May 2003
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In This Issue
From The Editor________________Page 2
Friends Along The Trail__________Page 3
Trail Tales_____________________Page 4
Encouraging Gods Children______Page 5
Newsletters__________________Archives
Home Page_________________Trailheads
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....From The Editor |  |
Hello and Welcome to the May Newsletter! I 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. A night hike sounds good! Watching and contemplating the innumerable stars of the night sky is indeed a treat. The moon is not out tonight so the visible stars will be plentiful...
WEBSITE NEWS: Be sure to visit the Trail of Time this month... The latest addition is Mirror Lake, an adventure in paradise and discovery regarding the earth before the great flood of 2460 BC (time approximate)... More construction on the Trail of Time will be completed during the next few months. New construction continues also on the Mountain and Valley Trail.
NEXT MONTH'S Letter from the Editor: A voice, crying in the wilderness.
THIS MONTH: Our attitude, our actions, and world events: We live indeed in perilous times. (2nd Timothy 3:1) War is of course a sad thing, at least for most of us. With all that is happening, we must endeavor to focus on God's dealings in earthly matters. What I mean is, God works all things together for good (Romans 8:28). That however does not necessarily mean that He is working out what we may feel is "our individual good". The ultimate purpose of and for all things is for God's good; that His plan and eternal purposes for us, and for the world, will be accomplished. Eternity is a long time, incomprehensible by human minds, and that is exactly how God works with us in the world in which we live. In other words, we can't see the whole picture of time as He does. He has always and continues to use times of war and times of peace in accomplishing His purposes.
His ways are not our ways, nor are His thoughts our thoughts (Isaiah 55:8,9). He has lifted and continues to lift some men (and women) up and takes others down in the process. That has always been and continues to be His right and His privilege in accomplishing His purposes. You can count on God to know what He's doing, to know what He's allowing to happen. Again, within this process, He allows some to live and others to meet with death. We are to trust in His judgement in our endeavor to endure the times. We are to endeavor to discern good from evil and to support what is good. Though the scales of right and wrong may seem to fluctuate in our eyes, God controls the balance. Men are free to choose their way while God determines the outcome (Proverbs 16:9). Fear not, he says, when perilous times come upon you. I am the Lord, and I deal justly with all men. The Apostle Paul responds in awe and wonder to these truths: Who has known the mind of the Lord or who can give Him counsel? and... How great are his wisdom and knowledge... How impossible it is for us to understand His decisions and His methods! And the Psalmist concludes: So we will not fear even if the world blows up and the mountains crumble into the sea. (1st Corinthians 2:16, Romans 11:33,34, Psalm 46:2)
My friend, that's the way things are. So, how do we act or react? How do we deal with these things? Christians have an obligation to not insist on their own will, but to do God's will by trusting what He has said. Therefore our actions and reactions should embrace self control. We are to avoid protesting (complaining) about events. In the time of Moses, and the centuries following, God's people destroyed themselves through their constant complaining. They refused to believe in God's promises and sealed their own fate. The chosen words and murmurings they uttered through free speech served to destroy them. The Scriptures teach that the tongue is a restless evil, full of deadly poison (James 3:2-12). They also teach that anyone who controls their tongue can also control themselves in any other way. The tongue is extremely powerful, the most powerful part of the human body. We can use it for good...or for evil. Free speech is a gift and the wise in heart will consider God in all uses of that gift. There is more hope for a fool than for someone who speaks without thinking (Proverbs 29:20). When the great man of patience; Job, learned that God's methods were far to wonderful for him to understand, he replied to God, "I take back everything I said, and I sit in dust and ashes to show my repentance." (Job 42:1-6)
In perilous times we are to encourage others, whether they are soldiers or peacekeepers. We are to pray for good leaders and are to pray that evil leaders will consider their ways. But, again, the outcome may not be as we anticipate or as we pray. Remember too that, as Christians, our home is not on the earth (Hebrews 11:9, John 18:36). Therefore, don't become entangled in earthly maters that cause you to lose sight of that most important truth. Jesus never became involved in earthly (political) matters. His only purpose while on earth was to do God's will; to teach absolute truth, to encourage, to help, to heal, to comfort the weak, to be a friend to the downtrodden and the poor, and He was an unwavering, straightforward servant to all races of men and women, regardless of their age or status. Jesus is our example. Our only success will come through a careful learning of and imitating His attitude. (For more on Jesus, our greatest example, hike the Trail of Time to the Consultation Lake trail junction.)
