APRIL, MAY, JUNE 2004 IN THIS ISSUE From The Editor.......................Page 2 Friends Along The Trail...........Page 3 Encouraging God's Children....Page 4 Trail Tales................................Page 5 Previous Newsletters  (Archives)  Home Page  (Trailheads) Hiking the Trail of Truth, PO Box 492, Windsor, CA, 95492-0492 Roving Trail Office 707-477-2460 or e-mail mstaylor@sonic.net Page 2 From The Editor...  Hello, and Welcome to the April 2004 Newsletter!  I sincerely hope this day you have allowed the Spirit of God to be active within your heart, and that you are able to perhaps get out for a hike and consider many of the wonders He has made, and to do the best you can to share that inspiration with others. This month of April brings much rain to most parts of the country... If April showers bring Mayflowers, what do Mayflowers bring?  Pilgrims of course!  Do you know your American history?  We are indeed to this day pilgrims in an unholy land. As Christians we long for the return of our Lord, that we might depart this present earth and behold the new heavens and a new earth (2nd Peter 43:13), according to His promise.  God has in fact given us many exceedingly great and precious promises, and through those promises we can become partakers of the divine nature, escaping the corruption in the world caused by evil desires... And that's just what Hiking the Trail of Truth is all about... a help for you in finding your way in a world full of spiritual darkness. There are many journeys into understanding God's promises here. If you are unable to get out for a physical hike, just visit our websites' feature trail for this month; the High Sierra Trail. Your mental trek there can take you where you may be unable to journey physically. The enlightenment, inspiration, knowledge and encouragement which you can find along the 7 hikes there will be well worth your time... WEBSITE NEWS: Sadly, due to some personal schedule changes, the Monthly Newsletter will run quarterly for the remainder of this year. I apologize to you, dear readers, for this inconvenience. Page 4, Encouraging God's Children, will however be updated on a monthly basis, so please check the prayer list each month, and kindly continue your prayers for the folks on that list. Thank you, so much! HTTOTs' Desert Trail, a Native American musical CD, is still available for you to enjoy. I have a copy just for you. Simply drop me a note in the mail to request the CD and I will most gladly mail it to you. There is no charge... Send your request to: HTTOT, Mark S Taylor, PO box 492, Windsor, CA 95492-0492... A description of this CD is available in the August 2003 Newsletter, which you can find in Newsletter Archives. It is quite an inspiring array of music.  Hope to hear from you... *Update! I am now working on a second CD; The High Sierra Trail. Information on the new CD will be available for you in the next HTTOT Newsletter. I am looking forward to its completed production. Don't forget that HTTOT offers FREE COUNSELING to anyone who wants it (Lord knows we all need it). Your varied questions are also important, and are given the utmost consideration in answering them. For you to be aware of the truth, in a world where falsehood abounds, is very important to us. So just write, e-mail, or phone any time. Contact information is listed at the bottom of the cover page of this Newsletter, or you can visit Questions and Answers Trail Camp at the website, where a ''submit a question' link is provided... If you do not have a computer or Internet access, you may be interested in a printed copy of Hiking the Trail of Truth (the website, volume IV). If so, please write and let me know. I will make one just for you should you request it. This volume is a printing of the November 2003 website edition. Note: It will not contain the Mountain and Valley Trail; 366 daily devotionals, which will make up a separate printed edition, Lord willing, in 2004. It will also not contain the Monthly Newsletter, save one sample copy (Nov 2003)... Next quarter's Letter from the Editor; Your time well spent. THIS MONTH: The Stones Cry Out ! In the Biblical book of Luke, in chapter 19 and verse 40, Jesus tells us that if His disciples became silent, and did not announce Him as Lord and King, that the very stones of the ground would cry out with the good news. Indeed they do cry out!   I have been allowed the honor of many hikes through this western United States; hikes among and atop rocks and stones of myriad varieties. I have reached out or stooped down to touch them many times. Each time I do, I think of Jesus' words. When I see the rocky peaks of the High Sierra, I remember His words. When I see the diverse rock outcrops scattered over the western landscape, I remember His words. Yes, the stones of the earth cry out; each and every stone. Just what do they say? They tell me that the Lord is the One, true God who formed the heavens and the earth, that all of the things He has made are precious in our sight and in our touch. They tell me that He is Lord and King, and in complete control of my destiny. That destiny as His child is to honor Him in all that I think, say, and do. It is to appreciate and to praise all that He has made and all that He has done to help me along the