Proof The Bible Is True

Bark chipped away under my feet as I scrambled up the tree. Not six inches below the soles of my shoes, a pack of feral dogs snapped and growled. My .22 caliber rifle lay useless on the snow-covered ground beneath the tree. “You shouldn’t be running your trap line alone this time of year,” my father had told me as I left the house that morning. “It can get dangerous up in those mountains.” “I can take care of myself,” I’d answered and I meant it. I was 13. I knew the Tennessee mountains. I couldn’t imagine a danger I [More]

Dave and Joyce Keel were stationed overseas in Naples, Italy. One weekend another couple joined them to camp on a Mediterranean beach further north than where they usually went. Al and Sonnie were into snorkeling and had brought their gear along. “Joyce, you have to try it,” Sonnie urged her. “You’ll love it.” Joyce warned Sonnie she was not a proficient swimmer, but her friend persuaded her to try. Al and Sonnie gave Joyce a snorkeling crash course and despite her misgivings, she decided to give it a try. “Stay real close to us,” Sonnie told her. “If you do [More]

Heat rose in waves from the road in front of me. I patted my horse, Patches. “I know, I’m hot too,” I said. “Maybe I shouldn’t have taken you out for a ride today.” Squinting against the glaring sun, I scanned the Montana sky for any sign of reprieve. The sky stretched blue and clear to the far horizon. I gave Patches as much slack in the reins as I could. Steady drops of sweat rolled down the middle of my back. My mouth dried until my lips cracked. I didn’t think I could keep going, but we could not [More]

Even if my daughter was 21, I was anxious over her taking her first road trip all on her own. I’d gone to the mall to distract myself. Still, my mind was on Dana. The trip had gone well, but she was making the long drive home this afternoon. I wished she was home already. I wandered through a department store and felt a command: Pray for her. Pray for her now. I stopped short, letting people walk around me while I concentrated on Dana. God, watch over her while she’s at the wheel. Let her know you’re with her. [More]

We were only an hour into our 3,000-mile, cross-country trek to my family reunion in North Carolina. Already, bored voices from the backseat of our old, un-air-conditioned Dodge Dart were pleading: “Are we there yet?” Driving wasn’t the fastest route to our destination, but it was the cheapest. My husband, Jeff, and I had planned this trip for months, mapping it from our home in eastern Washington, highlighting campgrounds along the way. I couldn’t wait to catch up with relatives and show off Christy, our newest addition at 18 months old. At least she wasn’t crying in her car seat—yet. [More]

We lounged on inner tubes, floating lazily down the river. It was August and some coworkers had invited me along on a weekend getaway, tubing Wisconsin’s Apple River. The river’s a hugely popular tubing spot. Already, only a few minutes after we’d entered the water, other tubers were joining our flotilla. At least 20 of us drifted in the gentle current, our tubes lashed together with thick twine. We talked, ate and drank, and watched the wooded banks glide by. Read More Survival Stories: Heavenly Angel on the Rapids – Guideposts.

For Mother’s Day, our tiny church had helped me prepare something special. “A gift to celebrate the mothers in the congregation,” I explained to the small but full house of worshippers. I said a silent prayer we had enough with the 10 baskets we’d filled up with a porcelain dove, Bible verse, lotions and perfume. “Would the moms come to the altar, please?” One by one, women rose and made their way up to me. I nervously counted heads. One, two, three… Eleven? My heart dropped. Maybe I miscounted. I hadn’t. Eleven mothers, ten gifts! “Lord,” I whispered, “we need [More]

Wildflowers as tall as wild grass dotted the countryside. Fortunately I hadn’t seen another car—or house—for miles, so I admired Massachusetts’ rolling meadows without distraction. I had just enough time to get to the Christian coffee house, where I was helping make a Father’s Day brunch. It wouldn’t happen without the supplies piled into my white Ford Galaxie: sausage, bacon and croissants, paper plates, cups and favors for the dads. via Guardian Angels Help Woman with Broken Car on Father’s Day – Guideposts.

