Friday, August 20, 2010

DISNEY NIGHT OF JOY AUDITION - PLEASE VOTE!



Hey everyone! Well, it's that time of year again....auditions for the Disney Night of Joy Talent Spotlight 2010!


I had the awesome opportunity to be selected and perform at last year's NOJ and I am hoping to perform again this year at the Magic Kingdom!


God is so good and so gracious in continually opening up doors for me. I pray that when I sing that I make HIS name known.



Please take a moment and click on the link below to vote for my video, "ReCreated". You may vote one time per email address, so if you have multiple emails, please vote away!



If selected, I will be performing 2 songs on either September 10 or 11th at the Magic Kingdom.



Voting ends on Monday, August 30th, so please tell your friends!




http://www.noj.idesigninc.net/audition_videos.php




Thank you & God bless!



"My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast. I will sing and make music." ~Psalm 57:7


Friday, August 13, 2010

When 1 Door Closes....2 Open!

If you have been keeping up with our prayer requests since February, you might know that ThinkSmart, the Abstinence Education program that I work for is federally funded by a grant, and the Obama Administration has cut all Abstinence-Until-Marriage funding ($150 Million). My current job will be ending on September 30th.


http://www.thinksmartflorida.org/

As soon as I found out about the funding cut, I immediately began looking for a job. To spare you the details, I will say it was definitely a journey. My time, patience, worth, trust in God and faith were tested. I stayed strong for the most part, but there were a few times when I would just sit in our room and cry, while feeling overwhelmed and like a failure, all because nothing was "happening". When I say "happening" I mean that my selfish and impatient flesh was throwing a fit because God wasn't moving fast enough. But, of course He was right on time. When will I learn to die to myself? I love His teachings during those times. It's like I could feel Him whisper, "Trust me, Laurey" over and over in my ear.



After countless job applications, online searches and a few interviews, I just felt like surely God had something better for me. Brian and Mrs. Libby were so strong for me. They kept reassuring me and reminding me to be patient. Mrs. Libby said to me one day, "Wow! It's getting close to the wire. Isn't it exciting?" Umm, exciting would probably be the very last word that I would think about using. But, who can argue with Mrs. Libby? I'm pretty sure she is going to have a specialized crown in Heaven because she is one faithful woman of God!



Even though I was frustrated, I just kept thinking about my 26-hour trek to Orlando from Dallas, and how I had NO CLUE where God was going to lead me in my job search, yet He took care of me, and it was perfect timig. I found peace in remembering His goodness and His peace during that season. I felt like something was brewing, but I had to keep my faith and cling to my Father.



I recently accepted a part-time position at our church, First Baptist Church of Orlando. I will be working with the amazing Naida Hardy, as her Children's Music & Worship Assistant. I volunteered as the creative movement teacher all last year, and I truly fell in love with the kids and the ministry. I am so blessed to work for my church and I am thankful for the people who encouraged this placement. God blessed me with some amazing people!





http://firstorlando.com/

On Wednesday, August 11, I drove into work and was talking to God. I told Him that I trusted Him and if He wanted me to stay at ThinkSmart until the end of the grant, then I would do it and I wouldn't doubt or grumble. I told Him that I knew He would take care of everything and I wouldn't fret anymore.




Sometimes I think God holds out on His blessings to see if we will trust Him enough to release ourselves to Him. Did I say sometimes? Let me correct myself and say EVERY TIME. I came home and was preparing dinner for Brian. My phone rang and I thought, "It's 7:15pm, I bet it's Ashley calling." I looked at the phone and it was from a "386" area code. 386...3-8-6....hmmm.......it's THEM! I grabbed the phone, told Brian it was "them" and ran into our room, closed the door and answered my phone. I got the job. I start on September 13th. :)




So, who is "them"? "Them" is the next chapter in my life. The next season that God has choosen for me. One that will be filled with challenges, tears, heart-ache and the joy of Jesus.

In less than 1 month, I will begin my new position as Youth Care Specialist at Florida United Methodist Children's Home in Enterprise, FL. :)




http://www.fumch.org/

I love the mission of FUMCH: To empower children and families to experience God's love and care as revealed in the ministry of Jesus Christ. I will be working with teenagers and I truly cannot wait! God is so good!



