Wondering at Beautiful Skies and Suffering
Mongolia has a beautiful sky. It’s big, it’s clear and in the 1990s, it was the place I loved to look. In the evenings the air would be crisp...
Category: Spiritual Formation
A Tale of Two Skies
It was a tale of two skies that morning. In between my panting and my praise, I diverted from my morning’s walk to dodge the muddied...
A Prayer for 2021
Lord, in your mercy, hear the prayers we are praying from all the far-flung corners of the globe. We are weary. Angry. Afraid. Confused. Hopeful....
A Response to Longing
Powdered Hazelnut creamer. There was a time when powdered hazelnut creamer, unexpectedly discovered on the shelf of randomness at the Indian-run supermarket, literally elicited a squeal from my mouth....
Drenched Yet?
I can see Jesus and his disciples in their boat, crossing the Sea of Galilee, when a storm hits. It isn’t a nice storm, it is a rough one--even...
Truly Unsinkable
The Titanic ruined the word unsinkable for me. Instead of giving me confidence, I get visions of what was promised as unsinkable on the ocean floor....
Trusting the Lord of the Harvest
My toes sank into mud and water as I followed my language teacher into the rice field. Other students grabbed scythes, listening closely as the owner of the field...
A Response to ‘Here I Am’
In this year of great intensity, challenge and struggle, I’ve been drawn to simple things and quiet spaces. I long for peace, calm and rest. If...
No Strings Attached
To the 7-year old Sarah who declared to the Lord, “I’ll be anything you want me to be but PLEASE don’t make me be a cross-cultural worker”,...
Kicking Off Retreat Week
It’s here! We’re officially kicking off retreat week here at Velvet Ashes. This is the first time we’ve ever offered a retreat in October. We are absolutely thrilled with...
