Second Thoughts ~ Informal Attire, Pineapples, and Parrot Heads

Greetings Dear Reader,

I have a strong affinity for Hawaiian shirts.  Half of my button-down shirts are Hawaiian shirts.  I have collected them over the years and find them both comfortable and utilitarian.  Still, I have found that there is also a sense of either formality or informality in each shirt.  One can dress up in tropical climates in the right kind of Hawaiian or Aloha shirt. 

I have been doing a study on this and have some guidelines for my guy friends who want to be sure to wear the proper Hawaiian shirt for the proper occasion.  Let me say to the women who read this, I am not leaving you out.  I will get to you a bit down the path and I promise it is neither exclusive nor unkind.  You could even end up with free shirts. 

First guys, we should consider the types of Aloha shirts from which we may choose.  Aside from the traditional straight hemmed floral print shirt we imagine when thinking of this attire, there are the following:

Barong Tagalog – formal Filipino shirt made of Pineapple fiber

Batik – Indonesian and Malaysian shirt worn casually or as business attire

Guayabera – Caribbean shirt is worn casually or as business attire

Kariyushi shirt – Okinawan shirt is worn casually or as business attire

Camp Shirt (also known as a Cabin or Cabana shirt)

Bowling shirt (you can see how these fit the style if not the environment)

I think that the most important line to draw is the distinction between formal and informal Hawaiian shirt wear.  One may wear a more formal shirt like the Guayabera or the Kariyushi in informal situations.  The wearing of the traditional silky Aloha shirt or a Bowling shirt in a formal situation should be avoided, however.  One can usually tell by the material and stiffness of the shirt if it is acceptable to wear to the club or Joe-Bob’s funeral.  The type of print can also be a determining factor.  Uncle Jay’s pinup-girl bomber-art shirt was not a hit at cousin Dorita’s wedding.  Then again Uncle Jay was not a hit either.  He did look good in it as his funeral though.

I have noticed that some men, in an attempt to look more formal in a printed Aloha shirt will choose a heavier fabric and starch the collar and button row.  This is a nice look but too much effort.  Stick to an Oxford if you wish the effect of an Oxford.  Also, whilst we are on Aloha shirt faux pas, do avoid tucking in any shirt that might hint at being a Hawaiian.  It flies in the face of the very spirit of an informal shirt and may be offensive to Jimmy Buffett or Tom Selleck. 

If some fella in a fancy tourist shop tries to sell you a long-sleeved Hawaiian shirt, politely excuse yourself and leave.  That is as ridiculous as tuxedo shorts and both only belong on a runway during fashion week.  The best place to get a good Hawaiian shirt is at a thrift shop.  It is cheaper and genuinely reflects the spirit of the attire. 

Remember that Jesus does not care if you wear Aloha shirts.  I have seen good pastors preach great sermons in a Guayabera.  I know some missionaries who do not own any other shirts than Batik.  It is not the attire that matters.  It is the man.

In case you are wondering Dear Reader, the other half of my shirts are seersucker shirts.  That is an entire study in itself and must wait until later.  For now, find yourself a couple of nice Hawaiian shirts and enjoy their light comfortable fit.  Oh, and I did not forget about the ladies. They should steal your shirt and wear it however they wish.  They will look better in them and can get away with wearing them anywhere for any occasion.  If you need help finding the right kind of Aloha shirt for you, drop me a line.   I will make us a batch of margaritas and we can discuss it.

I could not find a good Hawaiian shirt song Dear Reader.  Here is a Jimmy Buffet classic with the lost verse.  Remember that we do not have to wear anything special to find joy in the journey and be pleasing when we arrive home.

