Gone away from the suntimes

The Boom children or Boomers knew very well how important our relationship with sun and earth was. Many of them, being called flower children or hippies, enjoyed the rays of the sun, letting them infiltrate on their bare skin, swimming naked in the wild rivers.

Mankind has evolved under the sun and at regular intervals had a very close and special relationship with it. It even became so bad that some people came to worship the sun. Others considered themselves the centre point of the universe and thought that everything circled around them.

Not everywhere on earth have people got the same cycles, though in fact there came to be counted 365 days, with short ones and longer ones (though now they know it is a 24-hour cycle). In some countries, the sun became too hot, in other regions they were pleased to get some warmth from the sun, whilst at other places, they were happy to have summer and winter. Though the dark winter period was not loved so much. For that reason, some brought more light in those darker days by fires and lights.

Summer, winter, hot and cold, we are part of it and can not escape it, even when we try to go to other places every time the season changes. Lots of elderly British overwinter in Spain. They move around like birds move around when the season changes. As such, we can not ignore that the cycles of nature have a profound effect on us and our health, even when we have evolved as humans to be part of this cycle.

Unfortunately, our modern world breaks these laws of nature. We don’t truly experience the sun, or true darkness, winter, or even hot and particularly cold. We have moved indoors with our artificial blue lit world and temperature control environment.

We are not going to bed to sleep, like the chickens go to sleep when it gets darker. Even if it gets dark, and we have to turn on lights to still see something, we want to continue our day, instead of laying ourselves to rest. Living this way, in a certain sense, we have brought our body (and soul) in imbalance with nature.

Instead of doing natural hunting to get to their food, the majority of mankind became a sedentary society. Sitting most of the day and not giving their body enough physical work to stay healthy. In the 20th and 21st centuries, they became aware they had to do something about physical fitness and as such created several systems for exercising their body.

Having lost the intense relationship with mother earth and the physical food, man also lost the spiritual food.
Throughout the centuries, humans did search for a relationship to be taken between the components of nature and its phenomena. He even went so far as to view natural phenomena as gods that could overpower him, because they were no match for that mother nature.

But with the advancing centuries and new knowledge, man came to understand natural phenomena better, but increasingly forgot who was actually behind them. To supplement what man lacked, he began to acquire more materialistic things that also took him further away from spiritual matters. Due to the fast pace of our lives, man lost control and lost the connection with his Creator, overlooking the necessity of spiritual food!

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Preceding

Being alive and living life don’t always go hand in hand

The Cares of Life

Looking at an Utopism which has not ended

Misleading world, stress, technique, superficiality, past, future and positivism

New form of body exercises gaining popularity

Everyday activities to keep you fit and healthy

Mini-MAX-malism: A Bigger Approach to Less is More

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Additional reading

1. 2015 Health and Welfare
2. Religion and believers #4 Order of Nature and Polytheism on the way to monotheism
3. the Bible – God’s guide for life #2 Needs in life
4. People Seeking for God 5 Bread of life
5. Food as a Therapeutic Aid
6. Consciously or unconsciously forming a world-view and choosing to believe or not to believe in God
7. Melt the Ice of Form and Become a Blessing to the World
8. The Garden Outreach Project: GOTYOURBACK Initiative
9. Soar to Places Unknown
10. Keeping healthy whilst not going to far away from home
11. Brits have less access to green space than ever – and it’s getting worse
12. Inner feeling, morality and Inter-connection with creation
13. Being religious has benefits even in this life
14. Reasons why Christianity is declining rapidly in America

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2. The Crone of Winter, by Molly Remer
3. Full Cold Moon
4. Last Full Moon of 2022
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6. Orion On Relationship With The Beauty & Bounty of Mother Earth
7. Mother Earth Within
8. The Inlet
9. God Has Competition
10. With God on Our Side
11. We are all brothers and sisters of the same human family
12. Unsullied Minds
13. Seven Deadly…Gyms?
14. What Would it Take?
15. How can I change My Lifestyle?
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17. Surviving Winter: A Guide to Maintaining Your Fitness Levels
18. How Stretching Can Improve Flexibility and Health
19. How Physical Exercise Makes Your Brain Better?
20. The Relationship Between Physical Activity and Loneliness in Older Adults
21. Endurance Pilates-why we do Pilates the “correct” way!
22. Self-Assessment, a Psychological exercise
23. Right way at of living
24. What is health and its importance?
25. What Is The “Exercise Flu”?
26. Feed the Body and Nourish the Soul this Thanksgiving – Eat with an Attitude of Gratitude!
27. The Beauty of His Temple
28. Five Ways to Accelerate Your Spiritual and Emotional Growth This Year: Adding a Spiritual Exercise
29. More New Year’s Exercises
30. See beyond our own time
31. Taking care of Mother Earth like how I take care of myself
32. Come Spirit, Come
33. Prayer Life

Incorporate new things into your daily routine – without feeling like it’s a struggle

“Many people have been conditioned into thinking of January 1 as a day when we deprive ourselves of all the things that we have been encouraged to indulge in during December,”

neurologist Dr Rachel Taylor says.

“But the brain is hardwired to make it difficult for you because it does not deal with deprivation well.”

Dr Taylor advises that if you need extra motivation to make a change,

“start to really reflect on how that food/drink/activity makes you feel.

In these dark days, it is easy to get carried away with dark thoughts. For this, we must be careful not to get discouraged or start feeling miserable. The danger is that if you get carried away by those dark thoughts, you will also start feeling inferior and others will notice your weakness and take advantage of it.

We need to be aware that everyone encounters dark moments from time to time and that not everything can always be rosy. There is really no need to always show ourselves strong. We should not always put away our weaker points. It comes down to finding the right people with whom to share our weaknesses and talk quietly about things that bother us. Sharing our weaknesses shall make us vulnerable, but to make you vulnerable shall show your strength.

Marcus Ampe always advised people to bring the mind in balance with the body. For him, it is clear we need, first and foremost, to sort out our own inner self before we start working on the outer. If we are not happy with our appearance, we must find ways to accept our “self” as it is, be it too fat or too skinny, or not the shape we would like.

“Before taking drastic action on our body, we need to calm our “soul” by going for a walk in the great outdoors, for example.”

he says.

As we walk, we can safely think about many things that bother us. But we should also try to quiet our minds while observing the greenery and animals around us. Therefore, according to Mr. Ampe:

“Even if others may want to take us deeper, we must convince ourselves that we are worth being there and that we can contribute enough to others.”

Thus, during those walks in the morning and afternoon, we need to open up to what we are, but also to change that we can let come to ourselves.

“The brain is much more likely to accept change when you have done a sound job in convincing it that it is worth the extra effort and energy it is going to have to expend on managing the change.”

Even though these are dark days, we must not let our thoughts darken. According to M. Ampe, it is therefore also best to start fully enjoying the sun’s warming rays (albeit little) after sunrise.

Dr Rachel Taylor, like him, finds that an early morning blast is essential.

“The rate of production of serotonin has been shown multiple times in research to have a direct correlation with the amount of sunlight a person gets: it rises quickly when access to sunlight increases.

In Scandinavian countries, therefore, often light therapy is used, to reduce suicides during these winter months.

“The more serotonin you have the more melatonin your brain can make, which is not just good for sleep, although that is its primary role, but is a really powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compound.”

That early dose of sunlight could have added benefits for weight loss: a study from the University of Alberta found that lack of exposure to sunlight could lead to an increase in fat and therefore contribute to weight gain.

Especially with these dark days and upcoming holidays, we do dare to go beyond our means and eat more than we actually need to, while also reaching for sweets a lot quicker, to feel better.

It is no use that we let ourselves become stressed by what we would go to eat at Christmas and New Year, or what presents we are going to buy. Stress is to be avoided. Though this period is one in which many people get unnecessarily stressed out. Many are very busy, dealing with endless to-do lists and struggling to balance it all. This search for trying to do the best for others results often in a day-to-day life that feels too hectic. Our running back and forth in search of the right gifts and food gets us so excited that we throw ourselves off balance.
By putting their body these days into overdrive, lots of people do not see it is taking them down. Fatigue becomes the master of them.

A good way to get back to folds should start as early as breakfast.

Many think their daily serving of breakfast cereal is a healthy dose of calories and vitamins. But the majority of people use breakfast cereals with added sugars. And these are bound to be avoided. So no granola or caramelised cereals, even those with hoing processed breakfast cereals should be taboo. The concept of cereal food that originated in the vegetarian beliefs of the American Seventh-day Adventists, who in the 1860s formed the Western Health Reform Institute, later renamed the Battle Creek Sanitarium, in Battle Creek, Michigan, was very healthy, but the food industry made something sweet after it to tempt more people to come to enjoy their products. Therefore forget those ‘modernised’ grainproducts and go back to the  source, ditching the sugary, high-carb cereal for a more balanced start to the day.

“If you start your day with a good quality source of protein, some fat and some vegetables, you will balance your blood sugar levels,”

says nutritionist Grace Kingswell, who advocates eggs and vegetables to start the day.

But, Mr Ampe warns, in doing so we must be careful not to be tempted in the supermarket to buy fruit and vegetables that do not belong in our own region during the particular season.

“Only seasonal fruit and vegetables should be put on our plates.”

he says.

In doing so, choosing the right food at the right season will bring us into balance with nature and provide the necessary nutrients and vitamins for that time of year.

“It will have positive benefits for your hormone balance, PMS, energy levels, mood, stress response, cravings, satiety, weight management, and so much more.”

remarks Kingswell.

Researchers at the University of Missouri found that a higher protein breakfast produced lower spikes in glucose and insulin after meals, which led to increased feelings of fullness throughout the day (if you struggle to eat first thing, try adding a protein shake, such as one from strongnutrients.com). Increased vegetables also have added benefits for your gut health.

After having started the day with a good meal, one can go for the first walk of the day. Before that walk, like at other moments during the day, it is, according to Mr. Ampe, also not bad to take the Bible at hand and to read, every day, some verses out of that inspiration book. The part read that day should bring something to think or meditate about.

For good reason, private devotion or mental exercise encompassing various techniques of concentration, contemplation, and abstraction, is regarded as conducive to heightened self-awareness, spiritual enlightenment, and physical and mental health. Meditation has never been more popular: there are currently more than 51 million posts on Instagram.

Neuroscientists at UC San Diego recently reported that mindful meditation can be as effective in reducing pain relief as medication. While in another recent study published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry, researchers found that a guided mindfulness-based program was as effective as the use of medication for patients with anxiety disorders.

