Life Song

lifesong empty hands held high such small sacrifice if not joined with my life i sing in vain tonight may the and the make my bring a

words i say things i do lifesong sing smile to you

let my lifesong sing to you let my lifesong sing to you i want to sign your name to the end of this day knowing that my heart was true let my lifesong sing to you lord i give my life a living sacrifice to reach a world in need to be your hands and feet so may the words and the things i make my lifesong bring a smile to

i say do sing you

hallelujah hallelujah let my lifesong sing to you

casting crowns - voice of truth lyrics oh what i would do to have the kind of faith it takes to climb out of this boat i'm in onto the crashing waves to step out of my comfort zone into the realm of the unknown where jesus is and he's holding out his hand but the waves are calling out my name and they laugh at me reminding me of all the times i've tried before and failed the waves they keep on telling me time and time again. "boy, you'll never win!" "you'll never win!" chorus: but the voice of truth tells me a different story the voice of truth says, "do not be afraid!" and the voice of truth says, "this is for my glory"

out of all the voices calling out to me i will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth oh what i would do to have the kind of strength it takes to stand before a giant with just a sling and a stone surrounded by the sound of a thousand warriors shaking in their armor wishing they'd have had the strength to stand but the giant's calling out my name and he laughs at me reminding me of all the times i've tried before and failed the giant keeps on telling me time and time again. "boy you'll never win!" "you'll never win!" but the stone was just the right size to put the giant on the ground and the waves they don't seem so high from on top of them lookin' down i will soar with the wings of eagles when i stop and listen to the sound of jesus singing over me i will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth

praise you in this storm i was sure by now that you would have reached down and wiped our tears away stepped in and saved the day but once again, i say "amen," and its still raining as the thunder rolls i barely hear you whisper through the rain "i'm with you" and as your mercy falls i raise my hands and praise the god that gives and takes away i'll praise you in this storm and i will lift my hands for you are who you are no matter where i am every tear i've cried you hold in your hand you never left my side and though my heart is torn i will praise you in this storm i remember when i stumbled in the wind you heard my cry

you raised me up again my strength is almost gone how can i carry on if i can't find you as the thunder rolls i barely hear you whisper through the rain "i'm with you" and as your mercy falls i raise my hands and praise the god that gives and takes away i'll praise you in this storm and i will lift my hands for you are who you are no matter where i am every tear i've cried you hold in your hand you never left my side and though my heart is torn i will praise you in this storm i lift my eyes into the hills where does my help come from? my help comes from the lord the maker of heaven and earth i lift my eyes into the hills where does my help come from? my help comes from the lord the maker of heaven and earth i'll praise you in this storm and i will lift my hands for you are who you are no matter where i am every tear i've cried you hold in your hand you never left my side and though my heart is torn i will praise you in this storm and though my heart is torn i will praise you in this storm does anybody hear her she is runnin, 100 miles an hour in the wrong direction she is trying but the canyons ever widening, and the depths of her cold heart, so she sets out on another misadventure juss to find, she's another 2 years older and she's 3 more steps behind,(chorus) (chorus) does anybody hear her can anybody see or does anybody even know she's going down today, under the shadow of our steeple,with all the lost and lonely people, searching for the hope that's tucked away in you and me, does anybody hear her, can anybody see? [these lyrics are found on http://www.songlyrics.com] she is yearning for shelter and affectionthat she never found at home, but she is seachin, for a hero to ride in ride in and save the day up and walks prince charming and he knows just what to say, momentary he laughs of reason and she gives herself away(chorus)

if judgement looms under every steeple lofty glances from lofty people you can see past her scarlit letter and we've never even met her, if judgement looms under every steeple,if lofty glances from lofty people, you can't see past her scarlit letter and we never even met her, never even met her(chorus) he is running a 100 miles an hour in the wrong direction.

your love is extravagant your love is extravagant your friendship it is intimate i feel i'm moving to the rythm of your grace your fragrance is intoxicating in a secret place cause your love is extravagant spread wide in the arms of christ is a love that covers sin no greater love have i ever known he considered me a friend and captured my heart again your love is extravagant your friendship it is intimate i feel i'm moving to the rythm of your grace your fragrance is intoxicating in a secret place cause your love is extravagant spread wide in the arms of christ is a love that covers sin no greater love have i ever known you considered me a friend spread wide in the arms of christ is a love that covers sin no greater love have i ever known he considered me a friend capture my heart again your love is extravagant your friendship it is intimate american dream all work no play may have made jack a dull boy but all work no god has left jack with a lost soul but he's moving on full steam he's chasing the american dream

and he's gonna give his family the finer things not this time son i've no time maybe tomorrow we'll have time and then he slips into his new and drives farther and farther

