RUBY:
How
long
have
you
attended
Troy
United
Methodist
Church?
Deb:
13 years
RUBY:
What
drew
you
to
this
church?
Deb:
I grew up in the Methodist Church. When my family moved to Glen
Carbon in 2000, I knew I wanted to raise my children in the Methodist
church. One Sunday I visited TUMC by myself; I had a 1-year old on
my hip and a 3-1/2 year old under my feet. I must have looked
desperate (or sleep deprived), because as soon as I walked thru the
front door I was greeted by Tim Price. He immediately introduced me
to other moms and by the end of the service I had a fist-full of
phone numbers and I was enrolled in the church’s MOPS group! (I
need to add that the music filled my soul and I was hooked!)
RUBY:
Which
service
do
you
typically
attend?
Deb:
9:30am
RUBY:
Share
a
favorite
Bible
verse
and/or
inspirational
song,
and
why
this
is
a
favorite.
Deb:
The spirit really moves me through music. I love Word
of God Speak by MercyMe
– it touches my soul and brings tears to my eyes each and every
time I hear it. There are a lot of different Bible verses that speak
to me at the perfect moments in life. One verse that I try to apply
to my life daily is “As water reflects the face, so a man’s heart
reflects the man.” Proverbs 27:19 NIV
RUBY:
Tell us about your involvement at Troy UMC and/or the community.
Deb:
Oh my…I think I have tried about every committee & activity
offered at church…from Preschool Board to VBS to Sanctuary Prep and
Computer Data Entry. I even had a few failures, like Munch &
Ministry. I am not a coffee drinker, so making the perfect pot of
coffee stressed me out. I asked to quit that assignment early! And
one year I helped team teach the Kindergarten Sunday School class. I
learned quickly that was not my spiritual gift! In fact, that
endeavor brought me to take Deb Inman’s spiritual gifts class…I
have to admit that I have actually taken it twice! I am still
working to find the right fit. I have now settled into the Mission
Team and the Monday Afternoon Women’s Bible Study Group. I
absolutely love the ladies in my Bible study group. I have grown so
much in my faith because of these remarkable women. They are prayer
warriors, survivors and my sisters in Christ. I have hardly missed a
Monday in the past nine years!
As
for my current community involvement, I work part-time at the
Edwardsville YMCA as the Family Programs Coordinator. (I just
celebrated my one-year anniversary.) Prior to the Y, I was a proud
stay-home mom for 12 years! I am on the Board of Directors at the
Main Street Community Center in Edwardsville. And when I have a free
moment, you can usually find me volunteering at my daughters' school.
RUBY:
Tell
us
about
your
family.
Deb:
I met my husband Patrick in 1990. I lived in St. Louis; he was an
Air Force Officer and pilot living in Southern California. (Our
chance meeting can only be described as a “God Moment”) We dated
long distance for 2-1/2 years and married in 1993. (We celebrated
20-years of marriage this past January!) While in the AF, we lived
in Maryland and California. When my husband separated from Active
Duty, we chose to move back to the Midwest to be near my family. I
grew up in Effingham. (He is from Dallas, TX) We have two beautiful
daughters. Meredith is 16 and Claire is 14. They both attend
Edwardsville High School.
RUBY:
Which historical time period
would you most like to visit, and why?
Deb:
I think I would love to go back to the 1920s and watch my Nana grow
up. I so admired her. She was full of love, humility and
compassion. I wanted to be just like her.
RUBY:
Describe your favorite childhood game.
Deb:
Kick the Can. We had massive games that would last all day…every
kid in my neighborhood would play. I actually taught my daughters and
their friends how to play. (We don’t have great hiding places in
my yard so it didn’t really take off as I had hoped.)
RUBY:
What's the best way to spend a rainy weekend?
Deb:
I am an avid scrapbooker, so I
would like to say I spend rainy weekends being creative. But the
reality is…I am also a compulsive neat freak. So you would
probably find me cleaning and organizing something in my house.
RUBY:
How
may
we
contact
you
in
order
to
make
a
further
connection?
Deb:
E-mail is the best way to catch me – debsellis@sbcglobal.net
