North America

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ODJ: Pass Over Nian

The myth of the Chinese New Year festival tells of a demon, Nian, who lived in the mountains. On the first day of the year, Nian would come into the village, steal the children and eat livestock and grain. One day, an old man visited the village and gave the horrified people a solution. They were to hang red signs on their doors and make loud music—things the demon didn’t like. The Chi

ODB: Take a Number

We have an ancient cherry tree in our backyard that had seen better days and looked like it was dying, so I called in an arborist. He checked it out and declared that it was “unduly stressed” and needed immediate attention. “Take a number,” my wife, Carolyn, muttered to the tree as she walked away. It had been one of those weeks.Indeed, we all have anxious weeks—filled with worries over

ODJ: Something in a Song

For years, Denise referred warmly to her sibling Carolyn as “my little sister”. Carolyn faced significant cognitive challenges, but she loved life and brought joy to everyone who knew her. She loved Jesus too! When their mother died, Denise gladly took care of Carolyn. But when Carolyn died, Denise struggled tremendously—especially since the death was due to hospital error. For

ODB: Seeing Masterpieces

My father creates custom quivers designed for archers to carry their arrows. He carves elaborate wildlife pictures into pieces of genuine leather, before stitching the material together.During a visit, I watched him construct one of his works of art. His careful hands applied just the right pressure as he pressed a sharp blade into the supple leather, creating various textures. Then he dipped a ra

ODJ: Living in Peace

Although a man murdered nearly all of a woman’s family in the Rwandan genocide, they’re now next-door neighbours. He says, “Ever since I [confessed] my crimes and ask[ed] her for forgiveness, she has never once called me a killer. . . . She has set me free.” Forgiveness and restoration lie at the heart of Prison Fellowship’s Rwanda project in founding reconciliation

ODB: Hide and Seek

“You can’t see me!”When small children play “hide and seek,” they sometimes believe they’re hiding just by covering their eyes. If they can’t see you, they assume you can’t see them.Naïve as that may seem to adults, we sometimes do something similar with God. When we find ourselves desiring to do something we know is wrong, our tendency may be t

Are We Just Having Coffee Dates with God?

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Sometimes, after a good, long time of Bible study, I go right into sinning. When I am alone at home, those sins that prey on solitude can easily sneak in. For me, it is often lust. And sometimes I don’t stop it.

ODJ: Anyone

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Are you close to someone who seems particularly far from God? It might help to keep in mind that this person is probably not less reachable than Paul, who claimed he was the worst of sinners because he had persecuted God’s people (1 Timothy 1:12-16). Paul realised if God could save him, He could reach anyone. Anyone. Some of the most difficult people to reach in Paul&rsquo

ODB: Serve and Be Served

Marilyn had been ill for many weeks, and many people had encouraged her through this difficult time. How will I ever repay all their kindnesses? she worried. Then one day she read the words of a written prayer: “Pray that [others] will develop humility, allowing them not only to serve, but also to be served.” Marilyn suddenly realized there was no need to balance any scale, but just t