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“Too much prep”

Published on by Velvet1 Comment

“Too much prep”

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He said as he saw me scraping the old wax off this board and starting to rewax it. “That sport requires too much prep.” Hey buddy, it’s not for everyone… but I’m not gonna trade it for a few minutes of TLC.

Though there are SOME things in life that can definitely feel that way. Laundry? Dishes? Cleaning? Can I get an Amen?! Lol like can these things maybe do themselves?!

Everything we have requires maintenance. Tangible things like our bodies, houses, cars; and intangible things like relationships with God and other people. If we neglect maintenance, things break and fall apart. God didn’t make us to sit around and be idle. He created us to work! Prepare. Care ❤️ bear burdens.

Not to say there’s not a time to cease. Pause. Delight. In fact, resting, delighting and remembering is extremely VITAL. And I’ll do that when I get out on the water 🙂 but in the meantime, maintenance is required. And I choose to view it as investing in future opportunites to delight even harder. From a unique oceanic viewpoint 😉🌊 #workhard #workhardplayhard

xxx

<3

V

The Link Between Idolatry and Apostasy

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I have a very literal brain, so when I think of “making idols” I picture a potter in a shop making things on the potting wheel.

Little cups and bowls, pitchers, vases. Some smooth and well-shaped. Others bumpy and misshapen. I picture the messy process of wearing the apron, hands covered in wet clay. The air smells earthy.

But when the Word of God talks about making idols, it is referring to the human heart.

Humans are very good at “making idols” on the regular. An idol is something you greatly admire and love and revere. Something you can’t stop thinking about. Something at the forefront of your mind. Think of how cartoon horses have been driven by a dangling carrot.

Our idols are like those carrots. Idols can be our motivation. It’s okay to have things that motivate us. People, goals… The problem lies in loving that person or thing or goal more than God. Because when that person, thing or goal becomes an idol, unbelief starts to take place.

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So how do idols cause unbelief and how do we determine what’s an idol?

Idols cause unbelief in this way:

We start to put our hope in the idol. We start to attempt to glean our happiness and satisfaction from that idol. It becomes our catch-all. The thought we return to at the end of the day or first in the morning, or if we’re having a bad day. Idols actively fight to take the place of God.

When we’re living for an idol instead of for God, we are heading in the wrong direction. Our motives become catered towards our idol instead of God’s will. They become selfish and self-centered. Whatever it takes to uphold the idol.

When we’re living for God, everything else is secondary. Living for God means elevating Him to the highest position of authority. When we recognize His authority and have a reverence for Him, we bear obedience to Him, no matter what.

If we’re looking through a tainted lens, we might call an act of idolatry “obedience”.

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So what determines an idol? I think the most simple way to understand an idol is this: anything that you think about more than God.

If you’re somebody who doesn’t believe in God, you might be thinking: well gee, I guess every thought that crosses through my mind is an idol. Let me be more specific.

An idol is your love for any person, thing or goal that is greater than your love for God.

Believer or unbeliever, you may be thinking: what thoughts and actions determine loving something more than God? Or you might be thinking: that’s ridiculous, I could never love something more than God.

My responses to those two hypothetical responses:

  1. When your motives for doing something is out of concern for this idol and not for the glory of God, you are practicing idolatry. For example, I am a salsa dancer. Let’s say that there is an event coming up that I really want to go to, but the Holy Spirit is giving me a nudge that I should not go. However, I am convinced that I NEED to go to this event. I am idolizing salsa over listening to God.
  2. If you think you could never love something more than God, think of the last time you committed a premeditated sin. That in itself shows a lack of belief and love for God. (Hey, we all sinners hahah I’m not the judge, there is only one judge!).

 

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The takeaways are this: idolatry is sin. God hates sin. We make idols. We mustn’t bow down. Every part of our lives should be continually offered up to God. People, things, goals. God wants to be in all of them. He wants to reign over them. He wants us to trust Him with them.

I dunno about you, but I do NOT want to be a part of ANYTHING that contradicts God’s will for my life. The way idolatry leads to apostasy is scary. And incredibly easy.

 

Will you join me in bringing every aspect of life before God and offering it up to Him? He is our sovereign Lord who will ALWAYS lead us in the way we should go 🙂

<3

xxx

V

 

The Summary of Surfing

Published on by Velvet2 Comments

“So like, where are the waves?”

