Month: September 2017

love has called my name

.Reading time 3 minutes.

“From my mother’s womb 

You have chosen me

Love has called my name” 

As thousands of people gathered today in Ukraine to celebrate the first thanksgiving on the day that marks 500 years since reformation I’ll never forget this

Through Jesus we are able to connect to people we don’t even know.  How amazing is that! We can travel the world and instantly bond with someone over Christ. It’s like finding family you’ve never met. As those lyrics posted above played with thousands of people singing it I know that God calls each one of us, he’s called us for an amazing life. These lyrics register so deeply with me, God has known us each, by name before the foundations of the world were created, and he loves us, he wants us to invite Christ in our lives so God can reveal the plans he has in store for each one of us.  

No we don’t know the plans but that is the beauty of living a life for and with God, it’s part of the adventure, trusting him with the unknown. Having seen what God has done in this country through so many individuals it is a testament to what God will do with someone’s obidence and willingness to say yes. To say yes to laying down your plans, and trusting him with his.  It is so much sweeter to adventure with God. And he doesn’t need us to be anything, we just need to be willing. 

You won’t have all the answers, but he’s calling you, and it is up to you to say yes. It won’t be easy, it’ll be more more than you’d ever hope or imagine. (Trust me, I’ve seen him do it for me, and he’ll do it for you) 

Tonight in Ukraine thousands of people gathered, different speakers all gave similar messages to the people of this nation. I believe that God is doing something big in this nation. So many people gave their lives to Christ tonight. Words can’t really describe how amazing tonight was for the people of Ukraine and the ripple effects it will play around the world. Maybe I’ll try writing about this later on, but before I go to sleep I’ll leave you with this šŸ™‚ 

God knew YOU before you were in your mother’s womb. 

That’s pretty amazing, that’s something to be hopeful about, that God knows you, and he is ready when you are, all you have to do is say yes.

You are loved,

Dev

preparing my heart for the next adventure

.Reading time 7 minutes.


I wanted to share this with you before I start my journey into a part of the world that I never really wanted to go, or had a desire to visit. Ever. Does that sound harsh? I know we all have those places or parts of the world that we don’t think we’ll ever go, but never say never šŸ˜‰ 

A year ago this trip was mentioned to my dad and I, he asked me if I’d like to go. Immediately I said no, I’m not interested in traveling there. I have a heart for Africa and orphans, that isn’t really where I am comfortable. Little did I know that God was going to change my heart, and show me that our passions are not limited to places or people groups, the same love God gives us for one place is for the world, sometimes it takes a little time (his timing) to understand that. 

Months had passed, we rang in a new year, I was busy in Ghana and this trip never crossed my mind. I was home for three weeks packing before I was traveling to Greece with my family and friends. It was on that trip that God did something amazing. Something he perfectly appointed.  

My time in Greece was coming to an end, and what happened completely caught me off guard. I was in Mykonos with my friends. We went out to a later dinner (like midnight!) because Mykonos is a very late island, families, young children are out and about to 2 am! It’s so awesome how lively the place is and how causal it is. After dinner around 2 am my friends and I went out and around 4 am we were making our way to our last stop when I encountered 2 children who would change my life forever.  I just didn’t know it yet. 

I saw these precious beautiful children in the street. At this point all the younger families had left. They were selling glow in the dark bracelets. They looked exhausted. As I watched them and we approached closer I realized, they were gypsy children. I immediately ran to them and spoke the little Greek that I could. From what I understood they were exhausted, they were siblings and they needed to sell their bracelets all night. My friend Cate bought us all a bracelet and my friends went to the next place. I couldn’t get these children out of my mind, my heart was breaking, I was trying not to cry. God was doing something, God had a divine appointment for me in Mykonos at that very hour. 

I went back outside to just be with them. I told them they were beautiful and the little girl looked at me like she’d never been told that before, she said no you are beautiful. I told them I would never forget them and I would pray for them. 

The next day I was online reading all about gypsies. I read about their lives and how most governments barely recognize their rights or provide any assistance. Some websites said they are treated worse than animals. God was doing something, he was breaking my heart for gypsies, I had seen so I was now accountable for what I had experienced. I thank God for those two precious children.

I texted my dad that morning telling him I felt lead to be apart of the trip that was traveling to work in gypsy camps in September. I told him that God had shown me that the love of Christ is for all people across the world, there is no distance too far, there is no people group that is too low for him to reach. Christs love is for all. 

