Page 206 – Guideposts Articles

Growing an Attitude of Gratitude

Posted on March 11, 2026March 12, 2026 by Guideposts.org

Did you know that gratitude has the power to strengthen your immune system? Studies show that grateful people are happier and more optimistic–characteristics that correlate directly to physical health. Gratitude isn’t just something we practice on special occasions (like before that big Thanksgiving dinner); it’s a state of being, a way of life.

So how do you develop an attitude of gratitude? Here are some tips we think might help:

Keep A Gratitude Journal.

You don’t have to write a book, you don’t even have to write in full sentences, but every day, whether it’s while you’re drinking your morning cup of coffee or laying in bed about to turn off the lights, jot down a few things you were grateful for during the day. Maybe the weather was beautiful or you were able to pick up your child from school early and spend more time with them than usual–whatever made you happy, put it in writing so that you can look back, reflect and remember it later.

Be Present.

This may sound easy enough, but living in the moment is a rarity. How many times have you caught yourself thinking about work when spending quality family time at home? Or, how many times have you been caught daydreaming in a meeting, worrying about what’s for dinner or who’s going to pick up the kids from soccer practice? Our bodies may be in one place but our minds can be somewhere completely different. Let’s fix that. The next time you catch yourself worrying or stressing over something that isn’t happening right this minute, remind yourself to stay present. Be in the now. Absorb everything your boss is saying in the boardroom, listen attentively when your child describes their day at school, take a second to just be and see the peace and serenity you feel when doing so.

Help Others.

Find a project you’re passionate about or contact that charity you’ve been meaning to donate to and find out ways you can help others. Lending a helping hand to someone in need is not only an excellent way to remember how blessed you are, but it will give you a sense of purpose and a way to spread joy to others. Give others something else to be grateful for too … you!

Be inspired each day with Daily Guideposts 2019

Create A Gratitude Board.

Who isn’t plugged into Pinterest any moment your computer screen is on? We love Pinterest boards because we can store all of our favorite things on them, recipes, hairstyles, dream vacations, remodeling projects, they’re all there at the click of a mouse. So why not create a gratitude board you can go to for inspiration when being thankful isn’t coming as easily as you’d like. Start a board and fill it with motivational quotes, scriptures reminding you how blessed you are. Try to stay away from the materialistic and instead focus on the intangible: love, family, trust, faith. Go to it whenever you need a pick me up in the gratitude attitude department.

Share The Love.

Another great way to practice an attitude of gratitude is to express how thankful you are for the things in your life. Tell your wife or husband how much you love them, how much you appreciate all that they do for the family. Talk with your kids, share what you think makes them special and unique and why you’re grateful to have them in your life. Send a short email to your co-worker, thanking them for their help with that difficult project or for taking some of the workload when you called out sick last week. Chances are there are plenty of people you’re grateful for in your life, start letting them know just how important they are.

Don’t Compare.

Comparison is definitely the thief of joy, but it’s also human nature. People compare in order to assure themselves that they’re doing a good job. But constantly trying to keep up with the Joneses rarely makes anyone happier (not even the Joneses). Instead of trying to make sure you have the flashiest car, the nicest wardrobe or the biggest house, look at the things you have that can’t be bought.

Find A Healthy Balance.

It would be easy to say that having an attitude of gratitude means never uttering another complaint again. There are plenty of challenges we could issue, like try going 21 days without complaining about something, to get you to practice the habit. But realistically, sooner or later, something will pop up that you’ll just have to grumble about. That’s okay. Life isn’t perfect and neither are people. There will be days where bad things happen and the only way to deal with them is to vent your frustration. But when you’re done complaining about getting another parking ticket, the mindboggling amount of traffic on your work commute or how your barista didn’t make your coffee the right way, take a minute and remind yourself of something you’re thankful for. Equal out the negative with a positive and end on a good note. Life is about balance and we can’t be grateful for the good if we don’t acknowledge the not-so-good every once in a while.

Greetings from Small-Town America: Hobart, New York

Posted on March 11, 2026March 12, 2026 by Aline Alexander Newman

You’ve heard the saying “It takes a village….” There’s no better example than Hobart, New York, with its whopping eight used bookstores. (Not bad for a community of 351.) Clustered on Main Street, the shops form a unique literary path in the northern Catskills.