Until next month's Letter from the Editor, may God bless you, and I thank you for your time. Sincerely, Mark S Taylor
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| 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. 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 on your own life.
We're heading for Bullhead City, Arizona this month to honor three friends along the trail. The first are Bob and Lorna Firestone, who have a home there. Bob and Lorna have been my friends since the early '90's, when I met them while I served as a Police Officer in Arcadia, California. The Firestone's have been great fans of Hiking the Trail of Truth and continue to offer their encouragement no matter how many miles separate us. A few years ago the couple moved to Bullhead City where they bloom like rare flowers in the desert. During a period of hard times in my life when I stayed in Bullhead City, the couple were always there to encourage and to help me along the way. I recall having vehicle trouble late one evening there and the Firestone's came and assisted me by taking me to an auto parts store to purchase the parts I needed to repair my vehicle. They gave me their time in the midst of other priorities. Another time I found myself out of grocery money and again they came to my aid with a loan to tide me over. They never asked for anything in return. The Lord has blessed these people and has blessed me with their friendship. — Thank you, Bob and Lorna, for your kindness and friendship in my lifetime.
The third friend there in Bullhead is Raymond Laird. I met Ray in Georgetown, California when he was down and out and looking for work. At that time I was a camp ground manager, for a rather large outfit, and I was able to hire Ray to help out at the campground. Ray was able to stick with the outfit and we later traveled to southern Arizona where we worked together at an RV park in Quartsite. We had many adventures there in that desert of which I was later able to write about in the website's Desert Trail. We later traveled to Bullhead City and took up residence there, working in the casinos in nearby Laughlin, Nevada. I drifted out of there eventually, but Ray remains there to this day. He has his own place there and is doing well at his work. He lives near his Dad and has been able to spend time with his long lost daughter and grandchild on occasion.— Through all of those experiences with Ray we were able to influence each others lives in a great way. We keep in touch, and I am always thankful for the time God allowed our trails to come together and to continue on for a spell. Our eyes beheld some great country indeed. The inspiring life we lived along the campground trails I surely miss. — Thanks, Ray, for your continued friendship. (Ray has a computer now and has access to the HTTOT website.)
I have a lot of memories of the Arizona territory. The desert southwest is unmatched for spiritual inspiration. I have a good friend in Tucson too; John Brandt, whom I wrote about in the December newsletter's Friends along the Trail. I keep tellin' all of these friends I'll get back there one of these days... Lord willing, I will be blessed in that way!
Thank you, Lord, for these renowned friends. Please protect them 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 speak about and to honor their friends, you're welcome to write in to Hiking the Trail of Truth, PO Box 492, Windsor, CA. 95492-0492. (E-mail mstaylor@sonic.net)
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Trail Tales |  |
Continuing stories of life on the trail
A WINTER'S TALE
Episode 6
*Previous episodes of Trail Tales can be located in Newsletter Archives
The ten riders soon turned west and headed up the High Sierra trail. The lower portion found them winding through majestic stands of Jeffrey and Sugar pine. The narrow trail followed the high stream and some of the larger granite boulders that dominate the eastern incline. The trail shifted periodically and directly paralleled the stream for a distance, then wound up through sporadic brush and pine, switchbacking the lower ridge. They reached the first crest just before noon and the view of the Owens valley from that point was indeed worth stopping to take a gander.
