Category Archives: Inspirations

Inspirational art, photo and writing collection relating to lifestyle themes.

Thanksgiving Day

Thanksgiving Day

“Flower Study,” 1866, John Jessup Hardwick. Image from a page of the 2014 Desk Calendar, courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art Store

Thanksgiving Day

I Remember When

November 26, 2014

“So once every year we throng upon a day apart, to praise the Lord with feast and song in thankfulness of heart.”  Arthur Guiterman, The First Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Day always brings me home again when I feast upon some of the tastiest memories of my childhood.  Breathing deeply in my reverie, O can almost capture the smells of the turkey slowly baking in the oven; the candied yams browning under a heavy blanket of ALAGA syrup; and the macaroni and cheese bubbling over onto the foil-lined baking sheet.  Oh, and just the thought of the buttery layers of the crescent rolls makes my taste buds dance with delight!  My eyes light up too, when I peek back at the sight of all of the finery decorating the table.  The fancy china, cloth napkins and crystal wine glasses carefully placed before each chair somehow made me feel regal and all grown up.  My, I feel as though I’ve gobbled up my Thanksgiving Day meal already!

There is more, however, that fills me up when celebrating this special day.  The time spent with my family and friends warms me more than any specially prepared dish ever can.   Along with my childhood Thanksgiving Day memories, I am grateful for the ones that I, shared  with those whom I love so dearly, will make this year…and I plan to hold onto them closely to enjoy for the rest of my life.

Wishing you and yours a very full and blessed Thanksgiving Day!

Peace and love,

Felecia

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On Going Home

On Going home

on going homeA Quote to Carry You

November 24, 2014

“Sometimes [going] home and sleeping in your childhood room is all the rejuvenation your body and mind needs.”  Alexia Danielle 

There is much wisdom in that simple statement isn’t there?  With the Thanksgiving holiday fast approaching, I am sure that we can all relate to the simple pleasures of just going home.  An excitement like no other builds as we think about being around family members and friends that we don’t get to visit with often enough.  Going home and being surrounded by the things that are so much a part of who we are does trigger a sense of rest and relaxation deep within us as well.  This year I plan to spend the holiday with my two sister, Marjorie and Andrea, and I can’t wait to see them!  Are you counting down the days, like I am?

I wish you much rest and rejuvenation while enjoying the very best of times with your family and friends…and prayers for safe travels going home!

Peace and love,

Felecia

 

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Old Things Become New

old things become new

Photograph courtesy of Martin Watson

Old things become new when we allow them to grow.  If we keep them in the past, what they can become, we’ll never know.

“No one sews a patch of un-shrunk cloth on an old garment. If they do, the new piece will pull away from the old, making the tear worse.  And people do not pour new wine into old wineskins.   If they do, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined.  No, they pour new wine into new wineskins.”  Mark 21:22

Old Things Become New

Old things become new

when we allow them to grow.

If we keep them in the past,

what they can become, we’ll never know.

Old things become new

not always by what we do.

When you yield your life to God,

it’s amazing how He’ll transform you.

Let not your fear, nor your pride,

nor old ways of living hold you back.

For God is good and His love is sure,

trusting in Him, nothing at all will you lack.

Old things become new,

I challenge you to let go.

For your heart needs to be emptied,

so in it His treasures can truly overflow.

Felecia R. Weber 2014, OntheWingofaDove.com

We place an immeasurable value on the things that fill our lives.  However, they don’t always prove their worth.  I wonder what would happen if we really did let go of those things…and prepare for what could become new.

Peace and love,

Felecia

 

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On Love and Loss

On Love and Loss

on love and lossA Quote to Carry You

November 17, 2014

“If all else perished, and he remained, I should still continue to be; and if all else remained, and he were annihilated, the universe would turn to a mighty stranger.”  Emily Bronte, Wuthering Heights

On love and loss…I believe that losing someone can be the catalyst for loving others more deeply.  One thing that I’ve learned after having lost my dear husband, is that life does go on…whether we choose to accept it or not…and it waits for no one.  Another thing that I have realized is that, losing a loved one does not have to be a time of emptiness.  It can actually be the fullest time one can ever experience.  When we move forward in love, bringing the love that we had for our beloved along with us, letting it saturate our lives, our loss becomes a beautiful bounty that we can share with those around us.

