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We left my parents' house Wednesday night and headed toward Mississippi. We pulled over on the side of the road and slept in our RV truck. Then, we pulled into the arena Thursday morning and hit the ground running. We were there all day setting up and doing multiple shows.
Yesterday, we were performing all day until dinner time. Then, we went across town to the arenacross. We will be on the road until New Year's Eve night. Hopefully, I'll have internet access by then. It's difficult to find it on the road!
Saturday, December 30, 2006
On the Road
We left my parents' house Wednesday night and headed toward Mississippi. We pulled over on the side of the road and slept in our RV truck. Then, we pulled into the arena Thursday morning and hit the ground running. We were there all day setting up and doing multiple shows.
Posted by AUNY at 8:58 AM 3 comments
Thursday, December 28, 2006
We are performing at a youth conference in Clinton (near Jackson), MS today and tomorrow. As we began to do an illusion that we affectionately call "The Shower Curtain," a guy named "Roach" came running up onstage holding a broken slinky. He wanted Brock to fix his slinky. I have no idea where he came from. All of a sudden, he was just there.
In all of my years doing this, this has never happened. We've had people uninvited come up onstage before, but usually during a volunteer trick. In other words, Brock was calling up some people onstage and somebody just decided to come up even though Brock didn't select them. However, we've never had somebody just bolt up onstage during one of our illusions.
I didn't know what to do. How could we politely get rid of this guy? However, Brock didn't miss a beat. He had Roach help me lock Brock up and then turn the prop around. Then, Roach stood on the stage as we finished the illusion. Brock is such a quick thinker. It ended up being funny and so smooth that our road manager, Shannon, thought that we had planned it!
Posted by AUNY at 10:12 PM 5 comments
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
We opened more gifts last night and I got my very own ipod! I've never had one of my own. Now, I can put in my headphones and listen to music while we're driving and as I'm reading. I love listening to instrumental music as I read. It makes stories so much more exciting. I especially enjoy listening to movie soundtracks and such as I read the Bible. It helps create more emotion and passion.
I also got a new backpack a.k.a. a fun bag. Brock picked it out as a gift from my in-laws. However, he forgot to bring it with him. Now, I get to look forward to actually getting another gift when I get home! What were some of your favorite gifts?
Posted by AUNY at 11:06 AM 5 comments
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
Christmas Continues
I'm weird about celebrating on the specified day. I am the one who always wants the Christmas decorations down the day after Christmas and the Christmas music is over until next year. Therefore, I expected to not really feel like it's Christmas today even though my family is celebrating it tonight and tomorrow. However, I'm surprising myself! I just thought that maybe we should save one gift until tomorrow to open on Christmas day!
I don't think that we really know the exact day that Jesus was born. So, Christmas can be whenever we decide to celebrate it! We had two Christmases this year and it's still going on.
Posted by AUNY at 9:32 AM 3 comments
Monday, December 25, 2006
Not a Physical Gift
This may seem a little cheesy to you, but I always try to give the Lord a gift at Christmas. I don't give him anything physical, because, obviously, He is not in the physical. I usually give him time. For example, one year, I gave Him the time when I'm putting my make-up on. Therefore, everytime I'm putting make-up on, I'm talking with Him.
I've been giving Him daily time for so many years now that it's all used up. So, I had to get creative this year. I decided to give Him my finances. I take care of our personal finances while Brock looks over the ministry finances. Sometimes, I get stressed out with our finances...not this year! I'm going to finally surrender them over to the Lord. He's been asking me to do that for a while now.
Posted by AUNY at 7:50 AM 3 comments
Sunday, December 24, 2006
Merry Christmas!!!
We don't have as many Christmas traditions like we used to when we were children. However, we always read the story of Jesus' birth before we open presents. Usually, dad reads it aloud. What are some Christmas traditions that you have?
Posted by AUNY at 9:45 AM 2 comments
Friday, December 22, 2006
Visting Friends
We got to visit some friends. It was fun! Yesterday, we had lunch in Birmingham with our friends, David and Jen Nasser. Then, we drove 6 hours and had dinner in Ruston, LA with Brian and Stephanie. We stayed in Ruston last night. This morning, we visited with Michawn and Joel in Ruston before we left. Then, we drove another hour and had lunch in Sheveport, LA with Chad and Rebecca. We just made it to our final destination of DeRidder, LA where we will spend Christmas. Yeh!
Posted by AUNY at 7:45 PM 3 comments
Thursday, December 21, 2006
The Gift of Giving
Last week, Brock came to me and told me that he wanted to help out a family that I know. At first, I felt a little funny about giving to this family. They are not homeless or anything and he has a job. I didn't want them to feel like anyone was looking down on them. On the contrary, they are to be admired. Their focus in life is not making money. They truly are kingdom minded. They care more about the Lord and their family. However, this year, they've had car troubles and she's had some medical problems. Therefore, they are a little stretched financially to say the least. Brock was so persistant about it that I knew it was the Lord. I didn't write about it on my blog because she reads it every now and then. Those of you that read Brock's blog know about it.
Monday, when I took the gift basket full of gifts and money that we raised with the help of many others, she was overjoyed. I knew that Brock heard God because she said the timing was perfect. She just found out about some more medical bills that were about to accrue. In fact, she and her husband were not going to give any gifts to each other at all this Christmas. The Lord takes care of His own. What a privelege and an honor when He asks you to help.
I learned a lot through this. Brock really is gifted at knowing how and when to give. Therefore, I need to learn from him as well as trust him in this area. Also, something that I'm learning from the girl in which I gave the gift basket...when the Lord tells you to do something, you do it even if it's a little crazy. That's how He works a lot of times!
Posted by AUNY at 6:26 AM 2 comments
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
It Feels Like Christmas!
Today is the day that I turned my thoughts toward Christmas. The previous days I've been focused on other things even on the days that I was hosting Christmas parties. I guess we finally got all of our work done. We had our final meetings yesterday and got all of our gifts. Today, we only have to pack, finish wrapping gifts, and go meet everyone at the Cocoa Tree tonight. That's not a bad day.
Tomorrow, we head to Louisiana to spend the weekend with Brock's family. On Christmas day, we'll go to my family's house which is only a 2 and 1/2 hour drive from Brock's family. We're performing in Mississippi on the 28th-29th. Then, we come home to do another show on New Year's Eve in Nashville. What are your plans for Christmas?
Posted by AUNY at 8:24 AM 4 comments
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Finishing a Book
I woke up at 4 something this morning and I have been reading most of the morning. I'm almost done with my book. That's an accomplishment because it's around 900 pages! It's the sequel to Gone With the Wind and it's great! I only have one last chapter. However, it's going to be a good one, so I'm waiting until later to read it. I'm so tempted to whip it out right now and finish it, but we have some meetings this morning, so I wouldn't have any time to reflect on the ending. I'm waiting until I get to the comfort of my home this afternoon to finish.
It's a perfect day for reading. It's rainy and cool. The first thing I'm going to do when I get home is snuggle up under a blanket and finish this book. It's such a bittersweet thing when I finish a book. I'm going to miss Scarlett and her qwerky ways. I'm also going to miss the time in which she lived. I know, I know! I get to engrossed in the novels that I read.
Posted by AUNY at 8:53 AM 5 comments
Monday, December 18, 2006
No More Cooking!
Last week, I decided to cook a big Christmas meal twice for our office party and friend party. Most of the time, my mom or Brock's mom cooks the meal, so I thought it would be nice to do it myself. I enjoy cooking and don't get to do it too often. It's way more difficult than I expected. I was in the kitchen all day Thursday and Friday. What I realized is that I enjoy baking. My mom said that I should have had everyone bring a side dish or something. That's a lady who has had experience because that's exactly what I should have done.
Oh well! It was fun and I did it! Now, I just don't want to even enter the kitchen for a week! You moms that cook every year...you have my admiration.
Posted by AUNY at 7:55 AM 3 comments
Sunday, December 17, 2006
Friends and Sugar Overload
We saw so many people yesterday. In the morning, we still had 5 friends here from the slumber party we had Friday night. We all watched VH1's Best Year Ever and ate leftovers. Then, the band Inhabited stopped by on their way out of town. We went to a party at some people's house in downtown Franklin. Our friend, Ken, borrowed our truck to move something, so we saw him. We saw lots of people at the party. Then, we walked down to Starbuck's with our friends, Randy and Chris. We stopped at Mark's house on the way there. At Starbuck's, we saw people we knew as well. It was fun!
However, I need to start eating better! Three days of parties in a row! Then, last night, we already had tons of food at this party. When we got to Starbuck's, the workers that we knew gave us some free dessert! I'm having sugar overload. Anybody experiencing the pre-Christmas sugar overload as well?
Posted by AUNY at 8:13 AM 4 comments
Friday, December 15, 2006
Dirty Santa Gift Exchange
Last night, we played dirty santa. We all brought a wrapped $10 gift. Then, we drew numbers and went in order of the number we drew. If you wanted something that was already opened, you could switch with that person before you opened your gift. I bought a U2 album for my gift having one of our people, Gresham, in mind. He ended up with it! Gresham and his wife bought two t-shirts as gifts with two people in mind. They both ended up opening those gifts. One of the guys was Lewis. He's a really funny guy that we tease is a gnome. He got a t-shirt with a gnome on it. Brock got the t-shirt with a picture of a dirtbike and the words "ridin dirty" on it in lue of his recent moto race win.
In fact, I was so excited that Brock won his first dirtbike race that I put Christmas lights all over his trophy. Instead of placing our gifts under the tree, we put them at the base of the trophy!
Posted by AUNY at 9:26 AM 30 comments
Thursday, December 14, 2006
Party, Party!
I'm getting ready for two parties today. Tonight, we are having an office party at our house. Tomorrow night, we're having a Christmas party with our friends. None of our friends have family in town. We are all just sorta here on our own, so in a way, we've become family to each other while we're here. Therefore, we're celebrating our Christmas together tomorrow night.
We're going to have a traditional, Brock-and-Auny-style, Christmas dinner at both. Brock's making the turkey in a cajun microwave which is a wooden box in which you place the meat with a steel top where you build a fire. It allows it to cook slowly. Brock will probably put the turkey on in a little while in order for it to be ready by 7pm tonight. I'm making Brock's mom's dressing recipe and my mom's corn pudding recipe. We'll also have potatoes and beans, Mrs. Nancy's cookies (Daytona people know what I'm talking about) and my sister's chocolate cake. It's going to be soooo good!
Posted by AUNY at 6:47 AM 6 comments
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
WORD Showcase
Last night, we went to a showcase for WORD Records. A showcase is when labels "showcase" their artists. Group 1 Crew was on the bill last night and they did fabulous! The only problem was that my favorite song they do would not play on the ipod. It was the only song that would not play. That's strange! However, they just did a different song and went on like pros. It was great!
This morning, WORD is having a worship service with the same people and our friend and very anointed worship leader is performing, Michael Farrin with Pocket Full of Rocks (if you don't have their cd, you need it! www.pocketfullofrocks.com). Also, Brock is going to say a little something about Group 1 Crew and the Freedom Experience. It will be fun!