Was the question running through my mind yesterday afternoon. The answer soon came from this summary of surfing: Surfing is 80% paddling and 20% surfing. 😂 #patience

Patience on the water seems easier to have because you’re anticipating that next perfect wave that will be both challenging and satisfying. And you get to enjoy God’s beautiful creation simultaneously 🌊 the glittering sunlight in the water… The beautiful people surrounding you. The wind over the water. Maybe an occasional dolphin or whale 🐬

Patience off the water can seem so frustrating. Being in a slow-moving line at the grocery store or in traffic or wondering why somebody in your life just “doesn’t get it” when you think they should have by now. It’s SO incredibly easy to take on the “let’s GO!” mindset of hurrying and being busy. So I have a challenge:

Will you join me in living a life of hopeful expectancy? That the waves (whatever “waves” you’re hoping will come) will come? That you’ll be able to ride them out and enjoy them?

Sometimes God puts us in a place of waiting, and it can seem like the thing will never be resolved or will never come around. I’m here to encourage you to wait, patiently, and enjoy what’s around you while you’re waiting 🙂

& coming from that mindset of gratitude and grace, you’ll then be able to ride whatever wave comes your way… Strongly and satisfyingly 💙 and encourage others along the way 🙂

❤️ If you’re with me!

xxx

V

First time surfing

Published on by Velvet2 Comments

Well. Okay, yes. This will be my first OFFICIAL surfing lesson.

I tried “surfing” a few weeks ago which was really me attempting to stand up on a surf board on flat water for 2 hours. It went over about as well as it sounds like it might.

To sum it up in one sentence for you I shall share this short anecdote: a 6 year old asked me if she “could try” after my hundreds of failed attempts to stand up on this thing. On her first try she managed to stand up and say how “easy” it was.

Thank you child. I shall return to my floppy misery now. Only joking. I enjoyed getting up and trying again and again. Falling and getting back up. It was actually a pretty sweet metaphor for life. 😀

ANYWAYZ. I’m taking a legitimate lesson tomorrow with a friend which will be FUN! And then hopefully we can go surf other more legitimate places together! Teehee!!!!!!! My summer dreams coming true. <3

I will update y’all tomorrow with how this thing goes! Follow me for more adventure posts about running, biking, hiking, rock climbing, swimming, skiing (it’s been a minute but ayy), salsa dancing, bachata dancing………… and whatever other opportunities come my way!

Cheers to life and God and all of His wonderful creation!

xxx

<3

V

Hair before and after

Published on by Velvet2 Comments

Guys I seriously have to draw attention to this. First picture is from three years ago, and I was trying to look nice with my hair. Side note, it doesn’t look nice. Hahhaha .

And then we have the picture that I literally just took of my hair after waking up from a nap. Oh, and I washed my hair three days ago, and exercised and got sweaty the last two days. And I literally didn’t brush it or so anything. .


Conclusion? My haircare line is the MOST amazing!! It’s simply not arguable!!! Hahaha premium, aka salon quality, vegan, chemical free, and clinically PROVEN to heal hair!!! .

Let your hair speak for itself much?!? DM me and ask how you can start your healthy hair routine today!!! 😯😯😯🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼 Or how you can also get paid for having healthy hair 😂😂😂😂😂🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼

xxx

<3

V

Climbing

Published on by Velvet4 Comments

Indoor rock climbing to be specific. I went yesterday for the first time in………. 5 years? And I haven’t been consistently going since ….. 2013? Haha basically it’s been a hot minute. My trip out to Joshua Tree in 2014 was the last real outdoor climbing trip I had minus the recent one I did.

Man that was a super legit spring break trip.

Anyway.

This is a shot from going outdoors recently.

That was a hard route. I was trying it because, why not. But it was above my skill level. Haha. Super fun though. Except for the fact that it ripped off my fingertips on both hands. So when I went to unlock my phone with my fingerprint, my phone didn’t recognize my finger. Since the tip was ripped off. Hahaha

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Apparently your body doesn’t like vigorous climbing activities after not going climbing for ~6/7 years. Who woulda thunk?!?!😂

As a result I came down with a bad case of DOMS today. Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness. Which got progressively worse throughout the day. The cure: moving my body. I tried resting, rubbing arnica on it, taking a hot bath. All of those things were generally helpful. But it came down to biking around my neighborhood a few times (I did around 10 laps, which is 10 miles) and felt WAY better after that. 🙂

It was worth it though. It was super fun to go and I definitely want to go again soon. I actually will probably go this Wednesday 😀 as long as I can cancel my plans to go biking. Which shouldn’t be too hard because it’s supposed to t-storm on Wednesday anyways. 😛

mmk. Th-th-th-that’s all for now folks!

xxx

<3

V

Thankyou

Published on by Velvet1 Comment

Thank you

Thank you

Thank you

Thank you

Thank you

Thank you

I thank You

Thank You

THANK YOU

THANKYOU

THANK YOU

Thankful.

Grateful.

Cared for.

Heard

Comforted

Loved

Blessed

Adopted

Included

Made righteous

Equipped

Taught

Trained

Provided for

Thank you. Thank you so much. I know that you heard me and answered. After all this time, which is like a blink to you, you answered. You gave me a reply. You protected me and guided me. You brought me to this point, to this place. You’re so full of mercy and so full of grace. All other things my mind can erase. Til there is only you. Til all I see is you, and all I know is you. I know you to be true. I know you to save. Your word is the only thing that staves off my hunger and thirst. I yearn for you and you fill me up.

I take a breath and gasp no more. I look over to my bedroom door. I’m thankful. I know I’m here because of you. I’m thankful. Thankful. Thankful. Thankful.

You have made me so free. Not carefree, because you taught me to care. But you teach me what to care about and how to care. You give me the tools and give me the wisdom and then you coach me through it. You’re so personal and present… Just what I’m looking for. Just what I always am asking for. Thank you for your attentiveness to me.

Thankful. There’s not a single place I would rather be than here with you. Father. Thank you for meeting me in this place.

xxx

<3

V

You Reap What You Sow

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You sow carrot seeds, you’re not going to get cucumbers.

You sow cucumber seeds, you’re not going to get peppers.

You sow pepper seeds, you’re not going to get lettuce.

Does this make sense?

Clear. It’s very, very clear. Yet I am still surprised at the fruit in my life sometimes. When you pour your time and energy into something, it grows. Whether it’s something productive or not. When you pour your time and energy into something… it grows.

Worry? yep.

Fear? Yep.

Procrastination? Yep.

Laziness? Yep.

Doubts? Yep.

And now onto the positive.

Hard work

Physical fitness

Eating right

Relationships

Hobbies

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The more time I spent on something, the more it grows. The more time I spend with someone, the more I think about them. The more I do, the more it do. Hahahah I dunno about you, but I’m fond of that last sentence. 😊

That being said, consider this.

Time is not infinite. Each day only has so many minutes and hours. Every day is the same length of time. So how shall we spend it? I repeat, how shall we spend our days?

It’s an easy answer. We should spend our days by doing what we ought to do. That looks different for everyone. Spending time with God, working, taking care of our body, stoking relationships, praying, enjoying, giving thanks. Worshiping, working, waiting.

There is always something to be done, and we are always doing something. Resting and sleeping are activities too. And so are worrying and grumbling, Complaining, comparing, putting others down, being divisive.

Also, inciting cohesiveness, encouragement, inspiration and motivation are ways of being.

I believe that God has gone before me and laid out every step, if I will only look to Him to see which way I ought to go. I’m constantly battling doing the next right thing or the best thing versus doing the first thing that comes to mind. Prioritizing is important. And we shouldn’t just do any old gold thing on a whim. Not every good thing is a God thing.

Lord, show me the way. Show me where I should invest my time. Thank you for your faithfulness to cleaning me up from the inside out and making me a servant better fit for your service. I love you and want to serve you in any way capacity that will bear fruit for you kingdom. Lord, help me to not sow seeds that will bear fruit for death, or won’t bear fruit at all. Help me sow seeds that will produce fruit that many will enjoy the benefits of. I love thee. xoxoxo <3

V

You can’t do it

Published on by Velvet2 Comments

Of course you can’t. Of COURSE you can’t!!!

Did someone tell you that you would be able to jump in and jump on and stand up on your first try?!

Who told you that lie?

I’ll be the first to tell you it’s a lie.

You need to WORK to thrive

You need to FAIL to vibe

You need to learn to stand before you can walk

You need to balance before you can glide

It’s not going to be easy. You have to build up your muscles. God gave us muscles so we could use them. So we could work them. So we could feel the soreness when we try new things. So we could stretch and grow and get up and tone and KNOW that we’re alive.

