Acknowledge me!

God has certainly blessed the last 10 days of my life! Actually everyday is a blessing...he keeps me breathing and he doesn't even have to do that. But, he gave me an incredible opportunity and gift to go up to the Boundary Waters to enjoy His Creation with a group of brothers and sisters in Christ. Out of the 6 others on the trip, I kind of knew one. God really used that time to allow us to get to know each other and become so close..I feel like I've known them forever now and I love having these new friends in my life! They are definitely an answer to my prayers and I can't wait to see how the Lord plans to use us in each others lives. Spending time with them was definitely the highlight of my trip. Thank you guys! :)

We had so many good times and memories and laughs!!! Oh my goodness, I've never laughed so hard, so often!! (Thank you AP ;)  ...haha love you)  One of our reoccurring jokes was "acknowledge me!" You know when, most likely, your mom or dad says something to you that doesn't necessarily require a response so you don't? And then next thing you know they're yelling "Acknowledge me!" Yeah...we've all been there and at least heard it, if not said it ourselves. Well ours came about jokingly as we were talking across the lakes paddling in our canoes. We would be trying to give directions, ask questions, or just get another canoe's attention and then...nothing. Not even a head turn. So us 3 girls in the canoe turned to each other and said, "Huh, I kind of feel like my mom." (Not that moms are the only ones that do it) So, next thing you know we were yelling out "Acknowledge me!" with a laugh and smile behind it, of course. And that usually did work and we'd get a "Huh?" or a "What?"

Every morning, after breakfast, we also went to our own quiet spots to spend some time praying and listening to God and spending time in His Word. It was so awesome to be in the wilderness with the sun shining, a light breeze, blue skies and big white clouds, birds chirping and eagles flying overhead (*disclaimer: this weak description is a poor representation of the beauty I just spent so much time in). There were no interruptions, no "pressing" matters, no distractions (phone, Facebook, etc.). It was AWESOME! I really looked forward to what I was going to hear from God each day without worrying about  a million other things that were on my mind and that I have to do today.  Unfortunately, that isn't something I can say that I do daily here at home. For instance, as I right this and I am preparing to go spend some time with the Lord in a few minutes, I am thinking about all that I have to get done yet today (shower, look presentable, get to work on time, take care of my smelly wet clothes and gear from the trip, be kind to my brother as he is talking to me at slightly inconvenient times and about to leave in less than a month for the Marines [I'm super proud of him and love him so I try to make time for him when he has time for me ~ please pray for him as he prepares to leave on Aug. 8th ] and other things). On our car ride home, our trip leader really challenged and encouraged us to make that time for the Lord.  To make that time to spend in His Word. So, I am prayerfully starting this daily journey to make and protect my time with the Lord. I will have to work at it because I know Satan will do what he can to disturb my time with the Lord. But with the Lord's help it is do-able and I am prepared to sacrifice some of my worldly things to spend time with a loving, ever-lasting God.

During the week, he also challenged us to go to the Lord for everything...even the little things. He told us that he was working on a job and couldn't find a tool that he really needed ( I believe. Hopefully I don't butcher this story too much). He looked all over the job site and asked another guy if he had seen it. The guy working on the job said he had not seen it but said, " Did you ask the Lord?" So he said alright, "Lord, where is (such-and-such) tool?" He turned his head and there it was. He spent all that time searching for it himself and when he acknowledged he was unable to find this tool himself and he acknowledged his need for the Lord, the Lord provided!! Amen. 

That is all the Lord wants. He was us to acknowledge Him. Acknowledge Him as our Savior, our Creator, acknowledge our need for Him, accept His gift of grace. He is reaching out to every one of us everyday through His creation, His Word, answered prayers, friends in our lives, providing our basic needs and providing much more than we need. Acknowledge Him!! Go to Him...in hard times, good times, for the big things and all the more for the little things! Don't limit yourself to only acknowledging Him some of the time, when you need somethings, things are hard, or only once a week. Acknowledge Him all of the time! Because he always acknowledges you.

Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." (Hebrews 13:5)

...A righteous man will be remembered forever. He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD. His heart is secure, he will have no fear; in the end he will look in triumph on his foes. (Psalm 112:6-8)

Commit your way to the LORD; trust in Him and He will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. (Psalm 37:5-6)
 
Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear. (Isaiah 65:24)

Sunset on Lac La Croix, Boundary Waters Canoe Wilderness Area - What an awesome gift from The Creator! And He let me bring it home to share in picture form. :) 

How awesome and reassuring. So why not acknowledge our Savior, our Creator, our God? All he wants is to give us His love. He is acknowledging each one of us everyday before even begin to speak. What do you have to lose?! What more we have to gain!