Margaritaville – Jimmy Buffet (lost verse version)

Nibblin' on sponge cake
Watchin' the sun bake
All of those tourists covered with oil
Strumming my six string on my front porch swing
Smell those shrimp they're beginnin' to boil
Wastin' away again in Margaritaville
Searchin' for my long lost shaker of salt
Some people claim that there's a woman to blame
But I know it's nobody's fault

Don't know the reason
Stayed here all season
Nothing to show but this brand new tattoo
But it's a real beauty
A Mexican cutie
How it got here I haven't a clue
Wastin' away again in Margaritaville
Searchin' for my lost shaker of salt
Some people claim that there's a woman to blame
Now I think hell it could be my fault

Old men in tank tops

Cruising the gift shops

Checking out Chiquitas down by the shore

They dream about weight loss

Wish they could be their own boss

Those three-day vacations become such a bore

I blew out my flip flop
Stepped on a pop-top
Cut my heel had to cruise on back home
But there's booze in the blender
And soon it will render
That frozen concoction that helps me hang on
Wastin' away again in Margaritaville
Searchin' for my lost shaker of salt
Some people claim that there's a woman to blame
But I know it's my own damn fault
Yes and some people claim that there's a woman to blame
And I know it's my own damn fault

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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Within This Moment ~ Closing Thoughts

Greetings Dear Reader,

I realize that some folks think that “for thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory” is part of this prayer example from Jesus.  It is not in the NIV translation, I am using for this but there is a good article for its inclusion.  My purpose here is not to discuss that but rather to close out this series with some observations about the vital nature of the cyclical aspect of prayer.

I was speaking with Avalon recently at length about prayer.  I think too deeply sometimes and it gets me in trouble.  The question I have been ping-ponging in my head is this:  If the Father is omniscient, and he is, then he already knows what I am going to say when I pray.  He also already knows what his response is.  What, therefore, is the purpose of prayer?

My conversations with here help me crystalize my thinking on important things and this was no exception.  I posed this question and first gave the pat answer that, though true, is not enough.  We pray out of obedience to our Father.

It should enough, be but I am stubborn and stiff-necked when it comes to answers to my questions.  I try to process honestly in the moment with Avalon.  It makes for great communication.  This is what I said, “We interact with God about people so we know how to interact with the people. Then, their interactions with us drive us back to interacting with God with a deeper understanding.”

This makes more sense to me than anything I have pondered about prayer to an omniscient God.  By rehearsing my attitudes and thoughts with my Father, he can guide me into more loving and gracious interaction with others.  He can nudge me and correct me about attitudes and ideas that are not reflective of his love.  I can refine my heart to be more like his in my approach to other humans.   I can become more mindful about the very foundation of how I am to interact with my fellow travelers.

Doing this, conditions my thinking so that I do not have to react.  I know how to respond instead.  I am aware of the right way to think and be towards others even when they are unkind or offensive.   My conversation has already been seated in thoughts of love, grace, mercy, and kindness.  When my selfish and angry buttons get pushed, I have already disabled them with thoughts of how my Father wishes me to behave toward his other children. 

When their actions and words do harm me, I can return to the Father and pour out my hurts to him.  He already knows and has already provided words of comfort and a Comforter to be with me in that quiet dark pain.  I do not have to mince words or be diplomatic.  I can be raw and honest with the Father in the center of my one-on-one time with him.  I can find peace in my pain and healing for my wounds.  I can hear the peaceful refrain God sings my in my brain because I was faithful to his desire for me as his son.  I can see that I have followed his Son a little more closely. 

This cyclical conversation gets easier and the narrow way of love about all else becomes a path more navigable.  It also becomes easier to find and follow the path home.  Exercising the heart to love first in each moment strengthens my armor and my power is greater.  The closer I draw to Christ, the more readily I respond from the heart with love in the moment.  It is easier to say in every moment, “This, then, is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.  Give us today our daily bread.  And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.  And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”  For yours is the Kingdom, and the Power, and the Glory, forever and ever.  Amen.

If you have the time you may wish to listen to part of a sermon by the late S.M. Lockridge.  He explains the nature of the King we follow and who asks us to pray this way.  It is worth understanding Dear Reader.  We must learn to want all things in Jesus’ model prayer in every moment.  That is the path home.  I find great joy in walking it with you.

