Tag Archives: travel

When I Was a Child

When i was a child

When I Was a Child Photograph: “Daydreams”, courtesy of Amy Breen

When I was a child – May your faith be strong, like that of a child, never worrying when, what or where…just turn to the Lord for your every need, and know that he is always there.

”When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child.  When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me.”  1 Corinthians 13:11

When I Was a Child

When I was a child,

I thought like a child.

Streams of colors…

Yellow, pink and blue.

Playing outdoors for hours,

All was sunny and bright and true.

When I was a child,

I dreamed like a child,

Like a bird, I was ever so carefree.

In my mind I’d travel to far away lands;

Places only known to me.

When I was a child,

I hoped like a child,

”Someday that’s gonna be me!”

Now I am grown and after all these years,

Childlike faith navigates my destiny.

Felecia R. Weber 2018, OntheWingofaDove.com

When I was a child – This time of year always causes my mind to conjure up childhood memories.  Now that I am back in my hometown, the familiar sites, sounds and smells of my youth dance around in my head almost constantly. It seems as the days get cooler, my heart just gets warmer from the glow of days long gone by.  Indeed, when I was a child, all those years ago, I thought, dreamed and hoped like a child.  When I left home to make my way in the world, I thought I had left those childhood ways behind too…but not so, really.

Like the changes in the seasons, it’s obvious to see the transformation that happens to our physical bodies as we grow from children into adults. But what happens on the inside is not so easy to recognize.  Surely, we act more mature and responsible the older we get.  Our interests change, as well as our activities, and tastes.  In fact, certain changes are critical and should take place throughout different stages of our lives.  One thing, that I believe should never change, no matter how old we are, is our childlike faith in God.

“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”  Hebrews 11:1

As explained in the above verse…faith does have “childlike” qualities.  When I was a child, I never worried about what, when, or where my provisions would come from…they were just there, (and always in the right amount and at the right time).  When I became an adult, although I had to put forth the effort and work for what I wanted, having God in my life, caused my faith, (the confidence in what I hope for and assurance about what I do not see), to remain the same as when I was a child.  Even when vibrant days fade to hues of gray, like this time of year, there always remains in my heart the flickering flame of faith that God is always there, and that he’ll always provide for my every need.

May your faith be strong, like that of a child, never worrying when, what or where…just turn to the Lord for your every need, and know that he is always there.

Peace and love,
Felecia
Thanks for visiting…please help inspire others by sharing this post…
“ Be inspired, explore…reach higher…soar!”
VN:F [1.9.22_1171]
Rating: +7 (from 7 votes)

Roads Yet to Travel

roads

Photograph courtesy of Martin Watson

Roads Yet to Travel – My future awaits me – the pages are being filled day by day…

“I’ve been longing to travel lately; to just get away and experience something new, something I’ve never gotten the chance to do before.  Life is an open book, and there are so many pages in mine that have yet to be written…”  Felecia R. Weber, OntheWingofaDove.com

Roads Yet to Travel

I don’t want to go back,

I only want to move forward.

Let the past be the past;

It has already been lived.

My future awaits me,

The pages are being filled day by day.

I have many roads yet to travel,

Some are winding, some are straight.

There have been times when  my steps haven’t led me where I’ve wanted to go.

But I press on, for I am determined to reach my destination.

Each turn, each path that beckons me, I’ll test to prove whether it be true.

Know this, whatever happens between now an the end of my journey…

Will be the best it’s ever been.

Felecia R. Weber 2016, OntheWingofaDove.com

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not unto your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will direct your paths.”  Proverbs 3:5-6

May the roads that you have yet to travel lead you to the fullness of life that you seek…and as you seek it, may you discover that your fullness comes from the Lord.

Peace and love,

Felecia

 

VN:F [1.9.22_1171]
Rating: +16 (from 16 votes)

On Wholeness

On Wholeness

wholenessA Quote to Carry You

February 22, 2016

“…Once a heart is shattered, it can never be the same.  One thing though, it can become better than it was before – it can become whole.”  Felecia R. Weber

On wholeness – The feeling of completion, to have accomplished whatever it is you’ve set out to do can be a most elating feeling.  What’s more is when you focus more on embarking on the journey rather than reaching your destination, what a marvelous adventure you have to enjoy.  Indeed, I believe wholeness, being full, lacking nothing, having all the parts…is a sort of a passage, a path which draws us from our emptiness to becoming complete.

I remember a few years ago, planning my twenty-fifth wedding anniversary trip to Italy for my late husband and me.  I’d never booked my own airline tickets prior to that, let alone plan an entire trip abroad.  Although the planning was painstaking at times, for I didn’t want any detail to be overlooked, our time away was flawlessly exquisite…we could not have asked for anything better, and we’d not want anything to have been different.  Now, my memories of our final trip together are more precious to me as the time between then and now grows.  They somehow become real when I need them to be…and I experience a sense of the wholeness we shared instead of the hollowness that I was left with when he passed.

