2012 is off to a rip-roaring start. Last year we saw an increase of over a third in the number of our concert bookings, taking us up to 100 concerts. The way things are going so far this year, we're expecting that we'll be even busier this year. We're so exited at the way that God is increasing and blessing Miles Pike Music.

---

Looking back, it’s hard to believe that this can possibly be the fifth! Five years ago, I stepped out on faith and no money to speak of, and felt that God wanted me to construct an event for my community. The idea was that the event would be sponsored by MPM, would pull churches together to a common place of worship, and would feature some of my dearest friends and most admired Gospel artists. Since that first concert, I’ve seen this event grow more every year into something that I can be proud of.
Even if you don’t know the name “Mark Bishop”, you will probably know his music. After nearly 30 years in the Gospel music field, he’s had sixteen Top 40 songs, five Top 5 songs, and two #1 songs. But I respect him for more than his voice and songwriting. Mark is one of the few artists that I have regularly had opportunities to see and talk to on-stage as well as off-stage all through my life, and he is always simply “Mark”, a Godly man with no pretense or on-stage persona. That is why I’ve invited him to be my special guest artist this year. Please check out his website, www.MarkBishopMusic.com, and get a glimpse of what you’re in store for.

---

---

“Walk Through The Pages” is nearly completed! Many years of prayer, study, and hard earned money have gone into making this dream a reality. This album features four original songs from the pen of my Dad, James Pike, and also songs from noted writers such as Phil Cross, Greg Day, Douglas Riley, and Chaz Borsage. Once you hear the project, I believe you will appreciate what God has orchestrated more each time you listen to it.

Mar and I were thinking out loud about this project one night, talking about it song by song, and Mar (the secretary) decided to type out what I was saying, starting with the first song and going through to the end. This page, only available to you newsletter subscribers, is the result of that conversation and in-depth Bible study. Please take advantage of our footnotes and dive in yourself. Additionally, Mar kept up a blog with pictures and videos during the time that we were in the studio recording this project. You can look through that HERE.

I’ll be debuting this project at my Fifth Annual Homecoming Concert listed above! Come on out for this great night of music and fun, with plenty of surprises, as always.

---

February 16-17 Prison Revival
February 19, 11AM Spirit Life Worship Center, Lufkin, TX
February 19, 6PM Prison Concert
March 2, 7PM Concert with Mark Bishop, TASCA, Whitehouse, TX
Order tickets at (903) 871-3217 - $12 or $14 at the door.

March 3, 6PM 5th Annual Homecoming Concert,
People’s Church, Jacksonville, TX

March 4, 6PM Mark Bishop Concert, Landmark Baptist, Tyler, TX
March 6, 6PM, First Baptist Church, Bullard, TX
March 18 10:50AM Westwood Baptist Church, Waskom, TX
March 20 5:00PM Senior Care, Jacksonville, TX
March 25 10:45AM First Assembly, Jacksonville, TX
April 1 8:30AM Canton Indoor Marketplace, Canton, TX
April 1 10:45AM Grace Bible Fellowship Baptist Church, Canton, TX
April 15 10:45AM Pierces Chapel Assembly, Jacksonville, TX
April 22 10:50AM Westwood United Methodist Church, Palestine, TX
April 29 1:00PM Long Lake Baptist Church, Palestine, TX
May 6 11:00AM Cove Springs Community Church, Jacksonville, TX
May 20 12:45PM Atoy Baptist Church, Rusk, TX
May 20 6:00PM Prison Concert
May 30-June 9 AFAB Recording Studio Nashville, Tennessee
June 22 11:00AM First United Methodist Church, Lawrenceville, GA

---

Call your local DJs and request my new radio single, “Teach Me To Love Like That”. Call your local Gospel music station and request it. If they don’t have it, have them contact me and I’ll make sure they get it.

---

Back on January 22, we did a concert at The First Congregational Methodist Church in Rusk, TX for their morning service. We went expecting a good time of worship, a love offering, and some CD sales. During the fellowship after the service we got way more than we bargained for when the pastor, Robert Newton, got up and announced that during the service God had been dealing with him about a car that he and his wife, Carol, had been trying to sell for the past few months.
Folks, I was in the process of eating my green beans when he said that God had told him on no uncertain terms to give Miles Pike Music the car at no charge. At that point, I’m pretty sure my mouthful of beans started dribbling out of my now gaping mouth. I couldn’t help but laugh when he said, "Now listen Miles, this is a gift from the Lord... because I wasn't in agreement with Him at first".
After the church fellowship, we followed the Newtons to their home where we saw the car for the first time. Needless to say, I was practically speechless the whole way there, and Martha will tell you, that’s not a place I am very often. Then we saw what God had given us to be our new ‘tour bus’. It’s a silver 2002 Mercury Sable with as many posh upgrades as the manufacturer had to offer -- leather, power everything, CD changer, tinted windows, HUGE trunk -- we're still discovering what all it has. This car has 73K miles on it. Our other car had 173K (not counting me). There are other details that I won’t bore you with, but the car couldn’t be more of a Godsend to us.
Before we left the Newton’s home, we did our very best to stammer out a ‘thank you’ for such a perfect gift our Father gave us through them. We prayed with them then and are still praying that God will richly return to them the goodness that they have shown to us in walking by faith and trusting the voice of Jehovah Jireh, our Provider. I know that He won’t let them down, just as He has never failed us.
Pastor Newton is the chaplain over the Skyview/Hodge Prison in Rusk. We have done concerts at this unit and others like it several times a year for years, holding revivals, concerts, and Bible studies. Of course, all these events were done at our own expense. I can’t help but believe that this new vehicle is God’s way of blessing and encouraging me and my family for singing at events that had a great need for the Gospel but no ability to provide an honorarium.

---

After four unforgettable years with some of my best friends, The Gospel Tones, I regret to announce my departure as their tenor. As I mentioned earlier, 2011 saw a spike in my solo dates, and, as I knew it would eventually, it began to hinder the amount of group dates that I was able to commit to. To complicate the issue further, four hours of distance lie between my home base and the rest of the group. Not wanting to hold back the progress of the group, I tendered my resignation in the belief that God will continue to open doors in other areas for myself and my dear friends. I can’t thank the guys enough for the memories, the learning experience, and the sweet harmony on and off stage.

---

We have some dear friends from Maine who just moved to Texas this winter, and we have many other friends we’ve met over the years from the North. I felt that I should share a few tips to help my Yankee brothers and sisters in Christ deal with Southern culture shock.
  1) Just because you can drive on snow and ice doesn’t mean we can. Stay home the two days of the year that it snows.
  2) Remember. “Y’all” is singular. “All y’all” is plural. And “all y’all’s” is plural possessive.
  3) Get used to hearing “You ain’t from around here, are ya.”
  4) You can ask a Southerner for directions, but unless you already know the positions of key hills, trees, and rocks, you’re better off trying to find it yourself.
  5) People walk slower here.

  6) If you hear a Southerner say, “Hey y’all, watch this!”, stay out of his way. These are likely the last words he will e.

---

Mar and I were having one of our many ‘round table discussions’ the other day, this one regarding ministry concerns. Like so many other people these days, our discussion was specifically in regard to finances. To tell the truth, doing what we do, our income fluctuates greatly depending on whether we get a ‘love offering’ or a ‘like offering’, what gas prices are, how much product we sell, and how many bookings we have in a given month. We could never have appreciated just how much money it takes to not only run a full time ministry on the road, but to maintain a home that we are often away from, while birthing new material through expensive CD production... until... well, here we are!

Now, I am the ‘big picture schemer’ of the two of us, whereas Mar is the ‘micro-organizer’. It kinda works out great for me, because I get to dream big, but she is the one who tries to figure out how to make the big dreams happen. That being the case, she is more prone to be aware of and worry about all the ... well... the micro.... things and bring them to my attention. This is what led to the round table discussion regarding our finances.

We ended up discussing worry, and how worry leads to fear, and fear to inaction. Our conversation then naturally turned from worry and fear to their opposite: faith. I’ve heard preachers say “Faith is a verb”. The truth is, you cannot “do” faith, as if it were a verb. Rather, faith makes you do (James 2:18-26). Mar, always the logical type, said that it’s all well and good to say "Don't worry. Have Faith!", but you can’t just “have faith”, and therefore stop worrying. You’ve got to have faith in some thing.

