Author Mikella Van Dyke Urges Us to Chase “Sacred”

IT IS ABOUT THE BIBLE

Mikella Van Dyke is a remarkable young woman with one love, one passion, and one mission; to encourage Christians to read and study the Bible. She knows the Bible will teach them more about the character of God and deepen their relationship with him. She is laser-focused on her goal. She has no aspirations for social media stardom. In fact, what Mikella is “selling” may never draw thousands of followers. But those who follow where she is leading will likely have a life-transforming experience with the Bible and with God.

MIKELLA’S JOURNEY TO A LIFE-CHANGING LOVE

 It began in Thailand. Mikella’s parents were “passionate” missionaries who devoted their lives to translating the Bible so the people of a south asian minority group could know God and His word.  Mikella says her family life was good, grounded by the stability of her parent’s love. However, she says there were plenty of “chaotic times.”  The family endured floods, home invasions, dengue fever, to name a few life disruptions.  Mikella says she often questioned why these “bad” things happened. “My parents always pointed me to the Bible. No matter what chaos was unfolding. A deep respect and dependence on God’s word permeated our home.”

Mikella’s family returned to the United States when she was sixteen so she could attend an art school for dance.” I really struggled being understood.  I did not understand pop culture or any kind of idiom or slang. It was an extremely hard transition. I had a feeling of intense loneliness like, ‘Am I ever going to get it?’ When I started in the dance school, it was a way to relate to people and identify myself. “This is my identity; I am a dancer. Dance was my safe haven.”

A condition called, “drop foot,” stopped Mikella from dancing for a season.” I got super, super depressed.”  Around this time, Mikella met and married her husband, and got pregnant within two years. She tried over and over to find her way back into dance. “I auditioned in New York to no avail.” Since her husband’s life was firmly rooted in New Hampshire, that is where Mikella needed to be. “I was a lonely, pregnant newlywed living in a strange new town with no friends. My depression deepened. I was drowning and I needed God desperately.” Mikella says she had always

been chasing what was sacred and eternal. “I loved the word of God and became obsessed with it. I would get up two hours early just to read it.  I went to Bible studies and volunteered with troubled youth. My faith was growing and I was taking ownership of it.”

GREATEST DISAPPOINTMENT LEADS TO GREATEST JOY

Mikella says since she could not perform anymore, she needed a creative outlet. “Within the pages of scriptures, I got to really know God. The more I knew him, the more I loved him. I began to write devotionals every day about what I learned and heard.” It wasn’t long before Mikella wanted to share what she learned with others. “First, I emailed my devotions to my mom, then, my sister and brother, and my dad. They encouraged me to start a blog. “I felt like the Lord was saying, yes, that is why you are writing. I started a blog on Instagram, and I needed a name

people could relate to. Honestly, I had always been chasing sacred, always been chasing God and it was the only consistent thing throughout my life.” So, Mikella named her blog “Chasing Sacred.” She adds, “We are all on a chase for meaning in life. We do not always know we are looking for our Creator, the one who delights in us.”

Initially, Mikella filled out her blog with the knowledge she had learned from her parents. Then, she felt an urgency to learn more for herself. “I wanted in-depth knowledge of the Bible, to understand the context and to understand my own theology.”

“IN DEPTH KNOWLEDGE” GAINED AT REGENT UNIVERSITY

Mikella enrolled at Regent University and earned her Master’s degree in Practical Theology. She learned hermeneutics (deals with the interpretation of scripture) and the method of Inductive Bible Study (involves observation, interpretation, and application) which gave her a greater understanding of the character of the God she loved. She learned to ask questions and to seek out the original intent of Bible passages, instead of relying on other people’s words, sermons, and takes on the verses.  “I thought, why isn’t someone teaching this to the masses, especially women? I wanted to teach the Bible in more than just “fluffy devotionals.”

To find out more about Mikella Van Dyke and Chasing Sacred click the Link! 

CREDITS

Author of Chasing Sacred: Learn How to Study Scripture to Pursue God and Find Hope in Him; Founder, Chasing Sacred Ministry; Master’s degree in Practical Theology, Regent University; Bachelor’s Degree, Hope College; Speaker/Bible Teacher of Inductive Bible Study; Co-Director of Woman’s Ministries, Hope Fellowship, Jaffrey, NH; married to Jamie with five children