Called North: Following my Husband

Tags

Family, full-time ministry, Grace Elizabeth's, Mackenzie Grace, Ministry, moving, pastor's wife

When Nathan and I began talking of marriage, I started to understand the real possibility of him being called to full-time vocational ministry. Of course, I figured it would be many years in the future. I was only a semester into college when we married January 2013. While I didn’t enjoy school, I knew I would be finishing one way or the other. I just tried to accept it.

A few months into marriage Nathan was just finishing a fast and God had planted the thought in both of our minds that vocational ministry may be closer than we originally thought. So we began seeking opportunities for Nathan. After a year of interview processes with a few churches and no job offer, we thought Kearney was where God wanted us for now. In May, Nathan began a full-time job to replace his two part-time jobs to make our life a little more liveable. I had worked hard taking several summer classes and was set to graduate summer 2015. Everything looked good! We were content. Then we got the email.

A church emailed Nathan saying their application process had gotten delayed and wanted to check if he was still interested. No big deal, we said yes. Soon after Nathan had a phone interview. Nothing new for us, plenty of short interviews before. Then he was asked to do a Skype interview. Okay, one step at a time, we have been through this before. Filled out personality tests, sent doctrinal statement, a few other things. We find out we were one of two remaining candidates. Still this doesn’t mean anything. We have been close before. Each time we were pointed back to Kearney. Then something new: a soft visit with the possibility of a candidating weekend. Wow. Okay… is this really happening? Is God really sending us somewhere else? An 11 hour car ride and we arrived for the first time in Devils Lake, ND. A weekend spent with some of the church and we were invited back 2 weeks later to candidate. That weekend could not come fast enough. Our life was up in the air. No plans could be made too far in the future without alternatives. After being welcomed by the church and drilled with questions (okay, Nathan was drilled I was only asked a few totally off topic questions), the congregation voted and we were given a call letter. WOW!

Is this really happening? I had finally accepted living in Kearney and finishing college in a year. What does this mean for me? And then it hit me, why am I thinking about ME? My life is not about me. My life is God’s. I am only here for his glory. Apparently I am supposed to be in North Dakota glorifying him. He is in control. So now I am trying, with the Spirit’s help, to align myself with God’s plan. I am to be a youth pastor’s wife. As usual God has worked all the little details out. My major is beginning to offer almost all classes online so I can still finish at my current college. It just might take the usual 4 years. We had to break our lease a month early, but a new tenant will be moving in so we don’t have to pay rent twice. We found an apartment that is available the day we arrive. We already have a hotel booked super cheap for Courtney’s wedding we will have to come back for in October. So many other details are getting taken care of! I am learning to release my worry.

Thursday we pack our U-Haul and Friday we leave the state! North Dakota better get prepared for a California boy and a Nebraska girl!

God is so so good!

Mackenzie Grace

Project Life Easter

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alexandrea nicole, digital scrapbooking, Easter, Family, floral, Project Life, Project Life 2014, scrapbooking, spring theme

Since the whole gang was together for Easter, I decided to document the gathering in my Project Life book. Lately whenever we’ve all been together to make sure to grab some family snapshots and candids. I also jotted a few things down to include in the journaling including the dinner menu and fun games we played. The weather was beautiful and we played bocce ball for hours!In my layout I used template A and the spring theme kit. It was a quick, cute digital scrapping endeavor!

How did your family celebrate Easter? What your latest Project Life page?

xoxo,

Alexandrea Nicole

 

The Next Step…

Tags

2 Corinthians 9:7, Christ, Courtney Rose, EDGE Corps, Family, full-time ministry, God, JAX, JAX-STP, ministry partner, Prayer, Romans 8:32, summer, The Navigators, Travel, UNK Navs

As I introduced to you all back in November, there are big changes occurring in my life. Since I last blogged, I have officially interviewed and  been accepted for EDGE Corps with The Navigators at the University of Nebraska – Kearney, and I have begun training and raising support. The EDGE Corps is a 1-2 year opportunity to be trained in ministry while reaching out with the love of Christ to college students who are spiritually hungry.

I am currently in the middle of raising ministry support for this first year of EDGE. Those of you who are familiar with The Navigators are already aware that all EDGE Corps staff are supported entirely by gifts from friends, family and local churches. In order to serve on campus, I am trusting God with my first ministry assignment, which is to put together a team of partners who will give financially from $50-$250 per month and a few who can give more. This means that I am reaching out to as many people as I can to meet with them and share what God has been doing in my life and what this next step is all about.

If you read back through my blog posts the past couple years, it will be evident that God has been leading me in the direction of full-time ministry for awhile. Because He has called me to this, I am confident that He will provide this team of supporters for me.

Romans 8:32 – He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?

I am trusting God in this. I feel strongly that God will call people to support me and that through their support He will provide. However, I do not know who those special people will be. Therefore, I am diligently meeting with friends and family during this semester to ask them this very important question:

Will you prayerfully consider joining my team?

