Filed under: family
The blog has been pretty dead recently, but I am still alive. So it’s time for some updates about what’s been going on with the Wright family.
On August 31, Ashley worked her last day at Northeast Presbyterian Church. For the past 5 years, she has worked there. It has been a 100% perfect fit for her for those years, and she left on great terms. We both love NEPC and were sad to leave, but we are extremely excited to FINALLY be worshipping and serving together in the same church.
Over the weekend after Ashley resigned, I came down with one of the worst sinus infections I think I’ve ever had. I missed work on Monday, but had to go to work on Tuesday despite feeling the worst I had in a long time! Tuesday was also the first day Ashley was without a job.
I got a call from one of the “big bosses” at work on Tuesday and he said he was coming to visit me. That’s always either a good thing or a bad thing. You are either getting promoted, or fired. Fortunately, I was promoted to be a branch manager at a branch downtown.
Isn’t God awesome? The first day that Ashley does not have a job and our families income has been cut in half, I get a promotion. How awesome is that?!
So, I was extremely excited to say the least, but I did not feel like celebrating when I came home and my fever got over 103. It was no fun at all. Ashley was sick by Saturday and we took her to the doctor on Saturday. We are both feeling better now (finally!).
We slept all weekend and all of Labor Day, and Ashley finally started school on Tuesday this week. So far, she loves it! I think she is going to be awesome and I’m so proud of her for going through school to pursue a dream that she has had for quite some time. She brought home a mannequin last night, and Ashley named her Jane. I came up with some other names, but Ashley was not a big fan.
This is all a big ramble now, but I’m so thankful to be where we are today. God is awesome and we are incredibly blessed. I had been worried about how our family would make it through the next year financially, but God knows best and I know that he will ALWAYS take care of us above and beyond what we could ever imagine. We may be 100% broke at the end of this next year, but I trust that we are right where He wants us to be.
Filed under: The Great Outdoors, family | Tags: cherry grove beach, vacation
I love vacation more than just about anything else. I highly value a week where I can disconnect from work and anything else that is going on in Columbia. I love to sit on the beach for hours with NOTHING to do and a great book to read.
Ashley and I, Mom and Dad, the grandparents, and my brother Matt and his wife Libby all went to Cherry Grove Beach (just north of N. Myrtle Beach) last week, and we had a blast. I feel very refreshed and ready to go again!
- I read the 1st 3 Harry Potter books and would have read the 4th if I had it with me.
- We ate. A Lot.
- My favorite meal of the week was a dinner date on Friday night at Bonefish Grill. I know they have these in Columbia, but we don’t normally go out to places this expensive, so this was a treat for us. I had the Chilean Sea Bass with the Pan Asian sauce, and Ashley had the Lily’s Chicken which is also awesome. My only regret is that I didn’t get the Bang Bang shrimp. The only reason I didn’t get it is because Ashley is allergic to shrimp.
- 2nd favorite dinner was at the Dockside restaurant in Calabash, NC. Good fried seafood and a great view of the marsh and river/inlets.
- Carraba’s was just as good as the seafood. I love the chicken marsala best. Yes, normally steak is better than chicken, but the chicken marsala is better than the steak. Trust me.
- Ashley and Libby got their noses pierced.
- Surprisingly, I didn’t fish at all.
- My brother fried up almost 100 wings one night with some awesome homemade sauces.
- Dad took us all to the Alabama Theatre. It’s a very good production, but there was some serious cheese at times.
- Played lots of XBox.
- Ashley is addicted to Boggle. She practices by herself. I can’t beat her.
Here are some pics from the week.
One of my favorites
the view and inlet from the back of the house
kayaking in the ocean
hotness
Filed under: family
So, I turned 27 last Sunday. I don’t get overly excited about birthdays, but I do love presents, and I love to eat good food! I got some wonderful presents, ate great food, and got to spend time with the people that I love.
My birthday gifts:
- Tiger Woods 2010(xbox 360)- this is the first Tiger game I’ve had since like 2006, and it’s awesome, but definitely one of the hardest games I’ve ever played.
- ESV Study Bible- The best thing about this is that you can view EVERYTHING online which is pretty awesome. It’s a great study bible. It weighs about 30 pounds I think.
- $25 Marble Slab Gift Card – yes my wife is awesome. My favorite is the caramel peanut butter crisp.
- Marble Slab Ice Cream Cake
- Ashley reserved NCAA Football 2010for me at Target. I rarely buy XBOX games, so that’s why I love birthdays. XBOX games are way to expensive by the way.
- Religion Saves (Mark Driscoll) – I bought this with some money that my grandparents gave me. Very interesting for sure.
