Saturday, April 30, 2005

Flights

I flew back yesterday, so we are both home now. The flight got a little bumpy. I actually got some air at one point. It was sorta fun. However, a lady did throw up.

The worst flight we've had was on our way back from Australia. We were flying from LA to Denver on the largest commercial airplane in existence and it was completely full. In fact, we had to wait an extra 2 hours before taking off because we were too heavy.

During the flight, we started smelling something burning and began to see smoke right across the row from us. Brock rings for the flight attendent and she comes over with a big smile. "May I help you?" Brock asked what all of the commotion was. She didn't know what he was talking about. He pointed in the direction of the smoke. The lady let out a gasp and ran over toward the smoke.

A few minutes later, three young flight attendents stood around the smoke one holding a fire extinguisher. "You do it," one said. "No, you do it," said another as she thrust the extinguisher in her direction. About that time, Brock said that we were landing. The plane completely turned around. The captain came on the intercom and stated that we had a "slieght fire" in the cabin so we were making an emergency landing in Las Vegas.

A passenger on the plane went to the flight attendents and said that he works on heaters for a living and he could fix it. Apparently, a heater in the cabin was acting up. The passenger ended up fixing the heater and we continued on to Denver.

The whole plane gave a standing ovation when we landed. You know it's a bad flight when everyone claps and cheers as you land!

Friday, April 29, 2005

Matthew 21:22

"If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer."
-Matthew 21:22

Thursday, April 28, 2005

Family and Cookie's Cantina

While Brock's been in Malta, I have been staying at my parents' house in a small town outside of Houston. It's been great! When you go back home after you are married, it is so different. Suddenly, this house that used to have guidelines and responsibilities becomes a place of fun and relaxation only. Everything is optional and carefree because it's home yet you are still a guest.

A couple of nights ago, mom and I drove to a town right off of I-45 to meet my sister, Kay half way. Kay lives in Fort Worth. We stayed at a Holiday Express and had a pajama party. It was so fun! The three of us are so different yet think a lot alike. We always seem to understand and appreciate the other person's point of view.

Normally, you cannot go wrong with a mexican restuarant in Texas. However, Cookie's Cantina left much more to be desired. (I should have known something was up with a name like "Cookie.") I asked the little waitress if the queso was white or yellow (I like the white colored). She said that it was just velveta melted down. She grabbed a plate with a half eaten burrito and with a look of disgust, pointed to the cheese and said, "It looks like this." Then, later another lady who we came to find out was Cookie came to take our order. I asked her if the beef in the chimichanga was ground beef of steak. She said, "I'll be honest. I get them frozen from Sam's." I ordered the enchilados. They were not the best I've ever had. They were tough. I've never had tough enchilados before. Kay said those were probably frozen too!

Wednesday, April 27, 2005

Blue Toenail Polish

The other night at the show, I really gave my toes a beating! The backstage area was rather limited and I ran over my toes with props weighing over 100 pounds. One of my toes is black and blue with bruising. I do not wear shoes in the show. Therefore, I do not have any shoes on backstage either.

So, I repainted my toenails today. I always use dark blue toenail polish. I think that I like the blue because it matches one of the beads on my toe ring my sister-in-law bought for me in Africa.

I did not think anything of my blue toenail polish until I went to get a pedicure one time and they did not have any blue polish. They only had numerous shades of reds and pinks. You know when you find out that you are wierd about something but you didn't know it? This was one of those moments for me.

Tuesday, April 26, 2005

More News from Malta

Here is another e-mail from Brock:

hey . . the filming is going great . . i havent done much . . this is bigger than i thought . . they are doing a thing called time slice . . . its the matrix thing . . it is really expensive . . it is time consuming . . i am not in the time slice i dont think . . tonight i will still the storm . . this place is amazing . . its so legit . . the actor playing Jesus is in some big movies like james bond and band of brothers . . i am wearing my travel clothes and the red hoodie . . as soon as i got off the plane they said stand here and started shooting . . then they said wear the same thing everytime we shoot . . i was disappointed but oh well . it is very windy and kinda cold so im glad i had the hoodie for the shoot . . now i get to wear it the whole time . . tonight i will be wearing a wet suit . . i will be in the water for the shoot . . i had to go to a fitting for it . . it was kinda funny.

