Table of contents for Feb/Mar 2023 in Guideposts

I heard a burst of barking from Gracie, who leaped up from her nap on the couch. It amazes me how dogs can awaken so energetically from a deep sleep. She trotted all businesslike to the living room window. A delivery truck was backing down the driveway after its driver had deposited Gracie’s Chewy box at the front door. “C’mon, Goo, let’s get your food.” I carried the box inside and checked the packing slip. Whoa! “You better get a job, kid,” I said. She wagged cheerfully. I’m just feeding a dog. I can only imagine how these economic times are hitting families. Who could have seen this coming in the wake of the pandemic, after we finally felt it was safe to leave our homes? But inflation is a…

PASS IT ON NO SUCH THING AS SMALL CHANGE I set a zippered plastic bag of spare change in the church offering plate and passed it on down the row. The lady sitting next to me emptied her coin purse into the plate, while her husband dug through his pockets for change. It was the last Sunday of the month—also known as Coin Sunday at our church. The change we collect on Coin Sunday is set aside to help fund our church’s youth programs and activities. playground equipment, allowing families in need to spend the day at an amusement park and buying supplies so that our youth group could go camping. Over the years—more than a decade now—that spare change has gone toward purchasing new Collecting spare change might seem like…

The hardest thing you’ve ever done Learning to take care of myself mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually. Healing is not linear. Go-to place to pray Anywhere at any time. Real-life hero Everyone who fights for another day. The courage to rise above your tragedies and allow them to become your triumphs is awe-inspiring. Favorite prayer St. Francis’s Prayer is my blueprint for living: “Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.…” Q&A by Celeste McCauley. Find a longer version at guideposts.org/chrissy-metz For more on this story, see FAMILY ROOM…

“Can you perform a hymn for us next week?” my pastor asked me after Sunday service. “Of course!” I said. The idea, though, made me anxious. I hadn’t performed at church in a long while. Music had always brought me peace and made me feel closer to God. Until six months earlier. After a switch in my thyroid medications, I could no longer find joy in anything. The shift in my meds sent me spiraling into a deep depression. I lost my energy and appetite. Cried often. My piano sat untouched. I tried to go through the motions for my 12-year-old, but when he asked me why I didn’t want to play with him anymore, I vowed to make a change. My doctor took me off the medication, and I…

Johnny Cash never met Queen Elizabeth II, but a mysterious dream about her inspired the title track of his 2002 album, American IV: The Man Comes Around. In an interview with Larry King, Cash remembered the dream and said he encountered the British monarch sitting on the floor of Buckingham Palace. She looked up and said, “Johnny Cash, you’re like a thorn tree in a whirlwind.” The legendary singer-songwriter recalled, “I woke up and thought, What could a dream like this mean? … It kept haunting me, this dream. I kept thinking about it, how vivid it was.” The Man in Black thought the royal pronouncement sounded biblical and found a similar phrasing in the Book of Job. Though Cash wrote many gospel songs, “The Man Comes Around” is one…

“Resistance is futile.” This statement is uttered again and again by the Borg, an alien race, in the movie Star Trek: Generations. Basically, the Borg seek to assimilate all humans into their race and do away with any individuality. Scary stuff. Yet embracing this statement has helped me immensely, even if I’m not much of a Trekkie. Of course, I’m not referring to aliens. I’m talking about resisting temptation. In this season of Lent, many of us will temporarily sacrifice something to honor the ultimate sacrifice made by Jesus on the cross. Maybe you’ve given up coffee or chocolate. Perhaps you plan to forgo gossip or screen time. Do you think it will take all your earthly powers to stick to your goal? Resistance is futile. Sure, it’s possible to…

The line at the pharmacy winow snaked around the corner. I groaned. I pulled out my smartphone, thinking I could check my emails, but there was no reception. I groaned again. My wife and I needed some prescriptions filled before a trip, and we were already running late. (She was in the car, which was all packed.) I settled in for a long wait. Fortunately, I have a strategy for such times: I pray. Many people think prayer is boring. I used to think so myself. But I’ve come to realize that prayer can actually be an antidote to boredom. In fact, prayer makes it possible for us to never be bored again. Try this three-pronged strategy: Pray for those you love The prescriptions were for my wife, who had…

FEEDING OUR FAITH Hope, faith, trusting in what you cannot see. All those things sounded great in church while I was growing up. I had no doubt they’d sustain me when I married at 17. Three years later, standing barefoot in my unheated kitchen, I wasn’t finding it so easy to believe in God’s provision. In fact, it seemed downright impossible. My husband had gone out early that morning in search of a job to replace the one he’d lost. I’d stayed home with our one-year-old son. We had another baby on the way, plus a mortgage and two car payments coming due. I couldn’t even worry about those bills yet. Not with A.J. to feed. We hadn’t told anyone close to us about how bad things were. We wanted…

