No Ordinary Rose

No ordinary rose

No Ordinary Rose – Photograph property of www.OntheWingofaDove.com

No Ordinary Rose 

 
 
”It is the time you have wasted for your rose that makes your rose so important.” 

― Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince

No ordinary rose…we all have something uniquely our own to offer to the world…

No Ordinary Rose

 

No ordinary rose, that’s true of us all,

No matter where we come from,

With roots planted deeply, we can stand tall.

 

No ordinary rose, as we develop and grow,

What we learn from life’s lessons,

Causes our inner beauty to glow.

 

No ordinary rose, I say of you and me,

We’ve got so much to offer…

Now it’s time for the world to see.

Felecia R. Weber, OntheWingofaDove.com 2018

 

I’ve long enjoyed the timeless wisdom found in Antoine de Saint-Exupery’s The Little Prince.  The Little Prince’s interaction with his rose has always touched my heart.  I think it’s admirable how well the boy takes such special care of his delicate rose, protecting her from the elements, and making certain she has all she needs to grow.  In his eyes, his rose is the most beautiful rose in all the world.  She is one-of-a-kind and that’s what makes her so special.  When he later finds out that his rose appears to be the same as all the others, he is disappointed, because he comes to the conclusion that she is just an ordinary rose.

On the contrary, there really is no ordinary rose…and the same is true of you and me.  As with the Little Prince’s rose, although we may not appear to be remarkable on the outside, we all have something uniquely our own to offer to the world.  When we take the time to nurture those attributes that make us unique, there is nothing more beautiful than when we are in full bloom.

I challenge you to take the time to dig deep in your heart and find out what seeds have been planted, but need to be watered and cared for.  As time goes by, I’m sure you’ll be amazed at the beauty that begins to grow. Then, I encourage you share it and let the world enjoy it too!

Peace and love,

Felecia

I dedicate this post to my dad on his 88th birthday…Happy birthday daddy…you are in heaven now, but your are still with us in our hearts.  I’ll always love you!

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To the End of the Earth

End of the earth

Photograph courtesy of Gail_m

To The End of the Earth

Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.”  -T.S. Eliot
 

To the End of the Earth…where can I run to, and you are not there?

To the End of the Earth

Where can I run to,

And you are not there?

Even to the end of the earth,

Lord of my life, you are everywhere.

 

I am never out of your reach,

Whether I am with others or alone.

Even to the end of the earth,

Your hands reach down to me from your throne.

 

You cause my heart to rejoice when times are good;

You are by my side when I am sad.

Even to the end of the earth,

Lord, you are the best friend I’ve ever had.

 

When I’m pushed to my limits,

Running in circles night and day.

Even to the end of the earth,

Lord, I surrender all to you…lead the way.

Felecia R. Weber, OntheWingofaDove.com

To the end of the earth…sometimes life seems to push us exactly that far.  When we give our all, and there is nothing left to give.  When we’ve done our best, but it seems that’s never good enough.  Those are the times when we actually realize just how far we can go.

Life does have a way of stretching us to our limits, and our resources eventually do run out…but unless we allow ourselves to reach the “end of the earth,” we’ll never know what the maker of the earth can do.  For with God there are no limits, his resources never run out, and his best is far superior than we can even imagine.

My challenge to you is to go ahead…stretch yourself, find the extent of your limits…then let God take you to the end of the earth…and beyond.

Peace and love,

Felecia

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In An Instant

In an instant

Photograph courtesy of Gail_mi

In an instant – Life is so fragile, how the moments go…in an instant, lives are taken, to where we don’t always know…

“…and suddenly there came a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison house were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were unfastened.”  Acts 16:26

 

In An Instant 

Life is so fragile, how the moments go…

In an instant, lives are taken,

to where we don’t always know.

 

So time goes by, only memories day after day…

In an instant, a family torn apart.

A mother’s tears grow silent; in her heart they stay.

 

Oh the pain, of not knowing what’s next.

In an instant, world’s turned upside down…

Leaving loved ones confused and perplexed.

 

My God, my God, please tell us why!

In an instant, seasons change from light to dark.

Still no answer…just an echoing of our cry!

 

Then suddenly, it happens…can it be true?

In an instant it’s over…shadows lift…light pours in.

No matter the reason…God our praise and thanks go to you!

