Second Thoughts ~ Single Awareness Day

Greetings Dear Reader,

I am quite aware today that I am single.  I walk a fine line where what I desire is not available and what is available is not meant for me.  This may sound odd but it is evidence that I have learned from my failures.  Today reminds me though, that I am a romantic with no one to romance.

This begs the question of how to fulfill that need without leaving the path that is so vital to my journey.  I have no clear and clean answer but I do have practices that mitigate the loneliness and longing.  There are things that train me to be a better man.

Let me be clear again.  My situation is mostly my fault.  Two women have been brave enough to love me and marry me.  I failed them both.  I gave up on my first marriage and was so demanding in the second.  Even though all of our commitments are our own to fulfill, I did not do what I should to love and care for the women that loved me.  I have learned a great deal since then.

As holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, and Valentine’s Day remind me, I love someone and am not able to repair what is there.  So again, it is up to me to strike the balance of holding to my true heart and ensuring that I do not try to force or manipulate things to my desire.  There is a higher way and I must do whatever it takes to walk it.

Being alone has worked in me to see people for what they need.  Committing my heart to love everyone deeply and passionately helps.  Seeking every day to love the Father passionately and as my first love sustains me.  The deeper I go in this the more clearly I see that who I have been is very difficult to love.

Stripping away expectations from my interactions with others teaches me to see them for their gifts and needs instead of a way to meet my own needs.  The loneliness is real for me but focusing on being loving without expectations fulfills me.  When my lesser self tries to assert its desires, I can focus on genuine love instead of seeking my own interests.  The gap shrinks every time I do this.  I am able to refocus on that which is good and right faster.

The other thing that occurs is that loving others first, unconditionally, and without expectations frees me to see their needs.  When we give ourselves away in the right way, what comes out of that is richer than my selfish needs.  There is a level of fulfillment in loving others for the sake of loving the Father that I have not seen before in my heart.  I have more love to show and give.  I am not setting out expectations that when not met cause hurt and anger. 

The things for which I yearn are based on that love.  Power and control have nothing to do with it.  It is the freedom to love without placing others in a box or corner.  It is seeing those I love as the Father made them and being at peace with what they offer that contains life. 

What I find myself wanting is only the Father’s best for others.  I still miss my fellow traveler.  I still desire to adventure the rest of the journey home with her.  I also long to be at peace with those I love deeply who have set me aside.  The truth, however, is this:  If the Father thought it best for us that those relationships were as I wish them to be, nothing could stop it.  There is great peace in yielding to this truth and grasping firmly on the love that gives it resolve. 

So, on this Single Awareness Day, I tighten my resolve to love them as deeply as I can.  I vow to respect the boundaries they have set for me.  I will grasp any opportunity to show them the love that I have for them.  I will retire to my rest praying for the Father to so clothe them in his love that it is all they see.  I hold this same love and hope for you Dear Reader.  Perhaps we can understand that it is pursuing this love is the thing about which we must become singularly aware.  This may sound reckless but it is true and sustainable.

Reckless Love – Cory Asbury

Before I spoke a word, You were singing over me

You have been so, so good to me

Before I took a breath, You breathed Your life in me

You have been so, so kind to me

Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God

Oh, it chases me down, fights ‘til I’m found, leaves the ninety-nine

I couldn’t earn it, I don’t deserve it, still, You give Yourself away

Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God

When I was Your foe, still Your love fought for me

You have been so, so good to me

When I felt no worth, You paid it all for me

You have been so, so kind to me

Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God

Oh, it chases me down, fights ‘til I’m found, leaves the ninety-nine

I couldn’t earn it, I don’t deserve it, still, You give Yourself away

Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God

There’s no shadow You won’t light up

Mountain You won’t climb up

Coming after me

There’s no wall You won’t kick down

Lie You won’t tear down

Coming after me

Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God

Oh, it chases me down, fights ‘til I’m found, leaves the ninety-nine

I couldn’t earn it, I don’t deserve it, still, You give Yourself away

Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God

 

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 ͡°)

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The Lumpy Rug ~ Closing Thoughts

Greetings Dear Reader,

My Grandmother used to actually beat her rugs.  She would take them out in the early Spring and early Autumn and hang them over the strong clothesline.  She had a rug beater that looked like a large wire butterfly.  I would watch and she would let me hit the bottom of the rug a few times.

She would explain that you had to get the dirt out of the rug or it would grind against the jute that held it together.  That was how you got holes in the rug.  What also amazed me was the amount of dirt that was on the floor under the rug after we took it up to beat it.  Whilst the rug was hanging in the fresh air, we would sweep the room together.  We would talk about how she used to have to clean and beat all the rugs in the orphanage where she grew up.

