In a year of extreme difficulties, a humble fly swatter given to Joyce Starr Macias by her pastor helped her slap away her fears and stress.

 Because of that empty tomb, we have hope in life and in death. Because Jesus was absent from the tomb, someday we will be, too. No absentee note needed.

The story of the first Easter is a roller-coaster of highs and lows and highs. Jesus enters Jerusalem in triumph, only to be arrested, tried and crucified by the Roman authorities. His followers are scattered, and it seems as if this is the end of Jesus’ story -- until His followers make an incredible discovery. 

Helena Smrcek thought her world had come to an end on Good Friday. Where was God in the midst of heartbreak?  But Jesus showed her He loves her, no matter the difficulties she faced.

Dickson Obasuyi found himself in Edmonton with $80 and no place to go . Thankfully, The Salvation Army’s Edmonton Centre of Hope provided him with shelter and a fresh start.

After an embarrassing incident with her mother, it occurred to Joyce Starr Macias that there was a similarity between my initial attitude toward the plants and the way we often treat people. By valuing each person as a unique creation of God, she now sees the beautiful blossoms of new friendships developing. "I’m expecting those blooms will keep flourishing even for people like me who weren’t born with a green thumb!" she says.

"Music is a way for me to understand God," says Elizabeth Shepherd, world-renowned jazz musician and Salvation Army member.

Many of us have a dark past, and when we recall that past, we feel unworthy to serve God and share His good news with others. But God used a former prostitute, Rahab,  to help His chosen people. He saw in her a brave heart and a strong soul. 

Jesus Revolution is based on the book of the same title by Pastor Greg Laurie, founder of Harvest Christian Fellowship, a retelling of his first-hand conversion experience with Lonnie Frisbee and Pastor Chuck Smith. An impressive film that does a great job of detailing the incredible spiritual awakening of the 1960s and ’70s and how God moved during that time, it absolutely has implications for us today. 

In Enola Holmes 2, Sherlock’s sister seeks the truth about a missing factory girl. In the course of her investigations, Enola discovers that unsafe factory conditions are killing the female workers. But in reality, The Salvation Army’s response to this and other social concerns, such as poverty and homelessness, echoes down the years to the present.