Table of contents for June/July 2021 in Guideposts

Notice anything different about your magazine? I’m kidding. Of course you do. You’re seeing many of the exciting changes I’ve been telling you about for the past few issues. Start with the better paper and cover stock. That makes your magazine more durable. (I know you like to carry it with you and share.) Our new typeface makes it easier to read. The beautiful new design makes GUIDEPOSTS more vibrant and inviting than ever. And the extra pages, so that each issue is at least 100 pages? More great stories to lift your spirits. I’m eager for you to explore our new Inspired Living section, starting on page 16, which has many features you’ve been asking for. There’s a Q&A with pastor and author Max Lucado—we’ll be talking to faith…

ADVENTURES IN KINDNESS My mom always made birthdays special. She died of cancer when I was 32. After that, I dreaded my birthday because she wasn’t here to celebrate with me. As I approached 40, I decided that I wanted to have joyful birthdays again. A friend told me that she’d read about someone who spent their birthday doing random acts of kindness. My mom would have loved that. Why not give it a try? I thought. I organized a scavenger hunt. Instead of finding things on a list, my friends and I performed acts of kindness. We split into two teams and had two hours to complete as many kind deeds as possible. We used chalk to write encouraging messages on the sidewalk. We hid dollar bills in the…

From the minute I woke up, I was behind schedule. Typical. I loaded my two young daughters into the car to run errands. Our town, Petoskey, was built along Lake Michigan. To get from one end of town to the other, you have water on one side of you at all times. Before we even left the driveway, the girls began to bicker. I let their chatter fade into white noise as I rushed around. Grocery store. Dog groomer. Post office. Gas station. Then something made me glance in the rearview. My younger daughter pointed toward the water and said, “Who poured that?” “Who poured that?” I repeated. I looked out at the expanse of blue, stretching as far as the eye could see. Everything seemed to slow as I…

It was strange to see my husband’s name in the paper, even if just the county news. “They even spelled it right!” I said. Adlai laughed. The article was about Adlai’s pickleball group. He’d taken up the game, a combination of ping-pong and tennis, in retirement. He and some friends had cleaned a poorly maintained tennis court at the park. I played too. Adlai and I both loved spending time outdoors. We often went camping to celebrate special occasions. In fact, our anniversary was coming up. I felt a pang of loss. I couldn’t help thinking about my journal. Adlai and I had married in our forties. We had a tradition going back to our newlywed days. For birthdays and anniversaries, instead of giving each other cards with preprinted messages,…

“There are only four kinds of people in the world,” former First Lady Rosalynn Carter has said. “Those who have been caregivers. Those who are currently caregivers. Those who will be caregivers and those who will need caregivers.” A sobering thought but a reality we’re all likely to confront at some point in our lives. As someone who once cared for a friend with cancer and also briefly needed a caregiver myself after an operation, I thought I had a decent handle on the subject. Then I became the editor of Strength & Grace, our bimonthly devotional magazine focused on caregiving, and found I still had a lot to learn. What has struck me the most are all the ways in which our writers illuminate the journey of caregiving—the stresses…

Robert Sherman was desperate. He and his brother, Richard, had been hired to create the songs for Walt Disney’s upcoming 1964 film Mary Poppins, a musical version of the children’s books by P. L. Travers. Disney himself wanted Julie Andrews to play the part of the magical English nanny. The actress asked to hear the movie’s songs. When the brothers played their tunes, she loved them all…except for their favorite, the one that Robert and Richard had been certain would be a hit. Walt Disney demanded a replacement for it, pronto. The brothers, however, had run out of ideas. Disheartened, Robert headed home. He asked his family how their day was and learned that his young son, Jeffrey, had received his polio vaccination at school. “Did it hurt?” he asked…

