About the Author

Our Daily Bread is distributed around the world and is translated into more than 50 languages. Each month, millions of readers turn to the pages of this beloved devotional for inspiration, comfort, peace, and hope. Visit odb.org for more information. Dave Branon retired in 2021 after a 40-year career as a writer and editor with Our Daily Bread Ministries. With more than 1,200 articles so far, Dave continues to write for the Our Daily Bread devotional. He has also written 20 books, which include Beyond the Valley: Finding Hope in Life's Losses and Lands of the Bible Today. He and his wife, Sue, have four children and eight grandchildren, and live in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Bill Crowder joined the Our Daily Bread Ministries staff in 2001 after more than twenty years in the pastorate stretching from West Virginia to Southern California to West Michigan. As Vice President of Teaching Content, Bill provides biblical and theological evaluation of the ministry's content for its various ministry efforts. Additionally, Bill spends much of his time in a Bible-conference ministry around the world, serving ODBM offices and their outreach to local communities. Bill has written many Bible-study booklets for ODBM's Discovery Series. He has also published a number of books with Our Daily Bread Publishing, the latest being Available for His Purpose: Lessons from the Life of Elisha and God of Surprise. In addition, Bill serves as a cohost with Mart DeHaan, Elisa Morgan, and Daniel Ryan Day on the Discover the Word podcast and daily radio program, heard nationwide. On the personal front, Bill and his wife, Marlene, have been married for more than forty years and have five adult children and a growing legion of grandchildren. To relax, Bill enjoys playing golf whenever possible, and follows sports, especially the English Premier League's Liverpool Football Club. James Banks (D.Min, Gordon-Conwell) makes his home in Durham, North Carolina, with his wife, Cari, where James is the founding pastor of Peace Church. James' desire to write goes back to reading Christian devotional books at age twelve. He loves to encourage others to draw close to God through a heartfelt relationship in prayer and a fresh understanding of Scripture. James' books have been translated into several languages and include Prayers for Prodigals, Praying Together, Praying the Prayers of the Bible, Prayers for Your Children, Praying the Prayers of the Bible for Everyday Needs, Praying the Prayers of the Bible for Kids, and Hope Lies Ahead, which he co-wrote with his son, Geoffrey. You can find teaching from James on prayer with the Praying with Jesus and Our Daily Bread University's Prayer Basics series. James is also the author of several magazine articles, is featured in the weekly Encouraging Prayer radio broadcast and podcast, and is a popular speaker for churches and retreats. You can find out more about what James is up to lately by visiting JamesBanks.org. Julie Ackerman Link was a popular author with Our Daily Bread readers, and her insightful and inspiring articles have touched millions of lives around the world. Julie worked in publishing and started her career at Zondervan, where she served as managing editor of devotional and self-help books. She authored Above All, Love. After a lengthy battle with cancer, Julie went to be with the Lord in April 2015. Xochitl (So-Cheel) Dixon is author of Waiting for God and the 2021 ECPA Christian Book Award finalist Different Like Me. Serving the Lord with her beautifully diverse family and her service dog, Callie, Xochitl crosses generational and cultural boundaries. She reaches international readers through writing, speaking, the Christian apparel and accessories she designs, and her contributions to the devotional booklet Our Daily Bread. She enjoys connecting with readers on social media and her blog at www.xedixon.com. As a "third-culture kid" (parents from one culture who raised him in another), Tim Gustafson attended eight different schools in his first nine years of schooling, plus a "semester at sea" that comprised first grade. His adoptive parents were missionaries who traveled several times by ship. The penchant for traveling didn't stop with adulthood, and it's served him well as he continues his career as a writer and editor. A military veteran of three deployments, Tim and his wife, Leisa, have eight children--seven of whom are boys--and a granddaughter.