Second Thoughts ~ Midsummer Review

Greetings Dear Reader,

As we all settle in for the summer, I would remind you of a few things to add to your summer plans.  I try not to be overzealous in my marketing but I also do not want to let you think you are reading a post about something else and zap you with a sales pitch.  This is my monthly reminder that, as an artist, I need your support.  Here are some things you can do to help:

Buy my newest book, Thoughts and Questions on Ephesians.  You can get it here on my publisher’s site Xulon or here on Amazon.   Further, once you have read the book, please post a review for me on Amazon.  This helps more than you realize.  Please also share the link to my new book with your friends who may like it. 

Please also consider one of my fiction novels available at Amazon as well for your summer reading.  My books love to go to the beach, the pool, camping, fishing, or even for a ride in the car.  They pass security checks for boarding planes and ships.  Some re even said to like riding trains.  If you have already read one of my books and not posted a review on Amazon, that would be swell.

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

Bookings: aramisthorn@aramisthorn.com

Facebook        Google +    Twitter     

Medium   Instagram  Kids BLOG   

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

Fire Watch with Me ~ Closing Thoughts

Greetings Dear Reader,

As with all watchfires, the watch ends.  Morning mist rolls in from the water sending a chill that draws us back to the fire.  The sun rises and it is time to break camp and journey onward.  We stoke the embers to build enough flame for the morning meal, cast away the night chill, and take some hot coffee.  Conversation of the night’s watch follows and we move back to the journey.

The fire we watch is vital and vibrant.  We stand for so many reasons.  We are here for those who seek a way in.  Our watch is for those who seek to get out as well.  We stand watch for those seeking refuge and the enemies we would turn to allies.  We keep watch with humility and understanding.  We wield kindness and mercy.    We deal in grace.

When we firewatch we invest in the welfare of others.  It is better when we have company but it is also good to do so alone at times.  Others tend fires we know not of and stand sentry for us unaware.  We must at times do the same.  When others are in need it may be our watchfire that draws them.  It may be our willingness to welcome and warm them that gives them hope.  We are all drawn to fire and hearth. It is our obligation to see that we are welcoming to all who approach.

Further, when we must stand watch alone, we must make the most of the opportunity.  Communion with the Father always yields benefit.  We can sit with him at the fire and allow him to work away at us to draw us closer to him.  We can find comfort and solace when needed.  We can stand watch and rest with him all at once.

I will keep firewatch daily as long as I am able Dear Reader.  You are always welcome at my fire.  Your welfare is always my concern.  I will not always communicate it the way you wish, but then again, I need love, grace, and mercy as much as anyone else.  For now, I must bank an ember and move along the path. 

After we travel a bit, I will strike another fire for us to fellowship around and you can tell me what you have learned along the way.  We can share our losses and victories.  We can talk through our difficulties and forgive each other.  The conversation can remind us of the love of the Father and that the journey possesses joy if we let it.  We still have a long way to go, Dear Reader.  I invite you to firewatch with me.

 I Sit Beside the Fire and Think – J.R.R. Tolkien – Performed by CamillasChoice

I sit beside the fire and think of all that I have seen,

Of meadow-flowers and butterflies in summers that have been

Of yellow leaves and gossamer in autumns that there were,

With morning mist and silver sun and wind upon my hair

I sit beside the fire and think of how the world will be

When winter comes without a spring that I shall ever see

For still there are so many things that I have never seen,

In every wood in every spring there is a different green

I sit beside the fire and think of people long ago,

Of people who will see a world that I shall never know

But all the while I sit and think of times there were before

I listen for returning feet and voices at the door

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

Bookings: aramisthorn@aramisthorn.com

Facebook        Google +    Twitter     

Medium   Instagram  Kids BLOG   

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

Fire Watch with Me ~ The Solitary Watchfire

Greetings Dear Reader,

There are fires only we can tend.  They may be the same fires for each of us but the tending of them is solitary.  These watchfires are vital and we may be the only one aware of them.  They are necessary and yet rarely seen by anyone but God.

