Tag Archives: peace

Be Still

be still

Be Still – Photograph courtesy of Gail_m

Be Still in the moment, in the quiet dream…

“Be still and know that I am God…” Psalm 46:10

Be Still

Be still in the moment

In the quiet…dream

Keep your heart open,

Thoughts flowing like a stream.

 

Be still and know,

That God is right there,

He’ll never leave you…

He’s your help with all you bear.

 

Be still and listen,

He’s got so much to say…

Tune out all that is around you,

Let Him guide you…he’ll show you the way.

Felecia R. Weber, OntheWingofaDove.com 2018
 

This morning I woke up with a calmness that I hadn’t felt in a long time. I took the time to just be still.  With my thoughts focused on God, the words from Psalm 46:10, “ Be still and know that I am God,” filled my mind and heart.

It is rare that I get the chance just to sit and be still…but when I took the opportunity to do just that, I can hardly describe the peace that I felt.  What a treasure it is to take the time to come before the Lord and feel his presence surround you.  [It’s as if the world fades to gray and God’s light shines in and through you.  He blankets his arms around you and the warmth of his love cause you to glow.

Why not give it a try…now.  Close your eyes, breath deeply; be still.  Now contemplate for yourself, the wonder of God’s love, his provision…his will.

Peace and love,

Felecia

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Roar – What’s in a word?

Roar

“Roar” Photograph courtesy of Marjorie L. Karimi 2018 (In memory of my late husband STEPHEN CULLEN WEBER, 2/09/1956 – 8/13/2014)

Roar – “What’s in a word?”

Roar – Fierce, strong, fearless, king…when you hear me roar, oh see the greatness I’ll bring!

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

Roar – There are many images that come to mind when I think of the word “roar.” In most cases I’ll think of a roaring lion – you know, the one in which the lion has his mouth open wide with his ferocious teeth showing, ready to pounce on his next meal! This time my thoughts depicted a roaring lion as one that is very content, resting and at peace.  That’s the kind of roaring lion that I like the most…one who has already conquered, and is now enjoying the bounty of having won the victory!

Roar…with any challenge you set out to conquer,

 give it your all, and always do your best;

 keep going until you’ve achieved it,

then take time to enjoy; take time to rest.

Peace and love,

Felecia

I dedicate this post to my late husband, Stephen Cullen Weber.  When I think of the type of lion I like best, Steve certainly fulfills that image perfectly.  Steve carried a quiet confidence within him that enabled him to accomplish those things that he set out to do.  No matter how large the challenges were that he faced, his reliance on our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, saw him through every time.  Even during his last, most fierce conquest, his battle with cancer, Steve showed a humble grace that brings peace to my heart whenever I think of him.  Now, like the lion I mentioned in my description above, Steve, because of our Savior, who conquered death once for all, is enjoying the bounty of the victory that has been won.  

I love  you forever Steve,

Felecia

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On Endings

On Endings

endingsA Quote to Carry You

December 28, 2015

“Verily I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.”  John 5:24

On endings – The nice thing about endings is that they herald beginnings.  When one thing ends, surely a new thing begins.  Life is perpetual, when some part of it dies, another part of it begins.  That cycle is true throughout all of nature, and it spans across both the physical and spiritual realms.  In a way, endings are not that at all.  For endings are beginnings…this is something that has been beautifully demonstrated to me recently.

I have a very dear friend who is nearing the end of her earthly life.  Although I have only known Angela for a short time, she is one of those special kinds of people who, when you meet them, it seems as though you’ve known them for your entire life.  As I have gotten to know my sweet friend over this past year, I’ve come to realize that God has given to me a very special gift; one that I shall cherish all of my days.  It saddens my heart to think that although I have so enjoyed the friendship that I have had the pleasure of sharing with Angela, it has become evident to me that, because of the aggressiveness of her illness, it may not be long before it ends.  Despite the very real possibility of our friendship coming to an end, somehow it seems as though it has only begun.

