What are you listening to in the midst of all the noise?

The world hums with urgency, headlines, and endless voices—yet beneath it all, there is a quieter invitation: to listen for what is true, steady, and unseen.

In this episode, we sit with the weight many are carrying and the sacred practice of tuning our hearts again.

We also step into the story of John and Betty Stam—a story marked by courage, surrender, and a faith that echoes far beyond their years.

A story that asks us: what does it look like to listen… and to trust… with open hands?

Learn more about ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Velvet Ashes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Follow Velvet Ashes on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Featured music is "Doxology of Mercy" by Eine Blume. Check out more from them on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠iTunes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or wherever you get music!

We are grateful to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Barnabas International⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for sponsoring this podcast! Barnabas is a member care organization that shepherds global workers and trains global shepherds. Learn more about them ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Learn more about our Online Retreat for this year, Listen: Hear My Voice

Check out Andrew's book, By Life or by Death: The Life and Legacy of John and Betty Stam

The new Velvet Ashes book, Yet We Still Laugh, is available on ⁠⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠Barnes & Noble

What does it really mean to retreat?

In this month’s episode, the entire Velvet Ashes team — Denise Beck, Danielle Wheeler, and Sarah Hilkemann — gathers for a behind-the-scenes conversation about the heart, history, and hope of Velvet Ashes retreats.

What started years ago as a simple experiment — an online invitation for women scattered across the globe to step away and meet with God — has grown into a sacred annual rhythm for cross-cultural workers worldwide. In this episode, you’ll hear how retreat first began, how it has evolved over the years, and why it continues to matter so deeply.

Danielle shares the heart behind this year’s theme: learning to recognize and respond to God’s voice. In a world filled with noise, fear, and competing messages, so many women ask: How do I know it’s really Him? This retreat gently and honestly explores that longing — creating space to sift through distractions, confusion, and doubt so we can listen more deeply to the One who is always speaking.

Learn more about ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Velvet Ashes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Follow Velvet Ashes on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Featured music is "Doxology of Mercy" by Eine Blume. Check out more from them on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠iTunes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or wherever you get music!

We are grateful to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Barnabas International⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for sponsoring this podcast! Barnabas is a member care organization that shepherds global workers and trains global shepherds. Learn more about them ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Want to go deeper with the Velvet Ashes community? Learn more about Friends, Circle and Inner Circle levels of membership connection here.

Register for this year's Listen Online Retreat.