Category Archives: Artistic Writings

Art photo and writing collection relating to lifetime experiences.

In the Beginning

In the Beginning

“Let There Be Light,” photograph by Felecia R. Weber, OntheWingofaDove.com

In the Beginning…Christmas…creation…really?

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was with God in the beginning.  Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.  In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.  The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” (John 1:1-5)

I am always amazed at the splendor of God’s creation.  This seems a strange topic to write about during the Christmas season, in the beginning?…creation?…really?  But, oh how relevant it is, and the scripture verse referenced above says it all.

Most often when we think of Jesus Christ at Christmastime, we think of the little baby lying in a manger surrounded by his earthly parents, the angels, the shepherds, the sheep and other animals.  It is interesting that both earthly and heavenly “created beings” were present at His birth.  Who else in the history of mankind was welcomed into the world in such a way? Continue reading →

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A Christmas Memory: Go Tell It on the Mountain

Go Tell It on the Mountain

Photograph of my mom, Ethelda…she really puts her heart and soul into singing this special song!

Go Tell It on the Mountain

“Go tell it on the mountain, over the hills and everywhere; go tell it on the mountain, that Jesus Christ is born.” (excerpt taken from the lyrics of the song, “Go Tell It on the Mountain, by John Wesley Work, Jr.)

I am a firm believer that the holidays should be spent with family and friends.  It is then, more than any other time of the year that many traditions are started and shared.  When we can “let our hair down,” be ourselves and celebrate the glory of the season with those that we hold dear to our hearts.  This is certainly true of my family, and although we can’t always be together to celebrate Christmas, our long-standing family traditions and our memories of them, seem to bring us together no matter how far the distance is between us.

One of my family’s Christmas traditions that we started and enjoyed during my childhood, and that I truly love still, is when we would gather together on Christmas Eve night.  Long after dinner was finished, probably around 9:00 pm or so, I got to help prepare a tray full of savory snacks and sweet treats, including my Grandmother’s Italian Christmas cookies that I’d helped to bake, (see my earlier post “A Christmas Memory:  At Grandmother’s House”). Grandmother was right, the cookies did look like little works of art adorning the tray.  Being an artist, this was probably my favorite task every Christmas Eve, because I got to arrange the goodies, the colorful napkins and other accoutrements in a festive display for all to enjoy!

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“Shout To All the Earth,” photograph by Felecia R. Weber, OntheWingofaDove.com

My dad would select scripture verses for each of us to read aloud.  Hearing the words spoken from the Bible, telling the story of the birth of Jesus always sent chills through my body. Continue reading →

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A Christmas Memory: At Grandmother’s House

At Grandmother's House

“Grandmother’s Cookies,” photograph by Felecia R. Weber, OntheWingofaDove.com

At Grandmother’s House

There are many childhood memories that I recall and revisit every year as I prepare for the holidays.  I’ve always had a sweet tooth, and thanks to my Grandmother, I have enjoyed baking throughout the years.  So, it is no surprise that one of my favorite holiday memories, is going to my Grandmother’s house to bake her Italian Christmas Cookies.

As I’ve mentioned in past writings, it was always a special treat for me when my parents, sisters, and I would load into the car and drive the half hour or so distance to my Grandmother’s house.  Visiting Grandmother was special any time of the year, but especially during the holiday season.  Grandmother would have been up hours before we’d arrived.  She’d likely have had a few cups of her Red Rose tea, and the mixer, cookie sheets, rolling pin, bowls and other baking paraphernalia set out and ready to use. Continue reading →

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A Christmas Memory: Have a Holly Jolly Christmas

Have a Holly Jolly Christmas

“The Girls at Christmas,” a photograph of my sister Marjorie (left) and me (right) during one of our childhood Christmases

Have a Holly Jolly Christmas

If you are like me, you’ve already begun your trek towards celebrating Christmas…putting up the decorations, baking your favorite cookies and sweet treats, making your lists so you are ready to tackle the stores.  No doubt, your ears have heard a few Christmas carols subtly spreading the holiday cheer even when you’ve gone to pick up a few grocery items.  The song, “Have a Holly Jolly Christmas,” that is featured in one of my favorite childhood Christmas shows, “Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” is one that I have been humming for the past several days…and my mind has filled up with holly jolly memories.

I can’t help but wear a huge smile as I think of how excited my sisters and I would get during the weeks before Christmas when we were little girls.  My older sister Marjorie and I would rehearse the hymns and carols we’d learned for our Christmas programs at church and school, while scrubbing away at the evening dishes.  We’d spend hours outside leaving our impressions in the snow, hoping that they’d resemble snow angels as much as possible.  Our mom would encourage our creativity by having some sort of project for us to do, like hand painting little wooden ornaments to hang on our Christmas tree.  Many of those ornaments adorn my parents’ tree every Christmas still, and I swear I can pick out at least a few of the ones I’d painted!

Oh, how I loved all of the special activities that surrounded my childhood Christmas holidays.  I especially enjoyed helping to wrap the gifts and make bows for the packages.  What a delight it was sipping eggnog and how my mouth watered at the sight of the colorful ribbon candy and pretty foil-wrapped chocolates that were scattered around our home.  I would seemingly fall into a trance when in the evenings, I’d sit and take in the peaceful glow of the lights that my dad had carefully strung around the tree; each one silently flickering, like tiny flames…little lights of Christmas.

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“All Snuggled in His Bed,” graphite & colored pencil drawing by Felecia R. Weber, OntheWingofaDove.com

Whatever your favorite childhood Christmas memories are, (I’d love it if you’d care to share them), may they warm your heart and create a glow that brings a smile to your face and radiates to those around you…a Holly Jolly Christmas to you!

Peace and love,

Felecia

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Reflections

Reflections

“Vibrant Life,” photograph by Felecia R. Weber, OntheWingofaDove.com

Reflections…turning back, looking ahead, where do we go from here?

Life

Life is full of surprises,

life is mundane,

life is fresh

and sometimes so plain.

But whatever life holds for you,

it is your own…live it to the fullest.

Never waste a single moment, for life is a gift.

Felecia R. Weber, OntheWingofaDove.com

Being the day after Thanksgiving, I can’t help but reflect upon what my life has been up until now.  At the same time, my eyes are wide open, full of anticipation of what awaits my life in the future.  What is past is safely locked away in my memory, but the door to tomorrow is wide open.  I think of the reflections of nature that hover over the ripples of a pool of water, when  a drop of rain splashes life into it.

I feel kind of like that right now.  Still, quiet, not wanting to move, just embracing the solitude of the moment.  Yet, there is something inside of me that is ready to burst forth, ready to stir my being into motion.  Standing before a mirror, my own reflection staring back at me.  Looking beyond myself to see what is behind me, which is actually ahead of me. An interesting perspective…peeking into both the past and the future all at once.

Reflections….turning back, looking ahead…where will you go from here?

Peace,

Felecia

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My love, my life

My Love, My Life

“Intertwined,” photograph by Felecia R. Weber, OntheWingofaDove.com

My love, my life, can the two be separated?

“When I am loving, I am living…without love, I cannot live.” Felecia R. Weber, OntheWingofaDove.com

My love, your love – we all have that in common.  We love in different ways and to differing degrees, but we all do it, we all need it,  and we all have it to give.  Yesterday, my husband and I celebrated our wedding anniversary.  We have been giving and receiving each others love for over 26 years now.  Wow, that’s a long time, especially by today’s standards.    However, giving and receiving love has no limits.  Love is timeless and that is part of what makes it such a treasure to behold.

When I think of the many years that I’ve spent loving my husband, the familiar phrase, “time flies when you’re having fun,” certainly applies for me.  Don’t get me wrong, like everything in life, there are good and bad times, in our relationship,  but the love that we share overrides the unpleasant times.  That love is like a golden thread that intertwines between us and it makes us stronger, no matter what threatens to tear us apart.

People often ask us what it is that has kept us together for all of these years.  Although we have no children, we both lead very full lives. The demands of our work, our ministries, our individual interests and social engagements can seem overwhelming and erratic at times.  There is one thing, however, that has been a constant, that golden thread that has been sewn into every area of our lives together. The one thing that, without it, our love for each other, no matter how strong, could not sustain us.  For what is it in love that gives us hope, that gives us life?

“I am the vine; you are the branches.  If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.   If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked  up and thrown into the fire and burned.  If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.   This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” John 15: 5-8

For my husband and me, it is our faith in God.  That is the golden thread that holds us closer than anything that this world can offer.  Whether the sun is shining, and all is bright, or the shadow of the darkest night casts its bleakness over us, our golden thread of faith, wraps around us and keeps us together as one with God.  As Jesus said, “For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.” Matthew 18:20.  Indeed, the two of us are together, but when He is with us, we are never alone.

I truly thank God for giving me my love, my life…my dear husband, Steve.

Love and peace,

Felecia

 

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Memories

Memories

“Snap the Whip,”1872, Winslow Homer. Image from a page of the 2013 Desk Calendar, courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art Store

Memories…how rich they make us even though money has nothing to do with them; they are part of us and can never be taken away.

There is something about this time of year, the rustling of the leaves when the wind weaves its autumn melody between them.  The heartwarming smells of hearty soups or rich, hot chocolate wafting through the air on a crisp and chilly evening. These are the types of images that remind me of a time long ago.  They cause me to want to take a glimpse into my childhood memories.  The place where the foundation of my life is rooted and that has enriched so many of my days.

“Childhood is the most beautiful of all life’s seasons” (Author Unknown)

Continue reading →

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Nope, not going there…

Nope, not going there...

“Glorious,” photograph by Felecia R. Weber, OntheWingofaDove.com

Nope, not going there…tomorrow is for tomorrow, today is for today!

Left unto myself, I am a worrier.  I think it is because I am such a detail-oriented person by nature, that I get way too wrapped up in the tasks that need to be done and how I am going to accomplish them.  It doesn’t matter if I am planning to do something that I enjoy or if it is something that I consider to be burdensome, I still get caught up in the details!  At times, it takes me longer to plan out how I am going to execute a project  or whatever it may be, than it actually takes me to do  it. “Nope, not going there!” is what I say, when I find myself spending more time today,  planning for what needs to be done tomorrow. The details, the details; sometimes they cause my head to spin! Continue reading →

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