Table of contents for Oct/Nov 2021 in Guideposts

Doesn’t fall feel like the busiest season? So much to do after indolent summer days, so much to do before the holidays. There is a sweet urgency to the fall that I have always loved more than any other season. The shortening days, the falling temperatures. I come alive this time of the year. Which is good because I have a new book to finish by year’s end, so please say a prayer for me. Too early to think about Christmas? Not if you’re a fan of our annual deluxe edition of The Joys of Christmas. Our full-size, beautifully illustrated keepsake is better than ever, with heart-warming stories of faith, love and holiday togetherness, stories that will brighten the season and lift your heart. (You’ll love our Advent calendar.) The…

A LAUGH A DAY The Covid pandemic had me feeling lonely and sad during the spring of 2020. Then I came across a photo that listed reasons we should still be hopeful. I e-mailed it to my friends and family members. Many of them wrote back, saying not only had it brightened their day but that they’d forwarded it to their contacts. The next day, I read a joke about how when we’d changed the clocks for daylight saving time, we hadn’t known we were switching from standard time to the twilight zone. I laughed and sent the joke to my e-mail list. People thanked me for their morning chuckle. Realizing how much everyone needed to laugh, I began sending a joke seven days a week, plus an inspirational quote…

We had gathered for my granddaughter Avery’s sixth birthday. My wife and I, along with our son, daughter-in-law and their two children, joined Avery, her parents and two siblings. Avery agreed to say grace over her birthday dinner. “God, I’m sorry to wake you up,” she said, “but thank you for this food.” She went on to express her hopes for her birthday and her happiness to be celebrating with her family. After she finished, we congratulated her on a fine prayer. No one tried to correct her. Everyone recognized that a theologically “wrong” prayer can still be spiritually right, whether the person praying is six or ninety-six. We often get hung up on finding the most appropriate words to pray, but if “the Lord looks at the heart” (1…

Amy Grant SINGER. SONGWRITER. MUSICIAN. Go-to place to pray Outside. With my shoes off and my feet in the grass. Real-life heroes Anybody who’s rolling up their sleeves and helping, that’s my hero. A surprising detail about you I’m a licensed archery instructor. I love that you can see a child’s feelings about their capability change with some instruction and effort. I teach about a strong stance, how you hold the bow. I’ll tell them, “You are stronger than you think.” We should all hear those words. What you do for your spiritual well-being I like riding bikes. It feels like being a kid again. For more on this story, see FAMILY ROOM Q&A by Celeste McCauley. Find a longer version online at guideposts.org/amygrant…

Sonsyrea Tate was surprised—and delighted—when her 97-year-old grandfather bounced back after the end of his beloved wife’s struggle with Alzheimer’s disease. But moving on after caregiving can be complicated. Former caregivers can suffer from guilt, exhaustion and confusion, among other things. “Care giving inevitably changes us,” says David Troxel, an internationally known expert on Alzheimer’s and coauthor, with Virginia Bell, of The Best Friends Approach to Alzheimer’s Care. Here’s how to heal and transition smoothly into your next chapter. Stick with your support group. If you’ve enjoyed the camaraderie of a caregiving support group, consider staying on. “It can benefit you even after a family member has passed away,” Troxel says. “You can act as a kind of mentor and share your wisdom with the group.” Another option: Join a…

DIVINE NOURISHMENT Let me out of here!” my mother said, tugging at the front door. “It’s dark outside, Mom,” I said as calmly as I could. “We’ll go out in the morning.” I guided her gently back into the kitchen so I could start dinner. I turned to open the fridge, only to hear the sound of her walker moving across the floor. Not again. I’d moved in with Mom to take care of her five months earlier. I knew the task wouldn’t be easy, but I’d managed. Until recently, that is, when Mom started wandering because of her Alzheimer’s. Trying to watch her closely—and somehow keep the two of us healthy and well cared for—was exhausting. I settled Mom into a chair at the kitchen table. “Sit tight,” I…