So, from ThinkSmart to First Baptist Church of Orlando and Florida United Methodist Children's Home....God has NEVER left me. He has guided me through it all, even though I couldn't see His plan at times. I am so thankful for my Jehovah Jireh. Boy, does He provide! Thank you to everyone, especially the Commissioned class, who has been praying for me to get a new job!



I know that working 60 hours per week will be very challenging, but I am totally up for it! While Brian is working 50 + hours per week and will now be taking 2 classes at UCF per semester, I feel like this is my time to work as much as I can so we can pay off debt and save for our future family. Please pray for endurance and strength as we walk into this new season. Both of us will be very busy, but I know that God will honor our hearts and our work ethic. PRAISE GOD!


It just goes to show that when 1 door closes, 2 open! :)




"Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things,
which thou knowest not."

~ Jeremiah 33:3 KJV


"Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed."

~Proverbs 16:3 NIV

Monday, August 2, 2010

SHARK WEEK!

Well, it's that time again....SHARK WEEK 2010!






For those of you who may not know, Brian is a HUGE fan of sharks! That was one of the first things I learned about him when we were friends. Seriously, anything shark related, he loves!


One day, when we "grow up" I want to take him to Seal Island off of Cape Town, South Africa! This is the site where the most Great White Sharks have been seen, due to the high volume of cape fur seals on the island.


I literally love Shark Week because it makes Brian smile! Last night, I went into the living room to DVR all of the new shark shows for the night. He was so excited that he went into our room and got his toy shark that I bought him at SeaWorld. So, there he was...in front of the t.v. with shark in hand, watching Shark Week. It was so cute to watch! I bet our future kiddos will love them, too!


Shark Week reminds me of when I first met Brian and I look forward to it every year because of that fact!



I went to Discovery.com and "sharked" us. Hope you all enjoy!

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Ministry Updates

After almost a 2 year sabatical, I [Laurey] am finally feeling clearance about revisting, revamping and reviving ministries that God allowed me to create back in Oklahoma City.

The 2 ministries I am referring to are the "Miss L Music Ministry" & "Fearfully~Wonderfully".
For those of you who may not know, these ministries are imbedded into my heart. The Lord revealed them to me within about 6 months of each other in 2007.









In 2008, as soon as a I graduated with my Masters in Youth & Young Adult Ministry, God lead me to audition for a Christian Girl Group. I made the cut and through prayer and fasting, left my corporate job as a video producer, as well as 2 established ministry positions with Northwest Baptist Church and Youth for Christ in Oklahoma City to pursue this new venture in music. I left 25 years of memories, including family and friends for this new season of life. Through peace, I packed my bags and moved to Dallas, Texas where our group was commissioned to live.

I was blessed enough to live with my aunt and uncle and I even got a job as a nanny. Not only was I working in music ministry, but I was employed .... 2 HUGE blessings! Our group, which was still unnamed was under 220 Management out of Lakeland, Florida. 220 manages Group 1 Crew of Orlando...the hottest Christian Hip Hop/Pop group right now. They are so talented and such awesome servants of God! Manwell ["Manny"] was acting as our producer. So, here we were....5 girls in the studio, getting to know one another, training with a Dallas Cowboy trainer, writing songs and being exposed to the possibilities of worldwide exposure. It was overwhelming to think where God was going to take us!

We weren't able to get much work done in the studio because of unavailability of resources and producers, so our manager called one day and requested that we all move to Orlando. While this was always a possibility, we never thought it would happen so soon. [Side note: this was great for me because at this time, Brian & I were in our courtship and had agreed that we couldn't move into anything more serious until God gave us the "green light" by moving me to Orlando. Needless to say...this was my green light!]

I packed up my bags and put in my 2 week notice at work. I was ready to move for ministry and begin the process of engagement with Brian. Four days before I was about to move, I got the call. The other girls were not going to move. They were not going to sign the contract. We disbanded.

