The Alabaster Box was broken!!!

This was one of the most enjoyable concerts I’ve ever done. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I think one factor was that my focus was clear. My aim was just to lead people into worship. And by leading, I don’t mean directing. Sometimes we get those two mixed up. But I believe that the best worship leaders are not those who direct the worship but, rather, those who demonstrate worship. There are those who respond well to someone telling them how to worship. But I’ve found that even more respond well to someone that demonstrates how to worship. So when I say that my aim was to lead people into worship, I mean that I wanted to go hard after God in such a way that everyone could see what worship looks like. As an individual Christian, I’d much rather just worship inconspicuously so as not to draw attention to my worship or myself. But, as a worship leader, my duty is to be conspicuous with my worship; to draw attention to the worship for the purpose of demonstration; and to draw attention to God, as He is the recipient of the worship. As a worship leader, I worship extravagantly! I worship hard! I worship loud! For there can be no mistaking my conviction that the God that I worship deserves everything that I have to offer. My hands, my arms, my back, my legs, my feet, my voice, my thoughts, every fiber of my being joins together in chorus to celebrate the matchless love and grace of my precious King.

So, Tuesday night was a night of worship. I’ve heard my singers sing and my band play several times. But I don’t ever recall feeling such intense worship when we’ve been on stage before. It was as if everyone took their alabaster boxes and broke them open before the Lord. I don’t mean popping the top off, pouring some ointment out, then putting the top back on. No, I mean breaking the jar! We went to the point of no return. The worship was thick! The presence of the Lord rested in the place as we presented our offering of music and worship. It was beautiful to feel God moving in the room. The music was great! The vocals were great! The performance was great! But the worship was amazing!!

Mount Lebanon is such a cool church! They treated us as royalty – like we were guests from another state or country. It wasn’t at all like we were from just across the bridge. The hospitality was wonderful! It was also great getting to meet and greet Bishop B. Courtney McBath & Pastor Janeen McBath (Calvary Revival Center – Norfolk, VA) and Bishop Gary Hawkins (Voices of Faith – Stone Mtn, GA). They were all so cool and cordial. They entreated my wife and me the way Christian leaders should entreat everyone. We felt loved and welcomed in their presence.

And, I can’t way enough about Drs. Kim and Valerie Brown. They are some of the greatest leaders in the body of Christ today. Their love and hospitality was just fantastic! This is the second time we’ve been invited to minister at their conference and they always show us such amazing love and respect. It’s admirable. It’s the model to be followed.

Now, it’s time to start getting ready for C.A.T.S. It was a challenge getting my songs condensed into a 3-minute format, but it’s done. Now, I just have to practice, and practice, and practice so that when I take the stage, I can relax and just worship God.

Getting ready for the Issachar Conference…

Tonight is the big night. I don’t get as nervous as I used to about concerts. I wonder if that’s a good thing or not. I’d almost rather be nervous… that way I know that I’m not over-confident or cocky. But, then on the other hand, being more relaxed allows me to focus more and be more deliberate in what I do.

Going into a concert, there are so many technical things that you think about. Sound, lighting, staging, the set list (songs that will be sung during the concert), communication on the stage… all of these things is important. Then there are the intangible but most critical elements such as spiritual preparation, the anointing of God, the flow of the Holy Spirit, the flexibility of the persons on the stage to follow the flow if it changes what we planned to do.

I’ve had to take the stage with little notice for two big events this weekend. On Saturday morning at about 10:00 I was asked to open a concert in Hampton, VA that was featuring national recording artists Lexi and Richard Smallwood. I had to be at the venue by 1:15 and on the stage at 2:05. With such short notice, I had to do it by my self with no BGVs… just the track and me. I did my two sets and the Lord truly blessed. So, Lexi took the stage and did a great job. Not long after she was finished, the gentleman responsible for the event came and asked if I could to two more songs right away because the next person wasn’t quite ready to take the stage and they needed a “filler.” So, I took the stage and did two more songs. And, again, God showed up and blessed. After it was all over, I had the opportunity to talk with Lexi. She was so encouraging. She shared some great industry insight with me. I made a great contact there.

So, Sunday evening we had a special event planned at my church. I invited a few friends to perform who are both recording artists. I got a call at 5:15 pm (the event started at 6:00) from one of my friends to inform me that he would not make the 5:00 sound check and would be a little late to the event. Then he called back at 5:55 to inform me that he wouldn’t be able to make it at all. He had a legitimate excuse but it still left us in a bind. Of course, I wasn’t about to let my home church suffer because of it. So, I pulled up out the tracks and took the stage – again by my self – and God again showed up and blessed!

So, maybe that’s why I’m not that nervous today. God has been proving himself all weekend. His presence had been there each time I took the stage. I’ll be presenting myself before him for the rest of the day – getting spiritually prepared for the event. I trust that he will move freely tonight.

It’s pretty exciting. I see it like giving someone a gift that is made of brass. Before you give it to them, you put some “elbow grease” into polishing the item so that it will shine. We’ve spent the past few weeks polishing what we are doing tonight… making sure that it shines. Tonight, we will present this offering of music to the Lord. We trust that he will take it and use it to bless his people.

Lots of great things going on…

It’s been a minute since I said anything. I’ll take a few minutes and share a little with you.

I was invited to sing at the Afr’Am Festival in Norfolk, VA. Last year they invited me to sing but it didn’t go so well. We didn’t get to do a sound check before we took the stage so it was a very uncomfortable set. Our mics sounded horrible on the stage. We were told that the sound was very unbalanced in the audience. The crowd sorta got with us but they couldn’t really hear the singers. So, it was challenging. This year was totally different. Ike Owens (my friend and brother) and the sound company for the event conducted a solid sound check right before we took the stage. I also wrote out (actually I created a diagram for) exactly what I wanted out of each mic and gave it to the FOH engineer as well as the monitor engineer. They gave us exactly what we wanted and we were very happy. The performance was seamless and very comfortable.

This week I attended the Hampton University Ministers’ Conference for my first time. I’d heard about it ever since moving to Virginia. It was a tremendous experience. It was so awesome being in an auditorium with over 5000 preachers and ministers, listening to lectures on ministry from some of the greatest ministry minds in the country. It was also amazing being preached to by some of the greatest preachers in the country. It was a revival for my soul. Ironically, it made me want to write better songs. Wow!

