December  2007 Happy Holidays !! In this issue... A Reason For Everything Monument Valley, Ariz/Utah Visit the Lake Trail on this website, and hike to Dayhike #5,  Into the Monuments. Previous Newsletters    (Archives)  Website Home Page  (Trailheads) * Contact  Hiking the Trail of Truth,  Mark's Trail Phone # 909-549-0068,  or e-mail   hikemark@hotmail.com Page 2 From The Editor... Monument Valley...visit the Lake Trail and see how it all began; on Dayhike #5,  Into the Monuments. Hello, and Welcome to the December 2007 HTTOT Newsletter!  Indeed, Happy Holidays!  We here at Hiking the Trail of Truth sincerely hope this Holiday Season that 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 on a most profound adventure of learning... Knowing God is first seeing Him through the things He has made (Romans 1:20).  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 Lake 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 Lake Trail will be well worth your time... Just click on the Lake 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 one of the most, if not the most, truthfully informative Christian sites on the web. Please, be our guest; explore this truth for yourself and discover! WEBSITE NEWS: The latest edits to the website are on the Wilderness Trail and The Hawk's Trail. This edit work of fine tuning the various writings is a continual process on the website, so that reading and comprehending the information along the various trails will hopefully be easier for you. 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 the opportunity now 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 phone 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... December's Letter From the Editor :  A Reason For Everything...   Some folks believe that there is a reason for everything. After many years of learning, I am one of them... Consider what God has made— There is not one animal, plant, or insect that is not here for a reason. Even modern science concurs with this thought. How much more then should that apply to human beings, God's highest order of creation on the earth?  There is then indeed a reason for every one as well as a reason for every thing. As we ponder this truth, it can develop an understanding within us that helps us to gain insight into our individual purpose. Our purpose has a part in God's vast eternal plan. It is true that we are each and everyone only a mere speck of dust, but, that speck of dust plays a part in eternity. God's perfect plan includes that imperfect speck of dust. Again, though we may not at this point in time understand what's going on or just how we fit into the grand scheme, there is indeed a purpose—a reason for everything. Many folks feel that they have been dealt a bad hand in life—that their troubles and sorrows are unwarranted. They feel slighted by the prosperity of others, and as a result their own hopes grow dim, giving birth to bitterness and rebellion. This is because they have not yet learned that there is a reason for everything—that every blade of grass has a purpose. Whether or not we consider things to be significant or insignificant, or consider our personal lives to be prosperous or poverty stricken, God's purpose will stand. This is something we need to accept in order to make sense of our lives. If you do not accept this truth of life, you will never be at peace. Realize here that it is your nature to fight against peace—your nature to sin, which makes the truth hard to accept. You must therefore trust in God and continue or begin to fight the good fight of faith, which will secure your peace of mind and heart. Consider the following... I asked God to take away my habit. God said, No. It is not for me to take away, but for you to give it up.  I asked God to make my handicapped child whole. God said, No. His spirit is whole, his body is only temporary.  I asked God to grant me patience. God said, No. Patience is a by-product of tribulations; it isn't granted, it is learned.  I asked God to give me happiness. God said, No. I give you blessings; Happiness is up to you.  I asked God to spare me pain. God said, No. Suffering draws you apart from worldly cares and brings you closer to me.  I asked God to make my spirit grow. God said, No. You must grow on your own, but I will prune you to make you fruitful.  I asked God for all things that I might enjoy life. God said, No. I will give you life, so that you may enjoy all things.  I asked God to help me to love others, as much as He loves me. God said...Ahhhh, finally you have the right idea...Work at that precept each day. There is a reason for everything. If we were like God, and could see all things from an eternal point of reference or point of view, we would understand this truth. Since we, at this point in time, do not have that ability or understanding, we have to live by faith, the Scriptures teach, and not by sight or sense of inner feelings. Granted, it is difficult to live with our weaknesses, our flaws, our continuous falling into sin. But, in this present world, this is our fate—struggle and disappointment will always be with us. This is how God gets our attention, and if we are wise, he gets our renewed efforts to live according to His word. Personally, I fail every day. I therefore realize my constant need of a Savior. I can at this time only look forward to my perfection, when the Lord returns to make that permanent change in me. Until then I must live with my imperfections and cling to the understanding that there is a reason for everything. Our earthly mission is to love others, and to fight against our natural inclination to sin. These tasks require our full time attention. It is actually senseless and useless to concern ourselves with anything else, for if we truly love, we will successfully accomplish all things that need to be accomplished. Love is patient, never giving up. Love cares more for others than for self. Love doesn't want what it doesn't have. Love doesn't strut, doesn't have a swelled head, doesn't force itself upon others. Love isn't always "me first", doesn't fly off the handle, doesn't keep score of the sins of others, and doesn't celebrate when others knuckle under. Love takes pleasure in the flowering of truth. Love puts up with anything, trusts in God always, looking for the best. Love never looks back, but keeps on going to the end. Let us make holy this Holiday Season by beginning to love all year 'round ! Please visit the Hiking the Trail of Truth website and begin your journey into Truth. Sincerely, Mark...I'll see you in January with another Letter From the Editor. 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 or E-mail 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, the poor, and the hungry of this world as you go about your daily routine this Holiday Season. Try to locate a homeless, poor, or hungry 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 any type, 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 as their true need 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, in all seasons, 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 December issue of the Hiking the Trail of Truth Newsletter. Until January then, 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