Lori M. Miller I’d been struggling with depression, and my therapist recommended starting a weekly activity to help me meet people. I’d always been a homebody. I usually came home from work and stayed in the rest of the night. Then an idea came out of nowhere: Join a bowling league. As if the sentence had been placed in my head. I’d never bowled in my life, never even set foot in a bowling alley. Yet this decision just felt right. I signed up for a league and began going once a week. I loved it and made some friends, but I still wasn’t sure what had drawn me to bowling. Until my third week, when I played against Dave. He was funny and sweet, and we hit it off…

HELP ALL ALONG Dyslexia. Processing disorder. Learning disability. Nothing in my online search matched the issues my six-year-old son, Nathan, was having in school. When his teacher had expressed concern about his progress, I shifted into overdrive, trying to pinpoint the problem. But despite several developmental tests, we still had no conclusive diagnosis. Nathan kept falling further behind at school. My internet searches weren’t turning up any answers. Nor were my daily prayers. Why aren’t you helping me, God? I thought as I switched off the computer one evening and picked up the laundry basket. “Mommy!” Nathan called as I passed by his room. “I can’t find my dinosaur jammies!” “They’re in the dryer!” I called back to him on my way downstairs. “I’ll get them for you.” This, at…

Get Boost your spiritual well-being! Visit guideposts.org for web-exclusive stories, life advice, prayer tips, recipes and more. Watch Michelle Williams (page 42) shares her strategies for coping with depression and anxiety. Learn how prayer uplifts the Grammy winner and what she does to find joy on her hardest days. Check out our exclusive video at guideposts.org/michellewilliams. Explore Celebrate small-town America with our virtual tour of Casey, Illinois. Jim Bolin (page 36) shows you the sights, including the world’s largest rocking chair, mailbox and wind chime! Visit guideposts.org/caseyillinois. Learn Nationally acclaimed life-style expert Katie Brown (page 34) has some tips for you! Try this easy DIY decor project: Sea glass–inspired tableware brings a beachy vibe, no matter where you live. Go to guideposts.org/summerdiy. Connect Join the growing Guideposts online community. Facebook…

July 4. It’s the most American of holidays and a rite of summer for so many of us. Barbecues, carnivals and—of course—fireworks. I grew up in New York City, in a building that overlooked the East River. Every year my family and I would go to the rooftop so that we could get as close as possible to those famous Macy’s Fireworks. They seemed so beautiful, so magical—almost heaven-sent. I would gaze at the sky in awe. As an adult, I wasn’t that impressed by fireworks anymore. But one year, I was visiting Mom on July 4 and she called me to the window. Watching the sky light up and hearing her oohs and aahs, I got caught up in the excitement too. That’s when I started thinking about what…

For now, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth, the time of singing has come. Song of Solomon 2:11–12 It’s easy to forget that much of the Bible was written to be sung. Sing this one to yourself. The whole creation is a reflection of the Creator. As you celebrate the budding flowers and the passing of the rains, you are giving thanks to the One who made them. Not so good at singing? Remember what it says in another verse, the one about making a joyful noise to the Lord. It’s the joy that counts. You have fixed all the bounds of the earth; you made summer and winter. Psalm 74:17 In my seventh-grade French class, there was a sign over the…

More than 170 years ago, French writer Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr penned the saying “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” That no longer seems to apply. The 2021 version might be “The more things change, the more things change.” Change can be good or bad, fun or difficult, but it always causes stress, whether we realize it or not. And we have seen more change in recent months than many of us could ever have imagined. Even when we face a difficult transition, our response can make all the difference. If we can somehow embrace the new state of affairs, rather than resisting it, we become agents of change rather than its victims. For most of us, that will take some doing—and more than a little prayer.…

Casey, Illinois, is a small town—population: 2,700—but we’re home to some really big things. Literally. We’ve got 12 attractions that are the world’s largest, according to Guinness World Records. How did that come about? It goes back to my wife and daughter wanting to open a tea shop. I wanted to draw more people to Casey to support our local businesses. One night, the sound of wind chimes gave me the crazy idea to build some that were tall enough to break the world record. My family owns Bolin Enterprises Inc., a pipeline and tank maintenance company. Between jobs, our employees and I recycled old pipeline and built a 54-foottall wind chime in the middle of town. There’s a cross at the top. I’m a man of faith, and I…