HEALTHY PRAYERS Bob Hostetler’s blog post 4 Prayers to Keep You Healthy, at guideposts.org/healthprayers, couldn’t have been more timely. It directed my attention to the importance of praying for continued health—for myself and others—during the pandemic. It also reminded me to thank God for his covering during my senior years. Bob’s prayers, which include a request for protection and a petition for increased health, are so easy to follow. I keep a copy in my Bible, where I can refer to it daily, and took a copy to my primary care provider. She keeps it on her desk! Thank you, Bob, for your words of wisdom and for reminding me that I need to rely on God for everything in my daily life, including my health. MARY SILVEY Springfield, Ohio…

Get Boost your spiritual well-being! Visit guideposts.org for web-exclusive stories, life advice, prayer tips, recipes and more. Watch If your loved one is struggling with addiction, you’re not alone. In our exclusive video, Today show news anchor Craig Melvin (page 44) discusses his dad’s addiction recovery and what you can do if your loved one won’t get help at guideposts.org/craigmelvin. Learn Environmentalists and loggers—forever at odds? Susan Jane Brown and Mark Webb (page 50) allied to form Blue Mountains Forest Partners. Get their tips on building bridges at guideposts.org/susanjaneandmark. Explore Pastor Matt Hall (page 80) talks about his Appalachian Trail thru-hike and how he experienced God on the trail. Discover how his time in the great outdoors helped him in his sobriety journey at guideposts.org/hiking. Connect Join the growing Guideposts…

I admit it: I’m a stickler for old-fashioned manners. A pet peeve of mine is when somebody in front of you—at a store or restaurant or office building—doesn’t hold open the door. It takes only a few seconds, but that simple act sends ripples of goodwill out into the world. It’s also important to thank the person who does hold the door for you. Yes, it’s a little thing. But acknowledging the little things has a deeper meaning. Most of us probably don’t say “thank you” to God enough either. Sure, when you’ve been praying hard for something big—a sick loved one, a needed job—you may drop to your knees in gratitude at God’s answer. But how about thanking him for that glorious sunset last night? Or the air that…

The cochlear implant surgery to restore my hearing was a success. —RUTH My son was hired at the community college he goes to. He has high-functioning autism and has had a lot of nos in his life. I am so thankful for this yes. —E. We have had rain for almost a day, and they expect more. Thanks for praying. The grass is green again —M. I thank the Lord for the courage to step out of a toxic relationship and begin healing. A burden has been lifted. My self-esteem is being restored. I am gaining my joy back slowly but surely. —BETTY From our website visitors. Share your answered prayer at guideposts.org/answeredprayers…

The dream felt so real. I was in my childhood home, the townhouse we lived in when we first moved to Virginia. My grandfather was there too. I could hear a storm brewing. Somehow I knew the house would be flooded. We needed to hurry. As we threw belongings into boxes, Grandpa and I laughed and joked around. Even with disaster looming, I wasn’t worried. Grandpa was the bravest person. He would protect me. My grandpa was my best friend growing up. My hero. Larger than life. He had been an Army helicopter pilot in Vietnam, and I loved listening to his stories. But the man helping me pack looked different from the Grandpa I knew. He was a lot younger, with jet-black hair and a mischievous smile—every bit the…

Doc Pomus urged his beautiful bride, Willi Burke, to dance at their 1957 wedding. He watched as she whirled around the floor in the arms of relatives and friends. But she and Doc never danced. He was on crutches, having lost the use of his legs after a childhood bout with polio. Doc (born Jerome Felder) grew up in Brooklyn, New York, loving music, especially the blues. As a young man, he made a living singing in Black blues clubs. After recording dozens of songs, he thought he finally had a hit. But the record company didn’t release the song after learning he was a disabled Jewish guy. Doc shifted to songwriting, penning such hits as “Viva Las Vegas,” “This Magic Moment” and “A Teenager in Love.” Some three years…

Sheets of rain pelted the airplane window next to my seat. Watching the rain come down, I felt a twinge of my old familiar fear of flying. I sighed, discouraged. I’d thought that monster was gone for good. In recent years, I’d become so much better about not dwelling on potential catastrophes. Instead, with lots of help from God, I had learned (or so I’d thought) to say one prayer and then place my flight in God’s capable hands. But this weather wasn’t helping. As the plane took off—bumping, jolting and shuddering its way heavenward—a blanket of fear and anxiety settled on me, as heavy and dense as the cloud ceiling. Suddenly, though, we broke through. The plane leveled off and steadied just as the cabin filled with a luminous…

