Monthly Archives: January 2015

His Eye Is On The Sparrow

His Eye Is On The Sparrow

“An Old Song,” 1874, William John Hennessy. Image from a page of the 2014 Desk Calendar, courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art Store

“His Eye Is On The Sparrow” – That song brings back sweet memories for me…knowing that God cares so much, makes me feel light and happy and free!

“Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?  Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care.”  Matthew 10:29

“His Eye Is On The Sparrow”

“His eye is on the sparrow,”

that song brings back sweet memories for me.

Knowing that God cares so much,

makes me feel light and happy and free!

During times when I tend to worry,

and the times when I tend to fret.

Those words remind me of His love,

and life’s troubles I soon forget.

“His eye is on the sparrow,”

as God ceaselessly watches over the earth.

He has never taken His eyes off me,

not ever, since the moment of my birth.

“His eye is on the sparrow,”

His faithful love always sees me through.

That assuredness can be yours as well.

Turn it over to Him; He’ll care for you too.

Felecia R. Weber 2015, OntheWingofaDove.com

Freedom from worry is a wonderful thing.  Knowing for certain that nothing can take place in your life apart from the loving and protecting arms of our Heavenly Father…priceless.  That’s the kind of wealth that I seek…what about you?

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 Memories – A Quote to Carry You

On Memories

memoriesA Quote to Carry You

January 26, 2015

“Remembering the past can give hope to the future.” (author unknown)

Memories serve a valuable purpose, especially when we are uncertain about what lies ahead of us.  Remembering past events have a way of making the present more substantial. It helps us to realize the who, what, where, why and how of being where we are at any given moment.  Somehow that knowledge helps to propel us into the future filled with the hope that what we set out to do is attainable.

What memories fortify you the most and help you to go forward towards your life’s goals?  Why not stroll down memory lane and find out?

Peace and love,

Felecia

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You Can’t Judge a Book By Its Cover

You Can't Judge a Book By Its Cover

“An Interesting Story (Miss Ray),” 1806, William Wood. Image from a page of the 2011 Desk Calendar, courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art Store

You can’t judge a book by its cover…if you do, you may miss out on one of the best stories you’ll ever experience.

“You can’t judge a book by its cover…” That phrase never became more true to me than when I was touched by a wonderful act of compassion shown toward me recently.  It’s often that we go about our days never venturing off the paths that we’ve set for ourselves in a given day.  Like browsing through a book store or library, we skim through the titles, pause at those clever covers that capture our eyes, and then continue on hardly giving the others notice.  I almost followed that same routine the other day when I was out running errands…but something caught my attention and made me stop.  It wasn’t something I would have considered worth the time otherwise, but what I received from the experience still warms my heart.

My late husband Steve was always meticulous about his appearance; he wanted to be at his best at all times, which is a quality that I admired in him.  In his efforts to maintain his own personal standards, he was so pleased when he found a barber who finally gave him the perfect haircut.  From time to time he’d tell me about the young man.  Besides consistently cutting his hair precisely how he wanted it, Steve also commented on the barber’s unique appearance, notably his long beard and earrings in his earlobes; not something we were accustomed to seeing.  Nonetheless, I could tell how pleased he was, which hadn’t been the case with other barbers he’d gone to in the past.  As time went on, and as Steve’s cancer started taking its toll on him, I noticed that his remarks about the young barber focused on how attentively the young man would listen to his concerns about his illness and how they both shared stories relating to their personal lives.

“Indeed, not everyone has good looks, just like not everyone has good brains; but everyone is unique, and that’s what makes them equally beautiful all the same!”  Felecia R. Weber 2015, OntheWingofaDove.com

I remember one afternoon when I’d driven Steve to the barber shop for, although we didn’t know it at the time, his last haircut.  He’d been in quite a bit of pain and I was reluctant to just leave him there, but he insisted on going into the shop alone.  I understood this; it was hard enough for him not being able to drive and he didn’t want to lose his independence completely.  I was glad that I didn’t go in.  Much to my surprise and humble delight, the young barber gave Steve a gift certificate from a favorite restaurant of him and his wife’s.  He told Steve that they wanted us to enjoy precious time together and that was one way they hopefully could ensure that we would.  Looking back, what was even more profound was this turned out to be the last time that Steve and the barber would see each other.

As I’ve mentioned, the proverbial phrase “you can’t judge a book by its cover” now has a depth of meaning for me.  The afternoon I spoke of earlier when I decided to stop, was when I decided to take the time to go into the barber shop and finally meet Steve’s former barber to let him know that he’d passed away.  When I entered the shop, the young barber was sitting quietly awaiting his next patron.   When I first laid my eyes on him, it wasn’t the long beard or earrings that I noticed; but rather, it was the sincere compassion that filled his eyes.  As I began to speak, I broke down and tears poured out of my eyes.  He immediately embraced me as I sobbed and sobbed.  As he softly spoke words of reassurance and comfort to me, I thought, for a brief moment, of an image I had seen many times before of a grieving soul being held tightly in the loving arms of Jesus.  I suppose in a way, I was being held in my Savior’s arms through the love and compassion extended to me from the young barber.  We exchanged a bit of polite conversation after I’d regained my composure, and I left thanking him for the generosity, caring and kindness that he showed toward Steve and me.