Posted by AUNY at 6:57 AM 1 comments
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Modern Day Prophets
Music is so influential. Yesterday, I was running errands all day. That's what I felt like I was doing...RUNNING. Then, I started playing some chill music and I began to relax. It's amazing how much it can make a difference in your mood.
That's why it's important for you to join me on this prayer campaign. I want to pray for our Christian musicians. There music and lyrics have such a major impact on the Church. They reach so many people with their words of encouragement. I believe that a lot of times, the Lord uses their words to communicate with His people. It's almost as if they are modern day prophets or messengers.
However, they are human and they need our prayers. Sometimes it's tough to keep the success of your career and the success of God's kingdom in perspective. Pray that they keep in mind that their purpose is to make His name famous. It can get difficult to keep that at the top of your agenda. Pray for those artists that want to proclaim the Lord from the rooftops, but they are struggling to be heard right now. Pray that they will hang in there. Pray for their finances and opportunities. Pray for the people that are working at the labels and radio stations. Pray that they have the wisdom to know what is best to promote and how much responsibility they have in getting out these words and messages. Pray for the whole industry.
Posted by AUNY at 8:32 AM 1 comments
Monday, December 11, 2006
Slandering Other Christians
Yesterday, my pastor talked briefly about bloggers who slander other Christians on their blogs. He spoke of how wrong it is to slam a fellow believer even if you disagree with him. Nobody is ever going to agree 100% with everyone. We're individuals with individual experiences and ideas.
Apparently, some bloggers out there are saying some negative things about a famous pastor. Our pastor knows him and knows how badly it's affecting him. It seems that if someone is really famous and bigtime, we don't really see them as human, or maybe we want to put them down in order to feel better about our mediocre life. However, these people are real, living people.
I heard someone the other day talking badly about a Christian band that I know personally and really love. They talked about how difficult they were to work with at one show. Let me tell you something, when you travel on the road in tough situations and on little sleep, you cannot always be happy, easy-going people. If someone were to base my character on one show, it might not be good if they caught me at a bad time.
I need to be reminded of this, too. Nobody's perfect including me. The more I get to know more Christian "superstars," the more I'm reminded of the fact that people are people. I'm going to try to not talk badly about people especially family in Christ.
Posted by AUNY at 7:40 AM 4 comments
Sunday, December 10, 2006
Have you ever played the game MASH as an adult? It's fun. I substitute guys that I'm going to marry for people that are going to be my neighbor. The next section is where I'm going to live. The last section is what car I'm going to drive or what goal I'm going to accomplish in my lifetime.
Next time you are in a boring meeting or in a dreamy state of mind, play MASH. Sometimes, you'll be surprised at what you are hoping for the outcome to be. It might teach you something about yourself and your dreams.
Posted by AUNY at 8:23 AM 5 comments
Saturday, December 09, 2006
Not Bored
I was afraid that we would get so bored without being on the road. However, we've been really busy. Brock's been working everyday even without a computer.
Thursday, we had the office over for a meeting about FX. I cooked taco soup which was good because it was cold and snowing. It was a soup day!
Yesterday, we filmed for a TV show. (I don't know what channel it's on or when it airs...I'll let you know.) We did a cooking segment where Brock made his shrimp and potatoes. Then, we went to 6th Ave skatepark as well as the Cocoa Tree. It was a unique TV show.
Posted by AUNY at 8:11 AM 6 comments
Friday, December 08, 2006
Our friends from the band Eleventyseven are coming to town this weekend. They were so fun when they were on tour with us at FX. They'll probably stay at our house and go to the Cocoa Tree with us. Check them out myspace.com/eleventyseven or www.eleventysevenrock.com.
Posted by AUNY at 8:20 AM 2 comments
Thursday, December 07, 2006
An Interview About Spiritual Warfare
Our manager told a writer for a magazine who was going to be interviewing Brock that he had lots of crazy stories about spiritual warfare. After the interview was completed last week, the interviewer discovered that the recording was ruined. Coincidence?
They redid the interview today. Hopefully it will take this time with no problems.
Posted by AUNY at 8:06 AM 2 comments
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
My Computer's Possessed
I don't ever want to call every single event in my life spiritual, but sometimes you just know. I can usually tell that the enemy is at work whenever the same thing goes wrong over and over. He really knows how to push your buttons!
A couple of weeks ago, I was actually tired of blogging. Can you believe that? I was running out of things to say. We were about to be off of the road for a month and road stuff is the most exciting stuff. Then, I got this idea to write about some of my studies in Daniel. This idea got my blood pumping! I was so involved in what to blog about Daniel that I would wake up in the mornings thinking about it.
About that time, our computer died. I happened to be at my parents' house, so I just used their computer and got a few blogs about Daniel ready for my mom to post for me. On Thursday of last week, I finally got to get online. I then saw that there were zero comments. I was so discouraged again thinking that maybe the Daniel study wasn't translating as well as I thought. However, later after a few people commented, I felt much better.
We finally got our computer fixed and then our internet at home was down. We got the internet working and then our computer shut off. In fact, it shut off while I was typing this. I'm using my friend's computer right now. This is so frustrating!!!
Posted by AUNY at 7:55 PM 3 comments
Tuesday, December 05, 2006
hey there, its brock
its me, brock. sorry i am posting for auny right now.. she is on an airplane right now coming back from florida. the computer has been broken but it is now fixed, so they say. we will see about that. anyway, i have the computer nack but the interenet is out at hour house. uuhhgg!!
we will try to have everything up and going tomorrow. sorry things have been so crazy with the blogs. we still love everyone who reads this everyday.
Posted by AUNY at 5:59 PM 1 comments
Monday, December 04, 2006
My Grandma's Birthday Party
I'm in Florida with my mom, dad, and sister visiting my grandma and aunts and uncles, cousins, etc. We had an 80th birthday party for my grandma. There were almost 60 people there! It was so much fun. I got to see extended family and eat a lot of food.
A few people told stories about my grandma. She's an amazing women. She raised 4 children on her own on a waitress's salary. A waitress back in the '50's didn't make very much. She walked to the bus stop everyday in her Maas Brother's uniform.
They didn't have much but love. She taught her children how to love each other and others. All of her children have never been divorced and have wonderful children and grandchildren of their own. I looked around the party and saw how many wonderful people were there and had been touched by grandma. What a great 80 years she's had so far!
Posted by AUNY at 11:59 AM 2 comments
Sunday, December 03, 2006
Daniel 2:20-22
"Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are His. He changes times and seasons; He sets up kings and deposes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the descerning. He reveals deep and hidden things. He knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with Him."
Posted by AUNY at 9:00 AM 0 comments
Saturday, December 02, 2006
The Fiery Furnace
In Daniel 3, it tells the story about Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego being thrown into a fiery furnace because they refused to bow down and worship an image of gold. For some unknown reason, Daniel wasn't present at the time.
Through Beth Moore's study on Daniel, I learned a couple of things in this chapter. One is that when the strong one in your group (like Daniel was in their group) is absent, the Lord may be calling you to step up. This is exactly what these men did. They stepped up to the challenge.
Another thing I learned is that when you face a fiery trial, one of 3 scenarios will happen:
1. We can be DELIVERED FROM the fire through which our faith is BUILT.
2. We can be DELIVERED THROUGH the fire through which our faith is REFINED.
3. We can be DELIVERED BY the fire into His arms through which our faith is PERFECTED.
These men knew that the Lord could save them, but even if He didn't, they still would trust Him (Daniel:17-18). When we face trials, do we have this much faith? The Lord is the One who chooses which scenario is the best for us. However, either way, He is with us.
Posted by AUNY at 8:52 AM 2 comments
Friday, December 01, 2006
Daniel: Proof
Daniel was so accurate in his prophecies that many claimed that he either was fictitious or he really lived after the time in which was recorded in the Bible. What I read in Brock's secular history book proves to me that Daniel was indeed living and active during the time of Cyrus the Great (who seems to be called Darius in the Bible).
However, scholars continue to try and poke holes in the Book of Daniel. One argument was that King Belshazzar, Babylon's ruler in Daniel 5, was never mentioned anywhere else in history. In the late nineteenth century, evidence came to light that accounted for not only Belshazzar's existance, but he was both the son and co-regent with Nabonidus. Nabonidus, who was king the the time, was absent 10 out of his 17 year reign. Therefore, Belshazzar excersized kingly authority while Nabonidus was out. Hence the reason Belshazzar offered Daniel the 3rd highest position in Babylon (Daniel 5:7). Belshazzar was the second highest.
There is a lot of years between the time of Daniel and the late 19th century. Why do you think the Lord decided to wait that long to prove the historicity of this portion of the Scriptures? We don't always know His ways, but one thing we can know for sure. He is Truth. He's the author of Truth. Any hole that man can poke in His Word is only because of our ignorance or because the evidence to that piece of the puzzle has not been found yet!
Posted by AUNY at 8:35 AM 3 comments
Thursday, November 30, 2006
Daniel: Living in a Modern Day Babylon
Daniel was taken from his home and transplanted to Babylon when he was a teenager. You might feel sorry for him until you hear what Babylon was like. It was the land of opportunity and money. Not only was Daniel taken to Babylon, but he was brought into the king's court (Daniel 1).
They gave Daniel and all of the other king's men in training all of this extravegant food. However, Daniel and his friends asked not to eat the food from the king. Back in those times, to share a meal was to commit oneself to friendship. It was like a covenant. Daniel decided not to compromise. He didn't give into the ways of Babylon and their customs if it conflicted with the will of the one true God.
Babylon was a place that was rich. It had many gods and was very self seeking. The motto of Babylon was: "I am, and there is none besides me." (Isaiah 47:8, 10). Does this sound familiar? Self seeking, rich? It sounds a lot like America.
We have everything and more than we want. Studies show that life in America is getting better while we feel worse. Too many choices leads to unhappiness. Americans are miserable with self absorption.
We don't have to live this way...this false "happy" life. We don't have to give in to every indulgence that comes our way. We have a different King. Our King is the only One who knows the key to happiness. It's totally different than what we would think too.
I'm saying "we" because I'm trying to remind myself as well. I allow myself to get carried away by Babylon at times. Lets all try to live a life like Daniel. We need to be in the world but not of it. With the Lord's help, we can do it!
Posted by AUNY at 6:42 AM 7 comments
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
Daniel: A Story Not in the Bible
While Brock was reading a magic history book, he came across a story about Daniel. This story is apparently in history books but not in the Bible.
Cyrus the Great would send a daily offering of 6 vessels of wine, 40 sheep, and 12 measures of wheat to the temple of Bel. Everyday, the altar would be closed and locked up with the food inside and be gone the next day showing that the god ate everything.
However, Daniel suspected that the priests and their families were feasting on the "sacrifices" of the king. One day, Cyrus took Daniel to the sanctuary when the food and drink were placed before the altar. He watched as the temple doors were sealed shut.
The next day, Cyrus and Daniel went back to see that the food was indeed all gone. Cyrus was convinced that this proved the authenticity of Bel. Daniel knew differently because he had sprinkled a light coating of ashes on the floor the previous day. At this point, they could see footprints in the ashes that led to what appeared to be a solid wall. They found a secret passageway where the priests were taking the food out each night. Cyrus was so furious that he had the priests slain and the temple leveled.