That example only touches the surface of what wholeness truly is…but for me, it describes the principle of how one can travel from emptiness to wholeness…and how we go through that process determines the degree of completeness we attain.  For, once a heart is shattered, it can never be the same.  One thing though, it can become better than it was before – it can become whole.

“Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.”  Psalm 37:4

Peace and love,

Felecia

VN:F [1.9.22_1171]
Rating: +12 (from 12 votes)

On A Journey

On a journey

Photograph courtesy of David Brown

On a journey…On a journey, here I go.  I don’t have a plan, but I am going, this I know.

“It wasn’t long before Jonathan Gull was off by himself again, far out to sea, hungry, happy, learning.”  Richard Bach (Jonathan Livingston Seagull)

On A  Journey

On a journey, here I go,

I don’t have a plan, but I am going, this I know.

I think I’ll travel far, so I’ll be gone for a while.

Wherever I end up, I intend to enjoy every mile.

On a journey, I may walk on land, I may sail on the sea.

No matter how I get there, this journey is one …just for me.

Felecia R. Weber 2015, Onthewingofadove.com

Do you ever feel like just getting away?  Just packing a bag and heading off on a road with no particular destination in mind…just as long as it is someplace else.  Sometimes when I cannot physically get away, I close my eyes and let my mind take me down a road, along a trail, or even traversing the waves of the wide open sea. No matter where or how far my thoughts allow me to travel to, I always make my way back home…and you know whatI have found?  Home is sometimes the best destination I can ever wish to get to.

Peace and love,

Felecia

VN:F [1.9.22_1171]
Rating: +5 (from 5 votes)

Stepping Into the New Year

into the new year

“Evening Boot,” 1957, Roger Vivier (designer); House of Dior (design house). Image from a page of the 2014 Desk Calendar, courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art Store

Stepping Into the New Year.  One step leads to another, and soon enough we’re walking…before we know it, we’re right where we’d hoped to be.

For me, life is like a series of steps, and stepping into the New Year is not any different.  Surely it can be confusing not knowing what obstacles we’ll need to traverse and how to prepare for dealing with them.  Do we need to don our show boots, or will a pair of street shoes be just fine? No matter what the footwear, we still must travel through each day.  I believe that how we choose to take each step will determine how pleasant our journey through the year will be.

We’ve all experienced mornings when we have to drag ourselves out of bed and it seems like all we’ll be able to manage is a slow crawl throughout the day.  Other times we bounce up and hit the floor running, long before the alarm clock goes off.  I don’t envision stepping into the New Year in any of these ways.  Wouldn’t it be nice to enter into it at just the right pace?  One step leads to another, and soon enough we’re walking…before we know it, we’re right where we’d hoped to be.

How we go about stepping into the New Year is an individual adventure.  There are some who are used to treading the same route at the same old pace.  Why not try trotting along fresh new paths that will inspire personal growth and set new goals for yourself.  Others have been pacing along trying to take in all that life has opened up for them.  Why not concentrate on just one or two of those opportunities and be the best at them that you can?  Still others have been sprinting the distance, and are in desperate need of a break.  Why not stop, rest for awhile…then come back renewed and stronger than ever before?

What about you?  In what way will you begin stepping into the New Year?  Whichever way you choose, may it lead you to a most satisfying and beautiful journey.

Wishing you God’s peace and fulfillment in the coming year,

Felecia

VN:F [1.9.22_1171]
Rating: +5 (from 5 votes)

There’s No Place Like Home

no place like home

“A Country Home Residence, possibly General Moreau’s Country House at Morrisville, Pennsylvania,” 1811-1813, Pavel Petrovich Svinn. Image from a page of the 2014 Desk Calendar, courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art Store

 

There’s no place like home…no matter how many times you return, no matter how things change…

Recently I had the opportunity, although unexpectedly, to make a trip back to my hometown.  It’s funny, because I was just thinking about how much I enjoy taking road trips, and my hometown of Erie, PA is about 6-7 hours away from my current home in New York state…depending on who’s driving that is!  Anyway, although the circumstance surrounding the reason for my trip there was not a pleasant one, the time I spent away was like a little sparkling jewel.  Indeed, there’s no place like home!

“When I think of home, I think of the place where I grew up…the place where my journey began.  When I return home for a visit, and leave again, it is like I am embarking on a whole new adventure.” Felecia R. Weber 2014, OntheWingofaDove.com

When I first stepped inside the door of my parents’ house, my senses were flooded with the smells, sounds, tastes, and feelings of the many years I’ve spent living there.  My eyes darted swiftly over the family photographs hanging on the family room wall.  I smiled and felt honored to see the many drawings and needlework displays that I painstakingly crafted long ago still decorating almost every room that I peered into.  I seemed to be energized just by the scent of the eternal pot of coffee brewing in the kitchen.  My mouth watered and my tastebuds were delighted as I treated myself to a piece of zucchini bread that my Dad had made…he uses my Grandmother’s recipe which makes it all the more special!

