Where Are You Christmas ~ Promises to Keep

Happy Christmas Dear Reader,

The morning for me starts as it does every year.  I awaken knowing it is Christmas morning.  I thank the Father for the gift of the Son.  I recite Luke chapter two in my head.  I pray for my Children and Grandchildren.

My heart is fixed on the birth and adoration of Jesus.  As I prepare my coffee, I offer a prayer of gratitude for it.  I turn on the PC and see pictures already posted of those who celebrate on Christmas Eve or of those who are in parts of the world where my Christmas morning is the end of the day for them.  I do not have all that I wish for but I have all that I need.

In the month-long search for Christmas I find that I am in better shape than I thought I would be.  My heart hurts but there is joy in the journey still.  I am strangely at peace.  I understand more about the moment of faith in what can be true. 

I will focus on this writing for a moment.  I will sip eggnog coffee and write.  I will listen to songs that remind me to keep following in faith.  I will watch the wonder of children as my nieces and nephews open their gifts. 

Where are you Christmas?  You are in every moment that I choose to believe, hope, and follow.  You are in the millions of little things that cry out to the world that the Father loves us.  You are in the crisp clear starlight where Rigel shines so brightly reminding me to believe.  You are the promises that there will be a Christmas some day with no absence, longing, or lack of anything good.

I wish you a Happy Christmas Dear Reader.  Your company on this journey is precious to me.  I see you in the hope and faith that I carry.  I see you in the promises that Christmas yet has to keep in all our lives.  I look forward to watching them all come true with you.  Tell me a Christmas story.

Promises to Keep - Trans-Siberian Orchestra

Christmas time
On a cold December morning
All is calm
And the world is still asleep
Christmas lights
That have been caught without warning
Gently glitter on
Stars to wish upon
All the world is at peace

Christmas time and the year will soon be leaving
Cloaked in time till it's just a memory
Christmas stays if we don't forget its meaning
Days go quickly by
Years they multiply
And we go searching for thee

And the dream is still alive
From that first December morning
And it always will survive
As long as we can see
That the dreams we find in life
Are the dreams we tend to seek
And Christmas has its promises to keep

Christmas time
And the moments just beginning
From last night
When we'd wished upon a star

If our kindness
This day is just pretending
If we pretend long enough
Never giving up
It just might be who we are

And so it's good that we remember
Just as soon as we've discovered
That the things we do in life
Will always end up touching others

So from a fading neon star
Somewhere shining in the night
We find a father far away
Now reflecting in its light

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 ͡°)

Contacts for Aramis Thorn:

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

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

Novels on Amazon             

Web Page:  www.aramisthorn.com

Bookings at aramisthorn@aramisthorn.com

Facebook      Google +    Twitter  Medium   Instagram  Kids BLOG   

Where Are You Christmas ~ Little Town

Happy Christmas Dear Reader,

The time with my Son Bezel yesterday was great.  I am so very proud of the man he is.  Part of our journey yesterday involved being at a mall.  This is my first such experience since coming back to the South.  I was unprepared for the vast crowd at a massive shopping mall two days before Christmas.

It struck me deeply how filled with tension the air was.  The contrast to the quiet I have been living felt like waves crashing against me over and over.  The impact was just how much everyone needs the truth of what Christmas is.  I have been asking where it is all month.  This has kept me from being drowned by the sorrow of things I treasure but do not have.  It has kept me focused on becoming stronger in faith and in following more closely the one who really matters.

My situation is evolving and not as dire as it was even a month ago.  Even so, parts of my heart still long for there to be peace in my family and in the world.  I suppose the difference is that the pain and longing are cloaked in hope instead of despair as they were in August. 

Where are you Christmas?   You are in a memory recorded by Luke the Physician.  It is a memory of a small town and a long journey.  In just a few hours it will be Christmas morning on the far side of the world.  I am praying for those I love to have deep Christmas sleep tonight.  I am hoping for Christmas dreams for them.  I am focused on Christ showing himself to them in a beautiful new light that draws them further on their journey toward him.

If I place my hope in anything but this birth and the things that follow then my fears get great purchase and overtake my heart.  Dear Reader I am going to have a quiet Christmas and I will keep you in my prayers as I do so.  I would love to hear how you made merry and what blessings came your way. 

Oh, Little Town of Bethlehem – Sarah McLachlan

O little town of Bethlehem,

How still we see thee lie.

