Behind every meaningful book is a story and behind To Live Is Christ: Inspired Reflections of Faith. Volume 1 is a woman whose reflections have been shaped by family, work, rural life and more than five decades of walking with the Lord.
Judy Nelson is a retired registered nurse, devoted farm wife, mother of two sons, grandmother and great-grandmother. She and her husband, Virgil, have shared more than fifty years of marriage, building a life rooted in family and faith. In the book’s author biography, Nelson explains that she has walked with the Lord for more than fifty years and hopes to encourage and inspire others through reflections grounded in faith and everyday experience.
That combination of ordinary life and enduring faith is central to To Live Is Christ.
Nelson does not write as someone removed from the realities of daily living. Her reflections emerge from experiences many readers will recognize: family responsibilities, seasons of change, uncertainty, distractions, questions about purpose and the ongoing challenge of growing spiritually while navigating everyday life.
The story behind the book became especially meaningful during a quieter season.
After returning to Opheim, Montana, Nelson found herself experiencing loneliness and questioning what purpose she still served in God’s kingdom. Yet the solitude eventually gave her something she had not expected: more uninterrupted time with the Lord. As life grew quieter, she became increasingly aware of the distractions that had previously filled so much of her attention.
From that season came the habit of journaling what Nelson describes as “word pictures”: everyday images that helped illuminate Scripture and make biblical truth relevant to life. What began as personal reflections, originally intended especially for her family, gradually became the foundation for To Live Is Christ.
Those word pictures give the book its distinctive character.
Nelson can look at a snowflake and reflect on how uniquely each person is known by God. A tugboat guiding a massive ship becomes an image of trusting God when circumstances seem overwhelming. A GPS becomes a lesson about direction, correction and staying on course. A cluttered house raises questions about surrender and whether every part of life has truly been yielded to Christ.
Through these familiar images, Nelson explores much larger questions.
What does it mean to live for Christ rather than simply know about Him?
How do we find peace when circumstances remain difficult?
What distractions are competing with our spiritual growth?
What kind of faith are we demonstrating to our children and grandchildren?
And ultimately, what legacy will our lives leave behind?
These themes feel especially fitting for an author whose own book is closely connected to family. Nelson dedicates the collection to her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, with a special dedication to the memory of her beloved grandson, Trevor Virgil Nelson.
Her hope for the book reaches beyond her own family, however. Nelson writes that her greatest desire is for these reflections to encourage others to apply Scripture through everyday living.
That is what makes To Live Is Christ: Inspired Reflections of Faith. Volume 1 more than an introduction to Judy Nelson’s thoughts. It is an invitation to see faith through the eyes of someone who has spent decades discovering that God can teach through both extraordinary seasons and remarkably ordinary moments.
For readers seeking heartfelt encouragement and practical Christian reflection, Judy Nelson’s To Live Is Christ is coming soon.
To begin a life centered on Christ, this book helps us to move from self-direction to God-direction. Please visit the following link to know more and to purchase your copy: https://www.facebook.com/judynelsonbook