Five a.m. Time to get up. I run our family’s 150-year-old farm pretty much on my own, so I had to get up early to get a day’s work done. Feed the animals. Check to see that all are healthy. Then to church, since it was a Sunday. Helping hands, I thought, seated in my pew. So much to do. If you can hear me up there, Lord, I sure could use some help. Following church, I hurried home and wolfed down breakfast. The farm is 188 acres. I grow wheat, soybeans, corn and alfalfa hay, and today was the [More]

“River flooded again,” my husband said, staring out the window. The quaint little brook that ran alongside our property was one of the reasons we’d bought this house. Problem was, when it stormed, tree branches got carried on the current, clogged up the river and flooded our yard. Daryl and I put on old clothes and grabbed a couple of rakes from the garage. “Let’s split up,” he said. “I’ll start at one end and you start at the other.” I wish Kyle were here, I thought, walking along the water, bending down every few feet to fish a branch [More]

One of the best things about having George Miller as a neighbor and a friend was his dad’s bakery. So when he asked if I wanted to take a walk there on a broiling hot Saturday morning in July 1931, I jumped at the chance. The bakery was three stories high, and George and I planned to explore the whole place top to bottom. “Hi, Dad!” George called when we went inside. “I’ve got Don with me!” Mr. Miller waved to us from behind the counter. “You boys want cookies?” he said. “Oven fresh.” We eagerly accepted his offer, then [More]

I couldn’t see without my glasses, so when I reached into my purse to swap my prescription sunglasses out for my regular glasses and found the case empty, my mouth went dry. My husband, Peter, and I had been all over doing errands. They could be anywhere! We searched the van first with no luck. “Maybe they dropped out of the case at that last store?” I said. My good sport of a husband spun the wheel into a U-turn. Read More Heavenly Angel Helps Woman Find Lost Glasses – Guideposts.

My first scuba dive was a magical one. A beginner’s excursion in Barbados. The bright and colorful fish twirled around me, the sun appeared as just a glimmer of light 40 feet above my head. But after about 30 minutes, I felt woozy. I reached out and grabbed the air gage. I watched as the needle settled on zero. No oxygen at all! Read More Heavenly Angel Rescues Scuba Diver – Guideposts.

With only three weeks before we had to move, Mike and I still had nowhere to go. The house we were renting was up for sale, we couldn’t afford to buy our own and the right rental was just nowhere to be found. I filled the kitchen sink with dishes, wishing I could clean up life’s other messes as easily. What if we can’t find a place? I thought. We’ll be out on the street in no time. Read More The Oil Man Was Their Earth Angel and Answered Their Prayer – Guideposts.

I’d had a long day at work and my bad knee was at its worst. I dreamed of settling into my recliner for the evening. But I had to stop off at the grocery store. I had to get my special snack: a banana. It might seem like a small thing, but for me my two bananas a day meant the difference between feeling good and not. At least the fruit is in the very first aisle, I thought as I picked up a plastic basket in the supermarket. Read More Heavenly Angel Helps Woman With Simple Problem in Grocery [More]

Late one night, I was driving a group of young missionaries home from Mexico when a foul odor filled our bus. The engine gauges showed the temperature rising fast. I pulled over and lifted the hood. A rock had punctured the radiator. Antifreeze poured onto the engine block. The other chaperones and I led the kids outside for fresh air while we discussed options. The kids snapped photos of our predicament, but I worried. Just then, a blue Mustang pulled up behind us and a man stepped out. Read More Earth Angels: Mechanic Stops on the Road to Help with [More]

Car wash, dry cleaners, the grocery store… I made a mental list of everything I had to do the next morning as I crawled into my bed one cold January night. Nothing I can’t handle, I thought, snuggling under the blankets. Suddenly I sat bolt upright. The driveway! It was covered in six inches of snow. I’d have to clear it to get my car out to run my errands. I pictured myself dragging the snow blower out of the garage and battling the elements. Read More An Angel In My Driveway – Guideposts.

It wasn’t a great day for diving. Clouds darkened the horizon and eight-foot swells rocked our dive boat. There were nine of us on board, the captain, the dive master and seven divers. One woman was already sick from all the tossing and turning. Still, we were determined to go in. We were off a remote island in the Caribbean, about 40 miles from the coast of Honduras. We’d come a long way, flying several different airplanes to get here. Read More Heavenly Angel Frees Man From Diving Trouble – Guideposts.

