AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2005 IN THIS ISSUE From The Editor........................Page 2 Along the Trail of Truth.............Page 3 Trail Tales.................................Page 4 Encouraging God's Children.....Page 5 Previous Newsletters    (Archives)   Home Page  (Trailheads) Hiking the Trail of Truth, PO Box 1443, Crestline, CA, 92325-1443 Trail Office Phone, 909-338-4081 Mark's Trail Phone # 707-477-2460, or e-mail   hikemark@hotmail.com Page 2 From The Editor... Hello, and Welcome to the August / September 2005 Newsletter!  I 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. I hope also that you will do the best you can to share that unique inspiration with others along the daily trails of your life. 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 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 education, inspiration and lasting encouragement which you can find along the 7 hikes of the High Sierra Trail will be well worth your time... Just click on the High Sierra 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. I 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. WEBSITE NEWS: Our newest trail edition to the website is the Wilderness Trail. Wilderness wanderings are the times in our life when God brings about circumstances or events to discipline and train us for better things, namely, to accomplish His earthly purpose for us according to His will. These wanderings are always the difficult times of our lives, which may or may not come about by our own choice; the wilderness of failure, the wilderness of doubt, the wilderness of affliction, the wilderness of fear, the wilderness of despair, the wilderness of loneliness, and the wilderness of anxiety. I hope you will take the time to visit the Wilderness Trail, and that you will write to us regarding your discoveries. I have learned that the most important way to begin your day is with a short reading from the Bible. For this purpose, the Mountain and Valley Trail was built. There you will find daily Bible readings for the entire year, 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 daily readings. Your daily journey through life is sure to begin in the right direction!  I hope that visiting the Mountain and Valley Trail will become a daily routine for you; your much-needed morning inspiration! After all, we live one day at a time, right? I hope you will visit A Hawk's Trail this month. This trail is an overview of the life and times of the author of Hiking the Trail of Truth. It's a no nonsense hike, created to help you to understand in more depth the struggles in your own personal life and times. Gear up for a profound look at the reality of sin and its affect within us; My Pursuit of the Hawk: I sincerely hope it will be a life changing adventure for you!  And I hope to hear from you regarding your personal discoveries! 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 1443, Crestline, CA 92325-1443... 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 with your request... 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, and is indeed educational in the spiritual realm. Note: It will not contain the Mountain and Valley Trail; 366 daily devotionals, which make up a separate printed edition (not currently available in one bound volume, but you can print the daily's from the website). It will also not contain the Monthly Newsletter, save one sample copy (Nov 2003)... I also have available at your request the original booklet, Hiking the Trail of Truth, a Profound Look at Pure Reality (August 2000), and volume 2 in the HTTOT series, The Monuments (December 2000). These booklets are great learning tools, free of charge, and so I will be looking forward to your order. On the first of December 2004, video volume #13 in the Hiking the Trail of Truth series, entitled, The Adventure of Knowing God, became available for you. The video was filmed in the Mt. Whitney region of California's High Sierra, and is quite informative. You may receive a copy of this free, 56 minute video, simply by writing a request for the video and mailing it to the Trail Office address on the front of this Newsletter. I hope to hear from you with your video request! (Note; a list of all 13 HTTOT videos is available when you write in) 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... THIS MONTH'S Letter From the Editor: One Day at a Time... One day at a time is all that we are given; Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own (Matthew 6:34). One translator has written, "Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes."  This is extremely good advice. The anxiety that it removes could add years to your life. Only one who is committed to depending totally on God can hope to form this much needed daily attitude. One day at a time means that you begin your day with prayer—up and out of bed and on your knees!  It helps to look out the window at His creation. If you are camping somewhere, it's even better, for you can smell the morning air, and feel your knees against the dust of the earth, and share your appreciation with God for His wondrous creation. I have found it impossible to even think about starting a day without talking to God. What strength and hope it can generate!  Your early morning focus on God will help you throughout your day. It is indeed a positive focus. There is nothing more important on the earth or in your life than this particular focus. Your thoughts, words and actions throughout the day should reflect this focus, and will if you are sincerely focused. There truly is no need to think about tomorrow, for the focus of today will keep you quite busy... It is not easy to focus on God in the hustle of today's world. Your natural focus will be on the things of this life, so there will be struggle within your spirit throughout your day, yet, this is both your purpose and your fate. The apostle Paul said,  "We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ" (2nd Corinthians 10:5).  