St. Patrick’s Day will see 133 million celebrants this year, according to the National Retail Federation’s (NRF) consumer survey. They’ll be spending $4.8 billion on the day’s festivities, which is essentially flat with last year.

Conducted by Prosper Insights and Analytics, the NRF survey shows that the average person will spend approximately $35 for the holiday, increasing traffic for stores and restaurants selling all things green.

Bob Hartman, author of Bob Hartman's Old Testament Tales and Bob Hartman's New Testament Tales (both Lion Children’s/Kregel Publications), is also the author of the stories in the popular Bible App for Kids, which has been downloaded more than 2 million times.

“Bob was the perfect fit for the Bible App for Kids project,” said Danielle Dykert, director of design for OneHope, the company that produced the app. “He is a true storyteller. His fresh voice brings the Bible to life, even before the addition of illustration and animation.”

Ann Kiemel, an iconic figure in the Jesus Movement days, died Saturday, March 1 after a battle with cancer.

“Ann was embraced by a merciful God early this morning,” reads a post on her Facebook page. "Please continue to pray for Ann's family as they make decisions and grieve this loss.”

Consumer confidence in the U.S. economy is looking up, according to a recent study. The University of Michigan/Thomson Reuters consumer-sentiment index rose to 81.6 at the end of February, versus a final reading of 81.2 at the end of January.

Some economists have predicted that consumer spending may increase as a result of the improved sentiment, particularly as the inclement weather that has plagued much of the country begins to abate. Wage growth and increased hiring have also been pinpointed as elements that could further improve consumer sentiment and spending.

Consumer confidence in the U.S. economy is looking up, according to a recent study. The University of Michigan/Thomson Reuters consumer-sentiment index rose to 81.6 at the end of February, versus a final reading of 81.2 at the end of January.

Some economists have predicted that consumer spending may increase as a result of the improved sentiment, particularly as the inclement weather that has plagued much of the country begins to abate. Wage growth and increased hiring have also been pinpointed as elements that could further improve consumer sentiment and spending.

In celebration of Women's History Month, the Common English Bible (CEB) is releasing a campaign honoring women in the Bible and biblical scholarship. The March campaign will include articles written by female Bible scholars, devotionals on women in the Bible and shareable memes for use on social media.

The CEB translation, released in 2011, included more women in the translation process than any prior Bible. The translation work included 26 women, while 21 women contributed to the articles and notes in the CEB Study Bible, which was released October 2013.

Son of God debuted to a $26.5 million opening weekend Feb. 28-March 2, far exceeding recent tracking estimates of $13 million and $22.5 million. This performance made the Jesus biopic the second-highest-grossing film of the weekend, just behind the Liam Neeson-fronted thriller Non-Stop, which also made its debut Feb. 28.

Produced by Mark Burnett and Roma Downey—the team behind The Bible miniseries—Son of God also managed to outperform the highly successful The Lego Movie, which saw its bid for a fourth consecutive weekend at the No. 1 slot come to an end.