“Hope does not deny all the difficulty and all the danger that exist, but it is not stopped by them. There is a lot of darkness, but our actions create the light.” JANE GOODALL, from The Book of Hope: A Survival Guide for Trying Times “When I was 40, I was told to go for a doctorate, and I said, ‘It’s impossible because by the time I get a doctorate, I’ll be 50.’ And the person said, ‘You’ll be 50 anyway.’ Isn’t that brilliant?” EDITH EVA EGER, Holocaust survivor, psychologist and author “If you knew what God thought about you, you would never have another insecure moment in your life.” JIMMY EVANS, pastor “Be a biscuit. Rise tall. Be warm and buttery on the inside. Be open to anyone’s jam.”…

I’m a dad of two, and I’ll soon be a granddad twice over: Both of my sons are having children this year. Still, I don’t consider myself an expert on parenting and grandparenting. I learned on the job, turning to some biblical wisdom along the way. Train children in the right way, and when old, they will not stray. Proverbs 22:6 We always gave our boys chores around the house. When our oldest was 12 and wanted to buy some cargo pants, my wife said, “Sure. As long as you wash them.” And he did. Get some good habits going, and they last a lifetime. That son recently visited us for a couple of weeks. And guess what? He did his own laundry. As a father has compassion for his…

I don’t remember much about the turkey and fixings of my childhood Thanksgiving dinners. However, I do remember our journeys to get there and the feelings they evoked. We spent most Thanksgivings at my aunt’s house on Mackinac Island, Michigan. One of the only ways to get there—the ferries had stopped for the season—was by snowmobile. We would drive 45 minutes to St. Ignace, on the mainland opposite the island, where my father convinced my cousin to attach a trailer to the back of a snowmobile and tow us across the frozen lake. The snowmobile would wind through the pine trees that marked where the ice was the thickest and safest. I remember holding my breath to lock out the cold and the fear that would fill me as we…

My dad—Pops—was in alcohol rehab. He’d been there for eight weeks, down in southern Georgia. I would be his first visitor, and I was nervous. I didn’t know what to expect, mainly because I could hardly remember ever seeing my dad sober. On the flight down and then the drive from the airport, my anxiety only grew. I hadn’t spoken to him since he’d been admitted. No one had. I’d written him a couple letters, mostly keeping things light. Of course, Pops and I very rarely held conversations that were anything but surface. We didn’t talk much at all. What would I say to him now? We’d done the intervention on a Sunday morning at my brother Ryan’s house in Columbia, South Carolina. It was Mom, Ryan, our cousin Kevin…

The golf cart Granddad and I were riding in slowly made its way along the winding roads of the cemetery, where we’d come to finalize the arrangements for Grandma’s funeral. The August heat clung to us. It seemed to take forever to reach the burial plot. “It’s a good thing you’re seeing where everything is because you’ll be back here for me soon,” he said. His voice was as expressionless as his eyes were behind his glasses. He’s given up, I thought. I opened my mouth to console him, but no words would come. This is what happens. A couple that’s been together this long—76 years—when one dies, the other follows. For the past five years, I’d helped him care for his beloved wife, Char-ity, as Alzheimer’s disease stole her…

Pastor and best-selling author Sarah Jakes Roberts (3 Questions, page 22) reflects on her incredible journey in her new book, Woman Evolve: Break Up With Your Fears and Revolutionize Your Life. She shares the in securities she had as a teen mom and how she trans-formed herself into the businesswoman and leader she is now. Inspired by Scripture and the story of Eve, Woman Evolve includes exercises to help women identify and work past their challenges in order to face their fears and change their lives. Sarah’s family, especially her father, the renowned Bishop T. D. Jakes, has had a strong influence on her outlook. “During Thanksgiving, which we spend with about 50 people, mostly family and people from our church, we sit and talk about what we’re learning to…