The One Ring ~ Closing Thoughts

Greetings Dear Reader,

When I first read these books as a lad, I would imagine the good I would do if I possessed the one ring.  So steeped was I in anger, pride, and innocence that I did not realize my inability to control power when it was in my hands. Still, I sought it.  Still, I craved it.  Still, it was precious to me.

For far too long I used power and control to be safe, unreachable.  It was not because the power was truly precious to me.  It was because the power kept darker things at bay.  It kept the deeper darkness from surfacing.  This does not justify the things I did wrong to hold the darkness out.  We did not really discuss Boromir who only held the One Ring for a moment but was driven mad by its lure.  He sacrificed his honor and the Fellowship to try and possess the One Ring. 

We do foolish and dangerous things to try and hold the power we think will protect us and protect others from that within us that is the greater evil.  Even though I have often used power for good, that deeper darkness has caused me to hold it too long and use it to protect myself.  Once we hold power for our own sake we are on the path to destruction. 

It was abandoning all I knew and loved that allowed me to also abandon the power that kept me in darkness.  It is what allowed me to face the deeper darkness.  I sought out those I had wronged, seeking forgiveness and restoration.  Some were amenable; others were not.  It is not mine to determine who will love me and who will not.  Power wielded badly leaves wounds and scars.  Some of them will not be mended before all things are made good again. 

I cannot seek to control my relationships with others.  I can be good, loving, and kind where and when I am allowed.  The Father will give me the companions and love I need.  My duty is to follow with an open heart and open hand.  My mind must be set on the journey and not on what I wish I had done or could do now.  Today must be enough, Dear Reader.  I control nothing buy my responses to what is. 

This means that we can take on the next valley or mountain depending on the power given to us today.  The one who calls me to follow promises to give me all I need for the journey.  This step is the one in which I need to yield and follow.  In doing that I can avoid the lures of the One Ring and all of its tragic malice.  If you choose to be in my fellowship, it will be with an eye to destroy the One Ring, never to possess it.  You are always welcome, Dear Reader.  We must, however, move along home; the journey calls us even if we forgot our handkerchief. 

Journey On – Elms District

You've only got one more river to cross
One more storm to go through
You've only got one more journey to walk
And know the waters wide
You've only got one more mountain to climb
One more hand to reach for
You've only got one more journey to walk
And you're on the other side

You've only got one more river to cross
One more storm to go through
You've only got one more journey to walk
And know the waters wide
You've only got one more mountain to climb
One more hand to reach for
You've only got one more journey to walk

On the other side

You've only got one more river to cross
One more storm to go through
You've only got one more journey to walk
And know the waters wide
You've only got one more mountain to climb
One more hand to reach for

You've only got one more journey to walk
And you're on the other side

You've only got one more river to cross
One more storm to go through
You've only got one more journey to walk
Know the waters wide

You've only got one more mountain to climb
One more hand to reach for
You've only got one more journey to walk
And you're on the other side

You've only got one more river to cross
One more storm to go through
You've only got one more journey to walk
Know the waters wide

You've only got one more mountain to climb

One more hand to reach for
You've only got one more journey to walk
And you're on the other side

The valley's deep oh mountain peaks
I don't wanna lose my way
And hills are steep and I am weak

I'll journey on
The valley's deep oh mountain peaks
I don't wanna lose my way
And hills are steep and I am weak
I'll journey on(you've only got one more river to cross)
The valley is deep o'er mountain peaks(one more storm to go through)
Said I'm not gonna lose my way(you've only got one more journey to walk)
And I am weak(know the waters wide)
I'll journey on(one more mountain to climb)
One more hand to reach for
Oh, not gonna lose my way
One more journey to walk

On the other side

You've only got one more river to cross
One more storm to go through
You've only got one more journey to walk
And know the waters wide
Only got one more mountain to climb
One more hand to reach for
You've only got one more journey to walk
And you're on the other side

You've only got one more river to cross
One more storm to go through
You've only got one more journey to walk
Know the waters wide

Only got one more mountain to climb
And one more hand to reach for
Only got one more journey to walk
On the other side

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 ͡°)

Every human story is part of the great story that leads to the Father getting everything back to Good.

