Índex per January 2016 a Guideposts

Americans celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., as a great civil-rights leader. He was also one of the great speakers of our time. Revisit Dr. King’s most inspiring words at guideposts.org/mlkquotes. A Good Woman Actress Meagan Good says, “God is in every part of my life.” She shares in our exclusive video why prayer is vital to her marriage and why she always roots for the underdog. guideposts.org/mgood Have a Positive 2016! Want to live more positively in 2016? Go straight to the source, the father of positive thinking, Norman Vincent Peale, at guideposts.org/nvpquotes. Inspire Your New Year… With empowering and uplifting Bible verses. See our selection at guideposts.org/2016verses.…

THE LIGHT OF FORGIVENESS Forgiven, by Earl Smith (no relation), was the first story I turned to in the July 2015 Guideposts. As a chaplain at San Quentin State Prison, Earl came face-to-face with the man who had tried to kill him— and forgave him. It held my attention from the first word to the last. I correspond with a few inmates I met through a volunteer program. I had a feeling that Earl’s words would be as nourishing to their souls as it was to mine. I made copies and sent them off in my next round of letters. My pen pals were equally inspired. One wrote that he could see it having a positive ripple effect—Earl says in the last paragraph that by forgiving his shooter, he helped…

Last month I wrote about how nothing summons up nostalgia like memories of Christmases past. That’s not a bad thing. Nostalgia, even when bittersweet, helps us recognize our blessings. It helps us look back and see how God has touched our lives, the gifts we have received along the way. But now it’s January. Time to look forward! First up is our new monthly editorial series, Building Stronger Families. Throughout 2016 we’ll feature stories of families that have overcome the pressures of the modern world to grow closer and stronger. In our first piece, Our Radical Sabbatical, page 34, an overscheduled young family of six takes a yearlong break from outside activities to rediscover the joys of home life…but not without some initial challenges. Find out how they overcame them…

SHARING THE COMFORT For too long I’d clung to a bad relationship. Finally I’d found the courage to leave. I knew I was doing the right thing, the only thing, but that didn’t make it any easier. It had been a long time since I’d faced life alone. What if I’d made a mistake? What if a bad relationship was better than no relationship? Could I survive the loneliness? I begged God to give me a sign that I’d be all right. One afternoon I was wandering through a thrift store, wondering if I’d ever find comfort. I picked out a few secondhand books and paid for them. When I turned to leave, I felt something under my foot. I looked down and saw a tiny gold cross. I picked…

I was convinced that being baptized as an adult, at age 30, gave me special protection. And I wouldn’t even have been at the Downtown Church of Christ if God hadn’t saved me from a life-threatening reaction to medication. As the preacher, Brother Julian Snell, immersed me in the baptismal waters, I felt enveloped by God’s love, a feeling that has stayed with me for nearly 25 years now. Especially last August, when I needed it more than ever. I was in a car accident. It was my fault. I was crossing a four-lane highway and never saw the vehicle approaching in the far lane. The impact to my white 2000 Buick LeSabre sent me to the hospital with a sprained neck and bad bruising where the seat belt had…

1ST IN A SERIES NEW YEAR’S EVE. MY FRIEND Kim and I fixed snacks in the kitchen at her house while our husbands watched football and the kids played video games. Kim and I were playing our own game. We called it Busy Mom Poker. “I’ll see you basketball practices on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays; three dozen homemade cupcakes for the school bake sale; and three kids on swim team,” Kim said. “I’ll raise you soccer practice for Grace,” I countered; “Little League for David; Meghan’s music lessons; me working graveyard shift at the police department; and Samuel—oh, that’s right, his soccer season just ended. But sign-ups for next year are coming up!” We laughed. But our laughter was hollow. I knew Kim felt just as strung out as I…

MY HUSBAND, PETER, AND I love coffee. Good coffee, the kind you grind just before you brew it, so all the complex flavors of the beans waft up as you take that first perfect sip of the morning. The prep time is no hassle. I love the ritual of it, the way it slows me down and helps me to savor the promise of a new day. A few years ago, that ritual was more than pleasure. It was my lifeline. Measuring beans, grinding them, pouring the water—I could stay on top of that. Everything else in our family was falling apart. Peter had been in a car accident. Another driver broadsided him as he waited at a stop sign. By the time I reached the accident site, Peter was…

‘‘ I get nervous a lot. But every time I think I can’t do something, I actually want to do it.” actress JESSICA CHASTAIN “In times of hardship, you have to stop asking God, ‘Why?’ and ask, ‘What next?’” submitted by Guideposts reader LELA COOPER, of Waco, Texas “Why do we close our eyes when we pray, cry, kiss or dream? Because the most beautiful things in life are not seen but felt by the heart.” actor DENZEL WASHINGTON “It’s impossible to sprint into the providential arms of what is ahead…if we continue to trip on what is behind.” author JASON VERSEY “The stars we are given. The constellations we make.” from Storming the Gates of Paradise, by REBECCA SOLNIT “Clear your stuff. Clear your mind.” ERIC M. RIDDLE, author…

HAPPIEST BIRTHDAY I love birthdays because I get to celebrate with my twin, Rachael. But last year, she couldn’t make it to our family’s party. All the joy went out of the big day for me. Until I sensed God telling me to give my birthday away. My first stop was the finest bakery in town, where I picked up cupcakes to give to my colleagues. I took some more to friends who are shut-ins. I gave my teenage neighbor, an aspiring writer, a journal. A friend who likes to write thank-you notes got colorful gel pens and pretty cards. I brought a big bag of miniature candy bars to a nursing-home patient who had sold her belongings yet still wanted to give to her neighbors—she made a lot of…

PEOPLE SOMETIMES ASK WHO my hero is. I’m an actress and I would love to someday play a hero. If I do, I’ll have the perfect role model: my mother, Tyra Wardlow. So much of how I live my life comes from growing up watching Mom stay strong in the face of adversity and make sacrifices for the people she loves. Here are some of the most important lessons I’ve learned from my mom, my real-life hero. RISE ABOVE YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES. Mom married a military man and had her first child at 19—my brother, Colbert. At 18 months old, he was a bright toddler—curious, playful, already putting words together in sentences. One day he got such a high fever that he went into convulsions. He was rushed to the base…

IT WAS MY HUSBAND WHO SUGGEsted it. “Why don’t I take you to your high school reunion? That should be fun.” Lately my world had shrunk. A spirit of discontent seemed to shadow me. Gene was in his early eighties, I in my late seventies. Most days we stayed home. My energy level was low because of three autoimmune conditions. I didn’t bother to dress or do my face or hair. I read a lot. Gene watched the news. Our rescued cats, Girl Friend and Gracie, would settle down with us in the living room, Gracie on her blue heating pad. They were old too. My sixtieth reunion? I’d just feel older. Nevertheless I answered, “Okay. Thanks.” I wasn’t sure why, but “Okay” was what came out. We drove to…

“A bride who had a destination wedding in Jamaica ordered ‘Jamaican Me Crazy’ to give her guests,” says Carol Allston-Stiles (Strong Brew, page 44) about the customized party favors she creates featuring Pike Creek Coffee roasted by her husband, Peter. Carol designs labels featuring wedding colors, a favorite Bible verse, photos and other details. The company offers a wide variety of flavors—both with and without caffeine. “Often decaf is only available in flavors like vanilla or hazelnut. But we offer decaf blueberry-cinnamon crumble, decaf maple bacon, decaf bananas Foster and many more,” Carol says. She and Peter have also added green coffee beans to their stock, for people who would like to roast their own at home. For coffee fans who want to stock up, regular-sized bags are available both…