What’s the Buzz ~ Holy Week 2018 ~ The Glass Turns

Greetings Dear Reader,

Waiting has become an acquired necessary skill for me. It is not something for which I have a taste and often I dislike it greatly.  It is a requirement in life.  In waiting there are great lessons to be had.

If you have ever turned and hour glass over to restart it, there is that moment where everything is shifting. The sand moves from bottom to top.  Time itself is turned upside-down.  There is that instant where one waits for the time to move again.

This is the moment we are in today.  We wait as Jesus is in the tomb.  We mourn the death and wonder what is next.  Literally everything hangs in the balance as we wait.  There is no random chance to be concerned with.  There is no second plan to review. 

Either Jesus will rise or he will not.  There will be life or we will all perish.  All the faithful can do is wait.  All that belief can buy me is hope.  I cannot make the sand flow again.  Time is full and I must wait.  The world is in need of the promised resurrection.  I cannot force the issue.

The hand that will turn the hours glass is the Father.  I have the advantage of knowing that he will.  Today, however, I remember the value of waiting.  I ponder the not knowing if I were there then.  I choose to have faith that it happened and is real. 

It was Friday with all its darkness and pain.  It is Saturday with the mourning and waiting that holds either hope or despair.  I do not assume that I would be faithful were I there on this day.  I would likely be hiding with the others; exercising fear instead of faith.  It was Friday, today is Saturday, but Sunday is coming…

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

What’s the Buzz ~ Holy Week 2018 ~ Into the Darkness

Greetings Dear Reader,

We are the ones who kill.  We are the ones who took things from good to bad.  We invent new ways to destroy each other.  We are the ones who need forgiveness and redemption.

When we come to this day there is nothing to mitigate our guilt.  I am as guilty as Pilate, the Sanhedrin, and the Romans with whip and hammer.  God’s blood is on my hands.  His beating and humiliation are caused by my failure to love him as I should.  I may share the guilt with others but it never lessens mine.

Then there is the rest of the truth.  The vital kernel of the truth that makes it all necessary.  I need this death to live.  I cannot have my failures forgiven if Christ does not die for me.  I cannot earn forgiveness.  I cannot buy it.  Nothing I do will repair the rift my sin creates.

Then the Father sends the Son knowing that this is how the end begins. This is the last bit of sand that needs to fall through the pinch before the glass can be turned.  This is the long day and night of redemption.  This has been the plan all along.  No one takes the life of Jesus.  He lays it down freely.  He came to rescue us from ourselves. 

We can plan our meals and pick out our pretty floral bonnets. However, what I must carry is truth of the dying God.  The God who became like me, so much like me, so that he could rescue me from my own failures.  It is in this truth that I arrive at the cross and await the resurrection.  It is in this moment that I look upon the full cost of my own sin.

Now we wait.  We wait in sorrow and hope.  We wait in faith and fear.  It is Friday…

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

What’s the Buzz ~ Holy Week 2018 ~ He Is Not Like Me

Greetings Dear Reader,

To me this day is one of the darkest days in all of history.  We excel as a species in abandoning those who love us.  We are experts at betrayal and treachery.  We are the ones who destroy and deny.

Now imagine that you are the one being handed over.  Imagine that you know all of the plans of your friends.  You even know what they will do when pressed about your friendship.  You know who will deny you.  You know where you will go and what will be done to you.  You have full knowledge of the plan and your part in it.

If this is me I fight for things to be different.  If this is Jesus he tells them he knows, reminds them of his love, and carries on with the Passover Meal.  He has the power to destroy them with a thought.  Instead he reminds them to have faith and that he needs them.

Judas leaves to set up the arrest in the Garden.  Jesus goes to the garden to pray.  He allows the grief and sorrow to be real. He asks if there is any other way whilst his friends snore away their meal.  He sweats blood.  The down payment of our redemption is made.  The angels come to comfort him. 

Again, I am no better than his abandoning friends.  I have no prideful place to stand saying I would be more faithful or loyal.  I wish that I were but I must deal in truth.  As I move toward the cross and the resurrection all that I can do is express gratitude. 

