Category Archives: Writing

Writing collection relating to lifetime experiences.

Shepherd – What’s in a word?

shepherdShepherd…I can think of nothing more comforting than the thought of me being a helpless sheep with Jesus as my Shepherd…

“The King of love my Shepherd is,

Whose goodness faileth never,

I nothing lack if I am His

And He is mine forever.”*

Protector, comforter, provider, friend, caregiver, gentle guide…the one I want to follow…

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

“The Lord is my Shepherd,” (Psalm 23:1). I can think of nothing more comforting than the thought of me as a helpless sheep with Jesus as my Shepherd.  My late husband Stephen, without a doubt, also found great comfort in knowing that he needn’t fear anything, for under his Shepherd’s care, everything was complete.  This became more evident to me as I watched him live out his last day.  Although his body had deteriorated a great deal from the cancer that had spread so rapidly, he seemed to be adorned by a pensive strength that allowed him to walk through our home, room by room, seeming to take all of his fond memories into his heart for safekeeping.  He responded to my words and watchful care with a quiet, attentive grace, yet I knew that his mind was very far away.  At one point, as he rested a few hours before he passed, he stretched out his arm as though he was being gently led to a place that the serene expression on his face told me was where he was most willing to go…

“In death’s dark vale I feel no ill

With Thee, dear Lord, beside me;

Thy rod and staff my comfort still,

Thy cross before to guide me.”*

At that moment, the peacefulness that my dear one surely was experiencing made me pause and think of the green pastures and still waters that our Shepherd promises to lead us to and through.  When my Stephen passed, I know that our Shepherd, Jesus, restored his soul…

“And so through all the length of days

Thy goodness faileth never;

Good Shepherd, may I sing they praise

Within Thy house forever.”*

*All verses by Henry W.  Baker, “The King of Love My Shepherd Is.”

Peace and love,

Felecia

 

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On Wanting and Needing

On Wanting and Needing

wanting and needingA Quote to Carry You

June 15, 2015

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.  He makes me lie down in green pastures.  He leads me beside still waters.  He restores my soul.”  Psalm 23:1-3

On wanting and needing – I am sure you’ll agree that there is a difference between the things that we want versus the things that we need.  If you are like me, it seems like the things that I want far outweigh the things that I really need.  It also seems that many of the things that I want certainly are not what I truly need.

I couldn’t help but think of the 23rd Psalm when I began to consider the differences between wanting and needing.  Isn’t it interesting how the first verse indicates that the Lord, our shepherd or caretaker, provides so well for us that we are not in want of anything?  The description of being made to lie down in green pastures and being led beside still waters paints a beautiful picture of how wonderfully our shepherd fulfills all of the things we desire.  What is even more amazing to me, is the outcome of being under his care; he restores our souls…something that we all absolutely need, whether we realize it or not.

How about you?  When it comes to wanting and needing…have your wants led you to what (or who) you truly need?

Peace and love,

Felecia

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I Am Yours, You Are Mine

i am yours

Photograph courtesy of Martin Watson

I am yours, you are mine…there is something comforting and confirming about belonging to that special someone.

“In every friendship hearts grow and entwine themselves together, so that the two hearts seem to make only one heart with only a common thought…”  Fulton J. Sheen

I am Yours, You Are Mine

I am yours, there’s no need for you to worry…

here I’ll be, here to stay, never will I leave you.

I am yours, I belong to you…

to no one else on earth will I say that.

You are mine, my forever love…

for you fill my world completely.

You are mine, to protect, to behold, to cherish…

life without you is no life at all; for you to me are essential.

Felecia R, Weber 2015, OntheWingofaDove,com

‘Tis the season…for weddings that is!  In fact, I’ve received three wedding invitations recently.  Indeed, love is in the air and it’s fragrance is so alluring.  I am yours, you are mine…there is something comforting and confirming in belonging to that special someone.  Hearts beating wildly; fluttering eyes snatching a quick glance; smiles promising the pleasure of a kiss.

May all those couples who will soon be joined together in marriage experience true love and fulfillment, now and always.

“…I have been privileged to have experienced such splendidness in my life once upon a time…the majesty of that time still lingers in my memories.”  Felecia R. Weber, OntheWingofaDove.com

Peace and love,

Felecia

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On Intimacy

On Intimacy

leisureA Quote to Carry You

June 8, 2015

“Sometimes the only way the good Lord can get into some hearts is to break them.” Fulton J. Sheen

On intimacy…By definition, intimacy is a relationship marked by acquaintance or familiarity.  It is something essential, innermost, personal and private.   It is the foundation upon which close friends can build a lifetime of shared experiences.  Intimacy has a way of touching our hearts so profoundly that it can be one of the most valuable treasures that life can offer us.

