Tag Archives: courage

Doors Open, Doors Close

Doors open, doors close

Doors Open, Doors Close – Photograph by Peter Oswald/Unsplash

Doors Open, Doors Close – Some doors open, but we never step inside.  Other times we rush in, looking for a place to hide.

”Look on every exit as being an entrance somewhere else.” —Tom Stoppard

Doors Open, Doors Close

Doors open, doors close…

Some doors open, but we never step inside.

Other times we rush in, looking for a place to hide.

Doors open, doors close…

We knock, not knowing what we’ll find.

Is it something new or the same as what we’ve left behind?

Doors open, doors, close…

It’s okay to go slowly; carefully turn the knob and take a peek.

It takes a great deal of courage to go after that which we seek.

Doors open, doors close…

Once you’ve entered, it’s up to you what happens next…

You are the author, fill your new world with spectacular text!

Felecia R. Weber 2019, www.OntheWingofaDove.com

Doors open, doors close – Can you imagine being inside a mansion filled with rooms; each one hidden behind closed doors?  Turning the knob, and hearing it click is so exciting! It’s hard not to burst through the door to see what’s behind it.  Ahhh, a beautiful, sun-filled room beckons you to enter.  What a wonderful welcome, until the blazing heat begins to smother you and you dash to the next door.  You open it so quickly that you nearly tumble through this doorway. Brrr, the room is starkly different from the last.  Dark, dreary and cold, you start to shiver.  You back up to exit and slam the door shut, hoping the next one will offer something just right for you.

Sound familiar?  Isn’t life like that?…

Life can be like a series of opened doors that cause us to either step out and move forward, or step back and try to hold onto the past.  There are so many factors that lead us to making the decisions that we make.  Sometimes they are positive and we make great strides in accomplishing our goals.  Other times, our choices can cause us to fall flat on our faces, and lose more than we’d ever imagined.  Indeed, doors open…and doors close.

”A very little key will open a very heavy door.” —Charles Dickens

I believe that no matter what is on the other side of the threshold…the important thing is that we step through it.  Knock lightly, or bust the door wide open, only you can determine how long you’ll stay in the new place you’ve entered into…and how pleasing it will be.  Go on…turn the knob.

Peace and love,

Felecia

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On Fortitude

On Fortitude

fortitudeA Quote to Carry You

January 4,2016

“The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”  Psalm 18:2

On fortitude – Fortitude, defined as the strength of mind that allows one to endure pain or adversity with courage, can be interpreted in different ways.  To one person, it can mean having a will strong enough to get them through anything that threatens to impede their path.  To another, it may mean having the physical strength to withstand any ailment that would have otherwise undermined their health.  For me, fortitude has less to do with my own abilities when facing life’s choppy waters.  Rather, it has everything to do with God’s life preserving power.

Although this new year is only a few days old, it has brought with it a whole new set of challenges just waiting for me to dive into.  In fact, when I peek out at the turbulent waters stirring around me, I realize that no amount of my own fortitude will be enough to even lift me off the diving board.  It will take much more strength and sustaining power that I alone can muster to keep me from merely treading water to stay afloat.  Indeed, when it comes to tackling each lap of adversity that seeps through in the days ahead, I need to rely on the steady strokes of the Lord’s capable, all sufficient arms.  For through his guidance and wisdom, I can plunge into the stormy waters of the future with assured confidence that he alone will see me safely to shore.

When the floods of adversity burst into your life, rather that succumb to becoming submerged by our troubles, may you too seek the life preserving power of the Lord…for he is the only one who truly has the power to save you.

Peace and love,

Felecia

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Having the Courage

Having the Courage

“Fencer,” 1906, George’s Demeny. Image from a page of the 2013 Desk Calendar, courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art Store

Having the courage…The look in my beloved’s eyes conveyed a bravery that I’d never seen in them before.

