Mother's Day Edition: City Faces in Different Places
By Julie Perine on May 09, 2021 from City Faces via Connect-Bridgeport.com
Mother of five and homeschool teacher Jeanette Nelson is this Mother’s Day Sunday Bridgeport City Face. Learn all about her here:
Tell me how long you have lived in Bridgeport and what brought you here …
I’ve lived in Bridgeport for about 10 years. My husband got a job offer from UHC and he decided to take the job! I'm so happy we made that decision because we love Bridgeport, WV!
Tell me a little about you and your family …
I am 41 years old and I’m married to the greatest husband in the world, Willie Nelson! We have been married for 21 years! We have 5 beautiful kids! Lexi is 19, Addy is 16, Ella is 11, Azle is 6 and Asher is 4 (turning 5 soon!)
My heart belongs fully to Jesus and my family! I homeschool all five beautiful kids. We love doing church and ministry as a
family. We go to Covenant Church and we are excited to be part of a 
loving church family! Willie and I lead a house gathering bible study once a month. My kids are strong part of this group as well. We love doing ministry together! It starts in the home first! We open our house to everyone and love to serve people and fellowship with whoever comes that night! We work together as a team to make everyone feel welcome. We love feeding everyone who comes to group as well.
family. We go to Covenant Church and we are excited to be part of a loving church family! Willie and I lead a house gathering bible study once a month. My kids are strong part of this group as well. We love doing ministry together! It starts in the home first! We open our house to everyone and love to serve people and fellowship with whoever comes that night! We work together as a team to make everyone feel welcome. We love feeding everyone who comes to group as well.
My daughter Addy is anointed to be a worship leader and she writes her own music. It's absolutely beautiful! She usually leads worship for us and for the women's ministry I run with my girls! Family is so important to me. I never want to put my family last and ministry first!
Do you have pets?
We are not much of a pet family because we really don't have the time and I believe if you can’t properly take care of your pet and spend time with it then you probably don't need a pet! I know my limits. My son does have a Beta fish!
What is your profession?
I’m a homeschool stay-at-home mom! Homeschooling kids is a full-time job - at least in this season I feel like it is. I’m in that season where the boys are learning to read and that's very time consuming. We do Abeka phonics and reading plan. Once we make the reading transition, it gets somewhat easier. My girls are enrolled in accredited lighthouse Christian Academy. Also, I’ve been helping my oldest daughter get her clay earring business going. We are still in the process of trying to get her own business page. It’s been hard lately because she works a full-time job and comes home to assemble her clay earrings. She’s extremely talented and her earrings are selling as soon as she makes them. The name of her business is Gioia Clay Co. She has some that are being sold in Uptown Cheapskate and we are hoping to get a wholesale contract.
The girls and I love operating in women ministry together. We usually take trips and meet at each other's house once a month. We love to fellowship and worship together. We do different book and bible studies together. We focus on healing and restoration for women.
What are you hobbies/favorite pastimes?
My hobbies are cooking and creating recipes for my family. My favorite pastime is when I use to win many recipe contests. That is such a good memory. I’m hoping to get in some more later on in life as the boys get older. Dole Company was one of my favorite wins! They were so incredibly nice to work with and they treated me like royalty. They took me to New York and featured me as the representative for the Dole recipe contest on the Rachael Ray show. They sponsored me at The World Food Championship at Las Vegas for a week! I also got the opportunity to be a guest judge at Dole recipe contest with Ben Ford, Harrison Ford's son, and I’m so thankful for the memories and experience this has given me.
What is your favorite Bridgeport spot?
We enjoy going to Bridgeport City Park as a family. It's such a beautiful area and park! Our family loves being outdoors in the summer!
Why do you like Bridgeport? Why is it a good place to raise a family?
We love Bridgeport because of the family atmosphere the city brings. It's a beautiful safe place for families to grow and succeed in life.
What’s a favorite memory of something that took place in Bridgeport?
One of my best memories in Bridgeport was going to the Family Days at Bridgeport City Park. I'll never forget the late-night fireworks that my whole family enjoyed! I love all the neat shops and restaurants located in Bridgeport! One of the great memories is going as a women's group to Almost Heaven Desserts and Coffee Shop! The late-night talks with the best cheesecake and vanilla chai a girl would want! I also have so many good memories at Oliverio's Italian Restaurant with family and friends! Every shop and restaurant is so unique and wonderful in Bridgeport!
What is your favorite West Virginia spot outside of Bridgeport?
My favorite spot outside of Bridgeport would be at Dairy Crème Corner in Fairmont. We just love the big ice creams and delicious food they serve and enjoy the outside patio dining when the weather is nice!
What about your favorite place outside of West Virginia?
My favorite place outside of WV would be Saint Augustine, Florida! It's our favorite beach! It's such a beautiful family beach atmosphere. The beautiful history, the Spanish buildings, the white sand and warm beach water is why we love Saint Augustine! We try to go there every year as a family. We look forward to this place. It's our dream beach vacation!
Tell me about some of your favorite things…
I have a lot of favorite things lol. I love church, my husband, my kids, I love people, I love Thai food, going to thrift stores, shopping, my family, JESUS, I love to worship, my favorite thing is that I can freely worship and dance with no restraints and just adoring God. My worship to me is who God is to me! My dance came from pain that led to beautiful worship! My dance is my deliverance dance! I love life! I love God! I love to take dates with my husband Willie, I love going out with my kids, I love trying new restaurants, I love camping with my family, love watching sappy Hallmark movies with my girls!
My favorite color is teal blue
My favorite music is worship music and my favorite band right now would be Maverick City Music. I love everything they put out!
What is your most cherished childhood memory?
My best childhood memory would be going to church camp! I can remember getting so excited that I would pack early. I couldn't wait for that week! It was week of fellowship with kids my age, non-stop games and fun, great camp food, campfires and Jesus! I'll never forget what a foundation and impact that made in my life.
So far, what have been some of your favorite moments as a mom?
My special moments as a mom is when I see my kids make the decision to follow Jesus; when I watch them form their own relationship with Jesus. When I see them pray, serve one another, excited to go to church, when they make that decision to be baptized! It pays off to take your kids to church and pray for them non-stop!
What is your best advice for other moms?
The best advice I can give as a mom is that we need to learn to forgive ourselves, let go of the past, breathe and find love, peace, and joy in Jesus! Knowing that Jesus loves you and you are a daughter of the most High God. Don't sweat the small stuff and enjoy spending time with your kids. Don't compare yourself or judge other moms. God created each one of us different and unique. Learn to see yourself as special, your goofy laugh, your weird ways of being mom lol, and be okay with moms who don't mom like you.
Learn to love how God made you and don't change anything about you! True freedom is when you don't have to change yourself to fit in, just be you and love God with all your heart mind, body and soul and love your neighbor as yourself! Don't waste your time defending yourself to anyone. Just walk away when you have to do that! Don't take everything so serious and learn to laugh!! Make your home a safe place for your kids and husband where they feel comfortable to share their faults and struggles and let me tell you that will turn into a powerful testimony one day!!
I'm such an extrovert! I love people and have such a desire to help women see their worth in Jesus! I have learned and overcome so much in motherhood, but I still have much to learn and experience. I know I don't know everything, but one thing I do know is that if it wasn't for God's grace I would never be the mom who I am today. I owe everything to God! If there is a mom who feels so broken and too far gone, I want to give you hope and tell you that Jesus loves broken things. His love, peace and mercy puts us back together. Too far gone is not in the vocabulary of God. No family is ever too far gone. Jesus loves a broken and contrite heart!!
