Love Songs

The duo became best friends before work in information technology transferred Nick from Virginia to Texas. “When he found out he was relocating, he took me to our place — Taco Bell — and gave me a taco sauce packet that said, Will you marry me?” Ashley said.

Worried Ashley might not have taken that as a genuine proposal, Nick made it official. “After finding a place to live in Dallas, I flew back to Richmond. Ashley met me in the airport, and I knelt in the terminal and presented her with a ring. That was spring of 2007, and we were married February 2008,” Nick outlined.

Moving away from her close-knit family was difficult for Ashley. “That was the biggest challenge of my life: Beginning a new life with a new husband and instantly becoming mom to Nick’s two children from a previous marriage … with my parents over a thousand miles away,” Ashley said.

Nick faced his own challenges. “I have wrestled with depression and PTSD since my time in the United States Air Force, supporting Operation Desert Storm, which was exacerbated by the loss of my mother in 1996, my brother in 1999 and a child in 2001.

“Music is an outlet, and the only times I’ve written original material were during some of my darkest times,” Nick said.

Even before they were a couple, music played throughout their lives. “My dad is a pastor, and both he and my mother are musically inclined, as are my two younger siblings,” Ashley said. “I sang in church as a kid, and in school I had some incredible vocal training in musical theater and a cappella groups.”

“For me, it was a complete surprise to everyone when I began singing,” Nick admitted. “At age 5 or 6, I asked if I could sing ‘Amazing Grace’ at church. No one knew I could sing — not even me.”

Nick began teaming up with his mom, who he called “Patsy Cline made over!” and learned to sing harmonies. “We had an old electric organ at home, as well as a very beat up old upright piano, both of which I would tinker with, but I never received any formal musical training — or even knew how to read music — until joining the marching band in middle school.”

The couple’s background led to a natural pairing of music and faith. “As a preacher’s kid, I probably couldn’t have stayed out of music ministry if I wanted to. But I did want to serve and use my gifts for Jesus. I have never imagined myself doing anything but!” Ashley said.

Filling in as an interim worship leader led to Nick’s music ministry when he was still back home in Memphis and continued through the years, to his recent role as music minister at Midlothian’s Rock City Fellowship church, where he and Ashley both led worship weekly.

The duo also partners in a group called Texas Mosaix, bringing music to the masses. “Our first mission trip and concert tour was to Dénia, Spain. Since then, we’ve returned to Spain with Mosaix four times, and we perform a Christmas production every year to benefit Direction61:3, a nonprofit providing housing, education and life skills to kids who are aging out of foster care,” Nick explained. “From Ireland to Africa and here in our own backyard, we’ve seen music reach past cultural and linguistic barriers, affecting every aspect of humanity — physical, emotional and spiritual.”

Nick credits 18 years serving under Dr. Adrian Rogers — then pastor at Memphis’ 30,000-member Bellevue Baptist Church and former Southern Baptist Convention president — for the “wit and wisdom that still finds its way into every sermon I preach, marriage I perform or Bible study I teach.”

Ashley acknowledges her high school choir teacher, Sherri Matthews, for encouraging her musically. “She saw something in me and gave me every chance she could to follow my passion, even making me lead in our beauty shop quartet that became the highest-ranking high school female a cappella group, competing at a collegiate level. Next to Sherri, I would have to mention Dawn Jones, my vocal coach for years, who helped me shape my voice and expand my vocal range.”

As far as memorable musical experiences go, Nick recalls two years performing with the southern gospel group Of One Accord with whom he recorded an album and performed all over Texas. “But my most unforgettable performance was at an event singing, ‘I Bowed On My Knees and Cried Holy,’” Nick admitted. “I was hitting notes I had never sung in rehearsal … or maybe even in the shower. It was like God was anointing me for that moment, and it was powerful.”

Ashley recalled a more comical performance. “It was Repertory Company Theatre’s 2022 production of Godspell. In that show, I was dressed as a clown in full makeup, wearing a black, feathered boa, singing ‘Turn Back, O Man,’” Ashley remembered. “It was so bizarre to stand there in huge, pink and white polka-dotted pantaloons, singing this sultry sounding call to repentance, taken from the Book of Ezekiel. Just bizarre!”

The travel, laughter and emotional connections given them through music are reasons the Sanderses believe music will always be part of their lives. “Whether we are full-time missionaries, sailing port to port evangelizing through music or moving back home to care for our parents in their golden years, as long as we are together in life and service to Christ, we will be content,” Nick promised.

The couple may someday publish their work professionally, but for now, anyone interested can hear them at youtube.com/@nickashley. In the meantime, Nick said, he is content simply listening to Ashley: