Ingredients
1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1½ cups water
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Embrace God's truth with our new book, The Lies that Bind
1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1½ cups water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 cups dark raisins
2 teaspoons cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons water
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Combine sugar, water, oil, raisins and spices in a saucepan, and boil for 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Take pan off heat and let cool for 10 minutes.
2. Dissolve baking soda and salt in 2 teaspoons of water and add to raisin mixture (it will foam). Blend in the flour and baking powder. Mix well.
3. Pour batter into a greased 9-inch-square pan and bake for 55 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cake cool for about 10 minutes before serving.
Serves 10–12
Read about how this recipe lifted one woman’s spirits in Grandma’s Depression Cake.
“Whaddya, writing a book?”
That’s what my big brother, Joe, would say to me when he was home on leave from military college. Apparently it was the standard retort upperclassmen used to silence inquisitive plebes.
At long last I can say yes.
I finished writing The Promise of Hope last fall after a year or so of work, often on weekends or late at night, when I’d sometimes get an aggrieved call from my wife, Julee, asking, “How’s War and Peace coming?”
Tolstoy I’m not, but I do think it’s a pretty good book because the process forced me to be honest about the reasons I was writing the book. Again, Julee played a role. When I told Julee I planned to write about some of the inspiring people whose stories I’d helped tell in Guideposts, she asked, “You’re going to include your own story, right?”
I hadn’t planned to. Julee looked dismayed. “You’re trying to help people, I assume? Then tell your story too. Your story is why I married you.”
So I did, starting with the day that—for reasons I can’t fully fathom—I wandered into the Guideposts offices, desperate for a job. I talk about what led to that point and reveal my personal struggles finding my faith. I journey back to my childhood where I rediscover the love of my family, and share how I found a new sort of family at Guideposts.
This is as much a book about you as me, about your incredible stories of hope and inspiration, and how they changed me, literally how they saved me. I describe this journey of change and identify the 9 steps to powerful personal renewal.
Yes, there is a reason I ended up at Guideposts, and this book might be it.
Eduardo Verástegui’s time in Hollywood has been anything but usual. The actor first found success as a telenovela star in his native country of Mexico before heading to the states to pursue the American dream.
He’s done everything in the world of entertainment: from posing for Calvin Klein and starring as the smoldering love interest in a Jennifer Lopez music video, to lighting up the stage as a Latin pop star and the big screen in the 2003 romantic comedy Chasing Papi, alongside Sofia Vergara and Jaci Velasquez. But at 28 years-old, Verástegui walked away from all the fame and fortune he’d amassed while inhabiting the role of a Hollywood sex symbol.
His decision to leave Hollywood began with conversations he’d had with the English tutor he hired so he could audition for more roles.The tutor began gently encouraging him to rethink his career choices.
“In a very subtle way, she was asking me a lot of questions that were challenging me. ‘Are you a part of the problem or the solution?’ ‘You’re Latino. A lot of people think Latinos are what they see on film and television, how are you changing that?’ ‘Are you using your talents in a selfish way or are you using your talents to create things for your community?’ ‘What do you want to do with your life?’ ‘What’s the purpose of your life?’ Imagine six months of that. Simple conversations in the living room, after English class.”
Those conversations sparked a desire in Verástegui to have cohesiveness in his life. Raised Catholic, the actor realized he’d have to make a total life change in order to rededicate himself to his faith and to reshape the way he viewed his craft.
“Every role that I got called to audition for I had to say no to because it didn’t align with [my faith].” But his role in Hollywood was far from over.
Twelve years later, Verástegui is in the spotlight once more. The actor-turned-producer is pouring his renewed sense of faith into the films his company, Metanoia Films, creates. Named for the Greek word meaning “repentance,” Verástegui is atoning for Hollywood’s proclivity for making movies that merely entertain instead of inspire.
“I’m a different kind of actor,” he tells Guideposts.org. “I’m a storyteller. But in order for me to tell a good story that I believed would do good, I needed to produce it because I was tired of waiting for that story. I never got that story in my hands. God led me to open a production company so I can tell those stories that I believe can make this world a better place.”
His first film, an indie flick titled Bella, tackled the tough issue of abortion and was the winner of the People’s Choice Award at the Toronto Film Festival. His follow-up, the drama Little Boy, is the actor’s love letter to the country that helped him achieve his dreams.
“The goal was, let’s make a movie where we can capture the heart and soul of this country,” Verástegui said. “When you come to this country, looking for work and the next thing you know, things are happening, it’s great. I came here without even speaking the language and with nothing other than a bag of dreams.”
Verástegui’s first step was to write a great script. He enlisted his friend, fellow producer and writer Alejandro Monteverde to pen a story that would do service to the country he now calls home. Monteverde along with writer Pepe Portillo found inspiration in isolation, though it didn’t come easily. The two signed up for a month-long writer’s retreat which cut them off from the outside world. After 20 days, the men had nothing to present to Verástegui, so they decided to bend the retreat’s rules a little bit and make use of the single, black and white TV at the camp.
The one channel available was airing a documentary on World War II and when the men heard the name “Little Boy” and what it represented – the codename for the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima in 1945 – they knew they had their elusive beginning.
“They started writing this fairy tale with a very heavy theme and they were inspired by Life is Beautiful,” Verástegui said. “They thought, ‘Let’s do an experiment but from a different angle, so it’s not about the father but it’s about the kid left behind when a soldier has to go to war.’”
The result is a beautifully wrought look at small-town American life, friendship, faith, love, family and belief, not only in God but in one’s self. The fantastical film shows seven-year-old Pepper believing – much like his favorite magician Ben Eagle – that he can conjure up a way to bring his dad safely home from the front lines.
Shot in a small town in Mexico, the film boasts an all-star cast including two-time Oscar winners Tom Wilkinson and Emily Watson, comedian Kevin James, David Henrie and newcomer Jakob Salvati, who scored the titular role of Little Boy after accompanying his big brother to the film’s auditions.
Veteran actors traveling half-way across the world in order to work on a low-budget indie with a second-time director are a rarity, but this movie has inspired not only its audience, but the cast as well. Henrie, who was struggling to find direction after his time as a Disney star had ended, decided to change his life, rededicate himself to his faith and make a vow to his family to pursue the kinds of films and projects they could watch with pride.
It’s a decision that mirrors Verástegui’s own, so many years ago, and one Verástegui is also proud of. “David in real life, he was looking for something bigger than himself,” Verástegui said. “That’s very rare. You don’t see guys like that. At that age, they want the world. To see someone like David rejecting projects with a lot of money because of his values after his experience with Little Boy, for me, as a producer and as a friend, it motivates me to keep doing what we’re doing because I know that somehow, that makes a difference with people.”
Leaving a legacy behind is now what inspires some of Verástegui’s greatest storytelling, and the message behind everything he does is an elegantly simple one. “The reality is, you’re born and you die and what matters is what you do in between. I want to make sure that in my between, I do the right thing.”
Nothing’s more pleasing in chilly weather than a bowl of hot soup, so get ready to serve seconds and even thirds of this creamy dish. It’s a snap to prepare, and everyone in your family is sure to love it.
| 2 tablespoons butter | 1 tablespoon vegetable bouillon |
| 1 large onion, diced | ¼ cup flour |
| 2 garlic cloves, minced | 1 quart lowfat milk |
| 2 celery stalks, diced | 1 can evaporated milk |
| 2 carrots, diced | ½ pound Cheddar cheese, chopped |
| 4 large potatoes, diced | Salt and pepper to taste |
| ½ to 1 pound pre-cooked ham, sliced thin | ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped |
| ½ cup water |
1. In a Dutch oven melt butter over medium-low heat then add vegetables and sauté.
2. Add ham and cook for about 5 minutes.
3. Add water and bouillon. Cover to steam until vegetables are fork tender.
4. Stir in flour, then slowly stir in both types of milk. Allow mixture to get hot, but don’t boil.
5. Stir in cheese and let melt while soup thickens.
6. Stir in salt, pepper and parsley. Serve warm.
Serves 6.
Nutritional Information: Calories: 630; Fat, 26 g; Cholesterol, 100 mg; Sodium, 1140 mg; Total Carbohydrates, 68g; Dietary Fiber, 7g; Sugars, 20g; Protein, 31g.
Don’t miss Ann’s inspiring story about how she managed to nourish the congregation of her church, despite limited resources.
The word “holiday” means family and friends, and I use any excuse to spend more time with mine.
Every Easter I make a big ham and have everybody over for dinner. But then I do something just as yummy with the leftovers: Easter ham quiche.
I love this recipe because it’s quick and simple and works for breakfast, lunch or dinner!
1. Heat oven to 375°.
2. Layer ham, broccoli and cheeses in pie crust.
3. Beat eggs with milk and half and half, then add salt, pepper and mustard.
4. Pour over ham, broccoli and cheese.
5. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.
6. Let stand a few minutes before serving.
| 9″ pie crust | 1 ½ c. cubed cooked ham |
| 1 c. broccoli florets, cut into small pieces | ¾ c. shredded Swiss cheese |
| ¾ c. shredded cheddar cheese | 4 eggs |
| ¾ c. milk | ¼ c. half and half |
| ¼ tsp. salt | ½ tsp. pepper |
| ½ tsp. ground mustard |
I don’t want to mention names, but a lot of what’s on reality TV today is people gossiping, backbiting, cheating and being mean to each other. But not on our show. Duck Dynasty is about the family I married into, the Robertson clan, who make world-class duck calls.
We try to present something different for our viewers. We do have our disagreements, but every episode ends with a meal and a prayer, and in between we have a lot of laughs.
In fact, the first time we sat down as a family to watch Duck Dynasty we laughed so hard at ourselves that we could hardly hear the TV.
Our show is about ducks, fishing, beards, good eating—and the values that keep a family together. After 21 years of being a Robertson, there are some great life lessons I have learned.
1. Support each other.
They say we court young in the South. I met my husband, Willie, when we were in third grade, at Camp Ch-Yo-Ca. His mom, Miss Kay, was the camp cook that summer and her boys attended the camp for free.
Willie had big dimples and the cutest sideways smile. I had a diary that I never used much, but that summer I wrote, “Met a boy at summer camp and he was so cute. He asked me on the moonlight hike and I said yes!”
As my father-in-law, Phil, likes to say, I’m a city girl. The “big city” I grew up in was West Monroe, Louisiana, population 13,000.
The Robertsons lived out in the country on the Ouachita River. That’s where Phil launched his duck-call business, Duck Commander (“Phil, you didn’t call that duck. You commanded it,” claimed a friend, hence the name). They still live out there.
The first time I visited was with a church group when I was in fifth grade. I was surprised that the house was so tiny. Kay didn’t even have a dishwasher, but she cooked for the Duck Commander employees every day along with her four hungry sons. She spent practically her entire day in the kitchen.
The business was struggling, but that didn’t stop Phil from bragging about his sons. “Have you met my boys?” he asked me. “They’ll make good providers someday.” How could he have known that back then?
Willie and I didn’t start dating seriously until my senior year of high school. He had an orange 1980 Mustang with torn white leather seats and lived in a rented house in town with six other guys.
I loved to drop by in the mornings and Willie would make me fancy omelets for breakfast. He was a great cook then (he still is), and I could hardly make a thing (and still can’t).
When we first decided to get married, my parents weren’t thrilled. They were afraid I would drop out of school, start having kids and never go to college. Then they saw how committed we were. They supported us all the way—something that runs in both our families.
2. Work works.
For years, the entire Duck Commander operation was run out of that little house. Willie and his brothers helped with everything. They would sand and stain duck calls, dip them in polyurethane, pack them up for shipping.
It used to embarrass Willie when he would go to school with his fingers brown from tung oil. The boys also took the orders, because people called the house to place them. Whoever took the order would just grab a napkin or paper plate and write it down.
There would be a big stack of paper plates or napkins sitting on the kitchen counter with orders on them. It may have been a rudimentary system, but it worked.
If Willie wanted anything, he had to work for it. He still talks about the cool parachute pants that he bought in high school with money he made selling worms.
In our young married days, with both of us going to college, he did tons of extra jobs: working at a bowling alley, as a janitor for a real-estate agency, in an ice-cream plant (he hated being in the freezer all day).
I finished college with a degree in art education and helped out by hand-painting a limited edition of duck calls while our babies slept.
Even today, with business booming, our children know that when we say, “All right, kids, it’s family cleanup time” or “family wash-the-car time” or “family clean-out-the-garage time,” it’s nonnegotiable. You just do it because you are part of the family. The family that works together stays together.
3. Don’t take yourself too seriously.
The Robertsons tease each other all the time. It’s a sign of affection, but it does take some getting used to. One time I burned the dinner bread and felt terrible about it. Now everybody jokes that you know dinner is ready at our house when you hear me scraping the bread.
Like I said, I’m no great cook, but Kay, who truly is, once fried the shrimp at Christmas a tad too long. They came out dark brown and rubbery. Every Christmas the guys ask her if she’s going to serve rubber shrimp again. Even Kay still laughs at that joke.
In the early days, Kay also made sure that the Duck Commander business was a fun place to work. If it was somebody’s birthday, she cooked the birthday boy or girl’s favorite meal for lunch. There were always a lot of laughs.
Duck Commander is still a fun place. We take our work seriously, but not ourselves.
4. There’s always room for one more.
I learned this from both of our families. Willie and I had two kids, John Luke and Sadie, when we decided to adopt a baby. I’d always been inspired by the verse that says true religion is to look after orphans and widows in their distress (James 1:27).
We had a friend who was teaching a class for pregnant teenagers, some of whom were putting their babies up for adoption. We filled out the paperwork and the adoption agency called us. They showed us this picture of a baby boy and we fell in love like that! We named him Will.
Just a few weeks after the adoption I found out I was pregnant. Our Bella is 10 months younger than Will.
It was pretty crazy for a while. If the two of them were left alone for a moment, they’d squeeze toothpaste out of the tube and smear it all over the bathroom mirror or dump the cereal out of the boxes. I used to carry them both at once, one on each hip, just to keep them out of trouble.
We weren’t quite finished, though. We welcomed Rebecca, an exchange student from Taiwan, into our home during her junior year of high school. She ended up staying with us and going to college here in the States. We consider ourselves her American mom and dad.
She has now been with us eight years. We also support an orphanage in the Dominican Republic. The Robertsons didn’t always have a lot, but they made a place at the table for someone who needed a good meal or a listening ear.
5. Put your best face on at home.
Kay has been a great example of this. She works really hard at her marriage to make it fun and to make Phil happy. She writes little notes for Phil even after all these years, and he does special little things for her too. It’s not give and take. It’s give and give.
Many people go to work and give their all to the outside world, but at home they’re negative or griping or just plain dull. They leave their best selves at the office. We try to make every day at our house like a homecoming. That way our kids know that home is where you should be the happiest.
6. Trust that the Lord will provide.
We are more successful than we ever dreamed. But if it all disappeared tomorrow we would be okay, because we would still have our faith in God. It’s what allows us to forgive each other, love each other and listen to each other.
Neither Phil nor Kay will let us forget how God kept Duck Commander afloat in those rough early days. Once a bank payment was due and Kay told Phil that they simply did not have the $800 they needed. “Let’s go and check the mailbox,” Phil suggested. “Maybe there will be a check in there.”
Kay knew differently. No one owed them anything and they owed the bank $800. Reluctantly she walked with Phil to the mailbox. There they discovered an envelope postmarked Japan. It was an order for duck calls with a check for $800.
Duck Commander had never sold a duck call to Japan before, but somehow at the time when Phil and Kay needed it, the Lord provided.
As Willie says, having faith that the Lord will provide is the only way you can ever be successful in this world. It gives you the courage to take risks.
You have to be willing to fail while working your tail off to succeed. You have to believe in what you’re doing and keep your faith in who you are. That’s the reality behind our reality-TV show.
Let’s meet our first contestant. The blindfolds are all in place, panel?
Yes, sir.
Yes.
Good. Will you come in and sign in, please?
[APPLAUSE]
I would like to ask you, first of all, if you’re familiar with our scoring system. Are you?
I am.
Good. In that event, let’s let everybody at home and those who are here with us in the theater, except my friends on the panel, know exactly what your line is.
[APPLAUSE]
All right, panel. Needless to say, you are blindfolded because there is an area of identification involving either appearance, dress, handwriting, location– all sorts of things that we normally use as sort of little helps and aids to you. We’re not going to give you this trip. But we will let you have one bit of help. Our guest is salaried. And let’s begin the general questioning with Bennett, sir.
Uh– does your job as a salaried job come from a non-profit-making organization?
Yes.
Is the non-profit-making organization something to do with government?
No.
One down and nine to go, Ms. Francis.
Uh, is the non-profit-making organization anything to do with the church?
Yes, ma’am.
Uh– are you an important member of any particular religion?
Not so much.
Well, now, I must now, I think, correct that answer and say that our guest is indeed an important member of one faith.
Well, I’m going to take your word for the truth, John.
Yes.
[LAUGHTER]
Um– have you written any books?
Yes, ma’am.
Have you a column in any newspaper?
Yes, ma’am.
Uh– does one call you doctor?
If they want to be real respectful.
[LAUGHTER]
Well, that’s what I want to be.
And they would want to be, Ms. Arlene.
Um– are you by any chance– oh, dear, there are two I’d like to ask about.
Go ahead.
Are you Dr. Norman Vincent Peale?
Yes!
Are you?
[APPLAUSE]
I must say, congratulations, Arlene. That was magnificently done. Bennett, you unlocked the door, of course, with that question about–
I was expecting the mayor of Dublin tonight.
[LAUGHTER]
I tried to talk with a brogue, but I gave it up.
[LAUGHTER]
Oh my. And of course– actually, I suppose the question about the books was a critical one too, because we all know that Dr. Peale has written–
A bestseller. And you didn’t publish it, Bennett.
No, this is the remarkable thing about Dr. Peale’s book. If memory serves me right, I’ve read recently you have another book–
That is right, John.
–coming out very soon.
That is right.
“Stay Alive All Your Life.”
It’s “Stay Alive All Your Life,” yes, sir.
It’s about to be published?
Yes, tomorrow, as a matter of fact.
Tomorrow’s publication day? Well, wonderful, sir. Well, I, with a great many others, have had great benefit from your earlier books and look forward to this new one. Yes, Arlene?
Well, that’s a real compliment.
I was just going to say that the last time I saw Dr. Peale, we were on a heavenly mountaintop in Switzerland. And he looks as though he’s been there all the time.
[LAUGHTER]
We had a good time, didn’t we?
Wonderful, yes.
Dr. Peale, you should give your publisher a little publicity. Who is the publisher of your new book?
Now, that I call real generous.
[LAUGHTER]
Prentice Hall, Incorporated.
There we are. And Bennett has done his good deed for the next 300 years–
That’s really a Christian spirit.
[LAUGHTER]
He really turned the other cheek, didn’t he, Doctor?
He surely did.
Well, Dr. Peale, thank you very much for being our guest. I’m sorry we didn’t give them more trouble. We’d hoped you’d be out here with me much longer than this.
Well, I wish I had, then.
Nice to have had you with us, Doctor.
Thank you, John.
[APPLAUSE]
Dr. Peale’s Question and Answer Department appears in each issue of “Look Magazine.”
