Showing posts with label Souls. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Souls. Show all posts

02 November 2019

The Hallowed Days ~ All Souls


Greetings Dear Reader,

Some cultures refer to today as the Day of the Dead.  There are few things that are inevitable and none as certain as death.  We are all born owing a life.  We all have that appointment with the end of this part of the journey.  My first published novel, Chronicles of Thanatos, the Reaper, is an attempt to explain the vital role that death plays in life.

We think that what matters is possessions and our physical life.  People acquire, exercise, and indulge whilst focused primarily on this mortal aspect of our pilgrimage back to the Father.  What we seem to have lost along the way is the value of every single soul.  We seem memes that make light of the death of others.  We cheer when political enemies die.  We speak ill of the dead when we know they cannot answer our accusations.  We have lost respect for the soul along with our respect for life.

If we are to hallow any aspect of the human experience, it must be that we seek to hallow the soul.  It is for the sake of the soul that we care for the body, respect the heart, and attend to the physical needs of others.  It is for the benefit of our souls and theirs that we are to live in love, grace, and compassion.

It is also vital to understand that there is nothing in life that is separate from this hallowing.  There are no issues, agendas, or endeavors that are segregated from the journey of our souls back to God.  There are no secular issues and it is after death that we must account for how we have used our lives.  It is true, therefore, that “how we deal with death is at least as important as how we deal with life.”  There is no death that does not impact us all even if we do not see it. 

No man is an island,  entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main; if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friend's or of thine own were;  any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee. – John Donne

We must all be involved in mankind Dear Reader.  Every soul that I encounter must matter to me.  Every encounter is my opportunity to be good to that soul.  It is in being good that we find the reserves of love we need to feed that difference and weather the diminishing.   I have a friend whose son is fighting for his life.  I have never met the son.  Still, his struggle is mine as well.  He is a life, created and loved by the Father.  That is enough for me to care, pray, encourage, and live among the bells as if they are all calling for me. 

We will turn toward gratitude tomorrow.  For today, however, let us pause to honor those who have gone before us.  More so, let us breathe a prayer of gratitude for those who travel with us, invest in their lives, and hallow all things with love in every moment.  Let us hallow our lives to gratitude, love, peace, and joy that is called for by these Holy Days.

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 ͡°)

Contacts for Aramis Thorn:

Support Page on Patreon: www.patreon.com/aramisthorn
Novels on Amazon           
Web Page:  www.aramisthorn.com
Facebook        Twitter            

01 November 2019

The Hallowed Days ~ All Saints


Greetings Dear Reader,

For those of you who do not share my faith, this has nothing to do with the New Orleans football team, the British fashion line, or the movie of that title.  The latter bears one’s attention, however.  What we are speaking about is the day in which we honor all the saints, all those known and unknown who have followed Christ in faith.

I am not talking about just the miracle workers or the famous icons of our history.  I am speaking of all those who fight every moment to be more like Christ in love and faith.  This all sounds very “religious” to some but it is at the core of the inclusiveness of faith.  Anyone who makes it a practice to seek the Father through the Son is honored today.  I realize that you do not all agree with this but I will honor you none-the-less. 

It is my heart to be sure that anyone with the courage to have faith in a world where it is thin be respected and honored.  Your faith need not be strong or large.  It is not required that it be unwavering or lack questions.  I have a friend, Brian, who shows great faith because in his doubt he relentlessly pursues the truth.  The faith to keep seeking is a faith to be honored.

I find that my faith, though hard-won, is easy to hold.  I do not always employ it well but it is rarely thin.  In that blessing, I must avoid the curse of forgetting that it is not easy for everyone.  Simply saying to have faith can be condescending and an insult to those who battle to hold onto the mustard seed they possess. 

If you have faith in any measure and seek to follow in it, you are doing the work of a saint.  So, today I express my gratitude for your company in the journey and my love for you as we travel home to that Undiscovered Country only reachable through faith.  It is this gratitude, Dear Reader, that I wish to hone as we begin the turn toward the other Holy Days.  After all, if we journey with saints, the entire duration of the journey is hallowed.

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 ͡°)

Contacts for Aramis Thorn:
Support Page on Patreon: www.patreon.com/aramisthorn
Novels on Amazon           
Web Page:  www.aramisthorn.com
Facebook        Twitter            

31 October 2019

The Hallowed Days ~ All Hallows Eve


Happy Halloween Dear Reader,

I began this series with the understanding that things need to be hallowed, or set apart.  There comes a time where we must acknowledge that what belongs to the Father must be set aside as sacred or hallowed.