Even for a beginner with no serious health issues, a 13-minute daily meditation improves mood, sleep and memory, according to researchers at John Hopkins University.

“There is no need at all to repeat all the time some words or phrases,”

says Mr. Ampe.

“It is much more important to get toward mental, emotional, and physical well-being, by concentrating on the Words given by our Creator, Who has provide the most complete words or thoughts to instruct and form or mould us in the best human being we should become.”

Some prefer through the repetition of a mantra, to still the activity of thought and to experience a deep state of relaxation, which is said to lead to enhanced contentment, vitality, and creativity, but by repeating such mantra, the source of the problem is not taken away. By using the Bible as a source and backbone of life, a person shall be able to attack the real problem and origin of the troubles. Feeding yourself every day with such spiritual food shall enrich and strengthen yourself more, so that you and others shall be able to notice changes in yourself. At the same time you should not be afraid to use that active, voluntary, and systematic thinking about a biblical or theological topic, to be part of your conversation with others, by which you shall come to feel that a certain confidence shall also give you more strength.

“The meditations are designed to be incorporated into your everyday life and can be done sitting, standing or while doing light exercise such as walking, hiking or stretching. We want to make it as easy as possible to meditate any time, anywhere,”

says Julz Arney, director of fitness for health technologies at Apple.

By knowing the Divine Creator, Jehovah God, and giving time to yourself to think about His Words and worship Him, you shall find out that you will gain the first step to coming at ease with yourself and making you strong enough to tackle this world.

The tips from the experts here are small changes that you can start to incorporate into your daily routine – without feeling like it’s a struggle.

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Preceding

Facing our existence every day

O, little voice within…

Echo

Soul Pampering Time

Share Your Smile

Blossoming and healing the planet

Thinking about thinking

Thoughts and reflections taking only a few minutes

Deeper Call

‘I try to keep my hate in check. If you can’t hate, you can’t love.’

Crying is good for inner self!!

A little ray of sunshine.

Mini-MAX-malism: A Bigger Approach to Less is More

New form of body exercises gaining popularity

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Additional reading

1. Expectations for kashrut to meet individual and contemporary norms
2. Christians, secularism, morals and values
3. Every athlete exercises self control

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Related

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2. The Inferiority Bug
3. Feeling “Less Than”
4. Are You Inferior?
5. Thought For The Day: April 17, 2018 “At The Expense of Others”
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8. Beyond darkness
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12. Angst And Anxiety
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17. How to Treat Seasonal Affective Disorder
18. How to Deal with Depression and Seasonal Affective Disorder
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20. Understanding Inferiority
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33. Causes Of Sudden Weight Gain
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36. Today’s Health Tip ~ Want to Lose Weight?
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39. Patterns of weight gain or loss later in life may increase risk
40. Boost the Effects of Exercise on Weight Loss and Health (Without Changing Your Workout Routine)
41. Offering A Little Brightness During The Darkest Months Of The Year
42. Journal Prompts & Activities to Boost Positivity this Winter
43. Day 125 – A Stunningly Sober Holiday Season
44. What is your foundation for optimal health?
45. How Can I Have True Spiritual Power?
46. He Knows Storms Are Coming
47. Give Yourself Fully to the Work of the Lord

Autumn Grandor!

Every year over and over again we come to see the seasons presenting the beginning of new life, the grandeur of the fruitfulness, the changing colours and light shades before we receive a white carpet, having us to escape the wind and cold air, looking for warmth in the house.

Joy Cometh In The Morning

Out of the house with noisy clamor Sunshine and flowers and colors galore Experiencing joy and giddy laughter Breathing fresh air and so much more Seasons are changing and causing a pause Shifting of gears and temperature loss Rearranging my closet and getting prepared For crisp morning wakeups and frost I’ll celebrate change and embrace its renewing Of memories from past days of life When school days and ball games Fulfilled the expanse free of strife I’ll once again welcome, in great expectation The beauty, the freshness, the glory Amazing sunsets and full moon rising With maple and pine telling the story Of God’s creation in awesome display The wonder and beauty of all Breaking through summer’s doldrums This remarkable, beautiful FALL The picture he’s painted no words can describe Though words will inadequately flow I try to describe the grandeur before me Take a walk in the…

View original post 17 more words

The Gift of Giving

Autumn brings us many beautiful colours in nature. The world seems to bring us golden leaves. Getting colder and getting more wind and rain we like to spend more time in a warm living room. Getting darker we look for literal cosy lights and spiritual light.

We come closer to a time of year that people everywhere in the Western World, get very excited about giving. It is often said that part of the fun is in the giving, in watching the expression on the face of a loved one as they open the present, or in the delight of a child as they play with a new toy.

The Bible agrees that giving is an important part of our human existence. It is within the capacity of all of us to make someone else happy by giving – either a present, or a hug, or even some time and attention. There are plenty of Bible stories that talk about being generous and selfless in the way that we give. Think of the widow woman, for example, who gave her two mites into the temple treasury, which was all she had to live on (see Mark 12v41-44). This example to us means even more when we think that she was not necessarily an old widow; she could have had children to support. And yet the giving was the important thing, not the amount, and not what she got in return, just the giving itself.

Too often we focus on the value of material things, and what we accumulate in our houses. The focus is on the object, not on the action. Jesus Christ lived his whole life as a gift to others – constantly serving, providing, healing and comforting – as well as pointing out the way to please God was to do likewise. Ultimately this is the way the Gospel of John describes his final act of self-sacrifice: as a gift not from Jesus, but from God.

“God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3v16)

Should we be giving more this year than presents and cards? What could we do with our time, our love, and our thoughts and prayers?
Do we value those as much as the goods we purchase in shopping centres? And how do you value the ultimate gift that is offered to you?

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ.” (Romans 6v23)

Part taken from the article “The Gift of Giving” by the Burton Christadelphians

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Preceding

The Proper Place of Excess

Looking for a shepherd for the sheep and goats

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Additional reading

1. A season of gifts
2. Hanukkahgiving or Thanksgivvukah
3. Sancta Claus is not God
4. Christmas customs – Are They Christian?

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6. Advent of the Coming King . . .
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the winter chill

writings & wildflowers

the winter chill in the air

means it’s quiet overhead

but the silence

of the trees

doesn’t mean they’re dead

just asleep, hibernating like a bear

View original post

The cold hitting in the northern hemisphere

Dealing with ongoing cardiac problems in their younger son, now an adult, who was born with a rare genetic disorder that includes multiple disabilities, the father fights against Stage IV cancer and the mother finds herself struggling daily with feelings of hopelessness that threaten to defeat her natural optimism.  They see that life is hard, and for most of us, it is likely to get harder in the future. Yet it is also filled with blessings and promise.  {About Defeat Despair}

Julia, the writer of the blog Defeat Despair writes

Many of us who live north of the equator have been enduring record-cold temperatures. Some have been hit with a particularly nasty flu or other seasonal aches and pains. Power outages, weather delays and traffic snarls, along with wind chills below zero, can make wintertime something to dread. So let’s get cozy and enjoy what’s good about this season. {A poet in January}

When it is so cold outside, who doesn’t love to sleep in? For many the aversion to getting up in the morning is much greater in the winter, when the cold weather makes a snug warm bed all the more appealing. {Nonetheless}

While winter brings a lazy streak, it also sparks Julia’s inner drive to get organized, set goals and form good habits. She writes

Those winter resolutions, along with the beauty of the snowfalls such as the one I’m seeing right now, are reasons why I love winter despite the discomfort and inconvenience of inclement weather.

I hope you are enjoying January too, whatever kinds of weather it brings to where you are. If you are in the midst of your summer, or live in a tropical climate, enjoy it! Sip an iced tea for me, and go barefoot in the sand of a seashore whenever you have the chance.

If you, like me, are in “cozy hibernation” mode, keep that kettle on and lots of tea, coffee or cocoa handy. Check out some of the many self-improvement articles that proliferate in January via magazines and websites, and dream of springtime. As I keep reminding myself, it will be here before we know it! {Nonetheless}

Brew a cup of your favorite cold-weather beverage. Pull up a comfy chair, light a crackling fire, or if you don’t have that kind of fireplace (alas, I don’t), try switching on your gas or electric fireplace, or just snuggle up with a warm fuzzy throw. Take out your favorite poetry book, or grab your laptop, tablet or phone and go on a poetry scavenger hunt for some wonderful undiscovered gems, or lifelong favorites you can’t fully remember.

If you find anything lovely, funny, thought-provoking or heartwarming, we’d love to have you share it with us here. For every comment that links us to a poem, I’ll answer with a favorite of my own for us to read. Our high school English teachers would be proud!

Let’s bring our virtual Verandah indoors while it’s too cold to be outside. What we lack in sunshine and warm breezes we can more than make up for in congenial online company and realtime hygge.*  Cookies, pastries and savory snacks optional. {A poet in January}

In any case this is the time to enjoy the small things.

A charming display of teapots greeted us at a Pennsylvania bed & breakfast inn, June 2015

Despite the deceptively warm days of this past December, cold weather will be our frequent companion for weeks to come. Time for bundling up– or perhaps I should say settling down? for some cozy comforts to chase away the chill. Whether your day will take you indoors or out, be sure to make time for tea.

Note that I said “make time for tea,” not “have some tea” or “drink tea.” One of the great transforming qualities of becoming a tea lover is the inevitability that it will become a centering ritual, calming our nerves even before we take that first taste. Coffee drinkers also understand this, though that beverage is more often associated with busy days and drinking “on the run” — a shame, really, given the salutary benefits of serene sipping.

This winter morning, I invite you to sit down with me for a few minutes of reflective enjoyment. The kettle is on, and there has never been a better time to appreciate the greatness of small things. What are some of the everyday joys you look forward to this week? {Greatness in small things}

January bliss: a comfy chair, poetry, and tea in a lovely cup given by a dear friend. You’re invited to drop in and tell us your favorites– poets, teas, or both!

 

“When one reads a poet in January, it is as lovely as when one goes to walk in June.”
— Jean Paul Friedrich Richter

 

*

Note: Hygge has been called everything from “the art of creating intimacy”, “cosines of the soul”, “the absence of annoyance” to “taking pleasure from the presence of soothing things”, “cosy togetherness” but I think my personal favourite is “the pursuit of everyday pleasures”.

After the Winter

Some day, when trees have shed their leaves
And against the morning’s white
The shivering birds beneath the eaves
Have sheltered for the night,
We’ll turn our faces southward, love,
Toward the summer isle
Where bamboos spire the shafted grove
And wide-mouthed orchids smile.

And we will seek the quiet hill
Where towers the cotton tree,
And leaps the laughing crystal rill,
And works the droning bee.
And we will build a cottage there
Beside an open glade,
With black-ribbed blue-bells blowing near,
And ferns that never fade.

– Claude McKay

Photo of the poet, novelist and short story writer Claude McKay (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

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Preceding:

Get the lenses out to getting closer again

Happy First Day of Spring: Spring Cleaning!

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Continued nostalgic Christmas memories

In Christmas in the 1950s we looked a first time at the way we and Equipping The Saints experienced the Winter holidays and enjoyed watching the movies.

When Equipping The Saints had started sixth grade in Gretna, Louisiana to spend the next three years at the same “Grammar School” his life was common to those of his school mates.

Cover of one of the books of the Robert L. May story by Maxton Publishers, Inc. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Like in our country he had also real Christmas holidays, and had real Christmas programs at school. When we do hear our grand children and see what is done at schools for the Christmas holiday we do not see such nice activities like we had in school. Though, Today there are more people stressing that this is the Season of the Year, and several Christians are shouting that Christmas should be the Reason of the Season. But when they want to celebrate the birth of Christ, not much seems to remind people to that birth of the Jewish rabbi who is our saviour. On the streets and in the shops the so called Christmas songs do not really mention Jesus Christ but go on about reindeer, Santa(s), jingle bells and present, though not that special present or precious gift you could call Jesus Christ. The winter-related songs celebrate the climatic season, with all its snow, dressing up for the cold, sleighing, etc. and with the years all the pagan elements came more and more to the forefront, new mythical characters created, defined, and popularised by these songs; “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” and “Frosty the Snowman” both introduced by Gene Autry a year apart (1949 and 1950 respectively).

In the previous century we gathered and special presentations were offered to sing carols.

Equipping The Saints remembers

We would sing Christmas carols, which included biblical songs. The school would give the children song sheets that showed the words to those biblical songs. Teachers were free to talk to their classes about their church lives. {120714 – Christmas Of Simpler Times}

Today lots of teachers are not allowed to speak about their religious life. They are not allowed to talk about Jesus Christ being the saviour. church live and talks about God are in many schools not authorised any more.

The kids have also nothing to share about church life, because most of them never go to church or just have some periods of church activity to prepare them for the first and/or second communion. they are not really interested in anything to do with church or with religion. The talk of the day is the new smartphone or any other new electronic gadget, plus laughing with one or the other posting on Facebook. Television lost grace in the hand of our grandchildren. The present generation does not watch so much television as we did or do, but have their eyes focused on the computer screen, watching al sorts of postings or games.

Most of my friends watched the same television programs. {120714 – Christmas Of Simpler Times}

writes Equipping The Saints

We didn’t have cable tv or dish types, so our selection was limited to traditional network programming. The programs were family oriented and were not restricted to “church and state” limitations.The Cleaver family went to church and Sunday School. Andy, Barney, Aunt Bea, Opie, and Gomer were shown in their church, even when Gomer might fall asleep and snore during the “Reverend’s” sermons.
The Christmas programs that were produced and shown by ABC, NBC, and CBS did not hide the fact that “Jesus was the reason for the season.” Television hosts did not omit “Jesus” from their discussions when they were talking about Christmas. Jesus was truly “God with us” during those programs. {120714 – Christmas Of Simpler Times}

Jesus nor God are the subject of this season. It is time that those who call themselves Christian and find that this should be a time to think about Christ Jesus, perhaps should do better to have others thinking about that special man who was sent by God for a specific reason.

In Belgium we listened, behind frosted windows, to songs like the one of Frank Sinatra who sung about the songs for you and me, but were told that this was all about that heathen character the Americans loved so much, because their country had become slave of consumption. Today we in Europe are not better off. Most people are slave of money and consumption. As in the previous article told, they even get so much stress that we have already time spend in the media about that ‘Christmas stress‘.

Of the time when every one falls in love there is not so much to see. In some American writings we hear that it is now fashionable to have a divorce around Christmas. Many have new years dreams of having some extramarital adventures with some delicious unknown and some even think it can be good fun to have some extra sex with somebody of their own gender. Those same gender relations are also promoted extra in this time of year. This week for example we had on television some gays who prepared meals for each other and talked every episode about the ‘Christmas kitsch’.

Merry Christmas (Bing Crosby album) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In the 1950ies and 1960ies from the States we got Andy Williams and Bing Crosby who be the must haves and must hears at the Winter holiday season. You may wonder what glow it is when snow would appear these days. But even the snow has given it up and Winter does not want to let see her face. Bing Crosby reminded people about what happened in Bethlehem and asked people to remember it not just in this particular season but the whole year through.

Judi Harbin remarked

Just as we cannot benefit from a wrapped gift under the Christmas tree until we open it, so gratitude can be seen as our way of opening the gift of God’s love intended by all the small and big positive events of our lives

**

One of the Biggest Christmas hits in several families for years

“White christmas” by Bing Crosby (1942) Original

Later he made a more fluent, faster version, which I like more

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O Little Town Of Bethlehem – Bing Crosby

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Bing Crosby “The Secret Of Christmas”

“The Secret Of Christmas” was written by Jimmy Van Heusen and Sammy Cahn for Bing Crosby, and was first performed by Bing in the 1959 film, ‘Say One For Me’. Bing recorded “The Secret Of Christmas” with an arrangement by Frank DeVol for a single that year released by Columbia Records. Bing recorded the song again in 1964 for the album 12 Songs Of Christmas with Fred Waring and His Orchestra.

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It may well be that after World War II our families had to overcome the shocks of the Great War and the last atrocity which showed the cruelty of man and made it so much more important to focus on the better soul of mankind. Perhaps it was truly a much simpler time of Christmas in our nation’s not too distant history.

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Preceding articles

Solstice, Saturnalia and Christmas-stress

Christmas in the 1950s

The Proper Place of Excess

Looking for the consummation of presents

One can buy a lot in the supermarket, but not hope

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Additional reading

1. Creator and Blogger God 11 Old and New Blog 1 Aimed at one man
2. Objects around the birth and death of Jesus
3. Our love for Jesus – A Christian Science perspective
4. Isaiah 55-56, Revelation 11
5. God’s wrath and sanctification

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Further reading and listening

1. Celebrating 365 Days of Legends, Folklore & Spirituality for December 17 – 23 – Saturnalia
2. Countdown to Christmas 17: Saturnalia
3. War On Christmas Memes: Saturnalia
4. Christmas: it’s all about money, not messiahs.
5. Why Did He Come?
6. What Really Happened?
7. He Loves You So
8. 10 Tips for Maintaining a Healthy, Happy, Glow Over Christmas and Into the New Year
9. Cancer survivor supports others battling the disease with massive Christmas light display
10. Giving money for Christmas: When and how to do it right
11. Carols by Candlelight
12. “Hush, now listen…”
13. Hymn, ‘Mary, Did You Know?’
14. Carol, ‘I Saw Three Ships Come Sailing on Christmas Day’
15. Joy to the World, Not Just Another Christmas Carol
16. Christmas Carol Day 17
17. Jubilation
18. Manifestation
19. “For hate is strong and mocks the song”–A Civil war Christmas carol
20. Celebrating Christmas as a Family
21. Holiday Decoration: Celebrate Christmas in Style
22. Dec 18: My somewhere peaceful is Christmas magic
23. New trending GIF tagged 80s christmas vhs 1987…

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Related articles

• Bring Crosby and David Bowie Sing ‘The Little Drummer Boy’… Together
• Countdown to Christmas: Little Saint Nick Plus the 1957 Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby Christmas Special
• Yello80s Advent Countdown day 19: G-d Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
• When Hollywood Celebrated Christmas And Marriage
• Christmas Home Tour {Part One} – and a $500 Giveaway!
• Movie Review – White Christmas with Bing Crosby (1954)
• Unkind not to point
• You’re a good show, Charlie Brown Christmas!
• You need God
• How the world looked when Jesus was born, according to Roman geographers…

The Proper Place of Excess

The Word of God given to us in the Bible or Holy Scriptures tells us to know Who we should worship and what we should not worship. Idolatry of money has crept into the soul of mankind and has poisoned their hearts.

The wisdom teacher of Ecclesiastes says, there is a time for all things under the sun, no to agree with the excess man loves so much, but as a warning how to behave and how and to what to focus.

For those who want to celebrate Christmas for whatever reason they want to give, Christians should remember that it is originally a pagan festival and should better abstain from it. But we do agree in Wintertime it is ideal to socialise at the dark hours and it may be lovely to exchange presents around the turn of the year.

When we provide presents for others they should be given with joy and when it brings such a stress like we hear many tell on television, than there is certainly something wrong.

In so called Christian countries, we also see lots of Christmas markets, but at those ‘great events’ there is not much to see about what they call would be the “reason of the season”. At most Christmas markets there are not many stall about the nativity of the Nazarene Jew nor about that man’s ransom offering. Jesus Christ his birth they often call the reason for the season, but we can not see him much in that season or in people’s homes. Also the attitude of those people gathering at those markets does not speak of such an attitude that master teacher asked from his followers. Most people strolling around at those markets are more concerned about the food and drink opportunities and in buying (ridiculous) gadgets and not to expensive presents.

So many feel obliged just to find an other gadget or an other extra surprise and do hope they themselves also will receive many presents.

In this society where excess has become a way of life, for many it might well be also a way of understanding the world, a way of being and interacting in the world, but for sure many chapters in the bible warn for such an attitude and ask us to focus on the more important immaterial things.

Those who call themselves Christian should wonder where they fall in the consumer trap of the capitalist society and why they do not keep to the festivals ordained by the Most High? the festival for the goddess of light and a celebration for a Santa Claus for sure are no part of those.

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To remember

Thanksgiving here + gone > too much to eat + drink = Excess = regular part of natural order

Excess > consequences = plays important role in survival process

Survival of the fittest + the fertilized

Northern Hemisphere winter = season of rest + recuperation

ancestral winter seasons > forebears rejoiced in gathered harvest, savored freshly slaughtered meat, + delighted in new beer + wine.

