Tag Archives: Jesus

On Respecting Others

On Respecting Others

respecting othersA Quote to Carry You

October 19, 2015

“So God created man in his image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”  Genesis 1:27

On respecting others – Respecting others goes far beyond getting along with them, or even being nice to them.  I believe that respecting others means to honor them as individuals, uniquely made, even when their views or behaviors represent something completely against what we believe or value.  To me, respecting others has less to do with a person’s actions, and more to do with the person’s value and worth as a human being. We’ve all been given the gift of life, a treasure bestowed upon each of us by God.  In that regard, each and every one of us is precious in his sight.  That being the case, shouldn’t we all, at the very least, go about respecting others?

“…the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life…”  Genesis 2:7

No matter what society says, we are all fundamentally equal.  After all, each of us enters into the world and exits from it in the same way.  God breathes life into us when we are conceived.  We take our first breath of air when we are born, and life escapes our physical bodies when we breathe our last.  The act of respecting others, honoring the dignity of each human life seems so basic.  Yet, according to the tragedies we hear of in the daily news, it is apparently one of the most difficult things to uphold.  It often makes me wonder why?

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”  John 3:16

I believe the answer lies within the lines of the above verse. When I accepted Jesus Christ into my heart as a child, I did not fully understand what an awesome sacrifice was made for me, and all mankind, to make it possible to receive not only a new life in him, but life eternal.  In essence, Jesus gave up his life for ours; the ultimate sacrifice, born out of love. The older I get, the  clearer and more important that truth has become to me.  If God so loved each and every one of us that he would demonstrate that love in such a way, isn’t all human life worth respecting?

Respecting others is something that calls for us to peer into our own hearts and face what lies within it.  For, all of us being equal, respecting others essentially means respecting ourselves.  When we value and love others as we do ourselves, just imagine how amazing life can be.

May your respect for others lead to loving others…and may that love lead to a life that is truly worth living.

Peace and love,

Felecia

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On the Unknown

On the Unknown

unknownA Quote to Carry You

October 5, 2015

“The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear and the oldest and strongest of fears is the fear of the unknown.”  H .P. Lovecraft

On the unknown – October is a month that brings with it an air of mystery.  Not only does it seem to usher in the sharp contrast of noticeably shorter days and a heavier mask of darkness during the nighttime skies, the undressing of the leaves from the trees all combine to create an eeriness to nature’s canvass.  Lately, I have found myself not wanting to venture outdoors once the sun starts to set, and I’ve turned on more lights indoors than I have during the past months.  I seek out the warming comforts of a hot cup of tea and nestling down under heavy blankets or wrapping myself up in my cozy sweaters, as if to shelter myself from the wiles of the outdoors.  I never know what to expect from one day to the next…the blazing sunshine of an Indian Summer day can fade into a blustery snow squall seemingly overnight.

Fear of the unknown has a similar quality.  When we face new situations or volatile times, we become uneasy and seek out the comfort of familiarity.  The unknown, no matter if it is something as common as the weather or as major as a life altering event, the mystery and uncertainty of not knowing what’s ahead can be frightening.

There is one sure way to face the unknown with confidence and security…his name is Jesus.  When we cast our cares upon him, the unknown becomes known, because he will reveal it to you perfectly in his timing and in his way.  When we yield to his love and care, there is nothing that we will ever face that he hasn’t already equipped us to handle.

“Fear not tomorrow, for God is already there.” Author Unknown

When the mystery and fear of the unknown threaten to creep into your comfort zone, may you always step out in the boldness of knowing that our Lord has already cleared the way…you need only follow him.

