Second Thoughts ~ April Snow

Greetings Dear Reader,

Avalon used to always remind me as the winter turned the corner toward spring that there is always snow that stays until April.  She pointed it out in its weak patchiness.  One year it snowed on May 2^nd as we were coming out of church.

As I was in the Mid-West last week, the temperatures were warm and only one night was below freezing.  Things are already turning green and except for snow piled up by plows, most of the snow was gone.  One of the parking lots held a high deep mountain of snow made by the constant clearing of the car park.  It looked like it would not melt until June.    Still, I found no snow that was still where it had fallen and un-melted.

I wondered if perhaps Avalon’s axiom had finally proved false.  Then I drove west before the time came for me to depart for the next and longer part of my journey.  I love snow and have missed it this year.  Living in the South offers few opportunities for reveling n the white wonder makes of rain, cold, and physics.  Every crystal is beautiful and treasured by me.

As I drove to my destination, I saw what I thought were the long white tubes of fertilizer that appear on farms each year.  It was not giant fertilizer grubs.  It was a long thick strip of snow.  Then there was another and another.  I was west of the city and no further north.  Still, there was snow and given the temperature, it has little hope of melting before April. 

I smiled and whispered a prayer of gratitude.  I also prayed for the faith of Avalon and my continued faith in her.   There is snow that stays until April.  There is delight and beauty in the snow.  There is a reflection on the passage of winter that is important.  Spring brings hope with it.  It is true, however, that when we are discontent with winter, there is always something beautiful to remind us of its value.

The seasons are there to teach us about our faith and following.  It is never the snow or absence of it that matters.  It is recalling that the Father is an artist who paints the world with the colors he chooses.  It is our duty to look at his artistry and remember how much he loves us.  Enjoy the seasons, Dear Reader.  See the artistry reflected there so that you may reflect on the Father’s purpose.

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

Novels on Amazon             

Web Page:  www.aramisthorn.com

Bookings: aramisthorn@aramisthorn.com

Facebook        Google +    Twitter     

Medium   Instagram  Kids BLOG   

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

Second Thoughts ~ It Is All True

Greetings Dear Reader,

Today is one of those days where the winter cold is welcome and the dance of snow is longed for.  Eleven years ago, on this night I stood on the porch of my home in the Northern Midwest as fat flakes of new snow drifted down from God in a dance of beauty and grace.  I love snow.

Photo by Natalie Foley

What made that snow eternal was the thing it did for my Daughter, Christmas.  She had recently arrived from a world where nothing was true for her accept pain and hurt.  I had promised safety, love, and beautiful winter snow.  She stood on the porch in the dark that night as the snow was covering our driveway and lawn. 

Tears filled her eyes as she looked at me and said, “It is all true.  You do love me.  God loves me.  There is real hope.  It is all true.” 

We wept together as the snow continued to fall.  In answer to her prayer God sent her over 100 inches of snow that winter.  Even when other things crumbled it will always be true that the Father has used the weather to shower her with his love

We are the ones who fail each other.  We lose hope.  We forget that the Father has shown himself strongly to us and we leave behind the things he has for us that will make our lives better.  Sometimes we even leave behind our Father altogether thinking he is the one who is wrong.

Instead of clinging to the Father and the things he has already shown us we demand that he show us again.  We dance in our head instead of in his arms.  We forget the snow is a beautiful gift and curse it as we scrape if off our cars.

There is hope on this anniversary of Snow.  God loves my Daughter, Christmas far more than I can.  I love her.  There is snow in the forecast for her tonight.  It is all still true; we just do not always choose to believe 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 ͡°)

Contacts for Aramis Thorn:

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

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

Novels on Amazon             

Web Page:  www.aramisthorn.com

Bookings at aramisthorn@aramisthorn.com

Facebook      Google +    Twitter  Medium   Instagram  Kids BLOG   

Second Thoughts ~ Snow, Milk, and Bread

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.

It could not have been a snowflake. 

That is not free-range,

 whole-grain

, cruelty-free,

 non-gluten bread.

Since it is snowing in the south I will take a moment to defend my Southern heritage.  I grew up in Atlanta.  I now live in Wisconsin.  My tongue is firmly implanted in my cheek.  Two inches of snow is nothing here so we do not understand what that means to the average southerner. 

