Category Archives: Life Experiences

Short story writing collection relating to lifestyle themes.

On The Power of Peace

On the Power of Peace

on the power of peaceA Quote to Carry You

December 14, 2015

“And the peace of God which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”  Philippians 4:7

On the power of peace – The power of peace is amazing and it can enable so many wonderful things.  When I experience peace, it causes me to smile; it allows me to rest; and most importantly, it causes me to focus on the things that are most important to me.  The power of peace became even more evident to me while preparing for Christmas this year; and I will cherish what I found in it…

One of my favorite things to do at Christmastime is to bake my grandmother’s Italian Christmas cookies.  Every year, I pull out the tattered recipe and go out and purchase the  ingredients.  After setting up the kitchen with all of the bowls, stand mixer, rolling pin, cookie cutters, and cookie sheets, I embark on my day long task of baking.  I’ll admit that by the time I begin making the second or third batch of dough, covered in flour dust I might add, I start feeling a bit fatigued and overwhelmed, wondering if I’ll ever finish.  Then, by the time I’ve iced and sprinkled candies on the last cookie, and I stand back and survey the kitchen table filled with all of those colorful treats, the power of peace pours into my heart and it fills me with an overwhelming joy.

The joy that I feel is not so much the happy relief of having completed my baking for the season, or having a tangible symbol of my labor of love to share with others.  My joy goes deeper than that.  You see, for me, the power of peace is manifested in the sense of closeness that I have to those who are dear to me.  When I am baking and singing along to the Christmas carols playing in the background, it feels as though I am a young girl again standing next to my grandmother, rolling out the dough and putting the finishing touches on our little “works of art,” as she used to call them.  While I am carefully packing each cookie into tins decorated for the holidays, I can almost hear the voice of my sweet husband telling me how beautiful and delicious my baked goodies are.  While labeling each cookie-filled package, I find myself smiling with delight as I envision each recipient delving into and savoring all of those sweet treats.  That close connectedness that I feel towards my loved ones, of both my past and present, floods my heart with a peace that is so powerful, I can hardly describe it.  Indeed, it is a peace that transcends my understanding.

May the power of peace fuel your heart and soul this Christmas season, and may it reveal to you the fullness of the love that God bestowed upon us through the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ.

Peace and love,

Felecia

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Holy Night So Glorious a Sight

holy night so glorious a sight

“The Archangel Gabriel, Announcing the Birth of Christ, 1520s, Lucas van Leyden. Image from a page of the 2014 Desk Calendar, courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art Store.

Holy night so glorious a sight, when God reached down from heaven to earth…

“‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty,’ who was, who is, and who is to come.”  Revelation 4:8

Holy Night So Glorious a Sight

Holy night, so glorious a sight,

When God reached down from heaven to earth,

Who but you Lord could do such a thing,

As to save mankind through our Savior’s birth.

Holy night, so glorious a sight,

How your gift made the hearts of mankind rejoice!

For there is no other way to resolve sin’s deadly hold;

Still to be free, we must make a choice.

Holy night, so glorious a sight,

To this dark world may you shine your heavenly light.

May all who seek you find you; may you dwell in their hearts.

May all praise, honor and glory be yours tonight.

Felecia R. Weber 2015, OntheWingofaDove.com

On this holy night, as you reflect on how great a gift, our Heavenly Father bestowed upon us, may you lift up your countenance in praise and thanksgiving to his holy name.

Peace and love,

Felecia

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On Holiness

On Holiness

on holinessA Quote to Carry You

December 7, 2015

“You are my Lord, because you have no need of my goodness.”  Augustine of Hippo

On holiness – In my opinion, the above quote reflects the essence of holiness.  Described as the quality or state of being holy, holiness can only be attributed to one who is holy.  To be holy, one must be completely perfect in goodness and righteousness, in other words, he must be divine.  When examining the heart of mankind, Scripture tells us that “there is no one righteous, not even one…” Romans 3:10. Therefore, true holiness then, can only be claimed by God…and for me, that is where the beauty of holiness is.

“Who among the gods is like you, Lord?  Who is like you – majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders?”  Exodus 15:11

Given that only God is holy and holiness can only come from God, indeed he has no need for our goodness…yet we are in such desperate need of his, whether we realize it or not.  God knows our hearts, and he knows absolutely what we are in need of.  What’s more, he loves us so much that he made a way for our every need to be fulfilled.

“Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.”  Hebrews 12:14

As the above Scripture states, we must be holy in order to see the Lord.  In his perfect goodness towards us and love for us, God demonstrated his holiness through his Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Even more, by coming to us by means of being born into the world and living among us, and later, by sacrificing his very life as a ransom for ours, God provided a way for each of us to experience his holiness.  For when we accept Jesus, “who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead…” Romans 1:4, we are “set free from sin and become slaves of God, the benefit we reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.”  Romans 6:22.

As we reflect on the magnitude of what we have been so richly given in the birth of Jesus Christ during this Christmas season, may the peace of his holiness glow brightly to illumine the world around you.

Peace and love,

Felecia

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Silent Night

silent night

“A Silent Night,” photograph by Felecia R. Weber 2015, OntheWingofaDove.com

Silent night so dark, yet so bright, oh the wonder the shepherds found in you…

“I am the light of the world.  Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”  John 8:2

Silent Night

Silent night so dark, yet so bright,

Oh the wonder the shepherds found in you.

Not a word spoken, Lord, could tell of your glory,

In the way that you’ve shown your love to be true.

Silent night so dark, yet so bright,

What treasure to the world laid there in that stall.

In you Lord, there is peace, triumph, joy and love.

May those who seek find in you their all.

Felecia R. Weber 2015, OntheWingofaDove.com

One of my fondest memories about the Christmas season is singing so many of the moving and heartwarming Christmas hymns and carols.  As young girls, my older sister Marjorie and I enjoyed that tradition almost every evening leading up to the holiday.  One of our daily chores while growing up was to wash the dinner dishes.  Although we took turns washing or drying the dishes, I think we’d both agree that it was certainly not our favorite thing to do…except during the weeks leading up to Christmas Day.

As the excitement of the season began to build, Marjorie and I would incorporate our holiday cheer into our dishwashing time by singing our favorite Christmas songs.  Between the traditional hymns that we sang in our church choir and the novel carols we’d learned in our music classes at school, we had quite a number of songs to choose from.  Even so, one of my favorite songs was, and still is “Silent Night, Holy Night,” (composed by Franz Xaver, lyrics by Joseph Mohr).  There is just something about the lyrics, “Silent night, holy night, all is calm, all is bright,” that warms me up more than a  cozy fire, or a hot cup of cocoa ever can.  The scene that the words depicts is one that can brighten any darkened sky…for in the silence of that Christmas night, God bestowed upon us His one true and Holy light.

May the light of our Lord Jesus Christ whose birth we celebrate during this Holy season never cause you to be silent…but may you resonate His saving grace and love throughout the world!

Peace and love,

Felecia

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On Silence

On Silence

silenceA Quote to Carry You

November 30, 2015

“Often times, it is in the silence that I hear the most…”  Felecia R. Weber, OntheWingofaDove.com

On silence – I love listening to classical music.  Whether my heart is wooed by the sweet resonance of a violin or my undivided attention is beckoned by the starkness of a brass instrument, those melodious sounds have a way of captivating me.  It seems that my house comes alive when it is filled with such harmonious tones filtering through the speakers. Sometimes I can still hear the echoes of the last melody I’ve listened to before going to bed, even after I’ve turned the music off.  Silence doesn’t settle in until my mind has released its hold of the last lingering note.  Often times, however, it is in the silence that I hear the most.

For me, silence is not always void of sound.   When everything around me is quiet, as though overcome by sleep, my hearing seems to sharpen and my ears detect sounds that I’ve never realized existed.  As with the exquisitely beautiful melodies of classical music, silence has a way of filling me up also…but that type of hearing requires a deeper level of listening.

“Silence causes me to dig deeper and to pay closer attention for fear that I may miss what it is trying to convey to me…”

I experienced that deeper level of listening, and hearing this past weekend.  After spending a little bit of my Saturday morning doing a final tidying up of my garden, I decided to fill my bird feeder before heading into the house.  As I often do while tooling around in the yard, I had classical music playing in the garage.  While enjoying the music and pausing to see if any birds were attracted to the food I’d just set out, I was delighted to see two little birds flutter gracefully about the feeder.  As I watched my feathered friends peck their tiny beaks in and out of the feeder, the music playing in the background seemed to fade away on the light wind that carried it away.  Gradually, all I could hear was the delicate flitting of wings and barely audible chirping.  The more I strained to listen with my ears, the more I realized that I was beginning to hear with my heart.  For watching those tiny winged creatures feeding and being filled seemingly without a care in the world, illustrated to me the quiet beauty of trusting in our Lord and His provision.

No matter what goes on around us, the hustle and bustle of a busy day, the soothing melodic embrace of classical music, or the calming silence that nature surrounds us with, what we are capable of hearing has much to do with whom we put our trust in…the one who truly guides our hearts.  When you take the time  to listen to the silence, may you always hear with your heart.

Peace and love,

Felecia

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What’s in a Name?

What's in a name?

Fragmentary Loom Width with Wavy-Vine Pattern (Detail), second half of 16th century. Image from a page of the 2015 Desk Calendar, courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art Store

What’s in a name?  Jesus, Emmanuel, Prince of Peace, that is you.

“She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”  Matthew 1:21

What’s in a Name?

Jesus, Emmanuel, Prince of Peace, that is you.

Master, Mighty Counselor, Savior, you are all that is true.

Shepherd, Lord, Son of God with your life, you paid the price,

Jesus, Holy Jesus, your gift to us was your sacrifice.

Felecia R. Weber, OntheWingofaDove.com

What’s in a name?  That’s a strange question to ask, especially on the biggest shipping day of the year, right?  Thanksgiving Day is over, Christmas is coming, Santa Claus, Rudolph and Frosty the Snowman are all on their way.  So many images flood our minds during this happy season.  But underneath the wrapping paper, when the colored lights click off at the programmed time, and when the holly, jolly music fades away into the cold winter nights…what name resounds the loudest and shines the brightest in your heart?

What’s in a name?  For me that name is Jesus, oh my precious Jesus!  There is no denying that Jesus truly is the reason for the season.  As we enter into Advent, awaiting with so much anticipation the coming of him whose very name commands our attention, may you take the time to reflect upon the magnificence of Jesus; the name above all others.

Peace and love,

Felecia

 

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On the Surface

on the surface

Photograph courtesy of Alice Kish

On the surface – you are you, the person who others see on the outside…

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.  Ephesians 3:21

On the Surface

On the surface,

You are you, the person who others see on the outside.

When you laugh, when you cry…

Those emotions are reflections of who you are inside.

On the surface,

You can be who you want to be,

Strong, happy, brave, always on point.

But, is that all of you that others truly see?

On the surface,

If you dig deep, search your heart, you will know,

God has a specific purpose planned just for you.

When you seek to find what it is, His answer to you He will show.

Felecia R. Weber 2015, OntheWingofaDove.com

I think from time to time, we are all guilty of saying, “I’m fine,” when asked how we’re doing.   When really, we are having a bad day, month, or even year!  Sometimes, no matter how hard we try to make it so, nothing seems to go the way we would like.  Even though we appear to be okay on the surface, it is what lies beneath our smiling faces that truly matters.

I am the first one to admit that I do not know exactly what God has planned for my life.  In the same way, on the surface, I don’t always know why troubling circumstances happen.  But deep down inside, I know that whatever the reason, ultimately it is absolutely for my own good… because God makes it so.

On the surface, there will be times when it seems like life is going totally in the opposite direction that it should be.  It is during those times that I encourage you to diligently seek out and ask God to guide your steps.  And as He works within you, may your heart fill with joy as His goodness unfolds before you.

Peace,

Felecia

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One and Only You

One and Only

“Lover’s Eyes,” c. 1840, American, Dale T. Johnson Fund. Image from a page of the 2013 Desk Calendar, courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art Store

One and Only You – reveal the magnificent person you are, so the others may see…

“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God has prepared in advance for us to do.”  Ephesians 2:10

One and Only You

One and only you,

There are things that only you can do.

You are beautiful in your own way;

Let others see that beauty every day.

No one on earth can be who you are,

You shine brightly as does a twinkling star.

One and only you,

Never settle for anything less than your best.

For when you give your all, others will be blessed.

Seek and find out who you were purposed to be.

Reveal the magnificent person that you are, so others may see.

Felecia R. Weber 2015, OntheWingofaDove.com

We have all been created with a unique purpose.   The gifts that we hold within us are our own to share with others.  In fact, I believe that when we discover and begin to use those gifts, we all benefit from what each of us contributes to the world.  One and only you, one and only me…what a blessing our Lord God has created for all the world to see!

Peace and love,

Felecia

 

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