Category Archives: Artistic Writings

Art photo and writing collection relating to lifetime experiences.

Memories of the Past

Memories of the Past

“Memories,” photograph by Felecia R. Weber 2015, OntheWingofaDove.com

Memories of the Past

I Remember When

January 2015

“Memories of our lives, of our works and our deeds will continue in others.”  Rosa Parks

Memories of the past are interesting…two people can experience the exact same event at the same time, yet remember it completely differently.  Why is that?  Similarly, some people, like my late husband, have what can be described as a photographic memory.  They remember every detail about an occasion that happened years ago, while others can scarcely even remember that anything had ever happened at all.

It seems to me that memories of the past are different because people are different.  What we retain and commit to memory has a lot to do with who we are and how we view our world and others.  What we remember about a particular place in time can also be associated with a person, an object or current experience.  That phenomenon keeps ringing true to me when friends and loved ones express to me what they remember about my beloved Steve.

Many of his former colleagues remark time and again on how they remember Steve being a true example of what hard work and dedication is in the workplace.  His close friends often talk about how much they enjoyed conversing with him, especially because he had such a broad knowledge about so many topics.  His love for God and his devotion to serving Him is remembered by many through the constant witness to his faith that he lived.  Family members remember him as the son, brother, uncle, cousin and nephew whom they loved so dearly.

For me, my memories of the past about Steve are a little bit of all of the above wrapped into the most tender, caring and loving husband I could ever have.  Something else about those memories is that they seem to have the uncanny ability to keep him alive, in my heart at least…and for that I am grateful.

May your memories of the past stay alive in your heart too and become wonderful blessings to your present.

Peace and love,

Felecia

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Learning to Fly

Learning to fly

Photograph courtesy of Ray Flanagan

Learning to fly – At times life appears to be a vast expanse of sky…that’s when it is time to take off and learn to fly!

“Hope is the thing with feathers.  That perches in the soul.”  Emily Dickinson

Learning to fly, that’s what I feel like doing sometimes.  Today the sky is crisp and clear.  There are no clouds cluttering the pale, blue sheerness that seems to go on for an eternity over my head.  At times life appears to be a vast expanse of sky.  Boundaries seem limitless, opportunities burst wide open.  That’s when it’s time to take off and learn to fly!

When I speak about learning to fly, I do not mean it in a literal sense.  What I am referring to takes place within us, when we decide to spread our inner wings and travel to the next stop on our life’s journey.  We all face those times when we have to decide whether to sink or swim.  Well, learning to fly is like that, except there is more to it.  Learning to fly can be complicated if we don’t have the proper equipment, or the right instructor.  Life is a journey in which we can’t always “do-it-ourselves.”  Sometimes, like learning to fly, we need the best help available if we want to reach our destination safely and on time.  How we prepare and who’s help we seek makes all the difference; don’t you agree?

For me flying is an enjoyable thing, and when it comes to my life, I really seem to soar when God navigates my way.  When my view is cloudy and I cannot identify what is ahead of me, God’s Word gives me clear direction and guides me through even the toughest situations.  When I feel as though my emotions are causing me to do a nose dive into my troubles, He surrounds me with those who will love and take care of me, which helps me focus heavenward again.  When I’ve come to the end of one leg of my travels, He provides, at the perfect time, just what I need to get rest and renewal before taking off again.

“Once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return.”  Leonardo da Vinci

May you turn your eyes heavenward as well, and see what God has in store to teach you.  Judging from my own experiences, I can assure you that you’ll enjoy learning to fly!

Peace and love,

Felecia

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Stepping Into the New Year

into the new year

“Evening Boot,” 1957, Roger Vivier (designer); House of Dior (design house). Image from a page of the 2014 Desk Calendar, courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art Store

Stepping Into the New Year.  One step leads to another, and soon enough we’re walking…before we know it, we’re right where we’d hoped to be.

For me, life is like a series of steps, and stepping into the New Year is not any different.  Surely it can be confusing not knowing what obstacles we’ll need to traverse and how to prepare for dealing with them.  Do we need to don our show boots, or will a pair of street shoes be just fine? No matter what the footwear, we still must travel through each day.  I believe that how we choose to take each step will determine how pleasant our journey through the year will be.

We’ve all experienced mornings when we have to drag ourselves out of bed and it seems like all we’ll be able to manage is a slow crawl throughout the day.  Other times we bounce up and hit the floor running, long before the alarm clock goes off.  I don’t envision stepping into the New Year in any of these ways.  Wouldn’t it be nice to enter into it at just the right pace?  One step leads to another, and soon enough we’re walking…before we know it, we’re right where we’d hoped to be.

How we go about stepping into the New Year is an individual adventure.  There are some who are used to treading the same route at the same old pace.  Why not try trotting along fresh new paths that will inspire personal growth and set new goals for yourself.  Others have been pacing along trying to take in all that life has opened up for them.  Why not concentrate on just one or two of those opportunities and be the best at them that you can?  Still others have been sprinting the distance, and are in desperate need of a break.  Why not stop, rest for awhile…then come back renewed and stronger than ever before?

What about you?  In what way will you begin stepping into the New Year?  Whichever way you choose, may it lead you to a most satisfying and beautiful journey.

Wishing you God’s peace and fulfillment in the coming year,

Felecia

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Christmas Eve – I Remember When

Christmas Eve

“Cheery and Bright,” photograph by Felecia R. Weber 2014, OntheWingofaDove.com

Christmas Eve – Not even the fiercest winter storm can penetrate the layers of love that have been woven into the joyful threads of a Christmas Eve night.

“Christmas Eve was a night of song that wrapped itself about you like a shawl.  But it warmed more than your body.  It warmed your heart…filled it, too, with a melody that would last forever.”  Bess Streeter Aldrich

Christmas Eve…I agree with the author; it wraps each of us so snugly that it warms us straight through to our hearts.  Not even the fiercest winter storm can penetrate the layers of love that have been woven into the joyful threads of a Christmas Eve night. The thought of being enveloped within the delight of family and friends gathered round to celebrate the most wonderful gift we’ve ever been given is certainly something to sing about!

These warm and toasty thoughts bring to mind a story written by Bess Streeter Aldrich, entitled “Journey Into Christmas.”  This story does not begin cheerfully, as the main character, a widow, is left all alone on Christmas Eve for the first time in all of her 60 years.   She spends the evening reminiscing about the many Christmases she had spent surrounded by her loved ones.  She vividly recalls how full and comforted she’d felt during those times, even though each one had a different story to tell; both sad and happy ones.  That particular Christmas Eve also turns into a happy one when she is awakened from her reverie by a phone call that brightens her heart like the many twinkling, colored lights adorning her Christmas tree.  Heading off to bed, she hears the joyous songs being sung  by carolers in the street.  Her heart is once again filled with “that old Christmas lift of the heart, that thankfulness and joy she had always experienced…”*

Christmas Eve, a time to be cherished, a time to be enjoyed, a time that I hope for you, will always warm you straight through to your heart.

I wish you a very Happy and Blessed Christmas!

Peace and love,

Felecia

*From “Journey Into Christmas,” by Bess Streeter Aldrich

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Magi – What’s in a word?

Magi

“Gifts of the Magi,” by Felecia R. Weber 2014, OntheWingofaDove.com

Magi…wise men, seeking hope from afar…

Wise men seeking hope from afar.

What was it they sought,

as they followed that star?

Majesty, power, greatness and all?

No, what they found was far greater,

and at the sight; to their knees they did fall.

Majesty, wise men, star, night, humble, royal, Bethlehem, a wondrous sight.

Magi – What’s in this word for you?  If you can tell me, please do!

The Magi were thought to be mysterious and wise.  They followed the star that led them to the place in which they expected to find someone so impressive that they traveled afar, bearing luxurious gifts.  But what they found was a most humbling sight indeed.  For as the shepherds were told, “This will be a sign to you:  You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”  (Luke 2:12).  No grandeur, no pomp and circumstance, yet the King of Kings was born…and He still reigns.