to waste to play bmw and farther away

so he works all day and tries to sleep at night he says things will get better; better in time and he works and he builds with his own two hands and he pours all he has in a castle made with sand but the wind and the rain are comin' crashing in time will tell just how long his kingdom stands his kingdom stands his american dream is beginning to seem more and more like a nightmare with every passing day 'daddy, can you come to my game?' 'oh baby, please don't work late.' another wasted weekend and they are slipping away 'cause he works all day and lies awake at night he tells them things will get better it'll just take a little more time he used to say, 'whoever dies with the most toys wins' but if he loses his soul, what has he gained in the end i'll take a shack on the rock over a castle in the sand now he works all day and cries alone at night it's not getting any better looks like he's running out of time 'cause he worked and he built with his own two hands and he poured all he had in a castle made with sand but the wind and the rain are coming crashing in time will tell just how long his kingdom stands his kingdom stands all they really wanted was you all they really wanted was you all they really wanted was you who am i who am i, that the lord of all the earth would care to know my name would care to feel my hurt who am i, that the bright and morning star would choose to light the way for my ever wandering heart not because of who i am but because of what you've done

not because of what i've done but because of who you are i am a flower quickly fading here today and gone tomorrow a wave tossed in the ocean a vapor in the wind still you hear me when i'm calling lord, you catch me when i'm falling and you've told me who i am i am yours, i am yours who am i, that the eyes that see my sin would look on me with love and watch me rise again who am i, that the voice that calmed the sea would call out through the rain and calm the storm in me not but not but

because because because because

of of of of

who i am what you've done what i've done who you are

i am a flower quickly fading here today and gone tomorrow a wave tossed in the ocean a vapor in the wind still you hear me when i'm calling lord, you catch me when i'm falling and you've told me who i am i am yours, i am yours i am yours whom shall i fear whom shall i fear 'cause i am yours i am yours

set me free it hasn't always been this way i remember brighter days before the dark ones came stole my mind wrapped my soul in chains now i live among the dead fighting voices in my head hoping someone hears me crying in the night and carries me away set me free of the chains holding me is anybody out there hearing me? set me free

morning breaks another day finds me crying in the rain all alone with my demons i am who is this man that comes my way? the dark ones shriek they scream his name is this the one they say will set the captives free? jesus, rescue me as the god man passes by he looks straight through my eyes and darkness cannot hide do you want to be free? lift your chains i hold the key all power on heav'n and earth belong to me you are free you are free you are free here i go again father, hear my prayer i need the perfect words words that he will hear and know they're straight from you i don't know what to say i only know it hurts to see my only friend slowly fade away so maybe this time i'll speak the words of life with your fire in my eyes but that old familiar fear is tearing at my words what am i so afraid of? chorus: 'cause here i go again talkin 'bout the rain and mulling over things that won't live past today and as i dance around the truth time is not his friend this might be my last chance to tell him that you love him but here i go again, here i go again lord, you love him so, you gave your only son if he will just believe; he will never die but how then will he know what he has never heard lord he has never seen mirrored in my life so maybe this time i'll speak the words of life with your fire in my eyes but that old familiar fear is tearing at my words what am i so afraid of?

repeat chorus this might be that you love this might be that you love you love him,

my last chance to tell him him my last chance to tell him him you love him

what am i so afraid what am i so afraid what am i so afraid of? how then will he know what he has never heard if we are the body it's crowded in worship today as she slips in trying to fade into the faces the girls teasing laughter is carrying farther than they know farther than they know chorus but if we are the body why aren't his arms reaching? why aren't his hands healing? why aren't his words teaching? and if we are the body why aren't his feet going? why is his love not showing them there is a way? there is a way a traveler is far away from home he sheds his coat and quietly sinks into the back row the weight of their judgmental glances tells him that his chances are better out on the road chorus jesus paid much too high a price for us to pick and choose who should come and we are the body of christ chorus jesus is the way

and now my lifesong sings i once i once so far i once and my

was lost, but now i'm found was lost, but now i'm found away, but i'm home now was lost, but now i'm found lifesong sings

i i i i

once was blind, once was blind, don't know how, once was blind,

but but but but

now i see now i see when he touched me now i see

and now my lifesong sings and now my lifesong sings and now my lifesong sings i once i once now my now my now my

was dead, but was dead, but life to you i life to you i life to you i

now i live now i live give give give

hallelujah hallelujah let my lifesong sing to you stained glass masquerade is there anyone that fails is there anyone that falls am i the only one in church today feelin' so small cause when i take a look around everybody seems so strong i know they'll soon discover that i don't belong so if so so

i tuck it all away, like everything's okay i make them all believe it, maybe i'll believe it too with a painted grin, i play the heart again everyone will see me the way that i see them

are we happy plastic people under shiny plastic steeples with walls around our weakness and smiles to hide our pain but if the invitation's open to every heart that has been broken maybe then we close the curtain on our stained glass masquerade is there anyone who's been there are there any hands to raise am i the only one who's traded in the altar for a stage the performance is convincing and we know every line by heart only when no one is watching can we really fall apart but would it set me free

