Jon Ruby

I wasn’t expecting this one to come up today. This will be tough…

How we met:

I met Jon Ruby when we moved up here to Ottawa. I think that I heard him before I actually saw him. “Hey! Hey! Aaahioooohey! Whooooo!”- I’m pretty sure these are the first words I ever heard from Jon.

Three things I appreciate about Jon:

1. In Jon’s mind it is just him and Jesus. I’d love to see what the world looks like through Jon’s eyes.

2. Jon is relentless in his love for the lost. I couldn’t even begin to touch the tip of the iceberg in a single post of what a blessing and impact Jon is on this city and the people here. He is truly anointed and the Lord is using him in a huge way. Much more than any of us really know, I’m sure.

3. Jon is a huge testimony of the power of the Holy Spirit in someone’s life. You want to know if God has the power to completely transform someone, and not just transform them but use them for amazing things in a way so radical it’s reminiscent of the change that took place on the road to Damascus? Spend some time with Jon Ruby.

My favorite memory of Jon:

A memory of Jon that I will probably never forget was from a weekend that we spent in Montreal. We stayed in a very strange house that we had rented for the weekend. When we walked in, without hesitation, Jon looked around for a minute and in Jon volume(which is always really really loud) he yelled, “This place looks like the inside of a crackhead’s brain!” Once we got settled into the crackhead’s brain of a house, Jon, myself, and a few other had to leave to go to the airport to pick up Kristian Landry who was flying in from Toronto. His flight didn’t get in until 2am, which gave Jon more than enough time to get restless. After we picked up Kristian Jon wanted to swing by McDonald’s to grab a late night snack. As we pulled up to the window, all of us a little hungry, Jon looked around the van an counted. There were six of us. Again, without hesitation(because that is how Jon does everything) or consulting with the rest of us, he yells to the drive through speaker on behalf of us all, “We want 12 Big Macs!!!… and an ice cream sundae.”  “We don’t have any ice cream right now,” they said. I won’t tell you what happened next but let’s just say it was an interesting night. I love Jon and I am honored to be his brother and friend. I know that there are many others who share the same feelings I do.

Joann “Grandma” Howard

How we met:

Well, Ryan and I first met Joann aka Grandma when we started hanging out with the Nelson family. Actually, Jim and Gina were building an addition onto their home for Grandma at the time so she hadn’t even moved in yet. But hanging out over at the Nelson house, you always wind up in Grandma’s place, sitting on her couch and chatting. And she has a cat that can actually talk to you. I swear. I’ve heard it. It’s awesome.

Three things I appreciate about Joann:

1. I love that even though we are in no way related, she’s my surrogate Grandma. She’s everyone’s Grandma! She loves on you. She encourages you. She makes you laugh. You are always welcome in Grandma’s place. And she truly has a crown of wisdom upon her head.

2. Her Southern drawl. I love it. She’s got the sweetness of the South upon her tongue and the dignified tone of a thousand aromatic orange blossoms when she speaks. You just can’t help but smile when she talks to you.

3. Her love for her family and extended family (those not blood related to her). She loves everyone. She loves being around the children and treats my children like they belong to her. To her, family seems to be the biggest strength in life apart from her love for the Lord.

My favorite memory of Joann:

When I think of Grandma it reminds me of Titus  2:3-5. She’s a woman, set apart for the gospel of salvation, and she’s always encouraging and admonishing us younger women to love our husbands, love our children and to love the Lord. But my favorite memory, maybe the one that always sticks out in my mind when I think of Grandma, is 4th of July a few years ago when Johnny was 18 months old. We were over at the Nelsons for a pool party and there were just tons of people there. Grandma was drinking a coke and she asked me if Johnny could have a sip. Of course, I hadn’t let Johnny have anything sugary to drink yet except for watered down juice. So I politely smiled at Grandma and said, “No, he’s not old enough yet.” And she just smiled at me and said, “It’s just a little sugar.” I laughed. Grandma is just so sweet, always full of sugar ready to make people smile. And that is my favorite memory of Joann – she is so full of life!