Felecia R. Weber, OntheWingofaDove.com 2018

In an instant – Life can change overnight.  Things we think can never happen, do. Things we often take for granted can be rocked so hard, our foundations threaten to crack. Those are the times that make or break us, and we have no choice but to go through them.

When the pressures of life become so intense, and your fragile world is shattered, remember that God is only an instant away.  If he is your foundation, it doesn’t matter how deep or wide the chasm. For what God allows to break, he always puts back together again stronger and more beautifully than before.

This post is dedicated to our “Little Princes”…you boys light up our world.  Thanking God for showing us that no matter how delicate life appears…with him as our foundation, there is nothing that he cannot put back together again.

Peace and love,

Felecia

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The Best of Me

best of me

“The Best of Me”. Photgraph property of OntheWingofaDove.com

The Best of Me – As with every struggle, disappointment, or challenge we face in life  -no matter how large or small- God’s grace is always sufficient for whatever we need…

 “If there is no struggle, there is no progress.”  Frederick Douglass

The Best of Me

It’s been one of those days,

The kind that got me good…

No matter how hard I tried,

Couldn’t get to the things I thought I should.

 

These twenty-four hours

Sure got the best of me…

Worked from sun up to sundown,

One thing then another…no end could I see.

 

I threw up my hands,

Saying, “God, I don’t know what to do!”

And I kept plugging away,

Until all my work was through!

 

Yes, today was a day,

That surely got the best of me,

Lots of things got accomplished…

Looking back…now I see.

 

It’s funny how that happens,

when it seems all time is lost,

Then to realize, the best things in life

Come at a higher cost.

 

Felecia R. Weber, OntheWingofaDove.com  2018

The best of me…some days are like that, it seems no matter how much effort I put forth, there’s even more left to do. One thing leads to the other, and well…you know how it goes!  When I’m in the midst of that kind of day,  the workload gets the best of me.  My focus is on all of the tasks that keep popping up begging for my attention…instead of the outcome that awaits me when I’m all done!

“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.””  –2 Corinthians 12:

Like I wrote in my poem…I pummeled through until I got all of my work done, but it wasn’t until I was finished that I realized just how much got accomplished…and not by me alone.  As with every struggle, disappointment, or challenge we face in life  -no matter how large or small- God’s grace is always sufficient for whatever we need.  When I felt that indeed the day had gotten the best of me, that’s when God stepped in and provided His best for me!

When your day seems like it’s going to get the best of you, rememberyou need not worry about the tasks at hand, for God in His goodness can handle every demand.

Peace and love,

Felecia

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I Matter

I Matter

“I Matter” Photograph property of OntheWingofaDove.com 2018

I matter, though the world may not see…gonna reveal to the world all the gifts God has given me…

“It’s not what has happened to you.  It’s who you become because of it.”  – Ria Story
 

I Matter

I matter, you must know…

Within me a seed was planted, so long ago.

Yeah, I’ve made mistakes; haven’t we all?

But something inside me picks me up when I fall.

I matter, can you tell? Can’t you see?

There’s this power that resides in the deepest part of me.

Oh, I know, I’m quiet, polite and shy…

But, I’ve grown my wings…now it’s time for me to fly.

I matter, though the world may not see…

Gonna reveal to all, the gifts God has given me.

A life well-lived is not to keep to oneself…

So I’m opening myself up, like taking a book off the shelf.

I matter, what I have is unique and worth sharing…

And to everyone in my life, thanks for all of your love and caring.

Felecia R. Weber

OntheWingofaDove.com 2018

I Matter – The truth is, everyone matters, but sometimes we are the last ones to realize it.  We all have been endowed with  gifts that are uniquely our own. Be they talents for music, art or writing, having an aptitude for working well with numbers, or being able to build or fix things with ease…we all have something to offer others…including our own life experiences.

My challenge to you is to determine what it is you do best…that thing that makes you matter…and share it with those around you.  Sharing a part of yourself with others is what makes you matter the most!

Peace and love,

Felecia

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Roar – What’s in a word?

Roar

“Roar” Photograph courtesy of Marjorie L. Karimi 2018 (In memory of my late husband STEPHEN CULLEN WEBER, 2/09/1956 – 8/13/2014)

Roar – “What’s in a word?”

Roar – Fierce, strong, fearless, king…when you hear me roar, oh see the greatness I’ll bring!

