The Oasis of the Seas…  Day 2…  Port Day…

Let’s call this one:  The First Impression!

Follow my trip on the following social network profiles:

• Twitter:  http://www.twitter.com/mwscruise
• Facebook Group:  http://www.facebook.com/groups/mwscruise/
• Facebook Page:  http://www.facebook.com/MichaelWSmithEvents
• Periscope:  Live Videos via twitter – MWS Cruise / (Android and iOS App available)

Do YOU have any questions about the MWS & Friends 2016 Cruise?  Ask them here and I’ll answer them throughout the cruise:  https://michaelwsmith.com/caribbean-cruise-questions/

Thinking about booking the cruise?  Get details and reserve your cabin today:  http://www.michaelwsmithcruise.com

BLOGGING/INSPECTION CRUISE – Entry #1:

The One Where I Tell You About Myself and What To Expect In The Blogs Next Week…

OK, so I guess, first an introduction is in order.  My name is Derek and I have worked with Michael W. Smith for 8 years now.  My daughter is Kennedy and my wife is Kate and we live in Spring Hill, TN.  So, if there are random people in some pictures that I post over the next week, it’s probably my two girls.  I’ve had the privilege of getting to know many of you on some of Michael’s past cruises and am look forward to getting to know many more of you on the 2016 cruise.  I’ve been on every Michael W. Smith & Friends cruise that Smitty has ever hosted, so I have a pretty thorough knowledge of how we “do things” and the various experiences that our guests have had.

So let’s get started.  I won’t send these blogs out to you via email, instead I’ll post them on MichaelWSmith.com and on the below listed social networks – so if you want to see the full detail of my trip please feel free to go there and read daily, starting the evening of Saturday, July 11th.

This Saturday, July 11th to the 18th,  I’m taking my family on the OASIS OF THE SEAS so that our team will be able to plan and answer your questions about NEXT SUMMER’S MICHAEL W. SMITH & FRIENDS 2016 CARIBBEAN CRUISE.   It’s my hope that after this cruise you’ll be more excited than ever, for next summer.  It is also my goal to get the answers to many of your questions about what an MWS Cruise on the OASIS OF THE SEAS will be like.

I’ll tweet (a lot), I’ll Facebook (often), and I’ll blog daily – so follow the profiles below if you want to get a taste of what you’ll get to experience on Michael W. Smith & Friends 2016 Caribbean Cruise.  Most importantly if you have any questions that you want answered, you can be specific in asking them and I’ll get you the answers.

We’ve already received a lot of questions and I’m going to do all that I can to answer them next week.  Great questions have included:

• What’s it going to be like cruising on a ship this size?
• What’s a Flo-Rider?
• Am I going to get lost on the ship?
• How many ice cream machines are there?  (I’m going to need to figure out the answer to this one FIRST)
• What’s the schedule for all of the MWS & Friends events and exclusive content?
• What are the recommended excursions on the cruise?

I’m really excited to get onto the ship and start answering all of your questions!

Follow my trip on the following social network profiles:

• Twitter:  http://www.twitter.com/mwscruise
• Facebook Group:  http://www.facebook.com/groups/mwscruise/
• Facebook Page:  http://www.facebook.com/MichaelWSmithEvents
• Periscope:  Live Videos via twitter – MWS Cruise / (Android and iOS App available)

Do YOU have any questions about the MWS & Friends 2016 Cruise?  Ask them here and I’ll answer them throughout the cruise:  https://michaelwsmith.com/caribbean-cruise-questions/

Thinking about booking the cruise?  Get details and reserve your cabin today:  http://www.michaelwsmithcruise.com

Blessings and You’ll Be Hearing From Me Again on Saturday!
Derek
Team MWS Member

Dear Friends,
I am thrilled to be a part of a new project called “Living Hope,” an album featuring many Christian artists with songs centering on the idea of “hope”. The song I contributed is called “Hope of Heaven” and it talks about how we look forward to the day of rejoicing when we can praise God in his presence and His kingdom’s glory is revealed.

The Living Hope album was put together by a restaurant chain called Pizza Ranch whose vision is “to glorify God by impacting the world.” Pizza Ranch will be selling the CD for $5 in their 190 restaurants across the Midwest this summer with a goal of spreading the message of Hope to their guests and communities.

