CONNECT: Sarah Clarke

Sarah Clarke and her fiancee, David Jones.

This week, we CONNECT with Sarah Clarke. Sarah recently decided to identify with the Holly Hill church and join with the work here. She and David Jones became engaged in July and have set a wedding date of May 19, 2012. Her parents are Larry and Renita Clarke of Lawrenceburg, where she has lived since she was six months old. She has a sister, Elizabeth. Prior to coming to Holly Hill, Sarah attended Choateville Christian Church, where she was involved in Children’s Church and Nursery, Vacation Bible School, and was a counselor at Camp Calvary in Mackville. She is currently assisting Stephenia Bowman teach a children’s class on Sunday mornings here at Holly Hill.

Sarah recently graduated from the University of Louisville with a degree in Elementary Education and began working for the State of Kentucky on August 1.

What brought you to Holly Hill church of Christ? My future husband, David Jones.

What are your hobbies?Talking, crafting

What special skills or talents do you have (personal or professional)? I am a very good organizer. I also enjoy taking the time to meet and get to know people.

What quality do you most appreciate in another person? Honesty

What man or woman has had the greatest influence on your life (and why)? I would have to say my parents.  They are both wonderful people to look up to, and I know that I would not be the person I am today if it was not for their constant love and guidance.

Who are your favorite entertainers (musicians, actors, etc.)? Rascal Flatts, Adam Sandler, Will Ferrell, Reba McEntire, Chris Tomlin, Casting Crowns

A perfect day for me would include….. Spending the entire day with my closest family and friends, going to the lake/beach and just hanging out by/on the water

What would you consider your greatest achievement? Graduating from college

What items are on your “bucket list”? Go to a Dallas Cowboys football game (in Dallas), traveling around the world, own a home, have 3 children (2 boys and 1 girl), get front row tickets to a concert, buy a Ford Mustang

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Thanks, Sarah, for sharing a little about yourself with us. Let’s all take time to get to know Sarah better as we CONNECT with each other!

CONNECT is a weekly blog designed as a way for us to get to know each other better, build stronger relationships, and make us better equipped to edify one another. These blogs will highlight members of our congregation, either new converts, new members, or highlight other members to help us know each other better.

REACH: The Power Of Hands

-Submitted by Travis Flora

 

Let’s think about hands for a moment. Hands are great and they have many uses. They are also very important tools in getting things done, communicating with other people…and even spreading the Gospel.

For example, consider the hands of a fighter, curled up into a fist. Not very inviting.

There is an open hand, drawn back as if to slap someone. Even if it’s just in jest, it still holds the hint of danger or punishment. Again, not very inviting.

The open hand, palms facing up and extended either alone or in pairs, is often associated with asking, requesting, and even begging. The focus is on the individual and can imply selfishness.

Some people use their hands as a barrier. Their arms are outstretched toward others, but their hands are facing up, like a policeman giving the signal to stop. I call that “arms-length Christianity.” It keeps people away and hinders the true relationship that we should have. We need to make sure we’re not doing this!

But what about if those same hands are turned upward, toward the skies. In football, that means TOUCHDOWN! That’s a good thing. It also represents praise and love of God. It directs our vision upward to greater thoughts and helps affirm our belief that there is a power out there that’s greater than our own.

Now imagine we take those arms, filled with the glory and love of God, and bring them down a bit. Extend them from our sides, palms facing in. What comes to mind? Perhaps a hug. The anticipation of an excited child or someone special running into your arms.

Think about where you’ve seen that arm position. One of the first things a baby learns to do is hold its arms out like that so that it can get a hug or lifted and carried somewhere. A baby’s hug is a call for love, affection, and even help.

As we get older, we never lose the need for the call of those loving arms. We hug our family and friends. We extend our arms like that when we want someone to give us a second chance and to diffuse tense situations.

That hug position, friends, is the symbol of the word REACH. We start by reaching up for God, then continuing that motion by extending our reach to those around us. It can be reaching out to those in physical need, like the Good Samaritan. It can be reaching out to those with emotional needs. More important, it can be reaching out to those in spiritual need, which is all of us.

One of our responsibilities as Christians is to Reach out to those around us. Let’s remind ourselves to always look around and see whose life we can touch and then REACH out to them with those caring hands filled with God’s love.