Tag Archives: grace

Wisdom Is Not

Wisdom is not

Wisdom Is Not – Photograph courtesy of Gail_m

Wisdom is not something you can buy…it’s something concerning the who, where and why.

”Wisdom is the right use of knowledge.”  Charles Spurgeon

Wisdom Is Not

Wisdom is not a time nor a place.

It’s something that we learn; it’s full of grace.

Wisdom is not something that you can buy…

It’s something concerning the who, where and why.

Wisdom is not something you can touch or feel.

But concerning living your life…it’s very real.

Felecia R. Weber 2018, www.OntheWingofaDove.com

Wisdom is not – What do you think of when you think about wisdom?  For me, an image of an old, wrinkled-faced man with a long white beard, sitting quietly, whispering wise words to those around him comes to mind.  Wisdom can mean different things to different people, depending on their life experiences.  I am sure you’d agree, however, that wisdom isn’t  something to be taken lightly…it is something that we all need and it takes time to acquire.

”Knowledge comes from learning.  Wisdom comes from living.”  Anthony Douglas Williams

Wisdom comes with life experiences.  As children, we learn quickly the meanings of the words “yes” and “no”.  As we mature, we learn from our mistakes; what we’ve done wrong and what we need to do to make things right.  We realize that wise choices, whether we like them or not, generally bring about favorable situations, not only for ourselves, but for others,

Wisdom isn’t always easy to follow, but when we do, it fortifies us especially when making important decisions.

There is something to be said for being wise…whether you are young or old. Like the wrinkled-faced man, or the intricate grooves of a tree trunk, wisdom is something that becomes interwoven deep into our character.  Relying on past experiences that have taught us what a wise choice can offer, gives us a sense of confidence and independence that helps guide us along our paths.

No, wisdom is not something tangible, it is something you must live and learn…but when you apply it to your daily life…oh, the immeasurable gift you’ll receive in return!

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 12:9 

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, remember…you 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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For Those Who Walk Alone

those who walk alone

Photograph courtesy of Ray Flanagan rflanaganphotography.wordpress.com

For those who walk alone – a poem dedicated in celebration of my precious one’s birthday, February 9th…Happy Birthday Steve…I will always love you.

For Those Who Walk Alone

For those who walk alone,

There is a privilege, grace and power.

Our strength has no limits, our wisdom abounds…

We walk in a realm all our own.

For those who walk alone,

It’s not a life to be pitied or unnoticed.

Our tears never weigh us down,

They cleanse our hearts, to enable a new harvest to grow.

For those who walk alone,

Remember always, you are never alone truly,

For although God walks with us, side by side,

He was there in the past behind us…and tomorrow, He is already there.

Felecia R. Weber 2016, OntheWingofaDove.com

One of the most powerful memories that I have of my late husband happened on the night that he passed.  It seemed he’d been in dreamlike state throughout that day.  Amazingly, he walked around the house, up and down the stairs, traveled in the car to his doctor’s office for hydration, just like a “normal” day in his life as a cancer patient.  He was his usual soft spoken, good-natured, courteous self.  I knew in my heart that indeed that could be his last day here with us on earth, but it seemed like he was already somewhere between here and heaven.

As you can imagine, by that stage, the disease had taken its horrible toll on him.  He had wasted away to only a shadow of the man he’d always been.  That late afternoon, however, as he rested. stretched out on the bed in the haze of the dimming sunlight, there was a wholeness and serenity to him that I’ll never forget.  As he lay quietly on the bed, he stretched out his left arm and held it there for a long while.  He wore a slight smile on his face.  All I could imagine is that he was being gently ushered into his true home, to be with our lord.  As I stood next to the bed just gazing upon that peaceful sight, I closed my eyes, and through the lenses of hope and truth, I could see my Stephen, confidently walking toward the light, toward our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Now as I continue to walk alone, here on earth, I replay that image in my mind…what calmness, what peace…what a treasure our Lord is for those who walk alone.

“However, as it is written:  ‘What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human has conceived’ – the things God has prepared for those who love him.”  1 Corinthians 2:9

Peace and love,

Felecia

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Enough

enough

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater‘s Linda Celeste Simms. Photograph courtesy of Andrew Eccles

Enough – Enough you say when you are at the end of your rope…

“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you’…”  1 Corinthians 12:9

Enough

Enough you say when you are at the end of your rope,

When times become so tough that you simply cannot cope.

