31 October 2019

The Hallowed Days ~ All Hallows Eve


Happy Halloween Dear Reader,

I began this series with the understanding that things need to be hallowed, or set apart.  There comes a time where we must acknowledge that what belongs to the Father must be set aside as sacred or hallowed.

If it does not bend your brain too far, I would like to engage you in a Polemic:

Major Premise:  Anything that belongs to God is hallowed.
Minor Premise:  Everything belongs to God.
Conclusion:  Everything is hallowed.

The difficulty is that we have forgotten that there are no issues or activities that are not sacred.  We are supposed to do all that we do as if we are doing it for the Father.  Whether it is putting away the laundry or attending our favorite event, it is supposed to be an act of worship.  Let us examine another polemic.

Major Premise: God is everywhere.
Minor Premise: Wherever God is present, is hallowed ground.
Conclusion: Everywhere is a hallowed place.

The idea is then that everything there is, everything we do, and everywhere we go is supposed to be hallowed to the Father.  This is how we follow Christ.  This is the way in which the journey unfolds into a life set aside to that which is loving and good.  It is understanding that in the moment we are required to seek Christ no matter what we are doing. 

The process works like this.  We choose to acknowledge that all we do is to be set aside as our service to love the Father with all of our hearts, mind, soul, and strength.  We bring into captivity every thought under this choice.  These thoughts then guide our words, attitudes, and actions.  We measure every thought by whether it is loving the Father and in turn loving his hallowed creations. 

The thought to insult or malign someone must be rejected and replaced with the thought to show the Father’s love.  When we have a selfish thought, we hallow it by replacing it with a loving giving one.  It is learning to set aside every moment as hallowed to love for the Father.  The reason we do this is that the Father first hallowed them all for us by the death of his Son.  That, Dear Reader, is how we hallow everything and this is the day we begin to do so in preparation for the celebration of the Advent that made the hallowing possible.  The result will be treats with no tricks.  The end result will be that hatred, injustice, and greed will be unthinkable because we have hallowed our thoughts.

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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30 October 2019

Second Thoughts ~ The Change is Inevitable

Greetings Dear Reader,

Earlier today one of my closest friends posted a thought about sleeve biscuits.  If you do not know what those are, they are premade biscuit dough in a cardboard sleeve that pops open so you can place the prepared dough on a sheet and bake it.  My Grandmother, who made the best biscuits I have ever had called them “the devil’s shortcut to bad biscuits.”  One must understand that my Grandmother made everything from scratch.  Her pantry brimmed with preserves, pickles, and canned vegetables.  Her pie crust was butter, flour, and water.  Her biscuits were pat biscuits made one at a time by hand yet always the same size.

Before we dive too deeply into this thought, I want to say a word about Marijuana.  I have never understood how a plant can be so polarizing.  My younger Son, Bezel and my friends Ashley and James have helped me see the benefits of a plant created by God that does not have to include irresponsibility, drugs, and lawlessness. 

For years my only problem with it has been that it was illegal.  Now that it is becoming a legal choice for some, I wish to point out that it is inevitable.  That said, I would bet back to my friend’s biscuit comment today.  He said this, “There needs to be a line of ready to BAKE bread products called CannaBiscuits.”

He not only produced a good pun but came up with a great edible product.  I am sure there are better ones and I am not one to measure the value or quality of such things.  I do, however, realize from this moment just how much my opinion has changed.  Legalization is coming.  I must measure my heart and mind as to what I think.  It is my obligation to navigate how to hold my beliefs without judgment and in love.   I am bound by my faith to approach this with grace and kindness. 

I would love to hear your thoughts on this Dear Reader as I attempt to navigate this change with integrity founded on my love and faith.  In the meantime, I am also going on record that I heard this idea from my friend first in the event that it becomes a reality.  I will go for now.  I look forward to your thoughts.
 
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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The Hallowed Days ~ It Starts With Giving


Greetings Dear Reader,

It seems that Halloween candy has been the true herald of these days for most of my life.  It magically appears in the shops and used to magically appear in my home when I was young.  There is a story of how that interplay worked in me in Sheetrock on the Road.  The link is to my new publisher.

