1. religion and spirituality
2. christianity
3. catholicism

www.sharpumc.org
January, 2015
The Newsletter of Sharp Memorial United Methodist Church
A Stephen Ministry Congregation
email: [email protected]
Phone/fax: 706-379-3210
PO Box 66, Young Harris GA 30582
Volume 32, No. 1
The Pickle Jar
At the beginning of a new year, it's good for us to re-orient ourselves to the
true purpose and meaning of our lives. This story (that I am borrowing)
illustrates the importance of keeping the main thing – the main thing.
A teacher stood before his class and had some items in front of him. When the
class began, wordlessly he picked up a very large and empty pickle jar and
proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was
full. They agreed that it was.
Next the teacher picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He
shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf
balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.
Church Staff
Rev. David Tinsley
Pastor
Michael Ackland
Treasurer
Jim Barker
Director of Ministry Care
Joy H. Breedlove
Administrative Assistant
& Newsletter Editor,
Organist
Pam Leslie
Director of Music
Angela Holloway
Pianist
Tonya Page
Nursery Supervisor
YHC Interns
Logan Gray
Monica Lewis
Then the teacher picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course,
the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The
students responded with an unanimous, "Yes."
"Now," said the teacher, as the laughter subsided, "I want you to recognize
that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things – God,
your family, your church, your health, your friends, ‒ things that if everything
else was lost and only they remained, you would still enjoy life.
The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house, your
bills and your taxes. Now the sand is everything else - the small stuff."
"If you put the sand into the jar first", he continued, "there is no room for the
pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and
energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are
important in life. Always keep before you those precious things that are vital
to you as a human being and do them. Then do the things that have to be
done to be a member of society. The rest is just sand."
Or as Jesus said, “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and
all these things will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33)
For the Kingdom,
~DT
January
Communion
Offering
Our January Communion Offering
will go to the Pastor’s
Discretionary Fund. This is our
“Benevolence” or “Good
Samaritan” fund, used to help
people who turn to the church
seeking financial aid for various
physical needs such as utilities,
medical bills, etc. The poor and
needy are all around us—in our
community, our nation, and the
world. This month, let’s help meet
needs in our own local area, though
the Pastor’s Discretionary Fund.
Sharp Scholars!
Congratulations to our seven Sharp
Scholars for 2015! Through your
generous giving, each student will
receive a $1000 scholarship grant.
Those attending United Methodist
colleges will have the opportunity
to have their grants quadrupled
through the “Dollars for Scholars”
program of the United Methodist
Higher Education Ministry. The
Sharp Scholar program is open to
members in good standing of Sharp
Memorial UMC.
Our Sharp Scholars for the 20152016 academic year are:
Nat Arnold (Young Harris
College)
Brittany Boyer (Young Harris
College)
Roderick Galloway (Young Harris
College)
Allison Page (University of North
Georgia)
Kori Sofield (to be determined senior at Towns County HS)
Ansley Vardeman (University of
Georgia)
Taylor Vardeman (LaGrange
College)
Note of Thanks
The Strain family gratefully
acknowledges the gift of the floral
arrangement (Nov. 30 altar
flowers) to SMUMC and Hospice
by the Altar Guild in memory of
Mary Strain. Your continued
thoughts of her are a blessing and
demonstrate that her loving spirit
continues.
New Staff Member
UMW News
If anyone is interested in joining
one of our five circles, please
contact a member of Sharp
Memorial United Methodist
Women.
January Circle Meetings:
All women are invited to
participate in a Circle. If you
would like more information or to
attend a meeting, please contact the
leaders.
Kim Tigar has been hired as our
new Church Treasurer. For the
month of January, she will be
working with our current
Treasurer, Mike Ackland, in
transition. Kim was born, raised
and has lived in North Carolina all
her life. She and her husband, Jim,
lived in Asheville, where he was a
captain in the Fire Department.
There, Kim worked as an accounttant for Carolina Carpets and the
Country Club of Asheville before
they both retired and moved to
Hayesville. They have a daughter,
Lindsay, who lives and works in
New York City. Kim enjoys
gardening and riding her bicycle.
