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“But when Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26, KJV).

               As a mother and homeschool mom of four girls, I can honestly say that I could not navigate life without the Lord. He is The Rock and Foundation of our family. While following Him is not always the easiest road, it is by far the most fulfilling. Watching our girls grow in their faith and education, as well as learn how to overcome educational obstacles, has been one of the richest blessings that I could ask for as a mother. Being consistent and obedient in being their teacher can have its challenges, as life is filled with distractions; however, it is a commitment that I treat as a profession. On the days that I feel weak, the Lord gives me strength, and He unfailingly guides us toward a rewarding finish.

               This “Year of the Lord,” as we call it, has been tremendously fruitful. We were able to travel the country helping wherever the Lord led us, as well as hand out almost 500 Bibles, pray with people, encourage others, and share the Gospel. Additionally, the girls and I were able to support Jon as he helped build structures and serve maintenance needs for Christian youth camps and an orphanage/youth and family center. He was also able to help with hurricane relief at Christian youth camps, as well as help at a Christian food distribution center. In the Lord’s strength, Jon was able to serve through Campers on Mission and work a full-time job that supports our mission and our family. God is so faithful! Furthermore, one of the most rewarding parts of our mission for the Lord has been meeting brothers and sisters-in-Christ all over the country, as this has been an amazing blessing for our family.

               Without the Lord, none of this would be possible. He made a way when there was no way in our life countless times. He is faithful. He is good. Through the suffering and the pain of this life, He remains steadfast and good. Our Father made a way for us to come to Him when there was no way. He made the impossible possible through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Through Jesus we have the gift of salvation, grace, love, and mercy that comes from His sacrifice. We cannot earn it, and we do not deserve His gift; however, it is readily available to anyone who will repent of their sins and surrender their life for Him. He lives not for Himself, but others. Therefore, we are eternally grateful for His gift to us, and it is our family commitment to share His gift with others.

Thank you for following us on our family blog. Please reach out via email if there is any way that we can be praying for you.

^“Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen. And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. And they went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen” (Mark 16:14-20, KJV).  

“Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us. Therefore, let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth” (1 Corinthians 5:2, KJV).

            Entering a new year can be refreshing and rejuvenating. Our “new year” resolutions set forth ambitious goals to strive for, as well as give us an opportunity to reset our failed attempts and previous unmet expectations. However, as we reflect on our previous year, let us take a moment to celebrate a year of life as a gift from the Lord, and rejoice for the hurdles that we overcame through Christ. While new beginnings give us a chance to reflect and build up excitement for the open possibilities of the future, it is of the greatest importance to understand that we do not need a new year, or even a new day, to spend time with the Lord and examine ourselves before The Father. In our quiet time with Him, we are investing into an everlasting relationship with the Lord, as well as allowing Him to enhance our perspective with His wisdom.

            When we are enlightened with the Lord’s righteousness, we are able to judge ourselves and come to a pure state of repentance; thus, allowing us to be set free from our infirmities through Christ and move forward without the “old leaven” in our bread; thus, giving us a new beginning. New beginnings are readily available anywhere and at any time. This is the beautiful gift that Jesus sacrificed His life to give us. Not for selfish freedom, but so that we may come to The Father in purity and build a relationship with Him. Let us take a moment to thank the Lord for His precious gift to us. Let us thank Him for new beginnings that are readily available through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. May the Lord bless you all in this new year and season.

“But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world” (1 Corinthians 11:28-32, KJV).

Hurt is painful. Enduring pain from previous hurts can inflict internal scars that may never be forgotten. Often this suffering causes us to desire justice, or even is some cases revenge. However, while we may never forget the pain that others inflict on us, how do we forgive? It seems as if the first step is to make the choice to forgive. Then, it must be an outward thought that lifts off our tongue and into the midst of the world around us. The peace that resonates after the debt of others is released is soothing to the soul, but does forgiveness end here?

If anyone has faced authentic body, mind, and soul forgiveness, it would be safe to say that this road is one of many adversities and trials that does not end with one outward statement of “I forgive.” No, just as a decision to follow Christ is not one made in a singular statement, or even in a moment of realization that one needs a Savior in this life. It is a commitment that takes many forward choices that transform and define the character, morality, and heart of who we are as a person. Fortunately, as a Christian, we understand the brokenness of our flesh and that we are not capable of perfection. Our Father understands this too, as this is why He sent Christ as our Savior and Intercessor. However, as Christians, we commit to standing up when we fall, staying in the Word, and vowing to an everlasting relationship of growth with our Heavenly Father. Nevertheless, it is only through Christ that we are able to genuinely overcome the brokenness within ourselves, others, and this world.