Over these past few months, I have been blessed by having the opportunity to meet some Angela’s family members and friends.  It brightens my heart each time they mention bits and pieces about her character to me.  Upon meeting this precious soul, I could tell very quickly that Angela had a deep compassion for others and an amazing willingness to help those around her.  That instinct was greatly substantiated by the stories about her life that Angela’s husband and mother have so graciously shared with me.  Even though Angela can no longer physically express the beauty that lies within her heart, I am reminded of her kind spiritedness whenever I think of her and the way she shared her love with others.  In that way, I see this particular ending truly as a beginning.

Endings need not be something to dread, especially when they bring with them the treasures that beginnings can carry with them.  The same is true with life.  In that God has given each of us the gift of life, it can never truly be taken away…for when physical life ends, spiritual life begins.  For those of us who have put our trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, abiding in his love daily, what a glorious beginning spiritual life in His actual presence will be.  As it was when my husband passed on, just knowing that the ending of physical life sets in motion the beginning of eternal, spiritual life in Christ, provides all believers with an awesome sense of security and peace.  In that same way, it is my prayer that, when the time comes for Angela’s physical ending, her spiritual beginning in the Lord’s presence will usher in a sustaining hope for her loved ones.

When you face significant endings in your own life, may you experience the hope, joy and sustaining peace that their true beginnings bring.

(I dedicate this post to my dear friend Angela Mullings, who at the time of this writing, (12/10/15), continues her battle with cancer.  I want to thank you for being such an amazing inspiration to all of us who’ve been given the opportunity to know you.  Indeed, your kindness, compassion and love will live on through the lives you’ve touched throughout all eternity.  I love you sweet friend.)

Peace and love,

Felecia

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No Gray Areas

 gray areas

“Princess Pauline Metternich,” 1836-1921), Eugene Boudin. Image from a page of the 2015 Desk Calendar, courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art Store

No gray areas – for gray is a color that signals a storm…

“Black and white are colors of photography.  To me they symbolize the alternatives of hope and despair of which mankind is forever subjected.”  Robert Frank

No Gray Areas

There are no gray areas.

To me it’s all black and white.

What is wrong is wrong, nothing more.

The same is true…what is right is right.

There are no gray areas.

For gray is the color that signals a storm.

The winds blow and there is confusion and chaos.

I say, let the clarity of God’s truth be the norm.

There are no gray areas.

Either you believe what He says or you don’t.

There is nothing hidden, His Word spells it all out.

In Him you’ll be filled with true peace; without Him you won’t.

Felecia R. Weber 2015, OntheWingofaDove.com

There is nothing new under the sun when it comes to being right or wrong, good or bad; it simply is or it isn’t.  That sounds a little too simplistic when it comes to discerning what to do in life.  Living in a world of black and white can seem, cold and barren; destitute and lonely.  Allowing our emotions and individual experiences to color our decision making seems much more appealing.  After all, the world is constantly changing and we need to adapt to it, right?  To a certain degree, that is true; we are all uniques and each of our palattes abound with beautiful hues.

“And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”  John 8:32

For me, black and white represent the pure standards for which I can rely on to always be true.  When I try mixing the two together, or try coloring them with my own thoughts or views, they begin to fade into gray area that are merely shades of my own interpretation of what is truth.  Eventually, uncertainty and confusion begin to clutter the canvas of my mind.  When that happens, I realize that indeed, when I follow what God has established to be good or bad, right or wrong, this principle of black and white, no gray areas, provides a whole world of freedom and peace to open up to me…and an endless spectrum of colorful possibilities fills my life.

What is it that defines truth for you and how does it color your world?

Peace and love,

Felecia

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Your Life Flows Through Me

life flows through me

Photograph courtesy of Martin Watson

Your life flows through me, that truth I shall never deny…

“He that believes on me, as the scripture said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.”  John 7:38

Your Life Flows Through Me

Your life flows through me, indeed this is true,

I cannot imagine what I’d be Lord, without you.

A lifeless frame, without motion, without light;

like having a pair of eyes without the ability of sight.

The world around me would be foreign and cold.

My days wouldn’t matter; I’d just shrivel up and grow old.

Your life flows through me, therefore I am vibrant and strong!

In you I have a purpose, and to accomplish it is for what I long.

