Índex per October 2019 a Guideposts

Lately I’ve become a bit obsessed by accounts of a little blue Arctic fox who traveled a mind-blowing 2,175 miles across open sea ice in just 76 days in her quest for a new home to start a family. Researchers in Norway had attached a pink satellite transmitter to the young female to study her local migration patterns. Boy, were they in for a surprise. They theorize that changes in climate forced the vixen to seek an improved habitat for mating and feeding her young. So off she went, all the way to Canada, where the transmitter finally petered out. In one day alone, she covered an astonishing 96 miles. Scientists at first thought the intrepid fox had been picked up by a boat but soon realized there was no…

WRITE ON, MATEY! Since getting out of the Army, I’ve gotten involved with a number of veterans groups. I’ve avoided the ones that organize outdoors activities, though, because I did enough of those while serving. Which made me glad that the local chapter of the Travis Manion Foundation, a veterans group that focuses on character building, teamed up with Story Pirates, an education nonprofit, for Story Love. Story Pirates cast members visit schools to help kids write stories and then act out a few of those stories. To make sure no one feels left out, even if their story isn’t performed, volunteers write an encouraging note to every participant through the Story Love program. That’s right up my alley! The Travis Manion Foundation’s Story Love nights are a blast. The…

I STAND ON THE BRIDGE ABOVE the freezing, roaring river. I am out of options, the enemy closing in on me from each direction. The only way out is down. To jump into the swirling rapids below. The way to safety, to freedom. Or to death. I look to the left, look to the right and then do what I always do, ask God for help. Then I jump. “Cut!” I play abolitionist Harriet Tubman—a woman of great courage, strength and faith—in the movie Harriet. Taking on the role was a leap in and of itself. A leap of faith. Most of us know the story. Harriet Tubman made multiple trips into slave-owning territory and brought out some 70 enslaved people on what was called the Underground Railroad, even though…

RAISING THE ROOF My daughter, Sandy, and I decided to move in together. We wouldn’t have room for two households’ worth of stuff. A yard sale was the obvious solution. I’d sell my furniture, and we’d use hers. “We can donate the money we earn to the church,” Sandy said as we set up everything outside my house the morning of the sale. “I asked God to help us raise around $350. That would help pay for a new roof.” Along with the furniture, we had a wide selection of books in good condition, jewelry and kitchen items for sale. And that was before my friend Alma arrived with some items of her own: an upholstered rocking chair and five pairs of children’s shoes. Folks stopped by all day. The…

Some people are surprised to learn that it is possible to become addicted to gambling. In fact, research shows that the biological basis of all addictions is the same. The brains of addicts respond identically, no matter what triggers their particular addiction. Treatment professionals call addictions to gambling and other behaviors process-based because they are triggered by the everyday processes of life. Such addictions can be especially challenging because it is hard to avoid the cause of the addiction. You can buy a lottery ticket in any gas station or convenience store in America. If you suspect a behavioral addiction in yourself or a loved one, the first step is honestly admitting the problem. Confronting someone about gambling is especially hard because money is a sensitive subject. It’s better to…

MY FRIEND AND classmate at North Schuylkill Junior Senior High School, Tori Lindenmuth, and I needed to put together a graduation project. We met to brainstorm and ran through what other seniors had done in the past—volunteering their time at animal shelters and collecting canned goods for food pantries. We wanted to do something different. My mom was helping us research possible options when she came across Guideposts Comfort Kits. “What about these?” she said. Guideposts Comfort Kits are unique care packages for sick or injured children. They come with a star stuffed toy, a coloring book, stickers and more. They’re usually given to children in hospitals to help them cope with fear and stress. That’s perfect, I thought, but with this twist: Instead of bringing Comfort Kits to hospitals,…

“Friendship is our daily special.”singer JON BON JOVI, who founded the JBJ Soul Kitchen, where patrons can make a nominal donation or volunteer in exchange for a three-course meal “‘Finding yourself’ is not how it works. You aren’t a 10-dollar bill in last winter’s coat pocket… ‘Finding yourself’ is actually returning to yourself, remembering who you were before the world got its hands on you.”ELLEN McDOWELL, artist “I love team sports. It’s a great example of selflessness that I think is really pleasing to God.”TOBIN HEATH, forward for the 2019 World Cup champions U.S. women’s soccer team “When we feed our faith, we starve our doubts.”CHRISTINE CAINE, author of Undaunted: Daring to Do What God Calls You to Do “No one will be remembered for what they just planned to…

My grandma had been my world when I was growing up. She practically raised me. I can still recall sun-tinted afternoons spent watching her nimble fingers sew and hem clothes, surrounded by the scent of her signature lilac perfume—and by her love. “I’ll always be with you,” she told me before she died, her hands clasped in mine. “If you ever need me, just call out.” Now I was a mom, and I needed her more than ever. My one-year-old son, Adam, was sick. And no one at the hospital could tell us what was wrong. It had started small. An upset tummy. I wasn’t too worried. Babies’ immune systems aren’t fully developed. But it only got worse. Adam grew listless. By the time we took him to the hospital,…

