The Church that Built Me

Linworth Road Church, where I go, just sent a new church plant to the Short North, an are of Columbus, Ohio. A church plant is a new church. For some reason, it made me think about how the church has helped me grow, spiritually. I just think this is so cool! Here are some ways that the church has invested in me. I'm sure there are many more that I can't think of & many more people who've done something I can't think of. I'm not going to even try to think of all the ways that my parents have taught me things. That would probably be a never-ending list! It's cool how, throughout my life, my parents & the church worked together to raise me to be a godly woman.

I remember, as a kid, crawling under the pews, waiting for mom in choir practice.

I had my 1st (unofficial) mentor in middle school, Joanna Bryden (Ribbens). I remember going into an empty sunday school room & praying with her.

I was anointed for the 1st time in high school. I'd never experienced anything like it before, so it kind of scared me, in a way. My mom was using Pastor Chris Old's computer in his office, so I ran to her.

I remember 1 time, my mom & I were at the edge (hs youth group) for a parent thing for the high school students (my bro was there). It was in the old youth room. That's the 1st time I remember mom explaining to me why people raise their hands in worship.

Dad was in charge of the lighting. A few times, I helped with the manual spotlight before we got ones that hang from the ceiling.

I was at the ground-breaking of the new wing of the church.

I was in a co-op there, Linworth Road Academy, when I was homeschooled.

My parents baptized me there when I was 12.

Chris Old has a gift of mercy and helped me through a lot of hard times in high school. He helped me start to develop my gift of mercy.

Not knowing it, Melody Marshall (Bryden), encouraged me to be more expressive in worship by raising my hands. She did that ALL the time! I remember I thought she was cool and wanted to do that. I prayed and started doing it.

The worship band (Kimball, Christine, Chris Homan, Micah Powers) that taught me to worship expressively, lead me in worship through high school, till now, when they just left on the church plant.

Krista bryden encouraged me with hard things that I went through in high school.

Lance Foulis, Krista Bryden, & Chris O. encouraged me by complimenting me on my poetry a lot.

In high school, I met Annie Scott, who I'm still friends w/.

Lance was like a bro to me when I was in high school.

Lindz Hearon & Bonnie Buckeye were my good friends in high school. Lindz & I use to "dance" to "How Great Thou Art."

In early high school, I was in a small group led by Kelly Faler & Sandy Benton. One of them encouraged us girls to write down at least 3 things every day that we're thankful for. The leader got the idea from Roz Short, I think. I had a hard time keeping up w/that for years. Now, I do it pretty consistently.

Casey Clemente was just an encouraging woman of God.

By setting examples, Tom Short & my mom taught me to be bold in ministering to people.

At LT, a conference, I learned & practiced confrontational evangelism & heard God speak to me for the 1st time. That was my 1st time away from home for a week at a time. It was also my 1st time seeing the ocean, which inspired a poem about it.

One time at the edge, Kimball encouraged the high school students to evangelize after he did a sermon on it. The following day, I led a friend, Ting, to Christ. I'd been witnessing to her for a while. A couple years later, I baptized her. We served together in the children's ministry for a yr.

Dale reinforced a couple of manners in me while I was in high school. The leaders of Linworth have always encouraged attendees to have regular quiet times w/God. I think I was in middle school when Dale encouraged us to do so. For some reason, that convinced me to do that. Since, I try to have regular quiet times w/God. I try to do it daily, but I'm not perfect.

One day, I was going through something. I went to the edge, tried to hide my emotions, but Julz Whittenburg (Spain) saw past my attempted mask & we talked for a while.

In high school, we met a few times a yr w/the youth groups of our sister churches in & around cbus to worship together. That was always very encouraging.

I got to know my former mentor, Amy Buchan, at the edge.

Chris Old helped me to lead Britt to Christ. I'd been witnessing to her off & on for about 10 yrs. He encouraged me in my ability to witness.

Nate Clemente encouraged me in my ability to speak Spanish in college.

In college, I was in Becca & Romy's huge small group. It was the best I'd been in. Becca confronted me 1 time about talking too much & not letting others talk (someone had to! lol). That taught me leadership skills.

I went on an encouraging camping trip with Alive.

Through talking to Chris Old & having my 1st boyfriend, who I met there, and making mistakes in our short dating relationship, I believe in a much healthier method of dating. Chris helped me a lot through the break up.

I grew a lot spiritually & in my prayer life when I changed from Alive, the college group, to Becoming, the young adult group. Alive was going through leadership transition & I was ready for a change. I experienced even more community in the new small group. I learned the hard way to be even more transparent with my small group than usual. I got to know Faith, who's the best mentor I've had. I've built a good friendship with Sherrie, who I met there.

