whose job is it?
The story is told about four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody. There was an important job to do and Everybody was asked to do it. Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it. Somebody got angry because it was Everybody’s job. Everybody thought Anybody would do it, but Nobody…
going to great lengths
Bill Adams, CEO of a large hospital in Virginia, received a frantic call from a woman whose mother had died a few days earlier at the medical center. Prior to her death, the woman had lost her wedding ring somewhere in the hospital. The grieving daughter explained that her parents had been married for 50 years, and that her dad…
making God disappear
According to some physicists in the world today, our universe comes into being from nothing. Is this a scientific fact or is it simply a clever magic trick? They say the universe created itself out of nothing; and God does not exist, nor is he needed. So with this great discovery, atheism must be true. There is no supernatural being;…
turning losses into gain
One of the tremendous privileges I’ve had as a believer in Jesus was serving as an official chaplain for athletes competing in the Olympic Games. Ministering inside the Olympic Village was exciting, but it presented unique challenges. Many times I struggled to find the right words to say as I sat with medal contenders who—away from the glare of spectators…
vipers
Last year, Tiger Woods’ public persona unraveled as one moral failure after another rushed to light. While this sad occasion offers us another opportunity to critique the feeding frenzy of pop journalism as well as the idol status we offer our celebrities (a status they could never live up to), it also provides each of us a sober reminder. If…
finding perspective
In London’s National Gallery, art critic Robert Cumming stands in front of a classic 15th-century painting by Renaissance artist Fra Filippo Lippi. The painting shows Mary holding the infant Jesus on her lap, with Saints Dominic and Jerome kneeling before Him. The piece is troubling to Robert Cumming. It’s a masterpiece, no doubt, but its perspective seems all wrong. Hills…
frantic
I was just a few minutes away from major surgery. Nurses circulated through the room and I was hooked up to all sorts of monitors. Suddenly, a computer screen started blipping wildly. What was happening? Would I be all right? A nurse glanced at the readout and announced that it was monitoring my heart rate.
I needed to calm down! I’m…
read this! from a community member in Germany . . .
Thank you for sending ODJ to me in Germany! All the wonderful stories help me achieve better balance in life and to draw nearer to God and His love. —Roswitha
October 25, 2010
Trick or treat? What's your take on whether or not to it's okay to do the Halloween thing?
doxology
After making all the petitions for God’s glory to be magnified (Matthew 6:9-10) and for God’s grace to meet our needs (Matthew 6:11-13), The Lord’s Prayer concludes with a praise item, a doxology: “For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen” (Matthew 6:13 NKJV).
This doxology isn’t found in the oldest and most reliable Greek…
who's in your five?
Who’s in your Five?” is the slogan of a cell phone company which offers its customers unlimited calls to their five favorite people. The advertisements for this plan remind us that we are not vitally important to everyone and that everyone is not equally important to us.
We all must choose whom to let into our inner circle. If you…
measured
After a 7-year hiatus of staying home with our children, I returned to teaching this year. Acclimating to the demands of being a high school English teacher, I realized I had not missed grading essays. I love watching students grow in their writing, but the rigor of reading and grading 25 essays at a time can be mind-boggling. To keep…
single or married
As a single woman, for years my view of marriage was based more on what it takes from a life than what it can add to it. But over time, I’ve been able to better understand marriage by studying God’s Word.
In 1 Corinthians 7:8-9, Paul’s general advice is that it’s better to stay unmarried because of the opportunities it…
the grapevine
“I Heard It Through the Grapevine,” a song written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong in 1966, was recorded by Gladys Knight and the Pips and later by Marvin Gaye. It became one of the biggest hits on the Motown label. Its point was that while the telegraph is obsolete, the informal transmission of information, gossip, or rumor from person…
