The big boys trucks...

Last night we did a show in Caldwell, OH... seriously a long way from anywhere! Our GPS, 'Sheila' had us going on some wild goose chase trying to find the joint. Great night! We stayed with some friends, Eddie and Kathy Crock. Eddie has this amazing truck he's done up. I made a little video of it...



It's a 1979 Kenworth W900A truck that was once used as a heavy equipment hauler. Eddie decided to change its cause of life and give it an extreme makeover... remodeling everything from the hardwood flooring, to the engine and the frame block. It's seriously a 'sic-mobile'! They get lots of people gawking at them when they drive to the 'Truck Shows' and have even had people taking pics out their windows as they pass. Eddie's 'toy' won the Novelty Class at the U.S. Diesel Truckin' Nationals in Englishtown, New Jersey.

So... if you wanna new truck... give Eddie Crock a buzz... he's got a couple for sale... just not the red one!

My music pick for this week....

This past couple of weekends I've been to a couple of different festivals - Ichthus Festival in Wilmore KY - the longest standing Christian festival in the US and Big Ticket Festival in Gaylord, MI - a festival that was started just four years ago. Alabaster Box played at both festivals and had an awesome time.

We were hanging out on our bus one of the days and got to meet the band 'Remedy Drive' from Lincoln, Nebraska. It was great putting faces to songs I'd heard on radio. Great guys, great music and great live show! The first time I saw them perform was at the Dove awards in Nashville earlier this year. They literally had less then a minutes performance and went absolutely nuts. Dave, the lead singer dived into the drum kit at the end... and kept going! Classic moment. Apparently a stunt normally part of the set but the whole kit was on wheels :-) Anyway I recommend you check them out! My favourite band this week!

Remedy Drive are currently 6th on Australia's Hot 25 countdown! So cool! Alabaster Box's third radio release, 'Fearlessly Stumble' from their album 'We will not be silent' has just entered and is #23!

As much as I'm a fan of Remedy Drive... I think you need to help Alabaster Box get to another #1... vote here!

Till next festival...

A tenacious social media entrepreneur

Back in the day when you stumbled across a dream job on offer you would update and print off your resume and dust off your portfolio of accomplishments and submit an application. Hoping and praying you would somehow stand out from the crowd and get a shot at an interview.

Today job applications are looking a bit different for cutting edge social media junkies. Remember the 'best job in the world' campaign where 1000's submitted video 'resumes' to try and get sellected for an amazing job on the Great Barrier Reef. What an amazing marketing ploy! Only one person got the job but thousands got educated about this amazing tourist destination amidst a dying tourist economy.

So this past week I've been inundated by tweets from a passionate entrepreneur who wants a dream job. This artist, wine and fine foods connoisseur... Avid blogger... Twitterer... Has submitted a video app for an amazing job working with Murphy-Goode Winery in Sonoma County Wine Country. They are looking for someone who really knows how to use Web 2.0 and Facebook and blogs and social media and YouTube and all sorts of good stuff like that — to tell the world about their wines and where they live: the Sonoma County Wine Country. Check it out here! Randy Elrod would nail this job and needs our help getting him there. He's currently #4 out of like over 900 applications!

So all you need to do...
This is where you come in. Please take 70 seconds to complete these four simple steps:

1. Watch Randy’s very cool video on the Murphy-Goode web site.
2. Enter your email address to vote for Randy.
3. Wait for the verification email and click on the link inside the message body. Note: Your vote will not count until you do this!
4. Tweet or facebook this post (http://bit.ly/yN1X9).

Makes you wonder hey how we all could benefit from using today's social media to our advantage to promote a new product or cause... anything you're doing different this year?

Marriage and Men

Recently I heard this sermon from Mark Driscoll from Mars Hill Seattle and wanted to blog about it but hadn't gotten round to it. Then this week I was reminded to do when I saw that a blog friend - Jonathan who actually goes to Mars Hill had posted about it.

I was fairly confronted by the abruptness of Mark's teaching on marriage and how men need to step it up. He's obviously speaking to the fella's and spares no punches. If you are remotely interested in building a better marriage, preparing for marriage or wondering why you're still single this sermon is a must. I'm a chick (obviously!) and I listened to it twice!

You can download the podcast here or watch the video here.

Love to hear your thoughts

Update on my lil sister, Cindy...

As some of you may be aware my youngest sister, Cindy has been terribly sick. Many of you have prayed and even fasted for her to be healed. I am incredibly overwhelmed by this support and prayers for my family during this time.

I left Australia last Monday to come back to the US. Cindy drove me to the airport. No indication of sickness at all. So it's daunting and unbelievable to think that since Thursday she has been hospitalised and in an incredible amount of pain. Her condition has improved since I sent out the prayer email Sunday night (CST) but she still has a long way to go. It is most likely that the appendix has caused the problem. It has been removed but surrounding areas are infected and causing grief. Doctors have said its one of the worse cases they've seen. Doctors are hoping to remove the tubes in her stomach today, get her eating and walking and try and get her body functioning properly again.

I got to speak to her briefly tonight. So good to hear her voice again - even if just for a moment. It was real hard for my parents to see their active 20 year old on oxygen, tubes and drips everywhere, lying lifeless in a hospital bed.

