By Sherri @ GreenFlash Productions Photography

We hope this letter finds you well as we celebrate the love of Christ during this holiday season!  It seems the older we get the faster the years go by.  This year has proven to be a year of many changes for our family.

Sara has graduated high school and moved to Campbell University in the fall.  She is loving college and has made friends easily.  To celebrate her graduation, Sara and I took a trip to NYC with two special people in her life–her cousin, Elizabeth, and her mentor, Amber.  After graduation, Sara was busy with camps and mission trips to Belize, Uganda, and Islamorada, FL this summer and is currently serving again in Uganda during her Christmas break.

William and Tyler have moved to a public school (Broughton HS).  It has been quite an adjustment but they are making friends and trying to get used to the large class size (they’ve gone from approx 100 in their class to over 600 in their class). They’ve also been hunting with their dad a lot this year and tried something new this fall—hunting with a bow and arrow.

William had an opportunity to serve at our Joy Prom for those with special needs in our community, and the privilege of going to Peru with a team from our student ministry. It was a great experience for him as it was his first international mission trip. William has probably changed the most physically in our family as he has grown about 8 inches in a 15-month period.

Tyler celebrated his 15^th birthday this year which meant it was time to get his permit in August, and he has been driving every chance he gets.  He started high school this year and has become quite the guitar player.  Tyler takes advantage of every opportunity he has to serve others and lead worship.

Steve started working on his PhD in Family Ministry at Southern Baptist Seminary in KY. He also changed positions at Providence BC to Pastor of Parent and Family Discipleship Ministries. He has had many opportunities to speak at conferences and encourage pastors, lay leaders, and parents to make the gospel the center of their homes and parenting.

I went to Belize this year with Sara’s senior SS class. My mom and Aunt Gail also joined us in Belize and did their own mission work on San Pedro Island. I was sitting at the table when our Belizian friend of 11 years, Lionel, proposed to his bride-to-be.  Steve and I had the privilege of going back to Belize this month for Steve to perform the ceremony!  What a sweet time of celebration it was with their families.

As we reflect on all the things mentioned above, we know they are evidences of God’s grace.  Steve and I are humbled to be blessed with such a precious family and to serve with such godly, caring people in our church community. We pray that you will join us as we celebrate this Christmas season God’s grace and Christ’s humble birth and sacrificial life.

“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
1 Cor 1:3

Steve, Tina, Sara, William, and Tyler Wright

The Wright Family calendar for this past year signifies another year of God’s grace.  The color-coded calendar consists of important dates for each of the kids—Sara, William, and Tyler— and church, school, vacations, events, appointments, birthdays, sickness, milestones, and so much more.

We have been doing a family calendar for over 20 years, and each year is like a journal of God’s goodness and faithfulness in our lives each day.  We have saved all of them, and how humbling it is to look back through the years and see God’s mercy and what a great Savior we serve!

As we reflect on this past year, we see evidences of God’s grace through milestones we have celebrated as a family. Steve and I celebrated our 20^th wedding anniversary in April, and I turned 40 years old in May.  Sara started her senior year; William got his driver’s license, and Tyler went on his first mission trip to Belize.

We enjoyed a family vacation in West Palm Beach, FL with my parents during Thanksgiving week, and we look forward to being with Steve’s family for a week during the Christmas holidays.  We are so blessed and are so grateful for our family, church, friends, and most of all ~ our loving Savior!

It is hard to imagine God loving us so much that He would send His Son, who would live a sinless life and give His life for us and three days later rise victorious over the grave.

Merry Christmas!

Steve leading a seminar w/ Sasha translating.

Steve and I had never spoken through translators before while speaking in front of a group.  We had wonderful translators, Sasha and Leysa, and they put us at ease and helped us communicate with the attendees.  I spoke twice to two different groups of ladies about serving with your husband in ministry. One group were all young single ladies who wanted to know what to look for in a godly man so we had a lot of fun discussing this topic.  I also led a seminar on Biblical motivation.  Steve spoke to all the attendees in one session and then led two seminars about family ministry and helping teens find balance.  Most of the youth leaders in Ukraine are lay leaders and have such a passion to reach students.  They were so hungry for direction in leading youth and knowing how to minister to their families.  The conference was a special time for them to fellowship and be encouraged.

