When I Would Rather Hit You Than Love You
I really loved the people of my host country before we went. I mean, I prayed for them, I sacrificed for them, I fought for them and advocated for them,...
Category: Spiritual Formation
The Picture of Gentleness {The Grove: Fruits of the Spirit}
We all have a sweet, beautiful picture of gentleness in our head. The mom who gently bandages her son’s knee. The grandma who gently teaches...
Thank Goodness
One thing I have been cautious of as a parent is mis-leading my kids no matter how innocent my intentions are. If I tell them that Santa Claus is...
Seasons of Joy
Yearly seasons have taken on a whole new meaning since living in the tropics. Winter doesn’t exist here, and neither does fall. Our entire region swings between beautiful spring...
Soul Writing
I didn’t hear about Velvet Ashes until about my sixth month in Southeast Asia. It came by way of my mom, who shot me off an email and said,...
Shalom In the Midst of It All
This week we are inviting you in to get to know Velvet Ashes: who we are, what we do and the resources this space has to offer....
Pruning Season
July — here, in the Southern Hemisphere, the second month of winter. In southern Australia, this means just-above freezing temperatures, rain, rain, and more rain. It also means pruning...
The Cost of the Almost-Right Way
I remember the first big ministry-related fight my husband and I had. We'd been on the field six months when he came home from a meeting and said, "So...
I’m Going To Stop You Right There
I watched the counselor take notes, glancing up at me from time to time as I unloaded my life story- all the things I’d done, places I’d been, plans...
Can We Pray for You? {The Grove: Prayer}
Psalm 130:5 I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope. In a week where we are intentionally...
