hat an exciting adventure this journey is! These last months have been times of great mountain top experiences where I could see for miles and also times of intense solitude in the depths of the valley. But through every experience, God, my Father has been faithful and true!
This last summer was a busy one for me, with many concerts and festivals all over the nation and I was in Quebec for the first time this fall! What an amazing province Quebec is, and how warm the people are! I just loved it there! I sang at a women's meeting and got to sing "Song for Canada" for the first time in Quebec. I have prayed for many years to sing that song there, and it was very emotional for me. I'm hoping to go back next summer and sing at a festival close to Montreal, but I would go back to Montreal and Quebec any time. I encourage all of you to visit this province of great food, beautiful scenery and people who are warm, sincere and truly the heart of Canada!
This past year has been another answer to prayer for me in that I've begun to work among Catholics here in Calgary at St. Michaels. I've led worship a number of times at their prayer events and as a Protestant, it is humbling and inspiring to see how they have caught a vision for my heart for Worship unity in the city of Calgary. Last Friday we had our first interdenominational Praise night/intercession at St. Michaels with other worship leaders and musicians from across the city. We had pretty much a full house with about 50% Catholics and 50% Protestants and God showed up powerfully. There's just something very beautiful about Catholics and Protestants joining hands together to pray for the city and nation! We hope to continue these meetings and plan for our next event in February. I encourage all those who live here in Calgary to come and join us. Dates will be posted on my schedule page.
I was also nominated this year for a couple of awards for Once Upon A Time Forever After.....the Vibe awards in May and just recently, a Convenant award for best Inspirational Album. Carolyn Arends won in all 3 categories, and I congratulate her! It was great to see her again and connect with many of the artists like Downhere and Starfield as well as Brian Doerksen and Tabitha Lemaire. God has truly gifted our nation with many talented and visionary artists and worship leaders! I saw this talent again when I went to the Come Up Here Conference in Kelowna with Kevin Prosch and Jason Upton. There was not just musicians there, but dancers, sculpting and painting artists from all over the world. In this last while I've seen how God can take someone who is creative in making floral arrangements, and use it as an expression of worship within the church. I've seen new forms of dance expression. I've seen and heard sounds put to music to create something altogether new that is an amazing expression of worship to Jesus! How wonderful and creative is our Father, who allows us direct access to this creativity!
Over these next months, I'd appreciate your prayers. I'm heading back to Northern Ireland in April to lead a Worship Teaching Team in Bangor. There's a number of other things in the works, including more European travel. I'm also hoping to be back in studio recording a new CD sometime next year. I've been writing songs that journal this adventure God's been taking me on and the songs are very raw and true. The album will tentatively be called "Out Of Borderland". I'm also developing a workshop on Songwriting and another that will be called "Surrendered Passion" and I would appreciate your prayers as I try to wrestle my thoughts onto paper.
Some of you may have read my last newsletter about my difficulty in seeing my son leave home. Y'know........he's doing OK. And it's been a lesson in learning that when circumstances are beyond our control, they're not beyond God's. Jordan is learning to be a man and to walk his own walk.
I always love hearing from fellow travelers across the world! Don't hesitate to write.
Bless you and have a wonderful Christmas!
Lianna
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