The Countdown has begun

Hello All!

We had the baby shower this past Saturday and it went really well. It was pouring down rain all day and there were still 40 people in attendance. The shower was really nice!!!!

I am thankful to have so many people here who care about us and to have so many family and friends back home who love us.

We are still getting things that we need together a little bit at a time. I still need a bassinet or a pack and play, bottles, a diaper bag, bathtub and towels, sleep gowns, a car seat, and a baby carrier so Shaun can wear Elliott in between services. Who knew babies needed so much stuff!?!? There are still a few other things, but they will come.

We had our appointment this morning and our 4D sonogram! The Dr. still won't move the due date, but Elliott can move the due date based on her size and if she wants to come early! If she gets too large, as we get closer to time, the Dr. will choose to induce labor.

The Dr. did say that we should make plans to have our Trunk or Treat Event covered by other staff just in case. I'm still measuring ahead and baby weighs 3 pounds and 13 ounces. On average, she will gain an ounce a day until delivery! If I was measuring where the due date is, she would only weigh 3 pounds right now.

Elliott was active the entire sonogram, which is good. Active baby means healthy baby!

Even if she is active all night long! She is head down and just looks amazing!

We were able to see her eyes and eyebrows and lashes, her hair, all 10 fingers and all 10 toes. She has really long arms! She has my lips and cheeks and Shaun's nose and chin! The technology with the 4D is soo freaking cool!

I am attaching a few photos. I am overwhelmed by just how amazing this is and how good God is to us. He truly is the Creator of all good things and to think that He has loved and known Elliott as His and to allow us to be her parents is truly humbling! I will be posting the dvd of the sonogram as soon as I can edit it.

Many o Lord my God are the wonders you have done!

The things you planned for us no one can recount to you;

were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare!

Thank you for the continued prayers and support!!

Much Love!

Jess

Tough Day today

Hello All,

Today is August the 18th. This day is bittersweet for me because August 18th was Jackson's birthday. We always did something special for the Pup on his birthday and it usually involved a trip to Petsmart to purchase a new sheep toy and greenie. Sounds silly I know, but they were very special in our lives and still hold a special place in our hearts. Today also marks almost a year since we lost the boys.

I know that God has grown us through this experience and some may not understand the feelings of loss that we have and still have but I can honestly say that we are grateful.

I am grateful for being allowed to have had something in my life that loved me and everyone around me unconditionally. I pray that I can show that kind of love to others. I am grateful that Jackson made such a difference in the lives of the children he got to meet. Many of you know that Jackson spent many days with me through my career at the Advocacy Centers and even was influential in the children's ministry of Mosaic. To some he may be just a dog, but to those kids, he was a companion and friend. He was there in a time when he was needed the most. I pray that others can say that about me.

I am grateful that he wasn't alone in death and that he died protecting someone he loved. Jackson was brother to Sebastian (Tiny) and to Preston. As the pit bull lunged for Tiny and Preston, Jackson stood in the gap and tried to protect his family. I pray that I have that kind of courage to stand up for those who can not protect themselves. I pray that I never forget the value that family has in my heart and life. I pray that when my days here on earth draw to a close, that you will be able to say that I fought the good fight, completed the race set before me and that my Heavenly Father will say to me: "Well done good and faithful servant."

I am grateful because as much as I loved them. I know that it is but a fraction of the amount of love that my Savior has for me. And just like Jackson's love for me, it is unconditional and undeserved.

Thank you Father for the gift that Jackson and Sebastian were to our family and in the lives of others.

I am grateful for Tyson and seeing him through all the struggles that he has faced at such an early age. He has survived a heart surgery, skin infection, and chronic pain. He never complains and you would not know that he even struggles. I know that God gave us Tyson to help us continue to learn and grow. I pray that I can have his fighting spirit and positive attitude.

I am grateful that we still have Preston with us. He is truly Shaun's loyal companion. And he's just plain funny! You can't help but laugh at some of his crazy antics. He also is a loyal friend to Tyson.

As we look forward to meeting little Elliott, may we remember that she is here but for a moment and that she is never really ours, but is the child of her heavenly Father. I am grateful to have had experienced death of our loved one to teach me how painful raising and losing another can be. I know that as a parent, we will experience the pain of growth and separation.

Our Doctor appointment went well. She is still measuring 2 weeks ahead, so not enough to move the due date. We may just have a big baby or she may come early. My blood pressure is good. Her heart is strong and she is very active. I didn't even get threatened with bed rest! :-) Now, we begin going in every two weeks for check ups. At the end of the month we will actually have a 4D sonogram. I can't wait to post it!

We have also been praying for a life verse for Elliott. I think that we have settled on Psalm 40:5. Elliott's name means the Lord is my God. The verse states: Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders you have done. The things you planned for us no one can recount to you; were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare.

We know that He has done amazing things in our lives. So many that we can not even begin to explain to others. I know that His gift of Elliott will be another instance of His unexplainable goodness. And for that we are grateful.

Back to the real world

Hello All!

