An Aspect on Ratio - Closing Thoughts

Greetings Dear Reader,

As I said, this is a short stroll along the way but it does have life lessons for me.  The ratio of things that we do matters so much.  It may seem out of balance but when we accept God’s ratio we always come out even.  Actually, we come out ahead.

Two ears and one mouth makes me able to be a better listener and better speaker.  If I take in twice as much as I speak out I will have more to offer and perhaps a better foundation on which to be heard. 

Give more than I take.  It is better to give than to receive.  It teaches me contentment and generosity.  It still hurts me when others keep taking and treat me with indifference or worse.  This is part of the price of loving others.  It is a shadow of what we do to the Father. 

Love must multiply over anger and hatred.  We must return goof for evil.  We must turn death into a fighting chance to live.  If I do good to those that are good to me, it is not special.  If I return good for evil, then I am following Christ more closely.  If I work at loving my enemies, then I am able to more easily love my neighbors, friends, and family. 

Lastly, I realize that this part of the journey is just the beginning.  It is the start of the great adventure.  There is so much more ahead and I do not need to know what it is to want it.  It is not a set of mansions.  That is a western myth based on what we want over what is promised.  It is not anything we can imagine.  What I want is for it to be everything it can be and I want to get there have run my race well. 

If I keep the right aspect on ratio I can do this.  Your company makes the journey sweeter Dear Reader.  I see a milestone ahead.  Let us walk to it then rest a space.

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 ͡°)

An Aspect on Ratio – Exponential Growth

Greetings Dear Reader,

I do not get angry often but when I do I am amazed at how quickly it wishes to control me.  The same is true for complaints.  If I complain once it easily becomes a series of complaints.  If I fail to steer my thoughts away from anger or discontent they quickly multiply into an attitude of whichever I indulge.

I used to be consumed by anger.  I used to not understand contentment.  I would indulge my need for immediate gratification at almost any cost.  I have abused time and resources to get what I want.

As I have tried to learn peace and contentment I have learned that the inverse can be true.  Peace and contentment can become a way of life.  The growth can be exponential.  It can become the very force that flows through us.  Love can become the way to live and die. 

It can take uprooting everything inside us to become this.  We must invest effort to move on from anger and selfishness to peace and generosity.  I can hone my craft and being kind and gentle if I choose to do so.  I can journey the path with exponential growth in the things that matter.

When I focus on this the social issues become obvious.  I do not need to choose between whose needs should be met.  They all should be equally addressed.  They are all my responsibility.  I cannot ignore the plight of anyone and follow Christ.  The path of love and contentment makes is easy to see this.  I must commit my life to exponential growth of these things.

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 ͡°)

An Aspect on Ratio – Two to One

Greetings Dear Reader,

We live in such a noisy world.  Except for the fact that he is referencing Christmas I identify with the Grinch on this, “oh the noise, noise, noise, noise.”   Were I able I would rid the world of noisome things. 

I often imagine what the world would be like if we practiced the two to one ratio with our heads.  We have two ears and one mouth.  My Grandfather would always say that is because we should listen twice as much as we talk.

In this this political climate and with the emerging social needs of our time we need to listen.  We need to listen to the opposition no matter what side we are supporting.  We need to seek understanding.  We need to listen the what Christ really commands not what American Christianity interprets him to have said.

We must learn to hear when we listen.  We must understand so that we earn the right to be understood.  The world is not getting better.  We cannot create a utopia.  What we can do is offer life and hope but only after our message has hands and feet.  We must listen and respond with action before we speak. 

I have friends that I love dearly who have walked away from faith because the church has failed to listen to them.  It has failed to hear their needs.  It keeps speaking with authority when it has lost their loyalty and respect.

The Gospel is true and has great power.  We can only speak to the love and provision of the Gospel when we have listen to and responded to the needs of the world around us.  This aspect on ration is not lost on those with whom we employ it.  I like those odds.

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 ͡°)

An Aspect on Ratio – Opening Thoughts

Greetings Dear Reader,

Yesterday after church my Daughter and I went to some shops on the west side.  As we were returning to our car to go for lunch another car cut around a car waiting for a parking space.  It nearly hit a couple who were making their way from the car park to the sidewalk.

The guy observed loudly that the people in the offending car were probably “on their way to shopping from church.”  I called out to him that we had just come from church and that we do not drive like that.  He smiled and the moment passed. 

It caused me to ponder the everyday things we do that reflect on our faith.  It made me wonder what had happened to cause that man to blame Christians coming from church for poor parking lot manners.

I must embrace that we have areas where we fail to have the proper aspect in terms of our social values as Christ followers.  I must see that I have balance in this.  It is not about politics or even social justice.  It is about being faithful to the commands of Christ.

This again will be a brief part of the journey but it is vital to the long trek.   Walk with me Dear Reader and share your thoughts and questions with me if you 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 ͡°)