“I probably say ‘Wow!’ more now than when I was a child.”WILLIAM SHATNER, Star Trek actor, who at 90 became the oldest person to travel to suborbital space, on the wonders and mysteries of life “Exercising our creativity is an act of faith. On every level, in every situation, the act of making something where something did not exist before is in many ways the very definition of faith.”JULIA CAMERON, artist and author of The Artist’s Way “At some point, you just have to let go of what you thought should happen and live in what is happening.”MARIA SHRIVER, journalist “I love the saying ‘Good timber doesn’t grow with ease; the stronger wind, the stronger trees.’”APOLO ANTON OHNO, speed skater and the most decorated U.S. Winter Olympian in history, with eight…

I woke to darkness and lay in bed going over the busy day ahead of me. Finally I got up and flicked on the light switch—nothing happened. I checked my phone. No Wi-Fi, no data. With our spotty cell service, there was no way of knowing if we had received outage alerts or school cancellation emails. I grabbed a sweater and went downstairs, found a flashlight and a match to light the gas stove, then boiled water to brew coffee. Out the window, the falling snow obscured the sunrise. Snowdrifts covered the road. My work meetings and deadlines, my sons’ classes and tests, my husband’s plans—everything would have to wait. God, why did this happen today of all days? I asked. Thankfully, the woodstove was still going strong. I took…

I scanned the shelves of the department store, searching for a glint of silver. “Lord, guide me to the right gift,” I asked. It was July 1970, and my in-laws’ twenty-fifth wedding anniversary was just around the corner—their silver anniversary. Though I’d married into the family only 10 months earlier, I had been nominated to shop for a gift on behalf of the children. It made sense. My new husband was overseas with the U.S. Navy. One brother-in-law and his wife were college students, busy with schoolwork. The other two siblings were still in high school. We had pooled our money, discussed our options and decided that all we could afford was a pair of silver salad tongs. As I walked the aisles, something caught my eye. A silver water…

Ever wonder what it’s like to be a Starbucks barista? It’s hard work! I started serving coffee at Starbucks 10 years ago. I was 57. My first day on the job, I was so exhausted and confused by the fancy coffee names, I wanted to quit. In fact, I thought about quitting at least 20 times those first months. Every time, my manager convinced me to stay. Besides, my husband, Al, and I needed the money. And the health insurance. Starbucks is nonstop. There’s always a line. Customers are in a hurry. They want their coffee just right. Every drink is handcrafted. “Like that,” people will say, flashing some TikTok video with a crazy coffee combination. Doesn’t matter how long it takes, we make it. There are bathrooms to clean,…

I was scrolling through Instagram when I saw it. A picture of my friends Brian and Allison. On Allison’s left hand gleamed a diamond engagement ring. A quote from the prophet Jeremiah about “plans to give you hope and a future” completed the message. Brian and Allison were getting married. I felt heartsick. The post was from my friend Brian Sanchez. For 20 years, Brian had been married to my best friend, Tammy. When Tammy died of breast cancer, part of me died too. I was still grieving three and a half years later. How could Brian be moving on? Tammy was more than a best friend. I’d trusted her with all my secrets. We’d raised our kids and prayed together. Planned to grow old together. Brian was a great…

I stared out the window above my desk and blinked twice in disbelief. “Can’t be the same dog,” I said out loud. But as I squinted through the blinding February snowstorm, trying to get a better look, something told me, That’s the same dog. With the wind chill, it was 35 below zero that morning. Whatever animal was huddled by my gate, I knew I couldn’t let it stay out there. I grabbed my parka, cap and gloves and walked toward the door. Both of my border collies got up from their places by the woodstove and followed. They didn’t like to stay outside in this weather for long, but loved to take short romps out into the yard, blasting across my acre on Blue Mountain, chasing any birds…

I walked out of my house that Sunday last June carefully carrying my newest culinary creation—blackberry jam cake with caramel icing—to my daughter Cathy’s car for the drive to the Virginia/Kentucky District Fair, where I’ve been entering my food and crafts since the early 1980s. Cathy had the trunk of her Camry filled to the top with my canned corn, peaches, spaghetti sauce, sauerkraut, jellies and pickles. I put my quilt entry in a hard plastic tote. We found a spot for my three fudges and peach pie. Making sure everything fit securely was like a giant game of Jenga. “We’re all set, Mama,” Cathy said as she shut the trunk. “Now drive real slow,” I told her. Those 17 miles to the fairgrounds might be the most challenging part…

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you in due time. 1 Peter 5:6 Lent is here, those 40 days leading up to Easter (not counting Sundays). It has traditionally been a time of fasting, of giving up something mundane to focus on something bigger. I’ll never forget when my wife gave up worrying for Lent—just as our two college-aged sons set out on a trip through some dangerous areas. Now that was challenging. And humbling. Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free…? Isaiah 58:6 A Lenten fast, as this verse reminds us, doesn’t have to be about forgoing chocolate and sweets. You…

