Only God can see our hearts (1 Samuel 16:7). Only His Word can determine our genuine thoughts and motives (Hebrews 4:12). God in His omniscience knows everything about us, and sometimes it is necessary to ask Him to reveal to us who we really are (Psalm 139:23-24).
But unlike God, man can only know who we are by the outward manifestations of our character. Galatians 5:22-25 says that people who live and walk in the Spirit are characterized by certain fruits. It is by these visible fruits that others know us, and the people closest to us will especially know who we are by the fruit we produce.
A fruit tree is known by the person who planted it even before fruit begins to appear on the tree. When a tree bears fruit, people at a distance can get an idea of what the tree is like, but they may not have a full understanding. But the people closest to the tree know exactly what the tree is because they can clearly see its fruit.
What kind of fruit am I producing?
I play soccer for Faith Baptist Bible College, and I am constantly striving to be a better, smarter player. Because I am not the most talented or most experienced athlete on the team, I have plenty of room for improvement, and I try to take advantage of every opportunity I have to learn.
One of the best ways for me to improve my skills is to learn from my mistakes. Not a single practice or game goes by that I don
I believe that when God says He is faithful, it means that He will always provide me with everything I need. Apart from God, I am nothing! He created me, saved me, sustains me in this world, and keeps me secure unto eternal life someday with Him. God will never let me down or withdraw anything that He has promised to give me (Hebrews 6:18).
God will protect me so that I can accomplish what He wants me to do in His will. However, this does not mean that I won
Friday’s Journal Entry:
“Last day. Bittersweet in so many ways. In four hours we went from our sleeping bags to the shore on Rain Lake that we first launched off [of]. Along the way I ate breakfast, had my final devos in I Timothy, fed nuts to a chipmunk right out of my hand, steered a canoe for the fourth and final day, and ate trail mix on two more portages.
“With much joy and sadness we paddled our final few strokes and got group pictures. Our journey was over. But the trip was not complete.
“We loaded up our gear, canoes, paddles, and life vests and then we jumped into Lance’s SUV and headed for the showers several kilometers away.
“Finally being clean, we met one last time in the Elmsdale Community center for a steak dinner and one last time of group reflection, encouragement, and prayer.
“It was encouraging to hear the guys describe me as an even-tempered person with a “calming effect” on others. Chris also said that he could sense that I had good things to say during our discussion times but often failed to open my mouth and say things. He challenged me to take the initiative, speak up, and share my thoughts.
“After our group time I prayed with two other guys from different groups. At the beginning of the week everyone split up into groups of three and prayed together. We prayed for our two partners throughout the week. The two other guys I prayed with were Devin and Colin. We prayed one last time and shared prayer requests for the summer.
“The last amen was said, and the good-byes were said. People started to leave and the adventure was officially over. The time had come to pack into our vehicles and leave.
“W.I.L.D. 2011 is history, and it was a great one. Praise the Lord.”
Read about rest of the experience in these related posts:
W.I.L.D. 2011: A Wilderness Experience
W.I.L.D. 2011: Saturday/Sunday- Framing the Experience
W.I.L.D. 2011: Monday- Into the Wilderness
W.I.L.D. 2011: Tuesday- The Unforgiving Tim River
W.I.L.D. 2011: Wednesday- Solo Day
W.I.L.D. 2011: Thursday- Water, Wildlife, and Warmth
Thursday’s Journal Entry:
“Long day today, but probably my favorite so far (with the exception of solo day). We ate breakfast, had devos, packed up camp, and headed out at about 9:00am. We had to cover a lot of ground today so that tomorrow will be shorter. Our goal was to get into camp no later than 3:00pm so we’d have plenty of time at camp to relax. However, Chris took all watches from anyone who had them, and we set out with a destination, a goal, but no way to monitor our progress toward that goal. I liked it and was eager to see how we did.
“We spent the first few hours paddling across the lake and up a river. Ethan was my canoe partner today, and we enjoyed some good conversation as we paddled along. We talked about our families, our churches, our ministries, and the things we were learning on the trip. I was encouraged by his openness and his willingness to share his thoughts and opinions on various topics.
“Meanwhile we approached the mouth of the river as a slow drizzle fell down on us. Thankfully there wasn’t a strong wind today as in previous days, so it wasn’t cold. I actually grew quite warm as we moved along.
“We were moving along through a marshy area when Chris called at us from his canoe a couple hundred meters back. There, on the shore behind us stood a moose getting an early morning drink. As Aarin and Lance moved their canoe in closer for some pictures, I stared in amazement at a beast I had been hoping to see all week long. It was a fascinating sight.
“After the moose disappeared into the woods, our leader canoe began to experience some difficulty. We got to grassy bay and we were presented with three possible directions, each of which looked like a river. The map wasn’t as specific as we had hoped, and we followed our leaders into an inlet that eventually proved to be a dead end. It took an additional half hour or so of our day, but it was worth it. On the way out, we once again saw a moose, and this time Ethan and I paddled up to within about 10 meters of it as it got a drink from the lake. Chris said it was one of the biggest bull moose he had ever seen.