It awed me that I could put on a costume, walk the block, and get free candy.  There was also free candy and other treats at the school party.  My Grandparents gave me all the candy that was leftover from their candy bowl.  Getting candy was great.  Also, the idea of giving was something that my Grandfather took the time to teach me.

Do we consider that each year this three-month run of Holy Days begins with giving?  The idea of getting free candy is great.  The concept of entering a time when giving is a primary focus is even better.  We are supposed to give away love, kindness, and grace every day.  When we set our hearts to give, we place greater opportunities to show the love of Christ in the path.

Each of us must accept the vital truth that it is better to give than to receive. We must embrace that if we are looking outward, to the needs of others, we are less likely to focus on our own lack or desires.  The process is that the Father promises to supply our needs and that he wishes for giving to flow from him through us to others. 

When we hallow our hearts to be generous, we set aside our greed and selfishness.  Whether it is the dire needs of others or a piece of candy for a child, when we give from the heart, we set in motion evidence of love.  Setting our hearts toward giving generously to others puts us closer to following Christ in our journey.  As we prepare for these hallowed days, we must also make sure that we have prepared to leave behind greed and avarice. 

Over the next three days, we will dive into the actual hallowing of our three days.  Perhaps we can find a path that will lead us closer to home even though we have far to go yet.  This is not a conclusion so much as it is an end to the preparation and the commencement of the celebration.  Your company, Dear Reader, is one of the better gifts I receive.  Let us move on together and see if we cannot be more generous to others.

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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29 October 2019

The Hallowed Days ~ PAX Hallows


Greetings Dear Reader,

One of the things that mark the Holy Days that should not is a lack of peace.  The entire purpose of the coming days is to focus on the peace that has been offered us freely.  Instead, we worry, bicker, and stress over things that are not supposed to have that effect on us.

I have heard several people lacking peace over costumes and events already.  I have even already heard anxiety about meal planning.  One dear friend confessed to me why she dislikes the Holy Days and it is all connected to a lack of peace with the past that infects the future.

If we are to be prepared for the Hallowed Days and the passage to which they are the gateway, we must make peace within our minds and hearts.  That peace must be forged in love.  It needs to be unconditional just like the love that fuels it.  This sounds easy but I know there are difficulties that feed it.

If I wish to have peace within this passage, I must not carry that which disrupts my peace.  I must lay aside the worry and resentment that rob me of peace.  I cannot carry any anger or bitterness and have peace.  I must forgive, forebear, and foster the peace I in which I wish to walk.  My words must be kind and gentle.  My thoughts must be loving and good. 

With some people, this is as easy as pumpkin pie.  With others, it is a moment by moment battle.  Everything about hallowing our days is related to seeking peace in every moment.  The idea is that we become the beacon of peace and allow things to wash over us that wish to rob us of that serenity. 

In reality, if we are forgiving in the moment, we are at peace.  If we remain hard to offend then peace reigns in us.  We become set aside or hallowed to peace when what we seek is to follow Christ in loving others.  That, Dear Reader, is something worth fighting for and we can win.

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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28 October 2019

The Hallowed Days ~ Using Your Hands


Greetings Dear Reader,

“The call is to community.”  The mission statement of the church I attended in Madison is that it “seeks to build a loving community that follows Christ in order to reach a community that is lost without Him.”  One of the ways in which they apply this is through service to the community.

During the coming days, there will be many calls for us to find ways to help others.  If we do not prepare to answer this call by making space in our hearts, minds, and calendars, we will not make the time.  We want to do that which is needed, but we must be ready.  We do not, I think understand the value of giving time to those in need. 

Amidst the many things that will demand are time there are organizations that ask for some of it.  It is a simple thing to begin a tradition of setting aside time to help in our communities.  Whether we are ringing bells for the Salvation Army or volunteering at a homeless shelter, we can find a way to assist in meeting the needs of others that “are so keenly felt at this festive time of year.”