Hobart was a “ghost town” when retired piano teacher and furniture restorer Don Dales moved there in 1999. Hoping to revitalize the village, he bought empty storefronts and offered merchants a year of free rent.

The Daily Bible Large Print relaunch with digital free gift in article ad

In 2001, Manhattan bibliophiles Bill Adams, a physician, and his wife, Diana, a lawyer, drove through town. They needed somewhere to store their hundreds of books. When a cheap Hobart rental (not one of Don’s) caught Bill’s eye, the couple impulsively signed a lease. They came up on weekends and fell for the bucolic beauty.

Within months, they bought a house. That summer, they opened Wm. H. Adams’ Antiquarian Books, showcasing classics and rare, collectible first editions. Their first book sold was on the Celts. “We didn’t have another sale for months,” Diana recalls.

Don, meanwhile, was faring no better. In conversations with Bill and Diana, he worried that he couldn’t rent his buildings. The couple mentioned Hay-on-Wye, a village in Wales famous for its 19 bookshops.

Inspired, Don became a bookseller. He runs Quarry Books, specializing in mysteries and science fiction. The shop operates on the honor system: Customers use the cash box or the credit card device to pay.

When Creative Corner Books opened, a hub for cooks and crafters, Diana gave it her everyday cookbooks. “Everyone has a specialty,” she says. “But we work together.” Booksellers have keys to each other’s shops, coordinate hours and have made Hobart a travel destination.

Retired college professors Barbara Balliet and Cheryl Clarke took note. “The fact that stores were working cooperatively, and there was a vision, drew us here,” Barbara says. They opened Blenheim Hill Books in 2009. After a fire destroyed half of their stock of poetry, women’s studies and picture books, they got “so much community support,” it affirmed their decision to come to Hobart.

Liberty Rock Books, named for a Revolutionary War lookout, launched in 2013. Owners John and James Mahoney, an artist and library director respectively, and Tom Liotta, an Episcopal deacon, curate thousands of volumes, including religious texts. “I think of my bookstore work as a ministry,” says James. He loves discussing books with customers. “They go away smiling. That’s what is most important: sharing the human experience.”

Randi Sussman-Kim of LionEyes-Books thinks of herself as a hunter of quality books on art, philosophy and spirituality. For transportation or sports titles, try More Good Books. History buffs love New York Books & Ephemera, which also offers memorabilia relating to the Empire State.

Each September, the Hobart Festival of Women Writers hosts free public readings, plus writing workshops led by established authors. It’s no wonder people call Hobart “the village that books built.”

Explore more of Hobart’s charming bookstores!

For more inspiring stories, subscribe to Guideposts magazine.

God’s Talking…Are You Listening?

Posted on March 11, 2026March 12, 2026 by Michelle Medlock Adams

When I minister at churches across the country, I usually share stories of how God leads us and directs our lives–sometimes subtly and other times quite boldly.

And when I’m praying with people at the end of the service, I often hear this, “I want to be led by God, but I just don’t hear from him. What am I doing wrong?”

My answer is always the same: "You’re not doing anything wrong–you’re probably just not listening. Stay tuned into God all the time, and you will hear from him. The bible says we should pray without ceasing, so do that. Keep that line of communication open 24/7. He will direct your steps because Proverbs 3:5-6 assures us of that.”

You see, God wants to lead us but we have to submit to him and actively seek his face.

It’s a good idea to pray this every day, “Father, I want your will in my life today and every day, so I am asking that you lead me and guide me down the divine path that you have for me. Don’t let me miss it, Lord. Help me to become more and more sensitive to your leading. In the Mighty Name of Jesus, Amen.”

When you pray that little prayer, expect to hear from God. He may not speak to you in that big, booming Charlton Heston kind of voice, but he will get his message across–sometimes in the most unexpected of ways. That’s exactly what happened to my daughter Allyson’s best friend, Wesley, last week.

A full-time college student, Wes also works nights for an electrician and for the past three months, he has been working at an elementary school in Southern Indiana. Every day he walks up and down the hallways en route to replace another light, passing many decorated bulletin boards along the way.

But on this particular day, one of the decorations on one particular bulletin board caught his attention.