Contacts for Aramis Thorn:

#aramisthorn

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

Novels: From My Publisher or on Amazon          

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The One Ring ~ Bilbo Baggins

Greetings Dear Reader,

When we begin reading Tolkien’s masterworks, Bilbo is the first Hobbit we meet.  It is clear that his life is simple and sedentary.  He is also not all that he appears to be on the surface of it.

After hastily joining the quest to recapture the Lonely Mountain, Bilbo finds the One Ring under the Misty Mountains in the caves where Gollum lost it.  He finds the ring just before Gollum finds him.  Gollum’s plan is to kill Bilbo and eat him.  Bilbo recognizes right away the danger of his situation.  He wins a riddle contest and Gollum goes to fetch his ring to kill Bilbo.

Bilbo accidentally discovers that the renders him invisible.  He then finds that he has Gollum at his mercy near the exit of the caves.  He holds his sword, ready to dispatch the wretched creature but instead has mercy and lets him live.  This turns out to be the act that both alerts Sauron to the location of the ring and results in its destruction.  Even though there is great suffering because Hobbits and the Shire come to the attention of the Dark Lord, it is Gollum who falls into the cracks of doom destroying the One Ring.

The other aspect of Bilbo that is vital to understand is that he willingly gave up the ring to Frodo.  He is the first to do so and was able to carry it out after possessing it for many years.  Unlike other ring bearers, he possessed it more than it possessed him.  Gandalf speculates that some greater force wanted Bilbo to find the One Ring.  We must remember that the entire story is an allegory of redemption.

The parallel for me is obvious and vital.  I do not understand when times are dark or dangerous.  It happens.  We either turn to the Father in faith or we do not see that the purpose behind most tragic things is beyond us.  Like Bilbo, I cannot see the design behind all that unfolds.  My current distress may lead to some great thing unfolding of which I have no understanding. 

The key for me is the example of mercy, duty, and power I see in Bilbo.  He had mercy even when assaulted or insulted.  He kept to his duty even when facing death and dragons.  He let power go willingly when he realized that he could no longer hold it.  When he did hold it, he used it carefully.  We cannot wield power without it impacting us, but we can choose to do so in a way that does not harm others.

I must see past simplicity of life to the richness of being included in the grand story.  Job reminds us that even if things are tragic it serves the will of the Father.  Bilbo shows us that going through great trial and sorrow can still lead to good.  I must believe all of this whether I have power over it or not.  I must realize, Dear Reader, that I do not understand everything about my part in the story.  I do know that I must follow the path and the One who leads me.  The road leads home eventually no matter how dark the current passage. I must follow.  You are always welcome company.

The Road Goes Ever On and On – J.R.R. Tolkien – Performed by CamillasChoice

The Road goes ever on and on

Down from the door where it began.

Now far ahead the Road has gone,

And I must follow, if I can,

Pursuing it with eager feet,

Until it joins some larger way

Where many paths and errands meet.

And whither then? I cannot say.

The Road goes ever on and on

Out from the door where it began.

Now far ahead the Road has gone,

Let others follow it who can!

Let them a journey new begin,

But I at last with weary feet

Will turn towards the lighted inn,

My evening-rest and sleep to meet.

Roads go ever ever on,

Over rock and under tree,

By caves where never sun has shone,

By streams that never find the sea;

Over snow by winter sown,

And through the merry flowers of June,

Over grass and over stone,

And under mountains in the moon.

Roads go ever on and on

Under cloud and under star,

Yet feet that wandering have gone

Turn at last to home afar.

Eyes that fire and sword have seen

And horror in the halls of stone

Look at last on meadows green

And trees and hills they long have known.

Still round the corner there may wait

A new road or a secret gate,

And though I oft have passed them by,

A day will come at last when I

Shall take the hidden paths that run

West of the Moon, East of the Sun.