Daniel was a cool guy. He also made such a difference in his community and really the world. This account was in a book about magic history! He made an impact on the mainstream world as well as the Jewish world. The thing is, he represented the Lord in the world very well. Are we being a good representation of the Lord? Are we making a difference?
Posted by AUNY at 3:40 PM 0 comments
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Daniel: My Dream
I had such a vivid dream one night about six months ago. I dreamed that Brock came onstage to do a show drunk. He was a lousy drunk too. He was angry and he couldn't do his illusions correctly. (You must be very sharp mentally in order to pull off illusions.) The promoter of the event ended up pulling him off of the stage.
I woke up in a sweat with the story about Daniel and his friends in the Bible on my mind. I frantically looked up the story. Daniel and his buddies decided not to eat the food from the Babylonian king. Instead, they drank only water (no alcohol)and ate vegetables (Daniel 1). I later found in my studying that when he said vegetables, it also included fruits and grains.
This year, Brock has become a very healthy eater. He only drinks water and eats lots of fruits and veggies. We eat organic as much as possible. Our policy is that if it takes technology to get it on our plate, it's not very good for us. Therefore, we eat mostly meat, nuts, fruits, and vegetables. It sounds much like Daniel.
I'm not trying to debate whether alcohol is wrong or right. It's just wrong for us. The Lord showed me in that dream what could destroy Brock's ministry. Has the Lord showed you anything specifically for you? We are all different and He knows our weaknesses as well as our strengths. He handles us differently at times according to our traits. He may not give you a vivid dream, but He has many ways of getting His point across to His children. He knows how to speak to you and just what you need to hear.
Posted by AUNY at 8:00 AM 0 comments
Monday, November 27, 2006
Daniel: Reasons Why I Decided to Study Him
I've been studying Daniel in the scriptures since August. Therefore, I really want to share a few things about him to you this week. First of all, the reason that I'm so intent on studying Daniel is because parallels between Brock and Daniel keep coming up in our lives.
For example, when Brock was beginning this ministry, he fasted for 21 days. He intended on fasting for 14 days, but then felt like he should go for 21. He had no idea why the Lord wanted that specific amount of time. He had heard of people fasting for 3, 10, or 40 days, but never 21. Toward the end of his fast, he went to a church service. During the message, the pastor spoke about Daniel and how he fasted 21 days (Daniel 10:2-3).
Several years ago, Brock had a vision. His vision was that he was in the lion's den (Daniel 6). Brock said that it was so real that he tucked his hands close to his body for fear that they would get bitten. He didn't know what the Lord was trying to tell him because at this point, life was going well. He didn't know if the Lord was trying to tell him that he might have to go through the lion's den.
You know that we all must go throught the Lion's Den at some point in life figuratively speaking. It may not be as big as life or death, or it could be. Are we like Daniel? Do we handle it with faith and dignity or do we kick and scream and talk about how much we don't deserve it?
Posted by AUNY at 7:38 AM 0 comments
Sunday, November 26, 2006
New Tricks
Today, we will go to my parents' church. I went to this church for several years before we got married. When I come back here, I am reminded about how much things change. I'm glad with where my life is now. I'm very happy with Brock and our ministry. I was happy back then, too. I cannot complain...I've had a good life so far!
Tonight, we're going to perform some new illusions for this church. Pray that they go well. Also, pray that the message with the trick goes well.
Posted by AUNY at 6:57 AM 3 comments
Friday, November 24, 2006
Thanksgiving Day
We had a beautiful Thanksgiving Day yesterday! We fixed a wonderful meal. My mom, sister, and I made all of the side dishes as well as dessert. Brock, who is the meat specialist, baked a very flavorful turkey.
My sister made a wonderful chocolate cake. We started eating on it Wednesday, and it was so good that there were only 3 pieces left yesterday. So, we played blackjack 21 to see who won the pieces of cake. However, we later found that since Brock was dealing, he cheated without us knowing it. Mom said that she should have known not to trust Brock with cards!
After dessert, we rented those 4 seater bicycles. We borrowed two regular bicycles from the owners of the house we were staying in so that everyone could ride. We had such a blast as we rode along the ocean in the warm weather. It also helped us not feel so sluggish after such a big meal.
It was a great day! How was your Thanksgiving?
Posted by AUNY at 9:53 AM 2 comments
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Thanksgiving Traditions
Since we moved from Florida in 1991, we haven't had much of a Thanksgiving tradition. All of my extended family such as grandma, cousins, aunts, and uncles live in Florida. Therefore, it became just my parents, sister, and me. So, we began going out of town for Thanksgiving. One year, we went to San Antonio and ate burgers for Thanksgiving.
That particular year, I had a professor in college who was very animated (Mr. Taylor for fellow ETBUers). He would talk to different people as he gave the roll call. He chose me to ask what I had for my Thanksgiving meal. When I responded with burgers, he nearly fell over. Throughout the entire class, he kept coming back to me and saying..."Really, burgers for Thanksgiving?"
This year, we will be in Galveston. My parents, sister, and brother-in-law come into town tonight. We are planning to have a traditional Thanksgiving meal on Thursday in the beach house in which we are staying. It will be nice. What are your plans for Thanksgiving?
Posted by AUNY at 8:47 AM 4 comments
Monday, November 20, 2006
We are staying at one of my parents' friend's beach house in Galveston, TX. It's great to have this time to get away and relax. When we're on the road or at home, we work. I feel almost brain dead and emotionally dead after our hard fall schedule. It really takes a lot out of us.
The weather is great and Brock's parents came up last night to stay with us for a couple of days. We went shopping at some of the local surf shops. I found some stuff on sale. It's been great so far!
Posted by AUNY at 8:21 AM 2 comments
Sunday, November 19, 2006
The show in Houston went really well. Lots of people gave their lives to Christ. I couldn't even count how many!
The hotel was connected to the convention center by a skywalk over the street. However, the hall in which we performed was at the other end. Plus, our room was at the opposite end of the skywalk. Therefore, I walked the entire length of the convention center as well as the huge hotel at least 4 times within 24 hours. I definately got my walking in. I even had blisters on my feet.
My parents came to the show to hang out with us. Yesterday, we went to the museum which was fun. We saw an exhibit on Benjamin Franklin. Did you know that he helped create the first hospital, fire department, university, and library? He invented tons of stuff.
I was whiped out last night though! I slept 10 hours! I feel great now.
Posted by AUNY at 1:22 PM 0 comments
Friday, November 17, 2006
I did laundry all day long yesterday. I had to go out to the truck and get all of it. Then, I sorted it and washed the heaps of clothes. It was seven loads of clothes! That means that I invested at least 8 hours into it. Can you imagine literally a whole day of laundry? It had to be done though.
We fly to Houston today in order to perform at a conference there. Pray that it goes well. I just had a dream that we got stuck in traffic and took a long time at a restaurant and missed the whole thing!
Also, The Miracles of Jesus airs today at 1pm Central Time on Discovery Times. If you get this new network, watch it and spread the word to others to watch it.
Posted by AUNY at 8:13 AM 5 comments
Thursday, November 16, 2006
Happy Fun Day
Yesterday, we had a happy fun day. We went to get our hair cut and highlighted. Our stylist is so great and she is trying out for a reality TV show about hair stylists. She's made it to the final round and all she must do now is send in a video. So, her boyfriend came in and was videoing us as she did our hair. Brock was giving her advice on how to make her video. It was fun!
Then, we met some people to eat at one of our favorite Mediterranean places. Of course, the Cocoa Tree followed. We had so much fun. The owners were there and after tasting one of Brock's creations (which is a hot brownie cookie topped with fondue chocolate and homemade whip cream), they named it Brock's Extreme Brownie Explosion!
After the Cocoa Tree closed, we went to a place to do kareoke. It was hilarious! Brock sang "She Bangs." I sang one of my favorite songs with a bunch of people "Love Shack." Then, the kareoke lady called up two of the guys in our group, the two new girls, Alisha and Shannon, and some guy named Bill that wasn't with our party at all. Once they got up there, the song that Brock had chosen for them was "The Wheels on the Bus!" What a happy fun day!
Posted by AUNY at 8:44 AM 3 comments
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
A Comment From FX
This is just one of the comments we've heard since FX. The Lord is doing big things in Prattville, AL!
I went to the Freedom Experience in Prattville, Alabama for 2 of the
days and I'd just like to say that it was the most fun/entertainment
we've seen around here in a while! Thanks for that! And not only was it
a blast but it came with a very important message too. You've inspired
so many around here, and I'm one of them. You opened my eyes to what is
greater in life, and turned me around, along with many others, I'm
sure. Even my family has noticed a difference in me. So, once
again...Thank you so much!!!
Go to http://sdenise519.blogspot.com/ to see another one.
Posted by AUNY at 7:53 AM 1 comments
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
The Tour is Over
This fall, we not only did Freedom Experience, but we performed in cities all over the country with the Hidden Agenda tour. It was difficult because this tour was just us. We would drive to a city, set up for 4 hours, perform for 2, and tear down for another 2. For half of that tour, we had no road manager, so it was extra tough. However, last night we performed our last show on that tour and it went great! We ended well for both FX and Hidden Agenda.
In celebration of being done with the big loading shows, I'm getting a massage today. Not only does my body take a beating loading in and out, it does during the show as well. I push the big props onstage and off. Then, getting in the illusions is hard on my body too. I'm so sore today that I might have to tell the massage therapist to go easy!
Posted by AUNY at 8:43 AM 6 comments
Monday, November 13, 2006
Kentucky Shows
We are in Kentucky doing a couple of shows. Last night, we performed with Chaos on Wheels. It went rather well except that the floor was sticky, so the bmx team had trouble. Many of them got hurt. I was up in the balcony watching and could see that after they got off of the ramps, their bikes just stopped but the guys kept going. Many times, they flipped over their bikes. It was rough for them.
For us it was difficult because the audience seemed fifty miles away because the bike ramps separated us from them. However, the camera guys did a great job, so many people watched the screens.
This morning, we woke up at 5:30am in order to go and perform on a local news show. It actually went really well. Usually, it's difficult to do live TV especially with an anchorman as your volunteer. You never know what they're going to say! The girl at the station today was really cute and fun.
Pray that the show goes well tonight. Pray that we will have supernatural strength. We are rather tired.
Posted by AUNY at 10:57 AM 1 comments
Sunday, November 12, 2006
Both Rest and Play
Yesterday, I ended up doing both. I woke up rather early yesterday, but I went back to bed and had a leisure morning. Therefore, I got a lot of rest in the morning. I dug around the bottom of drawers and the closet in order to find enough clothes to wear this week, so I didn't have to do laudry.
Then, Brock and I had a late lunch at our favorite thai place. We ran some errands, killed time at a bookstore. Then, we went to a small record store where MuteMath played in the afternoon. They barely had room to move! There were about 50 people crammed around display tables. We were directly behind them, so all we heard were them and their monitors. It still sounded amazing! Even Michael W. Smith came to observe them perform. Then, we ate at one of our favorite mediterranian places and went to the Cocoa Tree.
