You've got so much love in you...

I just got home after the last weekend of tour with Bread of Stone, Luminate and John Reuben. Fun tour! I can definitely say I will miss seeing some of those guys every day. But everything in moderation is good, and the summer festival season is about to be here! Our show last night was in Shaumburg, IL, Chicagoland area. Great show, worked with Edan productions who we love, and got to see some family and friends. It was an outdoor, benefit show with a walk during the day for cancer. Definitely got us all thinking about all the hot, summer festivals we'll play. They are so much fun and the one season of the year you run into so many friends, but such tiring days. The heat, the rain(sometimes), then there's mud...mud and concert don't work well together. But there's something so special about a huge crowd of people who are dirty and roughing it in the outdoors for a few days, excited to see all their favorite bands in one spot. It's such a good energy. I think the pros outweigh the cons. Looking forward to seeing all of you this summer!

We had a couple dates in MI this last weekend..The first was in Trenton at Metro South Church. A young, new, very cook place and so many great people there helping out all day! That night there was a girl we met after the show that said such a simple thing to me that really stuck with me. She came up while we were taking pics with people and said she's been a fan a while and for the first time saw us live, and that she just saw how much love we had in us. Yes, there is a song by the Rocket Summer that says "You've got so much love in you"..that was the first thing that popped into my head. But her comment stuck with me. Not exactly sure why, but I think its really humbling when people say things like that. First, because I know I don't always have the greatest attitude going into a show, or whatever..but I guess my heart of hearts would be for people to see me that way. So, when I see that in spite of me and my imperfections that God really can show Himself through me every night, I feel very small. And I guess I'm glad I'm small or there would be more of me to get in His way.

That same night I met a mom and her daughter. Sweet people. The mom was wearing a silk scarf and looked like she was bald underneath. I asked about it and she very matter of factly said she's lost her hair for 4th time on chemo. When her daughter was born, and I'd guess she was about 10 she was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer, and she's been fighting it ever since. I could see she was a fighter. She gave me a little pink punching glove that says, "Fight like a girl" on it. And I don't think I'll ever forget her face or that glove as a reminder of so many women out there fighting against cancer of some kind. I have been affected by cancer very closely, but don't know what it's like to have it attacking my own body. Any of you out there in that battle or who maybe have won the fight like my own amazing mom..my prayers are with you and your families, that you will win this fight, or that your remission will be for the rest of your long lives. Really puts life into perspective for me.




Well, it is a hot, sunny day in Nashville today. We are having a LOST party tonight at my sisters, bc she has tivo and we missed it yesterday. Can't wait, but also a bit sad that this saga of TV is over. Some people for fed up with it, but I've loved it all along. And our LOST nights with friends might be better memories than the show would ever have given! We're making kabobs on the grill(my hubby loves to grill out, and is quite the good chef!)

And for now I'm off to soak up some Vitamins from the lovely sun and have a nice day with my hubby while I can. Hope you're all doin well this Monday wherever you are! Make sure to tell your friends about my blog or twitter if you like keeping in touch..I love all the comments you leave me and feedback on topics I write about. Much love! See you all this summer...

trish

I wanna live in TVLand..or the movies.

Last night I had a date night with hubby. We are pretty good about having those every week or every other when we're together and can make it happen. We sometimes are only together 2 days a week average when I'm on tour, maybe less, so I think it makes us appreciate that time. And we've learned to 'schedule' each other in when we have days together, or the quality time won't be there..If anything good comes from being apart a lot, its that you don't get tired of each other and take time together for granted. I think it's actually been good for us for the for couple of years of married life! It's a good feeling to know that my husband still wants to pencil me in 2 years in. =)

Don't get me wrong. I know some of you out there are like my parents and grandparents and have been together more years than you've been apart, and I welcome advice on how you've done it and are still in love and still like each other. Sometimes I think the "like" might be more important than the "in love". My dad's advice always was to marry my best friend, and to marry someone I really like. Someone I enjoy being with, so that if the romance is gone or life gets tough or things throw you for a loop, you still have each other and being together, which is good.

Back to the date...we went for sushi with some of our favorite doubledaters, the Molnars. David and Tammy have their own photography business and they travel the world together doing what they love and are amazing at. They are such amazing, inspiring friends. Once at a Michael W. Smith show, he talked about how humbled he is to be surrounded by such driven, talented people and he said he attributed so much of his own success to being surrounded by them. I think Nick and I feel that way. The Molnar's definitely push us to live a better story. (Even loaned us the book I learned that one in). haha.

Miyako is our fav little sushi spot. Maybe not THE best sushi in town, but close and cheap and fast and sweet people who own it. Then Nick and I saw the new Robin Hood. Great movie. I love action flicks and mostly like guy flicks more than chick ones, so this was right up my alley. I grew up loving a Sunday afternoon of action movies or (shockingly) even John Wayne Westerns if it meant time with my Dad..(good memories can make you love the strangest things.) I still might be caught at home alone on a weekend watching Bonanza on TVLand or something of the sort. Yea....I know.

Interesting fun fact is that Superchick has a song called TVLANd..if you're a fan like I am you might be amused. It's a fun song. Here's a lyric for you..-"I wanna live in TVLand with Mr T and the A Team. My problems they could solve before the end of the show. In TVLand." - It gets better from there. Go take a listen.



Back to Robin Hood. I mean, Russell Crowe and this kind of action movie just work so well together! He is so good at being the guy on the white horse who will always pull through and rescue the damsel in distress. Good storyline. Not just the classic Robin Hood story, but some background and a nice love story mixed in. Leaving the theatre, I promptly told my hubs he could call me "milady" anytime he likes. I'm such a sucker for that stuff! Anyway, some movies are best to just wait and redbox or get on netflix(which I recently have and LOVE!)...but this is one that's worth the $10 ticket to see on a big screen. Grab the candy for $1 or less at the store on the way, and you have a fun night out! Yes, I just endorsed sneaking candy in. $5 for the same box of candy is just ridiculous.

