Tag Archives: winter

It’s Like a Whisper

It’s like a whisper

It’s Like a Whisper – Photograph courtesy of Gail_m

It’s Like a Whisper – the wind rustling through bare branches, the hushed tones of footprints in the snow…

”O, wind, if winter comes, can spring be far behind?” —Percy Bysshe Shelley

It’s Like a Whisper

It’s like a whisper,

The wind rustling through bare branches,

The hushed tones of footprints in the snow.

Winter’s voice…in the night is crystal clear;

Its chill stings the body from head to toe.

It’s like a whisper,

One can sense the heaviness in the air,

Green leaves turn to orange, yellow and brown,

No signs of life; all that was bright has faded away.

Winter’s howl beckons the respect of a crown.

It’s like a whisper,

Tiny, glistening snowflakes fall, hardly making a sound.

The cold has settled in, long nights linger on;

As winter’s white blanket covers the ground.

Felecia R. Weber 2018, www.OntheWingofaDove.com

It’s like a whisper – Indeed winter is here!  Living in northwestern Pennsylvania will almost guarantee a long, cold season.  Just thinking about the lake effect snow sends a shiver up my spine!  Although I am not fond of the harsh weather that can make the next few months difficult to maneuver, winter does offer us a quiet kind of beauty…

”Even in winter an isolated patch of snow has a special quality.” —Andy Goldworthy

So far, we’ve had a least three heavy snowfalls here over the past month.  On those dark mornings, I was awakened by the delicate tapping of wind-strewn snowflakes on my bedroom windows.  When I peered into the night, through still sleep-filled eyes, indeed the scene was like a whisper.  The wind played a low, whirl of a melody, causing the bluster of snow to dance every which way in the air.  The glistening, white mounds grew silently, as the snow covered everything on the ground with it’s pristine shimmer.  What a sight to behold…truly a winter wonder…until I had to get out there and shovel the drive way!

May winter whisper a tale of beauty in your ears, and fill your eyes with magical delights…enjoy!

Peace and love,

Felecia

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On Brightness and Light

On Brightness and Light

on brightness and lightA Quote to Carry You

December 21, 2015

“When 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

On brightness and light – It is amazing how connected we are to nature.  I don’t know about you, but during these months when the days are shorter and the nights are longer, my energy level goes way down and I find myself feeling tired much of the time.  My general mood seems to be more somber too.  Once I return home from a days work, I rarely feel like venturing out into the darkness of a late autumn/early winter night.  There is just something about the dimness of this time of year that casts a shadow over me.  What is interesting though, is that in the midst of the darkness of this season comes the contrasting brightness and light that the hope of Christmas brings.

As the above Scripture declares, Jesus is the light of the world…that truth cannot be denied.  Even in nature, when winter’s solstice heralds in the lengthening of days, just the thought of brightness and light enhancing our days seems to energize our surroundings.  With the streams of flickering lights adorning trees and houses in our neighborhoods throughout the Christmas season, that brightness and light really does shine in the darkness.  I imagine you’d agree that we are all attracted to the brilliance of the light, and it not only brightens our streets, but it causes our hearts to glow with the hope and wonder that was offered to each one of us on the night that Jesus Christ was born.

As the days grow longer and the seasons change from the dead of winter to the liveliness of spring, may you consider how much the brightness and light (and life) of Jesus Christ can enhance your life when you step out in faith and let Him shine in your heart.

Peace and love,

Felecia

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On Nature

On Nature

on natureA Quote to Carry You

April 27, 2015

“There is a slumbering subterranean fire in nature which never goes out, and which no cold can chill.”  Henry David Thoreau (A Winter Walk)

On nature. There is something about our physical world that exudes a vibrancy that cannot be ignored.  Even when something in nature appears to be dead, like the cold, hard, rigid ground during the dead of winter, it eventually springs to life yielding a treasure trove of delight once warm temperatures begin to filter the air.  I liken the dramatic transformation of the earth when it transitions from winter into spring to what happens to us each night.  When we slumber, and fall off into a deep, restorative sleep, our bodies may appear to have stopped breathing as though we were dead.  However, beneath the surface of our skin, our internal organs are undergoing countless bodily processes that help to keep us strong, healthy, alive and well.  When we awaken we are filled with a fresh supply of energy…ready to start a brand new day.

As you live through your new day, may you take the time to enjoy the radiance of nature, and all that it has to offer.

Peace and love,

Felecia

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Renewal – What’s in a word?

renewal

“The Path Through the Irises,” 1914-17, Claude Monet. Image from a page of the 2015 Desk Calendar, courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art Store

Renewal – What’s in a word?

All things new, all things bright,

renewal, rebirth, a new vision in sight.

Casting off the old, putting on the new…

What does the word renewal mean to you?

Rejuvenate, begin again, resume, restore, revival, rebirth, replenish…and so much more!

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

This time of year, transitioning from winter into spring, certainly fills my heart with many of my favorite things!  I feel refreshed when I awaken to the low, soft cooing of a mourning dove.  I am warmed all over when my body drinks up the intense rays of the afternoon sun.  I also rest more deeply at the close of the ever-lengthening days that this season offers to me.  It makes me realize that life is a cycle of endings and beginnings.  Each day ends with another one fast on the horizon…like a continuous path that leads to the hope of renewal!

