Table of contents for Dec/Jan 2024 in Guideposts

For this issue, I was asked to contribute an Up Side quote from my new book, A Journey of Faith. I submitted a short passage that started, “God’s love is ineffable.” “You can’t use the word ineffable,” I was told. It was already taken. I needed another quote. What? The word ineffable was…ineffable? Turns out, the devotion by Sabra Ciancanelli we were featuring in this issue, excerpted from our best-selling daily devotional Walking in Grace, was actually about the word ineffable. If Sabra weren’t one of my favorite Walking in Grace writers, I might be a little jealous of her inventiveness. We devotional writers are always searching for those moments in everyday life that reveal a simple spiritual truth. In Sabra’s devotion (page 23), a joyous bike ride leads to…

CROCHET KINDNESS Like to crochet? Want to spread happiness in your community? Join Random Acts of Crochet Kind-ness USA! We’re a group of crafters who crochet cute, small items and leave them in public to be found. We crochet animals, angels, flowers—really anything that would make someone smile. (Other examples include positive potatoes, key chain crosses and dancing cacti.) We tuck them in baggies, then put them in places such as playgrounds, shop-ping centers, libraries and parks for folks to find. An inspirational note in the baggie lets the finder know the item is theirs to keep and that we hope it brightens their day. Our members enjoy getting creative with the items they make. Around Christmastime, they use yarn in festive colors, then hide tiny, crocheted stockings, ornaments and…

A TOUCH OF GOD’S LOVE I take my holiday preparations seriously. Well before Christmas, before Thanksgiving even, I start getting my house in order. I wash the curtains and shampoo the carpets. I even touch up any spots where the paint needs brightening. You might be surprised at my focusing on these details when there are so many important things to do for the holidays. Who has time for paint touch-ups when there are turkey dinners to cook, gifts to buy and wrap and trees to trim? But these little things are important to me, so I’ve never minded making the extra effort. One November afternoon, I made my way down to the basement in search of a particular can of paint. I’d noticed some woodwork in the dining room…

Plenty of mystery surrounds Brooklyn’s monk parrots, and there is no shortage of theories. After my encounter I had to learn more. I visited brooklynparrots.com, a website dedicated to documenting the birds. It’s run by Steve Baldwin, a writer and Brooklyn buff who for many years led free “wild parrot safari” tours. The likeliest explanation is that Green-Wood Cemetery’s parrots descend from birds that arrived at Kennedy Airport from South America around 1968. Destined for sale as pets, they were accidentally released. They migrated west from Queens into Brooklyn, where the parrots established a colony on a college campus and another at Green-Wood. The parrots are able to survive New York winters because they hail from Argentina, where winters can be harsh. If anyone could explain what makes these birds…

“The only things that we can truly give to each other are the only things that we truly need—an ear to listen, a heart to care, a word of encouragement and a hand to help.” JIMMY CARTER, on gathering at Christmas “We behold it in a sunflower tracking the sun across the sky; the rise and fall of the tides, mirroring the lunar cycle; and birds nesting in perfect step with the seasons. Every single rhythm is an echo of God’s voice. Stop and listen to what’s around you.” MICHAEL GUILLEN, physicist and writer “The gift is in the giving.” ROBIN ROBERTS, journalist “You will find what you’re looking for. If you look for fear, you’re going to find it. If you look for stuff to bum you out, you’ll…

For years, I thought my family name was my destiny. Hemingway. Hear that and you probably think of my grandfather Ernest, one of the great writers of the twentieth century. Or of my sister Margaux and me, the actresses. I made my movie debut at age 14 and was nominated for an Oscar three years later. A celebrated clan of creative people. Hear Hemingway and you might also think of darker things. Drinking and drug use. Depression. Dysfunction. A troubled family history that I lived in fear of repeating. That fear drove me for a long time. Slowly, through prayer and study, through the daily practice of healthy habits, I’ve learned that the dysfunction of our past doesn’t have to determine our future. And that it’s never too late to…