Above thy deep and dreamless sleep

The silent stars go by;

Yet in thy dark streets shineth

The everlasting Light.

The hopes and fears of all the years

Are met in thee tonight.

For Christ is born of Mary,

And, gathered all above

While mortals sleep, the angels keep

Their watch of wond'ring love.

O morning stars, together

Proclaim the holy birth,

And praises sing to God the King,

And peace to men on earth.

How silently, how silently

The wondrous gift is giv'n!

So God imparts to human hearts

The blessings of his heav'n.

No ear may hear his coming;

But in this world of sin,

Where meek souls will receive him, still

The dear Christ enters in.

O holy child of Bethlehem

Descend to us we pray

Cast out our sin and enter in

Be born in us today.

The Morning Stars together

The great glad tidings tell

Oh, come to us abide with us

Our Lord Immanuel

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 ͡°)

Contacts for Aramis Thorn:

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

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

Novels on Amazon             

Web Page:  www.aramisthorn.com

Bookings at aramisthorn@aramisthorn.com

Facebook      Google +    Twitter  Medium   Instagram  Kids BLOG    

Where Are You Christmas ~ Missing You at Christmas

Happy Christmas Dear Reader,

This is going to be personal at first but I promise to get to you Dear Reader.  I hope that each of you has close to you those you love.  Those of you who are parents understand that physical proximity to our children is more important than we sometimes admit.  When it cannot be so, we feel and unspeakable loss.

In that light, as I search for Christmas, there are things I would say to my beloved Children that I want everyone to hear:

Maxim ~ I love you.  I know that I am not who you wish me to be as your father.  I see how hard you work at being a good father to your sons.  I pray for to you to find the peace that can only be found in Christ.  I wish for you to have joy and revel in the life you are building for yourself.

Bezel ~ I will see you later today and I hope that you know how much you are loved by your father.  I am proud of the way you keep trying to find a path that fits who you are.  I am a believer that you have a mission.  You have a destiny to do something great.  Jesus made it clear to you long ago.  Your heart has such deep compassion that it is easily hurt.  It also can do so much to heal others.

Little Lamb ~ I miss you every day.  Over the years I have been glad to see that you have not been marked by my failures and the hard world.  I have no idea what you would be now but I do know that I love you and that your absence is always with us.   

Christmas ~ I know that you are seeking what you need.  Seek Jesus first and you will find the rest.  Your health and well-being matter more to me than I have words to express.  I love you and miss you.  I feel the weight of our first Christmas apart more deeply than I can carry at times.  I suppose this is why Christ carries us all when necessary.

Avalon ~ It was a joy to talk with you yesterday.  I know that seeking without finding can be frustrating.  I love you and pray for you.  The Father has built so much in you that the world needs.  You will always be welcome wherever I am. 

Now for you Dear Reader:  Had I the power I would gather you all to someplace beautiful and bright with gifts for each of you and the blessings of Christ rich upon us all.  That, however, is not my place but the someday of the one we celebrate and follow.  I am so thankful for your company and conversation on the journey.  Your questions and thoughts as I travel make the world more tolerable and my faith more steady. 

Where are you Christmas?  You are in the love that we feel so deeply even when we cannot share it with those absent from us.  You are in the determination to love no matter how much must be endured to do it.  You are in the moments where we realize that the distance and partings will one day be healed and that the celebration will be all that it can become. 

If you are missing someone Dear Reader know that I am with you and that I love you.  You may reach out to me if needed.  You are precious to me.  As we approach the eve and the day I will keep you in my heart, mind, and prayers.

Wintersong – Sarah

The lake is frozen over
The trees are white with snow
And all around reminders of you
Are everywhere I go

It's late and morning's in no hurry
But sleep won't set me free
I lie awake and try to recall
How your body felt beside me
When silence gets too hard to handle
And the night too long

This is how I see you
In the snow on Christmas morning
Love and happiness surround you
As you throw your arms up to the sky
I keep this moment by and by
Oh I miss you now, my love
Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas, my love

Sense the joy fills the air
And I daydream and I stare
Up at the tree and I see
Your star up there

This is how I see you
In the snow on Christmas morning
Love and happiness surround you
As you throw your arms up to the sky
I keep this moment by and by

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 ͡°)

Contacts for Aramis Thorn:

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

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

Novels on Amazon             

Web Page:  www.aramisthorn.com

Bookings at aramisthorn@aramisthorn.com

Facebook      Google +    Twitter  Medium   Instagram  Kids BLOG   

Where Are You Christmas ~ Driving Home for Christmas

Happy Christmas Dear Reader,

Many years ago I used to dream of a home where my Children and Grandchildren would return year after year for Christmas.  It was a home I designed and built with room for everyone.  I still have those designs long after the dream cannot become reality. 