Part of being hallowed to these Holy Days is to see just how much we have that is a blessing and doing what is needed to pass some of that on to others.  It is one of the great ways to pass on our love that is impactful and lasting.  If we involve our family, then we also can build generational awareness and attitudes about giving to the needs of others.  An added benefit is that if we do it in the right spirit, we also can build some beautiful memories.

The simple point, Dear Reader is to create time and space in our lives now to hallow the act of giving to the needs of others.  We must find a place in our lives to hallow our hearts for the needs of others.  There is, after all, “no surplus population.”  There are no needs that do not impact us in some way.  This is how we make the days hallowed and put hands and feet on the Gospel.


The Basin and the Towel – Michael Card 

And the call is to community

In an upstairs room, a parable
Is just about to come alive
And while they bicker about who's best
With a painful glance, He'll silently rise

Their Savior Servant must show them how
Through the will of the water
And the tenderness of the towel

And the call is to community
The impoverished power that sets the soul free
In humility, to take the vow
That day after day we must take up the basin and the towel

In any ordinary place
On any ordinary day
The parable can live again
When one will kneel and one will yield

Our Saviour Servant must show us how
Through the will of the water
And the tenderness of the towel

The space between ourselves sometimes
Is more than the distance between the stars
By the fragile bridge of the Servant's bow
We take up the basin and the towel

And the call is to community
The impoverished power that sets the soul free
In humility, to take the vow
That day after day we must take up the basin

And the call is to community
The impoverished power that sets the soul free
In humility, to take the vow
That day after day we must take up the basin
That day after day we must take up the basin
That day after day we must take up the basin and the towel
Take up the basin and the towel, basin and towel


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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27 October 2019

The Hallowed Days ~ Preparing to Respond


Greetings Dear Reader,

One of the things we face as we attend the gatherings and celebrations of the year’s end is that of the encounters we would rather avoid.  There are those people who we prefer to avoid.  There are those who cause us pain that makes us less than we can be.  There is an answer but it is not as much fun as it is necessary.

The simple truth is that no matter the social situation, we can hallow the world a little with a single response.  If we choose to respond in love to every encounter, we are better ready to withstand the difficulties of unpleasant encounters.  We are forearmed against the things that seek to remove our gratitude and kindness.

We all have those people who have caused us pain but we must encounter them at the aforementioned gatherings.  A good place to start is to recall that we are all that person to someone.  We all have hurt people who deserved better from us.  So, if we begin with the humility inherent in that truth, we have someplace to begin to extend love to others.

The second part is that if we hallow our hearts to love others, we are more resilient to the things that others do that harm us.  Love destroys fear.  It leaves no room for resentment or anger.  It gives us a cloak of protection that we all too often fail to wear.  I must hallow my heart to show love in each encounter as the business and busyness of the time visits itself upon me.

I must prepare my mind to respond in love for everyone.  I am going to better weather the challenges of difficult people if I approach the season with love and compassion.  It is love that can reach through the harder things and help me be who I am supposed to be.  You and I Dear Reader have the capacity to love if we choose to hallow our hearts to it.  Shall we try?

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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26 October 2019

The Hallowed Days ~ Preparing Gratitude


Greetings Dear Reader,

I realize that we are a full month and a bit from Thanksgiving.  I supposed I wished to give everyone a chance to catch up on that promise from last year to be more thankful.  In the quest to set aside part of every day as hallowed, we need to consider this together.

What are we thankful for today?  What is it that springs to mind immediately?  Are we grateful for the things that are there for us every single day?  If we begin to ponder this whilst the turkey is thawing, then we have waited too long.  There are things to be thankful for all day. 

I have chosen to make being thankful for what I have much more prominent than what I desire.  There are things I ask for in my heart.  There are things I seek.  I will not, however, let them keep me from seeing what I have that is truly a blessing.  Developing an attitude toward gratitude has forced me to see how often I take things for granted that I should appreciate more deeply.

As a species, we excel at wanting without seeing and appreciating that which we already have.  When asked how much is enough, we often immediately reply that is must be more.  Like little children, we wish to consume until we are sick.  We want it all now and even think we deserve things.  We are always better than we deserve and remembering that will force us toward gratitude.