I am obligated to see the horror that unfolds and understand my place in it.  If I do not see that my failures are part of what caused all of this then I am lying to myself.  This is not a call of a martyr’s guilt.  It is a raw recognition of my part in the death of Christ.  It is my place to accept this, be humbled by it, and continue to follow in faith.  He is not like me.  I long to be like him.

A Little More Like Me – Kenny Rogers

It was an April night and I was right

Been out on the town

The show was at the palace

So we all went on down

We all had a ball as I recall

But now it seems absurd

As the madness raged upon the stage

He didn't say a word

He was a little weird and we all feared

He wasn't one of us

He didn't drink, he didn't smoke

And he didn't even cuss

You'd see him now and then

With a bunch of men hanging around the sea

And I'm sure I would have liked him more

If he were a little more like me

It was a springish each day

The clouds were gray

Looked like it might rain

Thought about the night before

And I was so ashamed

When I heard what they had done to him

A stranger I had known

But as drunk as we all got last night

It's a wonder we got home

He was a little weird and we all feared

He wasn't one of us

He didn't drink, he didn't smoke

And he didn't even cuss

You'd see him now and then

With a bunch of men hanging around the sea

And I'm sure I would have liked him more

If he were a little more like me

And I'm sure I would have liked him more

If he were a little more like me.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

What’s the Buzz ~ Holy Week 2018 ~ What’s Your Price?

Greetings Dear Reader,

Through my years as a professor I have had occasion where students offered to bribe me for a grade.  I would respond with this: “I am not foolish enough to believe that I do not have a price.  I do have one.  If, however, you could afford it you would not be in school here.”

We all have a price.  Mine is high enough that no one can afford it.  Today is called Spy Wednesday.  It is the day that we think that Judas met with the Sanhedrin to arrange to hand over Jesus to them.  Most use the word betrayal.  I have written about this and have a novel in the works that maps out my thoughts about Judas.

Just yesterday Jesus reminds us of the vast need for faith and forgiveness.  I wonder if we have all forgiven Judas.  I wonder if we understand that his price was not that much different than ours.   I may be hard to buy as a teacher but I have sold other aspects of honor and truth in the past far too cheaply to judge anyone.

My sin is no less or greater than his.  My failures make me just as guilty.  I must approach the cross and the resurrection with full honesty that I am as bad as Judas when it comes to sin.  So are you Dear Reader.  We are all guilty of handing over Christ for something.

I must leave behind the things that I value more than my place with Christ.  I must abandon the things that I treasure that are not connected to the Gospel.  In any moment I can be tested in this. The practice of doing well and faith will see me through the moment.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Second Thoughts ~ A Day of Wondering

Greetings Dear Reader,

Sometimes I will end the day with thoughts that are important to get out.  Usually I just write them and put them in my journal folder.  I have chosen that on occasion I will share them with you, Dear Reader.

Today is my Daughter, Rachel’s birthday.  This is going to sound dark but I promise it ends well.  Her death changed so many things in my life and the lives of my family.  I have spent the morning in silence thinking about my life since her departure from it.

I still have so much pain in regards to her loss.  There is this thing that happens.  As parents we store up so much love for our children when we really love them.  When they die it has no place to go.  It shifts to pain and questions.  It transforms to bitterness if we are not careful.  You do not get over it or past it.   

Some years the pain is deeper than others.  This year it is heavy and dark.  This year I want to flee from everything that hurts and become solitary in solitude.  That, however, would dishonor my Daughter who has died and my Children who live.  They all have their own pain associated with death.  I do not fully understand theirs and I know that no human has plumbed the depths of mine.

Still the day is the day.  I will mark it, I will grieve and follow on to what is next.  This pain reminds me to love deeper.  It moves me to believe with more certainty.  It asks me to measure the fullness of my faith and then find more. 