We are back to the real world and back home in MS. This is Day 1 back to work. It has been pouring down rain and isn't predicted to end anytime soon. We are trying to get accustomed to the humidity again!

The house remodel is done and Shaun and I are now officially sharing an office. This is Day 1 of that sharing and so far, so good. The baby furniture is in the nursery and we have begun setting everything up. I will blog some pictures very soon.

It was so good to see everyone during our brief trip to Texas. This will probably be our last trip to Texas before we have Elliott. I am so thankful for all of our friends and family. Thank you for all the meals and memories! I think Shaun really enjoyed his Taco Casa 20 pack! In fact, he's starting to talk again about how to get TC here to MS. Ughh!

We had an awesome time in Arkansas! The condo had no internet or phones. How awesome is that?!?! I did not know just how beautiful this place was. We stayed in the Horseshoe Bend area and stayed right on a lake. The lake was so clear that you could see 20 feet down. We spent an entire day just on the lake.

Now, I know that you won't believe this, but I had a great time on our trout adventure! We spent 2 days on the White River. We fished one day, camped overnight, and fished until 2 the next day. I got to share a boat with Jan and we had a blast! We caught over 130 fish and caught the largest brown trout out of everyone in the group. I even touched the fish and Gary helped me eat one that I caught for lunch. Are you shocked?!?! Jan took pictures for evidence!

The water on the White River is 50 degrees and felt like air conditioning! I had to jump in a couple of times to cool off and as soon as I did, Elliott started kicking like crazy!! Apparently she was not happy! She kicks a lot these days!

We did explore a cave, but did the safe, lighted, and paved tour. The cave was beautiful! I hope that next time we can do the wild cave adventure!

Shaun and I actually feel rested and made some great memories! Thank you Jan, Gary, Carter and Clayton! We love y'all!

Tomorrow we go back to the Dr. for a check up and I hope to find out more about the due date. Can you believe that we are already in the third trimester? I will keep you posted. I am looking forward to my baby shower here at the end of the month. I am grateful for the family get together and all the cute stuff. Thanks for limiting the pink! Stella and Dennis gave us a gift card and we used it to purchase a mattress for the crib. Thanks y'all!

Speaking of due dates, Rachele is having her baby today. I am still waiting to hear how it is going. Last check, it should be around 7:00. I can't wait to meet Carter Tyson! Please pray for her, Patrick, and Carter.

Much Love,

Jessica

Big Baby Girl!

Hello All,

As some of you know, Shaun and I had a little adventure this past Sunday and got to have a quick stay in the Labor and Delivery portion of the hospital. Now, no worries! I started having contractions Saturday night. I didn't know that was what they were though. I just thought it was weird cramping. They continued through the night and finally Sunday morning we left church and went in. They gave me some meds to stop them and a bag of fluids to rehydrate and ordered rest. I wasn't in labor, just having contractions. So, we are totally fine! I am resting as ordered and bought a baby book so I could read up on preterm labor. Hadn't thought that far ahead yet! :-)

In the hospital, she was very active. Her heart is strong and she was just kicking away. An active baby is a healthy baby, so we are very blessed. It was neat to see and hear her moving and kicking.

We went to the Dr. on Thursday and had a sonogram. Good news is that there wasn't too much fluid and Elliott is measuring almost 2 weeks ahead. That means that I am 25 weeks and she is measuring 27 weeks. Right now, that isn't enough to move the due date because she may have a had a growth spurt and will level out. If next visit, she is measuring progressively larger, then they will move the due date. I have a great picture of her face, but can't upload it right now due to our office being a disaster in prep for the remodel. It looked like she has my eyes and Shaun's nose! She was asleep the entire time, so they were able to get some good measurements and still photos. Of course as soon as we walked out of the sonogram suite, she was wide awake and kicking up a storm!

I wasn't put on bed rest, but ordered to start taking it easy and no lifting over 20 pounds. We can still go on vacation to Arkansas with Jan, Gary and the Boys. It is a 9-11 hour drive, so I'll have plenty of time to rest. I was told that there will be no cave exploring for me. Maybe they can just take a picture of me in the helmet with the light and the knee pads?! I am still able to do everything else, so whoo hoo!!!

While we are gone, the remodel of the house is to be completed. That means that the cabinets in the office will be installed and the baby furniture will finally be brought in. I need to be cleaning everything out right now and will quit procrastinating soon. Ughh.

So when we get home, we will have a nice surprise and can finally get things ready for baby. Shaun put together the glider and ottoman that Rachele and Patrick bought for us. It looks great! Thank y'all! We also received and awesome gift card from Grandma Stella to use to purchase baby stuff. Thank you!!! I think that a baby shower is being planned here for us at the end of the month of August, but the girls won't tell me anything, so I don't know! If you get an invitation, please do not feel like you have to come! Save your trip for when you can actually meet Elliott!

