JULY  2007 In this issue...  FATHERHOOD...  Also in this issue...HTTOT is moving away from Southern California!.. Previous Newsletters    (Archives)  Website Home Page  (Trailheads) * Mark's Trail Phone 909-549-0068 Contact  Hiking the Trail of Truth,   hikemark@hotmail.com Page 2 From The Editor... Hello, and Welcome to the July 2007 Newsletter!  We here at Hiking the Trail of Truth sincerely hope this day you have allowed the Spirit of God to be active within your heart, and that you are perhaps able to get out for a hike and consider many of the wonders He has made. We are uniquely drawn to these wonders because we were formed from the very dust of the earth, and, because of that relationship, we have the ability to develop the understanding that will allow us to discover our unique balance with nature. Come along with us this year on a great adventure of learning... Knowing God is first seeing Him through the things He has made. Hiking the Trail of Truth is here to help you along in your journey of discovery and sharing. If you have been or are presently unable to get out this season for a physical hike, just visit our website's feature trail for this month; The Desert Trail. Your mental trek there can take you where you may be unable to journey physically. The eye-opening education, inspiration and lasting encouragement which you can find along the Desert Trail will be well worth your time... Just click on the Desert Trail link on the bottom of this newsletter, or click on that trailmarker on the left side of the website's Home page, or you can locate the marker on the website's Hiking Maps and Trailheads page as well.— We sincerely hope that you will hike all of our devotional and educational trails at the website this year. Again, we are here to help you in any way we can and, as always, look forward to hearing from you. Hiking the Trail of Truth is currently the most truthfully informative Christian site on the web. Please, be our guest; explore this truth for yourself and discover! WEBSITE NEWS: HTTOT is moving! HTTOT will be leaving the mountains of San Bernadino California around August 1st. Due to this move there will be no Newsletter for the month of August posted on the website. When HTTOT is restablished in a new location, that new address information will be posted in the very next Newsletter, which should be in September. The Crestline mailing address willl no longer be valid after August 1st.  In the meantime, you can reach Mark at the new cell-phone number, 909-549-0068. Our most recent trail addition to the website is the Discovery Trail.  Along this trail, you can immediately add to your knowledge of truth through some most profound discoveries... The Discovery Trail is an eye-opening place for you to begin the adventure of exploring Hiking the Trail of Truth, a most informative and unique website. The most important way to begin your day is with a short reading from the Bible. Today is indeed a good time to begin that resolve. For this purpose, the Mountain and Valley Trail was built. There you will find daily Bible readings for the entire year, with accompanying photos, created especially for you. To locate this picture/Scripture calendar, simply click on the Mountain and Valley Trail. You will find a compass there that will lead you to the calendar of months, and you can then choose a month to begin your day-by-day readings. Your daily journey through life is sure to begin in the right direction!  After all, we live only one day at a time, right?— Why don't you then take opportunity this year and begin a one-year hike along the Mountain and Valley Trail. You will not be disappointed, in fact, your journey will be full of enlightening, life-changing insights! 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. Your spiritual struggles are of our utmost concern—we can help!  So just write or e-mail 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... July's Letter From the Editor :  Fatherhood  I suppose being that Father's Day just passed us by on June 17th, I am a little late in talking about Fatherhood. But, not really, because going through another Father's Day gave me a few more insights into this subject matter. And, as I pondered these insights, I decided to weave them together for you in this month's Letter from the Editor. Father's Day is really an all year occasion anyway, in that each day we should endeavor to imitate our spiritual Father. Each day is really His day, which has a lot to do with fatherhood and what I am about to relate to you... Father's Day is not really about what our children can do for us—it is about what we are able to do and should do for them. Let us begin with some confessions. The more we begin conversations with confessions the more we learn about ourselves, and the better we are able to figure out who we are and in which direction we should be heading. My confession?... Well, I believe I failed as a father. I'm probably still failing though that is uncertain—only God knows. Through the years I have spent in Biblical studies, combined or entwined with my life experiences, I have learned much of what fatherhood is supposed to be. I have seen as through a looking glass my utter failures in this most important area of life. Living with those failures is not easy, yet, God has been extremely merciful to me all of my life. Through my failures He has taught me the utter depravity of human nature, and has allowed me to understand what knowledge and effort it takes to be an adequate father, as well as the consequences for not being diligent in that effort... My children are well grown now and have families of their own. I have been away from them most of my life, and that is not good at all. The Psalmist has said, Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord; the fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one's youth. Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them...(Psalm 127:3-5). Children give a man's life purpose, allowing him the opportunity to do good and to accomplish much for the Lord. If we are not close to our children, we miss out on great enlightenment regarding the Lord's teachings. Our children are a part of our very being, and we owe them the utmost of wise attention. Only the Lord's word can give us the wisdom we need for this most rewarding task. A man is blessed who respects the Lord with regard to his children... A wise father gives thanks with each sunrise that he has opportunity to guide and to enjoy the company of his children. He listens to them, and considers carefully before he answers. He answers softly, while being sure that his answer(s) will encourage or build up his child(ren). He is patient with them and never considers his own welfare or feelings, but the welfare and feelings of his children. He looks forward to spending time with them and can make that time in the most difficult of times or under various circumstances. He teaches them carefully and praises their progress or understanding. He makes eye contact with them in all conversations and demonstrates love through his emotions. He sets an example in all of his actions. He also asks nothing of his children that he wouldn't do himself. A father is loyal. He doesn't put his family in harm's way by flirting with women or cheating on his wife. He is careful to allow his wife and children to be themselves, never insisting on his own way through pride, arrogance, or manipulation. He is a wise counselor and his family honors him. He wakes up in the morning and considers his children with sincerity of heart in his prayers offered to God. He understands the depth of the mercy which God has granted to him and endeavors to imitate that mercy in dealing with his children. He is kind and does not envy. He does not parade himself and, again, is not arrogant. He does not behave rudely nor seek his own. He is not provoked and thinks no evil. He does not rejoice in iniquity but rejoices in truth. He bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things and endures all things. This quality of love never fails (Ist Corinthians 13:4-8). We honor our heavenly Father through applying these attributes to our children. I pray that you will endeavor to set this example for your children... May God grant you His favor in this most important matter of Fatherhood. May you gain this wisdom which is available through your experience each day, and may you enjoy raising and nurturing your children, bringing them up in the admonition of the Lord. I'll see you in September with another Letter From the Editor Page 3 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. Also, please check Newsletter Archives for folks and their situations previously on the prayer list. Let us this month encourage and pray for... Please remember all of the homeless and the poor of the world as you go about your daily routine this week. Try to locate a homeless person and help them in any way that you can, encouraging the spirit of Christmas all year 'round... 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. May our actions reflect Your character. 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. Thank you so much for hiking with us through the July issue of the Hiking the Trail of Truth Newsletter. Until September then, (no August Newsletter) may the grace of our Lord Jesus be upon you... Sincerely, Mark S Taylor END [Home] [Hiking Maps & Trailheads] [Discovery Trail] [Bible Map] [Trail of Time] [New Birth Trail] [Mountain & Valley Trail] [Desert Trail] [Lake Trail] [High Sierra Trail] [Wilderness Trail] [A Hawk's Trail] [False Trail] [Monthly Newsletter] [Newsletter Archives] [Questions & Answers] HIKING THE TRAIL OF TRUTH Mark S. Taylor (909) 549-0068