The album can also be purchased for download at www.pizzaranch.com/livinghope.

“Sky Spills Over,” the latest music video and radio single from GRAMMY ® Award Winner Michael W. Smith, debuted to viral backing from WAYFm.com, FOX News and Guideposts.org. “Sky Spills Over” has climbed into the Top 25 on both the Billboard AC Indicator and National Christian Audience Charts.

The video was a family affair for Smith featuring several of his grandchildren along with his son, Ryan Smith, serving as the director of the music video. Fans took to social media to share the video as the impact resonated with viewers.

After recent shows in Nigeria and South Africa to the Ukraine, as part of the “SOVEREIGN WORLD TOUR,” Smith joined Reba McEntire and Amy Grant to perform for former First Lady Barbara Bush’s 90th birthday in Kennebunkport, Maine. Continuing to support Bush’s commitment to reading and education, the celebration raised a total of $17.3 million for the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy.

This fall, Smith will continue his “SOVEREIGN WORLD TOUR” with dates in the U.S. as well as in Brazil, Japan and Indonesia. In late September, Phillips, Craig & Dean and Mark Lowry will join Smith in a 10-city tour being billed as the “Celebration of Songs & Hymns Tour.” Concert information is always available at www.michaelwsmith.com.

Watch the SKY SPILLS OVER music video NOW!

Nashville, Tenn. (May 22, 2015) – Beginning September 22, GRAMMY® award-winning artist Michael W. Smith will embark on a nightly concert hymns tour, bringing his hits and famous church classics alongside comedian Mark Lowry and longtime trio Phillips, Craig, and Dean (PCD). The tour will run through the month of September, beginning in Bemidji, Minn. and concluding in Reading, Pa.

In 2014, Smith released his very first traditional hymns album, partnering with the Cracker Barrel Old Country Store® for its release. The best-selling Hymns album won the 2014 Dove Awards for “Inspirational Album of the Year” and includes inspirational songs that he remembers singing in church when young.

“This tour really is a bit of a dream come true for me,” Smith shares. “I have such deep respect for Randy, Shawn and Dan (PCD) and I’ve always been a fan of Mark Lowry. Sharing the stage and performing the classic Hymns of the church will be such a unique and great experience. I’m really, really looking forward to this tour.”

After a successful Alaska cruise tour in 2014 featuring PCD, Smith decided to connect with PCD a second time. In planning the 2014 nightly concerts, the artists decided that it might be fun to do a night of all hymns. So – with no formal rehearsal, they made a set list, took the stage together, and sang classics for more than an hour. It was decided that very night that the two artists would set out on another hymnal tour, but this time with the addition of Lowry.

Lowry’s performance will bring a special element to the tour. Not only known for his comedic antics, Lowry was raised in the church and had the opportunity to sing with Bill Gaither for many years. “I’m so excited that Smitty, PCD and I are going to get to travel to a bunch of cities this fall and perform all ‘hims.'” Mark comments, “I guess we’ll perform all ‘hers’ next year … sorry ladies.”

Randy Phillips with PCD states, “Michael W. Smith sings songs that draw my heart closer to God. Mark Lowry, through his unique humor, helps me not to take myself too seriously. As Phillips, Craig and Dean enter our 25th year together, it is indeed an honor to be on stage with men who have created such a legacy.”

Additional information and tickets are available at https://michaelwsmith.com.

All Dates Subject to Change
*Click Here For Up-To-Date Tour Information
September 22 – Bemidji, MN
September 23 – Eau Claire or Rockford
September 24 – Bowling Green, OH
September 25 – Shipshewana, IN
September 27 – Greenville, NC
September 28 – Columbus, OH
September 29 – Greenburg, PA
September 30 – Reading, PA

