Funny Times with The Wrights

Frustrating Weather...

Have you read the news today? Las Vegas is covered in snow, and even Malibu, CA got enough to shut down roadways. Barbie, you better break out your heavy winter coat. This is incredible. While three-fourths of the entire nation is blanketed by either snow, ice, wintry mixes, or just bitter cold, we here in Alabama are considering reopening the local pools and wearing flip-flops to work. I am starting to hate the weather here. All my life it has been crazy "'round these here parts," but this is getting past the point of ridiculousness. I am seriously reconsidering a move to Montana...

Disappointing Weather...

I was so excited about the possibility of even seeing one or two snowflakes so early in the season here in Alabama yesterday, but to my disappointment, nothing happened. I know they predicted it would be mostly north and east of Birmingham, but I guess I was still hoping for even a little hint of something. Oh well, maybe it will at least stay cold enough to feel like winter this year, instead of waking up to 70 degree days on Christmas and New Year's Day.

Quick Weekend

Well, that weekend just flew by without warning. After getting off work Friday afternoon, it seems as if we are already back into the beginnings of this week with nothing in between. I did get a chance to watch the SEC Championship Game on Saturday. It was an absolute brawl and a fantastic game. Even though Alabama didn't pull out a victory, it was still an excellent game to watch. Congratulations Florida, and I will be pulling for your victory in the BCS Championship Game in a few weeks (after getting screwed on a #2 ranking behind Oklahoma). I really think this nation is prejudice against the SEC...we're constantly getting such a lack of respect.

The youth group meeting on Sunday didn't go so well. I was feeling really out of my element that morning before even going to church, and I know that kids can easily pick up on those things. They did, and it was total chaos. I usually have 7-8 there every week, but yesterday it was only 3...the 3 older ones. I thought it would be good, but they were so juiced up on sugar from Sunday morning candy that they wouldn't shut up long enough for me to get a word in...I would ask a simple question to start the lesson, and 20 minutes later we were off on the most random subject. The problem is, I didn't want to put up a fight. I need some inspiration from others who have done this before, and I am looking forward to getting that tomorrow at a First Priority lunch for North Shelby county. I love working with kids, but I do sometimes have little patience with immaturity. I'm being taught some very valuable things here...

Difficult Decision

For the past year and half, I have slowly been putting together an idea for a company which I would like to start. The business plan is nearly complete, and I have recently begun meeting with people who are COOs and CFOs of companies to get some feedback on what steps to take next. There are still many details to hash out, but I feel as if I am finally making some great headway as I am watching this become a reality. This company will be my passion, and I feel as if I have created a solid business plan that will take an amazing product to an international demand in less than a decade.

Yet, I continue to get conflicting evidence that this may not be the best thing for me to do, and I struggle with the decision of whether or not to go through with it. On one hand, I feel as if the current market situation makes for the perfect climate to introduce this company.

However, I also continue to hear that because of the rate at which we are printing money in this country, we are headed for an economic disaster far greater than what we experienced in the early 1930s. While a lot of people will disagree with that statement, all the signs are pointing to identical cases in history, both in the US and Europe, where the currency became utterly worthless. During the Depression here, our economy suffered greatly. In Europe, their Depression led to the rise of Hitler.

So what to do? I finally have resolved the personal struggle which haunted me for this past year of whether or not this company was a great spiritual investment, only to find myself now struggling with whether or not it will be fruitful to pursue these means as our country runs itself into the ground...decisions decisions. On top of that, as I try and gather my research for the conclusion of my business plan, I am finding a lot of resistance. I actually had someone say to me, "Good luck trying to get people to give you such valuable information..." I'm not asking for any big secrets, just market trends in areas throughout the country. Why is that asking too much? If someone from California asked me to give a quick response on our market here in Birmingham, why would I seek to gain something for that? No wonder our country is headed towards disasters, when all everyone wants is something for nothing...God save us all.

For The Lost

My heart goes out to those that do not yet truly know the Lord. There are several people for whom I have been praying here lately that really need to experience not only His Love, but His unending mercy and grace. I feel as if they are sincere when they say they want a change, that they want to accept and follow Christ. However, the pains of their pasts and the burdens they carry will not fully allow them to step into the light with full confidence and the ability to forgive themselves. For those of you who read this that are active prayer warriors, please lift these people up to the Lord. You may not know them personally, but God will know of whom you speak, and He will answer the pleas of the righteous. Help me to break the strongholds the devil has placed around these people, the very things that hold them to their pasts. Our weapons of prayer and faith are far greater than anything Satan can ever build.

