Category Archives: Spirituality

Spiritual short story writing collection relating to lifestyle themes.

Good Things

good things

Photograph courtesy of my niece Alexia Danielle

Good things come in small packages and they aren’t always evident from the start…

“…the kingdom of God is within you.”  Luke 17:21

Good Things Come In Small Packages

Good things come in small packages,

I’ve heard that phrase before.

There really is a goodness and wisdom gained,

in realizing that less is truly more.

Good things come in small packages,

they aren’t always evident from the start.

Often times they are invisible to the naked eye;

sometimes they can only be seen by the heart.

Good things come in small packages,

it is amazing how quickly and immensely they grow.

A spark of an idea, an act of love, is all it takes.

The best things are poured from above down to us below.

Felecia R. Weber 2015, OntheWingofaDove.com

Good things really do come in small packages!  In fact, many themes it is the tiniest things on earth, that offer the most to us.  Seemingly insignificant treasures have a way of blossoming into the most wonderful blessings…

May you experience how immensely rich even the tiniest gift, or how profoundly the fewest words of wisdom spoken to you can enrich your life.

Peace and love,

Felecia

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I Couldn’t Ask For More

Couldn't ask for more

Photograph by Felecia R. Weber 2015, OntheWingofaDove.com

I couldn’t ask for more – Choosing to trust in God for everything in and around my life and experiencing his provision fulfills me in ways that I never have been before.

“When we lose one blessing, another is often most unexpectedly given in it’s place.”  C.S. Lewis

I couldn’t ask for more – I usually find myself saying something like that when I receive an answer to prayer, or when I receive some unexpected good news.  I must admit though, when living in my day to day life I may never even consider what I have or do not have.  When I am disappointed about something, or do not receive what I have been seeking, I may allow myself to fall into despair.  Taking the time to concentrate on the subject of contentedness this week has caused me to realize how my reaction to situations impact my well being and my peace.

In my last two posts, On Contentment and It Doesn’t Matter, I have alluded to the fact that true contentment cannot be found in the outcome of our circumstances, but rather, it is a state of being.  As a Christian, I also believe that true contentment can only be experienced through an abiding relationship with Jesus Christ.  That being said, it wasn’t until recently, through various circumstances that have happened in my life, that I can honestly say that I am content…that I couldn’t ask for more.

Soon, it will have been one year ago that I had to say goodbye to my husband Stephen when he lost his physical battle with cancer.  Often times throughout this year, I have relived in my mind those agonizing days and months of watching him slowly slip away, and eventually succumb to the ravishment of the disease.  When I’ve thought I’d cried all of the tears that I could’ve ever cried, more of them poured out of me.  Sometimes I feel so lonely that I think it may suffocate me.  The emotional strain of having to start my life all over again has proven to be an enormously overwhelming task.  At times I’ve wondered if I’ll ever feel whole and happy again.  How could I ever say with confidence that I am content and that I couldn’t ask for more?

“Rejoice in the Lord always, I will say it again:  Rejoice!  Let your gentleness be evident to all.  The Lord is near.  Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”  Philippians 4:4-13

My answer to that question was actually found in part through this very experience.  Living through the ordeal of losing my husband has by far been the most difficult time in my life.  It has also produced the most spiritual growth and maturity in my life.  Having to get on with my life on my own caused me to turn from myself to God.  It was in him and through him, that I found the strength and the will to stand up, wipe away my tears, and face my fears…and my future.  It was through the heartache and the pain that God showed me that my circumstances only have power over me if I let them.  Indeed, I had a choice, to get swallowed up and drown in my grief, or release it all over to God, and trust him to be my bridge that would allow me to cross over troubled waters to the unfamiliar territory that awaited me on the other side.

Choosing to trust God for everything in and around my life and experiencing his provision fulfills me in ways that I never have been before.  Of course, I miss my husband everyday and there is still an emptiness that I doubt will ever go away because he is not here to fill it.  But in living beyond that reality, and walking under the abiding grace, strength and abundance that God continually provides, all of my needs are met and my life is blessed because of who God is, nothing more. No matter what I’ve had to go through, no matter what I am facing now, no matter what lies in front of me, with God behind me, beside me and before me, I am covered, I am content, I truly couldn’t ask for more.