We also took Tyson to the specialist this week. He is doing better. He was placed on a new antibiotic and seems to be responding well. They gave us permission to board him at our vets office, so that is a HUGE win as before, they had said that wouldn't be good due to his immune system being weak. So, he is getting stronger! His first birthday is August the 8th. Poor pup has survived so much his first year and he is a fighter! We love him so much and can see glimpses of Jackson and Sebastian in him. Of course, Preston is still the same stubborn, goofy pup that he always is, except his is now quite plump.

We have to get a new windshield for the Tiguan now thanks to the intelligent city planners in New Orleans. On the way there, the windshield got hit with a rock from a truck and it cracked. Someone in the City thought that it would be a good idea to place palm trees covered in pea gravel in the median of the freeway. That's Katrina recovery money in action folks! Seriously!! So, our car gets to have a new windshield now. It has been ordered, so hopefully it will be soon. Thank goodness we have insurance! I swear since we moved here, we have replaced more windshields. This will be our 4rth! I miss the nice and smooth roads of Texas!

That's all the updates for this week. Now, off to get that office cleaned out!

Love,

Jessica

24 Weeks

Hello All!

We have officially made it to the 24 week mark. That is a great milestone. At 24 weeks, babies can survive outside the womb with medical care. Due to Elliott measuring 29 weeks, we have moved the sonogram up to this Thursday. That way, we will know if the due date is off or if something bigger is happening before our vacation. I am thinking that the Doctor is going to put the kibosh on my cave exploring expedition on vacation. Guess that means I'll just spend the day at the pool instead. :-) Maybe I'll even get time to read a book for fun?!? I haven't been able to do that since I started the second masters. Yeah that I am graduated!

Also, about this weather system Bonnie, we should be just fine. They are now projecting that it will hit us as a tropical storm. This means tons of rain and wind, but nothing too serious. It is projected to hit us tonight at 2 AM. The weather and tides here are already changing in preparation for the storm. We are fine and grateful that it is just a tropical storm.

Tyson also has a doctor appointment on Tuesday to see about his infection. His immune system just isn't fighting things very well and that is the reason for the skin issues. He is responding well to the new medication and we will find out Tuesday what course of action to continue on as well as if we can board him when we leave or if he has to come with us. Poor pup! He is a trooper though and you'd never know he was ill except for the baby booties on his feet to prevent scratching.

Have a great weekend!

Jessica

Extreme Week recap and Baby news

Hello all!

It has been a BUSY three weeks. We have been preparing for our huge children's summer event Extreme Week. It's like vacation Bible school, but not cheesy, boring, prefabbed, or full of Christian subculture garbage. It is an event written to be culturally relevant and to reach kids in real and life changing ways. It takes more work that your traditional children's event, but His kids deserve that! I write the teaching and the skits and the drama is written as well. Snacks were created and survivor themed and craft was created and included all of the day's teachign and the theme. We had over 150 volunteers and over 160 kids in attendance. And the theme this year was LOST: The wait is over... yes like to tv show. We also tied in survivor into the theme.

My friend Steph came over from TX to lead the worship band and it ROCKED!!! I am so proud of her and how she lead our band. We did the worship for the main services this weekend as part of Extreme Weekend and our people really enjoyed it. Most asking if we could do those songs as part of our weekend services. Thank you Steph for everything! I heart you and am glad that we got to feed you all that the Gulfcoast has to offer! See you soon!

The event was a huge success, despite the air conditioning in the building crashing, me throwing up one day before the start, a volunteer fainting, and video issues. Day One focused on the fact that we are all LOST. Day two: Jesus was never LOST. Day 3: We don't have to be LOST. Day 4: Our friends don't have to be LOST. Day 3, we had 42 kids become Christ followers! THAT IS AWESOME!!!

Needless to say, I'm still really tired and have missed a lot of phone calls due to all the week's activities. If I missed your call, I'll get to you. I just need to rest for a week. The event was more of a challenge for me this year being preggo and all. :-)

Speaking of bun in the oven, Elliott is doing well according to today's visit. Her heart is strong and she is kicking up a storm. Those kicks are getting more powerful too. The Doctor is a little concerned because she is measuring 28-30 and I am only 24 weeks. Typically they measure the area from your pubic bone to the top of the uterus and for every week that you are, you measure that in inches. For example, 24 weeks= 24 inches. I am larger than that, so they have ordered a sonogram to get a more precise measurement. Causes usually are that the due date is off, there is more fluid than typical, or it could be a larger baby due to gestational diabetes. I get tested for that soon too. Or, it could just be a big healthy baby! We will know more next month and this is no real cause for concern.

Other than that, we are doing great. We are gearing up for the Fall and hopefully the baby nursery will be done soon. I've got the crib, changing table, dresser, and bedding already. I'm just waiting to get the furniture back from being refinished. I am registered at target.com, babiesrus.com, and jcpenny.com. My friends here are also busy working on the baby shower stuff. I am hoping for a small, quiet, uneventful shower. No pink, no games, and real food!

Thank you for your continued prayers an support. We will be in touch again soon!

Jessica

Big 20!

Morning!

