Whatever! ~ Essential Truths

Greetings Dear Reader,

Yesterday I asked what the essential truths of following Christ might be for us.  The idea of this answer is daunting to me.  It is not because I do not know what I think.  It is, rather, that I realize the importance of the answer.  I understand the import of what I am about to say.

The answer is simple but also very complex.  I must begin with the basics.  I will; also try to give my simple answers in the order that I think they must occur.  I have spent many hours pondering this and the more I learn the more I see that it is the simplicity of it that is essential to understanding it.

First and foremost in following is faith.  If it is not done in faith it is wrong.  If we follow in faith then we are promised the power to do whatever is needed to follow.  We are promised that we will be able to do great things and endure what we must.  If we are to be just, we must live by faith.

The second, and only second because faith is necessary to accomplish it is love.  We must love the Father with all our mind, soul, heart, and strength.  This is impossible without faith.  It is love, however, that is the foundation to all that we try to be as Christ followers.  It is the Father’s love for us that insists that we love each other as well.

The essential truth upon which we must build everything else is our love for the Father and each other.  When we do this everything good becomes possible. Love becomes the engine that powers all our other thinking and efforts.  It is love that is the essential truth.

This is why I have committed this year to ponder how to love more deeply, selflessly, and purely.   It is from this truth that all other truths proceed.  It is on this essential truth about God that all others are built. No matter what anyone says or suggests, if you do not see the love of God in it, question it, Dear Reader.

I am going to fail at loving you sometimes.  I will, however, keep trying to love you better and more honestly.  It is never love that fails.  It is humans.  What other essential truths do you consider vital Dear Reader?  How do you think about them?

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 homeowner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

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Whatever! ~ is True

Greetings Dear Reader,

I was not trying to be cryptic yesterday but I always like to save the thunder for the actual day of the storm.  The whatever to which I refer is that of a series of “whatevers” written by Paul.  The gist of what he says is to motivate us to think on things that are positive and healthy.

He lists this series of things and says, “think about such things.”  We are supposed to ponder things that enhance our ability to love and follow Christ.  It is in this pondering that we can learn to live out the things that are vital to success in that following.

Whatever things are true, we must think on them.  It is our obligation to take away from our following all the things that are not true to who Christ is.  We add so much baggage to what it means to be a Christ follower that we make it hard for people to wish to follow with us.  We become more like the Pharisees every time we add rules or barriers to our faith.

All of the things we do as followers need to be true.  I know that I have failed at this and when I speak of things that are not true to following Christ I should not be surprised when my detractors respond with, “whatever”.   I must assure them that when I speak of Christ and his love for us that I am representing the truth.

It is in that truth that I can find the place to show love that is unconditional and empty of demands. Whatever things are true must be part of our thoughts in order to speak the truth in love.  So that leads to the question, Dear Reader, what are the essential truths of Following Christ?   Feel free to discuss.  I will get to that tomorrow.

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 homeowner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Contacts for Aramis Thorn:

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Whatever! ~ Opening Thoughts

Greetings Dear Reader,

I ponder how often we have heard or seen the raised hand, palm outward, and someone rolling their eyes whilst expressing “whatever.”  It has become a meme in our society.  It expresses many things depending on the context.

I came across the use of the term in a way that I had not before.  Mostly because the word was used in an ancient text and translated into English as “whatsoever”.  The primary definitions of both words are intended to express a lack of restriction.  The expression is designed to indicate a lack of boundaries.  In common use as I referenced earlier, it signifies indifference and a lack of engagement. 

I was struck when I read this series of uses of “whatever” by the way the word removed the bounds of limitation on the terms associated with it.  In the same way, it also demanded that one not be indifferent to the terms supported by “whatever”: in any degree. 

As we walk into the season with spring on the horizon my mind turns toward life and the renewal of the world.  I frame this list of “whatever” and its nouns and verbs in the renewal of life and wonder how I can do them without limit.  I am not trying to be cryptic but I also want to unfold this instead of laying it all out at once.  It is in this moment that we have the opportunity to take the limitations off of some amazing things.

As we walk, I hope that you enjoy the unfolding of this series of opportunities.  As always, I ponder them to enrich my journey and hopefully yours as well.  Whatever the cost, I think that we can benefit from discussing this as we journey HOME.  I treasure your thoughts and questions as we do so.