Now we got stumped. What must the specific object of our faith be when we are tempted to indulge worry and fear? God, of course, but specifically, what part of His nature? We combed our Bible verse memories and after a few minutes, the verse “Perfect love casts out fear” came to mind. We had never really understood what this verse meant, practically speaking. We got to talking about it, and realized that the only one with perfect love is God. God loves us perfectly -- absolutely, with nothing held back. Because he loves us perfectly, He has a perfect plan for us, a plan meant for our greatest good. The problem is that “His ways are higher than our ways” -- a perfect plan cannot be understood by imperfect beings. As beloved children of an omniscient Father, we can rest assured that regardless of where we find ourselves, God is active in our pain and in our problems, and will (not "can", or "might", but WILL) bring about our greatest good.

Until the day comes when God Himself will take us by the hand and tell us what His plan was and why He allowed what He allowed in our lives, we cannot know all that He is doing. But we need not live in worry and fear because we don’t know exactly what He is doing. We can rest in the knowledge that He loves us with a love that knows no limits and has no dilemmas. He has always been and always will be faithful. Period. How simple is that?

See y’all down the road,

2011 is nearly over! Can you believe it? Just had memorials for the tenth anniversary of 9/11/01…TENTH! Where has the time gone? Time is such a strange thing…really it is. How often do we notice that some irksome things which last only five minutes seem like a half hour of drudgery but the more agreeable things that last thirty minutes only seem like five measly minutes.
In some ways it seems that I've only been married nine days and in other ways nine years, but in reality, only nine months have passed since Mar and I said our vows and shared our first kiss. So many new blessings are ours to share with you, so continue reading below and I'll detail them out for you!

---

For this month of October, "I'm Going Through, Jesus" is my third #1 song in a row in The Christian Voice Magazine. To be honest, I've decided that God is showing me how little I know and have to do with what He has planned for my life. If you had told me two years ago that I'd have three songs that have achieved the airplay that these have in my LIFETIME, I'd have thought that you needed psychiatric attention, and quick. What makes it even more amazing is that MPM has neither the funds nor the interest in paying for radio promotion. This is primarily because of the cost, but also because we feel that there are better ways to spend our funds in more direct avenues of ministry. Thus, our amazement in the way the Lord has blessed our efforts at ministry with these accomplishments is without measure. We just sit back and watch Him work.
Once again, thank you for your support and thank you to the DJs who choose to send our music out across the airwaves. This honor is a tool that we will use to open doors for ministry and further the Kingdom of our Lord.

---

October 10 - Hot Springs, AR - 2:00PM - The Atrium
October 11 - Memphis, TN - 2:00PM - Ave Maria
October 11 - Memphis, TN - 6:00PM - The Parkview
October 12 - Ballwin, MO - 6:30PM - Briarcrest Estates
October 13 - Springfield, IL - 6:00PM - Seasons At Pine Creek
October 14 - Munster, IN - 2:00PM - Hartsfield Village
October 14 - Plymouth, IN - 6:00PM - Wedding Rehearsal
October 15 - Plymouth, IN - 2:00PM - Wedding
October 16 - Paoli, IN - 9:30AM - Paoli Christian Church
October 16 - Bloomfield, IN - 6:30PM - Bloomfield Baptist
October 17 - Padukah, KY - 2:00PM - Morningside
October 17 - Padukah, KY - 6:30PM - Jackson Oaks
October 18 - Jackson, TN - 2:00PM - Regency Retirement Village
October 19 - Hot Springs, AR - 2:00PM - Garrett Manor
October 22 - Whitehouse, TX - 6:00PM - TASCA (with The Hubbard Family)
October 29 - Alexandria, LA - 6:00PM - Riverview Baptist Church (Gospel Tones Concert)
October 30 - Ball, LA - 10:30AM - Fellowship Chapel (Gospel Tones Concert)
October 30 - Ruby, LA - 6:00PM - Pine Grove Baptist Church (Gospel Tones Concert)
November 4-6 - Canton, TX - 11AM-5PM - Canton Marketplace
November 6 - Canton, TX - 8:30AM - Morning Devotionals in the Food Court
November 10-11 - Rusk, TX - Prison Revivals
November 12 - Quitman, TX - 6:30PM - First United Methodist Church
November 13 - Diboll, TX - 6:30PM - Prison Concert
November 20 - Dawsonville, GA - 11:00AM - Hilltop Tabernacle
November 24 - Martha's Birthday - contact her HERE with birthday wishes!
November 27 - Dawsonville, GA - 11:00AM - McKee's Chapel UMC
December 4 - Newborn, GA - 6:00PM - Shiloh Baptist Church
December 14-15 - Nashville, TN - Cutting tracks for new project
December 16-17 - Nashville, TN - Recording initial vocals
December 19 - One-Year Wedding Anniversary!
December 19-January 6 - CHRISTmas Break
Get more details and full list of events HERE!

---

After our Georgia tour we'll head to Nashville, TN for the annual board meeting of Miles Pike Music and stay there for the following four days to begin the recording process of my new CD, "Walk Through The Pages"! This has been a dream that I have worked on for literally years (I've been planning it for at least three years, maybe four), and I cannot wait for you to hear the end result.
It will feature several songs written by my father, James Pike, plus a long list of other writers whom you will recognize, including: Greg Day, Phil Cross, Jeff Silvey, and Doug Riley. There isn't a weak song in the bunch and I can't wait to present them to you all!

---

The Lord has blessed us in our efforts to have the funds for this next project ready before going into the studio and recording it. We're not all the way there yet, but we have enough set aside that we can go into the studio, cut tracks, and be able to write a check in full for that amount. We hope to finish it early next year, Lord willing, and you can still be a part of this project. We've given y'all this same opportunity in the previous newsletter, but we wanted to make it available one more time. You can donate toward this CD project, "Walk Through The Pages", and here's how:

Bronze Club
~ $10 - A free digital download of the album, when it's released.
~ $25 - An advance copy of the CD, weeks before the masses.
~ $50 - An advance copy and a "Thank You" on the CD.~ $100 - All the above, plus autographed copies of all my current projects, and an autographed picture of me that is guaranteed to keep varmints out of your garden
~ $250 - All the above, plus a signed tracking sheet of my past #1 song, "Jesus Savior, Pilot Me" and another tracking sheet of your choice when the project is finished. PLUS an optional picture of me kissing your cheek.

Silver Club
~ $500 - All of the above, PLUS, I dedicate a song to you on my CD.
~ $750 - Exactly like the previous level, but you give me more money.
~ $1,000 - All of the above and you are mentioned as an executive producer of the album!

Gold Club
~ $2,500 - My wife and I come and spend the weekend with you. Cook your meals, make your beds, scrub the toilet, play with the kids, build a chicken coop, sit around the piano and sing, talk politics, or just visit. You have our full attention.
~ $5,000 - I will come and do a concert for you...ANYWHERE. Invite your friends, treat your church to a special event, have me sing on the hearth in your living room to just you, just bring me out and I sing. Period. Theoretically, this level is a smart choice economically. You could charge your guests and make your money back.
~ $10,000 - You get to come and sing on my CD. Don't worry if you can't sing. We'll work it out.
~ $100,000 - You get all of the above, PLUS if you ever need a kidney, you can have the bass singer's from The Gospel Tones.
~ $500,000 - ALL of the above, AND...you get...ME! 8AM-5PM... for a month! My wife wants you to take this one.

You can make donations HERE.

---

Well, let's wrap this part up briefly:
1. Martha & I have been busy taking calls and making calls about concerts into 2012. Our calendar is fuller than I've ever seen so far ahead of time. If you have desire for a concert at your church, contact us soon to get your preferred date set aside. We look forward to many return dates as well as many new venues in the coming year! Click HERE for booking info.

2. Another thing that is filling up quickly is our private lesson schedule. We currently have students taking private voice and piano lessons from ages 4-68. If you or someone you know would be interested in honing their skills, we would love to work with them. Some may want to be better choir members, church soloists, or be able to play accompaniment for themselves. Whatever your need, we gear our lesson plans toward what you want.
Click HERE for more information.