if i dared to let you see the truth behind the person that you imagine me to be would your arms be open or would you walk away would the love of jesus be enough to make you stay what if his people prayed what if the armies of the lord picked up and dusted off their swords vowed to set the captives free and not let satan have one more what if the church, for heaven's sake finally stepped up to the plate took a stand upon god's promise and stormed hell's rusty gates chorus: what if his people prayed and all who bare his name would humbly seek his face and turn from their own way and what would happen if we prayed for those raised up to lead the way then maybe kids in school could pray and unborn children see light of day what if the life that we pursue came from a hunger for the truth what if the family turned to jesus stopped asking oprah what to do he said that they would hear his promise has been made he'll answer loud and clear if only we would pray if if if if

my people called by my name they'll humble themselves and pray my people called by my name they'll humble themselves and pray

love them like jesus the love of her life is drifting away they're losing the fight for another day the life that she's known is falling apart a fatherless home, a child's broken heart

you're holding her hand, you're straining for words you trying to make - sense of it all she's desperate for hope, darkness clouding her view she's looking to you just love her like jesus, carry her to him his yoke is easy, his burden is light you don't need the answers to all of life's questions just know that he loves her and stay by her side love her like jesus love her like jesus the gifts lie in wait, in a room painted blue little blessing from heaven would be there soon hope fades in the night, blue skies turn to gray as the little one slips away you're holding her hand, you're straining for words you're trying to make sense of it all they're desperate for hope, darkness clouding their view they're looking to you just love them like jesus, carry them to him his yoke is easy, his burden is light you don't need the answers to all of life's questions just know that he loves them and stay by their side love them like jesus lord of all creation holds our lives in his hands the god of all the nations holds our lives in his hands the rock of our salvation holds our lives in his hands he cares for them just as he cares for you so love them like jesus, love them like jesus you don't need the answers to all of life's questions just know that he loves them and stay by their side love them like jesus love them like jesus

while you were sleeping oh little town of bethlehem looks like another silent night above your deep and dreamless sleep a giant star lights up the sky and while you're lying in the dark there shines an everlasting light for the king has left his throne and is sleeping in a manger tonight oh bethlehem, what you have missed while you were sleeping for god became a man and stepped into your world today oh bethlehem, you will go down in history

as a city with no room for its king while you were sleeping while you were sleeping oh little town of jerusalem looks like another silent night the father gave his only son the way, the truth, the life had came but there was no room for him in the world he came to save jerusalem, what you have missed while you were sleeping the savior of the world is dying on your cross today jerusalem, you will go down in history as a city with no room for its king while you were sleeping while you were sleeping united states of america looks like another silent night as we're sung to sleep by philosophies that save the trees and kill the children and while we're lying in the dark there's a shout heard 'cross the eastern sky for the bridegroom has returned and has carried his bride away in the night america, what will we miss while we are sleeping will jesus come again and leave us slumbering where we lay america, will we go down in history as a nation with no room for its king will we be sleeping will we be sleeping

prodigal living on my own, thinking for myself castles in the sand, temporary wealth walls are falling down, storms are closing in tears have filled my eyes, here i am again and i've held out as long as i can now i'm letting go and holding out my hand daddy, here i am again will you take me back tonight i went and made the world my friend and it left me high and dry i drag your name back through the mud that you first found me in not worthy to be called your son is this to be my end daddy, here i am here i am again curse this morning sun

drags me in to one more day of reaping what i've sown of living with my shame welcome to my world and the life that i have made where one day you're a prince the next day you're a slave

praise you with the dance i will sing to the lord and i will lift my voice for you have heard my cry i will sing to the lord and i will lift my hands for you have brought me out of the pit for you have brought me out of the pit chorus: and i'll sing glory, hallelujah i lift your name on high and i'll sing holy, 'cause you're worthy i'll praise you with the dance glory you are holy in this place you are worthy of my praise and we worship you jesus we worship you you're you're you're and we

the king of kings and the lord of lords the master of the universe the ruler of all nations sing to you, sing to you

when you call my name, i'll run to you i'll do anything you ask me to falling on my knees i worship you, my lord we give you glory alle alle alle alle alle

alleluia alleluia alleluia alleluia alleluia

life of praise i will love you, lord always not just for the things you've done for me and i will praise you all my days

not just for the change you've made in me i'll praise you for you are holy, lord and i'll lift my hands, but you are worthy of so much more chorus: for you are awesome, god of the nations, lion of judah, rock of the ages, alpha, omega you're worthy of all praise more that these hands i'll raise i'll live a life of praise i will serve you lord, always for you are my strength when i am weak i will never be afraid for you are my rock and you protect me but i'll praise you for you are holy, lord and i'll lift my hands, but you are worthy of so much more

