An Advent Invitation
Do you feel it during the Advent season? The greater weight of others’ expectations? Am I doing all the things to let my loved ones know my care for them at Christmas? While at the same time keeping up with the daily demands of life? As I hustle to do all the things, I’m also […]
A Hug From 20 Years Ago
A week after my 18th birthday, I boarded a plane that would take me to Ecuador for a year. A picture was taken that day at the airport – a picture of me hugging my 11-year-old sister. It was our goodbye hug. She barely reached my shoulders. I cried a lot that day. But if […]
When Preparation Means Waiting
The holidays have a way of rubbing salt in the raw wounds of my singleness. While God and I continue to have conversations around the dream of marriage and family, I am usually fairly content with my single life. There are struggles and joys, things I love and challenges, but this is any stage of […]
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. And it motivated my arm to sweep every one of them from the shelf into my basket, and then to text every expat I knew to […]
Shadow and Light: An Interview with Tsh Oxenreider
We are so excited to welcome author Tsh Oxenreider to share more about her new Advent guide, Shadow and Light! Get to know Tsh and her heart for the Advent season. Tsh, please introduce yourself to the Velvet Ashes community! I currently live in Georgetown, Texas, about 30 minutes north of Austin where I was […]
How To Actually Practice Advent {Plus an Invitation!}
So I’m a bit of an Advent junkie. Name an Advent book, tool or experience that’s come out in the last ten years and I probably have it. In our multiple moves over the years as we purged our belongings again and again into 50 lb. tubs and suitcases, I always, always made space to […]