Hello friends,

Here’s an email I got a while back that I wanted to share with you all:

Hi Mike! My name is Shea. My husband, Steve and I were driving down the road last Friday night and hear "Back in the Country Again" on our local radio station, here in Fordyce, Arkansas. We both loved it and when we got home, Steve asked me to look you up on the web. I found your website and we ordered the cd right then. It arrived today and I am so pleased with it. You are truly a blessing to world of country music. Steve and I just moved our family back to my hometown from Nashville a little over a year ago. I wish we had gotten a chance to see you there before we left so we could tell you in person how much your music means to us! "Back in the Country Again" is a favorite with our whole family. "Mama and Jesus" is special to Steve...he lost his mother in 1989 to a car accident and this song is just the way he felt about her. "Granny's Song" reminds me so much of my own great-grandmother...I cried when I first heard it! Thanks so much for sharing your gift with the world! We support you 100%!
- Shea Ruark

I would love to hear from more of you so send me an email!

Hello Everyone!

We are gearing up for the coming conventions in October & November. The 51st annual Gold Cross Awards will be in Canton, TX on October 11 & 12 and then the CCMA Convention starts on October 31st and ends with the ICM Award Show on Sunday, November 4th. I will be performing on October 31st at the Gibson Showcase at Opry Mills and during the Media Appreciation Luncheon on the General Jackson Showboat Thursday, November 1st. You can contact CCMA at 615.742.9210 for ticket information.

We will also have a booth at the Radisson Hotel during the convention where you can come by and visit with us. The new CD will be available there also.

Well folks, it’s been a while since I’ve posted a message so here it goes. I guess the best place to start is to bring you up to speed on what has happened since my last update.

We had a wonderful trip to Salinas CA back on the 4th & 5th of this month. We performed at the Salinas Valley Cowboy Church and taped the “His Country” TV Show that is presently being aired in that area. It’s always a pleasure to be with such wonderful host like Al & Bonnie Stoeberl! On September 15th, we performed with Grand Ol’ Opry legend Jack Greene at the Dixie Theater in Huntingdon, TN during the “Fun On The Farm” Jamboree sponsored by 100.9 The Farm. Jack was the drummer for Ernest Tubb until his career took off in the late 60’s. A few years back Jack recorded one of my songs “The Deal’s Still On” on his latest gospel CD.

Well, I will check back in soon. Have a great day!

Another weekend is here!

I just wanted everyone to know that I will be in Belize next week for the San Pedro Summer Concert Series. We are looking forward to a great time as we share faith-based country music with the islanders of San Pedro. The concerts are being heavily promoted through local television and print media. This could possibly be one of the most advertised events I have ever been a part of.

Keep us in your prayers and have a great weekend.

Good morning!

I received some interesting news a few days ago that I wanted to share with you. A former inmate of a Florida Correctional Facility contacted me and shared this story with me. First he wanted me to know that he had given his heart to the Lord and it was evident in his writing that he was on fire for God! He then told me that while he was incarcerated, he would listen to a radio station where they played one of my songs. He was really moved by the song and so he somehow obtained one of my CDs. The prisoners were allowed to submit music to be broadcast during recreation time out in the yard. He told of how they would play two songs from each genre of music and soon two of my songs were being played frequently. My new friend even overheard the guards commenting about how much they enjoyed these songs! It just goes to show you how powerful music is and especially country music with a message! I am so thankful that the gifts that God has given to me were instrumental in this man’s conversion.

The weekend starts today! I was thinking this morning about life in general. What makes me happy, brings peace to my life, and what keeps me smiling more than frowning? First of all, I believe for the most part we all have our times of trouble, but it's our reaction to trouble that directs us down a sad or happy path. I have spent hours entertaining thoughts that were negative. Thoughts that had no value about things I could not change. I think the enemy of our soul loves it when we get on the bad path and he can fuel our negative fire which results in us having a "bad day!” So as we head into the weekend, let's keep our minds on good things, pure things, things that strengthen us rather than things that tear us down. I believe you will notice you are creating a good day in your life.

It's another cloudy morning here in Florida. It appears that the sun should burn away the overcast sky soon and we'll get to go swimming. I have certainly enjoyed this week with my family and hope you have enjoyed these little update snippets of our vacation.

Next week will be a busy time trying to catch up with everything pertaining to music, then we're off to Belize for the summer concert series. Thanks for staying in touch!

Well, here we are in the middle of the week! I am writing this from the second story balcony of a beach house in Florida. Once again, we have sun! A wonderful thing when the weather forecaster said rain all week. So Tennessee and Florida do have something in common.......inaccurate weather forecasts!  I'm reminded that the sun is taking its toll on my skin as I feel the burning sensation this morning. I am having a few difficulties with the SPF numbers, but I should crust over soon!  Have a blessed day.

Hello and Good Morning Everyone!

