Isn’t it remarkable?
Like every time a rain drop falls
It’s just another ordinary miracle today

Birds and winter have their fling
But always make it home by spring
It’s just another ordinary miracle today
When you wake up everyday
Please don’t throw your dreams away
Hold them close to your heart
Cause we’re all a part
Of the ordinary miracle
Ordinary miracle

Do you want to see a miracle?
It seems so exceptional
That things just work out after all
It’s just another ordinary miracle today
Sun comes up and shines so bright
And disappears again at night
It’s just another ordinary miracle
It’s just another ordinary miracle today

How to weigh yourself ...

I'm glad I found this out! I can't believe we've been doing it wrong all these years! We've got to get the word out!

HE IS RISEN!

How can two kids be so different?

Anyone who has been a parent for any length of time knows how incredible it is that kids can be so different. We have two beautiful children who have the same mother and father, same geneology, same home setting, even same schooling and yet, they are soooo different.

A friend was playing in hockey finals this last week and the reaction when the game was tied was hilarious!

MacKenzie ... "Well, that's nice. Then they BOTH won!"

Savannah ... "Kyler's team should have won. He should NOT have been given the 3 minute penalty for only standing up for himself! If he hadn't had that penalty, THEY WOULD HAVE WON!"

I suppose it's the same with our Heavenly Father ... he's done the same miraculous things for all of us, provided a way of salvation for all of us and yet we all react in such different ways! I wonder if He chuckles at it sometimes?

Testimony Recorded

While we've been able to travel and share Andrew's testimony from coast to coast, it has always been a dream of ours to have the testimony recorded so that it can go where we cannot. This past Sunday saw that dream become a reality. The power of God was so strong and following the testimony we had the opportunity to pray with several folks!

Andrew has the most phenomenal friends on his worship team and they all were so supportive. It really gave him strength to be honest in front of our home church.

We had a chance to listen to the first copy today and it was just as powerful today as it was on Sunday morning! I'm always amazed at how the anointing can be transferred via CD!! How does God do that??

I'm just believing that so many people are going to be encouraged, given hope and SET FREE from this!

Spring is in the Air!

Today we enjoyed the first day that it actually felt like spring ... there's even that special smell in the air! The kids rode bikes all afternoon, we opened all the windows and aired out the house, we BBQ'd for supper and, of course, the first chance I had, I threw a load of laundry in so I could hang it on the line! That has to be my favourite thing in the world ... hanging laundry out and seeing others do the same. I have no idea why, but it just feels good!!

Here's a poem sent to me by a friend last year. I love it!

A clothesline was a news forecast

To neighbors passing by.

There were no secrets you could keep

When clothes were hung to dry.

It also was a friendly link

For neighbors always knew

If company had stopped on by

To spend a night or two.

For then you'd see the fancy sheets

And towels on the line;

You'd see the company table clothes

With intricate design.

The line announced a baby's birth

To folks who lived inside

As brand new infant clothes were hung

So carefully with pride.

The ages of the children could

So readily be known

By watching how the sizes changed

You'd know how much they'd grown.

It also told when illness struck,

As extra sheets were hung;

Then nightclothes, and a bathrobe, too,

Haphazardly were strung.

It said, "Gone on vacation now"

When lines hung limp and bare.

It told, "We're back!" when full lines sagged

With not an inch to spare.

New folks in town were scorned upon

If wash was dingy gray,

As neighbors raised their brows,

And looked disgustedly away.

But clotheslines now are of the past

For dryers make work less.

Now what goes on inside a home

Is anybody's guess.

I really miss that way of life.

It was a friendly sign

When neighbors knew each other best

By what hung on the line!

An Alien on our Roof

If you are driving anywhere near our home, you might think there is an alien on our roof! It's a funny looking silver thing that appears to be hugging our old TV antenna. If this is an "alien", then I've suddenly taken quite a liking to these intruders! This one in particular
allows me to access my e-mail in an instant, download a video of my niece in Iowa in about 10 seconds, and help my kids do research for their schoolwork. It also allows my hubby to connect with his ministry team, download new songs, and send posters for upcoming concerts in an instant. Oh, this alien is the most beautiful of all creatures! It's actually a receiver for our wireless internet! This little creature delivers 799 kilobytes per second onto our computer. Oh, if I could, I'd hug that little creature!

Savannah has a Beautiful Brain!

Savannah was invited to go with her good friend, Brittany, to participate in a study being done at our local university. Their involvement included showing up, laying in an MRI machine for about 75 minutes, watching cartoons, following some lights with their eyes and GETTING PAID FOR IT! They each came home with $50 and a CD ROM with nearly 200 images of their brain! What is so amazing is that we had just finished a whole Science unit about the brain! I love the way God orchestrates the paths of our life!

At the end, when Savannah was handed the money, she was happy to inform them that she would be available any time they needed her!

Well said ...

“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, giftedness, or skill. It will make or break a company . . . a church . . . a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past . . . we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude . . . I am convinced that life is 10%what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you . . . we are in charge of our Attitudes.”


