Guests will enjoy two nights of live concerts by the genre’s top artists, including these new additions to the stellar lineup: Dove Award-winner Big Daddy Weave, GRAMMY Award-winner Francesca Battistelli, nine-time GRAMMY Award-nominee Matt Maher, Christian Billboard chart-topper Micah Tyler, LEDGER, the new project from the drummer and vocalist of rock band, Skillet, and the GRAMMY Award-nominated Rhett Walker Band.

Rock the Universe 2019 Headliners

Friday, February 1st

• Lecrae
• Matthew West
• Big Daddy Weave
• Colton Dixon
• Matt Maher
• Rhett Walker Band

Saturday, February 2nd

• Skillet
• Bethel Music
• Crowder
• Francesca Battistelli
• Micah Tyler
• LEDGER

Additional Rock the Universe experiences include the FanZone presented by Coca-Cola, which will feature even more live performances by DJ Promote and up-and-coming acts, as well as photo and autograph opportunities with top talent. Guests can also participate in a moving candle-lighting ceremony on Saturday, Feb. 2, and a non-denominational worship service on Sunday, Feb. 3. Plus, throughout the weekend, guests can experience Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit, Revenge of the Mummy and other thrilling attractions at Universal Studios Florida, as well as Universal’s Islands of Adventure and Universal’s Volcano Bay with the three-park Rock Your Weekend ticket.

Youth groups can experience an ideal youth group retreat and take advantage of Rock the Universe group vacation packages, which include one free ticket for every 10 purchased, chaperone access to lounges stocked with complimentary refreshments during the event and on-site hotel accommodations.

All tickets for Rock the Universe 2019 are now on sale. Visit www.RocktheUniverse.com for details on group packages, individual tickets and special offers for Annual Passholders. Get your tickets now, February is right around the corner!

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Guests can enjoy live musical performances by some of the hottest names in Christian music and celebrate in an atmosphere filled with Christian friendship, thrilling rides and inspiring animal attractions.

Praise Wave 2018 musical performances include:

• Steven Curtis Chapman – Saturday, January 20: In a career that has spanned 30 years, Steven Curtis Chapman is the most awarded artist in Christian music history with 58 Gospel Music Association Dove Awards, five Grammys, an American Music Award, 48 No. 1 singles, selling over 11 million albums, with ten RIAA-certified gold and platinum albums to his credit.
• Lecrae – Saturday, January 27: Lecrae is a two-time Grammy Award-winning hip-hop artist whose 2014 album, “Anomaly,” debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top 200, Rap, Digital, Christian, Gospel, and Independent charts. His seven studio albums and mixtapes have sold more than 1.9 million copies and he has co-headlined some of the best-selling tours in the U.S.
• SWITCHFOOT – Saturday, February 3: SWITCHFOOT has been unearthing all manner of musical gems since their 1997 debut “The Legend of Chin,” steadily expanding their global fan base and critical reputation through such releases as the multi-platinum breakthrough “The Beautiful Letdown” (2003) and the Grammy award-winning “Hello Hurricane” (2009). Beyond their career achievements, SWITCHFOOT has been active in a variety of philanthropic efforts through the band’s own Bro-Am Foundation.
• MercyMe – Saturday, February 10: Grammy-nominated, multiple American Music Award and Dove Award winners MercyMe have sold more than 8.5 million units in CD, single and DVD sales, garnered 27 No. 1 multi-format Christian radio singles and four consecutive mainstream radio hits with “I Can Only Imagine,” “Here With Me,” “Homesick” and “So Long Self.”

This year’s artist lineup offers something for everyone. Personally, I’d love to see Steven Curtis Chapman and MercyMe while I know my kids would opt for SWITCHFOOT and Lecrae. Live concerts take place at 1:30 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. each Saturday in the park’s Nautilus Theater and are included with park admission. Reserved seating packages for all performances are available online at SeaWorldOrlando.com and start at $19.

Live musical performances at the park continue in February with the return of SeaWorld’s Seven Seas Food Festival. As guests sip and sample their way through the park, they will discover globally-inspired flavors while enjoying local craft beers and culinary marketplaces. The fun goes beyond the food with live performances from top country, rock and Latin music artists for 9 consecutive weekends, Feb. 17 – April 15.

The best deal for guests to experience Praise Wave, and all of SeaWorld’s special events throughout the year, is with a SeaWorld Fun Card which includes unlimited admission with no blockout dates thru December 31, 2018. For more information and to purchase tickets visit SeaWorldOrlando.com.

