He Calls You: Beloved
“There was a boy called Eustace Clarence Scrubb, and he almost deserved it.” I love this opening line from a C.S. Lewis book. It always makes me smile. It makes me think of the name my university students far too graciously gave me when we first arrived in China many years ago: “Sweet Smile” (甜 […]
The Two Dreams that Taught Me the Invitational Heart of God
I was casually walking down the aisle of a bookstore in Asia when a picture leapt off the cover of a book. It was my own children! I instantly understood: I had misunderstood the invitation. I thought we had been invited to help the small local photo studio make a brochure. Then, days later, someone […]
Roles and Goals
The posts this week cut to the chase, don’t they? Women telling different stories, drawing different conclusions, and yet there is harmony. Every one lunges for Jesus. Every one insists that communion at his table is vital to cope with the clamor aimed at our roles, including the onerous cacophony in our own heads. Now, […]
More than Just a +1
I was so nervous to have this conversation. Our field leader was popping over for tea and to map out our first year back in Ireland after home assignment. My husband had a clear vision for what his role would entail and I was in a slight panic. It’s not that I didn’t know what […]
What To Do About Women’s Roles
I’ve sat around the table and been told – on more than one occasion and on both sides of the ocean – that what I’m doing is not Enough. That I am not working Hard Enough. That what I’m doing with my children is Too Small. That I’m not Properly Serving the needs around me. […]
Define Your Role as Servant
I felt invalidated for a long time. It began in a faith culture where women were to be quiet and keep their spiritual convictions to themselves. It moved into my first working environment where my success was excused as youthful energy. And then motherhood—how in the world do you validate yourself in motherhood? I’ve decided […]
What Men Wish We Knew
Each day this week we’ve had our first ever male writers speaking into our lives on “What Men Wish We Knew.” This week would not be complete without a word from the man who has made this community possible. He has been the greatest believer in this place since the idea of it ever […]
Call Me, Maybe?
This week at Velvet Ashes, for the first time ever, we’ve invited men to come share with us. So each day we have a guy writing on the theme “What Men Wish We Knew.” Today we’re thrilled to have Nicholas Todd, husband to Velvet Ashes’ author and editor, Kimberly Todd, here with us. Nicholas has been an […]