“We found the river on the second attempt and headed up it to our first portage. Along the way we saw several beaver dams, one of which was directly in our path. We paddled up to it where Ethan hopped on top of it, pulled the canoe onto it, and got back in. I then got out, pushed the canoe rest of the way over it, and got back in, and we continued on. We later passed over two other beaver dams farther up the river.
“My first portage in two days felt great. It was 735 meters (the first of 2170 on the day), but it was perhaps the most scenic one of the trip. The rapids that we were portaging around could be seen from the trail and the trees were so beautiful and green. Yes, we saw trees on every portage, but something about these was strangely more enjoyable. The portage was also a lot easier because Ethan steadied the back of the canoe so that I could carry it hands-free. Surprisingly, I realized that so much energy goes into carrying a canoe on your shoulders when you steady it with your own hands! Suddenly portaging wasn’t so wearisome when my friend was helping me out by simply holding the back.
“After the second portage of the day, we ate lunch, and I tapped into my creative weirdness. I stuffed a pack of fruit snacks into one pocket and a bag of trail mix into another…
“We were halfway to our campsite. A thunderstorm appeared to be approaching and Chris gave us instructions on what to do if there was lightning. But the storm eventually subsided and the sun came out. We paddled across the lake to the wrong portage, but our leaders quickly redirected us and we never got off-track again.
“We came to the third of eight portages on the day, and it was my turn to carry again. It was then that I put my sneaky plan into action. Ethan steadied the canoe on my shoulders, and with his approval I reached into my pocket, pulled out the trail mix, and snacked while I portaged. Multitasking has always been a love of mine. The next portage of mine was the longest of the day- 1030 meters. I age my fruit snacks on that one, one every 50 steps, and I finished off my serving of trail mix on my last portage.
“We reached our campsite at about 4:50, so we fell well short of [the goal] we had hoped [for]. But we were in good spirits after a fun day.
“Wearing bug nets for the first time all week [because it had warmed up quite a bit], we pitched camp, cooked supper, and a few of us went for a swim. The water must have only been 10 degrees, but I swam for about 10-15 minutes in it. It was so refreshing!
“After supper we played a few games together. Ninja was the favorite, and I won for the first two times in my life. Then we got a short sprinkle of rain and a gorgeous rainbow came out and stretched across the sky.
“The res of the evening was spent talking about the day. We relived the events that had taken place and noted our successes and failures. Both Chris and Lance challenged us to put more effort into building relationships. Our group is more of a quite, analytical, introverted one, and we have struggled all week simply to build relationships. We tend to take care of our own needs, listen when Chris talks, and only talk or answer questions when we are directly asked to do so. We all realize how selfish we often are in life. This trip has definitely shown us who we are and challenged us to change in that way.
“Before bed several of us guys went out on a massive rock at the edge of the water and drank in a sky free of clouds and artificial light. So many stars to look at, and their reflection off the glass-like water was just as breathtaking. I also saw a couple shooting stars, and Cody and I talked about God’s promises to Abraham, and we recited Psalm 19:1-3 as well. Such a beautiful night and a perfect way to end a great day.”
Additional notes:
-We were not the only group to go the wrong way on that river. Two other of our W.I.L.D. groups had gotten lost already earlier in the week in that same area.
-The day started out cold, windy, and rainy and ended hot and dry.
-When there is lightning and you’re in a canoe, the safest place to be is at a 45-degree angle down from the tallest trees on the shore. So if the trees were to fall into the water, you want to be the length of the tree away from the shoreline to avoid getting struck by lightning during a storm.
-When I ate the fruit snacks on the 1030m portage, I noticed that the package said a serving size was 10 pieces and the package had 2.5 servings (25 pieces). So I figured that 1030m divided by 25 was roughly over 40 meters. Supposing that each of my steps was slightly less than a meter long, I figured that 50 steps was about 40 meters. Hence, I ate one piece every 50 steps. It was actually fairly accurate, and I ended up one piece too short to go the full distance (yes, I was homeschooled).
Read about rest of the experience in these related posts:
W.I.L.D. 2011: A Wilderness Experience
W.I.L.D. 2011: Saturday/Sunday- Framing the Experience
W.I.L.D. 2011: Monday- Into the Wilderness
W.I.L.D. 2011: Tuesday- The Unforgiving Tim River
W.I.L.D. 2011: Wednesday- Solo Day
W.I.L.D. 2011: Friday- The End of the Adventure
Wednesday’s Journal Entry:
“So I woke up after nine hours of sleep, ate my oatmeal, and was welcomed by the announcement of solo day. I dropped Cody and Charles off at two other locations, and now I’m at a different campsie. I walked and talked with God while collecting some birch bark to write on. I have found a cozy spot here on this large campsite to think and pray and read and write.