Enough you say when all you face is struggles and strife.

You ask,”How can I face another day of this life?”

When you reach that point when enough is enough,

That is when you realize nothing really needs to be that tough.

For God has promised to supply your every need;

And the flow of his provision, nothing on earth can impede.

Felecia R. Weber 2015, OntheWingofaDove.com

The past few weeks have been so full for me.  With working, traveling, devoting time to my creative projects, work around the house, ministries at church, and making time for my little dog Bilbo, not to mention trying to spend time with friends and family, sometimes I want to say “ENOUGH!”  No sooner do I think that, do I start to consider, do I really have enough?  Is what I have in my life enough to keep me going?  Believe it or not, sometimes I honestly don’t feel that it is.

Losing my beloved husband left a huge hole in my life.  The longer the time between his passing and the present grows, the more intensely I feel the resulting emptiness.  Granted, I know that the Lord’s will for my life is perfect and I do trust in him completely.  I must admit, however, I do sometimes find myself dwelling on what is absent rather what is present in my life.  I can tell you, without a doubt though, that I truly do not lack anything in my life, because indeed, God’s grace is sufficient.

This truth was lovingly illustrated to me earlier this afternoon. I was having one of those Saturday mornings when I was missing the ones when my husband and I would sleep in, slowly make our way down the stairs to the kitchen to make the morning coffee, enjoy a walk with our little Bilbo, taking in autumn’s beauty, and catching up talking and laughing about different activities that had filled our week..simple things really.   But, oh how mush I miss such times.  When I ventured out later in the day to collect the mail, the Lord gently reminded me that no matter what it is that I feel I am lacking in my life, what he provides at any given moment is all that I need.

As I sorted through the mail, I noticed an envelope that was from one of my dear aunts.  As I read the words that she had written in her letter to me, it was as though God was whispering words of comfort directly into my heart.  I could almost feel my tears being wiped from my eyes.  An indescribable sense of calmness came over me.  Although he has not removed my loneliness, my Heavenly Father showed me that no matter what I am going through, or how I am feeling, indeed, he is enough.

Sometimes we do not realize that enough is all that we need until we reach the point of saying “enough!”  It is only then that we understand that God is enough.

May his grace always be sufficient for you, because he is certainly all that you need.

Peace and love,

Felecia

 

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On Sustenance

On Sustenance

on sustenanceA Quote to Carry You

August 24, 2015

“And he said to me, My grace is sufficient for thee…”  2 Corinthians 12:9

On sustenance – These days we are bombarded with all kinds of choices when it comes to food. One would think that whatever he eats, as long as it is food, would provide the nourishment that his body requires, right?  Well, we all know that that just isn’t true.  When it comes to sustenance, defined as something that sustains life or health, making the right choices definitely matters.  I have proven this time and again…when I indulge my sweet tooth a little too much, the effects that I experience afterwards are not so sweet.  More importantly, although those sugary treats do provide more than sufficient calories, they are empty calories that provide health destructing rather than heath restoring energy.

I find that this principle doesn’t only apply when it comes to providing sustenance for my physical body.  It can also be applied to my spiritual needs.  Whenever I indulge in focusing on things that are contrary to the Bible, God’s living Word, such as yielding to feelings of anger, prideful thinking, and selfish behavior, I am only filling my heart with empty promises.  The more I let myself continue in those ways, the more malnourished spiritually I become.  Sooner or later, I realize that I can never sustain a true sense of peace, contentment and joy apart from the sustenance that only God can provide.  And, indeed, his grace is always sufficient for me.

Are you seeking the kind of sustenance that will truly meet all of your needs?  May you find out for yourself the glorious ways in which God will do just that whenever you ask him to.

Peace and love,

Felecia

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Restored and Renewed

Restored and Renewed

“The Early Bird,” circa 1979, colored pencil drawing by Felecia R. Weber, OntheWingofaDove.com

Restored and renewed – life worth living…experience a restorative grace that beckons renewal and refreshment.

“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, “The Little White Bird”

Restored and renewed – life worth living.  Do you ever question what your purpose in life is?  Do you ever wonder why your life is worth living?  Those are tough questions to answer when life begins to seem like one unending day full of mundane events, peppered with annoyances and issues that cause us a lot of grief.  Or when happy and exciting times start to fade into the background, collecting dust and getting shoved behind the curtains.  What does it take for us to answer them in positive ways?  What is it that causes us to reach beyond the ordinariness of our daily grind…to be restored and renewed – full of life worth living?