Charles Swindoll

First Fashion Show

So, last weekend both our girls were in their first fashion show! I thought preparing, setting up and doing a concert was a lot of work, but a fashion show is an unbelievable amount of work! Thankfully there is a whole team of people working together to make it happen.

MacKenzie and Savannah had to be at the mall early to get hair done, then it was off to make-up, grab a bite to eat and be ready for the runway by mid-afternoon. The show was complete with lights, dry ice (smoke machine), loud music and a huge audience! Both girls did fabulous ... knew their cues, held their heads high, walked with confidence. We were the proud parents in the front row with the video camera!

I am confident that the "X factor" that people see in the girls is actually the light of Jesus shining through them!

Performance or Ministry

My hubby's thoughts ...

"When Savannah our youngest daughter was 6 she did something that I will never forget. She went out one summer day and got a couple of my speaker stands, cables, microphone and a couple of empty boxes. She put the empty boxes on the top of the speaker stands, hooked up the cords to them and set up her microphone. She placed some chairs on the ground because she was set up on the deck. She plugged in her CD player and put on some music (can't remember who) and then invited me and my wife to come enjoy the show. For the next few songs we sat outside in the summer heat and watched Savannah (cowboy hat and all) sing and dance all over our deck. The joy that I felt as a father as I watched my child perform for me was outstanding! Now others who may have walked by or drove by on the street may have laughed or thought that it was so amatuer and immature, but to me, I was lost in her performance (show). In fact to this day I still have pictures in my scrapbook right next to pictures of different friends of mine from the Gaither Gospel Series and awards and such to remind me of that day. The funny thing is, the picture of Savannah means more to me than all of the awards and the so called fame that I have received so far. The reason why is because she loved me so much that she performed or put on a show for me. In my concerts I take people on a musical journey, but I perform for only one and that is my Heavenly Father. I think that He has a picture in His scrapbook of all of us from concerts and it is there because He knows just how much we all love Him."

Smarts

A lot of people seem to think that intelligence is a score you get from taking tests at school. However, tests only cover little bits of your vast and complex nervous system.

Some people are quick learners. Others have great memories. Some are real good at getting answers to math problems - so long as they're not geometry.

Some people are socially smart. They can wrap anybody around their little finger, while other people are always stepping on somebody's toes.

Some people have perfect pitch. There are the mechanical geniuses who can fix anything with a screwdriver and some bubble gum.

Some people write wonderfully creative stories, and still flunk English because they have bad memories when it comes to remembering spelling and commas.

Some people have extraordinary coordination and can perform fantastic gymnastic feats. There are some who have a hard time learning to type.

Some people have great intuition, or a foolproof sense of direction, or unbreakable concentration.

The next time they pass out tests at school, ignore that sinking feeling in your stomach. Remember, you are getting tested on certain abilities - but there are a whole lot of ways to be smart.

Taken from: Blood and Guts by Linda Allison

Friends ...

I am so blessed to be surrounded by friendship! I'm not talking about the kind of friends who ask how you are, but really don't want to know. No! I'm talking about the friends who say, "I know something's wrong so let's talk!" I'm talking about friends who we can share absolutely anything with and know that they really do want to know.

Our family has friends who have stuck by us in the best of times and the worst of times and have never ever failed to rejoice with us or to sympathize with us. We've walked along beside them and wept or triumphed with them as well. I really doubt that most people in life ever are blessed with this deep of friendship ... the "drop everything to be there" kind, the "rescuing" kind, the "here's my shoulder ... go ahead and cry kind", the "I know you're facing something that scares you to death ... let me walk beside you" kind, the "don't worry about anything ... I've got it under control for you ... you just get better" kind. Ahhh ... we are blessed!!

We also have friends whom we've know for a little while ... maybe a couple years who have the same wacky sense of humour as we've got! People from coast to coast who we get together with and it feels like no time has passed since we were last together! We've created so many memories with so many incredible people ... usually over food!

And then there are friends that we've only met, even this week, whom we feel like we've known forever!

I celebrate you ... all my friends!

" A friend is one to whom one may pour out all the contents of one's heart, chaff and grain together, knowing that the gentlest of hands will take and sift it, keep what is worth keeping and with a breath of kindness blow the rest away."- Arabian Proverb

Ahhh ... we're Canadians!

This weekend we have had the most winter weather I remember in a long, long time! It snowed and snowed and snowed!! And then it blew and blew and blew! Now it is very, very cold. I decided it was a good time to stay indoors and read a good book, however my family disagreed with me.

We bundled up in the warmest coats, snow pants, mittens, hats, scarves and boots we could find, picked up a couple of the girls' friends on the way and headed over to the local golf course for an afternoon of tobogganing. We were freezing cold, but the laughter was contagious! There's nothing like kids with rosy cheeks laughing their heads off! What a memory we created! We only decided to leave when it was snowing so hard that we couldn't see the kids at the bottom of the hill while we stood at the top!!

Then we headed home to shovel out our driveway ... again! Ah, yes, we are Canadians!