I read yet another article this morning about an atheist group trying to ban a Homeland security law in Kentucky that contains a clause which relates to using God's help to protect the state. Their argument is that it is unconstitutional for the state to recognize God in the government like that, and even go so far as to call the God a "mythological creature." How can referencing God in a law or any other part of government be unconstitutional, when our very Constitution refers to a people "grateful to the almighty God?" Did anyone miss that little statement, or have we just chosen to ignore it to further the selfish interests of a select few. It angers me to hear stories such as these, yet I know that the anger is Satan's way of keeping me from any attempt to reach out to these people who openly profess to disbelieve in God. May we all have the resolve to set our anger aside and pray for those that are lost, and for the opportunities to plant the seeds of truth they so desperately need.

December is Upon Us

Where has this year gone? On one hand, it seems as if it should only be sometime around late summer or early autumn. Yet here we are, on the brink of Christmas vacations and New Year's celebrations. Oh my...On the other hand, it seems as though events which happened earlier this year occurred years ago. A great example is when Jessica's parents lost their home to a fire. It happened in January, yet is seems as if it happened 2 years ago. Is this really what it's like to get older? Although the years slip by faster than we realize, mentally it feels as if certain events are very slow to sink into the history of our lives. That will have its benefits when children and other life-changing events begin to occur, so I'm not complaining. It's just frustrating sometimes trying to keep everything straight. I have a hard time remembering from year-to-year what happened and when. Does Alzheimer's begin to develop early? Anyone.....anyone? Bueller....Bueller? What was I talking about?

I hope and pray that everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday with friends and family. I also hope that you were able to avoid the chaos and selfishness that came from the Black Friday shopping frenzy. What has our world become when we care more about the latest and greatest deal rather than the life of a human being? Will we as a nation ever regress back to the days of family and social values? This nation needs a revolution on so many levels. It's time for the Church and its members to take a stand and fight back for the things in which we hold true. For those that have a problem with our beliefs....take a look at the world that is forming around you and tell me which you would rather have. History repeats itself, so if you would like to see where your views and beliefs are leading this generation and the next, open a history book and look at the years between 1925 and 1945, especially in Europe. If you want to see what kind of a world we as Christians would like to have, open the New Testament...

Happy Thanksgiving

I wanted to quickly wish all of you a safe and Happy Thanksgiving holiday weekend. For those of you traveling to see loved ones, or the few of you lucky (expletive deleted) that get to leave the country --you know who you are -- I hope that your journeys are safe and well. May all of you experience the love of friends and family over the next few days, but let us also keep one thing in mind. As we sit around our dining room tables eating turkey, ham, dressing, and the dozens of other classic Thanksgiving dishes, may we keep close to heart the millions around the world who will go hungry, who will probably not live to see tomorrow, or worse...who have nothing to hope and be thankful for. Let us not make it our mission to feed the world. Let us not focus on ending the sufferings of millions. Instead, let us focus our efforts on introducing the freedom and life-giving nourishment that comes from knowing our Savior, Jesus Christ. Through discipleship and evangelism, we can put an end to the worldly plagues of our day by offering an eternal hope that will rise above every physical thing here on earth. Only then can we overcome hunger, suffering, and hopelessness. Let us give thanks for our freedom through Christ, and may we pray for the opportunities to free others.

Answered Prayers

The Lord is good, isn't He? For weeks I have been feeling led by God to have a heart of prayer for a certain someone, for me to focus my thoughts on him daily. Some of you know to whom I am referring, others do not, but in order to protect his identity, I will refrain from using his name.

Last night, I found out that my prayers have not gone unnoticed, and God has been working hard to shape the heart and soul of this person. He made mention to the fact that he has been visiting a local church, and especially these past two weeks, has sat in the back feeling as if God was directly speaking to him that he was missing something...that something wasn't right. He admitted that he needed to talk with someone about things he was struggling with, and to get some things off his chest that have been holding him back. He has questions that need answering, and he has problems from which he needs to run. He needs support, and he asked that I help him the way I have helped others he has known. My eyes were tear-filled as I heard his account from a loved one, and even though the words were not coming directly from the source, I could hear and feel his pain...I could sense his desperation. God has in the past few months reaffirmed what I have believed for years: His spiritual gift entrusted to me was the gift of Counsel, and I find myself in a place beyond ecstasy as I hope and pray for people the people I love to know the God I worship, and to experience His unending Love. Praise be to the Father forever and ever..Amen!

