Guideposts July 2018

With summer heat bearing down on us like a blazing comet, I thought you might enjoy a blast of Rocky Mountain high on the cover. This month we are proud to feature Kirstie Ennis, a battle-tested Marine gunner gravely wounded in Afghanistan, who faced her greatest battle after she returned home to civilian life. Here’s a clue to Kirstie’s grit: She climbed a Colorado mountain for our photo shoot. One of Guideposts’ most important and enduring partnerships is with U.S. military chaplains. Each year, they help us distribute more than a million magazines, booklets, devotionals and greeting cards free of charge to every branch of service, all across the globe. Through your generosity, we’ve also been able to serve more than 150,000 military families every year with a subscription to…

A Wounded Warrior’s Comeback In our exclusive video, Afghanistan war veteran Kirstie Ennis (page 28) tells how she overcame PTSD, traumatic brain injury and the loss of a leg. Learn about her inspiring quest to climb the Seven Summits—the highest peak on each continent. guideposts.org/kennis Fun Films for the Fourth Happy Independence Day! Get the gang together to watch a classic patriotic movie. Find seven favorites your whole family is sure to enjoy at guideposts.org/july4films The Faith and Courage of a Civil Rights Icon Melba Pattillo Beals (page 22) recounts how faith guided her stand against school segregation in 1957, as one of the Little Rock Nine. guideposts.org/mpb What’s Old Is New Remember the drive-in? It’s coming back! There are more than 300 currently in operation. Chances are, there’s one…

“We have a choice every day of what we can put into the world. Please choose love every single day.” HARRY STYLES, singer “Putting others first with a cheerful heart isn’t easy, but because of that, even the smallest acts can leave an incalculable impact.”JUSTIN McELROY, host of the advice podcast My Brother, My Brother and Me “I’ve come to believe that if we start each day from a place of gratitude, then it’s bound to go a bit better than it would if we didn’t.” broadcast journalist MARIA SHRIVER, from her book I’ve Been Thinking: Reflections, Prayers and Meditations for a Meaningful Life “If God is love, the only way we can worship God is by loving others.”JOHN SHELBY SPONG, from his book Unbelievable “Don’t speak unless you can improve…

CHAIR OF HONOR I was a Marine in the Vietnam War and stay connected to the military community through several veteran service organizations, including Rolling Thunder, which raises awareness of prisoners of war and those missing in action. At the 2012 national conference, Joe D’Entremont, a Massachusetts chapter president, told us about something great he’d seen at a NASCAR racetrack. “There was a seat left purposely empty,” Joe said. Next to it was a sign that said, This empty chair is reserved for our 82,000 American servicemen who are still missing. This chair will serve as a reminder of all the sacrifices made for our country by these American servicemen, who have for too long been forgotten by all but their families and friends. Joe wanted all Massachusetts sports arenas…

“THIS IS EMMETT DIGGS,” MY voice mail greeting said. “Retired minister, active tennis player and happy man.” Not anymore. Not after what I’d had to do that morning. I drove home and didn’t get out of the car right away. I sat there, wanting to pound on the steering wheel. I was so angry. Besides my wife, Patty, I had two loves in my life—boxing and tennis. And I’d been forced to give both up. I’d just told the Big Dogs, the buddies I’d played tennis with for the past 12 years, that it was time for me to quit the game. A bitter loss at age 75. As bitter as quitting boxing at age 20. All my life, I’d been active, athletic, competitive. My dad had been an amateur…

It’s natural to feel loss and sadness with a diagnosis or progression of Parkinson’s disease (PD). But as Emmett Diggs discovered through Rock Steady Boxing, you can live well with PD. We talked to therapists and patients at Good Samaritan Society in Mountain Home, Arkansas, about other programs that have shown promising outcomes for people who have PD. Drums Alive, a group fitness class that combines full-body movements with drumming, has sparked great results for people with PD. “One gentleman, 15 minutes into class, found his tremors would stop,” says wellness director Bethany Clark. There’s mounting evidence that exercise, particularly if it involves cognitive engagement, promotes neuroplasticity, the ability of the brain to compensate for cells damaged or lost to PD. Drumming to changing musical and rhythmic cues stimulates both…