I see why it is so important to me that others come to me when I am in need.  The cycles of abandonment and pain of loss bubble in the mire of my darkness.  Departed too soon she is a reminder of this.  She is a focus for the dark rays spawned by loss.  I cannot change this.  I can only move through the journey in faith that it is not all there is.   She cannot come to me.  Some day, when the time is right and I have traveled far enough, I will go to her.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

What’s the Buzz ~ Holy Week 2018 ~ Fig Trees and Pretense

Greetings Dear Reader,

When Jesus comes upon a fig tree in full leaf, he rightly assumes that is has fruit even though it is not fig fruit season.  The tree is telling everyone that it has fruit.  It is “acting” as if it has the thing it is supposed to produce.

Jesus condemns the tree.  It dies.  He uses the lesson to teach his followers faith.  It is significant for so many reasons but the fact that he seizes on faith and forgiveness matters.  He knows that the tree has no fruit.  He knows that the faith of his followers will be tested.  He knows that they will have need to forgive in so many ways.

If we hold out that we follow Christ and do not have faith and forgive then we are only holding a pretense.  We are showing that we are something we are not.  It is putting out the leaves without having the figs. 

When I fail to forgive and fail to live by faith I am only pretending to follow Christ.  I am only making a pretense of embracing the love and compassion of the Father.  As I move toward the cross and the resurrection I move toward a place where I need forgiveness.  I must also forgive and have faith that doing so will be the right path.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

What’s the Buzz ~ Holy Week 2018 ~ A Spring Cleanse

Greetings Dear Reader,

One of the areas of focus during Holy Week is the cleansing of the Temple.  The commercialization of faith never turns out well.  The actions that Jesus takes is twofold.  The focus unfortunately is on the running out of those using God’s house for their own business.  They are making it harder for the poor to access the Temple.  Just as the Pharisees have built a spiritual hedge around faith the money changers and merchants have built an economic one around access. 

The process went something like this:  All Jews were required by the Law of Moses to bring sacrifices to the Temple at Passover.  The Law included provision for the poor.  At the Temple, however, the road blocks were in place.  First you had to buy an “approved” animal instead of bringing your own.  You also had to buy it with “Temple Coins”.  So, the guy traveling from Nazareth who wanted to offer the doves he could afford was forced to exchange his common coin for approved Temple coins.  This of course carried a fee.  Then he had to buy the expensive Temple approved doves at the high Temple instated price. 

We did not invent red tape.  This is what Jesus disrupted when he cleansed the Temple saying, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.”  When this story is told, however, what he did next does not get the same attention: “And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them.”

Jesus did not just create a void.  He filled it.  He removed the abscess and filled it with life.  My temple needs cleansing almost daily.  I need to see where my faith is commercial instead of accessible.  I must focus on moving toward the cross and the resurrection having thrown out avarice and embraced healing.  I also need to realize that those entrenched in the religious system will cling to their system over truth.  Perhaps what Jesus does next is an example to follow as well: 

“But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying out in the temple, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David!’ they were indignant, and they said to him, ‘Do you hear what these are saying?’ Jesus said to them, ‘Yes; have you never read, ‘Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies you have prepared praise’?  And leaving them, he went out of the city to Bethany and lodged there.”

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

What’s the Buzz ~ Holy Week 2018 ~ Acceptance and Rejection

Greetings Dear Reader,

We live in a world where popularity is a curse.  We create and embrace celebrity so that we can in turn destroy what we have created.  For those who do not know it, Palm Sunday celebrates when Jesus rode into Jerusalem for Passover the week he was crucified. 

When Jesus rides into Jerusalem he is lauded by thousands.  They shout for him to prevail as the heir of David.  They shout for him to prevail as the heir of the one who comes in the name of the LORD.  The city is crowded with Jews from all over who have come to Jerusalem for Passover.  There is no honest interpretation of these events that can leave out that Jesus is being lauded as the true King of the Jews.  In that one moment of popularity he threatens the political, social, and religious status quo. 

In five days the same people will call for his death.  They will shout that he be crucified.  The Romans and the Jews will work together to unjustly kill him.  Most of his friends and family will desert him.  The hero will be toppled to the hunger of the voracious crowd.