In this time of lonely watching, I find that I am not lonely most times.  The fire we tend alone together is prayer.  The task is to commune with the Father and rest in his care.  It is to deal honestly with my own failings and to beseech the care of those who do not know, the needs of others, and to intercede for the ailing.  This is a practice I have held for forty years but not until this past ten months have I spent so much time by this fire. 

Each morning it is easy to revive the embers and add fuel to the small light that is there.  The kindling catches quickly and the time flows through the glass carrying my words and thoughts with them.  My supplication and gratitude fill the hours.  I worship the one who made me and ask his mercy on those who do not see him.  I rehearse my dreams and needs with the Father allowing them to fine tune to the flicker of his flame. 

This fire provides embers for all the other fires we watch Dear Reader.  This fire can warm us on the coldest days.  It can give comforting light in the darkest night.  We can weep and laugh as needed.  Unlike most watchfires, we can carry its embers with us everywhere and silently draw on their heat when the world is cold toward us. 

We can share those embers with others in their need whether it be for joy or sorrow.  In truth, it is vital that we renew the supply of embers alone so that we have something to carry to the next place we stop.  This firewatch is to be part of every moment of our journey.  It is to be part of the whole that guides us along the path.  It takes us through each day and night.  This fire comforts us until we reach the clearing at the end of the path where it will no longer be needed.

I will firewatch with you when we are together and alone Dear Reader.  I will tend mine daily and give you all of it that I can share.  The embers I carry into the day are yours as you need them.  I will from time to time ask for one of yours.  Let us firewatch together alone as often as possible.  Our prayers are heard and our loving Father will move to meet our needs.  I have seen it in the light of the fire and of the day.  I will not doubt it.  If you do, I will try to have faith enough for both of us.

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

Bookings: aramisthorn@aramisthorn.com

Facebook        Google +    Twitter     

Medium   Instagram  Kids BLOG   

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

Fire Watch with Me ~ Standing Sentry

Greetings Dear Reader,

There are watchfires that need tending, requiring an eye on the fire and an eye outward toward those who would do us harm.  We all have enemies.  We all have detractors, opponents, and those who hate who we are for their personal reasons.  We face them and we choose as keepers of the flame how we will deal with them.

The difficulty is that we cannot prevent ourselves from having enemies.  There is evil in the world that fights against good.  There is our own fallen nature that pushes us to be at enmity with the Father and with other humans.  We also indulge our own selfishness in ways that cause others to hate us.  We have enemies.

As we stand by the door for those who are wounded and seeking a way home, we will encounter those who would distract us from our watch and destroy that which we protect.  In truth, some make seek entry simply to destroy.  Others will call what we do as Christ followers wrong, hateful, and evil.  I say again, we have enemies.

The difficulty is that those fires we tend are tended for them as well.  When the enemy approaches, we may see him as vile and evil.  His life and values may disgust us.  His ways may be heinous and onerous to us.  We may even think our enemy worthy of death.

That fire which we tend is for him too Dear Reader.  When he approaches us our hearts should be filled with love.  I know that sounds hard.  Vital truths are often hard to hear.  They can be still more difficult to live.  We know this is true, that we may only be good if we love our enemies.

Tending this fire is ironically dangerous.   We will make enemies of our fellow travelers simply for daring to say that we must all love our enemies.  We will encounter hatred and rejection for daring to love and accept everyone.  We have done so poorly at loving those who are against us that our reputation as Christ followers is tarnished and torn.  I love Jesus and seek to follow him with all my heart.  I and my fellow believers have done such a poor job of loving our enemies that the name Christian no longer communicates what it should. 

