ODJ: changeless
She said to him, “I don’t want to try to fix our marriage. It’s over.” What had started with such high hopes and evident love was now a cold, lifeless thing. My friend desired to see renewal and restoration in their relationship, but his wife made it clear that the two of them had changed and that their marriage would soon end.
Sadly, human relationships are often fickle and l
Sadly, human relationships are often fickle and l
ODB: What Do We Want?
My friend Mary tells me that she doesn’t always sing all the words to the hymns and choruses in a church service. She says, “It doesn’t seem honest to sing, ‘All I want is Jesus’ when my heart wants many other things too.” I appreciate her honesty.In verse 25 of Psalm 73, Asaph sounds like a spiritually minded man who wants God only: “There is none upon earth that I desire besides Yo
ODJ: white knuckles
When I moved near to the big city where I now live, driving on unfamiliar roads made me feel uneasy. Merging into heavy traffic elevated my heart rate. I dreaded becoming boxed in by other vehicles. Cars and lorries streamed by me, making me feel that I needed to speed up. During these moments, my knuckles became white as I tensely gripped the steering wheel.
We can adopt the same ‘w
We can adopt the same ‘w
ODB: D-Day
Recently I asked my older sister, Mary Ann, if she remembered when our family moved into the house where we lived for many years. She replied, “You were about 9 months old, and I remember that Mother and Daddy stayed up all night packing boxes and listening to the radio. It was June 6, 1944, and they were listening to live coverage of the Normandy Invasion.”Today marks the 70th anniversary of
ODJ: storytellers
Every two years in Wales, hundreds of people gather for an international story festival called Beyond the Border. The festival is an effort to celebrate the world’s rich heritage of oral tradition.
Oral tradition is the passing on of stories—specifically historical, cultural accounts—by word of mouth. Once upon a time it was the primary way that history was preserved an
Oral tradition is the passing on of stories—specifically historical, cultural accounts—by word of mouth. Once upon a time it was the primary way that history was preserved an
ODB: Reframing The Picture
For 3 months I had a ringside seat— or should I say a bird’s-eye view—of God’s amazing handiwork. Ninety feet above the floor of Norfolk Botanical Garden, workers installed a webcam focused on the nest of a family of bald eagles, and online viewers were allowed to watch.When the eggs hatched, Mama and Papa Eagle were attentive to their offspring, taking turns hunting for food and guarding
ODJ: the best deal
When I was a kid, my mum and I would often go to the supermarket together. As she taught me how to compare prices to find the best deal, she would stroll up each aisle with a list of items in one hand and a calculator in the other. She knew how to make each penny count and how to find the best deal. Now, as my husband and I step out into the unknown as church planters, I face a palpable fear of th