“When I am most afraid, I become my most courageous.”  Felecia R. Weber, OntheWingofaDove.com

“Having the courage” can potentially lead to many noble and fearless actions.  Some may be as common as boarding an airplane for the first time; others may involve risking one’s life for another.  The first thing that came to my mind when I pondered the phrase, “having the courage,” was a particular memory about my late husband.

Prior to receiving the diagnosis of having tonsillar cancer, Steve underwent surgery to remove the suspicious tonsil.  I remember him noting how strange he though it was that his doctor would tell him that he was “very brave” during the surgery.  Steve remarked that all he had done was lie on the operating table, after all.  It was later when he received confirmation that in fact he did have cancer, that we both realized what his doctor meant when he stated that Steve was very brave.  Thinking back, remembering the moment when Steve relayed the diagnosis of his cancer to me, I got a glimpse of what “having the courage” really means.

The look in my beloved’s eyes conveyed a bravery that I’d never seen in them before.  As he spoke the words, “I do have cancer” to me, a quivering fear caused his eyes to fill with tears, then he immediately composed himself, stoically…and so it began…

Having the Courage

(a poem dedicated to my courageous husband)

To have received such devastating news,

indeed you were very brave, my love.

Your strength, your courage, your determination,

displayed the power that embodied you from above.

Although you suffered, your spirit thrived,

throughout all the discomfort, and the pain.

Having the courage to face whatever might come,

the memory of your bravery, will forever in my heart remain.

Felecia R. Weber 2015, OntheWingofaDove.com

“Be strong and courageous.  Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave your nor forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6

When life challenges you with difficulties, may you always stand firm, having the courage to face them…remembering that God is always ready and willing to see you through them.

Peace and love,

Felecia

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Going Through It

Going through it

“Fontainebleau Forest,” early 1860’s, Eugene Cuvelier. Image from a page of the 2015 Desk Calendar, courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art Store

Going through it…it’s not about constantly looking back, thinking of what could have been, or why it’s not…

“Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass; it’s about learning to dance in the rain.” (Author Unknown)

Going Through It

It’s not about living life day after day,

hoping that things will always go your way.

It’s not about dreaming so hard, that all you do is sleep…

It’s about going through it.

It’s not about constantly planning.

trying to keep your life under control.

It’s not about trying to keep difficulties from happening…

It’s about going through it.

It’s not about constantly looking back,

thinking of what could have been, or why it’s not.

It’s not about being afraid to step out into the future…

It’s about going through it.

It’s not about trying to be something you’re not.

pretending to be someone one you were never meant to be.

It’s not about trying to please others; they don’t determine your self-worth.

It’s about going through it…living the life that is “you.”

Felecia R. Weber 2015, OntheWingofaDove.com

Going through it

Photograph courtesy of David Brown

We cannot always know what life will offer to us.  Whether the terrain is bleak, or full and lush.  We rarely have any other choice except going through it.

May you always have the courage to face any challenge and accept with open arms any opportunity that your life is blessed with.

Peace and love,

Felecia

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Within Me

within me

“Awakening,” photograph by Felecia R. Weber 2013, OntheWingofaDove.com

Within me there is a light that guides me day and night…it feeds my soul…

“Be strong and courageous.  Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you or forsake you.”  Deuteronomy 31:6

Within Me

Within me there is a light,

that guides me day and night.

Wherever I go, whatever I do,

it leads me in all that I pursue.

Within me there is a calmness,

it is what keeps my world steady.

It feeds my soul, I’m never lacking,

when called to serve, I am always ready.

Within me there is a boldness,

that keeps me courageous and strong.

Whatever my task, I shall not falter,

even though the road is rocky and long.

Felecia  R. Weber 2014, OntheWingofaDove.com

Lightness, strength, confidence, boldness, courage …Where do these qualities come from?  How can we experience them no matter what is going on around us?  What is “within” us that enables such a thing?  For those who put their trust in God, there is an assuredness that emboldens a desire to live life fully.  There is a vitality that beams around them.   His promises are true, He never forsakes us and we can trust Him completely to see us through whatever we face, good or bad.  His truth, His protection, His love, His saving grace…all of these things are within me.