May your circumstances fade into the background and may you experience God’s awesomely fulfilling presence, power and provision.

Peace and love,

Felecia

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It Doesn’t Matter

couldn't ask for more

The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater‘s Linda Celeste Simms; photograph courtesy of Andrew Eccles

It doesn’t matter whether I’m happy or sad, for feelings come and go…

“But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve…But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord,”  Joshua 24:15

It Doesn’t Matter

It doesn’t matter whether I’m happy or sad,

for feelings come and go.

What I hold deep down inside of my heart,

determines what to the world, my actions show.

It doesn’t matter what goes on around me,

there will be good days and there will be bad.

When I think of how God has my life in his hands,

my, how can I be anything but glad?

It doesn’t matter what others say or do,

they have their own lives to live.

My contentment lies in fulfilling God’s purpose for me,

and all of my best to him do I give.

Felecia R. Weber 2015, OntheWingofaDove.com

Being content is more than just being happy or full, for our status can turn into being sad or empty in the blink of an eye.  Being content means having a peace and joy no matter how we feel or what is going on around us.  My contentedness is found in the Lord God Almighty…the one whom I serve, the one whom I live for, the one whom, in fact, is my very life!  He supplies all of my needs, he guides all of my days, he directs me in what he has purposed for me to do, he blesses my life.  It doesn’t matter then, what is going on inside of me or surrounding me, for in God, my contentedness is sure.

May you take the time to focus on where your own contentedness lies and may your answer lead you to everlasting peace.

Peace and love,

Felecia

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Amazing Love

Amazing Love

My great-nephew, Ryder Cullen Stevens. Congratulations Alexia and Jeff! Photograph courtesy of my sister Marjorie Karimi.

Amazing love – There have been many stories written about a love bond so strong that words cannot even come close to describing it…that’s not just love, that’s amazing love!

“I have never been so in love.”  Alexia D. Karimi (speaking about her newly born baby boy, Ryder Cullen)

My family and I have had the pleasure of welcoming our new addition, my great-nephew Ryder Cullen, to the world a week ago.  His arrival came a little sooner than we’d expected, but we are exceedingly happy to welcome him nonetheless!  I’ll admit, when I woke up to the news that our long-awaited bundle of blessings had been born, I felt as excited as a little child on Christmas morning!  We knew what he looked like from the sonographic images that my niece Alexia shared with us throughout her pregnancy, but my first glimpse of the photographs of him shortly after he’d been delivered simply took my breath away.  It was most definitely love at first sight!

Amazing love certainly has a way of doing that.  It touches us in such a profound way.  It seems to mesmerize us and it only grows deeper and stronger as time goes on.  Although I certainly consider the love that Ryder’s parents, Alexia and Jeff, feel towards their precious baby boy to be that kind of love, I can’t help but think of another amazing love that is even greater than that.  When God so richly blessed my family with this little life, he surely showered his love upon us.  As little Ryder grows, that love will increase many times over as we get to share in it over the years.  What is even more amazing to me is that, because of the love that God showed towards all mankind through the birth, death and resurrection of his son Jesus, we all have the opportunity to share in our love for each other not just here, but throughout all eternity…amazing isn’t it?

Amazing love, God has for me,

a love he freely shares.

One that surpasses the veils of time,

no other love compares.

Felecia R. Weber 2015, OntheWingofaDove.com

May you consider what blessings await you when you embrace God’s amazing love.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”  John 3:16

Peace and love,

Felecia

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All Blessings Flow

All blessings flow

Photograph by Felecia R. Weber 2015, OntheWingofaDove.com

All blessings flow from God above and their purposes are sure…

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of heavenly lights…” James 1:17

All Blessings Flow

All blessings flow from God above,

no matter what we do.

They can’t be bought, they can’t be earned;

they show the greatness of God’s love for you.

All blessings flow from God above,

and their purposes are sure.

They have a way of perfecting our hearts;

so that there is nothing we can’t endure.

All blessings flow from God above,

they are filled with love and peace, never strife.

They come in many ways, in all shapes and sizes.

What blessings have you experienced in your life?

Felecia R. Weber 2015, OntheWingofaDove.com

Indeed, all blessings do flow from God above, and many of them are easy to see all around us.  They are brilliantly displayed in nature, they come at just the right moment, and often times they come in ways we’ve never expected.