3. Just a few days ago, we built a brand new page on the website in regard to wedding services. In the last few months, I've had numerous requests to either officiate a wedding service or provide special music. If you are interested in having me take part in your day, please click HERE to see that page.

---

Martha and I were reading in II Samuel the other day. We came to the part in chapter 6 where David is joyfully moving the Ark of the Covenant back to Jerusalem. That is, joyful until Uzzah puts his hand on the Ark and God kills him. This is the Old Testament, so it's really not God's act of striking someone dead that made us stop and think. No, it's God striking someone dead who seemed to be doing a good thing, a needful thing, an honorable thing. The knee-jerk reaction for us, like David, was, "That's not fair!". After discussing it, we came to the conclusion that the main issue here was that the Ark of God -- the "Throne" of God, was not to be moved by a manmade cart and pulled by an animal. It was a job designated for four priests, and even those priests were not allowed to touch the Ark itself under penalty of death. (Read about it in Numbers 3,4, and 7 if you're curious like we were.) Not only Uzzah was at fault here. Every good Jew present should have known better than to handle the Ark of God in such a roughshod manner. But that's Old Testament (Old Covenant). Sure, it's interesting to talk about, but because of the grace and mercy we live under, bought by Jesus Christ, we don't much have to live in fear of God striking us dead when we are irreverent to the reality of His Presence. Right? Well... take a look at the New Testament, and you see God striking Ananias and Sapphira dead when they lied to the Spirit of God in Peter (Acts 5). Whether Old Testament or New Testament, Old Covenant or New Covenant, it is dangerous when sacred things become commonplace.

Somewhere along the line we've lost sight of the "fear" of God. Fear of God in the Bible is not talking about an evil fear or a spirit of fear ("God has not given us a spirit of fear…"). It's not like a fear of monsters or of evil or of all that is impure or immoral. It is like the fear we have of … electricity. Within our mortal bodies, electricity is immeasurably powerful and has the potential to do us harm. The secret to the fear is reverencing the power while using it in the appropriate way - a manner in which its power is exercised in our lives for good. We can fear God to the point of avoidance ("having the appearance of Godliness but denying its power" 2 Tim 3:5), or we can fear Him with a reverence and an awe that produces Godliness. Part of the awe that we experience as Christians is in the fact that God loves us. It's a thought that most Christians who were raised in church have heard all their lives. Sadly, many seem to become calloused and indifferent to it.

Sometimes, it's not an issue of the kind of fear we have for God, but rather, whether we fear Him at all. How many times do we label ourselves as "Christian" -- imitators of God as Ephesians 5 says -- and yet do not seek His guidance in the decisions of our lives? HE is the Lord of all we see; has given us everything we have, has made a way of forgiveness and complete salvation for us, and desires to be in OUR presence, amazing though it is. And yet we often go to church with wrong intentions. By going to church once a week we feel that we can get by the rest of the week without praying or studying the Word or thinking about the presence of God in our everyday activities. And when we do see His presence in some other Christian's life, we act calloused to it -- it doesn't move us and we're not excited for them. Church becomes our weekly "duty" and not an opportunity to worship and fellowship with believers.

"Seek ye first", "Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel", "Upon this rock I will build MY kingdom" … all the kingdom-building verses don't say "Use your intellect", "Get a committee of the smart people together" and they don't even say "Get some family-friendly, Bible-based programs to start in your church". No, they say "Seek God." "Preach the Gospel." "Follow God's building plan for His church, not a human one." The difference between reverencing God's power -- fearing God -- in your church or not is the difference between using the power of a hand saw or using a chainsaw; using a screwdriver or using a drill; using a hammer or using a jackhammer; the difference in depending on the strength of man or the power of an intelligent designer. This is a very simple analogy but it is not man's power which can breach the gates of Hell with one word, restore an aching body, set a crazed mind at ease, mend a wrecked family, and reign on the throne of peace in a life that's surrounded by turmoil.

Look at where you are in your life and in your church. Are you living in the Stone Age, using crude, man-made tools while attempting to accomplish spiritual ends? Or are you working hand-in-hand with the Spirit of God, in His power constructing a formidable Kingdom that the gates of hell cannot prevail against? If your answer is feeble, unsure, and founded on the limitations of your fragile powers, then your contribution to the Kingdom will be minimal at best. I challenge you, as Martha and I were challenged by this Scripture, to fear the Lord, for it is the beginning of Wisdom and gives a truthful sense of our inadequacy before the presence of God. Take into consideration Who He is in contrast to who you are and you will find abundant reason to prostrate yourself and take into account every action of your life. There is no area of life that is not impacted by our fear of God. When we do not fear God, finances are wasted thoughtlessly, marriages are expendable, sermons are malnourishing, relationships are fragile, and ministry is self reliant. When we do view God in His rightful place, finances are sowed bountifully, marriages are durable, sermons are meaty, relationships are built on the Rock, and ministry is undertaken with the assurance that the Lord gives the increase.
(Acts 9:31)

Thanks for sharing this devotion with me. I pray it stirred you in your spirit as it did us.
Til next time,
Miles & Martha

Send booking requests to bookings@milespikemusic.com
or call 903-586-8605.

 Hello Friends!

It's great to be able to write to you once again with updates about what's been happening! This has been the busiest year yet for Miles Pike Music and it's only filling up more as the phone continues to ring. God is blessing our efforts and there is much to report!
We've had several great opportunities to minister in various places and I'll try to sum up some of the high notes. Back in April I was in concert with Triumphant Quartet and we had a blast with them and our good friends, Laverne & Glenda Grant!
The last part of April into the first part of May, we attended the The Country Gospel Fanfest and The Southern Gospel Fanfair, both held in the majestic Smokey Mountains in Pigeon Forge, TN (more about these events below).
I will also be performing my very first wedding towards the end of July for a friend of mine. It's so nice for my family and I to be able to reach out in so many ways through all the ministries of Miles Pike Music. We are certainly never bored and it works great with my ADD!

---

Hot Off The Presses!
I just received a call that I've been nominated for Favorite Crossover Artist Of The Year from the ICGMA, (International Country Gospel Music Association)! This is not a fan based voting process and will be determined by members of the organization and the industry. It comes as an unexpected honor to be in the Top Five and I should have the results sometime in August. The Top Five ballot for this year is:
- The Aikens
- Buddy Jewel - Nashville Star Winner
- The Dalton Gang
- Miles Pike
- Psalm 100
ICGMA is the second oldest Gospel music awards show in the United States, only one year younger than its competitor. Thanks to www.ICGMA.org for their trust and friendship!

---

What Is He Saying???

Alright, you guys! Here's the deal! I want your best, funniest, most creative caption for
this picture. I have kinda become notorious around here for being hard to get a good picture of, much less while singing my socks off. The hard part of this contest was to pick just which Kodak moment was slightly more worthy than all the rest. On AUGUST 1, I will select my favorite submission and here's what you get…

1. You will receive the VERY FIRST EVER digital copy of one of the songs off of my new project coming out in the next few months!

2. Your winning entry will be posted on the homepage of my website!

3. Your name will be announced in the next issue of my newsletter!

4. You will be known throughout the civilized world for coming up with an explanation to my face!

One entry per person and no submissions will be accepted after July 31. Get your entry in today and be original, inspired, and funny!

---

Two Awards, Two Genres
To some this may be old news, but this happened shortly after I sent out my Spring newsletter. As I mentioned above, I participated in The Country Gospel Fanfest and The Southern Gospel Fanfair earlier this year. It was a great time of meeting new friends and catching up with old ones. During those events, I shared the stage with The Freemans, Tommy Smith, Tony Gore & Majesty, The Nelons, Triumphant Quartet, and many more.
For those of you who voted, I have to extend a hearty "THANK YOU" for your persistence in voting in each round! This being a strictly fanbased voting process it was a tremendous surprise and a humbling experience to receive the "Male Horizon of 2011" award in the Country Gospel Music Fan Awards. The following week, I was honored to be invited to sing on the night of the Southern Gospel Music Fan Awards. I was flabbergasted when they called my name for the "Young Excelling Individual of 2011" award that night.
Being welcomed into both genres so soon, and back to back like that was a blessing beyond words. I regard it as a high honor from you all and also as a pat on the back from my Heavenly Father. I believe we are busy doing His will and this is just a part of all the favor He has bestowed upon MPM.
View the awards HERE!