If it does not bend your brain too far, I would like to engage you in a Polemic:

Major Premise:  Anything that belongs to God is hallowed.
Minor Premise:  Everything belongs to God.
Conclusion:  Everything is hallowed.

The difficulty is that we have forgotten that there are no issues or activities that are not sacred.  We are supposed to do all that we do as if we are doing it for the Father.  Whether it is putting away the laundry or attending our favorite event, it is supposed to be an act of worship.  Let us examine another polemic.

Major Premise: God is everywhere.
Minor Premise: Wherever God is present, is hallowed ground.
Conclusion: Everywhere is a hallowed place.

The idea is then that everything there is, everything we do, and everywhere we go is supposed to be hallowed to the Father.  This is how we follow Christ.  This is the way in which the journey unfolds into a life set aside to that which is loving and good.  It is understanding that in the moment we are required to seek Christ no matter what we are doing. 

The process works like this.  We choose to acknowledge that all we do is to be set aside as our service to love the Father with all of our hearts, mind, soul, and strength.  We bring into captivity every thought under this choice.  These thoughts then guide our words, attitudes, and actions.  We measure every thought by whether it is loving the Father and in turn loving his hallowed creations. 

The thought to insult or malign someone must be rejected and replaced with the thought to show the Father’s love.  When we have a selfish thought, we hallow it by replacing it with a loving giving one.  It is learning to set aside every moment as hallowed to love for the Father.  The reason we do this is that the Father first hallowed them all for us by the death of his Son.  That, Dear Reader, is how we hallow everything and this is the day we begin to do so in preparation for the celebration of the Advent that made the hallowing possible.  The result will be treats with no tricks.  The end result will be that hatred, injustice, and greed will be unthinkable because we have hallowed our thoughts.

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 ͡°)

Contacts for Aramis Thorn:
Support Page on Patreon: www.patreon.com/aramisthorn
Novels on Amazon           
Web Page:  www.aramisthorn.com
Facebook        Twitter            



30 October 2019

The Hallowed Days ~ It Starts With Giving


Greetings Dear Reader,

It seems that Halloween candy has been the true herald of these days for most of my life.  It magically appears in the shops and used to magically appear in my home when I was young.  There is a story of how that interplay worked in me in Sheetrock on the Road.  The link is to my new publisher.

It awed me that I could put on a costume, walk the block, and get free candy.  There was also free candy and other treats at the school party.  My Grandparents gave me all the candy that was leftover from their candy bowl.  Getting candy was great.  Also, the idea of giving was something that my Grandfather took the time to teach me.

Do we consider that each year this three-month run of Holy Days begins with giving?  The idea of getting free candy is great.  The concept of entering a time when giving is a primary focus is even better.  We are supposed to give away love, kindness, and grace every day.  When we set our hearts to give, we place greater opportunities to show the love of Christ in the path.

Each of us must accept the vital truth that it is better to give than to receive. We must embrace that if we are looking outward, to the needs of others, we are less likely to focus on our own lack or desires.  The process is that the Father promises to supply our needs and that he wishes for giving to flow from him through us to others. 

When we hallow our hearts to be generous, we set aside our greed and selfishness.  Whether it is the dire needs of others or a piece of candy for a child, when we give from the heart, we set in motion evidence of love.  Setting our hearts toward giving generously to others puts us closer to following Christ in our journey.  As we prepare for these hallowed days, we must also make sure that we have prepared to leave behind greed and avarice. 

Over the next three days, we will dive into the actual hallowing of our three days.  Perhaps we can find a path that will lead us closer to home even though we have far to go yet.  This is not a conclusion so much as it is an end to the preparation and the commencement of the celebration.  Your company, Dear Reader, is one of the better gifts I receive.  Let us move on together and see if we cannot be more generous to others.

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 ͡°)

Contacts for Aramis Thorn:

Support Page on Patreon: www.patreon.com/aramisthorn
Novels on Amazon           
Web Page:  www.aramisthorn.com
Facebook        Twitter            

29 October 2019

The Hallowed Days ~ PAX Hallows


Greetings Dear Reader,

One of the things that mark the Holy Days that should not is a lack of peace.  The entire purpose of the coming days is to focus on the peace that has been offered us freely.  Instead, we worry, bicker, and stress over things that are not supposed to have that effect on us.

