To Be or Not to Be – Holy

Greetings Dear Reader,

Before we travel anywhere on this topic let me assure you that this is not holy in the sense of being better than anyone.  It is not an exercise in self-aggrandizing or claiming to have arrived at any level

To be holy one must be set apart.  One needs to be outside of the common stream of the world whilst still participating in the reality of the world.  The common perception of being holy is prideful and arrogant.  The actual state of being holy is dedication, work, and humility.  As I said earlier, I am so not there.

But I want to be.  I want to be set apart for Christ in every aspect of my life.  That does not put me above anyone.  It makes me the servant of everyone.  It does not make be better than anyone.  It requires that I realize the depth of my own failings in comparison to God.  It does not debase me or make me worthless.  It informs me of who I am as a child of God and the responsibilities associated with that standing.

To be holy is to be involved in following Christ on every internal and external level conceivable.  It is doing what is right no matter what the cost whilst realizing that one can only do right through Christ.  It is not my power that follows.  It is my submission to the mission.  It is setting my life apart to the following and obeying.  It is the power that Christ instills in me.

To be holy one must submit to following.  I must realize that until I arrive at the end of the path I will never have arrived.  Holiness is a pursuit not a state.  It is a journey not a destination.  It is choosing in the moment to be what I am called to be in Christ.  It is taking up my cross, denying my own wants, and living the journey.

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 ͡°)

All Saints Day 2014

Greetings Dear Reader,

I am taking a day of rest.  I need it to recharge and prepare for the things ahead both good and painful.  On All Saints Day I can rest.  I can rest in Christ.   He has promised that under his yoke the burden is light.  He has promised me rest.

All that is in my life is not perfect but my life is good.  Everything about following Christ is allowing ourselves to work, play, and rest in him.  Paul wrote that “in him we live and move and have our being.”

True rest is only found in Christ.  Enjoy your day Dear Reader.  Know that I love you and am praying for you to have rest in him as well.

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 ͡°)

All Hallows Eve 2014

Greetings Dear Reader,

To hallow something is to honor it as holy.  So many places the commercial aspect of Christmas has already shown its face to the complaints of many of my friends.  I choose to start my Christmas season every year on this day.  I do it quietly and seriously.

In preparation for my celebration of Christ’s birth and what the journey toward redemption means to me I begin with understanding All Hallows Eve.  I promise this will not be me soap-boxing concerning the devil, witches, and the macabre. In truth I find the “evil” aspect of the day boring.

What I do focus on is that we are all intended to be holy.  I do not mean that we are better than others or pious.  I mean that we are intended to be set apart for God’s purposes.  Everything we do should be with an eye to drawing closer to him.  Everything in which we engage should focus on obeying his primary directives to love him and love each other.

I cannot show love by bashing others.  I cannot show love by expecting those who do not believe to act like those who do believe.  Today I commit my heart to beginning a celebration of all that his set apart to God.  I will honor those who have journeyed to God before me.  I will consider the price that was paid for me to take this journey. 

I will set my heart apart for God as I attempt to do every morning.  I will marvel in the creativity of those around me.  I will join in taking my Grandsons trick-or-treating on a blustery night.  I will begin a 55 day celebration of the birth of Christ that includes attempts to be generous to others and show gratitude for all that I have.

With those things in place I can with a clear conscience and loving heart greet my friends, family, and strangers with an honest with for a happy Halloween,.

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 ͡°)