We bought a house in Marion and moved December 1961. One of our neighbors invited Patti, Tony and me to attend church with her and her two girls. Patti was 4 and Tony was 2. So we began attending church regularly.
When Patti was in kindergarten, I helped teach her Sunday School class. The next year the lead teachers moved to a church closer to their home. I inherited the class and taught it with a helper until Patti was a junior in high school.
We attended church services after Sunday School. Patti and Tony grew up sitting in the second pew. They told me if they had to go to church, they wanted to sit so they could see the pastor. Usually no one sat in the first pew so they had a good view of the pastor.
We didn't attend any of the extra services. This was my choice because I didn't want to attend without their dad. I did join the choir in 1977. It was a very small choir when I started singing - so small, in fact, that three of us altos sang tenor for several years because we had no one singing tenor. As the choir grew, we were able to return to singing alto.
Fast forward to 1982. I was single and going through a rough time. One particular gal from work would call me. We'd talk and she'd suggest that I turn to Hebrews and read it. Every time I opened my Bible, it opened to James. So she said I should read James. She encouraged me and helped me a lot by her friendship.
I became more active in church taking many Bible study classes. I continued singing in choir and also began ringing in handbell choir. Both groups were very supportive and I loved the music.
During this time, I discovered that God used me, even in my brokenness, to help other women who found themselves suddenly single. Sometimes what I said to others were the words I needed to hear. I felt very blessed to be used to help others, all the while growing in my faith.
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