After 16 years of being published under the banner of CarolinaLIFE, the name of our publication was changed to PathPointe in April 2016. This change allowed us to better reflect our expanding geographical coverage.

Living up to a legacy isn’t always easy. Especially when that legacy encompasses over 1.3 million magazines distributed since the year 2000. But change also comes with an opportunity which can drive us toward even higher levels of ministry.

CarolinaLIFE was a good descriptive name for our magazine, but as we endeavored to reach new places where we might make a difference, the name became increasingly inaccurate over time. Although we are honored to call North Carolina home, our outreach is no longer bound by state or national lines drawn on a map.

But why PathPointe? Although we have experienced tremendous growth over the years we have always tried to remember our roots. To help us remember we have set land marks along the way. These markers were a place where we could set our compass and make sure we were not departing from the place of blessing ordained by our Lord. We were aware that modern technology might change our methods from time to time, but our message was to remain constant. The PathPointe provided a reminder to keep ourselves under the constant scrutiny of the Holy Spirit. It was a place to judge ourselves and burn any wood, hay, and stubble that may have accumulated. It was a place of spiritual foot washing.

 So, a PathPointe was simply a special place along life’s journey where we could pause, reflect, and consider. The more we pondered it, the more we felt that others might need a PathPointe too, hence our new name! All around us we see stressed people with a look of total exhaustion on their faces. Few have the joy of the Lord. Few have found His peace in this hectic world and have learned to slow down long enough to celebrate the blessings of God. So, we give you PathPointe; a series of little markers along the pathway reminding us to slow down and consider.

As we pause at the PathPointe, we take in the blue skies above us and the intricate insects upon the ground. All of creation testifies of the majesty of our God, if we take time to look. PathPointe is a reminder to take a moment and thank God for the beauty that surrounds us!

We are humbled by what we see when we take the time to quietly observe. As we pause we may also find we are surrounded by kind and loving people. It would be a shame to get so caught up in the busy world that we fail to appreciate those our Lord has placed along the same pathway we trod.

We have all heard the encouragement to stop and smell the roses. This is what PathPointe is all about. Too often in life we get so caught up in the rat race of life that we forget Who made us, why He made us, when He made us, where He made us, how He made us, and what He made us.

Just surviving the daily grind while negotiating the maze of life can rob us of the time we need to consider the awe, wonder, and beauty of God. When we take this time out of our busy lives to spend it with the Creator of the universe, He can reveal His will for our lives, He can realign our thinking according to His will and desires, and He can talk to us about anything and everything just like He used to do with Adam in the cool of the day. That is what the PathPointe is all about!

It amazes me that after all Job endured, all that he suffered, the Lord basically told Job: “Look around you.” Yet, that may be the best advice for someone who is suffering affliction. We can get so drawn into ourselves that we fail to see the many wonderful blessings around us. Just like Job, we can spend a lot of time complaining, considering only the terrible suffering we are enduring. Sometimes it is difficult to look beyond the reach of our own afflictions. The PathPointe is a place where we are reminded to view things from a loftier perch.

“Hearken unto this, O Job: stand still, and consider the wondrous works of God.” Job 37:14

Job was reminded to stop long enough to open his eyes and see. He was to behold God’s wonderful works. He was to observe the mysteries of evaporations, of cloud formation and accumulation, of thunder, of lightning, of snow and frost, of gentle showers and fierce downpours, of summer and winter, of the former rain and the latter, of the gentle breeze and the whirlwind.

So, when you feel alone and isolated by your hardship and affliction look for a PathPointe, a pause mark, a comma, or a Selah. Look around at all He has made. Behold the love, grace, mercy, and majesty of our God. Enjoy His creation, and fellowship with those He has placed in your life. It is our prayer that this monthly publication may remind you of things easily forgotten.