Patrick Ryan Clark

Don't miss Patrick's favorite things about Christmas!!

Favorite Christmas Memory:
When I think about my favorite Christmas memory, it has to be the year that "Santa" brought me a boom box. Yeah I said it, a boom box. I waited for months and months and then on Christmas morning, I walked out into the living room and there it was. It was black and silver, buttons and knobs everywhere, it was the most glorious thing I had ever seen. Then came the real test, the sound. I popped in my Michael Jackson "Thriller" cassette, I had never heard anything so beautiful. Ahh, what a great year.

Best Present I ever received:
The best present that I ever received would have to be my first guitar that my parents bought me. The first time I ever attempted to play a guitar was with my roommate’s guitar in college and I remember thinking to myself, "This thing sounds horrible." I played for hours every day and it didn't matter how much I was improving the sound of that guitar just would not get any better. I played that borrowed guitar for about six months until Christmas finally came. My parents bought me my first guitar that I would end up playing for years to come. It was a "Simon and Patrick" and it was a great sounding guitar. I’m still so thankful that my parents bought me that guitar!

Favorite Holiday Tradition:
Without a doubt it has to be watching "The Christmas Story" on TNT before falling asleep on Christmas Eve. It is such a ridiculous movie but there is just something about it that our family loves. We watch it, we quote it. Christmas around the Clark house just wouldn't be the same without that crazy movie playing on Christmas Eve. "You'll shoot your eye out!" Amazing.

Sitting in an empty, 3,500 seat sanctuary. A place that is usually filled with people singing, praying and listening. It is unusually quiet and peaceful in here, just me and my thoughts. I have been tasked with the assignment to write about "joy". So, as I sit here and think about all the things in my life that bring me joy my heart grows more and more grateful for all that I have.

I think about my family, Gretchen and Preston. I think about how in about 2 hours I get to go home to a wife that loves me and an energetic 2 year old who has been waiting on his daddy to get home all day. I think about my friends and how blessed I am to have a group of believers surrounding me who are committed to encouraging me and spurring me on to love and good deeds. I think about my church that I have been entrusted to lead worship at and all the joys and pains that come with full time ministry. But most of all I think about where I was about 13 years ago and where I am today. I think about the person that I was and the person that I am. I think about my life and how thankful I am that my old life is gone and this new life has begun.

One of my favorite verses is Galatians 2:20 which says "My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body trusting in the son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." Thank you Jesus that my old self has been crucified with you and that I get to wake up each and every day knowing that walking with you equals true joy.

Merry Christmas
prc