Although having an intimate relationship with another is a most wonderful thing, it is not an inseparable one.  Be it by death or some other circumstance, it can end whether we want it to or not.  When the bonds of intimacy between individuals are broken, we needn’t despair.  When it comes to true intimacy, which I personally describe as being the deepest and purest love that anyone can ever experience, God is the answer, for his love is complete.  Having created us, he knows every intricate detail about each of us.  He is faithful and promises to never leave nor forsake us.  He knows how to fulfill our heart’s desire, and he longs to do just that…forever,  I can’t think of a better example of intimacy than that, can you?

Peace and love,

Felecia

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On Leisure

On Leisure

leisureA Quote to Carry You

June 1, 2015

“Guard well your spare moments.  They are like uncut diamonds.  Discard them and their value will never be known.  Improve them and they will become the brightest gems in a useful life.”  Ralph Waldo Emerson

On leisure…I don’t know about you, but it seems that when it comes to keeping busy with work or other tedious activities, I excel time and time again.  Regarding leisure, taking the time to rest and relax, well, let’s suffice it to say that I could use a lesson or two in that department!  For me, time seems to be the one thing that gets used up more quickly than any other resource that I have.  In the same vein, spare time is one of my most valuable assets.  It is somewhat of a paradox, time and how I spend it.  Since I often seem to have so little of it to spare on any given day, shouldn’t setting some of it aside to rest and enjoy it be a high priority?  Hmmm…I think I’ve just answered my own question!

How about you; do you allow time for leisure in your daily or weekly schedule?  Are you missing out on all that rest and relaxation have to offer you?  May you take the time for leisure, no matter what it may cost you…I think you’ll realize, as I have myself, that in the long run, not taking the time to take a break is something that you really cannot afford.

Peace and love,

Felecia

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On Honoring Others

On Honoring Others

honoring othersA Quote to Carry You

May 25, 2015

“I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country.”  Nathan Hale

On honoring others – To honor someone means to respect and recognize them for some exceptional task they have performed.  I doubt that anyone would argue that the most noble act that one can do for another is to lay down his life for them.  So many of our brave members of our Armed Forces committed themselves to doing just that every time they took up their weapons and entered into battle.  As we set aside time for honoring others on this Memorial Day, there is no escaping the solemnity of the ultimate sacrifice that so many willingly gave.  Freedom comes with a price, and the price that so many of our military men and women paid can never be fully recognized.

May you join me in honoring others on this Memorial Day by pausing and giving thanks for what they gave up for you and me.

Peace and love,

Felecia

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Speaking – What’s in a word?

Speaking

“In the Conservatory,” c. 1875-78, James-Jacques-Joseph Tissot. Image from a page of the 2013 Desk Calendar, courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art Store

Speaking – What’s in a word?

Speaking has a way of expressing things untold.

Words relayed softly, or in a way that is sharply bold.

No matter what is spoken, no matter why or how,

Speaking to others is what I’d like to be doing right now!

Talking, conversing, stating, uttering, expressing, communicating…

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

Speaking has become one of my favorite things to do these days.  Living alone has made me realize that expressing myself by speaking to others is not something to be taken for granted.  Although my little dog and I have certainly developed a language that allows us to communicate quite well with each other, conversing with another human being is something that I crave daily.  From sharing the little things that have happened on any given day of the week, to confiding my inner most feelings; speaking and being listened to by others is something that I’ve come to treasure.  I suppose the thing I enjoy the most about it, it is that speaking, listening, and responding to what others say to me makes me feel connected…isn’t it interesting how the human voice has the ability to do that?

May you reach out and speak to others, and by connecting with them, perhaps you’ll make their day a little brighter.

Peace and love,

Felecia

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On Listening

On Listening

listeningA Quote to Carry You

May 18, 2015

“But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.”  Micah 7:7

On listening – Do you ever hear someone say something to you but when you try to recall what they’ve said, you realize that you hadn’t really listened to them?  Listening involves a great deal more of engaging with someone else than we may think.  I believe that a large part of listening includes more than just hearing; it also means concentrating on what has been said and seeking to absorb and understand it.  When we take the time to go a little deeper and try to comprehend what is being said between the words, then we can fully know how to respond wisely.  As in the scripture verse above, listening also requires a certain amount of observing and waiting.  Sometimes it is difficult to decipher the full meaning of what someone is trying to say when it is written in a note or even relayed over the phone.  When we await the opportunity to converse face to face, we truly receive the message in full.  Many of the best things in life come about similarly.  Giving our full attention to what God is revealing in our lives and awaiting the outcome that we’ve long anticipated to be manifested completely, makes intently listening, (not only with our ears, but with our hearts as well), all the more gratifying.

May you take the time to listen intently to the world around you, and seek out what God is saying to you.  You may be surprised by how blessed you truly are.

Peace and love,

Felecia

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