Janie, my Grandmother never swept anything under the rug.  She spoke her mind.  Most of the time it was loving and kind.  If you resisted the truth, however, she did not mind swatting the dirt out of the rug.  I am not speaking of physical violence, but rather, she would press with cunning until you yielded what you were hiding.  In a different time and place, she would have been a successful interrogator.

Things left under the rug make the rug less useful.  They erode its foundation.  They pile up until they are obvious and unavoidable.  It is my duty to deal with everything.  In trying to do so, I have faced rejection, anger, and even hatred from others.  Part of cleaning the rug is facing the truth that dirt gets everywhere.  I have also found peace and freedom from the things that roiled inside me for so long.  I have rekindled some friendships that mattered to me. 

As I begin to understand and deal with the failures and the root of those failures, I see the need to be more loving and kinder to others.  I read a quote from Bill Johnson recently that reached deep into my rug cleaning needs.  “Stop making what someone did to you be bigger than what Jesus did for you.” 

We all have our hidden hurts, sins, and damage.  In Christ alone can we find the real healing that will carry us down the path to home.  It occurs to me that when we sweep things under the rug, we are using an act of cleaning to create the need for further cleaning later.  It is not pleasant but it is true. 

As I move on to other things, let me know if you need help hanging a rug or two so that you can get to what is under it.  Be kind and gentle about it if you could, Dear Reader.  I am sore from beating and sweeping my own rugs that have become heavy with years of dust and debris. 

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 ͡°)

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The Lumpy Rug ~ Pretty Little Lies

Greetings Dear Reader,

Being back in the South makes one well aware of the lies we grew up telling.  I am not talking about the lies we use to deceive and avoid guilt or discovery.  I am talking about the social lies we tell each other every day.  The lies we tell to drift through interactions with ease and to avoid discomfort.

I watch this unfold at social gatherings often.  One person enquires as to the state of another and in most cases, the little lie is told.  We are fine.  Things are going well.  Instead of honest responses, we give out the expected social response.  Last Tuesday I encountered an acquaintance whom I know well enough to stop and have a conversation.  She was standing, crying in a store.

As I approached, I could see her try to pull herself together.  I inquired, “What is wrong?  How can I help you?”

She looked at me with deep green, watered makeup, raccoon eyes and said through freely flowing tears, “Oh I am fine.”

I stepped through the lie and said, “I am not going to pry.  I care that you are having difficulty.  Is there anything I can do for you?”

She proceeded to tell me that she was overwhelmed by some news she had just received.  I listened.  We prayed right there by the pretzels and crisps.  She managed a wane smile when we were done.  Inside the pretty little lie was the opportunity to help.    

One of the truths about lies is that if we tell them enough, we begin to believe them.  The lie we believe, that we are “fine” is rarely true.  The truth we must find behind pour social lies is that there are others who will care.  We do matter more than we think. 

We also lie to ourselves by thinking we are right and others are wrong.  We do not hear our approach and assume that we are just being honest when what we are doing is lying.  We think that we are softer, more diplomatic, and more in the right that we actually are.  We are cloaking our own failure to be inclined to the hearts of others in escalation and argument.  This lie hurts us and others.

These poor social interactions, coupled with others make for lumpy rugs that eventually trip us all.  The entire idea of communication is supposed to be an exchange of honest love with humility and grace.  Instead, we build a social house of cards that is easily toppled with the first wind of honesty.  When it falls, if that honesty is not loving, kind, and gentle, we are not serving that which is good.  We are not following as we should 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 ͡°)

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The Lumpy Rug ~ Hidden Things

Greetings Dear Reader,

Rugs have a purpose.  They are designed to create safe, soft, comfortable travel across flooring that would otherwise be hard or uncomfortable.  A rug that is thick, smooth, and soft can provide ease of movement and even a comfortable place to stretch out or stand.

There are things in all of us that nobody else knows.  Whether they be struggles, pains, or indulgences, they are kept in our dark closet as the secrets that we want no one to know.  There are also the fears and doubts with which we wrestle that we dare not reveal.

When we have too much of this, we end up with a rug that is more lumps than soft navigable space.  Even small lumps can make for a hazard that can trip us up when we are unaware.  We can fall when we are simply walking to our comfy chair.  Our lives can blow up when we are having dinner or watching baseball.  The dark secrets will out and they will betray us. 

The first defense against this is to stop keeping secrets.  When we begin to clean out the things under the rug, we learn who loves us and who does not.  We will see who will stand with us and who will reject us.  It will hurt and it will be hard.  It is also a great way to create a navigable path home.

