Monday, March 9, 2015

Nicole Maust

By Julie Overholt



We are so blessed at SGC to have women of all ages attending our church. It provides such a valuable balance of wisdom, experience, mentoring, and encouragement within the body of Christ when we all share with, and learn from, one another. This month I have the privilege of introducing you to one of the younger women, Nicole Maust. 

Nicole has been attending Sugar Grove since June of 2010. She was introduced to Monica Yoder who encouraged her to check out the young adult ministry at Sugar Grove. In December of the same year, she began co-leading the Crossfire high school senior girls. Nicole continues to serve in Crossfire and is working with the freshman ladies, planning to follow them up through graduation.  She also enjoys volunteering in the cafĂ© and participating in the young women’s cooking/Bible study.

Nicole and her husband Cory celebrated their second wedding anniversary this past December.  Their story of how they met and started dating is one that Nicole loves to share. Her family has been vacationing at a Christian family camp called Little Eden, located in Onekama, Michigan, for 14 years. In the summer of 2010, her mom (of all people, she says) noticed a young man on staff and pointed him out to Nicole. At the time, she wasn’t interested in a relationship, so the suggestion was casually shrugged off. 

The next year rolled around and Nicole’s mother “not so subtly” pointed him out for the second year in a row. “I was much more interested this time around.  My mom made some connections with his home town and where my grandpa grew up, and began small talk. I tuned in and got his name for later to check if he was single on Facebook. Much to my surprise, he was!” Without much time to interact with staff, she invited Cory to play sand volleyball with her brother and their friends. They hit it off and spent several hours that evening on the boat dock getting to know each other. They had to say goodbyes the following day, but he asked for her number and promised to stay in touch. He did just that and they began dating over the next few months. 

The following year, Cory came with their family as a camper instead of staff. He took Nicole out on the third night of camping to walk along the boardwalk, and proposed. “We got to share the news later on that evening with all of our closest family and friends! We felt truly blessed."

"As for keeping love alive in our marriage, we make time to still date each other. Being spontaneous can be challenging for my personality, but it certainly helps to keep that certain love element alive. We are also intentional about spending enough time doing the things that the other enjoys as well.” 

Nicole and Cory don’t have any children yet, but they do hope to someday! She currently is a full time dental hygienist, working in two different dental offices – one in Topeka (Community Dental Clinic), and the other in Elkhart (Heart City Health Center).

Nicole was born and raised in Gibson City, a small farming town in Central Illinois. “Growing up in the church and being surrounded with a Christ-centered family, I have been blessed to know the Lord ever since I can remember. I took my faith as my own when I was 9 years old and heard the gospel from a minister who shared about his passion working with local prisoners. I was baptized that same year.” Nicole said she stood strong in her faith throughout her middle school and high school years as well as into college where she found a church to attend while away from home. “However, I didn’t surround myself with college friends who had the same convictions as I did and their actions soon began impacting my walk with the Lord. I chose to partake in things during those first few years in college that I regret and later had to ask for forgiveness and healing from the Lord.” After several years had passed, she began refocusing her life on what really mattered. She was blessed to have godly counsel and wisdom spoken into her life that enabled her to recognize that she truly was forgiven. Since then, she has been able to let God use her to speak truth into other young women’s lives, sharing the importance of seeking out intentional relationships with other godly women.

Part of the wonderful advice she has for young women: “God has blessed us with the responsibility of being our husband’s helper for those of us who are married. And for those who are not yet married, take time to thank God for the opportunities He has given you to serve Him without distraction. I know that I had to be patient and wait on God’s timing before I found my husband, but in that time I was able to focus on ways to serve the Lord. I pray that this can be an encouraging word to those who read it.”

A defining moment for Nicole occurred when she shared her testimony for the first time at Crossfire (high school) one evening. “I wrestled with sharing my personal story for a long time, but God worked on my heart and gave me the strength to share. I have since then been able to relate to a small number of students who have shared their struggles with me. I hold onto the truth that the Lord’s grace is sufficient and His power is made perfect in weakness.” Words that are spoken in Nicole’s favorite verses out of 2 Corinthians 12: 9-10: But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. “I so often feel like I need to be able to ‘do it on my own,' yet this reminds me over and over that I can’t  - but in my weakness Christ has made me strong.”

In her free time, Nicole enjoys scrapbooking and taking photos, card making, reading, and volleyball. Summer is a favorite season for her as well. “I can’t get enough of the sunshine and long evenings outside!” She says that something you may not know about her is that she looks stunning in Amish attire! Nicole worked at the Blue Gate for about a year prior to getting a job at the dental office. :)

What makes you laugh? Listening to my hubby sing his own lyrics to songs while doing stuff around the house!
Three words to describe yourself: loving, personable, conscientious
Shy or outgoing? Outgoing
Tomboy of princess? A good mix of both!
Coffee or tea? Tea
Oceanside or mountainside? Oceanside
The perfect meal? Monical’s Pizza (local to central Illinois)
Worst food ever? Mincemeat pie. I’ve never eaten it, but I had to warm it up and serve it at the Blue Gate
Morning person or night owl? Morning
I’d love to travel to: Africa and go on a safari
Listen, read, or watch to learn: Watch
Favorite Bible character: Ruth
3 Things that bring peace to your life and/or help you relax: A big bubble bath, sitting in the hammock/porch swing, and spending time with friends playing games.

Thank you Nicole, for sharing your heart and service with the ladies of SGC! May He continue to bless you as you glorify Him with your testimony.

Last week I pulled up to a stop sign on the way to taking my daughters to school. I glanced both ways and when I looked right, there were 6-7 robins underneath a tree right beside the car. That, my dear sisters, testifies to the promise of spring! I did some rejoicing! Whatever season you may find yourself in right now – perhaps it seems like an endless season – may you find new hope that He will fulfill His purposes for you in it, using your testimony for His glory, His strength made perfect in your weakness.