ODJ: Filled with Praise

When I was a young believer in Jesus, I was encouraged to keep a thanksgiving diary. It was a little booklet I carried with me as a means to capture the daily happenings that filled my heart with gratitude. Sometimes I would write my thanks items at the end of the week, following a time of reflection. Carefully crafting a list of praise items is a good habit—one that I should probably re-est

ODB: More Than We Can Imagine

What are the five best toys of all time? Jonathan H. Liu suggested the following: A stick, a box, string, a cardboard tube, and dirt (GeekDad column at wired.com). All are readily available, versatile, appropriate for all ages, fit every budget, and are powered by imagination. No batteries required.Imagination plays a powerful role in our lives, so it’s not unusual that the apostle Paul mentione

ODJ: Bodies Matter

The Week magazine features a “What’s Next?” column based on current events. In a recent issue they asked readers to submit answers to a question based on this comment from chef and TV personality Anthony Bourdain: “Your body is not a temple, it’s an amusement park. Enjoy the ride.” The question was: “What would be a good name for a theme park ride

ODB: Never Give Up!

Joop Zoetemelk is known as the Netherlands’ most successful cyclist. But that’s because he never gave up. He started and finished the Tour de France 16 times—placing second five times before winning in 1980. That’s perseverance!Many winners have reached success by climbing a special ladder called “never give up.” However, there are also many who have lost the opportunity to achieve suc

ODJ: Deep Wounds

The woman and her daughter approached me after I had spoken on the way God can transform pain into something good. The daughter, Kate, was too distraught to talk, so her mother spoke for her. “Last year Kate’s husband was arrested on charges of indecent dealings with children,” she said, “including his own daughter. Since then Kate has lost her husband, her kids and many of

ODB: The Best Is Yet to Come

Are the best days of your life behind or in front of you? Our outlook on life—and our answer to that question—can change with time. When we’re younger, we look ahead, wanting to grow up. And once we’ve grown older, we yearn for the past, wanting to be young again. But when we walk with God, whatever our age, the best is yet to come!Over the course of his long life, Moses witnessed the amaz

ODJ: God with Us

The chorus from the Grammy award-winning song From a Distance gives the impression that God keeps His eye on us from a long way off. God does watch over us. For example, when He reminded Jacob of His promise to bless all the families of the earth through his family, God also promised to watch over them wherever they went (Genesis 28:14-15). To know that God is watching over us is

ODB: The Price of Admission

Every year some two million people from all over the world visit St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. It is well worth the admission fee to experience the magnificent structure designed and built by Sir Christopher Wren during the late 17th century. But tourism is secondary at this place of Christian worship. A primary mission of the cathedral is “to enable people in all their diversity to

ODJ: What We Value

Abe lived in a country that was closed to the message of Jesus. We became friends in the first month I lived there, and he soon asked me to teach him the Bible. He gave his life to Christ during our second Bible study, and he eagerly devoured whatever I could teach him. The next year I went home and then returned to Abe’s country with a new Study Bible. Abe’s face lit up when he unwrap