difficult trail of this earthly life. They tell me that I would be foolish to rely on the wisdom and philosophies of the world, that there is more honor in a stone than there is in the hearts of men. They instruct me to speak these truths in kindness to others. The stones cry out to us every day. They do not deceive us. They speak of the wonders of creation. They tell the truth of time. They possess the secrets of wonders upon wonders. They are the accurate witnesses of ages past. How comforting it is to sit atop a great rock, to walk among granite boulders, to pick up the stones from the ground and behold them, to sift even the tiniest of beach pebbles through my fingers. Yes, I honor the stones, for they bare witness to a glory beyond measure. If you are listening you too can hear them. They speak of their longing for the redemption of the creation (Romans 8:18-23). They wait in hope. They look forward to their liberty as do we. The next time you're out for a walk, consider the stones of the earth. Do not take them for granted any longer, for they are wise. There is much to learn out there among the created things. Collect some stones and bring them home. Put them in a place of honor where you can gaze upon them and remember what you have learned from them. If you are perhaps physically disabled, unable to get out, please visit the Trail of Time, the Desert, Lake, and High Sierra Trails at this website. The stones along that way will speak to you, giving you knowledge and hope... In the next Newsletter, we will take a look at Your time well spent.  Until then, I thank you for and am honored by your time spent with, Letter from the Editor. Sincerely, Mark S Taylor, HTTOT Back to top Page 3 Friends Along The Trail We began this new series in June of 2002 and, thanks to positive subscriber responses, we've been able to continue it, thank the Lord, in subsequent issues. Within this particular series I have been reflecting on how certain friends, relatives and strangers have influenced me over the years of my own life and times. As Christians we are instructed to encourage one another daily. Lord knows that I have been encouraged many times over the years through the words, actions, and associations of others. It is indeed then time to honor them. I have honored some of them before, yet, honoring others is something we really can't overdo for those truly deserving of it. Sometimes it takes considerable journeying through life before we learn the value of honoring others. I sincerely hope that my reflections on these "special characters" of my lifetime will cause you yourself to consider the God given blessings that special characters have had upon your own life... An old friend, Ron Friend, submitted this to me recently. Ron also submitted the great story in this month's Trail Tales...  Subject: Enlightened Prayer...  I thought that you might enjoy this interesting prayer given in Kansas at the opening session of their State Senate. It seems prayer still upsets some people. When Minister Joe Wright was asked to open the new session of the Kansas Senate, everyone was expecting the usual generalities, but this most truthful prayer is what they heard: "Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask your forgiveness and to seek your direction and guidance. We know Your Word says, 'Woe to those who call evil good',  but that is exactly what we have done. We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values. We confess that we have ridiculed the absolute truth of Your Word and called it Pluralism. We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery. We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare. We have killed our unborn and called it choice. We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable. We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self-esteem. We have abused power and called it politics. We have coveted our neighbor's possessions and called it ambition. We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression. We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment...   Search us, Oh, God, and know our hearts today; cleanse us from every sin and set us free. Guide and bless these men and women, who have been sent here, and direct us to the center of Your will, that we might openly discuss these things... In the name of Your Son, the living Savior, Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen!" The response was immediate. A number of legislators walked out during the prayer in protest. In 6 short weeks, Central Christian Church, where Rev. Wright is pastor, logged more than 5,000 phone calls with only 47 of those calls responding negatively. The church is now receiving international requests or copies of this prayer from India, Africa, and Korea. Commentator Paul Harvey aired this prayer on his radio program, "The Rest of the Story", and received a larger response to this program than any other he has ever aired. With the Lord's help, may this prayer sweep over our nation and whole heartedly become our desire so that we might again can be called "one nation under God." Thank you, Lord, for the renowned friend along the trail of life who sent me this prayer. Thank you for allowing those thoughts to surface within his heart. Please protect his family and continue to bless them in this life.  