1. First, Michael W. Smith did a hymns album with Cracker Barrel. Now, it looks like Casting Crowns will be following suit. Brian Scoggin from the band told fans last week that the band was working on a "very special" Casting Crowns album, coming in 2015.
2. What was the biggest song of 2014? According to Billboard's year-end Christian Airplay chart, Phil Wickham's "This is Amazing Grace" was at the top of the pile, followed by Newsboys' "We Believe" and Hillsong UNITED's "Oceans." Citizen Way's "How Sweet the Sound" and Crowder's "I Am" rounded out the Top 5.
3. Andrew Peterson showed this week that two of his Wingfeather Saga series books are atop the Christian Fantasy charts on Amazon. Third place goes to C.S. Lewis. Great job, Andrew!
4. Luke of for KING & COUNTRY became a proud papa again this past weekend! He and his wife, Courtney, welcomed Phoenix to the world. All are doing well, and one could imagine big brother Jude is enthralled with his little brother.
And speaking of baby news, Britt Nicole officially hit her 32nd week of pregnancy with her second child--a boy. Just 8 weeks to go, she excitedly reported.
5. Casting Crowns is making a hymns record--they announced it last week--and the legendary Stu G of Delirious fame apparently is lending his electric guitar licks to the project, as a recent Instagram post showed.
6. Switchfoot's Jon Foreman had a column published on Huffington Post earlier this month where he talks about how "recording is the art of forgetting"--meaning, people need to stop trying to capture experiences, and instead just experience them. Think about it… how many cell phones do you see out at concerts?
7. It's been a year of surprise Christmas releases, and perhaps Laura Story's release is the most surprising. She released her new Christmas album, God With Us, exclusively on her website THIS YEAR, and next year it'll be online and in retail stores. So, essentially, she's doing like the earliest possible pre-release of a 2015 record.
2. "Sticks and stones break your bones, I know what you're feeling. Words like those won't steal your glow, You're one in a million!" - Britt Nicole (from her song "Gold")
3. "Believe in God's Son, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that you have eternal life. ...How bold and free we then become in His presence." - Izzy Ray
