42~Truths ~ Control

Greetings Dear Reader,

I often ponder if we understand the nature of control.  It is not simply the idea of one who directs others.  Even in the negative you cannot have control over someone who is willing to fight you.  One may manipulate and attempt to control others but even that is subject to outside forces.

We fight for control.  We manipulate to control outcomes.  Some will even kill for control.  We grasp for money and power all in an attempt to control our lives and the lives of others.  Lies, theft, and even war often circle the drain of control over resources and lives.  

Religions, including those in my own faith have lied and deceived for control of people.  Threats have been used to control the masses so that false dichotomies may be supported.  Recently my friend Shane was bemoaning the fact that there are still people who believe that the earth is flat.  We should not be surprised when dishonest beliefs refuse to support honest science. 

I do not wish to stray too far nor ponder overlong before making my point.  We control so very little in the world.  No matter how well I do at whatever I do things are not in my control.  Even when I fail at doing what is right in an attempt to control events I have no real control.

The difficulty and beauty in life is that we all have free will.  We can all choose to do what we wish.  No one can force me to do anything if my will includes a willingness to die rather than compromise.  My faith informs me that the only being control over me is the Father.  He is also the one who gives me free will.  He is one who could force me to see him yet instead asks me to do so and gives me a choice. 

We do have control for now over our choice of the reality of God and his love for us.  Some day we will not have control over even that.  I must build my faith whilst it is something that matters.  We have so little over which we have control but this vital thing is mine to choose.  Perhaps at a base level we know this and that is why we cling go tightly to the TV remote.

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.”

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Freedom ~ Will

Greetings Dear Reader,

One of the things that amazes me about humans is free will.  We exercise it and hide at will.  We choose not to choose or we demand choice. 

For those who think that everything is predetermined I would submit the simple argument that foreknowledge does not equal predetermination.  That, however, is a different discussion.  I proceed from the assumption that we are created with free will.  If one does not believe that we are created then there is surly no argument against us having the power to choose.

The thing that hangs us up is consequences.  We either deny or wish to avoid consequences.  I have a friend, that when faced with the consequences of choices says quite petulantly, “I don’t want there to be consequences.  The difficulty is that things follow in sequence.  That is the way the universe works.

We are free to choose.  We have free will.  Every choice has a consequence.  I was recently in a situation where I was being treated unjustly but wished to still mitigate some of the fallout for others.  The person in charge of the situation looked me in the eye and said, “There need to be consequences and they need to see them.”  He could not mitigate the injustice to me but was determined that things should fall out as they would.

I need to accept that in every choice I make I am accepting the results of that choice.  I choose to follow Christ because I believe that is the best outcome for life.  I choose to love others because the consequences of unconditional love are good even when they seem late from my perspective.  We are supposed to live in the moment with the long view.  I find that I can only do that if I consider the consequences of exercising my will.

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.”

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Four Words ~ Closing Thoughts

Greetings Dear Reader,

As a species we are very good at denying the inevitable.  We do things that harm us and deny that they will.  We fail to learn from history that we create.  We are willful to the end. 

The ultimate truth is that the Father’s will is going to be accomplished.  We look for signs and certainty instead of following in faith.  We say we believe or we refuse to believe and try to make our own path.  We have a trailblazer who knows the way.  Instead of following in faith we willfully demand that the Father conform to our image of him.

In faith I must say, “They will be done.”  With all my heart I must follow the Son who will lead me to the Father.  In love they both promise that they will get things back to good again.  By grace and mercy they will show me the way. 

It is not about my will.  It is about the Father’s will.  This heart and attitude is also following Christ.  It is what he chose in the garden.  It is what I must choose every moment if necessary.  Father, not my will but yours.

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 ͡°)

Four Words ~ Faith

Greetings Dear Reader,

The ultimate task of asking for the Father’s will to be done is to have faith.  Faith, belief, and trust are required in all our transactions with the Father.  He wants us to have the faith that small children have in their Fathers.

It is in this faith that we find our way.  The just live by faith.  Without faith it is impossible to please the Father.  We are redeemed by grace through faith.  If we just focused on the ways in which the Word tells us to have faith we could muster an excellent understating of why wanting the Father’s will to be done is logical and wise.

It is in belief that we have the courage to want his will over the things that seem wise or obvious to us.  When we believe we do.  My Grandfather always said, “You do what you believe.  Everything else is just religious talk.”  If I am not kind to others then I dare not speak of the kindness of Christ.  If I am not willing to love others then I must not tell them that God loves them.  The fact is that I must do what I believe of my belief is dead and not focused on the living God.

It is in trusting him that we find the freedom to forgive and love others without reservation.  It is in trust that we can say that we wish the Father’s will to be done here as it is above.  I must desire for the two worlds, ours and the Father’s kingdom to come to be one.  I must long for this.  It is easy because I do.  I want this so much.

I become weary of the struggle with sin.  I see the unkindness in the world and it hurts me.  I see my own failures and long to be free of the things that drive me to fail.  I want every thought to be loving and kind.  I want to never be selfish or self-serving. 

I have faith that the Father wants this.  I believe that he is working to get things back to good.  I trust that his will will be done.  Without this I have no hope.

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 ͡°)

Four Words ~ Just

Greetings Dear Reader,

When I question the will of the Father I not only question his goodness.  I question his justice.  When I do this I move away from the safety that God is always just. 

We often cry of injustice when we do not like the circumstances or understand all of the situation.  There are injustices created by man.  We wrong each other constantly for selfish reasons.  We create injustice and then assign it to God.

It is in the Father’s justice that we can find the courage to say “Thy will be done” when we do not understand the circumstances.  Again, like the Father’s goodness his justice is based on his understanding of the universe and not ours.

I can only see what I see.  He sees everything.  He knows what comes next and works out final justice for us all.  We cannot define justice as we wish it expect God to comply to our definition of it.  We try to remake the Father’s justice in our image. 

I know that the way out is through.  I know that the justice that the world needs is found in doing the will of the Father.  Even when he allows what is unjust to us he knows how he will get all things back to good.  He asks me to trust him and follow.  That is the just thing for me to do.

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 ͡°)

Four Words ~ Good

Greetings Dear Reader,

Hillary Scott’s song Thy Will Be Done  juxtaposes the pain of a situation with the need to understand that the Father’s will must be done even when we do not understand.  When understanding fails we must stand on faith.  We must want the Father’s will no matter how difficult it is to get there.

We must recognize that God is good even when we do not feel good.  The situation must not determine what we think of the Father.  As a father who has failed at times I understand how it feels to be judged wanting by your children.  This can only be an inkling of what the Father must feel when his every move is to show us his love for us.  He has never failed us and yet we fail to trust him and follow his Son.

When I doubt the Father’s goodness I fight against what he allows.  I run in directions that are not part of the journey home.  I hinder my progress in getting back to good.  I make the journey more difficult than it must be for me.  God is good.  He is good indeed.

I may never understand how my shattered heart is a part of the plan.  I need to cling to the reality that the Father is good and that it is that goodness that I can count on.  I do not always need to understand to honestly say “Thy will be done.”

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 ͡°)

Four Words ~ Done

Greetings Dear Reader,

Once again we find the power of a small word.  Done is complete, finished, ready, or accomplished.  When something is done it is an action that is completed.  It is a task that is accomplished. 

We use this word in negative ways.  When we are at the end of our patience we will tell people we are done.  This is not accomplishment as much as it is resignation.  It is one of the things we do.  We think we have done something when we have quit.

The idea for me is to complete what must be done.  I must follow.  I must be faithful.  I must love and hope and endure.  I must learn.  Most importantly I must not be done until the Father says that I am done.  I must keep moving and following until the journey is done.

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 ͡°)

Four Words ~ Be

Greetings Dear Reader,

This itty-bitty word has so much power.  Coupled with the preposition “to” it becomes the short definition of our existence.  Anyone who knows a little Shakespeare knows the phrase “to be or not to be” even if they do not know the context or significance.  “Be” is the verb that defines that we are.

