How I Learned About Casual Day Syndrome

An Arizona Hike

      "Casual Day Syndrome" is a term often associated with climbers or hikers who are overconfident on familiar trails or have presumptuous attitudes on new trails. It's a term that defines being too relaxed, or not alert. Casual syndrome isn't only applied to the climber alone. We are not excused just because we aren't adrenaline-pumping sports enthusiasts, such as a mountaineer, a paraglider or a cliff diver. The everyday stroller can have a relaxed attitude of complacency and take a tumble. An experienced driver can give casual day syndrome a ride, and we can assume the results.  

    We can casually trip over the corner of a familiar rug in a familiar location in our familiar home, and break a bone simply because we had walked that way a hundred times. That's casual day syndrome. 

    Casual day syndrome can hijack our talents and skills fitted to us before our first breath. Since God gave them to us, and we expect we will always have them, we can be casual about using them. We might casually claim that it's not necessary to sharpen or improve His talents. We can lose passion for learning and growing and end up forgetting a line, misinterpreting a concept, or missing an exceptional opportunity. 

     Relationships, though intangible, can suffer from casual day syndrome, too, and perhaps do the most damage. "They will always be there," or "I can fix it later,"  or "It wasn't my fault" are those nasty peaks we should attempt to summit, but we aren't interested in putting on cleats. Perhaps you have seen the "Round Tuit" procrastination token that reads, "I'll get around to it." Oddly, rubbing the surface until it has a new dent represents a casual attitude of disregard. If we can, we want to avoid the trailhead, "If Only." 

    Sadly, casual day syndrome can be applied to a relationship with Christ. Many casually approach the familiar trailhead, "There Will Always be Time," yet choose to take the trail which Christ would not. Like climbers who died because they didn't turn around at the point of knowing something wasn't quite right, many will casually rub the Tuit token into eternity, absent of a relationship with Christ. But, can Christ find those who casually ignore Him? Yes. He can. He does not give up on pursuing people. Recall the Parable of the Lost Sheep when Jesus speaks of the shepherd who left his ninety-nine to search for the lost one until he finds it. There is nothing casual about Jesus and His purposes for us. 

    If you have been following our Steppingstone Journey blog for fourteen years, you know we hike a lot, both domestically and internationally. In 2022, I met Casual Day Syndrome personally on the side of a mountain that I had hiked multiple times. I knew this mountain. But that day, I tripped on one of the many granite boulders perched on that trail. I pitched forward and landed full force on an obliging boulder. Ouch! That stung! Later, I was surprised that I had been so overconfident and careless. As a reminder, to this day, the boulder hit left a small indent where the bruise occurred. 

    

What was the lesson I learned as I stepped into the week with a swollen cheek and a puffy, black eye? I had to explain I had become overconfident with familiarity, and that I didn't finish strong. I was too relaxed, too casual. My mind wandered and I wasn't paying attention. 

    Where else have I practiced Casual Day Syndrome? I can name them! I've been back on many mountains many times, and boulders are still there, but I trust my Foothold. Also, I trust Casual Day Syndrome to be an attitude that will try to hitch a hike!

Thank you for reading. Keep Looking Up! 

J:m and L:nda

   

  

The Earth is Shaking Under Me!

The earth is shaking under me!

Scree - small loose stones that slide and make footing unstable when hiking. 

    When we encounter scree on the way up a mountain trail, we manage a foot hold and make our way through it. But we know it will be like ball bearings when we hike back down the slope. 

    Arizona's monsoons seldom deliver as much rain as in August 2025. We had record-breaking rainfall recorded as high as 8.3 inches, which is above the annual average of 7.3 inches. It rained and it rained a lot. 

Gully waste on hiking paths

   

     "Fantastic!" Jim and I cheered. "Dampened trails will reduce loose gravel and give us better tread."

     

     Not so, we discovered. Since August, every hiking path has been pitted with unwelcome gullies cut by rushing water, channeled from mountains tops. Those were easy to spot and hike around. But surprisingly, the rains had left loose gravel that layered the trails, hiding scree underneath.

   

    On a recent hike, we rested on boulders at the top snacking on energy bars...contemplating. We had scrambled up loose gravel on this familiar trail and knew there was scree beneath. Now, we had to hike back down.  In between bites, we discussed an article we had read about managing downhill scree. The article cautioned the hiker to carefully place boots flat-footed, test the ground and repeat. So, we'll just be cautious. Walk lightly and slowly on the down slopes. 

  

      But the scree had other plans.

    

     We started down the slope. Information and application were about to intersect as scree made its debut. Every muscle in my quads and hamstrings shook as I placed my boots flat-footed on the shifting scree, hoping my boot treads would hold. My arms swung out, offering balance. I slid and slid again, trying to grip and stay upright on the side of the slope. I felt as though the entire earth was moving beneath me. Finally, my bent knees stilled me. Jim was struggling in front of me but not as much. We had met scree before on previous hikes, but this time, it had the grip;  we didn't.

    

    I remembered the article: Test the ground. The whole earth is not shaking. It just seems like it. Only the loose gravel underneath the boot is moving. Quit fighting... then the force of what is highjacking will stop. 

    

    Fatigued, we returned to the trailhead, removed our dusty socks, raked the scree from our boot tread, and put on our Tevas.  We drove home knowing tomorrow that hike will call out our muscles.

    

     Then, we discussed the trail...all the way home. The article had given us guidance, but only when applying the information did it help us. There were so many applications

    

    After all, Who is our tread when life ambushes us? Who holds us and keeps us from sliding out of control? Who tells us to stand still? Who offers us balance when we feel like the whole earth is shaking uncontrollably beneath us? Who reminds us only the top soil beneath is moving. 

    Many carry burdens, like loose gravel - easy to see, but hiding underneath are scree firestorms that challenge abilities to stay upright and keep a grip. Trust the Creator who made every boulder, every rock, every pebble. He is The Christ who rolled away that big stone long ago, and He still invites us to test His ground today.  The minute we quit fighting what is highjacking us, we allow Him to fight for us. 

    "The Lord will fight for you;  you need only to be still." (Exodus 14:14)

    Our next hike?  Granite Mountain... and we expect to find scree.

    Keep Looking Up,

    J:m and L:inda