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 homeowner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Contacts for Aramis Thorn:

Support Page on Patreon: www.patreon.com/aramisthorn

Novels on Amazon             

Web Page:  www.aramisthorn.com

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This BLOG:  http://aramisthorn.blogspot.com/ 

Hobbits ~ Into the West (Closing Thoughts)

Greetings Dear Reader,

After a brief review of the topics I had jotted down to ponder in this part of our journey, I realized that even though I could discuss this for weeks you may not wish to do so.  There are also other ponderings weighing on my spirit and mind.  I want to draw out a few things that I wish to carry into the west.

I would not want you to think that I see Hobbits as flawless.  Even the noblest of us has flaws.  We have much to learn from these wee folk that translates readily to life.  We are on this journey that we did not choose but was chosen for us.  We, like Bilbo, landed in the middle of a story filled with danger and wonder.

We have the opportunity to learn from the success and failure of others.  We can grow to understand that love can lead us in many directions and on many adventures.  Without love, however, those journeys become unbearable.  If we love the wrong things they become dangerous and harmful. 

Bilbo and the other Hobbits love their home and people.  Their adventures benefit the whole of their people and by extension all people of their world.  They set out the door from their cozy Hobbit hole into the wide unknown.  All that they carry to begin with is a determination to follow where the path leads. 

Our call is really that simple.  Our adventure lies so far beyond our understanding as we pursue it.  We are not even always sure about what is around the next bend.  We do have the power to pursue all that we must if we do so in love.  We can endure the goblins, spiders, and dragons if it means that we have the opportunity to show our love to our fellow travelers.

Ultimately though, our adventure will turn to that unknown path to that Undiscovered Country.  We will eventually pass into the West and our adventure here will end.  Only our choices to love and be loved will endure.  Only the love we carry here will pass beyond that horizon with us.  We are given great stories like this one to remind us that even the best thing here is fleeting and temporary.

You, Dear Reader, are part of what I will take with me.  I will love you with every word I type and try to find ways to show it from my meager resources to do so.  Please find your courage to love others at any cost.  It is the price of peace and joy in our journey together.  Even the darkest days can be lighted with the love we carry if we choose it.

As I turn toward the next road I will take, I notice that each turn nudges me westward.  I hope to share a few more tales before the ship comes for me.  In the meantime, I will continue to try to hone my skill at showing you the love that we have from Christ and urging you to follow him with me.

Into the West - CamillasChoice

Lay down

Your sweet and weary head

The night is falling

You have come to journey's end

Sleep now

And dream of the ones who came before

They are calling

From across the distant shore

Why do you weep?

What are these tears upon your face?

Soon you will see

All of your fears will pass away

Safe in my arms

You're only sleeping

What can you see

On the horizon?

Why do the white gulls call?

Across the sea

A pale moon rises

The ships have come to carry you home

And all will turn

To silver glass

A light on the water

All Souls pass

Hope fades

Into the world of night

Through shadows falling

Out of memory and time

Don't say

We have come now to the end

White shores are calling

You and I will meet again

And you'll be here in my arms

Just sleeping

And all will turn

To silver glass

A light on the water

Grey ships pass

Into the West

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 homeowner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Contacts for Aramis Thorn:

Support Page on Patreon: www.patreon.com/aramisthorn

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Hobbits ~ Mercy

Greetings Dear Reader,

“A sudden understanding, a pity mixed with horror, welled up in Bilbo’s heart: a glimpse of endless unmarked days without light or hope of betterment, hard stone, cold sigh, sneaking and whispering. All these thoughts passed in the flash of a second. He trembled. And then quite suddenly in another flash, as if lifted by a new strength and resolve, he leaped.”

We need to be clear that at this moment Bilbo has Gollum at his mercy even though Gollum is unaware of it.  Perhaps there is little that reveals our hearts more than how we act when we have power over others and no one else sees it.  A person is at our mercy and has no idea that it is true.

Had Bilbo ended Gollum here other elements of the story would have unfolded much differently.  The reward for his mercy, however, is that he hears Gollum proclaim that Baggins is a thief and will be hated forever.  Bilbo will never again encounter Gollum but his part in the story is not finished.  Had Bilbo not shown mercy to the creature who wanted to kill him the story would not hold all the richness it does.

Mercy is often rewarded with further hurt to the merciful.  This is just the simple truth.  It is not our nature to see mercy as the opportunity that it is.  Rare is the individual who is deeply moved by mercy to the point that it changes him or her permanently.  Still, it should move us. 

We have been shown so much mercy by the Father that we need to replicate it whenever justly possible.  I have adopted the response that reflects my desire to remember that all that I have is due to God’s mercy.  When someone asks how I am I have a simple response: “Better than I deserve.”  It reminds me that I live under the grace and mercy of God at every moment. 