I feel old saying that movie tickets are $10. Wow. Inflation.

Tonight was Lost night. The last episode is this Sunday and it's been such a fun thing to watch together with our friends we're all going to wait and watch together Monday night if we can convince someone to tivo it who has tivo. We usully do a potluck dinner or takeout or something, and veg out and enjoy. It's the simple things in life I love.

sidenote: Nick and I are writing for a solo worship album I'm putting out..really excited for this! I've wanted to do a worship album since I've been singing. (Most of my life) So for anyone who has begged me for years...it's coming. Patience. But it's coming. Stay tuned.

Go to --david@davidmolnar.com to see what Dave and Tammy do

Operation Beautiful

Tonight we played a h.s. in McAlister, PA. It was a perfect fall weather day out, and we woke up literally parked next to a soccer field and a nice track..I could sense Sophie's excitement when we had our potty walk this morning, and she was antsy all morning til Momma got ready and we went exploring. (Sophie's my dog. Not to be confused with my sister or something, and then that last statement would be really weird.)

Once in a while we hear of something that seems to really go along with our vision as a band, and recently we heard of this movement called Operation Beautiful. You can check it out more at OperationBeautiful.com- The mission of Operation Beautiful is to post anonymous notes in public places for other women to find. The point is that WE ARE ALL BEAUTIFUL. You are enough... just the way you are! It's so simple, but if you make someone smile or think differently about themselves today, than it's worth the little effort, right? We loved the idea, and wrote Caitlin, who started O.B. and told her about our band and that some of our songs are about self-esteem, eating disorders, dealing with body image stuff and we'd love to get involved!



So on our album Rock What You Got there's a song called So Beautiful that pretty much sums up O.B. so Caitlin has used it in some of the videos she posts on her site, and we want to partner with Caitlin and help get the word out. Such a fun, easy, silly little way you can brighten someone's day.



Tonight at our show, Melissa and I posed with the amazing crowd and told them all about O.B. and how they could bring it to their town and start making a difference one little post-it at a time. And earlier today we made some signs and posed out in the soccer field(and I think Sophie even wanted to be a part of it...)



So, if you start this and tell someone about it, it will have a ripple affect, and we'll be making girls feel beautiful all over the world. Check out the website, come up with your own creative way to spread the love if you're interested, and I'd love to see some of your ideas too! If you can, send me a copy to this email---beautyfrompain08@hotmail.com--definitely send them into O.B. and if you want, let them know you heard about them through us..=) Because we really are all beautiful, just like we are, but sometimes it's nice to hear.

p.s. I am wearing a tutu. It was made especially for me by the lovely Kim Mills and Jessica Ramsay. Thanks girls!!!

Sick and thoughtful in DC

Today we are parked just outside of Washington DC for a travel day off. That means that from Nashville to our next show was too far to drive in one night..so we stopped here for the driver to sleep, and then drive the rest tonight. We try to stop somewhere interesting on these days, and some of the band hadn't ever done the DC tourist thing, so they're off doing just that.

Last weekend I came down with some cold bug...started with a sore throat, turned to swollen glands and burning throat, then voice going hoarse and all the other symptoms that come with the usual, sinus infection. I'm actually amazed when I stay healthy, with all the travelling and not always getting solid night's sleep, different allergies every day, different germs...but staying healthy when you're the singer and the show somewhat depends on you is a big deal. I used to stress over it a lot. I remember being on a Newsboys tour where we hardly had a day off a week...a cold wrecked my voice and it didn't have time to heal, and I had to sing on it every night...until I almost had no voice left, and finally had to bail out on a show and take a couple days off. My voice was hoarse for quite a while, so I knew I'd done some damage. Not sure what was worse though....letting my band down or telling the Newsboys I had to miss a show. They were unamused and not what we call, sympathetic. I believe one of them said one night, "I think your voice sounds pretty cool actually"....haha.

It's interesting how my quiet times always teach me something. Voice rest can be hard for someone fairly social and who's love language is communication. I feel awful not communicating with people. I feel like a jerk if I don't sign autographs but doing that without talking just can't work. I end up trying to explain to everyone why I shouldnt talk and by doing that, yep...I talk too much. haha. When I'm trying to rest my voice I naturally listen more, and I'm reminded of how important that is. It's much harder to be a good listener than a good talker. And wiser.

So, trying to be responsible, I stayed behind today to rest instead of sightseeing with the rest of the tour..its mostly just me and my Sophie. She doesnt demand any talking out of me, unless she runs off and I have to yell at her to come back. Sometimes I think it's the best relationships we have that are comfortable with silence. I think its true with us and God too. When I stop giving Him my fix-it or to-do lists and just sit and listen for a while, prayer becomes something so far beyond Forgive me and Help me, God...it can become Speak to me. Quiet me. Guide me. Show me your plan for me right now. And I can't argue that those times in life have been some of my best. Why don't I stay quiet more?

It's been an interesting season in my life lately. Nick and I are coming up on our 2 year Anniversary this August. I feel like the best is yet to come. A family someday, some new projects that are in the works..very exciting things are ahead! I am still praying for so many people I know and love who have been in a season of struggle for what seems like too long. Hold on. Your dawn will come. Live today like it's your first and your last.

"Still here, staggering on, through the impossible. We remain. I can breathe, one more day...still here. Still fighting on. All we have is today. Find my way. To the beauty of one more day, still here." -Superchick