In middle school, I assisted in sunday school. I now teach the pre-school sunday school.

At the Good Friday service in '10, I called God, Daddy, for the 1st time without thinking about it.

I have friendships with some older (not that old, just older than me) women: Kay Sales, Susan Stetz, Erin Hendricks, Jan Price, Cathy Klouda, Janet Homan, Sue Clemente, Marcie Old, Lucy Shade, & Dotty Young. Many young women my age don't have that.

David Root was a leader in the middle school group when I was in it. Now, we're in the same small group.

Mike Alm use to help in the edge in my early yrs in high school. I now teach his daughter, Mykenna.

I was in the Honz Bronson (musical) choir as a kid. I've been in the annual Christmas choir for a couple years.

A few of my peers are now missionaries in America & Khazakstan.

I'm very close to the Donahues & Stifflers. Dad was roomies with Uncle Tim & Uncle Dave in college. Our families have been family ever since. They're closer to me than my biological family.

I feel so blessed to have grown up at Linworth & now be able to give back to it by serving.

Teaching Sunday School

I taught preschool sunday school at Quest Community Church & loved it. I was really able to call that class my own. I remember being encouraged by the kids' growth & learning things I taught them. When I got in the children's ministry at Linworth, I wasn't sure I'd have time to teach & that position was filled. I waited for about a yr for an opening, while helping in the 1s/2s. I didn't particularly love it, but it was ok. God is so good. This position didn't open until my school decreased from full time to part time so that I have time. I'm a little rusty, but I look forward to improving & being able to call it my own class, watch the kids grow, learn, & learn with them.

Before teaching, I'd helped so I could see how the class was run & how to teach it. When preparing for my 1st time teaching today, I spent a little over an hour planning it. I only planned for the activities that I'd seen the kids do & an extra activity which involved puppetry, which the other teacher wishes she could remember to do. I looked forward to getting back into puppetry as I did that at Grace Point Community Church.

During class today, at 10:30, I saw that the parents could come anytime between then and 10:45, the latest that the service usually gets out. We were just finishing up the last activity. I thought they could play for that extra time. Well, the service ran even later, until 5 till 11, 10 extra minutes. I really didn't want the kids to play the whole time, although it wouldn't have hurt. I wanted to do something more meaningful. I also noticed it was too quiet. The kids were being kids, but there wasn't any background noise, which I need. I looked for a CD, but there wasn't 1 that only had music on it. I'll have to look for it later. That's 1 thing I used a lot at Quest. I always had the CD player on except for during the lesson & prayer. The kids are use to singing a Bible song as they pass the Bible around. The kid who has it when the song stops takes it to the teacher. I know the chorus, but not the verses. I thought my helper might know more. She didn't. We thought the kids could help. They didn't. This is a different song than is in the lesson book. It's an older 1 that another teacher taught everyone. I need to get the words to that song. During clean up time, I missed the "Everybody Clean up" song that I use to play. I played the clean up song on the only CD that I found. Neither my assistant or I knew that version. I taught the kids that when they get too noisy, I'll clap and they have to repeat it. It worked! Next, I need to implement the only-talk-when-you-have-the-ball thing. So, for next month, the next time I teach, I'm going to have to plan for some extra activities in case we have time.

I learned several days ago that just because a cat's in the room, it doesn't mean he sees all the other pets in that room. Pumpkin had been in the living room almost every time We took Oro out there. I decided to Pumpkin Oro by carrying her over to him & making her look at him. Boy, she was even more mad than Maggie! I'd also never seen Oro mad. Apparently, he hadn't seen her much. I forgot that he'd seen Maggie through the window before he came inside. I don't know how we're going to introduce him to Cuddles since she doesn't like to be picked up. Maggie goes back & forth between being ok with Oro & being mad. By ok, I mean not mad, but she doesn't like him.

I forget if I mentioned in my previous post that Oro's not neutered yet. My parents learned & taught me that if we pet Oro a lot, he'll stop his loud meowing in the middle of the night!

It's been about a month since I put the soft paws of Oro. They're starting to fall off, like they're suppose to.

I'm still getting use to how blogger works. The description for this pic is at the bottom.



Maggie is now fine w/Oro in the living room. It's only when he's in her room (my room) that she has a problem. My vet said part of Maggie's problem w/Oro might be that he's not neutered. Even though she's spayed, she might sense his hormones. My vet said she might improve when Oro's neutered. He's getting neutered Thurs. We're really looking forward to that because now, he meows very loudly at night. He was alternating rooms, but he has to stay in my parents' room at night now so that I can sleep. We think his meowing is because he needs to mate. Also, he doesn't like to be alone. When in my parents' room & their not in there, he sometimes meows even more.