Northern Hemisphere ancestors celebrated = winter solstice = December 21 = marking the rebirth of the sun = traditionally been associated with feasts + festivals replete with excesses => secular Christmastime holiday = direct descendant of these revelries.

Roman Saturnalia + misrule, centered on feasting + gift-giving > societal role reversals where servants + peasants became lords + ladies for a day or short season => usually steady tables of fortune turned for a moment

misrule (common in European societies and colonial America) individuals of low socioeconomic status demanded wealthier neighbors + patrons treat them – the servants + peons of society – as if they were the wealthy + deserving

Puritans of Massachusetts infamously outlawing Christmas in late 1600s =/= legendary anniversary of the Savior’s birth > simultaneous misrule celebrations that exalted excesses, some acceptable + others decidedly distasteful.

1800s, misrule evolved > new type of social inversion > persisted to our own day => Christmas made for children

children = miniature adults = occupied bottom rung of social hierarchy along with peasants + servants

Modern secular Christmas – family celebration – created at this time with children becoming focus of charity + goodwill

starting with Black Friday Eve (used to be called Thanksgiving) + continuing through New Year’s Day celebrations = unmatched devotion to consumerism, materialism, consumption, waste, and over-indulgence.

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Preceding

The Culture of Excesses- Losing Humanity

Learning that stuff is just stuff

Material wealth, Submission and Heaven on earth

Looking for the consummation of presents

One can buy a lot in the supermarket, but not hope

 

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Additional reading

1. A time for everything
2. The truth is very plain to see and God can be clearly seen
3. Irminsul, dies natalis solis invicti, birthday of light, Christmas and Saturnalia
4. Holidays, holy days and traditions
5. A new year with hopes and challenges
6. Opportunity!
7. A season of gifts
8. How to Find the Meaning of Life and Reach a State of Peace
9. Material wealth, Submission and Heaven on earth

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Further reading

1. Presents, Presents, and more Presents.
2. Christmas Stress
3. Buying All the Gifts
4. Christmas time!
5. The spirit of Christmas
6. Christmas is not as much about opening our presents as opening our hearts. ~J.L.W. Brooks
7. It’s the Thought that Counts?
8. 30 Ways to Have Yourself a Thrifty Little Christmas
9. 17 Things Only Girls Who Hate Shopping Understand
10. How The Garden Grinch Saved Your Christmas
11. 2015 Holiday Gift Guide
12. My Christmas Gift Guide 2015
13. 15 ways to get into the Christmas Spirit
14. A Special Package
15. The Gift & the Giver
16. Baby Jesus Brings the gifts
17. Blogmas Day 14: Christmas Gift Guide 2015
18. On the 14th day of Christmas…
19. Dear Santa
20. Secret Santa!
21. Why we don’t do Santa
22. Nativity?
23. Christmas Blogging Challenge Day 2 – My Favourite Christmas Tradition
24. The Gift That Keeps on Giving
25. The Holiday Gifting Struggle
26. Do you search? BlogMas
27. Finding God
28. Why Not Do Something Different This Christmas

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Related articles

• Autumnal Equinox
• Autumn Serenade: The Fall Music Puzzler
• What Exactly Is the Autumn Equinox?
• Watch: Man surprises girlfriend by proposing to her on roller coaster
• Christmas Traditions around the World
• Christmas comes earlier for Toronto Bay shoppers
• This Day in History: September 21st- There is a Santa Claus
• Sneak Peek: Do You Hear Jingle Bells?

The T. Carlos Blog

Thanksgiving, once again, is here and gone. I know I had too much to eat and drink. How about you?

Excess is a regular part of the natural order. Our bodies turn excess calories into fat cells – technically, stored energy for later use. Most excess weight, however, is simply lugged around serving unwittingly as a contributing factor to health problems. Alcohol, on the other hand, is eliminated by the body. But a morning-after dehydration headache, caused by excessive drinking, lets you know you overdid it. Long-term excessive drinking, of course, will kill you.

Excess has its consequences.

Excess, nevertheless, plays an important role in the survival process. You and I are here thanks to an excessive amount of spermatozoa, from which emerged one little victor to join forces with an ovum. Survival of the fittest and the fertilized! And not only that, some of the plants which provide food, oxygen, and beauty upon the earth produce seeds for their own reproduction numbering in excess of hundreds…

View original post 687 more words

Looking for the consummation of presents

When the end of the year is coming
people are looking for the consummation of presents

the sexy santa assistants were there to take a photo of you in front of the xmas tree or you could just ask them to take a photo with you and pretend that your girlfriend is a sexy santa assistant See where this picture was taken. [?] (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

We are coming closer to the Winter holidays and in the down side of this globe the Summer holidays. The holidays can be an unsettling time for atheists and the Christmas holidays may be an stressing times for trinitarian Christians. Those Christians also often want to know how atheists can cope with what those Christians call the Season of the Greatest Gift on earth.

Sarah, a dog-faced atheist currently living in North Carolina, writes

Once when talking to a family member who is aware of my atheism and verbal about it, she asked: “Does it bother you when you get Jesus stuff for the holidays?” The truth, yes and no. {Holiday Shopping For Your Token Atheist Friend}

She, like many other atheists and lots of Christians, does not seem to know that all this Christmas event has nothing to do with Christianity or the real Jesus born in Bethlehem. Christmas is a pagan feast of which real Christians should abstain. But many Christians love to think about the true real Greatest Gift on earth mankind received. That was indeed the saviour or the Kristos, Jesus Christ, who was really born in 4BCE, October 17. So, we could wonder why they like to celebrate his so called birthday on the birthday of the goddess of light and on the pagan holy day for that goddess.

Therefore it is strange that as self-proclaimed resident holiday gift adviser, this Sarah gives her guiding rules on how to shop for heathens as follows:

1. Don’t give your atheist friend anything religious.

2. Avoid gifts that use “Christmas” or “Xmas.”

3. Coffee is good. Atheists like coffee. {Holiday Shopping For Your Token Atheist Friend}

When we look in the shop windows we also do not see much that reminds people of the Messiah and what he has given to mankind and why we can look at him as the best gift the world ever got.

Many may say that

“The Word became flesh.”

but do not really know what this means.

A certain Chandy who is also knowing that she is been given a gift, likes to share it, but considers it impossible. she also seems to see the reason.

No one’s bothered, which is fine. People have their own choices and finally, Jesus does love them. Others possibly communicate their theology but I can’t. And in some senses I wish I hadn’t learnt it. {Despairing Resonance}

This December she writes

Blood, bodily fluids, wordless crying are at the heart of Christmas story. It is icky, joyful and fills the senses. {Christmas fragment 1}

When we carefully look around everything turns around getting presents and just making lots of fun. Naturally nothing is wrong with making lots of fun and giving each other presents. Lovely. But to have stress about it?! And to say it is all for Jesus?!

Chandy at WordPress continues

It is icky, joyful and fills the senses.

This is why with so many objects criss crossing the planet it fulfils part of the spirit of Christmas. The handling of the card, the wrapping of the gift, the prising of the plastic, the eating of food, the drinking of wine affirms our bodily humanity; for God affirms bodily humanity in its messy state by taking on a breathing, weeing, gurgling body. {Christmas fragment 1}

Looking at mankind they all seem to look for their luck in stuff.

Everyone seeking love, joy, hope, peace, contentment and seeking to find it in stuff. Anyone who has an eternal perspective sees how silly this is – chasing after wealth and popularity and power. Still the pull of this world is strong. Smell that cheddar? Don’t worry about that spring loaded wire it’s sitting on. “People who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction.”  Wealth isn’t the issue.  Idolatry – love of money is.  (But sometimes wealth breeds the other.) {Contented Consumer?}

Even those Christians who say this is the season of peace are arguing that all those refugees better stayed in their country and would leave our developed society on its own, they not coming to take away some food and quality of life. They forget they themselves never brought anything themselves into this life at start, but got everything given to them, life, education, edible plants, sunshine, rain, the earth. Man is so selfish he thinks he has done it all by himself and that everything belongs to himself. To share it with others is difficult. For that reason such a gift season may not be so bad, because than people have to provide something for somebody else, and they have to spend something from their own money for it, which is not so easy for them. but many have fallen in the trap of the ” tyranny of expectations surrounding this so called Holy Day”.

Those who belong to the wealthy better should think about those who have less. This time of gifts should bring them to think about what gifts we all get in our life. Scripture is not against products that make life better for those who produce them.  It is also not against consuming products. but it warns us how we use our money and warns us about the attitude we can take or have to take with the things we can enjoy.

Scriptures does not say at all that luxury would not be allowed, but it gives us an indication that we should be willing to share with others. The Bible tells us the “Love of money” is wrong and corrupting.

Studies show that those with a lot of it are more narcissistic and less generous.  Our tendency is to think – that’s people who are richer than we are – They are self-absorbed and greedy. {Woes and Watch-out Warnings}

In the West we have become a “Consumer driven society”

Buy, buy, buy. Get, get, get. We’re all buyers; consumers of stuff. There are things we need and things we want. Separating our wants from our needs has become more difficult with the growing ideology of consumerism. The encouragement of acquiring more and more stuff at an increasing pace continues to change our society. The “one who dies with the most toys” philosophy has propelled the age of consumerism as our appetite to acquire things has skyrocketed. I wonder though if this is healthy for our society? {Top Risks for a Consumer-Driven Society}

The Spirit of Christmas (short film) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The way people want to consume is changing and shopping becomes for some less a social activity, but a lonesome internet action, not really interested were it comes form at what cost, as long as he can get it the cheapest.

Senior Vice President of Marketing and Sales for Distinguished Programs Joseph DeRosa warns

So as we enter the Holiday season – whatever Holiday you celebrate – think about your own gift giving habits. If it’s cheaper online, I get it. That’s simply being fiscally responsible. But if it’s not, I’d challenge you to go to the store, walk the aisles, smile at others and say hello. Let’s not slip so far into our rabbit holes that we forget that the difference between living and being alive is the amount of interaction and experience we have with one another. Would any of us really want to be walking around this planet alone? Would that be alive? Not me. Make the choice to live alive. Connect with someone. Today.