---

My New Booking Agent…
I am thrilled to announce that MPM has a new, full-time booking agent on staff. For all these years, it's been a stressful and busy load to do what I do AND try to manage an office, booking calls, and road logistics. I've prayed and sought for someone to help me with that and God saw fit to send someone who is not only able to handle it professionally, but does it with a smile as unto the Lord.
I met her five years ago this month and never dreamed that she would be the one to step into the role, but I thank the Good Lord for her every day. I happened to have married her six months ago and she is filling so many holes and making her presence known in this family, this ministry, and in the hearts of all those she works with. I am grateful to my wife, Martha, for doing such a great job with all the affairs that this organizations entails.
You will not only find her on the other end of the phone line when you need something from us, but she is often my transportation, my pianist, the music before the concerts, the smile behind the product table, the altar call accompaniment, an adored piano teacher for many young and some not so young pupils, and she always has my back to be sure that I get everything done that I need.
I wanted to take a moment to introduce you to not just my wife, but my helpmate. Be sure and hug her neck at our concerts and if you need to book a concert, here is all her contact information.

Office - 903-586-8605
Cell - 903-393-2484
Email - bookings@milespikemusic.com
Miles Pike Music
3110 County Road 1905
Jacksonville, Texas 75766

---

Upcoming Concerts
July 17 - Kilgore, TX - 8:30AM & 10:00AM - St. Luke's United Methodist Church
July 24 - Jacksonville, TX - 11:15AM - St. John's United Methodist Church
July 30 - Wedding
July 31 - Tyler, TX - 11:00AM - Landmark Baptist Church
August 7 - Afton Grove, TX - 11:00AM - Afton Grove Baptist Church
August 14 - Diboll, TX - Prison Concert
August 21 - Jacksonville, TX - 10:30AM - The People's Church (Gospel Tones Concert)
August 21 - Sacul, TX - 7:00PM - New Faith Church (Gospel Tones Concert)
September 2 - Canton, TX - 10:00AM-6:00PM - The Canton Marketplace (indoors)
September 3 - Canton, TX - 10:00AM-6:00PM - The Canton Marketplace (indoors)
September 4 - Canton, TX - 10:00AM-6:00PM - The Canton Marketplace (indoors)
September 16 - , AR - (Gospel Tones Concert)
September 17 - , AR - (Gospel Tones Concert)
September 18 - , AR - (Gospel Tones Concert)
September 18 - , AR - (Gospel Tones Concert)
Click HERE for complete details!

---

"Walk Through The Pages" Update
Many have asked when we are going to get some of these new songs that I've been doing at concerts on CD! Well, there is no scheduled time to start yet, but there is hope that we will be in full swing in the next few months. I have always maintained that MPM would never go into debt to do what God called us to do. When the funding is there, that will be God's 'go ahead' to us. We do have a promotional package that helps us and that I believe you will throughly enjoy. Through it you can be an integral part of bringing this project to life!
Check it out HERE!

---

"I'm Going Through, Jesus" Goes Up…
My newest radio single entered the charts at #94 after only being released for a short time and moved up 51 places to #43 for July. It is not common knowledge yet since the magazine is still in print, but I found out recently that it has already moved to #12 for the month of August!
In addition to that, the chart that has been reporting all of my radio releases progress will now be listed on the Cashbox Magazine's website! They will only feature the Top 20, but for those of you who know the classic magazine, it's a great addition to the promotion of Country Gospel Music.
View Cashbox Chart HERE!

---

Voice/Piano Lessons
I have been blown away by the response to take part in our voice and piano tutoring! Martha and I are both teaching several students every week and imparting knowledge of the arts and what God ask of them. With students being added every week, we are excited to see what God does with this outreach.
We'd love to be able to work with you, your kid, grandkids, or church soloist, regardless of age, experience, or background, we have something for everyone!
Get the details HERE!

---

Signing Off…
Has anyone noticed that everyone's getting in an uproar over our country raising the debt ceiling? I don't even watch the news and I still hear plenty about it. For the purpose and intent of this newsletter, I'm not going to get political…such a dirty and unpleasant business. Everyone believes something different about the issue and there are many ways to look at it. You can probably guess my outlook on the matter by my beliefs expressed in the "'Walk Through The Pages' Update" above.
However, the debate got me to thinking about the need for me to raise the debt ceiling in my own life. I am so incredibly in debt that I will never get out, and yet the things that I am gaining are still accruing with breakneck speeds. I am more and more indebted to my financier every day. My ceiling HAS to be raised because I'm running out of room.
God has so blessed, not just MPM, but me, myself, mine, I, us, what pertains to my life. I find myself reeling from past blessings and only gain my focus long enough to find another one on its way to slap me upside the head. In love, in friends, in family, in joy, in fulfillment, my holdings are compounding exponentially. If it wasn't for my Heavenly Father managing my affairs, I'm quite sure that I would have lost all that I had to investment long ago. I just don't have a mind for longterm planning like He does. Then I remember how He kept Noah's stock afloat while everyone else was in liquidation (feel free to groan at this point).
I would encourage you all to take stock of what you have in your possession and first of all, be thankful for what you have been lent in this life. It's borrowed, merely given to you to live and to do what you are called to do. If you don't believe me, just read Ecclesiastes. Solomon had a pretty dark outlook on "chasing after the wind" of this world. It really is meaningless as opposed to the riches of grace, mercy, joy, and love that we have been given.
Second of all, I would ask that if, when you evaluate your life, you find it short of some joys or some needs, that you consider letting the Master Financier reinvest your part in a different way. You see, He only works with the entire sum…you have to hand it all over to Him. It's all His anyway.

Happy investing!
Miles

 Hello Everyone!
For those of you who have asked; married life is great and we are in the process of settling into our new home. God has been so good to us over the last few months! It's hard to express our deep sense of gratitude and awe at the people that have given of their time and energy to help make our new life more pleasant. There is so much happening here at Miles Pike Music that we are just trying to keep up. Here's just a few things that I want to mention in this Spring edition of our newsletter…

VERY IMPORTANT!
There are just three days left to vote for me in the Country Gospel Music Fan Awards and the Southern Gospel Music Fan Awards. In this last round of voting, it's more important than ever to make your vote count. If you haven't voted yet, please don't put it off. I've made it as easy as possible on my website. I'm in the Top Five nominations for "Male Horizon", "Favorite Crossover", and "Young Excelling Individual".
Just click HERE and take a moment to cast your vote now!

We're Picking Songs!
Right now, we are in the process of picking out songs to go on this next CD project, "Walk Through The Pages" and I'll be meeting with my producer, Tommy Cooper, in Nashville in a few weeks to narrow down our selection. It'll be several weeks after that before we can actually get the ball rolling on the recording process, but I'm trying to get it to where when we are ready to go, it's "shovel ready".

I promised God, my family, and myself, that I would never go into debt to do what God called me to do. If the money is not there, then it must not be the Lord's time yet. I have always depended on God, through His people to provide the means to carry out His Work. The numbers of doors that we are seeing open is ever increasing and the need for a new CD project is becoming apparent.

We got to thinking as we came up to homecoming time that we wanted to give you all the opportunity to have a tangible part in creating this project and so we began to consider how you could do that. After much prayer and thought, this is one way you can contribute to this ministry and help us with this next CD in the process.

Bronze Club
$10 - A free digital download of the album, when it's released.
$25 - An advance copy of the CD, weeks before the masses.
$50 - An advance copy and a "Thank You" on the CD.
$100 - All the above, plus autographed copies of all my current projects, and an autographed picture of me that is guaranteed to keep varmints out of your garden
$250 - All the above, plus a signed tracking sheet of my past #1 song, "Jesus Savior, Pilot Me" and another tracking sheet of your choice when the project is finished. PLUS an optional picture of me kissing your cheek.

Silver Club
$500 - All of the above, PLUS, I dedicate a song to you on my CD.
$750 - Exactly like the previous level, but you give me more money.
$1,000 - All of the above and you are mentioned as an executive producer of the album!