While at the conference I had the privilege of speaking with Micah Stampley before he performed in concert. I’d already been an admirer of his gift and anointing. Now that I’ve spent some time around him and his wife, I am a total fan. He is very real about his relationship with Christ. Unfortunately, I can’t say that about every artist in the Gospel music industry. But I can vouch for him. When Micah sings about “Holiness” being what he longs for, he’s not just singing a melody. This is his conviction. And it comes across very clearly. I LOVE IT!! God used him to answer a big question I had in my head and to give me direction in an area that was very puzzling. It was providence.

While backstage, I had the opportunity to meet and service an officer of one of the largest Christian music distribution companies in the world. Who knows what God is doing?

This is just a little of what’s going on. I’ll share more later.

From the Workaholic in me...

My gorgeous wife and I just spent the past week in a beautiful chalet on Blue Mountain, overlooking the Shenandoah Valley. This has been such an amazing, wonderful week of rest and relaxation. We brought the dogs, Rocky & Cain, with us. It was their first opportunity to hang out in the woods. We all had a wonderful time.

I think the best thing about this vacation is the fact that – being up on top of a mountain in the woods – we were surrounded by nature, which caused us to really relax. We spent the first two days decompressing – paying our “sleep debt.” We took a drive up Skyline Drive and took in the sights overlooking the valley. It was truly gorgeous. Even with overcast skies, it was so beautiful!

This vacation was in celebration of our thirteenth wedding anniversary. I’ve been so wonderfully blessed to have spent the past thirteen years in love with this amazing woman. It was fun spending this past week reminding ourselves of the reasons we love each other so much. Everyone should be so blessed as to experience the kind of love we share. I love my wife!!

Today is our checkout day. So, we’re packing up and getting ready to go. Oddly, today my mind is racing with what I need to do when I get back. I confess… when it comes to ministry, I am a workaholic. I love working in the kingdom of God. But sometimes I overdo it. I came from ministry workaholic parents. But they did teach me that it is important to build in breaks so that you can spend time together. Otherwise, you can wreck your life.

Thank God for the break. It feels good getting back to work AND knowing that the most important relationship I have on earth is whole and in tact.

To all my fellow workaholics… take a break every now and then.

Shalom!

Knowing your Role in God’s Scheme…

Let me open this post by saying that there is a difference between being ANOINTED and being HOLY. Being anointed allows you to be used by God. Being holy gets you into heaven. You can be anointed without being holy. And you can go to HELL while being anointed.

As a musician and a facilitator of Gospel/Christian music I have the opportunity to work with a lot of people. There are so many wonderful things about the Gospel/Christian music industry. There are so many wonderful things about music ministry. We have so many talented people that God uses in this area of the body of Christ. I could spend several paragraphs on testimonies and accolades for music ministry.

However, this entry is of a different tone and texture.

There was a time when God was a lot less tolerant of sin. Priests that went into the temple who were not sanctified were slain in the temple. Persons that served in music ministry in the tabernacle or the temple of the Old Testament had to be sanctified before they entered service. If God found sin in them they would be slain. And God was the one doing the killing. This caused people to attempt to live holy lives based on fear and reverence. This kept them alive but was not conducive to a thriving relationship between them and God.

So, God changed things. With the sacrifice of Christ, our final lamb, we no longer have to face the penalty of sin. People aren’t slain if they enter Christian service with sin in their lives. God doesn’t want us to live holy because we are afraid to die. He wants us to live holy because we love Him so much that we don’t want to hurt His heart.

This opens the door to a lot of shadiness. Since God isn’t killing folks, churches are excusing folks. Churches are extremely passive about the open and public sins of persons in the pulpit and in the choir stand. Musicians, preachers and singers can get drunk, “shack up” (that’s what we called it back in the day. Now it’s so common that there is no real name for it), be flamboyantly gay, curse, lie, cheat on their spouses, not attend bible study, exemplify no real conviction – except while they are performing, and the church just looks the other way. What in the world are we doing?!! And we wonder why there is no POWER in the church today. It’s because we have so much sin in the camp and no body is saying anything.

Saul was king of Israel. But he sinned and the presence of the Lord had departed from him. Still, everyone gave him respect because he was still anointed. I don’t know if he made it to Heaven. Samson was a judge of Israel who was feared and admired. But, because of his disobedience, the presence of the Lord departed from him and he did not know it. He still knew how to shake. And when he shook, everyone got excited because they knew something awesome was about to happen. But there came that day when Samson’s shake had no power. Still, after being blinded by his adversaries, God used him once more to kill thousands. But, I don’t know if Samson made it to Heaven. There was a pharaoh whose heart God hardened so that He could perform all twelve plagues against Egypt. I don’t think the pharaoh went to Heaven. There was an evil spirit sent from God to torment King Saul. I don’t think that evil spirit went to Heaven. There was a donkey used to keep Balaam from being killed by an angel. I don’t think the donkey went to Heaven. There was a rooster used to announce Peter’s denial of Christ. I don’t think the rooster went to Heaven. Do you get my point? The fact that you are anointed or that God chooses to use you doesn’t mean that you are going to Heaven. It means that you are anointed for that time. Don’t get it twisted.

And for those that say, “Well, I gave my life to God so the blood of Jesus covers all my sins,” tell me what kind of relationship do you have with God? There are several people that come to a service and walk up to the altar and say that they are giving their lives to God but their lives never change. I believe that the true evidence of salvation is the demonstration of Christ in the life of the believer. If your life isn’t demonstrating Jesus then are you really saved?

To my fellow Christians, the New Testament epistles teach us that the church is responsible for holding each other accountable to holy living. When we see someone living an ungodly life we should approach that brother or sister with the love of Jesus and find a way to motivate him or her to live holy. We need to stop the practices of silent consent and overlooking blatant disregard for Godly living. We are our brother’s keeper. God is holding us responsible.

When I was much younger I joined a church under a powerful preacher. He was an amazingly anointed man of God. Over the course of the years I spent under his ministry I watched him become trapped by his weaknesses. I watched in silence as he abused alcohol. I watched in silence as my married pastor practiced promiscuity with women in the church. My silence gave consent and my consent became acceptance and my acceptance eventually became participation. I found myself doing all the things my pastor was doing. As you could imagine, that church started dying and several lives were severely damaged and souls were lost. Eventually, God delivered me and pulled me away from that pastor. I don’t know if that pastor ever got back on track. And I often wonder if the lives that were damaged and souls that were lost could have been saved if I had just spoken up.

