ODJ: earth's shadow

When I see the moon at its thinnest stage, I sometimes think of a passage I read in Flannery O’Connor’s A Prayer Journal. The writer composed these poetic words for God:

ODB: Snake In A Box

At a nature center, I watched my friend’s rosy-cheeked toddler pat the side of a large glass box. Inside the box, a bull snake named Billy slithered slowly, eyeing the little girl.

ODJ: lavish generosity

During my last year of school, I saved up my money in order to buy extravagant gifts for my family. When Christmas came, I blew the whole lot on my parents, my sister and my grandparents.

ODB: Wonders Of The Heart

Our heart beats about 100,000 times every day, pumping blood to every cell in our bodies. This adds up to about 35 million beats a year and 2.5 billion beats in an average lifetime.

ODJ: using your gift

The 2013 film Frozen tells the story of a troubled princess named Elsa who possessed a special gift—the power to create ice and snow.

ODB: Our Life Is A Primer

The New England Primer was published in the late 1600s. Throughout the colonies that would later become the United States, the book became a widely used resource.

ODJ: preparing the way

On 21 July 2013, media outlets worldwide held their collective breath as they waited for the birth of the child of Prince William and Kate Middleton.

ODB: Stones Cry Out

Every year it seems that Christmas becomes more and more commercialized. Even in nations where the majority of people call themselves “Christian,” the season has become more about shopping than worshiping.

ODJ: better than myself

Charles complained to his friend about some lower back pain. He was seeking a sympathetic ear, but his friend gave him an honest assessment.