You can’t do it. Imagine if that’s all someone said to you when you were first starting out. Would it fan your flame to press on or would it justify quitting? I think it has to do with the will, the why. The motive behind doing something in the first place.

I remember driving down the highway on Route 64 and having somewhat of a vision. A bottle of shampoo fell into my lap. It fell from the sky… from heaven. It fell from God. God dropped that bottle of shampoo right into my lap. It seemed to fit in perfectly well. It seemed to fit my personality. “You can sell anything” people have always told me. It’s vegan and chemical-free; good for my body. I believe in it. I use it and love it. It has made my hair healthy. I feel good knowing that it makes me healthy.

When you’re passionate about something and love something, you light a fire underneath other people too. Passion and love are contagious. Love is the one thing that never dies. Because God is love, and God is steadfast and unchanging. And He alone stands the test of time.

But we live in a broken world. And things get difficult. Trials pop up. Hardships come around. Things can start to seem bleak or like they are never going to change. Sometimes the hardship can distract us from why we started in the first place.

Does a pregnant mother give up growing her baby because it’s too hard? God forbid.
Does a pro basketball player walk off the court mid-game because he’s having a bad night?
Does a gardener destroy his bed of flowers because he’s sick and tired of weeds popping up every day?

The answer to all three is, of course, “no”.

Because with perseverance and hard work, there eventually comes a turning point.

You try one more time… and you are able to get up. You find the sweet spot and are able to balance. You find your center of gravity and have built up your muscles enough to maintain your position.

“I’m going to have this baby if it’s the last thing I do” says the mother.
“I’m going to give every shot and pass my all before this game is over” says the b-ball player.
“I’m going to weed day after day to enSURE that my plants aren’t choked out” says the gardener.

And at that point, you’re DOING it. You’re thriving. The work is getting done.

At what point are you at? Feeling like quitting or absolutely committing?

I want to cheer you on. Keep showing up. The hardship is normal. The hardship is expected. The hardship will get you to your goal. And later down the road, I’ll be able to  say this to you:

“Aren’t you glad you didn’t quit? Aren’t you glad you kept persevering?”

BE glad you didn’t quit.
BE glad you kept persevering! Everyone on the sidelines is! Whether they know it or not. Some expected you to give up and fail. Don’t humor them. Some expected you to excel, because they believed in you. Do you believe that you’ll get there? Believe it. Get back up. Try again. Show up again. Build up your muscles. Expect to fall. Expect to fail. Expect that it’ll take hundreds of times, maybe thousands, before you’re an expert.

Experts aren’t born, they’re made. They’re created through trial after trial after trial. Loss after loss after gain after loss. It can seem futile. We’ve all been there. Press on.

“You can’t do it”. You’re right. Maybe not right away or right at first. But that’s unrealistic. Was anything worth doing ever easy?

xxx

<3

V

The same moon.

Published on by VelvetLeave a comment

Dear N, 

Remember when …

we both looked up at the sky from different places and saw the same moon? You were on one side of the island, and I was on another. And we saw the very same moon. 🙂 Big, bright, beautiful. It glowed in the sky and shone so brightly that if it had breath, I could feel it breathe on me.

How close I felt to you, dear one, as we considered life and love and relationships and what we deserved. It was a magical moment. So filled with joy, I didn’t know what to do with myself but sing out to you through the night sky and wonder if you could hear my voice from a faraway distance. 

Can you hear me? Do the vibrations of my voice carry through the noise and the hustle, the bustle. Did my words make it all the way to your ears, entering into your stream of consciousness, one at a time, formulating phrases and sentences that hopefully demonstrated how much you mean to me.

Can you hear me now? As I reminisce on the times we gallivanted through the picturesque streets of West Side and contemplated what it would be like to date different people and end up in different places. You were living in that mansion at the time, and I, on the island. What beautiful times. What beautiful memories; like of your little lime tree growing in the open room. Or was it a lemon tree? 

N, I think of you often and wonder what it would be like if time travel were possible; what I would have said to you, or not have said. The time I pretended to smoke pot with you instead of telling you that I didn’t want to do it anymore. 

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I saw that same moon tonight. The same exact moon, only a little bit older. The moon doesn’t change. It’s the same one that comes every single night faithfully and can be seen from all over the world. 

Beautiful. Magical. Accessible. I wonder why God created the moon? If not to make me feel closer to you and closer to Him. Those two reasons are good enough in themselves.

Goodnight Moon. 

<3