The other side of this coin is that I must be there for those seeking to clear their rugs of lumps.  I must love them where they are and deal with them in mercy, grace, and kindness.  There is no debt owed us by others that is greater than the need to see that debt in light of his or her need. 

What does it really cost us to clean our own secret lumps a little by caring for others who are cleaning theirs?   I think it helps us.  We are meant to be a people who can share every struggle honestly with our fellow travelers and receive love and support for doing so.  Instead, we weave a tapestry of lies to hide our hurts and fears.  We colour it with our sins and flaws that we use to protect us from the truth.  The great lie is that none of it works.  Then we trip and are laid bare before those who are supposed to love us. 

We find that we are at the mercy of those who are supposed to be merciful.  We are in need of grace from those who are required to be gracious.  Our need is for love without fail from those who are supposed to be identified by love.  Perhaps we should try harder to do this for each other Dear Reader.  What do you think? 

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 ͡°)

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The Lumpy Rug ~ Opening Thoughts

Greetings Dear Reader,

When I was seven, I had a goldfish.  I cannot recall his name.  One afternoon, however, I came home from school and he was simply gone from his bowl.  None of the adults in my home seemed interested or to care. 

A few days later I noticed a bad smell in my room.  It was one of those really bad decay smells and I traced it to a part of the area rug that covered the hardwood floor.  Under the rug lay my dead goldfish.  I cleaned it up and went to tell mom.  My sister heard me and started crying. 

She had “fed” my fish for me after I went to school the day he went missing.  She had given him entirely too much food and he had burst open.  She had hidden the dead fish thinking that no one would notice.  We have laughed about it often since.  If you read Sheetrock on the Road, you will learn that she, pets, and I are not a good mix.

That, however, is not the point here.  I am looking through the flotsam and jetsam in my mind at the things we “sweep” under the rug.  When we do this, at the minimum the rug gets lumpy.  Some things begin to putrefy and stink.  Some become deadly poisons to relationships.  The death of relationships always leads to the discovery of things swept under it during the postmortem. 

Perhaps if we examine things, we make into rug lumps the light of truth combined with love can show us a way to remove them before they begin to stink and destroy.  No relationship is easy if it is real.  No problem is unsolvable if we deal with love and grace.  Walk with me a bit as we feel out the carpet for lumps that can trip us up in the journey.  As always Dear Reader, your interactions, thoughts, and questions are precious to 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:

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Needful Things ~ Closing Thoughts

Greetings Dear Reader,

We often find ourselves overwhelmed by the things we need.  I would draw a distinct difference between what I need and what I think I need.  Most of my wasted worry and effort comes from my manufactured needs and not the genuine ones.  My comments yesterday about self-care and our over-attention to it are directed at the needs we manufacture; the needs we create that are unnecessary.  There are genuine needs that others have that I do not understand fully. 

God by Yongsung Kim

To that, one off my dear friends commented the following.  She did not post it publicly so I withhold her name out of respect.  She is right that my perspective comes from someone who is an extrovert.  He comments draw a clear line between genuine and manufactured needs that make my point but also resonate truth for those who are not as comfortable as I am in some settings.

Hi! Love your point of view as always. Read today’s blog and once again, I feel that that specific view is one of a confirmed extrovert. While I agree with you in a general sense—yes, we are to love others above ourselves—I would be a puddle on the floor if I did not engage in some pretty serious self-care. Trust me, sometimes I would rather not focus on myself as I find myself quite tedious! But this is the way God made me. I find that as I get older, my bandwidth for people decreases. Some exit my life and I’m grateful, see it as God’s merciful provision. One less person to have to juggle. To please. To disappoint. Does that mean I don’t love them? No, I don’t think so. Because love does not mean I must insert myself into their lives. I let them go, trusting God to bring others into the sphere of their everyday to show Himself to them. And I remain open to their return to me. Or I feel led to dip my toe into the waters of their consciousness. Chasing only brings frustration and heartache. This seems to be the way of the introvert. I have to go with it. Love you dear friend—I’m so glad we hang in there with each other.

The truth I am getting at and must live is that I have to realize clearly what my genuine needs are.  I must set aside the needs are not genuine and pursue only truth.  I realize that we all feel like we are drowning in our emotional needs at times.  It is the One who walks on water who promises to supply all of our needs.  Physical, emotional, and social needs are genuine and unique to the individual.   Those can only be met through the love of Christ and the love we show each other in his grace.