Each day that I awake, I seek your guidance on what to do.

In you is my hope, Lord, for true goodness only comes from you.

Your life flows through me, that truth I shall never deny.

May I always serve you willingly, never asking why.

What freedom, what peace, what joy you’ve given to me.

My thanks, my praise, my all, I give to thee.

Felecia R. Weber 2015, OntheWingofaDove.com

When I envision life, like the scripture above, I envision a stream of sparking water flowing through an exquisitely made frame that possesses a multitude of capabilities.  What is even more wondrous to me is who’s life actually flows through me…

“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life:  no man come unto the Father, but by me.”  John 14:6

May the life of the Lord flow within you…and may that life also flow into the lives of those around you.

Peace and love,

Felecia

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On the Little Things

On the Little Things

the little thingsA Quote to Carry You

July 13, 2015

“In the sweetness of friendship let there be laughter, and sharing of pleasures.  For in the dew of little things the heart fins morning and is refreshed.”  Khalil Gibran

On the little things – I had the most delightful conversation with a dear friend this afternoon.  She started the conversation by telling me about how a song that played on the radio earlier in the day brought back fond childhood memories of her father.  Even though it had been many years ago, I could almost feel the joy that one of the little things in her life, such as how her dad enjoyed singing a particular phrase from that song, brought to her still.  Her story in turn, reminded me of a funny little gesture that my husband used to make when he’d hear songs that made him feel all happy inside…and that made my heart smile.

Indeed, it is the little things in life that so often spawn moments of happiness that lead to even deeper feelings of joy and peace…

May your day be filled with many little things that do just that!

Peace and love,

Felecia

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It Doesn’t Matter

couldn't ask for more

The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater‘s Linda Celeste Simms; photograph courtesy of Andrew Eccles

It doesn’t matter whether I’m happy or sad, for feelings come and go…

“But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve…But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord,”  Joshua 24:15

It Doesn’t Matter

It doesn’t matter whether I’m happy or sad,

for feelings come and go.

What I hold deep down inside of my heart,

determines what to the world, my actions show.

It doesn’t matter what goes on around me,

there will be good days and there will be bad.

When I think of how God has my life in his hands,

my, how can I be anything but glad?

It doesn’t matter what others say or do,

they have their own lives to live.

My contentment lies in fulfilling God’s purpose for me,

and all of my best to him do I give.

Felecia R. Weber 2015, OntheWingofaDove.com

Being content is more than just being happy or full, for our status can turn into being sad or empty in the blink of an eye.  Being content means having a peace and joy no matter how we feel or what is going on around us.  My contentedness is found in the Lord God Almighty…the one whom I serve, the one whom I live for, the one whom, in fact, is my very life!  He supplies all of my needs, he guides all of my days, he directs me in what he has purposed for me to do, he blesses my life.  It doesn’t matter then, what is going on inside of me or surrounding me, for in God, my contentedness is sure.

May you take the time to focus on where your own contentedness lies and may your answer lead you to everlasting peace.

Peace and love,

Felecia

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In His Will

In His Will

“Magnolias and Irises (Detail),” c. 1908, Louis Comfort Tiffany. Image from the 2015 Desk Calendar, courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art Store

In His will…when there, I am at peace.  With my arms opened wide…I await His blessings to release.

“Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.  Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of the heart.”  Psalm 37:3-4

In His Will

In His will,

A place that I long to be.

It’s not a thing that I can touch;

nor with my eyes can I see.

In His will,

When there, I am at peace.

With my arms opened wide…

I await His blessings to release.

In His will,

Not just for a day or an hour.

No, it will take more than a lifetime,

to experience the depth of His power.

In His will,

It’s the only thing that is true.

Nothing on earth can compare,

to the glorious things He can do.

Felecia R. Weber 2015, OntheWingofaDove.com

Discerning God’s will for our lives requires us to trust Him enough that He knows what is the absolute best for us and to relinquish control of our desires to Him.  To trust Him is to know Him.

“You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”  John 8:32

Do you know the freedom of trusting in Him?

Peace and love,

Felecia

 

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