About Michael W. Smith:
Michael W. Smith is an acclaimed singer, songwriter, and musician who has sold more than 15 million albums, achieved 32 No. 1 songs, earned three GRAMMY® Awards, one American Music Award, and more than 40 Dove Awards. Most recently, in honor of ASCAP’s 100th Anniversary, Smith, along with Amy Grant, was honored as “a cornerstone of Christian music,” for his groundbreaking career and significant influence on the genre. Also in 2014, Smith was named Philanthropist of the Year by the Nashville Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) and honored by the Nashville Association of Talent Directors (NATD) for his impact on the Nashville entertainment industry. Throughout his career, the Contemporary Christian Music artist has had the opportunity to sing for several Presidents and national leaders. He actively supports the teen club Rocketown, Compassion International, and Samaritan’s Purse, the ministry headed by Franklin Graham. Michael and his wife Debbie live in Middle Tennessee, where they raised their five children. In 2014, Smith released Hymns, his first-ever classic album featuring church favorites available exclusively at all Cracker Barrel Old Country Store® locations and CrackerBarrel.com, as well as his first studio worship album since 2008, Sovereign, which took a Top 10 spot on the Billboard 200, as well as the No. 1 spot on Billboard’s Christian Albums Chart. His fourth career Christmas album, Michael W. Smith & Friends: The Spirit of Christmas, released during the fall of 2014 and received critical acclaim from The New York Times, USA Today and more. Featuring Vince Gill, Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town, Martina McBride, Amy Grant, Carrie Underwood, Jennifer Nettles, Bono and Michael McDonald, the project was one of the top-selling Christmas albums of the season. For more information, visit www.michaelwsmith.com.

About Phillips, Craig and Dean:
Since the group was formed more than 20 years ago, Phillips, Craig & Dean has achieved remarkable status in the Christian music industry. They released their 15th album, Above It All, November 10th, have produced 24 No. 1 radio hits, sold almost three million records, and have won three GMA Dove Awards. Their major hits have received national attention with “Revelation Song” staying at No. 1 for a record-breaking 17 weeks, “Crucified with Christ” named Inspiration Song of the Year by CCM Magazine, “Saved The Day” played during a nationally televised game of the Texas Rangers, and “Shine On Us” being the theme song for the National Day of Prayer’s 50th anniversary. Phillips, Craig and Dean remain an active touring act, which has included appearances at National Religious Broadcasters and Christian Booksellers Association conventions and Promise Keepers events. The group still maintains their moratorium on Saturday night travel due to their commitments as full-time pastors at their home churches in Austin, TX, St. Louis, Missouri and Carrollton, TX.

About Mark Lowry:
Mark Lowry is known and loved around the world as a trusted voice in the realm of gospel music and beyond. With four decades in the entertainment industry, Lowry is a singer, storyteller, humorist, author and songwriter, whose lyric to “Mary Did You Know?” resulted in one of the most loved modern Christmas songs of this century.  This captivating song, which he co-wrote with Buddy Greene, has been recorded more than 400 times by artists from every genre including: Reba McEntire, Cee Lo Green, Clay Aiken, Michael English, Kenny Rogers, Wynonna Judd, The Gaither Vocal Band and a long list of others.  Lowry has spent more than 20 collective years as the baritone singer for the GRAMMY ® winning Gaither Vocal Band and serves as the sidesplitting comedic sidekick for Bill Gaither through live concert tours and the best-selling Gaither Homecoming video series and television airings (now more than 150 volumes strong).  A deep thinker and student of theology with an outrageous sense of humor (for which he often credits his diagnosis with Attention Deficit Disorder), Lowry’s life work includes a long list of recordings and DVDs reflecting a wide range of influences, including: Mark Lowry On Broadway, Mark Lowry Goes To Hollywood, Life Gets Loud, I Love To Tell the Story (his first all-hymns recording), Unplugged and Unplanned, Whatcha Need and most recently, Unforgettable Classics. Lowry was recently inducted into the Gospel Music Association Hall of Fame, which in his words, “took my breath away.”

Get Connected with Michael W. Smith
Website // www.michaelwsmith.com
Facebook // www.facebook.com/michaelwsmithofficial
Twitter // www.twitter.com/michaelwsmith
Instagram // www.instagram.com/mwsmithofficial

This September, Michael W. Smith and his very special guest, Max Lucado​ will be hosting an event called THE RETREAT at The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association’s Leadership Training Center, THE COVE, in Asheville, NC.

Get Details & Book Your Spot Now: 
http://www.itickets.com/events/331336/Asheville_NC/THE_RETREAT_with_Michael_W._Smith_and_special_guest_Max_Lucado.html   

===========================================

About THE RETREAT:

This is a 3 Days and 2 night event, registration includes all meals and all attendees will be able to attend all morning, afternoon, evening, and late night sessions.  THE RETREAT is the smallest (in numbers of attendees) that we’ve ever hosted so all of us on the MWS Event Team.  The maximum capacity for the event is just over 400 guests.

