A Song Restored
CHARLETTE RAGUDOS
Growing up on the island of Oahu, my exposure to music came at a very early age. I grew up in a setting where my singing was used at every family function, and that gave me a sense of worldly validation. I was constantly told to sing by my parents at every big celebration, and in turn, I’d receive money and acceptance from people with whom I had no relationship. Singing was something I loved to do, but singing for the world quickly became a chore rather than a gift.
As I grew older, I realized my love for music became a way for me to express myself, and how singing really carried me through some of the darkest seasons of my life.
On Christmas Eve of 2021, I was sexually assaulted, and the result of this left me in the worst condition I had ever been in. In the aftermath, I struggled heavily with PTSD, drinking, and sexual immorality. I was searching desperately to fill a God-shaped void in my heart.
When I came to LC3 in 2022, God met me through community. I found places to belong and heal through ministries like Cadence, Reboot, W2Connect, and eventually the Worship Arts Team. It was there that worship transformed my relationship with both God and music. No longer was I singing for approval—I was singing to the Lord.
Singing about God and to God has filled parts of me I didn’t know needed to be filled and helped me release pain I had carried for years. Being part of LC3’s Worship Arts ministry has given me purpose to share not just my love for music, but my love for God with my community. God has given me confidence, rooted in His calling not in performance, to lead my community in encountering Him, and I am deeply honored to use the gift He placed in me to serve my church family and to further His kingdom.
Growing up on the island of Oahu, my exposure to music came at a very early age. I grew up in a setting where my singing was used at every family function, and that gave me a sense of worldly validation. I was constantly told to sing by my parents at every big celebration, and in turn, I’d receive money and acceptance from people with whom I had no relationship. Singing was something I loved to do, but singing for the world quickly became a chore rather than a gift.
As I grew older, I realized my love for music became a way for me to express myself, and how singing really carried me through some of the darkest seasons of my life.
On Christmas Eve of 2021, I was sexually assaulted, and the result of this left me in the worst condition I had ever been in. In the aftermath, I struggled heavily with PTSD, drinking, and sexual immorality. I was searching desperately to fill a God-shaped void in my heart.
When I came to LC3 in 2022, God met me through community. I found places to belong and heal through ministries like Cadence, Reboot, W2Connect, and eventually the Worship Arts Team. It was there that worship transformed my relationship with both God and music. No longer was I singing for approval—I was singing to the Lord.
Singing about God and to God has filled parts of me I didn’t know needed to be filled and helped me release pain I had carried for years. Being part of LC3’s Worship Arts ministry has given me purpose to share not just my love for music, but my love for God with my community. God has given me confidence, rooted in His calling not in performance, to lead my community in encountering Him, and I am deeply honored to use the gift He placed in me to serve my church family and to further His kingdom.
Recent
Archive
2026
2025
January
2024
February
June
September
November
2023
February
No Comments