In later years, I would imagine the space to have everyone together no matter where we were.  That too has been fragmented by time and trials.  My choices and those of others have taken us in many directions.  Were I able I would be driving to see my Grandchildren today.   That too is not possible. 

 My search for Christmas this year has been in anticipation of the reality of not seeing most of the people I long to see.  I will get to see my younger Son tomorrow and that fills me with joy.  As I have longed him on so many other Christmas days I long for my eldest Son and my Daughter.  I long for my Grandsons and my friends in the north. There is something for which I long more deeply than all of this, however.

I long to keep moving toward home.  I long to be driven to follow Christ more closely.  I am not depressed but I am sad because I am not as close to Christ as I wish and because of our distance from Christ I am distant from some that I love.  The only thing that I can fix is my closeness to Christ. 

Where are you Christmas?  You are in the dreams that die helping me to follow you out of their rubble.  You are in the hope that we are on the road and we can follow if we will to a winter with no discontent.  You are my companion as I drive this broken road and strive to find the beauty in the brokenness.  You know my heart and my new dreams.

Do not worry overmuch Dear Reader.  I am filled with hope even though I feel sad.  I am remaining true to my faith and following.  I treasure you and all the thoughts you share with me.  I will be praying for you and yours as you travel for Christmas.  Tell me a Christmas story to read whilst I work and pray through the day.  I sing for you Dear Reader.

Driving Home For Christmas - Chris Rea

I'm driving home for Christmas

Oh, I can't wait to see those faces

I'm driving home for Christmas, yea

Well I'm moving down that line

And it's been so long, but I will be there

I sing this song, to pass the time away

Driving in my car

Driving home for Christmas

It's gonna take some time

But I'll get there

Top to toe in tailbacks

Oh, I got red lights all around

But soon there'll be a three-way

Get my feet on holy ground

So I sing for you

Though you can't hear me

When I get trough

And feel you near me

I am driving home for Christmas

Driving home for Christmas

With a thousand memories

I take look at the driver next to me

He's just the same

Just the same

Top to toe in tailbacks

Oh, I got red lights all around

I'm driving home for Christmas, yea

Get my feet on holy ground

So I sing for you

Though you can't hear me

When I get trough

And feel you near me

Driving in my car

Driving home for Christmas

Driving home for Christmas

With a thousand memories

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 ͡°)

Contacts for Aramis Thorn:

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

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

Novels on Amazon             

Web Page:  www.aramisthorn.com

Bookings at aramisthorn@aramisthorn.com

Facebook      Google +    Twitter  Medium   Instagram  Kids BLOG    

Where Are You Christmas ~ While You Were Sleeping

Happy Christmas Dear Reader,

I awakened from a night of busy dreams that I barely recall.  They are on the edge of memory and I can almost touch them.  It is the creative people who paint the landscapes of the night that can thrill, delight, and terrify.

So many things go on whilst we sleep.  I have been thinking about this more since my Daughter, went to Australia.  She is just entering the evening when I am getting up for the day.  When I see her on line at noon, I realize that she has awakened in the wee hours of the morning.  It has reminded me that the needs of the world go on even when I am deeply involved in the creations of my dreams at night.

This thought led me to thinking about the fleeting nature of sleep, dreams, and rest.  This led to the reminder that the one we follow never sleeps.  Even when he seems to be far away and even unreachable, the purpose of Christmas, Jesus is working in the world to care for us.  Our real needs matter more than we imagine or understand.

We rush toward the day and the things it means to us.  Many of us forget that the Father never sleeps.  He is never far away.  He is never absent from us no matter how hard we run away from truth and faith.  The one we follow never sleeps but sometimes we act as if he does.

Where are you Christmas?  You are in the heart of the truth that the Father never sleeps. The Son is always leading us home.  The Spirit lives and works within us constantly nudging us to follow the Son more closely.  He constantly calls to those who need the Son so desperately. 

I have already heard talk of putting away Christmas.  I am seeing so much that says we are not seeing the day for what it is.  We must determine to carry it in our hearts, minds, and dreams always.  We have to have it mean everything it is whenever we can. 