I am excited to say that we have officially made it through the 20 week mark! So, now just 20 weeks to go before we get to meet our sweet Elliott Swaydan Campbell! Unless she decides November 14th is too late or early....let's hope not!

I decided that I wasn't going to be one of "those" people who take pictures of their belly every week and place it out there for everyone to see. It is just kind of weird to me. Besides, I really don't want my hugeness being forever documented! But, I will tell you that you can now see for sure that I am pregnant. I look like I swallowed a pillow! The experienced moms tell me that I am carrying high because it is a girl?!

We have picked out the baby bedding and are now onto shopping for paint. Our friends were kind enough to give us their hand crafted nursery furniture and Jeremy is now glazing it to give it that southern and antique look. I can't wait to get it in the house! Shaun has been so kind and he even cleaned out his closets and moved his stuff out of the baby room.

Church is busy as always. I am in super work mode as we are gearing up for our summer event, Extreme Week. I am in the middle of ordering inflatable sumo suits, processing registration forms, and writing lessons. I always seem to run out of time! I can't wait to see Steph as she is coming to lead the band! It is going to rock!

Shaun is home safe from his mission trip to Texas and his official duties as youth pastor have been passed onto our new youth pastor. This leaves Shaun to be freed up to serve all of our community groups and assist Dustin. My title has changed to family minister and Ashley is now the full time children's minister. This frees me up to help families and to lead all of our ministries for children ages birth- high school. Summer is typically lower in attendance and this is no different for us.

Of course, we are all concerned about the oil. We had been untouched by the oil until this week. Now the oil has made it through our barrier islands and has hit our beaches. We are praying that a hurricane does not come because that would be even more devastating to our Coast.

That's all for now! Thank you for your prayer and encouragement! Oh yeah, and for those who remembered my birthday.... THANK YOU!!! Somehow birthdays just are not as fun as we get old!

Much love,

Jess

That's right... Baby C is a Girl!!!

Hello All!

I am excited to share that Baby Campbell is a Girl!!

I went to the Dr. today and had a sonogram. Great news is that she weighs 9 ounces and looks to be right on target. They did move my due date to November the 14th.

Natalie went with me today because Shaun is in Texas with the youth doing their mission trip. I was sad that he couldn't be there but had to do it this week because the sonogram tech is on vacation next week! Natalie was so supportive and gracious. I am blessed to have her for a friend. Now, no worries about Shaun seeing the baby because they made me a video of the sonogram too just for the Daddy to be! I have a few of the pictures below. Here she is sucking her thumb.

Here you see just her legs and they are crossed. She was VERY active during the sonogram and moved constantly! And then of course here is the evidence. This is a picture of her bottom and thighs from below and you can see that she is a girl!

Thank you for your continued prayers and encouragement. I feel great and I am looking forward to meeting our little girl soon. I was just amazed at how clear the sonogram is in person and what a better gift for my birthday than seeing our baby!

Now, the fun stuff..... getting the nursery ready!!! No pink for this Baby Girl though, that is too plain and boring!

Love,

Jessica

Happy Hot Monday

Hello All,

Can I just say Summer is here? Ughh.. We have had so much rain and now the heat and humidity is crazy! I've heard that it is really hot back in Texas too. I am thankful that we have beach and wind here. It helps a little!

Shaun is gearing up for his youth mission trip next week and I am looking forward to visiting some friends and being there for Rachele's baby shower this weekend! It will be a really quick trip but I am so excited!!

Extreme Week is July 12-15th and I am busy working on all the details for this huge event. Registration has begun for kids and I still need 100 volunteers to make the week work. Our theme is Lost: the wait is over. Think Lost meets the Incredibles with a dash of pirates of the Carribean. It will be great!

Baby Campbell seems to be growing and we are almost in week 18. The testing results came back on Friday and the baby is negative for downs syndrome and spinabifida. I have an appointment next week and I will know more then. I am feeling less tired, but the weird cravings and inability to withstand certain smells is still here. I've had to buy maternity tops to cover the belly and am trying to get comfortable in the awful stretchy belly pants. Shaun and I took our first trip to Babies r us last week and created our baby registries. We are registered at Babies R Us, JC Penny, and Target. All of the registries are available online. We went ahead and registered as several people have already wanted to help us. Our church family here has been so supportive!

That's all for now!

Love,

Jessica

Update on Baby C.

Hello All!

We went to the Dr. yesterday. We did not have a sonogram, so no new pict of the little one. However, we did get to actually hear the baby's heartbeat which was very comforting! Baby is doing well as far as the Dr. can tell. I go next week for some testing that screens for downs syndrome and spina bifida. I will get those results in June.

Thanks for all your prayers!

Today is our 8 year wedding anniversary! Hard to believe, huh? This year's gift of hearing the baby's heartbeat was the best! Happy Anniversary! Now if we could only have Shaun's favorite Taco Casa his day would be complete. :-)

That's all for now!

Love,

Jessica

I PASSED!!!

Hello there family and friends!