Gerald the Giraffe had this to say: “If you find someone who makes you smile, who checks up on you often to see if you’re okay, who watches out for you and wants the very best for you, don’t let them go. Keep them close and don’t take them for granted. People like that are hard to find.”

Woven into Gerald the Giraffe’s observation was the exact confirmation that Wesley had been seeking. Wes shared this testimony on social media, and he gave me permission to share it with you.

He wrote:

I've been praying a lot lately, asking God for a little bit of guidance, and this little quote just struck a chord in my heart…I haven’t always lived my life by this, and I know for a fact that I’ve taken some people just like this for granted.

But thankfully our God is a God of second chances, and a lot of them have stuck around through everything. So next time God brings someone like this into your life, just remember what Gerald the Giraffe says.

Precious.

I’m sure that Gerald the Giraffe quote had been hanging in that same spot for weeks, but on the day that Wesley prayed for guidance about a particular situation in his life, God caused him to notice that quote, and it brought a sense of overwhelming peace and direction to his life.

I love that, don’t you?

If you’re truly seeking wisdom and direction from God, he will find a way to speak to you. Sometimes, a scripture you’ve read a million times will practically jump off the pages of your bible, providing the insight you need that very day.

Other times, God will cause your pastor to preach on exactly what you’ve been dealing with, causing you to wonder if that sermon was meant just for you. Still, other times, God will use a friend, a family member, or even Gerald the Giraffe to speak to your heart.

Just stay tuned into God, and he will stay tuned into you. With that kind of connection, you’re bound to stay on the course that God has for you. And, if you get off course, he knows just where to find you and exactly how to communicate with you in a way that you can receive it.

So, be aware of God’s leading and receptive to his guidance, and you just might have your “Gerald the Giraffe” moment today, tomorrow or when you most need it.

God’s Promises During Times of Struggle

Posted on March 11, 2026March 12, 2026 by Michelle Cox

I first noticed the tremor 10 years ago. My thumb started quivering. Insistently, nervously, mysteriously. As if my thumb lived on a caffeine drip. With a mind of its own. Almost immediately, I assumed the worst.

My father had died from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS. Am I going to go like he did? I wondered. Is this the first symptom? I combed my hair, and my thumb quivered. When I was putting on the golf course, guess what couldn’t settle down? If I raised my left hand to make a point in a sermon, all I could see was a twitchy thumb.

Dad had been an oil field mechanic. He was used to depending on his hands. One day, he squeezed a screwdriver and noticed something shaky. He diagnosed himself and actually informed the doctor that he had ALS. A certain death sentence. He went into a long slow decline. At the time, I was about to serve as a minister in Brazil and worried sick about him. Dad didn’t want me to stay home. He sent a letter and underlined the key words: “I have no fear of death or eternity.”

You would think that I would have the same sort of confident faith. That I too would be able to lean on the promises of God. “The Lord is with you,” the book of Judges tells us. “In all things God works for the good,” Paul wrote in his letter to the Romans. “In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world,” Jesus says in the Gospel of John.

And yet I put off seeing a doctor about my thumb for a long time. The idea of going was just too scary.

Finally I made an appointment to meet with a neurologist. I entered his office full of dread. The doctor asked me to walk, checked my balance, tapped my knee with a hammer and hammered me with questions. After each one, I thought, This is it. He’s going to deliver the death sentence.

At last the doctor said, “No need to worry.”

“No treatment?”

“Nope.”

“There’s no need for a wheelchair?”

“Nope. The tremor in your thumb is nothing to worry about. I promise.”

I walked out of there and got in the car to drive home. While stopped at a traffic light, I noticed my left hand on the steering wheel. Can you guess what my thumb was doing? Shaking.

For the first time, I had the opportunity to look at the tremor differently. I could ponder the problem, or I could remember the promise. I could choose anxiety, or I could choose hope. I opted for hope. As corny as this might sound, I actually talked to my thumb.

“You’re not getting any more of my attention,” I said to it firmly. “The doctor made me a promise. You are harmless.” From that moment on, each time I noticed my thumb misbehaving, I thought of the promise that the doctor had made me.

My doctor’s promise is reliable. Fear has to take a hike. So it is with the promises of God. Unlike my thumb, those words are unshakable. His promises are better than a lifetime warranty. They will one day carry me into God’s presence.

