Second Thoughts ~ Sehnsucht

Greetings Dear Reader, 

I have been searching for a word to describe the doldrums that I am in with my journey.  I wonder if doldrums is even a proper word here.  I am not discontent or even impatient.  Those bubble to the surface occasionally but not in a harmful way.  I am not discouraged or depressed. 

When Avalon and I were talking the other evening, she gave me the word I was looking for and she had no idea how deeply it would resonate with me.  I will get the academic part out of the way.  The word is Sehnsucht, a German word that is a compound of two other German words.  The literal meaning is a longing, desire, or yearning.  The applicable meaning for me is “an inconsolable yearning or wistful longing for something one cannot explain or does not know...YET.” 

That applicable meaning is the truth.  It is what both elates and troubles my soul tonight.  It is the passion behind Project Tortoiseshell.  It is the sorrow that keeps a moist spot in the corner of my eye almost all the time.  There are other places I would be were I to have all that I wish right now.  I know it will arrive when it is time but tonight, I am yearning, longing for something that does not yet exist.  I have dreamt of it so much that I have nostalgic memories of a life I have not yet lived. 

It is both a pain and a joy.  The joy is that I am not limited to the desire to be independent and on the road.  It is the desire to see it all both here and in that Undiscovered Country.  I am not lonely in the companion sense of the word.  I am lonely for the faces of those I love, the joy I can bring to others who I have not seen in years or even decades.  It is the freedom to do what I do best without the impediments of the current situation.  I am not ungrateful for what I have.  I do, however, know there is something more.  There are undiscovered paths and byways.  There people who need a kind word or just a listening loving ear.

 I know that the Father has all this in hand.  I am sure he is moving things to get me there.  Tonight, however, in the quiet dark, I am feeling that Sehnsucht for this world and what it holds for me.  My imagination tells the tales I have not yet lived and written as if they are cherished memories or stories long-ago read.  Eventually, I will travel the road home and I daily long for that journey.  Before it, however, Dear Reader, I am longing for the horizons here where I can share a bowl and a tale with you.  Please pray for me that I find the way sooner rather than later.  Forgive my longing and know that you are always welcome to journey with me. 

The Road Goes Ever On and On – J.R.R. Tolkien – Performed by CamillasChoice

 The Road goes ever on and on

Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow if I can,
Pursuing it with eager feet,
Until it joins some larger way
Where many paths and errands meet.
And whither then? I cannot say.

 The Road goes ever on and on
Out from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
Let others follow it who can!
Let them a journey new begin,
But I at last with weary feet
Will turn towards the lighted inn,
My evening-rest and sleep to meet. 

Roads go ever on and on,
Over rock and under tree,
By caves where never sun has shone,
By streams that never find the sea;
Over snow by winter sown,
And through the merry flowers of June,
Over grass and over stone,
And under mountains in the moon. 

Roads go ever on and on
Under cloud and under star,
Yet feet that wandering have gone
Turn at last to home afar.
Eyes that fire and sword have seen
And horror in the halls of stone
Look at last on meadows green
And trees and hills they long have known. 

The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow if I can,

Still, round the corner there may wait
A new road or a secret gate,
And though I oft have passed them by,
A day will come at last when I
Shall take the hidden paths that run
West of the Moon, East of the Sun. 

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 ͡°) 

Every human story is part of the great story that leads to the Father getting everything back to Good. 

Contacts for Aramis Thorn:
#aramisthorn
Support Page on Patreon: www.patreon.com/aramisthorn
Novels: From My Publisher or on Amazon          
Web Page:  www.aramisthorn.com
Bookings: aramisthorn@aramisthorn.com
Facebook      
Twitter        
Medium         
Instagram 
BLOG Archive:  http://aramisthorn.blogspot.com/ 

Still round the corner there may wait
A new road or a secret gate,
And though I oft have passed them by,
A day will come at last when I
shall take the hidden paths that run
West of the Moon, East of the Sun.

I Never Said That ~ Closing Thoughts

Greetings Dear Reader,

 We are going to hear from both supporters and detractors concerning the things that Jesus said.  The goals will be control, mockery, or sincere.  People will use Jesus for their own purposes and objectives.  Many will claim to understand “what Jesus would do” without really reading what he said.