My King – S.M. Lockridge

The Bible says my King is a seven-way king  He's the King of the Jews; that's a racial king  He's the King of Israel; that's a national King  He's the King of Righteousness  He's the King of the Ages  He's the King of Heaven  He's the King of Glory  He's the King of kings, and He's the Lord of lords. That's my King.

Well...I wonder, do you know Him?

David said, "The Heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament showeth His handiwork."  My King is a sovereign King.  No means of measure can define His limitless love.  No far-seeing telescope can bring into visibility the coastline of His shoreless supply.  No barrier can hinder Him from pouring out His blessings.  He's enduringly strong.  He's entirely sincere.  He's eternally steadfast.  He's immortally graceful.  He's imperially powerful.  He's impartially merciful.

Do you know Him?

He's the greatest phenomenon that has ever crossed the horizon of this world.  He's God's Son. He's the sinner's Savior.  He's the centerpiece of civilization.  He stands in the solitude of Himself.  He's august and He's unique.  He's unparalleled.  He's unprecedented.  He is the loftiest idea in literature.  He's the highest personality in philosophy.  He is the supreme problem in higher criticism.  He's the fundamental doctrine of true theology.  He is the cardinal necessity for spiritual religion.  He's the miracle of the age.  He's -- yes, He is -- He is the superlative of everything good that you choose to call Him.

He's the only one qualified to be an all-sufficient Savior.  I wonder if you know Him today.  He supplies strength for the weak.  He's available for the tempted and the tried.  He sympathizes and He saves.  He strengthens and sustains.  He guards and He guides.  He heals the sick.  He cleansed the lepers.  He forgives sinners.  He discharges debtors.  He delivers the captives.  He defends the feeble.  He blesses the young.  He serves the unfortunate.  He regards the aged.  He rewards the diligent....and He beautifies the meek.

I wonder if you know Him.

Well, my King....He is the King!  He's the key to knowledge.  He's the wellspring of wisdom.  He's the doorway of deliverance.  He's the pathway of peace.  He's the roadway of righteousness.  He's the highway of holiness.  He's the gateway of glory.

Do you know Him?

Well, His office is manifold.  His promise is sure....and His light is matchless.  His goodness is limitless.  His mercy is everlasting.  His love never changes.  His word is enough.  His grace is sufficient.  His reign is righteous.  And His yoke is easy, and his burden is light.  I wish I could describe Him to you, but He's indescribable -- Yes He is!  He is God!  He's incomprehensible.  He's invincible.  He's irresistible.  Well, you can't get Him out of your mind.  You can't get Him off of your hand.  You can't outlive Him, and you can't live without Him.

The Pharisees couldn't stand Him, but they found out they couldn't stop Him.  Pilate couldn't find any fault in Him.  The witnesses couldn't get their testimonies to agree.  Herod couldn't kill Him.  Death couldn't handle Him, and the grave couldn't hold Him.  Yea!!!, that's my King, that's my King.

Yes, and Thine is the Kingdom....and the Power....and the Glory...Forever....and ever, and ever, and ever -- How long is that? And ever, and ever.  And when you get through with all of the forevers, then. AMEN!  Good God Almighty!  AMEN!   AMEN!

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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Within This Moment ~ From Evil and the Evil One

Greetings Dear Reader,

Yesterday we delved into the delivery aspect of our need for moment by moment following.  The thing from which we seek delivery is evil.  Some translations render this “the Evil One.”  Either way, we need delivery from evil even when we do not see it.

Even though many deny it, we live in a broken fallen world.  Our evil acts turned our biosphere from a life-based to a death-based one.  In my life, I have seen things that are inherently evil accepted as common and even called good.  I will not debate the individual items that evidence this here but you may ask me about it if you wish.  There is evil that we confront in almost every moment of the journey.

It is also true that the greatest trick of the Evil One is to get us to believe he does not exist.  We hear this and chuckle at it.  Still, he roams, “like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour.”  He never takes a day off, is on vacation, or post an out of office message.  Because that is true, he works every moment to deter us from the journey home.

