Chosen

Lately we've been thinking about the beautiful word chosen.  The dictionary definition alone is pretty amazing... one who is the object of choice or of divine favor.

When you take a look at how God uses this word though, it takes on a new radiance.

He chose us before He began creating the foundation of this earth.

He chose us to be a treasured possession.

He chose us first.

We're chosen.  Picked by God. And He wraps us in words like treasure, royal, and special possession.

That is amazing love.

To remind ourselves of just how chosen we are, we created this little graphic inspiration, splashed with shades of radiant gold, to remind us that God calls us a treasure and that we are very, very chosen. It's not just a love expression for us though, it's for anyone with an open heart.  So take this little treasure for yourself today and begin to call yourself "chosen". 

Feeling quite special,

The Velvet Lime Girls

Inspirations from 1 Peter 2:9, John 15:16, Ephesians 1:3-4 & Galations 1:5

We've been thinking about how beautiful the word chosen is lately.  The dictionary defines it as one who is

FAITH

Faith DOES thank God!  Right smack in the middle of the story. 

"Like an arrow that's already been shot, it reaches forward to grab hold of God's promises." Rick Renner

If you're in the middle of a story right now, facing a challenge, an impossibility or uncertainty, we're sending this graphic out today to encourage you.  To remind you that your faith in God is powerful.

While reading Sparkling Gems From the Greek, we found out that the Greek word for faith is pistis, a word that "denotes a force that is forward-directed and aggressive - never passive or backward-reaching, but always reaching forward to obtain or achieve a specific target or goal."

Wow.  Faith is never passive.  It's always reaching forward to obtain a goal. It's actually the evidence, "the confident assurance, that what we hope for is waiting for us, even though we cannot see it up ahead."  Hebrews 11:1

When you let this confident assurance, this evidence, this faith, really build up in your spirit, it becomes a powerful force.  A force that enables you to believe God for the impossible, and thank Him in advance.

So take your confident assurance, your faith, and let it fly like an arrow today, piercing through to the promises of God.

Walking by faith,
The Velvet Lime Girls

Friday Fun Day

It's Friday!
Do you still get a thrill when Friday rolls around?  We do!
Fridays are fun days here in the Velvet Lime Girls Studio.  We explore new colors, talk about new design ideas and just have some creative playtime.  Surrounding yourself with fun, expressive colors and design is a great way to start the weekend.

So, we'd like to share a bright little promise with you today as you slip into your weekend!

We washed this day-brightener with piñata-type colors. A fun fuchsia background, vibrant-white type and a few tangerine splashes.  Just looking at it creates a little celebration in your heart!  And if you let these words soak into your spirit ... you really will feel like celebrating on this Friday afternoon!

Have a great weekend,
The Velvet Lime Girls

Strength, Wisdom & Peace

Strength, wisdom & peace. 
If you need one of these today, it's reassuring to know they're available to you right this very minute.  They really are. They're just waiting for you to take them and use them, for whatever challenge you may be facing. So go ahead, take this little word of encouragement, placed on a brushed crimson background with goldenrod type and let it strengthen you today.
The first brush of fall is in the air around here, so the goldenrod color was a perfect fit for this graphic day-brightener.  Goldenrods are waving their buttery, yellow heads all over Georgia this time of year.
When we discovered the botanical name for goldenrods was Solidago canadensis, and that the word Solidago  means "to make whole",  we knew the type in goldenrod hues was the fitting color for this graphic encouragement. It's a color that reminds of The One who makes us whole.
So receive the strength, receive the wisdom, receive the peace offered to you today by God, and let this graphic be a reminder of just how equipped you are for whatever you may be facing. 

"He gives power to the tired and worn out, and strength to the weak... But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength." Isaiah 40:29-31



Walking in His strength, wisdom & power,
The Velvet Lime Girls 

LAUGH

We've had this uplifting graphic hanging in our studio for a couple weeks and we wanted to share it with you today. 

The idea of laughing without fear of the future is absolutely liberating.  A really-good-laugh, that spontaneous sound that rises from the heart, spills out through a smile and fills up your whole being with a carefree, uplifting, lightheartedness, is so, so good for your soul.

When was the last time you had a really good belly laugh?

You know, those kind that little children always seem to have just under the surface of their cute, flushed cheeks. 
The kind that are barely contained and about to spill-out into endless episodes of non-stop, hearty gales of laughter. 

Oh, a deep, heart-felt laugh is so good for your soul.
And so good for your future.

What a refreshing way to look at things in the future. 
          To laugh, rather than fear.  
          To smile, rather than worry.
          To rejoice, rather than dread.
When you're clothed with the strength and dignity that God offers...you can do this.  You can laugh without fear of the future.

With love & laughter,
The Velvet Lime Girls

Trust Him

We had a tiny thunderstorm sweep through our area of Georgia last night. Those majestic slices of lightening and the reverberating thunder-bells in the distance were a beautiful sight.  
We can enjoy this display now as adults, sitting in the safety of a home, because experience has taught us that as ominous-sounding as those thunder-bells may be...we're going to be okay.  
For little ones though, it still takes some reassurance that a big, loud sound is not going to hurt them. One of the little grandchildren who often pitter-patter around our studio recently blurted out, with a fresh-faced honesty, "I'm afraid when I hear thunder."  
After some tender, heartfelt discussion and reassurance, this little one was given an ANCHOR to hold onto and to SAY OUT LOUD over circumstances that try to make her be afraid.  It was this powerful passage from the Bible.

"When I am afraid, I will TRUST in you."

We thought we'd pass this little anchor on to you all today.  We dressed it up in a cantaloupe-colored, patterned background.  You may be all over the fear of thunder, but still find yourself facing a lightening storm of sorts in your life.  God's Word is just as powerful for you, just as reassuring for you, as it is for a little granddaughter.  It's because these words are living and active.  These words change things. But you're going to have to SAY them to activate them in your life.

So, print out this little art expression and hang it up somewhere today, so you can use it to speak to your storms, or your challenges. You're going to love the way TRUST drowns out fear.

Trusting,
The Velvet Lime Girls

Gray Hair Promise

You know you're loved when someone tells you they'll stick with you until your hair turns gray.  That's a long time.  That's an amazing amount of love.

And that's what God says about YOU.

Here's a free printable for you or someone who may need to be reminded that God loves them. 

Gray hair and all!

Just click on the link below for your free printable:

Gray Hair Promise :-)

The Velvet Lime Girls