I spent an hour recently in the office of a cemetery director, pondering over just what death will mean. I looked at a map of all the possible sites for a grave. All of a sudden, I had an idea. “You’ll think I’m crazy,” I said, “but is it possible to record a message for my tombstone? A sort of voice mail from the grave.”

“I’ll check,” he said.

He got back to me a couple of days later. “A recorded message can be encased in the grave marker. It can be played by pressing a button.”

I wrote something down, but I haven’t recorded it yet. Perhaps I can test it with you first. Engraved on the granite stone will be this invitation: “Press for a word from Max.” And then you’ll hear me say, “Thanks for coming by. Sorry you missed me. I’m not here. I’m home. Finally home.”

Shaky thumb and all.

For more inspiring stories, subscribe to Guideposts magazine.

God’s Power and Glory in My Life

Posted on March 11, 2026March 12, 2026 by Shawnelle Eliasen

The same God who crafted creation is at work in my life today.

“There’s a storm coming,” 13-year old Samuel says. We’re in our homeschool classroom, and he’s bent over geometry.

The room has grown darker. The air moving through the windows has changed.

Sam looks up. Something is shining his eyes. “Let’s go outside,” he says. “Let’s sit in the swing and watch the storm roll in.”

The other two boys move from their desks and stand in the window. When they turn around, their smiles pull my heart. “Can we?” they ask.

I look at a stack of books. A full day of lessons. And an evening that holds three different practices for sports if the weather clears. There’s a lot to do and little time. But I give in to their pleas. A moment later, we’re crunched on the swing in the yard. The sky is bruising. Blue gives way to grey. But before I know it, the three boys have moved to the deck. They’re sprawled on their backs.

“Come over, Mom?” they ask.

I join my sons. The deck holds heat from the sun, and it seeps into our shoulders. The sky moves above us. It’s dark. Broody. A stain of clouds scrolls past. I wonder for a moment if we look silly. Stretched on our backs. Watching the sky. But suddenly I don’t care because the wind picks up. Leaves from tall trees catch in currents, and they twist and turn and twirl to the ground.

And I’m moved by the power and glory of God.

The same God who calls the winds and colors the sky is personal and powerful in my life.

For a moment, I’m stilled. This beautiful truth fills me. The Father loved me so much that He sent His Son. His Son removed my sin and gave me life. And the Lord is active and present in my every circumstance. Every trial. Every heartache. He knows the ins and outs and beginnings and ends. His perspective is complete and all-knowing, and He holds me in the center of His hand.

Life struggles, the ones I hold in my heart and press through in my days, lose power in His presence.

And my soul is quiet.

I look to my boys. Their sweet profiles, the wonder on their faces, let me know they’re seeing this glory, too.

We stay that way until raindrops, at first heavy and slow, plink and patter on the deck. By the time we stand and scramble, it’s raining hard. When we reach the patio door, we’re soaked.

We’re changed, too.

Sometimes we need to be still and rest in His glory.

God’s Goodness in the Rain

Posted on March 11, 2026March 12, 2026 by Shawnelle Eliasen

The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you. (Psalm 9:9-10)

“It’s the perfect day, Mom,” Isaiah says.

We’re on the patio. It’s a Sunday, after church. Lonny’s at the grill. They younger boys dart and dash over spring-green grass. The older boys are here, too, gathered around patio tables that are fresh from the shed.

And the sun warms us from the outside in.

We’ve no sooner finished our lunch, though, when the air changes. The breath of summer has changed to an edgy breeze. The sky colors dark. Clouds roll in. Soon we’re grabbing bowls of fruit and potato salad, and we’re bolting for the porch.

And the rain comes. Hard. Pelting over a setting that was moments ago serene.

The little boys and I stand in the window and watch the water wash our world. It hits the window and gushes through gutters. It puddles and pools in the low parts of the yard.

And I hear a few words, in my spirit, as the rain comes down.

God is good. He is present and powerful and good in the rain.

I think about this for a minute, and I understand how this is true of the Lord and how He works in my life. It’s easy to say “God is good” when the sun in on our shoulders. When we have what seek as blessing. When things are going well. We get the job that we want. The car we’ve longed for. When our children succeed, and all is going according to plan.