It is in faith and following that I will find my needs met in ways I cannot imagine.   In that singular path, I will be able to shed the harmful things I do to meet my own false needs and the false needs themselves eventually.  Until then, when I feel like they flood over me, I can depend on Christ to care for me.  I can count on him to keep me in his care and sustain me even when I feel like I am drowning. 

I think we can agree Dear Reader that we all present as needs some things that are wants or desires.  If we lay them aside, or give them their proper place, we can find peace and faith much more easily.  As always, I am thankful for your company along the path.  Your love and support are one of the things that sustain me. 

Head Above Water – Avril Lavigne

I've gotta keep the calm before the storm
I don't want less, I don't want more
Must bar the windows and the doors
To keep me safe, to keep me warm

Yeah, my life is what I'm fighting for
Can't part the sea, can't reach the shore
And my voice becomes the driving force
I won't let this pull me overboard

God, keep my head above water
Don't let me drown, it gets harder
I'll meet you there at the altar
As I fall down to my knees
Don't let me drown, drown, drown
Don't let me, don't let me, don't let me drown

So, pull me up from down below
'Cause I'm underneath the undertow
Come dry me off and hold me close
I need you now, I need you most

God, keep my head above water
Don't let me drown, it gets harder
I'll meet you there at the altar
As I fall down to my knees
Don't let me drown, drown, drown
Don't let me, don't let me, don't let me drown
Don't let me drown, drown, drown
Keep my head above water, above water

And I can't see in the stormy weather
I can't seem to keep it all together
And I, I can't swim the ocean like this forever
And I can't breathe

God, keep my head above water
I lose my breath at the bottom
Come rescue me, I'll be waiting
I'm too young to fall asleep

God, keep my head above water
Don't let me drown, it gets harder
I'll meet you there at the altar
As I fall down to my knees

Don't let me drown
Don't let me drown (don't let me don't let me don't let me drown)

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

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Needful Things ~ If You Need It

Greetings Dear Reader,

So, we come to the point.  Thank you for bearing with me as it took some time to get here.  Yes, we surely have genuine needs socially and emotionally.  We also do a fairly poor job of getting our needs met.

I think the action is the problem.  We are not supposed to try to meet our needs.  We are supposed to focus on the needs of others.  I realize that the popular culture is to pay attention to self-care and consider our wellbeing.  We may be hearing something that hurts more than it heals.

I am not saying that we should not rest when we need to rest.  I acknowledge that at times we need to heal and recover.  I do think that we tip the balance too far.  Let me give you the quote that got me started down this path.  First, however, a bit of syllogism.

Major Premise:

God will supply all that you need.

Minor Premise:

You have emotional needs.

Conclusion:

Therefore, God will supply all your emotional needs.

Here then, at last, is the quote: “Apparently, I do not need that relationship to be healed yet because it is not (healed). I want it, desire it but it is not yet a need because God meets all my needs.”  Read it again.  Ponder it for a moment.  If you really believe that all your needs are met by the Father, then this is a freeing truth.

Jesus asked us to follow in faith and assured us that all our needs would be met.  When he sent his followers out to spread the Good News, he told them not to worry about their needs.  I have seen him meet my physical needs for over two years when I could not.  He has also begun to meet my social and emotional needs on a level I could not imagine.

There are relationships that I long to see healed.  There are things in my heart that ache and sometimes hurt.  Jesus never promised that we would be pain-free.  He actually promised that one of the costs of following him is suffering.  He also promised that it is worth it.

All of the effort we spend trying to meet our needs or force relationships to work could be spent elsewhere.  If we move in the belief that our needs will be met then focusing on being loving, kind, and good to others can become our focus.  Following Christ can consume us.  When it does, our needs relative to the needs of others assume their proper place.

All of the emotions we put into demanding our own needs be met dampen our awareness of the needs of others.  They squelch our ability to be selfless and loving.  It is in setting aside our own selfishness that we gain the ground we need to reach others with needs.  All of the needs we long to be met will be met when they become needs.  Until then, I must focus on the needs of others and allow Jesus to be my only possession.  Dear Reader, it is in HIM that we live and move and have our being.  That is enough.

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

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Needful Things ~ Do You Love Him, Her, Them?

Greetings Dear Reader,

You may wish to put on your shoes for this one.  I am not much of a dancer and my stepping on toes there sometimes translates to my communication of certain issues.  I, therefore, feel the need to give fair warning that what I am about to write may be painful.  I am not judging anyone but myself.  I am asking a hard question.  It is at the core of where I will conclude this series in the next couple of days.