 In thinking about this over the last week, I see that it is important to know what Jesus did say.  It is vital to understand what he requires of me regarding my actions and attitudes.  It is equally important that I understand clearly how I am to think about others.  The requirement to love first above all things with every human helps.  Adding to this a quest to become unoffendable makes for interesting times. 

 With this as a place to stand, the reality of how deeply we fail to follow Christ becomes blindingly clear.  I cannot hope to live this way without constantly rehearsing what Jesus says about the kingdom and how we are to live it whilst it is still hidden.  I often ponder how much easier it would be if the reality of Jesus in our time were more visible.  That, however, would mean that faith was not the medium through which we follow.

 It is my duty to make Christ seen through love and peace.  It is part of my faith that I deal in mercy and grace.  I cannot love the Father without obeying the command to hear His Son.  As I seek to do this, I can only prove that I hear him through my love and kindness to my fellow travelers.  Part of this is knowing what Jesus said and applying it to all that I think, say, and do.

 As we journey on to other thoughts, Dear Reader, I want you to know that even when I fail to do this, it does not change the truth.  Jesus wishes for us to see him in each other.  His desire is that we do all that we can to hear his voice and follow the great commands. If that is my focus, then all else does seem to fall into place.  It is not easy but it is simple.  The idea of preceding anything I say with “Jesus loves you so I am going to say…”, seems to really work.  Most of the time I say this in my head.  With some, I have earned the right to say it out loud. 

 The point is that nothing hateful, judgmental, or unkind can follow.  I cannot be selfish or demanding and live this statement.  It is in choosing to love first that I will find the strength to be generous, kind, and unoffendable.  In these things then will I see the path of peace so vital to finding my way home.  You are a part of that process that I enjoy.  Thank you for your companionship and love as we travel.

 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 ͡°)

Every human story is part of the great story that leads to the Father getting everything back to Good.

Contacts for Aramis Thorn:
#aramisthorn
Support Page on Patreon: www.patreon.com/aramisthorn
Novels: From My Publisher or on Amazon
Web Page: www.aramisthorn.com
Bookings: aramisthorn@aramisthorn.com
Facebook 
Twitter
Medium 
Instagram
BLOG Archive: http://aramisthorn.blogspot.com/

 

Knowing what Jesus actually said makes it much simpler to do as he asks.

I Never Said That ~ You Will Always Be Happy

Greetings Dear Reader,

 Americans care about the pursuit of happiness.  It is one of the reasons the colonists exited from the British.  We declared our independence partially in response to a God-given right to pursue happiness.

 The truth of this is clear.  We are allowed to pursue happiness.  We are not, however, guaranteed it.  We may pursue what makes us happy but it has also been shown that happiness is elusive.  Also, it is true that happiness is a choice. 

Our happiness is a source of our perspective.  We are not guaranteed happiness and pursuing it may be an error.  I think that when we pursue happiness, we are trying to grasp mist and missing that which we should pursue.  I mentioned at the end of yesterday’s post that what we are to seek is the Father and his kingdom.  

When we pursue the Father, no matter what the circumstances we can find joy in the journey.  That is where we are guaranteed success.  That is the great and sustaining truth in our struggle against wrong and pain.  Joy comes from following Christ.  Happiness is a state of mind in that pursuit.  It is the obverse of the coin of worry.  When we worry, we are not pursuing Christ and, therefore, cannot be happy. 

Jesus clearly told us not to worry.  He specifically required that we trust the Father to care for our needs.  He also insisted that we clearly understand what we need and what is a false pursuit of happiness.  When we seek things tied to our own interests, no happiness is available.  The illusion of it will divert us from following the Son.  Like the aforementioned gossamer, it will be gone as soon as we grasp it.  

Our choice is between following the Son and not following him.  I want everyone to be happy.  I also know that the only times I feel happy are when I view both good and bad things through the perspective of following Jesus.  I find my joy in the journey, Dear Reader, through my hope in the Son.  I find it in loving others as he loves them.  This frees me from worry allowing me to be joyful in whatever state I find myself.  