I do not want people to rush into a decision to support me or to have not been prompted by God to do so. I do not want people to feel obligated to support me or pressured to support me or to do it begrudgingly.

2 Corinthians 9:7 – Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

I want a team of partners to give out of the overflow of their hearts. I also desire a team to come alongside me in prayer. It is so vital to know that those who are supporting me are also interceding for me at the throne of grace. There is a spiritual battle going on all around us, and I have never been more aware of that before now.

I also use the word partner because that is exactly what I want this to be: a partnership. The ministry that I will be doing on campus could not be completed without the support of individuals. However, I also believe the partnership works the other direction as well. I want to be praying for those who support me. It is just as vital for them to receive prayer because they are the ones doing ministry in the workplace or in their homes by being a light for Christ. Their ministry is just as valued by God as my ministry among college students.

A part of me feels like I may have just rambled a bit through all of that information, but I pray that some of it makes sense to you. I pray that you would understand with more clarity where I am coming from and what I am praying for in a ministry support team.

I want to ask you the same question that I’ve asked others:

Would you prayerfully consider joining my team?

I am still in need of prayer and financial support, and I would love for you to prayerfully consider joining me. I have currently raised 44% of my budget for next year, and my goal is to be at 100% by May 1st in order to spend 2 months of this summer as a team leader and staff member at the JAX – Summer Training Program in Jacksonville, FL.

If you have any questions or would like to meet with me to discuss what I will be doing in more detail, I would love to make arrangements to speak with you. (I am willing to travel!) Please comment below, or send me an email at nelsen.cr@gmail.com. Or if you have already prayerfully considered joining my team and feel as though God is leading you to do so, you can follow this link to my staff site to donate directly to my ministry.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this, to learn how God has been leading me, and to pray about how God may be leading you to support me.

‘Til all have heard,

Courtney Rose

P.S. I plan on continuing to introduce you to what this ministry is all about through additional blog entries, but if you are interested in receiving a monthly newsletter from me during my time on EDGE Corps, follow this link to sign up!

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An Attitude of Gratitude

Tags

1 Chronicles 29, Christ, cooking, decorating, Family, Food, God, Grace Elizabeth's, gratitude, holiday, Home, Lord, Prayer, Psalm 100, Psalm 95, Religion and Spirituality, thankfulness, Thanksgiving

The now-extended Nelsen clan joined together yesterday not just for the delicious home-cooked food, but for family fellowship. Dad gathered us together in the morning, between table-setting and food-prepping, for a family devotion centered on the attitude of gratitude. After a brief history lesson behind misconceptions of the holiday itself, he shared scripture to focus our hearts on thanksgiving.

Psalm 100 – Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.

Interspersed between passages, each of us shared something we were thankful for from this past year. We were reminded of the big things God has been doing in each of our lives and the way He has provided for our families.

1 Chronicles 29:11-13 Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all. Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand are power and might, and in your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all. And now we thank you, our God, and praise your glorious name.

An Attitude of Gratitude

Having a spirit of thanksgiving should not be restricted to this time of year, but is a way to live our lives daily.

Psalm 95:1-6 Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth the heights of the mountains are his also. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!

We pray you had a very happy Thanksgiving with your families and will maintain the spirit of gratefulness throughout the year!

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Can of Dates: Pudding Pictionary

Tags

Can of Dates, Date, Date Night, Family, Food, Grace Elizabeth's, Mackenzie Grace, Pictionary, pudding, summer

Before I actually tell you about one of Nathan and my most recent date nights, I need to wish Courtney Rose a Happy Birthday!!  She always seems to spend them away from home. This summer as most of you know, she is in Argentina. (You can check out what she is doing in the Argentina Missions Trip tab).

Alright, now that my sisterly duties are done, on to what I want to share with you all! For the wedding, Alexandrea Nicole and Jake gave us a “Can of Dates”. Such a brilliant idea! It was a great reminder that we need to spend time enjoying one another in our marriage. This summer we FINALLY pulled a date out and followed through. Our lucky draw? “Pudding Pictionary”

The idea of the game is to use pudding instead of a pen or pencil, making the game edible…and messy. For just a couple, it was suggested to have a close friend write 20 words for the couple. We decided to spend time with another couple so we chose to print off words online (so no one would have the advantage of knowing the words). I love games, but I usually feel uncomfortable with a group. Because we felt elementary with the pudding, it was so easy to relax and enjoy the evening! (While snacking on some pudding and vanilla wafers of course.)

We can’t wait to pick out another date soon! Thanks Alex for gifting it to us!

Mackenzie Grace

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A Lesson from Sarah

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Abraham and Sarah, Anxiety, Bible, bible study, Book of Genesis, Christ, Christianity, discipleship, Family, Fear, God, Grace Elizabeth's, Mackenzie Grace, Old Testament

It seems like our lives never slow down. There’s always some deadline coming up or some place to be. I have two different “To Do” lists. I have my college list and my regular household list. It seems that my household to do list is a catch-all and is always being added to. As soon as I finish something, I think of something else to write down. By the end of a day, I realize I have spent no time with God.