The usual response to the milk and bread pejoratives is to cry that they are not used to it.  The fact is there are salient reasons why the South is more impacted by infrequent snow.  Had they some whit of letters left about them when faced with this crisis their responses might be thus:

Arboreal:  The overabundant Douglas Firs cannot bear the weight of the snow and cold as well as their Northern cousins thus causing the breaking of branches and downing of power lines. 

Meteorological:  The precipitation visited upon us is rarely true snow. It is often a mix of snow, freezing rain, and sleet which covers our roads in dark sheets of ice making travel almost impossible and always treacherous.

Industrial:  Given that the need to clear our roads of frozen precipitation only occurs once or twice every other year or so the investment has not been made in sand, salt, and snow plows to clear even our major roads.

Experiential:  Referencing the aforementioned infrequency of snow/ice events it is clear that those who live in the South have little if any experience driving in or preparing for the implications of sudden roads, walks, and houses covered in beautiful white death.

Provisional:  You create memes of our pilgrimages to the store for bread and milk without understanding that our larders are filled with non-perishables and we understand the need to have essentials when unable to travel for up to a week (it has actually happened).

Parental:  The announcements of school closings due to the danger of travel visit a dilemma upon us in that places of work do not as readily concede that travel is ill-advised thus requiring parents to scramble for appropriate childcare.

Comparative: During the late spring, summer, and early Autumn we endure humidity levels constant over which the north whines incessantly when they have a few days of it.  We will remember this as should you.

So to my Northern friends I offer this; we have good reason to feel anxious concerning the snow.  Let us know when it gets too humid for you.  We will find you a Wal-Mart to hang out in.

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 ͡°)

The Promises of Christmas ~ Snow

Happy Christmas Dear Reader,

My first white Christmas came when I was four.  It was also the year that I first began to comprehend the promises of Christmas.  The gifts I received that year were those to fill a boy with wonder.  I was taken to feed reindeer in the snow. 

Photo by Echo Mills 12/08/17

It was not for many more years that I regularly have been able to have a white Christmas.  I treasure it.  Yesterday my family in north Georgia received four inches of December snow.  It will not likely last until Christmas but the pictures and were magical.  They showed the wonder of fresh snow on still verdant woods.  They showed the joy of my seven-year-old nephew at the thought of a snow day.

There is a promise in December snow.  It is the promise of Narnia.  We are reminded that we may have winter but we also have Christmas.  It is the painting of the world with hope when it is gray and barren.  It is the promise that there will be new life.  It is the beauty in the world that is for everyone if we will only see it.

The first snow each year I sit with my pipe and bowl and take in the smell, the beauty, and the wonder.  I remind my heart of hope and promise.  The smoldering Cavendish keeps my hands warm.  The hope keeps my heart thus.  It is often my best December prayer.

Visiting a Crystal Gallery

Silently the clouds crept across the sky,

Negating the brilliance of the haunting harvest moon.

Only the brightest of stars could I still spy,

While the cottony gray darkness still had rips and tatters.

Sending chills over my exposed face,

North winds begin to whip across the field fiercely

Offering me an invitation to retrace

What steps I have taken and return to my cozy home.

Something inside drives me to pursue,

Narrowing my focus to climb the hoary-frosted hill.

Only the higher field will give a proper view

When the dance begins in earnest.

Softly they begin their waltzing flight

Navigating their way through the winter wind,

Outstanding crystals of drifting delightful white

Whispering to me that God is still an artist.

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 ͡°)

Ode to Spring, no Winter, wait err…um…

Greetings Dear Reader,

Two days ago we recorded the highest temperature ever for that day in February.  Today there is a fresh covering of snow on the ground.  That is the way of things in late winter in the northern Midwest. 

It is the reaction of people that has my attention.  On Thursday as the sun was shining people where smiling and rejoicing over the spring-like weather.  Yesterday as the temperatures fell and the falling rain turn to sleet the same people were complaining about the weather.  I am not condemning these people.  It is our nature.

We complain about the weather instead of seeing the beauty in it.  We rejoice when it is the weather we like and complain when we dislike it.  It is our nature to only appreciate the things we like.  I must assure that I am aware of the value in all things about creation.

I must see the beauty in each season.  I must see my journey in them and accept changes as they come.  I have no power to control the changes in the weather or life.  Rather I get to follow the one who sets the seas in their courses and directs the wind.  The kindler of stars loves me and promises to guide me through it all. 