Chuck Ankrom

How we met:

I’ve known Chuck as long as I can remember.

Three things I appreciate about Chuck:

1. Despite living in a house with all girls, Chuck has managed to maintain the man that he is. Sure, no doubt he’s been the guest to countless ballets and tea parties but he has been able to persevere. I admire Chuck’s manliness.

2. Chuck is a fisherman. I like guys who fish because I like to fish. There is a special bond that develops when you spend a day on the water with someone.

3. I know he doesn’t need encouragement with this, but Chuck won’t let a bad back stop him. I’ve seen this countless times with him, probably way more that Monica would like. I’ve seen him play softball as hard as Pete Rose with a back that has to be excruciating on the inside. It’s not the “play through pain” craziness that I admire about him, it’s the mentality that he isn’t gonna let something stop him from getting the job done. Not even something that would, and should, have any normal person at home on their back.

My favorite memory of Chuck:

Like I said, I’ve known Chuck as long as I can remember. We’ve watched countless Super Bowls together, swam, fished, played football, baseball, and softball together. Broke bread and some other things together. However, I think one of my favorite memories, since I have to pick one, is the time that we played airsoft at a construction site of some new townhomes in Tarpon. We had a big group of guys and were spread out over two huge buildings in mid-construction. It was as close you can get to real life Call of Duty without enlisting. We played a bit more that summer but I don’t think we ever matched that game. I look forward to the future and getting some more time in with Chuck on the diamond or in the water, or better yet, both.

Joey Lundahl

How we met:

I met Joey at his house when he and his mom and sisters moved to Palm Harbor about 13 years ago. Joey was just a child then and his first words to me were, “I be you don’t love the Supertones as much as I do.” We agreed that this was probably true and went on to play video games for a while. That was my first meeting with Joey.

Three things I appreciate about Joey:

1. Joey makes me and other people laugh, as seen in his Facebook album, “The Harborsiderz: ‘Where Are They Now?‘”

2. Joey has been a really good friend to me and my brother for a long time. He’s one of the guys that is just a fixture of my growing up and is another person that I can go a year without seeing and when we do see each other it’s as if no time has gone by.

3. Joey is a solid musician. I knew he would be great when he and Cory would play N’Sync songs in the bedroom all hours of the night.

My favorite memory of Joey:

I have many good memories of Joey but some of my favorite times were playing foosball with Greg. We shared some good moments on the disc golf course, in Mexico, at CIY, and in the backwoods of Clearwater. I feel like Joey is a brother and although I don’t see him as often as I’d like I am thankful that I know him.

 

Doug Newland

How we met:

Doug was my youth pastor when I was growing up. I remember my parents having him over for dinner when he took the position at Harborside. For a 12 year old who’s whole world revolves around baseball, it was huge that my new youth pastor played ball in college. I was so pumped when Doug and Kerri showed up and I know it was God who brought them there.

Three things I appreciate about Doug:

1. Doug is the reason that I wanted to get involved in ministry. I remember looking up to him when I was in high school and seeing the impact that he had on my life and the lives of my friends and I wanted to take on that role in others lives.

2. I’ve always watched and admired Doug with his wife and how he was with his girls. I haven’t seen them since they were super young but I know that they are lucky and blessed to have the dad that they do and I know that Kerri feels the same.

3. Doug was definitely one of my mentors growing up. He was with me through a whole load of stuff and was a solid source of encouragement as well as a solid pointer to reality when I needed it. I’m very thankful for him and I don’t know if he realizes the amount of lives he has had an impact on.

