Category: church

The Heart of Giving According to 2 Corinthians 8
Advent · Christmas · church · discipline · faith · Generosity · gift · giving · God · godliness · hope · Hurricane Maria · kindness · Love · offering · Puerto Rico

The Heart of Giving According to 2 Corinthians 8

Ally VelsorLeave a comment

Our desire is to provide a bit of joy to the children in Puerto Rico through the giving of Christmas shoe boxes full of toys, school supplies and hygiene items.

Our goal is to provide enough boxes to distribute to a local orphanage as well as to some local low income communities with which Calvary Chapel Puerto Rico has a working relationship. However, the staff at Calvary Chapel Puerto Rico have said that every day they are meeting more and more families who have lost everything: home, furniture, clothes, etc.

WWJD in a Divided America, an Exhortation from James 4
church · donald trump · faith · hope · humility · Hurricane Maria · kindness · legacy · Looking For America · mercy · NFL · politics · Politics · pride · Puerto Rico · racism · Repentance · Resilience · Testimony

WWJD in a Divided America, an Exhortation from James 4

Ally VelsorLeave a comment

It looked like nothing but a doodle. If you were paying close attention, Jordin Sparks’ hand conveyed a powerful message for ALL Americans. Millions may have just tuned in just to see how the NFL was going to handle President Trump’s unnecessary, divisive, and petulant remarks in such a delicate time as this. I had been struggling to write what I’m about to write because I don’t want to be misconstrued and I certainly do not want to be taken out of context.

(what i learned) belief in God is not meant to keep us comfortable
Belief · church · Comfortable · contentment · faith · genuine · God · Grief · hope · Spiritual Comfort · What I Learned

(what i learned) belief in God is not meant to keep us comfortable

Ally VelsorLeave a comment

As we embrace the warmth of these summer months, I decided to share with you what I learned this Spring. I adopted this idea to do some serious introspection and soul-inventory from my favorite author, Emily P. Freeman, and share my lessons in hopes you will join me too!
This one is an odd one as I’m getting extremely personal.
I’m not sharing a list of things I learned, rather a spiritual lesson I am currently processing.
Belief is fundamental to our Christian faith, but help me as I explore what it means to believe in the absence of evidence and spiritual comfort.
“Absence of Evidence IS NOT Evidence of Absence.”

when her name is Courage (an ode to a friend for mother’s day)
adoption · church · courage · faith · family · God · godliness · hope · humility · inspiration · leadership · legacy · Love · motherhood · Ode · redemption · Resilience · service · Sisterhood · Testimony · Waiting · wisdom · Worship

when her name is Courage (an ode to a friend for mother’s day)

Ally VelsorLeave a comment

I do know a friend whose name is actually Courage.

I thought she was kidding at first,

anyone would merely dream of displaying such formidable surname.

It was 2013 when I met her and became friends

as we served together in a restaurant at a church.

Adding to the Conversation: Who’s in Charge of the ‘Christian’ Blogosphere?
#WriteHopeFWD · blogosphere · church · faith · God · hope · politics · Politics · Repentance · women in the church · women's rights · Worship

Adding to the Conversation: Who’s in Charge of the ‘Christian’ Blogosphere?

Ally VelsorLeave a comment

In church, I was seated.

Waiting for communion

to be distributed.

The mind set on

things I wish I could have muted.

What I read in these threads disturbed me because a lot of it sounds exactly like the voices emerging from the political arena these days.

Simply Jesus: Bringing Simplicity & Godly Sincerity to a Complex World
church · faith · food · Friends Tv Show · God · godliness · hope · humility · Kelly Minter · politics · pride · Repentance · restaurant · Simply Jesus · women's rights

Simply Jesus: Bringing Simplicity & Godly Sincerity to a Complex World

Ally VelsorLeave a comment

For our boasting is this: the testimony of our conscience that we conducted ourselves in the world in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God, and more abundantly toward you.

-2 Corinthians 1:12

Last time I read this verse, it made me sorrowful.

Elections 2016: Christians, Do They Know Us By Our Love?
church · faith · God · hillary clinton · humility · leadership · Love · politics · Politics · prayer · Presidential Elections · Testimony · wisdom

Elections 2016: Christians, Do They Know Us By Our Love?

Ally Velsor1 Comment

No matter what happens in November 8th, remember who is the One we truly serve. We served Him then, we serve Him now, and we will serve Him beyond November 9th. Perhaps, we will lose some rights or gain others, but let us be aware of the greater picture and the impact we could have if we choose to love despite our losses.

The Correlation of Wisdom and Time… and Pumpkins!
church · faith · family · God · leadership · Live It Well · Love · politics · Switchfoot · time · Where The Light Shines Through · wisdom

The Correlation of Wisdom and Time… and Pumpkins!

Ally VelsorLeave a comment

You know summer is over when you stock up on pumpkin-flavored everything because you also know that fall will also soon be over. I mean, it may have started with pumpkin lattes at Starbucks and some delectable dessert choices, but now we have to indulge, or tolerate if you are not a fan of, pumpkin-flavored Greek yogurt, potato chips, cream cheese, cereal, English muffins, bagels, hummus, etc…

Fall season is also the beginning of a lot returning TV shows and also the new and most anticipated ones, such as Designated Survivor and did you guys get to watch my new favorite This is Us?

As we grow older and seasons come and go, time resembles more like an enemy who is constantly reminding us of how we’ve wasted it with our lack of productivity. Our reasoning? We just don’t have enough of it.

But what does wisdom tell us about time?

Where Feet May Fail
church · faith · fear · Forgiveness · God · Nostalgia · Repentance · Testimony · wedding · work

Where Feet May Fail

Ally VelsorLeave a comment

About 3 years ago, Kenny asked me the most important question of his life and I gave him the most important answer of mine. Six months later, we got married. Although we only dated for six months and were engaged for another six, our relationship carried a lot of fear then. Fear of failure, fear of the future, fear of… you name it! It just so happened that our pastor’s teaching lesson at the time was on fear. God used Pastor Bob Coy to help us get through those months of anxiety and fear of how marriage would be like.

RE: Dear Church, 11 Signs You’re Burning Out Your Staff
church · faith · restaurant · service · work

RE: Dear Church, 11 Signs You’re Burning Out Your Staff

Ally VelsorLinkLeave a comment

I've owned this ceramic blue book that proudly recites this prayer since I was a child. I know it was a gift. A precious gift I've held onto without remembering who gave it to me. This has helped me through the roughest times in my life because it reminds me that God is in control, not me, as sometimes I stubbornly would like to be. It reminds me that change starts with me...