He's responding to my questions about the filming and what he is wearing for the shoot. We didn't know if he would wear his own clothes or if they would have wardrobe. So, I packed him so many different outfits. He has every shirt he owns that doesn't sport some sort of logo. If you want to see the studio where he is filming right now go to www.mfsstudios.com.

Monday, April 25, 2005

E-mail from Malta

I finally heard from Brock. I think that yesterday was the first day that I have not corresponded with Brock at all since we've been together. It was tough. I was tense and worried all day. I often thought about Brock's cousin whose husband went to Afghanistan on 9/11. He was a member of the "Special Ops." She was unable to communicate with him for two weeks! She must be a very strong women.

Anyway, here is the e-mail Brock sent:
hey . . i finally figured out how to get online . it is great here . . i love it . . it is beautiful . i am going to film all night long . . i finish at like 8 am . tonight then straight to the airport . . i guess i will sleep on the plane . the food is good . . weird though . you might like something . i am alone . alot . . went into the city today . man i was lost . . had no money, phone, car, nothing . . i finally figured out how to exchange some money so i could buy something to drink . . i have no idea how much money i spent . . i took $40 and exchanged it for the lira . . .????? ok whatever, i dont know how much anything is or the exchange rate . . most people here can speak english . . that is nice . although all i here is arabic unless i talk english to them . . people are nice . . the film studio is amazing . . incredible experience . . be back soon . . i have quick meeting

If you are interested in blogging but do not know how to get started, go to www.randyelrod.typepad.com to receive information about a seminar on the subject.

Sunday, April 24, 2005

Weather Changes and International Flights

Yesterday morning we started out in Jacksonville, FL with lots of blue skies and great temperatures. It grew colder every mile closer to approaching Nashville. When we finally got home, there was ice on the windshield!

We stopped in Cordele, GA to do a show at an outdoor festival. It was fun! The wind was crazy though. I had to hold every prop so that it would not fly away. Wind is usually not our friend when it comes to an illusion show. However, I think we pulled it off.

Then, we took Brock to the airport in Atlanta so that he could fly to Malta. It would be an eight hour flight to England and another two hour flight to Malta. Then, he was supposed to go to the studio to start filming. Communication is going to be difficult. Therefore, I have not heard from him yet, but I'm praying that his flight and everything went well. I'll keep you posted.

Saturday, April 23, 2005

Show in Florida

Our school show yesterday was not good. It was so bad that we decided not to do school shows on Friday afternoon anymore. It is counter productive.

The show last night went well. Chaos On Wheels did a demo outside. After the guys were finished, Brock rode out on one of the bikes and said into the mic, "Do you want to see some more? Follow me." He rode inside the building as everyone followed. Surprisingly, we did not lose the crowd. Many made a decision to follow Christ.

Friday, April 22, 2005

Outside Show

Last night, we performed in a parking lot. Chaos on Wheels had there quarter pipe and jump box set up. The quater pipe is about 15 feet tall but is off to the side. The jump box is a platform with ramps on either side and stands only 5 or 6 feet off of the ground but is placed right in the center of the "stage" area. Bleachers were on all four sides of the jump box. Our stage was in front of the 6 foot jump box. Therefore, the people sitting behind the box would not be able to see. So, Brock used the entire area between the bleachers as a stage. He did an illusion on top of the quarter pipe. He escaped from the straight jacket on top of the jump box. As he was still in the straight jacket, he got on his skateboard and road down the ramp. He rode his dirtbike blindfolded into the crowd and between some of the bleachers. It was a challenging show, but Brock made it work!

Thursday, April 21, 2005

Cancelled School Show

We arrived here in Jacksonville, FL last night because we were supposed to do a school show today. The school cancelled. Therefore, we get to hang out here all day. It's rather nice to stop and breath a little. Having been a part of FX, GMA, and the fundraiser these last few weeks, this is the first chance we've had to relax. Realize, it will not be total relaxation because we have to do a show tonight.