When Jesus asks us to request delivery from evil, he is asking us to allow the Father to protect us.  He is asking us to follow him so that we can be protected from the Evil One.  He is showing that there is a way out of the mess; that we can be armed and armored to be protected from it.  Faith and following is not simply a method of living.  It is not simple mysticism to get us through our struggles. 

We are in a conflict and it is truly on a universal scale.  It is a conflict for us.  We have manufactured and accepted countless distractions to keep us from the reality of it.  We are at risk in every moment.  We are in danger every day.  If that sounds paranoid or delusional so be it.  I am not asking that we be fanatical.  I am asking that we see that there is a battle for our hearts and minds and the one who truly loves us is asking us to choose.

We choose always.  We often choose without thinking. It is up to us to choose wisely.  Even if I am absolutely wrong, choosing to love and be kind and good is wise.  It is not doing all the things we should not that is the focus.  It is following the one who loves us and his example to love others.  This is the greatest way to help others be delivered from evil.

No Rusty Swords – Michael Card

Don't you know the battle's raging

And you got to join the fight

There's an army of the darkness

And an army of the Light

There's a side that fights for Satan

And a side that's for the Lord

And on this battlefield, there are no rusty swords

And on this battlefield, there are no rusty swords

Christ has made the final move

So our side is sure to win

He became like us so we would have

A chance to be like Him

It seems strange so many fall back

When the victory has been won

You just need to ask yourself

Which side you're on

And on this battlefield, there are no rusty swords

And on this battlefield, there are no rusty swords

There's a fact you need to understand

Before you join our side

You need to know when Jesus calls

He bids you come and die

He's invaded Satan's kingdom

And He's claiming all His own

When the battle's over

He will lead us home

And on this battlefield, there are no rusty swords

And on this battlefield, there are no rusty swords

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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Within This Moment ~ Deliver Us

Greetings Dear Reader,

We all love the Amazon box.  It tells us that we have magically clicked our way to obtaining something we want or need.  It arrives and we feel that moment of excitement that the thing has been delivered and we can employ it to our purpose. 

Another aspect of this is that we all need delivery.  We live in a world where we have to coexist with evil.  I am not saying that everything is evil.  I am saying that there is evil everywhere.  A good friend once counseled me that I use this word too often.  That was years ago and I have been careful how I apply it since then.  She was right. 

It is still vital that we understand that in every moment we need delivery from the evil presence in the world.  I will talk more about the evil aspect of it tomorrow.  What I want to focus on today is the deliverance aspect.  Let us return to the Amazon analogy.

We ask for something from Amazon.  That sets in motion a series of events that lead to a carrier bringing the package to your door.  Sometimes, it is left for you and sometimes, you must sign for it.  Either way, the carrier marks the package as delivered.

Our delivery from evil is the same.  We request it by faith.  That is why it is part of this prayer that Jesus teaches as a model for us to use.  The process has already been completed on his end.  The payment for our deliverance from our own evil and eventually all evil has been made.  It is Christ’s death and resurrection that is the payment.  We are in the process of delivery in every moment.  That is the journey we are on Dear Reader. 

When we walk the journey, we must realize that we need deliverance in every moment.  It is part of the daily provision included in our request for daily bread.  The provision is a promise that if we follow in faith, we will eventually find deliverance from all evil.  As we journey, we can be free of evil within our hearts in each moment that we yield to Jesus.  It is the glimmer of home intended to move us down the path.  It is part of the joy in our journey.

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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Within This Moment ~ Lead us Not

Greetings Dear Reader,

When my younger Son, Bezel was a toddler was obsessed with bouncing balls.  Every time we would go to the store he would begin to intone, “ball, ball, BALL.”  We had to steer clear of the toy aisle where the balls were or this would turn to tear-filled demanding.

We quickly learned to use his desire to manage the behavior and we did not go near the balls if we were in a hurry.  Sometimes we brought one of his four thousand balls he already owned to make him think we had one for him.  This worked and gave the store staff a laugh.