I will rejoice in the sparkle of lights on the snow until it gives way to the rebirth of Crocuses and Daffodils.  I will enjoy the sun when it is warm.  I will try to take each moment of the journey as it is given instead of how I wish it were. 

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 ͡°)

Second Thoughts – What to Hoard in a Storm

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.

Whilst the East Coast is in the throes of a record setting winter storm I have been entertained by watching my Southern friends and family respond to the event.  I have seen pictures posted of the snow and the jokes about “running to the store for bread and milk.”  Also in demand when expecting snow can be eggs and toilet paper. 

This reminds me of a winter ice storm in Atlanta when I was much younger.  We lost power and heat.  We spent almost a week with a friend who had both.  I remember we brought bread and milk with us.  We had some excellent French toast.   The current situation makes me wonder what one hoards during other types of extreme weather.

One of the highway warning sings call for LIZARD conditions.  My friend Robin was curious about this so I suggested she needed to run to the store for onions and prune juice.  I have seen it rain frogs when I lived in Florida. Perhaps this is similar. Of course if it rains frogs you need to buy pears and kefir.

For tornado shelters one primarily needs to stock up on good snacks and digital entertainment.  A weather radio might be a good idea too.  I am not sure there is a proper prescription for tidal waves other than RUN.  Another aspect of storm hoarding is taking on enough salt or plywood as the weather condition proscribes.

In hurricanes they suggest stocking up on fresh water.  I prefer large quantities of the following whilst riding out a tropical storm:

Vodka

Grenadine syrup

Gin

Light rum

151 rum

Amaretto almond liqueur

Triple sec

Grapefruit juice

Pineapple juice

Volcano eruptions provide the opportunity for many kinds of weather all at once.  I do recommend observing them from a safe distance, in a shelter, on a video feed.  Hot lava and ashes tend to mess up the hair.  You may hoard whatever piques one’s fancy.

Whatever your weather challenge it is “your” weather challenge.  I care that you are besieged by a storm.  I promise not to mock you for buying bread or prune juice.  I will offer this.  God never gets the weather wrong.  Ride it out and enjoy the change.  Stay safe and do not give in to the temptation to do stupid things.  Snow is always beautiful to me even when it is in my way.

Let it Snow – Dean Martin

Oh, the weather outside is frightful

But the fire is so delightful

And since we’ve no place to go

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow

It doesn’t show signs of stopping

And I’ve bought some corn for popping

The lights are turned way down low

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow

When we finally kiss goodnight

How I’ll hate going out in the storm

But if you’ll really hold me tight

All the way home I’ll be warm

The fire is slowly dying

And my dear, we’re still good-bying

As long as you love me so

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow

When we finally kiss goodnight

How I’ll hate going out in the storm

But if you’ll really hold me tight

All the way home I’ll be warm

The fire is slowly dying

And my dear, we’re still good-bying

As long as you love me so

Let it snow (let it snow)

Let it snow (let it snow)

Let it snow (let it snow)

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 ͡°)

Every Diner – Losses and Gains

Greetings Dear Reader,

In every diner there are good days and bad days.  Sometimes the cook is on his game sometimes he is not.  There are good meals and bad ones at even my favorite diner.  Very little of what happens is under my control or authority.  It is how I respond to the good and the bad that matters.  How do I treat my server?  How do I interact with the owner or manager when he asks if everything is satisfactory?

Photo by Echo Michelle 02/2015

Whilst I write this it is -10 degrees outside my Wisconsin window with a wind chill of -35.  In my home state of Georgia ice has sheathed the world in crystalline beauty that is both amazing and dangerous.  We endure the weather.  We do not control it.

My friend Will has reached the clearing at the end of the path.  I am not sad for him but I am for his family and friends.  He is a good man who from our limited perspective is gone too soon.  He no longer needs his strong and vibrant faith.  I wish I could pass it on to those who so desperately do need it.

There will be gains and losses.  The journey will have good moments and bad ones.  The days will be long and short.  It is up to us to find the beauty in all of it.  It is up to me to look for Christ in the moment.  It is my responsibility to follow no matter where the path leads.  It is not a blind following but a following of faith. 

In that following I must treat others well no matter the pain or disappointment of the moment.  My pain does not give me leave to be unkind to others.  My frustration does not allow me to treat others with impatience or harshness.  If I do this I will be able to find the beauty in all of it.  It is how we actualize the community that is the diner, the church, and all of life.

The Basin and The Towel – Michael Card

Photo by Echo Michelle 02/2015

In an upstairs room, a parable

Is just about to come alive.

