A Stone Too Heavy to Hold ~ Avarice

Greetings Dear Reader,

I am not wealthy.  I am also quite rich compared to most of the world.  I try to be generous and giving.  I long to do more than I can.  I still feel like I do not do enough to help others. 

Avarice is greed for wealth or material gain.  Chaucer said that “avarice is to withhold and keep such things as thou hast, without rightful need.”  It is a word that we do not consider enough when we ponder our way in the world.  It is a stone far too heavy to carry and yet we throw it easily without thought or even realization at times.  Avarice is at the heart of the possessions we hold onto that we do not need.

I am not talking about having good things or even being wealthy.  I am talking about the desire to possess.  The stone is the longing to have things we do not need so that we feel good.  We have dedicated closets, attics, and rental storage facilities to our avarice.  We surround ourselves with possessions.  We surely have more than we need.  We do this for many reasons and none of them are centered on following Christ.

The way in which we carry this stone is varied but always harmful.  I am not going to make a list.  We know what we have out of need and we know what we have out of greed.   The possessions that are ours out of greed weigh us down and make the journey increasingly difficult.  We have heard often that we cannot take our possessions with us when we reach the clearing at the end of the path.  This does not prevent us from carrying them to the very end.

I still have more than I need and hear the constant siren call to carry more.  There is great freedom in having little.  There is also so much good we can do with our excess if we choose to do so.  Let us dabble in practical application for a moment Dear Reader.  Think about a need that you know someone has.  Then think about what you can do to help that need.  What do you possess that could help?  What holds you back from helping?  What are you holding that you do not need that could help you help if you parted with it?

 I am not telling you what to do.  I am not judging you.  These are questions I ask now when I see others in need.  I consider the things I have and look to see how I can further the Gospel by sharing what I have.  I am not there yet, but I long to drop the stone of avarice and have Jesus as my only true possession.  This also makes it easier for me to depend on the Father for my daily provision.  I want my confidence to be in him and not in my bank account or my store of canned goods.  There must be balance in being prepared and having too much.  Avarice will always hunger for more.  It will devour us if we try to carry it.  We must drop the stones of avarice even if they are rubies.  

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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Satisfaction – Closing Thoughts

Greetings Dear Reader,

Satisfaction is elusive but attainable.  We must be discontent with our lack of it.   We must only pursue those things which truly satisfy.  We must also learn that contentment with that which is good is a great thing.

Things will not satisfy me.  Money is a love I dare not embrace.  Power is something I do not want.  It is in Christ alone that satisfaction is found for me.  It is in following the commands to love and grace that feel the most content. 

The current distresses that haunt me are passing.  The present conflicts are nothing if I find solace for them in Christ.  I have learned that no collection, game, or distraction will satisfy.  Now if I could only apply it in all things.

That, however, is always the challenge.  I must not find my contentment or satisfaction in the journey.  It is in the destination that it will be found.  If I thoughtlessly chase things that will not satisfy I waste my time and life.  In Christ alone my hope is found.

The times are changing.  There is something in the air that is different.  I follow Christ in hope that all will be as it should.  I must do so with eyes wide open to the truth that nothing will satisfy except Christ.

Times Like These – Dan Fogelberg

Tell me a secret, tell me a lie

Tell me the truth if you have to

Say what you see fit but don't ask me why

Love never seems to last you

In times like these

It's hard to keep a man off his knees

In times like these

It's hard to keep a man off his knees

Over a barrel, under a spell

Money's the demon that drives you

Limping through heaven or running through hell

Happiness smiles but denies you

In times like these

It's hard to keep a man off his knees

In times like these

It's hard to keep a man off his knees

Nothing before you, nothing behind

Thoughtlessly chasing the thunder

Traveling lightly, traveling blind

Never detouring to wonder why

Tell me a secret, tell me a lie

Tell me the truth if you have to

Say what you see fit but don't ask me why

Love never seems to last you

In times like these

It's hard to keep a man off his knees

In times like these

It's hard to keep a man off his knees

Nothing before you, nothing behind

Thoughtlessly chasing the thunder

Traveling lightly, traveling blind

Never detouring to wonder why

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

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

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Satisfaction – Need or Want

Greetings Dear Reader,

I need that new video card for my gaming.  That statement is a lie.  I do not “need” it.  I may want, desire, crave, and covet it.  I do not need it.  One of the great lies we believe is that we need things that we do not.

