Today as the percentage of single women continues to grow, so do the questions, "Lord, You said you would give me the desires of my heart. Why am I still single?"

It seems that singleness to some is like an invisible cloud that denotes a sense of failure. It is like some type of plague. In our society it seems that a cloak of negativity blankets those who are not in relationships. Even at church so much emphasis is put on strengthening marriages and families-which is needed-that many singles are left feeling like something's missing until they are married and have a family of their own. It is like they're in a holding pattern, walking around with question marks over their heads.

“So, you’re going to be a pastor.” Have you heard that before—perhaps from a co-worker, family member or long-time friend?

Even more, have you wondered what they mean? What is the underlying meaning of their question?

Before you get frustrated by everyone’s questions and concerns, take some time to understand why they are concerned. Pastoring is the greatest privilege to which a human could be called. The position is a humbling honor.

At least 138 people are now known to have died on 26 January in attacks by members of the Islamist terror group Boko Haram on villages in Adamawa and Borno States in north east Nigeria.
 
Around 53 people are reported to have died and dozens were wounded in Adamawa State when militants armed with AK-47s and improvised explosive devices (IED’s) attacked a Catholic church in Wada Chakawa in Madagali Local Government Area (LGA) just as a busy Sunday service was ending. After killing a police inspector and sergeant who were guarding the church, the gunmen barred the doors, shooting anyone attempting to escape through windows. They cut the throats of several victims before burning houses and holding residents hostage for four hours.  According to the chairman of Madagali LGA, the assailants went on to invade a border village before retreating into neighbouring Cameroon.

Davoud Alijani, a leader in the Assemblies of God (AoG) church in Ahwaz, was released from Karoon Prison on 13 January 2014, 20 days before his sentence was due to be completed. 
 
Speaking about his time in prison, Mr Alijani said: “The mental anguish affects you physically, even if you are not mistreated physically.  When my family came to visit me they said they could see the anguish written on my face....  Each time I was sick, I would go to the prison pharmacy which was run by inmates and only really provided painkillers.... The guards regularly tried to get me to reconvert.”

The trial date for detained Protestant Pastor Zhang Shaojie, which was originally scheduled to take place on 28 January, has now been rescheduled for 12 February 2014. 
 
According to unconfirmed reports, the court notice stated that the reason for the postponement was that Pastor Zhang decided to have a new lawyer; this may refer to the fact that Zhang’s second lawyer, Zhao Yonglin, submitted his credentials later than lawyer Liu Weiguo. 

In the midst of ethnic and political tensions, our Christian family in Sudan and South Sudan is facing great risk and opposition. This area of the world is also coping with such issues as ongoing internal conflict, poverty, hunger and natural disasters.

Since South Sudan's secession from Sudan in 2011, believers in both countries have faced increased harassment, arrests and persecution. No longer considered "citizens" of Sudan, many South Sudanese are still stranded in the north due to job loss, poverty, transportation limitations and conflict in South Sudan. Some officials have reportedly threatened to kill South Sudanese Christians who do not leave or those not willing to co-operate in the effort to locate other believers.

People say Detroit is broken and bankrupt. Yet Southern Baptist church planter Daryl Gaddy has another word for his beleaguered city: home. 

Detroit became the largest city in American history to file for bankruptcy last summer -- a decline that began in the 1950s and accelerated in the 1980s. The city's auto industry had cranked out 90 percent of American soldiers' helmets during World War II and half of the Consolidated B-24 Liberator bombers. But today more than half of the city's 140 square miles sit vacant. A million people have left the city since 1950.

No matter what the pundits say, Gaddy sees hope for Detroit "because of the Spirit of God and the Word of God."

Prime Minister Stephen Harper toured some of the most important sites in biblical history Wednesday — including where Jesus Christ is said to have delivered the Sermon on the Mount.

He also travelled to the Hula Valley, where a bird sanctuary is located and its visitors’ centre to be built in the future is being named in his honour.

In a scene reminiscent of a tourist park, Harper and his wife Laureen were driven into a field packed with thousands of cranes that filled the air with high-pitched caws.

Katy Perry, who has never shied away from talking about her faith and her Christian upbringing, recently opened up about answered prayers, spirituality and her boyfriend, John Mayer.

Perry, whose given name is Katheryn Hudson, was raised in a Pentecostal home as the middle child of two traveling ministers. In an interview for the February cover story of GQ, Perry talked about how God answered her prayers about her body at age 11.

“I’ve never had any plastic surgery,” the pop superstar said. “Not a nose, not a chin, not a cheek, not a t--. So my messages of self-empowerment are truly coming from an au naturel product.”

Enthuse Entertainment’s family-friendly drama Alone Yet Not Alone garnered a 2014 Oscar nomination for Best Original Song. The nominated title song was written by Bruce Broughton and Dennis Spiegel and sung by best-selling author and artist Joni Eareckson Tada.

The song beat out others by Coldplay, Taylor Swift, Celine Dion and Lana Del Rey. The other nominations include Frozen's "Let it Go," "Ordinary Love" by U2 from Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, Pharrell Williams' "Happy" from Despicable Me 2 and Karen O's "The Moon Song" from Her.