A holiday tradition for the Wright family

Yes, my wife has decorated our tree before Thanksgiving.  For us the holiday season is all about special traditions in our family.  We have always put the tree with the lights up for our Thanksgiving meal and then put the decorations on after Thanksgiving.

This year for the first time in a few years we are home for Thanksgiving and going to Detroit for Christmas.  Stephanie wanted to put the tree up early so we could enjoy it before going out of town for the holidays.  So, early mornings and evenings I have been enjoying sitting in our family room  with the fire going and the tree lights on, enjoying a cup of coffee or tea with my pets.

I am at a season in my life where it is simply good to stop, sit still, take in the moments and really experience them.  The other morning I was looking at our tree and admiring all the ornaments on it.  As I looked at each ornament I was reminded of the story behind each of them.  In fact, all of our ornaments have a story and mark precious memories for the family.

As long as I can remember in our almost 31 years of marriage, Stephanie has always had me to hang the rocking horse on the tree as the first ornament placed on the tree. I have always loved rocking horses on the tree.  This one we purchased our first year of marriage and was put on our first tree and every tree since then.    It always marked the beginning of our decorating the tree.  This year like all others, Stephanie gave me the horse and asked me to put it on the tree.  It brought back a flood of wonderful memories of Christmas from years ago up to the present.  All those memories sparked by just one little simple rocking horse.

I am so thankful this year for so many things; my precious wife, my sons, my daughter-in-law, and my grandson.  I am thankful for being 5 years on this side of Stephanie's breast cancer diagnosis.  I am thankful how good the Lord has been to Stephanie and our family.  I am thankful for a new grandbaby boy on the way.  My heart is just simply so full.

So this week as you join together with your family to enjoy Thanksgiving or if you are like our family enjoying Thanksgiving with your eye already on the Christmas season, take time to pause and reflect on those memories and traditions of the holidays for your family.  You might find yourself like me with your mind flooded with wonderful memories sparked by something as simple as a rocking horse.




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In appreciation of my pastor!

David Sturgeon

I have been friends with David for around 17 years.  I first met him when he was serving as a youth minister at Mt. Elon Baptist Church.  During our friendship many changes have occurred in his life.  He served as pastor of his first church.  He completed his Master of Divinity Degree.  He started pastoring his second church that he currently pastors.  I currently serve as his associate pastor and have worked with him closely for all those years in various capacities.


 I would describe my friend, David with several words.


The first is genuine.  David is real.  He is not afraid to be genuine in front of people.  What you see in one context is the same David you see anywhere else. 


The second is humility.  David is a humble person.  He is not impressed with himself and puts others before him.  He likes to see people around him flourish.  He gives others credit and wants others to succeed.


The third is intelligent.  David is brilliant.  He is a learner, always wanting to learn.  He has a vast knowledge of many different disciplines. 


The fourth is leader.  David is a great leader.  He is also a student of leadership.  He is always working to become a better leader and to encourage the leaders around him.


The fifth is humor.  David has a great sense of humor.  He is fun to be around. 


The sixth is family.  He David is a great example of a husband and father.  He is loves and is devoted to his family.


The last word is disciple.  I think this word is the key that holds all the others together.  He is a growing follower of Christ.  His faith is real, and you can see it.  He does not come across “holier than thou.” He genuinely desires to experience the faith that he talks about to others.  He lives what he talks about.


David has been a great friend to me, and I am honored to call him my friend.  I look with anticipation to many more years of friendship and seeing how God will continue to use David for his kingdom’s work.





 

Time in Detroit

I am so thankful for my recent time in in Detroit.  I was reminded of some things that I need to keep in front of me all the time.

It was a great trip, but a short one.  My heart is always filled with emotion when I travel to Detroit.  First of all, because of my family and increasing number of dear friends in the area.  It is quickly becoming a home away from home.

