Refugio County Press (Refugio, Tex.), Vol. 53, No. 14, Ed. 1 Thursday, November 8, 2012 Page: 3 of 18
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Hefugto tllnuntu Press
Thursday, Nov. 8,2012
Page 3A
A dream come true for local entrepreneur
Melanie Wright opens By Grace in the Refugio Shopping Center
By Kenda Nelson
Editor, County Press
REFUGIO — For by
grace you have been saved
through faith; and that
not of yourselves: it is the
gift of God: Ephesians 2:8
The business name,
The grand opening of
the Christian gift shop
was celebrated Friday,
Oct. 26, a vision that
began in 2005.
That year, the invisible
threads in her tapestry of
hope began to untangle.
Kenda Nelson photo
Melanie Wright fulfilled a long-time dream of opening a small
business earlier this month in the Shopping Center in a space
shared with her husband, Dr. Gary Wright.
By Grace, was selected
by Melanie Wright long
before the business
ever opened its doors.
Through faith, she never
abandoned the dream of
becoming an entrepre-
neur.
Melanie joined Joy
Ministry in 2007 and
started studying the
Bible in earnest for the
first time.
“I grew up Catholic but
began falling away from
my religion,” Melanie
Gumm inducted into
International Dean’s List
REFUGIO - Brittney ship, study abroad, and
Renee Gumm has been online personal and career
honored with membership development opportuni-
into the International ties to students from the
Dean’s List
Society for exem-
plary academic
performance
at Texas A&M
University.
Gumm is
majoring in Allied
Health and antic-
ipates graduat-
ing in the Fall of
2013.
The
Gumm
United States
and countries
around the
world.
Brittney is
the daughter
of Brian and
Linda Gumm of
Refugio.
“The society
congratulates
Brittney Renee
Gumm on this
International Dean’s List distinctive honor,” an
Society provides scholar- A&M spokesperson said.
ART.
ASK FOR
MORE.
--
AMERICANS
^ARTS
For more information about the
importance of arts education, please contact
www. AmericansForTheArts .org.
) HAPPY 5th
P BIRTHDAY
LAINEY
MASSEY
Muguerza
said. “I had never really
studied the Bible until
I started going to Joy
Ministry... I learned so
much there, and then I
was saved.”
Like most adults with
responsibilities, Melanie’s
trajectory was focused on
working — first in the
county clerk’s office and
then in the assistant dis-
trict attorney’s office.
“So many things came
up... the time was just
not right for me to start a
business,” she said.
Along the way, she met
her future husband, Dr.
Gary Wright, local chiro-
practor. They were mar-
ried earlier this year.
“He asked me what I
wanted to do with my life
— continue working at
the courthouse, go back to
school... he left the deci-
sion and the options up
to me,” Melanie said. “I
told him about wanting to
start my own business.”
Having an established
chiropractic office with
room to spare in the
shopping center, Wright
immediately took mat-
ters into his own hands.
He knocked out a wall to
open a path to the front
entrance and installed an
archway.
Wright admits he strug-
gled to get the work com-
pleted in a field outside
his medical expertise.
“I’d go broke doing con-
struction for a living,” he
chuckled.
Melanie and Gary
worked together to trans-
form a sterile treatment
room into a lovely dis-
play space. Light from the
crystal chandelier perme-
ates the shop and reflects
back through ornate gold
mirrors.
Melanie’s mother,
Loretta Perez ,assisted by
setting up displays and
her father, Albert Perez,
pitched in as well, helping
with construction.
Beautiful things line
both sides of the room -
from crosses, rosaries and
first communion gifts to
unique jewelry know as
Magie’s.
Magie’s jewelry line
offers a special magnetic
clasp.
“The jewelry is held
together with strong
magnets so you have the
option to put them togeth-
er to get many different
looks,” she said. “ You can
change them to the look
you want.”
She also carries a
line of Kerusso brand
T-shirts for men, women
and children. Therein lies
Melanie’s attention to
detail.
Kerusso, which means
“to preach” or “spread the
Gospel” in Greek, is at the
heart of her business.
“The Kerusso motto is
‘change your shirt, change
your life,”’ Melanie said.
The threads in
Melanie’s tapestry of
hope are no long invisible
but woven brightly into
the fabric of her Christian
gift shop.
The deeply spiritual
entrepreneur says all
things happen at the time
God chooses.
“Everything is for a rea-
son,” she said.
* Meet the Factory Reps * Food Both Days
* Bank Rate Financing Available * Door Prizes Both Days
* Complete Inventory on Sale * Entertainment
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New & Used Units All On Sale!
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Nelson, Kenda. Refugio County Press (Refugio, Tex.), Vol. 53, No. 14, Ed. 1 Thursday, November 8, 2012, newspaper, November 8, 2012; Refugio, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth740653/m1/3/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Dennis M. O’Connor Public Library.