Category Archives: Inspirations

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

A Chill in the Air

a chill in the air

Photograph courtesy of David Brown

A chill in the air…it surrounds me so, although it doesn’t cause me to tremble.  It lures me in and takes me back to old times; those this present day does not resemble.

“I am living my life to the beat of my own drum…and making my own beautiful music along the way.”  Phoebe Winston

A Chill in the Air

A chill in the air, it surrounds me so,

although it doesn’t cause me to tremble.

It lures me in and takes me back to old times;

those this present day does not resemble.

The quiet serenity of a simple life led,

somehow gets cluttered and hidden.

When years of living get stripped away,

the stillness now here seems less forbidden.

I don’t know what ahead is in store for me;

my days are so full…need I care?

Do I dare close my eyes and let myself dream?

Is what I find something I will be able to bear?

A chill in the air; that’s what I feel now…

I’m uncertain from who or where is the cause.

I do know it has meaning, and I seek to find it out,

even if it just causes me to stop and pause.

Felecia R. Weber 2014, OntheWingofaDove.com

Peace and love,

Felecia

 

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September

September

“Trees and Houses Near the Jas De Bouffan (Detail),” 1885-86, Paul Cezanne. Image from a page of the 2012 Desk Calendar, courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art Store

September

I Remember When

September 24, 2014

“Remember me with smiles and laughter, for that is how I will remember you all.  If you only remember me with tears, then don’t bother to remember me at all.”  Laura Ingalls Wilder

My childhood memories include some of the best memories I have.  When I visit my parents’ home or reminisce about days gone by with my sisters, it is as though a floodgate of happy times has been pried wide open and I seem to float along them smiling and laughing along the way.  In my new series I Remember When, I plan to share snippets of my childhood memories with you.  Given what I’ve described about them so far, I hope you’ll look forward to having your heart warmed and perhaps even enjoying a chuckle or two while reading my musings.

September reminds me of all sorts of “new beginnings” when I was a child.  To me it meant the end of summer and a fresh start to a new school year, the excitement of buying new school clothes and supplies, and getting acquainted with new classmates. I loved walking to and from school with my sister and cousins, crunching through the dried leaves that littered the sidewalks; and squinting my eyes so closely together in the sun that the scarlet, rust , and yellow autumnal colors adorning the trees all blended together like glittering balls of fire against the deep blue-gray sky.  Mmmmm, I can almost feel the warmth of the rays brightening my face as I write!

So tell me, won’t you, what is your favorite childhood memory that happened in the month of September?

Peace and love,

Felecia

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On Comfort

On Comfort

on comfortA Quote to Carry You

September 22, 2014

“Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire:  it is the time for home. Edith Sitwell

You’ve heard it said that “home is where the heart is” right?  Well with autumn’s chill beginning to fill the air, I have been longing more and more to be surrounded by all of the comforting things that fill my home.  It is not just the tangible objects that are full of the happiness and memories of years past; or the pumpkin, cinnamon and other autumnal scents that tickle my nose when I walk through its rooms.  There is a true feeling of comfort, safety and warmth that I enjoy there that I can find no place else.

May you experience a sense of comfort where you are and may it be your “home” for the day.

Peace and love,

Felecia

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Not of My Own Doing

not of my own doing

Photograph courtesy of Martin Watson

Not of my own doing, I say of the goodness in my life.  For without your strength, your guidance, your all, Lord, my life would be nothing but strife.

“I am the vine; you are the branches.  If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”  John 15:5

Not of My Own Doing

Not of my own doing, I say this about so much.

The gifts I’ve been given, the way I have been blessed,

never taken for granted, for they are all filled with your touch.

Not of my own doing, I say of the goodness in my life.

For without your strength, your guidance, your all, Lord,

my life would be nothing but strife.

Not of my own doing, Lord, I never want to walk alone.

I want to live abiding with you, serving you in ways that bless,

until I come home to you and bow down before your throne.

Felecia R. Weber 2014, OntheWingofaDove.com

I want to live my life in a way that when I finish my race, I will hear the words that I long to hear…“…’Well done good and faithful servant!'”  Matthew 25:21

Peace and love,

Felecia

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Nobility – What’s in a Word?

Nobility

Photograph courtesy of Martin Watson

Nobility – What’s in a word?

Elegance, sophistication, regal, dignity,

are some qualities that describe nobility.

In the essence of a person polished or square,

nobility of character can be something so rare.

When combined with virtue, in a person it is quite grand;

it will surely set the example for those who are at hand.

Felecia R. Weber 2014, OntheWingofaDove.com

“Nobility, without virtue, is a fine setting without a gem.”  Jane Porter

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

In my opinion, true nobility has less to do with status or monetary wealth than a richness of character.  To me, it means setting the example of what it means to be truly human yet maintaining a high level of excellence in all that we do despite ourselves.

Peace and love,

Felecia

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On Dignity

On Dignity

on dignityA Quote to Carry You

September 15, 2014

“She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future.”  Proverbs 31:25

When I think of dignity, I first think of human life, and what high regard I place on it.  Everyone who has been born and lived has worth…for life itself has incomprehensible value.  I believe that we each have a responsibility to live our lives in a manner worthy of the very gift of life we’ve been given.  I challenge everyone, myself included, to live out the rest of our days with a dignity, strength, confidence and grace that will set the example for others to follow.  Can you imagine what goodness will happen if we do just that?

Peace and love,

Felecia

 

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On Caring for Others

On Caring for Others

on caring for othersA Quote to Carry You

September 8, 2014

“It is an absolute human certainty that no one can know his own beauty or perceive a sense of his own worth until it has been reflected back to him in the mirror of another loving, caring human being.”  John Joseph Powell, The Secret of Staying in Love

I had the privilege of experiencing this first hand.  Similarly in finding “beauty in the ashes,” I discovered a rich oasis of the most wonderful life-giving water when I gave fully of myself to my husband during the time when he needed me the most.  Not only did I sprout a new strength , confidence, and seemingly endless vigor doing all that was required of me as his caregiver.  His quiet determination to maintain the nobility that traced his character throughout his life provided a wellspring of blessings that have helped to make it possible for me to tread the dark waters until they became clear.

May you never be fearful to wade through the murky  seas, for they can provide a buoyancy that will see you safely to shore.

Peace and love,

Felecia

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The Beauty of Change

beauty of change

“The Banks of the Bievre near Bicetre” (Detail),1898-1910, Henri Rousseau (Le Douanier). Image from a page of the 2014 Desk Calendar, courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art Store

 

The beauty of change is hidden sometimes…but oh what wondrous splendor there is to experience when we find it.

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens…”  Ecclesiastes 3:1

I am sure you’ll agree that change can be uncomfortable.   In fact, it can be down right scary, ugly even.  We all have a certain way of doing things, a certain level of comfort in knowing what to expect, for the most part, from day to day.  When our routine, our way of life gets disrupted, it can seem impossible to see the beauty of change.

It is easy to see the beauty of change between the four seasons,  The gradual melting of winter into spring is a welcome transition full of brightness and hope.  Then that brightness fades as the blaze of summer tempers itself into the subtle coolness of autumn. When change takes place in our lives, things don’t always happen so serenely.  Often times it comes from out of nowhere, and it throws us way off balance.  We can hardly stand to face it, let alone see the beauty of change.  Is there really such a thing?

Honestly, I can say yes.  The very word “change” indicates that something is about to or has become what it was not before…it is in that transformation where the beauty of change is found.  The life changes that I have experienced just recently seemed at first to be horrible.  Actually, they were terribly painful and the residue still coats my days.  But what they’ve spawned is a resilience that I could never have mustered without going through those changes. I do not understand why they happened, but I have come to accept and embrace them.  In that alone is a quiet beauty that I enjoy…knowing that whatever changes come about down the road that I travel in life, there is only good awaiting me when I arrive at my destination.

“There is beauty in change, in that I never doubt.  When I face them and embrace them, I know goodness will come about.”  Felecia R. Weber 2014, OntheWingofaDove.com

Peace and love,

Felecia

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