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 café 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.
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