I am excited to announce that I passed my comp test and am set to graduate this week! I am still wrapping up my last class, but should be good to go! I can't tell you how much of a relief it is to know that the test is over and that I passed. I finally can sleep again! Thank you for all your prayers and support. With my degree completed, I will now be able to move forward with my counseling practice and begin charging for sessions as well as earning all my LPC hours. That takes only 2900 more hours but can be done as long as it takes . Whoo hoo!

We have a baby appointment on Monday and hope that we will receive good news and an even better picture! I have made it through the first trimester and as far as I can tell, everything is good. After the appointment, we will begin sharing the news with our church family. I just wanted to make sure that all is truly indeed well before we share with everyone. I will be sure to keep you updated!

We had the pleasure of having Dennis and Stella with us last week for a few days. Although the visit was short, it was fun. Craig and Lindy hosted us for a crawfish and shrimp boil and they got to hang out with most of the Mosaic crew. Thanks for visiting us!!

I will update more next week!

Blessings!

Jessica

A Little One

Hello there Friends and Family!!

So..... most of you know already, but here is a visual confirmation of Baby Campbell who is due in November. We have a week left until we are out of our first trimester and the Dr. says that everything looks good. Now, I don't know if you can see the baby, I couldn't until she pointed it out! But... the white marks are the head and the bottom. Right now the baby is the size of a lime and is 2 inches long. Thank you for your prayers! I think I haven't had morning sickness because I have such a supportive team of people praying for us!

The only symptoms that I am having are the weird dreams, extreme fatigue, multiple trips to the bathroom (boy that is a change) and the food cravings. I can tell that I am carrying Shaun's kiddo due to my craving for Taco Sombrero, Shaun's Taco Casa substitute and for meat. I even ate shrimp with tails on them last week! Well, I took the tails off with a knife and then ate them, but still, that's a BIG deal for me!

We are still keeping the baby news on the down low for now and have just told our friends and family. We will be telling our church family soon, but wanted to wait until after the next appointment in May.

I am busy trying to study for my State Comp Test which I take on Monday. If I pass it, I can graduate, if not: no graduation for me. I have finished up my internship hours and am wrapping up my last class in the next two weeks. I covet prayers for this test. I have been trying to study, but ended up writing a 20 page paper for class instead.

Shaun preached this past weekend as Dustin and Natalie have been out on vacation. We can't wait until they get back! Running a church is a big job and so much easier when we all share the weight. If you want to hear Shaun's message, you can podcast it or go to www.mosaicgc.com.

Easter has come and gone and we are up and running with our third service on Saturday nights. Shaun and I are in the middle of planning out our big summer events for the church, the Youth Mission Trip and Extreme Week for Mo Kids. We also have our baptisms scheduled for May 16th and hope to baptize 75 -100 people!

I am headed to Atlanta on Tuesday to go to the Orange Conference, which is the largest children's ministry conference and is partnered with 252 Basics and the Rethink Group. I am excited to get to see what ideas are out there and to get to worship and listen to Donald Miller! My Coworker and partner in Ministry, Ashley, will be coming with me, so it should be a fun week!

Tyson update: They are not sure how he got his skin issues, but he has staff infection and another infection and we are treating it with 2 pediatric antibiotics. It could take another 6-8 weeks to heal. He is feeling better though and up and playing more. All the fur on his back fell out and is now looking less infected and red. We also have to bathe him every other day in a special shampoo. Poor pup! But, he is a trooper and reminds us daily of how to handle times of trial with calm and patience. And given the upcoming changes in our life, I know we can learn from that!

So.. thank you for your prayers! Keep praying for us and for Baby Campbell. We will be taking bets as to the gender, so feel free to wager. And we will be voting on a name.... how does Megatron Campbell or Gertrude Campbell sound?!?! Just kidding!!!!

Have a great weekend and much love!

Jessica

Mississippi's State Bird: The Gnat!

Hola friends and family!

With Spring is full swing, we are once again getting the special honor of putting up with the joys of the GNAT. Mississippi really should change their state animal to this creature from the pits of hell. Now, in Texas, we have gnats. But here, we have swarms of Gnats and they bite and cause huge red bumps larger than mosquito bites and much more itchy.

Unfortunately, living near the bayou just seems to be a haven for them. Poor Tyson has been so traumatized by these evil creatures that we have had to endure 4 vet visits, his back shaved, steroid antibiotics, and the cone of shame. He was attacked by them one night and it is slowly getting better. We are on week 3.

I've been researching what can be put in the yard to fight these fierce ninja gnats, and there is nothing. The only cure is that they live short lives and the County sprays for them starting within the next few months. So, not the best way to start Spring or the Easter season! I know now how the people in the old testament must have felt after being part of an insect plague.

