Don’t give up

On this day many years ago I started my technology/business career at CN Rail.
For all my “friends” who can never remember which railroad I worked for…CP was our competitor. I did not work for “them”.  Need I say more?

Moving on.

The reason I’m writing this blog TODAY is because I still remember somebody asking me if I was sure that the job offer wasn’t an April Fools’ Day joke.

*#$%^&*()_+!!!!?

Can I give you a bit of context?

I am the first born of parents who, like many (dare I say all?) immigrant parents from Jamaica…and the rest of the world, came to Canada so that their children could have better opportunities than they had….. I graduated from McGill University with a major in mathematics and a minor in Computer Science, and I started job hunting……………………………..

Thankfully that job offer was not an April Fools’ joke. More than 1 year after graduation I got that job at CN in the field that I had studied for, computer programming, with an exciting salary.   After that I was steadily promoted up through the ranks in the Information Systems department until I was a Business Systems Officer… then I moved to senior management as Manager of Business Planning in Marketing.

So today is the anniversary of the start of my 14-year career at CN Rail. I worked hard, learnt tons, and met beautiful people.  Invaluable.  Unforgettable.  Thank you CN.

Now I work hard as a music minister. The money is not at all the same (HA!) but I know that I was created to do this, and my husband agrees.  Purpose.  Trust me though when I say that all the years at CN were not a waste.  Yes leading Montreal Gospel Choir and Jireh Gospel Choir is about music…and it’s about people and business.

Don’t give up.  In the year between my graduation and being hired at CN I worked in a job that didn’t require much of my brain, although afterwards I saw its merits. In that job I could measure what I had accomplished at the end of the day…not something you can always do when you are in management.

DON’T GIVE UP!

Happy April Fools Day.

>>> ENGLISH version below <<<

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En tournée avec Jireh

Le mardi 27 octobre dernier, Jireh a quitté en soirée le stationnement du Loblaws dans l’est de Montréal pour partir en tournée, direction Sept-Îles, Baie-Comeau, Rimouski et Rivière-du-Loup. Quel voyage! Un splendide départ à notre 20^e saison.

[ Fait intéressant : Jireh a chanté à l’inauguration de ce Loblaws en 1998 et en quelque sorte nous étions là à la «  fin » , parce que quelques jours après notre tournée, le Loblaws a été renommé « Provigo ». ]

Tôt mercredi matin, nous avons repris la route en direction de la première salle de spectacle, la Salle Jean-Marc-Dion à Sept-Îles. WOW. Ils étaient prêts pour nous. Les ventes de CD ont commencé avant même le début du spectacle et les 530 spectateurs ont réagi aussi spontanément, avec force et enthousiasme que les personnes à mon église où Jireh a chanté squelques semaines avant! Oh oui, ils ont chanté et ont dansé. J Quel super début de tournée!

Direction Centre des arts de Baie-Comeau où les spectateurs ont exprimé tellement de gratitude qu’on soit venu jusque chez eux, certains avaient même les larmes aux yeux. Cette nuit-là, nous sommes restés dans un magnifique vieux manoir – j’ai dit à mon mari adoré que j’aimerais y retourner un jour.

Le matin suivant lors du déjeuner, nous avons appris que le traversier était annulé. Ouff. Ce fut le début d’une très longue journée. Connaissez-vous la géographie du Québec? Notre autobus a quitté l’hôtel de Baie-Comeau à 9am et nous sommes arrivés à la Salle Desjardins-Telus de Rimouski, via la ville de Québec… à 19h06. L’installation, le test de son, manger, s’habiller, se maquiller et prier, tout cela en un temps record. Et vous savez quoi? Sans notre incroyable esprit d’équipe, une attitude hors pair de tous et la confiance d’y arriver de la part de l’équipe Jireh, la salle de spectacle et notre chauffeur d’autobus – ce merveilleux concert dans la ville natale de notre guitariste Hubert Tremblay, n’aurait pas eu lieu. J’étais fière.

Et finalement, un dernier arrêt à la Salle Alphonse-Desjardins à Rivière-du-Loup avant de reprendre la route vers chez nous. Nous sommes arrivés à Montréal aux petites heures du dimanche matin.

Pour moi, un des meilleurs moments des concerts de Jireh c’est quand nous signons les CD et que j’ai la chance d’échanger avec vous. J’adore entendre vos histoires. Pour plusieurs, assister à un concert gospel live pour la première fois est un rêve devenu réalité. Certains m’ont partagé comment ils se sentaient mieux après le concert. Plusieurs nous ont rapporté à la maison (CDs). Au moins deux nous ont dit qu’ils vont chercher une église. Au moins trois personnes nous ont suivis jusqu’à Baie-Comeau après nous avoir entendus à Sept-Îles et nous savons qu’au moins une personne a pris l’avion après nous avoir entendu à Baie-Comeau pour nous entendre à nouveau à Rimouski.

Nous vous aimons Sept-Îles, Baie-Comeau, Rimouski et Rivière-du-Loup. Nous avons prié pour vous avant de venir et nous n’arrêterons pas. Vous êtes dans nos cœurs maintenant.

Merci à Dieu pour un autobus confortable et le meilleur des chauffeurs d’autobus ainsi que le paysage spectaculaire, la création de Dieu, à admirer tout au long de la route. Québec.

Touring with Jireh

On the evening of Tuesday October27^th Jireh left the Loblaws parking lot in the east end of Montreal on a concert tour – Sept-îles, Baie-Comeau, Rimouski, and Rivière du Loup. What a trip!? Great kick off to our 20^th season.

[Fun fact. Jireh sang at the inauguration of that Loblaws location in 1998, and in a way we were there at the “end” because a few days after our tour it was renamed to “Provigo”.]