I have heard several people lacking peace over costumes and events already.  I have even already heard anxiety about meal planning.  One dear friend confessed to me why she dislikes the Holy Days and it is all connected to a lack of peace with the past that infects the future.

If we are to be prepared for the Hallowed Days and the passage to which they are the gateway, we must make peace within our minds and hearts.  That peace must be forged in love.  It needs to be unconditional just like the love that fuels it.  This sounds easy but I know there are difficulties that feed it.

If I wish to have peace within this passage, I must not carry that which disrupts my peace.  I must lay aside the worry and resentment that rob me of peace.  I cannot carry any anger or bitterness and have peace.  I must forgive, forebear, and foster the peace I in which I wish to walk.  My words must be kind and gentle.  My thoughts must be loving and good. 

With some people, this is as easy as pumpkin pie.  With others, it is a moment by moment battle.  Everything about hallowing our days is related to seeking peace in every moment.  The idea is that we become the beacon of peace and allow things to wash over us that wish to rob us of that serenity. 

In reality, if we are forgiving in the moment, we are at peace.  If we remain hard to offend then peace reigns in us.  We become set aside or hallowed to peace when what we seek is to follow Christ in loving others.  That, Dear Reader, is something worth fighting for and we can win.

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 ͡°)

Contacts for Aramis Thorn:
Support Page on Patreon: www.patreon.com/aramisthorn
Novels on Amazon           
Web Page:  www.aramisthorn.com
Facebook        Twitter            

28 October 2019

The Hallowed Days ~ Using Your Hands


Greetings Dear Reader,

“The call is to community.”  The mission statement of the church I attended in Madison is that it “seeks to build a loving community that follows Christ in order to reach a community that is lost without Him.”  One of the ways in which they apply this is through service to the community.

During the coming days, there will be many calls for us to find ways to help others.  If we do not prepare to answer this call by making space in our hearts, minds, and calendars, we will not make the time.  We want to do that which is needed, but we must be ready.  We do not, I think understand the value of giving time to those in need. 

Amidst the many things that will demand are time there are organizations that ask for some of it.  It is a simple thing to begin a tradition of setting aside time to help in our communities.  Whether we are ringing bells for the Salvation Army or volunteering at a homeless shelter, we can find a way to assist in meeting the needs of others that “are so keenly felt at this festive time of year.”

Part of being hallowed to these Holy Days is to see just how much we have that is a blessing and doing what is needed to pass some of that on to others.  It is one of the great ways to pass on our love that is impactful and lasting.  If we involve our family, then we also can build generational awareness and attitudes about giving to the needs of others.  An added benefit is that if we do it in the right spirit, we also can build some beautiful memories.

The simple point, Dear Reader is to create time and space in our lives now to hallow the act of giving to the needs of others.  We must find a place in our lives to hallow our hearts for the needs of others.  There is, after all, “no surplus population.”  There are no needs that do not impact us in some way.  This is how we make the days hallowed and put hands and feet on the Gospel.


The Basin and the Towel – Michael Card 

And the call is to community

In an upstairs room, a parable
Is just about to come alive
And while they bicker about who's best
With a painful glance, He'll silently rise

Their Savior Servant must show them how
Through the will of the water
And the tenderness of the towel

And the call is to community
The impoverished power that sets the soul free
In humility, to take the vow
That day after day we must take up the basin and the towel

In any ordinary place
On any ordinary day
The parable can live again
When one will kneel and one will yield

Our Saviour Servant must show us how
Through the will of the water
And the tenderness of the towel

The space between ourselves sometimes
Is more than the distance between the stars
By the fragile bridge of the Servant's bow
We take up the basin and the towel

And the call is to community
The impoverished power that sets the soul free
In humility, to take the vow
That day after day we must take up the basin

And the call is to community
The impoverished power that sets the soul free
In humility, to take the vow
That day after day we must take up the basin
That day after day we must take up the basin
That day after day we must take up the basin and the towel
Take up the basin and the towel, basin and towel


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 ͡°)

Contacts for Aramis Thorn:
Support Page on Patreon: www.patreon.com/aramisthorn
Novels on Amazon           
Web Page:  www.aramisthorn.com
Facebook        Twitter            

27 October 2019

The Hallowed Days ~ Preparing to Respond


Greetings Dear Reader,

One of the things we face as we attend the gatherings and celebrations of the year’s end is that of the encounters we would rather avoid.  There are those people who we prefer to avoid.  There are those who cause us pain that makes us less than we can be.  There is an answer but it is not as much fun as it is necessary.