Firewatch with me Dear Reader.  Let us stand sentry and be the ones who are first to love and show kindness to those who despitefully use us.  We must be the ones who demand that all who claim to follow Christ take this stand.  In doing so we will make more enemies.  We can counsel together on how to love them as well.  There will be those who seek to douse this fire or hide its light from those who so deeply need it.  There is no power that may stand against love when wielded at the fire of grace, mercy, and forgiveness.  That warmth we get at this fire is enough for us all.  We can turn the watchfire that warns our enemies into one that welcomes them and offers them the opportunity to journey with us in peace.  We must remember that at one time we were also the enemies of those who follow Christ and wield the weapon of his 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 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

Bookings: aramisthorn@aramisthorn.com

Facebook        Google +    Twitter     

Medium   Instagram  Kids BLOG   

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

Fire Watch with Me ~ Walking Wounded

Greetings Dear Reader,

Sometimes we shoot our wounded.  Some of us always do it.  Some of us do it but not always.  For many years I did not realize how wounded I truly was.  I also did not always realize when I was shooting the wounded.  I suppose we should start by identifying the wounded.

On the grand scale, it is all of us.  We have to get to comparing wounds before we can say it is those who suffer certain kinds of pain who are the true wounded.  We will view the pain of others as either less or greater than our own depending on our position and need.  Another thing we do is measure the need of another based on our opinion of his or her wounds.

Then there is the thing we do that is heinous and opposite of love.  We judge the wounded and betray our obligation to restore and help heal them.  We pass judgment on the words and deeds of others.  We gossip when we should pray.  Our minds go to their flaws, failures, and sin instead of their need.   It becomes about our agenda and not their wounds.

We must get this and keep it in our minds: we are all crooked sticks.  Every single one of us has wounds that need tending.  We cannot tend them on our own.  When someone expresses his or her need or pain, caused by us, we deny, justify, and excuse.  When he or she pains us, we condemn and dismiss out of pain.  We fail to stand firm in our love and instead dig our fingers into the wounds until they cry out or react in a way that we can call foul.

In the church, we even systematize our judgment to supposedly prevent others from doing wrong.  Instead, we drive them out of the fellowship and into the darkness.  We watch as they limp away and wonder why they have left us.  We see those who need the love of Christ so deeply giving up hope and trying to return to a life that can never satisfy, never heal.

We also see those who want to come in terrified of the way we treat our own wounded.  They are in desperate need of our love and caring acceptance.  Instead, we build constructs that keep them out.  We devour hope with sectarian rules and practices that yield little more than division.  We paint lines that are not drawn by God and call them his will.

The house is not ours.  It is not our place to determine what is right for someone else.  It is our obligation to love, be honest in our understanding of God, and let him deal with everyone as he sees fit.  We are watchers.  We tend the fire of truth and love Dear Reader.  Every one of us has wounds that need caring.  We all find it difficult to see past them to the genuine needs of others.

I must keep firewatch no matter what others have done.  Even if they have done it to men, I must forgive, remember where I came from to be at this fire, and make sure that I stoke its warmth of love for any who may need to draw near.  I have always been and must always be a door warden.  I treasure it when you fain to take a firewatch with me Dear Reader.  We must stand by the door together and love anyone who needs in or thinks they need out.  We must keep the watchfire stoked and warm so that it stands in contrast to the darkness beyond.  The fuel that works the best is love dealt out with grace, humility, and kindness.

I Stand by the Door - An Apologia for my Life - Samuel Moore Shoemaker

I stand by the door.

I neither go too far in, nor stay too far out.

The door is the most important door in the world -

It is the door through which men walk when they find God.

There is no use my going way inside and staying there,

When so many are still outside and they, as much as I,

Crave to know where the door is.

And all that so many ever find

Is only the wall where the door ought to be.

They creep along the wall like blind men,

With outstretched, groping hands,

Feeling for a door, knowing there must be a door,

Yet they never find it.

So I stand by the door.

The most tremendous thing in the world

Is for men to find that door - the door to God.

The most important thing that any man can do

Is to take hold of one of those blind, groping hands

And put it on the latch - the latch that only clicks

And opens to the man's own touch.

Men die outside the door, as starving beggars die

On cold nights in cruel cities in the dead of winter.

Die for want of what is within their grasp.