Needed Prayers

Today, my prayers are with my youth group, and I ask that you join me in lifting them up to God. Things are going well, but I can tell that several of the kids know little to nothing about the Bible. One kid yesterday even made a comment that he did not believe in God, which kind of took me by surprise. I knew I would run across this eventually with someone, but I didn't expect it quite so soon. Another of the boys that has been coming since the beginning said that he didn't like the fact he was in a class with someone who didn't believe in God. I tried to help him understand that we all have to start somewhere, but how much can you say while you are in a group setting like that with no way to pull someone aside in private. I need your prayers, and I need God's help in making me an example by which they can see Christ, and for those that are already believers, that they can see the patience and acceptance of God through my example.

Amidst the Storms

What do you do when your world comes tumbling down around you? Where do you turn when it seems like the path on which you were traveling suddenly disappears beneath your feet? How do you cope with a major and tragic event in your life? Give up? The answer is God. There is the vast majority that will say that was an easy answer, but then why do we seem to take such tragedies and losses--such major shifts in direction with such disappointment, anger, frustration, fear, and hopelessness? The reason is that we say we trust God with our lives, seemingly giving Him the ability to direct and guide our steps as well as to help get us through the tough times. Where we make our mistake, however, is when those tough times do come, we too often try to regain control of our lives and our situations. It is as if we are telling God, "Never mind. You got me in this mess, now I guess it's up to me to get out of it." Blasphemy? How else would you take it if someone treated you the same way? Can we not trust God enough to not only see us to the bad times, but also to see us through? The Bible says that we will endure hardships and troubles as followers of Christ, but that He is the ultimate Comforter and Provider. He will be victorious in every outcome, and He will in the end "lead us beside still waters."

There is a reason for this post. I know of someone very dear to me that is suffering right now. Fear and pain are consuming their very being, and my heart is reaching out to save a soul...maybe even two. May I take a moment to share something that the Lord taught me just recently? I hope so, since this is my blog after all. Throughout our lives, we are given many choices, often multiple choices at one time. When we reach these crossroads in our lives, people will often say things like, "You have so many doors opening right now," or, "When one doors closes, two more open." The problem most people face (and I speak from experience) is that we stand in front of these many open doors leading to our futures with fear and trepidation. It is typically in these times that we like to try and regain control of our lives, even for a moment. "Your destiny is in your hands!" is a very common phrase given to graduates on their big day. But is our destiny really in our hands? Jesus made it very clear in The Gospel of John chapter 14, verse 6 when he said, "I am the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." He also touched on this again in The Gospel of Matthew, chapter 7 verses 13 and 14, "For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."

That small road is Jesus, and He is the ONLY way. So when faced with many paths and many open doors, pray diligently that God will show the only one you should be taking. Otherwise, we may end up somewhere we really don't want to be. Then we are left with an accusing attitude towards God that He led us to this awful place we don't want to be. Focus your thoughts and prayers on the only thing in this world and the next that is an everlasting constant. That way, when the storms of life come, your world shifts and shakes around you, and everything seems to come tumbling down before your feet, you will find that you are not rattled, and you remain in the presence of the Eternal One, the unchanging Father. Then you will find you are unshaken and undisturbed amidst the storms.

The Wright Family is Growing?

No, it's not what you think...we are growing, but in a spiritual context. These past few months have been eyeopening for both Jessica and me, and we have begun to see God's glory in ways we never have. Our passions for spiritual growth have been a major part of this, fulfilling the promise of God that He will transform us from the inside-out. Our thanks go out to all of our friends and family that have been diligent prayer warriors on our behalf. What God has next for us, who knows. Hopefully the next time I write that we are growing, we will be in the literal sense :)

We have begun to search out different options concerning adoption, not allowing our dreams of having a large family to be restrained by any one methodology. The Lord is teaching us many things right now in preparation of having a family, some of which can be tough at times. I am finally an active Realtor again after nearly 4 weeks of taking my continuing education classes (yes, I know I'm a procrastinator). Already the Lord has allowed me to cross paths with old and new friends that need someone they can trust as they look to move their families, and I am remaining prayerful that the first offer I wrote the other day for one couple will be the first paycheck I receive after re-activating my license. If all goes well, that may even come much sooner than expected...

A New Day Begins

So it seems we have a new president...I can hardly say I am excited, because we still know next to nothing about this man we have chosen to lead our country. So many will hail him as a hero and an agent for change. But I ask, who is he? It looks as if we will find out soon enough.