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Preceding

Family happiness and little things we do

Halloween is Satanist Christmas

He who beams never walks in the dark

The Evolution Of Passover–Past To Present

Welcome to Easter 2014

Next: One can buy a lot in the supermarket, but not hope

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Additional reading

1. A season of gifts
2. Holidays, holy days and traditions
3. Focus on outward appearances
4. Irminsul, dies natalis solis invicti, birthday of light, Christmas and Saturnalia
5. Christmas, Saturnalia and the birth of Jesus
6. Jesus begotten Son of God #1 Christmas and Christians
7. Jesus begotten Son of God #2 Christmas and pagan rites
8. Objects around the birth and death of Jesus
9. Christmas in Ancient Rome (AKA Saturnalia)
10. Wishing lanterns and Christmas
11. The imaginational war against Christmas
12. Hanukkahgiving or Thanksgivvukah
13. Thanksgivukkah and Advent
14. Holiday tolerance
15. Exodus 9: Liar Liar
16. Autumn traditions for 2014 – 1: Sinterklaas and Zwarte Piet
17. Traditionalists Vow to Fight Charges of Racism in Netherlands
18. Geert Wilders wants mandatory blackface at Dutch festival
19. Being Religious and Spiritual 8 Spiritual, Mystic and not or well religious
20. Self-development, self-control, meditation, beliefs and spirituality
21. Christian values, traditions, real or false stories, pure and upright belief
22. I believe in you…
23. Ember and light the ransomed of Jehovah
24. Why we do not keep to a Sabbath or a Sunday or Lord’s Day #3 Days to be kept holy or set apart
25. Not bounded by labels but liberated in Christ
26. Nativity scene of the birth of the Bill of Rights
27. Brits believe Santa present at Jesus’ birth, new poll reveals
28. Sancta Claus is not God
29. What Jesus sang
30. Merry Christmas with the King of Kings
31. Weekly World Watch 12th – 18th Sept 2010‏
32. Christmas trees
33. I Only hope we find GOD again before it is too late !
34. God’s Special Gift
35. What do you want for Christmas
36. Speedy Christmas!
37. Don’t Envy the World

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Further related postings on the net

1. Christmas Twinkle and Festive Helsinki City Lights
2. You Lived Your Best Life If You Had These ’90s Toys When You Were A Kid
3. 27 of the best 90s toys that prove Christmas used to be way better
4. Five holiday light displays you can’t miss this holiday season
5. The North Poles’ Secret by Zoey Hart #CinnamonTreats
6. Bending History
7. Advent No.12: Gifting guide for friends…
8. Seventh day of Christmas 
9. Joy to the World
10. Advent Day 12
11. 12 Days Of Christmas… ‘This Time Of Year’ by Only Girl
12. The Twelve Days of Christmas: Preparing Families for Emergencies
13. BoyChild Chooses: The 12 Reviews of Christmas, Day 12–McDuff’s Christmas
14. Bear With Me While I Wait For Santa
15. Christmas Gift Guide
16. It’s beginning to look a lot like…
17. How to find the Christmas gifts for your friends and family?
18. Transcending the Financial Border
19. Prepare ye the way of the Lord
20. He Loves to Hear You Pray
21. Christmas prayers for children
22. Christmas 31 Day Scripture Writing Plan: Day 12 – Malachi 3:1-3
23. Advent 2015 – Day 14 – Perfect Peace
24. Holidays for Earth Part II
25. New Bond Street – Xmas 2015
26. The Culture of Excesses- Losing Humanity
27. The foolish man

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Autumn is in the land

Last weekend there was a huge storm in a glass of water. Whilst in Paris several people found an end to their life by terrorist actions in Europe others found an end to their life by the season which reminds many of death.

Storm came over Europe and let us feel again why this season is called Autumn. Still today it is warmer than usual but we have the rain and wind to accompany us and even break our umbrellas. But it does not break our souls, for the warm glue of the changing colours overpowers us.

Autumn fields, Leefdaal, Flemish Brabant, Belgium, European Union

Considered the last month of autumn it looks like only now the season got from the ground swept up by the first heavy winds.
Some may never been a fan of this November or Autumn month. For lots of people November is the month of the dead, and used allusively with reference to the short, damp, cold, or foggy days regarded as characteristic of the northern hemisphere. For those fearing the cold winds of Canada and the warm breezes of the South fighting with each other, around the Great Lakes, may find themselves left in such misery. For those who are having migraines regularly they very well know when it is going to storm or when snow is going to come. That is not a very pleasant feeling and if one has to work it is a very (damn) nuisance.

We have entered a season which may be even more unique than Spring Season. We also may see more different shades of colours than in Spring.

It should not make us sad but should get us up onto our feet, going out to show the winds that we are stronger than they. Though I do agree I am not an hero to go out in the bad weather, and was it not for the dog, I perhaps waited sometimes a bit longer before having a stroll.

I am not a good photographer, so for looking at nice photos I would recommend to go and look at Cindy Knoke and Chae H. Bae their site and some other photographic WordPress sites. But this is the time I use my eyes to linger and to bring a fantasy world to life. No wonder so many writers found enough inspiration in this season and for crime or who-dun-it authors this season is a gold mine.

Aurora borealis by permus by Chae H. Bae

After the Summer holiday most people are back at work and the retired folks who took their Summer vacation at a sunny place somewhere further from home, it is time now to sit at home cosy warm and enjoying some music, film or documentary or entertaining program on television. Hopefully they also will take some time to enjoy the biggest life show on earth. The ever changing colours the big kaleidoscope of nature world.

Behind the glorious red, yellow and orange of the seasons’ leaves many may find a message of death, but often they forget it is all a message of an abundant life where water was taken from deep under the ground and the warmth of the sun was enjoyed and had caressing the tree-trunk, making it grow and glow.

Trees are telling us after all that sun and pleasure it is time to meditate on what went on and on where to go. They are calling to come to a stand still in our rushing world which does not seem to have much space for the wonders of nature. This time the red and yellow are the screaming colours which ask for attention whilst the wind shouts it out load. We can’t ignore the call of our surrounding nature.

At certain places where there are still enough trees in Europe, the elk makes sure that we can hear it is time to find a renewal of intimacy. It is time to come closer to each other again. Be it by the fireplace or by some extra light in the darkness of this season.

Winter is coming. More and more older people are running away from it and going to spend their Wintertime in the South of Europe. But the coldest season of the year does not frighten many youngsters who love to go skying or snowboarding. For many the “old man wrapped in cloak” may bring an invitation to go outdoors again after all the storms and heavy rain of the Autumn months. After that season that looks forward to barrenness and bleakness, the white eiderdown will attract many to go out again to brave the cold.

At moments this season may also be a moment to be in tears for seeing how certain North Americans boast so much they killed a huge bull elk.

A new video with a recent elk hunt in Utah shows how hard work this work may be and how it pays off for some.

From the video maker:

“After years and years of trying, plenty of opportunities and hundreds of miles hiked, I was finally able to fill my over the counter, general season, archery elk tag. This has proven to be one of the most challenging hunts I have ever been on. He is my biggest bull to date by a country mile and I couldn’t be happier with him. Not a lot of action in this video, it has mostly my reaction to the incredible situation I found myself in. All Kuiu, all the time.” {Video: Bowhunting for Bull Elk in Utah}

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Dan Agnew killed a bull in Columbia Co., Wash., after making an impressive 250-yard shot

I agree to be able to have enough winter-meals prepared, for man living in this world, we need hunters and we have to agree some may be hunted. And meat from animals living in the wild always taste better than from farm-animals. As long as those people who want elk antlers to hang on a wall, hunt respectfully for those forest kings it is acceptable and will keep some balance in the forest as well.

We are so closed in, that those animals able to run in the wild, may remind us what man has sacrificed for more comfort and material gadgets they do not always need. So many people have become a slave of their materialism they even do not notice it any more. Now the gusty winds are calling them to remind them that there is life there outside they are missing.

The swaying trees whistle and tell the stories of the past Summer but also of the things to come, calling animals to shelter for the coming Winter.

 

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Preceding articles:

Looking at Autumn

Abscission

Autumn Verses

A Virginia Autumn

The Elk are Bugling~

An Autumn Ramble

You’re Lighter Than Air~

Family happiness and little things we do

Your position about materialistic desires having conquered the world

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Further reading

1. A Lovely Day Trip
2. Moose
3. the elk
4. RMEF Tops $1 Billion in Total Value of All-Time Conservation Efforts
5. More on the Bob Marshall Wilderness Trip
6. A Dozen Elk at Crystal Mountain, WA
7. Different Types of Camping – What is your Preferred Style?
8. [Build an Ecosystem] Rain Gardens
9. Elk Cranberry and Cheddar Meatballs
10. Video: Bowhunting for Bull Elk in Utah
11. Video: Bowhunting for Big Colorado Bull Elk
12. The Top 40 Typical and Non-Typical Elk Records
13. Great Smoky Mountains
14. Elk Crossing
15. Elk Camp – What’s a Beta mom to do?
16. Bits and Bobbs, of a beautiful Autumn
17. Singing Round 203 – November
18. Autumn Farm Scene
19. Macro Photography : fallen leaves by ShinichiSaeki
20. New on 500px : Light on the Grove by gjim9beam by gjim9beam
21. New on 500px : Mating Call by lanremakele by lanremakele
22. New on 500px : Fall colors by jfzhang by jfzhang
23. New on 500px : Sun Valley by MAPhoto
24. New on 500px : Into the unknown by SelahattinNizamPhotography by SelahattinNizamPhotography
25. New on 500px : Autumn by Parkddoven
26. New on 500px : Autumn roads by argiriouvasiliki by argiriouvasiliki
27. New on 500px : Autumn by picspassion by picspassion
28. Basildon Park
29. autumn dusk
30. Autumn leaves have no hiding place from me and my assistant
31. Autumn Poems and Songs for Young Children
32. Willow moon
33. Autumn Reflections – Day 19
34. One day of November
35. Winter Squash and Apple Soup
36. Turkey Vultures?
37. Flowers of autumn
38. Oak Grove in Autumn

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• Extreme Weather Events in History
• The Great Lakes Wind Atlas Could Boost Region’s Wind Energy Development
• Atlas gives clearer picture of Great Lakes offshore wind potential
• Indiana Crops Drying Down Fast
• Fishing Report: Lake Michigan salmon run slows

as we live

There are people in the world who have to face daily horrors nobody would like to encounter.
Everyday we should question the morals which we allow to guide our life.

