Category: Nostalgia

why i don’t want you to feel sorry for me on mother’s day, my first without mom.
adoption · cancer · faith · family · Grief · hope · Love · mom · mother's day · motherhood · Nostalgia · Ovarian Cancer · time · Travel · wisdom

why i don’t want you to feel sorry for me on mother’s day, my first without mom.

Ally Velsor1 Comment

I understand being sensitive towards someone you know might be going through it, but I implore you to stop falling into the cracks of political correctness. I’ve been skeptical about writing this post because the last thing I want is to bring someone down who is already grieving. But let me be clear, this post is mostly directed towards you who are not.

If you can take anything from reading this, I want you to go all out and celebrate with the loudest bells and whistles you could find! I know I would if mom was still here and my only hope this year is for you to have that moment with yours. We don’t know the day of our departure, so I implore you, celebrate like it’s the last Mother’s Day you’ll have with her.

This Easter 2017: When Death Defers Hope, Remember He is the Resurrection & the Life
#WriteHopeFWD · cancer · easter · faith · family · fear · God · Grief · hope · legacy · Memorial · mom · Nostalgia · Ovarian Cancer

This Easter 2017: When Death Defers Hope, Remember He is the Resurrection & the Life

Ally VelsorLeave a comment

Last year’s April 16th wasn’t Easter or any major holiday, it was just an ordinary Saturday. Before that day, there were plenty of other days, ordinary days, I chose not to think about death. Every time I did think about death, fear would invade every aspect of my life. Whenever I think about death, it becomes an obsession. The what, when, where, why, how questions would flood my brain to the point of keeping me idle and isolated as to avoid anything that could possibly kill me. So, I did my best and I deferred.

But April 16, 2016 was one of those days I didn’t think I’d remember, but one picture brings a plethora of memories and emotions.

Because for the first time in my mother’s diagnosis, I thought of death. Her death.

Dr. K’s Best Medicine: Take Your Own Advice & Make Lemonade
cancer · faith · family · fear · Forgiveness · God · Grief · humility · inspiration · legacy · Love · mom · Nostalgia · Ovarian Cancer · pride · redemption · Resilience · this is us · wisdom

Dr. K’s Best Medicine: Take Your Own Advice & Make Lemonade

Ally VelsorLeave a comment

NBC’s This is Us has been renewed for two more seasons! (Yippee!). But there’s a reason why this show has captivated the hearts of many, including my own. Here’s my take on the latest episode “The Big Day,” although I really missed the grown up Big Three, this prequel to the pilot episode gave us a window to peek into the depth of Dr. K’s grief over the death of his beloved while further explaining to us his “when life gives you the sourest lemon” philosophy.
**Spoiler Alert** Don’t read if you haven’t watched the episode and don’t want to know what happens!**

When We Don’t Feel Like Giving Thanks
contentment · faith · family · Friends Tv Show · God · godliness · inspiration · Looking For America · mom · Nostalgia · Resilience · Switchfoot · Thanksgiving · this is us · Where The Light Shines Through · wisdom

When We Don’t Feel Like Giving Thanks

Ally Velsor1 Comment

I feel like this year’s Thanksgiving Scrooge.

My husband lately has been bugging me to write. But I haven’t felt like it. I feel internally yucky. I feel like I shouldn’t share my internal yuckiness because I don’t want to be contagious or give anyone a reason to complain about their miserable lives. So I opted to abstain from writing… and letting you in on my misery.

Then the Lord reminds me of this verse in 1 Timothy because I’m pretty sure when Paul penned this to Timothy, his circumstances alone didn’t give him a reason to rejoice. But he did anyways. Despite the persecutions, the incarcerations, and the beatings, Paul somehow trusted God and all His promises.

As we prepare a marvelous Thanksgiving feast, my prayer for everyone is that we don’t miss these ingredients that will make our times memorable for a lifetime.

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.

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?

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.