With all doors in Oklahoma City closed and Dallas now just a city, not an opportunity, I felt that Orlando was the ONLY door that was open. "But, Lord where will I work? Where will I live? What will I do?" My questions were only answered with peace. No tangibles thoughts or wisdom...just the peace of the Holy Spirit.

So, I moved. I packed up everything I owned in my little 2005 Chevy Cobalt [Coby, for those of you who know her] and I made the 26 hour trek half-way across the nation to Orlando, Florida. I got here and immediately found an amazing brother & sister pair who needed a roomate. Not only were they Christians, but they lived only 5 miles from Brian's house! For those of you who live in central Florida, you know that this is a miracle!

After 7 weeks of endless job searching, unemployment and humility in Christ, I got my first break as a case manager at a homeless youth shelter called Covenant House. It was awesome! Although I caught a horrible case of bronchitis [with no insurance, of course!] I really fell in love with the homeless and at-risk youth population of Orlando.

Only 4 weeks after I began working, I got another job. I was blessed to be an Abstinence Educator and travel around central Florida speaking to over 2,500 teenagers about saving themselves for marriage. ThinkSmart has been a blessing to my life and I am so grateful that God moved me here for such a time as this.

Now, that you know how I got here I want to share with you where I am going. "Miss L Music" & "Fearfully~Wonderfully" are not dead. In fact, they are quite alive! Please join with me in prayer over the next few months because I will be reformatting these ministries and there will be some re-direction.

I am currently in the process of re-doing all the websites, but for now, please feel free to check out the Myspace sites listed below.

www.myspace.com/misslmusic

www.myspace.com/fearfullywonderfully_made

Thank you for you prayers and for everyone's encouragement while I have transitioned from an Oklahoma girl to a Floridian. God has held me every step of the way and it has been very hard at times, but I know that in the end, HE will get the glory through all the ups & downs. It is His name that I want to make known!

God bless!

"Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with all thy might..." ~Ecclesiastes 9:10

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

God Gave Me You

I made this video as a gift for Brian to celebrate our 1 year anniversary. It has a lot of highlights from our courtship days and 1st year of marriage.

Our newest song (especially after year 1) is "God Gave Me You" by Dave Barnes. Enjoy the song and the highlights!




1 Year Down....75 to go! :)

In celebration of our 1 year wedding anniversary, I put together a little video slideshow of our wedding pictures. By far, the best day of my life. Enjoy!


June 27, 2009


Mr. & Mrs. Brian Nelson




Blessed to Worship

Hello all!

First Baptist Orlando just posted the worship service from July 18th! I was humbled and privileged to lead with the worship team and wanted to share this link with you. Click on the link below and go to "Discovering My Ministry" July 18th on the top right hand side of the video player.

The actual worship set begins at 22:35 and runs until 39:30. We sang 3 amazing praise & worship songs:

-Cannons
-Our God
-Christ is Risen

Make sure you let the whole video buffer first to fully load.

Thank you for your prayers of encouragement. I know that the Lord was lifted up and His name was praised!

http://www.firstorlando.com/Home/Multimedia.aspx

Valencia to UCF!

I just want to take some time to brag on my hubby for a bit!



Brian is seriously the hardest working man that I know. To top it off, he is full of integrity and honesty. It is easy to just work and do the bare minimum, but God has woven excellence into my husband. He gives 110% to everything that he does and he never ceases to amaze me at the extra mile he takes to make sure that things are not only done, but done well.





Brian has a corporate job serving as a network engineer. Don't ask me much more than that because it is way above my head! While working full time, he has devoted himself to higher education as well. This past May, he graduated with his AA from Valencia Community College. Talk about a proud moment for me! With his work schedule up to 50 hours per week, he still managed to be disciplined in his schooling. Even though he can only take 1 to 2 classes per semester, he keeps truckin'....with excellence!




Brian was accepted to the University of Central Florida and just began classes to complete his Business degree at one of the nation's top business programs. His first class had an INSANE amount of workload to be completed. He took the Business Cornerstone class where he was paired up with 7 other classmates and commissioned to collaborate with a local non-profit organization and host fundraising events and a final educational event.