Leysa was my translator.

After the conference and saying our goodbyes to our new friends, we started our 2 day journey home.  We had a layover in London so we took advantage of our time there and did a quick tour around the city.  It was already dark by the time we got there but we made the best of it.  We walked the streets and saw Big Ben, Westminster Abby, and rode the Eye of London.  It was beautiful at night with all the lights.  We had to take a taxi ride and Steve told the driver, “Take her to Harrods!”  It was amazing….I bought Christmas ornaments to remember our short trip to London and Harrods.

We were so grateful for the opportunity the Lord gave us to be a part of the conference and meet so many wonderful servants.  We will continue to pray for the people we met and their ministries.

View from the Eye of London

Marcos speaking at camp

This summer has been filled with a lot of activity and travel for the Wright family.  As soon as school let out, we found out that we would have some very special guests coming to stay with us for a month.  Marcos (18) and Jacklyn (13) are from Belize, Central America and arrived in Raleigh on June 20th.  Steve and our senior mission teams have been ministering to their family for over nine years.

Steve first met their older brother, Lionel, in 2000 on our first mission trip to Belize.  Lionel was only 12 years old.  He comes from a large family that lives in a refugee camp in the jungle of Belize.  Steve fell in love with the boy and began to encourage him in his studies and walk with the Lord.  The Lord made provisions for Lionel to continue his studies through high school (they do not have free public education for middle school and high school grades).  We invited him to spend a month with us here in Raleigh in 2004.  Lionel was also given an opportunity to attend the University of Belize for 4 years and he graduated the day his siblings arrived in NC.  Their mother rejoiced in Lionel’s accomplishments and how he had overcome so much to make this dream come true.  She was also equally excited about the opportunity Marcos and Jacklyn had to come to the United States.  Lionel and Marco’s dad passed away 4 years ago.

Jacklyn at camp

When Marcos and Jacklyn were first told that there may be an opportunity to come to the states, they both thought it was a joke and later dreamed for days about the possibility while they waited on their Visas to be approved.  After 9 hours of traveling and their flight being delayed, they finally arrived after midnight at RDU where we were anxiously waiting for them.  When we saw their faces, we could tell they knew their dreams had become a reality. They had a short night of sleep after they got settled and before they had to wake up for church.  On Sunday morning there were a lot of anxious teenagers and adults from past mission trips waiting to welcome them to Providence.  After lunch we were off to shop for clothes and supplies for our youth camp which started the next morning.  We literally shopped until we dropped!  There was no rest for the weary because they had to pack for camp when we got home and get up early the next morning.

After an exciting week at camp, all seven of us headed to GA for a family vacation.  We stayed with Steve’s parents

Family Prayer before 4th of July feast!

where there is always room for one more….two more in our case.  There are already 9 teenage cousins so we added our two guests and other friends and family that would stop by, so it was definitely a happening place to be.  The week was full of swimming daily, shopping, a trip to the zoo and a Braves’ game, a 4th of July celebration, and a lot of eating!!  The following week Marcos and Jacklyn stayed with a church family in Raleigh who so graciously opened their home to our guests.  We stayed in GA to prepare for the first grandchild’s wedding (Brittany).

We drove to Valley Springs Lodging in Rabun Gap, GA to spend the weekend for the wedding .  We stayed in cabins and helped where needed with preparations.  Steve performed the ceremony, Sara greeted guests, William and Tyler were ushers.  I ran around acting like I was doing something all the time except when I had to sit behind my sister-in-law during the ceremony to keep her in line.

Sunday morning I drove Sara to the Atlanta airport to send her off on her first solo flight to meet a school mission team.  I think I was more nervous than she was.  She acted so cool and collective right up until she was standing in line to board the plane and then I think she finally realized what she was about to do (and I was about to lose it).  I ran all over the airport trying to follow her plane down the runway and watch it take it off.  That was one of those moments that I had to solely leave her in the Lord’s hands and trust Him with her.  She made it safely and met the team leaders who were taking her to meet the rest of the group.  I drove back to Steve’s parents to meet him and the boys so we could head back to Raleigh.