Now that the weather has suddenly changed from an almost frigid darkness to a warming brightness, I’ve noticed subtle changes that fill me with the hope and restorative power of spring.  I love to feed the wild birds that find their way to the tree in my front yard throughout the year.  The way they flutter around and gather at the feeder can mesmerize me for several minutes at a time.  During the winter months when wild food becomes scarce, it seems mealtimes at the bird feeder are feverishly hectic.  My little flock of feathered friends seem to frantically wait for me to fill the feeder every day.  Now, however, with the marked onset of warmer temperatures, they seem only to pick, taking a mouthful of seed here and there.  No longer desperate to find food, their frenzied chirps have turned into delicate, soothing melodies filling my ears with a restorative grace that beckons renewal and refreshment.

Like the wild birds feeding outside my home, when we are hungry for restoration and renewal deep within us, we hurriedly hop from one problem or crisis to another.  We try to resolve issues that never seem to end; only to become flustered in the process and not having accomplished anything.  It doesn’t have to be that way, for we need only to ask for help.  God is always there ready and willing to provide the answers and to abundantly supply our needs.  I can tell you this from experiences in my own life.  When I begin to flap my wings seemingly to no avail…I stop and, in faith and confidence, cry out to God for help.  He not only provides the answers, (and always in the most amazing ways, I might add), my heart is calmed and filled with a peace that only He can give.  During those times, I truly am restored and renewed – full of life worth living!

As we enter into this beautiful season, may you pause and seek God’s help…let His love provide the answers that you are seeking and cause you to be restored and renewed as well.

A happy Spring season to you!

Peace and love,

Felecia

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On Dignity

On Dignity

on dignityA Quote to Carry You

September 15, 2014

“She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future.”  Proverbs 31:25

When I think of dignity, I first think of human life, and what high regard I place on it.  Everyone who has been born and lived has worth…for life itself has incomprehensible value.  I believe that we each have a responsibility to live our lives in a manner worthy of the very gift of life we’ve been given.  I challenge everyone, myself included, to live out the rest of our days with a dignity, strength, confidence and grace that will set the example for others to follow.  Can you imagine what goodness will happen if we do just that?

Peace and love,

Felecia

 

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Let Freedom Ring!

let freedom ring

“Let Freedom Ring,” photograph by Felecia R. Weber 2014, OntheWingofaDove.com

 

Let freedom ring!  A tribute to our nation.

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.  And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”  Hebrews 12:1

This past Memorial Day weekend, my husband and I had the chance to visit both Ellis Island and  The Statue of Liberty with two of our dearest friends.  We had a very enjoyable time, and although the weather was overcast for much of the day, visiting these two sites that are so much part of our nation’s history caused my heart to beam with a brightness that I find hard to describe.  I have seem countless photographs of The Statue of Liberty.  I have heard numerous stories, including that of my own grandmother, of those who have come through Ellis Island to start anew in America.  I have felt the beating of my own heart as I’ve raised my hand to my chest to honor our nation’s flag and the strength and freedom that it represents.  But there was something solemn and unforgettable about actually being surrounded by these monuments that makes the phrase “let freedom ring” come alive.

There is no mistaking that we are facing some of the most difficult times in our nation’s history.  While I will not mention them here, I think that we’ve all been met with challenges recently that have made at least some part of our lives a struggle.  My mind was full of such thoughts as we road the ferry out to tour The Statue of Liberty.  The grey skies in the photograph above depicts what I felt perfectly.  That made me think too, about how those individuals who travelled to Ellis Island, the “new land,” long ago must have felt; a cloud of apprehension surrounding an anticipation of better times.

let freedom ring

“Her Torch…A Guiding Light!,” photograph by Marilyn Hill

As we approached the statue and I got to examine her more closely, my mood changed.  The skies began to clear and as I gazed up at The Statue of liberty, she seemed to emulate a certain grace, majesty, power and hope.  It was as though she were crying out, “Let freedom ring!”  Starting anew, building a life and rising above what may threaten to keep you down.  There is freedom in that, and there is life in being free to become what you strive to be.  That is what so many have done here in our nation thus far…may we continue to do just that long into the future…let freedom ring…loudly!

Happy Independence Day!

Peace to you, Felecia

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