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’  The second is this:   ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’  There is no commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:30-31

Indeed, I shall never forget that experience, in fact I will likely reread the images of that memory many times again.  Compassion, caring, kindness and brotherly love…those are amongst the things that cannot be judged by outward appearance, but they can be gratefully received.

Peace and love,

Felecia

 

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Justice – What’s in a word?

Justice

Photograph courtesy of Martin Watson

Justice, like the laws of nature, spawns beauty and harmony within our world when it is nourished and balanced…

“Justice involves fairness and getting along well, without it, most surely our troubles would swell.  Keeping the peace, ensuring the rights of the free, without moral justness, where would our world be?” Felecia R. Weber 2015, OntheWingofaDove.com

Impartiality, equality, righteousness, morality, non-judgmental, justness…

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

The more I think about the word justice and all it entails, the more I realize how important it is to making our society flourish.  Everyone has their own unique set of ideas and sense of morality.  They also have the right to exercise them within the boundaries set by governing bodies according to civil laws.  Justice, like the laws of nature, spawns beauty and harmony within our world when it is nourished and balanced…and it is up to each of us to uphold and perpetuate it; so it can do just that.

Peace and love,

Felecia

 

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On Justice – A Quote To Carry You

On Justice

justiceA Quote to Carry You

January 19, 2015

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”  Martin Luther King, Jr.

When I think of the injustices that have been committed throughout the history of mankind, it makes me wonder how so basic a requirement for any civilization can get so far off course.  Justice is defined as moral or absolute rightness; the upholding of what is just.   As with anything, once even a small part of the whole weakens, it won’t be long before the entire thing breaks and falls apart, if the weakened part is not attended to.  Think of how our world would be if we all did our part to uphold what is good, just, and right…can you imagine that?

Peace and love,

Felecia

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Learning to Fly

Learning to fly

Photograph courtesy of Ray Flanagan

Learning to fly – At times life appears to be a vast expanse of sky…that’s when it is time to take off and learn to fly!

“Hope is the thing with feathers.  That perches in the soul.”  Emily Dickinson

Learning to fly, that’s what I feel like doing sometimes.  Today the sky is crisp and clear.  There are no clouds cluttering the pale, blue sheerness that seems to go on for an eternity over my head.  At times life appears to be a vast expanse of sky.  Boundaries seem limitless, opportunities burst wide open.  That’s when it’s time to take off and learn to fly!

When I speak about learning to fly, I do not mean it in a literal sense.  What I am referring to takes place within us, when we decide to spread our inner wings and travel to the next stop on our life’s journey.  We all face those times when we have to decide whether to sink or swim.  Well, learning to fly is like that, except there is more to it.  Learning to fly can be complicated if we don’t have the proper equipment, or the right instructor.  Life is a journey in which we can’t always “do-it-ourselves.”  Sometimes, like learning to fly, we need the best help available if we want to reach our destination safely and on time.  How we prepare and who’s help we seek makes all the difference; don’t you agree?

For me flying is an enjoyable thing, and when it comes to my life, I really seem to soar when God navigates my way.  When my view is cloudy and I cannot identify what is ahead of me, God’s Word gives me clear direction and guides me through even the toughest situations.  When I feel as though my emotions are causing me to do a nose dive into my troubles, He surrounds me with those who will love and take care of me, which helps me focus heavenward again.  When I’ve come to the end of one leg of my travels, He provides, at the perfect time, just what I need to get rest and renewal before taking off again.

“Once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return.”  Leonardo da Vinci

May you turn your eyes heavenward as well, and see what God has in store to teach you.  Judging from my own experiences, I can assure you that you’ll enjoy learning to fly!

Peace and love,

Felecia

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Birds of a Feather – Aloha and Angel

Birds of a featherBirds of a feather, Aloha and Angel they are…their chirping and singing can be heard from afar!

Birds of a Feather

Birds of a feather,

Aloha and Angel they are.

Their chirping and singing

can be heard from afar!

Birds of a featherAloha is quite lovely,

with her feathers of soft blue.

She’s so exciting to watch,

especially when she lays an egg or two!

Birds of a featherAngel is white and fluffy,

he truly resembles a cloud.

His song is so contagious,

before long, you too will be singing aloud!

Birds of a featherBirds of a featherBirds of a feather,

Aloha and Angel, they make quite a pair.

They inspire such beauty, energy and life.

Thank you feathered friends, for all that you share!

Birds of a featherPoem by Felecia R. Weber 2015, OntheWingofaDove.com; photographs courtesy of Marilyn Hill (Aloha’s and Angel’s mom)

“Calling all pet lovers!”

If you have a four-legged furry, or two-legged feathered friend that you’d like to have featured in a poem on my blog, email your cutest pictures and a short bio to me, Felecia at frosew04@gmail.com.

I hope to hear from you soon!

Peace and love,

Felecia

 

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