And while they bicker about who's best,

With a painful glance, He'll silently rise.

Their Savior Servant must show them how

Through the will of the water

And the tenderness of the towel.

And the call is to community,

The impoverished power that sets the soul free.

In humility, to take the vow,

That day after day we must take up the basin and the towel.

In any ordinary place,

On any ordinary day,

The parable can live again

When one will kneel and one will yield.

Our Saviour Servant must show us how

Through the will of the water

And the tenderness of the towel.

And the space between ourselves sometimes

Is more than the distance between the stars.

By the fragile bridge of the Servant's bow

We take up the basin and the towel.

And the call is to community,

The impoverished power that sets the soul free.

In humility, to take the vow,

That day after day we must take up the basin and the towel.

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 ͡°)

On Giving Thanks – Diversity

Greetings Dear Reader,

There are some things that I always want to be the same.  I always want my steak to be rare and juicy.  I always want the Braves to win.  I always want the time with my children to last forever.  There are things that I want to be a constant in the universe.

But I am also thankful for diversity.  I do not mean the political diversity that seems to be pushed at any cost.  I mean the infinite diversity that exists in the world because of divine and human creativity.  I am thankful for the uniqueness of every sunrise, every cloud, and every snowflake.  I find awe and wonder in the natural world.  

I celebrate and love the diversity of people.  Everyone brings his or her own gifts and talents to the world.  Each person offers the particular beauty created in him or her by God.  I love seeing that uniqueness and seeing my Creator reflected in it.

If I am giving thanks I can do it in every moment with others.  Since I am commanded to love everyone if I am looking for how they are fearfully and wonderfully made then I am more likely to overlook flaws and imperfections.

The imperfections will pass when God makes all things right again.  What will remains will be the unique good things created in each of us from the beginning.  I would love it if I had focused on those things in others enough to barely notice the difference.   

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 ͡°)

Second Thoughts – Fall's First Snow

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.

Yesterday when I returned home from running my errands the sun was out.  It was a chilly 29 degrees.  There was a light wind out of the north.  This morning my yard, my home, and my cars are covered in three inches of beautiful white precipitation.  The snow is clear and fresh.  The air is frigid breezy. 

I have listened to people complain about this impending snow all week.  I rejoice in it.  The world that had turned brown and dull is now white.  The air has that snowy taste and smell that makes me feel young.  The world changes for me when the snow falls each year.

I will sit out on my porch and take it all in for a bit tonight.  I will ponder the beauty and symmetry of the billions of crystals in my yard.  I will also shovel and salt.  Even when the snow becomes a hindrance I will not complain.  It is in this snow that God reminds me that he has the power to make all things beautiful again.

“…though you sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow.”

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 ͡°)

On Giving Thanks – Snow

Greetings Dear Reader,

Now if I offend you Dear Reader I will ask your forgiveness in advance.  I love snow.  I realize it poses challenges and often causes delays in our lives.  In most cases the adjustment is easy if we undertake it and prepare.

There are reasons why I love the snow.  First and foremost is the natural beauty of my home when surrounded by a fresh blanket of the stuff.  The billions of tiny crystals unite to form a new and fresh landscape outside my window.  It warms and wonders me as I write.

And then there is November 6, 2008.  It was just dark when the dance of white fluffy flakes began to fall.  Christmas had only come to live with us ten days earlier.  She had only ever seen snow once and at a distance.  I called her outside to show her the crystal beauty drifting down on a gentle evening breeze.

The gasp of wonder and awe is forever imprinted in my mind.  What burned even deeper were the tears.  Christmas was a new Christ follower emerging from a life of pain and abuse.  She had risked everything for a chance at a better life.  She had gambled it all on God and my family.

We had talked often about snow and how much I loved its beauty and grace.  Tears were running down her face as she watched the snow whiten our yard and cars.  I asked her why she was crying.  Her response made me value forever the creation of very flake.  “It is all true,” she said.  “Everything you told me about being safe and free is true.  You even told the truth about the snow.”

Today I am thankful for snow more than ever.  We had one hundred inches of it during Christmas’ first winter with us.  Many painful things unfolded during that winter.  The price for my attempt to do good carried a price I could not imagine. Every time, however,  I looked at the snow I was reminded of the power of Christ’s love to change lives and bring hope.

I am very thankful for Christmas and snow.

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 ͡°)