We have perfected this in our culture on both the public and private scale.   We build up people and profess our faith in them.  We promise support and loyalty.  Then we create a reason to abandon those promises.  We sideline, give-up on, or even betray people.  Innocent or guilty they become offerings on the pyre of our disapproval.

I am not allowed to do this even to those who are brazenly guilty.  I should not even engage in talking about those who seem to have fallen.  My opinion is of no value.  I should not think that my judgement matters.  It is only my pride that causes me to be quippy about the demise of another.

There is much to learn from the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem.  Most of it is grand and vital.  For me one of the lessons is that I must not join in the tearing down of others.  Posting insults to those in trouble is neither loving nor acceptable.  I never want to be guilty of shouting “hosanna” on Sunday and “crucify him” on Thursday.  It is not who we are to become.

Hosanna – Jesus Christ Superstar

CROWD:

Hosanna

Hey Sanna Sanna Sanna Hosanna

Hey Sanna Hosanna

Hey JC, JC won't you smile at me?

Sanna Hosanna

Hey Superstar

CAIAPHAS:

Tell the rabble to be quiet, we anticipate a riot.

This common crowd, is much too loud.

Tell the mob who sing your song that they are fools and they are wrong.

They are a curse. They should disperse.

CROWD:

Hosanna

Hey Sanna Sanna Sanna Hosanna

Hey Sanna Hosanna

Hey JC, JC you're alright by me

Sanna Hosanna

Hey Superstar

JESUS:

Why waste your breath moaning at the crowd?

Nothing can be done to stop the shouting.

If every tongue were stilled

The noise would still continue.

The rocks and stone themselves would start to sing:

CROWD AND JESUS:

Hosanna

Hey Sanna Sanna Sanna Hosanna

Hey Sanna Hosanna

CROWD (alone):

Hey JC, JC won't you fight for me?

Sanna Hosanna Hey Superstar

JESUS:

Sing me your songs,

But not for me alone.

Sing out for yourselves,

For you are bless-ed.

There is not one of you

Who cannot win the kingdom.

The slow, the suffering,

The quick, the dead.

CROWD and JESUS:

Hosanna

Hey Sanna Sanna Sanna Hosanna

Hey Sanna Hosanna

CROWD (alone):

Hey JC, JC won't you die for me?

Sanna Hosanna Hey Superstar

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

What’s the Buzz ~ Holy Week 2018 ~ Opening Thoughts

Greetings Dear Reader,

The grains drift through the pinch of the hourglass and the world spins into spring.  As winter fades and most holdouts no longer have the excuse of snow and cold the last of the Christmas lights come down near me.  There is one small tree in a yard that proudly shines on and it brings me a smile every time I see it. 

Now the week in which we remember the ultimate purpose of the incarnation of Christ is upon us.  As a Christ follower this is the linchpin on which our faith swings.  It is the place where the fullness of time turns.  In this week we see the plan clearly and understand where we are headed in following Christ.

Each year I strive to truly focus on the significance of each day of holy week.  The lessons it has for me go beyond my faith.  They are universal.  As I walk through the week this year I wish to dive deep into what I must become in light of the events so long ago. 

Even if you do not share my faith you may find things to carry with you in this Dear Reader.  Please walk with me through this week of horror and hope. I need the company and there are things we should discuss.  Tempus fugit.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Celebrations

Greetings Dear Reader,

As I mentioned yesterday we are celebrating Bastion’s birthday tomorrow.  He will be six.  You may ask why this is blog-worthy.   Let me ‘splain; is too much; let me sum up.

We all need a Bastion in our lives.  When he greets me the brilliant flash of his smile and his call of “Grandpa” can drive away the cares of the world in an instant.  He only says “I love you Grandpa” when he means it. 

He always has a story to tell if he thinks you are listening.  His imagination can build and destroy worlds in a moment.   He has drawn entire armies of robots.  He can read much better than he lets on to the adults. 

When he focuses no task is beyond him. When there is crisis or pain his compassion has amazing powers to create hope and promote healing.  Almost every time I visit he asks if I have taken my “cat allergy medicine” because the cat still lives there.  He speaks his mind even when it makes everyone else uncomfortable.

