Beyond the mists?

(12.27.21– Looking Forward! –Romans 14: 7-10)

My friend, may I ask you a question? Are you making New Year's resolutions this year? If you're like most people, will you be thinking about it in the next few days?

My friend, Life’s a story, welcome to This Passing Day.

I'm M. Clifford Brunner.

There is hardly a morning that passes in the valley that does not find me walking up and over the kettles and moraines that surround Beech Springs. It begins before the sun rises and takes me past meadow and creek and home again. It is, perhaps, the high point of my day. Walking alone is both peaceful and provoking so I am often tempted to walk even when the weather may not be the best.

Recently I walked in a fog; a fog so thick I couldn't see more than ten feet in front of me. Although I wear bright cloth- ing and reflective shoes, these wouldn't help much in a fog that dense. I chose to keep to the shoulder of the road that day, and was glad when that stretch along the main road had been put behind me and I was able to turn onto a path less traveled. Nonetheless, as the path climbed up the crest of a moraine hill, I found myself climbing right up into the fog bank. Now I could see little other than my feet brushing against the pea gravel. As the fog became more dense I began to lose all sense of depth perception. It was even hard to note the up and down swing of the road. My gait became tentative and without landmarks to aide me, I began to wonder if I would be able to time my turn where I usually turn in and begin my trek back home. Yet, my shoes suddenly felt the slight pitch of an asphalt patch going across the road. This I knew marked my usual turning point each morning. I swung around and headed back. It was good to find our driveway and put the fog behind me. I resolved to add one new walking rule that morning: Don’t walk in the fog in winter.

Are you making New Year's resolutions this year? If you're like most people, you will at least think about it. As we look forward to a New Year, it's an appropriate time to consider resolutions; for it's at this time of the year most of us take pause to not only reflect on the path taken but also on in front of us. Last year's path was filled with choices, some good, others bad. We look back on the way we've come and the first thing we notice is there's no clear hindsight since yesterday's path is often hidden and a poor indicator of what the coming year may bring. So we turn to the future and strain to get a grasp on what lies beyond our gaze. Since we've not yet walked that fresh and promising ground, we know little of it as well; for a great mist lies before us. As soon as we engage it, we are engulfed by it.

Yes, it's good to make resolutions for the coming year. But, resolve one thing first: Make no resolutions that aren't first tied to your trust in God to make them happen. With your hope secured to Him who has promised to guide your feet lest you fall, sometimes just feeling your way, step by step, is all you need to get you where you need to go.

We pray. Heavenly Father, we know that it's good to make resolutions for the coming year always with the thought in mind that You, our God, will provide for us no matter what lies in store for us. We know that You will make sure that we will prosper by Your grace, mercy and love for us. Help us by Your Spirit Lord to make no resolutions that aren't first tied to our trust in You to make them happen. With our hope secured to You who has promised to guide our feet lest we fall, sometimes just feeling our way, step by step, is all we need to get us where we need to go. In Jesus name we pray. Amen!

Therefore my friend, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry for itself; each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matt 6:34) This Passing Day. May this passing day honor our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and be a blessing to you and everyone you meet. Find a stranger and say hello. Don't let another day pass without your day blessing someone else.

If you have a special prayer request, please send your request to ”This Passing Day!”

<thispassingday@gmail.com> From Beech Springs, God bless you for Jesus sake.

Beyond the mists?

(12.27.21– Looking Forward! –Romans 14: 7-10)

My friend, may I ask you a question? Are you making New Year's resolutions this year? If you're like most people, will you be thinking about it in the next few days?

My friend, Life’s a story, welcome to This Passing Day.

I'm M. Clifford Brunner.

There is hardly a morning that passes in the valley that does not find me walking up and over the kettles and moraines that surround Beech Springs. It begins before the sun rises and takes me past meadow and creek and home again. It is, perhaps, the high point of my day. Walking alone is both peaceful and provoking so I am often tempted to walk even when the weather may not be the best.

Recently I walked in a fog; a fog so thick I couldn't see more than ten feet in front of me. Although I wear bright cloth- ing and reflective shoes, these wouldn't help much in a fog that dense. I chose to keep to the shoulder of the road that day, and was glad when that stretch along the main road had been put behind me and I was able to turn onto a path less traveled. Nonetheless, as the path climbed up the crest of a moraine hill, I found myself climbing right up into the fog bank. Now I could see little other than my feet brushing against the pea gravel. As the fog became more dense I began to lose all sense of depth perception. It was even hard to note the up and down swing of the road. My gait became tentative and without landmarks to aide me, I began to wonder if I would be able to time my turn where I usually turn in and begin my trek back home. Yet, my shoes suddenly felt the slight pitch of an asphalt patch going across the road. This I knew marked my usual turning point each morning. I swung around and headed back. It was good to find our driveway and put the fog behind me. I resolved to add one new walking rule that morning: Don’t walk in the fog in winter.

Are you making New Year's resolutions this year? If you're like most people, you will at least think about it. As we look forward to a New Year, it's an appropriate time to consider resolutions; for it's at this time of the year most of us take pause to not only reflect on the path taken but also on in front of us. Last year's path was filled with choices, some good, others bad. We look back on the way we've come and the first thing we notice is there's no clear hindsight since yesterday's path is often hidden and a poor indicator of what the coming year may bring. So we turn to the future and strain to get a grasp on what lies beyond our gaze. Since we've not yet walked that fresh and promising ground, we know little of it as well; for a great mist lies before us. As soon as we engage it, we are engulfed by it.

Yes, it's good to make resolutions for the coming year. But, resolve one thing first: Make no resolutions that aren't first tied to your trust in God to make them happen. With your hope secured to Him who has promised to guide your feet lest you fall, sometimes just feeling your way, step by step, is all you need to get you where you need to go.

We pray. Heavenly Father, we know that it's good to make resolutions for the coming year always with the thought in mind that You, our God, will provide for us no matter what lies in store for us. We know that You will make sure that we will prosper by Your grace, mercy and love for us. Help us by Your Spirit Lord to make no resolutions that aren't first tied to our trust in You to make them happen. With our hope secured to You who has promised to guide our feet lest we fall, sometimes just feeling our way, step by step, is all we need to get us where we need to go. In Jesus name we pray. Amen!

Therefore my friend, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry for itself; each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matt 6:34) This Passing Day. May this passing day honor our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and be a blessing to you and everyone you meet. Find a stranger and say hello. Don't let another day pass without your day blessing someone else.

If you have a special prayer request, please send your request to ”This Passing Day!”

<thispassingday@gmail.com> From Beech Springs, God bless you for Jesus sake.