Lemstone Parable Christian Store will close May 31 after nearly three decades of serving the community of Columbia, Missouri. The store opened in the Columbia Mall in 1986 as Lemstone Books before relocating to an area shopping center in 2004.

“We have enjoyed the period of time that we’ve had the store, and we’ve been blessed by the ministry of the store, interacting with our customers and staff,” owner Bob Perry told the Columbia Tribune. “We’ve had a lot of blessings, but it’s just that time.”

Despite nicer spring weather, consumers tempered their spending last month. April retail sales (excluding automobiles, gas stations and restaurants) were unchanged seasonally adjusted month-to-month, yet increased 4.7% unadjusted year-over-year, according to the National Retail Federation (NRF). Sales for the category that includes book, music, sporting goods and hobby stores increased 0.7% seasonally adjusted month-to-month, yet decreased 0.6% unadjusted year-over-year.

“The shift in Easter to April did not provide enough bounce to retailers as retail sales struggled to keep their strong spring pace,” NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said. “With consumer spending accounting for roughly 70% of total economic activity, NRF remains hopeful that the uninspiring April retail sales figures are just a temporary seasonal fluctuation.”

Despite nicer spring weather, consumers tempered their spending last month. April retail sales (excluding automobiles, gas stations and restaurants) were unchanged seasonally adjusted month-to-month, yet increased 4.7% unadjusted year-over-year, according to the National Retail Federation (NRF). Sales for the category that includes book, music, sporting goods and hobby stores increased 0.7% seasonally adjusted month-to-month, yet decreased 0.6% unadjusted year-over-year.

“The shift in Easter to April did not provide enough bounce to retailers as retail sales struggled to keep their strong spring pace,” NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said. “With consumer spending accounting for roughly 70% of total economic activity, NRF remains hopeful that the uninspiring April retail sales figures are just a temporary seasonal fluctuation.”

Best-selling author Angie Smith’s first children’s book, Audrey Bunny, has been listed by Thriving Family, a Focus on the Family magazine, as a top-recommended “family-friendly” picture book of 2013.

“For many years, my family has been blessed by the incredible ministry of Focus on the Family, and having my work acknowledged by an organization I esteem so highly is a tremendous honor,” Smith said of the recommendation.

Sparkhouse has won big at the International Christian Film Festival (ICFF) in Orlando, Fla. A branch of Augsburg Fortress Publishers, the Minneapolis-based publisher received the award of Best Short Film for the animated offering Abraham and Sarah, which was originally produced for the re:form Ancestors faith-formation curriculum for youth.

"We develop these videos to help kids learn about the Bible and explore their faith, [so] until several months ago submitting our work to a film festival wasn't even on our radar," said Aaron Christopher, executive producer of Sparkhouse video and co-director of the film with Jared Neher, senior video producer.

Moms' Night Out, the Sarah Drew/Sean Astin/Patricia Heaton/Trace Adkins team-up, was this week’s second-largest per-screen new release at the box office, scoring a weekend take of $4.9 million across 1,044 screens. Starting the Friday before Mother’s Day, families filled theaters for Moms' Night Out, a wholesome PG standout in a field of the summer’s 15 R-rated comedies, and crowds rose higher on word of mouth.

Exit polls echo audience reactions: 82% of moviegoers (the average is 60%) said they would definitely recommend Moms' Night Out. Among females aged 35-49, Moms' Night Out received an A- CinemaScore.

The recent implementation of what some researchers call the “Amazon tax” has led to a more level playing field for brick-and-mortar retailers, according to a study by three Ohio State University economists.

The study focused on the purchasing habits of nearly 3 million households in five states that began a permanent collection of taxes on Amazon purchases since 2012—California, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Texas and Virginia—and found that Amazon purchases declined by 9.5% after the new state laws’ implementation. Amazon’s loss was brick-and-mortar retailers’ gain, however, as the decrease in Amazon purchases led to a 2% increase in purchases at physical stores. Further, the study found that only Amazon purchases were affected by the new tax laws, as sales from online operations of competing retailers—including those with brick-and-mortar counterparts—grew 19.8%.