Finding my place in MINISTRY…

So my wife and I joined this wonderful church, Gethsemane Community Fellowship Baptist Church. It is so fulfilling to be a part of a healthy, wholesome ministry. What I’ve lately found challenging is the fact that I grew up in church. My parents were in ministry since I was like 8 years old. I started preaching when I was about 13 years old. The word of God is very important to me and I’ve spent many hours studying it… especially since the days that I found myself caught up in some very unhealthy and erroneous doctrinal teaching. Today, I have a voracious appetite for rich, solid teaching and preaching. My tolerance is very low for unstudied preaching and unfounded teaching. So I needed a pastor that could unpack things in the scripture that I hadn’t already heard but things that were textually and contextually correct. My heart’s cry was for a leader that could lead me to new depths in God’s word. I found that in Rev. Dr. Kirk T. Houston, Sr. Hallelujah!!!

One of the things that I loved doing when we lived in Atlanta was ministering at the Atlanta Union Mission. I had the opportunity to serve as a chaplain for the Women’s Division and subsequently the Men’s Division. This afforded me the chance to work one-on-one with several persons making the transition from incarceration back into society. It also allowed me a chance to minister to several persons who were homeless and finding shelter from the elements.

When we were invited to sing at Rock Church of Virginia Beach I met a wonderful family. The two children in this family have amazing stories. The fact that they are still alive is a testimony of the grace of God. For anonymity, I will use a fictitious name. The little boy, “Mikey,” just stole my heart. He loves God and is captivated by drums. Although confined to a wheelchair, he sits in the service and plays “air drums” during each song. He says that when he grows up he wants to be a preacher. Weeks after we performed at Rock Church, Mikey’s mom contacted me. She said that while planning for Mikey’s birthday party she asked him what he wanted for his party. Expecting him to request a clown or something of the sort, she was surprised when he said that he wanted “Michael M. Smith” to come to his house for his birthday. He said that he wanted to sit down with me and talk about the Lord. WOW!! I was so deeply touched by this request. My wife and I spent a wonderful evening with Mikey and his family. He and I sang, laughed and played together. He preached to me and demanded that I preach to him. It was so much fun.

As I left there, I was reminded of Jesus’ ministerial practices. He spent most of His time with people that needed encouragement and love. It felt as though spending a few hours with a physically challenged young boy was just what Jesus would have done. If only I had the power within myself to heal him. If only I were Jesus…

So with renewed passion, I was so excited when I received a call from one of the largest Gospel Music radio stations in the area (WXEZ Star 94.1) with an invitation to sing at a Thanksgiving dinner they were holding for homeless and less fortunate persons in the Newport News, Virginia area. Once again, I was ministering to persons that were in desperate need of encouragement and strength. A few weeks later, immediately after returning from our two-city tour in South Carolina, we went to the Union Mission in downtown Norfolk, Virginia and spent an evening singing and ministering to homeless men. That evening the presence of the Lord was very heavy in the room as several men gave themselves in worship and several received the Lord Jesus as savior and Lord. It was a powerful night.

It is my belief that every artist should discover your assigned audience. Some of us are called to minister to the world, some to minister to the church, some to minister to the youth, some to minister to older persons. But we are most successful when we are ministering to the people to whom we were designed to minister. I believe that I’ve been designed to minister to the body of Christ and to persons like “Mikey” and the men at the Union Mission, seeking hope and encouragement.

There is so much more for me to tell you about… like the SC tour… like my new production venture with a new up and coming artist… like the new opportunity God is giving me to work with my local church. So stay tuned.

Have a wonderful Christmas and Holiday Season. Don’t forget to take specific time out to worship Jesus Christ. He is God’s gift to us all. He is the Savior of the world.

Finding my PLACE in the Kingdom...

The past three months have been very interesting. It’s been a time of transition, change and learning. Here is the short version of some of the past events...

For the past three years I had been serving and employed as Minister of Music at a wonderful church in Portsmouth, Virginia. This position afforded me the privilege of serving one of the kindest pastors I’d ever met. He is a man with a heart for his community and a passion to see people’s lives become better. I woke up one morning to the voice of the Lord telling me that my assignment at that church was complete and it was time to go. Of course, it shocked me. I was happy there. It was a nearly drama free church – and after all the drama that I’d endured in churches in the past, that was a welcomed change. We always experienced the presence of the Lord in the services. The worship was rich! I didn’t want to leave this place. So, I told my wife and we spent the following three weeks in prayer and fasting for confirmation and affirmation. God did confirm it. So we submitted a letter of resignation and offered a six-week notice so that the church would have time to make a smooth transition and the ministry wouldn’t be hindered.

Upon my resignation I started working with a wonderful church in Norfolk in an advisory and coaching role. This church has a full band, multiple choirs and worship leaders and a minister of music. My task was to help troubleshoot the ministry and offer suggestions while modeling a standard to which the music ministry could aspire. This was a part-time role.

Meanwhile, I was looking for a full-time Minister of Music position. I submitted my resume to over 40 churches in the Hampton Roads area – targeting Virginia Beach. As a result, I had some wonderful interviews with some great ministries. It was all very enticing. But, as I worked with this much smaller church in Norfolk (smaller than the churches that were interviewing me and making offers) I found my wife and me falling in love with the ministry. As if that wasn’t enough, each offer I received was followed by the voice of the Lord telling me that it wasn’t my place.

This drove me to my knees. I needed to know what was going on. Had I missed God somewhere? Then God spoke… loudly! “Stop trivializing what I’ve called you to do. This is more than a job. This is ministry. Many lives will be affected by what you do. It’s not a gig!” By now, tears were flowing as I repented of my wrong. I had taken the approach of so many musicians who see this as a job or a gig and had lost focus of the MINISTRY. Because of this, I was just looking for a job, not looking for my place. I was ready to join the place that was going to pay my bills. The priority was completely out of order. Thank God for the Holy Spirit that convicts us when we get out of line!

