We are the Wilson’s, Scott, Shannon, Nathaniel and Elijah. Our oldest son, Nate is four years old and our newest addition Eli, is four months.  He was born January 1, 2012. Scott and I grew up in a small community south of Jonesboro. Scott enjoys hunting; fishing, camping, and can build just about anything out of metal! I love reading, shopping, fishing, and camping.  Our favorite thing is spending time with our boys!  Scott and I were both raised in Christian homes and were saved at a young age. Our families have known each other for years but we had never met. We met in February of 2004 during the passing of Scott’s grandmother. We began dating shortly after that and were married in June 2006.

In the fall of 2006, I decided that I wanted to go back to school and work toward a degree in Early Childhood Education. Both of us were working full time and I was taking college courses at night. Even though both of our lives seemed to be busier than ever we wanted to start a family. In June of 2007 we found out I was expecting. This was a very exciting time in our lives. We were raised in church and wanted to raise our children in church. We were attending a church at that time, but never really felt a connection and were struggling to find our place there. Nathaniel Scott (Nate) was born on March 7, 2008. He is such a wonderful blessing and we loved being parents! Our family began! Scott and I continued to work full time and I was still going to school full time. It seemed like we weren’t going to make it at times but we continued to live our lives for Jesus and he carried us through it. In May of 2010, I lost my job. This was one of the most trying times in my life due to always having the security of employment, but I decided to trust God and just focus on finishing my education and spend the summer at home with Nate. This turned out to be such a huge blessing because I had always worked full time and wished I could stay home with him.

We started attending Nettleton Baptist and Nate loved the preschool program. Scott and I felt God leading us to Nettleton Baptist and we started looking for a Sunday school class. We visited a couple and then found the class that was perfect for us. In the fall of 2010, we decided we wanted to have another baby. I had it all planned out. I was going to be due in the summer after graduating in May. That would give me the time I wanted with our new baby and I could begin teaching that next fall.  In October we found out I was expecting. Once again we were so excited. We told our families and I told some of my close friends. I really thought my plans were starting to come together.  A couple of weeks later I miscarried. I was so devastated and it was definitely the hardest thing that I had ever been through. I really struggled with bitterness during this time and I just couldn’t understand why God had not let my perfect plan work out. I gradually started the healing process and found others that had experienced the same loss I had. One morning I was driving to the school where I was doing my teaching internship. I was listening to KLOVE as I always do and I heard the song “Blessings” by Laura Story. I began to cry and I felt God’s love just surrounding me like never before and I was able to let go of the bitterness that I had dwelling inside of me. I was finally able to accept God’s plan for my life. I knew he had something better in store for us and it would come in his time, not ours.

After this I focused on enjoying time with the family the Lord had blessed me with and finishing school. We had been praying that God would allow me to get pregnant and be able to carry and deliver a healthy baby. In early May about a week before I graduated we found out I was expecting again. This time we were a lot more hesitant and only told our parents. We went to the doctor and everything looked good, we thanked the Lord, then be began to tell others. That summer I focused on trying to get a teaching position. When I wasn’t hired anywhere, I decided to substitute teach. I subbed throughout my pregnancy and Elijah Cole (Eli) was born on New Year’s Day. Our prayers were answered and Eli is such a blessing! He was dedicated to God three weeks later. I am still trying to obtain a teaching position. Through all of this, God has taught us to put our faith in him. God has always provided for us and I know that he will continue to provide for us. I am so thankful for our Nettleton Baptist Church family. I feel like we have grown so much as a family since attending Nettleton and it has always felt like home there. I have never been around a more loving group of people and it is such a blessing to see our son excited about church. We are so thankful for all of the teachers and volunteers in the preschool program that dedicate their time to our kids. Nate loves learning about Jesus and that fills our heart with joy.