The consumer market is driven to make us dissatisfied with what we have and instead push us toward what others want us to buy.  From phones to shoes what we have that is still serviceable and good is no longer up to speed or in fashion.  We are robbed of our contentment because the market is always hungry for our money.

Simply being honest about what I need versus what I want can carry me very far down the path to contentment.  Forcing my mind to say “I want” instead of “I need” when it is proper is a valuable discipline.  Forcing my wants to be subject to my means becomes a holy thing and instructs in contentment. 

It is not as important to have as is it to understand why I want.   I know that things will not content me.  I have funds for the things I want if I am patient.  It is in mastering my desire for a thing that I learn contentment.  It is in discerning between need and want that I gain the power to choose wisely.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

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

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Satisfaction - Contentment

Greetings Dear Reader,

This is something I have not mastered but wish to master.  I want to be content in whatever state I find myself.  I am further down this path than I was but it would be a lie to say that I have mattered this. 

Contentment is one of those ever needed and elusive qualities.  It is one of the things that is a two sided coin and the obverse is dangerous.  We must be content with things we cannot change.  It is not that we accept that things will not change.  We accept when we cannot control change.

My duty to love, kindness, grace, and mercy is the same no matter what the circumstances.  Those who follow Christ should be able to live this way under any circumstance.  The commands to be these things are not circumstantial. 

• I am to love God in any situation with all my heart, soul, and mind.
• I am to love my neighbor.
• I am to love my enemies.

The essence of contentment is found in this.  The things I do that show greed or avarice violate these commands.  When I am discontent with the state I am in I cannot focus on the love I must show to others.  I cannot put the needs of others ahead of my greed if I do not learn contentment. 

There are also things about which I must not be content.  I must never be content with my devotion to Christ.   It can grow deeper every day.  I must never be content with my love for my fellow travelers.  I can always learn ways to show that love more deeply.  Relationships sour because we do not do this.

I must never be content with a world that does not know Christ.  This does not mean that I do anything unkind or force him on the world.  It means that I love him and follow as faithfully as I can.  It means that I see everything through the lens of my obligation to love and his promise to return al things to good.  The world will  not be content until all things are returned to good.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

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

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Satisfaction - Guaranteed

Greetings Dear Reader,

How often do we hear this in advertising?  Businesses wish us to buy their products and guarantee to satisfy us.  We spend money, look for satisfaction, and even go into debt based on this claim. 

The promise of low prices, double quantity, or free financing are just lures to the pursuit of satisfaction.   Whether it is a need or wants we pursue satisfaction.   We go into debt to feel satisfied when we could wait for satisfaction and pay cash. 

Do we really get satisfaction form things?  It the guarantee ever truly fulfilled?  Power, money, and possessions all guarantee satisfaction.  We must ask ourselves honestly if they deliver.  We must demand that the promise be fulfilled but it will not. 

I have learned that the common guarantee of satisfaction will not be met.  Instead I must search for satisfaction in the eternal.  I must avoid the feelings of pride and avarice.  I must be content with what I have and not seek to possess for the sake of possessing.

The quest for possession exposes our weaknesses.  It shows me what I value more than Christ.  It reveals what I think will satisfy.  I can use the desire to trap the hunger for more.  I can use it to expose what seeks to be more than Christ ot my eyes.

Loose Ends – Dan Fogelberg

Climbing a mountain in darkness

Stranded alone on the ledge

Every attempt that I make to hold on

Pushes me nearer the edge

Sensing the changes impending

My thoughts are diffused by despair

I feel like I'm swimming straight up underwater

Desperately racing for air

I'm racing for air

And the chords struck at birth grow more distant

Yet, we strike them again and again

And we plead and we pray for a glimmer of day

As the night folds its wings and descends

Exposing the loose ends

Surrounding myself with possessions

I surely have more than I need

I don't know if this is justice hard earned

Or simply a matter of greed

A matter of greed

And the chords struck at birth grow more distant

Yet, we strike them again and again

And we plead and we pray for a glimmer of day

As the night folds its wings and descends

Exposing the loose ends

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

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

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Satisfaction - Never

Greetings Dear Reader,

Some thirsts can never be satisfied.  They crave and want and cry for more.  Some hunger can never be filled.  We all have these hollow places in us.  We want things that only make us want more.

