Nora’s Bio
A fun-loving minister and his gifted wife reared an imaginative daughter. Childhood seemed like a fairly tale in progress to Nora. It was enjoyed with five siblings and Princess (their Golden Retriever).
In her twenties, Nora’s happily ever after looked more like The Sound of Music than Cinderella. “Captain von Trapp” was her stand-in Prince Charming. (Actually, Captain White)!
How do you hold a moonbeam in your hand?
For Nora Carlson and Danny White, this “moon beam” was held in their hands when they joined forces. The widower wed the nanny! Yes, Nora was blessed with two non-stretch-mark babies the moment she said “I do.” Seven biological children followed. As their family grew, The Sound of Music got even louder!
In midstream, it became more like the tone of a bell, the Liberty Bell to be exact. At the commissioning of her brother Kristian, their ministry’s name had its birth: Lead with Liberty! Danny and Nora stood by the iconic symbol with five of their children in Philadelphia, receiving a commission of their own.
Formed by a combat engineer-turned speaker, Lead with Liberty began as an LLC after Danny retired from 21 + years in the Marine Corps. It was re-formed into a nonprofit ministry allowing Danny and Nora to have a platform serving together.
Their goal is to encourage others with their story. They offer, for donation only, their book, A Widower’s Walk: From Desert to Destiny, to help Christian families get through their lowest times. Using poetry and prose, they’ll tell you…you’ve got to keep holding on, in order to get to the best stuff! Do it by just taking one more step, when all you want to do is quit. When you can’t figure it out on your own, don’t hesitate to seek godly counsel and accountability.
“This story isn’t over yet” and “we’ll figure it out together” are mottoes for Danny and Nora. These principles inspire them as they struggle through challenges and help their children of all ages to navigate the bitter and the sweet. As a couple, they continue to learn how much God strengthens them as the years roll by—27 and counting!
Nora‘s first mission has always been at the homefront, as a wife and as a mother of nine. Her own mom, Judy Raye, set a beautiful example and cheers her on from Heaven!
Since moving to the country, homeschooling has been a mission for both Danny and Nora. Instead of seeking a hefty paycheck from a fast-paced job in the Washington, D.C. area, they opted for a simpler life. They work at balancing subsistence ranching and gardening (and their budget!) with investing time together at Hvit Ama Glen (their rural Missouri home place). On starry nights or woodsy walks—blanketed with snow or greening pastures beside rushing creeks…most anytime of the year, it can truly feel like paradise. But even when it’s not—they’ve learned to keep taking one more step in the right direction.
Before meeting Danny, Nora taught grade school in Fairbanks, Alaska. However, her favorite pastimes include art and literature with an emphasis on home design and decor, writing poetry, and reading aloud from favorite authors like George MacDonald.
Nora’s heartbeat is hospitality, ever seeking ways to turn the home they call “The Glen” into a get-away for weary pilgrims (sometimes themselves)! Nora is involved in women’s ministries through her local church and a nearby military installation. She supports her husband from home when he travels for speaking opportunities, though he’s often joined by various members of the family—sometimes the whole tribe. And what a tribe to lead!
That being said, the hardest person to lead is yourself. The key to “Leading with Liberty,” is first learning to discipline yourself and then modeling that for others. For Nora, this means staying immersed in God’s Word while remaining connected to herself and the people in her own household. From that framework, she hopes to reach her community and beyond. Nora’s story is still being told, but as a believer in Christ, she knows how it’s going to end—happily ever after!