It was a great day of rest and play. Now, I feel like I can make it through the next couple of days in Kentucky. Pray for the shows tonight and tomorrow night.
Posted by AUNY at 6:51 AM 0 comments
Saturday, November 11, 2006
Rest or Play?
A lot of times, it takes a couple of days for the tiredness to catch up to me after a FX. I always get physically tired as well as spiritually and emotionally. We pour out so much at FX that it's completely draining.
This is my problem: it's Saturday and time to go play. Everyone wants to do stuff and have fun including me. However, I don't have the energy. Not only that, but we leave again tomorrow to do two shows in KY. I need to rest in order to even be able to make it through.
I'll let you know what I ended up doing...whether I did the mature thing and rested or listened to the little girl inside of me that wants to ignore all of the headaches and responsibilities and just play for one day.
Posted by AUNY at 8:17 AM 0 comments
Friday, November 10, 2006
Last night, we had an after tour party at our house. It was the only time everyone could get together, so it had to be on the day we drove home from Alabama. I thought that I wouldn't enjoy it very much because I was going to be too tired. We drove home, unloaded our stuff, and I jumped in the car and went to the grocery store to buy all of the food we were going to cook. Then, we both began cooking. Brock grilled steak and chicken. I cooked potatoes, baked beans, corn bread with Brock's special butter concoction on top, and tossed some salad. It was yummy!
I enjoyed myself immensely! The Group 1 Crew guys were dancing and being crazy. We ate, laughed, danced, watched Brock do magic, ate from our chocolate fountain, and just hung out. It was so fun!
Posted by AUNY at 8:14 AM 1 comments
Thursday, November 09, 2006
A Changed Community
What an Freedom Experience! We finished with a bang! We had 547 first time decisions to follow Jesus. Think about the impact that is going to make in a small town like Prattville, AL. Last night, every time Brock said the name of "Jesus," the crowd clapped and screamed for joy. That wasn't the case on the first night. This community has definately changed.
My theme song for this year at FX is one of Group 1 Crew's songs called "Forgive Me." The chorus goes like this:
"Ye though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I won't be scared cause You're holding my breath. I only fear that I don't have enough time left to tell the world that there's no time left."
Posted by AUNY at 9:36 AM 10 comments
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
A Historical Moment at FX
Last night was such an awesome show and it was so packed that it felt like the last night. We stuffed people in chairs and in the aisles. After the bmx team performed, we sat people on the floor all around the ramps. People were everywhere! It was great because we saw another 243 people make first time decisions for Jesus. The Lord is doing amazing things in Alabama!
The punk band joined with the hip hop crew for a song again last night. It was incredible! The song that the hip hop group sings is already so moving that when you added the instruments toward the end of the song, it peaked your emotions!
Also, last night, Tim Byrne accomplished something on a skateboard that has never been done before. He did a triple kick flip BLINDFOLDED! It was amazing to watch. In fact, a lot of the other artists and athletes came out on the stage to watch him try it. He missed the first time. Then, he tried to gain his balance and it took him a while before he tried it the second time. On the second try, he nailed it! We saw history in the making last night!
Posted by AUNY at 8:16 AM 1 comments
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
A Good Problem to Have
We packed out the venue last night. We usually don't pack out the place until Wednesday night and never the first night. Now, we're trying to decide what to do about tonight and tomorrow night. It's a good problem to have, yet, still it's a problem.
Our prayers are working. We saw 205 people give their lives to Christ last night!
Posted by AUNY at 11:22 AM 1 comments
Sunday, November 05, 2006
FX in Prattville, AL
We are beginning a Freedom Experience in Prattville, AL. We ask for people to pray for 4 things at FX:
Power of God; we cannot save people, only God can do that.
Protection of the artists and athletes as well as audience members.
Provision; there are always little needs that come up.
People that will attend.
Also, pray for the artists from Eleventyseven and Group 1 Crew, Brock, me, and Shannon, Chaos on Wheels, Tim Byrne, our office staff, and the volunteers. Thanks for your prayers. We need them!
Posted by AUNY at 9:41 PM 6 comments
Cold Show
The temperature in Johnson City, TN had dropped considerably over the night, and it was in the 30's yesterday. We performed in this small auditorium. There was no backstage room on the stage, so I had to unpack the illusions down in the loading area right beside the big garage door where we loaded in from. It was freezing. The whole auditorium was chilly, but down in the "garage" where I worked, it was literally freezing!
During the show, I bring out illusions and set up all of the props onstage. I also participate in many of the illusions in this show. While I'm not onstage, I'm tearing down the illusions that we've already performed. Therefore, I spent a lot of my time down in the freezing "garage" area.
Also, all of the illusions that I perform in are alluminum. Since these illusions had been in the freezing area, they were freezing too. I didn't realize how much cold could affect you. My hands wouldn't work correctly. I was slower on my movements and reaction times. Oh well! It was worth it! The show was good and people were saved!
If you would like to see Shannon's take on the road, go to her blog www.sdenise519.blogspot.com.
Posted by AUNY at 7:38 AM 1 comments
Saturday, November 04, 2006
Crazy Times
We perform in East Tennessee this afternoon. Then, we'll drive home and arrive late tonight. Tomorrow, we drive to Prattville, AL to begin another FX. It's crazy busy! Pray for strength and endurance.
Posted by AUNY at 7:28 AM 2 comments
Friday, November 03, 2006
An Agenda
My favorite part of the show last night was when Brock spoke after the invitation to follow Christ. He said that if the audience was offended that he shared his beliefs with them, then don't watch TV, or a movie, or a concert, or get on the internet, or even go to the grocery store. Everywhere you go, people have an agenda. Brock says that he has an agenda, too...it's Jesus Christ. He's just not hiding it. He also says that he cannot help talk about the One who saved his life.
Then, he said that it's time for others who have a relationship with Jesus to have this agenda as well. It's time for people to stand up for what they believe. At this moment, Brock stood up from his stool and walked toward the front of the stage. The audience began to clap and then one by one, stand up. It was very moving. We were all making a stand for Jesus both physically and figuratively right there together!
Posted by AUNY at 6:53 AM 2 comments
Thursday, November 02, 2006
Planes and Sleep
Yesterday, our plane left two hours late due to fog. This caused us to miss our connecting flight to Myrtle Beach. Therefore, we landed at 4:36 and our show began at 6pm. It was crazy, but we were able to get everything ready and began the show only 10 minutes late. The show was great! The church was an old movie theater. It was cool looking.
I must have been tired because I slept until 9:45 this morning. Those of you that know me know that this is rare for me. The hotel room was dark and the temperature just right. The bed was soft and everything was optimal for sleeping. It's a good thing because I need to rest up for this loaded week!
Posted by AUNY at 10:21 AM 2 comments
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
Busy, Busy, Busy
Last night was a blast. We ended up eating out together. There were ten of us. We had the back room of the restaurant to ourselves which was nice. Then, we went trick or treating/Christmas carolling around downtown Franklin. We got lots of candy and wierd looks. We ended up at one of our friend's house who was having a party. Brock did some magic tricks that were really fun! Of course, we ended the night at the Cocoa Tree where I enjoyed the best caramel apple in the whole world! It also had chocolate on it and was rolled in toffee. Yummy! So, we had tricks and treats! Sometime today, we should have our carolling experience video up on myspace.com/brockgill.
We fly this morning to Myrtle Beach. We do a show there tonight and tomorrow night. Then, we drive to Johnson City, TN Friday. We perform there on Saturday afternoon. After the show, we'll drive home, spend the night, then, leave the next day for Freedom Experience in Alabama. We'll be there Sunday thru Wednesday. It's going to be crazy! Pray that it all goes smoothly and that we'll have supernatural strength to get through it.
Posted by AUNY at 6:13 AM 1 comments
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Halloween at Home
This is the first Halloween that we've had off in 8 years. We do have some meetings this morning, but tonight, we're going to hang out with our friends. We plan on going trick or treating, eating chocolate, and watching a scary movie.
We are bringing our chocolate fountain. I also made that poppy seed bread. I wonder how that would taste dipped in chocolate?
Guess what our costumes are going to be? We're all going to be Christmas carolers. So, amongst all of the trick or treaters, we'll be singing "We Wish You a Merry Christmas..." It's going to be fun!
Posted by AUNY at 6:49 AM 3 comments
Monday, October 30, 2006
A "Me" Day
We left our big rig in South Carolina, flew to Montana, flew home late last night, and will fly to South Carolina Wednesday morning. It's nice to have two days at home even though I wish it were a little longer.
When we travel really hard, we are usually around people 24-7. Therefore, today, I'm spending the day alone. I'm going to have a "me" day. Brock is riding his motorcycle with some friends for most of the day.
These are my plans: (brace yourselves, guys, it's very girly) I'm going to bake some poppy seed muffins that my mother-in-law just gave me the recipe for. I'm reading the sequel to "Gone With the Wind," but I read the first book almost 14 years ago, so I'm watching the movie today. I'll probably read a lot, too. I'll get lost in the times of the late 1800's and let Scarlett do all of the exciting stuff today!
Posted by AUNY at 6:27 AM 2 comments
Sunday, October 29, 2006
Here in Montana
Well, we're in Montana. We flew here from Eastern time zone. Therefore, we gained two hours. Today is daylight's savings time, so we gained another hour. Long story short, I woke up at 5am this morning!
Yesterday, we drove to Red Lodge, MT and some surrounding areas. It was really beautiful. We ate at this great steak place out in the middle of nowhere. We expected it to be cold here, but it was 70 degrees and sunny. However, it's supposed to snow tomorrow, so it's a good thing we're leaving today!
The people here remind me of Alaskans...up here in the middle of nowhere and very outdoorsy. Hunting is a big thing around here. We're in Billings which is the only city I know of in Montana. People were walking around downtown in camoflauge! I've got to tell you that it didn't work there. They were easy to spot!
Last night, we performed our show and it was great! The people are laid back but still get things done. The audience was fun. They even gave away a car at the show! It was a fun day.
Posted by AUNY at 8:10 AM 1 comments
Saturday, October 28, 2006
The Prestige
Thursday, we only had a five hour drive to accomplish in a day. Since that is nothing to us, we stopped along the way to see the movie The Prestige. It is so good! They have a lot of historical facts about the art of magic. They mention Chung Ling Su who was a famous magician at the time. We perform a lot of the illusions that they talked about...the water escape, the bullet catch.
Brock and I kept looking at each other when they would mention something that we knew about. The movie had tons of twists and turns. It had a pledge, turn, and a prestige. You should see it!
Posted by AUNY at 7:26 AM 4 comments
Friday, October 27, 2006
Road Stories
One morning, Brock was still asleep in the back of our big rig, so he was not visible. I was getting diesel fuel and Shannon was filling up our water tanks. Kim was sitting in the front of the truck putting on her make-up. As I was coming back out of the truck stop, a guy stopped me and was asking me questions about our truck. Then he said, "What do they call you, Charlie's Angels?" It was so funny! From then on, Brock would say, "Good morning, Angels" or "Come on, Angels."