My favorite memory of Doug:

Again, I have many awesome memories of Doug. I was fortunate to spend a lot of time with him over the span of 6 years or so. We have a lot of good memories and some not so good(shaving his head, which I still claim my innocence, or at least not as guilty as I was made out to be) but I think my favorite memory of Doug was when we were leaving for a week long trip right after Kaylee was born. Doug had a lot going on at the moment. We were actually in the process of loading into the buses. He was in charge of a huge group spread out over two huge buses and we were ready to pull out of the church parking lot when he realized that he lost the picture of Kaylee that he was planning on bringing. I don’t remember exactly but I think she was just born. Doug flipped out and everything was put on hold until the picture was found. Thinking back it reminds me of the parable in Matthew 18 of the man with 100 sheep. When he loses one he leaves the other 99 and goes into the mountains to find the one. He puts it all on hold. Doug is like this. When someone would go astray, he would go out of his way to find out what was up. I remember spending countless lunches with Doug in my high school cafeteria. I thank God for Doug and although we aren’t necessarily serving together I am encouraged to know that there are men like Doug on the front lines of this fight and I can’t wait to worship with him in heaven.

Jim Robinson

How we met:

I met Jim Robinson about fourteen or fifteen years ago. Times were simpler then. Gentle Ben was in diapers and all that mattered to Chris and I were that we could get email addresses with the number 182 in them. Through these times one of our constants was Jim Robinson. Jim and Marcella lived in Lutz at the time and although they have moved around the state quite a bit I have always felt that I have had a home in the town they lived in.

Three things I appreciate about Jim:

1. Jim is another one of those guys that, whether or not he knows it, has played a big role in my life. I mentioned a while back in a blog post about how much I appreciate and love my dad and that I realize how fortunate I am to have the relationship I do with him. At the same time, my life has been filled with men that I look up to. Jim is one of those men.

2. Jim is a great father and you can see that in the lives of his kids. He is also a great husband and I look up to him for that. Chris and Ben are really brothers to me and Frank, some call her Mary, is my seester and I am so thankful for them.

3. One reason that I love Chris, Frank, and Ben so much is their humor. They got their humor from their dad. Jim is a very funny guy. I’m kind of laughing right now thinking about the voice he is going to be reading this in.

My favorite memory of Jim:

Again, I have a lot of very cherished memories with Jim. Some of my favorite times was when Chris and I would visit Jim, Marcella, and Ben. Whether it was in Tallahassee, Gainesville, Stuart, or in Palm Harbor, we would have so much fun. I have memories of camping in Georgia, Ben washing the towel in Tallahassee or when we would visit Wakulla Springs. However, I think my favorite memory of Jim Robinson was when he volunteered to chaperone our youth group to CIY one year and he made the decision to be baptized. I remember at the time thinking of the boldness that took in the moment and really looking up to him for that. I am excited for the chance to live close to Jim and Marcella again and building on our relationship.

Alan Gilman

How we met:

Alan is the first person I met after our move to Ottawa. Alan and his family had just began attending Calvary Ottawa the week before we arrived and he wanted to grab lunch with the pastor and I was lucky enough to come along. This would be my first glimpse into the world of Gilman.

Three things I appreciate about Alan:

1. I love the way Alan loves his family. For those of you that don’t know, Alan and his wife Robin have 10 kids. Every one of those kids is a blessing and an obvious result of the solid parenting and love that come from Alan and Robin. Rachel and I have been extremely encouraged by the example that the Gilmans set and have had many conversations about how we want our family to be like the Gilmans as our kids grow up.

2. Alan is incredible with encouragement. His encouragement is thoughtful, realistic, biblical, and with love. Alan doesn’t always tell you what you want to hear but I’ve found that he will always tell you what you need to hear and a friend like that is invaluable.

3. Alan makes himself available for people and goes out of his way. He is a mentor, he is wise, he is fatherly, and he has a beard. I am very thankful to call Alan friend.

My favorite memory of Alan:

Over the past year Alan and I have been meeting for breakfast on Wednesday mornings. I have really cherished these breakfasts and the wisdom and counsel that has been passed on and the fruit that has come from these times. We have spent a lot of time together but these one on one times have really felt like a gift that I will never forget.

 

 

Danica Roberson

How we met:

This is Rachel, posting this one I met Danica at church. Specifically at Youth Group. I remember it was when we were meeting in the crowded back room before it became Brett’s office and we were passing around a sheet so everyone would write in their birthdays. I remember Danica’s birthday was coming up in October and she sure let everyone know! I’m pretty sure she also said something about my shoes one time. And you know a girl appreciates that!