But the Lord, I’ve seen, is mightily present in life’s rain.

He’s there in the center of the times when clouds roll in and cover and cast darkness over our plans. When a circumstance takes a downturn and we find ourselves standing somewhere we’d never want to be. When sun turns to struggle and strife.

Last week, I had the opportunity to speak to a group of ladies at a local Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS) meeting. They’d invited me to share about a time, three years almost to the day, when my oldest son was trapped in the underground tunnel of a cave. There were more than 20 hours of darkness. For him. For me. But when I think back, the thing I remember the most about it all, was the sweet, sovereign presence of the Lord.

He is good. He is good when things are dark. He is good when life brings rain.

I think it may be possible that during these times, we’re most keen to His Presence. When our arms and hearts and minds are open wide because we’re spiritually heightened–completely aware that He is all that we have and He is enough.

The boys and I watch the rain for a few minutes. There won’t be any more playing outside today. But the ground is being nourished. God is providing. Preparing.

Oh Lord, thank you for being present in the rain.

God’s Gift of Flowers

Posted on March 11, 2026March 12, 2026 by Michelle Cox

April showers bring May flowers. I don’t know about you, but after a long snowy winter, the thought of flowers makes me so happy.

When those first oh-so-wonderful warm days of spring arrive in the mountains of North Carolina where I live, I want to immediately plant flowers on my deck and in my yard. But I’ve learned that I must wait until after Mother’s Day to avoid the risk of late-spring frosts. It kills me when I see all the colorful blooms at our local hardware stores and nurseries, and I have to be patient.

Whistle Stop Cafe In Article Ad May 2023

But now it’s almost time to plant. Those vivid bursts of color will bring me joy all summer, especially when hummingbirds and butterflies zoom in for a taste of nectar.

God’s fingerprints are on all His amazing creation if we’ll just look for them. Flowers are no exception…

Color
Flowers range from vivid reds to soft whites and everything in-between. What could be more beautiful than a sea of bluebonnets, a carpet of multi-hued tulips or miles of sunflowers with all their faces turned upward? They’re all a reminder that He’s a God of great detail—so why should we ever worry that He doesn’t care about the details of our lives when He cared enough to create so many different kinds of flowers?

Sizes and Shapes
There are small flowers like a pansy and bigger blooms like hydrangeas. There are more rounded shapes like daisies and spiky flowers like a gladioli. Each of them is beautiful in its own way. God feels the same about each of us. We might look in the mirror and think we’re ugly, but why should we be so hard on ourselves when the God of the universes looks at us and sees beauty?

Aroma
Oh my, what could be more awesome than the aroma of a rose or a hyacinth? Or the pleasure of sweet honeysuckle or a bush filled with fragrant lilacs? What about the distinctive scent of a carnation or a lily? Each of them brings us pleasure and they’re a great reminder that we bring pleasure to God as well. We’re His blooms and He wants us to blossom so we can share the fragrance of Jesus with a world that so needs that.

It’s time for May flowers, folks! Enjoy those amazing blossoms and don’t forget to look for God’s fingerprints as you admire His handiwork.

God’s Fingerprints in the Snow

Posted on March 11, 2026March 12, 2026 by Michelle Cox

Many of us across the country have been dealing with snowstorm after snowstorm lately. I can’t speak for anybody else, but I know I’m ready to pull my flip-flops out of the closet and sit in the warm sunshine on our deck again. I don’t think that’s going to happen anytime soon.

This week as I’ve contemplated snow (and I’ve had a lot to contemplate), I’ve seen God’s fingerprints in a number of different ways, so I thought I’d share those with you.

Walking with Jesus L&E evergreen_in article ad

I think snow is one of God’s ways to make us slow down. For many folks, it means having a day (or a couple of days) off from work. It seems like families have more time to spend together as they sled, build snowmen, play games and enjoy leisurely meals together.

I’ve enjoyed the news feed on Facebook this week as friends have shared photos and videos of their winter wonderland and of their children bundled in so many coats, gloves, hats and boots that they’re almost unrecognizable.

The smiles on all those little faces–and sometimes big faces–have warmed my heart. God’s snowstorms provide fun and helps us make memories.