Those who rage against the commercial nature of this Holy Day are not wrong.  We must remember though, that the baby must stay.  He becomes the man who dies.  He becomes the risen Son.  He becomes the one who will hear the Father one day call us all home.  And so, as we enter the long weekend that leads to Christmas, Dear Reader, I remind you that there is always time for another Christmas song.  

Another Christmas Song – Jethro Tull

Hope everybody's ringing on their own bell, this fine morning.

Hope everyone's connected to that long-distance phone.

Old man, he's a mountain.

Old man, he's an island.

Old man, he's a-waking says

"I'm going to call, call all my children home."

Hope everybody's dancing to their own drum this fine morning ---

the beat of distant Africa or a Polish factory town.

Old man, he's calling for his supper.

He's calling for his whisky.

Calling for his sons and daughters, yeah

Calling, calling all his children home.

Sharp ears are tuned in to the drones and chanters warming.

Mist blowing round some headland, somewhere in your memory.

Everyone is from somewhere ---

even if you've never been there.

So take a minute to remember the part of you

that might be the old man calling me.

How many wars you fighting out there, this Winter's morning?

Maybe it's always time for another Christmas song.

Old man he's asleep now.

He's got appointments to keep now.

Dreaming of his sons and daughters, proving

proving that the blood is strong.

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 ͡°)

Contacts for Aramis Thorn:

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

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

Novels on Amazon             

Web Page:  www.aramisthorn.com

Bookings at aramisthorn@aramisthorn.com

Facebook      Google +    Twitter  Medium   Instagram  Kids BLOG   

Where Are You Christmas ~ Believe in Hope

Happy Christmas Dear Reader,

Please consider for a moment where you are in your journey toward Christmas this year.  It is only five days away.  There may be many things left to do and activities to complete.  You may or may not have a full measure of the Christmas spirit. You may feel that deep sense of hope or may you be hanging on by your last shred of faith.

“I’ve always believed in the hope of Christmas. No matter how hard life is, no matter how much we’ve messed up or how broken our lives have become, at Christmas, good things can happen.”

There are things for which I still need to be thankful.  There is a new year around the corner.  We will begin to talk about new starts and resolutions.  If we do this too soon, we may not see that the hope is in Christmas not in the calendar.  We may forget that “the hopes and fears of all the years” lay in a manger in Bethlehem. 

I do not have all the things that I want.  I am growing in deeper understanding of what my real needs are.  The gifts I would give to those I love involve peace more than they involve price.  I would find a way to infuse hope and joy into their souls so that they could see Christmas and all of its promises clearly. 

We have so many blessings in our lives and this is the time of year to count them over and over.  It is the season to hold them close and even see the trials that are really blessings.  It is the season to remember that it is hope that gets us from December to December.

Where are you Christmas?  You are in the tears.  You are in the pain.  You are in the need.  Within those things is the opportunity to hope for ourselves and to help others.  In the heart of the darkness that tries to steal our joy is the light of hope that can show us the way out.

Follow the light with me Dear Reader.  We have much more than we realize until we take the time to look carefully.  Tell me a story where you see hope.  Your companionship is one of the lights of hope that helps me on my way.

Blessings – Laura Story

We pray for blessings; We pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering

All the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love is way too much to give us lesser things

'Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You're near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

We pray for wisdom, Your voice to hear
We cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt your goodness, we doubt your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough
All the while, You hear each desperate plea
And long that we'd have faith to believe

'Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You're near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

When friends betray us,
When darkness seems to win
We know that pain reminds this heart
That this is not, this not our home

Not our home

'Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You're near
What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can't satisfy
What if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are your mercies in disguise

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 ͡°)

Contacts for Aramis Thorn:

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

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

Novels on Amazon             

Web Page:  www.aramisthorn.com

Bookings at aramisthorn@aramisthorn.com

Facebook      Google +    Twitter  Medium   Instagram  Kids BLOG    

Where Are You Christmas ~ The Road to Bethlehem

Happy Christmas Dear Reader,

In 2016 my BLOG series on Christmas, The Road to Bethlehem, spent the season pondering what it was like to be in that place, that time, and on that journey.  The Journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem is three or four days.  You stop in Sychar and Jerusalem if travel goes well.  You travel slowly if you are expecting a child.  The roads and inns are crowded with others travelers moving around for the Roman census.