Why not take a moment to ponder the ways in which God has blessed you in your life…and offer up thanks and praise to him.  When you think about it, being able to do that is a blessing in itself!

Peace and love,

Felecia

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On Blessings

On Blessings

blessingsA Quote to Carry You

June 29, 2015

“Reflect upon your present blessings–of which every man has many–not on your past misfortunes, in which all men have some.”  Charles Dickens, from A Christmas Carol and Other Christmas Writings

On blessings – I have so much to be grateful for, blessings abound all around me. Sometimes they are hard to see – not because they are not there, but because I fail to notice them.  Reflecting on the quote above made me realize that when we do fail to notice our blessings, they are not really considered blessings to us at all.  What a pity that is.

May you take the time today, and every day, to embrace and enjoy each blessing in your life to the full…I think you’ll be amazed at how bless you truly are.

Peace and love,

Felecia

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Always Looking Up

Always looking up

Photograph courtesy of my nephew Zachary T. Weber

Always looking up literally gives me the lift that I need to accomplish what I have set out to do…

“Let us consider the way in which we live our lives.”  Henry David Thoreau

Always looking up – Have you ever considered how you actually live your life?  Are you always looking up? Or are you always looking down?  Of course, the majority of you will answer, “sometimes I look up and sometimes I look down”…and you are wise to do so.  My question however, goes a bit deeper than that.  For me, always looking up has more to do with my attitude about life rather than simply peering into a bright blue sky.  Although, a bright, sunlit sky can help motivate me to make more positive choices, no doubt.

It is interesting how looking upward, or taking a step forward for that matter, seems to signal positivity or expectancy of something good.  I’ve noticed that I often look up into space when I am concentrating on a particular thought or trying to focus my attention solely on one idea.  Whether I’ve dashed upstairs to get something, and forgotten what it was I went to retrieve once I’ve gotten their, or if I am trying to find the words to portray an idea in a post, looking up seems to lift me to a different level.  It is as though I am somehow transported to a place where I can clear my mind and find exactly what I am looking for.  Always looking up literally gives me the lift that I need to accomplish what I have set out to do no matter how large or small the task is.

When I am having one of those days where things seem to keep piling up and weighing me down, just bowing my head and caving in can be very tempting.  However, that will not keep things from continuing on their downward spiral.  In fact, they will likely bring me down even further.  When I am faced with such situations, I find that always looking up, to say a quiet prayer or to let out a desperate cry for help, puts me in the perfect posture to receive the help that I need, (which always comes from God above anyway).

I’ll ask the question again…going forward in life, how will you live, always looking up, or always looking down?  The answer may be challenging…may you soon realize, as I have, that always looking up is always best.

Peace and love,

Felecia

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Through the Fire

Through the fire

Photograph courtesy of my niece Leia Gabrielle

Through the fire, tried and true…how will you go through the fires that have ignited in your life?

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.  When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.”  Isaiah 43:2

Through the Fire

Through the fire, tried and true…

the path that life has forged just for you.

Its heat seems unbearable,

how it scorches and burns.

There seems no way to quench it,

it’s all consuming, above any other concerns.

Flames ignite into a ferocious blaze.

Soon it surrounds you like a maddening daze.

Suddenly, with only seconds to spare,

you are swept from the rage that has caused such despair.

When you open your eyes, your heart now steady and calm,

a peace washes over you like the sweetest balm.

Your scars have faded, your wounds are now healed…

through the fire, many truths to you God has revealed.

Felecia R. Weber 2015, OntheWingofaDove.com

Unpleasant circumstances may start out as flickering little annoyances, but if we let them, they can grow into uncontrollable flames that seem to engulf our entire lives.  The harder we try to contain the fiery elements of the situation, the more rapidly they ignite into something we cannot possibly extinguish on our own.  At that point we have two choices.  We can go through the fire alone and risk being burned up in the process.  Or, we can cry out for help, be rescued and brought to safety.  Although the right choice seems obvious, impatience, stubbornness and pride can make all the difference in how we choose to go through the fire.

When the flames of life intensify and surround you…how will you go through the fire?

Peace and love,

Felecia

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