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 ͡°)

Every human story is part of the great story that leads to the Father getting everything back to Good.

Contacts for Aramis Thorn:

#aramisthorn

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

Novels: From My Publisher or on Amazon          

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The One Ring ~ Samwise

Greetings Dear Reader,

When I first encountered Samwise Gamgee, I immediately liked him.  At age eight, his name was close enough to my Grandfather’s that there was instant affinity.  Like my Grandfather, Samwise was a gardener who held great strength of character.  Like him, Sam was much more than meets the eye.

Sam enters the story dropping eves and trimming the verge.  He is already watching over Frodo and overhears the story of horror regarding the One Ring.  Gandalf catches him and assigns him to accompany Frodo and protect him.  The servant heart of Samwise is already inclined to this.

Sam and Shelob- John Howe

He is the only member of the Fellowship to reach the end of the quest with Frodo.  When he thinks Frodo dead because of Shelob’s attack, he takes up the ring for a bit.  Other than Deagol, he carries the ring for the shortest time.  He does not possess it and it fails to possess him.  His humility and understanding allow him to return the ring to Frodo with little struggle. 

My mind contrasts his care of the ring with the role of Denethor the Steward of Gondor.  Both acted over stewards for those who rightfully should carry a burden.  The difference is that Sam never saw the ring as his.  Rather, he saw it as fulfilling an obligation to the Fellowship and to Frodo by taking up the ring and the quest to destroy it. 

Sam believes in the forces beyond Sauron that exist for good and evil.  He knows there is a greater purpose at work in the great stories.  He humbly understands that he does not own the ring and never should.  Even after Frodo has the ring back, he carries Frodo up the mountain when the burden becomes too great for his companion.

What we learn from Samwise is that humble dedication to what is good yields greater good even when filled with sorrow.  Sam loses much in the quest to do what is right.  He sees his dearest friend near death several times.  He experiences the betrayal of Boromir and carries the pain of his death.  The trauma of Smeagol’s danger and Frodo’s mistrust hurt him deeply.  Through all of it, he remains humbly loyal to what is good, his word, and the quest.

Even after the ring is destroyed, he returns to the Shire he loves.  His heart breaks as he sees how it has been scoured by Saruman.  He spends his life trying to restore it but the sorrow of it seems a deep wound for such loyalty.

What I must carry that is Sam’s is that he clings to the humble idea of duty to what is right above all else.  Even when his friends act poorly, he remains with them, doing his best to carry the good forward.  He defends the quest at all costs.  He sees the journey through in hope when the darkness is deep and closing around him. 

I must not give up my love for others at any cost.  The quest to get things back to good is never one to abandon.  Those who betray me or doubt me are still worthy of my love.  Even when things are darkest, there are stars; there is light to find.  The journey is not about possessing or ownership.  It is about stewarding that with which we are entrusted in ways that honor those who commissioned us.  It is about letting go when it is time and returning to our station of companion and fellow traveler; always looking for the chance to serve the quest further.  So, I ask, Dear Reader, what burden can I shoulder for you?  How can I help you along the way?

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 ͡°)

Every human story is part of the great story that leads to the Father getting everything back to Good.

Contacts for Aramis Thorn:

#aramisthorn

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

Novels: From My Publisher or on Amazon          

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The One Ring ~ Frodo

Greetings Dear Reader,

When the ring passes to Frodo, the Lord of the Rings story begins.  We begin again in the Shire and things are much the same as they were.  Frodo sets out on a long journey to return the ring to the fires of Mount Doom.  This is the only place it could be destroyed.

Throughout the story the grip that the ring holds on Frodo is obvious.  The weight of it burdens him and he moves through Middle Earth in a state of constant danger.  As he travels toward what he believes is a one-way journey to destroy the ring, he also believes that he will have the will and courage to destroy the ring.  He does not understand how firm the ring’s grip is on him. 