From there the valley floor was close, perhaps 2 miles due east. The red rock boulders on the west side of the landscape were stacked tall enough to, from that point, obscure most of the valley floor itself, but the White mountain range to the northeast could be seen in great detail. From that lofty vantage Windwalker pointed out a small herd of elk just north of Lone Pine peak.
"Elk are still high up this year. That means perhaps a mild winter, or a late one. If we spot any on higher up, then I'd say it's gonna be a mild one... What do you think, Jeremiah?"
Jeremiah's eyes caught the elk, then scanned the timber line on the peak above them. "Some hawks on the higher pine up there...still nestin' I figure." He turned his eyes on Windwalker. "...Mild winter, I'd say."
Windwalker nodded in agreement. After a brief rest the riders hit the trail again, reaching the timberline nearly an hour later. Except for an occasional bray from the pack mules it was a quiet ride. They reached the first series of granite switchbacks a short time later, some distance above the timberline.
"We'll rest here a bit", Jeremiah said. "Lot of work for these animals next mile or two". The trail ahead was indeed steep as well as narrow, cutting back and forth sharply across a granite face, a series of a dozen or so switchbacks barely three feet in width.
"They call this place angel's flight", Jeremiah informed the riders. "You'll see why once we start up it. It's not near as bad as it looks though, unless you're comin' down at night. You can see sparks from the horses shoes and you have to lean way back in the saddle. It gets a might spooky. Goin' up ain't near bad though. We'll go single file... John, you and Ron take the lead. We'll let the girls follow you and I'll get behind them. Taylor, you boys come up next and Sean and Ed will take up the rear with the pack mules... Lean forward as you climb and give the horses all the reins... If you're brave you can look down, otherwise keep your eyes straight ahead. Let the horses make the turns on their own, they know what they're doin' and they'll keep their own distance. It will look like a steep ascent from the saddle, but don't pay it no mind. We'll be up on top of this rock in a short time and the trail will level off somewhat and head into a high meadow. We can rest there, then ride across to the west side of the meadow and camp for the night. It's a steep climb from there and it will take a good portion of the day tomorrow before we hit the high crest."
John Windwalker soon led the ascent of the granite switchbacks. The riders trailed behind him at five to six foot intervals as he reached the first turn. He looked below as he made the turn, checking on the younger riders, then again took sight on the trail ahead. He made the next switchback turn soon, again, checking the riders below him.
"You all are lookin' good", he smiled... "Other than you young'in's faces bein' a might pale on them turns, you're lookin' real good," he laughed... "Bryce, you grit on them teeth any harder, you're gonna have a sore jaw when we get up top."
The boy looked up at him, then turned in the saddle to look at his younger brother, Cael, just behind him in the train. "You scared, Cael?"
"Naw...this is fun," the boy replied, looking about him. He didn't look down though, a sure sign that his words were more to encourage himself than to comfort his brother. "Don't you think it's fun?"
"I guess", Bryce replied. With that, Taylor Perez turned in the saddle. "Hey, you guys best be glad it ain't dark. You'd be plenty scared, that's sure. When we come back you best hope it's still daylight. You heard Mr. Johnson. It's spooky here at night."
"We ain't scared," Cael blurted out. "Look at that little girl up there... she ain't scared neither." He was referring to Riley, riding just ahead of Hannah and behind Railroad Ron. "You ain't scared, are you girl?"
Riley shook her head. "Not me", her voice quivered noticeably as she spoke, to which Taylor, Bryce and Cael all responded with immediate laughter. "Liar liar, your pants are on fire," Bryce shouted at her.
"That's enough!" Hannah scolded, sternly yet softly. "You spook these horses and it could have serious consequences, so just think about that and shut up!"
"Well spoken", Ron added, looking sternly at the boys. "Now ain't no time for mischief."
The riders remained quiet until they reached the high meadow. Taylor, Bryce and Cael rode up beside Riley and apologized for making fun of her. "I was just teasin'," Bryce insisted. "Don't pay me no mind."