june 5, 2007 april 27th, 2007 my brother, mat, left this life and stepped into the presence of the lord after a battle with cancer. mat was treated for hodgkin�s disease at age 19, and was in remission until june of last year, when he was diagnosed with sarcomatoid mesothelioma. he traveled back and forth to md anderson in houston and joe arrington cancer center in lubbock for treatment. during that time, he endured a thoracotomy, 4 types of chemotherapy, and radiation. mat�s faith never faltered in spite of the pain or the prognosis, and his hope remained strong. prior to his passing, i worried that i would be mad at god, and knew that i would not understand the reasons that god would take mat from us at the age of 39, leaving behind a wife and 4 beautiful children. early in the morning of april 27th, mat slipped into a coma. as we all gathered around him, praying for him, and holding his hand, he woke up and said one word that will remain in my heart forever. the word he spoke was �miracle�. we knew, at that moment, that he was standing in the presence of the lord, and that he was letting us know he had received his miracle. although we are heartbroken, and at times find it difficult to even breathe, we have a peace we cannot begin to describe. not long after i left the hospital that morning, i heard your song �praise you in this storm�. the song seemed to capture every word i felt in my heart, and i listen to it several times each day. there are many moments, �signs� if you will, that seem to be a message from mat letting us know he�s ok. just this morning, i was reading your album cover, and i read the story of erin. as soon as i read it, i knew why the song meant so much to me. erin�s story was mat�s story, too. i know the song was not written with mat in mind, but i know i am one of many whose hearts have been touched by this song. mat was, and always will be, our �miracle.� since mat�s glorious walk into heaven, we have received so many cards, phone calls, and emails from people letting us know how much mat meant to them, and how he touched their lives. some of them had only spoken to mat on the phone, or met him once, but they took time out of their lives to let us know he inspired them. mat will always be remembered for the love he gave, the lives he touched, and the faith he shared with so many. there are no words to truly express my gratitude for you and your music, other than to tell you how many lives are blessed by your voices. i pray the lord

continues to bless each of you, and that you may be filled with the peace and joy your music fills so many with. below is a poem mat�s 13 year old daughter, kayleigh, wrote just a couple of weeks ago. i hope, in some small way, it brings joy to your hearts, just as you have brought so much joy to mine. daddy you will always be our daddy forever you'll be in our hearts we'll never forget what you meant to us �cause we loved you from the start how hard it�s been these past few days wondering how you are thinking of you all the time and wishing you weren't so far sometimes when we think of you, we just can�t help but smile and be so happy that we'll see you again in just a little while daddy, i just wanted to remind you that we'll see you again real soon and when that day finally comes we'll go dancing on the moon and i just wanted to let you know that we're going to be okay and we'll meet you on the road to heaven, & with you forever we'll stay oh, the lord's work and passing on the good news to a world that seems to need to hear it so badly. may 31, 2007 greetings! first thanks for all the awesome songs! i wanted to send you a note about how much your music has affected my life. i was in a negative, misleading cult type group who used the bible to twist lives. their main objective was getting people sold out to worldly things, because that would increase the chances to talk about jesus. i was very torn about what they were teaching and the time the expected/required from my family. the first big song that really smacked me in the face was stained glass masquerade. i realized i was living the opposite of what i really believed. i had traded in the alter for a stage. i listened to the song daily. then i heard american dream. it was everything i was thinking. the wealth gospel i was involved with was built on sinking sand. despite being a leader in the group for four years and honestly having my identity tied to the group, that song pushed me to the edge. i went to the lord and spent time in prayer and fasting. the lord led me to his word and the rest has been incredible. your music changed my life. i know that you hear that all the time, and i know that�s because your songs are special. they aren�t repeating one chorus over and over or even one scripture over and over. they are the scriptures, mixed with the truth and

application of the scripture. your lyrics are deep and well thought. i have an ipod full of all kinds of praise music, but nothing gets me more pumped up than what if his people prayed, nothing soothes me better than stained glass masquerade, cheers me up like voice of truth, or focuses me on what is truly important than american dream. thanks for all you do and you are in my prayers for your new album and future travels� may 23, 2007 my husband, mike, and i have been christians for most of our lives but fell away from church for awhile. we still felt we were saved but just didn't feel close to god. last year we started attending a church where his parent�s pastor and things started to change for us. we had been attending another church but not regularly and our daughter had been going to this church with her grandparents. i started going more often but my husband was only attending on sunday morning and wednesday night. he went on a trip to indianapolis for work during the week we had revival at church and he had listened to a cd series given to him by a friend called "lord, change my attitude." (i think that was it) in the back of this case of cds he found the lifesong cd and started listening to it. he testifies now that he does not know how he got to indianapolis because it was not him driving that car. while listening to "and now my lifesong sings" he found a new closeness with god and now he is on fire like i have never seen before. we now sing this song in church and we get requests for it all the time. he sings most of it alone with me just quietly doing backup vocals then i sing the third verse in a much louder voice and people say the words are so simple but powerful that it gives them chills. we always let people know that this song is from your cd and that it seems to us it is like a prayer at the very end of the cd. we can't sing it without crying. the words god gave you to write this cd have helped to change our lives and our walk with the lord. anytime we are feeling down we can listen to your cd and know there is a hope for the future and the reason we are here on earth is to praise our lord. thank you for doing god's will and touching so many lives through him. may 21, 2007 to the members of casting crowns: i am a 26 year old sailor who has just started listening to christian music within the last couple years. the song that sticks out to me the most is "voice of truth". i must first start out by saying that i have lived much of my life with a strong sense of defeat. i have never really been fantastic at anything in my life. i do well enough to be good at it. that desire to be fantastic at something has made me more than a little pessimistic when it comes to dreaming. that song makes that annoying cloud of self-doubt and pessimism goes away so that i might see what god and jesus have planned for me. living that way tends to make certain situations seem so frightening to the point that pessimism kicks in. when i hear that song on the radio, it is as if god is reminding me that i don't have to feel defeated or scared because i know that he knows i can do anything through him if i just let him help me through it. please continue to do what you are doing. you are truly doing the good lord's work and passing on the good news to a world that seems to need to hear it so badly. may 15, 2007 actually have 2 lifesongs from this album. they are stained glass masquerade and praise you in this storm. they are my lifesongs for two different reasons but yet they somehow intertwine. over the past 3 months i have been having a lot of health issues. i have been having these weird fainting spells. i have been to several doctors and have undergone many, many tests only to be told that they have no idea what is wrong with me! as a part of this and of being frustrated i have also been having a lot of trouble with depression. when i was having probably the lowest day i can remember my little sister introduced me to praise you in this storm. i was