We have set-up a group rate a hotel located just 1 mile from the property and are excited to be able to invite you to join in ALL events throughout the weekend.  However, we want you to be able to choose any off property that matches your need, so we are not forcing guests into one specific offsite property.

Friends,

TODAY, May 5th is a big day here in Nashville. It’s called ‪#‎TheBigPayback‬. On May 5th you’re going to see me posting lots of stories and ways that you can support ‪#‎ROCKETOWN‬. A non-profit organization that I started here in 1994 to offer hope to the next generation through Christ’s love.

Rocketown is a special place in Nashville where underserved kids can gather, be safe, have fun, receive tutoring/mentoring, from our amazing staff.

Michael W. Smith  joined President Clinton, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson and others in remembering victims of the Oklahoma City Bombing, and celebrating the “Oklahoma Standard” during Sunday’s memorial service marking the 20th anniversary of the attack.  The three-time GRAMMY® winner also received the prestigious 2015 Applause Award from the Nashville-based Belmont University’s College of Visual and Performing Arts Program on Saturday, April 18.

“It was such an honor to be with President Clinton, the other dignitaries and especially the good, strong people of Oklahoma on this significant date in their history.  The strength and resolve of the people of Oklahoma City reminded me that God can take what was meant for evil and turn it to our good,” shares Smith.  “I am so proud of Belmont University.  I’m proud to be a Trustee and I’m proud to recommend Belmont to so many kids that are looking for a great education.  And to hear them perform my music – – I have to admit to shedding a tear or two.  It was a very emotional experience for me.”

The Applause Award is the highest honor given by the Belmont College of Visual and Performing Arts.  Past recipients include Chet Atkins, Vince Gill, Amy Grant, and Ricky Skaggs. Belmont performers honored Smith with variations of his songs, culminating in a rendition of ‘River is Rising’ performed by Smith, a 90 piece orchestra, an 18 piece jazz band, and over 300 accompaniment singers.

After the university event, Smith traveled directly to Oklahoma City where he joined former President Bill Clinton, former Governor Frank Keating, current Governor Mary Fallin, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson and others.

After 168 seconds of silence to honor the 168 men, women and children who lost their lives in the attack, Smith sang the National Anthem as part of the somber memorial to honor the 20th anniversary of the tragedy.

=====================================================

About Michael W. Smith:
Michael W. Smith is an acclaimed singer, songwriter, and musician who has sold more than 15 million albums, achieved 28 No. 1 songs, earned three GRAMMY® Awards, one American Music Award, and more than 40 Dove Awards. Most recently, in honor of ASCAP’s 100th Anniversary, Smith, along with Amy Grant, was honored as “a cornerstone of Christian music,” for his groundbreaking career and significant influence on the genre. Also in 2014, Smith was named Philanthropist of the Year by the Nashville Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) and honored by the Nashville Association of Talent Directors (NATD) for his impact on the Nashville entertainment industry. Throughout his career, the Contemporary Christian Music artist has had the opportunity to sing for several Presidents and national leaders. He actively supports the teen club Rocketown, Compassion International, and Samaritan’s Purse, the ministry headed by Franklin Graham. Michael and his wife Debbie live in Middle Tennessee, where they raised their five children. In 2014, Smith released Hymns, his first-ever classic hymns album available exclusively at all Cracker Barrel Old Country Store® locations and CrackerBarrel.com, as well as his first studio worship album since 2008, Sovereign, which took a Top 10 spot on the Billboard 200, as well as the No. 1 spot on Billboard’s Christian Albums Chart. His fourth career Christmas album, Michael W. Smith & Friends: The Spirit of Christmas, released during the fall of 2014 and received critical acclaim from The New York Times, USA Today and more. Featuring Vince Gill, Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town, Martina McBride, Amy Grant, Carrie Underwood, Jennifer Nettles, Bono and Michael McDonald, the project was one of the top-selling Christmas albums of the season. For more information, visit www.michaelwsmith.com.

Get Connected with Michael W. Smith
Website // www.michaelwsmith.com
Facebook // www.facebook.com/michaelwsmithofficial
Twitter // www.twitter.com/michaelwsmith