We went to Walmart to pick up some extra water hoses to use in order to fill up the water coffin. Shannon and Kim were carrying the hoses behind us as we exited. The not-so-nice lady at the door asked them for their receipt. She looked as if she would not let them get by with those hoses if they did not have one. Brock had the receipt, so Kim yelled his name. He turned around and said, "I don't know them." The look on their faces was priceless. They just knew that they were about to go to Walmart jail!
Posted by AUNY at 7:03 AM 5 comments
Thursday, October 26, 2006
Decisions for Jesus Christ
There were so many decisions made for Christ at this FX. It was a great success. I thought I'd tell you some stories:
One lady had to leave early. However, her watch broke, so she ended up staying until the end and becoming a follower of Christ in the process!
God moved one of the guys in our band, Pablo, during the invitation one night. Pablo said that he could hear a high school guy screaming in his spirit. However, the guy did not move when it was time to talk to someone about becoming a Christian. Pablo walked up to the guy and asked him if he wanted to become a follower of Christ. The guy said yes, but he was a little nervous about it. His dad was in the gang called Blood and his mom is a crack phene. Pablo shared with him and led him to Christ.
Another girl became a Christian on the drive home from FX one night. She was a straight up atheist before. The Lord grabbed hold of her heart and would not let go until she became His.
Posted by AUNY at 6:49 AM 8 comments
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
FX in North Carolina
Last night was the smoothest night we've had of FX from security to production to artists and athletes. It was amazing! The people here in North Carolina are great to work with. They have their stuff together and they love to serve the Lord.
The artists and athletes that we are working with are simply unbeatable. They have so much talent and love the Lord. They are all servants and work together with everyone. It's incredible to be able to be a part of this team.
Posted by AUNY at 6:58 AM 3 comments
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
Prayer Service
We have a prayer service on Sunday nights of FX. This Sunday night, we met in a meeting room across the parking lot of the venue in which we were going to perform. During the prayer, I had a cool vision. There were angels surrounding us in the meeting room. Over in the venue, I saw demons congregating almost like they were having their own meeting. Whenever Brock prayed for the Lord to begin right now, the angels marched right over to the arena and began fighting the demons and beating them down! It was like something from a Frank Peretti book, but I saw it!
I looked around and observed all of the wonderful people in the room praying. People from all different denominations and ages with one heart. It made me realize that when we pray, there is POWER.
Posted by AUNY at 7:43 AM 0 comments
Sunday, October 22, 2006
A Text Message from the Lord
The other night, Brock was feeling a little down (and he never feels down). It was around midnight and I was headed to the kitchen to warm up my bed buddy (that's the corn in a sock thing that helps warm up your feet). As it was heating, I prayed that the Lord would encourage Brock and speak to him in some way.
At that moment, I heard Brock's phone, which happened to be in the kitchen, make the noise indicating that he'd received a text message. Who would be sending him a message after midnight? I took the phone to Brock out of curiosity.
Within seconds of my prayer, Brock received a message from a friend whom Brock rarely hears from that simply said "Isaiah 54." The Lord spoke to Brock through His Word at the time Brock needed it. Wow! The Lord really cares for His own.
Posted by AUNY at 9:15 AM 2 comments
Saturday, October 21, 2006
Just a Normal Day at the Post Office
The other day, I was in the post office waiting in line like everyone else. The last song I heard on the radio was going through my head. Then, I realized that I was humming out loud...very loud. The post office was rather quiet, so my humming was exceptionally audible. I didn't even know how long I'd been humming. I glanced around embarrassed.
Then, I thought that maybe the people in line thought that I was extra happy like on the Disney cartoons where everyone walks around singing and stuff. However, the song I was humming was a Metallica song. It's not exactly "Zippa-Dee-Do-Da!"
Posted by AUNY at 9:05 AM 1 comments
Friday, October 20, 2006
And It Continues
Guess what happened last night? We locked our keys in the car. It couldn't just end. Something had to happen every day of the precious few days we have at home.
Last night, it got to us. It seems to be the smaller things that get me...well, the smaller things after a bunch of other larger things. Of course, it had to be the night where I was anxious to get home because I have stuff to do in order to get ready to leave today. Also, it was raining. In fact, it rained all day yesterday. What a gloomy day!
Pray that it gets better. We leave today to go to North Carolina where we do a big show Saturday night. Then, we travel a couple of hours to do a Freedom Experience. After that, we drive to our next show in South Carolina and fly to Montana to do a show. It's going to be a big couple of weeks!
Posted by AUNY at 7:48 AM 2 comments
Thursday, October 19, 2006
More Car Trouble
On the way home from the Cocoa Tree last night, we got a flat tire. When I heard the flat sound of the tire, I tried to pretend that it was the way the road sounded for the first few seconds. Then, Brock said we had a flat and I knew we did.
We pulled over on the side of the interstate and Brock changed it out for the spare. At least the weather was nice.
I used to get all stressed out and put out when things like this happen. They seem to happen to us a lot and they come in themes. The same type of thing goes wrong in a week. (I notice that lots goes wrong especially when we are busy doing shows. Wonder why that happens???) However, I've learned that there is no point in stressing out or worrying about it. It's just life! Maybe we get more of it than the average person and maybe not. Either way, the Lord always takes care of us, so I'm not worried about it.
Posted by AUNY at 9:05 AM 2 comments
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Not a Bad Day
Yesterday would seem like a bad day if you just heard the facts. Our pick-up truck wouldn't start and Alisha wasn't home to help us jump it off. We live in the country, so we don't have a lot of neighbors or anything. Shannon was with us, but we were too tired the night before to pick up her car from town. Therefore, the three of us were stranded. Then, after we got the truck fixed, we were involved in a hit and run car accident!
The reason yesterday actually went fine was that just as we were beginning to try to figure out who could jump us off, the water guy came up our driveway. He samples the water in our area and uses our spicket to do it. Brock has befriended him, so he gladly jumped him off. Then, we took the big rig into the shop to get it worked on. While we were there, Brock asked where we could get a battery for a little truck. The guy happened to have one and Brock replaced the battery right then and there. It took him about ten minutes to fix the pick-up!
We were driving around town when all of a sudden, we were hit from behind. At first, we looked at each other nervously. Then, we both smiled and Brock shrugged his shoulders. We already have extensive damage to the back of our truck. We pulled over to the side along with the guy behind us who hit us. Come to find out, he'd been hit by a lady behind him who didn't pull over!
Posted by AUNY at 7:45 AM 3 comments
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Tired, Sore, Satisfied
I am so tired right now. Since our show last night was in Jackson, TN which is only a couple of hours from home, we drove home after the load out. We didn't get in until 2 something. It's raining outside, perfect weather for sleeping, but somehow I couldn't sleep after 9:30, so here I am.
You know when you wake up and feel like you've been hit by a train? That was me 30 minutes ago. I'm starting to feel a little more alert though. The soreness is setting in. After we do a big show, we are always sore all over. When my head hit the pillow last night, every muscle ached. The job we do is very physical...loading in, setting up, the show itself, tearing down, and loading out.
However, there is a sense of satisfaction. When your muscles are sore, there is some sense of accomplishment. Also, the show went really well. Therefore, I'm tired, sore, and satisfied!
Posted by AUNY at 10:11 AM 3 comments
Monday, October 16, 2006
American Food?
This weekend, we've eaten mexican, vietnamese, japanese, and bahamian food. If I had to choose, I would never eat American food again. What is American food? Burgers and steaks? The only way I'll eat burgers or steaks is if Brock cooks them on the grill.
Shannon is fitting in just fine. She's adventurous when it comes to food. We like to try new stuff. If it's horrible, then we have a fun story to tell.
Live a little and try something new! I happen to love Turkish food if you have any turkish reastaurants around. Tell me some of the great food you have tried.
Posted by AUNY at 6:59 AM 2 comments
Sunday, October 15, 2006
Show in Kansas
The show yesterday went really well. It was in an old theater. It had ornate curtains that lowered and raised instead of parted in the middle. It also had a balcony with seats all along the sides. It was really cool. The only problem was that it was on the second floor with no freight elevator. We didn't think that we were going to be able to get one of our big props up to the stage. However, the nice, tough boys in Kansas said, "We can do it."
It was sorta nice to be loaded out and finished by 6pm. We drove just an hour to get to Joplin, MO to our friends from Chaos on Wheels. Jen cooked dinner for us and it was great! She's a good cook.
Posted by AUNY at 9:21 AM 0 comments
Saturday, October 14, 2006
A New Girl
We have a new girl traveling with us. Her name is Shannon. Since she is brand new and Kim from our office already had plans to come with us on this trip, we have both of them! That's great, because we need all of the help we can get. It's been fun, too.
Yesterday, we traveled all day. We ate at a haunted restaurant for lunch (read more about that at brockgill.com/blog). For dinner, we had vietnamese. We're already breaking Shannon in. Life on the road can be very adventurous.
We are in Kansas now, and of course, it's cold. It's always cold when we come to Kansas. We have a show here this afternoon. Then, we're going to visit with Jeremiah and Jen who lead Chaos on Wheels. Pray that the show goes well and that Shannon has an easy time finding her place with us.
Posted by AUNY at 7:37 AM 2 comments
Thursday, October 12, 2006
A Hang-Out
I love having a hang-out. I've always watched "Friends" coveting Central Perk or Seinfeld's coffee shop. I wanted to have a place "where everybody knows you're name." I've been searching since I moved here for that place. A restaurant wouldn't work because you cannot move around and hang out for as long as you want. A coffee shop was a good idea. For a while, I tried the Starbucks in our area. However, it's one of the busiest ones in the nation. Therefore, it's crowded and loud.
Finally, I've found a hang-out...the Cocoa Tree. Since we've been going there every week and claiming the back room for ourselves, it's become our hang-out. The light blue and chocolate walls have a calming and warm effect. The chocolate is a dream! Most of the workers know us by name. People stop by and hang out. We meet new friends. What more could you ask for in a hang-out?
Posted by AUNY at 11:03 AM 3 comments
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
"Please Don't Freak Out on Me"
That's the name of our new show. We have been developing a new show over the last few months. We will not do it in its entirety until the beginning of next year, but I'm excited about it! We took a couple of old favorites and combined them with lots of new stuff.
This show is very practical. That makes it easier for everyone. We can do it almost anywhere. It involves the audience more than any of our shows ever have before. About 80% of the time, people from the audience will be onstage participating. Also, you can touch the escape and try on the handcuffs before the show begins if you want.
Basically, we've taken our best asset, which is Brock's personality, and used it to its full potential in a show. This show is where you will laugh and have FUN with Brock.
Posted by AUNY at 9:23 AM 2 comments
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
I've been studying the book of Daniel. I read a book about it written by Paul Cho. I wanted to do the new study by Beth Moore. However, I cannot participate in the group study that they are doing at our church. I'm not here enough. So, I purchased a workbook on it and decided to do that study by myself. The first page said that if you don't watch the sessions on dvd, you will not understand the workbook.