A few weeks later, my wife and I knew that we were ready to become a part of the Gethsemane Community Fellowship Baptist Church family and serve under Rev. Dr. Kirk T. Houston, Sr. Without any condition or promise of position, we joined a church where we both felt the Holy Spirit leading us. We found our place.

As for employment and other such matters, God has been supplying our needs. He is indeed the source. It’s amazing how firm a foundation you find once you take the leap of faith.

So, my encouragement to you is to know that you are in your place. Don’t keep wandering around, giving God contingencies. Follow the leading of the Holy Spirit and find your place.

There is more to this. Watch out for the next post.

Define "Ministry"...

Webster's Dictionary defines ministry as "the service, functions, or profession of a minister of religion. Simple, right? So let's dig deeper. Richard's Expository Dictionary of Bible Words, a source that I deeply enjoy, has this to say. The Hebrew word translated for minister in the Old Testament "is used of persons who give personal service to a ruler, particularly of those who are set aside to perform some special service in the worship of God." In the New Testament, "in most instances where 'minister' or 'ministering' is found in English versions, the Greek has some form of diakonia ('service' or 'ministry'), which occurs thirty-four times. A related noun, diakonos ('servant,' 'minister,' or 'deacon'), occurs thirty times. The verb diakoneo ('to serve' or 'to serve as a deacon') is used thirty-seven times.

"These words are distinctive in that their focus is squarely on loving action on behalf of a brother or sister or a neighbor. A similar word, doulos (127 times in the NT) can mean either 'slave' or 'servant,' and it focuses attention on our subjection to Jesus. But these ministry words call us to look at our fellow human beings as objects of the loving services we extend to them for Jesus' sake.

"It was Jesus himself who set both the tone and the example for such Christian ministry. He called his disciples to find greatness through servanthood, '...just as the Son of man did not come to be served (diakoneo) but to serve (diakoneo), and to give his life as a ransom for many' (Mt 20:28)."

With this in mind, I am better able to understand my purpose as a minister of music and as a recording artist. It's interesting how the mind works. When you are carrying the title "Minister of Music," it is pretty easy to remember that you are in place to serve the body of Christ. You are automatically reminded that you are a person under the authority of a God-appointed leader, assigned to the task of helping that leader carry out their God-given mission. But when the title "Recording Artist" is attached or added, somehow we can easily forget who we are.

What the Lord is teaching me is that the only thing that should change when a person moves from minister of music to recording artist is the number of pastors that you are responsible to and the number of lives you are responsible for. As a recording artist, I am called to be a servant of the Body of Christ. I am not called to be a pastor or evangelist. I am called to be a servant. If my arrival at this new title is because the Lord appointed it, then it means that there is something in me that the Lord wants spread throughout the entire Body of Christ. But the recording artists is still a minister of music - therefore, still in place to serve the Body of Christ, under the authority of a God-appointed leader but now assigned to the task of helping that leader as well as all other God-appointed leaders carry out their God-given mission. In other words, it means more responsibility.

One of the reasons it is so easy to mess this up is because we see the celebrity of many secular recording artists and even many Christian or Gospel recording artists. Wow - what a mirage! So easily we start chasing the celebrity, wealth and fame of others not realizing that: a) many of them paid a dear price for what they have accomplished, b) most of them have been at it for several years before you've ever heard of them, c) there are many more artist that have been at it much longer they you that have not reached recognition status, let alone celebrity, d) it is incredibly easy and enticing to lose your integrity and your spiritual purity in pursuit of this temporal stuff, and e) promotion comes from God!

If we could just keep our eyes on God and not on this world we would be much less inclined to pursue passions that can destroy us. As servants of the kingdom, deacons of music, we must remember that secular artists can easily reach platinum sales because the world loves its own. But Christian/Gospel artists weren't necessarily called to minister to the world. Most of us were called to minister to God or to minister to the church. We are not of the world and shouldn't expect the world to love us. So the numbers are automatically different. Still, we don't have to sell out to the world for the sake of record sales. God has already orchestrated fantastic ways for our craft to be sustained within the dimensions of our God-given assignment. In other words, there are great, legitimate, honest ways to make a great living with Gospel/Christian music while retaining your integrity. It just requires that we trust and obey God.

I know I haven't written much lately. It's been an interesting few months. I've been going through an amazing transition and learning some powerful lessons. It hasn't all been comfortable. But I am closer to the Lord than I've ever been and I understand His word more clearly than ever. I've still got a lot to learn - but at least the classes are fun!!

"Boy, don't blow all up and get the big head," they said.

Fat chance of that!! My wife loves me too much to let me get a big head about things. She brings me back in quickly. She's making sure that I don't miss Heaven over pride. I appreciate that.

So, in case there was any doubt, let me give credit to whom true credit is due. I am who I am because of the woman that stands with me. I have accomplished what I've accomplished because of the woman that stands with me. I know that I've talked about her in many of my previous posts - about how wonderful, beautiful, helpful, giving, fantastic... she is. While I prayed and asked God for the studio equipment that I needed, God used my wife to make it all happen. How cool is that?

Sharon's a wonderful wife. Any man would be very blessed to have a woman like her at his side. I'm glad that she doesn't take me too seriously. Sometimes, when everyone's singing your praises, you need someone to remind you that your breath still stinks in the morning and you still need a shower. I'm grateful. Who knows what I might think without her.

Technology is wonderful when it works.

I know it's been a month since my last post. That's just pathetic. I'm very sorry. But it also means that I've been very busy. Since my last post I've been blessed to do a number of things. I've resigned my position at my home church - which went a little differently from the way I saw it in my head. But, I followed God's explicit instructions and I'm so very glad that I did. I've interviewed with a couple of churches for a new position and I'm waiting to see where God wants me to serve now.

Let's see...

Oh - I purchased a bunch of new equipment. I purchased a Motif ES7. I'm so happy and excited about this keyboard. It came with the mLAN expansion card already in it - and I didn't have to pay for it. It was an oversight by the store and a blessing from the Lord!! I also purchased the Lexicon Omega audio interface, which came with Cubase LE. It's pretty cool recording software - not the heavy-duty stuff like Logic or ProTools but it's good enough to get the songs from my head to a CD. That's what I needed. Oh yeah - I bought the AT4040 microphone. This thing has a wonderful sound. It makes the voice sound so warm and natural. I never knew how much difference a mic could make. WOW!! My geek side is coming out.