I prayed about it for months before I gave an offical yes. Here I am at JFK preparing my heart for what God has in store for me in The Ukraine. I am traveling with Orphans Promise who originally started there. I think it’s been 10 years since it began! I cannot wait to experience a new part of the world and see all the amazing projects and programs that Orphans Promise has put in place. 

If you feel lead would you lift our group up in prayer as we set off to be the hands and feet of Christ in the Ukraine. I’ll be updating you as much as I can during my time there! 

I am so excited and thankful for this God adventure. It is so true when they say if you say yes to God you’ll never imagine where he will take you. How true this is today, I hope we all learn to keep on saying yes to God, to keep putting aside what may be a comfortable for us. God is waiting for us to say yes, and then he’ll take it from there! The same way God used two beautiful gypsy children in Greece to speak to me, he is putting things in your life to speak to you! Sometimes we don’t realize that it is him, but it is, God’s timing is perfect and he will never stop pursuing us!

You are all loved, 

Dev 

next stop Ukraine ! 

1 John 4:7-8 

“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.”

encouragement today for the fruit you have not seen

.Reading time 6 minutes.

Guess who is packing again!? Any guesses on where I am heading tomorrow afternoon? (Here is a hint, it isn’t Africa, it’s a part of the world I have never been) I will keep you updated along this special journey!

Today I felt lead to share this bible verse

“Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5

I am not sure who needs to be reminded of this but I felt lead to post this verse and remind you in the struggle of your work, family, jobs or ministries that apart from him we can do nothing. Sometimes we have mentalities that it is through our abilities that we can do everything. Unfortunately that can only take us so far.

I believe that everyone can experience seasons of dryness, discouragement, lack of faith, or depression I believe that it is also through these times that God proves to be faithful throughout the desert where we cannot see a way out. I encourage you today to press on, to keep on believing him for his promises, and when the time is right you will see the fruit when you do everything onto his glory.

I remember my first few months in Ghana when I would doubt myself, tell myself that I wasn’t able or worthy to be doing such a large task that seemed bigger than my abilities. Little did I know that the Lord only needed me to trust him, so that I could see how big of a God he is, who epuips us for tasks so big, it could only be achieved through him. In those exact moments I realized that it wasn’t through my abilities anyway, it was through him, and if I trusted him and allowed him to work through me, then in his time I would see the fruit of my labor.

Here is a clip from my morning devotion that I felt tied in beautifully

“I understood what ā€œfruit of the Spiritā€ (Gal. 5:22-23) meant but was never sure which of those qualities, if any, would be apparent in me from day to day.Ā God let me stew in my anxiety until I was fully committed to finding out if His Word was true or not.Ā I encountered my answer in a biography of Hudson Taylor, the founder of China Inland Missions. For a long time he, too, felt that his efforts fell short of the Lordā€™s expectations. But Taylor came to realize that God wanted believers to trust Him fully and rest on His promises. So when Jesus Christ said to abide in Him, He meant that His followers were to stop striving and struggling. Instead they were to trust Him to subdue their flesh.” –Ā this passage was taken from In Touch Ministries daily DevotionsĀ 

I was able to recognize that christians doubt themselves, we feel that our efforts fall short everyday, but when we come to realize that God is worthy of being able to trust with the big things and small things, we can remain in Christ for what God has called us to do.

Over a year later, looking back on this moment where I couldn’t fathom seeing any fruit, I see the fruit through my children. I have seen their sorrows and tramua turn into joy and confience. Through loving them everyday, even when I questioned if it was working, I now see how God works in the small moments and produces bigger results than we could ever imagine. I see their love for the Lord, for each other. Their compassion for the needy in other communities and their desire to serve God in their future. I see how when we press on even when it looks as if nothing is happening, our little day to day tasks will amount to something magnificent if we truly abide in him. It is amazing what God can do when we are willing to allow him to work through us, even when we don’t “see” or “feel” him.

Today I encourage you to abide in him, and fruit will appear in his timing, continue to press into his goodness and hold onto his promises when all odds look against you! He will never leave you for forsake you, the Lord your God is mighty to save and he wants YOU to keep pushing into him. Apart from him, we can do nothing, with him we can do the impossible!

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthensĀ me.” Philippians 4:13

image1

Here is our Sammy who has a passion to farm. He is able to collect his harvest from months and months of attending to his farm šŸ™‚ Have a blessed day

You are all loved,

Devon