Icy winds whipping down Chicago’s Michigan Avenue went straight through my old black coat.I turned up the collar. I need something warmer, I thought, glancing in the store windows.But money was tight. The contractor we’d hired to remodel our home had walked off the job, taking our money with him. I was tired of pinching pennies because of it. Read More Angel Sends Cashmere Scarves for Winter – Guideposts.

Every second mattered. The blaze was less than two miles away, but it seemed like we’d never get there. Our fire squad barreled down the road. The siren screamed. My heart pounded inside my heavy turnout coat. My job was to lead the charge into the blaze. The other men would follow. They were depending on me to deliver the knockout blow to put out as much of the fire as I could on my own. I looked over the other firefighters on the squad. You could see their experience in the craggy lines on their faces. I was the [More]

You can’t go home again. That’s what they say. But I returned to California, where I grew up, after seven years of being away. My roots were there, I figured, even though my parents and grandparents were now gone and I’d lost touch with all my old friends. Besides, my lonely new house was about to become a home. I was getting a dog. I straightened the family photographs on the end table while I waited for the shelter volunteer to drop the dog off for a trial run. My father and grandmother smiled out at me from the frames. [More]

The station wagon was stuffed as tightly as the Thanksgiving turkey awaiting us at my parents house on Long Island, New York. Suitcases. Toys. Snacks. Road maps. CD player. A crib strapped to the roof. And four children, three of them under six years old. Everyone was anxious to see Grandma and Grandpa, especially me. My husband had left us just the week before. When the kids and I pulled out of the driveway of our home in western Massachusetts, I didn’t look back. Things were different now. We were restarting our lives. I didn’t know quite how, though. Taking [More]

Several years ago, our family rented a house that had a basement apartment under ours. The young couple who lived below us were quiet and unobtrusive. Their dog, however, was not. Cody was a typical black lab; a big, tail thumping extrovert. He loved to greet us by planting his huge paws on our chest. Our dog Tasha, an English Setter mix, was a kindred spirit. Because she shared the yard with Cody, they soon became fast friends. Read More A Final Offering to a Furry Friend – Guideposts.

Among my many blessings I count long-lasting friendships—two women especially, who are like angels in my life. On an October day in France, I was with them both in a wonderful way, something I could have never anticipated. Mireille has been my French pen pal since high school, 60 years ago. In 1989 I visited her in the seaside resort of Croix de Vie. “Would you like to see our lovely church of St. Croix?” she asked as we wandered through the village. It had been a long time since I’d gone into a church for something other than a [More]

The phone was ringing inside, but I couldn’t put my hands on my front door keys—not in the dark with an armload of Christmas presents. I dropped the shopping bags and fished around in my purse. Finally. I unlocked the door and grabbed the phone. It was my mama wondering if she could still expect me for dinner. “You sound stressed,” she said. I never could hide anything from Mama. I was worn out. Six mornings a week I did the Jennifer Show, a live variety show in Branson, Missouri. Every performance meant two hours of singing and dancing. The [More]

One brochure was all it took for my wife, Judy, and me to fall in love with Hawaii. Maui at Christmastime! We were there with our two kids on our dream vacation. Waves crashed right outside our hotel room. The ocean called to me on the balcony. The sky was cloudless, a brilliant blue. This really was paradise. “Don’t even unpack,” I said to the family. “Let’s hit the beach before the sun goes down.” Judy grabbed some towels, and we were off. I led the way to an ancient lava rock wall that had formed on the beach. “Follow [More]

I couldn’t believe my eyes: “Mom, is that really me?” In the mirror stood a happy young woman in the most beautiful wedding dress I’d ever seen. “The one and only,” Mom said. “This is your big day.” Right at this very moment, friends and family were taking their seats in the lovely church my fiancé and I had chosen. Dad waited to escort me up the aisle. I’d tied white satin bows on the pews, and arranged white and lavender flowers by the altar. Lavender, to match the bridesmaids dresses. It all seemed like a dream, especially because this [More]