One of our biggest snowstorms arrived earlier this week. As I stood in my kitchen looking out the glass doors late one night, it felt like I was inside a snow globe. The snow was falling steadily and piling up quickly.

I opened the door for a few minutes to enjoy God’s handiwork, and I realized something: Snow makes the world go silent, so silent that I could stand there without distractions and worship the God who controls the snowflakes.

Did you know that snow can even taste delightful? A bowl of fresh snow mixed with milk, sugar and a dash of vanilla provides a delightful snow cream.

Snow can be beautiful. It’s a symbol of purity, and I love seeing how the ugly imperfections in my yard become lovely when covered with a blanket of snow.

It always makes me think of that verse, “Wash me and I shall be whiter than snow.” It’s wonderful to visualize how God can take the imperfections of our hearts and turn them into something pure and clean and lovely.

While snow can be beautiful, it can also be dangerous for drivers. I’ve had way too many experiences of sliding out of control on the country roads near our house. It’s not a fun thing to do. Snow can shift our schedules and cancel our plans–providing a reminder that He is God and we are not.

I’ve discovered that slick snowy roads can do wonders for my prayer life, and I’m so grateful for the many times He’s kept us safe through the years.

Snow can also serve as a reminder that He’s a God of great detail. He makes each snowflake unique–just like He made us unique. If God cares enough to make each snowflake one-of-a-kind, why in the world would we ever think that He doesn’t care about the details of our lives?

So next time a snowstorm heads your way, enjoy the beauty of His glistening masterpiece. Stop for a few minutes and see where you can discover His fingerprints in the snow. And then take a moment and thank Him for making your sins as white as snow.

Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow… (Isaiah 1:18a)

God Helps My Garden Grow

Posted on March 11, 2026March 12, 2026 by Peggy Frezon

Oh, how I hated our backyard. No, that’s too weak a word. I loathed that yard.

When my husband, Mike, and I first saw this house one winter years earlier, we were charmed. There was antique wallpaper in every room, natural wood molding, even an old-fashioned pantry just off the kitchen.

But the yard was…so small. No room for a swing set or monkey bars for our kids, Kate and Andy, when they got older. No room for our Lab, Hudson, to play. Can’t have everything, I thought, staring at the snow-covered ground.

Anyway, we loved the house. We’d live in there, not the yard, right? So we decided to go ahead and buy it.

The first warm day after we’d moved in, the kids wanted to go out to play. Winters in upstate New York bring along lots of cabin fever. I wanted to get out and get some fresh air too.

We put on jackets and headed out back. What the…? The snow had melted, leaving one lonely little patch of muddy ground smack in the middle of a sea of asphalt. Who in their right minds would pave over their yard?

“Let’s go to the park instead,” I told Kate and Andy.

Mike thought the yard got too much shade for grass to grow. Granted, it was lined with tall trees, and the garage blocked out the sunlight too. “Well, I don’t care. We’ll try it anyway,” I announced. I seeded that pathetic patch of earth.

The grass never really took, no more than a few scraggly tufts. It looked like the head of a middle-aged man who didn’t even have enough hair for a comb-over.

I tried praying about it, but gave up after a while. What’s the point? I thought. God had bigger fish to fry. Besides, what did I expect? He wasn’t going to change the earth’s orbit just so my crummy yard could get more sunlight. If he didn’t care, I wouldn’t either, I decided.

I began avoiding the backyard as much as possible. The only time I’d set foot in it was to hang laundry out to dry. The kids played in the park. Our Lab got his exercise on long walks. And in the summer, we picnicked at the kitchen table.

It took me about a minute to rake the leaves that first fall. Kate and Andy took turns jumping into the pile. More of a bump than a pile, really. The kids didn’t know what they were missing. A real backyard had swings, a fort, maybe even a swimming pool. Instead, ours was like a dirty parking lot with a clothesline.

It wasn’t even much good for that. I couldn’t begin to tell you how many times I had to wash something all over again because it had blown off the line and landed in the dirt. But seeing a white towel crumpled in the far corner of the yard one spring day was the last straw.

Figures! I thought, seething while I tromped along the asphalt. I am sick and tired of this. I can’t even have nice laundry thanks to this poor excuse for a yard!