Cain is outside barking at his water bowl, which he just turned over. He's more then 78 pounds now and definitely taller than Rocky. But Rocky retains dominance. It's interesting watching the instinctive territorial actions of mammals. When Cain goes somewhere in the yard to urinate, Rocky follows him. As soon as Cain finishes, Rocky finds the exact spot and urinates right in that spot. I guess that's his way of making it plain that he is still the Alpha Male and Cain is still a child or something. It's crazy. Now, Cain is out there rolling his metal bowl around - clanging and banging it while barking and howling. It's a very funny noise.

I opened a myspace website. That thing is addictive. If you're not careful you can lose hours of your day just checking out people's pages and getting new friends. But check this out... my beautiful daughter has become one of my friends on myspace. It's the coolest thing. She's the Spanish speaking chica on my page. By the way, you can visit at www.myspace.com/michaelmsmith.

Well there is a lot more going on but I'll have to fill you in on that later. Gotta run.

Agape!

Wow!! It’s been too long since I put an entry into this blog. I feel so ashamed. But it means that I’ve been extremely busy and – trust me – that’s a wonderful thing!! Then, when I finally got a chance to make the entry, I couldn't remember my password. I've been bugging the wonderful people of Blogger for the past week and a half trying to get my user ID and password reset. However, today I stumbled accross it in the place where all of my passwords are documented. DUH!! I guess I should have looked there first.

Let me try to bring you up to speed. Since my last entry we have had some wonderful concerts!! I’ve had the opportunity to minister at a small church for their youth conference. When I say a small church I mean small – like the building holds less then 100 people. But the leader of the youth department wanted to do something great for their youth and I really wanted to be a part of that. The Lord has given me a soft spot for young people and I believe that the church should do all that we can to reach them and anchor them in the word of God. Well… it happened so that the day we had to minister was extremely hot. The circuit breaker for the air conditioning at the church tripped earlier that day so the a/c wasn’t on and the building was like a sauna. When we all arrived they immediately turned on the a/c but they couldn’t cool the building. So we had a sweat fest. It was cool though. We were leaping and dancing before the Lord with sweat pouring off all of us. It was a blessed night nonetheless. The young people really enjoyed it.

We have implemented a new marketing item. We have a T-shirt with the front imprinted “I Worship Because I Am Redeemed.” People love the shirts. They sell very well at concerts. We will soon be selling them on the website.

Another award nomination has come. The Virginia Gospel Announcers Guild of the GMWA has nominated me for “Male Artist Of The Year”. What an honor! I feel truly blessed to be a nominee. If you vote for me, maybe I’ll win. ;-)

A record label wants to put “Join In This Praise” on their Gospel Skate Jams CD. This will be a compilation CD featuring several national and independent artists. From what I was told, there may be a couple of previously unreleased songs by TONEX on the CD. Now that is major… having my music on a CD with music from Tonex. The record label will do major distribution which would escalate the popularity of Worship Of A Redeemed Man which should positively impact CD sales.

Oasis Manufacturing – the company that pressed my CD – included “Fight For Me” on their Inspirational Sampler CD. The sampler is a compilation CD of several Christian, Gospel and Inspirational independent artists that have had their music manufactured by Oasis. The company sent the sampler to their “secret” list of industry insiders and radio stations. We have already received an email from a radio station in Oregon that wanted the full project for consideration in their rotation. The Music Director had great things to say about the song. WOW!!

So, as you can see, things are happening. And believe me when I say that I’m not even telling you the biggest things yet. I’ll have to wait until the dust settles and we can clearly see all the Lord is doing. It’s a little clouded right now but we feel something great coming to birth. God is moving… and I’m moving right along with Him.

Happy Birthday to me!! Happy Birthday to me!!

So, this is how it feels to be 42, huh? Not too bad. It appears that everyone thoroughly enjoyed the July Baby Birthday Bash! We had such a blast!! The presence of the Lord was definitely felt in the place. We had everything from dancing to laughing to worship. We were told that the food was great. I hate that I didn't get to have any of the shrimp. It looked so good. But, the guests fully indulged themselves. It was on point!!

Recently, I completed the book of Hebrews (again) - this time reading the NIV and The Message in parallel. It was so awesome. There was a lot that I never saw in that book which just jumped out at me this time. The bible is amazing like that... you can read something 1000 times and still get something fresh out of it. I learned so much about faith and believing.

Growing up, I always heard "faith" taught with an emphasis on waiting and believing. The common theme was that if you believe that God will do something and follow His directions, it will happen. It's innumerable the times that I've heard that if you have faith and speak to the mountain and tell it to be cast into the sea that it will have to be cast into the sea. But as I read Hebrews chapter 11 this time I saw something to which I never paid attention before.

The writer, Apostle Paul, listed several persons that are noted for their faith. He listed their acts of faith. But later in the chapter, Apostle Paul clearly explained that these people died believing what they believed - but never saw what they were hoping and believing for materialize. It did not happen while they were living. Still, these people didn't waiver in their faith. They trusted God beyond death. This changed my perspective on life. So often I expect God to do things based on what I understand to be His will or His plan. But faith is what I need when I trust God whole-heartedly and follow His directions explicitly and things still don't work out the way I trusted that they would.

When you are on the calm shore enjoying life and God says get in the boat and go across the water... and you get in and start moving... and a storm catches you beyond the halfway point... and your boat is on the verge of capsizing... and you see Jesus walking on the water... and you cry out to Him... and He tells you to take courage and not be afraid... and you say, "God, if it's really you then call me close to you"... and He tells you to walk on the water... and you step out of the boat... and you get four or five good steps away from the boat while walking on water... and suddenly the bottom falls out and you are no longer walking but on the verge of drowning... THAT is when you need faith! You have to know that - even if the results are not what you believed God would do - even if they are disastrous - it doesn't change God's faithfulness. God is timeless, limitless and boundless in His wisdom and His power. If He said that all things work together for our good then we can bet our lives on it. And even if we lose our lives - doesn't He have the power of ressurection?

So, I have grown in faith over the past two months. God is teaching me - and I am enjoying the lesson... well, mostly enjoying the lesson... some of it is quite nerve-rattling. But those are the moments that cultivate the most growth.

