Update from Chapel Hill

I am spending some of the next few days with one of my favorite families while their five year old son is undergoing another major surgery.. Below is an update I wrote on his caringbridge site. Click here to read more about his story and the family's incredible faith journey.
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/jacobcastles/journal

Wednesday, July 15, 2009 11:05 PM, CDT

I am a good friend of the Castles family and have been blessed to have gotten to know the family and be able to help Stephanie with Jacob and Luke over the past few months. I arrived in Chapel Hill this afternoon to stay for a few days so I am writing Jacob's update for Stephanie tonight. Jacob is hanging in there. It broke my heart to see his little body in a big hospital bed with about 8 wires/tubes hooked up to him; including an epidural, two IV ports, a cathetar, his hickman, and a few others. He took a nap during most of the afternoon but he woke up crying a few times in really bad pain. It's hard for him to tell the nurses exactly what is wrong because the pain from the surgery is so severe in multiple places. He did get up and go for a walk around the floor and I was so proud of him! He is so strong and is such a fighter! The doctors are impressed with his recovery and are hoping to remove some of these tubes in the morning, which will make him a lot more comfortable.The past few days I have really fallen in love with this song (God who Answers Prayers) and that is my hope for the Castles this week and as Jacob continues to fight this battle that the Lord has given him. "Bless the Lord oh my soul with all that I am, make me whole here I stand, I place all my hope in You. My Healer will see me through."Please pray for Jacob's level of pain and healing and also for the Lord to continue to encourage him and ultimately heal him; and to continue to give Lindsay and Stephanie strength and for God to pour his love over this family.with Love,Jess Mitchell

Why do we Worry??

Last Sunday Pastor Steven spoke about who God is Not.. He is not incompetent. He is not forgetful. He is not indifferent. While we would never state that God is those things, the way we live our lives does not reveal this. When our hearts are anxious it portrays the belief that God is not in control of my life. Worry and anxiety are sins. Jesus died on the cross so we do not have to carry our own burdens - they are His.
This morning at small group we talked more about worry. I almost feel spoiled right now in the way I have been able to eliminate worry and anxiety from my life. I almost feel prideful or it is just a temporary cover I have been able to hide behind.
Phillipians 4: 6- 7 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thankstiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which trancends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

But more than anything I have ever believed- I feel so strongly that God is going to provide an absolutely outstanding life for me... IF I let Him take control!!! If I continue to seek Him with all of my heart and live a life that models Christ He will continue to bless me. The small things that I have no control over are not worth the worry and feelings of anxiety. The plan that God has already outlined for me is already so much better than I could ever even think of!
Ephesians 3:20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to the power that is at work within us.

My life right now, as dissheveled as it may be, is more amazing and fufilling than ever before. And I know this is just the beginning! God has continued to bless me. He never let go. He never gave up on seeking after me. He constantly came after me until I surrendered everything to Him. God has not forgotten about us. God does not need our help. He is GOD. God has big plans for my life and I am soooooo EXCITED for what he has in store for me!

Incovenience or the ultimate Sacrifice?

Tonight at Bible Study I had a little revelation... We were having an intense night of prayer, singing, and quoting scripture in attempts to really set aside the busy-ness of life and set our focus solely on God.
I was telling Him how I wanted to constantly remember how he died on the cross for me- to carry MY burdens and my sins. I feel like whenever I take my focus off of Him it is because I don't remember of his crazy love for us. In my personal life I absolutely hate putting people out. I live my life in a very efficient way and I hate for others to go out of their way for me. I hate for them to suffer pain or inconvenience on my behalf. I get a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach and just want to do things myself so as not to bother them.
God's son Jesus suffered pain for ME! He endured embarssament for ME! He gave up his life and died a grueling death for ME! Not that he wants me to feel guilty on a daily basis but our burdens and sins inconveienced him in a big way! I wonder how I can let this thought slip out of my mind so easily? On a daily basis if I should turn my thoughts towards anyone - it should be Jesus. I should reflect this in my every day actions. Him dying on the cross for me was the ultimate sacrifice. I hope this simple analogy can serve as a constant reminder for me. I hope it can help me identify more with the pain and sacrifice that Christ went through for each and every one of us.