I hope the adventure that is planned for him makes him feel celebrated.  My love for him is boundless.  He draws out my desire to be a better example.  As I said, we all need a Bastion in our lives.  Happy birthday, Grandson.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

The Once and Future Captain

Greetings Dear Reader,

For most of you today is another Thursday and your thoughts are already tuned to Friday. For me, my thoughts are on birthdays.  My younger Grandson had his sixth birthday this weekend and the years seem to go by at light speed.  I shall celebrate him well.  Today, however, my thoughts are on a birth that is past and yet to come.

When William Shatner was born on this day in Montreal, Quebec, Canada no one imagined that he would go on to become the icon of one of the most enduring franchises in entertainment history.  I agree with every good thing that has been said about him and his impact on our culture and entertainment. 

I wish to focus on an impact less known.  He is partially responsible for my being who I am.  Captain James Tiberius Kirk showed up in 1966 when I desperately needed a hero.  I had one, my Grandfather, but my father was absent and the other adult males in my life were not up to the task.  Since that first season the charter created by William Shatner has been key in my seeing hope in the universe.

Until I found faith eight years later it was my only source of hope after my Grandfather went on to that undiscovered country.  William Shatner continued to both struggled with and build on that character until Kirk’s demise in the movie Star Trek: Generations (1994).   I and several of my adult friends wept over this.

When I got to meet William Shatner a few years ago it was my honor to thank him for giving hope to a fatherless boy.  He smiled softly, his eyes looked deep into mine, and he returned my thanks.  Thank you again sir.  Happy birthday to you and the Captain to whom you gave life.  He is not due in our time line until 2233.  We shall both be in that undiscovered country by then.  He already lives, however, in the good he has done us all.  I owe you a debt. 

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Spring 2018

Greetings Dear Reader,

If you live near me in the northern mid-west you know that spring arrived yesterday feeling like a mild winter day.  Wind chills today are expected to take the feeling down to 12 degrees.  There are no buds on the trees and the groundhogs are still hibernating.

The date does not determine the weather here.  The season arrives and the weather usually catches up on the spring side of things.  We have had a couple of warm days but the life has not sprung out of its winter rest.

I hear my friends and the media reminding us that spring does not feel like spring.  Instead I would remind others that the equinox is a promise.  The quality of sunlight already feels different.  The days are growing longer in the light they give.  The human signs of spring are abundant.

Soon enough the world will come back to green and life.  We count on this promise.  We live for it in some ways.  It is the same for that time I await when all things return to real life.  Some day there will be that spring of faith.  There will be that time after the long dark winter when all things return to good. 

I must see my future reflected in the seasons.  As I enter the autumn of life I look toward the spring past the winter and the long dark.  I follow as quickly as I can to find home, hearth, and rest awaiting the budding of life without the decline of the season.  I long for the day when it is always Christmas and never winter.  The undiscovered country promises this.  The world is not well but the King returns.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

The Courage to Love ~ Closing Thoughts

Greetings Dear Reader,

It is simple.  Love everyone.  It is not easy and we do not come out even.  It requires that we sacrifice all.  It is also the most precious thing we have.  Even though it is precious we are supposed to give it away.

Instead of a long summary for this part of our conversation I am going to make some clear affirmations for my own sake. 

• I am going to work at building everything I do on love for God.
• I am going to work at building everything I do on love for others.
• I am going to love you no matter what the cost.
• I am going to love those who hate me.
• I will start with kindness in every situation.
• I will allow myself to be loved.
• I will not expect others to be loving.

If we all did this the world would change.  There would still be wrong and evil.  There would still be hunger and medical need.  The world, however, would be better.  What the world needs is love; “no not just for some but for everyone.”

I am not being an idealistic dreamer.  It can work.  Every objection you might raise is another reason to love more.  Let me know your thoughts Dear Reader.  I love you and treasure your company.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

The Courage to Love ~ It Ain’t Easy

Greetings Dear Reader,

We have all heard people say, “If it was easy everyone would do it.”  We do not consider how true this is when it comes to loving others.  The cost is high.  It is not easy.  We do not come out even in the exchange.