Chaos On Wheels is with us at this show again. They are performing at the middle schools today and tomorrow and we are at the high schools. Since our school show cancelled today, the bmx team is gone and we are back here at this fun hotel.

I just discovered that if someone is working harder than me at an event, I feel guilty. I need to get over that. We've been travelling hard for 6 years. If we don't slow down, we will not be doing this very much longer. This is the whole point in hiring Duane to go on the road with us. He's here to take some of the load off of us.

You know how people say, "It's a crazy time for me right now"? It seems that it's always a crazy time for us. Therefore, I need to take advantage of the time to rest.

Wednesday, April 20, 2005

Packing

Today, I am packing us up to go out of town. It usually only takes me a few minutes because I've had so much practice. In fact, a portion of my things stay packed. However, this trip is a little tricky because Brock is leaving to go out of the country. Tomorrow and Friday, we perform in Florida. Saturday afternoon, our show is in Georgia. Then, Brock catches an evening flight to Malta. It's an island in the Mediterranean. I fly out Sunday morning to stay with my parents while Brock is overseas.

You may be wondering why Brock is going to Malta. Well, I'll tell you. He has the lead role in a mini-series called "The Miracles of Jesus" that will be aired on the Discovery Channel. The first shoot takes place in Malta. I am very excited! The objective of the show is to prove that Jesus actually performed miracles and not illusions. Can you believe that the most watched cable network is playing a documentary that is pro-Jesus?

I have confidence in Brock as he is a natural in front of the camera. However, this is very new territory for us. Keep this project in your prayers because the message will ring out to so many ears.

Tuesday, April 19, 2005

The Dessert Theater/Fundraiser

The fundraiser was a huge success! Our needs amount to $200,000. That's a lot of money! Last night, we made a more realistic goal of raising $10,000. In his show at the fundraiser, Brock spoke about how we learned to pray specifically and the Lord met our needs. After counting all the ticket sales and donations given last night alone, it came out to exactly $10,000.

Monday, April 18, 2005

Fundraiser

Whenever we had to sell candy bars in middle school as a fundraiser, I'd always buy a bunch and hand them out because I didn't want to sell them. I'm a horrible sales person. However, sometimes you just need money. Brock is teaching me that it is not a bad thing to ask. Some people are blessed financially and want to know how they can give.

Unfortunately, our ministry requires lots of funds. Illusions are very pricey. An average illusion ranges anywhere between $5,000 to $10,000. However, in order to take it up a notch, we need to spend even more. We also have so many other financial needs. Therefore, tonight we are having a fundraising dessert theater. I actually think that it will be fun. We will get to perform for several of our friends and share with them more about our ministry. Also, we are trying to build more prayer support. A chef from Seattle is cooking some gourmet cheesecakes so the food should be excellent!

If you would like to give but cannot attend the show, you can send a check or money order to:
Vertical Ministries
P.O. Box 55952
Birmingham, AL 35255
Make sure you write "Brock Gill" on the memo line. If you are not able to support us financially, please pray for our ministry. We need the prayers!

Sunday, April 17, 2005

Shows and Hard Work

The last entry I told about attending an award ceremony and a party. Our job can be so fun and exciting. However, it can be stressful and hard as well. This weekend was just plain hard work. We rose early Friday morning and drove 6 hours to a town outside of Indianapolis. We set up all day and performed at around 10pm. After tearing down and getting back to the hotel, we were able to get to bed around 2am. We left at 7am the next morning to drive to Decatur, AL in time to set up at 3pm. After another day of setup, we performed two 90 minute shows back to back! Yes, it was another late night. Then, we had to be at the church this morning by 8am in order to do a trick in the early service. We did a show during Sunday School for the youth and then performed again in the late service.

It has been said that 30 minutes onstage is equivalent to an 8 hour work day as far as fatigue goes. I believe it because onstage, every muscle gets tense. Plus, with our job, it's physical as well as mental. Magic is a perfect art. In other words, if we mess up, the crowd knows it! That's why we must be on top of our game at all times.