Next month we'll ride once again with some Friends Along the Trail. Any subscribers or viewers who wish to honor their friends, you're welcome to write in to: Hiking the Trail of Truth, PO Box 492, Windsor, CA 95492-0492, or e-mail mstaylor@sonic.net. Back to top Page 4 Encouraging Gods' Children Here is this months' list of those who need encouragement through your prayers and letters. I hope you will take the time to encourage them... Some of their problems are personal and we will respect their privacy, leaving it up to those individuals to share at their discretion. Please pray for them and write to them (I can provide addresses for you. Please call, E-mail or write to me for that information). Encouragement is a noble thing and a profound way to honor God through lifting up His children... Please inform me if you would like to add anyone to our prayer list. Let us this month encourage and pray for... Carlie, granddaughter of Jim and Cheryl Marton... was born with a deformity in her right leg. Carlie has been taken to some specialists by her parents, Brian and Jill, and we ask that you pray for this beautiful child, so that the Lord will allow her to recover and hike some great trails, and that her parents and grandparents will remain strong during your time of prayer and the childs' difficulty.  Update... 4/20/04  Hi, I just wanted to say hi and give you a short update on Carli. Don't feel that you have to put updates on your web site, that's not why I write, its such a lovely and helpful gesture that you did it. She has been to four doctors now, and the last one mentioned the dreaded "amputation" word. Her case is being presented, in May, to a very famous doctor, that specializes in limb lengthening and limb deformities. He is recognized in many countries. The casting of her foot, so far, has given good results and it is coming up to a more normal position. Friday they left the cast off for a while because she had developed some sores under it. She goes back today to the specialist that is working on her foot, he will probably recast it. She is such a cute and good little baby. We hope that all the prayers help give her a chance to live a normal life...  Here is a picture of our little girl... Isn't she just so adorable? Hope all is well with you. Everything is great with all of us, just hoping for a success story for Carli... Love, Cheryl   Sent: Friday, May 14, 2004 8:42 AM Subject: Carli Update..and the news is GOOD!!!! Its good news. I just got back from Baltimore, the kids are still there, til tomorrow. Dr. Paley can operate on Carli and fix her. She will have a stiff ankle, and it wont look like her other ankle, but she will walk, run and do anything other kids can do. What she has, Tibia Hemimelia stage 4, is a one in ten million occurrence. Luckily stage four is the most fixable, even though it is the rarest. She will have surgery at a year, and then again at age 3 or 4 and then again at somewhere between 10 and 14. It sounds weird, but they have to cut off some of one of her leg bones to fix it and then rotate the whole leg and foot, and then later (the older ages) she has to have leg lengthening. She is in for a long haul but at least it has a positive outcome. We were so happy, cried, and hugged, shook hands, I hugged the doctor, said he needed to be hugged, not a hand shake. It was a wonderful trip. And for now she is out of her cast and splint, nothing more til surgery, so nice for her. Thank all of you for your prayers, prayer works wonders. I will keep you all informed of her progress, if you are interested. I think I am the happiest grandmother in the world right now. Moots and I are off to Michigan, for a nice weekend of rest and relaxation after this stressful week... Thanks again everyone. Love, Cheryl Herschell Taylor of Wrightwood CA... Hersch has been fighting with cancer for some time now. Please pray for him and his family, that he may find peace and hope in the wonders of God's creation around him, so prevalent in the great San Bernadino mountain area where he resides. Belle Basler of Windsor, California... Belle is experiencing a need for you to pray for her son, Gabriel, who is undergoing personal difficulty at this time. Storm Yetter, Kalispell, Montana... Storm is experiencing some very trying difficulties at this time. Please pray that she will continue to seek the guidance of the Lord, and lean not on her own understanding. Pray that she will be strong and patient as He works in her life. *Update January 30th... I heard from her just recently, and your continued prayers are being answered! Hang in there, Storm! The family of Aiden Craig Cieszkowski... Aiden is a premature infant, born November 3rd to Frank and Christina Cieszkowski. This child is in the company of many other premature children. Please pray for him, his family, and his many little friends. I just heard that the boy is doing much better, and some of his friends are as well! Please continue your prayers for these children. Here is a March 7th UPDATE from Aiden's grandma... Subject: Aiden Update > Hi Everyone, > > This is the update I have been waiting over 4 months to send....Aiden is coming home today!!!!!!!! He is 7lbs. 14 oz., he will be