Spring in sight

Welcome

 

 

There was not much of Winter in Belgium and signs of the approach of Spring seem sparse.

Quiet keepers in Waiting for spring and in Keeping faith when spring is late let us know that the keepers of time tell us “Spring is here”.

We have passed that notch in the calendar when light and darkness are given us in equal measure. Winter is past and we can breathe a collective sigh of relief and begin to enjoy longer days and the sight and smell of things getting about the business of growing. For now, though, that is only a hope, and what we see is not quite what we’ve been awaiting. {Keeping faith when spring is late}

Wapen van Vlaams-Brabant / Coat of Arms of Flemish Brabant (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

For us it is like our seed is still in the clay of Flemish Brabant. We do feel the wetness and are eager to germinate. At last the sun has brought some warmth giving us the power and the spirit to come up. The landscape starts changing her palette of various hues of brown into green spots and since a few days the whites, yellows and other fresh colours shout for our attention. The sounds in the air start changing and are willing to come over lord auto-mobile. We also can not wait to bring an other sound.

Absorbed in this state of waiting, many of us are edgy, irritable, and anxious, even as we try to remind ourselves that spring must come eventually. We glance outside and then look at the calendar, counting the days until the equinox. Still bundled in our winter coats and scarves, we gaze longingly at spring merchandise in stores. We rejoice and celebrate the occasional mild day, even as our hopes are dashed by another snowstorm or cold front. {Waiting for spring}

The cold fronts in Western Europe are more brought by the politicians and the materialism people are caught by. Everybody very busy to earn as much as they can or having to work many hours to be able to survive in a country which has so many taxes, people more than half of the year just work to pay for the deficit of their country.

Many could have enough reason to dawdle over their food the government is offering them. Instead of picking at our food we tumble all the garbage of this spoiled world in the wasteland. We would have loved to start with a clean slate, but we are all born with the legacy of our previous generations. Living in an area were the battles of Europe were fought and being conquered by foreign troupes many times, we take an aversion to everything that may smell of trying to restrict us or to modify our free thought. We do not like to be confined to one set of rules or to one set of ideas an do not like to be talked into regulations or was of life. Some may like to be talked round, but we appreciate it that every body can talk freely and may utter different ideas than ours. We are not afraid of possible contradicting ideas or different ways of life. The variation of thought brings colour in life and we do not mind to discuss all those variations if time permits and when it cold be worth to consider matters.

Remains of a canal lock tower, quay and watermill in the fields in Weerde, Belgium. Weerde, Zemst, Flemish Brabant, Belgium (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

We appreciate the variation in the world and consider it as a richness and not as a limitation or a shortcoming or fault of our society. We are aware of human shortcomings but do not want to be at a loss for words. We do not think words are no adequate to give some spirit and fire to life and give us joy in a world full of variation. We do not want a grey world where every body thinks and feels the same.

Problem for many in our society is that often people might have lots of expectations and being disillusioned not many come through. Then the question may arise “what do we do when life doesn’t work out as we had dreamed it”. We all want to reach a high point in our life. Who does not want to reach the top? But we often become limited because we do want so much to compare ourselves with others. What do we do when our status is inferior to that of others and the community around us including our family point this out to us?

On this site we do hope to have people to come to accept that every body has something good, but also can have something bad, but more important that every individual has his or her role and importance in this universe of variety and trial. We would like to avoid entering ourselves or having others entering a “winter of discontent”. We would love to show the world there is so much beauty in it and so much richness in it for every one to share in abundance.

Many people might also be tempted to cling to stories they heard from their ancestors, the world of their previous and ‘old dreams’, waste their talents on nostalgia, religious feeling, liturgical formalism, institutional activism, fundamentalism, nationalism, rationalism and more. Often they cling on to their dreams and eat their heart out with choking hopes of their ego placed in the centre of the world. By not accepting that others might have other ideas they  become goofy about bagatelles and scowl at mere trifles. Our of fear others might subdue them they go in counter attack.

We would like to offer some small notebook, where some ideas may be scrabbled in and where people can look at without having to look what others would think or without distress. You may find toddling and fluttering here this communal place, a joint property of different minds, people who feel themselves united by the forces of nature and by their open mind and willingness to share thoughts with each other without offending some one, but with concerted attempt to show the world the beauty of diversity.

Undismayed we would like to offer you a lucky bag or a bran tub where people are free to scramble. Any passer-by can rummage in what we do have to offer. Feel free to grope in the lucky dip. We hope every body who comes along shall be able to grope and find something of interest.

