Tag Archives: faith

Let the Little Children Come

Let the Little Children Come

Let the Little Children Come – Photograph by Jennifer Spangler

Let the Little Children Come – Words for Worship

“People were also bringing babies to Jesus for him to place his hands on them.  When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them.  But Jesus called the children to him and said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.  Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.'”  — Luke 18:15-17 NIV

Let the little children come – There is a certain innocence that can only be found in children.  As a helpless baby enters into the world, there is little she can do but trust in her parents to take care of and love her.  As she grows, she doesn’t need to ask to be fed or to be given a bath and fresh clothes each day; those necessities are always provided.  She doesn’t spend time worrying whether she is safe when she lies her head down to sleep each night, because that sense of security is always there.  When she faces challenges and needs sound advice, she seeks the wisdom of her parents without hesitation.

“But Jesus called the children to him and said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these…'”

The childlike innocence that I’ve mentioned above is not something that can only be experienced on an earthly level.  When Jesus admonished the disciples to “let the little children come to me,” in Luke 18, he implied that it is with the simplistic trust of a child that we should approach our Heavenly Father.  In another passage,1 John 3:1, Jesus describes just how much God loves us,

“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!  And that is what we are!”

Indeed, when we humble ourselves before the Lord, approaching him with a childlike faith, we also become his children!  We can come before him as our Heavenly Father and trust that he will always be there for us, and provide all that we need.  When we come to him, the relationship between God and his beloved children runs deeper than one between a human father and child ever can.

“Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone?  Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?  If you, then though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!”  –Matthew 7:9-11

On Father’s Day, we celebrate the commitment and goodness that our earthly fathers have demonstrated towards us.  Let us also rejoice in the love that our Heavenly Father pours out to us.

Peace and love,

Felecia

I dedicate this post to my own dear, earthly father who is now resides with our Heavenly Father.

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When Faith Shines Through the Darkness

When Faith Shines Through the Darkness

When Faith Shines Through the Darkness – Photograph property of www.onthewingofadove.com

When Faith Shines Through the Darkness – all that is hidden is revealed…

”The reason birds can fly and we can’t is simply because they have perfect faith, for to have faith is to have wings.” —J.M. Barrie

When Faith Shines Through the Darkness

When faith shines through the darkness,

All that is hidden is revealed.

We don’t know what’s beneath the shadows…

Pain and grief can be buried deep and tightly sealed.

When faith shines through the darkness,

Not everything is clear.

Sometimes steps can lead down a spiral…

A glimmer of hope flickers, surrounded by fear.

When faith shines through the darkness,

A choice has to be made.

Light and darkness cannot coexist…

There is only one voice that must be obeyed.

When faith shines through the darkness,

There is no reason to despair.

For Jesus, has all the help you need…

His eternal light will guide you…your faith in Him will get you there.

Felecia R. Weber 2019, www.onthewingofadove.com

Entrusting anything, your well-being, your loved ones, your material possessions, to the care of someone else can be scary.

No matter how well you think you know someone, when it comes to something that is important to you, you may feel that you are better off taking care of it yourself.  But what about when circumstances are such that you have no choice but to let others get involved?  Those times can feel like a dark veil has covered your eyes and all you can do is watch behind the scenes.  Faith can be described like that…when we believe in and trust in someone to such a degree that we are willing to give up control over our circumstances to them.  The important thing about faith is who we put our trust in.

”Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, ‘I am the light of the world.  Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’” —John 8:12 NIV

When faith shines through the darkness – there is only one person that comes to mind when reciting these words – Jesus!

As He tells us in the above verse from the Bible, Jesus is the light of the world.  Given that light and darkness cannot coexist, when we put our faith in Jesus, darkness is obliterated.  But, moreover, when we place our trust in Him, His light also gives us life…eternally.

Do you have doubts about who to trust; who to put your faith in?

When the darkness of life’s overwhelming circumstances over shadow you, consider the one who not only gives light, but is the light. Then your faith truly will shine through any darkness.

Peace and love,

Felecia

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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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On Following

On Following

followingA Quote to Carry You

December 15, 2014

“After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was.  When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.”  Matthew 2:9-10

The story of the Magi in the Bible has always possessed an air of mystery in my opinion.  How did these three wise men know that following the star would lead them to something worthy of the precious gifts that they brought with them to give?  They traveled from places afar, they had so little to go on…following a star?  Perhaps more than mystery, these wise men provided a strong example of faith.  They believed in something so strongly that they forfeited a great deal of time and incurred much expense in order to receive it.  In following that star to give exquisite gifts from their riches, they received something far more valuable; something that cannot be bought, for the price has already been paid.

What are you following?  May it be the same thing that the wise men sought and found…and may you also receive the gift that gives through all eternity.

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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A Quote to Carry You – January 20, 2014

A quote to carry you - JANUARY 20, 2014A Quote to Carry You 

January 20, 2014

“Faith is taking the first step even when you can’t see the whole staircase.” Martin Luther KIng Jr.

When it comes to faith, one aspect of it that I value the most, is how it can spill over into the paths of others who choose to follow in the same direction…all you need is the courage to take the first step.

On this day that we’ve set aside to honor the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., I would like also to express my gratitude for his having the faith, courage and vision to step out and set into motion those things that he held dear.  May we also strive to take these “first steps” of faith and climb to the top of the staircase…and beyond.

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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I Once Was Lost

I Once Was Lost

“Carla,” graphite pencil drawing by Felecia R. Weber, OntheWingofaDove,com

I Once Was Lost…but now am found…

“Amazing grace produces amazing faith!” Felecia R. Weber, OntheWingofaDove.com

Isn’t it funny how seeing an image or hearing a phrase can bring to mind a certain tune, or a specific time and place that comes alive from your memory to the present?  That happened to me recently when I came across the words, “I once was lost.”  Can you guess what song immediately popped into my head when I read those words?  You’ve probably guessed right; that old, familiar hymn,  “Amazing Grace.” 

Once that song entered into my mind, it stayed with me for a long time. Continue reading

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