D.C.E. Update
For our position of Director of
Christian Education, a subcommittee of the Staff Parish
Relations Committee interviewed 3
people, none of whom had any
experience in Christian Education,
as the Job Description requires.
After the interviews, we came to
the conclusion to postpone making
a decision about the position at this
time. The Job Description of the
position was created about 15 years
ago, and we have decided to spend
the next 6 months in examining
and evaluating the needs of our
church.
The Susanna Wesley Circle will
be honoring Melda Davis with a
farewell reception on Wednesday,
January 7, between 10:30 AM and
noon. Everyone is invited to stop
by the Fellowship Hall to wish
Melda well as she and Lewis
prepare to start a new chapter in
their lives. Circle leader is Jenny
Moe (706-379-0998).
The Mary Martha Circle will
meet on Tuesday, January 13 at
10:00 AM in room FH 2/3 at the
church. Circle leaders are Mary
Goodner (706-835-2322) and
Peggy Gregg (706-379-3478).
The Fay Hoag Circle will meet on
Thursday, Jan. 8 at 6:30 PM in
room 202 at the church. Circle
leaders are Patti Kay (706-3793219) and Dian Woodruff (706379-2504)
The Lydia Circle will meet on
Monday, January 19, at 7:00 PM in
room FH 4/5 at the church. Circle
leaders are Melanie Beighley (cell
770-633-3765, home 706-3793575) and Brenda Maynard (706896-5035).
The Ruth Circle will meet on
January 15 at 3:00 PM in room 203
at the church. Circle Leader is
Anne Gilmore (706-896-3141).
Remember our
members&
Please remember those who are
homebound or in nursing homes.
In Brasstown Manor: Hilde
Schaffranke, Harvey and Rachel
Windsor. In Chatuge Nursing
Home: Blanche Anderson, Joan
Perry. In Clay County Care
Center, Hayesville, NC: Ramona
Davidson. In Union Co. Nursing
Home: Mary Evans, Ruth Page,
Nord Nordhielm. In Abernethy
Laurels: Tommie Hancock. At
home: Betty Barlow, Mildred
Dunbrack, Marilyn Gordon,
Sandy Lawyer, Tom McVay.
Memorial Gifts
The Seekers Sunday School class
has donated an anthem in honor of
their teacher, Don Gregg.
Worship Servants
Acolytes
Jan.4 – Drew Sofield
Jan. 11 – Illeana Fontenot
Jan. 18 – Drew Sofield
Jan. 25 - Illeana Fontenot
Crucifer
Coffee Set-up
Jan.4 – Sally and Jim Barker
Jan. 11 – Martha and John Barker
Jan. 18 – Barbara and Bill Coffman
Jan. 25 – Gail and Ron Day
Altar Flowers
Jan. 11 – Bitsy Weber
Jan. 18 – available
Jan. 25 – Jeannie and Dick
Campbell
Please note: the 2015 Flower
Calendar is posted on the
bulletin board outside the
church office. You may sign
up to provide the flowers for
any available date. On
Communion Sundays, flowers
may be placed in the Narthex if
desired.
Nursery Volunteers
8:15 – 10:00 AM
Jan.4 – Kay Muehlhausen
Jan. 11 – Callie Gordon
Jan. 18 – Flo Frasure
Jan. 25 –Linda Riley
Happy Anniversary:
Pam and Tony Leslie – Jan. 6
Anna and Ron Denton – Jan. 11
Krista and Doug Strain – Jan. 25
Welcome, New
Members!
We’ve recently welcomed several
new members to our church family.
10:00 AM – noon
Jan.4 – Elaine Vickers
Jan. 11 – Margaret Miller
Jan. 18 – Linda Rentz
Jan. 25 – Jo Ellen Thornton
Jan. 4 – Kori Sofield
Altar Guild, Jan.