When we returned, Steve left the next morning for a pastors’ retreat and I picked up Marcos and Jacklyn and brought them back to our home for their last week.  We had a fun filled week visiting the mall, Build-a-Bear, bowling, going to the movies, buying gifts for their families, back-to-school shopping, and hanging out with their friends from church.  Probably one of the most memorable highlights for us and Jacklyn was when she was baptized in the lake in front of our church family the day before she left for home.  We celebrated with a trip to Goodberry’s (a famous local creamery famous for their frozen custard). After giving them each an additional suitcase to get everything home we still had to sit on a few to get them closed.    We relunctantly sent them on their way back to Belize early in the morning on July 20th.

Before completely recovering from a crazy month, I decided to make a quick trip to TN to visit my parents before school started back.  So Sara, her friend Kelsey, Tyler and I loaded the car a week later and went to Townsend, TN to visit my parents at their “Riverhouse”.  It was a quick 3-day trip but I’m glad we went.  My mom and dad are doing well from their recent health issues.  Mom is feeling good although occasionally overdoes it at work and feels some pain in her chest where the incision is from her open heart surgery.  Daddy has finished rehab while recovering from his stroke and has been released to drive although he isn’t 100% recovered.  He still gets tired easily and is having some pain in his hip and tingling in his right hand.  He is a very determined man and walks several miles twice a day and faithfully does his “at home” exercises as he continues to recover.

I forgot to mention the reason William didn’t go was because he had just turned 16 and gotten his driver’s license two days earlier and wasn’t ready to leave his jeep (a 12 yr old jeep w/ over 300,000 miles on it that his papaw gave him and he loves it) and his new found freedom of driving himself places (although those places were very limited at the time….golf course and fast food only).  Steve stayed with him because he didn’t need to take anymore time off since he had been out of the office for almost a month.

I’m not sure how it fit on the calendar but we also threw in several baseball and golf tournaments in the midst of craziness of the summer.  So here we are a week from school starting back.  Backpacks are packed and ready, new school clothes washed and ironed, and the kids are anxiously waiting to see their friends and class schedules at Open House this week.  Sara starts her senior year, William will be a sophomore, and Tyler will be in the 8th grade.  May the Lord give us wisdom and discernment as we manage our time and schedules.  I pray that we will keep our focus on the things that really matter…on heavenly matters and not things of this world.

I can’t believe this school year has gone by so fast.  It is so hard to believe that Sara will be a senior next year, William will be a sophomore, and Tyler will be in 8th grade!  But for now, we will look forward to enjoying a wonderful summer and spending time together as a family!

Mom and Dad at their Riverhouse

A few weeks ago on Tuesday, April 28th my dad woke up not feeling well.  His speech was slurred and he had some numbness in his arms and legs so his balance was off.  My mom had noticed he wasn’t feeling well the day before, but she thought he was still recovering from a bad cold he had the previous week.  However, on Monday morning she decided she better take him to the doctor.  After his exam, the doctor determined that dad needed to see a neurologist.  Unfortunately, after the nurse called seven different neurologists and told them they had a possible stroke victim, the earliest appointment available was in 6 weeks!

Mom took dad home with prescriptions for medication and she was told to take him to the emergency room if his symptoms didn’t improve.  So Tuesday morning she noticed the same symptoms and knew she could not wait 6 weeks to find out the diagnosis, she drove dad to the emergency room.  Of course, when they arrived dad refused a wheel chair and stumbled into the emergency room until the nurse insisted that she was getting him a wheel chair.  They took him back immediately and began tests.  His blood work and Cat Scan came back clear but the doctor wasn’t satisfied because it was obvious that something was wrong.  He strongly suggested an MRI, which we are grateful my dad agreed to have done, because they were able to determine that he had a stroke in the middle of his brain.  The location explained why it didn’t show up on the other tests and why both sides of his body had been affected.