He is filled with sadness and pain under the burden of what he must do.  It is clear that he never fully recovers from the wound the Nazgul deliver on Weathertop.  His heart is good but the constant struggle against the power of the ring wears away at him until he reaches Mount Doom.  It is there, at the last moment that he chooses.  He thinks that he will use the ring to rule and set things right.  Gollum bites off Frodo’s finger, regains the ring, and falls into the fires of Mount Doom.  The ring is destroyed but not without claiming a final victim to its power.  In truth, Frodo did not triumph over the ring.

Like him, we have sometimes carried power for too long and held it too tightly.  We have grasped at things that, in the beginning, were intended for good.  When it comes time to let go, we hold on for too long.  We grasp too tightly.  We lie to ourselves believing that we will continue to do good when we are already on the path to self-destruction. 

There is a very thin line between carrying this burden with sadness that contains hope and then holding power to please our own wants.  In the moment of letting go, there may be great pain but on the other side, there is life and light.  I think that the great sadness that clung to Frodo was the knowledge that in the end, he failed to let go.  He chose the ring over his quest.

I too carry such a sadness.  It is beyond tears and haunts me.  It is also filled with hope that things beyond me unfold as they should.  The power of the Father to work all things together for good reminds me that my poor choices will be trumped by his designs.  There will always be a shadow over my heart until all things are set right.  There will also be the certain knowledge that when things are made good again, I too will be free from that shadow. 

It is in this hope that I journey, Dear Reader.  Each of us fails along the path and like Frodo we make selfish choices.  None of it surprises the Father and he has already set his will to redeem us.  It is why faith and redemption are so key to this journey.  We can see beyond the doom to rescue by the eagles, the blooming of the white tree, and boarding the final ship to that Undiscovered Country.  I promise to help you have courage until we get there.

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 ͡°)

Every human story is part of the great story that leads to the Father getting everything back to Good.

Contacts for Aramis Thorn:

#aramisthorn

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

Novels: From My Publisher or on Amazon          

Web Page:  www.aramisthorn.com

Bookings: aramisthorn@aramisthorn.com

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

The One Ring ~ Smeagol to Gollum

Greetings Dear Reader,

The Stoorish Hobbits were river folk.  They were larger than the Hobbits we know best and had lost their original homes to the evil of Angmar the Witch King.  Not long after Sauron’s first defeat and Isildur’s death, the One Ring raised its power to lure a new possessor.  The difficulty is that when one possesses the One Ring, in reality, it possesses them.

When we see the history of the One Ring, we see an object that leaves death, destruction, and sorrow in its wake.  Smeagol is no different.  This Hobbit of Stoor lived the simple life of the river folk.  The life was one of farming, fishing, and gathering.  He was fishing with his relative, Deagol on his birthday. 

Deagol was pulled into the river by a large fish and it was he who found the ring.  As the third possessor of the One Ring, his “ownership” of it is short-lived.  Smeagol, upon seeing the ring demanded it as a birthday present.  When Deagol refused Smeagol killed him, took the ring, and made his way to the caves below the Misty Mountains.

The ring possessed him almost immediately.  It drove him mad, enhanced his murderous nature, and extended his life for almost three hundred years.  He transformed over those years to the wretched creature, Gollum.  He spent those years slinking through the caves feasting on fish and Goblins.  His conversations were with the ring which he called “his Precious.”  This is where Gollum enters our story.  He loses the ring.  When Bilbo finds the ring in the cave, Gollum vows eternal hatred of the Hobbit forever.  His Precious is replaced by an empty howling hunger to destroy Baggins and reclaim the ring. 

He possessed one of the most powerful magical artifacts in all of Middle Earth.  His love for it was returned with only darkness, isolation, and malevolence.  It is the way of loving things over life.  The thing can never reciprocate.  The possession can possess but never love.  We begin to isolate our lives when possessions are our love.

We do the same when we try to possess people.  One cannot own another human.  Even if the government says it is “legal”, it is wrong.  We still try to possess, control, and manipulate the lives of others to our will.  This is what Sauron and Isildur both envisioned.  It is what many attempt in small or large ventures.  The problem is that the power we employ to possess anything is the power that diminishes us.

