Staff Spotlight: Aimee Nichols

What’s your favorite Bible verse and why does it speak to you?

Psalm 119:11 “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.”  This verse encompasses all of life’s ups and downs in that there is a season for everything under the sun.  When you are happy, lonely, sad, joyful, broken, all of the emotions.  God’s word speaks to them all!  We can memorize scripture and hide those truths in our heart to hear God’s voice in every aspect of our life.  Speaking truth, comfort, hope and love into our hearts. 

What’s a worship song you can’t help but sing along to?

The Goodness of God.  I can look back over my entire life as far back as I can remember and see the fingerprints of the Lord working in and through me.  Through the joy and pain and everything in between.  The one resounding theme is His faithfulness in my life and the lives of my family.  I am filled with gratitude every time I hear it! 

What’s one truth from Scripture you hope your students carry with them long after they leave your class?

The fact that Jesus cares deeply for them and longs to have a real relationship with them.  That He is constantly, patiently and continuously waiting and ready for their interaction with Him.

What’s one piece of encouragement from Scripture you’d give to CCA parents this year?

Jeremiah 11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity. 

I love this passage of scripture because it speaks to the hope of our future, no matter the condition of our broken world.  But my favorite part is not the often quoted verse 11, it’s verses 12 – 14.  Even though God was speaking these words to the people of Judah who were living as captives in Babylon, verses 12 – 14 come with a promise.  God promises that He is not hidden from people who want to know Him.  The search requires a complete, honest effort (“with all your heart”) rather than a casual glance.  Continually pray this over your children.  That God would instill a hunger and a thirst for Him in their hearts to know Him, love Him and obey His calling.   

Staff Spotlight: Sherry Swaim

How has your faith shaped the way you teach?

Faith has shaped the way I teach because I know that I cannot teach in excellence without the Lord’s guidance. I truly believe I can do nothing apart from Christ, but with God, all things are possible. And what I want to be possible in my classroom is for my students to know that, when they pass through my door, they are loved by the Lord and they are loved by me. That is my prayer each morning of the school week. And then I just rely on God to help me teach with excellence, with passion, with creativity. Faith is integral in the way I teach because my faith is who I am. 

What’s your favorite way to spend a Sunday after church?

My husband and I have been married for almost 36 years, and we are empty-nesters. Have been for quite awhile now. Sundays after church are, for the majority of the time, reserved for us. I’ve been learning about the purpose of the Sabbath and what that looks like, not just on Sunday but daily. It’s reserved space, reserved time, reserved margin. So, after church – I enjoy lunch, I enjoy a good nap, and then I just enjoy hanging out either in the pool or in the yard or in the house. 

What’s one truth from Scripture you hope your students carry with them long after they leave your class?

“…what no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived – the things God has prepared for those who love him – these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God” (1 Corinthians 2:9-10).

I want my students to know that God loves them more than they can ever comprehend. We just can’t wrap our brains around it. And, because of that love, God ALREADY has prepared things for them. Things they can receive and live out through all seasons of their lives as they walk in the Spirit and as the Spirit reveals those things to them. Just have the eyes to see. 

Tell us about your family. How do you all grow in faith together?

My husband’s name is Danny, and we have two daughters. They are both married. Our oldest daughter has two children and our younger daughter just had her baby over the summer. One of the traditions I did with my children as they grew up is I went to church with them as a sponsor – from junior camp all the way through high school years. It’s really cool to get away from the world and see your kids lock in to what the Lord has for them. And that continues today. I attend a Ladies’ Retreat with my oldest daughter each year. Another layer of connection. And, I taught at CCA with my younger daughter for several years. Both of these experiences – past and current – create a deeply rooted relationship between mother and daughter. 

What’s one piece of encouragement from Scripture you’d give to CCA parents this year?

“Know therefore that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations” (Deuteronomy 7:9).