We've known that he's longer than any other cat we've seen, so I measured him and compared it to Pumpkin. He's 19 inches long. She's 17 inches.

Oro on the windowsill, showing how long he is.

Maggie's progress

Yesterday, Maggie didn't hiss and her ears were erect (like they are when she's happy or in a neutral mood) when mom held Oro in the living room. She only hissed when she saw him in her room (mine). We're making progress!

Oro likes a toy

Last night, Maggie was able to be in my room. Oro was in my parents' room. Maggie was back to her normal self, not desperately wanting out of my room. She thoroughly enjoyed being able to go in & out of my room & has enjoyed it today.

She still smells him.




She smells him. Her tail's up. She's mad.

She's starting to smell him on the yarn. He played w/it 1st. I'm not sure if she's wagging her tail b/c she's playing or b/c she's mad.



As much as Maggie hates Oro, she has something in common w/him. the only toy they both like is yarn.


He stole the yarn from me.

So he prefers it to be dangled.


I don't think he knows to chase it.









He likes it!

I'm not sure why blogger rotated these. When I downloaded them, they were vertical. Last night, I introduced Oro to a new toy, the good, old fashioned yarn! The yarn in these pix is the color of the carpet, so it's hard to see. Here, he's checking it out, not sure what it is.

Middle of wk 2 of Oro being in the house

I'm writing often because if I don't, I'll forget what I want to write by the time I get to it. A couple nights ago, dad said that when Polly was in my parents' room w/Oro, Polly laid next to the side of the bed, nose facing the corner. Oro laid next to the other side of the bed, also, nose facing the same corner that Polly's nose was facing. They stayed that way for a while.

We tried having Oro in my parents room for 2 nights/days at a time. That didn't work. Pumpkin wanted in the room and got upset. We're back to every other day/night.

For the past couple of days, mom's been holding Oro in the living room while I hold Maggie so she'll face him for 5 mins. 1/2 the time when I look and call for her when I just want to give her attention, she doesn't come. I looked for her more today and found her under our chair in the living room with the skirt. I think since she doesn't know when Oro will be out, she hides from him under there!

I introduced Oro to the brush for his fur. He's not a fan.

Week 2 of Oro being in the house

The 2nd week of Oro being in the house started Fri. Mom or dad have been holding him in the living room for at least 5 min a day while I hold Maggie. It seems like she's going to be the last thing preventing Oro from being able to roam the house. The other pets don't mind when he's in the living room. I talked to my vet yesterday about Oro & Maggie. He reminded me to not give Oro any privileges that another cat is use to having. Even though, I've been trying to spend as much time as possible with Maggie while Oro was in my room, she wasn't able to be in my room whenever she wanted & wasn't able to sleep with me or sit on my lap while I study. My parents & I decided to put Oro in their room every other day/night. That way, Maggie & Pumpkin (mom's cat) can adjust to having a new cat in their rooms while having access to the rooms 1/2 the time. We put Oro in my parents' room. Pumpkin stayed on the dresser while Oro was on the bed. This was ok for a little bit. Pumpkin didn't like it, but didn't start hissing for a bit. I think this was Pumpkin's 1st time hissing at Oro/his smell. When Polly, our dog, went in the room, she jumped on the bed, as usual, & was surprised to see Oro there, but she adjusted. It didn't bother her much. Pumpkin has to stay out of the room while Oro's in there unless my parents are in their with them to help them adjust. I had to clean my room (replace bed clothes, vacuum, & mop the wood floor to get rid of any ear mites that might still be alive) before putting Maggie in there. I closed the door with Maggie in my room while I put new bed clothes on the bed. Usually, that's Maggie's favorite. She loves playing with the sheets when I replace them. All she wanted was to get out of the room. She stayed at the door, meowing. I had to carry her around the room. She hissed at Oro's smell. I don't think she slept with me last night, but this morning, she came in. We're now back to her coming in my room & laying on my bed asking for attention & giving it while I study. I held Oro in my parents room, then held Maggie. She hissed at his smell on me. My vet reminded me that it can take cats up to a month to adjust to a new pet in the house. We're going to have to continue to alternate days/nights with Oro being in my parents' & my room. We knew Maggie would be the hardest to adjust. Our other cat, Cuddles, doesn't care about Oro.

By the way, Oro likes closets. Also, to test his smartness, when my friend, Lisa, came over. I had her say his name. He perked up. Now, we know he knows his name!