Furthermore, choosing to following Christ does not end with a decision, it starts with a new beginning. A beginning that enables us to come out of ourselves and learn to love someone else that thoroughly loves us in return. This symbiotic relationship builds a sense of trust that allows us to be a vessel that extends His love into the world of hurt and brokenness that surrounds us. However, when we grasp the debt that we feel others owe us, and stay in a state of unforgiveness, we close a door within us and do not allow Christ to demonstrate His forgiveness in and through us for the world; thus, causing internal and external destruction, and ultimately, giving a foothold to the Enemy through our lives.

Genuine forgiveness is not easy and it is not an autonomous decision, as hurts can be reactivated when offenses come against us; especially, if those offenses are repeated and unrepented. Consequently, forgiveness is something we need help in activating and achieving on a moment-to-moment basis. However, the joy that comes from being released from this bondage saves us from internal imprisonment. Forgiveness is not only a commitment that releases us from bondage, but from an inner poison that not only slowly strangles the life from of ourselves, but also the people we love most. Innately, the result of unforgiveness is destruction, whether a person is a Christian or not. However, through Christ we have the strength to overcome the abandonments, hurts, and pains of this world.

While we can exhaust ourselves in trying to understand the destructive forces that are against us within and without in this life, we must come to accept that we cannot grasp the infinite understanding of our Creator; that the complexities of our lives and the innate perfect design that has been infected with sin are unfathomable. However, we can choose to trust The Father and commit to a covenant marriage with Jesus Christ, as He is the bridegroom. Nevertheless, marriage is a life-long commitment that does not end with I do. It is a beautiful relationship that flourishes and develops over time, and it is through investing love into one another that we become the best versions of ourselves that we can be in this life. Our marriage to Christ is no different, as we surrender our hearts to Him and He transforms us into a new and beautiful creation. A creation that is able to rightly exemplify and spread His love to those around us.

Today, with Christ, I choose forgiveness. Today, I choose to honor my marriage commitment to Jesus, and that commitment is to forgive those that have hurt me, to surrender to the Word, and share His love with a world that desperately needs Him.

Thank you for keeping up with our journey with the Lord. Please feel free to email me with any prayer requests.

With Love,

Brandi

“And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses,” (Mark 11:52, KJV).

“Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you,” (Ephesians 4:31-32, KJV).

“After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen,” (Matthew 6:9-13, KJV).

As we walk with the Lord in servanthood, we face an incredible journey of triumph, victory, and perseverance through faith in Christ Jesus. However, within these trials, we face adversity, disappointments, and opposition that often surfaces confusion. When our circumstances shift into a realm of unknown, we are habitually tempted to formulate an understanding that is, for us, unfathomable; thus, leaving us not only mentally exhausted, but mentally, physically, and spiritually burdened by our doubts and fears. This is nothing less than an entrapment from the Enemy.

While it is difficult to know whether our sufferings are from the Lord or the Enemy, and this may consequently cause us to doubt His love, we can trust in knowing that He works all things out for our good. Furthermore, as we allow our trials to draw us closer into our relationship with the Lord, as oppose to push us away, He will faithfully bring us through anything that comes up against us. Therefore, we can rest in knowing that He will see us through the everchanging seasons of this life, and that He will use everything that we endure to sharpen us in His purpose for our lives.

His love, grace, and mercy for us far surpasses the variable circumstances of this world. As we push forward in our mission for the Lord, we must remember that we walk with a loving Heavenly Father that promises to never leave us or forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6, KJV). While our surrounding environment may seem painful, chaotic, and confusing, this is a direct result of brokenness within a fallen world. Nevertheless, sorrow is a small glimpse of the pain that we will endure if we are separated from God for eternity. Therefore, we must push forward in faith in knowing that we have a purpose for Him. That He does not condemn us, but convicts us towards spiritual maturity and growth for the Kingdom.