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All of the Artists that were at the luncheon. Can you name them?

This years artists were: 7eventh Time Down, Josh Wilson, Jason Crabb, Tim Timmons, David Dunn, Jon Guerra and Hannah Kerr. The guys from 7eventh Time Down actually arrived before we did. We chatted with some of them for a while before we even entered the room where the luncheon was taking place. They were all very nice and wanted to get to know us and who we were as well as promote themselves. We entered the luncheon and found our assigned table, we sat down and Jason Crabb entered the room and made a beeline for us. I told him that he had worked with our son Aaron aka Hammy from The Joy FM last year when he was on tour with Mark Lowry. He remembered Aaron fondly and asked how he was and how the wedding went. It was like we had known each other forever, we just totally clicked. Josh Wilson saw us and came over to say “hi!”, we have met Josh and is lovely wife Becca several times so it was nice to see Josh.

Before the buffet opened everyone was told to go to their assigned tables and later the artists would rotate from table to table. I had the “joy” of having Tim Timmons sit next to me. I met Tim at this event 2 years ago and I wasn’t impressed by him at all. He was very negative and boorish. I am glad to say he was more positive and friendly this time around.

Lunch was a delightful taco and fajita bar. We had choices of chicken, fish or ground beef with hard tacos, tortillas or tortilla chips with cheeses, salsa, guacamole, and all the fixings. It was a very nice, casual lunch. As the main meal was finishing the artists started rotating tables every 10-15 minutes. We had nice conversations with each of them. I was impressed by newcomer Jon Guerra and I want you to see what I mean in this less than 1 minute video about the topic of his song “Stained Glass”.

Good stuff huh?

Of course, we enjoyed talking with all the artists, even though Josh Wilson was so popular he never made it to our table We got to spend more time with Jason Crabb and we had a great time! This is what I miss from my days in Christian radio, getting to know the people behind the music. I am thankful that Disney invites me to this event each year because no matter how great the songs are, it is the true heart of the musician that matters most.

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Capitol Kids! launched by Star Song Music, features the best in Christian music sung by kids. Personally, I don’t know why the songs need to be remade to be sung by kids when the kids have been listening to the originals but, I guess this is expected since Kidz Bop is so popular (much to my disdain).

The Capitol Kids! Boxed Set Songlists

Capitol Kids! Hits
1. Hello, My Name Is
2. Overcomer
3. God’s Not Dead (Like A Lion)
4. This Is Amazing Grace
5. Gold
6. We Believe
7. Hold Me
8. Me Without You
9. Good Morning
10. We Are Brave
11. I Am
12. Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)
13. Waterfall
14. Write Your Story
15. Speak Life

Capitol Kids! Worship
1. Your Love Never Fails
2. Happy Day
3. Alive
4. Your Grace Is Enough
5. 10,000 Reasons (Bless The Lord)
6. Everlasting God
7. Blessed Be Your Name
8. Trading My Sorrows
9. Our God
10. Cornerstone
11. Wake
12. One Thing Remains (Your Love Never Fails)
13. How Great Is Our God
14. Mighty To Save
15. You Never Let Go

Capitol Kids! Christmas
1. Jingle Bells
2. Deck The Halls
3. 12 Days Of Christmas
4. Born Is The King (It’s Christmas)
5. Joy To The World (Unspeakable Joy)
6. It’s Christmas
7. Angels We Have Heard On High
8. Away In A Manger
9. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
10. The First Noel
11. Do You Hear What I Hear
12. Somebody’s Angel
13. O Holy Night
14. Go, Tell It On The Mountain
15. O Come, All Ye Faithful

Mom Maven’s Thoughts

I received the Capitol Kids! Hits CD for review. Aaron and I listened to it together and the CD is pretty good. Most of the vocals are well done and the production quality is very good. I think Capitol Kids! The Box Set would be a welcome addition to any child’s listening library and it would make a great Christmas gift!