Jesus never promised that we would be happy.  He said that we would find joy in our journey home if we follow him and seek the Father.  It is the only way to find the narrow path and avoid discouragement.  I will do my best to seek the joy of following Christ and choose happiness over worry.   You are always welcome on the 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 ͡°)

Every human story is part of the great story that leads to the Father getting everything back to Good.

Contacts for Aramis Thorn:
#aramisthorn
Support Page on Patreon: www.patreon.com/aramisthorn
Novels: From My Publisher or on Amazon
Web Page: www.aramisthorn.com
Bookings: aramisthorn@aramisthorn.com
Facebook 
Twitter
Medium 
Instagram
BLOG Archive: http://aramisthorn.blogspot.com/

The pursuit of happiness is our liberty but it may not be the best life.

 

I Never Said That ~ Plan and Succeed

Greetings Dear Reader,

It seems odd for me to write about this but it is also something bout which I must think.  Until you buy enough of my books for me to only write for my income, I work as a project manager.  I spend my time at my sustenance job planning things in great detail for many people.

The truth I have learned in doing this for a few years is that every plan has a defined critical path and that my plan needs to change the moment I submit it.  No matter how carefully I plan and how hard others work to execute a plan, there are variables.  Still, it seems that we live in a world that insists we must plan or we fail.

At the core of this is something that Jesus did say.  He was speaking to a Pharisee named Nicodemus.  Jesus is explaining the necessity of being born spiritually.  He says, “The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

I would like to see that project plan for the wind.  No human would comprehend how it flowed.  Yet the Father directs the courses of the wind.  I guess the point I am trying to apply is that plans are good but the Father already has them for us.  Jesus never tells us to plan everything out.  He insists that we follow him and let his plan carry us along.

Jesus never tells us to plan it all.  We are not to become so embroiled in schedules and events that we neglect the truth that it is not our plan it is his.  If I worry when I cannot plan and when my plans get derailed, I have made my plans an idol.  What I am trying to do is make sure that my plans are always subject to the leading of the Spirit.

The only way I have found that works is to make plans that I think are good.  Then, I must live in the moment, seeking Christ and his love.  When we realize that our plans supersede this, we are worshiping the plan and not the planner.  I am being borne by it and not living as if I am born of the Spirit.  I think that we can become people who only seek to live out the ideal of the kingdom. 

We can learn to do as Jesus says at the end of the Sermon on the Mount.   After telling us not to worry about food, housing, income, and clothing, he assures us that all this will be provided if we follow him.  Then, his conclusion is to seek the Kingdom of God and God’s righteousness.  He promises that if we do that, all that he has discussed in his discourse will be provided for us.

I must plan in a practical way but I must make all my plans subject to what Jesus did say.  Success is never attached to my proposals as planned.  It is attached to my faith and following.  I do not use the King James translation much because it does not reconcile with our current English well.  In it, however, the word “success” only appears once, Dear Reader.  It is the beginning of the Father’s instructions to Joshua: “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.”

It is not planning or success that gets us home.  I mentioned earlier in this series that Jesus never said we had to make it on our own.  He promised to always be with us.  That same promise accompanies the promise of success to Joshua: “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

I wish that I always thought this way.  I am renewing my mind to do so as best as I can.  Your company in the journey makes me wish to do so even more.  My desire is to seek Christ in every moment and follow him.  When you are in those moments as well, the journey is rich and we can hear more clearly what Jesus says.  That is a plan with which I can live.

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 ͡°)

Every human story is part of the great story that leads to the Father getting everything back to Good.

Contacts for Aramis Thorn:

#aramisthorn

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

Novels: From My Publisher or on Amazon          

Web Page:  www.aramisthorn.com

Bookings: aramisthorn@aramisthorn.com

Facebook       Twitter        

Medium         Instagram 

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

We worry when we cannot plan and when our plans get derailed.

I Never Said That ~ Build A Hedge

Greetings Dear Reader,

When we consider the things that Jesus did say, we are often required to filter out the things that have been said about what he said.  I think that we have been adding to the things that God says since he began speaking to us. 