Gold Club
$2,500 - My wife and I come and spend the weekend with you. Cook your meals, make your beds, scrub the toilet, play with the kids, build a chicken coop, sit around the piano and sing, talk politics, or just visit. You have our full attention.
$5,000 - I will come and do a concert for you...ANYWHERE. Invite your friends, treat your church to a special event, have me sing on the hearth in your living room to just you, just bring me out and I sing. Period. Theoretically, this level is a smart choice economically. You could charge your guests and make your money back.
$10,000 - You get to come and sing on my CD. Don't worry if you can't sing. We'll work it out.
$100,000 - You get all of the above, PLUS if you ever need a kidney, you can have the bass singer's from The Gospel Tones.
$500,000 - ALL of the above, AND...you get...ME! 8AM-5PM... for a month! My wife wants you to take this one.

Obviously, not everyone can afford the "Gold Club", but I believe there is something for everyone that is interested in supporting our endeavors. A great part for many people is that since MPM is a full-time ministry, we supply all those who make donations with a tax receipt.

To see how to make your donations quickly, easily, and securely, click HERE.

Upcoming Concerts
Complete details HERE
03/27/11 - 6:00PM - Troup, TX - Henry's Chapel Methodist Church

04/05/11 - 6:00PM - Bullard, TX - First Baptist Church

04/15/11 - 6:00PM - Tyler, TX - Westwood Baptist Church - Concert with Triumphant Quartet

04/22/11 - 3:00PM - Tyler, TX - The Hamptons - Good Friday Service

04/24/11 - 10:30AM - Palestine, TX - Palestine Church of The Nazarene - Easter Service

04/28/11 - 04/30/11 - Pigeon Forge, TN - Smokey Mountain Convention Center - Country Gospel Music Fanfest

04/30/11 - Pigeon Forge, TN - Smokey Mountain Convention Center - Country Gospel Music Fan Awards Show

05/02/11 - 05/07/11 - Pigeon Forge, TN - Smokey Mountain Convention Center - Southern Gospel Music Fanfair

05/05/11 - Pigeon Forge, TN - Smokey Mountain Convention Center - Southern Gospel Music Fan Awards Show

05/07/11 - 1:00PM - Pigeon Forge, TN - A Heart Connection - Battle of the Bandz

05/14/11 - 7:00PM - Tyler, TX - Landmark Baptist Church - Concert with Terry Davis

05/15/11 - Diboll, TX - Prison Concert
Book Miles HERE

Homecoming Update...
We had such a great time with all of God's people that showed up on March 12th! I have a passion for bringing churches and folks from all backgrounds together to worship. It's so important to lay aside the differences that we have and focus on what we have in common. We have Christ in common and that's what matters. Should how much water we use to baptize someone mean that we can't come together in harmony and worship the God who not only saved their soul, but made the water that we are fighting over?

The crowd was sincere in their praise and full of smiles as always at this event. More people came out this year than ever before despite other attractions going on in town and even though this year's concert fell on Daylight Savings Time. The Gospel Tones were featured once again and as always, we had a blast harmonizing with friends.

I've built a new photo gallery for my annual homecoming concert so you can see what all went on there. There are more pictures that will soon be up, but there are already several that you can go have a look at now right HERE. Plus, go ahead and mark your calendars since we are holding March 3, 2012 for my Fifth Annual Homecoming! I'll be adding details as I have them.

Third Radio Release
After God blessed with two #1 songs in 2010, it's a daunting task to come up with which song to follow it up with, but after much prayer and consideration, the first radio single for 2011 will be, "I'm Going Through, Jesus". I feel that there is no song that I currently have recorded that speaks more to the time that we live in.


"Many have started to run in this race, but with our Redeemer, they would not keep the pace..."


Most things in the headlines, on the news, and on the lips of the local gossip tell us that we cannot make it and that what we believe and hold to are things of the past. Anti-Christian sentiments pervade the heart of this country, politicians pass laws that are not in the heritage of this country, wars on multiple fronts throughout the world, record breaking earthquakes, the grim rise in the cost of living, and historical, life changing moments shake us to the core.

"And many accepted because it was new, but not very many seemed bound to go through..."

But I have a hope beyond what I can see and that is what gives me the reason to go on in victory despite the situation of the globe. I know that all of this was prophesied and foreseen by an omnipotent Creator. I know that a nation cannot be Christian, but it's people that are Christian. I know that the hearts of the rulers are in the hands of my King of Kings. I know that there's no power in this earth that can touch me unless He wills it. And I know that come what may, I have never seen the righteous forsaken or God's kids begging for bread.

"I'm going through! I'm going through! I'll pay the price whatever others do. I'll take this way with my Lord's despised few..."

The Church is always at its best when its facing hard times. Time and again, emperors have tried to destroy it, laws made by evil men have mashed it into the dust, and so many millions have stood against it with all the fury hell could muster, but this Church of the Living God still stands in strength! It's in the flames of persecution that God chooses to call out His brightest and best; those who have not been corrupted by the muck and mire of this present world and have been cleansed, ready for battle and service.

"I've started in Jesus and I'm going through..."

This song encourages me every night that I sing it to strive to be trustworthy to God and to be a son that He can be proud of; I hope it does the same for you. As you live day to day, prepare to be a blessing. Live your life self sufficient, debt free, relying on God, shedding the past and that which does not matter to eternity.

God bless you all and I hope to see you soon at one of my 2011 concerts!

In Him,
Miles

 Hello Everyone!
To start off this newsletter I must say, "BRRRRRRRRR!" As I sit here typing this, the wind is howling and I am under a blanket while I listen to reports of coming snow and sleet. I know my friends up north will not think much of that statement, but hopefully they'll enjoy the rest of this composition…

FOURTH ANNUAL HOMECOMING!
Since my marriage back in December, time has flown! It's hard to believe that we are only 40 days away from my annual homecoming concert! This year promises to be the best yet and I have so much in store for you all. I do hope that you will make an effort to attend and bring someone with you.

The whole reason I started this event was to make an effort to give back something to the community and hopefully be a blessing close to home to those who have been kind enough to support me throughout the years. Homecoming has always proven to be a grand time of fun and fellowship while incorporating a great time of worship. This year will be no different, so please mark your calendars now to be in attendance!

I have a few surprises in store that are not going to appear on any flyer or invitation, so you'll have to come out and see what's happening. I can tell you that we will have many giveaways, lots of laughs, and THE GOSPEL TONES will be the featured guest artist! As many of you know, I sing tenor with this group of young men and they have been part of homecoming for the last two years. Our time together has tightened harmonies, introduced new songs, and strengthened our bond. These are truly some of my best friends and it will be an honor to stand beside them once again and let the rafters ring with God's praise.

Here's the details…
Miles Pike's Fourth Annual Homecoming Concert
March 12, 2011
at
The People's Church
Hwy 79 E.
Jacksonville, Texas 75766
Concert at 6:00pm - doors open at 5:00pm
Love offering basis
Click HERE for more details and don't miss it!


Click HERE to download your own flyer to share!

Please Vote!

In my last newsletter I mentioned receiving an award from the International Association of Independent Recording Artists (IAIRA) for my song, "I'll See You In The Rapture", having reached #77 in the world. Several more award opportunities are in the works since then and I need your help. I need you to take a few minutes to vote for me. Just being nominated for some of these awards would help open doors for more ministry opportunities.
I've made it as easy as possible to access the voting on the different award websites below, and I've noted the categories that I am eligible for on each website. Voting ends on the 28th of this month. Get your family and friends to vote as well!