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Related articles

• Are There Moral Imperatives: A Response to Philippa Foot
• Operation Naked King: Secret DEA Sting in Bolivia Confirms Evo Morales’ Fears About US Meddling
• Cheerleaders ‘raise’ the athletes’…morale (sexy pics)
• Capitalism is moral, and it works: Catholic priest

sheetal sharma

as the clouds part ways for the sunshine
the legions of my heart are bleeding
letter drops wrapped in the fragrance of winter
I am retrieving things I will lose one day
for I am shaped by the morality
the longing that the wind swept away
like a scholar in exile
Even if at times,the road looks to far
I hope it carries my feelings to you
Even if tears fall..until every thing becomes a past
beyond the dreams of history
sleepwalk..for it was like a mid summer night’s dream

View original post

Life isn’t unfair

A thirty something, addicted to music and books, like many others in this world, may have many questions about this life in her head, but unlike many she can still say that life isn’t unfair. And that is not what many dare to say. The home country of her husband is being destroyed more and more day by day and they could quickly go ahead and even shout out how unfair life is but, giving it a second thought, they see also parts in it which don’t let them break down completely.

It is not bad this lady gets stuff out of her mind from time to time. A way to get some thoughts getting from our shoulders is to let them loose in the out. Also by writing down what bothers us we can get rid of certain worrying thoughts or even better, we can share our thoughts so that they not only loosen ourselves but also others.

Roses (Roxe) – From the Tacuinum of Vienna (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The writer of the blog reminds us that we often forget in our life full of stress that there are so many reasons to be thankful and instead complain far too much. In many industrialised countries we might consider that a big problem. People are having so much and are seeing others having so much that they bother more about what the others have and they do not. Jealousy makes many people in the world of abundance very unhappy.

Having a rooftop above the head, being able to put a heather on, many keep harping on the weather. Others like to complain about the job or about the prizes in the supermarkets getting higher. They often have enough food and are teasing others about what to eat. Many may have a lot of things around them which they do not like, but most of them forget how many people in the East or in the South can only dream of our bare minima.

In I have so many reasons to be thankful the writer brings into attention that what many of the Western public long have forgotten. How many senses do we really still want to use properly?

Some may blame the pollution having many of us not having any more the pleasures of smell. Sense of smell should bring us lots of memories and desires. With our eyes we than can see all those flowers, all those colours which wave and tell their story in the wind. How many in the West do still want to hear those stories and notice all those animals which move around in that colourful world?

Going into the Autumn season the world is changing colour and red comes more to have its say in this world where the wind wants to make enough noise to have it tell her own stories whilst the branches of the trees dare to react and go to fight with the powers of nature.

We shall not find it warm enough to take some naps in the sunshine, but our wandering and now and then standing still, we shall still be able to feel truly connected with the nature and earth around us. In this time of turmoil, creepy sounds at night, we can feel at ease indoors, close by the fire, or having it nicely warm while we do know Winter shall be coming soon and bringing the bitter cold. Every day becomes shorter, but we want to fight the darkness and have found the candles “for having a soothing source of light” whenever we feel it is needed. The candle light also can bring memories and whispers in our ears that what we would love to hear, from the past. and in the cosiness of the warm living room we may not forget that we are blessed to have all this around us what can make life easier.

Some SFI Thoughts by Geoffrey West (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Many may not like the rain and forget that without it we would not have so much green. So we should be happy it nourishes our surroundings and let us “listen to its beautiful sound”.

Do not forget to think about all the beautiful things around us and about the many everyday things, so many we so often just take for granted. This coming season let it not get us down in the ‘depri world’ but get it down on our knees to be thankful for all what wee have received before and for all what is in front of us.

Life shows us more than enough possibilities to make the best out of every situation and we need to adjust our expectations. I each and every second there are little moments to treasure, we just have to see life through the eyes of love to uncover them.{Is life unfair?}

Like so many magazines we too would say to listen to your inner voice and to enjoy life.

We are driven by our thoughts and emotions and every single magazine tells you to listen to your inner voice but still your life isn’t happy. {Change your habits to lead a happy life}

In Autumn we may find the wind turning from one site to the other, wanting to push us from here to there, and letting us think no way is the good one.

Life isn’t a one way road and there are always possibilities, you may not see them directly but if you start to dig deeper you will find them.
Instead of waiting for big changes take your life in your hands and start to see all those small things that can change your life without too much efforts – and as always, many small changes sums up to be sometimes more effective than turning your life upside down. {Change your habits to lead a happy life}

In Summer we got the energy from the sun and lots of us went to sunny places to charge our batteries. So, let our full batteries now give enough power to come through Winter, but let it also give new impulses to take time to contemplate and to mediate about which way we want to continue and where we want to go to.

MissFaith Munich knows also that we all struggle at certain times and forget the reasons why we started to do something in first place. She is aware that others may start to doubt but that we are better to believe in ourself.

whatever comes along you can succeed. People who start to doubt because of others may lose track and fall, but if you stand up for your dreams and show all disbeliever that you will make it you will create a certainty within yourself.  {Never stop to be a dreamer…}

Now comes the time there will be lesser outdoor-activities and more time to stay indoors at our own little place. Perhaps it is now not so bad to take some more time to come to ourselves. Why not making time to get a more relaxed mind. That means not putting our mind asleep, but giving place to a creative mind which

can bring you forward so stand on your toes, open your arms wide, close your eyes and breathe – life isn’t that complicated! {Never stop to be a dreamer…}If not you, who else will follow your dreams? {Never stop to be a dreamer…}

To come to a relaxed mind come to trust yourself and trust the loved ones around you. as the writer of the mentioned articles also knows:

To rebuild life from within, a wonderful thought but at the same time quite scary.
It seems so much easier to build our life from the outside.
Dress up, sit in a fancy restaurant, surround yourself with hip friends and enjoy.
Easy as that, isn’t it? {Rebuilding Life from Within}

The coming Winter we can take some more time for ourselves, getting closer to the ‘one within’.

The earlier you realize that our “within” is the essential part the better as you haven’t caused too much damage within a short time. {Rebuilding Life from Within}

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Please read the full articles:

1. Is life unfair?
2. Change your habits to lead a happy life
3. Rebuilding Life from Within
4. Never stop to be a dreamer…

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Additional reading:

1. Be Honest
2. Be an Encourager
3. How do Other People Feel About Mental Health?
4. What IF you’re only driven by stress?
5. Depression Is and When
6. Depression, Anxiety, Pressure and megachurches
7. Being ‘broke’ a state of mind
8. Fear, struggles, sadness, bad feelings and depression
9. Oh god, this is never going to end!
10. Materialism, would be life, and aspirations
11. Ageing and Solidarity between generations
12. Try driving forward instead of backwards
13. A little ray of sunshine.
14. Getting fate in your change to positiveness
15. Searching for fulfilment and meaning through own efforts, facing unsatisfaction and depression
16. Give thanks to the One Who gave much
17. By counting our blessings we not only feel good, but we multiply our good
18. God should be your hope
19. Joy: Foundation for a Positive Life
20. Remember there’s a light in the next day
21. Receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken
22. You’re Lighter Than Air~
23. O’ Captain! My Captain!
24. Coming Out Of The Bipolar Closet
25. Self-development, self-control, meditation, beliefs and spirituality
26. To be relapsing
27. Pieces
28. Thanksgiving wisdom: Why gratitude is good for your health
29. Aligned
30. Importance of parents 1
31. Belonging to or being judged by
32. Wisdom Quote #21…..seeking within with Carl Jung!
33. Shelter in the morning
34. Control and change
35. Words in the world
36. A person is limited only by the thoughts that he chooses
37. Accommodation of the Void
38. When you think you have nothing to say or to show
39. Think hard before you act today
40. Two forms of Freedom
41. Don’t let anyone move you off the foundation of your faith
42. Light within
43. Wondering
44. Know by trying
45. Keep positive
46. A cheerful heart filled of hope good medicine
47. Hope as long as you live
48. Gods word like a surgeons scalpel
49. Without God no purpose, no goal, no hope
50. A call easy to understand
51. Getting of at the fence
52. Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience
53. A gift of 86,400 seconds
54. Know Who goes with us and don’t try to control life

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Related articles

• Act Your Age (fernandogros.com)
  The common line is your teens are a time to experiment and enjoy the freedom you will not have in later life. But, this might be changing as social media is apt to keep all our teenage mistakes alive, digitally, for the rest of our lives (especially with video and photos). Moreover, many of the life-defining decisions my grandparent’s generation made in their teens (what career, who to marry, where to live) are now deferred into people’s twenties and even thirties.In fact, being a teenager today might be more about experiencing (or resisting) a narrowing of horizons. The internet is making a lot of teens more tribal, with narrower, rather than broader tastes in music, film and the arts. And, while many key decisions in life are being deferred, prejudices and attitudes are sometimes being hardened earlier, especially in countries where the effects of globalisation are being strongly resisted.So, the teenage years shouldn’t just be a time to experiment with identity and freedom, but also with ideas. It’s a time to learn how to make friends, but also, how to work and collaborate with people who we maybe don’t get along with that well, or perhaps don’t even understand. It’s a time to keep the candle of cultural curiosity alight, before the 24/7 news cycle, internet content farms like BuzzFeed and the workplace water cooler try to snuff it out.
• The Beauty Of Limits (awildhealing.wordpress.com)
  In the everyday world, the outward changes I’ve made (and been forced to make by the power of fate, a power that seemed to know more than I did about the beauty of having faith) – finally leaving a job that supported the parasitic financial industry, and abandoning the vain and empty hope of a ‘bigger, brighter future’ in London where I would one day ‘make it’, or at least be able to keep up with the others ‘making it’ – to become what, in our current success-obsessed culture, would be classed a ‘failure’.The old skin has shed away, and as I get used to living with the eyes and hands of a beginner, and continue to integrate all that I have learnt piecemeal these last few years, I realise that becoming whole and remaining sane in an increasingly insane world is more of a struggle than it needs to be because our culture – and us, as active participants in it – refuses to acknowledge the central part that limits play in balancing our relationship to the world around us.
• Uniting the People of the world (filmsforaction.org)
  The more intellectual and thorough our analysis, the more we become entangled in an endless examination of commercialisation and its grievous effects. We find there is no end to its web of complexity. Yet there is nothing theoretical or academic about the family that doesn’t have enough food to eat, that cannot afford to see a doctor, that has no right in some countries even to debate or protest. The more we write and intellectualise, the more we criticise and contest, the more insoluble become the many crises of the world.
• Rebuilding The Nation: Lessons From Other Lands By Governor Babatunde Fashola (abusidiqu.com)
  in addition to material reconstruction, there is an urgent and massive need for moral and spiritual reconstruction as well: the kind of reconstruction which will help to demolish morbid desire for naked power and domination; abuse and misuse of power and office; greed, selfishness, and intolerance; nepotism, favouritism, jobbery, bribery, and other forms of corruption; and erect, in their places, probity, tolerance, altruism, and devotion; equality of treatment, justice, equity, and fair play to all.”
• Rebuilding Nigeria: Lessons from Other Lands – by Gov Fashola (olufamous.com)
  the reality is that this rebasing did not, and has not, addressed chronic poverty, infrastructure decay, creeping authoritarianism, mass youth unemployment, adult underemployment, burgeoning insecurity and overall bad governance, and other challenges that confront the country.