We can find the first example of this in Genesis.  The Father instructs Adam and Eve to tend the garden; to care for it.  They are allowed to eat from any tree except the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.  When Eve is speaking with the serpent, she says they are not to eat the fruit, or even touch the tree.  Either she or Adam added a hedge to the Father’s instruction.  One cannot tend a tree that one does not touch.

I can picture this.  I can see the reasoning.  If we do not touch it, we will not eat the fruit.  The Pharisees built two hedges around the Law.  The rules they established prevented people from reaching the place where the Law could be violated.  The Talmud served to keep the people safe but it also put them in bondage.

Jesus wishes for us to follow in freedom.  He does not want us to set up rules to keep us from following with our hearts.  We do set them up.  Worse, we impose them on others.  We tell people how they must dress, what they can eat and drink, and even how they are allowed to pray and worship.  None of this reflects the freedom that we have in Christ.

Here is a simple modern example.  There are those who will say it is wrong to drink any alcohol whatsoever.  They will even bend and twist Bible verses to prove the point.  Mike Winger, a pastor in California has an excellent online study about this.  The truth is that the Father gives permission to use strong drink as a form of celebration.  I agree that if drinking in front of someone will cause them difficulty, we must be cautious out of love.  Creating rules and a prohibition around alcohol, however, is to deny the freedom we have in Christ to make choices based on our love.

When we build a hedge around the truth, we fail to educate others of the proper way to follow Jesus.  The rules become more important than loving the Father and following the Son.  The fact is that Jesus turned water into good wine.  My Grandfather used to say that Christians have been trying to turn it back into water for two thousand years.  You see, Dear Reader, we cannot follow in faith if we make up laws that limit our freedom in Christ.  We have to follow in faith, believing that if we act out of love and grace toward everyone, we do not have to say things that Jesus did not say.   We do not have to build hedges around the Gospel in order to protect others.  We can educate and exemplify.  We can live in love toward others.  That is where we find the way to love others without trying to control their lives or limit their freedom.  The Holy Spirit will teach them what they need to know.  He will teach us too if we let him.

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 ͡°)

Every human story is part of the great story that leads to the Father getting everything back to Good.

Contacts for Aramis Thorn:

#aramisthorn

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

Novels: From My Publisher or on Amazon          

Web Page:  www.aramisthorn.com

Bookings: aramisthorn@aramisthorn.com

Facebook       Twitter        

Medium         Instagram 

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

Hedges around the truth only obscure the truth and limit the grace that allows us to walk in freedom.

Second Thoughts ~ I do not Drink Kool-Aid®

Greetings Dear Reader,

There is a video a friend shared of New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.  I rarely agree with the Congresswoman, but I felt it proper to stand with her on this issue.  The comments that I got in response were unkind for the most part.

One fellow human said, “And yet you'll still vote for Donald Trump, so who gives a $#!+  what you think?”  I am not a Republican, nor did I say anything about the President. It seems that if I do not agree with everything someone says, I somehow am immediately in the wrong.

Others were kind and thanked me for being civil and supportive.  The difficulty I see is how quickly opinions devolve into sniping and name-calling.  Fellow travelers who do not know me, my politics, or my disposition launched hatred at me for being supportive of their idol.  I do not like Kool-Aid®.  I never have.  I refuse to drink it actually or virtually to appease anyone.

We need to remember how to rally around those issues with which we agree no matter where they come from or who says them.   Truth is truth.  Every social movement has some truth to it.  If we began to agree and be supportive where those truths are, we might discover that we have common ground on which to stand to engage in peaceful loving conversation.

We cannot claim to follow Christ and disagree with this statement from Representative Ocasio-Cortez:  “Having a daughter does not make a man decent. Having a wife does not make a decent man. Treating people with dignity and respect makes a decent man. And when a decent man messes up as we all are bound to do, he tries his best and does apologize not to save face, not to win a vote. He apologizes genuinely to repair and acknowledge the harm done so we can all move on.”

Think this through.  Everything she says reflects the truth of Christ in how we are to treat each other.  Oh, and no matter what your position on her positions, you are required to love her.  I am weary of the insistence that we have to drink their Kool-Aid to admit when they are right.  Further, I hate when we malign people over politics.  It is poor thinking and poor faith. 