The Giveaway

One lucky reader will win the Capitol Kids! Boxed set. The winner will be chosen by Rafflecopter and verified. The winner will be contacted by email and they will have 24 hours to claim their prize. Prizes will be shipped in 4-6 weeks. If you choose not to wait you can purchase Capitol Kids! The Box Set now for $13.98. If it comes to this blogger’s attention that the winner of this giveaway has won on an additional blog for this same prize, this blog reserves the right to chose another winner”

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Lunch with Moriah Peters

Friday, I had the honor of meeting and enjoying lunch with a young, talented, passionate female musician that I think our daughters should be listening to, Moriah Peters. Honestly, when I was invited to the media luncheon for Provident Media Group at Walt Disney World for Night of Joy, Moriah Peters was the one artist listed that I had never heard of. I did my research before heading to the event and I was impressed with what I read and I looked forward to meeting her. When I arrived at the luncheon I was assigned a table to sit at, there were 4 of us “media” people at our table; 2 radio producers, 1 freelance Christian music critic and me. Each table was assigned an artist for the meal time and then after lunch the artists rotated from table to table in about 10 minute segments to have a chance to chat with everyone (I’ll tell you more about that in another post). Our lunch artist was, Moriah Peters.

Moriah is a 20 year old newlywed, married 60 days on the day we met. She is sweet, fun-loving and passionate about Jesus. When she was 14 years old God impressed upon her heart to not give away her first kiss until her wedding day. At age 17 she started dating her husband-to-be, Joel from For King and Country, and though it was at times difficult, with Joel’s support, she kept her promise to God and to herself and her first kiss was on her wedding day. During her 3 year relationship with Joel she wrote the song “Haven’t Even Kissed” which speaks to the fact that true love is not physical love-it is spiritual. In her just-released video for IAmSecond.com, Moriah shares her story of her stand for purity and the American Idol judge’s rejection of her-not based on her talent but based on her purity!

Moriah Peters in Concert

Moriah performed Friday night on the Rockettower Plaza Stage at Night of Joy. I was in the front row cheering my new friend on and I was impressed. On her CD her songs are lovely, the words are powerful and the message is fresh and pure. In concert those same songs took on a bit more of an edge and she rocked. I enjoyed the entire concert, but my favorite song was “Brave” which is not on her debut album so I am hoping it is on her next one. The audio on this video isn’t the best but here is “Brave” from Friday night. (If you are reading this via email you will want to click over to my site to see the videos).

One of my favorite songs on her album I Choose Jesus is “Bloom” because it has a great message for young girls everywhere. Here is the official lyrics video of “Bloom”.

It is my hope that you will check out Moriah’s work and share it with the young ladies in your life. Our girls need role models who point them to Jesus and Moriah does that very well. Make sure you get social with Moriah on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and her website.

Disclosure: There are affiliate links in this post. I was not asked to write this post, I felt compelled by God to share Moriah’s message and talent with my readers. I was a guest of Walt Disney World for the Provident Music Group Luncheon and Night of Joy. All opinions are 100% mine.

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I was very excited when I was asked to review her debut solo album, The House You’re Building, which released last month. In case you haven’t heard of Audrey yet here is some info:

Audrey is a 27-year-old singer/songwriter based out of  Phoenix. Individualistic. A free spirit. Untraditional.  Truly one-of-a-kind, this intensely honest singer-songwriter is carving out her own unique path in the music industry and opening hearts to God along the way. I think her story of self-acceptance would be a great fit for your audience! Digital outlets have already welcomed Assad with the single “For Love Of You” receiving one of iTunes ® strongest debuts on the Christian/Gospel Singles chart. Assad has already toured with industry elites Chris Tomlin, Matt Maher, Tenth Ave North and more. The 27 year-old, Phoenix-based singer songwriter also landed a duet with Chris Tomlin with “Winter Snow” on his Glory in the Highest Christmas album as well as sang with Brandon Heath on 2 songs from forthcoming Jars of Clay Shelter project.

Audrey’s clear, haunting voice is beautiful and soothing to the soul. The songs on The House You’re Building are a well thought out mix of worship, prayer and praise songs. I’ve listened to the CD several times and I have had trouble choosing a favorite song. This  is one of those CDs that I will worship with in my quiet time and a different song will hit me as significant depending on what I am walking through at the time.  I think right now my favorite is “Restless”, this is the chorus: “And I’m restless, I’m restless, ‘Til I rest in You let me rest in You. And I’m restless, I’m restless, ‘Til I rest in You let me rest in You. O God I will rest in You.” Those lyrics about sum it up for me right now.

Check out Audrey’s new CD at your local Christian bookstore or click this link The House You’re Building to buy it on Amazon.com.