Looking for a way to serve your community after retirement, as Marilyn DeLisle Strube does? We talked to Kristin Fox, director of Senior Companions of South Dakota, whose grant is sponsored by the Good Samaritan Society, about how seniors can make a difference in others’ lives through Senior Corps programs: What is Senior Corps? It’s a nationwide network of service programs for people 55 and older. Through its three main programs—Senior Companions, Foster Grandparents and RSVP—volunteers address needs and improve lives in their communities. Find out more at nationalservice.gov. How do Senior Corps volunteers make a difference? Senior Companions offer friendship and help with daily tasks to older adults, allowing them to live independently. “Our Companions take clients to the grocery, doctor’s appointments, the salon,” Fox says. “Some volunteers do…

Contributing Editor IT RISES LIKE A MANY-PEAKED mountain from the heart of the city. Caverns on its steep slopes hold Bible scenes. Birds, plants, frogs and insects inhabit this landscape too. It’s the Basilica de la Sagrada Familia—the Church of the Holy Family—in Barcelona, Spain. And it’s one of Europe’s biggest tourist attractions. I stood in a long line, clutching my ticket, waiting in the hot sun to be admitted. When I was inside at last, the heat and the wait were forgotten. The vast interior pulsed with light in a thousand shades. With each step, breathtaking vistas opened, immense columns branching like trees in an otherworldly forest. All of it based on the vision of an astonishing genius, Antoni Gaudí. In downtown Barcelona on June 7, 1926, a shabbily…

I GOT SETTLED IN MY HOME OFFICE and opened a new Word document on my computer, eager to get started on my next magazine article. I’d typed only a few words when my cell phone chirped. A new text message. Jordan, my middle son, asked if I could fold the basket of clean clothes in his room. “I have work tonight, so I won’t have time to do it myself.” He thinks I have all the time in the world, I thought. Still, I grabbed the clothes and started folding. I’d just finished Jordan’s laundry when my oldest son, Austin, texted. “Are you busy tomorrow? I need someone to drive me home after I take my car to the mechanic.” Because I’m never busy, I thought, but I texted back,…

Advanced Hearing Aid Technology Doctors love MDHearingAids® for the same reasons patients do. These FDA-registered, medical-grade hearing aids have the same high-tech features found in more expensive hearing aids at a fraction of the cost. “MDHearingAids are better than expensive clinic hearing aids, which cost thousands more,” says retired physician Dr. Robert A. “I have had five pairs of expensive hearing aids and MDHearingAids are just as good,” adds retired neurosurgeon Dr. Brian L. Doctors Are Tired of Watching Their Patients Waste Money on Over-Priced Clinic Hearing Aids MDHearingAids are the best value on the market, says Dr. Clarke: “I’m a physician, and I know how much people spend on health care. They should get the best value, and this product is just as effective (if not more) than traditional…

Years of work by innovative engineers have resulted in a mobility device that’s truly unique. They created a battery that provides powerful energy at a fraction of the weight of most batteries. The Zinger features two steering levers, one on either side of the seat. The user pushes both levers down to go forward, pulls them both up to brake, and pushes one while pulling the other to turn to either side. This enables great mobility, the ability to turn on a dime and to pull right up to tables or desks. The controls are right on the steering lever so it’s simple to operate and its exclusive footrest swings out of the way when you stand up or sit down. With its rugged yet lightweight aluminum frame, the Zinger…

A“ whole new world opened up for Todd when he got Groot,” says Karla McIntyre (Locked In, page 16), of her husband’s service Great Dane. Being confined to a walker made it hard for Todd to do simple things like walk on grass. Todd got his new best friend three years to the day after his stroke. Karla later sent her Bichon, Arctic, to Groot’s trainer to help with her own PTSD. “I worry about Todd getting sick again,” Karla says. She and Arc-tic joined the Go Team, a nationwide group of therapy, crisis and airport dogs and their handlers. Karla and Arctic visited Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood after the 2018 Tree of Life Synagogue shooting with a Go Team. Karla named her Bichon after her travel goals. “My dream…

“I attend every police academy induction and graduation. On both occasions, I give the recruits a copy of Guideposts. The quotes in The Up Side motivate them through their training and as they start their careers.”CAPT. JIM OCCHIPINTI, Ocean County law enforcement chaplain, West Creek, New Jersey For more information on Guideposts’ outreach programs, visit guideposts.org/helping-others, write to GUIDEPOSTS FOUNDATION, 39 Old Ridgebury Road, Suite 27, Danbury, CT 06810 or e-mail us at outreach@guideposts.org.…

PATH MADE CLEAR While downsizing to a smaller home, I found a journal entry dated October 24, 2000. Back then, we lived in Los Angeles. My husband, Wick, was an attorney, while I worked for an investment management company. But we had each just received a master’s degree in crosscultural studies from Fuller Theological Seminary and were considering three offers: missionary work in South America, ministering in Japan or working at a seminary near Pittsburgh. Any option would take us far from family and significantly reduce our income. Should we go? The October 2000 Guideposts featured two stories about big moves. Rick Torrence wrote about his family’s move from New York to Illinois. Kathie Kania learned to appreciate a new environment. Both authors knew God blessed their moves. We took…