You’re Lighter Than Air~

In the West of Europe we are getting the Autumn winds and rains and the days getting shorter and darker. It is the beginning of a period when more people do feel the darkness of life coming over them and by February many feeling it to much to face it further.

The wind in Summer may never be looked at so dangerously as the winds in Autumn . A few weeks ago we regularly could see people gliding in the air, kite-surfing or on the beaches finding children and adults alike, enjoying their guidance of a kite high up in sky. They trusted they would not loose their kite and those who were hanging on a kite trusted they could come down safely in a field or on a square.

For many the last few months were the time to put away their ‘human stressors, worries and blues’. Would it not have been nice not only to temporarily banish them by a simple afternoon, in a stiff wind, flying a kite?

Let us find in ourselves the power to have a light breeze which takes away the worries of the day. that we may trust in everything we have in ourselves to face this world and to go each coming day of Winter.

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Related articles

• how to cut big kite using small kite : kite tips and tricks (goazeem.org)
  Make sure you use quality kite thread. Kite thread place an important role. Today among the various kite threads Chinese manja is very famous. This kite thread is also known as China thread. Earlier people used Manja which was made by people itself.
• Weifang-Kite Capital of the World (chinatraveltips.net)
  Located in the middle of Shandong Peninsula, Weifang (wéi fāng 潍坊) is the heart of the urban agglomerations in Shandong Peninsula.
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  During the Spring-and-Autumn-Period and the period of the the Warring States, some 2300 years ago, the first kite had been developed in the province of Shandong. The long literary tradition of China enables us to find more detailed information. Regarding to the book of Han Fei Zi (hán fēi zǐ 韩非子), the master of joinery Mu Zi (mò zǐ 墨子) had been constructing within three years time of development a man-lifting kite, known as the Wooden-Black-Eard-Kite. Some time later the master of joinery named Lu Ban (lǔ bān 鲁班), had been building another Wooden-Black-Eard-Kite, that had been used as reconaissance device above the ancient city of Song Cheng (sòng chéng 宋城). Both masters originate from the ancient state of Lu, today named Qufu (qǔ fù 曲阜).
• Spreading joy high in the sky (ocregister.com)
  The Natansons are aware they “sell fun,” but they take their work very seriously. Along with running the shop, the couple also co-host the annual Japan America Kite Festival, which will celebrate its 18th year in Seal Beach on Oct.19.

  The Natansons began serving the local kite community after the 2007 death of Monty Weston, who helped create the festival, shop and club with her son Randy nearly 20 years ago.

  They see the festival as a way to expose more adults and families to kites. It is their passion because they know their customers can always channel childlike wonder and fulfillment through them.

  “You can’t not smile when flying a kite,” Knievel-Natanson, 34, said.

• Weather breaks for second annual Kite Fest (billingsgazette.com)
  The second annual Kite Fest attracted varying degrees of kite fliers ranging from the novice to the highly skilled — and nearly every age on the birthday spectrum.

  Kite Fest was sponsored by the Yellowstone River Parks Association and SkyWindWorld Foundation, a nonprofit organization that organizes kite exhibits in major public venues.

• 50-feet-wide kite to dot city sky tomorrow (thehindu.com)
  A giant kite will be flown in the backdrop of the Chamundi Hills on October 1 in an attempt to enter the Limca Book of Records. Pawan Solanki, a kite flier from Ahmedabad, will fly a 50-feet wide kite at Lalitha Mahal helipad after 3 p.m. as part of the Dasara Kite Festival which begins on September 30.
• Kite-surfer knocks out swimmer’s teeth – why? (sandiegoreader.com)
  On a busy day you can count 20 or more kite-surfers sailing with the surfers. Sometimes they spray water on the surfers as they go by, and some jump directly over the surfers while going against the wave. Obviously they are being propelled by the wind and not the wave. This is important because the definition of a surfboard is a non-inflatable device that is carried along or propelled by the action of the waves. If the kite-surfer is jumping a wave going seaward, it is not being carried along or propelled by the wave, and hence is not considered a valid surfboard that is allowed in a board-surfing area.
• Flying Kites (therandomwritings.com)
  I counted 2 dozen kites in the sky, and we knew more would be going up as the afternoon progressed. So many kites in a limited space means you have to have some skills as a flier–I witnessed a few crashed perpetuated by less-than-expert handlers.

Cindy Knoke

with your fist holding tight, to the string of your kite~

Mary Poppins

Have you ever considered how many human stressors, worries and blues, could be temporarily banished by a simple afternoon, in a stiff wind, flying a kite?

It’s hard not to smile and laugh when your flying a kite, at least when you successfully get it in the air.  But then, the crashes are pretty funny too!

And it’s difficult to be depressed, and smiling and laughing, at the same time.

There is something about flying a kite that brings out the joy of the child, no matter how long buried, in all of us.

If you don’t believe me, look at these people. I’m sure all of them have a lot of worries. (I have been a therapist for thirty years, trust me on this).

But right now? Flying kites? Not so much.

So if life is…

View original post 42 more words

Searching for fulfillment and meaning through own efforts, facing unsatisfaction and depression

Dark season to cope with

On “Voice, the Christian E-book blog” in Winning the War against Depression and Anxiety: An Interview with Perry Noble is given an interview about Depression and Anxiety is with Perry Noble, founder and senior pastor of NewSpring Church, a multicampus church whose mission is to reach 100,000 people in South Carolina with the gospel.

Mostly the Winter season is marked with people having a lot of difficulty to cope with depression. Spring brings more anxiety to people feeling sometimes pressed in a corner or not able to develop their own talent. Seeing everything coming up  in the parks and fields they become frustrated that nature looked death, but every year can recover so much and bring every time such new beautiful things, whilst they can not.

Today people are not concerned about God and His Creation, but they always will be confronted by that creation. In a way this may become a little bit frustrating for them and for the believers who would like to bring the unbelievers closer to the Creator. By those believers there also may rise a lot more questions when everything comes to live again, and they do not see Spring coming into their life, but see them getting older and less vibrant.

Spring-cleaning

Spring brings also the Spring-cleaning and making us to confront the old things, deciding what to throw away and what to keep but brings also questions, how to continue, and what to do this year. More than the 1st of January people now get wondering what to do and how to succeed in this New Year.

For many, like us it might be the start of trying to meet more  people and getting them to see where they and we are and bringing them to where they and we need to be in a relationship with Jesus and his Father, which should be also Our Father, the Most High God.

People will always get offended—it’s inevitable. The question we have to ask is: would we rather offend religious people or lost people? When Jesus healed on the Sabbath, he offended the religious people at the same time he healed a lost person.  {Perry Noble}

Searching for fulfilment and meaning

Perry Noble thinks people are searching for fulfilment and meaning through their own efforts — jobs, money, cars, kids, hobbies— whatever the next big thing might be. The reality, though, is we’ll only be truly fulfilled when we have a relationship with Jesus Christ.

Today we find a lot of people who become frustrated because they can not reach the goals they had set in front of them. Everywhere they seem to see negative elements, blocking their advancement. Lots of people do not feel they get recognition for what they do and having their work not being appreciated they start doubting in the quality of their work or in their ability to bring something others can appreciate.

Man who do not seem to get out of the darkness become struggling with depression. They do not dare to come to others with their problems and do not want to see they are depressed and perhaps need help from specialised people. They need to ask for help immediately.

Elements that can help

Noble who’s first book, Unleash! Breaking Free from Normalcy was a New York Times bestseller, also has struggled with depression. He says:

I was overwhelmed (in an awesome way) with an amazing amount of encouragement and support by my church when I shared my struggle with depression.

For so long, I thought I should be able to pray away how I was feeling or snap out of it and if I did tell anyone what was going on, they would think I was a bad Christian or didn’t really love Jesus. That’s just not true and only by speaking up and asking for help was I able to see this. I don’t think anything is wrong with medication if it’s something a doctor recommends. If you needed medicine to fix your heart you would take that, so why wouldn’t you take medicine to help fix your brain?

Our relationship with our brain and moods

Complete neuron cell diagram. Neurons (also known as neurones and nerve cells) are electrically excitable cells in the nervous system that process and transmit information. In vertebrate animals, neurons are the core components of the brain, spinal cord and peripheral nerves. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

It looks like many people are afraid for their own brain. Certainly when their brain does things they themselves do not like it to do.

It’s often said that depression results from a chemical imbalance, but that figure of speech doesn’t capture how complex the disease is. Research suggests that depression doesn’t spring from simply having too much or too little of certain brain chemicals. Rather, depression has many possible causes, including faulty mood regulation by the brain, genetic vulnerability, stressful life events, medications, and medical problems. It’s believed that several of these forces interact to bring on depression. {What causes depression? first printed in Understanding Depression, a Special Health Report from Harvard Medical Schooll}

We got to know that the brain, and not the heart is the centre of our life and the place for all our emotions. We would love to control those areas of the brain which help to regulate mood, but we do not seem to be always in control of them.

Researchers believe that — more important than levels of specific brain chemicals — nerve cell connections, nerve cell growth, and the functioning of nerve circuits have a major impact on depression. Still, their understanding of the neurological underpinnings of mood is incomplete.

Experts have long wondered why, if depression were primarily the result of low levels of neurotransmitters, people don’t feel better as soon as levels of neurotransmitters increase.

The answer may be that mood only improves as nerves grow and form new connections, a process that takes weeks. In fact, animal studies have shown that antidepressants do spur the growth and enhanced branching of nerve cells in the hippocampus. So, the theory holds, the real value of these medications may be in generating new neurons (a process called neurogenesis), strengthening nerve cell connections, and improving the exchange of information between nerve circuits. If that’s the case, medications could be developed that specifically promote neurogenesis, with the hope that patients would see quicker results than with current treatments.