After mom called to tell me dad had definitely had a stroke, I was on the next plane from Raleigh to Knoxville so I could be there with them.  My oldest brother, Rusty, drove in the next day.  I stayed at the hospital with my dad so my mom could go home and rest each night.  Most of you remember me blogging about my mom’s open heart surgery last fall (she had a mitral valve replaced).  She had finished her rehab from that surgery only 2 weeks prior to my dad having his stroke.  She had also taken a trip overseas to visit one of my brothers and had just returned on Saturday prior to his stroke.  Needless to say, she was exhausted and overwhelmed with all that was happening.

We are so grateful that further tests done in the hospital came back clear and there was no major blockage in his neck nor in his heart.  We also received encouraging news from each of the therapists (occupational, physical, and speech) that came by to evaluate him.   They were all amazed at how well he was doing and how strong he was.  They agreed with the doctor that dad should make a full recovery after a few weeks of therapy.  Although he experienced some numbness in his left arm, his right side was mostly affected.  Dad was very determined as he fed himself with his right hand and didn’t want any assistance getting in and out of bed.  For the most part, you could understand everything he was saying and would never know he had had a stroke by looking at him. However, we did notice his words became more slurred when he was tired.

He was able to go home on Friday (only 48 hours after being admitted), so I was able to help get him settled at home before returning to Raleigh on Saturday evening.  He started therapy the following week and only has a few more sessions left because of his progress.  Mom said that he is very diligent doing his exercises at home that the therapists assign him to do each week.  Dad says the hardest one is putting pencils in a plastic cup without knocking the cup over.  I’m anxious to see him again to see his progress and give him a big hug.

Again, we are reminded that life is so precious and just how special our parents are to us.  I praise the Lord that my parents have assurance of their salvation in Christ and when their lives are threatened by sudden illnesses or surgeries, no matter how dire the circumstances are, I know if anything happened to them that they would spend eternity in heaven with Jesus!

March 9, 2009  Since the U.S. economy started its sharp slide last fall, I’ve done a lot of thinking about what this all means to me, to my family, and to our nation and world. While watching this downturn, my thoughts have gone from, “This is interesting” to “This is perplexing.” If it keeps falling, the prevailing emotions could inch nearer to frightening. For now, the word “perplexing” accurately describes my vantage point. My family has been affected in several ways. My husband, Dennis, is working harder than ever here at FamilyLife, putting in 50-hour weeks trying to find ways to cut expenses and increase revenue. I just talked to one of our sons who said they are living hand to mouth, barely making ends meet. And I know it’s true. Their pantry was bare when we visited last month. Another son and our son-in-law are both doing the same, working harder than ever trying to keep their families fed and their payments made. These are not “business as usual” days. What our country is experiencing clearly isn’t a brief downturn where things will return to normal in a few months.

What complicates it even further is that the American economy is a global issue. This leads to the question, What is God up to? While I do not have the answer, I think it’s good that we ask questions like this. We who claim to belong to God must be measuring our experience against the truth. We know that God is not passive. He is not sitting idly by just watching. That is not His character. Instead, God is intricately and intimately involved in the rise and fall of nations and in the comings and goings of all people. Yesterday in my Bible study class I heard a verse that I do not think I’ve ever noticed before. It was as if lights flashed around it, dramatically grabbing my attention. This one short phrase fits this season of our American life perfectly: “And He will be the stability of your times” (Isaiah 33:6). That’s the bottom line. No matter what God is up to in the world today, no matter what course the current economic crisis takes, no matter what the political leaders in Washington do, God is the stability of our times. It reminds me of the first line of an old hymn: “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.” Our hope cannot be in money, a job, our house, our friends or family, and certainly our hope cannot be in Washington, D.C. All of those will disappoint.