Please continue to pray for healing and that the infections in her stomach do not spread and cause any further problems. Doctors seem concerned.

Thanks again for your prayers and support. God is good. Reflect on God's goodness in your life. I was reflecting on Isaiah 43:2-4 (NIV)

2 When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze.

3 For I am the LORD, your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;
I give Egypt for your ransom,
Cush [a] and Seba in your stead.

4 Since you are precious and honored in my sight,
and because I love you,
I will give men in exchange for you,
and people in exchange for your life.

I think we so often take good health for granted. The when in this chapter to me indicates that we aren't exempt from going through hard times - whatever that might look like for each one of us. It does promise though that God will indeed go through the 'when' moments with us. Beth Moore teaches on the story in Daniel 3 when Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were thrown in the fiery furnace. They most likely thought that this could be a moment where God was calling them home. But he had other plans, God met them in the fire. A couple of dudes were killed throwing the boys in - so it was a legitimate HOT fire. I love Nebuchadnezzar's response...

24 But suddenly, Nebuchadnezzar jumped up in amazement and exclaimed to his advisers, “Didn’t we tie up three men and throw them into the furnace?”

“Yes, Your Majesty, we certainly did,” they replied.

25 “Look!” Nebuchadnezzar shouted. “I see four men, unbound, walking around in the fire unharmed! And the fourth looks like a god[g]!”

26 Then Nebuchadnezzar came as close as he could to the door of the flaming furnace and shouted: “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!”

When these boys came out they didn't even smell like smoke yet the ropes on their arms were burnt off! You and I both no how clingy smoke smell is. You stand near a bonfire or go to a smokey pub... when you walk into an odorless room you can't stand the smell of yourself!

Don't you just get a shock when you meet someone that seems to have it all together only to find out after months or years of knowing them that they had been through incredible pain and hardship in their life. They'd come through the fire not even smelling like smoke. Overcomers. Fighters. (Hear Beth Moore teach more on this - Session 3: No smell of Fire.) It'll definitely be a lesson that sticks with me for my lifetime.

So that's where my thoughts have been as I pray and contemplate what my sister is going through. Thankful each day for good health, food, clothing and more love from friends and family then I could ever imagine. Hope today you realise God is indeed with you no matter what your day looks like or what you are going through.

Don't you love big welcomes at the airport!

Last night I rocked up to my home away from home - Nashville, Tennessee. I was sitting front row of a Southwest plane so I was off first marching down the airport hallways, slightly delirious from being awake for about 24 hours when two of my friends jumped out at me yelling and clacking! It was so funny! Promised Miss Holly I would blog about it so below is a picture of the shenanigans! I felt very loved!



Anyone else ever had a similar experience? Love to hear your story. Surprises are so fun! Think of someone you can surprise today - send a hand written note... visit someone you've been thinking about... send some flowers... clean up after someone without being asked... or just use technology and make a CALL, send a TEXT or a TWITTER. Show some LOVE!

Loving my Canon G10 powershot

Earlier this year I purchased a Canon PowerShot G10. I am absolutely loving it. I wanted a compromise between a point and shoot and a digital SLR. This camera I think, is the perfect option. It has tonnes of preset functions, manual options, HD video, can shoot in RAW and can fit in my handbag to travel anywhere with me. Here are a few 'happy snaps' I took while I was home. Enjoy!

My cute niece with her stash of goodies from the garden



Huge garden spider - I think called a Golden orb weaver



Weeping Hibiscus



Buzzing Bees


























































The winding Brisbane River






















Spectacular views of Morton or Straddie... someone help me?

Goodbye's

Well it's time to bid goodbye to my country Australia once again and head back to Nashville, Tennessee. I really do love the role I have with the Gold Coast band, Alabaster Box and am incredibly grateful for the opportunities I have had to travel and serve with them. On Thursday we head to Ichthus Festival then there is a chance we might be in Canada on Saturday! So... I'm really hoping the jetlag doesn't kick in too hard... It's gonna be pretty full on!

Saying goodbyes to family and friends here though is always a bit tougher then I ever really care to admit. A lot happens in six months... twelve months... however long it takes to once again reconnect. Marriages happen... babies come... kids change... nieces get older. It can sometimes be hard to feel fully 'connected' anywhere. I have to make a conscious effort to allow God to direct me time and allow me to 'catch up' with people I am meant to see while I'm home for such short periods of time. Obviously my family is my first priority! As I sit here reflecting on the past couple of weeks God truly has allowed me to connect with close friends (who I normally see every time) and then friends who've I've not seen since primary school... high school... Uni days... and what not. Each one of those encounters I have really treasured. It's actually bringing a smile to my face as I realise where God has allowed some of those moments to happen - shopping at Aldi, walking along Kedron River or wherever it was... Beachside... Gateway... God knows how much I love people and staying connected! Praise God for Facebook hey :-) and Twitter!

Anyway, it's time for me to get my last Aussie beauty sleep for this trip. Thanks for your friendship. You even reading this far in this blog means so much to me. Keep in touch. Leave a comment. Hope to see or meet you one day!