A great way to hallow the ground we travel is to develop the discipline of gratitude for simple things.  I am thankful for another day of life.  I express gratitude for my daily provision in a world where others hunger.  I am thankful for the little things that make life easier.  I am grateful for life. 

Perhaps as we prepare for the journey through the last of the year, it is not too late to increase our efforts at gratitude in the spirit of love.  We can express our thankfulness more often.  We can show appreciation.  We can be specific about how others benefit us and reassure them we are grateful.

Perhaps we can agree to try this leading up to Thanksgiving.  Maybe we can begin by being thankful for every person in our lives.  After all, Dear Reader, since we are required to love others without considering if they are worthy, it may be easier if we are looking for things about them for which we are thankful.  Please be confident that I am very thankful for 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:
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25 October 2019

The Hallowed Days ~ Preparation


Greetings Dear Reader,

Last Monday I drove past a house that had at least a dozen ghosts and a few graves in the front yard.  Another house has at least twenty carved pumpkins on its porch.  It is clear that preparations have been made and that Halloween is on the minds of many. 

To me, the decorations and trappings of October are reminders that people yearn for something to celebrate.  As the seasons change, we see ourselves in those changes whether it is minor or major.  I think we forget to prepare our spirits for the core of the celebrations that will unfold before us.

It is wise to put our hearts and minds into the spirit of these Holy Days.  It is to our benefit both spiritually and mentally.  It is mental groundwork that will assist us in fending off the stresses and worries that besiege us.  Whether it is commercial demands or family stresses, we can approach this time with an understanding of those things based on love and grace.

We know what the demands are because we deal with them annually.  We cannot prevent them but we can be armored against them.  We can choose to approach every situation with love and grace.  What gets to us can be made powerless.  We can choose that instead of trying to change it all, we can be different.  It may be hard at first, but preparing our hearts with an attitude of love and kindness will allow us to fend off the stressors that are associated with this season of celebration.

The added impact of being positive is that we may influence others.  We may be able to impact or infect others with that same love and kindness.  We hear all the time that it is never the circumstances.  This is a greater truth that we acknowledge most of the time.  It is almost always how we weather the storms more than what the weather brings us.

I use this time to set my mind and heart on following Christ’s example of love and kindness in every situation.  I cannot change the circumstances.  I can be better to others in them.  We can all show more love and kindness to those around us.  We simply have to choose to hallow ourselves to it Dear Reader.  It is an act of holiness to choose love over other things.  It is also the path to peace if we prepare with it as our foundation.  You are always welcome to walk this path with me.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

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

Contacts for Aramis Thorn:
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24 October 2019

The Hallowed Days ~ Opening Thoughts


Greetings Dear Reader,

This turn of our attention and journey is one of my favorites.  My dear friend Ashli is passionate about Halloween and was recently told it was not a real holiday.  In truth, the three days at the end of October and beginning of November are very important holidays historically.  They are vital for me to include them as reserved writing days every year.

It is significant enough that the church in the middle ages set aside a vigil for it.  These three Holy Days (holidays [where did you think that word originated?] in our vernacular) note the beginning of the liturgical calendar after Easter and Pentecost. My intent this year is to honor All Hallows Eve and the following celebrations of souls and saints by keeping a vigil each morning with my writing.

A week from now children will seek candy, adults will enjoy parties, and the path to Advent and the closing of the year will be open.  The idea of keeping vigil over these things is not new either.  It is a centuries-long practice for people of faith to invest time in preparing hearts and minds for certain celebrations.  This celebration of All Hallows Eve is vital to my preparation for Advent. 

My heart must turn toward enhancing further my attitudes of thankfulness and generosity toward others in every venture.  I must plan to be more grateful and more deeply giving each year as a way to honor the Father and celebrate the Son.  There is a great need for others to see that they are appreciated. 