just blown away! it was just the words that seemed to fit everything that i was feeling right at that moment and since then it has been the most played song on my i-pod! not long after i was over at my mom's house and my sister was playing the sheet music to stained glass masquerade...i was listening to how beautiful the words and music were....and realized how much of that song was me as well! i feel like i am in constant fear of being 'found out' that i don't belong and that someone will wake up and wonder what in the world i am doing in there! i always feel like i am 'hiding' how i feel about myself and what i portray to everyone else is not really who i am. that if they could see me deep down inside the way that i see myself that they would just run the other way! i just totally believe that god planted those songs in her heart to share them with me when i needed them the most! it's funny how he works that way sometimes....when you see or hear something and you're just like ok here i am lord and i am listening now!! also i would just like to say thank you because of these two songs i have been able to get through some of the most difficult part of my life! i really appreciate your ministry and want you to know that it has really touched my life. thanks again! may 9, 2007 i'm a mom and grandmother, so i'm probably not your average listener. your music has become such a staple in my life over the last few years; i wanted to let you know what it has meant to me and my family. i used to wonder what people meant when they talked about anointed music when discussing christian music. now i know. my nephew battled lymphoma for nine long years. through chemotherapy, remissions, bone marrow transplants, radiation, and countless biopsies and tests, he held his head high. about two years ago, he started having heart problems from his weakened condition. throughout it all, his faith in the lord remained. i was extremely ill with pneumonia from november of 2006 through february 2007, and i was unable to see him over the holidays as he could not be exposed to me. unfortunately, by the time i was able to see him, he had gone to los angeles for pneumonia himself, and was in a coma. his organs were failing, and we were all called to his bedside. many friends and family went in and out of that room for three days straight, and somehow, on that third day, i ended up alone in the room with him. as i sat there, in the icu, holding his hand, waiting for my two brothers who had not arrived yet to come to say goodbye, your song "i will praise you in this storm" ran through my head. i started to sing it over him as he lay there, and the power of the lord became so strong in that room it was unbelievable. though i was singing it lightly, and the door was shut, his nurse suddenly came into the room. she said she felt a need to come in. she stood there for a moment, and told me that it was time, and i needed to get my sister and her husband. as i gathered everyone, the nurse's shift ended, but yet she chose to stay with us in that room. my two brothers arrived just in time for my nephew to slowly take his last breath here on earth. he was only 23 years old. it is very hard to lose a family member, but especially one who has yet to live their life. he never married nor had children. that was march 4, 2007. every time i get a little reminder, like seeing his picture, or remembering something about him, the lord reminds me of your song, and i sing it and it brings me through it and reminds me that steven is with the lord, and that god will carry my family through this all if we let him. thank you so much for answering when god called. your group is truly anointed to speak into people's lives with god's word. may 7, 2007 dear casting crowns, having never listened to contemporary christian music until december of 2005, i didn't know anything about casting crown's at all. i was given some of your music to learn as a member of our praise band at church and became an instant fan. as i write this, i'm struggling emotionally. i learned on wednesday that a dear member of our band, one of our violin players, her young son 8 years old had two horrible