To be or not to be...

We fill our lives with questions about being.  “What are you going to be when you grow up?”  I remember first hearing this question when I was four.  I wanted to be my Grandfather.  We struggle all our lives with what we will or are becoming.   We become what we feel, think, and do.

When I came to faith I was on the edge of ceasing to be.  I was ready to end my life because the pain and anger had become unbearable.  A man took the time to show me that I could be.  He showed me that the pain might no end but there was a path to follow away from the anger and hurt. 

The Father longs for us to be his.  He wants us to follow his Son.  He wishes for us to become like him.  It is in him that I live and move and have my BEING.  I must learn to be still.  I must learn to be in his presence constantly.  I must be journeying ever closer.

The very name of the Father, “I AM” is a form of “be”.   In all that there is in life, at the core is the realization that the Father is.

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 ͡°)

Four Words ~ Will

Greetings Dear Reader,

Will is an interesting thing.  We see it as a power.  We use it to accomplish what to our reason seems impossible.  I wonder if we truly ponder how powerful will is.  We have done great things by force of will.  We have done terrible things as well.

We choose what we WILL do and what we will not.  We have the freedom to choose.  It may be that the most obvious act of grace is that we are allowed to choose.  God could force us to see him as he is.  He could remove the will he created in us.  He could demand that we do all that he wills.

That is not how the Father treats us.  He wants our love based on choice.  He wants us to see his love for us and choose him.  We use our will to reject him.  We judge him imperfect based on our world view and will him away from us.  

We live in a world where it can be difficult to work the will of the Father even when we want to do so.  I need to become someone who constantly realigns my will with the Father’s no matter how difficult it is.  At times I do not want it.  At times I feel I cannot align my will with his.

Fortunately he works in us to reform our will.  He gives us grace and mercy to get to the right place.  He gives us freedom from the things that hold us away from him.  He promises to give us the will not just the ability to do his will.  He works in me to both will and to do his good will.

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 ͡°)

Four Words ~ Thy

Greetings Dear Reader,

Pronouns have always been peculiar to me.  They ebb and flow in their use and meaning.  They are misused and even politicized.  Pronouns change form over time as well. 

Pronouns derive their meaning from context.  It is one of the reasons they are so useful.  Using then properly is important because the wrong pronoun can point us in the wrong direction.  A plural pronoun used where there is a singular subject can be confusing.  It is why using “their” to avoid gender specificity is inaccurate.

This tiny word “thy” is an archaic pronoun that means “your”.  In context of the phrase we are building it refers to the Father.  It points to the God of the Universe with three tiny letters.  It signifies that the Father is the subject of what we are about to say.

At some level the Father should always be the subject of our purpose.  He calls us home, reminding us that he is our Home.  He asks that we follow his Son.  He asks that we put love above all that we do.

It is with this word that we approach the Father and call to him.  I must never let this tiny possessive pronoun cloud the understanding of the one I approach.  I must always realize who it is I am addressing.

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 ͡°)

Four Words ~ Opening Thoughts

Greetings Dear Reader,

It occurs to me often that we make things far too complex.  We layer pretense end complexity onto the basic.  We systematize and codify We make rules where we are supposed to follow our hearts.  We disavow the basic rules we are given and put rules in place that are untenable.

Too often I build pretense and complexity into the things that are simple.  Even more foolishly I allow the past to complicate the future.  I allow the things I cannot control to keep me from being who I must be in the moment.  At times I put my expectations at the forefront.  I put what I think I need in the moment ahead of following Christ.

All of this can be mitigated by four simple words.  I can focus, as Christ did on the response that he gave and instructed us to give.  I can follow him in his example even though it is not a popular thing to do.  At times I must think this through.

I must remind my heart of the simplicity of the Gospel.  I must recall that what I have is to be entrusted to his will and guidance.  I must follow.  That means that I submit to where I am led.  I do not follow blindly so I must think it through.

You are welcome to walk with me Dear Reader.  Your company is always a comfort in the journey. Please see the warning sign.  Sometimes the path reveals truths we do not like.

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 ͡°)