We damage ourselves and others in these pursuits.  Depending on our power and position we damage ourselves or the world.  We can harm our own health and life or we may cause a war.  Each siren call for that we crave is a moment of choice.

I have hunger in me that cannot be satisfied.  In following Christ I find the will and power to stay hungry without starving.  I do not wish to push the metaphor too far.  I do want the image to be clear.  Following Christ does not guarantee the absence of selfish hunger or desire.  It doe promise the strength to do what is right out of love and grace. 

There are things I have “tried” that have left me with the desire for more.  I know in one sample that these things are wrong but the temptation is always there.  I know what is right and sometimes hunger to avoid it.  At the recently revived parable reminds us, it is the hunger I feed that grows stronger.

Every moment is a choice.  The choice is mine to do good or not.  Christ will give me both the will and the power to resist the hungers that cannot satisfy.  He will also provide sustenance for those genuine hungers that go unmet.  It is in Christ alone that find the power to choose the right side of every costly bargain.

The Lion’s Share – Dan Fogelberg

Grand slam, your moment's at hand

The day holds a costly bargain

Lost lamb asking the lion's share

Homespun, a prodigal son

Comes begging a humble pardon

But no one rises to hear his prayer

Lone star, you've wandered so far

And long in the unfamiliar

That now you travel a map unknown

Star bright, a constant delight

To those in the dark and still your

Birthright's to shine in the night alone

Living in the shadows

Of the things that might have been

Torn between the blessing and the curse

You may starve the hunger

But you'll never slake the thirst

For the nectar you remember

But you'll never taste again

Nonesuch, your Midas' touch

Has gilded your heart and left you

So much playing the prince of clowns

Hell-bent, empty and spent

Just look what your gamble's got you

Exiled, far from the sacred grounds

Living in the shadows

Of the things that might have been

Torn between the blessing and the curse

You may stop the hunger

But you'll never slake the thirst

For the nectar you remember

But you'll never taste again

Grand slam, your moment's at hand

The day holds a costly bargain

Lost lamb asking the lion's share

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

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

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Satisfaction – Can’t Get No

Greetings Dear Reader,

We rarely are satisfied.  That is both good and bad.  I must never be satisfied with “good enough”.  My Grandfather would always say, “good, better, best’ never let it rest, until your good is better and you better is your best.”

I told this to my students for years and demanded it.  We must give our very best in what we do.  This is what God expects of us.  It is our obligation that whatever we do we must do it with all our hearts to the Father.

We also must realize that satisfaction with food, leisure, and things is fleeting.    The taste fades.  Rest becomes restlessness.  Things decay, tarnish, or become mundane.  The only thing that endures is not a thing.

We are not meant to be satisfied with the world as it is.  Whether you adopt the position that man can make it better or that God is working to bring things back to good, we are dissatisfied with the world as it is.  A simple look at the world around us tells us that things are not good.

I cannot get satisfaction here.  Since I chose that Christ would be my hope and strength things are easier.  My selfish nature still calls out to be satisfied by things that are here.  Jesus gave us absolute instructions about where to place our desires and hope.  When I am hungry for true satisfaction it is found in Christ alone for 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 home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Satisfaction – Opening Thoughts

Greetings Dear Reader,

What does it mean to be satisfied?  It is a fleeting pursuit or a state of rest.  It is a state or a quest.  Often when we grasp what we think will satisfy but it does not.  We lie, cheat, and steal to get satisfaction but we do not get it.

When we are truly satisfied it is beautiful.  From what does that satisfaction spring?  From where does it stem?  Where does it go when we lose it?  The answers to these questions yield a path.  It is that path that joins the greater way in following Christ.

There are things that I need and there are things that I want.  The line between the two is not always clear to me.  It is always clear to God.  This is why I must follow.  I must learn when to be satisfied and when to be dissatisfied.  I must ask and answer the questions around this so that I can use wisdom in discerning.  I must follow both paths as required.

Walk with me as I deal with my dissatisfaction over the question of satisfaction.  We will likely find a laugh or two in this serious endeavor.  As always Dear Reader your part in the conversation is welcome. 

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

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

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)