The change in Smeagol was that the possession became his everything instead of a means to other things.  When we become obsessed with possession, we harm the humans we are required to love.  We put lives after obtaining and leave harm in our wake.

I have divested myself of most of the things that were precious to me.  In so doing there is more freedom to love others and invest in them.  There is still in my wake the failure to love others as I should and I may never be able to heal all of that.  What I will not do is fall prey to the temptation to hate anyone forever.  I will not make seeking what I think I am owed or what I own replace the duty to humbly love others in any way they will accept.

Even the One Ring can be destroyed.  Wanting things or hating those who deny me what I want is like “drinking poison and waiting for the object of our hatred to die.”  I would say that even being at odds over these things is a waste of that which is truly precious.  It is a waste of time, energy, and life.  I must follow the love of God and others to let it lead me in the ways that redeem the time, give more energy, and sustain life.  When we love possessions, we may not see the slow transition we make from Smeagol to Gollum, but it is there.  The One Ring has power but none of it can give us those things that we truly need, Dear Reader.

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 ͡°)

Every human story is part of the great story that leads to the Father getting everything back to Good.

Contacts for Aramis Thorn:

#aramisthorn

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

Novels: From My Publisher or on Amazon          

Web Page:  www.aramisthorn.com

Bookings: aramisthorn@aramisthorn.com

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

The One Ring ~ Isildur’s Bane

Greetings Dear Reader,

One of the best twists of a quote I have ever heard was spoken by my friend and colleague, Donald Williams.  His book, AN ENCOURAGING THOUGHT: The Christian Worldview in the Writings of J. R. R. Tolkien is the finest analysis of the works under consideration I have encountered.  The quote to which I refer, however, has nothing to do with this. 

The quote is from his seventeenth-century literature class when discussing the time between Charles the First and Charles the Second of England; the time of Oliver Cromwell.  What he said was that “Cromwell snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.”  Cromwell found a way to ruin the opportunity to have a benevolent faith-based rule over England.  Instead, he became as bad as his predecessor and replicated the errors that caused the initial rebellion. 

The same is true of Isildur.  He possessed the One Ring briefly and during that time it possessed him far deeply.  During the War of the Last Alliance, Isildur cut the One Ring from Sauron's hand, but he refused to destroy it.  We only get a brief glimpse of him in the books under consideration and one must consult the Silmarillion for deeper understanding. 

The point, however, is made.  When Isildur held the One Ring, Elrond urged him to take it to Mount Doom and destroy it.  When he refused, he believed he could use its power rule Middle Earth.  Too often, well-intended people will grasp unholy power with the intent to do good.  Pride and vanity tells us that we will stand against the evil and instead, it corrupts us, making the end worse than it could have been.

We cannot take up that which is unholy to use for good.  Power, greed, and possessions are not the tools to following Christ well.  The moment of transition, when we have the choice to destroy that which corrupts us, is too often aborted in the belief that we can do better.  The power corrupts and we fail to stay the course.  We love the power more than the one we follow. 

I must not hold on to anything that is not mine.  I must not seek control of things that belong to the Father.  Anyone will agree with these to statements until they are framed in this truth: Jesus is my only true possession and all other things are on loan from God.  I control nothing but my responses to the Father.

His command is to love him with all that we are and to love each other fully.  We control only our choice to do or not do that.  Everything we undertake must be done on the platform of those commands.  If I am to use power in any way, the fuel must be love for everyone involved.  The moment we grasp for or continue to hold power in an unloving way, we have left the path, Dear Reader.  We like Isildur will be chased and destroyed by the results.  We will fail those we lead and harm those who come after us.  Power will become our bane unless we always wield it for the purpose of loving more deeply.

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 ͡°)

Every human story is part of the great story that leads to the Father getting everything back to Good.

