About Felecia

I am an artist, writer, blogger and graphic designer. I have a passion for life and living it beautifully. Visit me at my website, On the Wing of a Dove...Enjoying life beautifully! Be inspired, explore, reach higher...soar! https://www.onthewingofadove.com/

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Author Archives: Felecia

About Felecia

I am an artist, writer, blogger and graphic designer. I have a passion for life and living it beautifully. Visit me at my website, On the Wing of a Dove...Enjoying life beautifully! Be inspired, explore, reach higher...soar! https://www.onthewingofadove.com/

On Wholeness

On Wholeness

wholenessA Quote to Carry You

February 22, 2016

“…Once a heart is shattered, it can never be the same.  One thing though, it can become better than it was before – it can become whole.”  Felecia R. Weber

On wholeness – The feeling of completion, to have accomplished whatever it is you’ve set out to do can be a most elating feeling.  What’s more is when you focus more on embarking on the journey rather than reaching your destination, what a marvelous adventure you have to enjoy.  Indeed, I believe wholeness, being full, lacking nothing, having all the parts…is a sort of a passage, a path which draws us from our emptiness to becoming complete.

I remember a few years ago, planning my twenty-fifth wedding anniversary trip to Italy for my late husband and me.  I’d never booked my own airline tickets prior to that, let alone plan an entire trip abroad.  Although the planning was painstaking at times, for I didn’t want any detail to be overlooked, our time away was flawlessly exquisite…we could not have asked for anything better, and we’d not want anything to have been different.  Now, my memories of our final trip together are more precious to me as the time between then and now grows.  They somehow become real when I need them to be…and I experience a sense of the wholeness we shared instead of the hollowness that I was left with when he passed.

That example only touches the surface of what wholeness truly is…but for me, it describes the principle of how one can travel from emptiness to wholeness…and how we go through that process determines the degree of completeness we attain.  For, once a heart is shattered, it can never be the same.  One thing though, it can become better than it was before – it can become whole.

“Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.”  Psalm 37:4

Peace and love,

Felecia

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Between the Darkness and the Light

the darkness and the light

Photograph courtesy of Becky McMann Muehl

Between the darkness and the light – there is a vast difference between the two…

“The sun does not shine for a few trees and flowers, but for the wide world’s joy.”  Henry Ward Beecher

Between the Darkness and the Light

Between the darkness and the light, there is a vast difference between the two…

Darkness cannot exist in the light, but somehow, darkness always comes.

In the darkness, it’s hard to distinguish between what is good and what is bad;

Like in the shadows, in the crevices, nothing really seems to be what it really is.

In the light, nothing is hidden, all is revealed, no matter how ugly it may seem to be.

It’s reality at its finest…raw, naked, exposed.

Between the darkness and the light, the lines are drawn, we must choose.

Darkness covers what we want to hide…light reveals the truth, no matter what.

Darkness is cold, barren; life cannot survive there for long.

Light inspires a vitality that flows like a river…it never fades away.

Between the darkness and the light…we exist but we do not thrive…

We dwell in one or the other…where do you reside?

Felecia R. Weber 23026, OntheWingofaDove.com

“This is the verdict:  Light has come into the world, but men loved the darkness instead of the light because their deeds were evil.  Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.  But whosoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.”  John 3:19-21

Ponder this…

Peace and love,

Felecia

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On Greatness

On Greatness

greatnessA Quote to Carry You

February 15, 2016

“People do not become great by doing great things; they do great things because they are great.”  George Bernard Shaw

On greatness…There is something about this quote that begged me to dig deeper.  On the surface, it didn’t really mean much to me.  In fact, I rather didn’t agree with it at first glance.  For greatness, described as something extremely large or notably big, sounds to me to be awkward and cumbersome.  There is however, an aspect of it that captivates me…that of being remarkable, outstanding, eminent, distinguished.  Certainly those qualities imply greatness, but what is more interesting to me is how does one achieve it.

I suppose, like beauty, greatness is in the eye of the beholder.  A parent has the greatest influence on a child in his early years.  As he grows, that sphere of influence expands…the individual begins to be molded into a person, full of strengths and weaknesses, positive and negative traits, all that combine to define who he is.  I believe that a person’s greatness stems from this.

For me, greatness doesn’t necessarily have to involve some heroic, life-saving act, that draws attention to the person because of the dynamic nature of the act performed.  Indeed, such acts are great and should be recognized and honored, of course.  I do, however, believe that greatness is carried out in a more profound way, in ordinary, daily life.  When a wife or a husband tenderly cares for their spouse as a disease ravages their spouse’s body to the point that the life is drained right out of them.  When one friend sits and listens quietly for hours as the other pours out the depths of his soul in his darkest hour, because otherwise he may not find the strength to go on.  When a person in a position of authority risks bending the rules in order to allow for the greatest good to be achieved.  Greatness…happens when we reveal love for others that goes beyond ourselves.

“Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all you heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’  This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it:  ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.'”  Matthew 22:37-39

Peace and love,

Felecia

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For Those Who Walk Alone

those who walk alone

Photograph courtesy of Ray Flanagan rflanaganphotography.wordpress.com

For those who walk alone – a poem dedicated in celebration of my precious one’s birthday, February 9th…Happy Birthday Steve…I will always love you.

For Those Who Walk Alone

For those who walk alone,

There is a privilege, grace and power.

Our strength has no limits, our wisdom abounds…

We walk in a realm all our own.

For those who walk alone,

It’s not a life to be pitied or unnoticed.

Our tears never weigh us down,

They cleanse our hearts, to enable a new harvest to grow.

For those who walk alone,

Remember always, you are never alone truly,

For although God walks with us, side by side,

He was there in the past behind us…and tomorrow, He is already there.

Felecia R. Weber 2016, OntheWingofaDove.com

One of the most powerful memories that I have of my late husband happened on the night that he passed.  It seemed he’d been in dreamlike state throughout that day.  Amazingly, he walked around the house, up and down the stairs, traveled in the car to his doctor’s office for hydration, just like a “normal” day in his life as a cancer patient.  He was his usual soft spoken, good-natured, courteous self.  I knew in my heart that indeed that could be his last day here with us on earth, but it seemed like he was already somewhere between here and heaven.

As you can imagine, by that stage, the disease had taken its horrible toll on him.  He had wasted away to only a shadow of the man he’d always been.  That late afternoon, however, as he rested. stretched out on the bed in the haze of the dimming sunlight, there was a wholeness and serenity to him that I’ll never forget.  As he lay quietly on the bed, he stretched out his left arm and held it there for a long while.  He wore a slight smile on his face.  All I could imagine is that he was being gently ushered into his true home, to be with our lord.  As I stood next to the bed just gazing upon that peaceful sight, I closed my eyes, and through the lenses of hope and truth, I could see my Stephen, confidently walking toward the light, toward our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Now as I continue to walk alone, here on earth, I replay that image in my mind…what calmness, what peace…what a treasure our Lord is for those who walk alone.

“However, as it is written:  ‘What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human has conceived’ – the things God has prepared for those who love him.”  1 Corinthians 2:9

Peace and love,

Felecia

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On Loneliness

On Loneliness

lonelinessA Quote to Carry You

February 8, 2016

“For me, loneliness offers a silver lining that can only be discovered by those who have had the privilege to have been adorned by it.” Felecia R. Weber, Onthe WingofaDove.com

On loneliness – Those who’ve spent time with me would likely describe me as being quiet, shy and reserved.  After they really get to know me, “a little chatter box,” would definitely be a more suitable depiction of me.  I do love to converse with  others.  Not only do I get to learn from experiences that they share with me, but I get to impart some of what interests me to them.  Engaging with others in that way makes me feel vibrant and alive.  Contrastingly, like most people I imagine, when there is no one around me to talk to, the zest and excitement seems to fade away quickly, and loneliness threatens to move in.  Before long, like a tenant taking up residence, loneliness gradually begins to feel so comfortable, that it surrounds me even when I am in the company of others.  I haven’t painted a very pleasant picture of loneliness have I?  However, as with many masterpieces, the beauty of loneliness isn’t realized until after it has completed its work and has passed out of sight…

I’ll admit that these past many months that I have walked alone have been the most difficult steps that I have ever taken in my  life.  There have been so many things that I’ve experienced during that time that I pray to God I will never have to repeat.  Yet, there are many others that, as I look back, have become priceless, and I would not exchange them for anything in the whole world.  For me loneliness offers a silver lining that cannot be discovered by those who have not had the privilege to have been adorned in it.  Indeed there is a richness that can only be attained by becoming well acquainted with the solitude of being alone…and I believe that the intensity of loneliness is the part of being alone that makes the experience uniquely one’s own.  It is like the signature that is only inscribed on the canvas when the artist deems his work of art to be “finished.”  It is when one can view his loneliness as a beauty to behold, because of the profoundness  that was perfected in him through it, that loneliness is not that at all…rather, it becomes a fullness that, in my opinion, can never be emptied.

May your lonely days and lonely nights be filled as a canvas with dazzling, colorful lights.  And may you discover the most precious truth too, you will never, ever be alone, when you ask God to walk along side you…

“…because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.'”  Hebrews 13:5

Peace and love,

Felecia

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Eagles

eagles

The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater‘s Jacqueline Green. Photograph courtesy of Richard Calmes

Eagles – there is a strength within us, we soar boldly through the skies…

“He fills my life with good things, so that I stay young and strong like an eagle.”   Psalm 103:5

Eagles

Eagles – there is a strength within us,

We soar boldly through the skies.

High above the earth and its concerns;

In a realm where a peaceful, calm resides.

Eagles – to the world we are misunderstood.

Sometimes, no matter to what lengths we go;

The power God has bestowed upon us,

Others will never dare to seek out and know.