Nevertheless, this is why Scripture and prayer are such powerful tools, and they are essential for our spiritual armor. The Word equips us with knowledge in understanding that we cannot rely on our own minds; that we must seek the Lord through prayer for direction in all circumstances and seasons. Furthermore, that our relationship with the Lord is not dependent on our circumstances, or on what we may gain, as this is a selfish mindset that does not exemplify the loving symbiotic relationship that we were created to have with The Father. However, that it is through obedience to the Lord within all circumstances that we demonstrate love for The Father, and it is through His extended love, grace, and mercy that He exemplifies His faithfulness to us.

“In nothing be anxious, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be known to God. And the peace of God which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7).

“Trust the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6).

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:11-13).

This last week the girls and I were studying a Bible lesson and we were talking about Peter getting out of the boat to meet Jesus when He was walking on water. Most of the time, when we discuss this story, we are focused on the faith of getting out of the boat, or the fear that overtook Peter when he looked at the storm and the waves. However, this week we felt the Holy Spirit revealing a perspective that we have yet to study, and that I personally have yet to focus on. This discussion reset our faith and helped us shift our focus in a new and powerful way. I would love to share this with you.

When Jesus approached the boat, the disciples were afraid and thought that He was a ghost, but Peter saw that it was Jesus. Then he asked Jesus if he could come to him and when Jesus said “Come,” he stepped out of the boat and walked towards Jesus (Matthew 14:29, KJV). It was not until he looked at the storm that he began to sink. Then Jesus catches him and states “O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?” (Matthew 14:31, NIV).

What does this story tell us? Why is it in the Gospels and what does it teach us? Well this story teaches us many things. That Jesus had the ability to walk on water. That faith conquers fear. But what really defines fear and faith? Is it a mentality? And how do we define a mentality? What did Peter ultimately do in his actions that shifted his faith to fear?

Peter took his eyes off of Jesus. His faith did not come from his own power. It came from His focus on Jesus. When he was focused on Jesus, he could walk on water. However, when he shifted his focus to his fear of the storm, he also shifted into his own strength. In his own strength, he could not walk on water and he could not defeat the storm ahead of him.

As Jon, I, and the girls navigate through this season of following a calling from the Lord, we cannot help but hear Him telling us to keep our focus upon Him. He is also firmly letting us know not to look away at the fear that surrounds us, but to keep our eyes upon Him. After listening to His guidance, we are hearing Him call us to stay at the mission project in Florida at Camp Anderson for the summer. The Lord is actively moving at this camp and we are blessed and honored to be apart of His mission.

Currently, we are on our way back home to pack up what was once our home and after a few weeks, Lord willing, we will be heading back to Florida to serve the Lord. The Christian camp that we will be working at will be the landing place for children from the child welfare system in all of Florida. Not only will these children have a safe place to land, but they will be able to hear the message of Christ, as well as receive Christian counseling. This is a remarkable work that is being done, and our family is honored to be called to serve alongside of our brothers and sisters-in-Christ in this mission. Honestly, we feel that this is a big part of why the Lord sent us here; that is to help the camp with their first season of take off at this new location, and to also help build the Lord’s house for His children, as they are preparing to build a new facility for the children. They are in need of a project manager and they have asked Jon to apply for this position.

While we do not know what our future holds, we know who holds the future. As we continue to seek the Lord in all of our decisions through daily prayer and through reading our Bible daily, we are also fixating our eyes on Jesus. We believe that if our eyes are on Him, we will have enough faith to move mountains in our work for Him.

Thank you for reading and following us on our blog. Please do not hesitate to reach out and let us know if there is any way that we can pray for you.

Love and Blessings,

The Dyke Family

^” But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof” Matthew 6:33-34, KJV

“And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you” Matthew 17:20, KJV

Over the past few weeks, we have been tremendously blessed with the opportunity to work alongside some of the most loving and kind people that are working for Christ’s Kingdom. People that are devoted to serving the Lord with a passion and love that radiates Christ’s light. Their warm extension of love will forever dwell within us and the memories we have built with them will forever be cherished in our hearts. To leave the members of our family-in-Christ deeply penetrates us with sadness; however, we know that our mission is calling us to another place, and, as my sister-in Christ told me, if this life does not allow us to see each other again, one day we will be united with our family eternally in heaven. This hope and promise gives us the momentum that we need to keep moving forward in faith.

