Responding to Nudges from the Spirit: Anne Neilson & Nikki Speer
Have you ever felt pulled towards something, but you’re not sure what? Maybe God was nudging you to pursue the calling He has for you. Artist Anne Neilson, famous for her angel paintings, has felt those nudges all throughout her life, starting when she was a little girl and knew she was meant to be an artist. Now looking back, Anne can see God’s fingerprints all over her life, and how He shaped her art into a ministry beyond what she ever imagined, including the inspiration to write a new devotional called Anne Neilson’s Angels. Nikki Speer, founder of the nonprofit Redefined Courage, has watched many women in her family battle with breast cancer. When Nikki noticed that her mom—the woman she’d always seen as the most radiant in the room—no longer felt beautiful, she realized God was prompting her toward a new calling: to design clothing for women dealing with breast cancer that was not only comfortable and allowed them to heal, but also helped them feel confident in their fight.
Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned:
Jesus Calling: Stories of Faith television show
Past guest: Delilah
Upcoming guest: Michael and Zina Goodin of Old Friends Senior Dog Sanctuary
Episode sponsor: Operation Christmas Child
Build a shoebox for a child online at Samaritan’s Purse.org/occ
Anne Nielson's Angels: Devotions and Art to Encourage, Refresh, and Inspire
Interview Quotes:
“There were times that I really questioned, Is this what God has called me to do?” - Anne Neilson
“God has put these people in my path. He weaves us all together, and it's for a purpose that we might not even know.” - Anne Neilson
“Words are powerful—the words that come out of our mouth, the words that are spoken to our friends, our children, our colleagues, our employees, to ourselves.“ - Anne Neilson
“These angels do bring comfort and healing through the power and the presence of the Holy Spirit, through art. God is the master Artist. He is the master Creator.” - Anne Neilson
“We were walking out of the mall, and I made the bold promise that I would design clothing for [my mom] so that she could feel beautiful.” - Nikki Speer
“This is not a, ‘Man, I drew this sticky note, and this amazing thing was created.’ There were a lot of samples, and there was a lot of learning and growing and changing and mistakes, but a lot of God working.” - Nikki Speer
“When I was growing up, my mom would tell me, ‘You should always leave a conversation knowing more about the other person than they know about you.’” - Nikk
For more, check out Jesuscalling.com