The cost of loving others leads to the emptying of self.  It requires that we put our own interests aside.  It demands that we develop a thicker skin without becoming hard-hearted.  It means that our wants are supplanted by the needs of others.  It means that we may have to have faith and patience for our own needs to be met. 

The courage to love is not easy because it demands all of us.  We want to follow Christ but we do not like the idea that it is all-consuming.  It requires us to lay down our lives and take up a cross.  This is the ultimate expression of love.  It is why it is not easy.  We do not want to give up the life we want.  We do not desire to lose everything to gain this one thing.

It is not easy.  It costs more than we are willing to pay.  It is, however, the one thing that gains us everything.  Even that is a difficult wager.  I must risk everything that I want to gain that which is intangible.  I must be at peace with this. I must live this in every moment.  It is not supposed to be easy because the rewards are great.  When others betray me, it is worth it.  When love is not reciprocated, that is not the measure.  When I am ill-used or taken advantage of because of my love that does not justify abandoning love.

If I am to follow then my only abiding fuel is love.  That is the reward and worth it at any cost.  It is not easy but great things never are.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

The Courage to Love ~ Counting the Cost

Greetings Dear Reader,

We have established there is a sacrifice involved in love.  We know there is always cost involved in loving others.  It is only wise to count that cost.  It is only prudent to understand what we sign up for going into the mix.

The cost involved in loving others may be one of the highest costs there is.  Let us look at the vows we make for marriage as an example.  We promise to love for better or worse unless it becomes worse than we imagined.  We promise for richer or poorer unless we do not live the status we want.  Even the sickness or health problem becomes conditional.

That is the problem.  We place conditions on our love for others.  We do not limit to marriage the ways in which we limit our commitment to love.  We love others unless they cross some objective line we create.  It is the creation of that line that is a problem.

The cost of loving others means that we cannot have lines that limit our choice to love.  If they disagree with our social or political views they are still worthy of love.  If they have faith that differs from ours we are still required to love.  If they cut us off in traffic we must love them.  The cost is that we set aside everything. 

Our pride, possessions, and wants are all the cost of loving others.  Everything material and marginal is subject to being surrendered to loving others.  All of our choices indicate our wiliness to love.  I must not hold on to anything that hinders my ability to love others.  It is how we destroy each other.  I must be willing to do anything for love; face any rejection, make any sacrifice, and have the courage to love no matter what it takes.  That is the cost of love.    

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

The Courage to Love ~ Love Withheld

Greetings Dear Reader,

We all know that person who acts indifferent toward others when he or she is angry.  We all know someone who makes it clear that showing kindness or love is conditional on his or her approval.  I am not sure why we make this choice but it is one of the many ways in which we withhold love.

It takes courage to step through our own interests and show love to others.  It takes more effort to use withholding love as a way to control others.  That is what we do when we refuse to be loving to others.  We control, manipulate, and indulge our own interests.  We send a clear message that love is conditional and must be earned.  We put people in the position of having to please us in order to feel accepted.  There is no love in this.  There is no courage in it either.

It takes courage to set aside our power and control to show love to others.  The courage to love beyond our need to protect our own interests is the kind of love that others need.  It is the kind we need to give as well.  When we step past our interests to love others we wield a mighty force. 

The power of love over any other emotional force amazes me.  The more often I show love the more often I am convinced that it is the right path to follow.  It takes courage to set aside the self and risk loving others but it seems to always be worth it.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

The Courage to Love ~ A Conscious Choice

Greetings Dear Reader,

Courage is defined as the ability to do something that frightens one or to have strength in the face of pain or grief.  When faced with fear, pain, grief, or any combination thereof we make choices.  The same is true of choosing to love others.

We have been hurt, sometimes so deeply it feels debilitating.  We feel the pain of loss or abandonment.  We remember what it cost us to love and how much it hurt to have that love betrayed.  The pain of loss and grief can stay with us our entire lives.  I know that there are losses that I have not entirely gotten past.