This past weekend, we were blessed to have Rachele come visit and stay with us. With her being pregnant, we had the perfect excuse to take her to try all of our local favorite food places, including Cafe Du Mode and Maspero's in the French Quarter . It was so great to have her here and for her to see Shaun preach the Main Service. I heard he did a great job and it is up on our website: www.mosaicgc.com. It was also amazing to see how God has blessed her with a sweet little boy destined to arrive sometime in August. God is so good to us! I can't wait to be there and to be called Aunt Jessica. Good friends are always good friends no matter what the distance and I am so thankful that God placed her in my life soo many years ago. Her strength and loving heart are truly a blessing and inspiration to me. Thank you Rachele for always being a true friend.. despite a few teenage feuds! I can't wait to see her again in Texas this Summer. Love you Roach!

We are gearing up this week for the launch of our 3rd Service on Saturday nights, which begin this Easter weekend. The number of guests each week has been overwhelming and amazing! I am anxious and excited to see what this weekend brings and to see how it changes the face of Mosaic once again in the following weeks. It is hard to believe that we are still not even 2 years old! And yet are facing another forward change.....including the fact that we are now officially supporting our first church plant back in Texas. Some friends from the Met have launched out and the Met supported us as a plant and now we are able to support another church plant. How cool is that?!?!?

That's all that I have to blog today.. Please plan to come see us soon. I swear the Gnats will be gone soon! And, pray for Shaun and I and our health and energy as we continue with the season of growth. And for rest and sanity as I try to graduate and balance all of this!

Love!

Jessica

Gator?!?!?

So, a friend of mine in the neighborhood went for a walk today and ran across this creature!

Oh the joys of Spring! I hope that Mr. Gator makes his way back to the bayou where he belongs. I think that the sudden burst of cold air last week must of confused him and all trees here! I hope everyone is gearing up for Spring and for the Easter season. We are excited to see what next weekend brings!

Have a good week!

Jessica

WOW! Long time no blog!

So... it just hit me tonight that I haven't been in the blog world for a few months. I would use the excuse that things have been crazy busy, but that seems to be the pattern of our lives now as I know is true for many of your lives as well.

Last weekend, we held Mosaic Kids in the Main Service. We do this once a quarter and it allows for kids to worship and learn with the parents. Due to the teaching, we had a giant, human sized hamster ball as part of the teaching. Shaun was voluntold into being the giant hamster to roll inside the ball down the main isle. It was awesome! Although, does anyone else ever feel like they are spinning in their life like they are in a giant hamster ball? We have been praying and seeking to see which things we can let go to simplify our life and stop the spinning. I know that it is good to be busy and productive, but sometimes I think that we have become so busy that we have negated our productivity level.

I am not complaining, for I know that it is an honor and a privilege to do what we do and we have been blessed beyond words. I know that this is also a season that we are living in. I however, look forward to a new season where there is more productivity and a balance that includes true rest.

Let's see if I can think back and recall any major things that have happened since the last blog entry......

1. Texas. We made an ever so short trip back to Wichita Falls and we able to see the family since we missed coming home at Christmas due to the crazy snow. It snowed while we were there but the roads were fine. It was good to see all the family. We are truly blessed to be loved and cared for by our families. I am grateful for all that they have poured into us and for their prayers. We also enjoyed all the great food and even ate at some hometown favorites thanks to Jan and Gary... pioneer steak dinner and breakfast.. ummm!!! I think we gained 10 pounds while there due to all the Mexican food! It is weird but although we miss our family terribly(ya'll know you really should come visit us!!!), Texas feels less like home now. I will always claim that I'm a Texan.. but it was actually nice to come back to our home and our Mosaic Family too.

2. Fasting Season. We have declared a church wide fast in preparation for the Easter Services and the launch of our new Saturday night service. As a Staff, we are doing the Daniel fast and have asked the church to fast with us from Ash Wednesday until Easter Sunday. Fasting has presented some challenges for all of us, but has also created a renewed excitement and dedication to the true food that sustains. It is so sad how dependent we become on the comfort of food to sustain us instead of turning to the Creator. I am most guilty of this and this season has revealed a lot of the ugly sin in my life and made me even more grateful that Jesus chose me not because of who I am, but because of who He is. We have a fasting blog on our church website, so check it out: http://mosaicfast.wordpress.com/.

I have been humbled by the stories from the kids who have given up their security blankets, DS systems, TV, and even whole families fasting together.

We launch a permanent Saturday night service on April the 2nd and we sent out a 66,000 piece mailer to residents of the Gulf Coast inviting them to attend. The last mailer we sent was for the grand opening almost 2 years ago and we still have people who come every weekend because of that mailer. Our Church grew from 200 people to 350 people within a matter of 2 weeks after the last mailer. So, I am excited to see what God does through this season. We have been averaging over 700 each weekend right now!

3. School for Me... I officially filed for graduation.. whoooohhooooo!!! All that remains is for me to complete the internship and a class as well as passing the comprehensive exam. I go to New Orleans on April the 26th to take the exam. If I do not pass it, I do not graduate and I only have one chance. Please be praying for me to pass and for time to study! I have taken on quite a caseload of counseling clients through the church and I am still working two days a week at a psychiatric hospital (which I actually really enjoy). If all goes well, I graduate in May and will continue seeing clients but actually get paid to do so and have 2900 hours left until I am an LPC.