Avalon reminded me of a poem my Grandfather always quoted:

Outwitted

by Edwin Markham (1852-1940)

He drew a circle that shut me out —

Heretic, rebel, a thing to flout.

But Love and I had the wit to win:

We drew a circle that took him in!

We need to draw bigger circles that show love to everyone.  I need to support ideas that reflect the love of Christ.  I am going to do so because I know that I can do this and my faith is not threatened.  If it were, then it is my faith that needs care, Dear Reader.  Let us agree to share a drink over the truths we all share, as long as it is not Kool-Aid®. 

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 ͡°)

Every human story is part of the great story that leads to the Father getting everything back to Good.

Contacts for Aramis Thorn:

#aramisthorn

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

Novels: From My Publisher or on Amazon          

Web Page:  www.aramisthorn.com

Bookings: aramisthorn@aramisthorn.com

Facebook       Twitter        

Medium         Instagram 

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

If we ignore our differences and spend some time looking at where we agree, we might find a way to paddle out of this mess together.

I Never Said That ~ You Have to Earn Forgiveness

Greetings Dear Reader,

I often have seen posts where someone is angry and insisting that forgiveness must be earned for relationships to mend.  Someone has wrong someone else and now their violation is unworthy of forgiveness.  I have written enough about forgiveness that I do not need to explain again that this is not how forgiveness works.

More troubling, are those who think that we can merit or earn our forgiveness from the Father.  It

does not matter how good or bad we are, forgiveness is a gift from God.  It is based on Jesus removing our sin from the equation by paying our debt for it.  I realize that sin is not a popular word.  It is, however, the truth that the best person on earth has sinned in some way.  This is what separates us from the Father.

Forgiveness is necessary.  We can do nothing to become good enough to merit it.  It is grace and mercy that work to provide us with forgiveness through the Father’s love and Christ’s sacrifice.  We accept this gift by faith alone.  We cannot merit redemption.  We cannot buy it with deeds or money.  I discuss this in Thoughts and Questions on Ephesians.  Paul writes to that city saying, “By grace, you have been redeemed through faith.  It is not of your own doing, but it is a gift from God.  It is not by doing good things, because then you could boast.”

All true forgiveness flows from the one offended or wronged choosing to love the offender beyond his or her debt.  We are in need of the Father’s forgiveness and Jesus asks us to be forgiving to others in the same way.  Jesus never said that others had to earn forgiveness.  That is a lie made up by humans to justify not being forgiving.  Genuine forgiveness, Dear Reader provides the peace we need to love always, walk in faith, and find our way home.

We are not lost because the way is hidden.  We are lost because we do not follow the way that is before us.  No matter how far we are from the Father, it is simply turning to him in faith that sets us back on the right way.  I refuse to load this good news with caveats and excess baggage.  It is better to keep this simple and allow you to ask all the questions you wish about. 

We have all sinned.  We are not righteous on our own.  Faith and grace will create the relationship we need to find our way home.  We can follow in faith and learn the true nature of forgiveness for our lives and for others.  I need this daily and will, therefore, do my best to give it daily as well.  No matter what you have done, you have my forgiveness and love, Dear Reader.

Can’t Work Your Way to Heaven – Mustard Seed Faith

Well, you try so hard to understand the reasons for the wars

And you search the earth for answers and looked unto the stars

And you've thought you found the answers but they slipped away

Listen very carefully to what God has to say

You can't work your way to heaven, no

You can't get there by deeds

The only way to God's kingdom is to simply just believe

That God did send Christ Jesus to show us all the way

Let Him come inside you, and live in you today

Sing it now, let Him, let Him, let Him come into your heart today

Let Him, let Him, let Him come to you and show you the way

Well I am told there’s some among you who feel that you’ve been good
Spent your life doing’ nothin’ wrong, you've done the best you could
But the bible says that just one sin Is enough to cause you death
So, God did send Christ Jesus to free you from your debt

You can't work your way to heaven, no

You can't get there by deeds

The only way to God's kingdom is to simply just believe

That God did send Christ Jesus to show us all the way

Let Him come inside you, and live in you today

Sing it now, let Him, let Him, let Him come into your heart today

Let Him, let Him, let Him come to you and show you the way

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 ͡°)

Every human story is part of the great story that leads to the Father getting everything back to Good.