Needless to say, I'm tired. It was all worth it though. The first night was difficult. We shared the stage with a band and we had many technical problems. Yet, many people gave their lives to Christ. The shows last night went much more smoothly and 105 people made decisions to follow Christ! It was incredible!

Thursday, April 14, 2005

The GMA Awards

Yesterday, we spent the entire day participating in GMA events. Brock had a couple of TV interviews in the morning. They went fairly well. For one TV program called REACHOUT TV, Brock performed some tricks in the lobby of the hotel hosting GMA. He drew quite a crowd. The guy who produces the television show went to one of our shows in Conneticut. His daughter gave her life to Christ that night at our show, so he was a big fan of Brock's.

Around noon, we went to a luncheon where artists of the Greg Oliver Association put on a concert. With only an artist pass as opposed to a media pass, we were not supposed to eat the catered food. However, Greg Oliver spotted Brock and invited us to join him for lunch. We knew most of the performers personally and think they are great people. The artists consisted of BarlowGirl, By The Tree, Inhabited, Todd Agnew, NewSong, Big Daddy Weave, and a few others.

We scored tickets to the GMA Awards (formerly known as the Dove Awards) and the Word Records after party. There are benefits to having an outgoing, well liked husband. It was fun! The artists that won awards were very humble and gave all of the credit to the Lord. Switchfoot won several awards but were not present. Everybody was daring Brock to go up and accept the Dove Award because people say that he looks so much like the lead singer John Foreman. You don't dare Brock. He'll do anything. I was literally pulling down his arm to keep him in his seat. He spared me the embarrassment and did not act on the dare even though he wanted to. The party had great food and company.

Tuesday, April 12, 2005

Run! Run! Run!

The other day, I was at Jupiter Project's office working on our new DVD. There office is a house in an older part of town. This area is improving but still is rather rough. I needed a diet coke, so I walked to the corner store that was just a few yards from the office. On my way back, a car drove by with its music blaring. The driver honked at me. Picking up the pace, I ignored him and continued back to the house. I retrieved my cell phone and pretended to be talking with someone. Sometimes, I feel that if you are confident, perpetrators will leave you alone.

Then, I heard tires screeching and the music get louder and louder. The guy had backed up and almost driven on the sidewalk where I was walking. I caught a glimpse of him as he waved me to come over. He was a big, cut, black guy who looked as if he could have scooped me up with one hand. I took off! I didn't just run; I sprinted as if I was approaching the finish line in a race and wanted to pass that one guy that I'd been following the entire race. The verse that I posted Sunday came to mind..."Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings." Psalm 17:8. I recited it over and over until I reached the office safely and shut the door.

Lesson #1: Ladies, don't be afraid to run. I didn't see a gun, but if I had my actions would not have differed. Do whatever you can to not get in the car with anyone.

Lesson #2: Just because it's daylight does not mean that someone cannot grab you. Always be aware of your surroundings. Avoid bad areas of town no matter what time of day it is.

Lesson #3: Pray for the Lord's protection. If you have the Lord on your side, your chances of survival are greater. If I ever actually get taken against my will, I plan to sing praise songs to the Lord. That just might scare the snot out of the guy!

Monday, April 11, 2005

Best Corporate Worship Experience

Gospel Music Association (GMA) week just began. GMA is a time when Christian artists, radio affiliates, record labels, management, and the whole industry get together in Nashville for a few days leading up to the Dove Awards which take place Wednesday night. Interviews of all kinds are conducted. Concerts are presented in order to showcase new as well as experienced talent. Several other meetings are held during GMA.

Last night, I went to the worship service. I thought that it would be difficult to really worship God with all of these great top Christian performers. Michael W. Smith led most of the time. Amy Grant was just a choir member. About 100 artists were in the choir including Clay Crosse, Point of Grace, Todd Agnew, Avalon, BarlowGirl, and many other big name musicians. At first, people were snapping pictures right and left. Video cameras were coming out. I thought, "Here we go." However, by the end of the night, every single person looked as if they were into it. It being worshiping our Lord. Here were all of these talented singers, yet I felt as if we were all just children of God.

