A Pause in Memorial

Greetings Dear Reader,

This will be brief and we will return to our regularly scheduled discussion tomorrow.  Today, however, it is vital that I pause to show my grief and gratitude.  Today must be solemn or we lost something mighty.

We do not have to be somber or sorrowful all day.  We do, however, have an obligation to remember those who have died so that we can have picnics, barbeques, and baseball.  I choose to honor today by this writing and the actions I will relate herein. 

First, I want you to think of those in active service and the veterans you know.  They want you to understand that today is not about them.  The best way to honor them today is to understand that men and women who wear or have worn the uniform have someone they knew to war.   Many were there when life ended for friends and comrades.  Honor our living military by honestly seeing that they are memorizing on a personal level. 

Second, be clear in your compassion for those who have lost loved ones who they memorialize today and every day.  We set aside a day for this.  Those who have lost service men and women live Memorial Day every day.  We must be gentle and loving with them today, and honor their loss every day. 

The celebrations and vacations are not wrong.  They must contain moments of remembrance and gratitude to be honorable and show gratitude.  Were it not for the sacrifices of our men and women in uniform we would likely not be free to enjoy our beaches, parks, and recreation.  Just letting that sink in is a good start to understanding Memorial Day 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.”

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In Memoria ~ Taps

Greetings Dear Reader,

As the sun sets on Memorial Day I ponder all that is lost to history, to time, and to memory.  As long as there have been wars there has been the need to remember.  For some the memory is there unbidden daily because they must carry on with the loss.

I leave with this thought Dear Reader.   We have so very many things because we are free that we take for granted.  I remember the fallen and thank them for what they have given me.  I remember those they leave behind and grieve with them.  I cherish my freedom provided by the Father and defended by good men and women.

For those we memorialize, I wish you rest…

Day is done, gone the sun,

 From the lake, from the hills, from the sky;

 All is well, safely rest, God is nigh.

Fading light, dims the sight,

 And a star gems the sky, gleaming bright.

 From afar, drawing nigh, falls the night.

Thanks and praise, for our days,

 'Neath the sun, 'neath the stars, neath the sky;

 As we go, this we know, God is nigh.

Sun has set, shadows come,

 Time has fled, Scouts must go to their beds

 Always true to the promise that they made.

While the light fades from sight,

 And the stars gleaming rays softly send,

 To thy hands we our souls, Lord, commend.

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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In Memoria ~ Lest We Forget

Greetings Dear Reader,

In 1866 in Columbus, Georgia some women decided to set aside a solemn day to clean and decorate the graves of the fallen Southern soldiers.  The nation divided would lose more lives to military conflict than in any war before or since.  The tradition grew and many areas of the nation and after the World War I spread to the rest of the world.

Different nations observe this in different ways.   We seem to have reduced it to lip service and cookouts.  We have a new generation of tombstones in Arlington and across the nation.  We have new widows, widowers, and orphans.  While people have their cook outs and festivals we still have Americans dying on foreign soil.

We will see our flag everywhere we go today.  They should be at half-staff until noon.  We need to take the opportunity to explain to our children why we need to cherish our freedom.  We need to explain why it is vital that we use that freedom wisely. 

I need to follow Christ more closely so that I understand what a blessing it is to live free.  I need to cherish freedom and never let it become common or plain.

Freedom Never Cries – Five for Fighting

I took a flag to a pawn shop

For a broken guitar

I took a flag to a pawn shop

How much is that guitar

I took a flag to a pawn shop

I got me that guitar

What's a flag in a pawn shop to me?

I saw a man on the TV

In a mask with a gun

A man on the TV

He had a ten year old son

I saw a man on the TV

His son had a gun

And he says that he's coming for me

I never loved the soldier until there was a war

Or thought about tomorrow

Until my baby hit the floor

I only talk to God when somebody's about to die

I never cherished freedom

Freedom never cries

I wrote a song for a dead man

To settle my soul

A song for a dead man

And now I'll never grow old

I wrote a song for a dead man

Now I'm out in the cold

What's a song to a dead man to me?