The simple truth is that no matter the social situation, we can hallow the world a little with a single response.  If we choose to respond in love to every encounter, we are better ready to withstand the difficulties of unpleasant encounters.  We are forearmed against the things that seek to remove our gratitude and kindness.

We all have those people who have caused us pain but we must encounter them at the aforementioned gatherings.  A good place to start is to recall that we are all that person to someone.  We all have hurt people who deserved better from us.  So, if we begin with the humility inherent in that truth, we have someplace to begin to extend love to others.

The second part is that if we hallow our hearts to love others, we are more resilient to the things that others do that harm us.  Love destroys fear.  It leaves no room for resentment or anger.  It gives us a cloak of protection that we all too often fail to wear.  I must hallow my heart to show love in each encounter as the business and busyness of the time visits itself upon me.

I must prepare my mind to respond in love for everyone.  I am going to better weather the challenges of difficult people if I approach the season with love and compassion.  It is love that can reach through the harder things and help me be who I am supposed to be.  You and I Dear Reader have the capacity to love if we choose to hallow our hearts to it.  Shall we try?

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 ͡°)

Contacts for Aramis Thorn:
Support Page on Patreon: www.patreon.com/aramisthorn
Novels on Amazon           
Web Page:  www.aramisthorn.com
Facebook        Twitter            

26 October 2019

The Hallowed Days ~ Preparing Gratitude


Greetings Dear Reader,

I realize that we are a full month and a bit from Thanksgiving.  I supposed I wished to give everyone a chance to catch up on that promise from last year to be more thankful.  In the quest to set aside part of every day as hallowed, we need to consider this together.

What are we thankful for today?  What is it that springs to mind immediately?  Are we grateful for the things that are there for us every single day?  If we begin to ponder this whilst the turkey is thawing, then we have waited too long.  There are things to be thankful for all day. 

I have chosen to make being thankful for what I have much more prominent than what I desire.  There are things I ask for in my heart.  There are things I seek.  I will not, however, let them keep me from seeing what I have that is truly a blessing.  Developing an attitude toward gratitude has forced me to see how often I take things for granted that I should appreciate more deeply.

As a species, we excel at wanting without seeing and appreciating that which we already have.  When asked how much is enough, we often immediately reply that is must be more.  Like little children, we wish to consume until we are sick.  We want it all now and even think we deserve things.  We are always better than we deserve and remembering that will force us toward gratitude.

A great way to hallow the ground we travel is to develop the discipline of gratitude for simple things.  I am thankful for another day of life.  I express gratitude for my daily provision in a world where others hunger.  I am thankful for the little things that make life easier.  I am grateful for life. 

Perhaps as we prepare for the journey through the last of the year, it is not too late to increase our efforts at gratitude in the spirit of love.  We can express our thankfulness more often.  We can show appreciation.  We can be specific about how others benefit us and reassure them we are grateful.

Perhaps we can agree to try this leading up to Thanksgiving.  Maybe we can begin by being thankful for every person in our lives.  After all, Dear Reader, since we are required to love others without considering if they are worthy, it may be easier if we are looking for things about them for which we are thankful.  Please be confident that I am very thankful for 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 ͡°)

Contacts for Aramis Thorn:
Support Page on Patreon: www.patreon.com/aramisthorn
Novels on Amazon           
Web Page:  www.aramisthorn.com
Facebook        Twitter            

25 October 2019

The Hallowed Days ~ Preparation


Greetings Dear Reader,

Last Monday I drove past a house that had at least a dozen ghosts and a few graves in the front yard.  Another house has at least twenty carved pumpkins on its porch.  It is clear that preparations have been made and that Halloween is on the minds of many. 

To me, the decorations and trappings of October are reminders that people yearn for something to celebrate.  As the seasons change, we see ourselves in those changes whether it is minor or major.  I think we forget to prepare our spirits for the core of the celebrations that will unfold before us.

It is wise to put our hearts and minds into the spirit of these Holy Days.  It is to our benefit both spiritually and mentally.  It is mental groundwork that will assist us in fending off the stresses and worries that besiege us.  Whether it is commercial demands or family stresses, we can approach this time with an understanding of those things based on love and grace.