Things are going very well on other fronts. The youth group continues to grow, and I now have 4 new regulars attending, making it eight total that come each week. Please continue to pray hard over those that do come, and those that may be out there seeking a place to find refuge. I have a lot in place to make this an exciting thing at the church for the youth, as well as the rest of the church body, and I hope to begin introducing those things within the coming weeks. I am starting a new curriculum this coming Sunday, one from the Student Life Bible Study series. Hopefully having a more definitive structure will help them grasp the information I bring to the table.

I finally finished my real estate continuing education classes. Yeah, it only took me 4 weeks, but hey, that's how long it would have been had I actually sat in a classroom on the weekends. Now I am eagerly waiting on the Alabama Real Estate Commission to receive all my info and credits so that they may reactivate my license. I have people who need my help, and I need to get going!

Major Catch-Up

Wow, it's amazing how much time I can let slip by between my posts. Sorry about that. So much has happened over the past few weeks, and I don't have long to cover it all. The youth group at the church is growing steadily, and I think the kids are finally getting into coming each week. It's tough so far, but the Lord is carrying me through on His shoulders for sure. I'm just trying to get some ideas together to really do a "break-out" event in order to draw a lot of curiosity to the group. Let me know if you have any.

I am not even going to cover the Auburn Tigers, because they aren't even worth my time. So moving on...My sister-in-law, Cindy, had her baby nearly 2 weeks ago. Both mommy and new baby Aubrey are doing well, both trying to adjust to their new situations. We are praying for them though, and we are faithful that the Lord is doing some awesome things there no matter how it seems to be going.

My small group is going very well, too, and I'm glad that we have expanded our group to four prayerful, Christian men. Thanks for joining, Matt. We are so thankful you have made the commitment, and it's great to see you on a weekly basis as we come together in Christian brotherhood. Our group has several prayer requests that need the fervent prayers of other warriors out there. So if you are reading this, just pray for the members of our group, and that God will see to it their concerns and desires both are met with His glory revealing itself.

What's next? Oh, Jessica and I are "officially" trying to start a family, although we haven't exactly been trying to prevent it either for almost a year. We are faithful in God's timing and know that all our other blessings--past and current--are the result of His knowing what is best for us. However, we are also feeling drawn to the prospect of adoption, even as we are trying to have our own child. We want a big family, and we are not against having 2-3 of our own children, and then adopting several along the way. Again, we will leave this decision up to God's will, but we are feeling drawn to sharing the reflection of Christ's love within us to children who may have given up in the belief of love after being abandoned in this world. If anyone reading this knows or hears of someone getting pregnant, maybe by accident or carelessness, and is considering the worst choice of action by not having the baby, please let them know there are caring people in this world who will gladly accept the child, and desire very much to take the responsibility from them. Just a shameless plug for adoption from some very willing servants of Christ :)

Getting Older

I was invited to come and sub for a flag football team that several of the guys from Student Life play on. As I was warming up and running around the field, I began to realize my legs were struggling to keep up with the speed my mind was pushing them to run, my arm was a little lazy on nearly every throw, and I seemed to be out of breath just a little sooner than I'm used to. I've always heard that age has a way of sneaking up on you, but I'm only 27. I mean, come on!! I'm supposed to be in my prime, but I'm acting like an old man. After today, I'm dead set on getting back into shape for real. This is pitiful and ridiculous...

Pitiful Tigers...

Tonight we saw yet another pitiful performance from the Auburn Tigers. What the crap are they thinking? It looks more like a bunch of Jr. High kids out there play touch in the backyard than a ranked NCAA team. But all-in-all, congratulations to Vanderbuilt for an exciting and well-deserved victory. It would be great to see them play for the SEC Championship.

Off the negativity for a moment. Tomorrow will be my first official day at church as the new youth minister. I'm nervous, and because of everything we have had going this week, feeling a bit unprepared. In fact, I really need to be trying to put something together right now, but I have no idea what the makeup of the youth group will be. This first Sunday may just be a chance for me to get to know those who show up, and try to lay out a little about myself and what I want them to get out of coming each week. Then next week I will have a better idea of how to plan.

Jessica and I finished painting our bathroom this week, and it looks great. I will post pictures soon. I wonder what the next project for our home will be...