Peace and love,

Felecia

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On Priorities

On Priorities

on prioritiesA Quote to Carry You

July 27, 2015

“For when my outward action doth demonstrate the native act and figure of my heart, in compliment external, ’tis not long after.  But I wear my heart upon my sleeve, for daws to peck at:  I am not what I am.”  From William Shakespeare’s “Othello”

On Priorities – It is fair to say that what we put first in our lives says a great deal about who we are.  Thinking about what my true priorities in life are brought the saying “I wear my heart upon my sleeve” to mind.  Being a task-oriented person, it pleases me when I check off something on my “to do” list as complete.  What’s even better, is when I can check off every item on the list.  However, it seems that when my list appears to be complete, a whole slew of other tasks follow and on and on it goes.

When my “to do’s” outweigh the time that I have to complete them, setting priorities comes into play.  When I begin reviewing my list trying to decide what is the most important thing that needs to get done, I often come to the same conclusion.  The things on my “to do” list are really not important at all!  When I examine my true priorities, I’ve come to realize that the most important thing in my life has already been done.

“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”  Matthew 6:33

I have found that in turning my life over to Jesus as my Lord and Savior, I have essentially made following him the priority of my life.  As a follower of Christ, it is ever my hope that what “I wear upon my sleeve” is a heart that reflects the love that God has filled it with.  In turn, my true priorities have become completing my part in what God has already done.

Spending time on God’s “to do’s” are rewarding, that certainly is true.  May spreading his love to others be your number one priority too.

Peace and love,

Felecia

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Amazing Love

Amazing Love

My great-nephew, Ryder Cullen Stevens. Congratulations Alexia and Jeff! Photograph courtesy of my sister Marjorie Karimi.

Amazing love – There have been many stories written about a love bond so strong that words cannot even come close to describing it…that’s not just love, that’s amazing love!

“I have never been so in love.”  Alexia D. Karimi (speaking about her newly born baby boy, Ryder Cullen)

My family and I have had the pleasure of welcoming our new addition, my great-nephew Ryder Cullen, to the world a week ago.  His arrival came a little sooner than we’d expected, but we are exceedingly happy to welcome him nonetheless!  I’ll admit, when I woke up to the news that our long-awaited bundle of blessings had been born, I felt as excited as a little child on Christmas morning!  We knew what he looked like from the sonographic images that my niece Alexia shared with us throughout her pregnancy, but my first glimpse of the photographs of him shortly after he’d been delivered simply took my breath away.  It was most definitely love at first sight!

Amazing love certainly has a way of doing that.  It touches us in such a profound way.  It seems to mesmerize us and it only grows deeper and stronger as time goes on.  Although I certainly consider the love that Ryder’s parents, Alexia and Jeff, feel towards their precious baby boy to be that kind of love, I can’t help but think of another amazing love that is even greater than that.  When God so richly blessed my family with this little life, he surely showered his love upon us.  As little Ryder grows, that love will increase many times over as we get to share in it over the years.  What is even more amazing to me is that, because of the love that God showed towards all mankind through the birth, death and resurrection of his son Jesus, we all have the opportunity to share in our love for each other not just here, but throughout all eternity…amazing isn’t it?

Amazing love, God has for me,

a love he freely shares.

One that surpasses the veils of time,

no other love compares.

Felecia R. Weber 2015, OntheWingofaDove.com

May you consider what blessings await you when you embrace God’s amazing love.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”  John 3:16

Peace and love,

Felecia

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Shepherd – What’s in a word?

shepherdShepherd…I can think of nothing more comforting than the thought of me being a helpless sheep with Jesus as my Shepherd…

“The King of love my Shepherd is,

Whose goodness faileth never,

I nothing lack if I am His

And He is mine forever.”*

Protector, comforter, provider, friend, caregiver, gentle guide…the one I want to follow…