All that I have is a blessing from God.  All good things that I get are because of his grace.  Every time I do not get the bad things I deserve, it is his mercy.  I, in turn, must show that same mercy whenever possible out of love and gratitude.  Failing to do this means that I do not understand the level to which I need mercy.  It is one of the places where there is a reciprocal promise from God.

Jesus says clearly, “Blessed are the merciful for they shall be shown mercy.”   It is in this promise that we find the value of mercy outside of doing things for the sake of love.  It is our need for mercy that can drive us to be merciful until we learn to do it for the sake of love.

Bilbo receives great mercy that flows from his merciful act.  He is never really controlled by the One Ring.  He enjoys the benefits of the ring without being subject to its curses.  That can only be credited to the power beyond the ring showing the noble Hobbit mercy because of the mercy he shows to the ignoble Gollum. 

Mercy becomes a great weapon and protection when wielded out of love.  It is a way to demonstrate our love and vulnerability.  This can disarm our enemies and at the same time offer us further protection.  When we lovingly show mercy to those who deserve worse from us when open the ground for the Father to be more merciful to us. 

In the world through which we travel Dear Reader, we are daily in need of renewed mercy.  We will also have to have to show and renew mercy every day of the journey.  Even those who love us will repeat the same offenses day after day in some instances.  It is our obligation and benefit to be merciful whenever possible. 

It is in this merciful state that we can move forward with less burden and more grace.  We will have others at our mercy Dear Reader.  Let us remember that it is never wasted when we show mercy even when we know that the recipient will only betray us again.  Let us agree to show others mercy at its finest when they deserve it the least.

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 homeowner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Contacts for Aramis Thorn:

Support Page on Patreon: www.patreon.com/aramisthorn

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Second Thoughts ~ Looking Down the Path

Greetings Dear Reader,

As the second month of the year slips rapidly through the glass, I must be sure that I fulfill my obligations on the business side of my efforts.  Here is a glimpse of what to expect this year from my writing:

My first non-fiction work is complete and on the path toward publication.  It is an interactive devotional based on the book of Ephesians.  The title is Thoughts and Questions on Ephesians.   A sample will be forthcoming in early March.  Previews are available on my Patreon page. 

Later in the year, I am hoping that both my Christmas novels will reach the shelves and ether for your reading pleasure.  The first is a collection of Christmas short stories published as The Twelve Tales of Christmas.  The second is a novel set in the same cycle as Foster Father of God and The Praetor.  It is titled Magi: The Gift Bearers.

I am currently working on another novel in the Jesus Cycle, The Judas Scroll.  I am also writing the second devotional in the Thoughts and Questions series on Galatians.  I have outlined the next two and plan on at least six more after that.  I do, however, need your assistance Dear Reader.  Here is what you can do:

How to support my writing without buying a thing:

• Visit my actual blog page www.aramisthorn.blogspot.com .
• Comment on my posts regularly on Facebook or my blog page even if it is just an Emoji.
• Use the WOW or Love button instead of just the Like button.
• Share my posts on your page.
• Download my FREE eBook sample from my Amazon page.  Sheetrock on the Road: Leftover Panels .  You can even give this as a gift to others.
• Write a review of one of my books.  AMAZON

How to support me by spending a little money:

• For as little as $3.00 a month you can support me on Patreon.  This will give you access to previews, events, and bonus writing content. https://www.patreon.com/aramisthorn
• Buy the eBook form of Sheetrock on the Road (full novel, Kindle edition) and write a review of it.

Other ways to support my writing that you might like:

• Choose one of the higher support tiers at Patreon: 
• Have me speak at your event:  Email to ask for Bookings at aramisthorn@aramisthorn.com
• Buy my novels for all of your friends and family: Amazon                              
• Visit my Web Page:  www.aramisthorn.com

 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 homeowner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Contacts for Aramis Thorn:

Support Page on Patreon: www.patreon.com/aramisthorn

Novels on Amazon             

Web Page:  www.aramisthorn.com

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This BLOG:  http://aramisthorn.blogspot.com/ 

Hobbits ~ Moving Forward

Greetings Dear Reader,

“‘Go back?’ he thought. ‘No good at all! Go sideways? Impossible! Go forward? Only thing to do! On we go!’ So up he got, and trotted along with his little sword held in front of him and one hand feeling the wall, and his heart all of a patter and a pitter.”

If we look at Bilbo flustered by the consumption of his food and mess in his home at the beginning of the tale, he is quite common.  By the time we reach the Goblin caves in the Misty Mountains, things are vastly different.  He understands he has to move forward.

The road has gone far from the door where he ran out without even a handkerchief.  Trading his walking stick for a sword had changed him.  The company of dwarves has changed him.  He has found the courage that always lived in him and he is a different Hobbit.