Contacts for Aramis Thorn:

#aramisthorn

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

Novels: From My Publisher or on Amazon          

Web Page:  www.aramisthorn.com

Bookings: aramisthorn@aramisthorn.com

Facebook       Twitter        

Medium         Instagram 

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

If we find ourselves looking for reasons not to forgive, love, and restore, we are the problem.

I Never Said That ~ Make it on Your Own

Greetings Dear Reader,

In a time when there are voices crying for more freedom and real equality, there is also the cry to unite, band together, and fight or rights.  In some ways, this is a paradox.  In some aspects it makes sense.   Then, if we are honest, following Christ is filled with paradoxical thinking.

We are asked to believe without seeing.  Loving our enemies, even those who want to kill us is essential.   We are asked to live in community but we are individually accountable for our actions in faith and following.  It sometimes seems that we have to make it on our own because those who travel with us will not do their part.

Jesus never said that we are alone.  He never insisted that we would not have help.  Rather, in every situation where one of his prophets felt he or she was alone, the Father showed him just how not alone we are.   Whether it is an army of angels surrounding us the reminder that there are still places in the world where the good news of Jesus thrives, we are not alone.

What Jesus actually promised is that he is with us always, even to the end.  We have the Holy Spirit with us.  We can choose to seek Christ in every moment.  We can choose to believe and travel in that belief.  We may be isolated or insulated.  We can choose to do something about that or use it as an excuse to be stagnant in our faith.

I must live in each moment as if I have all that I need for that moment.  This includes when I feel lonely or concerned about the cares for the next day.  Jesus never said we are alone.  He insisted that I see his love for me as each day unfolds.  That is how I am trying to journey, Dear Reader.  You are always welcome with me so that you will not feel alone.

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 ͡°)

Every human story is part of the great story that leads to the Father getting everything back to Good.

Contacts for Aramis Thorn:

#aramisthorn

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

Novels: From My Publisher or on Amazon          

Web Page:  www.aramisthorn.com

Bookings: aramisthorn@aramisthorn.com

Facebook       Twitter        

Medium         Instagram 

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

I Never Said That ~ Worthless

Greetings Dear Reader,

There seems to be a plague of worthlessness running throughout our world.  I realize that sounds hyperbolic, but that is not my intent.  I am extremely concerned that through both intentional and unintentional sources, the church has taught us that we are worthless.

I heard often when I was searching for faith, that to understand our need for Jesus, we need to accept that we are worthless.  Jesus never says that.  I think this comes from a misunderstanding of the difference between worthless and unworthy.  Perhaps we can understand the love of Christ better if we understand the difference between the two.

There is no human that is worthless.  We treat each other that way and are wrong for it but that is not what determines our value or worth.  No matter our life circumstances, we are valued by the Father to the degree that he allowed Jesus to die for our reclamation.  We did not deserve this, and so we are unable to merit it by our worth.

That is the definition of unworthy.  We are not worthy of the grace and mercy required to redeem us.  We do not get what we deserve because of our failures (mercy) and we get the grace we do not deserve in its place.  Jesus never said we are worthless and he proved our worth through the cross.  We must, however, understand that we are unworthy if we are to have the humility required to embrace redemption through the cross.

We have a need because of our unworthiness and Jesus proved our worth by meeting our need.  That, Dear Reader is something of true value.  The one who created us would rather die than live without us.  Whenever we consider our worth, I must measure both yours and mine by the price the Father puts on it.  That should settle any question as to whether I matter.

I am not worthless.  Neither are you.  Job pointed out that the Father constantly thinks of us to the degree that if he stopped, we would cease to exist.  That is truly something to ponder as we journey together.  It makes me want to see you as infinitely priceless.  It makes me wish for you to see yourself in the same way.  If anything, Jesus said you were worth his life.  No one, God or human can top that, Dear Reader.

Could It Be – Michael Card

In the ebb and flow of living

As we wander through the years

We're told to listen to a voice

We can't hear with our ears

They say to live by something

That you can't see with your eyes

Is there really any purpose to this foolish exercise?

Could it be You make Your presence known so often by Your absence?