Eagles – the power that sustains us,

It is not something that is our own.

For we soar on the wind of the Lord,

And to us His everlasting love He has shown.

Felecia R. Weber 2016, OntheWingofaDove.com

I have no doubt where my strength comes from.  Indeed, the Lord has demonstrated to me just how much I can accomplish in his abiding power, and it is far more than I could ever have imagined.  I would not have known this, however, if it were not for the training ground that life’s difficulties have provided.  They were the tools that God steadfastly used in my life to show me what I am made of.  Indeed, I have found that he has made me strong like an eagle…and no matter what life offers to me, he will always enable me to soar above my circumstances.

Are you an eagle?  May you seek and find out for yourself what sustaining strength awaits you that will cause you to soar.

Peace and love,

Felecia

 

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On Fortitude

On Fortitude

fortitudeA Quote to Carry You

January 4,2016

“The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”  Psalm 18:2

On fortitude – Fortitude, defined as the strength of mind that allows one to endure pain or adversity with courage, can be interpreted in different ways.  To one person, it can mean having a will strong enough to get them through anything that threatens to impede their path.  To another, it may mean having the physical strength to withstand any ailment that would have otherwise undermined their health.  For me, fortitude has less to do with my own abilities when facing life’s choppy waters.  Rather, it has everything to do with God’s life preserving power.

Although this new year is only a few days old, it has brought with it a whole new set of challenges just waiting for me to dive into.  In fact, when I peek out at the turbulent waters stirring around me, I realize that no amount of my own fortitude will be enough to even lift me off the diving board.  It will take much more strength and sustaining power that I alone can muster to keep me from merely treading water to stay afloat.  Indeed, when it comes to tackling each lap of adversity that seeps through in the days ahead, I need to rely on the steady strokes of the Lord’s capable, all sufficient arms.  For through his guidance and wisdom, I can plunge into the stormy waters of the future with assured confidence that he alone will see me safely to shore.

When the floods of adversity burst into your life, rather that succumb to becoming submerged by our troubles, may you too seek the life preserving power of the Lord…for he is the only one who truly has the power to save you.

Peace and love,

Felecia

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On Endings

On Endings

endingsA Quote to Carry You

December 28, 2015

“Verily I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.”  John 5:24

On endings – The nice thing about endings is that they herald beginnings.  When one thing ends, surely a new thing begins.  Life is perpetual, when some part of it dies, another part of it begins.  That cycle is true throughout all of nature, and it spans across both the physical and spiritual realms.  In a way, endings are not that at all.  For endings are beginnings…this is something that has been beautifully demonstrated to me recently.

I have a very dear friend who is nearing the end of her earthly life.  Although I have only known Angela for a short time, she is one of those special kinds of people who, when you meet them, it seems as though you’ve known them for your entire life.  As I have gotten to know my sweet friend over this past year, I’ve come to realize that God has given to me a very special gift; one that I shall cherish all of my days.  It saddens my heart to think that although I have so enjoyed the friendship that I have had the pleasure of sharing with Angela, it has become evident to me that, because of the aggressiveness of her illness, it may not be long before it ends.  Despite the very real possibility of our friendship coming to an end, somehow it seems as though it has only begun.

Over these past few months, I have been blessed by having the opportunity to meet some Angela’s family members and friends.  It brightens my heart each time they mention bits and pieces about her character to me.  Upon meeting this precious soul, I could tell very quickly that Angela had a deep compassion for others and an amazing willingness to help those around her.  That instinct was greatly substantiated by the stories about her life that Angela’s husband and mother have so graciously shared with me.  Even though Angela can no longer physically express the beauty that lies within her heart, I am reminded of her kind spiritedness whenever I think of her and the way she shared her love with others.  In that way, I see this particular ending truly as a beginning.

Endings need not be something to dread, especially when they bring with them the treasures that beginnings can carry with them.  The same is true with life.  In that God has given each of us the gift of life, it can never truly be taken away…for when physical life ends, spiritual life begins.  For those of us who have put our trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, abiding in his love daily, what a glorious beginning spiritual life in His actual presence will be.  As it was when my husband passed on, just knowing that the ending of physical life sets in motion the beginning of eternal, spiritual life in Christ, provides all believers with an awesome sense of security and peace.  In that same way, it is my prayer that, when the time comes for Angela’s physical ending, her spiritual beginning in the Lord’s presence will usher in a sustaining hope for her loved ones.

When you face significant endings in your own life, may you experience the hope, joy and sustaining peace that their true beginnings bring.

(I dedicate this post to my dear friend Angela Mullings, who at the time of this writing, (12/10/15), continues her battle with cancer.  I want to thank you for being such an amazing inspiration to all of us who’ve been given the opportunity to know you.  Indeed, your kindness, compassion and love will live on through the lives you’ve touched throughout all eternity.  I love you sweet friend.)

Peace and love,

Felecia

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