Sweet Surprises from Never Dreamed of Places

Sweet Surprises from Never Dreamed of Places

In the morning when we wake and our hearts are full of thankfulness and not things we need to do, or the worries of the day, we can be certain, it’s yet another gift from God to help us on the way.  It’s those memories of sweet surprises from never dreamed of places or people that lift our hearts and give us hope.

"Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom He gives. Sing psalms, and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father." Colossians 3:16-17 NIV

Bill and I were so happy to come home, finally, after a few days of his unexpected stay in the hospital. As we drove up our driveway we were surprised to find our lawn had been mowed, and on our porch a vase of flowers with a pretty plate filled with delicious cookies! The Lord sure has blessed us with wonderful neighbors. We still don’t know from which one this gift came from.

God’s blessings and sweet surprises remind us that our Loving God is in all the little things of our lives as well as the really big ones too. And oh, how we love His sweet surprises that come from never dreamed of places and from dear people when we least expect it.

Thank You, God, for the little things

That often come our way,

The things we take for granted

But don't mention when we pray,

 

The unexpected courtesy,

The thoughtful, kindly deed,

A hand reached out to help us

In the time of sudden need-

 

Oh make us more aware, dear God,

Of little daily graces

That come to us with "sweet surprise"

From never-dreamed-of places."

By: Helen Steiner Rice

 

 

“Sweet Surprises from Never Dreamed of Places” by Dee Kamp, Grace Every Morning Ministries© September 17, 2015

All the Way Home



This morning I share with you one of the Beaver Valley Store experiences I had many years ago but still is sweet on my heart. The Lord blesses me from time to time with these memories reminding me always how near He was to me and  also those wonderful divine appointments He arranged. Some day...perhaps the book will be written of all these stories. I want to thank so many of you for encouraging me to write up and share Life in Beaver Valley.  Blessings to you all, Dee

All the Way Home

               The sun hadn’t risen beyond the hillside yet, and the kitchen was warm and steamy as I was folding in fresh blueberries into the muffin batter in the little kitchen of our Beaver Valley Country store.  I was about to pour the batter into the muffin tins for baking when I heard the screech of a car out on the highway and a car door slam. I hurried up as I knew someone needed me to open the doors to store early today.

            I unlocked the door and I was surprised the car had driven away leaving a young woman standing there alone looking sleepy-eye lugging a heavy backpack. I invited her in and inquired about where she was headed today. I was stunned to hear her say―”France!”    

            She was in her early twenties and spoke English well. She told me she had been staying in student housing at the state park studying art on a special scholarship. But she received a call in the middle of the night from her mother that her brother was extremely ill and she needed to get back home to France right now! She had no car, no busses left this early in the morning and she needed to get to the airport soon where a ticket home was waiting for her!

            Did her family know what they asked of her? From this remote place on the west coast of Washington State to France looked to me like mission impossible. I felt sad I couldn’t help her out myself, at the least to get her onto the ferry to Seattle.

            Just then, another car pulled up and a woman rushed up to the door declaring how happy she was we were open! She needed to get gas for her car now for she was in hurry for her trip today! It was twenty miles to the next gas station, “Am I ever grateful to see you open this hour of the morning, I had no idea how little gas I had for this trip today,” she declared.

            Without hesitation the young woman from France, walked over to the new customer and asked if she could drive her as far down the highway as she could this morning. She explained her story of her brother and her urgent need to get to the airport as soon as possible. Could this woman help her in anyway?

                There was a pause as the woman studied this eager young woman. And then a miracle happened! This woman, who just now happened to nearly run out gas, said to our surprise,

            “Yes I can help you even more than you may think. I myself am on the way to the airport this morning to meet a relative there. I’ll be happy to drive you all the way to your destination.”

            “We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with love.”

 Romans 5:3-5 NLT

            Was this a coincidence? No, I knew it was God’s perfect timing. We saw tears of joy in the young woman’s eyes and heard her say, “Merci’! God has surely blessed me today!”

            Sometimes God requires us to make a choice to trust Him, believe in Him and stay steadfast to the journey we are called to go. No matter what it takes, no matter if it’s a trip to the airport and all the way home to France.

 “All the Way Home” Another Beaver Valley Tale: by Dee Kamp, Grace Every Morning Ministries© September 8, 2015

His Hopeful Word Today: Hope is the Fruit of Faith

His Hopeful Word Today: Hope is the Fruit of Faith: photo by Dee Kamp Hope is the Fruit of Faith As long as they are watered, fed, live in good light, plants will always thrive and...

In the Valley the Good Fruit Grows

Indian Paint Brush by Dee Kamp

 

 In the Valley the Good Fruit Grows

On the windswept icy ridges of the high Cascade Mountains nothing is able to grow. But in the little valleys the purple phlox blooms and a person is surprised by the beauty of the snow lily, Lupine, the Indian paint brush and even the fruit of the wild blueberries.

 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23 NIV

Waiting on the Lord is hard to do, there is no denying it. And while we sometimes only see stumbling stones in our valley, we are still able to trust in God and find there flowers of faith will bloom and good fruit will abound.