4. Shaun. Shaun is in school and working. He has been mentoring his Student Pastor Assistant and will be taking a less active role in the youth ministry to focus on the community aspect of his job and the executive leadership role that he is to play. Needless to say, he is busy too. He preaches at the end of the month and again in April, so be sure to check the website to hear him! http://www.mosaicgc.com/ and check out our redesigned website with all of our staff photos and updates. Shaun also will be getting braces soon and this is an awesome gift for him. Although painful, it will be so worth it. So, no making fun of the dude with braces peeps!

5. Tyson. Tyson is doing well and his heart is completely healed. He is full of energy and poor Preston gets worn out sometimes by his constant pestering! He had 4 teeth pulled and was neutered last week, but even that didn't slow him down! He latest trick is to jump inside the toy basket and throw out the toys that he wants to play with and then jumping out to begin running around the house with the toy.

I think that about sums everything up! Shaun and I did take part in a fundraiser this past weekend that Mosaic put on as an outreach called night in a box. Over 50 people did this. We got cardboard boxes and slept outside in the church parking lot over night to raise awareness and money for the homeless. The local news even came out. We are still exhausted but it sure makes you grateful for your own bed and warm house. Check out the media clip about the event:http://www.wlox.com/global/category.asp?c=151146&clipId=&topVideoCatNo=15006&topVideoCatNoB=116100&topVideoCatNoC=116467&topVideoCatNoD=116474&topVideoCatNoE=88558
That's all for now Peeps! Have a good week and enjoy as Spring is coming... yeah!!!
Love,
Jessica

New Year!

Hello there!

So, it is a new year already! As most of you know, we did not make it back home to Texas due to the 15 inches of snow that they received.... that's right people: 15 inches!!! Delivered on Christmas Eve. So, Shaun and I stayed here and actually got some rest. That was nice!

Now we are back to the grind stone like everyone else. Looking back over the last year, I am overwhelmed by all that we have been through and all that has been accomplished. more importantly, I am exctied to see what the new year will bring. We have started a series in Mo Kdis called Step It Up! This is going to affect the entire ministry as we try to step it up in all areas to bring the very best that God has planned for His Kids and for those who are blessed enough to serve them. My hope is that this will embed itself into the dna of my life as well.

Less is more. We're fond of saying that around here. And much of the time, we're more effective living by it. But sometimes MORE is more. Want a voluminous vocabulary? Read more. Want to nail the lines for your part in a sketch? Rehearse more. Want to master the "Cha Cha Slide"? Practice more. You get the drift. And just like you need to lift more if you want bigger biceps, you need to do some things more if you want to know God better, like:

Read His Book. Can you think of a more foundational, first-step way to get to know Him? Plus, "God has breathed life into all of Scripture. It is useful for teaching us what is true. It is useful for correcting our mistakes. It is useful for making our lives whole again. It is useful for training us to do what is right" (2 Timothy 3:16, NIrV). What better example of the importance of engaging in God's Word than Jesus as a 12-year-old in the temple?

Remember His words. "By using Scripture, a man of God can be completely prepared to do every good thing" (2 Timothy 3:17, NIrV). Jesus showed us (particularly that time He was tempted in the wilderness) we not only need to read God's Word, we need to memorize it, internalize it, and take it to heart so that we'll be ready for whatever comes our way.

Talk to Him. "Don't worry about anything. Instead, tell God about everything. Ask and pray. Give thanks to him" (Philippians 4:6, NIrV). To get to know someone and to strengthen your relationship with that person, you have to talk him or her, right? It's the same way with God. You gotta talk to Him. We will help kids better understand Jesus' answer when one of the disciples asked Him how to pray.

Talk about Him with your friends. "I pray that you will be active in sharing what you believe. Then you will completely understand every good thing we have in Christ" (Philemon 1:6, NIrV). Saying what you believe out loud helps solidify your beliefs. Could this be one reason Jesus asked the disciples, "But who do YOU say I am?"

Make Him more important than anything. "Worship the Lord your God. He is the only one you should serve" (Deuteronomy 6:13a, NIrV). We will be taking a look at what Jesus said about "the widow's mite" and how it helps us to worship the only one we should serve.

These are all priorities and habits -- disciplines -- that can help us get to know God better and grow stronger. Kids need to understand that they don't have to wait till they're older to get to know God; God wants them to start now. He's ready to help them, every step of the way, RIGHT NOW.

So this year, join with me to see how discipline, which is doing what you need to do now so you can grow stronger, can help strengthen their relationship with God.

What comes to mind when you think of discipline? “No pain, no gain”? “This hurts me a lot more than it hurts you”? If so, it’s no wonder—people have hated discipline since, well, since before Bible times: “‘How I hated discipline!’” (Proverbs 5:12, NIV) “You rebuke and discipline men for their sin” (Psalm 39:11, NIV). “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful” (Hebrews 12:11a, NIV).

Discipline may conjure images of sweat and tears (especially when people misuse it), but that’s not what it’s about. Instead, discipline should produce “a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it” (Hebrews 12:11b, NIV). Essentially, discipline is: doing what you need to do now so you can grow stronger and Jesus is our ultimate role model of discipline.