My dad used to express something whenever went to a place with great natural beauty like the ocean or a national forest.  He would stop everyone in what they were doing and say, “Look now because it will never be the same.”  He understands the constant change in the world and tried to teach it to us.

Further we not only live in a world that is constantly changing, but we are also different every day.  We are further down the path for ill or for good.  One cannot go back to what was.  Even if we could and all were exactly the same, we are different.  When I visit the stream where my Sons were baptized to pray for them, I notice just how different the place is.  It is the same location but many things about it have changed.

Memories are like that.  We want everything to be just as it was in that time, place, and moment.  What we fail to see is that the moment then was ours for that time.  This moment now is unique and has its own story for us.  The story is best when we see that no matter what the moment holds, Jesus is there loving us and speaking to our lives. 

His instruction is always to go forward.  Moving forward may mean returning to places where we have been but it never means returning to a time.  We may return to a home, a job, or a leisure pursuit that we have experienced before.  We and it will be different and we must approach it that way.  Everything moves forward even if it seems the same.

This is why we must love everyone in every moment.  They are not the same person they were even a moment ago.  Judging anyone on yesterday is to fail to see today.  I am not saying that there are no consequences or justice.  I am saying that I am supposed to love you every moment no matter what you did yesterday or even ten seconds ago. 

I have begun to think of it this way.  What you did that was wrong yesterday is on you.  You made the choices and you did wrong whether intended or not Dear Reader.  How I treat you today, however, based on what you did yesterday or in the last minute is completely on me.  I am required to forgive you, love you, and make room for you to grow through grace and mercy. 

The only way is forward.  The only attitude is that of love.  We must look for it from Christ and show it to others in every step.  The road goes forward no matter where we think we are going.  Each day and each instant is the opportunity to move forward.  This is the power to love, forgive, and find joy in our fellow travelers if we are willing to do so.  Tell me something about you that will help find more joy in you Dear Reader.  We can talk about it as we move forward.

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 homeowner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Contacts for Aramis Thorn:

Support Page on Patreon: www.patreon.com/aramisthorn

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Hobbits ~ Power

Greetings Dear Reader,

“[Gandalf]: Go away and leave it behind. Stop possessing it. Give it to Frodo, and I will look after him.’
Bilbo stood for a moment tense and undecided. Presently he sighed. ‘All right,’ he said with an effort. ‘I will'.”

Bilbo had possessed the One Ring of power for sixty years.  He held the power to rule over many things in his possession.  In some way or another, we all have power.  Some of us crave it over anything else.  Some of us wield it well.  The most difficult thing about power is letting go when necessary.  It is a clinging corrupting force that wishes to be used.

The One Ring exercised its power over the one holding it.  I would submit that no one but its creator every owned it.  The ring was designed to wield power over the other rings.  The intent of its maker was always to use it to hold power over the entire world. 

Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky,
Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone,
Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die,
One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.
One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them,
One Ring to bring them all, and in the darkness bind them,
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.

Power is a tool that must be used for the benefit of others.  It must never be grasped as a possession or sought for as a treasure.  The effort to hold power is one that demands all from us and gives back only the desire for more.  When seen as a treasure it reveals itself to be fool’s gold instead.   I have had power and wielded it poorly.  I have had it and used it well.  Only the latter satisfied.

When Bilbo voluntarily gives up the One Ring, he is the first but not the only one to do so.  He lets go of power and is free to pursue the road to peace.  Others will offer to give it up.  Frodo offers it to both Gandalf and Galadriel.  Sam willingly gives it back to Frodo.  Only a few, including Hobbits it seems, understand that the power the ring offers is a lie.

I no longer desire power over anything except my own choices and only that so that I can do what is good and right.  I must not seek it.  I must have the wisdom to refuse it when offered.  Gandalf and Galadriel both had the grace given them to refuse the ring.  Knowing when to refuse power is a very valuable grace to receive.  We all need such grace when offered even the smallest power if that power is unsuited for us.

As we travel the way home there will be times when we have power over each other.  What we must do is see that only through humility, love, and grace can we use that power to further the journey and live it out well.  When we find that we are standing in the cloak of our power demanding things we are likely wrong.  It is when we use our power to show love even to those who are wrong that we wiled it well.  Perhaps the best use of power is to give it up so that others see our love for them.