As we travel and see the Glory of God at work, and continue to experience the intimate love of Jesus, the troubles of this world seem to fade into the distance. If truth be told, this journey and our growing relationship with Jesus causes us to long for His return, as we can be reunited with Him eternally. This desperation makes us humbly aware of those that do not have this relationship and knowing of truth in Christ. Growth in our faith and in our relationship with the Lord has given us countless revelations of the false reality that we grasped so tightly in our fingertips; a reality that cannot be held, as we innately chase illusions of happiness that will not fulfill the sin-inflicted voids in our life. The world tells us that truth is what we believe it to be and that if we work hard enough, we can attain comfort and happiness. This dangerous ideology causes us to run after our own sinful thoughts and feelings. Thus, causing us to backslide into deception and suffering. Consequently, we are working to shift our minds in truth and stop focusing on how we are going to invest in ourselves and our vision of our future, and work towards the commitment of investing our life in Him. Jesus did this for us, and now we feel that it is our obligation to sacrifice our will for His.

Surely, this year has been hard on all of us in some way or another. However, through our trials, we find strength and, through our experiences, we can share the insights of knowledge that we have accrued during our seasons of difficulties. Therefore, I (Brandi) would like to share some of my lowest points over this past year and how the Lord carried me through them and bestowed His wisdom upon me. This information is very personal and private, and I ask that you read this with that in mind.

This past summer I felt as if the world around me was collapsing. I felt as if I could see a deeper perspective of the sin and corruption that is here and that is coming in this world and in our churches. Unfortunately, I let my focus shift from the Lord to sin in the world. I was angered and I dwelt on the fear of the outcome of sin and people rebelling against God. However, through my fear, I caused sin.

I worried about our children and our future generations. I worried about what world they were going to live in if I didn’t stand up and attempt to preserve the Salt in the world. Committed to my Father, I wanted to fix all of the things that I saw were wrong. It seemed as if everything was falling apart around us and I felt an incessant obligation to put forth every bit of passion in me to seek restoration under Him. However, in my trying to do this, everything intensified. Desperate and full of anguish, I sat by Burt Lake over Labor Day weekend and cried out to Him. At rock bottom emotionally, I cried out to Him and said I would do anything He asked of me; just to show me how to fix everything. Please know that His voice is not audible to me; it is a presence and a speaking that I know in my heart to be Him. The response that spoke so soft and boldly in my heart was that the world is dying. I (being me) cannot save it; nobody can, as this is a result of sin and the death that comes from sin. Next, He told me that I am not the Savior. That there is only one Savior and this is Jesus Christ.

My revelation from the Lord is this- God does not need us to fight for Him. He is God. What He needs is for us to submissively let Him fight in and through us as an embodiment of Christ. There is sin all around us. Within each other. Within everything. This is part of living in an infected world. It will penetrate our churches and it will penetrate our lives, as it is inherently within us. However, as we grow and become more aware of sin, it does not mean that we can eradicate it, and trying to only takes us out of His strength and debilitates us in our own. How do we fight sin? We focus on Him and His Word. Let Him lead the way. We pray. We stand strong together and focus on the Spirit working within each other. If we are facing resistance, we must stop and ask the Lord why and pray through it; not fight in our own strength. At least this is what He taught me this year.

As His presence and His teaching resonates with me, my habitual desire for control fades away into His hands. It saddens me to know that our world is temporary and to know that it is dying; however, the pain that is within our temporary life reveals the brokenness that comes from a life separated from God through sin, and we can have hope in knowing that Christ wins. He will restore us in a new heaven. Nevertheless, we must continue to work in His strength for those that are lost and waiting; waiting to be reunited with their Heavenly Father through Christ.

We all have a ministry that the Lord is working through to impact the lives of others. Our life is our ministry. As we become aware of this, we can unite in Christ and work together with our brothers and sisters to reach the lost and uplift the broken. We must stand firm in the Word of God and focus on Him. We are in a spiritual battle and it is through submission to Christ and firmly uniting together that we are able to defeat the Enemy. Our fight is in helping the lost find the Kingdom. We cannot do this in our own strength, but in our weakness, He is our Strength.