Peace and love,

Felecia

 

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When Mistakes Happen

When Mistakes Happen

“Soap Bubbles,” 1859, Thomas Couture. Image from a page of the 2014 Desk Calendar, courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art Store

 

When mistakes happen…it’s what we do with them that makes them invaluable.

“With men it is impossible, but not with God:  for with God all things are possible.”  Mark 10:27

I suppose one would describe me as being somewhat of a perfectionist, so when mistakes happen, they truly dig deep into my skin.  I am not unique in wanting to do everything that I set out to do as correctly, efficiently and effectively as I can. It gives me such a sense of satisfaction when I know I have done something to the very best of my abilities and the outcome of whatever it is has gone well.  On the other hand, no matter how hard I try to avoid them, when mistakes happen…they are hard to accept and sometimes even harder to remedy.  What can we do to fix them?

Although that question can be answered in as many different ways as there are mistakes to be made, I believe there really is one response that is appropriate for them all.  When mistakes happen, they can be the most valuable resources that we can ever come across.  Huh?  Yes, mistakes really can cause us to learn and grow in ways that we never would have if they’d never taken place.  In my own recent experiences of journeying through the phases of my husband’s illness, although his disease was more of a challenge rather than a mistake, I can tell you that along with the heartache and rocky roads, many blessings watered the paths, and now I am enjoying a lush harvest.

Many times we face situations that are so overwhelming when we are in the midst of them that it seems much easier to just give up and throw in the towel rather than facing the challenges head on and battling them to defeat.  I’d reached that point on numerous occasions during these past months.  “Oh that I had the wings of a dove; I’d fly away and be at rest.” (Psalm 55:6), was not only the theme for my blog…it literally became my mantra!  Looking back, even in that imagery, it takes a heavy effort for a bird to take off and soar high into flight.  It took an immense amount of discipline, courage and an even greater amount of surrendering to God’s enabling power to handle all that was required to meet the needs of my husband’s care.  But, being the person that I am today, stronger, more confident and capable of managing life’s storms, I can honestly say that I am grateful for the challenges, and mistakes, that cluttered the road.

Mistakes…let them happen…and when they do…let God see you through.

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”  Philippians 4:13

Peace and love,

Felecia

 

 

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On Giving

On Giving

on givingA Quote to Carry You

July 14, 2014

“I don’t think that there is anything that we can give in life that causes more joy and pain…than love.”  Phoebe Winston

Giving from the heart requires the courage to expose ourselves to a multitude of reactions from those on the receiving end. For as many ways as we can give away our love, there are just as many ways others can receive it, interpret it and act upon it.  That being said, to give my love to others is one of the greatest gifts that I have ever received…hmmm, does that make sense?

To give love is to receive love…may you give yours freely today.

Peace and love,

Felecia

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Humility – What’s in a Word?

humility

“A Woman Ironing,” (Detail), 1873, Edgar Degas. Image from a page of the 2013 Desk Calendar, courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art Store

 

Humility…what’s in a word?  This word came to mind in regard to the type of person who can be described as such:

honorable, respected, honest, strong, reserved, wise, contemplative, insightful, realistic, truthful, trustworthy…

What’s in this word for you?  If you can tell me, please do.

“Before a downfall the heart is haughty, but humility comes before honor.”  Proverbs 18:12

In many cases, humility can be misinterpreted as a sign of weakness or cowardice. I’ve never believed that. It takes a strong person in both will and character to humble himself before others.  I believe that a humble person displays a quiet courage that can only truly be appreciated by those who share that same quality.

What’s in humility?  For me it means to be clothed in honor.

Peace and love,

Felecia

 

 

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