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 homeowner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Contacts for Aramis Thorn:

Support Page on Patreon: www.patreon.com/aramisthorn

Novels on Amazon             

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This BLOG:  http://aramisthorn.blogspot.com/ 

Hobbits ~ Courage

Greetings Dear Reader,

“A sound, too, began to throb in his ears, a sort of bubbling like the noise of a large pot galloping on the fire, mixed with a rumble as of a gigantic tom-cat purring. This grew to the unmistakable gurgling noise of some vast animal snoring in its sleep down there in the red glow in front of him.  It was at this point that Bilbo stopped. Going on from there was the bravest thing he ever did. The tremendous things that happened afterwards were as nothing compared to it. he fought the real battle in the tunnel alone, before he ever saw the vast danger that lay in wait.”  The Hobbit

How often do we think of battle and danger when we think of courage?  Most often our image of courage tends toward the extraordinary.  It leans toward the great stories and amazing events.

We need to remember that all around us and perhaps even in us are amazing acts of courage every day.  Most of our obviously courageous choices are made in the quiet dark when we are alone.  There, where no one else is watching, we choose to do the right thing.  We continue to do that which moves us along in the journey in the right way. 

As the road opens before us there may be many dangers and toils that require our courage.  We practice it by doing the hard work alone and without any words.  We do the brave thing when we continue to follow in faith when all else seems despair.  We are courageous when we believe in the midst of our own doubt. 

It is in our mind that we must find our courage long before we are faced with goblins, spiders, and dragons.  It is the daily choice to be courageous that prepares us for the visible challenges.  Someone recently called me a coward because of choices I made.  I will not debate their label or call them out.  Rather, I will say that I have only one solution to fear: love

Bilbo found his courage because of his love for his companions.  He ventured from his comfortable Hobbit hole to aid them because he cared for their quest to regain their own home and hearth.  He grew to love them on the journey and when faced with the dragon, chose his love over his own fear.

I have a friend who is showing amazing courage right now by facing the same fears and doubts she has for years but doing so in faith.  I had to make hard choices in order to face some things that I had long avoided.  The common thread I find is that sometimes others will see fear or cowardice when we are actually being very brave.  It is only through our own faith and in our own hearts that we know the truth of our choices.

I have had to face some of my deepest fears of late Dear Reader.  I admit that there are times when that fear has been in charge.  There have also been those who have had the courage to show me love anyway.  It is the constant evidence of love and compassion that casts out fear and creates the fertile soil in which courage can grow.  At the heart of every courageous act is love, even if it means showing it to those who do not deserve it in our eyes.

Have courage Dear Reader.  I may not be able to do everything the way you wish me to do it.  I will, however, love you and pray for you to find the courage to continue the journey in faith and hope.  I will love you no matter what you have done or do.  I promise to love you no matter how you have or will treat me.  It is the only sure way I know to mitigate my own fear and help with yours.

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 ͡°)

Contacts for Aramis Thorn:

Support Page on Patreon: www.patreon.com/aramisthorn

Novels on Amazon             

Web Page:  www.aramisthorn.com

Bookings: aramisthorn@aramisthorn.com

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This BLOG:  http://aramisthorn.blogspot.com/ 

Hobbits ~ Hidden

Greetings Dear Reader,

In explaining why we no longer see Hobbits, Tolkien provides that they are good at hiding in the first place.  It is also noted that they are stealthy and light on their feet when they wish to be and that humans would hardly notice them anyway.  It is even implied that they may be hidden from us.

Much of the unexpected goodness of Hobbits comes from hidden character and courage that even they may not realize they possess until the moment.  They do not hide that they are good but they also possess a quiet humility that causes them to be unnoticed.  In the moment, though, they shine.

We are to be both hidden and visible all at once.  I do not wish fame as a writer.  I wish to be loyal to my gifts and the One who gave them to me.  I would prefer to make a difference quietly and steadily from the efforts I put forth in faith.  I do want to stand in front or lead.  I want to quietly do my part in encouraging others along the way.

We are to be visible because of our kindness, goodness, and generosity.  Even those, though, should hide us or help us fade and make Christ visible.  If I constantly work at decreasing my visibility and increasing his, then I can be hidden in the right way.  I can obtain that place of loving invisibly that places Jesus at the front and allows me to follow. 

If I hide in the right ways and none of the wrong ones, I can encourage and aid fellow travelers.  I can also find more richness in the journey.  I can enjoy the simple pleasure derived from being good to others and watching them see Christ in what I do.  In developing that habit is great joy Dear Reader. 

I am not there yet.  I have many things to shed before my feet are light enough not to tread on toes and sometimes hinder others.  I do, however, intend to keep moving in that direction.  You are always welcome with me.  Together we can help each other disappear until only Christ is seen and perhaps occasionally our Cheshire smile is there to remind others of our love for them. 

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 homeowner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

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