I reached down to get the towel. Something underneath it caught my eye. A tiny purple flower poked up through a crack in the pavement. I bent down for a closer look. It had a bell-shaped blossom, petals that ruffled like a fancy skirt and a faint hint of lovely fragrance.

You sure picked the wrong place to bloom, I thought. Won’t be long till you’re dead and gone.

I turned around and stomped back to the house. But before I went inside, something stopped me. The loathing I felt for our yard faded, just a little bit. The flower had managed to grow without room and without sunlight. A tiny bit of beauty had sprung up from such ugliness. What else might be able to grow here?

We could rip up the pavement and I could ask at the greenhouse what grows in shade, I thought.

The next day we threw on some old clothes and went to work. Mike swung away with a pickax and I carted off the chunks he dug up. Each heavy load I got rid of made me feel lighter. “Why didn’t we do this before?” I asked.

“We’re doing it now,” Mike said. “That’s what really matters.”

The kids were excited to help. Kate turned the newly uncovered soil and Andy scattered grass seed. Every day after that I’d go out to check, kneeling to bask in the scent of dirt, feeling as if something had been planted in me too. Finally one day it happened: Grass started growing.

Later that week we came across a construction worker throwing away old bricks. He let us take them, and we made walkways along the shadiest parts of our yard. I filled terra-cotta pots with hosta, ferns and impatiens—all of them hardy enough to thrive even without much sun.

Lord, I marveled, you’ve seen even to the needs of these plants.

These days I spend as much time as I can in our yard. I’ll sit in my big white wicker chair with a glass of soda and read or just daydream. It’s moments like those that remind me of a lesson from the Bible: “He will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land,” it says in Isaiah. “You will be like a well-watered garden.”

Well, our yard still isn’t exactly sun-scorched. But I’d say we’ve had our share of growth.

God Don’t Make No Junk!

Posted on March 11, 2026March 12, 2026 by Michelle Medlock Adams

“…Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with loving kindness I have drawn you.” (Jeremiah 31:3, NKJV)

When I was a little girl, growing up in the Bedford (IN) Free Methodist Church, I absolutely loved going to kids church.

Our two leaders, Ivan Hunter and Donna Cummings, not only taught me important Bible stories, but that Jesus loved me unconditionally. Ivan would share his salvation testimony every chance he got, telling us that if Jesus could love him, then He could love anyone.

And, sweet Donna took every opportunity to build us up with words of encouragement. I can still hear her saying, “You kids are wonderful. Do you know how I know that to be true? Because God don’t make no junk!”

I needed to hear that.

In fact, we all need to hear that–not just during our growing up years, but today, and every day. We need to know that we weren’t a mistake. We need to know that we were formed by the Master, and, to quote Miss Donna, we need to know that “God don’t make no junk.”

We need to love ourselves. Not in a self-absorbed, arrogant sort of way, but rather in a grateful-to-God-for-creating-us sort of way.

It’s a well-known fact that unless you truly love yourself, you can’t really love others or even receive love from other people. So, it’s time to let the self-love fest begin.

If you’ve never felt very good about yourself, or if you were raised in a home where love wasn’t outwardly shown, you need to understand just how much God loves you.

Author and Pastor Rick Warren said it so well: “God is love. He didn’t need us. But he wanted us. And that is the most amazing thing.”

Think about that for a moment–the Creator of the Universe wanted you! He loves you! In fact, he loved you so much that he sent his only son to die on a cross so that you would have eternal life and never be separated from him.

God just flat loves us.

We don’t deserve it. We can’t earn it. Yet, He freely gives it to us.

I challenge you to look up the following scriptures and meditate on their message: Genesis 1:27, Psalm 139:13-16, John 3:16-17, Romans 5:8 and Romans 8:38-39.

So, the next time you’re feeling unlovable, think on those truths and say out loud: “I am a child of the Most High King, and he adores me.” And you might add, “I’m wonderful because God don’t make no junk.”

Pray this with me:

Father, I love You, and I’m so thankful that You love me. Help me, Lord, to see myself through Your eyes and to begin to grasp just how much You love me so that I might love myself and others more and more each day. In the Mighty Name of Your Son, Jesus, Amen.

Giving Up Grudges on Rosh Hashanah

Posted on March 11, 2026March 12, 2026 by Adam Hunter

You probably know that Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year: on Sunday, October 2, the year 5777 will begin. You probably also know that it is the beginning of a ten-day period of reflection and repentance, culminating with the holy day of Yom Kippur.