Agape Fest Awards - I am eligible for: Album of 2010 - "Timeless Songs: For Times Like These", Song of 2010 - "I'll See You In The Rapture", Male Soloist, New Artist, Country Male Artist,
Songwriter (James Pike), and Artist Website of 2010 - www.MilesPikeMusic.com

Country Gospel Music Fan Awards - I am eligible for: Favorite Soloist, Male Horizon, Favorite Male Vocalist, Favorite Crossover, Favorite Songwriter (James Pike), Album "Timeless Songs: For Times Like These", and Website - www.MilesPikeMusic.com

Southern Gospel Music Fan Awards - I am eligible for: Soloist, Male Vocalist, Song - "I'll See You In The Rapture", Album - "Timeless Songs: For Times Like These", Young Excelling Individual, and New Excelling Artist

2011 Diamond Awards - I am eligible for: Album of 2010 - "Timeless Songs: For Times Like These", Song of 2010 - "I'll See You In The Rapture", Male Soloist, New Artist, Country Male Artist, Songwriter (James Pike), and Artist Website of 2010 - www.MilesPikeMusic.com



Upcoming Events…

Please take note of some of these very special events listed below!
February 5-10, 2011 - Jacksonville, Florida - Singing on a cruise to The Bahamas
February 20, 2011 - Diboll, Texas - Prison Concert
March 4, 2011 - Jacksonville, Texas - First Baptist Church - Concert with THE NELONS!
March 12, 2011 - 6:00PM - Jacksonville, Texas - Fourth Annual Homecoming Concert
March 27, 2011 - 6:00PM - Troup, Texas - Henry's Chapel Methodist Church
April 5, 2011 - 6:00PM - Bullard, Texas - First Baptist Church
April 15, 2011 - 6:00PM - Tyler, Texas - Westwood Baptist Church - Concert with TRIUMPHANT QT!
April 28-30, 2011 - Pigeon Forge, Tennessee - Smokey Mountain Convention Center - Country Gospel Music Fanfest
May 2-7, 2011 - Pigeon Forge, Tennessee - Smokey Mountain Convention Center
- Southern Gospel Music Fanfair
May 15, 2011 - Diboll, Texas - Prison Concert

Catching up…
Thanks to all of you for your support during 2010! God did awesome things and I thank you for your part in it. I had both my debut radio release and the one following it hit #1 last year! If that isn't good enough, "Jesus Savior, Pilot Me" stayed in the Top Ten for six months, and "I'll See You In The Rapture" also stayed in the Top Ten for six months and the Top Three for four of those months!
Please be on the lookout for my upcoming radio release, "I'm Going Through, Jesus"! It'll be the first thing I send out in 2011 and I believe that God has even greater things in store for Miles Pike Music as we continue to serve Him with all we have.

Also…
Yep, as I said, I am married and life is great! In the last newsletter I announced our engagement and many have wanted to meet her. She'll be at all my upcoming concertsand we would love to meet you there. She is becoming a greater asset to this ministry more and more every day as God blesses us with more wisdom and experience together. When you call the office for product or to book a concert, you might just get her on the phone!
I've added several pictures to my photo galleries lately, including wedding pictures, so feel free to go have a look at my beautiful bride and the wonderful day we had! Take a moment to write in the guestbook or drop us an email to say hello to Mrs. Martha Pike.

Click HERE to visit the gallery!

Final Thoughts…
I have been raised in a farming family for all my life and so I know what difficult work it can be. My family would have literally tens of thousands of plants, mainly tomatoes, over the vast acres that they farmed. People came from all over to get some of their produce because it was like no other.
Just like most things in life, you could look at what they did and think that the hardest work was the harvest, but I believe that they would answer that the hardest part was the waiting, watching, and longing for the harvest. No matter how many thousand plants they had, or what variety, by the time they cared for each one on a regular basis, they knew them, recognized them, and knew what fruit they had on them yesterday. Now the proud owner of a small garden with my wife, I can somewhat appreciate not just the work, but the longing to see what I have put my hand to produce something good; not just for me, but for my family.
How much more do we need to invest and strive to see the benefits of a life changed because of what we poured into it? People are fields, their hearts the soil, God's Word the seed, our kindness the water, and the fruit is to God's Glory, for only HE can give an increase for our labors. Be sure that everyday you are tending to those around you and planting good seed out of your life into theirs. People are far more precious than plants, vegetables, flowers, and all the other things that we invest so much time and effort into.
I pray that you all will go forward with the purpose in your hearts and minds to intentionally sow good into the fields around you. That's what we will continue to strive to do in 2011 and beyond...

Be blessed and be a blessing,

Miles
1 Corinthians 3

 Hello Everyone!

Wow! What a time it’s been since my last newsletter! Many terrific things have been happening here in the last few weeks and I can’t wait to fill you in on them...

Engagement

First of all, I am thrilled to announce my engagement to my best friend, first love, and the prettiest woman on earth, Martha Blake of Atlanta, GA. You may ask how this Texas boy ended up with this Georgia peach and the answer is Stamps-Baxter School of Music in TN. God had our paths cross there back in 2006 and our friendship has grown ever since.

I proposed back on September 13th and we will wed in Jacksonville, Texas on December 19, 2010. She has already blessed my life beyond words and it will be all the richer with her presence in this ministry. I know there is no one better to come alongside me in this Godly work and I look forward to introducing her to you at future concerts.
View pictures HERE

Rapture Rises...

Back in March of this year I was blown away to find that my debut radio release, “Jesus Savior, Pilot Me” went to the top of the charts in The Christian Voice Magazine and spent six months in the top ten. Now to follow up that honor, I’ve been informed that my newest radio song, “I’ll See You In The Rapture” is now sitting at the #1 position for the month of November! Your support and God’s blessings are beyond belief and I thank the Lord for you. Please continue to call your local DJs and request my music.

Check out the Christian Voice Magazine’s ads HERE

IAIRA #77

The news above is humbling all by itself, but I also received news that The International Association of Independent Recording Artists, www.IAIRA.com, has awarded me the honor of a free membership. IAIRA is an organization that monitors songs from all genres of music worldwide that are recorded by independent artists such as myself. According to their organization, “I’ll See You In The Rapture” reached #77 in the world when weighed in all genres of music on an international scale. View the award HERE.

If you are a DJ and have not yet received my radio single, please contact me HERE.

Stimulus Packages...

Have you been waiting on yours? Santa Claus has done gone and brought some stimulus packages! This package deal makes the perfect gift for the Gospel music lover on your list.
10 CDs for $100!
Buy one of these package deals now and you not only have taken care of ten people on your shopping list, but they are great witnessing tools! Many people will never darken the door of a church or come to a concert, but they will pop in a CD.

This offer is only good through December 18th, so place your orders today!
Buy 10 CDs for $100 NOW and you Save $50!
You don’t think it can get any better??
FREE SHIPPING!
Click HERE to visit the secure PayPal online store.

Cruise!


For more information about the Gospel Music Cruise to The Bahamas that I’m singing on February 5-10, 2011, CALL 865-278-3681.
Six day & five nights, starting at $549, everything included.


Homecoming Date Announced!

Mark your calendars early and hold March 12, 2011 for my Fourth Annual Homecoming Concert. It will feature myself, The Gospel Tones, and many more surprises, so don’t miss it! I’ll send more information in the MPM Spring 2011 Newsletter.

Congrats to Dad!

After nearly thirty years of public service and laying his life on the line, I’m proud to say that my Dad, James Pike, has been promoted to Assistant Chief of The Tyler Fire Department. I’ve always been proud of my Father and his commitment to his job and to his men. The excellence he strives for in his work is clearly seen.

If you’ve been to any of my concerts, you’ve probably seen my Dad helping set up equipment, running the product table, and taking part in the service sharing what’s on his heart. With my visual impairment, I could not accomplish my calling without the support of my parents and family and I am so proud and thankful for them all.

New Picture Galleries

I have added hundreds of new photos, several new galleries and updated bunches of albums over the last few weeks. If you want to see what all happens on and off the road, visit my photo galleries HERE!


Upcoming Concerts:

November 18, 2010 - Daisy’s - 5:00-8:00PM - Tyler, Texas
November 21, 2010 - People's Church, Pastoral Installation - 6:00PM - Jacksonville, Texas - Special guest speaker, David Dykes from Green Acres Baptist Church
December 16, 2010 - Central Baptist Church - 6:00PM - Jacksonville, Texas
December 19, 2010 - Wedding Day!!!
January 6-7, 2011 - Prison Revival
January 8, 2011 - Gospel Tones Concert - Texas
January 9, 2011 - Gospel Tones Concert - Texas
January 9, 2011 - New Faith Church - 7:00PM - Sacul, Texas - Gospel Tones Concert
February 5-10, 2011 - Bahamas Cruise
February 11, 2011 - TBA - Florida
February 12, 2011 - TBA - Florida
February 13, 2011 - TBA - Florida
February 13, 2011 - TBA - Florida
February 20, 2011 - Prison Concert
March 12, 2011 - MPM Fourth Annual Homecoming Concert, People's Church - 6:00PM - Jacksonville, Texas

I am already blocking off weekends well into 2011, so contact me HERE for booking information now.