So, Hallujah Anyhow!!

Shalom.

There is so much to learn about the "live performance."

It's easy to think that - because you do well on Sunday Mornings in your local church's Praise & Worship setting - you are ready for a big stage. Duh-Duh!! Not so. It's a completely different animal. I used to wonder why it took so long to get the stage ready for national artists. It appeared that their soundchecks took forever. Now I understand why. Sound makes all the difference in the world.

When you are in the audience listening to one of the national actists you expect every note to be perfect. The artists know that as well. In order for that to be the case, the artists have to be able to hear themselves clearly. That is where the long soundchecks come in. They are necessary to get the perfect mix on the stage so that the performer/artist hears everything clean and clear. When you can hear clearly you can sing on pitch. If what you hear in stage is all garbled, you won't know when you have drifted.

The last three large engagements have taught me a lot...

AF'RAM... we didn't do a real soundcheck. We were so happy to take the stage that we went with whatever mix we were given. So, the BGVs (background vocalists) couldn't hear themselves - and I certainly couldn't hear them. The band sounded great on stage to me - but they couldn't hear themselves very well. The audience could hear me and some of the band but not everything - and certainly not balanced. So, our execution wasn't great. Still, the crowd got with us. But I know it could have been a lot better.

Issachar Conference... due to the weather we didn't have time to do a thorough soundcheck. So we roughed it out. It was much better than AF'RAM in the live setting. However, I just got the DVD with the direct sound. It was not good at all. The vocals drifted a lot - and it was evident that they couldn't hear themselves. When the music was low ans soft - the BGVs were on point. When the music got loud, the BGVs drifted from pitch. Also, if the BGVs were singing softly they drifted because they couldn't hear themselves distinctly.

Gospel Block Party... there was no soundcheck - but it wasn't necessary to do one because we were using a track. The mics were hot and the track was hot. The blend on the stage was great and the execution was on point! The BGVs could hear themselves clearly and that made all the difference in the world.

So - we have two rehearsals before the July Baby Birthday Bash. I know exactly what we need to work on. I have a tool that I'm going to try to implement that should make a huge difference. I'm going to have the BGVs use an earplug in one ear. We've also implemented stage separation - having the BGVs on one side of the stage and the band on the other side. That way the BGVs won't be completely absorded in the volume of the instruments. I think that combination will help a lot. I'll let you know what happens.

Shalom!!

I love the Motif ES7!! It's a wonderful machine. I've been sequencing my hindparts off!

Two local artists have asked me to produce their demos. So, I'm working on their material. I'll be taking my band and vocalists into the studio to record the music for these demos. This is going to be a major plus for my resume. The music is turning out great!

This is going to be a busy two weeks for me. We have a full concert on Tuesday night for the Issachar Conference. Last Monday's rehearsal was abysmal. The vocals were not tight at all. But - after much prayer and reflection - I realized that the band was killing the vocals. They heard so much noise that they weren't able to create a blend. We had a vocal rehearsal today and they sounded wonderful! I have a band rehearsal tomorrow so I'll address the band volume issue. We'll do whatever it takes to make this work well!

Working feverishly on the "July Baby Birthday Bash." It's going to be a blast. I'll have to tell you more about it later - but in short - I'll be celebrating my 42nd birthday on July 22nd. We will be throwing a major party as a fundraiser on that evening. Me and the band will do a full concert with a few special performances. We will also provide an awesome buffet dinner. It's going to be a wonderful night. It appears that we will have quite a bit of radio personalities in the building. Sounds awesome!!

Anyway - It's late and I've got to get some sleep.

Keep praying for this nation called America. We need Jesus!

Shalom.

Okay - I know... it's been three weeks since I've updated you on what's happening with me. I'm sorry. So sorry. Seriously. I really am apologizing here.

Time does fly when you are having a ball!!

Okay, let me try to bring you up to date.

AF'RAM!! It was a blast! We had a wonderful time. Thank you, Sarita!! Thank you, Theo!! We got to hang out backstage while the great Tye Tribbett and GA were on stage throwing down. They were amazing! Their excitement and energy is unexplainable.

I did learn a valuable lesson. Be adamant about getting a good, thorough sound-check before taking a big stage like that one. Don't start until the sound is right. In my youthful excitement and inexperience, I just went for it without ensuring that we had a good mix. Well, it sorta' cost us. On stage we couldn't hear any of the background singers' mics. The band sounded great and I could hear my mic okay. Out in the audience, they couldn't hear the guitar nor most of the background singers. When you have a group singing and all of the mics are not on in the monitors, it makes it nearly impossible for them to blend effectively because they can't hear each other. That was our dilema. But, I guess we sounded pretty okay because the crowd went with us and responded very well. We even sold a few CDs. That's always good!!

Okay, let's go in reverse for a moment. The week before AF'RAM we sang at the Norfolk City Jail Ministry's Spring Rally. It was a benefit event for this incredible outreach ministry. I love ministries of that sort. When I lived in Atlanta I spent some years ministering at the Atlanta Union Mission - both the Men's and Women's divisions. I had the opportunity to minister to many people going through drug rehabilitation and well as persons coming out of incarceration. It's a wonderful opportunity to help rebuild lives and spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ. So, the Spring Rally took me back to that kind of ministering that I love. The group and I were so blessed by the testimonies of former inmates whose lives had been changed by the power of God. It was so much fun singing and ministering to that crowd. We had a fantastic time of worship!!

Now, jumping forward. This past Saturday I had the opportunity to do a solo acoustic performance for the Sister to Sister Kingdom Visionary Ministry. It was pretty cool. We were jamming at the Hilton Hotel. I love doing "Dance In My Feet" in a setting like that. It's a song that just brings the praise out of you. The presence of the Lord was great in the place.

So, now you are up to date on the stuff that I've been doing. God has been doing great things - and I rejoice in Him.

Now, for more intimate matters...

I am wrapping up my studies on I & II Corinthians. It is pretty powerful studying these books using the NIV and The Message in parallel. It really opened my understanding of what Apostle Paul was writing to the church. I've had to look at myself and make some changes as a result of studying these books. But, isn't that what the word of God is supposed to cause us to do? We should always be growing and adjusting so that our lives line up with God's word. That's the only way we can be certain that we are in God's divine plan. God's word is the lamp unto our feet and the light unto our path.

