Tag Archives: Savior

In the Quiet of the Night

In the Quiet of the Night

In the Quiet of the Night – Photograph courtesy of Gail_m

In the quiet of the night – through its stillness shone a light…

”While shepherds kept their watching O’er silent flocks by night, behold throughout the heavens, there shone a heavenly light.” (excerpt taken from the lyrics of the song “Go Tell it on the Mountain,” by John Wesley Work, Jr.)

In the Quiet of the Night

In the quiet of the night,

Throught its stillness shone a light.

So wondrously did it glow,

A beacon to the world did it show.

In the quiet of the night,

The shepherds gathered, not in fright.

The angels sang songs full of glory;

For through the babe, God will complete his story.

In the quiet of the night,

Our hearts are filled with delight.

Our Savior has come…death has lost its hold.

His truth continues to save, just as it was foretold.

Felecia R. Weber 2018, www.OntheWingofaDove.com

In the quiet of the night – sometimes the most amazing things happen during the wee hours of the night.

Picture it, the most unassuming scene.  A newly born baby wrapped is scraps of cloths, placed delicately upon the rough surface of wood and straw used as a makeshift cradle.  The flickering flames of a hastily built fire, projects a glowing light that fills the sky.  The look of uncertainty that adorns the young mother’s face as, little by little, the tiny stall becomes the stage for the greatest miracle of all time.  It is played out right before the eyes of the shepherds and livestock that had gathered to see it.

”The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). —Matthew 1:23

In the quiet of the night – God came down to us.  Jesus Christ, our “Immanuel,” came down to earth, “…and dwelt among us.” (John 1:14).  It is hard to comprehend, even in this modern age that we live in, that such an awesome event could take place in such a humble way.  Unlike the clatter of being under the brightness of the noonday sun, the Savior of the world chose to enter it inconspicuously…yet the glory of that moment still illuminates the world.

May you celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ in the quiet of your heart, and let his light shine brilliantly through you to others.

Wishing you and yours a peaceful Christmas.

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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On Listening

On Listening

listeningA Quote to Carry You

May 18, 2015

“But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.”  Micah 7:7

On listening – Do you ever hear someone say something to you but when you try to recall what they’ve said, you realize that you hadn’t really listened to them?  Listening involves a great deal more of engaging with someone else than we may think.  I believe that a large part of listening includes more than just hearing; it also means concentrating on what has been said and seeking to absorb and understand it.  When we take the time to go a little deeper and try to comprehend what is being said between the words, then we can fully know how to respond wisely.  As in the scripture verse above, listening also requires a certain amount of observing and waiting.  Sometimes it is difficult to decipher the full meaning of what someone is trying to say when it is written in a note or even relayed over the phone.  When we await the opportunity to converse face to face, we truly receive the message in full.  Many of the best things in life come about similarly.  Giving our full attention to what God is revealing in our lives and awaiting the outcome that we’ve long anticipated to be manifested completely, makes intently listening, (not only with our ears, but with our hearts as well), all the more gratifying.

May you take the time to listen intently to the world around you, and seek out what God is saying to you.  You may be surprised by how blessed you truly are.

Peace and love,

Felecia

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In God I Trust

In God I Trust

“From the Window of “291,” Looking Down Fifth Avenue,” 1911, John Marin. Image from a page of the 2013 Desk Calendar, courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art Store

In God I Trust

In God I trust…He knows my strengths and my weaknesses too, whenever I am in doubt, He shows me exactly what to do.

“Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.”  Corrie ten Boom

In God I Trust

In God I trust, He is always there,

whenever I am happy, angry, delighted or in despair.

He knows my strengths and my weaknesses too,

whenever I am in doubt, He shows me exactly what to do.

In God I trust, He cares for me so well.

His love surrounds me so, it makes my heart swell.

I can’t imagine life without my God, My Savior, My Lord,

that would be a sacrifice, I simply cannot afford.

In God I trust, my future in your hands you hold,

no matter what happens, only good things have you’ve foretold.

I am here by your providence, move forward I must.

So, I thank you for all you are to me…in you I will continue to trust.

Felecia R. Weber 2015, OntheWingofaDove.com

The world can be a scary place.  There is so much more that we don’t know about it than we actually do.  Sometimes just thinking about what the future holds for me, or rather, not knowing what awaits me there, can stop me in my tracks.  How can I step forward, when I’d much rather turn back around and head the other way?  My answer is “in God I trust.”

May your future be securely grounded in a trust so powerful that all of your unknowns become fully known…trust in Him.

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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What Child Is This?

What Child is This?

“Two Angels” (One of two fragments), 1300-1324, Northern Italian Painter, First Quarter 14th Century. Image taken from a page of the 2013 Desk Calendar, courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art Store

What Child Is This?

What child is this?

They spoke of him long ago,

his life, his purpose, his death all foretold.

The wise men journeyed to worship him,

even still, to this day, he cannot be ignored.

What child is this?

A babe lying in a manger, Continue reading

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