I never loved the soldier until there was a war

Or thought about tomorrow

Until my baby hit the floor

I only talk to God when somebody's about to die

I never cherished freedom

Freedom never cries

You can cry for her

Die for her

Lay down your life for her

Kiss and wave goodbye to her

Anything at all

You can cry for her

Die for her

Make up your mind to her

Anything at all, oh

There's a baby on the doorstep

Wailing away

There's a baby on the doorstep

Longing for the day

There's a baby on the doorstep

Who'd give his life to take

A flag to a pawn shop

A flag to a pawn shop

May he forget why he is crying some day

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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In Memoria ~ Absent Friends

Greetings Dear Reader,

This will be brief.  As the day closes; a day of worship and rest, I find that I feel the loss of so many lives so deeply.  I hate war passionately.

I am going fill my glass with a potent potable.  I am going say a prayer of thankfulness.  I am going to beg the Father to end all war.  Had I the power I would just stop it.  I will raise the glass to absent friends. 

We pay for the party with our dearest blood.  Thank you to the men and women who never set foot on home soil again.  Thank you for giving all to protect it.

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 ͡°)

In Memoria ~ Sunday Morning

Greetings Dear Reader,

If the rain lets up I plan to attend an outdoor church service this morning.  I have had two very memorable such events in my life.  One was in Florida whilst on vacation.  The other was at a Seminole reservation also in Florida.

There is something about worshiping outdoors that is precious to me.  There is a freedom and openness to it.  There is a connected feeling that I find nowhere else.

This puts me in mind of the people who are forbidden to worship openly.  It makes me sad for those who must hide what they believe or face torture and death.  We still have religious freedom here and in part that is due to men and women who have died to protect it.

I get to choose whether or not I go to church.  I get to choose how and when I worship.  My faith is my own to live and hold.  No will tell me how I have to live it.  Christ spilled is blood so that I could have a living faith and others have spilt theirs so that I could be free to live it.  That alone is reason enough to cherish it and live it 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 ͡°)

In Memoria ~ Days at the Beach

Greetings Dear Reader,

Many of us see Memorial Day weekend as the unofficial start of summer.  Thousands of families travel to beaches and soak up the sun.  They get in water, surf on it, and fish from it. 

This evening as the colours are lowered and taps sounds I think of another beach.   We have our days at the beach because of days at the beach like that one.  Thousands went to the beach that day too.  They went in battle dress.  They ran into gunfire.  They took heavy casualties.  They won.

They paid for the party with dear blood.  Some of the young men there did not even get off their landing craft.  They died on the shores of France so that I could be free to go to the beach for my Memorial Day weekend. 

Days at the beach should be times of family and fun.  There should, however, always be a moment of solemnity.  There should always be a moment when I recall those men who died on a beach in France so that I could enjoy the sand beneath my feet and the salt air.  They did it so that I could breathe free. 

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 ͡°)

In Memoria ~ Simple Freedoms

Greetings Dear Reader,

So many people are traveling for this holiday weekend.  Last year at this time my family was on a journey back from a week at the beach.  A few weeks ago my Daughter and I packed a bag and drove to spend a weekend in northern Wisconsin. 

Freedom of travel is just one of the things we take for granted.  In many countries travel is restricted and just a simple weekend getaway requires someone else’s approval.  The things we take for granted are so precious to others.  We have no requirement to report our whereabouts, participate or abstain from religion, or support a specific political agenda.

We, unfortunately use these freedoms to ignore the greater good and feed our own selfishness.  We are quickly becoming a nation that does not tolerate dissenting options.  We use our freedoms to try and limit the freedoms of others. 

When we do this we dishonor the blood and lives of others who died to give us these freedoms.  It is vital that we allow others the same freedoms we enjoy.   There is risk in it but it is how the Father deals with us.  We are free to follow Christ or not.  We are free to obey the commands to love or not.

It is in this paradoxical position that our freedom in Christ lives.  I must cherish this human form of freedom because it reflects the perfect freedom that Christ wishes for us all.  I must honor those who died to provided and protect it.

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 ͡°)

In Memoria ~ A Six Year Old’s Viewpoint

Greetings Dear Reader,

On Thursday evenings I have the pleasure and privilege of having dinner with my eldest Son and my two Grandsons.   This is almost always the highlight of my week.  It amazes me how much the boys grow from week to week.  Time with my Son is precious to me as well and there is never enough of it.

