1. MercyMe's current hit song, "Greater," features Bart and Company decked out in some pretty bold Western wear, and on top of that, it includes a special dance-off session during the bridge. The guys just released it; check it out.
2. Brandon Heath has a friend in space. No, he's not imagining aliens or anything; his friend Terry Virts is an astronaut with NASA and next Monday will blast off for a stint on the International Space Station. Brandon's in Russia right now to see his friend launch.
3. During their time in Wyoming yesterday, Disciple wondered, "How much is that doggie in the window?" In a video titled "Drew's Daily Dose of Cute," guitarist Andrew Stanton browsed a pet store's puppy pen and pondered the prospect of having a bus dog.
4. Mark Schultz is back in the studio! He's writing and recording some new tunes, and says that some of them are already favorites. Not sure if that means favorites from the new crop of songs, or all-time favorites. We'll have to see once they come out.
5. Artists share the most peculiar details of their lives sometimes, thanks to social media. Mat Kearney installed some new shelves, apparently, but more interesting than that is what's on them. In addition to some wooden heads, mannequin hands and paintings, the Pacific Northwesterner has one of the shiny new helmets of the University of Oregon Ducks football team. Those ain't cheap, either!
6. Grammy winner Jason Crabb's powerful song, "Love Is Stronger," is featured on the new collection from Maranatha! Music's Top 25 series, Top 25 Country Songs of Faith. The twenty-one time GMA Dove Award winner joins a stellar line-up of artists featuring Rascal Flatts, Tim McGraw, Carrie Underwood, Lady Antebellum, Amy Grant, Dolly Parton, Wynonna Judd, Kenny Chesney, Chris Young, Johnny Cash and more.
7. Meredith Andrews shared that her friend, Bonita--the receptionist at Word Records for more than 15 years--had left her cancer-ridden body and "is now with Jesus, healed and whole and free." Meredith, who had seen her friend just days before her passing, said Bonita had a way of making people feel right at home when they walked through the door.
8. Manafest has released a holiday single, "California Christmas," in which the Canadian rejects his coat and scarf in favor of more beach-friendly attire, claiming his "season's been sunkissed." The tune of "Carol of the Bells" helps propel the warm-weather winter wishes from the pop/rock/rapper.
Quotes (3)
1. "We can't put God in a box. God is sovereign in both good and bad, and He's greater than our joys and our lows." - Robert Pierre
2. "We must learn to worship from our wounds. God can't heal what we won't reveal. True worship pulls back the cover to expose where we need Him the most." - Tauren Wells of Royal Tailor
3. "God's love isn't contingent, so mine shouldn't be either." - Princeton Marcellis
