Carlie Nelson, who purchased the Solid Rock Christian bookstore in Kearney, Neb., in February, celebrated the ownership transition with a grand opening celebration and ribbon-cutting on June 13.
The Kearney Hub reported that a few months ago, Nelson "couldn't have imagined owning the Solid Rock. She has worked there since 2012, when it was owned by Bill and Ila Ballou and located at 2010 Central Avenue. But in February, co-owner Linda Muhlbach called Nelson into her office. Muhlbach and her husband Dan had purchased the store in 2019, and now, they were retiring."
Muhlbach told Nelson, "I feel like I'm supposed to talk to you about selling you the store." Nelson recalled being shocked by the idea and replying to Muhlbach: "I think I'm going to have to pray about that." She also remembered some notes she had jotted down in the back of her Bible 12 years ago: "I had written, 'Lord, will I own the Solid Rock one day?' I had forgotten it was there. When I found that, it was one more confirmation that this was what the Lord wanted me to do."
Nelson is enthusiastic about the store's future and its eight employees. "It's so much more peaceful than any other job I've had.... I love the Solid Rock. I enjoy working there very much," she said.