This past Thursday after dinner the discussion turned to Brat Fest which is always a part of my Memorial Day weekend.  We planned in part what we wanted to do and when we wanted to go to the world’s largest brat festival.  The Grandson’s wanted to talk about rides and the eldest Grandson was talking about Ferries Wheels.  I asked him if he knew what Memorial Day was for.  His answer was profound for a six-year-old.

In a roundabout way he explained that we remember the people who died so that we could have a great country.  He said we had to remember to keep our country good so that their deaths would not be wasted.  I was astounded at his depth of understanding.  I was proud of him for caring about something so profound.

I am also saddened.  It may be that a brat and carnival ride focused little boy will give more thought to the purpose of this holiday than many adults.  As I eat a warmed up brat in the safety of my home tonight I pause to feel and express gratitude to the Father that he has let me live in a land where freedom reigns.  I also ask him to heal our land of its lack of love, purpose, and unity.

It is in this freedom, paid for by the blood of our forefathers, that we find the right to do as we please.  I need to make sure that it pleases me to show gratitude and respect to those who have died to keep that freedom alive.

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 ͡°)

In Memoria ~ Opening Thoughts – Flags In

Greetings Dear Reader,

I want to do something a little different this Memorial Day weekend.  I will still enjoy some traditional leisure pursuits buy I also want to make sure that I observe the weekend for what it is.

Yesterday soldiers began placing over 230,000 flags on the graves at Arlington National Cemetery.   The tradition, known as “Flags In” began in 1948.  Imagine the impact on soldiers placing flags on the graves of their fallen comrades.  The loss is not lost on me.

My thoughts this weekend will be what it must be like to walk among those stones where we honor those who died to provide freedom for the rest of us.  I will think of my friends and family who have served and seen those deaths first hand.  I will beg the Father to bring all things back to good and peace so that we quit losing our dearest blood to hatred and war.

Walk among the stones with me Dear Reader.  We can be grateful together and comfort each other.

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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Second Thoughts – Independence – The Boots

Greetings Dear Reader,

Sometimes I will end the day with thoughts that are important to get out.  Usually I just write them and put them in my journal folder.  I have chosen that on occasion I will share them with you Dear Reader.

As I ponder Independence Day weekend I ponder the many things that it includes.  My freedom is bought on many levels at many prices.  I want to ponder for a moment an image of that price.  I want you to walk with me in someone else’s shoes Dear Reader.

The men of my clan hate war.  W\e also understand that our freedom has been purchased with a price.  Please note that my use of the pronoun “he” is intended to leave out anyone of either gender.  Rather it is used as the OED lists it under a pronoun denoting a human being.  If this offends you I would remind you that I am the author and my intent has precedence over other possible assignations of meaning no matter what the intent.  Please Dear Reader, ponder with me.

 The Boots – July 4, 2016

He is wearing shoes.

They are the kind that go with his long hair and unshaven face.

He sees something that touches him deeply.

He enlists.

Now he is wearing boots.

They are his boots.

There are other boots like his boots but these are his boots.

He trains in these boots.

He runs in these boots.

They take on the character of his feet, his walking habits, and his foot strike.

They are his boots and he wears them all through basic training.

He walks onto the tarmac in these boots.

He takes a step off of the soil of his homeland in these boots.

He steps onto the troop transport in his boots that are like so many others.

They are like the others but they are his.

He arrives in the desert in his boots.

They protect him from the sand.

The boots get hot at times.

They are dry and require care.

He cares for the boots that carry him on patrol.

He cares for the boots that carry him through the fight.

Deep in the crevice between the leather and the sole is a dry piece of the soil from the camp where he trained.

Unknown to him he carries with him the homeland he defends.

He lays his life on the line for the soil from which he comes.

The boots carry him and his homeland through the desert.

It does not matter how it happens.

The desert claims him.

His life is forfeit for the home soil.

He dies with the boots on that were his boots.

His boots looked like so many others but they were his.

He will return to that soil now.

He will not stand on it ever again.

He will not enjoy the freedom it offers.

He will not step on the land he protected ever again.

He will return to the soil,

The soil he left behind,

The soil he carried in his boot unknown,

He will be placed beneath it in the garden of defenders

He stepped off his home soil to defend it,

For those who live on it,

And he lies beneath it,

But his boots will never again walk on it.

Thank 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 home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

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