Jean Castille

Born Lori Jean Flakes, she is the youngest of seven children, five girls and two boys.  By the time Jean was 2 years old, her parents were divorced.  Her mom and siblings were raised in the projects of Phenix City, Alabama, with her maternal grandparents, who raised her and her siblings so her mother could work.  The family attended church regularly and Jean was very involved in Sunday school and other church activities; still she did not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  During her junior high and high school years, Jean says that her involvement in worldly things hindered her spiritual growth and kept her unrepentant.

In the 9th grade, Jean met Jeremiah Castille at Central High School in Phenix City.  Jeremiah was a senior and on his way to the University of Alabama.  The two became fast friends and after a few weeks began dating.  Even though Jean was not walking out her Christianity, she greatly admired Jeremiah’s walk with the Lord.  She knew he was a strong believer and wasn’t afraid to live it out loud.  The two dated for a year and when Jeremiah went to Tuscaloosa to attend the University of Alabama, they stopped dating, yet remained in touch through letters and phone calls.

In 1982, Jean graduated from high school and attended Jacksonville State University for a year.  By now, Jeremiah was a senior at the University of Alabama and they reunited and began dating again.  During this time, the Lord began to work on Jean’s heart and was drawing her closer to Him.  In the spring of 1983, Jeremiah invited Jean to attend “Beach Project” in Daytona Beach, a trip hosted by Athletes in Action.   During the week of the Bible conference, speakers and opportunities to share their faith, Jean encountered the true and living God, her Savior Jesus Christ.  Jean gave her life to the Lord and has enjoyed the adventure ever since.

Jean and Jeremiah married in the summer of 1983, two weeks before Jeremiah was headed to his first NFL football camp as a rookie with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.  Jean often tells people that while they didn’t have an official honeymoon immediately after their wedding; they have been on countless memorable trips together to make up for it.

Jean always knew the Lord had a calling on Jeremiah’s life. She recognized that she too would need to embrace that calling when she became his wife.  Jean always had a love for people and feels extremely blessed to be involved in JCF.   This is an opportunity for her to share in the vision that the Lord has given to Jeremiah, which is depicted so well by the scripture Isaiah 61:1-4.

Long before JCF was founded as a 501(c)(3), Jean and Jeremiah were ministering to families and individuals in their home through small group bible studies, financial provisions and even having several young men and women, who were without a place to live, come live in their home.  Because Jean knows what it means to be healthy, whole and fulfilled as an individual based on her life in Christ, she is able to experience rich, true and intimate fellowship with Him.  Her desire is to share this experience with other women as in Titus 2:3-5.

Jean considers herself fortunate and blessed to be living such an inspired, wonderful and adventurous life with the (SUPER) man of her dreams.  She has been most fortunate and blessed to live out the dream of being a stay at home mom to 6 children, 3 boys and 3 girls. Today Jean and Jeremiah are empty nesters with 3 beautiful granddaughters.

Jean says one of her greatest joys is the blessing of being able to gather as a family with the biological and spiritual children and 10 grandchildren that the Lord has granted them.  Jean’s ultimate goal is that she would decrease so that He, the lover of her soul, would increase.

MY FAVORITE

Book: Bible, Redeeming Love

Food: Chips and homemade salsa

Movie: Wyatt Earp (I like Westerns a lot!)

Song: In Christ Alone

Time of Day:  Morning to night (I am usually up all 24 hrs!)

Season: Summer (more daylight)

Place in the world: I really like the sound of the ocean so; I would have to say the beach.

Place to pray: Anywhere because I am always praying!

Recreational activities/ hobbies: Cross fit type training, reading and Scrabble

Scripture: Jeremiah 29:11

Sports Team: AL Crimson Tide

Sports to play: TENNIS

Sports to watch: Football and TENNIS

OTHER:

Birthday: April 17

Nickname: HUNNY

Birthplace: Columbus, GA

Where I live now: Birmingham, AL

Best thing someone has said to me: “You are always smiling”

Life Motto: No matter what’s going on it could be BETTER or it could be WORSE, so DON’T COMPLAIN!

My Heroes: My husband and anyone serving in any branch of the Armed Forces