That is where your focus should be—training your body and mind to to think like it should, express what it should, and do what it should, and not think, express, or let it do what it wants (1st Corinthians 9:27). Considering this, it is quite obvious that we can only muster the strength to concentrate on one day at a time. Anything more would be exhausting! How can we accomplish this, in view of the daily earthly agendas and demands that we all face?  Are we not prisoners of our culture, our society and our environment?  Yes we are!  But, we don't have to be. We can take that step of faith and look to God for all of our needs. And if God is directing the steps of our life, why should we worry about what we encounter along the way?  There is a purpose for where each of us are right now, and for what each of us are engaged in this very day. This is why it is so important to talk with God. Talking with Him will allow us to discern and to act on today's purpose. It will allow us to deal with any situation that we have encountered, and to make the necessary changes or adjustments which need to be made. It will also help guide us in making the right choices in our endeavor to please Him. It is of course natural for us to try and think or plan ahead. We figure if we don't plan ahead, it could lead to some serious trouble or inconvenience. Yet, on the other hand, none of us know if we will have tomorrow. Tomorrow could be taken away today. If you endeavor to understand or comprehend this reality, it will make today a much better day for you. It will heighten your appreciation, your understanding, your purpose, and your focus in the life that God has given you. Most importantly, your spiritual maturity has a chance to grow if you tend it like a precious garden; one day at a time. In the next HTTOT Newsletter, we will take a profound look at yet another Letter from the Editor. Until then, I thank you for and am honored by your time.  Next letter from the editor; The Wonder of Clouds Sincerely, Mark S Taylor, HTTOT Back to top Page 3 Along The Trail of Truth Along the Trail of Truth is HTTOT's newest addition to the Newsletter and replaces the former Friends Along the Trail segment. Along the Trail of Truth is a no-nonsense look at the world's latest ideas and/or publications, and 'sets the record straight' concerning them. God's word teaches us that the wisdom of the world is indeed foolishness with God, and that He has also chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the so-called wise (1st Corinthians 1:19-31). Relative to this profound reality, Along the Trail of Truth takes a look at natural mankind's perception of things and passes onto you the truth of the matter... What do you know about the land we now call "Iraq"? Iraq is a very troubled land at this time, and some of us have hopes for it. But, once upon a time, about 6,200 years ago, Iraq was "the fertile crescent" and the cradle of civilization as we know it. This is very sacred ground to the true believer in God. The garden of Eden was in Mesopotamia, which is now Iraq, where all mankind began. About 5000 years ago, Noah built the ark in Iraq. The Tower of Babel was in Iraq. Abraham was from Ur, which is in southern Iraq. Isaac's wife, Rebekah, was from Nahor, which is in Iraq. Jacob met Rachel in Iraq. Jonah preached in Nineveh, which is in Iraq. Assyria, which is in Iraq, conquered the ten tribes of Israel. Amos cried out in Iraq. Babylon, which is in Iraq, destroyed Jerusalem. Daniel was in the lion's den in Iraq. The three Hebrew children; Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, walked through and escaped the fiery furnace in Iraq. Belshazzar, the King of Babylon saw the "writing on the wall" in Iraq. Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, carried the Jews captive into Iraq. Ezekiel preached in Iraq. The three wise men were from Iraq. Peter preached in Iraq. The "Empire of Man" described in Revelation is called Babylon, which was a city in Iraq. And you have probably seen this one: Israel is the nation most often mentioned in the Bible. But do you know which nation is second?  It is Iraq!  However, that is not the name that is used in the Bible. The names used in the Bible are Babylon, Land of Shinar, and Mesopotamia. The word Mesopotamia means between the two rivers, more exactly, between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. The name Iraq means "country with deep roots". Indeed, Iraq is a country with deep roots and is a very significant country in the Bible. No other nation, except Israel, has more history and prophecy associated with it than Iraq. Also—and this is something to think about—since America is typically represented by an eagle, Saddam should have read up on his Muslim passages; The following verse is from the Koran, (the Islamic Bible) Koran chapt 9 verse 11 (9:11); For it is written that a son of Arabia would awaken a fearsome Eagle. The wrath of the Eagle would be felt throughout the lands of Allah and lo, while some of the people trembled in despair, still more rejoiced; for the wrath of the Eagle cleansed the lands of Allah; and there was peace (Note the verse number). The truth of the matter is however that the people of Iraq have fallen from the pure faith. Its God is not the loving and merciful God of the Bible, but the god of false teachings from the religions, doctrines and practices of depraved men. There is only one God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. And, no one, no matter what their religion, doctrine, or practice, can come to God except through Jesus (John 