I planned on taking the book back. However, that night, I saw one of my friends at the Cocoa Tree. She is in charge of the women's ministry at her church. They had the dvd's, but were doing a different study at the time. So, she let me borrow it. I've really enjoyed it and am learning a lot!
Posted by AUNY at 7:43 AM 1 comments
Monday, October 09, 2006
John Mayer/Sheryl Crow Concert
I went with a few girls to see John Mayer and Sheryl Crow last night. It was at an outdoor venue and we had lawn seats. However, we were prepared. We got there early enough where we avoided the traffic and got to stake our claim on some good seats. We spread out our blanket and hung out until the concert began. The weather was incredible! We also brought a lot of snacks so that we didn't have to eat nasty concessions. We had a great time being together.
Two of the girls were absolutely obsessed with John Mayer. I had a good time watching how excited they were to see him. He did a really good job. That boy can sing and play the guitar! I really like Sheryl Crow. She looked great and did a good job. During the middle of her set, to our surprise, she brought out Keith Urban. He sang a couple of songs with her. That would only happen in Nashville!
Posted by AUNY at 9:20 AM 6 comments
Sunday, October 08, 2006
Fall is Here!
Yesterday, we drove through the country to get to the trails where we ride our dirtbikes. It was absolutely gorgeous! Leaves were turning colors and falling. Hay bales covered the fields. The sky was a beautiful blue. The air felt clean and crisp. Every now and then, I would stop while we were riding and take in the scene.
Last night, we parked at our friends' house that live in downtown Franklin. Then, we walked across the street to the Starbucks to visit our friend that was working there. After that, we walked to the Cocoa Tree. The air was cool and you could smell fires burning throughout town. It was wonderful!
Posted by AUNY at 8:17 AM 1 comments
Saturday, October 07, 2006
A Weekend at Home
It's so good to be home! We're going to enjoy this weekend because it's the only one we will have at home until sometime in December. Brock and I are going riding our dirtbikes this afternoon. It's perfect weather to ride...sunny and cool. Tonight we are going to see our friend's baby, grab some dinner, and meet the gang at the Cocoa Tree. What a day!
Posted by AUNY at 9:31 AM 1 comments
Thursday, October 05, 2006
Boiled Shrimp, Rosemary Shrimp, Shrimp and Potatoes...
We picked up some fresh shrimp while we were down by the coast yesterday. These shrimp had just been caught that day! We peeled off the heads and had a great Louisiana shrimp boil. We threw in some potatoes, corn on the cob, and lots of spice! It was yummy! Then, Brock made his famous shrimp dish with potatoes and rosemary, garlic, etc. for dinner. It was amazing!
Tomorrow, we will be on the road heading home. I plan on...actually, I have no plans. We are just going to enjoy being home.
Posted by AUNY at 8:30 PM 1 comments
Hurricane Rita: The Forgotten Storm
Yesterday, we drove around in southwest Louisiana where Hurricane Rita ripped through about a year ago. Even after a year, there was much devastation. Whole towns were wiped out! We went to Holly Beach and Cameron. Neighborhoods were simply gone. There were houses sitting in the middle of the swamp! Metal was twisted, gas stations stripped apart, and cars thrown into the marsh.
This storm got overlooked after Katrina. However, it was horrible and the effects still linger in southwest Louisiana. The water got to a level of 37 feet in Holly Beach. The eye of the storm split in two. This caused stronger winds for a longer period of time. All of coastal Louisiana is in a sad state right now even after a year.
Posted by AUNY at 8:51 AM 2 comments
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
Anxiety and Relief
It was Brock's turn onstage. I thought that he didn't go on for another hour or so! Nothing was set and ready yet. Plus, I looked out and nobody was at the sound board to run the music! I'm usually in charge of getting a set order ready and then making sure all of the tricks are set up and ready to go. Plus, I let our sound cue person know exactly what and when to play specific music. I had done none of this!
Brock strolls out onstage and looks at me like "What should I do?" Brock usually knows how to handle himself onstage really well when something goes wrong, but with no music or props, he was at a loss.
I ran back to the sound board and began to try to find some music...something to drown out the silence. Somehow, all of our music had been rearranged and I had no idea where anything was! Everyone was looking at me at this point including Brock who looked so disappointed. Thousands of eyes were looking to me to do something.
I had to think...I had to figure out what to do! Then, it hit me! Wake up!!! That's what I did! Relief came over me as I realized that I was safe in my bed with Brock sleeping calmly beside me.
Posted by AUNY at 7:56 AM 5 comments
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
Brock's Parents' House
Brock is feeling much better. He flew into Houston just fine yesterday. Thankfully, it was a direct flight. He got plenty of rest Sunday and last night, so he's doing much better. It's crazy what your body will do when you are tired.
We are now at Brock's parents' house for a few days. It's very relaxing here, so we will both get much needed rest. I feel like my parents' house and Brock's parents' house are mine too, because when we lived on the road in our truck, we would go to their houses for weeks at a time. Therefore, now, I just make myself right at home.
Brock's grandparents were in a car accident not too long ago. They suffered minor injuries, but it was traumatic for them. We'll probably go see them sometime today.
Posted by AUNY at 9:01 AM 0 comments
Monday, October 02, 2006
Please Pray for Brock
Brock is in California and flying to Texas to meet me this morning. Yesterday, he called me and was feeling really badly. He couldn't do anything, had a fever, and hurt all over. When he told me that he was too tired to eat and that he didn't have enough strength to walk across his hotel room to get some water, I knew what the problem was.
Back in April, I felt the worst I had ever felt in my life. The whole day was rough and I just could not explain it. I felt as if I was going to pass out or throw up all day. We discovered that I had clinical exhaustion. I say "clinical" because we throw the word "exhaustion" around too loosely. I didn't feel exhausted. I felt like I was going to die!
Please pray for Brock. He now has the very thing that I never want to experience again...clinical exhaustion. I feel so helpless because he's on the other side of the country. Please pray that he got enough sleep last night and can make it on the plane. I want him to come to me so that I can take care of him.
Posted by AUNY at 7:13 AM 3 comments
Sunday, October 01, 2006
Birthday Cake Fiasco
Mom's birthday was this month, so we decided to surprise her and celebrate yesterday while we were together. Mom asked me to go to the grocery store that morning, so it was a perfect time to pick up a cake. However, when I got home, I had no idea how to get it into the house without mom seeing it. The kitchen is right by the garage and the dining room table where we were playing cards is beside the back door. She could be in any of these two places at any time. Plus, my sister and brother-in-law were not there yet to help me.
So, I had the great idea to bring it through a window. I opened my bedroom window, ran outside, took the cake out of the trunk, and ran around the side of the house to my bedroom window. I could not get the screen off of the window. I know from experience that the only window in the house without a screen is mom and dad's bathroom window. So, I placed the cake by the front door. I went in and played one hand of cards so mom would not be suspicious. Meanwhile, the cake may be getting hot.
Then, I ran to their bathroom, locked the door, and crawled out the window. I ran around the house to get the cake. The only problem was that the window was too high for me to hoist myself up there much less a cake as well. So, I just went through the back door willing to spill the beans on the surprise, but to my luck, mom was in the kitchen. So, I snuck the cake into my bedroom.
The problem now was that I still had the door locked and window opened in their bathroom. I went back and played another hand of cards. Then, Brock called, so I took the phone outside, grabbed a lawn chair, and was beginning to go back through the window. My dad came out to tell me something to ask Brock. At the sight of me standing on a chair under their bathroom window, he bursted out laughing. However, he did not mention it to my mom. I told Brock that I needed to go because I was crawling through a window. He just said, "Okay." (I guess he is used to my "Lucille Ball" moments and thought nothing of it.)
We surprised mom with the cake and she was none the wiser. I pulled it off!
Posted by AUNY at 7:00 AM 4 comments
Saturday, September 30, 2006
In Texas With My Family
While Brock is at an escape artist convention in California, I'm staying with my parents in Texas. It's nice to be able to relax and enjoy being with my family.
Yesterday, mom and I took Brock to the airport and then ran some errands together. Then, dad went with us to the movies. On the way home, we stopped by one of our friends' houses who had a baby this week.
Last night, we played cards and watched "Law and Order," one of our favorites. It was a nice day.
Posted by AUNY at 8:07 AM 2 comments
Friday, September 29, 2006
New Orleans
We went by New Orleans yesterday. It was a crazy sight. Whole neighborhoods were abandoned. The houses looked about the way that I expected them to look. Doors were open or completely blown off exposing the contents of the house which were thrown all around. One house had been moved about 6 feet. We saw one house where a hole had been cut in the roof of the house. Obviously, someone had sawed their way out.
The thing that I had not expected was the stench. After a year, I didn't know that the decaying neighborhood would still be so potent.
There were symbols written on the houses. They had a big "X" on them and the date indicating when it had been checked. Some of the houses said "Dog still here" or "gray cat missing." It was a sad sight.
Posted by AUNY at 1:03 PM 0 comments
Thursday, September 28, 2006
Night Three of FX
We had over 4,000 people at the show last night! It was incredible! The energy in a full arena is unbeatable. It was a great night. We had freestyle moto riders. They went so high! One guy did have to go to the hospital. He had a concussion. It took him a while before he got his memory back. That's scary!
So many people made decisions last night that they had not even counted yet. Several guys and girls from the last chance boot camp were saved. It was amazing!
We had King of Kings skate team, Chaos on Wheels, Team Faith, Group 1 Crew, Eleventyseven, and Tim Byrne with us this week. You could not ask for a better group. Out of all of those talented people, nobody has egos. Even the girl working at the desk of our hotel talked about how we were the nicest group that had ever stayed here. One worker of the event admited that she was a little skeptical going into this because so many of the guys have long hair and tattoos and piercings. The music is loud, etc. However, she said that it really did work to reach a different crowd. This group reaches the mainstream kid, but they also reach that kid that doesn't quite fit in or is maybe trying to fit in by doing the wrong things. Another lady that we worked with us said that we were the most godly group that they'd ever worked with. What an amazing group of people!
Posted by AUNY at 8:07 AM 1 comments
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Night Two of FX
I'm so tired! Today, we don't have to do school assemblies, but I woke up at 6:30 anyway. Maybe I'll be able to squeeze in a nap. Last night went good. The building is so big and I am running all over trying to make sure the lights, video, sound, security, etc. is right. We are very short handed and all of us are feeling it.
It's all worth it though. The counselors have told us that people have been saved from Satanism, wicca, etc. There have been people that have told about the abuse in their home for the first time. People's lives are being changed.
Posted by AUNY at 7:10 AM 0 comments
Tuesday, September 26, 2006
Night One of FX and Miracles DVD
Last night went well, but I'm so tired! We began at 6:45am yesterday and my head hit the pillow at 11pm. I didn't stop in between. Plus, we did very physical stuff like setting up and tearing down the sound systems at the school assemblies. Then, we had to set up our lights, backdrop, video, and everything! We didn't even get to set up our illusions until after the show had already began!
We didn't quite have enough volunteers to help us set up. At some point in the afternoon, a guy from the army called and asked if we needed help. He sent over 32 men from boot camp. Our host had been praying that they would somehow be able to come to the event. Then, THEY called us! Many of them became followers of Jesus last night.