Signing off...

So many blessings and not enough words to express God’s goodness in 2010! With everything shaking around us, I firmly believe that we all must remain centered in God’s Hand to survive the storms that are on the horizon. As wise stewards, we must prepare as though we’ll live a hundred years and live as though we’ll face eternity in the next second.

I pray that you choose to find time to be thankful at this time of year for all that you have been entrusted with and invest into something eternal. What echoes in eternity is all that matters. Prepare. If the Church is down, out, and caught napping, then what hope is there in this old world? Prepare to be a blessing. In times of trouble lives will need healing and people will run to the house of God once again for sustenance. Be there waiting with arms wide open and be on the surest footing you can find so that you may be a shelter.

As we move forward into 2011, I thank God for your part in my life and for your prayers that I will be an encouragement wherever I go.

May God continue to bless you this Thanksgiving and may we all bless God.
Sincerely,
Miles

 Hello Everyone!

I don't know about you, but it's been one more crazy year thus far! It's been a good kind of crazy though. God has really blessed MPM with more than twice the number of concerts this year than 2009 already and I'm still booking concerts all the way into 2011. By the way, I have a few more weekends left in 2010, so if you have a desire for me to come to your area, click HERE to contact me about reserving your date now.
Here's what's been going on since the last update...

Latest Radio Single

As most of you know, my debut radio single, "Jesus Savior, Pilot Me" went to #1 in The Christian Voice Magazine for the month of March and stayed in the Top Ten for six months in a row! God absolutely knocked my socks off with the response to my arrangement of this classic song. Many thanks to you DJs for playing it and to the listeners, like you, for requesting it.
My follow up single is "I'll See You In The Rapture" and is quickly meeting equal success. After only three months on the chart, it's already soared to #3 for the month of September! Again, thanks for your continued support and if you've not heard it yet, please call your local station to make your request.
If you are a DJ and have not yet received the compilation, please contact me HERE to secure your copy today!

Come Cruising!

I've never been on a cruise before, but my first experience on one will be standing beside some of the best Gospel artist in the business and I want you to join me for this unforgettable event!
Come cruise the high seas for 6 days and 5 nights in luxury to the fabled Bahamas aboard Carnival's Fascination with some of the best Gospel Music around! You'll never cruise this long, with as much exquisite food, with such plush accommodations, to such a fine location, or experience this much family entertainment for a better price!
$100 deposit *NOW* - Half of balance before Sept. 15th - Final payment before Nov. 15th
CALL 865-278-3681 for reservations by phone. Get your deposit in now!
Category 4B - DECK 4 & 5 Inside $549.00
Category 4C - DECK 5 & 6 Inside $599.00
Category 4D - DECK 6 & 7 Inside $629.00
Category 6B - DECK 4 & 5 Oceanview $649.00
Category 6C - DECK 5 & 6 Oceanview $699.00
Category 6D - DECK 6 & 7 Oceanview $749.00
Suites are also available. All prices are per person. Third and fourth person in cabin is $399 per person. Cruise leaves from Jacksonville, FL on February 5, 2011. Click HERE to get complete details!
Don’t miss the boat!

Absolutely Free!

I've been updating the website a bunch lately with several little tweaks to make your visit easier and more interactive. I have created an updated Forum, an updated About section, and an easy to use Interact section where I can hear from you about what you want to see from MPM in 2011! Also, I'm offering voice lessons for anyone interested in further their vocal abilities. Click HERE for details and information.
For you newcomers to this website, there are TWO FREE downloads for joining the email list! These are special mixes that are not available on CD or anywhere else; they are just for you. To redeemed those exclusive cuts, just click HERE and simply download the "Member Versions" in the "Digital Store".
For the social networking types, I invite you to join and follow me on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and iLike! There's a brand new page to make it simple to locate me and connect. Click HERE for the easy to find links.

Upcoming Concerts
For the month of August I'll be joining my best buds, The Gospel Tones Quartet for a series of concerts in the East Texas area. Every event we do is quiet the treat as our four solo ministries come together for one big, unique sound!
August 22 - Diboll Maximum Security Prison - solo concert
August 28 - Cornerstone Church - Tyler, Texas - 6:00pm
August 29 - Pierces Chapel Assembly of God-Jacksonville, Texas - 10:30am
August 29 - Grace Fellowship - Ben Wheeler, Texas - 6:30pm
Click HERE for directions and further details. Check back often since dates are being added on a regular basis.

Signing Off...
Thanks for taking the time to read this update. I know you don't have to and I thank you for your support. If you'd be interested in making a tax deductible contribution to "Miles Pike Music", please click HERE for details about how to do so. There is no greater pleasure in my life than to be able to find fulfillment in sharing the Gospel with the lost and sharing a word of hope with the Church.
I find so many discouraged people as I travel the road these days. In this ever changing world we dwell in, it's no wonder that we can find so many things to fret over. One of the greatest joys of my life is to see a face walk in, contorted by grief and worry, sit in the audience and then watch that cold countenance melt into a blessed grin. God is still on the throne and He is still faithful!
I hope to be with your church or in your area sometime soon. Come out and see me then!
God bless you all and I covet your prayers more than ever,
Miles

 Hello Everyone!

It has been awhile since I've updated, but much has been happening! Let's see if I can fill you in...

CGM Fanfest
I had a fabulous time in Pigeon Forge, TN with the good people of The Christian Voice Magazine as they hosted The Country Gospel Music Fanfest at The Smokey Mountain Convention Center. It was so nice to meet so many new friends. God truly blessed and I look forward to seeing you there next year!
Click HERE for information about attending next year's event, April 28-30, 2011!

GTQ Update
As most of you know, I sing in The Gospel Tones Quartet as often as time allows. It's a thrill to be able to travel and harmonize with some of my best friends. Since my last email, we have had say goodbye to one of our members, John Simmons. When we started singing we were not sure just how God would see fit to bless us, but in just the first few months, it became clear that we were going to be pressed to make more time than we had anticipated to fill all the dates that were requested of us.

With all the dates being added, a rigorous college schedule, and the pressures of being a music minister at his church, John's calendar just couldn't take the extra weight. John is a fine singer and we wish him the very best in what God has called him to. We will surely remain friends for time to come...

We could not have asked for a better man to step forward and fill his shoes! Nick Bergeron has filled in on several occasions and already a dear friend of ours. He treats his part like glue and it holds us tightly together. Please take a moment to greet him at our upcoming concerts.

Here's a few places that we'll be in the near future...
May 27th @ 6PM - in Athens, TX with GOLD CITY
May 28th @ 7PM - in Chappell Hill, TX
May 29th @ 6PM - in Anderson, TX
Check out the updated wwwGospelTonesQuartet.com for complete concerts listings and for booking information, send an email HERE.

SGM Article
I was blown away to be featured in an article by Lorraine Walker of Southern Gospel Music Radio this passed month. She interviewed me a while back and did a fabulous job conveying my heart to the readers in, "A New Face, A Timeless Sound". I appreciate her time and effort and am so humbled by the response. Please take a moment to read it for yourself HERE.

Upcoming Solo Dates
Time is going to be scarces in the next several weeks. I hope to be able to see you at one of my concerts. Here are a few of them to plan on attending...

June 16 - 6:00 pm - Lockwood United Methodist Church, Lockwood, MO
June 19 - 6:00 pm - Round Grove Baptist Church, Miller, MO - Bud Roger's & Stamps-Baxter Friends
June 20 - 6:00 pm - TBA - MO
June 23 - 25 - 10th Annual Agape Fest, Celebration Hall, Granbury, TX
June 26 - 6:00 pm - Texas Gospel Music Hall, Athens, TX - with Triumphant Quartet - click HERE to order tickets
June 27 - 6:00 pm - Pierces Chapel Assembly of God, Jacksonville, TX

New Radio Single!
Call your local Gospel station and request Miles' latest release, "I'll See You In The Rapture"! It will be hitting the charts of The Christian Voice Magazine shortly. It is being hailed as a very timely song with an uniting message for the Church.
If you are a DJ and have not received it yet, click HERE.
After hitting #1 in March, "Jesus Savior Pilot Me" continues to dominate the Country Gospel charts by staying in the Top Ten for the months of February-July! Words cannot express my gratitude for your constant support of my music.