For anyone that is reading this, I ask that you please pray for us, as we officially sold our home this week. Our hearts ache with grief and we do not know what our future holds, but we know that the Lord is guiding us. These last few weeks have been hard on all of us, as we have had to make several difficult decisions and are enduring many transitions in our life. As it feels as if everything is changing and moving around us, we choose to focus on Him; to praise His Amazing Glory and seek Him through the Word and uniting in prayer. He is the only thing holding us afloat right now. We have joy in seeing that His Mighty Hand is moving and we have peace in knowing that He is with us and that we can trust our Father’s guidance in our life. Therefore, we continue to move forward in faith in the Lord’s will for our life.

Thank you for your supportive prayers.

With Love,

The Dyke Family

“And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me” (2 Corinthians 12:9, KJV).

We are moving along in our mission for the Lord and are now in Louisiana helping with hurricane relief at a youth camp. Over the past month, we have been so very blessed to meet so many wonderful people that are busy doing the Lord’s work. The Lord has also led us to people in need, and has blessed us with the ability to assist in meeting these needs. One example is when Jon and I went out for dinner the night before Valentine’s Day. Grandma and grandpa watched the girls for the night and after we finished with supper, we didn’t know what to do with ourselves. We talked about a movie or bowling, but then we both decided it would be so cool to go and hand out Bibles and spread the Good News about Jesus. Consequently, we “went fishing” (as Jesus would call it) in a Wal-Mart parking lot. We met some really cool people, and after talking with them, they told us that they needed a Bible and shared their testimonies with us.

After we left the Wal-Mart parking lot, we prayed for the Lord to bring other people our way and we went down the road and searched for anyone that might need help. After we met more people and gave out more Bibles, we saw a man walking and he could barely stand up; he was so frail and thin. We were nervous to approach him, but we prayed through this fear and felt led to ask him if he needed help. When we stopped and asked him if he needed help, he immediately said “water, pop, anything please.” He was desperate for water and food; he was so thirsty and hungry.

The Lord was right there with us and led us to him. I know this because before I left our parent’s house, I took a bottle of water and stuck it in my purse. Consequently, I was able to give him this water bottle. The Lord was equipping us for his need before we left and He blessed us with the ability to meet his needs for food and water. When we asked the man if we could pray with him and reached out our hands to hold his, he extended his hand towards us. When we held his hand, it was extremely cold. Honestly, I am not sure if I have ever felt a hand this cold. It made me weep immediately; the realization that someone is suffering this much.

After, we asked him if he had a warm place to stay, he said yes. Therefore, we did not offer him a hotel for the night; however, this still slightly haunts us, as we wish that we would have done more and at least made sure that he had a warm place to stay. Before we left, we felt led to give him a Bible. As we drove off and rounded the corner around the block, we could see him walking with the Bible open and looking down and reading. This was one of the most impactful moments thus far in our trip and it still brings tears to my eyes.

After we left Arizona, we prayerfully worked our way towards Laredo, Texas and stayed at Stepping Stone Ministry. Honestly, we had a lot of reservations about working and traveling this far south with the girls. However, we felt the Lord persistently guiding us to trust Him and giving us peace in the decision to go to Stepping Stone. Consequently, our entire family was exceedingly blessed that we listened to His guidance. This place was amazing and it was an immensely rewarding experience. We were in a peaceful place at the ministry site, and we all deepened our relationship with the Lord in an intimate way.

Most of the time that we were there, Jon was helping with the food distribution side of their ministry, as there was a high demand for this from the winter storm- Uri. In this part of the ministry, they work through the local churches to provide meals for the needy and the homeless. One box of food will approximately feed a family of four for three to four days, and they also receive a gallon of milk. Consistently, the ministry is giving upwards of 1500-2500 of boxes of food out per day. The Lord is so amazing and this ministry is absolutely doing the Lord’s work. They also help build churches for the homeless and work to meet their needs. Then the homeless come and help and distribute the food. Honestly, there are so many revolving avenues within this ministry and it is so cool to see the work that they are doing for Christ.