United States (Photo credit: Moyan_Brenn)

Those interested in adding their words are very welcome to do so. In case they would like to regularly write some note or thought or would like to share a reflection, they may let us know and we will invite them to come a co-author. Our mother-tongue is Dutch, so do not worry you speak an other language than ours. We have chosen English to be the  language of communication because we ourselves are not so good in the other business languages Spanish and Mandarin. If you would prefer to write in your own language, and this would be one we can understand or speak ourself, like French, German, Afrikaans, you are welcome to write in those languages.

The main joint writers shall place their articles under their and this ‘guest signature’ in the lifestyle magazine Stepping Toes. We also do invite you to come and have a look there and to find also other co-authors.

May we give some incitement to join us, so that you could perhaps reach other people than on your own regular blog and that you with us can give incitement to others to share their thought in a community of people who are not afraid to be together with other minds.

We would like to offer our readers articles on social, spiritual, cultural, political and sometimes economical affairs. All matters could be spoken off here and all sorts of guest-speakers or guest-writers are welcome. If you would like to present us, at regular or irregular times, with some nice prose or poetry, you are very welcome.

We would be honoured to find writers to join us who could write like QuietKeepers, who writes:

Now is a time of preparation for what is to come, to gaze on the stark canvas around us before it begins to burst into color and growth. After all, when it does, life will get very busy, not only in the natural world, but in our lives. Activity will ramp up as schedules swell with graduations, weddings, and ball games. Homeowners will frantically pull out coolers and grills, uncover deck furniture, and fuel lawnmowers for the first of many cuts of the season. Gardeners will feel an urgency to ready their beds and plant even as the local greenhouses warn them to heed the frost-free date. {Keeping faith when spring is late}

With her and others we would love to see everything coming to life again and in full colours. So that we can be

enjoying the cacophony of chatter from a flock of blackbirds or the song of a single robin as the sun amazes … with yet another spectacular rising or setting.

We would love to see that many may join us on between the dawn and the dark of night to walk on the many roads who lead to the same point. As wise men, like closetoeighty can send words in the world, whilst trying to stay young and fresh in mind and share the beautiful pictures of a China Sojourner Randall Collis, who notes:

The wisdom of Jerry Garcia resonates with me as the wrathful fingers of winter turn into the chilly, wet hands of spring.  I search for my path.  A place to watch and dream from afar; to quietly witness the darkness of winter transform into the dawn of spring. {Dreams Between Dusk and Dawn}

It is this strange contradictory nature of dawn and maturity that makes life interesting.  In our youth, we revel in the late night/early morning hours.  Intrigued by the peace of a post-midnight sky and the eerily quietness of the streets and the wilderness.

Breathtaking to feel so alive with energy in the dead of night, as if this moment was created for the young: the world waiting to be explored.  All the action and chaos of the previous day and night comes to a crescendo and slowly unwinds in the peaceful stillness of darkness. {Dreams Between Dusk and Dawn}

Together we would love to take a closer look at

what appears to be nothing and am noticing the winter feathers of the male Goldfinches start to turn yellow, buds on the branches of an Elderberry bush, and the first leaves of Bee Balm at the base of the brown stalks from last year’s growth.

In the belief that anticipation is often the best part of a vacation or a happy event, {Keeping faith when spring is late}

we would like to fill our glasses and bring a toast to drink

in this time and appreciating it in its somewhat awkward adolescent phase because (we) know without seeing that it holds the promise of something quite wonderful that is yet to come. {Keeping faith when spring is late}

We would love to devote ourselves to the cause of allowing ourselves to grow by the wisdom of others and sharing our knowledge and experience, working at bettering others.  We want to find enough reason to be happy with what we have and with what we can share with others, without wanting something in return.

Why should we waste it on pleasurable pursuits alone?  We should be making this world a better place for our children.

In case we could bring other people in the picture who are also willing that we would grow into a world where every body can live next to each other in peace, though they may be from an other race, culture or religion, than we shall be pleased and could find we succeeded in fulfilling some of our dreams, seeing people all over the world united with each other.

May we welcome you as a guest and may we look forward to meet some more guest-writers as well?

Looking forward to sharing ideas and sharing lovely thoughts and love itself.

Join us as Bloggers for Peace

In case you would like to join the Bloggers for Peace
you are welcome to take contact with some of them.

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Note: We do hope the writer of Waiting for spring and Keeping faith when spring is late does not mind we used some of her beautiful writing to bring over our own ideas. It is namely also our intention to bring some good bloggers into the attention of others, so that those visitors and we in our limited time can find something interesting to read and perhaps also can find some one they would like to follow.