Early Wednesday morning we continued on our way to the first concert venue – Salle Jean-Marc-Dion in Sept-Îles. WOW. They were ready for us. CD sales were brisk before the concert and those 530 beautiful people reacted as spontaneously, loudly and enthusiastically as the people at my church a few weeks before! Oh yes they sang.   And danced. J Great kick-off to the tour.

On to Centre des arts de Baie-Comeau, where concertgoers expressed so much gratitude to us for coming, some with tears in their eyes. That night we stayed in a beautiful old manor that I told my beloved husband I would like to re-visit.

The next morning during breakfast we learnt that the ferry to Rimouski was canceled. Ouff. There began a very long day. Do you know the geography of Quebec? Our bus left the hotel in Baie-Comeau at 9am and arrived at Salle Desjardins-Telus in Rimouski via Quebec City… at 7:06pm. Set-up, sound check, meal, dress, make up, and prayer in record time. You know what? Without stellar teamwork, exceptionally good attitudes and belief on the part of many people – team Jireh, the concert hall, and our bus driver – this amazing concert in the birthplace of Hubert Tremblay, Jireh’s guitar player, would never have happened. Proud moment.

Last but not least was Salle Alphonse-Desjardins in Rivière du Loup after which we hit the road for home, arriving back in Montreal the early hours of Sunday morning.

For me one of the best parts of Jireh concerts is the CD signing where I get to speak with you. It’s great to hear your stories. For so many, attending a live gospel concert for the first time was a dream come true.   Some of you told me how much better you felt afterwards. Many took us home (CDs). At least 2 said they would be looking for a church. At least three people followed us to Baie-Comeau after hearing us at Sept-Îles, and we know that at least one person took an airplane after hearing us in Baie-Comeau to hear us again in Rimouski.

We love you Sept-Île, Baie-Comeau, Rimouski, and Rivière du loup. We prayed for you before we came and we won’t stop. You are in our hearts now.

Thank God for a comfortable bus with the best bus driver, and the spectacular scenery, God’s creation, to marvel at along the way. Quebec.

Did you know that I’m a church girl?  It’s true.  Even if you are more used to seeing me perform on stages at jazz or blues festivals or on TV or … I love the church.

I’m reflecting on this right now because tomorrow I will lead worship with Jireh Gospel Choir at the three meetings at La Chapelle – the French church that my husband Ted and I have been attending since it began a few years ago.

If in your mind the church of Jesus Christ is a boring irrelevant institution…you really have to check this out.  The average age is about 30 years old and (thank God!) they participate in the worship.  In other words…the people in the room off stage sing…loudly and enthusiastically…out loud…accompanied by top musicians whose body language show that they believe what they are singing/playing.  The 38-year old pastor is an exceptional communicator.  Funny!?  Ha!  You know that I love to laugh, right?

Tomorrow October 4th Jireh singers and musicians will lead worship at La Chapelle. 9:45am. 11:45am. 6pm. Here’s a link to the Facebook event with the details. https://www.facebook.com/events/886597704756548/

My Daddy passed from this life to be with the Lord early Sunday morning – July 26, 2015. 88 years old. I am so thankful to God that Benjamin Linford Bernard was my father. He was tough and he was love. He was passionate, a warrior, loved music, loved to learn, and (HA!) how he loved to joke.   I never doubted that he loved me and I never felt that I was limited in what I could do. Yesterday at church one of the worship songs was “Forever” by Kari Jobe. I’m telling you that although I was on the edge of ugly cry, I sang loudly, with all of my heart, and realized again deep in my soul that I really believe the gospel of Jesus. “Death where is thy sting…. He is alive”. Dad is from a big family and he and my Mom (deceased) “adopted” and sponsored so many people. Make no mistake about this. We are sad. I am sad and feel like I could cry for a long time…but I also rejoice because I know that Daddy/Ben/MrBernard/UncleBen is…more alive than he has ever been.

A celebration of his life will be held at Cote Des Neiges Presbyterian Church, 3435 Côte-Sainte-Catherine, Montreal, on Friday July 31 at 11am, then burial at Notre-Dame-des-Neiges Cemetery.

I thank my Father in heaven for my father – Benjamin Linford Bernard.  Sorry to the rest of you but I have the best Dad.

These days Daddy is not that communicative but he did know that I was there when I visited him last weekend.  The smile.  I sang many of his favourite hymns to him and his eyes were speaking the whole time.

Yes I’m Daddy’s girl, his princess.  And on this Father’s day 2015 I am grateful for all the sacrifices he and my Mom made, their steadfast love, the laughter, pointing me to Jesus, the music, and their belief that I could do anything I put my mind to.

Daddy’s strength is fading but his legacy is strong.

I am not an expert on love but I am an unashamed romantic.

It was clear to me that I wanted to find my man and that I had not received the gift of singleness.  So I waited. What was I waiting for? A man that is crazy about God and crazy about me. That was my list.

Ted Dettweiler pursued me and I loved it…and I drove myself (and him) crazy trying to ascertain whether he was the one.   After all, this was the second most important decision of my life and I did not want to get it wrong.   And you know that analysis is one of my strengths, right? Some writing on the wall would have been nice though. Red gum balls anyone? Don’t ask.

How did we meet? A cute girl heard Ted singing at his church and invited him to join the gospel choir that she was part of, that I was directing. No it was not love at first sight but we became friends. Good friends. In fact Ted became my best friend…and I wondered why he wanted to mess with that. Why risk a great friendship for a relationship that might last 3 months?

More than 205 months ago I married Ted and I’m so glad I did. Phew. Close call. Almost missed it.

Carol loves Ted.