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

“The Lord is my Shepherd,” (Psalm 23:1). I can think of nothing more comforting than the thought of me as a helpless sheep with Jesus as my Shepherd.  My late husband Stephen, without a doubt, also found great comfort in knowing that he needn’t fear anything, for under his Shepherd’s care, everything was complete.  This became more evident to me as I watched him live out his last day.  Although his body had deteriorated a great deal from the cancer that had spread so rapidly, he seemed to be adorned by a pensive strength that allowed him to walk through our home, room by room, seeming to take all of his fond memories into his heart for safekeeping.  He responded to my words and watchful care with a quiet, attentive grace, yet I knew that his mind was very far away.  At one point, as he rested a few hours before he passed, he stretched out his arm as though he was being gently led to a place that the serene expression on his face told me was where he was most willing to go…

“In death’s dark vale I feel no ill

With Thee, dear Lord, beside me;

Thy rod and staff my comfort still,

Thy cross before to guide me.”*

At that moment, the peacefulness that my dear one surely was experiencing made me pause and think of the green pastures and still waters that our Shepherd promises to lead us to and through.  When my Stephen passed, I know that our Shepherd, Jesus, restored his soul…

“And so through all the length of days

Thy goodness faileth never;

Good Shepherd, may I sing they praise

Within Thy house forever.”*

*All verses by Henry W.  Baker, “The King of Love My Shepherd Is.”

Peace and love,

Felecia

 

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Do This In Remembrance of Me

do this in remembrance of me

“Stained Glass Window (Detail),” c. 1902-1915, Louis Comfort Tiffany. Image from a page of the 2013 Desk Calendar, courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art Store

Do This In Remembrance of Me…Those words of comfort and instruction convey such power to me when I hear them…

“In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.'”  1 Corinthians 11:25

“Do this in remembrance of me.”  Whenever I participate in the rite of Holy Communion, I cannot help but to imagine the intensity of emotions that must have blanketed Jesus and his twelve disciples during their last Passover supper together on that unforgettable evening, so long ago.  The closest that I can come to even touching the surface of that kind of heaviness, is  during the last few months before my late husband, Stephen, passed on to be with our Lord.  Each day leading up to his physical death was filled with a certain bittersweetness that I’d never tasted before.  As with the weight of impending sorrow and loss looming over the disciples on that solemn night, I often felt a dark hollowness that threatened to swallow my hope and joy as I watched my dear one deteriorate before my eyes.  Although for them that night was distressing, and my heart ached continuously during those final weeks, what followed for them and what is still being revealed to me, makes being able to look back and remember those times so remarkable.

Jesus knew what was to follow within the next several hours between the time he broke bread and savored the wine that he shared with his beloved followers and the suffering that he would endure before prevailing in his glorious triumph over death.  He knew the sweetness that would overshadow so perfectly the bitterness that had to come first.  I believe that my husband knew too, that his suffering and discomfort was not in vain.  Jesus, his Lord and Savior had never failed him, and it was evident to me that Stephen’s confidence in knowing that he never would, grew stronger each day.  Remembering how faithful our Lord had been to him in the past, so kindled the flame of hope, that my husband bathed in a serenity that carried him through to that  very moment when he met Jesus face to face.

“Do this in remembrance of me.”  Those words of comfort and instruction, spoken by Jesus to his disciples, convey such power to me when I hear them now.  They seem to echo an overwhelming sense of sacrificial love through to my soul as I eat the bread and drink the wine that is served at communion.  As the disciples commemorated what Jesus did for all mankind in those early days of the Church, I have the beautiful memory of seeing in action, who and what Jesus was to Stephen…and Jesus is still all of that to me.

May you pause and remember the profoundness of what took place on this day so many years ago.  Take the time to remember what our Lord Jesus Christ did in sacrificing his own life for each one of us.  And, if you haven’t already, may you accept him into your heart that you too may receive what he has freely given…the gift of eternal salvation.

God’s peace to you,

Felecia

 

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What Are You Hungry For?

what are you hungry for

“Tables for Ladies (Detail),” 1930, Edward Hopper. Image from a page of the 2013 Desk Calendar, courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art Store

What are you hungry for? When it comes to spiritual nourishment, what we feed our souls can be the most important meal we ever take in.