Atlanta, Georgia “I need help.” The three most powerful words a person can say. I should know. It took me a long time, but I finally said them. It most likely saved my life. I guess it started when I was about 13. Today I understand I was having symptoms. Back then they were just feelings that left me unsettled: a passing sense that nothing mattered or would ever really matter, anxiety that made me climb out of bed in the middle of the night and pace the floor for no reason, a kind of spiritual numbness, feelings of not being loved even though I was. I soon learned that these were signs of depression. In a way, I thought I simply had to live with them. Even years later,…

No two family caregiving situations are exactly the same. Pamela Haskin’s experience with her mother’s Parkinson’s disease differed greatly from what Edwina Perkins encountered when she moved to care for her adult daughter with cancer. Still, some experiences—including stress—are universal. Whether you’re caring for a spouse, parent or child, these tips can help you avoid burnout and successfully navigate your caregiving journey. Stay organized. As a primary caregiver, you’ll likely need to understand and manage your loved one’s financial, legal and medical affairs. Store all important documents in an easy-to-reach location so you don’t have to scramble to find information when it’s needed. It’s also helpful to create a schedule that details the routines and nuances of a loved one’s care. Practice open communication. Effective communication with family members and…

Easthampton, Massachusetts The knot in my stomach grew tighter. I was dropping off my teenage daughter, Maggie, at her friend’s house. She was staying over with some high school classmates, kids in her drama club, girls and boys. I was worried, maybe more than I needed to be. I trusted my daughter. I hoped she had learned from my own history. Still, as she turned and waved, I couldn’t stop myself from saying, “Remember, honey, no drinking.” “How many times do I have to tell you, Mom?” she said, annoyed. “My friends and I don’t do that!” I wanted to believe her. Maggie was 16, the same age I was when I had my first real drink. Both my parents drank every single day, enough to cause trouble in their…

It’s not quite four o’clock in the morning at Blodgett Family Farm in the hills of upstate New York. The fields and pumpkin patches may be draped in darkness, but there’s a light shining in the farmhouse window. Ruth Logan Herne, an award-winning inspirational fiction author, is hard at work. Ruth gets up a little after three o’clock every morning to write. Though she has a home office, she rarely uses it. She prefers to sit on the family room floor with her laptop. “When you’re older, hips and joints don’t necessarily like soft furniture,” she says. “We have 14 grandchildren, 11 of whom live nearby, and they like to bounce on the furniture. Not a couch or a love seat in that pretty little family room has support anymore.…

You might know lifestyle expert Katie Brown (Everyday Blessings, page 34) from her PBS show, Katie Brown Workshop, and her national TV appearances. What you might not know is that she grew up with GUIDEPOSTS. “My mom would read the stories to me over the breakfast table,” she says. “The magazine helped develop my moral compass.” Now she’s thrilled to share her everyday faith stories and DIY videos with us. “Crafting centers me by giving me an opportunity to pause and focus on just one thing,” Katie says. Her daughters love doing their own projects, such as rock painting and popsicle stick houses. Katie and her family make annual pilgrimages to Lake Michigan, where she spent summers growing up. “My husband and I love taking our daughters to my family…

“If you keep being grateful for your life, your heart gets bigger. The bigger your heart, the more you get to love.”actor TED DANSON, 73, on his 25-year marriage to actor Mary Steenburgen “No matter what I see, I choose faith. No matter what I feel, I choose faith.”CRAIG GROESCHEL, pastor and author of Winning the War in Your Mind “We’re only as good as our ability to connect with each other. Everything else is irrelevant.”singer ALICIA KEYS “God doesn’t just create. He also re-creates.”LEVI LUSKO, pastor and author “I know the secret of life: If you want to have loving feelings, do loving things.”ANNE LAMOTT, author of Dusk Night Dawn: On Revival and Courage “No amount of guilt can solve the past, and no amount of anxiety can change…