I would like to share one more experience that happened while we were in Laredo. One day, Jon and I and the girls were at Wal-Mart getting groceries and we prayed for the Lord to bring anyone that needed a Bible and prayer to us. After we finished shopping, we were walking to the car and an older woman approached us. She was hungry and desperate for help. We talked with her and she told us her story; how she was not from the area and had nothing but a shopping cart of belongings. We were blessed to be able to give her a twenty-dollar bill and we placed this in one of the Bibles. It was intentionally bookmarking a place in the back of the Bible that talks about how to become a Christian. After we gave her a Bible with a little money from the Lord in it, we prayed together and then hugged, and she just wept in my arms. Jon talked to her and asked her if she knew where the closest church was, and she did. Then, he directed her to one of the churches, as they are working to help meet the needs of the homeless. We prayed together again and as she walked away, she looked up and blew a kiss to the sky towards the Lord. This too was one of my favorite experiences thus far.

The Lord is so good. Even as we are at this camp, in the midst of the aftermath of destruction from two hurricanes, the Lord has sent waves of people to come and help with the restoration process. We are so blessed to meet such wonderful people and see the Lord working. The truth is that He is working everywhere, we just need to look a little deeper and we will see His hand lovingly restoring everything around us that the Enemy is working to destroy. He works all things out for our good; even our pain and sufferings.

Thank you for reading and I hope you all have a blessed week. Please let us know if there is anyway that we can be praying for you.

With Love,

The Dyke Family

“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28, KJV).

On January 29th we hit the road and our adventure began! We made way for Arizona and planned to use the next three weeks to settle into our new routines. We are over two weeks in and have had many enriching experiences already. This past week has been very exciting, but more about this next week. First, I would like to share how this all came to fruition.

Over the last couple of months, we have expectantly waited for the Lord to open doors and let us know when it was time to move forward in His calling. However, through Scripture, prayer, sermons, and our devotionals, we felt Him telling us to be still and wait upon His guidance. Nevertheless, as time continued to pass, we began to wonder if we misunderstood something, if we made a mistake somewhere, or if we were even going to be moving forward in His mission this year. Then, over the course of a week, one door after another began to open in our lives. The weekend prior to leaving, we felt as if we were being prepared to move forward, and on Monday, January 25th, the Lord spoke to us through our Charles Stanley devotional, as it states “Get Up and Get Going,” and the verse is, “Why are you crying out to Me? Tell the sons of Israel to go forward” (Exodus 14:15). Consequently, we knew immediately in our hearts that He was giving us His blessing in moving forward. The only thing missing was the sale of our house.

As I looked at our finances and our chicken coop full of chickens, I began to pray and ask the Lord for direction. We have a good savings, but I was worried about the expenses of traveling full-time, donating towards a mission with unknown demands, and paying our regular bills; nonetheless, unless we felt peace or a strong guidance from the Lord to dip into this account, I did not want to use our savings for these expenses. The other concern was what to do with our 12 chickens. Instead of worrying, I brought these concerns to the Lord. During my prayer time on Tuesday, the Lord gave me an overwhelming sense of peace in sending the chickens to an animal rescue farm in Lowell. The irony in this is that Jon and I had researched this place in the summer, when we initially felt the call from the Lord, and we had forgotten about this option. After there was a solution for the chickens, I then felt His peace in selling our Yukon and setting aside this money as cushion for our trip until the house sells.

When I talked about this with Jon, we prayed together about it and realized that with the demands of his work schedule, it worked out the best for us to leave that Friday. Consequently, we felt the Lord giving us peace in all of these decisions, as well as in leaving our stuff and moving everything out of our house when we get back from our mission. The day after we decided to leave, we received an offer on the house. As we worked out the details of the offer, the new owners were fine with us moving out of our home after we get back from our trip. Thus, allowing us to come home one last time before we live out of our camper for the summer. The Lord is so good; He really is, and His peace and grace and love is carrying us through His calling in our lives.

Everything aligned perfectly for us to be able to leave on Friday. The truck sold, we brought the chickens to the farm, and we packed up our camper and left for a three-month mission trip in less than a week. The timing of everything and how it all came together is nothing short of His amazing power and glory. He also answered all of our prayers specifically. We prayed for extra finances for our trip, and He provided. We prayed that our 11 hens and our rooster would go to a place where they were loved and cared for, and He provided. The owner of the farm was also in need of hens, as her hens were getting too old to consistently lay eggs; thus, providing for her needs, as well as for ours. The chickens are also spoiled; not only do they receive a warm meal everyday, but at the farm they promise to never hurt the chickens. It gets even better, as we can also visit them in the summer. Needless to say, this was a huge blessing to our family, as we all loved them dearly.