Making time to study His word or spend time in prayer is a constant battle for me. I have an extremely hard time concentrating on any current task, so when I sit down to spend even a few minutes in prayer, I get off course and begin to do something else. Each week I meet with a friend for what most people would call discipleship or mentoring. We are currently studying women in the Old Testament from the Melanie Newton Study: Everyday Women, Ever Faithful God. For the first few weeks we both had the habit of doing the reading and questions the day before or the day of our meeting (I once even finished just minutes before she arrived). She challenged us both to work on it a few days before.  Therefore, we would for sure have two days to spend time in His word. So far it is working – when one of us finishes, we text the other just to check up during the week and remind each other.

A few weeks ago we finished the first woman we studied in the Old Testament: Sarah. The first real mention of Sarah is the very end of Genesis 11 where she is merely named, Genesis 12 is where her story more or less “begins.” When I began to read her story for the nth time, I realized something new: Sarah is so easy to relate to! She was barren for most of her life which is an irrational fear I struggle with, and she was placed in many situations that could have frozen her in fear, but she chose to be faithful in God.

When you look at those two examples, they have a common theme: FEAR. For most women, this is almost a constant struggle. We are more keen to anxiety and fear than men. God created us this way, but fear doesn’t have to paralyze us. Towards the end of 1 Peter 3:3-6 we read that we are daughters of Sarah and should not give way to fear. That doesn’t mean we should never be afraid! We WILL be afraid many times in our lives. However, God designed us to have fear as a way to alert us to danger and then take action. Did you hear that? When we are afraid, we must TAKE ACTION AGAINST IT. Now that I know I must take action, I can’t just sit in my fright hoping someone will notice and help. I need to take the steps to act on my fear like seeking God and the council of others.

Mackenzie Grace

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Meeting Adjourned!

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Business, Business plan, Family, Grace Elizabeth's, Small business, Sonya Kay

All the Nelsen kids and spouses (except Jake – had to study) converged at the Nelsen Family home this past weekend.  Alex arrived on Friday while Courtney, Mackenzie and Nathan arrived early Saturday morning.  What was the occasion you ask?  It was a scheduled “family meeting” – no, we weren’t discussing where to house mom and dad when the time comes to take away the keys -Whew- the meeting actually involved only the ladies while the men were there primarily to feed us.  Sweet.

We have been blogging over two years now and wanted to explore what the future holds for our blogging careers.  Did we want to continue?  The answer was a resounding YES!  What was our next step?  Since we decided to take blogging serious, we put together a simple business plan and some action steps to move forward.  The first adjustment we made is our new blog layout which we are so excited about and hope you like it too.  It will soon take on another tweak as we are attempting to create a logo.  We hope you like the changes and hope our content is enjoyable and useful.

Keep following…

 

 

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Catered by the Men

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Bride Portraits

Tags

A Moment Photography, Family, Grace Elizabeth's, Mackenzie Grace, photography, wedding, Weddings

It has almost been 2 months. Crazy, right? Well I think so. Some days we both forget that we are already married. Before the wedding, Nathan and I would say “Let’s get married” almost everyday. We said it so often that we are having a hard time getting out of the habit since we ARE married!

Last weekend I posted the groom’s pictures so guess what? Today I have a few of mine! Enjoy! Every day is a blessing!

Photographer: Amy Minshull- A Moment Photography

Mackenzie Grace

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Groom Portraits

Tags

A Moment Photography, Family, Grace Elizabeth's, groom, Mackenzie Grace, photography, wedding, Weddings

Sometimes getting your picture taking can be stressful. I know several people who, as soon as a camera is taken out, ducks behind someone to get out of the line of fire. Nathan is actually one of those people. Luckily he was very willing for our engagement and weddings photographs!

Here is my handsome man!

I am so thankful to God for bringing Nathan into my life. I pray that we will glorify him in all we do.

Photographer: Amy Minshull- A Moment Photography

Mackenzie Grace

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In the Spirit of Valentine’s Day

Tags

A Moment Photography, Family, Grace Elizabeth's, Mackenzie Grace, photography, valentine's day, wedding, Weddings

As many of you know, I have been married just under 2 months. Earlier this week I got a sweet surprise in the mailbox. Pictures! Nathan and I were so excited to look at them that we quickly flipped through before he had to leave for work. We took more time together later this week to slowly view them and talk about the evening 🙂

I figured since today was Valentine’s Day it would be the perfect day to share some of them! I have to thank my photographer and friend Amy Minshull for her hard work! She and her children were sick the day of. Her husband had to stay home with the kids, but Amy endured the evening capturing our moments. Check out her website and blog to see more of her work.

I hope you enjoy the “First Look”

I will be sharing more with you soon!

Mackenzie Grace

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