“I am surrounded by towering pines and shedding birch which shade this forest floor carpeted by pine needles and leaves. The sound of loons can be heard on the lake, several birds are singing in the trees, and small waves crash soothingly onto the shore. A slight breeze gives further life to the foliage as it dances in response. God’s creation is absolutely beautiful, and even the dead trees and plants have a certain beauty that gives God glory.”
1:09pm:
“Just did my daily devos from I Timothy. God is teaching me a lot about evaluating others and evaluating myself. It’s important to evaluate why others do what thy do so that I know whether or not I should associate with them or help them. Are they truthful? Are they trying to reflect God? As for myself, am I truthful? Do I seek to reflect God? Am I leading by example and putting others’ interests ahead of mine?
“At home I often do a good job of spreading truth and leading by example, but I don’t always put others’ interests before my own. I like my agendas. But Paul is telling Timothy not to do that. As a pastor, I will also need to focus on being selfless, loving others with a single-minded heart. I need to work on this at home, at camp, at school, and in ministry.
“I came to W.I.L.D. hoping to be a more motivating, effective leader, to be more patient, to be content in every situation, and to be a better encouragement and friend to those around me. I still want to accomplish those goals, but this week has helped me realize that it all comes back to one thing- selflessness. If I am selfless, I will be a better leader, I will be patient and content, and I will be able to more effectively encourage those around me. So I want to re-clarify all my goals this week as a final goal of being more selfless.
In order to minister to others over these last three days, I need to practice being selfless. Do what I can for others and let God do for me what He wills.”
9:18pm:
“Back at the campsite now. After my devos, I spent the remainder of my afternoon writing out verses and praying for my family, church, school, and friends. Mostly praises, but I also offered up several prayer requests.
“As for the verses I wrote down, I spent most of my time in Psalms and I John. I tore birch bark off the trees, peeled it as thin as I could, then wrote on it. Thinking of my desire to be selfless, I wrote several verses about love from I John. Going to Isaiah 53, I also recorded all the things that Christ had done for me as written down by Isaiah. It’s inspiring but sobering to think about how selfless Christ was for me. I stuck the bark in my plastic, waterproof Bible to press them.
“The evening is now winding up, or rather, wrapping up and winding down. We ate macaroni ‘n cheese and sat around the campfire for a couple hours talking about our day and our week to date. It was a good time of fellowship and spiritual discussion led by Chris. Well, we’re getting up at 6:30 tomorrow morning, so I’m ready to finish up here and make an early exit to my tent.”
Additional notes:
-Solo day on W.I.L.D. consists of 7-8 hours of alone time.
-We didn’t bring any food; only our Bibles, devo books, journals, and writing utensils.
-It was a great day for both spiritual refreshment and physical re-energizing after two hard days of travel in the park.
-Solo day itself was worth me taking off the week to go on the trip.
Read about rest of the experience in these related posts:
W.I.L.D. 2011: A Wilderness Experience
W.I.L.D. 2011: Saturday/Sunday- Framing the Experience
W.I.L.D. 2011: Monday- Into the Wilderness
W.I.L.D. 2011: Tuesday- The Unforgiving Tim River
W.I.L.D. 2011: Thursday- Water, Wildlife, and Warmth
W.I.L.D. 2011: Friday- The End of the Adventure
Tuesday’s Journal Entry:
“Got about 8 solid hours of sleep but woke up sore. After a season of soccer though, I’m used to it. We ate more oatmeal, packed up camp, and headed out. Today Cody and I were given the map, the destination, and the responsibility of leading the group to our next campsite.
“It was a grueling day for sure. It began almost immediately with a 1740m portage which Cody offered to do. It was an admirable feat on a very challenging trail. Out of six portages today. I did four, but they only totaled 1700m on trails that were noticeably easier. Our paddling mainly consisted of about 7 hours on the slow, winding Tim River.
“When the river finally widened Cody and I put our all into the paddling and set a snappy pace. We had previously gone really slow, maneuvering tight turns, narrow outlets, and trees on both sides that threatened to scratch us or slow us down if we got too close.
“The final portage of 840m beat me down physically and I kept stopping every few meters. But I finally made it and we reached our island campsite. For many, the long river was their source of tension. I thought it was fun and enjoyable, but it was the last portage and lake that proved to be my tension. Going to bed and resting were very welcome.”
Additional notes:
-Although we were the leaders for the day, Cody and I were the last ones to finish every portage.
-At one point on the river, Chris asked Cody and I if we had decided when to have lunch. I responded by saying, “No, we haven’t. I’m not feeling hungry yet.” Chris said, “Well, don’t think about how you’re doing, think about the team.” He was right. I immediately realized the selfishness in what I had said and thought.
-As I mentioned, the river was a source of tension for some. Thinking through the learning cycle, our agenda was to reach a specified campsite. Therefore, we