ODJ: what’s my motivation?
If you’ve ever watched an actor at work or tried acting yourself, you may have heard the expression, “What’s my motivation?” It’s a question that’s an important part of method acting, for knowing your motivation will lead to it being done well.We might ask the same question of the apostle Paul. When he wrote that he and others “[worked] hard to persuade ot
ODJ: decision default
Steven and his dad regularly took their motorcycles for a ride along the East coast of South Africa, past the bathers and the fishermen, till they reached the deserted sand and sea. One day, after climbing their favourite sand dune, they competed to see who could make it back down in the least amount of jumps. On the 18th jump, Steven heard a bloodcurdling scream from behind. His father had landed
ODJ: a terrible kind of lonely
The Great Andamanese is one of the most ancient people groups, a collection of 10 tribes tracing their lineage directly back to the first people who migrated out of Africa. These tribes have slowly dwindled over the past few centuries. One of the tribes had only one survivor remaining, Boa Sr.—a woman with no children and failing eyesight. After Boa’s husband died, she was no longer ab
ODJ: a hit to the heart
Commotio cordis, which normally leads to cardiac arrest, is caused by an abrupt and blunt hit to the chest. Often it occurs as an object strikes an individual near the heart during the “window of vulnerability”—a 10 to 30 millisecond moment between heartbeats. The medical condition, usually experienced by boys and young men as they play sports, often results in death.Dur
ODJ: victory over death
This isn’t an easy article for me to write. It means reflecting on some of the darkest evil plaguing our world today: terrorism. But a recent encounter allowed me to see more clearly the power of God’s sustaining Word—even amidst terror caused by evil actions.At a coffee shop in Uganda I met a young man who had witnessed and survived (by hiding in a meat freezer) the 21
ODJ: ultimate posterity
In Britain, the houses of famous people are often commemorated with a small blue plaque. On a house in the town of Oxford one such sign reads: “C. S. LEWIS, Scholar and Author, lived here 1930–1963.” Many contemporary British writers, scientists, politicians and others dream of having a blue plaque on their house one day to commemorate their lives.Humans throughout history have
ODJ: earnest prayers
As a child, I was told that I should put my hands together and close my eyes to pray. So I used to scrunch up my eyes and clench my fingers together to be even more earnest as I asked God for the things on my heart. The harder I worked at praying this way, the more God would answer—or so I thought!Nehemiah was grieved at the report about his beloved Jerusalem (Nehemiah 1:3-4). His prayer
ODJ: motivated
My husband and I recently saw a friend we hadn’t seen in a while. Standing outside the gym where he worked out, he highlighted the facility’s offerings. His words revealed his sense of ownership of the exercise facility. He had found identity, purpose and a place to belong amid the mats lined with barbells and other strength-training equipment. This place had become his community and
ODJ: pure persistence
My neighbour wondered how raccoons kept getting into his bin. Covered by two sturdy lids hinged side-by-side, the bin looked raccoon-proof. It wasn’t.One day he saw two raccoons in a tree beside the bin. A raccoon dropped onto the container, slid its forepaws beneath a lid and slipped over the side, clinging comically to the edge. The second raccoon then dropped from the t