As the night drew on, the line between the audience and the stage became blurred and we were all one huge choir praising the Lord with all of our might. At one point, a portion of the audience began to sing the hymn "Holy, Holy, Holy." Michael W. Smith and the magnificent "choir" joined in.

The most powerful times during the night seemed to be when Peter Furler from The Newsboys led in the song "He Reigns," Darlene Zscech with "Shout to the Lord," and Micheal W. Smith directed "Healing Rain." I think that they were the most exuberant because it was almost a testimony since they are the authors of the songs. I wish you could have been there. The Holy Spirit was thick in the auditorium and He was leaping for joy inside my heart.

Sunday, April 10, 2005

Psalms 17:6-8

"I call on you, O God, for you will answer me; give ear to me and hear my prayer. Show the wonder of your great love, you who save by your right hand those who take refuge in you from their foes. Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings."

Saturday, April 09, 2005

Wildlife

Living out in the country is great...lots of land beautiful land, privacy, and wildlife. Well, the wildlife has its disadvantages. You heard about my sleep deprevation due to a beautiful cardinal. It enjoys ramming into our window at about 5:30am. Now, there is not one, not two, but three birds that take turns trying to fly into the window over and over again until I feel like screaming!

We have some wasps that have built a nest in the attic of the garage. They linger right at the entrance of the garage, so we've been avoiding going into it because of the plethera of wasps waiting to attack. Brock waited until night to go and spray the nest. He said that they don't fly or sting at night. I don't know if this is accurate, but it seemed to work.

Our road manager left his shoes out on the porch. Several hours later, only one shoe remained. We assume some sort of animal took off with one. What kind of person would steal only one shoe? I'm guessing one of the neighbor's dogs is the culprit.

Then, to top it off, our house is being invaded by ladybugs. The problem with ladybugs are that you don't want to kill them. They aren't like your average bug. They are cute and harmless. In fact, I heard that it was against the law to kill them because they eat bugs that hurt crops. Meanwhile, ladybugs are taking over my house!

A few minutes ago, as I was mowing the lawn, I spotted a big snake. This wasn't your little garden snake. It was about 5 feet long. I brought Brock over to the snake so that he could take care of it. He said that it was just a chicken snake and would not bite. In fact, it eats rats and other pests. Therefore, Brock decided not to kill it.

Friday, April 08, 2005

Mary and Taxes

Today was the dreaded day to get our taxes done. I would've waited until the very last minute, but we are going to be out of town next week. Ministers' taxes are difficult as it is. When your ministry is not affiliated with a church, taxes are almost impossible!

Mary was the lady's name who took care of us. While we waited with Mary for another worker to answer some of our extraordinary questions concerning our taxes, we had an interesting conversation. Mary is a buddhist. After she told us this, I became nervous and immediately began praying about what to say. I felt as if the Lord was saying to listen. Brock asked her lots of questions about her beliefs. She answered and we listened. Right there in the H&R Block we discussed Jesus and reincarnation.

In situations like this, I get anxious because I feel as if the person must give her/his life to Christ before I leave his/her company. In our small group at church, we studied from a book called "Finding Common Ground" by Tim Downes. I learned that you don't always need to seal the deal. Sometimes, we just need to shut up and listen. This was the case today. However, my work is not done. I will be praying that someday Mary will be ready to hear and receive the good news of Jesus Christ.

Thursday, April 07, 2005

FX Report

This FX was by far the best! The people hosting and promoting this event were exceptional. They did everything we asked and then some. The green room was always loaded down with drinks and snacks. The volunteers worked hard. Everyone was pleasant to be near.

The first night, about 600 attended. The second night was around 1,100. Last night was estimated 2,500 and the people just filled the arena. The decisions made for Christ totalled 115 the first two nights and I have not received a number for last night. It had to be hundreds last night. The sea of people began to empty into the aisles. We waited for ten minutes as people just kept coming to respond to the invitation to invite Christ into their lives. It was incredible!