No matter the source of the loss or pain connected to love, it takes courage to love.   There is risk of the pain or sorrow repeating.  We are in danger when we love so it takes courage. We must make a conscious choice to face the danger; to take the risk.

The risk to love is always worth it.  I speak as someone who has been deeply hurt.  I have been abandoned and betrayed.  I have had my honest attempts to be loving to others trampled on by anger and malice.  No hurt is too deep to not try again.  No pain is too intense to risk not risking love.

We must choose to “screw our courage to the sticking place.”  We must make the conscious choice to love others no matter how much it hurts.  I must do this with everyone.  Anything I say or do that is not motivated by my love for others is just empty action and useless noise.

I must think and act with intent.  I must choose to love in thought and action always.  It is in this that I perfect my motives and strengthen my courage.  I will still get hurt.  I will still face rejection and betrayal.   I will also reap the great benefits found in loving others whatever the cost.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

The Courage to Love ~ Opening Thoughts

Greetings Dear Reader,

It may be that the ultimate risk for humans is to love.  I think about this much more often than I realize.  We risk so much when we love others.  The possibility of rejection and the fear of not being loved play in our minds.  It takes real courage to love others.

I suppose that when I think about this it is on two fronts.  One is when I am focused on showing love to others and one is when I am hurting.   The former is how I try to set my sails daily.  It is the in and out of the day that produces the latter.  It is the ebb and flow of life that feeds how I feel about loving others.

As I have said many times, that is not what gets to determine my love for others.  That is not what must guide me in being good to others and showing them genuine love.  There are times, however, when it takes real courage to love.  From where then does that courage come?  What kind of courage does it take?  How do I rise to the challenge to love in the most difficult situations?

I will never consider setting aside this powerful weapon in the battle for good.  I did that once and it has marked me forever.  I do need to think through what sustains my love for others.  I do need to mark the sources of my courage to take this great risk.  I could use some company whilst I do that.  Your thoughts and questions are always welcome Dear Reader.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Stephen Hawking ~ A Loss All Around

Greetings Dear Reader,

On Pi Day of 2018 we have lost one of the brilliant minds of our time.  His work to understand and explain the cosmos has given us much to value and discuss.  Most of his conclusions followed a path of reason and logic that gave us confidence in his explanations of the cosmos.  I often feel dumb when I read his books and have to re-read some passages to keep up with him.

I am saddened at his loss and further saddened that there will be those who follow my faith who use is passing to take shots at him.  He made it clear that he did not believe in God:  “We are each free to believe what we want, and it’s my view that the simplest explanation is; there is no god. No one created our universe, and no one directs our fate.”

If you have read even a little of what I write you know that I both respect science and believe in God.  I do not want to indulge in attacks on Mr. Hawking.  What I do wish to do is celebrate a mind that asked us to think of the universe more deeply.  As Christ followers we should read his books and wrestle with his thoughts.  I know that they cause me to wonder more deeply at the amazing nature of creation. 

I know that there is a place where true science and my faith meet in harmony.  One need not believe in God for the Father to gift one with great powers of the mind and discovery.  I will not throw away truth for any reason.  I will also not throw away reason.  My faith is reasonable and I must continue to learn so that I can perhaps see where honest research can reveal God more clearly.  God does require faith.

The mind of Stephen Hawking was a gift to all of us.  He challenged us to look deeper into the cosmos and see its wonders.  He elevated us to a new level of understanding and gave us a path to pursue that will expand for decades to come.  He focused on the final frontier and challenged us all to explore it further.

I will miss the learning I did from Mr. Hawking.  I will also continue to respect science whilst holding onto my faith.  Since one cannot prove that there is no God, to say that one believes there is not one is an act of faith.  I agree that one is free to believe what one wishes.  I choose to believe and continue to look for an honest way to harmonize that with all things.  Farewell Stephen Hawking.  You will be missed.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Grand-Splaining

Greetings Dear Reader,

One of the great blessings in my life are my two Grandsons.  They are both very intelligent and gifted.  When I get to see them each week I am delighted at the new things they have learned and the stories they have to tell.