As a father, it was important to me that I did not lead my Son down a path that would lead to want, greed, and selfishness.  We see that the Psalms are filled with requests for the Father to lead us in his way.  Jesus saying this is his way of modeling the opposite of what the Psalms say so often.  The Father will not lead us into places where our weaknesses are enhanced.

The way in which we live this out in the moment is that we choose not to go places where the struggles are stronger and the temptations are powerful.  An example would be the food I keep around my apartment.  I know that if I have a bag of crisps, I will eat them all.  I do not buy bags of them unless I am taking them to a gathering of some kind. 

The moment is where I am tempted and the Father will not lead me into moments where I cannot obey him.  Practicing obedience in every moment makes it easier to obey in the difficult moments.  More importantly, is the idea that I follow in the moment.  More deeply vital is that I am lead by the Son and his example in everything I do.  I fail at this but work to shorten the time between when I fail and when I follow again. 

When I ask you to walk with me Dear Reader, I am asking that you follow with me.  It is not my example that you should see but the example of Jesus loving us both as we struggle along at times crying for a new ball when what we need is to see how much we already have.  It is following in the moment that teaches us to be grateful and interact in love and kindness.  It is in this that we are lead away from temptation and closer to home.

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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Within This Moment ~ As We Forgive Others

Greetings Dear Reader,

Who do you need to forgive?  It really is that simple.  We may act like it is not but the decision to forgive is a binary one.  We do or we do not; there is no try.  The difficulty is that we try to delay the choice and default to burying the need to forgive.

Our failure to forgive becomes a great burden to us.  We may visit it on others and make their lives difficult or painful.  The visitation comes from the poison of our own choice not to forgive.  Every time we choose to hold on to wrongs done to us we build layers of resentment and bitterness that calcify our spirit.

We are not supposed to carry any anger over to the next day.  The accounts we have with others need to be short when it comes to anger and forgiveness.  The ease of this comes if we learn to forgive in the moment.  If we forgive as the offense is occurring then anger does not get the chance to gain purchase. 

I cannot carry a burden that I refuse to pick up.  Nothing can cling to me and harm my attitude if I do not take it into my person.  The idea of this is simple.  Forgiveness must a part of the way we express our love to others.  If we forgive in the moment we are acting at the very core of love.  We put pride away and live humbly.  We see that we need forgiveness in the same way that others need it.  The Father wishes us to recall our need for forgiveness but not carry the shame or guilt. 

In the same way, we have to love to effectively forgive.  The foundation of love is also the place we stand to have to power to forgive.  It comes down to the question of if I am willing to put love ahead of every offense.   It asks if I am willing to love others more than my own anger or hurt.

I must learn to forgive in the moment.  It is not always easy or painless.  If I consider what Christ did to forgive me, it puts a perspective on it that makes it easier to understand that the Father forgives us as we forgive others.  The Father and Son paid a much higher price to set the example than we will ever have to pay.  That , Dear Reader, is how I find the strength to forgive in 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 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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Within This Moment ~ Forgive our Debts

Greetings Dear Reader,

There is a great deal of discussion around the idea of forgiving student loan debt in the United States.  I am not going to weigh in on my thoughts on this but imagine with me for a moment.  On Sunday night you go to sleep with $40,000 in student debt.  Monday morning the forgiveness law goes into effect and you wake up forgiven of every penny of that debt. 

Whether you disagree with the concept or not, the idea of being forgiven of all that would ease your burden.  It would allow one more freedom to enjoy the income they are earning.  It would be a clear sign that your life has improved.  It would also become clear that you had received grace and mercy in a matter where you owed a debt.

Whether we own it or not we are all in debt to the Father for our lives.  We are further in debt because of our failure to be good and faithful children of our Father.  Still, the Father chose to find a way past our debt to bring us home.  He has made a way for us to be forgiven of our debt to him through faith in his Son’s propitiation for that debt.