Then he said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven.” —MATTHEW 18:3 (NLT) This morning, I jumped on my bike and pedaled down the road. It’s a route I’ve traveled hundreds of times since I was young. As I coasted down Jenny’s Hill, named after the woman who lived there some 40 years ago, I took my feet off the pedals and straightened my legs, balancing and swerving, whooshing down the bumpy hill as I’d done as a child. I felt ineffable joy. Perhaps it was being on the same road I grew up on, coasting down the same hill, that gave me the feeling of being a kid again—that wonderful, wordless excitement…

In the year since Deidra Keener (Two Sisters, One Dream, page 46) and her sister, Yolanda Bledsoe, opened their bakery, Two Sisters Sweet Creations, connecting with and giving back to their DeSoto, Texas, community have remained central to what they do. They regularly donate cakes and other treats for faculty appreciation at local schools. When a teacher lost her home in a house fire, they provided everyday essentials to the family. The sisters speak at career fairs and host student tours of the bakery to encourage entrepreneurship. At Christmastime, they’ve had shoes, gloves, socks, toys and other items available and invited customers to fill a bag for themselves or someone in need. They’ve also made cakes for some notable people, such as nonagenarian Dr. Opal Lee, who led the movement…

Jesus has shown us that he is still in the healing business. My husband is a walking miracle. Glory to God. —DORINE Thank you, Lord, for moving mountains in my life. Hallelujah! —SANDY I got the news about my new job. Praise our Lord Jesus for this opportunity. I have prayed for it, and it came at the right time. I know that I’m ready for this role because God said yes. Never give up on your dreams. God’s delay is not God’s denial. In his time, you will be blessed. —CHE Thank you, Lord, for the safe and prompt return of our cat, Nigel! —PRISCILLA From our readers and website visitors. Send your answered prayer to submissions@guideposts.org.…

I’ve never forgotten this Christmas story my late wife, Carol, shared with me. I think you’ll see why. —Jack Fris, Johnstown, Pennsylvania My father had passed away in January 1987, and my mother followed the first week of December. No matter how determined I was to make a good Christmas that year for my husband, Jack, and our son, Jackie, the truth was I was only going through the motions. As the sun set pink against the winter sky, I slipped out and paced the sidewalk in front of our house. The full reality of loss hit me. No Gram would invite us for Christmas leftovers; no Pap would laugh at the ties we’d bought him. I felt like a lost child but knew what I needed to do. I…

The seventh of January, and already the excitement of starting a new year had faded. All that seemed to remain of Christmas? A brittle, dried-up balsam tree in a corner of my living room. I took down the ornaments, unraveled the strings of lights and unhooked the star from the top. I pulled the cardboard storage boxes out of the closet and got to work. Yes, the holiday season was over, and I had a serious case of wintertime blues. Bundled in a thick coat and scarf, and a knit wool hat with earflaps, I trudged down my stoop in heavy boots. The New York City Parks Department had been hosting a “Mulch-fest” for 10 years, and this year there was a site at historic Green-Wood Cemetery, just blocks away.…

UPLIFTING UP SIDE Thank you for including an Up Side quote from saxophonist Charles Lloyd in your Feb/Mar 2023 issue. Mr. Lloyd was one of my uncle Larry’s favorite jazz musicians. He saw Mr. Lloyd perform live many times beginning in the late 1960s. In the 1990s, I would accompany Uncle Larry to concerts at the Blue Note in New York City. We even had the privilege of meeting Mr. Lloyd once after a show. What a thrill! My uncle died more than a decade ago. Seeing the quote brought back a flood of wonderful memories. LISA CRAWLEY Greenbelt, Maryland HEALING NUDGE I’ve struggled with depression most of my adult life. The grief, stress and isolation of the pandemic made every day feel like I was losing the battle. One day,…