God answered my many prayers for a new job. I’d been searching for eight months. In the midst of the darkest time, he opened the door bright and fast! —ANGELA Thank you, Lord, for giving me the words to use when delivering a difficult message to my cousin. —ELIZABETH God has blessed us in the move we’re making, and we thank him for that. We are safe. —JOHN My wife received some promising news about her cancer this week. She still has a long way to go, but we know that God answers prayers. Thank you all for praying. —C From our readers and website visitors. Send your answered prayer to submissions@guideposts.org.…

People Helping People Giving to others is such an important expression of faith. As we give to others, we better understand our call to “love one another as our selves.” Find powerful stories of giving at guideposts.org/people helping-people. Answered Prayers We don’t know what spurs God to answer prayer, but learning how people’s prayers were answered can strengthen our faith and offer us hope. Read true accounts at guideposts.org/answered-prayers. Shop With Us! Find inspiration, find faith—find Guideposts. Shop our best sellers and favorites at guideposts.org/shop. Reach Out We value your loyalty. Customer Service is here to answer your questions or comments as well as help you manage your account and subscriptions. Contact us at guideposts.org/ecares. Subscribe Get even more inspiring GUIDEPOSTS stories sent right to your in-box! From celebrity exclusives…

Before devoting his life to ministry, Scott Hilgendorff (Cowboys of the Cross, page 24) was a journalist at one of Canada’s largest media companies. What steered him toward pastoring? “When everything you learn about following Jesus is how serious it is to be taken, there was only one thing I could do, which was walk away from my traditional life and comforts,” Scott says. He left his job and began traveling by van “on a shoestring budget” to rodeos. He has since led cowboy church in Ontario, Canada, and across the north-and southeastern United States. Besides leading services, Scott writes devotions on topics such as blessings and forgiveness. “I look at issues the cowboy community is facing, such as the struggle to build good relationships, and teach through those issues,”…

SPIRITUAL ARMOR For more than 30 years, my husband, Bill, enjoyed reading Daily Guide posts—now known as Walking in Grace—every morning. He considered the devotional as spiritual armor he put on each new day, often using it in the Bible class he taught. At the end of every year, instead of getting rid of the books, he kept them. I assumed it was because he wanted to reread them. In 2021, Bill died of Covid. Since his passing, I’ve been going through his copies of Daily Guideposts. I feel so blessed to read and hold a book he held and read, including the last day he was home before I took him to the emergency room. To see the page marked and know that it was the last scripture Bill…

Another long, frustrating day teaching high school English via Zoom. I peeled my sticky legs off the faux leather chair in the cramped back room of my house. Well, I got through it. Late August, only two weeks into the semester, and I was ready to pack it in. After 27 years in education, I didn’t need this aggravation. I pulled up my work email. There was a message from a woman whose name I didn’t recognize: Gigi Shepherd. Was she a new teacher’s aide? “Please tell me how I can join your classes.” I don’t think so. I’d never done any co-teaching. And I certainly wasn’t interested in doing it now with some interloper. Online education was enough of a struggle. Technology was definitely not my strength. I’d started…

I woke up smiling. On this day, 41 years ago, my husband, Jeff, and I promised to love and cherish each other till death do us part. It was our forty-first wedding anniversary! Who could forget our wonderful fortieth anniversary celebration last year? The fortieth is the ruby anniversary. Our four children and eight grandchildren gathered at our favorite Italian restaurant. Delicious food, funny and affectionate toasts, a scrumptious cake. Jeff gave me a ruby drop necklace. Just magical. This morning, I reached for my sweet man to give him an anniversary kiss. He was already out of bed. I smelled coffee. Of course! He was bringing me coffee in bed. I settled back on the pillows and waited. And waited. I heard kitchen noises, but they didn’t sound like…

1 stick butter1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk4 cups white sugar1 cup packed brown sugar1 (7-ounce) jar marshmallow crème1 teaspoon vanilla extract1 (16-ounce) jar peanut butter 1. In large pot, melt butter. Add evaporated milk and sugars; stir until blended. 2. Cook over medium heat until mixture comes to a full boil; boil for 7 minutes, stirring all the time. 3. Remove from heat; add marshmallow crème, vanilla and peanut butter. Stir until mixed well. 4. Pour into buttered 13 x 9-inch pan. Refrigerate until firm. Cut into squares.…

WHO HE IS William Dunn is the founder of Take a Kid Fishing, Inc., a nonprofit organization in Lakeland, Florida, that mentors underprivileged and fatherless kids through the sport of fishing. A dozen years ago, William noticed his six-year-old neighbor, Camran, seemed angry. He’d storm out of the house, shouting at his mom. One day, William saw the boy outside and started a conversation. Camran shared that his dad wasn’t in his life. William asked Camran’s mom for permission to take fishing. Camran was “hooked” from that first trip. The two fished together several times a week, and William saw positive changes in Camran’s behavior. “That’s when I realized that God was calling me to help fatherless kids,” he says. Soon William was teaching Camran’s friends and other kids in…