Category: family

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?

9/11: It’s Been Fifteen Years…
911 memorial · family · friends · inspiration · legacy · New York · Nostalgia · Resilience

9/11: It’s Been Fifteen Years…

Ally VelsorLeave a comment

For me, it was another day being a sophomore in high school. It was the start of the school year in a new private school. I didn’t speak English very well, but that didn’t stop me from excelling in school. This language barrier, however, did stop me from making friends.

I was sitting in English class when the second plane collided with the South Tower.

How to Travel Light in a Heavy World: Wisdom is Free
cancer · Cruise · faith · family · food · Forgiveness · God · godliness · Grief · mom · Ovarian Cancer · Switchfoot · Travel · vacation · Where The Light Shines Through · wisdom

How to Travel Light in a Heavy World: Wisdom is Free

Ally Velsor3 Comments

As a self-proclaimed foodie, one of my preferred ways to travel is on a large and luxurious cruise ship because we consume all of this “free food.” I mean, who doesn’t love a free frozen treat after a long day spent exploring the hot and humid Caribbean islands? Then there’s the hard-working crew who are often the friendliest and sweetest people you will ever meet. They will make you feel like royalty for every dinner, particularly on those nights we get to wear our formal attire.

Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month: The Day(s) I Found God
cancer · faith · family · God · Grief · Live It Well · Switchfoot · Where The Light Shines Through

Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month: The Day(s) I Found God

Ally VelsorLeave a comment

There are dates in our lifetime we will never be able to re-live or erase as much as we wish and as hard as we pray to God. Today is the second day of Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, I now live knowing this horrendous disease takes wives from their husbands and mothers from their children with no sense of compassion.

When a loved one is battling cancer, she is not alone. We battle together.

Oh, Grief is Where The Light Shines Through
cancer · faith · family · genuine · God · Grief · Switchfoot · Where The Light Shines Through

Oh, Grief is Where The Light Shines Through

Ally Velsor2 Comments

Oh grief, do not consume me. I fear to stop grieving because I simply don’t want to forget her, but at the same time, I’m tired of answering everyone’s questions on how we are doing. You’ve become a slow, calculated, and nagging process; but then you wonder why most choose to skip you. Running away from you was enticing, but choosing you was the most reasonable option. You promise faster healing and relief, while running away from you would have led me bitterly back to you anyway.

Let It Burn
cancer · discipline · faith · family · God · Grief · mom · Ovarian Cancer · Switchfoot · Where The Light Shines Through · work

Let It Burn

Ally VelsorLeave a comment

If your house burns down today, what will be the one item (or person) you will grab on your way out to safety? Who or/and what fulfills us? Most importantly, are we willing to sacrifice ourselves to ensure someone else’s safety? All these questions have been invading my mind in the last few weeks because what I thought mattered most doesn’t anymore.

With Gumption!
faith · family · food · Live It Well · Switchfoot · Where The Light Shines Through · work

With Gumption!

Ally Velsor1 Comment

The first time I heard this word “gumption,” it intrigued me. I didn’t quite understand what it meant, but I really liked it and I wanted to exemplify it. I wanted to live it and I wanted to be it.

Kate Winslet personified it while playing the role of Iris Simpkins on “The Holiday,” my favorite film of all times.

Sonia, A Life Lived Well
cancer · Eulogy · family · friends · Live It Well · Memorial · mom · Ovarian Cancer · Switchfoot · Where The Light Shines Through

Sonia, A Life Lived Well

Ally VelsorLeave a comment

I am my mother’s daughter.

My mom didn’t lose her battle to cancer and we didn’t lose her. Loss describes defeat and misplacement. Ovarian Cancer did not defeat her and she isn’t misplaced. My mom won the prize of Heaven, which she didn’t deserve through her own deeds, but was given to her graciously through the blood of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Through the reassurance of her own faith, we know she’s in Heaven. Ovarian Cancer may have taken her body, but it did not take her spirit.

questi sono i nostri ricordi: these are our souvenirs
faith · family · food · Getaway · God · Italy · Nostalgia · Switchfoot · Testimony · Travel · vacation

questi sono i nostri ricordi: these are our souvenirs

Ally VelsorLeave a comment

As my feelings of nostalgia deepened, I couldn’t stop thinking about the disciples after losing Jesus to the cross. Confusion, disbelief, perhaps even deception? They probably wondered if they had just woken up from a long dream and if the years of ministry were nothing but an illusion. Despite their imperfections, they loved Jesus and they knew they were unconditionally loved by Him. But Jesus was …gone? Did they doubt? Were they disillusioned that their time with Him was over?