ODB: The Visitor
A friend asked a newly retired man what he was doing now that he was no longer working full-time. “I describe myself as a visitor,” the man replied. “I go see people in our church and community who are in the hospital or care facilities, living alone, or just need someone to talk and pray with them. And I enjoy doing it!” My friend was impressed by this man’s clear sense of purpose and h
ODJ: tempting with ‘good’
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I’ve endured many cycles of success and failure in my long struggle with healthy eating and consistent exercise. Whenever my efforts fail, however, it’s because I’ve succumbed to the allure of something that seemed to offer me true pleasure: another slice of iced apple cake or a series of leisurely mornings where I don’t have to drag my body out to the road for another run. The truth, of c
ODB: The Girl In The Yellow Coat
It was her yellow raincoat that caught my attention, and quickly I became increasingly interested in this cute freshman with long, brown hair. Soon I worked up my courage, interrupted Sue as she walked along reading a letter from a guy back home, and awkwardly asked her for a date. To my surprise, she said yes.More than 4 decades later, Sue and I look back and laugh at our first uncomfortable meet
ODB: Who’s The Boss?
As my wife was babysitting our two young grandsons, they began to argue over a toy. Suddenly, the younger (by 3 years) forcefully ordered his older brother, “Cameron, go to your room!” Shoulders slumped under the weight of the reprimand, the dejected older brother began to slink off to his room when my wife said, “Cameron, you don’t have to go to your room. Nathan’s not the boss of you!
ODJ: trusting when trembling
There are times when the very foundation of our life feels as if it’s shaking. That dreaded phone call in the night. That difficult news from the doctor. That heart-rending decision by a friend or family member. All of these things and more can cause us to agonise inside and tremble outside.
So where do we turn in moments like these?
Solomon wrote, “Trust in the LORD” (Proverbs 3:5)
ODB: Birthday Celebration
I used to love birthdays. I can still remember standing excitedly on our front porch waiting for my friends to show up for my 5th birthday party. I wasn’t just excited about the balloons, the gifts, and the cake. I was happy that I was no longer only 4! I was growing up.As I’ve gotten older, however, birthdays have sometimes been more discouraging than exciting. Last year when I celebrated a b
ODJ: whose word?
Whether it was the 10 hour TV series The Bible or the films Son of God and Noah, the world has watched a lot of stories based in varying degrees on the Bible in the past few years. But what do people truly believe about God’s Word?
A 2013 State of the Bible survey (conducted in America) revealed that the percentage of individuals who are sceptical of the Bible
ODB: In Disguise
In the weeks after my husband survived a heart attack, we often thanked God for sparing his life. I was asked many times during the next few months how I was doing. My answer was often a simple one: “Blessed. I feel blessed.”Blessings, however, come in different sizes and shapes. In fact, we don’t always recognize them. Even when we are doing everything we think God wants us to do, we may st
ODJ: words of love
In 2014 some players from a school football team were involved in various forms of poor behaviour: skipping classes, getting failing grades and even cyber-bullying. The team’s coach came up with a radical disciplinary measure: he disbanded the entire team. Players and their families reacted to the news with contrite acceptance, for they knew how much the coach cared for his players.
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