Depression connections in the brain 5 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Regulating mood

Many of our brothers in our community believe that the ultimate goal in treating the biology of depression is to improve the brain’s ability to regulate mood.

We now know that neurotransmitters are not the only important part of the machinery. But let’s not diminish their importance either. They are deeply involved in how nerve cells communicate with one another. And they are a component of brain function that we can often influence to good ends.

Every part of your body, including your brain, is controlled by genes. Genes make proteins that are involved in biological processes. Throughout life, different genes turn on and off, so that — in the best case — they make the right proteins at the right time. But if the genes get it wrong, they can alter your biology in a way that results in your mood becoming unstable. In a genetically vulnerable person, any stress (a missed deadline at work or a medical illness, for example) can then push this system off balance.

Mood is affected by dozens of genes, and as our genetic endowments differ, so do our depressions. The hope is that as researchers pinpoint the genes involved in mood disorders and better understand their functions, treatment can become more individualized and more successful. Patients would receive the best medication for their type of depression.

But mood is also a lot influenced from outside, the people we meet, the activities we see developing around us, how people interact, etc..

View of the world and influential factors

sympathy|for|the|anxiety|explosion (Photo credit: massimo ankor)

Cognitive psychologists point out that your view of the world and, in particular, your unacknowledged assumptions about how the world works also influence how you feel. You develop your viewpoint early on and learn to automatically fall back on it when loss, disappointment, or rejection occurs. For example, you may come to see yourself as unworthy of love, so you avoid getting involved with people rather than risk losing a relationship. Or you may be so self-critical that you can’t bear the slightest criticism from others, which can slow or block your career progress.

How we look at the world can be influenced by many factors, but for sure the media are not helping to have a positive look on it. Therefore we on this site world love to have an other look at the world and see the positive aspects of the world. Therefore we would like to put some photographs , like the previous one published, more in the picture. When you see all those little flowers coming up and giving colour unto our world, we should also like to give colour to our world we are living in.

Many affected by stressful experiences

In the United States of America nearly 19 million adults each year are affected by depression and worldwide we may find more than 35 million people having problems with it. Many of them do not see any more the beauty of nature and do not see any more what marvellous things this world has to offer.

The depression they got in often followed stressful experiences. The brain interprets events and decides if they are threatening, then controls the behavioural and physiological responses to those events. The brain’s reaction to stress is useful in that it supplies extra energy to help a person act on or flee from dangerous situations. Sometimes, however, brain chemical levels that increase during stressful situations stay at high levels and cause problems such as depression.

Would it not better to avoid such route where we went to far on the wrong (site) track? And can we not see by people around us when they are floating away?

Some may think

This world is becoming More Wicked by the moment: and If We; the older men and women, do not speak up: Then How Will the Young Folks learn anything about history?

Knowing history, knowing how people reacted in the past, will avoid that people go again in the same wrong direction.

Depression is a very real issue and it has impacted everyone—either it’s happened to us or someone we know. I think the church needs to talk about this issue and help people understand what the Bible says about overcoming fear, anxiety, and stress. The church should be a place where people meet Jesus, find hope, and have the courage to ask for help! {Winning the War against Depression and Anxiety: An Interview with Perry Noble}

Having eyes for the other and helping each-other

Each of us can help a person not getting so far that he or she gets into a depression. We should see when people around us get more into a deep well or in a bottomless pit. By being positive ourselves we can radiate ourselves positiveness that can infect others, making them to see the bright site of life.

Depression is dark and lonely, and there is a misconception that Christians shouldn’t struggle with depression; if you love Jesus, you should just be able to pray it away. But that’s just not true!

Many times, if things are messy, the church doesn’t want to talk about it. {Winning the War against Depression and Anxiety: An Interview with Perry Noble}

Churches should also talk about this and other matters people do have to struggle with, also when they are Christian. It is not because we have accepted Jesus in our life that we are free of pain and struggle. Do not believe that. But be sure in our faith we can find guidance and lots of help to be able to cope better with those struggles.

In most cases, people will identify with your pain more than they will your success. Sharing stories of your past and where God has brought you from could help someone take the next step with Jesus. If God can use my pain for someone else’s progress, then I want him to use it! {Winning the War against Depression and Anxiety: An Interview with Perry Noble}

Believers and non-believers, people adhering a religion or not, have to see that depression, anxiety, and fear are very real struggles. They should know that they can help each other to overcome it. Every person in the community should take care he or she is no cause that an other shall come in problems or would feel bad.

To endure

Those who are Christian should remember the pains Jesus and his family had to endure. They should remember how Jesus his mother continued her life and how the brothers and sisters went on after Jesus was killed. One of his brothers got the strength to to continue the preaching of his brother, telling not about the negative point that he had lost his brother Jesus, but telling about the positive news his resurrection for us was.

In Christianity we can see how many overcome the many struggles they had to face. Also today we still can find many living proofs that it is possible to overcome being overwhelmed.

We should stop being held back by life’s everyday struggles, and learn to overcome stress and anxiety. And we should concentrate ourselves on the nice things this world may offer to all living people, religious and non-religious. Those who have faith in the Only One True God, should show others how they are and can be further blessed by the Magical Hand of the Divine Creator. So that others may see the marvellous things this world has to offer and how we may enjoy it all.

We all can do much more than we think. Because all people are created in the image of God theyall have received inner forces from the Creator. When we are willing to look in ourselves for those inner forces, we shall be able to use them. Even when you do not believe in God, you would be better to start looking for those inner forces which are implanted in your being. By opening your mind for the search of those inner forces you might well be able to find that what gets you stronger and shall enable you to recover much faster than synthetic medical drugs can do. Animals in the wild do not have the doctor and medicines with them, but they can help themselves by what nature is providing for them. Start seeing what is in nature to help you live a better and easier life.

 

Robert Plutchik’s Wheel of Emotions (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

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Find additional reading:

1. Meaning of life
2. Feed Your Faith Daily
3. My Christadelphian Faith

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• Subjects in Distress

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Related articles

• An Honest Christian Look At Depression: Perry Noble’s Book, “Overwhelmed” (johnweirick.com)
  “I wanted to kill myself.”Few people want to admit that, and even fewer pastors would.
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  “Overwhelmed” is not for people who have it all together. It’s not for those among us who seem to glide through life, unaffected by tragedy or discomfort. This book won’t help someone who lives a conflict-free life. Anyone who’s got a perfect family, a perfect past, and no fears or doubts — just skip this book. And for those who expect to get everything they want out of life and never suffer resistance of any kind, this book will be completely useless.
• My Opinion on Overwhelmed book by Perry Noble (chunton.wordpress.com)
  The book taught me that if you are in Christ Jesus He’s for you and if He’s for you He loves you and with all of things on your side nothing can hold you back and keep you down! No matter what you’re facing Jesus is greater and He wants you to overcome not be overwhelmed!
• Blog on Perry Noble quote (chunton.wordpress.com)
  The church today needs to focus more on pointing people to Jesus and the fact that He’s alive! The fact that the resurrection happened should be a weekly topic on our church’s because that’s just not something one can simply get over if they truly love Jesus.
• Three Resources by Perry Noble (resourcesforus.wordpress.com)
  Perry provides honest scenarios and practical solutions on how to win the war against worry.This is a book that can help you learn more about the character of God and His ability to help you through these difficult times in your life. You CAN overcome being overwhelmed!”
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  Pastor Perry Noble challenges all followers of Christ to make a bold move by fully embracing the exciting adventure God has called us to. Are you ready to unleash all the life he has created you to live?
• What Is Depression? Examining the Link Between The Physical and The Emotional (Part 1) (megsanity.com)
  People around you owe you more than, “It’s all in your head.” Because that simply isn’t true.
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  Kramer notes that depressives may actually have more realistic views of the world, for example understanding that they aren’t likely to win the lottery or a poker game. However, they are actually less likely to listen to those instincts which leads to a self-fulfilling prophecy of doom and reinforcement.
• Is Depression Just Bad Chemistry? (scientificamerican.com)
  The general idea is that a deficiency of certain neurotransmitters (chemical messengers) at synapses, or tiny gaps, between neurons interferes with the transmission of nerve impulses, causing or contributing to depression. One of these neurotransmitters, serotonin, has attracted the most attention, but many others, including norepinephrine and dopamine, have also been granted supporting roles in the story.
• Unraveling the Mystery of How Antidepression Drugs Work (scientificamerican.com)
  Depression strikes some 35 million people worldwide, according to the World Health Organization, contributing to lowered quality of life as well as an increased risk of heart disease and suicide. Treatments typically include psychotherapy, support groups and education as well as psychiatric medications. SSRIs, or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, currently are the most commonly prescribed category of antidepressant drugs in the U.S., and have become a household name in treating depression.
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  Everyone could use a little confession every now and again to get out what’s been eating them inside. The philosophical “black bile” seems like recalled memories that trigger episodes, and an inability to control the reaction. Who doesn’t engage in percussive maintenance when they encounter an embarrassing thought? Pills aren’t going to fix that unless they make you numb, which also means prevented growth.
• 4 Quick Tips for Helping Someone With Depression (thereseborchardblog.com)
  Education is always the starting point because until a spouse or daughter or friend of a depressed person understands the illness, it is impossible to say or do the right thing to be supportive. Do your own research by going online to NAMI.org (National Alliance of Mental Illness) or dbsalliance.org (Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance), by doing your own Google search, or by reading some of the articles about depression on this site.
• Pastor Perry Noble Taking 2 Month Leave from Megachurch (blackchristiannews.com)
  The extended leave is not due to a marriage, family or church problem, he has clarified. Instead, Noble said he realized he needed to do “what sets me up for long-term success and sets this church up for the same way.”
  With 90 percent of people entering into ministry and not finishing and some pastors being worked too hard by their church, he noted, he decided to take a sabbatical.
  Noble made the announcement to his congregation, which draws around 16,000 people every weekend, last week. Attendees expressed their support of his decision.
• Perry Noble on Modern Day Phariseeism (blackchristiannews.com)
  I became obsessed with religious rules and legalism and forgot all about the grace that God had poured out on me through Jesus. As I look back on that time in my life there are eight things that really defined me…
  #1 – I was way more obsessed with the sins and shortcomings of others and made it my obsession to point out their faults so that I did not have to deal with my own. (Matthew 23:27-28)

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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Related articles

• 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)