Our hope must be in Christ alone for only there will we find true stability as individuals, in our marriages and in our families. In Christ alone, and in the power of His Word, we can find the strength we need to face the challenges of today. I remain perplexed at our current state. And at the same time I am cautiously optimistic and even hesitantly excited at what God might be doing. Could this be part of the end times? It’s possible. Will our businesses and families be better for this pruning and winnowing work of God? If we cooperate with Him in this there is no question we will be better for having been pruned. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 4:8 that he was “perplexed, but not despairing” when he was in the midst of trials and troubles. I have found great comfort in recent seasons of suffering in that short phrase. It is okay to be confused, baffled, and even mystified at the circumstances of my life. I can be perplexed and still be found having faith. Only when I move to despair, which means hopelessness, am I not living in faith. We cannot know what tomorrow will bring but we know the One who will bring it. And that alone can keep us from despair as He brings stability to our times. © Copyright 2009 by FamilyLife. All rights reserved.

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One of themes of the book of James is Genuine Wisdom. James contrasted two kinds of wisdom. False wisdom produces envy and selfish ambition (3:14), whereas genuine wisdom results in humility, deeds of mercy and right conduct (3:13). Wisdom helps Christians control their speech (3:1-12) and promotes peace, consideration, submission, mercy, good deeds, impartiality and sincerity (3:17).

Two Kinds of Wisdom James 3:13-18
13) Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. 14) But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. 15) Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. 16) For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.  17) But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. 18 ) Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.

Based on this scripture, think about the life of a woman guided by spiritual wisdom. What are the primary evidences of a wise life? Which quality do you struggle with least? Most? How might attaining spiritual wisdom affect your life this year? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The book of Proverbs has two themes: Wisdom and Practical Living. Wisdom is a personification of God’s attribute of wisdom and ultimately stands for God himself. The truth expressed is that there can be no real wisdom apart from God. To fear God is to begin on the path of “knowledge”—understanding or insight (1:17). Knowledge is to have understanding and wisdom is the ability to apply the knowledge. Proverbs presents principles for godly living and has much to say about wealth, work, giving and matters of the heart. The range and scope of its subject matter encompass nearly every aspect of life. Proverb’s purpose is to propel us into a relationship with God so we might live out the truths He shows us in this guidebook.

Prologue: Purpose and Theme (Proverbs 1:1-7)
1 The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:
2 for attaining wisdom and discipline; for understanding words of insight;
3 for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life, doing what is right and
just and fair;
4 for giving prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the young-
5 let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning
get guidance-
6 for understanding proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise.
7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise
wisdom and discipline.

Based on this scripture, what words did Solomon use to describe the various aspects of wisdom? (1:2&3)
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What kind of wisdom do you rely upon the most—human or spiritual? How is your life affected by your choice? Do we go to God and His Word to seek wisdom before we go to others or try to find a good book with answers for us? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
Proverbs 3:5-6

The information in this devotion came from the Introduction to Proverbs and James in my Bible (NIV Archaeological Study Bible by Zondervan: 2005) and from a book study called Proverbs: Ancient Wisdom for a Postmodern World by Sue Edwards, Volume 1.

Are New Year’s Resolutions a waste of time if we don’t succeed in keeping them?  I don’t think so.  It is always good idea to reflect on the past year and to reevaluate our priorities.  This helps us move forward to the new year.   Ultimately, our goals usually center around wanting to be a better person and be better managers of our time, finances, and talent.  As Christians, our focus should be glorifying God in all that we do…pointing others to Christ.  Do others see God’s grace in our lives?  Do they see us treasuring Christ? Do they see us giving our best to God and His work?  When we do succeed, do others see us pointing our success to Christ or do we take the credit?  When we fail, do others see us looking to Christ for direction or do they see us searching for someone or something to blame?

In closing, go ahead and list those new resolutions, goals, and priorities (even if it is the same list as previous years).  Here are a few suggestions that may help you stick to them: 1) Carefully consider them–pray about them, 2) Write them down, 3) Set short and long range goals, 4) Have a way to track progress–have some type of accountability, 5) Truly commit yourself to change but don’t expect perfection 6) Prepare for obstacles and know how you will handle problems that arise, and 7) Remember to keep Christ at the center of all we do and give Him the glory for all that is accomplished!

Happy 2009!!  It’s time for a new beginning…