Spring and summer are the perfect seasons to take in a drive-in movie, but whether or not you’re planning to catch a movie under the stars, you can enjoy this tour of popular drive-ins around the country.
| 4 c. sugar | 8 cinnamon sticks |
| 1 c. apple cider vinegar | 2 tsp. whole cloves |
| 1 Tbsp. peeled, coarsely chopped ginger | 4 lbs. peaches |
1. Put a large pot of water on to boil. Prepare a large bowl with ice and water.
2. Combine sugar, vinegar, ginger, cinnamon sticks and cloves with 2 cups of water in another large pot. Cover, and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring often, until the sugar has dissolved.
3. Remove the pot from heat and set aside. Parboil the peaches in batches by submerging them in the boiling water for 30 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon and drop into the ice water.
4. When cool enough to handle, remove the skins. Halve and pit the peaches. Transfer the peaches to the sugar-spice mixture and place the pot over low heat. Cover and simmer until the peaches are heated and tender when pierced with a fork, about 10 minutes.
5. Remove from heat. Use a slotted spoon to pack the peaches quickly into hot, sterilized pint-size jars, filling them within ¾ inch of the rim.
6. Remove any air bubbles by sliding a nonmetallic spatula between the jar and the peaches 2-3 times. Clean the rim and threads of the jar with a damp cloth.
7. Center a heated lid over the band and screw it down firmly and evenly. Place the jar in a canner or hot-water bath for 30 minutes.
8. Remove the jar and set on a towel to cool for 12-24 hours. The canned peaches will keep up to 1 year in a cool, dark place.
Daddy always reserved the best pork shoulder from the slaughterhouse for our holidays, which always made us feel special.
| 1 6-lb. smoked ham, fully cooked with bone in | 1 Tbsp. whole cloves |
| ½ c. Dijon mustard | 1 large fresh pineapple |
| ½ c. brown sugar, firmly packed | 4-5 tennis ball-sized hickory wood chunks |
1. Soak the hickory chunks in water for 1 to 24 hours before using.
2. Cut the ham bone loose from the meat but do not remove it. Combine the mustard, brown sugar, and a half-cup of water in a small bowl and stir until smooth. Brush the mixture all over the ham.
3. Prepare a charcoal grill to low heat (250°F to 300°F) with the rack 8 inches above the coals. Drain the hickory chunks and place them on the coals around the edges of the grill.
4. Place the ham on the rack, close the cover, and grill for 45 minutes to 1 hour, turning and brushing often with the mustard mixture.
5. Transfer the ham from the grill to a cutting board. Score the ham in a pattern of 1-inch diamonds, slicing about a quarter-inch to a half-inch into the meat. Insert a clove into the middle of each diamond.
6. Return the ham to the grill and cook until the center of the meat registers 140°F on an instant-read meat thermometer, about 30 minutes. Transfer the ham to a cutting board.
7. Meanwhile, cut the pineapple into 12 wedges: slice vertically though the leaves, keeping the leaves intact. Grill on a lightly-oiled rack, cut side down, until charred, about 2 minutes.
8. Remove the bone from the ham and slice. Serve with the grilled pineapple.
Oven Baking (if you don’t have access to a grill):
1. Use a fully-cooked spiral ham. Pre-heat oven at 375°. Put the ham in and reduce temperature to 325° and bake for 10 minutes before brushing on the glaze.
2. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour (about 7–10 minutes per pound). Put pineapple wedges around the ham in the baking dish during the last 5-10 minutes.
Serves 10 to 23.
Nutritional Information: Calories: 340; Fat: 7g; Cholesterol: 145mg; Sodium: 3410mg; Total Carbohydrates: 32g; Dietary Fiber: 1g; Sugars: 22g; Protein: 39g.