The truth is that Jon and I and the girls could give endless examples of how the Lord has revealed Himself through all of this and how He has answered all of our prayers. One thing that we are learning is that He always answers our prayers. Sometimes the answer is in silence while He teaches us patience or waits for us to activate our faith; sometimes His answer is not what we want to hear, and sometimes His responses are only a temporary answer, as they may be subject to change. However, He is always with us and He always answers our prayers. It is just a matter of whether we are willing to listen and accept His answers.

Honestly, there were several moments in this journey where Jon and I have worried that we were being abandoned by God, but by holding onto the truthful promises that are in the Word, we were able to persevere through the lies of our mind and get beyond this deception. One of the verses that we hold close to our hearts and recite aloud when we feel doubt creeping into our minds is, “Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee” (Deuteronomy 31:6, KJV). In summary, He will never leave us, nor forsake us, as He is always with us; even when it feels as if He is not.

We are His children and He cares for all of us in a nurturing and loving way. However, He loves us so much that He will not force us to love Him, as our love for Him is something that we must activate through faith in Christ, and it is through a restorative relationship with Jesus that we are able to build a relationship with Him, as Scripture states, “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6, KJV). He is always with us and He desires for us to have a relationship with Him, but we must come to Him through acceptance of and faith in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

As the Lord’s children, Jon and I realize that we may not always agree with our Father’s plan for our lives, but through Scripture, we do have faith in knowing that His ways are perfect and Holy and that He is continuously working to provide and care for His children; consequently, we know and trust that He has a plan and a will for us. Jon and I believe that Scripture teaches us that, as we accept His parental love and love Him back through obedience, we will develop a symbiotic relationship with Him that is more powerful and fulfilling than any substitution in this world. Therefore, unless we continuously seek the Lord first and keep him consistently first in our lives, we will continue to chase and fill our void with temporary desires; thus, leaving us more empty and distant from the One who really loves us, Our Heavenly Father.

Thank you for reading and I cannot wait to share more with you about our journey thus far; it has been a pure blessing to see the Lord at work. I will be working to update the blog with new posts regularly. Please reach out to us via email if you have any prayer requests and thank you for following our family’s journey with the Lord. Stay blessed.

With Love,

The Dyke Family

It is amazing how quickly our minds can shift and chase one emotion after another; eventually bringing us to a mentally-entangled place that is much different from where we started. In the beginning of this journey, we were overwhelmed with feelings of faith, as well as ready to rise to the calling that the Lord put on our hearts. However, this was not an instantaneous process. Over the course of the last few months, the Lord has gracefully worked with us and helped us to not only learn what it means to wait upon the Lord, but He has also deepened our relationship with Him in an intimate and meaningful way. Thus, uprooting deep-rooted sin within us and replacing it with a concrete relationship with Christ that is based on solid truth.

After we finished renovating the camper and making it our new home, we felt as if we were ready to jump into our mission. We literally expected the house to sell immediately after we finished our camper renovations; however, this did not happen. Instead we experienced the Lord telling us through Scripture, sermons, and our devotionals to be still and wait upon Him. Nevertheless, we cannot even begin to understand the frustration Abram and Sarai must have felt during their season of waiting, as we barely made it a month before we started spinning and wondering if God had abandoned us.

In hindsight, we see that the Lord was preparing us for this mission by realigning our distorted perspectives in truth, revealing sin in our lives and bringing us to a place of healing, as well as teaching us the importance of being with Him through prayer and the Word every day. This sounds easy on paper; however, the process was and is exceedingly difficult, as there is a strong battle with resistance that allows for many distractions that can pull us away from faithfully following the Lord through habit.

Nevertheless, there is a level of grace and love behind this process that drives us to keep moving forward, and it is nothing short of His pure and merciful love for us. We cannot begin to tell you how overwhelming this month was in our flesh, but contrarily peaceful in our Spirit. Whenever Jon or I would begin to crumble to fear and self-doubt, the Holy Spirit worked in and through us to encourage each other to seek the Lord’s guidance and stay in the Word. We continuously helped each other see truth, as well as purposefully worked through prayer and the Word to eradicate our invasive, surfacing fears.