seizures and was rushed to the hospital. the doctor's can find no diagnosis and are stumped as to what has caused it, but it continues. he is a wonderful little boy and we all adore him. kelly is a single mother who struggles financially and spiritually, but is determined to raise her son according to god's principles and she's such a great mom. i took my copy of your book life stories to her at the hospital for her to read and told her to read the story regarding praise you in this storm then i gave her my mp3 which has your cd downloaded to it. she called last night and said that she felt like the song was written about her situation it was so incredible. she went on to say she'd listened to the other song i instructed her to which is love them like jesus. i feel that's the only way i can help her is to love her like jesus. i just wanted to share that with you, because whenever i'm down, and feel like my life needs something uplifting or encouraging, i pray and then i turn on your music. i've even started singing only mostly your songs for our senior group on the times i've been requested to entertain them, they love your music. i've also given a copy of your cd to our christ centered yoga instructor and she uses it in our classes some. may 2, 2007 was introduced to your music in the fall of 2006. quickly, i discovered how the messages in your songs echoed the emotions i had held deep in my heart from quite some time. i grew up in church and come from a long line of ministers, elders, deacons and talented musicians and singers. however, who i was becoming as a man was shaped more by the physical abuse and string of disappointments that shattered my childhood and adolescence. as a father, i knew that my faith in christ would have to shine bright enough to encourage my children to fully embrace the power of our lord. as my faith and work for the lord increased, so did satan�s attempts to break me down. while he was attacking me from all sides, your song �praise you in this storm� became my anthem. in the mornings, i would hear it on spirit fm as i drove to work. most days, it would be on during the drive home as well. whenever things seemed to be piling up against me, �praise you in this storm� would play and give me assurance that god is always with me. he said that he would never leave us or forsake us. �praise you in this storm� reminds me that no matter what i�m going through�no matter what satan stacks up against me�my help comes from the lord�the maker of heaven and earth. thank you for your wonderful ministry of music. april 27, 2007 i am a mother who recovered from drug addiction 11 years ago, thanks to our lord & savior, jesus christ. i had lost my oldest children to their father in 1993, and pretty much had given up on life. i became homeless and addicted to many drugs. in 1995 my daughter was born, and after numerous jail visits, i was sent to prison. realizing i had just lost another child, and my life was going nowhere, i was on my way to a sunday church service on the prison yard when i began praying and asking the lord to help me, to please be with me, and show me how to get off the drugs and see my kids again. in the middle of praying, i heard a voice say to me "little girl, i'm already there"....and today i know that was the voice of jesus. i came out of prison 1 year later, got into recovery, reunited with my children (my oldest two lived 4 states away), and regained custody of my then 1 yr. old. my oldest two started visiting me every summer. today i am so grateful to the lord and his mercy. he has blessed me in so many ways. i am married now to a man i met when i got out of prison, and he is also 11 years recovered from drugs. we have a 9 year old together, also. last year, i took my first visit to missouri where my oldest children live with their dad. i was so nervous to be where he was, and his family. but your song "voice of truth" helped me to cope with my fears, hold my head up, and know that i am a child of god. "praise you in this storm" walked my family through the death

of a young relative, and "american dream" opened my husband�s eyes to whets really important in life. i thank you guys so much for your music. my kids & i sing your songs on the way to school everyday. you are wonderful. april 24, 2007 casting crowns, i am a senior at virginia tech. i knew three of the victims last monday and this has been one of the most trying times of my life. i have never cried so many tears; i have never seen so much pain in the people i love. i want you to know that besides the love of christ, and the love of my family, your music is helping me get through this. 'set me free' makes me cry every time i listen to it, and at first i thought, "oh man, i can't listen to it, it upsets me", but then i realized that after the song was over i wasn't sad, i cry when i listen to that song because it touches my heart, christ touches my heart thoroughly it and says "everything will be ok, trust in me, i will take your pain" and i find that everything is a little easier. i know the three people i knew were set free by christ. they loved the lord, and i am sure are walking with him in paradise. i'm not sure why i'm writing you, but i felt compelled to tell you how much your music means to me and others here at tech. thank you. it amazes me how you all are able to touch so many people, comfort so many people, and lead so many people to christ through your music, i hope i am able to someday touch as many people as you have. thank you. god bless you all. april 24, 2007 casting crowns, my name is sheri and i live in nova scotia, canada. i first heard your music last year after my mother died. this is when i began to grow a stronger faith in god and started to truly believe in jesus as my savior. i know that i could never have survived her loss without this knowledge. part of my recovery process included starting to listen to christian music for the first time. your group was one of the first i listened to, and you quickly became one of my favorites. so many of your songs are beautiful and seem to truly speak to me. one of the songs that really touched me was "praise you in this storm" because it reminds me that i am never alone and with him, i can survive any storm in my life. the song that is my favorite, however, is "voice of truth" because it almost feels like my song. i have never had any confidence in myself and seemed to listen to those voices telling me that i will fail at whatever i try. after hearing this song, i started to realize that there was another, more powerful, voice that i should be listening to. now, whenever i start to doubt myself, i listen to his voice and feel far surer of myself. in the past year, i have renewed my faith in god and it is stronger than it ever was before. now there is almost never a day that goes by that i don't give thanks to the lord for being such a big part of my life. i truly don't know what i would do without him there. the same goes for your music. christian music accounts for probably 95% of the music i listen to now, if not more. i find it to be very comforting. i hope that mark continues to receive those "godliness�" and creating wonderful music with them. every person your songs reach is much better for it. god bless all of you! april 17, 2007 dear casting crowns, "does anybody hear her?" does anybody hear me? yes - my family, my friends, and my neighbors. i love the breath i'm taking, right now, i love my life. i have a very complex illness for 7