I always take time to ponder Mary and Joseph for at least a day.  We owe them so much more than we realize.  Joseph had a choice whether or not to have Mary made a public spectacle before the angel came.  He chose not to shame her before God explained the situation to him.  He still withstood the public rumors and opinion in the full knowledge or the truth for the sake of serving the Father.  We still dishonor him every time we question the birth of Jesus.

Mary walked in fear of public ridicule every day in a time where they stoned people to death for what would appear to be her sin.  Her response was to say that she would serve the Father as needed.  She faced a life knowing that her Son would die.  She forgot at times who her Son really is. She thought he had gone mad at times.  She still was there for it all.

I owe so much to these two common people who were thrust onto the world stage without really understanding the impact of their part in the story.  I ponder their lives often.  I wrote a novel about Joseph.  I feel close to them and look forward to the day when I can thank them face to face.

Where are you Christmas?  You are in the hearts of anyone willing to serve the mission of your Son.  You are in the knowledge that you use common people to work out real miracles.  You are in the spirit and mind of anyone who will travel the road to Bethlehem with a carpenter and his wife just to reassure them that you are grateful for part in the story.

Take a moment to listen to this song and ponder Mary and Joseph Dear Reader.  They gave us a very precious gift.  Their Son, our Savior is partially a product of their willingness to risk so much for the world.  I love this song and I love you Dear Reader.  Tell me a Christmas story as we travel on the road to Bethlehem for a bit.

Mary’s Song – Petra

Hold that blanket closer Mary dear

All the world waits with you for your day

But for now, the wind is cold and it's drear

And Bethlehem's still so far away

Do you remember the way you felt back then?

Joy and wonder filled your soul and when

The angel slipped away

You knew your life would never be the same

And now you're travelling, travelling on a road to Bethlehem

Wandering thoughts fly away

If you knew the road that lay ahead of Him

Would you break down and cry?

Your child is born to die

Feel that hand of strength upon your own

A husband's love that guides along the way

And as his understanding has grown,

His hopes too are centered on that day

For do you remember the way he looked back then,

Pain and sorrow filled his eyes until when

The angel came to say

The Savior's birth was meant to be this way

And now you're travelling, travelling on a road to Bethlehem

Wandering thoughts fly away

If you knew the road that lay ahead of Him

Would you break down and cry?

Your child is born to die

Think back on that promise you received

For him in whom the prophets long believed

Now belongs to you, you've been chosen too

But He's the One Who's gonna shine

We call His name Jesus, Immanuel

He'll save His people from sin and hell

And of His kingdom there will be no end

And now you're travelling, travelling on a road to Bethlehem

Wandering thoughts fly away

If you knew the road that lay ahead of Him

Would you break down and cry?

Your child is born to die

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 ͡°)

Contacts for Aramis Thorn:

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

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

Novels on Amazon             

Web Page:  www.aramisthorn.com

Bookings at aramisthorn@aramisthorn.com

Facebook      Google +    Twitter  Medium   Instagram  Kids BLOG   

Where Are You Christmas ~ The Middle of the Story

Happy Christmas Dear Reader,

One of the necessary things in the quest for Christmas is perspective.  We have to understand what we are seeking.  One cannot pursue that which he knows not of.  One cannot seek a treasure unless they understand what that treasure is. 

Ponder that we celebrate the birth of Christ.  We celebrate the joy of a savior born in a cattle shed to the herald of angels and adoration of kings and commoners.  We decorate and sing the songs.  What we know is that the surface joy is fleeting.  The middle of the story is sobering and violent.

If one is to seek Christmas one must consider that the wooden manger leads to the wooden cross.  The heralding angels with the shepherds return to comfort the boy, now a man in the garden as he weeps.  Jesus’ next encounter with a king is to be condemned and sent back to his death.  The elements of the Christmas story all remind us of the coming Passover story.

At the heart of the joy of Christmas is the joy of salvation.  At the core of this new life is a death that will benefit all humans everywhere.  As I said, however, that is the middle of the story.  That is where we see Aslan stretched out on the great stone table and the joy and hope seems misplaced.  It is where we see Gandalf slip into the abyss with the Balrog and think him lost forever.  We are after the cross but before the return. 

We have only promises and faith to carry us through.  We have not yet seen Aslan on the move.  We have not encountered Gandalf the White transformed.  We have not seen the God-Man mounted on his charger coming back to claim us all.  It feels so painful and soul shattering.  We are in just the middle of the story.

