ODJ: no expert
My daughter’s preschool teacher asked me to speak to the children about being a writer. Visiting parents were being presented to the class as ‘experts’ in their professions. I agreed to talk to the children, although being an ‘expert’ unnerved me a bit.
ODJ: the biscuit tin
A little boy’s mother baked a batch of cookies and placed them in a biscuit tin, instructing her son not to touch them until after dinner. Soon she heard the lid of the tin move, and she called out, “Son, what are you doing?”
ODJ: homes and other treasures
Recently I decided to renovate the living room of our old terrace house. I painted the ceiling and replaced the ugly and dated lights. I took down the faded curtains and put up roller blinds.
ODJ: chill or kill?
American President Abraham Lincoln’s secretary of war, Edwin Stanton, was angered by an army officer who accused him of favouritism. Stanton complained to Lincoln, who suggested that Stanton write the officer a letter.
ODJ: the restoration promise
Uncle Mark (not his real name) had his big toe removed because his arteries had become blocked after years of smoking 60 cigarettes a day. My husband and I used the traumatic event to talk to our children about the consequences of destructive habits.
ODJ: what’s in a name?
I enjoy reading lists of names in the Bible. In the past they seemed pointless to me. In fact I would skim over them to get to the ‘meaty’ stuff in the passage. One day, however, I realised that all those names were there for a reason.
ODJ: who we are
Zechariah lived out a twofold identity as both priest and prophet. The grandson of the priest Iddo and the head priest of his family (Zechariah 1:1; Nehemiah 12:1,16), he was prophetically called to encourage the people of Judah with God’s words (Zechariah 1:13-17).
ODJ: rolled away . . .
I’m ashamed to admit it, but sometimes I pray for God to grant me a good parking spot when I pick up my children from school. I wonder if I do this because, deep down, I believe that God is able to take care of only the small things of life, and little more.
ODJ: serving together
After I moved to Africa, a couple living in America contacted me and said, “We’d like to make a financial contribution to help you with your ministry in Uganda.” Because my job at the time didn’t require that I raise funds, I thanked them but declined their generous offer.