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Wexelberg and her husband thought they had come to the end of the most difficult trials in their lives. After many years of infertility and desperately wanting to be parents, the Wexelbergs adopted their son Christian in 2005. Their family finally felt complete and the couple began a new season in their lives as the parents of an active little boy. Then, in March of last year, Wexelberg’s husband Mark was out for a Sunday motorcycle ride when a girl in a truck ran a stop sign and collided head-on with Mark’s bike. The impact broke 23 bones in his body and required three surgeries to place metal rods, screws and plates in his femurs, pelvis, ankle and knee -procedures that literally put him back together again. While the doctors have been encouraged by his year-long progress, Mark still has a long way to go in the healing process.

“The title song was actually inspired by the third chapter of the book of Habakkuk,” says Shannon. “I have an idea of how Habakkuk felt in those verses.” “Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen, and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.” Habakkuk 3: 17-18. The chorus of “I Have a Song” states the commitment Shannon has to hold on tight while she is on this bumpy ride.

“I have a song
And I’m singing to my Savior
Singing to the One who set me free
I have a song
And my heart will ever praise Him
This world can never take this joy from me
When all else is gone
I have a song”

As much as I love that song, my favorite on the CD is “This Is the Day”. For me it is one of those perfect start-my-morning-off-on-the-right-foot kind of songs, it helps me focus on God and His purpose for my day.

If you love great inspirational music that speaks to your soul then you will enjoy “I Have a Song” by Shannon Wexelberg. You can purchase the CD on her website or you can win it here.

Mandatory 1st Entry visit ShannonWexelberg.com, click on the “about” page and read her story then come back here and leave me a comment about something you learned about Shannon.

Bonus Entries: Please leave a separate comment for each entry.

• Subscribers get 1 entry
• GFC followers get 1 entry
• Networked Blog followers get 1 entry
• Facebook likers get 1 entry
• Tweet this “I want to be inspired by Shannon Wexelberg’s new CD! Thanks @MomMaven for a chance to win it! http://ow.ly/1UwCN” You can tweet 2x a day leave a separate comment with the tweet URL for each entry.

This giveaway will end June 13, 2010 9:00pm EDT and the winner will be chosen by Random.org.

Disclosure: I received a CD for the purpose of this review BUT I listened to all of the tracks online so that I could give my CD away to one lucky winner.

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This year’s line-up of Christian music all-stars that are performing include:
Friday, September 10 Chris Tomlin, David Crowder Band, Casting Crowns, BarlowGirl, Francesca Battistelli, Group 1 Crew, Tenth Avenue North, and Sidewalk Prophets

Saturday, September 11 mercyme, Third Day, Family Force 5, Smokie Norful, Red, LeCrae, Day of Fire

This post is part of the Disney
Blog Carnival. Go there to read more great Disney posts.

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I am obviously not the only one loving this new project because it is the current No. 1 album on the Christian & Gospel iTunes ® chart. The songs on this CD tell stories; stories of the journeys people take in life. Stories about who we are deep down inside and stories about things that move us.

‘Better Than a Hallelujah’ is one of my favorite tracks because it speaks of how clinging to God in the hard times is better than shouting “Hallelujah!” when everything is going right. It’s a song of the deep need for God to be active in our lives. ‘Third World Woman’ is one of those songs that rightly slaps us across the face and makes us think and hopefully act. Musically I love the primal chant in this song it helps the powerful lyrics dig deep into our souls and spur us to action. ‘Unafraid’ is a great song about life and love. Last week Amy performed it live at our local Christian radio station, TheJoyFM. Here is a video clip from that visit.

Amy Grant – Unafraid from Somewhere Down the Road LIVE on The Morning Cruise from The Morning Cruise on Vimeo.

Somewhere Down the Road is available now on iTunes and a retailers nationwide.

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Jennifer Shaw is first and foremost, a mom. She is a mom of 3 and her youngest is a special needs child. For many of us, that would be enough on our plate, but add to that church worship leader and recording artist and her plate is full. Jennifer’s path to contemporary worship leader has been an interesting one and you can read her full story on her website here.

If you are looking for worship music with angelic vocals and powerful lyrics I suggest you visit her website JenniferShaw.com and pick up a copy of Love Broke Through for yourself. This CD would also make a great Easter gift for your worship leader, choir director, women’s ministry leader, pastor’s wife or anyone that loves to worship God.

I received this CD as part of the AdamsGroupPR A-List of Bloggers all opinions are 100% mine.

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