But She Wasn't Alone

 

 

 But She Wasn't Alone

“Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you.

Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul.” Psalm 143:8 NIV

 

 

The petite little girl, about age eight, walked herself down the tree lined dark dirt road. It was a half mile in the predawn gloom to her school bus stop. There was always the risk encounter of a coyote or even a bear. But she wasn’t alone.

Beside her, assuring her with the consistent bump of his broad shoulders, was Caleb her faithful Labrador retriever. Caleb walked her to the end of the road not moving an inch until he saw her safely board the school bus. He did this until he was old and gray.  

Jesus promised He would never leave us or forsake us, no matter our circumstances, our age, or the dark roads we must sometimes travel. He is the Light in our valley of darkness. His Word is a lamp unto our feet and light unto our path. (Psalm 119:105)

God’s compassion never fails, His mercies are new every day and He will provide all that we need for the journey, even as He did with one big Labrador retriever for one small child.

“Be assured that I never abandon any of My children, not even temporarily. I will never leave you or forsake you! My Presence watches over you continually. I have engraved you on the palms of My Hands.” from Jesus Calling, by Sarah Young

“But She Wasn’t Alone” by Dee Kamp, Grace Every Morning Ministries © March 29, 2017

One Little Butterfly

 

 

 

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart

And lean not on your own understanding;

 in all your ways acknowledge him

 and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 2:5-6 NIV

One Little Butterfly

 

The calendar reminds us it’s the first day of spring today. It is beyond our understanding some years the whims of weather and the dilly dallying delay of spring’s appearance. But one look at nature and we are reminded it is God alone who determines the instant the flower will bloom and provide for the monarch butterfly’s need.

 

Today, perhaps we can’t see the answer, the way, or the why of the things as they appear. Oh, beloved by Him, the comfort we have of knowing our prayers reach the highest heaven and whisk away our anxiety as we trust it all to God’s wisdom and not our own understanding.

 

So today, let us lean our arms awhile upon the windowsill of heaven and gaze upon our Lord letting Him refresh and restore our soul. 

Just as the little butterfly trusts the flower will bloom in perfect time for its need, so we can trust God can and is willing to provide for all our needs― and perhaps He will remind us by the sight of one little butterfly.

 

“I will be your God through all your lifetime,

 yes, even when your hair is white with age.

 I made you and I will care for you…”

 Isaiah 46:4 TLB

 

 

 

“One Little Butterfly” by Dee Kamp, Grace Every Morning Ministries© March 20, 2017, Photo Monarch on Zinnia by Dee Kamp

Of Winds Tides and Prayer



Astoria Bridge -Oregon- on a calm day by Dee Kamp

 

Of Winds Tides and Prayer

We hadn’t really planned to spend our winter by the Pacific Ocean in Washington and Oregon, but we are glad in many ways we did. Life here is different than inland and you find you plan your day quite often by weather, winds and tides.

This morning we woke to a surprise storm with strong gale winds. Normally that wouldn’t be a problem. But today we had planned to cross the bridge in Astoria Oregon to the Washington side and those high winds could be a real problem for big trucks and motor homes.

Where can one go to find assurance of God’s love and understanding when we face the unknown winds? Without fail, our Bible. We prayed and asked the Lord to give us a word of assurance and wisdom. Now this doesn’t happen often, but oh my, what a delight when it does― for when I opened my Bible it fell open to Isaiah 43.  
“But now, this is what the LORD says- He who created you, O Jacob, he who formed, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you….For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;…Isaiah 43:1-2 NIV
And that’s all we needed for perfect peace knowing God was watching over us. But we also sensed that we were not to rush but wait a day.

A bit later as I was reading a favorite old devotional, Springs in the Desert, I came across this poem. Coincidence? I don’t call them that, I call them God’s wonderful surprises! I laughed out loud as I imagined God whispering in my heart- “After all, you aren’t an albatross!

“Far out at sea, at close of day,
A lovely albatross flew by.
We watched him as he soared away-
A speck against the glowing sky!
Thought I: Tis lordly feathered one
Is trusting I the faithfulness
Of wind and tide, of star and sun;
And shall I trust the Maker less?
O soul of mine, spread wide thy wings:
Mount up; push out with courage strong
Let heaven vibrate with thy song!
SPEREAD WIDE THY WINGS, O SOUL OF MINE…
From: Springs in the Valley by Mrs. Charles E Cowman

 

“Of Winds Tides and Prayer” by Dee Kamp, Grace Every Morning Ministries© March 16, 2017 Photo by: Dee Kamp

Worshiping Down by the Sea



Worshiping Down by the Sea

It had been an exhausting day and the rain just wouldn’t quit pouring down. I had my camera ready for every stop my husband was making so I could hopefully catch some good pictures of the ocean, surf and even people that day at Long Beach, WA.  I was about to quit as I was sure this dull gray day and pouring rain could only get worse. But, my dear husband, Bill, the constant encourager, said we were to make one last stop at the famous board walk in town.