- We ate a whole lot of smoked pork(butts and ribs), home-made oreo ice cream, peanut butter cake, rice and hash, corn on the cob, mom’s famous baked beans, and a whole ton of goodness!
- I took the week off from exercising too!
I could not have had a better weekend. Only 2 more birthdays in the 20’s. That’s scary.
Filed under: family
There’s some big news coming from the Wright family lately. If you haven’t heard, or read Ashley’s update, here is the news.
Ashley’s last day at Northeast Presbyterian Church will be August 31st. She has served there for 5 years. Basically right after we met, she started working there, and the time I was leading worship full time at another church. So, for the 5 years that Ashley and I have known each other, been dating, or married, we have really never gone to church together on a consistent basis. We’ve never been members at the same place. It hasn’t been an ideal situation (as some people have been quick to point out to us as if we didn’t already know that), but we 100% felt that each of us were right where God wanted us to be. We faced some criticism along the way, and I’m sure more than what we were aware of, but I never doubted that God had each of us in a special place. However, I can’t tell you how excited I am that Ashley and I will both be members at Midtown in September. We will ride to church together, lead together, sit together, and ride home together. It will be glorious!!
So, what will Ashley be doing? She will be going to Paul Mitchell cosmetology school starting in September. She will be in school full time for a full year. We are very excited about this new career for Ashley. It’s something that she loves to do and has been doing on the side for a while now. I think know she will be awesome at what she does.
We would highly value your prayers over the next few months. We will be living on one income for at least 12 months. Pray that God will give us as many odd jobs as possible to be able to fill in the gaps. Pray that we will put our trust in God to provide. I don’t doubt He will, but some days it’s easy to get a little anxious. Pray that Ashley will find favor at Paul Mitchell and that God would bless her time there. Pray that she will be able to share the gospel with the people at the school. And pray for whatever else comes to mind!
We’re excited about what is in store for us in the next couple of years. Thanks for praying for us!
I read the words, “Keep a short account” in something I was reading a few days ago. The thought has stayed with me since then. What does it mean to “keep a short account.” The image of a bill or invoice comes to my mind. Instead of having 30 items on the bill to pay for, there are only 2 or 3 items. Considering all items are equal, paying for 2 or 3 items is much easier than paying for 30 items. Forgiveness works the same way. When you are slow to forgive, the bill just gets longer and longer.
I believe 100% in the power of forgiveness. Forgiving is something that is hard to do when you’re in the moment, but a lack of forgivenss creates a bitter spirit before long. I would rather spend my life forgiving people instead of seeking revenge and harboring resentment. I’m far from perfect, but I want to be remembered as a person who was quick to offer forgiveness.
Even from a non-Christian perspective, forgiveness is powerful. According to the Mayo Clinic, “When you don’t practice forgiveness, you may be the one who pays most dearly.” They also go on to add that the benefits of forgiving someone are lower blood pressure, lower heart rate, fewer stress and anxiety symptoms, reduction in chronic pain, and improved psychological well-being.
I think God has helped me to practice offering true forgiveness in my life with those around me by giving me a forgetful mind and also by requiring me to constantly beg for forgiveness. I have the capability to forget things (sometimes things of importance) on a regular basis. I also have a tendency to fall short regularly. When I used to use a debit card daily, I had days when I forgot my PIN number. I constantly walk out of the house and forget to take my lunch. I too often forget to be romantic. Thankfully, I rarely remember disagreements or arguments that Ashley and I have (yes, spouses don’t always see eye to eye). Although I hate forgetting important things, some days I’m thankful that I’m forgetful, because it helps me be forgiving. Also, I often sin hourly, and it requires me to seek forgiveness more than I would like. And I’m thankful that we serve a just, but forgiving God.
Here are some great scriptures on forgiveness.
- Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. – Ephesians 4:32
- “Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.” – Leviticus 19:18
- Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. - 1 Peter 3:8-9
Forgiveness is powerful. It’s confusing. It’s not a natural response. I have had to ask for forgiveness more times that I care to remember. Because I need forgiveness often, that alone is enough to encourage me to forgive others. It’s obviously a selfish reason, and not the main reason we should be quick to forgive though. God has called us to forgive those who we love, and even our enemies who we don’t love.
So keep a short account. Don’t let grievances you share with someone build up.
Clear your list.
Forgive and forget.
Bury it.
Move on.
You’re not perfect. Don’t expect perfection.
Ask for forgiveness and offer it freely.
Life is dirty. Churches fail because forgiveness is not present. Marriages are destroyed because couples would rather keep an account of wrongs instead of consistently offering forgiveness. Don’t ever underestimate the power of forgiveness.
