1. Plumb posted a studio selfie with her producer, manager and mixer to share the news that she has completed her upcoming album Exhale. The picture was all smiles, and accompanied the news that the final release date for the record is set for May 5.
2. If you've been following Sanctus Real for a few years, you might remember the incredible story of lead singer Matt Hammitt's son Bowen, who was born with a heart defect. Little Bowen pulled through on the prayers of thousands of fans, and the 4-year-old's story is continuing to inspire through a special video shot by the University of Michigan MOTT Children's Hospital. Matt shared a picture on twitter of his son with some other children on the set of the video shoot, sharing afterwards that "spending time around kids with heart disease and cancer puts things into perspective pretty quickly."
3. Nashville has been experiencing some unusually severe winter weather this week, leading Unspoken to get creative with ways to enjoy it. In a facebook video, they said that "all you need is a kid and a suitcase"-- and then demonstrated suitcase sledding. Looks effective to us!
4. Building 429 is working hard on new music, and to prove it they shared a special impromptu performance of a new song filmed backstage at WinterJam. The truly acoustic performance of the song, titled "Eyes Up," features impromptu percussion and a venue piano. You can watch it and read the lyrics on their facebook page.
5. If you're interested in keeping the Valentine's Day mood going, Jars Of Clay is offering a show available anywhere there's internet access. The band will be broadcasting a special set of love songs via stageit.com tonight at 7 p.m.
6. Anyone who has been to a Family Force 5 show in recent years has likely danced along to their goofy song "Chainsaw." In reference to the song, a fan recently brought the band a special kind of chainsaw made entirely of balloons. That must have taken a lot of time-- and talent!
7. Some of the sweetest Valentine's Day posts from artists focused on their children. Skillet frontman John Cooper posted a photo of his daughter's heart-melting homemade Valentine to him, which read "I pray for you guys often, and I could never ask for a better dad."
8. Amy Grant has been hinting at a new project for a while, and the big reveal finally came last week. Amy will be releasing Be Still and Know… Hymns & Faith on April 14. The project will include reimagined versions of classic hymns like "Power In The Blood" and "‘Tis So Sweet To Trust In Jesus."
Quotes (3)
1. "I realized that there isn't a single human being on the entire earth who could love me with the capacity that God loves me." - Deena Jakoub, Veridia
2. "Always trust what God says over what you feel. Feelings are deceptive & will lead you down a destructive path. Guard your heart with God's word." - Danny Gokey
3. "Life doesn't always go exactly as we plan, and everything doesn't always go exactly as we'd like it to. But God promises to be there with us in the midst, despite the circumstances we are going through, whether good or bad." - Rebecca St. James