TEAM HOPE chose to pair up with Boys Town of Central Florida. They hosted many fundraisers and received private donations for the at-risk youth at Boys Town. Brian contacted Boggy Creek Airboat Rides and got 50 rides donated for the kids and staff, as well as free use of the facility. I was asked to come speak on behalf of ThinkSmart Florida and give the youth a message about positive life choices and abstinence until marriage.




The event was a major hit, complete with airboat rides, great food, fun, education and fellowship. Brian put in MANY all-nighters to make this project the BEST it could be. Along with this project, he also had to take a business cornerstone lecture class which consisted of more than 6 hours of online lectures per week. Again, all-nighters for Mr. Nelson!



I am so happy to say that Brian not only got an "A" on the project and lab portion of the class, but also an "A" in the lecture portion, finishing up in the top 10% of his class. WOO HOO! I am so extremely proud of him! We had to sacrifice time together as a couple, but I know that striving to graduate with honors is important to him, so I am happy to sacrifice for his goals for a short time. All of this was completed while still working 50+ hours at his job and balancing his time with marriage and ministry. He is doing a great job and I am happy to support him while his head is in the books!



So, here's to the newest Golden Knight...my hubby, Brian Nelson! I can't wait to see how God is going to use him!






Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Flash Back!


Since we started blogging a little late, I figured we needed to back track a little bit.

Let's start from the beginning:

September 2008: Laurey's first trip to Orlando!


















Brian and I met through a mutual friend. Needless to say, I had never met a man who was so on-fire for the Lord! We corresponded via email establishing a friendship and eventually, the Lord gave us the peace to meet in person. I flew to Orlando and I couldn't wait to see Brian. He treated me like a princess! I got to meet his church friends and go to Walt Disney World and the beach. It was an amazing trip...but I had to head back home to OKC. :(



Septemeber 2008: Laurey moved to Dallas for music ministry for a Christian Girl Group. Bye Bye, OKC!







October 2008: Brian's first trip to Oklahoma City.






He met my close friends, church fam and the Pike Clan. Baptism by fire! We had such a great time. I had a concert in Henryetta, Oklahoma where I opened up for Christian artist, Lecrae and Brian was there to cheer me on. After that, we headed on down to Dallas (my new home) for a bit.





We weren't sure when we would see each other again, but were waiting for God to give us the "Green Light" to pursue our courtship & future engagement.
















November 2008: Laurey got a call from her manager that the group needed to move to Orlando to record their album. Really? God just gave she and Brian the "Green Light" for engagement! Packed up and made the 24 hour drive to Orlando! It was so nice to see Brian once I got there!





December 2008: Our first trip to Birmingham as a couple....Laurey's first time to meet the fam.



















January 2009: We flew to OKC for Brian to ask my Dad for my hand in marriage.



February 2009: We are officially engaged!!







Brian took me to the exact spot on Daytona Beach where we went on my first trip to Florida. At sunrise on the beach, he quoted Psalm 84:11, Proverbs 18:22 and spoke about Genesis 2:18-25. Then he got on one knee and proposed! It was amazing! AND....he had upgraded my center diamond to bigger and better! WHEW!! What a rock and what a MAN!






May 2009: Our friends at church through a fellowship gathering in celebration of our future marriage. They prayed over us and made us feel so special.








June 27, 2009: OUR WEDDING :)


















We flew back to OKC and were married in front of 120 friends and family. My mom and I did all the designing and planning, and with the help of awesome fam and friends, we pulled it off!

MR. & MRS. BRIAN NELSON


Honeymoon: Playa del Carmen, Mexico








What a blast! We slept most of the time...and ordered room service. But, the last few days, we ventured out and kayaked and jet-skied in the ocean. So amazing!














HOME SWEET HOME: Newlyweds and newly-moved-into-Brian's House










To Blog or Not to Blog?

Well, you dribble and you shoot! I have thought about venturing out into the blog world for a few months and finally, after reading my new friend, Courtney Taylor's family blog, I was inspired to step out and try it. I'm new to this, so I welcome any tips. :) So, we will see how it goes!

Here's to happy blogging!