14:6). These people fight against the true God. Therefore, His peace can not be found in them. They are ruled by the god of this world and his angels. We must however continue to pray for them, that they would come to believe in God through Jesus, so that they might be saved. With our God, all things are possible. That historic land could be once again honored by all for its important significance to mankind, as it should be. Thanks for hiking "along the trail of truth" for August and September. See you again next time. Back to top Page 4 Trail  Tales Continuing stories of life along the trail... Previous episodes of Trail Tales can be found in Newsletter Archives This month's special tale: Listening to the Wind The Arizona desert is quite hot this time of the year, but hiking among the monuments there causes one to not even consider the discomfort of the mid-day temperatures. Somehow a nice wind always seems to come up, and it causes one to ponder great wonders... You know how we are sometimes not sure about things in our mind, traveling that road of human uncertainty?— I was once told by an American Indian (Sioux) that when I am walking with uncertainty, I need to stop and "listen to the wind".  There was a time when I would have thought that he meant that I should just blow on out and away from wherever I was and forget it !  We do fear change, unfamiliar circumstances, new beginnings, don't we? And, most of us are not use to listening to the trees or talking to the sand to get answers. There are indeed many who think that this particular type of advice is strange; to "listen to the wind"... Yet, true Christians are supposed to be born of the Spirit (John 3:5). Jesus himself describes one born of the Spirit in John 3, verse 8; Just as you can hear the wind but can't tell where it comes from or where it is going, so it is with those who are born of the Spirit. It is true, we cannot physically pinpoint the Spirit of God. We cannot tell where it comes from nor can we determine where it goes. But, we can hear it. Like the wind, His spirit moves over the deserts and plains, over the fields, the mountains and the waters. We can see its affect in nature and on the environment. It can also speak to us in our hearts, within our inner man (or woman), in unsearchable ways (1st Corinthians 2:10-16). If we are listening, we can see its affect on our lives as well. This particular Arizona desert region along the Colorado River is surrounded by lofty, pointed buttes. It is full of numerous canyons and colorful hills. There are sandy, rock-strewn washes containing many varieties of desert brush. It is obviously an area blessed with a medley of winds. These winds can be soft and gentle, gusty and strong, relentless in nature and are always unpredictable with their sudden changes in direction. They do speak. They speak of the ancient flood (about 2460 B.C.) and of its diverse marks on the land. They encircle the mountains among these craggy peaks, boastfully threatening them with their demonstration of immeasurable, usurping power. They reshape the hills, seed the plants and carve the dunes. They whisper the dramatic stories of ancient patriarchs who dwelled in similar topography. They tell of warriors and shepherds, kings and queens, princes and nomads, and serve to encourage the weary, lonely desert wanderer. The winds forever speak of God's presence. They build the foundations for the clouds, moving them into gorgeous sunrises and sunsets. Yes, this desert is indeed a remarkably inspiriting area for listening to the wind... Winds do not speak of cities, high-rise buildings or other man made structures. They don't talk of dams or power plants. They don't whisper of airplanes, automobiles, or even modern technology. Their conversation is not of this world. Being spiritual in nature, winds could care less about those particularly earthly things. They do, as I mentioned before, speak to the waters and could overthrow the land, destroy its structures and its inhabitants, at any time, in any number of ways. Yet, winds are prone to Gods' mercy and do not overrule His boundaries (Psalm 147:18). They were created by Him and therefore operate by His authority (Psalm 135:7). They do His will, but beware; they are permitted, with limitations imposed by God, to also do the will of Satan (Job 1:19). The winds have understanding as well as might; they are lovingly obedient in all ways to the Lord their creator. And so, being as diverse and influential as they are, they can be truly uplifting in spirit and uniquely instructive to one whose desire is to listen to them. The wind can be a reminder to us of God's presence. It is also a reminder for us that God is in control.— My daughter recently spoke to me of her experience in viewing the results of a tornado in a rural Ohio town. Profoundly, she was more concerned about identifying the purpose of Gods' work, if it was indeed Gods' work, than in contemplating the value of material losses among her neighbors and relatives. Incidentally, the tornado struck with great devastation on all sides of her home, but, did not so much as lift a shingle on her house. Even if it would have struck her house, I am confident, through an understanding of her mind set regarding this event, that she is one who listens to and has understanding regarding the wind. Her obvious respect and growing love toward her Creator has allowed her great insight. This tale is from the Desert Trail, hike #2, HTTOT website Thanks for hiking with me today. I hope you will join me again next time for another Trail Tales adventure. Until then, may God be with you on your journey in life. Sincerely, MS Taylor HTTOT Back to top Page 5 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... Aug 11, 2005... Mark, Would you please put out a prayer request for Ashley Goddard. Ashley is 13 and was just diagnosed with a brain tumor on her brain stem. Her father is my daughter-in-law's boss, and this summer they bought the house next to us in North Carolina. Ashley has been a friend of our granddaughter at school. We spent the summer in North Carolina with the kids and Ashley went with us on many adventures. A beautiful, vibrant, loving child. Please pray for Ashley. I have attached a picture from this summer...      