ODJ: today’s verse . . .
My three sons have grown up and spread their wings, so I’ve become more and more thankful for texting. It’s one way I can stay in touch with them. Even though one lives an hour’s drive from me and another is three hours away, we can still digitally discuss the stuff of life.One thing I often text them is Bible verses that have inspired me on a given day. I start those texts with
ODJ: winning at life
Our greatest fear should not be of failure but of succeeding at things in life that don’t really matter.” That quote from author Francis Chan points out the false view we can possess as we consider what success is all about. Is it found in what we own, what we’ve accomplished or in our status? Is that really how we know that we’re winning in life? What if we’re playi
ODJ: giving back
Not long ago, two newlyweds kissed their honeymoon goodbye. They also purposely did not plan a wedding reception to celebrate their union. Instead, they used the money they would have spent on themselves to selflessly help people in each of the 50 states in America. In Arkansas, they gave gifts to sick children. In Utah, they aided victims of domestic abuse. In New Jersey, they donated clothing
ODJ: what we most need
Recently a highly respected journalist from the Middle East reflected on the many complicating issues and unjust events that have led to distrust among political factions in the region. The difficulty that truly captivated me was how aggressive and vicious violence will escalate whenever issues become obviously religious. “We can deal with cultural and even ethnic divides, but whenever God c
ODJ: prepared to go
Theodore Bayley Hardy, a chaplain in the British Army, is one of the most highly decorated noncombatants of World War I. On his gravestone are etched some letters most people won’t understand: VC, DSO, MC. They reveal that Hardy—who died from battle wounds—received the Victoria Cross, Distinguished Service Order and Military Cross for his service.Some would say he never belonged
ODJ: keeping promises
Regret. That’s what I felt after my first day of volunteering. From my perspective, I had spent the whole time doing nothing, and I couldn’t imagine spending another precious Sunday doing the same pointless thing from 1 to 9 p.m. But I’d made a promise, having told the event planners that I would help out for two Sundays.Have you ever wanted to break a promise?P
ODJ: so many choices
Author Nancy Leigh DeMoss writes, “It’s bad enough for me to make choices that hurt my own relationship with God. How much more serious is it to be the cause of someone else deciding to sin? . . . I choose the pathway of holiness for God’s sake and for my own sake.”Having led the Israelites into the Promised Land, and knowing that he would soon die, Joshua gathered t
ODJ: first words
In 1865, President Abraham Lincoln said these words near the end of the American Civil War as part of his second inaugural speech: “Let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation’s wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all
ODJ: prayer in times of trouble
On 27 October 2014, BBC Africa posted on their social media outlets, “Today we are asking the question: ‘Is the widespread panic about #Ebola justified?’—and we’re looking for callers. . . . Statistically, Ebola still kills far fewer people than malaria and other diseases. So why has it dominated the headlines?”The disease is a scary one, particularly for the