Could it be that questions tell us more than answers ever do?

Could it be that You would really rather die than live without us?

Could it be the only answer that means anything is You?

In our words and in our silence

In our pride and in our shame

To the genius and the scholar

To the foolish and insane

To the ones who care to seek You

To the ones who never will

You are the only answer even still

Could it be You make Your presence known so often by Your absence?

Could it be that questions tell us more than answers ever do?

Could it be that You would really rather die than live without us?

Could it be the only answer that means anything, is You?

It's a question you can't answer

An answer you cannot express

That the gentle Man of Sorrow

Is the source of happiness

You'll never solve the mystery

Of this magnetic man

For you must believe to understand

Could it be You make Your presence known so often by Your absence?

Could it be that questions tell us more than answers ever do?

Could it be that You would really rather die than live without us?

Could it be the only answer that means anything is 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 ͡°)

Every human story is part of the great story that leads to the Father getting everything back to Good.

Contacts for Aramis Thorn:

#aramisthorn

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

Novels: From My Publisher or on Amazon          

Web Page:  www.aramisthorn.com

Bookings: aramisthorn@aramisthorn.com

Facebook       Twitter        

Medium         Instagram 

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

I Never Said That ~ I Hate You if…

Greetings Dear Reader,

So many of the things that Jesus said reflect his love for humanity.  In a time where real oppression existed at a brutal and dangerous level, he elevated those who were hated by others.  He saw the needs of people as he moved through his day.

In our culture, we see signs that are supposed to represent Jesus.  People chant slogans about what Jesus wants for us.  The difficulty is the level of hatred in those signs and slogans.  The message may or may not be true but the messengers are representing that which does not represent Jesus.

Here is a minor example that speaks to the whole.  When I was first learning to write, I tried to write with my left hand.  The Sisters at my school would smack my hand with a ruler and tell me, “Jesus hates it when we write left-handed.”  Many years later I learned why they thought this.  The Latin word to “go left” is “sinister”.  Somewhere in the mists of church history, someone decided that sinister meant evil.  Thus, Sister Saint Thomas applied the metal-stripped maple ruler to the back of my hand saying that writing with the left hand is evil and that Jesus hates it.  I still have the scar on my knuckle from that.

When we represent Jesus as hating, we had better be very sure that we are correct.  If we do not, we are using God for our own purposes.  We are never in the right when we omit the love of Jesus from our attitude.  Saying that he hates people who commit this or that sin is a lie.  Saying that he hates people of a certain social or political standing is also a lie.  An honest look at Jesus, omitting the commentary of his followers, shows that no matter what the religious leaders thought of people, he interacted with them in love.

He made it clear that the benchmark for being aligned with him is love.  For those of you who do not share my faith, please feel free to demand that those who do interact with you lovingly.  If they do not, call them out on it.  It is the Maker’s mark on his followers.  It is the foundation of all else that we are. 

For those of you who follow Christ, we must examine every action and attitude to see if they are Christ-centered and founded on love.  If they are not; if they espouse hatred through injustice, condemnation, or self-righteousness, we had best be silent until our hearts are right.  There is nothing we need to address that cannot be handled with humility and love.  We may need to be bold and take a stand, Dear Reader, but we need never declare that God hates anyone because he does not. 

Further, he requires that we love every human if we have any hope of loving the Father the way we should.  We must demonstrate our love through kindness, mercy, grace, justice, and peace.  We must take up the cause of being good to everyone even when they hate us.  Jesus never said to hate anyone.  He did express his love and command that we express that love in all that we do with each other.  Loving the Father and each other is the foundation for all that we do in the name of God or it is not doing things in the name of God.  It is, however, taking the name of the Father for our own purposes.  That is clearly a violation of his requirements for 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 ͡°)

Every human story is part of the great story that leads to the Father getting everything back to Good.

Contacts for Aramis Thorn:

#aramisthorn

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

Novels: From My Publisher or on Amazon          

Web Page:  www.aramisthorn.com

Bookings: aramisthorn@aramisthorn.com

Facebook       Twitter        

Medium         Instagram 

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

Saying that Jesus hates anyone is a lie that can cause deep wounds and leave life-long scars.