God’s promises are true and trustworthy and He is able to make our stumbling stones into steps of heavenly successes when we wait patiently on Him. There in time we discover the budding of good He promises to work out in our lives. Along the waiting comes a crop of the good fruits of the Spirit and the fragrance of flowers called hope, joy, peace and love.  In the valley the flowers bloom and the good fruits of God grows.

“Waiting on God is the persecution of experience that tries us the most. It is hard to wait as we see the hours and days go by with no change of fulfillment. Yet it is this discipline of Faith that brings us into a knowledge of God that would otherwise be impossible.”  L. B. Cowman- Streams in the Desert

“In the Valley the Good Fruit Grows” by Dee Kamp, Grace Every Morning Ministries© August 24, 2015

Hope is the Fruit of Faith

photo by Dee Kamp

Hope is the Fruit of Faith

As long as they are watered, fed, live in good light, plants will always thrive and grow. So too, is it with our souls when it is watered, nourished and exposed to the truth, by God’s pure light as we read His Word faithfully every day.

Today be prepared to be pampered by God’s great love, nourished by His promises, and brought into heart healthy light by hope of His Word.

 “I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips.

My soul will boast in the LORD; let the afflicted hear and rejoice.

Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt his name together.

I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.

Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.

This poor man called, and the LORD heard him, he saved him out of all his troubles.

The angels of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.

Taste and see that the LORD is good;

Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.

Fear the Lord, you saints, for those who fear him lack nothing.”

Psalm 34:1-9 NIV

 

For those who trust in the Lord, lack nothing. Morning by morning new mercies we see and His compassions never fail us. By this we will grow and thrive and discover all over again, hope is the fruit of faith in God alone.

“Hope is the Fruit of Faith” by Dee Kamp, Grace Every Morning Ministries© August 17, 2015

To Us a Puzzle-To God a Plan



Driftwood by Dee Kamp

 



To Us a Puzzle –To God a Plan

Commit your way to the LORD,

trust also in Him and He shall bring it to pass.

 Psalm 37:5 NIV

 

As I sat in my prayer chair the other morning I began to share with God how my life just looks scattered and honestly― puzzling.

 “To me Lord my life is a giant unfinished puzzle― but to You it’s a perfect plan. As I grow older and look back in my life I see now how pieces of this and that in my life have all eventually fit together perfectly by Your great design.

“I know Lord I’ve taken your design for my life and broken it up and scattered it like a puzzle dumped out form its box and spilled upside down causing a mess when I tried to do it my way.

 “I could never in a million years, by my own effort, create those amazing divine appointments just when I needed them the most! Nor the help for shelter when I thought there was none, or the education opportunities, or the good people with wisdom in Your perfect timing. It was all by Your unconditional love, your great mercies and amazing grace.

“When I was a child we set the top of the puzzle box in front of us so we knew what the picture looked like. It offered a hint of where some pieces will fit. But wisely Lord, You hold the puzzle box top with the picture out of my sight that I will learn to trust in You for all I need, one day, one piece at time.

 “I’ve come to the realization, I must give You all the pieces to my life puzzle. That I must not force a piece into where I think it should fit.  I can trust you Lord that all my numbered days have the perfect amount of numbered pieces for your perfect plan in my life.

 “It’s You dear God, the One who promises to complete the good works You have begun in our lives, and promises we will see the completion one day of the  beautiful picture of  how Your sacrifice and love for us made it all possible.  What looks to us like a puzzling life to us, is to You a great and wonderful plan.”

 

“To Us a Puzzle to God a Plan” Dee Kamp, Grace Every Morning Ministries© August 12, 2015

One Little Brown Twig

By Dee Kamp

One Little Brown Twig

Oh mercy me, what an unusually hot and dry summer we are having this year. Its record breaking heat in the Pacific Northwest surprises us. We are so accustomed to fresh dew on the grass in the mornings and rain after a few days of sun.  Dust heavily coats the leaves on all the trees and plants, and the little patch of lawn in our yard is all brown as we conserve water.

 But then the old plum tree catches my eye. As I walked closer I could see its branches bending low under the weight of beautiful new purple plums, ripe and ready to eat.

I know there is scientific explanations for trees growing fruit, but still I ponder at this once bare branch back in winter and wonder in my heart, “Lord, from bare branches in the winter that looked all but dead, to now growing such good fruit? How can it be?”

“Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgements and his paths beyond tracing out! Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor? Who has ever given to God that God should repay him? For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen”

Romans 11:33-36 NIV

 Why, I realize, it just shows me all over again the Bible’s trusting truth of what God can do for a tree― He can do for you and me! Jesus is able to change a dried, bare broken heart of sins, of seasons of pain, suffering, addiction, abuse and more to breathe new life into it.

The power of the love of God to rise Christ from the dead, is still the same great power more than able to give new life to those who seek and believe in Him today.

And one spring day, in this promised new life with Jesus, is a new beginning, a new heart, abundant faith and unbelievable good fruit too.

Oh the great wonder God who can show us by the analogy of observing one little brown twig looking so lifeless in winter but reveals new life in summer, is still more than able to give new life to those who give all their life to Him.

“One Little Brown Twig” by Dee Kamp, Grace Every Morning Ministries© August 4, 2015