Here We Go....Again

What drives us to this madness? Yes, we are repainting some rooms in our home, again. After only a few short months living there, we began to rethink our initial color concepts in our master bedroom and bathroom. Both colors we chose just had too much gray, and we were very limited to what type of furniture and accessories would coordinate with our color scheme. So, we went back to the drawing board and are adding a splash of color. Our bathroom will be a really beautiful and slightly darker than normal, terra cotta red. We are still deciding what to do in our bedroom, but we are leaning towards a color slightly closer to a sandstone than the current grayish something-or-other we have now. Jessica is already talking about painting the guest bath as well, since that was the only room (other than the laundry) not painted in our original campaign. HELP!!!

After today, my real estate license will have officially expired...for now at least. For so long I have thought about leaving the business altogether, so I was expecting to just let my license lapse during this renewal period. I did not take any continuing eductation (CE) classes, and I was not prepared to continue working. However, God has blessed me beyond my wildest dreams this month, and I feel as if by leaving the business, I would be turning down those opportunities for future blessings. Brock said it best when he said, "if it didn't cost me anything, and I didn't have to take those classes, would I stay in the business?" My answer is yes, which he helped me to realize that in reality, it is my own unwillingness to put forth an effort which is driving me away, not my desire to be doing real estate. Good point! So starting within the coming weeks, I will complete those CE classes, and place my license with another company that won't cost me nearly $1000 a month just to be able to say I still sell real estate...brutal, I know.

Short Weekend

Well, I was really looking forward to this past weekend, and it did have it's ups and a couple of downs. I enjoyed watching Alabama open a can on Georgia, although I did hate the loss for such an admirable football team at home during a "blackout." Growing up an Alabama fan, and then going to school in Auburn, I always had a rivalry with Georgia. They were, however, always the team to respect. But when they hired Mark Richt to be their coach, my entire view of them changed. The team changed, and my respect for them became even greater. Every team should wish for a coach with as much character and integrity as that man.

A bid down for the weekend was watching yet another pitiful Auburn performance. Although it is another "W" in the overall picture, I still can't help but think that were it not for our defense, we would not even be ranked right now, and maybe sitting with a 1-4 record; 2-3 at best. Things really need to shape up down there, and fast.

My weekend did end well, however, in that Jessica made it home safely yesterday. I missed her over the past couple of days, and it was nice to see her pull in the driveway. While I was at church yesterday (the church where I will be helping with the youth program), I was officially introduced to the congregation...all 15 of them. There are still a lot of people who normally attend church absent due to health or family problems, and I look forward to meeting them in due time. I am very excited to see this church grow, because as I saw yesterday, they are just one big happy family. Everyone greeted me and remembered my name, gave me a big hug, and then asked about Jessica. It was nice to come to church and feel like a part of the family instead of just getting lost in the crowd. Every size church has its pros and cons, but for now God has truly opened an incredible door of opportunity here, and I am happy.

A Dream Come True

First, my thanks go out to all my prayer warriors out there who have been wholeheartedly praying for Jessica and me. The Lord has heard your prayers, and he has been so good to us. Tonight, I was honored with the offering of a position as a youth minister at a local baptist church here in Calera. The church is really small, but they have a strong desire to grow within the community. The only problem is that they neither have had, nor currently had any kind of youth program for visitors with teenagers. Their funds are low, but their passion for the Lord is gigantic. I am so excited to have this opportunity, and I am so honored that God has shown His favor towards me by entrusting me with this next generation of youth.

There is a lot to do since there is no existing program. My main focus in the beginning with consist mainly of outreach as I try to grow the familiarity of the church and the new program. I will need a lot of support, specifically in the area of prayer. Pray that the Lord will grant me courage to put my all into the outreach of the community; strength to stand before a group of middle and high school students with passion and conviction; wisdom to speak with the Lord's words and not my own; and compassion for those that do come to see what all the hype is about. Please also pray for the youth of the community, and for the church. Much of what happens will be as a result of the acceptance of this program, and I pray for those divine appointments that are just around the corner.

A Gift of Love

Jessica and I have recently become a sponsor of a little girl in Peru through an organization called Compassion International. Student Life does a lot of work with them, and after hearing their name spoken so positively for over a year, we finally decided to check into it and find a child to sponsor. Her name is Leidy, and she is 3 years old. Jessica fell in love with her the moment she saw her picture. It didn't take much before I was in love too, and we are so excited about being a part of this little girl's life. It may not be more than giving a monthly monetary gift, or daily prayer on our part, but in the end it is so rewarding to know that this little girl can now live her life knowing there is someone out there in the world who thinks about her and prays for her every single day, even if they are halfway across the world.