Three things I appreciate about Danica:

1. Firstly, I love how she is herself. She doesn’t care what other people think or care about her. She is who she is, boldly! Her individuality. Her expressions. What an admirable character in young lady. Especially how she doesn’t back down from who she is in Christ. And that she’s a mean shot on the range!

2. Her honesty and openness.

3. Her smile. Whenever I see her, she’s always got a smile on her face. No matter what kind of day I’ve had or she’s had, she’s always greets you with the warmest smile and a hug.

My favorite memory of Danica:

I don’t have a specific memory per se, but more or an large memory. I have had the wonderful opportunity to watch Danica grow in her faith.  I’ve seen some of the opportunities and some of the challenges come up in her life and to watch her respond based on what bible says is the right way to act and making decisions based on who she is in Christ. She is growing up rooted and grounded, and that is my favorite bigger memory (kind of an ongoing memory) of Danica! And her fudge rules.

Kent Monnier

How we met:

I don’t want to sound rude but I seriously don’t remember the first time we met. Sorry man. Maybe it was due to the fact that I was just an infant…(Kent is my uncle and is a LOT older than I am)

Three things I appreciate about Kent:

1. Kent is the definition of handy man. He has taught many things that I have been able to use again and again in life. Things from changing a spark plug to changing out brakes, building a rope swing to making a counter top level. If I were stranded on an island and had to build a permanent home from scratch I’d like to have Kent there.

2. Kent is a fisherman and a good one at that. I miss our days fishing at the beach and can’t wait to do it again one day.

3. Kent is an adventurer. I admire the fact that Kent gets passionate about something and takes it on. There is not anything that is too big or unachievable in his eyes. That’s a good trait to have.

My favorite memory of Kent:

Kent and I used to wrestle all the time, from as far back as I could remember. And Kent always whooped me and shamefully got me to cry out “Uncle!” on many occasions. I’m still waiting for that rematch, now though, Kent. Whenever you are ready…

Although wrestling was fun and a cherished memory of my childhood, I think my fondest memories of Kent was the few months when I would pick him up for church on Sunday mornings and we’d ride together. I have some good memories of our conversations and looking back that was just a sweet time.

I love you, brother. I hope all is good out in the good ole west and that you and Josh are taking good care of each other. Your family misses you guys. I miss you guys. Hopefully see you soon.

Doug Sprunt

How we met:

The first time I met Doug was in August of last year on my first visit to Ottawa with Brett Robinson. Brett and I went for coffee with Andy Falleur and Doug.  Doug talked and Brett, Andy, and I sat in awe of the almost tangible cloud of wisdom projecting from Mr Sprunt.

Three things I appreciate about Doug:

1. It’s hard being away from home and especially hard being away from my dad. Although I don’t get to spend as much time with Doug as I’d like, when I do I feel like I get a dose of fatherly love and wisdom that I lack from being away from home.

2. Doug has an incredible heart for others. When you interact with Doug or watch him interact with others you can’t help but notice how important other people are to him. Doug is one of those “give their right arm to help their brother” types of people.

3. Doug is a great encourager. He has often gone out of his way to say something nice to me and for that I am very thankful.

My favorite memory of Doug:

Back when the ground was white and the bears were hibernating our church had a men’s overnight in a sweet cabin out in the woods. It was an awesome setting with awesome guys and awesome food(if I do say so myself). There was a moment when all of the men were in a room together and sharing about our Father’s love for us. We were talking about His patience and forgivenesssharing about a variety of things that men can share when women aren’t around. Of course some of those things are gas related. That’s not the point, though. I remember a moment where we touched on a sensitive issue and needed some true wisdom. At that moment everyone shut up and looked to Doug with expectation. Doug went on to share a very timely, very personal story about his own life and a realization he had as a father himself. Tears and hugs followed but I remember just sitting there and watching the reactions and realizing what a big role Doug, perhaps unknowingly, plays in the lives of many men. I thank God for Doug and who he is and I’m honored to call him brother and friend. I think everyone could benefit from a friendship with Doug.