I wish every night on the road was like last night. It was so awesome! To start off, after we played a countdown video, Duane drove our big truck into the arena honking our big truck horn the whole way. When he stopped, I jumped out and opened the side door on the trailer. Out came all of the band, the bmx team on their bikes, and Brock on his motorcycle. Everyone ran or rode up the jump box and onto the stage. The music faded and Brock yells "Are you readdddy?" into the mic as the band kicked it.

The group that put this on covered everything in prayer. You could feel the prayers. One of the worker's mom was placed in the hospital Tuesday with chest pains. They suspected heart problems but found out it was just a little stress. Remember that Robert's bike was stolen last week? Someone in the audience donated $1,000 for him to buy a new bike. God really answered all of our prayers!

Wednesday, April 06, 2005

Spiritual Warfare at FX

Chaos On Wheels was short one rider for this FX, so Brock decided to ask a bmx rider from Nashville to go with us this trip. Brock knew that this guy, Robert, was the guy when he informed Brock that his bike was stolen last week. This type of thing happens often with FX team members.

The spiritual warfare is always great whenever we perform in order to reach a city for Christ. However, when an FX is involved, it's even more hightened. The warfare seems to come in themes. Once, all three vehicles broke down somehow on the way to an FX. One time after leaving an FX, all three vehicles had brake problems. Another time, every single night, something went wrong just as we were about to begin. The first night, the countdown video reached 3...2...1...0 and the amps just blew. The second night, one of the riders snapped his bike in two while warming up. Brock had to weld it together just in time for the show. The bike was still glowing red from the weld when Frank, the rider, took to the ramps. The last night, the brakers blew ten minutes before showtime.

Also, the people who attend are difficult at times. We've had people yell out profanity. Demon possessed people have caused big scenes. A girl flashed Brock as well as the crowd during our performance. Witches have been present and caused a stir. One witch in particular came with her voodoo dolls and tried to cast spells on us the entire night. She carried on until Brock began the invitation for people to choose a life with Christ. At this point, she passed out...like she was just put to sleep. Then, after the invitation was over, she woke up just like that!

The band and the bike team tease us because nothing ever goes wrong for them except when they are at an FX. However, everyone agrees that it is worth it all because individual lives are changed and cities are impacted with the message and love of Jesus.

Tuesday, April 05, 2005

School Shows

School assemblies are by far the most difficult shows for us. We enter as their enemy and must subtely pursuade them into changing their opinion of us. Anybody that comes into their public school assembly must be lame. It's a rule. So, basically, we must be cool.

High school is the worst. This morning was a great example. We performed for about 1,000 juniors and seniors. As soon as the announcer introduced Brock as one of the top illusionists, giggles began to break out among the crowd. They pictured an illusionist as a cheesy guy with a top hat and rabbits. So, Brock cooly approached the crowd with his skater pants and long hair. The first thing he said was, "I think that I might mess with your teachers a little bit." I noticed as the crowd began to perk up as some people began pointing at some teachers and laughing. The students enjoy this because most youth really like their teachers, they just don't want to admit it. The teachers usually don't mind because they don't get this kind of attention very often.

For the second trick, Brock brought a few volunteers on the stage. One guy had a white man's frow and was wearing an aqua and pink jogging suit from 1982 with a puffy painted t-shirt. When Brock asked for a volunteer, he shot up out of his seat and began dancing and doing jumping jacks as well as push ups. He was a trip! After Brock asked his name, Duane and I played the theme music for Napoleon Dynamite. The guy began to dance with some of the moves from Napoleon Dynamite. The crowd roared. Brock had everyone give him a hand and called him Napoleon from there on out. That was better than any illusion we could have done for that group, because after that crazy dude and the reference to Napoleon Dynamite, Brock had those high schoolers eating out of the palm of his hand.

