Christmas

Christ the Savior is born!

Our Wonderful Counselor.

Our Mighty God.

Our Everlasting Father.

Our Prince of Peace.

Merry Christmas from the Velvet Lime Girls.

Light of the World

Today we're sending you a single-stem, light-filled Christmas tulip to say "Merry Christmas to you" and to remind you of the reason many are so joyful during this season of light. It's the celebration of the birth of our savior, Jesus Christ, "the one who is the true Light arrived to shine on everyone". (John 1:9) 
Laura's husband, James Rhodes, is the artist who created this luminescent tulip that radiates hues of lemon, gold and saffron. When he's not busy at Rhodes Design Group, he finds great joy in bringing "God-colors into the world", (Matthew 5:14), through his pastel paintings.  We're often inspired by his works that hang in our studio, and as Christmas approaches, we wanted to share this light-filled artwork with you as a visual gift and reminder of the "light who has come into the world." (John 12:46)

"What came into existence was Life, and the Life was Light to live by.  The Life-Light blazed out of the darkness; the darkness couldn't put it out..." John 1: 5 - The Message

Celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, the Light of the World, 
The Velvet Lime Girls

PEACE

Peace.  It's wrapped itself all around each one of the Velvet Lime Girls lately. Around Laura, with a husband just coming out of the Emory Hospital ICU, around Marybeth, with a daughter overcoming a concussion, and around Rebecca, as she and her amazing team oversee the 1000+ children at Northpoint Church.
Yeah, we've each experienced a peace that transcends all comprehension lately, and we just had to let you know, if you're facing some kind of challenge or amazing busyness this Christmas season, there really is a peace that can hold you and calm you.  
So, we've created a simple graphic for you today as a gentle reminder that the Prince of Peace wants to come into your life and bring a calm that can settle any storm or any busyness you may be facing today.

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." John 14:27

Wrapped in His Peace, 
The Velvet Lime Girls 

P.S. If you're in need of a little extra comfort today, pour yourself a cup of tea, and settle-in to the words of this Comfort Song.  Even if the music style isn't your cup of tea, the soothing words here promise to bring healing to any heavy hearts out there. There are long pauses, so soak in the whole ten minutes of comfort and peace.

Joy

JOY is the third buoy to safe harbor that we'll talk about during this breast cancer awareness month.  Joy will buoy your spirit and life to a healthy, happy and whole place. For those overcoming breast cancer, finding a little joy each day is an essential daily requirement.
We've found a few simple sources of random joy that can brighten even the weariest of days and we'd like to pass a few on to you right here.

Get out in the sun!
Yes, just stepping out into the sunshine will do wonders for your countenance and, as it turns out, for your health as well. According to Dr. Mercola, the vitamin D that you'll soak up in just a 10-15 minute period can be extremely healing to your whole body, lower your blood pressure and interfere with breast cancer's ability to spread.  Just take a quick look at some of the other benefits of sunshine in this article by Dr. Mercola:  Dr. Mercola on Vitamin D
Another article by Dr. Veronique Desaulniers points out that an 83% reduction in breast cancer occurred when the vitamin D level in the blood was doubled to 50ngml: Dr. V on Vitamin D

So, just stepping out into the sunshine can increase your vitamin D level and start you down a healthier path!  Obviously, a little vitamin D supplementation will need to go along with that sunshine exposure and both Dr. V and Dr. Mercola offer vitamin D suggestions on their sites.  We hope you check these info links out and treat yourself to a little time in the sunshine today.

Laugh!
Yep, just a simple laugh!  It's more powerful that you can imagine. 
According to WedMD. a good laugh can boost your immune system, positively affect blood sugar levels and improve your sleep at night.  So, pull out those old funny movies, joke books and stories that make you belly laugh.  Or just share some light-hearted moments with cute, little ones or people who make you smile.  You'll find some other great health benefits of laughing right here: WebMD on Laughing Benefits

Chocolate!
Mmm... did someone say chocolate?  Yes, you read that right!  In moderation, a little bit of quality chocolate is quite beneficial and will certainly bring a little joy into your day.  Yum! 
Aim for dark chocolate that has a high cacao content for the greatest benefits.  One of our favorite chocolate companies is the Lily brand found at Whole Foods.  Since it's made with stevia, there are no sugar concerns here, just-sheer-chocolate-joy! We bet your antioxidant levels are going up just thinking about this little bar!  For an additional boost, read about some of the amazing health benefits of chocolate right here:  Dr. Axe on Chocolate

Since we're tossing out random ideas on sources of joy, we'll wrap up with one last idea today.  

Try something new!
When you are on a healing journey for your health, it's amazing how trying something new will expand your horizons and bring in unexpected joy. We recently tried something quite new and the health benefits have been amazing, so we'll chat about it here for a moment.  After reading about the remarkable health benefits of a hyperbaric-oxygen chamber, we stepped into one for the first time at Lyfewell, right here in Johns Creek, Georgia!  Oh, if you are on a healing journey, you need to stop by this place!  The hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) and the pulsed electromagnetic field therapy (PEMF) increase oxygen levels, enhance blood flows and bring scientifically-proven restorative health benefits to the body.  Yes, you'll begin to notice a nice positive change after a few sessions and you'll be glad you tried something new and so beneficial.  Take a few moments to learn more about this interesting treatment at their site: Lyfewell  

These are just a few of the random sources of joy we've experienced lately.  We hope you'll share some of your little joys, (your "buoys of joy"), that have perhaps brought you into a safer harbor on your healing journey.  We'd love to hear from you and be inspired! 