Since it was already evening when my Mom, Dad and I arrived from our day’s traveling, we just ate a light supper and visited a short while before turning in for the night.  I slept in my old bedroom which is adjacent to my parents’ room.  I chuckled to myself  thinking back to the nights that I had spent pecking away at the typewriter finishing up writing assignments for my college courses…I am certain that my parents were glad that the only writing I did that night was on my iPad, quietly!  Anyway, it was peaceful listening to the familiar night sounds of the house…they served as my lullaby as I dozed off into a deep, restful sleep.

I returned to New York the next day. I must admit, I was exhausted after having driven so many miles to and from my hometown all within about a 36 hour period; but I would not have traded in that little snippet of time for all the world.  Being back at home, going back to my  roots even for a brief while, it seems to have revitalized me.  Somehow, I have a deep sense of renewal and restoration; and I am ready to continue on in my life’s journey.  Upon returning from my trip, I joked with my husband saying, “I can’t believe I had to drive roughly 400 miles to get 9 solid hours of sleep!,”  but you know, sometimes it does take extreme measures to receive enriching treasures!

Wherever you go during the upcoming travel season, be it back to your own hometown or some far off land, may you be refreshed and return renewed.

Buona viaggio!

Peace,

Felecia

VN:F [1.9.22_1171]
Rating: +7 (from 7 votes)

A Quote to Carry You – February 3, 2014

A quote to carry you - February 3, 2014A Quote to Carry You 

February 3, 2014

“All who wander are not lost.” (Anonymous)

When I “wander,” I let my mind go and I travel to the most marvelous places.  The stops that I make along the way seem to stir my creativity and I gain a fresh perspective on life.  I’ve traveled many miles that way.

Why not enrich your creative spirit too?  Lose yourself in wandering…you may be surprised where you land.  Happy travels.

 

Peace,

Felecia

VN:F [1.9.22_1171]
Rating: +5 (from 5 votes)

My Dreams, My Journey

My Dreams, My Journey

“The Octopus,” 1912, Alvin Langdon Coburn. Image taken from a page of the 2011 Desk Calendar, courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art Store

My dreams, my journey…traveling through life is quite an adventure.

Sometimes life can feel like a journey.  With no map to guide us, it is surprisingly easy to get off the beaten path, and end up heading in an entirely new direction.  I must admit that I have a terrible sense of direction…just ask anyone who knows me personally and they will confirm that to be true.  I couldn’t tell you whether I am heading east or west, north or south, to save my life!  Whenever I plan to travel to some place new, I make certain that I have a map, written directions, and GPS readily on hand to get me there.  When traveling along the road of life, however, there is no compass, there are no street signs, there may even be a few detours, which can be much harder to navigate.  So what is it that guides us?  How do we find our way?

“Make the most of yourself, for that is all there is of you.”  Ralph Waldo Emerson

For me, it seems I travel my life’s journey even in my sleep.  I have a recurring dream that crept into my slumber just recently.  I am in my car driving to work, motoring along on my usual route.  As I proceed,  I notice that the road is getting progressively narrow, and the smooth surface of the asphalt is getting rougher and rockier…before I know it the road is littered with stones; some as large as boulders!  At this point, my vehicle is now a bicycle which I am frantically pedaling for fear I will be late for work.  I am not alone on the road at this point as now there is a little girl, also on a bicycle, weaving back and forth along the path in front of me.  She gets so close sometimes that I think I’ll topple over her.  Finally I step off of my bike and wheel it along side of me, all the while the little girl laces her jagged string of distractions closer and tighter around me.  I keep trudging along for a while in this manner, trying to avoid her.  Suddenly the little girl disappears, trailing off onto some discreet trail. The rocky road ends  and before me is a huge majestic view of a never-ending valley.

That dream varies here and there whenever I dream it, but the feeling that I have when I awaken from it is always the same.  I have this overwhelming sense of lightness of being and an excitement that makes me want to jump out of bed and start afresh.  What lies in the hours ahead of me beckons me as if I am about to embark on a new journey….a wonderful adventure!  Certainly I have an idea of what the day before me holds, the things that make up my daily routine.  But like the little girl in my dream who keeps seemingly to get in the way of my travels, the challenges and surprises that will surely cause me to alter my normal route, often times are the very things that lead to the best destination for me.  The way is not always clear, the mode of transportation from one interruption to the next frustration may not always be ideal. One thing is for sure, holding on tightly to the reigns of what God has revealed to me and continually treading forward in that, I know that I will get to where I need to be each step of the way.

How about you? As you look back at the souvenirs of your life’s journey so far, remembering the paths that have led to where you are now…what is it that has brought you there; where will your journey take you?

Peace,

Felecia

VN:F [1.9.22_1171]
Rating: +11 (from 11 votes)