Ushers
Marsha Elliott
8:30 AM service
Jan.4 – Flo and J. A. Swartz
Jan. 11 – Carroll Miller, Jim
Thompson
Jan. 18 – Marsha and Robert Elliott
Jan. 25 – Flo and J. A. Swartz
11:00 AM service
Jan.4 – Joyce Frick, Cherri and
Karl Scharnberg, Nancy
Stevens
Jan. 11 – Jen Angelopulos, Ann
Atchison, Linda and Frank
Riley
Jan. 18 – Joyce Frick, Debbie and
Steve Klotzbier, Nancy Stevens
Jan. 25 – Anne and Jim Gilmore,
Barbara and David Pittman
Jane Ross – Jan. 11
Ward Allen – Jan. 14
Jay Frasure – Jan. 14
Walt Sofield – Jan. 16
Flo Swartz – Jan. 16
George Lansdell – Jan. 17
Ken Turner – Jan. 17
Sarah Morgan – Jan. 19
Linda Riley – Jan. 24
Howard Smrz – Jan. 28
Henry Angelopulos – Jan. 31
Angela Holloway, our new church
pianist, joined Sharp Memorial on
November 9, 2014.
Happy Birthday
to:
Don Housholder – Jan. 2
Marcia Aunspaugh – Jan. 4
Mary Goodner – Jan. 5
Ruth Pleak – Jan. 7
Helen Sturgeon – Jan. 10
Betty Barlow – Jan. 11
Linda Jenkins joined our church
November 23, 2014.
stationed at Parris Island,
Beaufort, SC.
Trent Dyer – Wilson Sayles'
Grandson.
Please remember in your thoughts and
SSG David B. Edwards – Don
prayers all of the men and women in our Gregg’s nephew, USAF, Nevada.
armed forces stationed all over this
CAPT Sean Flynn – US Air
world, keeping our country safe and
Force, Charlotte Bunnell’s
free, along with the civilians who are
grandson, McGuire Air Force
there to support them.
Base, New Jersey.
LTjg Bentley Foster – US Navy,
Especially we remember:
serving on board the USS Howard
Mailyn Ayala – Roy Wright’s
out of San Diego. Anne and Jim
niece, US Army.
Gilmore’s grandson
SSG Jimmy Barker – US Army,
Jim & Sally Barker’s son,
SGT Dustin R. Gammill. –
stationed in Vincenza, Italy
USMC, Jenny Moe’s niece’s
SFC Ron Barker – US Army,
husband, Naval Air Station in Ft.
John & Martha Barker’s son,
Worth, Texas.
stationed at Ft. Hood, Texas.
LCPL Brent Jones – USMC,
PFC Charlie Bell – Nancy & Paul
returned from Pakistan, now
Bundy’s grandson, stationed at
serving as a recruiter.
Garmisch, Germany.
David Junghans – US Army,
Jared Blackburn – Army Special
nd
Afghanistan.
Forces, on his 2 tour in
PVT Michael Ledford – Ruth
Afghanistan. Brenda Maynard’s
Heusel’s grandson, back in the
cousin.
USA.
Alec Blackmon, Airman FC –
Lt. Col Scott Wesley Lerdon –
home from Afghanistan. Brenda &
US Air Force Reserves, deployed
Charlie Maynard’s grandson-into Guam. Bobbie and Wes
law.
Lerdon’s son.
SSGT Jeff Buckingham – Ron
CDR Gregory Morris – US Navy,
Denton’s cousin, Special Forces,
serving on an aircraft carrier out of
now stationed at F. Lewis, WA..
Japan. Diana Smith’s greatCAPT Lew Dyer – US Navy, son
nephew
of Woodie and Bud Dyer, now
Support our
Troops in Prayer
Lt. Commander Brian Potter US Coast Guard, Washington, DC.
Grandson of Margaret Frizzell.
Mark Reinhardt – Ann
Atchison’s brother, back home
from Djibouti, Africa.
Col. Stephen Smith – Larry
Smith’s son, Ft. Bragg, NC.
SSG Brent Steel – US Army, Ft.
Hood, TX. Martha and John
Barker’s nephew.
Appreciation from
the Church Staff
Your church staff sends out a big
“thank you”
for the
wonderful Christmas love-gift you
gave us. It is a blessing to be a part
of God’s ministry at Sharp
Memorial United Methodist
Church and to work with you, the
members of this congregation.
Thank you so very much!
Newsletter
Deadline
The deadline for the February 2015
issue of Sharp Notes will be
January 15. Items for the
newsletter may be brought to the
church office or emailed to Joy at
[email protected].