God gives strength for today and HOPE for tomorrow

I know I said I was going to post on a lot of things that have been going on, but that sounds like more of a task then something I will enjoy. I just read Pastor Furtick's blog for this morning and it completely is speaking to the dip that I have been in the past few days. Amazing how his blogs always seem to do that!
I have been in a little bit of a funk for the past two days. I have been trying to put my finger on why and where it came from. I am being completely provided for. I have enough money to pay my bills and eat for the month. I have an amazing family. I have great friends. I am surrounded by encouraging Christians. I already have a new roomate in place for when Rachel leaves... but yet I still am wondering what my purpose is in life. For so long my purpose was tied to my job. I am very thankful that through this trial in my life I have been able to learn that I am so much more than the job I hold. But we all tend to worry about tomorrow.
God will completely get us through any situation, we just have to have faith in him. God will give us strength to get through the trials of today but He does not want us to worry about tomorrow. When tomorrow comes, he will give us strength to get through that day. God wants to instill in us a sense of HOPE for what he will bring us to tomorrow. Wouldn't you prefer to HOPE instead of worry?
I need to be reminded that every morning when I wake up I need to thank God for giving me strength to get through the day and be hopeful about what the next day will bring.

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you Hope and a future.

This verse shows God's promise to us. My friend Heather shared this verse with me months ago when she lost her job as well and it has been such a gift to constantly look to. Last night I was able to share this verse with my middle schoolers- and they came up with cute motions to remember it- but I want to share the gift of scripture with them so that they may surrender all of their plans to God.

Well hello there..

Alright so needless to say I kind of wrote this blog off, since the last entry was on December 24th.... a good 5 whole months ago! Wow! Anyways, I stumbled upon it, actually a link to my blog on a friend's blog and thought how embarrassing that it is never updated. I guess never would be an understatement! My life has dramatically changed sincethe last post. So much that I am going to have to carefully plan out where to go from this post.

Quick Update..
* I am one of about 50,000 people in Charlotte currently unemployed
* I spend my days babysitting and playing with some of the cutest kids known to man!
* I am constantly reminding myself to become who God wants me to BE and not find what job God wants me to have
* Rachel is moving out and I am super stoked for Cara to move in next month!
* I have been surrounded by the most strong and encouraging Christian women I could never have even dreamed of
* Ephesians 3:21 and Jeremiah 29:11 have gotten me through these dips and given me so much faith that the best is yet to come, as long as I place my future in God's hands!

That's it for today... will be back soon this time!!

Running in Circles

I almost feel as if I am running in circles...

I know that God wants to do something profound in my life, but I am still not exactly sure of His direction. I look at the person who I am now and I am so proud- sometimes even shocked- of the traits that God has called out in me and the woman he is shaping me to be! I look back to how cynical and depressed that I used to be and how unsure I was in all things and I am so grateful at who I am today! Jesus is living in me and I want him to shine through!!! When it became no longer about ME is when I was completely transformed!!! If God can bring me through that previous state of mind, than this little hurdle of not having a job is nothing! Everything that is happening in my life is part of the journey that God has planed for me.

Tonight I got to attend the Saturday night Easter Service at Elevation. Pastor was live and it was an incredible experience! Worship was phenomenal- one of my favorite songs Healer. This is the song that really moved me to get baptised this past summer. There were 1500 people at one service alone! I think God is doing even bigger things than the staff every though imaginable (Ephesians 3:21 in full force!). I still can't believe I am a part of such a major movement of God. I need to remind myself on a daily basis, especially after viewing first hand tonight. THIS is what I am constantly living for! Serving God with my wholeheart! I am constantly let down by those of the human flesh but the love of GOD always prevails!

Pastor spoke from Isaiah 53: 1- 6.
The focus was on verse 3 : "He was despised and we esteemed him not"

We (as undeserving people) received the ultimate promise through Jesus' pain- the punishment that brought us peace. For this, I lay down my life for the Lord. What good do I have in this life on my own? If you do not esteem Him (value him, honor, place all glory to Him) then you are not truly saved. I constantly need a reminder of what Jesus did for me! He took upon the sin and sorrow for all of us. What a mind blowing concept!!