Thank you, God. My daughter will be able to work remotely, far from where her job is located. She will now have a support network of family and friends close by. —BARBARA My MRI is normal, and I do not have MS. I am so thankful to you, Jesus. —K Praise God for a great day at work, a great dinner, contact with my granddaughter and daughter, my lovely coding class!—MARI God heard my prayer for peace in my family. He gave me more than what I had prayed for! —ELIZABETH From our website visitors. Share your answered prayer at guideposts.org/answeredprayers…

Best advice you’ve gotten A professor friend told me, “Think big!” If you can’t admit what your destination is, how do you know what the first step is? Go-to place to pray I’m always in conversation with God. Lately it’s in the car on the way to work. God is good and finds me where I am. Favorite Bible verse Psalm 23 lives in me. And Zephaniah 3:17. It’s a moment in which you allow yourself to just soak in God’s love. Early riser or night owl? Early riser—even without this job. I love morning. Everything seems possible. Q&A by Celeste McCauley. Find a longer version at guideposts.org/savannahguthrie…

Seattle, Washington Picture the fastest roller coaster you’ve ever been on. Now picture going 10 times faster. So fast that the g-forces compress your chest and make it hard to breathe. Minutes later, the bright light of day has changed to the darkness of space. You’re still accelerating, approaching 18,000 miles per hour. You’re near the outer limits of Earth’s atmosphere. If you unbuckle your seat belt, you’ll float right off your chair. That’s what it was like for me on March 2, 1995, the first time I rocketed into space as a Space Shuttle astronaut. I went on to fly three more shuttle missions, including docking with the International Space Station. And on every one of them it felt as if my dad were right there with me, even…

Ruth Logan Herne is just one of the inspiring authors writing for Miracles & Mysteries of Mercy Hospital, a new fiction series from Guideposts. This cozy mystery series features four women from different walks of life who witness miracles happening around them at historic Mercy Hospital and become fast and faithful friends. Join Joy, Evelyn, Anne and Shirley as they solve the puzzling mysteries that arise over the course of their workdays at this Charleston, South Carolina, landmark—rumored to be under the protection of a guardian angel. Come along as the quartet gathers clues, stumbles upon hidden passageways and discovers historical treasures along the way. This fast-paced series is filled with inspiration, adventure, mystery, delightful humor and loads of Southern charm! Turn to the insert after page 74 to order…

I was 27 years old and living the life I always wanted…or thought I did. I was married to a youth pastor. We had two daughters, and I was pregnant with our third baby girl. My husband, Daniel, was busy at church (very busy), and our family was beloved by the congregation. We were like the youth group families I’d idolized growing up, with their stay-at-home moms, cheerful kids and involvement in church. My own family was the opposite. My dad had walked out while my mom was pregnant with me. My mom worked long hours but couldn’t afford much beyond the necessities. I was a self-proclaimed Jesus freak, riding my bike miles every Sunday to attend church by myself, where I’d sit in a pew with my middle school…

YOU’VE GOT A FRIEND I made a friend through GUIDEPOSTS! The April 2005 Up Side featured a cartoon by artist Cuyler Black. I loved the cartoon and wanted to see more of Cuyler’s work, which you described as “the Bible meets The Far Side.” I enjoy art that lets people of faith express the fun and joy God brings to our lives. I contacted Cuyler via his website and bought some of his greeting cards. He started a blog, which I still follow. His posts provide food for thought. We stay in touch over e-mail. I’ve gotten to know and appreciate Cuyler’s humble attitude toward his gifts for cartooning and writing. I value his quirky personality and the chance to laugh without being disrespectful to others. My friendship with Cuyler…