years. its is hard to explain, so for severity, i was lifeflighted last summer. as i get sicker, my passion grows. i am not lost. but i find a great lose that i'm sure is quite over looked... i hear over and over in my mind and the people i know ask, "what about us? since when did we stop being people? since when did the people with handicap, disabled, and disorders, stop being people? why can't there be something at church for us?" i have a passion not for the lost, but for "the hope that's tucked away" in my friends and me. this passion has created my imagination, and this imagination has created a youth room for kids like me. if you have ever met someone with an exception, then you know the love that is being buried. i am in miracle league, and on friday we are going to the baseball stadium here. we get to throw the first pitch. when we are together, we read each other. its never to loud, and our activities fit us. its doable, a handicap youth group. if baseball can reach us, why can't the church? god already has reached us. and you better believe, *grinning* that its first thing i'll be doing when i get better. thank you with all my heart for your song "does anybody hear her?" april 15, 2007 hello, my name is felipe and i'm from brazil. i go to the presbyterian church in alphaville, s�o paulo and i want to cry every time that i listen to a song of yours. and here is my history: in august of 2004 i discovered that i had cancer, called hodgkin lymphoma. that discovered it was shocking for me because with only 16 years old i was already with that advanced and dangerous disease. i pass trough by 12 chemotherapy sessions and 24 radiotherapy sessions and on that time of fight i never doubted of the sovereignty and power of the lord! i knew that he was on my side the whole time and i never left the disease affect my life with god, with my parents, with my family and with my church and friends. one week before discovering the disease, my father changed the plan of health for our family. he changed a plan of health that didn't cover a lot of things for a much better that covered everything! and one week later i discovered that it was sick and my plan of health covered all my expenses with medicines and consultations with specialized doctors. well, summarizing, in 2005 the doctors decreed the complete cure of the cancer and the regression chances was only 1%! now i make an annual attendance with topographies and blood tests for safety. on that time of difficulties my family approached more with god, my church suffered a transformation of attitudes (for good) and my friends could hear from me a little of that person that was on my side the whole time, that one day sent his only son to the earth to die for me and to set me free and save me! well, that is my lifesong. i hope that i have helped and that god blesses you in that ministry that is so wonderful and blessed. april 12, 2007 hello guys!! my name is markus and i am from germany. we are stationed here with the us army in germany. a friend of mine who�s a soldier, who just moved to the states, told me about you "casting crowns". he always had played all songs he had in his car. i was really interesting of that and he told me and let listened me to some songs. one of the appreciated sowings i ever loved is "who am i", especially one of the interviews you had with a radio station how the song got created and where the idea come from. it really touched my heart and i just bought the wow worship music cds and listen all the day long at home to the songs or to the way to work on my mp3 player. i praise god what god is doing here in your hearts, he really is

working in a special way to spread out the gospel. keep going guys, god bless you richly april 10, 2007 hello, i am lucas da silva aires and i�m from brazil. i am sending this e mail to you because i have to tell to you the biggest explosion of grace and power i my nation. god bless you and your families. sorry but i can't speak english so well, i am learning. my favorite songs are who i am and love than like jesus my lifesong is this ... got it! it has been written. you are a big page in this life story. april 9, 2007 mark, my name is eric mcilwain. i am 35 years old, married, and have 5 children. i live in ashland, alabama which is about 1 hour and 30 minutes from atlanta. i became a casting crowns fan about a year ago. i'll start much earlier though. when i was a teenager growing up in small town alabama i became a christian at age 13. immediately i became an active member in my church's youth group (first baptist church of ashland). we were very blessed with two wonderful men who led our youth ministry for the 6 years i was there and active. both men were great christian leaders, family men, and friends. it was a wonderful time in my life as both helped me to grow in my relationship with the lord. i sang in the youth choir, was a member of a vocal ensemble first edition, and a home town group firewind who sang nothing but christian music as well. but when it got time for me to move on from our youth group and go to college and eventually get married it all changed for me. i no longer felt at home in my church at the adult classes, and adult choir, and simply got into things in college that i had never been a part of before. my relationship with my lord dwindled to nothing. the occasional visit to church on easter...the occasional prayer of desperation when i was at my lowest points, etc... during that period my taste in music along with everything else had changed. i no longer listened to christian music anymore..(michael w. smith, amy grant, sandi patty, truth, etc...) about 2 years ago i could not resist my lord's speaking to me and i renewed my relationship and commitment to him and his service. i got remarried to wonderful christian women who i dated and feel in love with when i was in high school. we are members of liberty baptist church here in ashland, we are a very small country church but we love the lord and he has blessed our church greatly. my wife plays the piano for the church and i sing in the choir and do many specials solo, both at our church and neighboring churches as they feel led to ask. since i renewed my faith i also changed many of the old ways of my life...now, i only listen to christian music again and encourage my children to do the same. what a blessing is was to hear casting crowns on the radio. i immediately went out and bought your cd's and almost as soon found myself singing many of your songs to my own congregation. and they profess to be equally blessed by them as well. then about 8 months ago i felt the lord calling me to do more. at that time we had no youth activities at all other than sunday school. i knew the lord was calling me to lead a new student ministry at our church but i was so afraid. so as we often to we make excuses of why we can't do what we know god is asking or telling us to do and i was no exception in this case..i thought up every reason in the world why i was to busy and didn't have the time to devote to this ministry..work, my own business i run from home, kid�s activities, sunday school teacher, choir, singing, etc...the list goes on and on! then i heard more