Here's something to think about today.  Have you ever noticed that time has a way of smoothing things out? Sometimes things happen in our lives and at that time they seem so bad.  In that moment we make a huge choice to push through or lay around for awhile in self pity. Signs of this choice are sayings like "he'll never get over that" or "she just couldn't ever overcome that."  I believe life, however cruel, still leaves us with choices. If you lived in my home, you got your usual recovery time with some sympathy then you got on with your life! Looking back I am so thankful for parents who drilled this little saying into us, "everything's gonna be alright," and if it wasn't today it would be soon!! It kind of makes me wonder if all the depression talk in the world today is created by society's unwillingness to just get up and get on with life. Now I don't know it all, just giving you my thoughts for today.

Well, I woke up this morning to a gentle ocean breeze and an overcast sky. My family and I are enjoying a few days of R & R in Florida this week. We went to the beach yesterday and its funny how you just can't ever get all the sand off no matter how hard you try! We didn't stay long after seeing a baby shark swimming around us. I tried to suppress the fear with "it's only a baby shark," but was quickly reminded the shark has a mother!

Have a great day while we're here swimming with the sharks!

Have you had breakfast yet?

Well, it wouldn’t be right to talk most of the week about food and leave out my most wonderful culinary memories!

Please allow me to introduce you to the one and only GFP! That would be “Granny’s Fried Pies.” It all begins with a combination of inexpensive ingredients placed into Granny’s skilled hands. Things like tortilla flour, powdered sugar and fruit are carefully fashioned into a variety of delicious pies that will make you slap your momma!

Of course, there are a few secret ingredients that will not be revealed at this time!

Those who have had them, never forget them. Those who have not, are just not complete! Hopefully, you are in the first group!

I will be vacationing for a week, so I won’t be posting any blogs again until around July 30th. Have a great week!

Hello!

Thought I would pick up where I left off yesterday with another food story.

I remember several times when I was still living with my parents, Granny would need something done. Like kids sometimes do, I would have things I would rather be doing than helping Granny with one of her many requests. I felt she always had an unfair advantage in convincing her grandchildren to do things for her. Have you figured out what it was yet? You guessed it! She would bribe me with her famous burrito dinner! I never remember her wanting something for nothing. She would always approach me with “if you’ll pick these limbs up around the house, I’ll fix you a burrito dinner.” Nothing in the world topped that when I was 16 years old! Good Lord that woman could cook!

You may be getting hungry for some Mexican food by now, but I’ve got to tell you they don’t sell what Granny made in restaurants!

Hey there,

Can you believe it’s already the middle of July? It seems like only yesterday we were releasing “Back In The Country Again” and here we are ramping up for “Granny’s Song!”

You’ll probably hear many stories about my grandmother in the coming weeks. I’ve been thinking about the times I would be traveling through Texas and would stop by for a visit. Granny would meet me at the door with a big hug and say something like, “what are you doing down here boy?” Next she would ask that anticipated question, “are you hungry?” Then before you could give her an answer she would say, “all I have is some old leftovers.” For the next few minutes I would witness a magic show as she made a great feast from leftovers!

Well I’m starting to get hungry so I better get going. Hope you have a home cooked meal today!

Hey Everyone!

Man it’s good to be home!

We got back in town late last night from a wonderful weekend in Salinas, California. I’ve got to tell you, the concert was a blast! I performed at the 9th Annual Country Music Concert in Salinas along with the Mary James Band, Chunky Nelms & The Mudflaps and Jackie Cox. The night was filled with energy and the crowd was into it as each performer cranked out great Christian Country music! The event is hosted by Al & Bonnie Stoeberl each year to promote this style of music. I think they are doing a fine job of letting folks know that country music doesn’t have to be just crying in your beer music!

I want to say thanks to all the fans that came out in support of the concert. Everyone really made us feel welcome!

Have great day!

Hi Everyone!

By the time this is posted, I'll be somewhere between Tennessee and California!

However, I would like to share some exciting news with you. I just received word that my current single "Back In The Country Again" was 1 for 6 weeks straight on the Christian Music Weekly country chart starting on 2/28/07 and running through 4/04/07! It then fell out of the top spot for one week, but came back to 1 again on 4/18/07. It then dropped down again only to come back a third time to 1 on 5/16/07! Three weeks later after dropping again, it gained momentum and topped the chart on 6/06/07 where it stayed for 3 weeks! After all that you would think surely it had run its course, but freedom rang out again on 7/04/07 and Independence Day marked the songs most recent trip to the 1 position!

Whew! Let me sum it up for you by saying "Back In The Country Again" has been a 1 radio single on the CMW country chart 5 times this year with a total of 12 weeks at the top! Wow! Thanks to everyone that helped make "Back In The Country Again" such a success.

Happy Thursday!

Well, I'm a little rushed today trying to get ready for our California trip in the morning.   I will be giving you a full update of this weekend’s events so be sure and read my blogs!

Hello Everyone!

I hope all of you are enjoying my daily blog. I am writing this one on my laptop while sitting in my hammock chair on the back porch. My wife and I like to enjoy our coffee each morning. I am home swaying softly in these wonderful chairs! It makes it seem like we're on vacation at least for 30 minutes or so. You've probably figured out by now that we love our chairs!

We got some much needed rain here in Tennessee yesterday, so everything is looking a little greener. I hope things are going great for you wherever you are!

Have a blessed day and don't forget to be thankful today.