Posted by AUNY at 6:32 AM 4 comments
Sunday, September 24, 2006
FX in Mississippi
Pray for us. We are doing a Freedom Experience in Hattiesburg, MS. We have to leave our hotel at 6:45am tomorrow and will not stop until after the show tomorrow night. Also, we've got extra artists and athletes at this one. Plus, we are filming it to make a promo dvd for FX. So, we have a lot going on. Pray that everything goes well and lots of people attend.
Posted by AUNY at 11:40 PM 1 comments
Saturday, September 23, 2006
Best Honey in the World
We love honey. I love sweets, and since we only eat desserts once a week, I try to eat as much sweet stuff as I can. I love fruits and honey. They provide a natural sweetness that is almost as good as chocolate! I put honey on everything from granola concoctions I make for breakfast to salmon to plantains. I sometimes put honey on my fruit to sweeten it up even more!
Recently, we purchased the best honey in the world. Literally, it won a contest in Ireland with over 6,000 entries and was named the best in the world! We found it in a little town in Georgia. Our gracious hosts took us to this place way out in the country to buy this honey. There was a tiny shed with jars of honey displayed on the table. There was a slot where you placed your money. It was funny! We bought every single jar they had. The price of this world's best honey? $4.50 a jar. That's about as cheap as the generic stuff at Walmart!
I just had some on my spelt bread this morning. It's so smooth and perfect. I can see why it won the best honey in the world!
Posted by AUNY at 10:05 AM 14 comments
Friday, September 22, 2006
Show in Indiana
The show last night went well even though I didn't feel all that great. Brock was feeling good, so he picked up the slack. I had such a bad headache and I wasn't very quick mentally. Anyway, I forgot a key part of this act we do...The Puppetmaster. I didn't realize it until halfway thru the trick. Brock thought quickly on the spot. He talked me thru it, and we did a completely different Puppetmaster last night. He wears a mask in this particular act, so nobody could tell that he was talking the whole time to coach me on what to do. It ended up being good. The guy that came with us didn't even notice that something was wrong. Brock did a great job of improvising.
The crowd was good and the people who brought us in were excellant! They served us salmon and rolls with homemade apple-cinnamon butter after the show. They treated us well!
Posted by AUNY at 6:44 AM 3 comments
Thursday, September 21, 2006
Miracles are Coming
Yesterday, I was sick! However, I slept 9 hours last night and I'm feeling much better. Today, we leave to go to Indiana for a big show. Pray for strength! Both of us are not feeling quite up to par. Plus, anytime we must drive several hours, then set up a large production, perform, and then tear it all down, it's a killer.
I have a HUGE annoucement! The "Miracles of Jesus" dvd is coming to stores Tuesday. The reality of it hit me yesterday when we got our first copies of it. Please carve out time in your day Tuesday to swing by Walmart or Barnes & Noble to pick up one!
Posted by AUNY at 6:49 AM 4 comments
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
Back in Ft Worth
We are in Ft Worth, TX performing at the seminary tonight. We got to hang out with Brock's sister, brother-in-law, mother, and brother last night. Plus, we were able to meet our little neice for the first time! We also ate dinner with my sister and brother-in-law. They are about to go to South America to be missionaries.
We are staying on the seminary campus. I lived near the campus with my family when I was a junior in high school. I remember walking around the seminary grounds and dreaming about my future. As I walked around this morning, I reflected on those dreams. All of my dreams have come true! Sure we have hard times, but the overall course of my life is better than I had imagined.
Posted by AUNY at 8:23 AM 7 comments
Sunday, September 17, 2006
Pray for Brock
Brock is feeling sick. I think he is exhausted. We worked very hard this week. We came home at around noon and we'll leave again in the morning. We have a really busy schedule for the next couple of months. Please pray for our health and strength especially Brock.
I think that I've shared with you before that 30 minutes onstage is equivalent to an 8 hour workday. That's not to mention driving, setting up, and tearing down the show. We are tired mentally and physically. I'm praying that Brock will feel just fine tomorrow morning after a good night's rest.
Posted by AUNY at 10:07 PM 2 comments
Saturday, September 16, 2006
Shows in Cleveland, GA
We did a big show last night! I'm worn out! The only problem is that we have to drive a few hours and do it all over again. Please pray for strenth.
The show yesterday morning went really well. Pray for Truett-McConnell college in Cleveland, GA. They are praying for a revival and I think it is possible here! The school is truly motivated to serve the Lord. They are great!
Last night, the show seemed to be going rather well. All of a sudden, the crowd began laughing at an odd time. Brock checked his zipper onstage which was really funny! What they were laughing at was above the stage near an open window, the spotlight caught a big rat running along. Naturally, the crowd freaked out a little. That's a first!
Posted by AUNY at 7:46 AM 1 comments
Friday, September 15, 2006
Big Day
Today is a big day! Brock speaks again this morning. Then, we set up for a big show, perform the show, then tear down. I'm tired just thinking about it.
This week has been really great! We're at a small Christian college. It reminds me of the college Brock and I went to where we met. They have a fountain that is occasionally soaped as well!
It's great to be able to pour into these students. Pray that this morning and evening is powerful and people get saved.
Posted by AUNY at 7:00 AM 1 comments
Thursday, September 14, 2006
"Haunted" Hotel Room
We are staying here, in Georgia, for 4 nights. Brock is speaking each morning at the college here and we are performing a big show Friday night. It's been going well. They made a mistake on our room in our favor, so we have a suite for the week! It feels like we have a little apartment. We're actually getting a lot of work done and getting some much needed rest.
To get here, you have to travel thru the woods and over the mountains. It was so dark and deserted on the way here, so we started talking about scary stuff. I think that it's fun to get scared when you are with people, but I seem to pay for it later. That night, I woke up to go to the bathroom and I saw a black form about 4 feet tall standing not 5 feet from my bed. I jumped over closer to Brock who didn't even stir. Right before I woke Brock, I took one more look at the thing. There was just enough light cascading from the window to see that it was indeed a black form...created by Brock's black jacket that he had draped over the handle of our suitcase!
Posted by AUNY at 6:58 AM 5 comments
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
"Family" Dinner
Last night, we stopped to eat at a Japanese restaurant. They only had the habachi grill open, so we sat at the table with several other people. On one side of us were 4 businessmen. On the other side was an older couple. It was fun talking to the businessmen about restaurants around the country. The older couple got out there map to figure out the best way we should go to get to Cleveland, GA. They even called a family member that lives here to tell me the way. It felt like a family dinner only with people I didn't know. It was fun!
Posted by AUNY at 7:25 AM 2 comments
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
Leaving Town Today
I definately felt your prayers yesterday. I had so much to do and not enough hours in the day to do them. The day before we leave is very stressful. It does help that we aren't leaving until after lunch today. I decided that I can do some more errands while Brock is having his meeting this morning.
Then, we both have a meeting with our office. Please pray that this meeting goes well. It's difficult for me to focus my attention on a meeting or any other thing for that matter when we are about to leave town. I'll have several checklists going through my mind. Last Tuesday, we had a meeting right before we left town and I freaked out when we started talking about 2008. I was just trying to get through the day. I'm a little more prepared this week.
I think that it's an epidemic how many women in our country feel overwhelmed. It doesn't matter what job you have...even if you are a stay at home mom, women tend to take care of everyone around them. However, we don't take care of ourselves. This is a disservice to the people we are taking care of. Women out there, sometimes, you must say no or be honest and tell people that you have too much on your plate right now.
Posted by AUNY at 8:12 AM 4 comments
Monday, September 11, 2006
I learned something about myself this week. I don't know my limits or how to set them. I take on too much and then explode with stress. I feel fine, but then, out of nowhere, I either resent the person that I'm doing all of the work for, or I'm on edge because of the load I'm carrying.
I am Brock's assistant which is a fulltime job. However, I am also road manager, stage manager, production manager, illusion consultant, and housewife. I've got a list mile high of things that need to be replaced or fixed. I haven't even got to the stack of mail yet, let alone e-mail. We leave tomorrow for three weeks and I am not prepared physically, emotionally, or spiritually. We have so many illusions that we cannot do unless I make sure they are fixed and we cannot get to the shows unless I make sure the truck gets fixed.
I'm crumbling under the pressure, but if I don't get everything done, who will? Brock's too busy with meetings and e-mails and such to even think about this stuff. What should I do?
Posted by AUNY at 7:21 AM 7 comments
Sunday, September 10, 2006
Motorcycle Riding in the Woods
We took our dirtbikes out to some trails yesterday. The weather is perfect here now. It gets about 80 degrees in the afternoon. That's my favorite temperature...not too hot, not too cold. We road together. I would video Brock taking some huge hills that look impossible to climb up. In fact, I tried to walk up by foot to get a good shot and could not get up. It was too steep! Brock zips right up on his motorcycle and then charges down.
Since I don't go up the big hills or even take the jumps like Brock, I get my fill of riding quicker than Brock. So, I strapped my fun bag to my back, rode into the woods, and found the prettiest spot in the shade by a lake. I layed out a blanket and read for a while.
Just after we got the bikes loaded up and were heading home, it began to pour. We made it out just in time. What a perfect day!
Posted by AUNY at 8:21 AM 1 comments
Saturday, September 09, 2006
So Much To Do, So Little Time
We are about to leave for a little over three weeks and I am stressed. I cannot get everything done before we have to leave. So many things are breaking that I cannot keep up with the repairs. I have so much to do at home. I just did laundry last time I was home...can you believe that I have more to do this time? I have a stack of mail. Plus, I need to balance the checkbook and pay bills.
However, I am not going to work on stuff today and tomorrow. I need to rest my body and mind before we take off. I hope that I can get it all done before we leave!
Posted by AUNY at 9:11 AM 3 comments
Friday, September 08, 2006
The Illusionist
We saw that movie The Illusionist last night. I was just going to see it almost out of obligation. The magic community has been talking about this movie for over a year now. I didn't really know what to expect. In fact, it's not playing in many of our theaters here. We had to drive across town to watch it. However, it was the best movie of the year in my opinion! It was so intriguing. The storyline was incredible. The ending was the best!
Edward Norton, who is one of my favorite actors, learned all of the slight of hand magic tricks. He didn't use a stunt double. What he did may not have looked very difficult, but it was. He rolled an orange and a ball between his fingers like he had been doing it for years. He must have practiced that so much.
Throughout the movie, they showed portions of the magician's show. The story took place back before electricity, so the show was so different from any modern show. There was no music played. For lighting, there were massive candles lining the front of the stage. During the show, everything was very quiet because they had no microphones or sound systems. Everyone had to listen really closely to the magician and they did. The movie enabled us to go to a magic show from years ago!
Posted by AUNY at 9:01 AM 2 comments
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
Shows Over
This is my favorite time. I've got everything packed up and I'm in the empty church. Everyone else is out in the hall talking with Brock or going to their cars. It's quiet and I have a sense of accomplishment.
Brock tends to do random stuff during a show. Tonight, he came onstage with an apple. He took a couple of bites out of it and then threw it on the floor. All night he made reference to that apple. It was funny!
