Have you ever been caught off guard in life? The first words out of your mouth in such times may have been, "Where in the world did that come from?"

Most of us have been in such places. As I observe the experiences of good people going through challenging times, these thoughts arise in my mind:

The unpredictable can become the unimaginable.

A common way that non-religious or even newly converted people talk about salvation involves the phrase “finding God.” It is not a bad sentiment. It expresses the fact that we are all on a journey of discovery in our lives, and we search until those needs are satisfied. As Christians, we recognize that only God can fill the emptiness that all of us experience. So, it is not surprising that people ask us if we have “found God.”

The good news is that, according to Scripture, finding God is not as difficult as we try to make it.

Receiving new members into the Church of the Nazarene was one of the highlights of my 38 years in pastoral ministry. The joy of expanding the Body of Christ takes on names and faces as new believers become family in the local church. The rite of membership embodies great meaning through sacred words, pledges of faith, and unity of essential beliefs.

HT: Share the first impressions of what you witnessed in Haiti.
JKW: The seminary sits on a hill in Petionville, about 10 to 15 miles from the epicenter of the quake. As we looked over the valley, the hills turned to dust. We could hear people crying out in the aftermath of the quake. | Some, I am sure, were cries of fear but others were undoubtedly those of suffering and loss.

HT: What did you experience?

Daphne Mathebula lives in Johannesburg, South Africa, where she is the Africa regional coordinator for Sunday School and Discipleship Ministries International (SDMI) and Connecting a New Generation. Born in Ventersdorp, Free State, and raised in Soweto, Johannesburg, she was ordained in 1993. She and her husband, Caleb, have two adult children and one grandson.

Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!

These words echo around the world on Easter Sunday. The name "Sunday" obscures the point, but it's clearer in some languages—Russians call Sunday "voskresen'e," simply meaning "resurrection." Every Sunday there is a resurrection celebration.

Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!

These words echo around the world on Easter Sunday. The name "Sunday" obscures the point, but it's clearer in some languages—Russians call Sunday "voskresen'e," simply meaning "resurrection." Every Sunday there is a resurrection celebration.

Editor's note: Holiness Today recognizes and affirms the fact that women and men serve as clergy. However, this article is directed toward the wives of male ministers because it is based on feedback received at a conference for women married to pastors.

'Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres' (I Corinthians 13:7).

"Hon, is this really our story we're telling?" I asked Rick recently, during a string of speaking engagements. It all seems unreal sometimes.

In the summer of 2007 Rick had pastored the same church for 16 years. Responsibilities in community and denomination afforded him few spare hours. Writing, speaking, and tiny grandchildren kept me active.

A mosquito bite changed all that. West Nile neurological disease assaulted Rick so violently, I dubbed it the "attack of the pirates."

Holiness Today dialogued with three district superintendents in Mozambique:

Eduardo Novele (EN), Chibuto District
José Moiane (JM), Maputo District
André Chilengue (AC), Matola District

Growing churches on these three districts use common efforts in evangelism, discipleship, and leadership training. Get acquainted with these three African leaders and learn about concepts for growth in the church community and in their own lives.