As daylight seems to depart earlier and earlier by the day, the fall season unfolds around us. Trees in our area are showing signs of changing colors. It seems God is displaying his beauty in all the colors of the rainbow in painting mountainsides of trees for us to appreciate and to see His glory. The cooler temperatures are coming soon and a drop in humidity along with those temps allow us to get out of the family room and into God’s room. I have spent the last mornings of this week visiting a local park for my quiet time. Watching the evening harvest moon on one horizon and seeing the sun rise on the other is a wonderful experience. The early mist arising from the water, the geese swimming silently across the water and even some early morning joggers arriving for their daily ritual.
I walk, I talk and I commune with God. I also take my camera. It’s nothing special, just a simple point and shoot digital, but it allows me to try to capture the moment in time. There is really no other way to stop time. And if the truth be told, photography can record the event–but time can not be stopped. I have reflected on my years of living on this earth–the good times and the bad times. I think of my struggles, my failures and disappointments. I know I must leave those behind, but that’s always been difficult for me to do. God help me to remember to press forward, not glance backward.
But in that glance, I do see a very, very forgiving God, a very forgiving family and wife, who have been at my side all these years. And I appreciate others in my past, churches, elders, leaders, friends, and co-workers, who in some way or another influenced me or tolerated me in my attempts to live life. It would take a series of volumes to share my thoughts from the past few mornings. But let me quote a passage of scripture, which I mentioned in part above. Paul writes to us these words:
Philippians 3:12-14 (NLT)
12 I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me.
13 No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead,
14 I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.
On My Mind 
Does this church have a list of doctrinal beliefs?
Thomas,
We are an independent church who gathers our beliefs from the New Testament. Therefore we do not have a set published list provided to us by a church governing board. However, you are welcome to visit our web site and following the links to “What we believe” and this will give you a list of which you might be seeking. Here is the adress to our home page, velocity242.com