Plan Ahead...
Coming up in February 2011, I will be taking part in a 6 day Gospel music cruise to The Bahamas! It will be leaving from Jacksonville, FL on the fifth and there will be many other artist in attendance. Come join me, along with hundreds of other Southern Gospel music fans for the trip of a lifetime aboard one of Carnival's best liners. More information will be posted as available, but mark your calendars now!

Many thanks for taking time and interest in this ministry. I, along with the board members of Miles Pike Music, take great pride and care in making sure that I do all that God allows with a heart of servanthood and wisdom. If you would be interested in booking an event in your church or venue, don't hesitate in securing your date now. Click HERE to contact us for more information.

God bless and may we meet again soon,

Miles

    Hello Everyone!
   I trust that you had a pleasant Thanksgiving holiday. It was quite hectic for us amidst preparing to eat, eating, then eating some more, plus having concerts all that weekend. Both were with The Gospel Tones Quartet in Louisiana. We had a great response and were invited back next year. To see photos from those events, click HERE.
   Also, Gospel Tones is very excited to unveil our brand new website, www.GospelTonesQuartet.com! It's still under construction and more will be added soon, so check back to keep up with where we're going to be in concert. Let me know what you think about GTQ's home on the web.
   Earlier this month we also had an incredible prison revival along with Ben Waites, the lead singer for Gospel Tones. He's a dear friend and it was great to have him along side me when ministering to these guys in search of an answer. We had an average of 350 inmates in attendance and had dozens commit their lives to Christ, many for the first time! All praise be to Jesus Christ!
   That same weekend we had the opportunity to share with the people of Palestine Church of The Nazarene for their annual homecoming celebration. I sang a morning concert and then GTQ handled the music in the evening, which was hard to do since we had eaten some good homecooking just an hour before. Click HERE for the photo gallery.

   SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT!
   Let Miles play Santa and assist you this Christmas holiday! This package deal makes the perfect stocking stuffer for the Gospel Music lover on your Christmas list. It's also a great witnessing tool. 10 CDs for $100! This offer is only good through December 18th, so place your order today and you SAVE $50! Click HERE to order now.
   Upcoming Concerts:
12/05/09 - The People Church with Broken Vessels @ 7:00pm
12/06/09 - Pierces Chapel Assembly of God @ 11:00am
12/06/09 - Diboll Maximum Security Prison with Broken Vessels
Christmas Break
01/09/09 - TBA
01/31/09 - Neches First Baptist @ 6:00pm
For the complete concert schedule, visit www.MilesPikeMusic.com or www.GospelTonesQuartet.com.

   During this festive time of the year, I thought I might share some fond moments of myself applying the final touches to the Christms lights. Who knew the one time they called for frost, it would actually happen?
   This being Christmas, I can’t help but imagine, fifty or sixty years ago, when the children of this family and thousands of others, would receive things under the Christmas tree that most children today would throw back. When money was scarce, you’d receive things you needed at Christmas, like clothes, shoes, or something like a sack of fruit.
   Today, it has become a competition to see who can outspend the other, who can raise the bar higher and make the biggest impression. Thus the season is lost in the stress of high expectations and the rest of the year is often complicated by debt accumulated over the short holiday.
   As most of us are blessed beyond the wildest dreams of people outside of the United States of America, I can’t help but imagine how God must feel. He prepared a gift and it was laid before mankind; sadly most declined. It was not a pleasant thing to look upon and man was content to remain as he was, lost in self and bound to the curse of forever searching and never obtaining.
   Still, the gift was laid in a manger and opened on Calvary and the blood that we did not think we wanted, but the blood that we needed was placed at the foot of the tree. Little did we know that such an act of brutality, of merciless inhumanity, would be the key to open the very gates of Heaven for us!
   As we go through the pile of presents, wrapped so beautifully under our Christmas trees, let us never forget the gift that we didn’t think we wanted, that was at the foot of the first Christmas tree. Without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sins. Although we celebrate the birth of the Christ, he was born to die and so Christmas led to the cross, and the cross led to the opportunity of salvation for all! That is why we celebrate peace coming to earth and joy that can be obtained by everyone who ask.
   From my family to your's, may you have a truly blessed holiday season with family and friends close by. God has been so gracious to Miles Pike Music so far this year and next year is showing to be even bigger. Thanks for your love, prayers, and financial support of this ministry. If you would be interested in making a tax-deductable contribution to MPM, please CLICK for all the details.
   Sincerely,
   Miles

P.S. - Mark your calendars early for March 13th, 2010! It will be Miles Pike Music's Third Annual Homecoming Concert with Allison Durham Speer and The Gospel Tones Quartet! More details will be in the next newsletter.

Hello Everyone!
It's time again for an update and there is much to catch up on. A lot has been happening and more to come, so take a moment and I'll quickly fill you in...

Cruise with Miles!
How can you take a five day trip on a 4.5 star Carnival luxury liner, with unlimited food, fellowship, Gospel music, preaching, exotic locations, and do it all for under $100 a day?
CLICK HERE for more information!
I am so excited about this event and it's so easy to be a part of it. Come on aboard The ECSTACY with some of the best in Gospel Music to hear music, worship, and fine preaching.
All proceeds go to fund Philippines missions.

Off To School
July means it's time to head to Tennessee for another summer at Ben Speer's Stamps-Baxter School of Music. It's always such a joy to reunite with friends from all over the country and the world to learn how to better serve God in Gospel Music. I'll have new photo galleries posted when I get back.
CLICK HERE to view passed photos from Stamps-Baxter.

Upcoming Concerts
July 4 @ 7:00pm - The People's Church with The Stutzman Family in Jacksonville, Texas
July 18 @ 6:00pm - River of Life in Smyrna, Tennessee: Stamps-Baxter Benefit Concert
July 19 @ 10:30 am - Grace Nazarene in Nashville, Tennessee: Stamps-Baxter Choir
July 24 @ 6:00pm - MTSU in Mufreesburo, Tennessee: Stamps-Baxter Live Video Taping
July 26 @ 10:30am - First Baptist Church in Bloomfield, Indiana
July 26 @ 3:00pm - First Baptist Church in Bloomfield, Indiana: Full Concert
August 1 @ 7:00pm - The People's Church with The Hubbard Family in Jacksonville, Texas
For more information & the complete schedule, CLICK HERE

Brand New Videos
Last month, I added three new videos to my website from recent concerts. There's a brand new page so you can find them all in one spot for easy viewing. CLICK HERE to visit that site.
Since the last update, I've also added NEW PHOTO GALLERIES

One last thing I want to mention before I go...
I have just found out that my Third Annual Homecoming Concert on March 13, 2010 will feature The Gospel Tones, and none other than Gaither Homecoming Artist, Allison Durham Speer! What a thrill to be able to have not just one of the best female vocalist on the road, but she's also one of the members of the Miles Pike Music advisory board and a dear friend and mentor. Please mark your calendars early to attend this very special evening.

In closing, I want to thank everyone for the wonderful response to my new CD, "Timeless Songs: For Times Like These". For those of you who don't know, I have two FREE DOWNLOADS in the digital store from this project. They are only available to members of my website and are not even available for purchase on CD. They are special mixes of a couple of the songs you'll recognize.
If you haven't heard the new project, just visit my Homepage and a demo will begin playing for you. The newest single will hit radio stations soon. I will keep you updated on the progress.

May God bless you on this Independance Day weekend as we celebrate the freedom so hard won for us by our troops and founding fathers. We should never forget and never turn loose of the liberties that come with an obligation to continue to fight for them, even today.
Thanks again and I hope to see you soon,
Miles
P.S. - Don't forget to check out the CRUISE! The deadline for a small deposit is August 4th.