Lastly, little Cain - the little puppy that we found on the side of the road in South Carolina - is now six months old and weighing in at a whopping 60 pounds! WOW!! The vet said that he appears to have a mixture of Mastiff and German Shepherd in him, among other things. He is expected to get at least 20 pounds heavier - but probably not quite 100 pounds. WOW!! I wonder how large the other two puppies are now?

PEACE!!

NBA Playoffs!!! I love this game!!! I'm watching the San Antonio Spurs fight to stay in the playoffs with Dallas. I'm hoping... I'm cheering...

We are planning another big event. It is called the "July Baby Birthday Bash!" The event is going to be a buffet dinner and a concert.

Oops! The Spurs just went up by 10 points on a steal by Tony Parker. Yahoo!!

Okay, back to business. We want to host the event at Mt. Gilead Missionary Baptist Church Family Life Center... a gorgeous facility perfect for this type of event. We are inviting a couple of artists to open the evening. We will conclude with me, the singers and band doing a full concert - probably every song from the CD. The event will be a fund-raiser so there will be a cover charge. Tickets will be sold in advance. We want to really push the envelope with promoting the event. The funds raised from the event will be used to promote the CD. Marketing and promotion is very expensive.

Gosh!!! The lead has been cut down to three. Dallas is on a 7-0 run. Come on Spurs!!

So Saturday will be an interesting day. I've got a 7AM engagement at the Atlanta Bread Company in Virginia Beach near Lynhaven Mall. Then that evening I have an engagement at Gethsamene Community Fellowship Baptist Church. It's going to be exciting. I'm a little nervous about the 7AM event because it's going to be very different for me. I am doing an acoustic set by myself with no vocals or band or mic. Just me and a low volume keyboard singing to early morning patrons of the restaurant. It's a great opportunity to sell myself and the CD to a completely new audience.

The Spurs are making a run for it here in the fourth quarter. Up by six!!

The evening event will be pretty important as well. Several churches from the Tidewater area will be represented. This event can open several doors.

Throughout my growth as a minister of music I was always taught to see these opportunities as ministry and nothing else. Now I understand the necessity to seeing these matters through balances eyes. The most important thing is that God is glorified every time I pick up a microphone. The word of the Lord charges me to be a representative of the Kingdom of God. As the salt of the earth and the light of the world, my responsibility is to spread the seasoning and light of the Lord Jesus wherever I go. However, the word of the Lord also requires me to be a faithful steward over capital and opportunities. I am charged to be a good businessman. So, I have to look through balanced eyes and make sure each event is anointed, impressionable, spiritually effective and economically beneficial.

EERRRRR!! Dallas tied the game. Come on Spurs!!

So - lots and lots going on with me. Please keep me in your prayers that God's direction will always be clear to me.

Only 1:16 left in the game and the Spurs are up by one. I've got to watch this one. I'm still hoping... still cheering!!

Where do I start? I've got so much news to tell you about...

For starters, I signed the contract to perform at AFR'AM in Norfolk, VA on the Sunday before Memorial Day. It's a huge festival and will be my largest stage to date. I'll be on stage somewhere among Tye Tribbett, the Gospel Keynotes and Dottie Peoples. Big names, huh? I'll only have a few minutes to make a huge impression. I believe that we're ready for the challenge.

In our last rehearsal the vocalists sounded awesome!! The band is always on point but the vocals were blazing. I'm so impressed with how they've blended and how well they are singing.

On Monday, Sharon and I attended our first meeting with the GMWA Virginia GAG (Gospel Announcers Guild). These are the people that control Gospel radio in Virginia. It was an absolute pleasure. I learned a whole lot. But I also got a very wonderful surprise. I found out that "I'm Saved" is being played in rotation in Richmond, VA on WFTH - 1590 AM. It was also very interesting and educational to hear the perspective of these industry insiders on where Gospel music and Gospel radio is going. It appears that I am coming in at the perfect time. Radio stations are a lot more open to independents. Hallelujah!!

More great news!! This CD is making its way around the Contemporary Christian Radio arena. Salem Music Network has picked up "Holy Is The Lord" for their Sunday morning program on The Word In Praise. This is a show that broadcasts all over the country. Here in Virginia Beach, we get it on WWIP - 89.1 FM. I also got an email from - now, get this - K-LOVE. That's right, K-LOVE!! Someone sent my CD to them and they are reviewing it in consideration for their station. WOW. WOW! I mean... WOW!!!! Look at God!! Can you see Him moving?

July 22 will be my 42nd birthday. We are planning to have a "July Baby Birthday Bash!" It will be a big "worship party." There will be a wonderful buffet meal and plenty of great music. We want to open the night with a couple of artist that know how to lead people into worship, then I want to do a full concert with my band and singers. I want to honor all the attendees that were born in the month of July. We July Babies will represent!!! We looked at a facility today where we could accommodate the crowd that I believe we will have. The ticket price will be more than I'm used to charging but I believe we will be able to sell the idea based on the momentum we will have from the engagements prior to the event. Keep your ears open for this one. It's going to be so cool!!

Okay, I guess that's enough for tonight. I apologize for letting so much time pass since my last post. It's very busy right now but I will try my best to keep you even more informed.

Micah 7:8 says it all!!

Agape!

Seeing yourself on television is a weird thing. But - praise God!- at least I didn't come off looking like an idiot. Actually, my intense self-criticism aside, it all went very well. I found myself being myself - which is totally important to me. Integrity is very important to me in this process and I want it evident every time I perform. There should never be an occasion when people see me perform and get something other than who I really am. Sometimes artists are challenged to transform into someone else when they perform on television. This was my first time facing that challenge. It looks like I met the challenge and won. Hallelujah!!

I just got great news... and I'm not going to do the GEICO thing... Music Choice will be adding "Join In This Praise" to their Praise and Worship program that airs on Sunday Mornings between 9 and 11 AM. This is HUGE!!! Music Choice feeds cable and satellite companies across the country. This will expose thousands of people to my music. Praise God!! The song will begin airing on their network somewhere around mid-May on the Contemporary Christian channel. Another major plus with this development is that the music is now crossing over into the Contemporary Christian genre. You talk about major - that is MAJOR!!