It was so great to spend time with Daniel, Sadie and Timothy.  It was great to explore Detroit with them and to share some of the city with our good friend James Goodwin.  It is a joy on a level I can hardly express to do ministry with your grown children.   To see the call that God has placed on Daniel and Sadie's life and to see them being obedient to that call is about more than this heart can handle.  I am so proud of them both.  God is at work in Detroit and is at work in their lives.  He is using them as they invest their lives in the people of the area.

I had a great time in Detroit with James.  He is a mission's person who sees things through the eyes of Jesus.  He is an encourager.  He naturally encourages other people along the way.  He spent a great deal of time with Daniel and Sadie.  He really helped them to think through some of their next steps. He helped them clarify their vision and what needs to be accomplished next.

James prayed with and prayed over the plans being made.   He looked through the area with the eyes of a missionary.  Each day we would talk about what God was saying to him and what he felt like were his next steps.  He also started thinking about a team to come this summer.

I really believe our team will consists of one team with folks from 2-3 churches, in this early stage of the work in Detroit.  I am so excited to see God at work.  I am looking forward to our trip this summer.

I also had the privilege and fun to see things through my 3 year old grandson, Timothy.  Stephanie and I always bring him some things when we come.  I have always made it a practice of having something in my carry on luggage I can give him when I first see him.  Then we usually have more things in our suitcase to give him once we get to the house.   It was great to watch the joy in his face as he opened the little things we brought him.  It is really not the amount, it is just that we care.  Grandmama, as always, set me up for success.

This trip allowed us to spend a lot of time together one on one.  Each morning we spent about an hour just the two of us talking.  He is very interested in fire alarms and told me everything he knows about them and asked me lots of questions.   It was such a precious time and I would not trade it for the world.  He is growing up into a wonderful young boy.  He is certainly not a baby.

He made me laugh on Sunday morning.  We were on the way to the early service at their church before my flight home.  Timothy seemed to not be in the best of moods.  Finally, Daniel asked him, "Honey why are you in such an ill mood this morning?"  He said, "Someone pushed my button."  I laughed until I literally cried.

Soon enough, I really did cry as I said good bye at the airport to my son, daughter in law, grandson, and new baby Wright on the way.   The time is always too short, but I am so thankful for every minute.

What I learned about you from our first conversation, Tabitha?

What I learned about you from our first meeting?

Tabitha

One of the things I have made a goal to do is to write about people who mean a lot to me in my life.  I can think of several significant times in our relationship that were formative. One that has been on my mind the last while was the first time we met. I learned a lot about you that day at the SC State Fair.


First, you were approachable.  It impressed me how you introduced yourself and immediately started in conversation with me.  You put me at ease from the very start of our friendship.  


Second, you were confident in how you carried yourself.  You didn’t seem intimated by the environment and all the activity around us at the State Fair. 


Third, you were focused.  You gave me the feeling that you were totally focused on our conversation.  Since that time, I have had many conversations with you and each time I have felt that same way.  It is a great gift you give to people by the way you focus on the person.


Fourth, I was struck by your great intelligence.  I remember from our first words together, how I was interested in talking with you about areas of your study and interest.  You have always encouraged me to read, to study, and to write.  Just being around you and being friends with you has encouraged me to study and to learn.   


Fifth, I was grateful for your sense of humor.  I remember when you told me that you were working on your Ph.D.  I asked you, “Did you start college when you were ten years old?”  Looking back, that might not have been a great thing to say to start with, but I am thankful you were not offended.  Since that time, I have enjoyed your sense of humor greatly.  You have a joy that is contagious.


Then last, I was aware on our first meeting your deep faith in Christ.  I enjoyed that day talking with you about spiritual things.  I have been so enriched by your faith in Christ in our friendship.  You model what you say you believe.  You live it.  I saw it that day and I see it every time we talk.


I hope you can overlook the poor writing and hear my heart.  I just want you to know how much your friendship means to me and how I see you.