It’s an Amazing Time to Be Alive
They used to pack in coffins. Sometimes, when this life gets hard, I tell myself this as a “perspective setter”. People who do what we do today used to say goodbye and set their minds in one direction, willingly making a choice that meant they may not ever find true community and family again. But […]
Hold Me As We Travel the Rapids
Ruth touches gently on her experience of a miscarriage. If this topic is triggering for you, there is grace for you to move on and come back another day. I was sitting surrounded by some of my favorite people. My heart longed to share the pain I was carrying, but I couldn’t. It was too […]
As Cross-Cultural Women, We Need Two Things
Welcome! If you’re new around here, we hope you’re enjoying this month’s tour of Velvet Ashes. I’m Danielle Wheeler, founder of Velvet Ashes and director of spiritual development. As we are nearing the tenth anniversary of our community, I already find myself waxing nostalgic about our humble beginnings. When the idea of Velvet Ashes first […]
Jump in the Deep End
I recently joined a water aerobics class at my local gym. It’s honestly one of those situations that fit under the category of “my worst nightmare”. I wasn’t sure what to expect, I didn’t know anyone, and I wondered if I would be able to keep up or know the right moves. Long story short, […]
Welcome to Velvet Ashes
My algorithm is a hoot. I see dog memes that I share with lightning speed in my family text group. I see recipes that tempt me to be vegan that I favorite and never try. And I see the most absolutely precious pictures of old people. Old people friends. Old people in love. Old people! […]
This Month’s Theme: Welcome to Velvet Ashes
We are women who have uprooted our lives to plant again in foreign soil. We are women who love Jesus and want to link arms as we hold tight to hope in the hard and weary places. We understand the pain of goodbyes and beauty of hellos, the longing to belong and to be fully […]
Unlikely Places
They had trained for this. In circles where they could speak freely, they listened to women share fears about their upcoming births. With calming tones, they spoke words of wisdom that were passed on to them from the midwives that had gone before. They loaned and borrowed strength from each other. Each time it passed […]
Hope as My Identity
I had already realized that I wasn’t handling our current transition well. After years of transitions, I’ve discovered that I haven’t properly processed any of them, so I wanted to participate in the Velvet Ashes retreat and make time to hear from God. We finished last year with the organization we were serving with in […]
The Welcome Mat
Whenever I walk up to a house, my eyes always focus in on the presence or lack of the welcome mat. There is something inviting and comforting about a colorful, soft welcome rug as opposed to the bare cold concrete or dirt floor. About five months ago I moved to Southeast Asia from the United […]
This Week’s Theme: Welcome to Velvet Ashes
Hey, friend! Yes, you who just stumbled across our social media page or went hunting for a community that gets you. Yes, you who have been around this space for awhile, you who are new to the field and you who are now figuring out life back in your passport country. You are welcome here. […]
This is Us
If you are new around here, welcome! We hope you will find your place in this community of global sisters. Even if you’ve been around awhile, consider this a refresher of all that you can find here! You might have some questions and we would love to answer them! First, let us introduce ourselves. Our […]
Invitation to Connection
“What exactly is this group?” my husband asked me as I excused myself to head into the next room. “A connection group! I get to connect with woman who serve all over the world.” My introverted husband didn’t seem quite as convinced, but I couldn’t wait to get to know the ladies I was about […]