They live on the other side of it - live because they have not found it.

Nothing else matters compared to helping them find it,

And open it, and walk in, and find Him.

So I stand by the door.

Go in great saints; go all the way in -

Go way down into the cavernous cellars,

And way up into the spacious attics.

It is a vast, roomy house, this house where God is.

Go into the deepest of hidden casements,

Of withdrawal, of silence, of sainthood.

Some must inhabit those inner rooms

And know the depths and heights of God,

And call outside to the rest of us how wonderful it is.

Sometimes I take a deeper look in.

Sometimes venture in a little farther,

But my place seems closer to the opening.

So I stand by the door.

There is another reason why I stand there.

Some people get part way in and become afraid

Lest God and the zeal of His house devour them;

For God is so very great and asks all of us.

And these people feel a cosmic claustrophobia

And want to get out. 'Let me out!' they cry.

And the people way inside only terrify them more.

Somebody must be by the door to tell them that they are spoiled.

For the old life, they have seen too much:

One taste of God and nothing but God will do any more.

Somebody must be watching for the frightened

Who seek to sneak out just where they came in,

To tell them how much better it is inside.

The people too far in do not see how near these are

To leaving - preoccupied with the wonder of it all.

Somebody must watch for those who have entered the door

But would like to run away. So for them too,

I stand by the door.

I admire the people who go way in.

But I wish they would not forget how it was

Before they got in. Then they would be able to help

The people who have not yet even found the door.

Or the people who want to run away again from God.

You can go in too deeply and stay in too long

And forget the people outside the door.

As for me, I shall take my old accustomed place,

Near enough to God to hear Him and know He is there,

But not so far from men as not to hear them,

And remember they are there too.

Where? Outside the door -

Thousands of them. Millions of them.

But - more important for me -

One of them, two of them, ten of them.

Whose hands I am intended to put on the latch.

So I shall stand by the door and wait

For those who seek it.

'I had rather be a door-keeper

So I stand by the door.

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

Bookings: aramisthorn@aramisthorn.com

Facebook        Google +    Twitter     

Medium   Instagram  Kids BLOG   

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

Fire Watch with Me ~ Aliens

Greetings Dear Reader,

Some time ago I wrote about my thoughts on UFOs and Jesus.   We see in our science fiction the differing ways we might greet and treat sentient life.  They can also see from our news media how we treat aliens that cross imaginary borders.  They can see whether or not we will treat them with love, respect, and kindness.  They can observe what we do and the spirit in which we do it.

Let us suppose, however, that we are alone in the great cosmos.  Then our science fiction does not matter as much, but our newsreels do still inform on us.  They contradict the placard by our golden door.  They shade the flame of freedom we offer with our time-tarnished colossus. 

I do not know what the answer is.  I do know that those of us who claim to follow Christ are not doing enough to make the aliens and strangers in our land feel the warm light of his love in their lives.  We have politicized the needs of others to the point that we have wrung love, compassion, and care from it. 

We invite those who seek refuge to come to us but then we reject them when they do not fit into our expectations.  We cater to our needs and not theirs.  We sell compassion for practicality.  Love is lain aside for suspicions and fear.  We are supposed to treat everyone with love and respect.  That is what the only real Colossus demands. Read these words, Dear Reader and ask if we do enough to keep this flame bright.  Ask if we do all that we can to keep the promise true.

At the very worst, those who want to come to our country are enemies.  They mean us harm.  They hate us.  They have an agenda to destroy us.  If all this is true the Father and the Son are quite clear on how they should be treated.  “Love your enemies.”   There is no caveat, whither-to, or heretofore.  Every argument we form that does not include the very best of our love and care dims the light of her torch and dishonors the Father of us all.

As to the answer.  “Don’t ask me for answers, I’ve only got one.  A man leaves his darkness when he follows the Son.”  If we obey the command to love everyone the Father will make a way.  We must also remember that we are aliens and strangers here.   That, Dear Reader, is enough.