coming home with the feeding tube still in. This is not a big thing - he takes most of his feedings well but once in a while he just gets too tired and falls asleep so the remainder of his feeding goes in the tube. They don't want him to lose any of the nutrients he needs. I know that when Frank and Christina have him home they will be able to spend more time on his feedings than the nurses were able to. Speaking of the nurses (and doctors) in the neo-natal intensive care unit...they are the most talented and dedicated professionals I have ever had the privilege of meeting. Never once did I hear them complain about the work they had to do or the amount of work they had. And believe me, they were swamped with things to do for those little ones. > > I hope that Aiden's story will be of some comfort to all of you and anyone that you may know who encounters similar circumstances. His early birth (23 weeks 6 days gestational period) and low birth weight (1 lb 7 ozs) did not offer a lot of hope for his survival. But by the grace of God he has overcome many hurdles. > > May God bless all of you and I thank you for all your prayers and well wishes over the past 4 months... I'll keep you posted.  Love, Grandma Aiden Pray for those less fortunate than us, like Ron and Steve, two of many homeless in this Santa Rosa, California area. Those with no work or no income. Those who don't have 75 cents to enjoy the taste of refrigerated milk, a Coca-Cola, or a bottle of cold water. Those who sit alone, without the encouragement of friends. And, those who don't share the benefits of peace, who can't go out in the night without getting shot, robbed or molested. Our world is indeed full of wickedness—there is indeed darkness under the sun. Pray earnestly for the safety of Gods' children until our Lords' return... Please remember all of the homeless and the poor of the world again this month. Try to locate a homeless person and help them in any way that you can... Continue to pray for all of those in need of daily bread, and please pray earnestly for all the people of the world in which we live, in every country, that men and women will desire to find wisdom, that they will turn and seek God's face in this world full of spiritual blindness, rebellion and increasing depravity. The Lord's coming will not be delayed much longer. Endeavor to encourage others to seek Him, in truth, while there is still time. Father, grant us the humility to seek Your face for the well being of others. Help us to reach out to them, with kindness, in word and in deed. We are, each one of us, in need of Your guidance in the use of possessions, our prosperity, our tongues and our talents. Though we are quite unworthy, we ask you to bless our efforts... In the name of your glorious Son, Jesus, we pray. Back to top Page 5 Trail  Tales Previous episodes of Trail Tales can be found in Newsletter Archives The Atheist An atheist was taking a walk through the woods. What majestic trees! What powerful rivers! What beautiful animals!" he said to himself. As he was walking alongside the river he heard a rustling in the bushes behind him. He turned to look. He then saw a 7 foot grizzly charge towards him. He ran as fast as he could up the trail. He looked over his shoulder and saw that the bear was closing in on him. He looked over his shoulder again, and the bear was even closer. He suddenly tripped and fell on the ground. He rolled over to pick himself up but saw the bear right on top of him, reaching for him with his left paw and raising his right paw to strike him! At that instant the Atheist cried out: "Oh my God!..."  Time stopped. The bear froze. The forest was silent. As a bright light suddenly shone upon the man, a voice came out of the heavens: "You deny my existence for all of these years, teach others I don't exist, and even credit creation to a cosmic accident. You follow the philosophies of the world and teach others to do the same... Do you now expect me to help you out of this predicament? Am I to count you as a believer?"  The atheist looked directly into the light, "It would be hypocritical of me to all of a sudden ask You to treat me as a Christian now, but perhaps could you make the BEAR a Christian?"  "Very well," said the voice. The brightness of the light abruptly faded. The sounds of the forest resumed. And then the bear lowered his right paw, brought both paws together and bowed his head and spoke: "Lord, bless this food, which I am about to receive from thy bounty, and thank You again for seeing to my daily needs, through Christ our Lord, Amen." This story was submitted by Railroad Ron Friend, of Marietta, Ohio. To learn more about my friend, Ron Friend, ride with Friends Along the Trail in the October 2003 Newsletter (Newsletter Archives). Thank you so much for hiking with us through the April, May, June issue of the Hiking the Trail of Truth Newsletter. Until July then, may the grace of our Lord Jesus be upon you... Sincerely, Mark S Taylor Back to top [Home] [Hiking Maps & Trailheads] [Bible Map] [Trail of Time] [New Birth Trail] [False Trail] [Mountain & Valley Trail] [Desert Trail] [Lake Trail] [High Sierra Trail] [Monthly Newsletter] [Questions & Answers] [Newsletter Archives] HIKING THE TRAIL OF TRUTH Mark S. Taylor (707) 477-2460