Category Archives: Spirituality

Spiritual short story writing collection relating to lifestyle themes.

What I Believe

What I Believe

“Feeling Blessed,” photograph courtesy of my sister, Marjorie Karimi

What I believe is full of hope; it is very real and oh so very true…

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  John 3:16

What I Believe

What I believe is not just a story,

of days gone by long ago.

No, it is more than I could ever imagine;

a gift that only God could bestow.

What I believe is rich, and abundant;

it makes my heart overflow with joy.

It shelters and protects me when I am afraid.

Indeed it’s like a fortress that no enemy can destroy.

What I believe is not dead, but bursting with life,

that which fills the heavens and earth.

How awesome, how wonderful, how magnificent it is;

and it all began for us on that glorious night of His birth.

What I believe is full of hope;

it is very real and oh so very true.

It is founded on God’s unending love,

and He freely gives it to me and to you.

Felecia R. Weber 2014, OntheWingofaDove.com

May your heart be filled to overflowing with the love that God has for you…and may you always believe in Him and what He gave to us on that first Christmas night.

Peace and love,

Felecia

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On Believing

On Believing

on believingA Quote to Carry You

December 1, 2014

“It’s not just that we believe; it is what we believe in that determines whether or not it is worth believing.”  Felecia R. Weber, OntheWingofaDove.com

We’ve all hear the phrase “seeing is believing” before…but is it?  In matters of faith, believing in those things that we cannot see can be much more real than what we see with our eyes.  I can tell you from my experiences that living by faith in God is real, and His promises are true and sure.  I cannot see Him with my eyes, but the things God reveals to me within my heart are so much more vivid and alive, and they spill over into my life day after day.  Indeed, when we place our faith in God and all that He promises, seeing truly is believing and worth every bit of it.

This season in which we celebrate the birth of God’s Son, Jesus Christ, is the perfect time to start…won’t you consider believing in Him?

Peace and love,

Felecia

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Making Your House Your Home

Making your house your home

“Spring Morning (Detail), 1875, James-Jacques-Joseph Tissot. Image from a page of the 2014 Desk Calendar, courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art Store

Making your house your home. Home is where my heart is content…

“The Crown of the house is Godliness.  The Beauty of the house is Order.  The Glory of the house is Hospitality.  The Blessing of the house is Contentment.” (Old Inscription)

Home

Home is where I lay my hat,

I let my hair down and I rest.

In no other place will I find,

so much of what in my life is the best.

Home is where I feel secure,

where I laugh and cry aloud.

I can dance and sing and shout for joy,

for there I am hidden as under a cloud.

Home is where my heart is content,

and forever there God promises t o reside.

For it is He who fills each room with the love,

peace and joy, that my heart happily holds inside.

Felecia R. Weber 2014, OntheWingofaDove.com

Making your house your home is not as easy as it sounds.   In the fast pace of living that we all experience to some degree or another, “home” sounds like something far off in the distance.  Is making your house your home, one filled with the appealing attributes described above really attainable these days?  Is it really even desirable?

I think for all of us, the answer is YES!  As humans we have basic needs:  comfort, security, love, and a sense of purpose and belonging.  Those needs must be fulfilled in some way in order to make us whole.  Making your house your home, is certainly a good place to start.  This holiday weekend many of us will be out and about traveling to visit loved ones, shopping for that perfect Christmas gift, and enjoying the excitement that’s in the air.  But isn’t it a good feeling to know that at the end of the day, you’ll get to return to that warm and cozy, welcoming place that you call home?

making your house your home

“The Red Vine, Matinicus Island, Maine,” 1916, George Bellows. Image from a page of the 2014 Desk Calendar, courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art Store

I encourage you to fill your house with beautiful things, so that your eyes are filled with delight and pleasure there.  Welcome others into your house for a time of sharing the good things that you have to offer them.   Take care of your house, keep it clean and in good order so that you can relax and rest peacefully there.  And in all these things, be contented to spend quality time there no matter what.

Lastly, and what I believe is the true key to making your house your home…invite God into your home and into your heart.  For when He is there, filling every room with the love that only He can give, your home will not only be your house, it will be in your heart.  And God will reside with you there for all eternity.

“The house of the righteous stands firm.”  Proverbs 12:7

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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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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On the Future

On the Future

on the futureA Quote to Carry You

November 3, 2014

“…No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined the things that God has prepared for those who love him.”  1 Corinthians 2:9

This verse explains it perfectly…that is my  future.  The hope, the wonder, the inexpressible joy that fills my heart when I think of what my Heavenly Father has in store for me; for my future.  I am beaming!

Peace and love,

Felecia

 

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Within Me

within me

“Awakening,” photograph by Felecia R. Weber 2013, OntheWingofaDove.com

Within me there is a light that guides me day and night…it feeds my soul…

“Be strong and courageous.  Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you or forsake you.”  Deuteronomy 31:6

Within Me

Within me there is a light,

that guides me day and night.

Wherever I go, whatever I do,

it leads me in all that I pursue.

Within me there is a calmness,

it is what keeps my world steady.

It feeds my soul, I’m never lacking,

when called to serve, I am always ready.

Within me there is a boldness,

that keeps me courageous and strong.

Whatever my task, I shall not falter,

even though the road is rocky and long.

Felecia  R. Weber 2014, OntheWingofaDove.com

Lightness, strength, confidence, boldness, courage …Where do these qualities come from?  How can we experience them no matter what is going on around us?  What is “within” us that enables such a thing?  For those who put their trust in God, there is an assuredness that emboldens a desire to live life fully.  There is a vitality that beams around them.   His promises are true, He never forsakes us and we can trust Him completely to see us through whatever we face, good or bad.  His truth, His protection, His love, His saving grace…all of these things are within me.

Peace and love,

Felecia

 

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Power in Weakness

power in weakness

“Study Head of a Woman,” 1745, Jean Baptiste Greuze. Image from a page of the 2014 Desk Calendar, courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art Store

Power in weakness is not as strange as it may seem, for sometimes we are our most powerful when we are weak…

“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”  Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”  2 Corinthians 12:9

I am sure you’ll agree that power comes in many forms, both physically and mentally.  It can be manifested in both positive and negative ways.  The same can be said about weakness.  As our bodies become tired and frail, or when we feel vulnerable and uncertain about a situation, we do not always make the wisest choices and fail to accomplish our goals.  With power and weakness being such opposites, how can we possibly gain one from the other?

The answer to achieving power in weakness has less to do with what we receive, but rather what we give away.  When I feel in control and on top of things, I seem to get into a groove and everything runs relatively smoothly.  The more I continue on in my own strength, the more self-reliant I become and that is fine, to a point.  All  of a sudden, and it inevitably happens, I am faced with some challenge that knocks me right to my knees.  At that point, I am literally in the perfect position to make a choice.  I can wallow in my weakness and receive more grief from whatever it is I am holding on to, trying to fix it myself.  Or I can give the problem over to God in prayer and receive His strength and power to go on.  Power in weakness?

Indeed, power in weakness is not as strange as it sounds, for sometimes we are our most powerful when we are weak.  In our weakness we can do nothing…but when it leads us to God, He has the power to do all things.

May your weakness lead you to seek the power that only God can give.

Peace and love,

Felecia

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