Many were saved tonight, but I especially liked what Brock said after the invitation. He told people who didn't know if there is a God to question it. Ask the Lord to reveal Himself to you. Brock continued to say that it might not be tonight or in the way you think it will happen, but the Lord will reveal Himself to you. Seek Him and you will find Him because He's not hiding.
Posted by AUNY at 7:50 PM 5 comments
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
We are in Brandon, MS right now. Tomorrow, we leave our hotel early in the morning to go to perform a school assembly. Then, we go straight to the venue to begin setting up. Then, we grab a quick lunch and on to another school assembly. Then, we go back to the venue, finish setting up, and begin our performance at 6pm. We're doing all that without a road manager...ugh! I'm overwhelmed to say the least. Please pray for us.
Posted by AUNY at 11:40 PM 2 comments
Sunday, September 03, 2006
Wonderful Weekend
We have had such a great weekend so far. Brock and I stopped at our favorite beach, Pensacola, on the way home from Palm Coast. We spent the day there. It was so relaxing and just a perfect day. There was not a cloud in the sky. The water was crystal clear and not too cold but not too hot. One time when we were in the water, Brock was floating face down. A big crab crawled underneath him, so I touched him to make sure he didn't put his knee or foot down on it. Brock jumped up with a start. In the minute he was underwater, he had fallen asleep. He actually had a dream. That tells me two things about him: 1.He was too tired Friday, and 2.He's too comfortable underwater.
Last night, we went to dinner and the Cocoa Tree with friends. One of the girls has a birthday this week, so we had a surprise party for her at the Cocoa Tree. Brock distracted her at the entrance of the Cocoa Tree while we went to our normal room in the back and decorated with birthday stuff. We had a candle in her trouffle. It was perfect!
Then, some of my friends that I grew up with in Daytona, Kevin and Tiffany, walked in the door. They are married with two kids and live in Murfreesburo now. Also, his mom, Mrs. Godbey was visiting, so she was with them. I saw her at the FX and the Cocoa Tree...twice in one week in two different states!
Today, we plan to go to church, then lunch, then a movie, and dinner at some friends' house. What a fun weekend! What are you guys doing on this Memorial Day weekend?
Posted by AUNY at 9:26 AM 6 comments
Saturday, September 02, 2006
One Testimony from FX
We heard several cool stories from this FX, but this one caught my attention. A lady told someone at her job that her son had gone to the FX the night before. When he came home, she could tell that he was different. He told her that he had given his life to Jesus. This guy had a learning dissability and could barely read. One of the counselors had given him a Bible. The boy began reading the Bible that night with no problems whatsoever! The mother was amazed at the quick change in her son. It's also cool that she was talking about it at work. We know that people are talking about it at the schools. We were hoping that it was affecting the whole town including the workplace, but we didn't know for sure until now.
If you want to see a clip from the FX, go to Brock's myspace and click on the "Chaos on Wheels" blog entry.
This was a little bit of a sad FX for us because it was Stephy's last. Read Brock's blog (brockgill.com/blog) and I ditto everything he said. We had so much fun on the road with her. I'm going to miss her!
Posted by AUNY at 9:26 AM 0 comments
Thursday, August 31, 2006
Night Three of FX
Last night was great! We had a little snag with the water coffin, but everything else went smoothly. We also had to change around the ministry time. It went much better than I expected. The counselors ran out of contact cards! We had about 290 first time decisions to follow Jesus in Palm Coast, FL. God is so amazing!!!
The storm ended up being a joke here. It barely even rained. Whenever I talked to one of the workers of FX, I told her how we were all praying that it would just dissipate. She said that she had heard that word used a lot around there. Apparently, we were all praying that the storm would "dissipate." The Lord answered all of our prayers because when it got here, it was dissipated!
Posted by AUNY at 8:03 AM 4 comments
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
Night Two of FX
Last night was incredible! It was wild but a good kind of wild. First of all, we performed one illusion that we call the shower curtain. The reason we named it that is because we pull a curtain all the way around the prop. Last night, the curtain got stuck and it wouldn't go all the way around. It only went a short way. Here I was onstage not knowing how to make this trick happen. Brock was already locked up in the contraption so he was helpless. Stephy came running up asking what I needed to make it work. Brock talked to the crowd and joked with them until Stephy and I found a screw driver. I took the screw driver and popped out the metal that was protruding inside the track preventing the curtain from moving. I was able to fix it easily. I gave a little almost bow to the crowd with the screw driver still in my hand. They laughed and we continued the trick.
The bullet catch was the best one we've done. When Brock hit the ground after the gun was fired, people ran up to the stage. We wondered why they did that until my friend, Kim, who was in the audience said that people ran up to the stage yelling, "He's dead!" Then, someone said, "That boy is getting up!" The audience roared with applause and screams. It was great!
Pray that they don't shut us down tonight. The storm is much less than we thought it would be. However, it is coming our way and the county south of us closed their schools today. The school we are at didn't close, but they cancelled all extra curricular activities. We are hoping that they are not considering us as an extra curricular activity!
Posted by AUNY at 9:12 AM 2 comments
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
Night One of FX
Last night was great! There was a good crowd and many, many people gave their lives to Jesus. The show went exceptionally smoothly.
At one point in the night, Brock and I looked out from backstage and watched as the crowd standing right in front of the stage were lifting their skateboards and swaying them to the music of the band. I told Brock, "This is FX."
We have some new members on our team. Eleventy Seven and Group One Crew are with us. They are both excellant bands and really nice people. Chaos on Wheels and Tim Byrne are back with us. Everyone is doing a fabulous job at grabbing the audience's attention and doing their role in FX. It's so cool to see how everyone who has such different talents can work so well together and use their gifts for the Lord.
I must admit that it took me a little while to change gears after a summer of youth camps. FX is definately not your church crowd. That's good, but it's definately a change from the audiences we've had for the last few months.
Night one was a success!!!
Posted by AUNY at 8:17 AM 3 comments
Monday, August 28, 2006
Pray that Ernesto does not come thru Palm Coast. I don't want to say pray that it goes another way because that's like praying that your team wins the ball game. The other team is praying for the same thing. Everyone is praying that the storm doesn't come their way. I guess we could pray that it dissipates to almost nothing? Just pray that FX is still on the whole time and we have good crowds.
Posted by AUNY at 11:26 AM 2 comments
Sunday, August 27, 2006
So It Begins
Yesterday morning, I went to blog and our laptop would not turn on. We use our laptop in every show to play music, etc. Therefore, I was a little concerned about what we would do if it went out. Brock had to go to the computer store before we left and get it worked on. Fortunately, it was only a new battery that we needed. We've had this computer for two years and have put it thru some abuse. We take it everywhere...in arenas, outside venues, other countries. We bought this one to replace the one that was stolen from backstage at a show a couple of years ago.
Then, one of the girls from our office woke up yesterday morning and her phone wasn't working. This is the girl who is having all of the office calls forwarded to her cell phone so that she can answer while at the FX. This phone just quit on her yesterday. It's working now though.
Our lights on our trailer went out and we need a new battery on the truck. Also, our air conditioner in the truck did not work very well yesterday. We just took the truck into the shop to have some other stuff fixed. Now, we have an even longer list of things to do.
We usually get attacked at FX in themes. I think this one is things breaking. It began at our last show when the airport security broke some of our magic while checking our luggage. We spent all week repairing that stuff and buying new stuff. I thought we were ready only to find more things are breaking. Pray that this ends now. Pray for us, our office, the bands, the skater, the bmx team, and all of our stuff that we use to make this happen. Pray that this FX is powerful and effective. Pray for the Lord to place His hand on this and never pull it away.
Posted by AUNY at 7:36 AM 5 comments
Friday, August 25, 2006
Welcome to the War Zone
My dad received some literature entitled "Welcome to the War Zone" on how to pray when he was in Romania earlier this year. The information is very good. I think it could be applied to the Freedom Experience. We see so much spiritual warfare at these events. Whenever we do an FX in a school gym, the spiritual warfare is so much more intense. The sad truth is that Satan reigns in our public high schools. The only way to combat spiritual warfare is through prayer. You can help us in that aspect. We begin an FX in Palm Coast, FL on Monday. Please begin praying with us. Here is some of the insight I received from the literature:
The primary purpose in praying for the lost is not to convince God to save them. He is "not willing that any should perish." (I Peter 3:9). However, it is to do spiritual warfare-freeing them of demonic influence so they can be saved.
These are the weapons that we can use:
1. The blood of Christ---Revelation 12:11, Hebrews 2:14, I John 2:2
2. The Name of Jesus---Luke 10:17
3. The Word of God---Ephesians 6:17
4. Praise---2 Chronicles 20
5. Fasting---Isiah 58:6
6. Love---I Corinthians 13:7-8
Posted by AUNY at 10:21 AM 0 comments
Thursday, August 24, 2006
If I were going to invent something, I'd invent larger ketchup packets. You have to use 36 packets just to get enough for your burger or whatever. I don't think it would hurt anyone financially to make larger ketchup packets. It might even make it less expensive. I'm guessing that the packaging is the most money. Therefore, if you made larger packets, people would use less of them and less packaging. What would you invent if you could invent anything?
Posted by AUNY at 9:51 AM 5 comments
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
We went bowling last night. We had so much fun!!! First of all, I've never been very good at bowling and never made over 100 in score before. Last night, I broke 100!
We didn't just do your normal bowling all of the time though. We played follow the leader bowling. One person would do some sort of crazy move as they bowled and everyone had to do the same crazy stunt. Brock rolled his ball into another lane once. He also grabbed the ball out of two of the girls' hands just as they were about to let it fly down the lane. We played dizzy lizzy bowling. You can only imagine how that went. It was crazy! We videod some of it.
Posted by AUNY at 7:55 AM 6 comments
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
A Lady in the Airport
Saturday, we hurriedly went to grab lunch in the airport before our plane took off. When we sat down, I noticed a woman probably in her late 50's sitting alone a couple of tables away. Immediately, I just knew that she was hurting and I needed to pray for her. As I began praying for her, I knew that she was having trouble with love...not between a woman and child or between friends but between a man and a woman.
About 5 minutes later, she began to cry. Brock who was oblivious to the whole thing was teasing with the waitress about how the restaurant makes their crabcakes. The waitress had said that the main ingredient was love. Brock said, "You can't buy true love at the store." At that moment, the lady jerked her head toward our table. That statement got her attention. This all confirmed my thoughts about the lady.
My heart went out to her and I prayed so intently. After we left, I told Brock about my experience. He said that when that sort of thing happens, I need to go and tell her. For some reason, I thought that information given from the Lord like that was just to help me be able to pray better. Brock said that it would mean so much more to her if she knew that the Lord had told me things about her and that I was praying for her.
Then I knew that I had missed out on an opportunity. Please pray for this lady with me. All I know is that there is a very lonely woman who passed through the Charlotte airport Saturday morning. Pray with me that she will find the truest love that surpasses all human loves. Pray that she feels the glorious love from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Posted by AUNY at 8:28 AM 1 comments