We know what the demands are because we deal with them annually.  We cannot prevent them but we can be armored against them.  We can choose to approach every situation with love and grace.  What gets to us can be made powerless.  We can choose that instead of trying to change it all, we can be different.  It may be hard at first, but preparing our hearts with an attitude of love and kindness will allow us to fend off the stressors that are associated with this season of celebration.

The added impact of being positive is that we may influence others.  We may be able to impact or infect others with that same love and kindness.  We hear all the time that it is never the circumstances.  This is a greater truth that we acknowledge most of the time.  It is almost always how we weather the storms more than what the weather brings us.

I use this time to set my mind and heart on following Christ’s example of love and kindness in every situation.  I cannot change the circumstances.  I can be better to others in them.  We can all show more love and kindness to those around us.  We simply have to choose to hallow ourselves to it Dear Reader.  It is an act of holiness to choose love over other things.  It is also the path to peace if we prepare with it as our foundation.  You are always welcome to walk this 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 ͡°)

Contacts for Aramis Thorn:
Support Page on Patreon: www.patreon.com/aramisthorn
Novels on Amazon           
Web Page:  www.aramisthorn.com
Facebook        Twitter            

24 October 2019

The Hallowed Days ~ Opening Thoughts


Greetings Dear Reader,

This turn of our attention and journey is one of my favorites.  My dear friend Ashli is passionate about Halloween and was recently told it was not a real holiday.  In truth, the three days at the end of October and beginning of November are very important holidays historically.  They are vital for me to include them as reserved writing days every year.

It is significant enough that the church in the middle ages set aside a vigil for it.  These three Holy Days (holidays [where did you think that word originated?] in our vernacular) note the beginning of the liturgical calendar after Easter and Pentecost. My intent this year is to honor All Hallows Eve and the following celebrations of souls and saints by keeping a vigil each morning with my writing.

A week from now children will seek candy, adults will enjoy parties, and the path to Advent and the closing of the year will be open.  The idea of keeping vigil over these things is not new either.  It is a centuries-long practice for people of faith to invest time in preparing hearts and minds for certain celebrations.  This celebration of All Hallows Eve is vital to my preparation for Advent. 

My heart must turn toward enhancing further my attitudes of thankfulness and generosity toward others in every venture.  I must plan to be more grateful and more deeply giving each year as a way to honor the Father and celebrate the Son.  There is a great need for others to see that they are appreciated. 

The intent in this vigil is to prepare my spirit to walk in the world in the right attitude.  It is to enter the season with a mindset to be good to everyone I encounter.  It is to have a heart to show love, kindness, and generosity to mitigate the avarice and anxiety that some associate with the year-end holidays. 

Please, Dear Reader, feel free to walk with me as we look at some simple ways to make our way through this part of the journey with joy and peace.  For those of you who love the beginning more than the end, I celebrate with you and reassure you that Halloween is a genuine holiday.  Please include me in your thoughts and questions as we travel through the costumes, candy, and cognition of how much this day matters in following Christ.  Your company is vital to any real celebration.


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 ͡°)

Contacts for Aramis Thorn:
Support Page on Patreon: www.patreon.com/aramisthorn
Novels on Amazon           
Web Page:  www.aramisthorn.com
Facebook        Twitter            

12 January 2019

Twenty-One Grams to Carry ~ Closing Thoughts


Greetings Dear Reader,

As I suspected, this ran its route rather quickly.  The truth is such a simple one and can be summed up quite readily.  If you feel there are other things to consider, do let me know please.

We are not a physical being having a spiritual experience but a spiritual being having a physical experience.  We are all on a journey back to God that we too often see as secondary or non-existent.  As with so many things we relegate the important to the optional until we are desperate.

The essence of our existence is contained in our souls.  It is that twenty-one grams that embodies the weight of all that we will one day become as the Father draws all things back to himself.  It is in that wee sprite that we will discover all eternity. 

That part of us is where the love resides that we carry beyond this life.  This is the house of all that is eternal in us.  It is the place that will shed all that is not good if we allow it.  It is our souls that make us all the same no matter how we package them.

So, Dear Reader I think that if we focus on loving every soul no matter how it appears to us it may be easier.  We find fault with the temporary and external.  What we need to love is the soul that is eternal.  It is those that are being sculpted into the likeness of Christ.

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
Novels on Amazon             
Web Page:  www.aramisthorn.com
Facebook        Google +    Twitter     
Medium   Instagram  Kids BLOG