Contacts for Aramis Thorn:

#aramisthorn

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

Novels: From My Publisher or on Amazon          

Web Page:  www.aramisthorn.com

Bookings: aramisthorn@aramisthorn.com

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

The One Ring ~ Sauron

Greetings Dear Reader,

We first encounter Sauron in The Hobbit as the Necromancer of Gol Guldur.  We cannot understand his significance in this introductory aside.  Rather, he seems the distraction that allows the dwarves and Bilbo, our title character to find themselves alone on the edge of Mirkwood.  Gandalf must go to the south to root out Sauron.

This is one of the multitude of reasons that one must know these books to understand Tolkien and his intent.  Thousands of years before we begin our journey with the Hobbit, Sauron disguises himself and deceives the Elves into helping him make rings of power for Humans, Dwarves, and Elves.  He then secretly forges the One Ring to rule over all the other rings of power.  In doing this he poured much of his own power into the One Ring.

This is where we see the weakness of Sauron.  He values power even over his own essence.  He would rather rule than exist as a whole and wholesome being.  Even though his power is far greater than we imagine, he is not that much different from any who choose power over life and love.  Power, when we believe it is ours to grasp or wield, destroys our better natures. 

Any power we have comes to us from the Father and is loaned for the purpose of fulfilling his command to love always.  I do not want power.  I do, however, possess some and must be vigilant to wield it with love, humility, and wisdom.  I must never see it as mine.  I will not seek more. 

Recently I was offered leadership in a position that is significant and good.  It is not, however, part of the plan that the Father unfolds for me.  The temptation to take up this role was great.  The desire to lead and control is strong in me still.  I would do good in this role but it would not be because I was obedient or following well.  Eventually, I would ruin what I was doing and lose progress toward where the Father leads me.

I am here to become someone, not something.  I am reworking my heart and mind to love others and be unoffendable.  There are many things that wish to distract me from this.  As I seek to follow more truly, I must consider that power of any kind is dangerous.  The only power I must use is that given me by the Father and I am obligated to remember that it is his not mine.  Feel free do ask how I am doing with this, Dear Reader.  I will not retreat into Mirkwood or hide my intent.  Part of letting go of  power is being open and available; honest and accountable.

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 ͡°)

Every human story is part of the great story that leads to the Father getting everything back to Good.

Contacts for Aramis Thorn:

#aramisthorn

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

Novels: From My Publisher or on Amazon          

Web Page:  www.aramisthorn.com

Bookings: aramisthorn@aramisthorn.com

Facebook       Twitter        

Medium         Instagram 

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

The One Ring ~ Opening Thoughts

Greetings Dear Reader,

If you have not read The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, you should.  I say “should” about very few books.  Mostly it is the Bible, the aforementioned Tolkien books, and the ones I write.  There are others but that is an altogether different writing.

There will be spoilers if you have not read Tolkien’s books.  You have been warned.  I have met those who say with pride that they have not read these books.  I have met others who have only seen the movies and think they know the story.  I feel sad for both groups of people.  There is a depth of entertainment and learning to be had in those pages.

I want to concentrate on a central part of the plot of the books for a few days.  The Lord of the Rings focuses on the One Ring; introduced in The Hobbit.  In the stories, this is a ring of great power created by Sauron.  It is part of his plan to take over the world of Middle Earth.  We will visit more about that tomorrow if Providence allows.

What I wish to ponder about this story, to learn more about myself, is the character of the people who carried the ring.  Those who possessed it were influenced by it to one degree or another.  Who they were became important to the impact of that influence.  I would treasure your company, thoughts, and questions as I meander the road that leads from the Shire to Mount Doom and back again.

My hope is to learn better how to follow and if necessary, lead Dear Reader.  I do not want the latter but wish to refine the former.  I wish to do both well if I am to do them.  So, join me in understanding the influence of the One Ring and how it influences us as we journey home. 

Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky,
Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone,
Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die,
One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.
One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them,
One Ring to bring them all, and in the darkness bind them,
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.

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 ͡°)

Every human story is part of the great story that leads to the Father getting everything back to Good.

Contacts for Aramis Thorn:

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