When we arrived I was pleased to see the clouds were parting and the shy winter sun was changing the scenery all around from the ocean to the dune grasses from dull to dazzling!

People came out from everywhere eager to get outside and for a jaunt down the boardwalk too. My goodness they were happy! Everyone smiled at you, waved and the place came alive.

I walked alone further ahead of Bill to try and get a good picture of just the boardwalk without the crowds. As I looked in the lens of my camera to the far end I was surprised to see one lone figure there. It was a woman leaning on her elbows and her bent down resting on them.

Oh dear, I thought , I’ll just have to keep going a bit further for this picture.  Just as I was about to pass by her head popped up and I found her smiling brilliantly right at me as if she expected I’d be there. I was curious as to what she held there in hand that she waving enthusiastically my way. Why it was a little Bible!

“Oh, I see you are reading God’s Word today,” I said smiling back.

“Yes. And I just found the verse I was looking for. Do you see it? We are here as far west as you can go, right? And if you look over that way it’s the east, isn’t it? Just imagine that’s how far God’s love reaches out to forgive us. It says so right here in Psalm 103:11-12. I’ll read it for you.

And without waiting for my response she began to read in an excitable voice.

“For his unfailing love toward those who fear him is a great as the height of the heavens above the earth. He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.”

I smiled back and said, “That’s so true! Thanks for sharing with me. I’m glad I met you just now.”

“You my dear,” she said looking directly into my eyes, “Have the joy of the Lord all over you! Have a truly wonderful day, and a blessed life.”

Amazing how God will place people, in your path when you least expect it, but always it seems ,just when you need it the most.  So for now on, whenever I gaze to the west and off to the east, I'll recall Psalm 103 and the joy of meeting this special woman as she worshiped the Lord down by the sea.

Hebrews 13:1-2 “Keep on loving each other as brothers and sisters. Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done tis have entertained angels without realizing it.

 

“Worshiping Down by the Sea” by Dee Kamp, Grace Every Morning Ministries© March 9, 2017

Turn From the Path of Planning to the Path of Peace

 

Turn From the Path of Planning to the Path of Peace



You will show me the way of life,

 granting me the joy of your presence

and the pleasure of living with you forever.

Psalm 16:11

 

 

“I did not design the human mind to figure out the future. That is beyond your capability. I crafted you mind to continual communications with Me. Bring Me all your needs, your hopes and fears. Commit everything into My care. Turn from the path of planning to the path of Peace.” Jesus Calling by Sarah Young

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Turn from the Path of Planning to the Path of Peace” His Word, by Dee Kamp, March 8, 2017

 

 

Praise!

Let all that I am praise the LORD; with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name.

Psalm 103:1

The wilderness proclaims to our senses the splendor of God. How can we not offer praise to the One who dreamed up such beauty as drab rocks in daytime turned into splendors of color at sunset? Of an elk grazing nearby, of the bird singing by the waters, of the trees in full bloom in spring’s finery?

And just as to the psalmist’s eyes the sights of nature inspired him to delight and write his praises to God, so too can we.

Still today as in ancient times, praise is the gate to God’s own heart. As soon as praise leaps from our lips we discover our spirits lifted high once again to soar as we sing with joy knowing our God reigns!  

 

“Faith can never reach its consummation,

Till the victor’s thankful song we raise;

In the glorious city of salvation,

God has told us the gates are praise.

By: Hannah Whitall Smith

 

“The Gate is Praise”, Grace Every Day Ministries© March 2, 2017 Photo: High bluffs at Sunset on the Columbia River, WA

Keepers of the Word

 

Photo by Dee Kamp

 

 

 

Whoever keeps His Word, truly the love of God is perfected in him.

By this we know that we are in Him. 1 John 2:5

 

“The older we get, the less we are inclined to be keepers of things,” my kindly neighbor here at this RV park said the other day.

 

Boy, that’s the truth for us these days too. We are now living full time in our motor home. We’ve learned to live much leaner, more simply, and with less “stuff”. Something new comes into the motor home, something old must go out. But there is one thing that is paramount to hold on to for us is God’s Word. We find more and more it’s what we need every day in the uncertainty of this world.

 So if we are asked, “what are you keeping these days? “We can say honestly say, what we keep takes no space in the place where we live, but fills our hearts up significantly. We are keepers of God’s Word.”

 

“Let us remember that no earthly circumstances can hinder the fulfillment of God’s Word. We must look steadfastly at His immutable Word and not at the uncertainty of this ever-changing world. God desires for us to believe His Word without other evidence, and then He is ready to do for us “according to (our) faith.” From: Streams in the Desert

 

“Keepers of the Word” by Dee Kamp, Grace Every Morning Ministries© March 1, 2017