The intent in this vigil is to prepare my spirit to walk in the world in the right attitude.  It is to enter the season with a mindset to be good to everyone I encounter.  It is to have a heart to show love, kindness, and generosity to mitigate the avarice and anxiety that some associate with the year-end holidays. 

Please, Dear Reader, feel free to walk with me as we look at some simple ways to make our way through this part of the journey with joy and peace.  For those of you who love the beginning more than the end, I celebrate with you and reassure you that Halloween is a genuine holiday.  Please include me in your thoughts and questions as we travel through the costumes, candy, and cognition of how much this day matters in following Christ.  Your company is vital to any real celebration.


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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23 October 2019

Plenty’s Horn ~ Closing Thoughts


Greetings Dear Reader,

Some years ago, a friend visited the Hershey factory in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Whilst there, she ordered me a giant tin of their miniature chocolates.   I literally had hundreds of small chocolate bars in a two-gallon tin.  I had a copious abundance of tiny chocolates.

This gift thrilled my Daughter and my Grandsons.  They knew that if I had candy, they would get candy.  It thrilled me to share the delights with them.  The abundance made it easy to share what I had that was given as a gift.  Eventually, however, the candy ran out and was gone.  This is not the case with the things we have been pondering.

As we have seen, we have a plentiful supply of the things necessary to follow Christ in harmony.  The products of love, grace, mercy, kindness, and joy are all available to us is we choose them.  The intent of the Father is that they flow through us to help others find the way home.

There is no need to hold back on being good to others.  We consider the risk to our hearts and place expectations on our efforts instead of giving freely from our limitless supply.  We are able to establish a flow of love for others that permeates all that we do.  Understanding and applying this gives unbound opportunity to give to others without reservation.  It brings all we do into alignment with the path that Christ wishes us to walk.

As we make the turn toward the Hallowed Days and the feasts that mark the closing of the year, I must embrace the abundance I have been given from Plenty’s horn.  I must give freely to anyone who I encounter and do so without regard to my own needs.  The Father has promised over and over to supply those.  As we move on to other thoughts, Dear Reader, we can better journey together if we exchange the things we so desperately need that we can only supply for each other. 

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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22 October 2019

Second Thoughts ~ Shrimp and Grits


Greetings Dear Reader,

For dinner this evening we had some excellent shrimp and grits.  It is one of those dishes that is stunning or terrible.  Thank you, Amy, for reminding me of a memory that is dear to me.  Properly prepared it brings back memories of feasts from my childhood and meals shared with loved ones in my later years.

Two of my fondest memories of it are when I was a boy and enjoyed it with my Grandfather.  My Grandmother prepared it for his birthday when I was eight.  The grits were the same creamy grits that she served with breakfast but she added shallots and roasted red pepper.  The shrimp were large gulf shrimp sautéed in her churned butter and cooked until perfectly tender. 

The second memory was when Avalon prepared the same dish.  She, however, was not accustomed to using red pepper.  Following the directions, she sprinkled the pepper on the sautéing shrimp.  She turned away for a moment to prepare the salad.  Turning back to the shrimp, she saw that the red pepper she had sprinkled was gone.  She added more.  Turning back to her salad and then back to her shrimp she saw the pepper again had, in her words, evaporated.  She added more.  Just to be sure. She added a great deal more.

When dinner was served, she saw my excitement at her having made shrimp and grits.  We filled our plates and prayed.  I took a large bite of shrimp, chewed a few times, and promptly caught fire.  The shrimp was delicious but also volcanic.  Avalon realized her error as she ate her first bite and told of her adding the pepper each time thinking it had evaporated.  I ate every bit of that shrimp and enjoyed every moment.

My joy was not because it was hot.  It was because of the love that had gone into cooking one of my favorite memories for me.  I have had shrimp and grits since then often.  Each time, I recall these two meals, served decades apart but both filled with love. 

As we turn toward a time where feasting and food become a big part of the celebration, take the time to remember.  Recall the feasts or meals where you felt the love in the preparation and share those stories Dear Reader.  I know I would love to hear them.  It is no accident that the one we follow intends to start the next part of the story with a feast.
 
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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