Towards the end of our season of waiting, we developed ingrained habits of putting the Lord first in our day. We did this by intentionally reading Scripture, talking to Him, and asking the Holy Spirit for His strength for the upcoming day right away in the morning. We also learned to stop and pray when one of us is in doubt or struggling with fear or anxiety. We not only did, and still do, this together, but we continue to work towards adopting this practice as a family. Consequently, we are working to better understand each other’s feelings and emotions, and then take our worries to the Lord together. Nevertheless, this is what Scripture advises us to do, as the Word states, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7, NIV).

This verse is such a powerful tool, and it is consequently the screen saver on my phone. It tells us not to hang onto feelings of anxiety, but to immediately come to the Lord through prayer and freely express our petitions and worries. However, we are to then think of and outwardly state the things that we are grateful and thankful for prior to closing in prayer. This is so powerful, as it transforms our thinking and shifts our mind into a state of gratitude. Nevertheless, through this method of prayer, the bondages that have such a firm grasp in our minds are broken and the “peace of God, which transcends all understanding” guards our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6-7, NIV).

As we are being prepared for this journey by the Lord, we understand that our preparation and work is never complete, as transformation is a life-long commitment. Nonetheless, this is the responsibility that we accepted when we gave our life to Christ, and this is to continuously and intentionally work to follow Him. Evangelistic preacher, Allen Jackson, states this best when he proclaims the truth in following Christ; that the choice to follow Christ is the most expensive decision that we will ever make, as it costs us our life. Nonetheless, dying to the flesh may be painful, but the peaceful restoration of the soul is eternally worth the sacrifice of secular acceptance. Jesus knew and lived this exemplar truth perfectly. Now, we feel that it is our job as Christians to follow His lead, and this is what we are committed to doing in our walk; waiting upon the Lord, continuously seeking His guidance, and following His direction for our lives.

Blessings to you all this week and please send us any prayer requests that you may have via email.

With Love,

The Dyke Family

Faith…what does it mean to move forward in faith? For us, in this current season of our lives, we are in the process of literally moving out of the home we built and invested our labor and love into for the last seven years. Not only are we a family of six (eight if you include our cat and dog, Snickers and Maddie), but we are a family of six that is transitioning from a 3200 square foot home on over two acres into a camper. Also, we are doing this without having sold our home. Do you think we are absolutely nuts yet? Trust me, we have had our moments of wonder, but we know in our hearts that this is a calling from the Lord; a calling that we are willing to sacrifice everything for, as He is our Everything and we want to be faithful to Him. Here is our story.

Five months ago, Jon and I felt the Lord calling us to sell our house, buy a fifth wheel camper, and begin a work in traveling around the country spreading the Gospel, handing out Bibles, feeding people, as well as in being a helping hand wherever He leads us. Consequently, after many affirmations, we chose to step out in faith and follow Him. We listed our home and, within a couple of days after listing, we found a camper that specifically answered every prayer that we asked of the Lord: a separate bed for each of our girls, an office space for Jon’s work needs, and, if at all possible, extra countertop space.

If you have ever shopped for a fifth wheel camper, these requests, especially combined, are difficult to meet, if not impossible. However, each of these requests were met, as we were led to a camper that has a separate bunkhouse with four bunks, a separate space for an office, and a two-tiered countertop; thus, showing us that God cares about the small things, and that if we diligently seek Him, He will take care of our desires and worries. Furthermore, after we purchased the camper, we found a truck and purchased this the next week. At the closing of our truck, we were told that our discount code amounted to higher than the dealership totaled; thus, reimbursing us a check total for almost the exact amount of the installed hitch cost for the fifth wheel…God is pretty amazing.

If you are wondering, we do not have endless sums of money; however, we have been blessed with the ability to diligently work to become debt-free outside of our mortgage and a small amount of deferred student loans. Thus, enabling us to move forward in faith in these large purchases, as we do have the assets and credit to do so temporarily until our home sells. Faith in the Lord…that is what we are moving forward in…pure faith. I am looking forward to sharing more about our family’s journey with the Lord. Until then, stay tuned for more updates, as I will be uploading the blog regularly with our testimonies throughout this adventurous season of our lives. Stay blessed and keep moving forward in faith in Christ Jesus ❤.

“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him” (Hebrews 11:6, NIV).