We cannot earn debt forgiveness.  That is a form of payment.  We cannot buy it.  It is a gift given us as an expression of love from the Father and the Son.  Plenty of people live with an insurmountable debt of their own choosing.  They cannot see the hope of digging out of it.   Still, there are ways to find freedom from it.  One must, however, begin by acknowledging it. 

It is in this love that I have been driving at all year that the Father yearns to forgive our debt and reset our relationship with him so that we can learn how to live in freedom.  In that freedom, we can develop ways to be more loving, kind, and gracious. We can move from that life of burden to a life where we can follow Christ in freedom Dear Reader.  It is the journey we are on and I love sharing it with you.

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/ 

Within This Moment ~ Our Daily Bread

Greetings Dear Reader,

There was a time when I was homeless.  It was only for six months but I lived in my car and barely earned enough income to be able to move it each day.  My life was on the edge of collapse and getting enough to eat was a daily challenge.

During that time my simple prayer was “please Father, provide me with enough food for today.”  He did.  There was never a day where I did not have a meal.  Many of us take our next meal for granted.  We do not even consider that we will have lunch.  Instead, we dither over what we will have to eat and complain about our choices.

Still, there is a lesson here for intentionally living in the moment when it comes to our provision.  Jesus elaborated on this.  We are not supposed to worry about what we will wear, where we will sleep, and what we will eat.  We are supposed to count on the Father to provide all our needs.

This does not mean that we do not work for a living.  It is not that we do not attempt to earn our way.  It is that we see that whatever the avenue or our provision, it is the Father that sustains us.  Every good thing we have is due to the giving of the Father.  Even our very existence is because the Father never ceases to think about us.

I understand that the last bit is hard to fathom.  It is still vital to an honest following of Christ to embrace that we are to count on the Father to provide for us in every moment of our life.  Every breath is a gift.  Each day is an opportunity to spend time seeing how much that gift can shine if we choose to do so.  The task is to choose.  The challenge is to not get so caught up in providing for our own wants and needs that we do not see the provision of the Father in it all.

In addition, this gives us an excellent filter for what we choose to acquire.  Asking if each thing is something the Father would provide for us can serve to keep us from acquiring things that are not good for us.  It can help to focus on acquiring that which is good and not consuming resources on things that are wasteful.  It can help minimize what we possess and be grateful for what we have.

Further, living this idea of daily provision in each moment will help us to see how we can invest in the needs of others.  We have enough to share with others.  Even if our pride tells us our gift is paltry, it is a gift from the heart and, therefore, priceless.  By acknowledging the provision of the Father in each moment Dear Reader, we gain the opportunity to live out the truth that we are his and he has good things for us.  It is not wrong to have things.  It is unwise not to credit the one who is their source and sustainer.

The Things We Leave Behind – Michael Card

There sits Simon, so foolishly wise

Proudly he's tending his nets

Then Jesus calls and the boats drift away

And all that he owns he forgets

But more than the nets, he abandoned that day

He found that his pride was soon drifting away

And it's hard to imagine the freedom we find

From the things we leave behind

Matthew was mindful of taking the tax

And pressing the people to pay

Hearing the call, he responded in faith

And followed the light and the way

And leaving the people so puzzled he found

The greed in his heart was no longer around and

And it's hard to imagine the freedom we find

From the things we leave behind

Every heart needs to be set free

From possessions that hold it so tight

'Cause freedom's not found in the things that we own

It's the power to do what is right

With Jesus, our only possession

And giving becomes our delight

And we can't imagine the freedom we find

From the things we leave behind

We show a love for the world in our lives

By worshiping goods we possess

Jesus has laid all our treasures aside

And love God above all the rest

'Cause when we say no, to the things of the world

We open our hearts to the love of the Lord and

It's hard to imagine the freedom we find

From the things we leave behind

And when we say no, to the things of the world

We open our hearts to the love of the Lord and

It's hard to imagine the freedom we find

From the things we leave behind

Oh, and it's hard to imagine the freedom we find

From the things we leave behind

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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