Recently the eldest felt the need to explain to me how something worked.  He spent a good five minutes going over the details of how to do something that I have done since I was his age.  Since I am a writer and get to make up words, I have dubbed this “Grand-Splaining”.  When grandchildren explain things to their grandparents when the grandparents already know it is Grand-Splaining.  The grandchild does not realize that the grandparent knows it.

The joy for me is to listen patiently to my Grandsons articulate what they know.  Eventually they will figure out that I already know many of the things about which they wish to inform me.  In the mean time I will cherish how they share their time and knowledge with me. 

It does occur to me that I do the same thing with God.  When I am in a situation I find that I am explaining it to him as if he is not omniscient.  I try to give him an angle on what I am thinking or learning.  He listens and I am sure at times laughs at my attempt to make things clearer for him.  I am thankful that he is patient with me. 

There will come a time when my Grandsons’ knowledge surpasses mine.  At that time, they will have to Grand-Splain and in some cases Grand-Train.  I will remain thankful that I will never have to do either for God.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Second Thoughts ~ Some Needed Input

Greetings Dear Reader,

Several of you have suggested that I put together a daily devotional from past blog posts.  I would love to meet your request and it is feasible from a production standpoint.  What I need from you is to help generate a list of the posts to use.

I have saved every post I have written and they are available to you on the blog page aramisthorn.blogspot.com.  Feel free to email me at aramisthorn@aramisthorn.com with the DATE(S) of the post or posts you think I should include.  

Feel free to include comments if you wish.  I am always interested in what you have to say.  While you are on the BLOG page be sure to add yourself to the followers.  That way you will receive updates as they are posted.  I do not use that list for any other reason and I never will. 

Thank you for the suggestion and let us see how fast we can get 366 posts on the list.  I promise to make getting the devotional put together a priority if the response warrants it.  The average read of each post is around two minutes.  It could prove a handy companion to your quiet time. 

On another note, thanks to both your support and the available time both Magi: The Gift Bearers (part of the Jesus Chronicles series {The Foster Father of God, Praetor}) and The Twelve Tales of Christmas (a collection of Christmas short stories) will be ready for their professional edit in the next month.  I hope that both are available for purchase in time for Christmas this year.  I will be taking pre-orders of these for signed copies in time for Christmas gifts.

The person who submits the most BLOG posts that are chosen for the devotional will receive free copies of his or her choice of the Jesus Chronicles series or the two new titles.  As always, I am thankful for you Dear Reader.  And GO!!!!!!!

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Times They are A ‘Changing

Greetings Dear Reader,

I have many friends who struggle with the loss of an hour of sleep and are feeling that pain this Monday morning.  I have always been someone who needs little sleep and who rises early.  It does not really impact me. 

This means that I get to be more compassionate for those who do suffer from this event.  My dear friend Heather is begging for buckets of espresso.  My Daughter will struggle with the adjustment for days.   Mothers of young children will be awakened early for weeks. 

There is humor to be had.  There are memes all over social media.  There will be stories of being late for brunch or church or work.  There is humor to be found in the difficulties as we are subjected to a practice that seems archaic or useless. 

The history of the event is not well known and there are false things that are assumed true.  Benjamin Franklin did not invent it.  He did propose getting up earlier and going to bed earlier during certain times of the year.  It was not done to aid farmers.  Cows do not know that they need to be milked an hour earlier.  The corn does not care what time you plant it. Many countries have tried to do away with it but abandoned the idea.  The state of Arizona refuses to play.  It is "Daylight Saving Time" not Daylight Savings Time".

No one has risen up to lead the charge to change the change.  I enjoy the daylight lasting longer in the summer evenings.  It fits with the romance I remember of baseball and peaches as a youth.  It reminds me of drifting along Georgia roads in my first Volkswagen with my friends. 

It also reminds me of how little I control in my world.  I can only control my responses.  I can only control how I act.  As with all things I must ride the wave and seek to be good to my fellow humans.  I must be a little more patient whilst others adjust.  I must be grateful that it is easy for me.  Oh, and I must remember how to change the clock in my car. 

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)