By Julie Overholt
 |
| Julie and Marilyn |
I have a treat for you. Not one, but two ladies to introduce to you! A two-for-one special, if you will. A
mother-daughter duo that has graciously allowed me to ask some questions so
that we might all listen in and get to know them a little better.
Marilyn Johnson and Julie Lewan have
both been attending Sugar Grove since 1983 when they began coming to church as
a family, which included one brother (Eric - who died in a car accident three and
a half years ago. Our deep sympathies for your loss) and one sister (Jennifer –
who currently lives in California) in addition to Julie.
Marilyn and Julie are both actively
involved in various ministries at the church. Marilyn is part of the Maranatha
Ladies Bible Study that meets on Friday mornings, a Life Group, Foodies
Fellowship, and the newly-formed Divorce-Care Group that meets on Sunday
mornings. Marilyn is currently single and her family has increased to include
six grandchildren – one grandson (18) and five granddaughters (8, 9, 9, 11,
11). Julie is currently involved with AWANA children’s ministry, the nursery,
and she does the bookkeeping for SGC. She also attends the Women’s Precept
Bible Study on Wednesday mornings. Julie
and her husband Steve have been married for 13 years and have two daughters –
Alyssa (9) and Abigail (8).
Marilyn is originally from Southfield,
MI (near Detroit) and was raised in a very ethnic Finnish family (something you
may not know about her!) Her parents spoke fluent Finnish. Marilyn was nine
years old when her older sister, Nancy – who was thirteen at the time – led her
to the Lord. She considers Nancy one of the greatest influences in her life in addition to her youth pastor, who encouraged Marilyn to attend Moody Bible
Institute. Later, Marilyn and her husband spent twenty years in the ministry
before she became employed with C&B Optical for another twenty years,
retiring in 2009.
Verses especially meaningful to Marilyn
are found in Isaiah 40:30-31. “Even the youth shall faint and be weary, and the
young men shall utterly fall, but those who wait on the Lord shall renew their
strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be
weary, they shall walk and not faint.” NKJV
In her free time, Marilyn likes to
spend time reading, knitting, drawing, and playing the piano. She loves the
Christmas season – even with all of the hustle and bustle!
Some quick popcorn trivia for you now
Marilyn:
3 Words to describe myself: Quiet
(except when I’m with friends or sisters), compassionate, and understanding.
What makes you laugh? I laugh at my own
jokes even if no one else gets them! (Am I the only one smiling at this??)
Shy or outgoing? Outgoing. I used
to be quite shy, but not anymore.
Princess or tomboy? Princess
Coffee or tea? Both
Oceanside or mountainside? I love
wading in the ocean, but I also love the mountains.
The perfect meal? Bonefish Grille or
Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse. (but I really like almost ALL restaurants)
Worst food ever? Fresh oysters…had a
bad experience.
Morning person or night owl? Now that I
am retired I definitely am not a morning person as far as getting up & out
the door early.
I’d love to travel to: I would
definitely like to go to England or Austria again. (with my daughters)
Favorite Bible character? King David
Three activities that bring peace to
your life and help you to relax? Devotional time each day helps to keep me
focused. Reading, watching movies, and eating out are relaxing for me.
A quote you remember your mom saying?
“Many hands make light work.”
In her relationship with Julie, Marilyn
has come to appreciate the large capacity Julie has to enjoy the good times
that come her way. “I love to spend time with Julie and the girls. We catch all
the moments we can! I love to have tea parties with my granddaughters. Julie
has always been a special jewel and companion in my life.”
When I asked Marilyn for some advice
that she could give to young mothers and those in the middle of motherhood, she
wanted to remind mothers to spend quality time with their children and to truly
enjoy them. “All too soon they will be gone and you cannot recapture those
precious young years. Capture the moments when they share their hearts. And,
try not to always be rushed.”
Marilyn’s influence continues to be big
in Julie’s life as it was since she was a little girl. “I asked Jesus to be my
Savior when I was five years old," Julie recalls. "I knew I was a sinner, that Jesus had died
for my sins, and that He was the only way to be forgiven. My mom prayed with me
at that time. She has always believed in me, encouraged me, and admonishes me
when I need it.”
Julie was born in Chicago, IL and grew
up in Elkhart, IN. She and her husband Steve met while they were both a part of
the Lighthouse Singles group at the Wheaton Evangelical Free Church in Wheaton,
IL. Julie was working at the TEAM international headquarters in Wheaton at the
time. “Steve is my best friend. We have been married for 13 years and continue
to keep love alive by making time for our marriage. I highly recommend the
Dynamic Marriage class offered at SGC. It’s for all marriages – great, just okay, and marriages in trouble.” Julie
currently works part-time (a little more during tax season) for David L. Culp,
CPA, PC in Goshen, in addition to doing the bookkeeping at SGC and another
local church.
Verses close to Julie’s heart are found
in Jeremiah 29:11-13. “For I know the plans I have for you”, declares the Lord,
“plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.
You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Julie says,
“In all the times when life was unsure, I have gone back to this scripture and
have found comfort knowing that God knows the plans He has for my life, being
reminded that I need to seek Him with all my heart and that in doing so I will
find Him and His will for me.” Something that people may not know about Julie
is that she was adopted by her mom and dad at six weeks of age. “One of the
‘plans’ God had for my life!”
Julie loves to travel and spend time
with her family. When I asked Julie what makes her laugh she said her husband
and kids do with their funny antics and great sense of humor! A bonus I’m sure,
to spending time together. A recent and
favorite memory of time she spent with Marilyn was a trip that she and her
sister took their mother on for her 70th birthday. “She [Marilyn]
had never been to Williamsburg and Washington DC and had always wanted to go,
so my sister and I decided to take her. It was hopefully the first of many more
trips we can take together in the future.”
More about Julie:
Favorite season/holiday? Fall – I love
the cooler temperatures and the beauty of nature as the leaves turn to the
brilliant colors of orange, red, and gold.
Three words to describe myself? Honest,
caring, adventuresome.
Shy or outgoing? Shy (much more so when
I was younger)
Princess or Tomboy? Princess
Coffee or tea? Tea
Oceanside or mountainside? Mountainside
The perfect meal? Any restaurant or my
mom’s homemade meatloaf. “Yum, yum!”
Worst food? Liver and onions.
Morning person or night owl? Night owl
I’d love to travel to: Alaska and
Hawaii
Three things that bring peace and
relaxation to my life? Spending time with my family, a good book, and spending
time with other believers.
What do you love most about your mom?
Her honesty, her endurance through the trials of life, and her love for her
family. I hope I can love my girls and sacrifice for my family like she
sacrificed for ours!
I asked Julie to recall a saying or
truth that she remembers Marilyn using as she was growing up, as well as
something practical she taught her. “When I was growing up I remember my mom
telling me that comparing myself to others will never do me any good. There
will always be some that seem to have it better than me and some that have it
worse. She also taught me to start small when tackling a large task. For
instance, when de-cluttering a room, start with a closet or a drawer. Do a
little at a time.” Wise words for all of us.
Well ladies, last week while in Goshen
I saw six robins when I was ordering at Starbucks. Six!! It warmed my heart to see the hope of spring just around the
corner. I do believe there is a light at the end of this winter tunnel! :) I
pray you enjoy to the fullest the new life that will soon be blooming all
around us and that your heart rejoices greatly in the celebrations of our
resurrected, risen Savior who came so that we might live abundantly in EVERY
season.
Thank you Marilyn and Julie for your
time and energy to share a part of you with us!
