ODJ: give freely
In my corner of the world, one of the most popular Christmas practices is to decorate one’s home inside and outside. Many put up real or artificial pine trees, adorn them with all sorts of colorful ornaments, and top them off with an angel or star. Some string up enough lights on the outside of their houses to illuminate a small city. Others simply hang evergreen boughs over their windows an
ODJ: protecting a promise
I wonder what went through Joseph’s mind as the shepherds returned to their flocks. In the stillness of that night I imagine Jesus sleeping—snuggled in Mary’s arms. But did Joseph remain awake, turning events over in his mind? He had seen angelic visitations, heard the voice of God, and witnessed the miracle of a virgin birth. Then came another dream.
Protect the promise.
ODJ: the least of these
On a recent trip into the city I noticed people stationed on several street corners. Their clean, coordinated T-shirts announced a common goal—to help end homelessness. One of them approached me offering information. As I paused there on the street, I noticed a homeless man standing just a few feet away. I saw his scruffy outfit and downcast look. Although the advocates for the homeless were
ODJ: not fiction
Recently a shop that’s part of a huge retail chain labelled its Bibles as “Fiction”. A pastor shopping for a gift came across the Bibles and saw “Fiction” written on the price tag. So he took a photo and posted it on social media with the comment: “[Name withheld] has Bibles for sale under the genre of FICTION. Hmm.” The retailer has since apologised, sayi
ODJ: messages made public
Hackers broke into the servers of a major film studio and leaked large amounts of confidential information. They released films, scripts, salaries and loads of indecent emails. Mortified executives quickly apologised for their racist riffs and disparaging remarks about film stars. But the damage had been done. One celebrity, having learned she was called a “minimally talented, spoiled brat,&
ODJ: the God who will come
My wife and I have arrived at that poignant age when we can’t believe how quickly time has passed—especially while looking at one of my favourite videos of our oldest son, taken when he was just 2 years old. Miska and I had gone out for a date, and the babysitter shot a short video of our boy clinging to the bottom ledge of the living room window. He was just tall enough to peek over
ODJ: red bombs
The bubbling of the steamer warming the milk and the humming of our office’s coffee machine created a relaxing symphony of sounds. I was enjoying the bliss when fellow Our Daily Journey author K.T. Sim dropped what some people call a “red bomb” on me.The “red bomb” is actually a wedding invitation. In Chinese culture, receiving one means you must now ‘b
ODJ: diligent to avoid distraction
I want to use my young gundog for deer hunting. This requires, however, that he not be led astray by the distractions of pheasants or other game birds which also inhabit the woods and forests we hunt in. So I keep training him on deer scents and tell him “no” firmly if he starts to pursue anything else. This takes a lot of time, patience and diligence, for he’s having to learn to
ODJ: the waiting
Since so many people are desperate for work, I’m grateful for my husband’s job. But his retail work with its agonisingly long hours can be ruthless on a family. Accustomed to evening meals and weekends together, these 4 years living as almost a single mum have seemed very long. One evening I was feeling particularly tired. I sighed to my father that I didn’t know how to pray an