about your ministry at your home church and how even with your schedule. touring, recording, promos,ect...you still made the time to continue your work as youth pastor...i knew then i could make all the excuses i wanted to and i could try to convince myself, but i could never convince the lord i couldn't do it. he doesn't ask us to do anything in his name that he doesn't already know we can do! so now we are 6 months into god's student ministry at liberty baptist church. we are growing and we are providing a place for these young people to come and grow in christ. a place like i had when i was that age! you don't know me and may never know me...but you've ministered to me and i can't begin to thank you. please know your work carries on and on as know these young people will be ministered to through your influence in my life...oh yea...we also use the fuel ministry in our study class!!!! thanks for your effort in that as well!! i know you have a busy life but i would love to meet or just converse with you sometime. continue your work with christ; it is a blessing to us all who believe! april 5, 2007 my lifesong is "who am i?" the words of this song are incredibly descriptive of how i feel about one of the greatest gifts god his given my besides my salvation. my mother died right before my second birthday. my brother wasn't even a year old at her death. we were in constant contact with her family, who lived in new york and new jersey even when we moved to texas (where my father was from) and then to colorado with our new mother (where our brother was born). john and i spent summers at oma and opa's and learned many things about our mother, maryanna, but the one thing they could not give me was her voice. how i longed to know how she sounded! when i finally felt like i could ask my dad about it, john asked him about how they met, and tears rolled down his cheeks as he recited the memory, so there was no way i could ask daddy. instead, i asked father god. please, if there is ever any way that i could hear maryanna's voice, it will have to come from you. you are the only i am telling this wish to! i lived with the desire for so long, that i thought the answer was no. but it was really...wait. i grew up, went to college, moved to tennessee for a job, then met and married my husband and had two daughters. in the same time period, my parents moved from colorado to texas and back again. when they returned to colorado, my dad decided to send me all of the things that were from his marriage to maryanna. included in those mementos were cards, scrapbooks and tapes. reel to reel tapes. they had met in italy, he a sailor and she a tourist. after their whirlwind romance, they not only wrote each other, but sent each other tapes to answer letters and share each other's life until the were together again forever. i got up the courage to ask my dad if i could listen to the tapes, to which he replied, of course. he just wished he had known earlier. but the tapes were 30 years old and he could not guarantee that they were in any shape to listen to. then i had to find a reel-to-reel tape player. i searched high and low, and a friend of ours had one. when i saw it in their living room and stopped talking the whole story spilled out. we set a night for me to come over to listen. i was so nervous that night! since the tape was not marked, my friend loaded it up on one side....and i heard my dad's voice loud and clear with his distinctive texas twang. it was clear as a bell. so, my friend fast-forwarded the tape. she turned the lights low, gave me a box of tissue and started the tape. as i heard my mother's voice for the very first time as an adult, tears of joy flowed from my eyes, a magnificent sense of peace and an elation i had never known filled my heart and soul. i knew then, again, how much god loved me and how he truly cares about everything in our lives. i still well up with tears and gratitude as i re-tell this story and again ask

"who am i?" i am a loved child of god. thank you father for the life changing reminder and thank you casting crowns for the incredible song that captures how i feel because of his unending love and the way he has shown it to each of us! april 3, 2007 my youngest son sam had a terrible car accident a year ago this easter. he survived, but has spent many months in the hospital, and has only been home for a few months, he becomes critically ill very easily, and in fact he was airlifted out just a couple of days ago, and is in icu now, fighting another infection. i spend hours listening to my music in the car between visits. its quiet there and a good place to pray for sam. the song "..praise you in the storms" has more meaning than anyone can fathom, as one issue for him is neuro storming, something that cannot be controlled, but waited out..for months sometimes. even the doctors feel helpless when this happens, a hard thing to hear from a roomful of top physicians! sam has come through so much already with the help of his father. we know he will weather this storm as well. thank you, and bless you all for your music. i�ll have to put your cd on sam's ipod so he can hear it as well. march 28, 2007 i will remain anonymous but i want you to know my husband accidentally shot himself a few months ago through the thigh and into his foot and the song "i will praise you through this storm" took me through the long night at the hospital by myself while i awaited the outcome. now when i hear it, i burst into grateful tears for god's mercy. he has since then quit his job and we are certainly still in the storm. please keep my husband in your prayers because i am awaiting god's deliverance for him from drug abuse. thanks. god bless each one of you.