We've got the joy, joy, joy, joy...down in our hearts,
The Velvet Lime Girls

HOPE

Today we're continuing our focus on Breast Cancer Awareness month with another buoy of hope.

Wouldn't it be great if you could find a way to REALLY detect the earliest stages of breast cancer?  You know, long before a mammogram catches it? A mammogram can certainly detect a suspicious area, but how great would it be to know much earlier and begin an effective healing protocol?  Well, there IS such a test and it is called a thermogram.  The chart below sums up the differences between these two types of tests:


This short video clip of Dr. Veronique Desaulniers discussing thermography sheds a little more light on the benefits of thermography versus mammography: 
Dr. V on Thermography

And this article by Dr. Jockers sums up other benefits of thermograms:
Dr. Jockers on Thermograms

One of the places we've found to have a thermogram done in the Atlanta area is through Atlanta Mobile Thermography.  The technicians are great, and your report will be reviewed by a panel of doctors and then discussed with you.  Each week the thermograms are available in several locations around Atlanta.  Check out their Facebook page to see if a location is near you this week: 
Atlanta Mobile Thermography Facebook

For those of you outside the Atlanta area, this site can direct you to an accredited thermography center near you: Thermography Centers

If you're wondering about the validity of thermograms, take a quick look at this link from Atlanta Mobile Thermography. (The first segment is much of the same info presented above, but scroll down for additional info.)  Thermography Info

We hope you'll take the time to educate yourself on the benefits of thermography and set up an appointment for your first thermogram! You'll be glad you did!

Sending you hope,
The Velvet Lime Girls
"Getting wisdom is the most important thing you can do!" Proverbs 4:7 TLB

Safe Harbor

A safe harbor.  Sometimes that's all you need.  A place to restore, revive and renew yourself.  As we launch into Breast Cancer Awareness Month this month, we'll be identifying some life-lines, buoys and safe harbor suggestions for those  who are navigating the rough waters of a breast cancer diagnosis.  Pass this on to anyone you know facing breast cancer.  It's rough seas out there for many of them, but they can ease into calmer waters with the right compass and buoys. We'll be talking about some of these buoys this month and we look forward to you coming aboard with us.

We know what it's like to be tossed into the overwhelming, tumultuous, open seas of a breast cancer diagnosis.  One of the Velvet Lime Girls, Laura, faced this diagnosis in June of 2015 and everything changed here in our little studio.  The seas were just-pretty-darn-rough for awhile, with our anchor in God holding us down and averting a major shipwreck.  There's just SO much to process with a diagnosis of breast cancer.  Do you go the conventional route? Alternative route? A combination route? What DO you do???  One thing is for sure ... you can't ignore it.  You're in a storm and you need some direction.  You need buoys that will guide you into a safe harbor.  We found some! And when you find buoys that help, you just want to yell out at the top of your lungs, over the crashing waves, to everyone out there adrift in the sea, "We found help!  Here are some buoys to safe harbor!"
So, that's what we're going to do.  We're going to yell out and point you in the direction of a few buoys we've found helpful along the way.  

Our first beautiful buoy is a site called Breast Cancer Conqueror.  
Whether you choose a conventional, alternative or a combination route to overcome breast cancer,  you'll find a treasure of resources, support and compassion here.  It's a great place to start if you just don't even know where to begin.  As their site says,  you'll learn to "Never Fear Breast Cancer Again."  The founder, Dr. Veronique Desaulniers, healed her own breast cancer naturally and documented the journey in her book, Heal Breast Cancer Naturally.  Along the way she left a trail of research-backed medical studies and resources that make this book a big, bright buoy, helping women on their healing journeys and guiding women who want to prevent getting breast cancer.  Go get the book today for yourself and then get one for your daughters, your mothers, and the friends you love.  It's been the biggest buoy out there for Laura and we know it will help guide you into safe waters.  Check out the heart of the healing program right here in this video: 7 Essentials Program. 

We'll be sharing several other buoys during this Breast Cancer Awareness month and we would like to hear your stories of the lifelines and guiding systems you have used to navigate your course through the rough seas of a breast cancer diagnosis.  Remember, you have a voice and you can use your story to help someone else who may be in distress.  So use your voice and help us tell others about the
buoys that can lead to safe harbor.

"My help and glory are in God - granite-strength and safe-harbor God." Psalms 62:7 

Smooth sailing ahead,
The Velvet Lime Girls

Garland Your Life with Grace

Garlands of Grace draping your life.  Doesn't that sound like a lovely way to live?
Oh, we think so, and these watercolor embellished flowers from our garden seem to convey just what a grace-draped life would look like... relaxed elegance and refinement in the midst of raindrops and watercolor-splashes.  What a beautiful way to live.  When we read this passage below from The Message today it inspired the colorful splatters above and brought some new insights about Wisdom.

"Above all and before all, do this: Get Wisdom!
Write this at the top of your list: Get Understanding!
Throw your arms around her—believe me, you won’t regret it;
never let her go—she’ll make your life glorious.
She’ll garland your life with grace,
she’ll festoon your days with beauty.”
Proverbs 4:3-9

So, we're on a little mission around here in our studio to Get Wisdom.
And just like this slender branch of buds, we believe Wisdom will garland our lives with grace.

Getting Wisdom,
The Velvet Lime Girls