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

Roar – There are many images that come to mind when I think of the word “roar.” In most cases I’ll think of a roaring lion – you know, the one in which the lion has his mouth open wide with his ferocious teeth showing, ready to pounce on his next meal! This time my thoughts depicted a roaring lion as one that is very content, resting and at peace.  That’s the kind of roaring lion that I like the most…one who has already conquered, and is now enjoying the bounty of having won the victory!

Roar…with any challenge you set out to conquer,

 give it your all, and always do your best;

 keep going until you’ve achieved it,

then take time to enjoy; take time to rest.

Peace and love,

Felecia

I dedicate this post to my late husband, Stephen Cullen Weber.  When I think of the type of lion I like best, Steve certainly fulfills that image perfectly.  Steve carried a quiet confidence within him that enabled him to accomplish those things that he set out to do.  No matter how large the challenges were that he faced, his reliance on our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, saw him through every time.  Even during his last, most fierce conquest, his battle with cancer, Steve showed a humble grace that brings peace to my heart whenever I think of him.  Now, like the lion I mentioned in my description above, Steve, because of our Savior, who conquered death once for all, is enjoying the bounty of the victory that has been won.  

I love  you forever Steve,

Felecia

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One Step at a Time

One Step

“First Steps” Photograph property of OntheWingofaDove.com (2018)

One step at a time

”In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.”  Proverbs 16:9

One step at a time

One step at a time,

So many directions,

Like typing out words,

Without making corrections.

 

We spin and we toil,

For most of our days.

When things fall apart,

It seems none of the effort pays!

 

One step at a time,

That’s all we can do.

For God has the answers,

I know first hand that is true.

 

So stop for a moment,

Although time won’t stand still.

You’ll be much better off,

When you seek and follow His will.

 

Felecia R. Weber, 2018, OntheWingofaDove.com

 

One step at a time, that seems simple doesn’t it?  If you’ve ever watched a baby take his first steps, you’ll realize that it’s not such an easy thing to do. When it comes to navigating through life’s paths, it doesn’t get any easier.  We’ve so many choices, so many responsibilities, so many demands, that sometimes we find ourselves simply standing still!  When that happens one step at a time may well be all we can handle, but not on our own.

One Step

“Footprints” Photograph property of OntheWingofaDove.com (2018)

As described in the well known “Footprints in the Sand” quote, when life gets to be overwhelming and we turn to God for help, he is not only there with us every step of the way, he carries us when we’ve lost our way.  He leads us to where he wants us to be…one step at a time.

 

Shout out to my sister, Marjorie…Happy birthday sister…I love you!

 

Peace and love,

Felecia

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On Time

On Time

TimeA Quote to Carry You

August 6, 2018

“Time is a created thing.  To say “I don’t have time” is to say, “I don’t want to.”  -Lao Tzu

Thoughts on time…

I am guilty of this very thing!  I’ve been at my childhood home for the past few months helping my mom, and today happened to be “house cleaning day.”  Call me crazy, but I do enjoy cleaning and it’s one thing that I can be sure to give me a sense of accomplishment when it’s finished.  Today, in addition to my other cleaning tasks, my mom asked me to check and clean a filter that is part of the vacuum cleaner.  To do this would require me to have to take the time to read the instruction manual to be sure the filter is cleaned properly, which I’ll admit is something I really did not want to do. So…my response to her request was, “Mom, I don’t have time to do that!”

 

Time…whether we want to take the time to do something or not, time is a precious resource that really should be used wisely.  We’ve all got an equal amount of time in a twenty-four hour period, but how much of it do we actually spend doing things that really matter or things that truly make a difference?  How we choose to use the time granted to us each day says a lot about who we are, and when we say, “I don’t have time” for one thing or another, we are really prioritizing what matters most to us.

 

When I replied to my mom that I didn’t have time to bother with her request, I was actually saying that I’d rather spend that time doing something that was more meaningful to me.  In general, our time is our own, but that doesn’t mean we are not to share it with others.  In fact, I often find that when I make time for others a priority, the time that I do spend on myself becomes even more valuable, and well spent!

 

Well, I’ve already decided that I will pull out the vacuum instruction manual and make sure the filter gets cleaned. Then I’ll not only have learned something, but more importantly, it will please my mom.  How about you?  When you think about how you spend your time, does it include a good balance of “me” time for yourself and “we” time for and/or with others?  When it does you’ll find that there is time for everything…and everything has it’s time.

 

Thanks for visiting…it’s good to be back!

Peace and love,

Felecia

 

 

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