When the time comes for you to experience love and loss…may it spawn a harvest of love that never ends.

Peace and love,

Felecia

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A Still Small Voice

still small voice

Photograph courtesy of Ray Flanagan Photography

A still small voice…it seems the times that God speaks to me the loudest is when His voice is the smallest.

“And he said, ‘Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord.’ And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and break in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake.  And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.” 1 Kings 19:11-12

Tumultuous times can leave us feeling like we are in the center of a fierce storm. The roaring of waves and the clatter of thunder and lightening can be deadening.  Our emotions are tossed to and fro and seemingly the entire cloud-strewn sky comes crashing down on us before we ever reach the shore.  A still small voice…really?

Yes…it seems the times that God speaks to me the loudest is when His voice is the smallest.  What happens after we are shipwrecked?  When all is quiet and we awaken from the daze.  At that point we are broken, and in desperate need of mending.  Those are the times when that still small voice can truly resonate within us.  Although the fragments of our situation are scattered around us, we are poised to receive what God has to say; and His wisdom abounds. 

As the creator of the universe, God can calm any storm that threatens to turn your world upside down.  All nature and mankind are ultimately under His command.  He needn’t shout; He needn’t make a ruckus…His still small  voice is all that is needed.  It is up to us to listen to Him.

“Can you hear His still small voice?  Do you seek it during the storm?  When all else fails, and the pieces fall, listen for Him; He will instruct and inform.”  Felecia R. Weber, OntheWingofaDove.com

May you always listen for God’s still small voice…and may His truth speak volumes to your heart.

 

Peace and love,

Felecia

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Noise – What’s in a word?

noise

“A Woman Passing a Cafe,” 1895-97, Maurice Brazil Prendergast. Image from a page of the 2013 Desk Calendar, courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art Store

Noise – What’s in a word?

Loud, bang, clamor, clatter!

Noise! It’s made up of so much chatter!

Chaos. Madness. What is real? What is fake?

All this noise; I’m not sure how much more I can Take!

Felecia R. Weber, OntheWingofaDove.com

Noise can be interpreted in so many different ways depending upon so many different circumstances. It can be a friend or a foe.  Sometimes it’s a warning to stop!  Other times it is the nudge we need to get up and go!  Many times, for me, being surrounded by noise makes me feel connected to the world.  The hustle and bustle of all that is around me keeps me moving, productive and energized!  When I am in a pensive state of mind, longing for peace and solitude, noise plays a different role.  During those times, my favorite “noise” is gentle and calming; like the low, enticing hum of a cello, or the gentle cooing of a mourning dove beckoning me from a night’s sleep.  On and on it goes…noise…

What’s in this word for you?  If you care to tell me, please do.

Peace and love,

Felecia

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On Listening

On Listening

on listeningA Quote to Carry You

November 10, 2014

“I believe life is much more meaningful when we spend more time listening with our hearts than with our ears.”  Felecia R. Weber, OntheWingofaDove.com

Our daily world is flooded with the “noise of life.”  Sometimes the volume is turned up so high we can hardly think.  When this happens, I envision an internal switch, that when I turn it to the “off” position, my physical world is instantly silent.  The only way I can hear anything is by listening through my heart.  Oh the wonderful things I am told; oh the glorious revelations my heart holds.

What about you…what are you listening to?  Does it come from what you hear from your ears…or your heart?

Peace and love,

Felecia

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On the Horizon

On the Horizon

Photograph courtesy of Lisa Richter

On the Horizon, a vision so vast, skies the limit, not looking back to the past…

“The time has come to face the music, no more rehearsals…life is for real.”   Felecia R. Weber, OntheWingofaDove.com

On the Horizon

On the horizon,

a vision so vast,

skies the limit, not looking back to the past.

A freshness, a boldness,

what treasures to behold.

Like the colors of a sunrise; dazzling like gold.

On the horizon,

old things are washed away;

never forgotten, but not always meant to stay.

We are here today and gone tomorrow.

What then with our time shall we do?

Go forth, always seeking that which is true.

Felecia R. Webre 2014, OntheWingofaDove.com

When life puts you “on the horizon,” let it be a time of resiliency and growth…we only get one chance at life…make it worth living!

Peace and love,

Felecia

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