"I'll take it you meant it kindly", Riley smiled. "I guess I was scared."
"We were all scared", Taylor admitted. "But, we made it!"
The lush meadow was a welcome site indeed. Bright green and yellow brush dominated the boulder strewn landscape. A stream crossed the center of the meadow, dropping into a waterfall just north of the angel's flight ascent.
"We'll water here", Jeremiah said, bringing his mount to a stop. "Best dismount and give the horses a rest. There's a camp just across the meadow. Firewood stacked over there, compliments of a geological survey team that was up here nosin' around last year. We'll set up camp there and I'll go fetch a few rabbits for dinner. We'll cook some beans and there's some fruit in the supplies too. Got some sheepherder's bread...mighty good eatin'... John, let's go fetch some rabbits. The meadow's full of 'em... Ron, just head the group west across the meadow. You'll see the camp just where the stream comes out of the rocks yonder. Get us a fire goin' and me and John will be back directly."
TO BE CONTINUED
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Encouraging God's Children |  |
Here is this month's list of those who need your 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...
First and foremost... Let us offer continuing prayers for men and women of the world who are attempting to reach others with the truth of God's word. There are so many false beliefs throughout the world and the task of teaching the truth is an extremely difficult one. Pray that the light of Jesus carried by His faithful servants will dispel the darkness of ignorance.
Please continue to pray for and to write to...
Ron Friend and family, Marietta, Ohio; Ron's daughter, Lori, recently lost her unborn child due to physical complications. This would have been the very first grandchild for that dear family. Please pray that the entire family will find comfort and understanding from God during this great trial in their lives.
Eric Barker, Beaver, W. Virgina; Eric is a young man who has experienced some personal difficulties in his life. Please pray that Eric will be strong and courageous and that he will seek the wisdom and knowledge of God.
John and Vicki Brandt, Tucson, Arizona; Their son, Nick, is in the region of Kuwait with the US military and has been there since February. Let us pray for this family as well as for the many military families experiencing hardships due to the world's tense situation.
Karen Keifer, Akron, Ohio; Karen is recovering from a home accident and needs your prayers for strength and renewed courage. Life has been diffficult for her in other areas as well. She is a fine Christian lady and needs to hear from you.
Raymond Laird, Bullhead City, Arizona; Ray has recently undergone surgery for cancer. He had to have a lung removed, but is recovering well and is even now back to work! I admire your great courage and strength, Ray. You are always in my thoughts and prayers.
Jack and Marge Myers, Crestline, California; These are active subscribers who need your prayers or letters of encouragement that good health may remain theirs to enjoy during the remainder of their stay on earth.
Storm Yetter, Hungry Horse, Montana; Storm needs your encouragement in dealing with some of the many difficulties life can bring. We've all been there and still are there, so lets pray for Storm and get some letters of encouragement out to her. Her mom passed away recently. Please consider the consequences of her loss as you continue to pray for her.
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Please remember the homeless again this month. Locate a homeless person and help them in any way that you can. Pray for all of those in need, and please pray for the leaders of our country and the world at large, that men and women will desire to find wisdom, that they will turn and seek God's face in this world full of fear and doubt..
Please remember Hiking the Trail of Truth in your prayers, that we can reach out together to help and encourage others along life's difficult trail...
Lord, grant us the humility to seek your face for the well being of others. Help us to reach out to them in word and in deed. We are each one of us in need of your guidance in the use of our tongues and our talents. Though we are unworthy we ask you to bless our efforts... In the name of your glorious Son, Jesus, we pray.
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Thank you so much for hiking with us through the May 2003 issue of the Hiking the Trail of Truth Newsletter. Until June then, may the grace of our Lord Jesus be upon you... Sincerely, Mark S Taylor
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HIKING THE TRAIL OF TRUTH
Mark S. Taylor
(707) 477-2460