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”  Matthew 5:6

What are you hungry for?  When it comes to food, that question is not hard to answer.  At least here in the United States, we are seemingly inundated with food to satisfy every type of craving our bodies can conjure up.  Healthy foods, junk foods, fast foods, gourmet foods, sweet foods, savory foods…you name it we’ve got it, and plenty of types of beverages to go along with them! For me, when I am hungry, and I crave something specific, no matter how ravenous I become and no matter what is offered to me, I will only be satisfied by that one food item that I crave.  Otherwise, I only fill up on something that is not what my tastebuds fully desire, and I end up full, but still craving something else.  And on it goes…

When it comes to satisfying the soul, the same process applies.  Whether we realize it or not, every one of us has a soul that can only be nourished by spiritual food.  Like when we continuously fuel our physical bodies with foods that supply too many empty calories and not enough quality nutrients, our health suffers and our bodies begin to breakdown.  If we do not start to eat the proper foods, sooner or later we begin to develop health issues, chronic or long term illness sets in which eventually leads to death.  That process sounds extreme I know, but it happens more frequently than we’d like to admit.  When that process takes place spiritually, the results are more dire than we realize.

“My grace is sufficient for you…”  2 Corinthians 12:9

In terms of our spiritual nourishment, how we answer the question, “What are you hungry for?” has much greater significance.  When we feed our souls with hollow spirituality, empty promises, or false hope, our spiritual hunger pains continue to grow because we’ve not fed our souls with what they truly hunger for.  We try filling our inner longing with material things, other people, or even ourselves.  The cycle goes on, yet we know deep down inside that hunger, that spiritual need still has not been met.  Being made in God’s image, we all have a hunger, a longing to be filled with spiritual food.  It is a hunger that is always there and it demands to be satisfied.   When we take the time to fill ourselves with what our hearts truly desire, we are not only fed, but as our souls are nourished, we become full and whole.

“Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.”  Psalm 34:8

What are you hungry for?  Are you hungry enough to taste and see how good the spiritual food that God has prepared for you is?  If so, my hope is that you will be fully satisfied in Him.

Peace and love,

Felecia

 

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When I Am Thirsty

When I Am Thirsty

“Christ and the Woman of Samaria Among Ruins (Detail),” Rembrandt (Rembrandt Van Rijn). Image from a page of the 2013 Desk Calendar, courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art Store

When I am thirsty and my soul is dry; it seems all I can do is question “why?”…

“‘Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst.  Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.'” John 4:13-14

When I Am Thirsty

(a poem about spiritual thirst)

When I am thirsty and my soul is dry,

it seems all I can do is question “why?”

Surrounding me there is an endless stream,

but sometimes, it seems only to be a dream.

When I am thirsty, I feel frail and weak;

I become so parched, I can hardly speak.

So what is it that will thoroughly quench my thirst?

Quickly, please tell me so that I may seek it out first!

When I am thirsty, isn’t there anything I can give?

For without sustaining  water I surely cannot live.

To me that water is like the blood running through my veins.

Without it, a shriveled up shell of me is all that remains.

When I am thirsty I long to be filled to overflowing;

an abundant supply that will help  to keep me growing.

When my soul is ready for God’s will to me to show;

Only then does His true life giving water flow.

Felecia R. Weber 2015, OntheWingofaDove.com

Being thirsty happens on both physical and spiritual levels.  It is generally easy to satisfy physical thirst.  Drinking the proper amount of water helps to keep our bodies functioning optimally.  But how can we quench our spiritual thirst?  As depicted in the illustration above, the woman at the well asked Jesus, “Where can you get this living water?”  In time, she realized that her answer was there right before her eyes…and He is here for us too, ready to fill us eternally.

May you seek out and find the oasis of “living water” that God has prepared for you today, and may it continuously fill your heart so abundantly that your soul will never be thirsty again.

Peace and love,

Felecia

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