Last week we had our very first Velvet Ashes Live in Chiang Mai, Thailand. And oh, to be together was so lovely. To see faces and give real hugs, t’was good, good for the soul. To share the story and vision of Velvet Ashes, to hear what it is meaning to you, to hear Patty Stallings spur us so movingly on to create, well, it was delight.
Here are a few gems from our time…
Our first actual promo video. Would you share, like and tweet to help us spread the love of Velvet Ashes?
So many more people and moments that could have been captured! But I loved our time together. It was to me a reminder of the bond we share.
It’s been an extreme few weeks for me and mine, disease and hospitals involved. We’re okay now, and I’m sure I’ll share the story when I’m ready. But now we’re in the fog of weariness and travel and getting home after six weeks. (I think it’s safe to assume a Valentine’s Day date will not be happening on Valentine’s Day for us.)
But here’s what’s been churning in around in my head about love. Throughout the trials of the last weeks, there was never a moment that I did not feel loved by God through his people. In fact, I felt quite lavished by that love. When we were in crisis, people showed up with love, support, generosity, and more offers for help than we knew what to do with. And for that I am humbly grateful. I love that God loves us so tangibly through his people.
These are words that have been resounding in my soul this week, words that I sang out in joyful chorus, my voice raised with hundreds. It’s both the why and how of it all:
“Hope for the hopeless, your love is.
Strength in our weakness, your love is.
May we love, as You love.”
Photo Credit: Silence à gogo via Compfight cc
The Work of Love
Love must root and ground me
So I may go to those who need Him most
Love must capture and captivate me
So from me His bounty may freely flow
Love must secure and cover me
So through my touch others may find His comfort
Love must shepherd and lead me
So that with others I may find rest on the way
Love must draw me close and be my vision
So all eyes that look upon me will see only Him
And in Him be
Rooted
Grounded
Captured
Captivated
Secure
Covered
Shepherded
Lead
Drawn close
Given vision
So Love may continue His work
I was reading the first half thinking, “Such good verbs!” And then you listed them out. So powerful. So true.
[…] with The Grove at Velvet […]
Following a similar theme to Kristi’s word;
“And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge- that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” Ephesians 3:17-19.
Being rooted and established in love- not just brushing the edges of God’s love with a simple head acknowledgement, but really grasping a firm hold of God’s love for us, so that we become so entwined with God’s love we are inseparable. God’s love becomes our firm anchor point, it becomes our source of nutrients, of life itself, from which we can draw energy for life. When we are rooted and established in Gods love then we are able to flourish and grow, the fruit becomes beautiful. When we pass through the storms and get battered and broken and pruned down to our bare hurting core, the love we hold onto will give us new life to be able to produce beautiful fruit again and to grow and be a joy and delight to others. We can’t be destroyed if we are truly rooted and established in God’s love.
This so vividly depicts grasping a firm hold on God’s love! Beautiful and powerful. If life’s storms ever strip us bare, that ultimately God’s love can always spring new life. Now that is hope. So glad you shared the beauty of your art, the message of your heart with us here.
Sarah, the intertwining of the roots into the heart of God is a powerful image. There’s depth and a sense of strength. Thank you for sharing your image in words and art. The words I latched onto were: “…being rooted and established in God’s love then I am able to flourish and grow…” for that reminds me of a verse that was dear to my heart a few years ago and has recently come up again. Ps 52:8-9 describes the writer as being like a olive tree flourishing in the house of God. Only WITH him (who is Love) do we flourish.
Not sure how reliable our internet is right now, so I’ll link my post here too 🙂 A Love Song from a Little Boy
Love, love your little boy’s love song!
Would have loved to have heard the love song from the little boy!
I am a bit late, but I wanted to share about the Father’s love.
This week I had the joy of being the Lord’s messenger in bringing pure water to a home where there was none. I cried when I heard about the joy in the home and the guests who came to have a drink of clean water. How beautiful it is to share the love of Jesus by just walking in obedience to what He asks us to do! His love is so big and boundless that He wants us to share in the giving and receiving of it!
Then, as I was preparing some food yesterday morning, I thought, “It would be so great to have another set of US measuring cups so that I could have a set for dry ingredients and for wet.” But, we all know how that is not an easy thing to acquire in a foreign land. Well… only a few hours later I went to the post office and found a surprise package waiting for me from a friend in the States. And you won’t believe what was in the package! A set of measuring cups from Crate & Barrel–a set much nicer than I would ever buy for myself!
I was so overwhelmed by this expression of the Father’s love for me! The seemingly empty wish had just passed through my mind moments before the Father delivered my desire. There is no other love like this anywhere!
love this!! And how great, crate and barrel measuring cups!!!! God is amazing in how detailed He is!