We have to look beyond Christmas to find it.  We have to see the cross.  We have to see the coming death.  Like his mother, I think we forget who it is that lays in the manger.  We fail to see the whole picture because the middle hurts us.  When seeking Christmas, I must remember that we are in the middle of the story.

I must see it as the joyful beginning of a dangerous quest.  There will be blood and death before it is over.  There will also be death being turned into a fighting chance to live.  That is the treasure past the blood.  That is the hope and joy that abides.

Where are you Christmas?  You are in the knowledge that you are the beginning of a great story that is meant for us all.  You are in the cradle, cross, tomb, and resurrection.  You are in the constant unfolding of the story that continues to rush toward the second Advent.  So, I ask with those who wonder, Mary did you know and Dear Reader, do you know?  Do you see the story as it unfolds and can we perhaps find joy in knowing how it ends, even in the midst of the pain?  Tell me what you think. 

Mary, Did you Know – Pentatonix

Mary, did you know that your baby boy will one day walk on water?

Mary, did you know that your baby boy will save our sons and daughters?

Did you know that your baby boy has come to make you new?

This child that you've delivered, will soon deliver you

Mary, did you know that your baby boy will give sight to a blind man?

Mary, did you know that your baby boy will calm a storm with his hand?

Did you know that your baby boy has walked where angels trod?

And when you kiss your little baby, you have kissed the face of God

Mary, did you know, Mary did you know, Mary did you know

The blind will see, the deaf will hear and the dead will live again

The lame will leap, the dumb will speak, the praises of the lamb

Mary, did you know that your baby boy is Lord of all creation?

Mary, did you know that your baby boy will one day rule the nations?

Did you know that your baby boy is heaven's perfect Lamb?

This sleeping child you're holding is the great I AM

Mary, did you know, Mary did you know, Mary did you know

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 ͡°)

Contacts for Aramis Thorn:

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

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

Novels on Amazon             

Web Page:  www.aramisthorn.com

Bookings at aramisthorn@aramisthorn.com

Facebook      Google +    Twitter  Medium   Instagram  Kids BLOG    

Where Are You Christmas ~ Christmas Without You

Happy Christmas Dear Reader,

This past weekend during my long Saturday morning prayer time, I was overcome with grief for those I love who are far from faith.  During that time, I recalled their names and what I see as their barriers to faith.  I pleaded with the Father for mercy and his drawing of them to his heart.

That was when it occurred to me just how deeply the truth is that almost everything associated with Christmas is an attempt to replace Jesus that never works.  I am not talking about the “war on Christmas”.  I am referring to all the ways in which we try to find CHRISTmas without Jesus.  It seems like trying to find air without oxygen.  What you find may satisfy for a moment but it leaves us gasping for the real thing.

There are people I miss. There are those I love who I am parted from because of anger and strife.  None of that is more important to me that their finding the peace and wholeness that is available in Christ.  I must do my part to make peace but more so, I must seek their reconciliation to Christ.

As a man who sees how deeply he needs to draw closer to Christ, I see more clearly that need for others as well.  Christmas without Christ cannot satisfy.  The lack of all the things that I treasure has perhaps allowed me to see Christ more clearly and to treasure him more deeply.  It has made my yearning for others to see him more poignant.

I long for there to be reconciliation with all of those who are not at peace with me.  More, I long for there to be a real connection for all of us with Christ that makes that peace possible.  Peace in relationships that leads to peace on earth begins with being at peace with God.  That is only accomplished through Jesus. 

Where are you Christmas?  You are in the midst of my pain and sorrow for those who do not know you.  You are in the moment when a soul sees how deeply it needs you.  You are in the heart of all that is the love that caused God to become one of us in a cradle so that he could walk with a cross.

I will never look down on anyone that does not follow Christ.  I will always love you enough to share with you that which matters most to me Dear Reader.  There is so much that makes sense when we see it through faith in Christ.  All of our problems and hurts are not solved but we have someone to walk through them with us, and carry us if necessary.  Tell me all your thoughts on God Dear Reader.  I will tell you mine.

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 ͡°)

Contacts for Aramis Thorn:

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

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

Novels on Amazon             

Web Page:  www.aramisthorn.com

Bookings at aramisthorn@aramisthorn.com

Facebook      Google +    Twitter  Medium   Instagram  Kids BLOG