The Magi sought Jesus by following a star.  May you seek Him in your own way…and may you find Him.

Peace and love,

Felecia

 

 

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The Wisdom In Waiting

wisdom in waiting

“Winter Yosemite Valley,” 1933-34, Ansel Easton Adams. Image from a page of the 2013 Desk Calendar, courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art Store

The wisdom in waiting…as we all know, the snow takes time to melt no matter how brightly the sun is shining; and so, we wait…

“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”  Hebrews 11:1

The wisdom in waiting is rather difficult to imagine during the hustle and bustle of this holiday season.  It seems like time flies through our fingers as fast as the snow covers the ground during a wintery blizzard.  No sooner do we check off the items on our seemingly endless holiday “to do” lists, then another flurry of new tasks fill our hands!  Isn’t it strange, though, that with all of our time drifting away, it seems like Christmas takes forever to arrive?  So, we wait…

I have gone through a very difficult time this year.  Like the “nor’easter” winter storms that we’ve been experiencing lately, I feel like I’ve been trudging through a heavy whirlwind of difficulties.  I’ve often found myself wanting to fast forward through this trying season straight to happier times.   But, as we all know, the snow takes time to melt no matter how brightly the sun is shining; and so, we wait…

Indeed there is wisdom in waiting, and despite my circumstances, I have found that the longer I wait, the more prepared I am to receive what I am so desperately waiting for.  Like a child on Christmas morning, when I finally get to enjoy what I’ve longed for, it makes the wait so much more worthwhile.  Then, the dreaded blustery storms that threatened to hinder me from moving forward seem like soft and silent winterscapes that fill my eyes with the quiet beauty of the season.

“There is wisdom in waiting, even though it can’t be seen.  When troubles surround us high and low. Waiting increases our expectations of what we long for and dream; and surely, it causes our faith to grow.” Felecia R. Weber 2014, OntheWingofaDove.com

As you weather the storms that seem to steal away your time this holiday season…may you too find wisdom in waiting.

Peace and love,

Felecia

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Believing Through the Darkness

believing through the darkness

“Lights in the Darkness,” photograph by Felecia R. Weber 2014, OntheWingofaDove.com

Believing through the darkness into the light…what a revelation awaits us there!

“In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.  The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.”  John 1:4-5

If you’ve been busy getting started on decorating your home for Christmas as I have, you will likely agree on how frustrating it can be to untangle the string of Christmas tree lights before hanging them (or tossing them away!).  The title for this post Believing Through the Darkness came to my mind just at the moment I did grab the trash can and was ready to throw my wad of lights into it.  Taking a deep breath, I decided to plug in the darkened bulbs one last time, and you know what?  The tiny lights seemed to sparkle, as though they were smiling at me.

Believing through the darkness, those times when our lives are not so cheery and bright, can be just as frustrating as dealing with tangled lights.  The thing is, we can’t just toss our lives away now can we?  Nope, we have to live them one day, one hour, one minute, one second at a time. Each increment of time can represent the knots in the string of lights that get even tighter when we tug and pull on them trying to get them apart.  The more we think about a problem that has us completely tangled, it wraps around us so tightly that we become trapped under a heavy coating of darkness that seems to smother us.

When I started tackling my mound of twisted strings of lights for a second round, I took one strand at a time and followed it through to the end.  As I cleared one strand, and then another, it felt as though I was following a unique path full of twists and turns with each one.  The same is true for each of our lives…we travel along dark and bumpy roads, yet when we get to the clear, smooth highway just ahead of us, our journey becomes filled with the warm glow of hope that sees us through to our destination.

I eventually got the lights all in order and strung around the tree.  My frown turned into a brilliant smile, as I stood staring at all of those tiny sparkles that dazzled before my eyes.  What a delight it is to see my little tree standing there, adorned with the twinkling array of colors and welcoming me home when I pull up to the driveway…it is the same glow that fills my heart when I think of the true light that fills my life; who’s birth we celebrate during this Christmas season.

May the life that Jesus Christ offers be the true light that guides you on your life’s journey.

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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