Day One of FX

It's about 10:30pm and this is the first time that I've sat down all day. This first day of FX was the smoothest first day we've ever had. Sure, we had a five or ten minute delay in starting because the video projectors just decided not to work right when we pushed play to start the intro video. Also, the sound guy was three hours late due to car trouble. We had our vehicles in the building and the band's car alarm went off in the beginning of the night. Also, Brock's phone rang backstage during his portion of the show. That's not bad for night one.

There were somewhere around 40 decisions for Christ made tonight! The people putting on the event are simply wonderful. I can't wait to see what tomorrow holds it store for us and this community.

Sunday, April 03, 2005

Freedom Experience

Life is about to get extremely busy for me and our whole staff. We are entering a Freedom Experience (www.freedomexperience.com) in Memphis, TN. The Freedom Experience involves a three day crusade featuring Brock Gill as well as a band called Inhabited, a freestyle skater named Tim Byrne, and a bmx team Chaos On Wheels. It's very exciting! FX (Freedom Experience) is housed in a nuetral venue such as a civic center or a high school theater. We target teenagers but everyone is invited. Local churches play a huge roll and provide the money allowing it to be free for the attendees. The churches also provide all of the volunteers. Their help is greatly appreciated.

No matter the amount of volunteers, it takes a lot of work for everybody involved. Our average day at FX starts out early in the morning with a school assembly. We perform an anti-drug related show at the schools and then invite them to the nightly crusades. Three assemblies a day is about average. Doing multiple shows really drains both of us especially Brock. Then, we must load in all of our equipment. Since FX is a much bigger production than all of our other shows, the setup is much more extensive. I actually run the programming of the show. Therefore, not only am I an assistant on the stage, but I'm backstage making sure everyone is out there on cue. It's very stressful! At some locations, we much set up and tear down every single night. In Memphis, we get the luxury of being able to leave our set up all three nights.

Please be praying for FX. Pray that we will not have any problems with production. Pray that we will have strength to endure. Mostly, pray that people will surrender to Christ.

Saturday, April 02, 2005

April Fool's Day

Yesterday was so fun for us! So many people called us before they even read the entire blog. Some did read the entire thing but for some reason did not get it. I think that the only thing they took from it was that we were moving. They blocked out the entire last paragraph. I have a feeling that for several months acquaintances will be asking us about our move to LA. Only a couple of people didn't bite at all. Most only figured it out when they read the very last paragraph.

One of our friends was especially flabbergasted because he was over at our house the night before. He e-mailed saying, "I didn't know that your house was on the market." My mom's comment was particularly funny (under the comment section of yesterday's blog). Brock's mom called and pretended to believe it. She had him going for a little while. Maybe this is where Brock gets it from?

Some other practical jokes went on yesterday as well. Check out www.museumofhoaxes.com to read up on some April Fool's jokes from yesterday as well as the best 100 of the past. The best part about yesterday was touching base with all of you. We enjoyed the phone calls as well as e-mails. We love you guys.

Friday, April 01, 2005

Seasons Change

Since we will be on the road from now until Thanksgiving, we decided that we did not need a house. Plus, we miss living on the road in our rig like we did a couple of years ago. We lived in our freightliner with an rv conversion for almost two years. It was so exciting! Everyday we were in a new place. Life was so simple then. We did not worry about paying the rent or mortgage. It was so free and adventurous.

Therefore, last Friday, we placed our house for sale on the market. This morning we got a call from our real estate agent. Someone was desperate enough to offer us what we were asking. So, its goodbye house and hello the wide open road!

To offer even more confirmation that this was the right timing, Brock met a guy named Paul last night at a coffee shop. Paul is an artist working on our new t-shirt designs. Paul's college roommate was in from out of town visiting and came to the coffee shop. As Brock wowed them with his card magic, the guy was obviously impressed. Then, Brock learned that Paul's former roommate was now a casting agent from Hollywood. On the spot, he offered Brock a television show that will begin production in the fall. Brock is accepting it and we are moving to Las Angeles! It's a reality show that will air next year on April 1st. The show will be called "GOTCHA!"

Brock helped me write this and we want to know at what point did you realize we were fool of it. E-mail us your comments.