Sharon and I are celebrating our 12th Wedding Anniversary. We were married on a gorgeous April 23rd afternoon in Atlanta. It was right in the middle of "Freaknik" and we had no idea what Freaknik was. What a rude introduction. We couldn't find hotel rooms for family members; the streets, roads and interstates were in total gridlock; it was a mess - but we were so happy!! As we were leaving the reception - Sharon in her gown and me in my tux - cars were at a total stop on the interstate and young college students were dancing on the highway. But as they recognized the gown and tux and saw "Just Married" on the car, they started cheering for us and cut a path through the sea of cars so that we could journey on to our destination. God has been parting seas for us ever since. Sharon is the most wonderful woman a man could have. And I am totally in love with her. She is so loving, compassionate, tender, strong and GORGEOUS!! It has been a fantastic 12 years. Te adoro - my Boo.

We took Cain to the vet this weekend. This little tiny puppy that we found in South Carolina that could fit in my two hands is now 43.8 pounds!! The vet thinks Cain has a mix of German Shepherd, Hound (probably blood hound) and Rottweiller. He is less then 5 months old and growing like crazy. He is going to be HUGE! They think he will reach about 100 pounds. WOW! But Rocky still has him in check. Rocky lets there be no mistaking that he is the boss and Cain is the new kid on the block.

Okay - that's enough for now. I'm chilling this week with my wife as we continue to celebrate. Until next week - Shalom.

Sharon: I checked your blog and you haven't updated it lately.
Michael: Okay - you're right. I need to do that today.

A few days later... after mowing my lawn... which, by the way, is prettier and greener than ever... HALLELUJAH!!!... and coming in for some down time while Sharon is out shopping... I remember... UPDATE YOUR BLOG!!!

I apologize for not updating during the tour as I had planned. It got so busy that I couldn' t. So, here is the update... day by day.

Day 2 - Friday...
Sharon and I got up early that morning to go to the radio station for an 8AM interview. The radio personality was wonderful and made us feel very welcome. We had a great time with him. Thanks WVGB!! After leaving there we went to find a bank... which required us going to Parris Island. It was very cool driving through and seeing the sights of this legendary base. Then we went back to the hotel and checked out. We went to our hotel in Summerville, checked in, then shortly thereafter left for the music store to pick up the sound system that we rented for that evening's concert. Then we went to the church.

While in route, I got a call from a radio station in Charleston to do a phone interview before the concert for additional publicity. Now, this gets funny... I needed to call the station at a certain time on a particular phone line for the live phone interview. A little before we arrived at the church it was time to call the station. I called the station and was waiting for them to put me on the air. As we approached the church, I started losing the signal. And as much as I complain about my cellphone service, I couldn't even blame it on my service... nobody else could even get a signal at all. I had to let them unload the sound system and the other items from the vehicle so I could drive back down the road far enough to get a signal and call the station. None the less... it was a great interview! Thanks WXTC!!

That night's concert was in my hometown... Huger, SC. I had cousins, classmates, schoolmates, one of my school teachers and others that worked at my school when I was attending Cainhoy High School (Class of '82!!). It was a homecoming. The concert was amazing! It was, again, as if God put His face in the building. After singing, "Look Where You Brought Me From," we had to stop and take a praise break. People were dancing and shouting all over the building. Then I turned around and all of my background singers were dancing. I just had to wait until everyone got that praise out before we could move on and finish the last song. It was so awesome!!

After the concert they fed us well!! Oh my God... the food was so good! Thank you Stewart Chapel!! I love you!!

Day 3 - Saturday...
We didn't have to get up as early - thank God!! We went to one of the local record stores for a CD Signing. It was very cool - thank you Rev. Heyward!! Then we dropped off the sound system and I took the group on a drive-thru tour of the beautiful city of Charleston, SC. They all loved the gorgeous new Cooper River Bridge. We went through The Battery. I took them through the neighborhood where I grew up. It was a quick 40 minute drive through because I didn't have time to give them the full and complete package. Charleston ROCKS!!

We stopped for lunch, then it was off to Eutawville. We got there and did the sound check... then went and checked into the hotel... got dressed... and went to the church for the final concert. Now, this one was really special. I had forgotten that I sang and preached in Eutawville the week the CD was released and that I sold lots of CDs there. I was pleasantly surprised to have the audience singing every song with us... word for word... lead parts included. It was such a cool feeling. These people know how to have a Holy Ghost Party!! We danced up a storm in there. It was so awesome. There was an awesome band there for one of the choirs that opened for us. "Fight For Me" was our last song. I did a reprise to the song with the band and the audience. They ROCKED IT!! Then they wouldn't let it go... it was so much fun. The minister of music started singing it again. Then the bishop started singing it. It was so cool!! I believe they got the message of the song.

So, that night we rested well in our hotel rooms. We all took our time waking up the next morning. We took out time driving home that day. We stopped and shopped at the Tanger Outlet in North Carolina. I even picked up a few items myself.

Once we were back we had to immediately start preparing for the "Spread A Little Sunshine" TV Show appearance on this Sunday. We taped for it on Thursday. That was an interesting experience. I am used to singing to a crowd - but singing on a closed set to a camera? That was different. I'll see how I did in the morning when the show comes on - at 5:00 AM. Well, I guess I'll really see how I did when I watch the video recording of the 5AM show. I really don't think I'm going to be awake to see it. Then, again, who knows.

Can you say AMAZING!! Tonight was the first night of the tour. We sang at Bethesda Temple of Saint Joseph Baptist Church on Saint Helena Island in Beaufort, SC. It was so amazing. The crowd was an interesting mix of youth and adults. There were lots of children there as their praise dance and mime teams ministered before we took the stage. They were fantastic. Then a saxaphonist played a medley of songs and he was incredible!! The atmosphere was set and primed for worship. When we took the stage it was so easy to go forth in worship. The people were right with us every step of the way.

And can I tell you - these background singers sang their tails off!!! Oh my God! They were amazing. We did a medley that allowed each of them to solo a part. They ate it up! I guess it was easy and natural for them since each of them are worship leaders.

God blessed tremendously. I'll give you the review of tomorrow night's performance after the concert.

Don't forget to keep us in your prayers.

Shalom!!

Micah 7:8