But I learned early on that the holiday is not only about apologizing for your sins and failings—it is also about forgiving others.

My rabbi used to tell the same story, year after year, to illustrate this point.

“A young man was about to graduate from college. In his affluent neighborhood, it was a custom for graduates to receive a new car as a gift from their parents. For months, the young man eyed a fancy sports car, telling his wealthy father that he wanted it as his graduation gift.

“On his graduation day, however, his father handed him a small, wrapped present. The young man opened it up, and found a Bible. Outraged that his wealthy father would give him such a gift, he left home that day, and vowed never to speak to his father again.

“Over the years, the young man’s anger faded. But his pride kept him from reconciling. Then one day the man received a phone call. His father had died. The man, filled with regret, returned home for the funeral.

“Looking through his father’s things, he found the Bible his father had given him. He opened it up, and found a slip of paper tucked inside. A check, dated the day of his graduation, made out for the exact amount of the sports car he’d so desired.”

As I found out later, the story is a well-worn parable. But searching online recently, I found the moral of the story has been interpreted many different ways.

Some believe the message is that “God’s blessings come in unexpected packages.” Some believe that it means “one should always look to the Bible for the answers they seek.”

But my rabbi’s take was different. A misunderstanding had needlessly caused a terrible rift. “Never hold a grudge. By the time you’re ready to forgive, it may be too late.”

His message to us was clear: How can we expect God to forgive us when we refuse to forgive others? Holding a grudge may mean we miss out on the blessings that could have been—whether it’s a sports car, or a sense of peace.

Not too long ago, we ran a series of articles in Guideposts about the power of forgiveness. And in all of those stories, the ones being forgiven had done far worse than not buying an expensive graduation gift. Immaculée Ilibagiza forgave the thugs who killed her mother and brother.

Jason Hotchkiss forgave the driver who caused the accident that killed his wife and injured his children. Wes Yoder forgave the men who almost swindled him into bankruptcy. In all these stories, people faced tremendous wrongs against them, yet still found it in themselves to forgive, and were better for it.

Do you hold a grudge? Take inspiration from the Jewish holiday and make this a time to let it go. Hidden blessings may await you.

L’shanah Tova: A good year to you all.

Giving Thanks with a Child’s Heart

Posted on March 11, 2026March 12, 2026 by Shawnelle Eliasen

It’s November and time to count our blessings, to shift our hearts to the gifts and graces that flow into our lives every day. In our family, it’s time to make our annual gratitude tree.

One son cuts a trunk and limbs from brown poster board. Another tacks it to the dining room door with double-sided tape. Another cuts leaves, colorful and maple-shaped, from construction paper.

Each night, before dinner, we share what we’re thankful for. But when we sit to give thanks that first night, I’m distracted. I’m anxious because we have swimming and Scouts and music contest practice after supper. The night is full and I have a hundred things to do.

“I’m thankful for family,” eight-year-old Isaiah says. “For soup. For a bike ride. That Nana called. For my friend.”

We go around the table. After each person speaks, he writes his thanksgiving on a leaf with a Sharpie pen. It takes a while. But as I listen, I forget about the evening and the commitments and our busy way of life.

I’m blessed by the simplicity of children.

Listening, I become tender for hearts that are sensitive to the mundane. And I become aware and thankful for the things that in my grown-up life I take for granted. I begin to have sight and feeling for the blessings that I miss when I’m buried under busyness and I don’t take the time to live. To feel. To see.

Thank you for the kind man in the grocery store.

Thank you for my dog Rugby’s kisses.

Thank you for the blankets on my bed.

Thank you for the way the tree in our yard is turning gold.

Thank you for the sound of the wind.

The idea is to share one thing. One gratitude. But as the boys share, the top comes off and thankfulness flows free. They write small to fit their gratitude on cut-out leaves.

When it’s my turn, it’s easy to say that I’m thankful for the hearts of children.

The Lord tells us that at one time or another, we all need to come to Him as a little child. With spirits that are open. Humble. Hearts that are seeing and simple in trust.

I think the same can be true of gratitude…

Oh lord, give me the eyes and heart of a child. Amen.