The New Colossus - Emma Lazarus

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,

With conquering limbs astride from land to land;

Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand

A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame

Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name

Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand

Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command

The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.

“Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she

With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,

I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

Aliens and Strangers – DeGarmo and Key

Sunday morning, and the pews are filled with friends of mine, yeah, friends of mine,

And, for the first time, I look around,

I realize, I realize...

My closest friends are aliens and strangers,

Travelers here, living with danger,

My closest friends are aliens and strangers,

Travelers here, living with danger.

I used to wonder why they act so strange,

Now I know, yeah, now I know,

I heard the preachers say this world we're in is not our home, it's not our home.

My closest friends are aliens and strangers,

Travelers here, living with danger,

My closest friends are aliens and strangers,

Travelers here, living with danger.

They're all pilgrims just passing through, heroes away from their homeland,

And, since I've discovered the truth, I look at my friends and I can't help but think that...

All of my friends, they're aliens,

Just passing through, yeah, they're aliens,

My closest friends, yeah, they're aliens,

My closest friends, oh, they're aliens,

Just passing through, just passing through,

Just passing through, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

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

Bookings: aramisthorn@aramisthorn.com

Facebook        Google +    Twitter     

Medium   Instagram  Kids BLOG   

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

Fire Watch with Me ~ The Friends and Family Flame

Greetings Dear Reader,

The hardest thing about following Christ may be family.  When you combine family and free will you are going to get problems.  We all do things that are selfish and hurtful.  We measure out our distasteful deeds and choose that his wrong is worse than mine and use this as an excuse not to make peace.  We refuse to forgive and we refuse to stop doing that which hurts others. 

My failures are deep enough that two of my children have separated themselves from me.  When I almost took my life in August and chose instead to seek refuge where I could heal, I lost friends.  There are still people from my failures twenty years ago who will not speak to me.  I have reached out for forgiveness and reconciliation but there is silence or even outright rejection at the other end.  I am learning that this is a pattern our society has deepened in order to deal with conflict among friends and family.

I am not saying that my wrongs are not there and that owning them is not essential.  I am saying that when we cut people out of our lives, we hinder our own ability to grow.  We put an anchor to the past in our spirit that will hold fast until we pull it up.  We build its chain, link by ponderous link making harder every day to bridge the gap that we create by failure to learn and failure to forgive. 

We have an obligation to love them all.  That does not mean that we do not set healthy boundaries or that we do not look for genuine change before we take too deep a risk.  It does mean that we speak the truth in love. It does mean that we never stop hoping for the best from both God and that person.  There is no problem that cannot be solved between two people if both are willing to work at showing selfless love to each other.

I told you I was touching on the meddling part of this theme Dear Reader.  You cannot love God and disavow anyone.  We cannot reject humans and embrace Jesus.  We cannot fail to show love to everyone and believe that we are showing love to the Father.  It is just impossible.  We do not have to do it in our own strength.  That is the purpose of our dependence on Christ.

So, it comes to this, I will not give up on any of you.   I have given up on people before and I was dead wrong.  I have abandoned my love for others to pursue my own interests and my own “safety”.  God does not command me to do what he will not give me the power to do in his name.  I will, therefore, keep the flame of our friendship, our love, and our relationships no matter what you say about me or do to me.  I will love you at any cost.  I will still fail you.  I do not wish to but I will still be less than you wish me to be and I will never be able to undo the past.  I will, however, always love you and be willing to work at doing better.  Even if you never speak to me again, I will rejoice when we meet at the clearing at the end of the path.   I love you, Dear Reader.  I am going to be the keeper of the flame of our family and friendship.  If I refuse to love you with deep intensity, or if I give up on you, how can I ever hope to love my enemies?