MONIKA, SAVANNAH, EILEEN AND ASHLEY ...WITH "ELVIS" Thanks Mark. Love, Noreen Update 8/12... Mark, Today Ashley's parents were told to take her home and make her comfortable. The cancer has spread to her spine and deep into the brain. Monday they will give them the type of cancer. Prayers are needed for a path for them to follow. Thank you so much, friend!  Noreen Update 9/3... An update on Ashley, our granddaughter's friend. She has been diagnosed with PMA a rare and aggressive type of brain and spine cancer. As of this note, they are conferring with two hospitals that specialize in treatment for her. Please keep the prayers coming for Ashley that they will find the right place where she will have a successful treatment. Noreen Also from Noreen Martin... (June/05)  Please pray for my dear friend, Sandy, and her family. Her husband Doug had a work related accident that has caused severe head trauma. He is in a coma and they were told it is a waiting game. Please keep them in your prayers. In Him... Noreen (for those of you from Copley High, in Ohio, this is Sandy Sosenko Goble)... July 1st...An update on my friends husband, Doug, who had the head trauma accident at work. Doug is out of his coma and has recognized Sandy and knows his name. His left side is paralyzed. They have admitted him to a rehab center. Sandy said she told him she loved him and he said I love you back. Sandy wants to thank everyone for their prayers.  Please keep them in your prayers for continued health. Prayers change things!  Noreen Carrie P. T. Rowland of West Salem, Ohio...Carrie is going through some deep personal trials. Please pray that God will grant her the strength to endure, and to keep her eyes and ears open for His guidance. (This is my only daughter, and I would really personally appreciate your prayers for her, as well of course as all your prayers for others on this list. Thanks, Mark.) Mr. Bill Keyser of Fresno, California... Bill is endeavoring to organize a special Bible study class at his local church. We know how difficult it can be, in these times, to get people's minds on God's truth. I would ask that we all pray for Bill, and his efforts, that folks in that area will be led to discover their need, and choose to be better informed through the study of God's Word. Let us also thank God for sending this laborer into His field, for, the harvest is indeed plentiful, but the laborer's are so few. Bill needs your prayers! Please help. Adam Hadley and his mother, Paula, of Marietta, Ohio... Adam and his mother are going through one of those very difficult times in life, when God seems to be so far away. Please pray that they will accept this time as a period of learning and growing in the Lord, who is truly near to us. Pray that they will seek His counsel, that He might heal their wounds. Suzi Schnippert of Florida... will be coming home from the hospital after a 27 day bout with emphysema complicated pneumonia, with 11 days on a respirator and a tracheotomy. I do not know how those around us in the hospital dealt with the problems w/o knowing the Lord and relying on His promises and His comfort. Keep us in your prayers, you are in mine... GOD BLESS, Bill Schnippert and wife, Suzi. UPDATE on Suzi, August 1st... Suzi’s recovering well. Trach is out, going to PT three days a week and getting physically stronger. Doctor Jacklar said that the last CAT scans were vastly improved, but still is worried about scarring in the lung tissue and has referred us to the transplant center at Shands Gainesville for a probable double lung transplant. Suzi is still weak, too weak for play with our year old granddaughter, Liisi. She has battled pain from a W/C neck injury and its associated depression daily for the last 15 years, and being tied to an oxygen bottle and the uncertainty of the future surgeries bogs her down some times. Please, continue to keep her in your prayers... Love, Bill Update on Carlie, August 1st... Here are a few pictures of the process of Carli's correction... Dr. Paley is an amazing person, to fix this and fix much worse things on other children. Thank God for him, the doctors in Chicago, except Dr. Dias (he sent them to Paley) wanted to amputate her leg. This little girl will now go on and lead a normal life. She goes through this all again, when she is 6, and that should be it for her. It has been an amazing and emotional roller coaster ride for her parents and all of us, just soooo glad and thankful that the ride was available. Please if you EVER need prayers for a loved one, please let me know, I will certainly add them to my prayers, as you all have prayed for this amazing little girl. Thank you so much. A very grateful Grandma. (from Cheryl Marton) More information on Carli can be found in the Oct/Nov/Dec 2004 Newsletter, and following newsletters. (see Newsletter Archives)      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. Thank you so much for hiking with us through the August / September issue of the Hiking the Trail of Truth Newsletter. Until October then, may the grace of our Lord Jesus be upon you... Sincerely, Mark S Taylor END 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] [Wilderness Trail] [A Hawk's Trail] [Monthly Newsletter] [Newsletter Archives] [Questions & Answers] HIKING THE TRAIL OF TRUTH Mark S. Taylor (707) 477-2460