Try more of Dolly’s favorite recipes, and don’t miss her inspiring story about her family’s Christmas traditions.
| 2 c. all-purpose flour, plus extra as needed | 1 tsp. salt |
| ¼ tsp. baking soda | 5 Tbsp. lard or vegetable shortening |
| 1 Tbsp. baking powder | 1 c. buttermilk |
1. Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. Cut in the lard with a fork or pastry cutter until the mixture forms coarse crumbs.
2. Add the buttermilk and gently mix with your hands until thoroughly combined. If the dough is too tacky, add a bit more flour.
3. Knead the dough for 2 minutes. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, about 20 minutes.
4. reheat the oven to 450°F. Roll the dough out onto a clean, lightly floured surface to 1/2 inch thick.
5. Using a 2-inch biscuit cutter or an overturned glass, cut out the biscuits. It’s okay to reroll the scraps to cut more biscuits.
6. Bake on an ungreased baking sheet until golden brown, 13 to 15 minutes.
7. The biscuits can be wrapped tightly and frozen up to 2 weeks.
Makes 2 dozen biscuits.
Nutritional Information (using vegetable shortening): Calories: 70; Fat: 3g; Cholesterol: 0mg; Sodium: 190mg; Total Carbohydrates: 8g; Dietary Fiber: 0g; Sugars: 0g; Protein: 2g.
Try more of Dolly’s favorite holiday recipes, and don’t miss her inspiring story about her family’s Christmas traditions.
Download your FREE ebook, The Power of Hope: 7 Inspirational Stories of People Rediscovering Faith, Hope and Love.
No one does Christmas quite like Dolly Parton.
The country music icon just launched her annual holiday celebration, Smoky Mountain Christmas, at her amusement park, Dollywood, in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. From November 4 to January 3, the festive event features light displays, southern cooking and live musical performances of Christmas classics like It’s A Wonderful Life and Parton’s own Christmas in the Smokies.
“Christmas is special to me as I think it is for everybody,” Parton tells Guideposts.org. “We always think about it being the birth of Jesus, and of course, that means a great deal to me. I grew up with that faith and it’s the faith that keeps me going, still, but Christmas is just a special time. I love the beauty of it, the fun of it, the decorations, and the lights; that’s why I think that the Dollywood Christmas has become so popular.”
The devastating fires that raged through the area late last year had caused some to worry that the amusement park might be shut down this holiday season, but Parton says the community has rallied together after the tragedy.
“We were afraid that people were gonna stay away,” Parton says. “But now I think that people are coming back and seeing that it’s beautiful. We’re all back in business. The Smokys are roaring again.”
Along with getting people into the Christmas spirit, Parton’s been busy promoting her latest album, I Believe in You, a collection of songs specifically for children—a first for the artist.
“I’ve been writing other children’s songs through the years and it just seemed like a good year for children for me. And so, we just decided we’d just do a mainstream children’s album,” Parton says.
Parton had penned the songs while getting her nonprofit, Imagination Library, off the ground. The library, which opened in 1995, began as a way to benefit the children of her home county. Today, the library sends more than one million books per month to children around the world.
“It was based on something personal to me because I’ve often talked about my dad not having a chance to get an education,” Parton says of the library. “He actually inspired the idea and he got to help me a little bit while we were in development. He felt real proud. I think he got a lot of joy and fulfillment out of that, and that made it even more special to me.”
Proceeds from her new children’s album go to buying more books for the library and for the kids who need them.
“It’s one of the most special things I’ve ever been involved in in my entire life and something I’ll always take great pride in, because you can’t go wrong by helping the kids,” Parton says of the library and her new album. “Just to help children in their most impressionable years; if they can learn to read, even if they live in poor places and don’t have the money to get an education, if you can read, you can find a book on anything, it opens up new worlds.”
For Parton, keeping busy by making sure her park stays open to help families celebrate the holidays and crafting new albums to guarantee kids in need can pursue an education through reading, brings joy and a sense of fulfillment to the singer’s life.
“I always say I’ve dreamed myself into a corner, and now I’ve gotta be responsible,” Parton explains. “So I’ve gotta keep working.”
