Talismans – Two Boxes

Greetings Dear Reader,

I have two boxes where I keep my most sacred talismans.  One is made of teak and comes from Hawaii.  The other is made of cedar and is a model of the Ark of the Covenant created by one of my students and gifted to me.  These boxes are precious to me on their own.

Their contents are priceless.  The ark holds some small pieces of granite that were the first gift my eldest Son ever gave me.  It also holds a note from when he asked me to pray for him to find a friend at school.  The note reads, “Thanks for praying dad.  I found a friend today.”

The teak box holds a few precious memories from my childhood.  There are the awards I won at summer camp.  Also are the archery medals I earned in competitive shooting.  My Sons were witness to the culmination of that skill at the Renaissance Festival in Atlanta. It is a reminder to me that hours of practice at something can yield unexpected and legendary results.  We will revisit that further down the path.

 If anyone else were to look into these two boxes they would not comprehend the value.  On two occasions I have shared their contents with someone I love and trust.  Neither of them got it.  So much of what is there seems mundane to others.  It is the power these things have to evoke sacred memories that makes them such powerful talismans.

When the moments drift through the pinch of the glass we either seize them or let them go.  Rarely some of them hold great portent.  It is not enough to seize the day.  If we do not live in every moment we may miss the most precious ones.    We might discard the ticket stub from the first time we took our Son to see Jethro Tull.  We might not have the tie tack where your Sons first proclaimed you a great dad. 

Living in the moment for me is being always aware that none of them are mundane to God.  If I am a man of faith then I must agree with this and live it.  Soon enough and much too soon the sand in the bottom of the glass is greater than that in the top.  We long to have some of them back but gravity and time laugh at us.

So I ponder these most precious talismans. I long to create more moments and memories for my Children, Grandchildren, and friends before I am out of sand.  In the rush of this passion play I have been given by God, I must carpe’ momenta omnem.  I must seize every moment.

A Week Moments – Ian Anderson

A week of moments a clutch of days

Ten thousand minutes of a Passion Play.

Medley of quavers informs the tune.

It’s all too much: over all too soon.

Sweet condensation on chilling wine

Travelers palm, flamboyant tree

Fast photos ripped and lost consign

A week of moments to faint memory.

A week of moments plucked from the page

Found far horizons, a sunset stage.

Suitcases bulge, in silence packed

A chapter closed: no looking back.

The lightest touch upon my arm

No fierce restraint, no call to stay.

Hushed room maids glide like pawns to king

With pool attendants in chess piece array.

A week of moments a clutch of days

Ten thousand minutes of a Passion Play.

Medley of quavers informs the tune.

It’s all too much: over all too soon.

Sweet condensation on chilling wine

Travelers palm, flamboyant tree

Fast photos ripped and lost consign

A week of moments to faint memory.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

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Why I love Christmas – Wrapping Presents (not)

Happy Christmas Dear Reader,

I have friends and family that are gifted present wrappers.  I am not.  When I wrap gifts they look like very pretty paper held hostage by tape.  I do live by the one roll of tape per gift limit and the one roll of paper per gift too.

My solution to this has been to get reusable boxes for the people for whom I regularly get gifts.  It makes the wrapping and arrangement easy and enjoyable for me.  It makes the opening of presents less messy.  I am sure the drop in wrapping paper sales over the recent years is my fault.  The Scotch Tape people are not happy with me either.

What is fun for me is the placing of the gifts in the boxes.  I do not choose gifts for my family randomly.  I think and listen all year long.  Gift buying for my children and grandchildren is a sacred thing to me.  I pray and worship as I shop.  I want my gifts to them to reflect God’s love and gift to them.

As I fill each box I pray that the gift will meet the intended need for enjoyment or work.  I ask God to reveal his love for the recipient through my love for him or her.  It is after all the love that matters. The very foundation of Christmas is a celebration of God’s gift of love to us.  Without that core it is simply a time of getting and spending. 

I spent last evening boxing up the gifts for my Sons.  I am not done yet.  By tonight the boxes should be filled, stacked, and tagged.  I will continue to pray that these gifts reflect my love for my family and friends.  I will continue to monitor their lives for the things they like, need, and enjoy. 

This is what God does for me.  He brings into my life things that I need or the things that will help me see his love for me more clearly.   They journey is sweeter because of this.  The roughest parts of the path are bearable because of his provision.  Each day is a gift that I get to open and see the love that Christ has for me. 

“Yesterday is history.

Tomorrow is a mystery.

Today is a gift.

That is why it’s called the present.”

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 ͡°)