Who do you need to forgive? Who do you need to ask for forgiveness?
Filed under: Christianity, Ramblings, Religion, church, family, in the news, marriage, music, sports
Running/Exercising
- I have been trying to run a lot. It’s depressing how slow I run, but I did a little over a week ago. My feet have pretty much been numb/asleep since then.
- I went to the orthopedic doctor finally after 5 years of numb feet, and was diagnosed with Exertional Compartment Syndrome. I may have some small surgery to correct this, and should be good to go for the rest of my life.
- When I told Ashley about it, she said, “Oh honey, you have a syndrome.”
- I was able to run consistently for about 4 weeks though and lost almost 10 pounds. Running makes a big difference for sure!
News Stories
- An author believes there is “no such thing as virginity.” MSNBC ran an article about this lady and her book. Although I disagree with her 100% on just about everything, there is some truth to her argument. Here is one part I do agree with (at least a little bit.)
So while young women are subject to overt sexual messages every day, they’re simultaneously being taught — by the people who are supposed to care for their personal and moral development, no less — that their only real worth is their virginity and ability to remain “pure.” (Obviously I don’t think that a woman or man should find their only real worth in their virginity and ability to remain pure, but I can see what she’s attempting to say.)
- It is hard to teach moral development in a society that throws sex in your face everywhere you look. I’d love to go into further discussion in some comments with anyone who is interested.
- The story about Miss California finishing second in the Miss USA contest is very upsetting. She answered a question saying she was against gay marriage. Perez Hilton called her a bad name, and all of California has made her out to be the devil. I have a lot of opinions on this, and I could probably write 6 blogs about it, but I won’t.
- Wildfires in SC? Sad that Myrtle Beach is burning like crazy. Hope everyone stays safe and nobody is killed or injured.
Josh Hamilton
- Please, Please, Please go read this story right now! Josh Hamilton was the #1 draft in MLB in 1999. He ended up wasted on cocaine, heroine, and alcohol. He made an amazing comeback and is now playing for the Texas Rangers. He even made the All-Star team last year. He talks extensively about how Jesus rescued him from the life He was living. It is an amazing story of redemption, forgiveness, and God’s love.
Music
- I’ve almost finished learning Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata. Now I’m not saying it’s perfect, but I can almost play through the whole thing.
- I just purchased the new Jars of Clay album, The Long Fall Back to Earth. It’s amazing how over 10 years later, they have adapted and changed their sound to fit with the times. It sounds like it will be a great album.
- I also purchased Sara Watkins first solo album. She was 1/3 of Nickel Creek. If you don’t download the whole album, listen to “Where Will You Be.”
- Ashley and I are going to see Ray Lamontagne on Friday night. Should be tons of fun. She surprised me with the tickets. Thanks boo!
- I’m trying to sell my Taylor 814ce. Let me know if you know anyone interested!
Finally, Ashley and I are going to spend some time in Brevard/Asheville this weekend. It should be awesome. I hope the weather will be perfect!!! I’ll post some pics/updates when we get back.
Filed under: family
So, the furniture in our bedroom is over 30 years old. My parents got it while they were engaged, and they’ve been married for over 30 years. AT first, we really wanted to be a whole new bedroom suit, but you’re looking at at least $2000. So instead we decided to refinish what we already had, because the wood is still in good shape, however it just looked old and rough. I felt a lot better about spending a little over $100 instead of over $2000.
Ashley wanted to paint it white, so that’s what we did. She also spray-painted the hardware to make it look like it came from 2009 instead of 1979.
Here’s some before and afters.
So, it’s nice to have all of that done! I recentley stained an unfinished bookshelf as well, and I don’t plan on taking on any projects for quite some time.!!
Sunrise from Tennent Mountain
3 years ago TODAY I was fortunate to enter in to the sacred covenant of marriage with my beautiful wife Ashley. I can honestly say it has been the best 3 years of my life. I can think of nothing better than to spend each and every day with Ashley . She is a constant source of energy, encouragement, and wisdom for me. She is a great servant. She’s a hard worker. She’s a compassionate person. She has a heart unlike anybody I’ve ever seen before. She has an insatiable love for God’s word and strives to live a life that pleases Him every day. She encourages me spiritually and holds me to a high standard to be the husband that God has called me to be. One of the best qualities is her honesty. To me, this is a must in order to have a marriage that thrives. We also communicate well together.
I love sharing life with Ashley. I no longer live life as an individual – we get to live and experience life together as a team, and that’s about as good as it gets. We’ve seen the sunrise 1,095 times together so far, and I hope that we get to see at least 20,000 more!
