Castalia's Cause: How one kid is making a difference

Today I had the extreme pleasure of meeting a young lady that has truly grasped the teachings of Jesus. Abby Grace is 9 years old and has a very good friend in her cousin Castalia, who is 7.

Abby Grace, left, & cousin Castalia

One year ago, Castalia was diagnosed with leukemia, and has undergone treatment since diagnosis. She has recently re-entered a serious treatment phase and makes frequent trips from small-town East Texas to Dallas for treatment. Castalia's parents do not have insurance to cover treatment costs, as she was diagnosed a few weeks prior to her father's insurance becoming active at his job.


Abby wanted to help. She was sad that her cousin was sick and unable to play, and had to wear a mask everywhere she went. Castalia was not allowed to attend school, as her immune system was weakened by the chemotherapy as well.

Abby started working on a painting while I was there

Like her mother Charity, Abby Grace has a natural artistic flair, so they decided that art was an answer. Together, they scour the Internet for inspiration, then design crosses, flowers, hearts, and other fun patterns for Abby to paint. Abby Grace originally planned to sell the paintings for around $40 each and hoped to raise $1000 to help with treatment costs. With $50 startup investment, she set to work, and eventually started a Facebook page to promote Castalia's Cause, and begin auctioning the paintings instead. In 3 days, she raised $1000.


To date, Abby Grace has raised $7500, and has raised her goal to $10,000. After that, she says, she's going take a break for awhile.

Meeting this sweet young lady was definitely a pleasure. She is bright, friendly, and well-spoken. She was a gracious host, and happy to talk about her cousin and why she wanted to help. She enjoys playing with Castalia and looks forward to getting to do so again. Castalia's prognosis is good, but there is a long way to go still.

One of Abby Grace's paintings

Please keep this amazing family in your prayers. Not only is Castalia re-entering a treatment phase, her father Joe (an Iraq war vet injured by an IED) was in a serious motorcycle accident. He is currently in ICU fighting an infection, and has lost a kidney, broken his scapula, and crushed one of his cheekbones, as well as one of his legs. He is also suffering from an aortic tear, which needs to be repaired as soon as possible.


To find out more about Castalia's Cause, visit the Facebook page. You can also read about Abby Grace's efforts and the outpouring of community support on KLTV (East Texas), the Longview News-Journal, News 12 Beaumont, and the Trammel Trace Tribune (Tatum, Tx.). You can also email Abby Grace's mom Charity at castaliascause@gmail.com. 

Melissa McGinnis is the Children's Ministry Director for LHF.

Catalyst Dallas 2012 Retrospective Day 3: Main Event 2

The last day of Catalyst Dallas was a bittersweet time. On one hand, you know that the speakers, the entertainment, and the worship will be as awesome (or more so) tha the previous two days (one day if you don't attend the Labs), but still, it's coming to an end and trust me, you don't want it to.  There's fun and games, and the emcees Trip Crosby and Tyler Stanton are hilarious. Once again, each speaker brings their "A-Game," and blesses the socks off the attendees. 

"In the gap between what is and what could be, there is an intercessor." - Nancy Duarte. Nancy is a consultant, founder, and CEO at Duarte, which offers presentation and design for churches, companies, and non-profits. She spoke on the common lack of presentation power among pastors and speakers in church. While much of her presentation was instructive with awesome graphics illustrating famous speeches, there was a passion for the spoken word and intense desire to help us learn to present the Gospel in a rich, compelling way. She pointed out that we can do anything, show anything, and accomplish dreams of reaching others when we give up our tired ruts, trust God, and allow ourselves to be dynamic.


Video 1: Family Dynamics

"Fear makes us posers. You are the kid of a King, and you gotta live like that!" - Bob Goff. If being around Bob Goff, the author of Love Does, for about 5 seconds doesn't get you excited and hyped-up, then you need to check your pulse. This man is clearly on FIRE for Jesus. His words nearly burst from the passion and zeal contained within them. He has a heart for Uganda and its people, and his organization has been the instrument of great and mighty change for the innocent there. He also has a heart for inspiring others to boldly...no, BOLDLY!! go forth in faith and follow the call of Jesus to love those around us, whether in your backyard or beyond an ocean. He spoke of how we hide in our comfort zones, safely integrating into our surroundings and changing NOTHING. Hearing him speak made me consider just how much I've been loving my fellow man and consider what I could do to pass that love on to others.

Video 2: Compassion International

"Engage before judging..." - Pastor Rudy Rasmus.The pastor of St. John's (Methodist) Downtown Church in Houston, this somewhat soft-spoken man with a beaded beard and grandfatherly air brings wisdom, depth, and love wherever he goes . He spoke honestly and openly about his troubled past and healing. He was emphatic that "being present" was acting in love first, and not in accordance to our preconceived ideas about people based on what we see. His words struck may of us, even if we had thought we were non-judgmental before. I personally would love to visit his church and see the great work they do with the homeless in downtown Houston, Texas.

Video 3: FaithVillage.com

"God's not bothered by your big request, He's bothered by your small faith" - Perry Noble. Southern as they come, Perry Noble spoke with power and presence. He talked of being bold, that in our bold presence we can do great things. He reminded us that we have a God with us more powerful than the world in which we live and that we have the ability to affect change. He also spoke of our frustrations when things aren't what we expect--"We don't follow [Christ] for what He gives us, but for who He is." Who is He? The sovereign One who created it all and gives us the strength to bring change to others. 


Video 4: Hello Somebody

"The grass is always greener where it's watered!!!! - Judah Smith. An intensely powerful speaker, Judah Smith shared an unusual and compelling message--GO HOME! Intertwined with jokes about bacon, parenting, and shouting "Amen!" in church, he brought a message that was unexpected after a series of speakers that spoke of global influence and traveling to help those around the world; while there are those who are called to do these things,, for majority of us, our ministry is right at home. Our hometowns, our families, and our friends. He points out that many Christians would more eagerly go across the oceans to minister to strangers than have coffee with an atheist family member. He reminded us that not everyone is called to travel the world and instead of being envious of those who pastor megachurches in big cities or build orphanages in Africa, we should look in our sphere of influence and "water our own grass"--bring that passion and desire to those in our neighborhoods and communities. This was especially impacting for me because I spent my teenage life planning and plotting to escape the small-town part of Texas I grew up in. I even did escape for awhile, living in Austin, texas, with a comfy city job and a duplex in a fun neighborhood, only to find myself right back here, somewhat kicking and screaming inside. I see how God places us where He wants us, and instead of pining over what we wanted, we need to love what we have and minister to those right in front of our noses.

Video 5: Amazima

And so, Catalyst Dallas 2012 ended with people empassioned, excited, and carryig a LOT home to mull and pray over. I pray that the nuggets I shared here bless you as much as they blessed me.


Melissa McGinnis is the Children's Ministry Director for LHF.