I want you to ponder the political or social group you dislike or even hate, the most.  I want you to bring to mind that person that is either too conservative or liberal for you.  Please picture that family member who is outcast because he or she has violated this or that family value.  I have two questions for you. 

The first is, do you love him, her, or them?  I do not mean the simple “yes, I love everyone response”.  Do you actively purposefully love the people with whom you disagree or have a schism?  If you do not, then you have a more serious problem than you realize.  There is not a morally justifiable reason to fail to love others. 

Consider this:  What rational reason is there to deny anyone food, shelter, healthcare, and equal rights under the law?  If you are formulating an answer based on situations or some moral high ground you think you possess, please stop.  Those issues are essential to who we are as both Americans and, if we claim it, Christ followers.  Any time we deny the needs of others we violate the principals of both our Constitution and Jesus.

I will not continue to explain this point.  Instead here is my second question:  What do you do to show your love for those who have chosen as your political or social enemies.  Yes, I said chosen.  You and I are accountable for who we dislike, disavow, and hate.  We show our faith by what we do.  We show our love by treating everyone with kindness, compassion, and respect. 

The broken relationships in our family, community, and world are all a result of people failing to love each other no matter what their differences.  We have no excuse for failing to love unconditionally and without reservation.  It is a needful thing for everyone.  It is an obligation that everyone carries.

It is never allowable for me to marginalize anyone based on his or her values or politics.  If I hope to follow Christ at all, I must carry his love for everyone every moment.  You must do so as well Dear Reader.  If you do not share my faith, please hold us accountable to live the love that Christ commanded us to live as a foundation for everything else.  This is a needful thing.  I will take questions now.

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

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Needful Things ~ Do You Love Me (Part II)?

Greetings Dear Reader,

I made an unplanned but compelled journey over the Memorial Day weekend.  I drove four hours to a place where I spent many summers during my younger years.  I often long for the ocean but this time I resisted going.  I talked myself out of it.  I rationalized how it was silly to do this on a “whim”.

Then, I was compelled.  I felt as if I had to go so, I went.  The drive there was lovely and the traffic was much lighter than I expected.  I arrived at the island with plenty of sun left in the day.  I drove to the best place I knew to park and change.  I made my way to the water.  The tide was running out and ripping along the bottom of the island coast.  I waded into the deep ravine made by the riptide, my legs straining against the current.

Instantly waist deep in the salty channel, I took a firmer stand.  My mind instantly flooded with dark memories of my summers there when I was younger.  That which compelled me to be here spoke again.  It said, “Immerse yourself in the current and let all those pains go out with the tide.  They no longer belong to you.  They are mine and you were not meant to carry them this far.”

I did.  I felt the release of so many years of pain and hurt that I had not even considered relative to this place.  It was here I was taught that I did not really matter.  It was here I felt the first surges of my darkest motivations.  This is where I learned that I was not the kind of guy girls liked, even when I was strong, tanned, and charming.  This was where I first got my heart broken by a girl and realized that neither of my parents cared to be there when I was hurting.  It was in this place that I killed my first marriage and saw the portents of death of my second.

There are too many memories and pains to enumerate.  There are too many weeks of moments where I was an afterthought, baggage, or the scullery servant.  I felt like an inconvenience most of my time there as a youth.  Then I rose out of the water.  I felt like every ounce of pain had been ripped away by the fast fleeting tide.  I left the pain behind, dried, and dressed.

Feeling lighter than usual in both heart and mind I treated myself to a seafood meal and a blazing sunset.  Then, as I made my way back to my current abode, my mind flooded with good memories of that place.  Driving through the night, I rehearsed the times where I learned, grew, and found joy in the journey.  I recalled moments where that small ocean town gave me things that would see me through darker times.

I still feel quite different.  There were other treats along the way.  There were other moments involving friends and love that were clearer.  That receding tide whipped away so much but left no void.  The waves brought back with it hope and a deeper understanding of the love that others need.

Everyone, even if they will never admit it, wants to be loved.  Too often, we employ unhealthy ways of demanding proof of that love.  We all do it in some way.  We place demands and expectations that are really just ways of asking the question, “Do you love me?”.   Too often we learn too late that this only drives away from us those who wish to love us.  Almost all of the things I have carried for so long are a result of poor handling of the need to be loved and know that we are loved. 

I posit this Dear Reader:  We must focus on giving love to others without expecting anything in return.  If we do, we will have all of the love we need.  That is the way that works; it is the way it must be.   We just have a little further to go to get to my big conclusion.  Ponder this for the day if you will.  Those relationships you think need healing will only heal through love.  If you are carrying anything else you must let the tide wash them away.  Let me know your thoughts if you wish.

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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