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Preceding articles:

Guestwriters for you

Welcome to “From guestwriters”

About Guestwriters

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Additional reading:

1. A new year with hopes and challenges
2. 2nd Half 20th Century Generations pressure to achieve
3. Economics and Degradation
4. Our political systems and juggling with human laws
5. Materialism, would be life, and aspirations
6. Philosophy hand in hand with spirituality
7. Time for global change
8. Words to inspire and to give wisdom
9. Reframing health
10. Self-development, self-control, meditation, beliefs and spirituality
11. Tenderness and kindness are not signs of weakness and despair
12. Embracing the Body as a Spiritual Path
13. Growth in character
14. Wisdom lies deep
15. Secrets of Wisdom
16. Wisdom = Generosity
17. Wisdom by A Schoonbee
18. Wisdom from Matthieu Ricard
19. Wisdom From Above
20. The Value of Wisdom
21. A Fool
22. Live …
23. A living change
24. Preparedness to change
25. A learning process for each of us
26. A person is limited only by the thoughts that he chooses
27. Choices
28. Always a choice
29. We have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace
30. Those who make peace should plant peace like a seed
31. Guard well within yourself that treasure, kindness
32. Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience
33. Only I can change my life
34. Change from within
35. We all are changed into the same image from glory to glory
36. Character transformed by the influence of our fellowships
37. Everything that is done in the world is done by hope
38. Food as a Therapeutic Aid
39. Input – Output effects on Physical Health
40. Every moment, every thing is spiritual
41. Living With(out) Regret and Negative Feelings
42. Be happy that the thorn bush has roses
43. There is no true and constant gentleness without humility
44. Truth never plays false roles of any kind, which is why people are so surprised when meeting it
45. Be like a tree planted by streams of water
46. A time for everything
47. Better loaves when the heart is joyous
48. Joy is not in things, it is in us
49. Joy: Foundation for a Positive Life
50. Be kinder than necessary
51. The thought of losing rekindles the joy of having
52. Hope is faith holding out its hand in the dark
53. Faith is knowing there is an ocean because you have seen a brook.
54. Faith and trial
55. A Living Faith #8 Change
56. Can Faith Ever Be Rational?
57. Cosmos creator and human destiny
58. Feed Your Faith Daily
59. Gloomy Thinking Can Be Contagious
60. You cannot change anything in your life with intention alone
61. The task given to us to love each other
62. Unarmed truth and unconditional love
63. Love turns one person into two; and two into one
64. Love envieth not
65. When we love we do not need laws
66. Spread love everywhere you go
67. Agape, a love to share with others from the Fruit of the Spirit
68. Love and cultivate that which is pure
69. If we love one another, God lives in us
70. Love will cure more sins than condemnation
71. Blessed are those who freely give
72. Feed the Body and Nourish the Soul this Thanksgiving – Eat with an Attitude of Gratitude!
73. Who are the honest ones?
74. Greatest single cause of atheism
75. What’s church for, anyway? (by Marcus Ampe)
76. A Bad Reason for Thinking that Atheism is not a Religion
77. Debating with theologians and preachers and their somewhat constricted views….
78. #PreachersofLA: As Real as It Gets
79. Why can’t I warm to street preaching?
80. “Nicomachean Ethics” by Aristotle
81. Political Correctness and “Bashing”
82. Moderates, good deeds and religious fanaticism
83. Julian Baggini – Can you be too intelligent?
84. How To Avoid Spiritual And Mental Indigestion – Harold Herring
85. Here’s to Your Health!
86. What is the happiest person in the world saying?
87. Caricaturing and disapproving sceptics, religious critics and figured out ethics
88. Act as if everything you think, say and do determines your entire life
89. Remember that who you’re being is just as important as what you’re doing
90. How we think shows through in how we act
91. When Your Actions Don’t Match with What You Have Underestood
92. How To Set Rules for Your Life Without Becoming a Party Pooper
93. If you want to go far in life
94. Raise a standard to which the wise and honest can repair
95. People should know what you stand for
96. “A healthy attitude is contagious but don’t wait to catch it from others. Be a carrier.” — Tom Stoppard
97. You are not limited to who is in charge

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• Spring Equinox Cacti
• Hello Spring
• First Sunset of Spring
• Has Spring Finally Sprung?
• Spring?
• Waiting For Spring Weather To Come Back
• A touch of Spring
• Sunny Colours on a Snowy Day
• In Like a Lion, Out Like a Lamb
• Embracing Everything Spring (and all the in-between)