Keeper of the Flame – Martin Page

And I'll be the train
That keeps on rollin'
Up up around the bend
I'll be the voice that you hear callin'
Howlin' on the wind
I'll be the river deep
Runnin' through your sleep

And I'll be the hand
That keeps on a-knockin'
Up up against your door
I'll be the promise never broken
O forever more

Every vow I make
O I won't forsake

'Cause I'm gonna be
The keeper of the flame
You won't forget my name
Long as our love is in the rain
Wait and see I'm gonna be
The keeper of the flame
Someday you'll know my name
Long as our love is in the rain
Wait and see
O I'm gonna be
The keeper of the flame

Don't give me money, money, money
It'll lead my soul astray
I just want to be inside your temple
Each and every day
When you lay down your head
I will be your bed

And I'll be the heart
That keeps on a-beatin'
Hard up against your skin
I'll be the bulldozer pushin'
'Til you let me in
And when the sun goes down
I will be around

'Cause I'm gonna be
The keeper of the flame
You won't forget my name
Long as our love is in the rain
Wait and see I'm gonna be
The keeper of the flame
Someday you'll know my name
Long as our love is in the rain
Wait and see
O I'm gonna be
The keeper of the flame

To get what I wanna get
I'll be the red, red wine
Going straight to your head

And I'll be the train
That keeps on rollin'
Up, up around the bend
I'll be the horse that keeps on rockin'
This ride will never end
O when the sun goes down
I will be around

'Cause I'm gonna be
The keeper of the flame
You won't forget my name
Long as our love is in the rain
Wait and see I'm gonna be
The keeper of the flame
Someday you'll know my name
Long as our love is in the rain
Come lean on me 'cause I wanna be
The keeper of the flame
I won't ever let it fade
Long as our love is in the rain
I want you to call out my name
And wait and see
O I'm gonna be
The Keeper Of The Flame

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

Bookings: aramisthorn@aramisthorn.com

Facebook        Google +    Twitter     

Medium   Instagram  Kids BLOG   

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

Fire Watch with Me ~ Reading

Greetings Dear Reader,

First, let me say that I am not going to launch into a lesson on the importance of reading.  I am not going to mention that it is how I strive to make my living and you could buy my books for yourself and your friends.  Well I guess in not mentioning it I have mentioned it and my backspace key and I are at odds at the moment.

I do want you to read, Dear Reader.  I want you to read my blog, my books, other good things so that you can have some new information and enjoyment in your life.  I also want you to know that if you are only going to read one thing, even you only read it once, I want you to read the Bible.  I am not asking you to believe it.  I am not asking you to obey it. 

What I want you to do is really read it.  You do not have to start in Genesis.  You can even start in the last third, the New Testament.  I would recommend the Gospel of John.  You will hear all kinds of things about the Bible.  Believing any of them without reading it is simply bad thinking.  Too often people tell me things about this book that are simply not true.  It is not going to hurt you and will perhaps benefit you to honestly look into it.  You can ask me all the questions you like.

For those of you who share my faith, this is a fire we must watch.  If we are not reading the Bible, we are not saturating our thinking with the things that guide us into truth.  I am not sure why we struggle with this so much.  I do know when I am too long out the discipline of reading, I feel the lack of nourishment to my mind and spirit.  That is enough for me to pursue it daily.

We cannot make our way through the journey without the sustenance of this unplumbable work.  The myths about the difficulty in understanding it and its failure to be relevant may distract. They are honest questions with real answers.  They must not detract from our honest attempt to hear what is said and weight it honestly in our minds and hearts.

Every fire needs tending.  This one is easy to kindle if we choose to try Dear Reader.  If you want a clue of what to look for, notice the occurrences the words “believe” and “love”.  The Father wants us to know that he loves us.  He wants us to believe and live by faith.  We can tend this fire together or endeavor at it on our own.  It is at this fire we can see the way to tend other fires.  Like love for each other and the Father, this foundational stone will take us far if we approach it with love and integrity.

Firewatch with me a bit Dear Reader.  Let us see what the Father has to say to us.  That is not the path we take on this writing but it is the roadmap to other fires we must tend.  It is part of the information we need to understand the way to go and how to follow.  Throw another log into the blaze and we can read together by its light.

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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