Speaking of discipline, check out this video about families and raising kiddos to know Him. My prayer is that our families will latch on to the concept that they are responsible for teaching their children and partner with me so that they can learn how to fulfill their God designed role.

That's all for now... gotta get back to work... it's a discipline you know! :-)

Turkey and Tyson

Hello All!

Thanksgiving has come and gone and now it is already December 3rd! We spent a restful few days at home last week. I made cornbread stuffing, potatoes and pumpkin pies and ordered a smoked turkey from our friends at Stonewalls. Shaun and I had planned on just staying home and watching the football games.

One of our church members has had a very rough time and recently had back surgery and then another surgery on her back due to the staff infection that she acquired while in the hospital. Needless to say, she has had a bad month. Shaun and I brought her food on Thanksgiving morning. She was so positive and encouraging despite her pain. What a humbling and affirming visit and could not have been more appropriate for Thanksgiving. We are so grateful to have so many people in our lives who love us and truly care about us, both here in MS and in TX.

After our visit, we went and spent Thanksgiving Day with one of our church elders and his family. They are fellow Texans and we spent the day enjoying all of the Texas football! They fried a turkey and it was awesome! We truly rested and enjoyed our day.

The day after, we set up the tree and decorated the house both inside and out. Shaun did a great job on the lights outside! It is nice to have our own place again to decorate. The house is finally finished for now. All painting is complete and the floors are done.

On Tyson news....
He got his staples out last week and has been cleared by the Vet. The stitches are still there but will heal soon. He is already full of energy and his fur is growing back. We did have to buy him a sweater and a tshirt because he gets cold easily. You can see him here asleep on my desk in my office. We got Preston a Christmas tshirt too.

He loves to wear clothes, it is so weird! No worries, Christmas photos will be coming soon. Speaking of Christmas..... it is coming!!!! Christmas music is already playing, weather is changing, and there are 21 days left. We are looking forward to going back to visit friends and family in Texas. We will be leaving after Christmas. We are also excited to get to serve at our 2nd Christmas Eve Service at Mosaic.

More to come...

Jessica

Tyson Update for Thursday

Hello All,

Tyson is recovering nicely. The white "shirt" you see in the photos is not a shirt, it is bandages that cover his incision. He hates it! He is also shaved on the entire left side and one leg where the iv was. So, he is going to have one funky hairdo when this is all over! We picked him up last night from the vet. The surgeon said that his heart is strong and that his chest is clear. Apparently, the surgery is a very risky one and we are so blessed that he is recovering so quickly. The surgeon and the staff at the animal hospital could not believe how strong Tyson is and how well the surgery went. The Staff and the hospital could not have been more wonderful. I highly recommend Louisiana Veterinary Specialists and Emergency Hospital in Mandeville.

We have strict orders to not allow Tyson to run, play, jump, or bark for three weeks! Due to the exploratory thoracotomy, he can't bark. Due to the ductus arteriosus ligation, they suggested that we keep Tyson and Preston separate during his recovery. He is not to sleep with us either. With those orders, we purchased a playpen for him to play and rest in. So far, so good. Tyson is on antibiotics for 14 days and pain meds as needed. Great thing about the pain meds is that they help him sleep. Whoohoo! His chest staples come out in 12 days.

Thank you for your calls, thoughts, and prayers. We are so blessed to have such caring friends and family. God is good all the time and all the time God is good! We are seeing pray answered through this and are grateful.

Much Love,
Jessica

Tyson Update

As many of you know, Tyson has a heart condition called pulmonary ductis arteriosis. This is a congenital defect that usually is found in larger breeds. The condition causes the heart to not pump enough oxygenated blood into the left side of the heart. Without intervention, heart failure and death are imminent.

Due to this, Tyson has undergone surgery today to repair his heart. We took him to a specialist yesterday and they did the echo cardiogram to verify the diagnosis. Surgery was moved to today due to Tropical Storm Ida's arrival here on the Coast.

We just heard from the Doctor. Tyson is out of surgery and the irregularity is repaired. The difficulty that he faces now is recovery. If problems are going to happen, they typically happen now.

Thank you for all of your prayers and support. Please continue to pray for his recovery.

Much Love!
Jessica

PS: Ida was not a big deal at all! We are all fine!

A month since last post?!?!

Wow! Time has really been flying. I apologize for the delay in posting. I have had trouble balancing everything lately.

We are in the new house, but we are still remodeling. It is my hope (fingers crossed please) that we will finish all remodeling this weekend. They are building the fence today and I hope that our doors and floors will be done this week as well.

Tyson is growing more and more each day. We take him to the vet on Friday to check on his heart. He does have a heart murmur but they think that he may grow out of it. We will know by 6 months of age. I have been delayed in posting his pictures. So, check these out....

We love ya'll! And look forward to a busy November, including Thanksgiving. We hope to visit during the holiday.

Love,

Jessica