May you walk along the path and enjoy the beauty of renewal in your day today!

Peace and love,

Felecia

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The Beauty of Change

beauty of change

“The Banks of the Bievre near Bicetre” (Detail),1898-1910, Henri Rousseau (Le Douanier). Image from a page of the 2014 Desk Calendar, courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art Store

 

The beauty of change is hidden sometimes…but oh what wondrous splendor there is to experience when we find it.

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens…”  Ecclesiastes 3:1

I am sure you’ll agree that change can be uncomfortable.   In fact, it can be down right scary, ugly even.  We all have a certain way of doing things, a certain level of comfort in knowing what to expect, for the most part, from day to day.  When our routine, our way of life gets disrupted, it can seem impossible to see the beauty of change.

It is easy to see the beauty of change between the four seasons,  The gradual melting of winter into spring is a welcome transition full of brightness and hope.  Then that brightness fades as the blaze of summer tempers itself into the subtle coolness of autumn. When change takes place in our lives, things don’t always happen so serenely.  Often times it comes from out of nowhere, and it throws us way off balance.  We can hardly stand to face it, let alone see the beauty of change.  Is there really such a thing?

Honestly, I can say yes.  The very word “change” indicates that something is about to or has become what it was not before…it is in that transformation where the beauty of change is found.  The life changes that I have experienced just recently seemed at first to be horrible.  Actually, they were terribly painful and the residue still coats my days.  But what they’ve spawned is a resilience that I could never have mustered without going through those changes. I do not understand why they happened, but I have come to accept and embrace them.  In that alone is a quiet beauty that I enjoy…knowing that whatever changes come about down the road that I travel in life, there is only good awaiting me when I arrive at my destination.

“There is beauty in change, in that I never doubt.  When I face them and embrace them, I know goodness will come about.”  Felecia R. Weber 2014, OntheWingofaDove.com

Peace and love,

Felecia

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On Prosperity

On Prosperity

on prosperityA Quote to Carry You

August 11, 2014

“If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant: if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.”  Josh Billings

Prosperity doesn’t just happen out of the blue.  Prosperity is something that is grown over time. Like the seasons in nature, I believe that some degree of exertion has to be put forth in order for the fullness of pleasure in life’s most treasured possessions can be realized.  The fierceness of winter melts into the delicateness of springtime.  The brutal heat of summer withers along the crisp trails of autumn.  We long for times of abundant prosperity when we’ve suffered far too long with far too little.  We bask in the comfortable richness offered to us by the fruits of our labor; never wanting to have to face leaner times again.  What we may not realize is that prosperity, like the seasons is not necessarily found in our possessions, but rather, it is in the effort and determination it took to acquire them.

May your season of prosperity come and be enjoyed to the full.

Peace and love,

Felecia

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Perpetual Motion

Perpetual Motion 1

“C’est la vie!,” photograph by Felecia R. Weber, OntheWingofaDove.com

 

Perpetual Motion…Life, vita, vida, vie…whichever way you pronounce it, it never stands still.

“I am a spiritual being having a human experience.  My life is a continual unfoldment of my divine potential.” (Author unknown)

With this new season of freshness, growth and renewal upon us, I can’t help but think of how life is in perpetual motion.  Life itself is a constant cycle of birth, growth, death, and rebirth, growth, and on it goes.  The seasons demonstrate this circle of movement so well.  The dark, cold shadow of winter, can sometimes feel like death with its subdued bleakness surrounding us.  The early light and sprouting vitality of spring is reminiscent of the joy and brightness that we experience in our youth.  The intense heat of summer’s blaze is equal to the confidence and strength that propels us along through our adult years.  Alas, the crowning glory that comes with a lifetime of wisdom and knowledge, fades as quietly as does the fullness of autumn’s majestic colors…life drifts away into subtle hues of gray…and darkness rules once again for  a season.

“Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring.  What is your life?  For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.”  James 4:14

Life, vita, vida,vie…whichever way you pronounce it, it never stands still.  It is fascinating to see this principle in every living thing.  Plants sprout from seeds that have been sowed beneath rich, dark soil where they appear to be dead.  Before long, tiny green leaves develop and buds blossom in the matchless beauty of delicate petals that are seemingly here today, and gone tomorrow.  But oh what sweetness their fragrance brings.  And when they are spent, their perfume lingers for all to enjoy.

Perpetual Motion 2

“Vibrance,” photograph by Felecia R. Weber, OntheWingofaDove.com

As with all living things, we all serve a purpose and its meaning fold during every stage of our lives.  We live our days through season after season, year after year.  Like the showers of spring help to grow the brilliance of a field of wildflowers in the summertime; our tears wash away our pain and disappointment, making way for the glimmer of a smile when good news comes.  The pensive mood that brews when watching a leaf bursting with russet hues falling gently to the ground in autumn, mimics the way we feel when we realize how much of our lives have already been lived.  There is something starkly compelling about peering out at a winterscape from a window, safe and warm inside.  The blustery wind that blows and howls outside, they echo death’s hollow song…the melody is one that we will all someday become familiar with.  Yet we will live on in the hearts of those who remember us and draw inspiration and vitality from all that we’ve left behind.

Whatever stage you are in, may you experience the perpetual motion of your life in a beautifully and wondrous way.

 

I bid you peace and love,

Felecia

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