Greetings Dear Readers,
I want you to stop for a moment and consider two things. The first is the story of the woman who bathed Christ’s feet with Nard and her tears, and used her hair as a towel. When chided by Judas (whom we will spend some time with later this week) and the other disciples, Christ responded that what the woman was doing was the proper thing to do. Christ even went so far as to assure that this woman’s story would be told in the Gospels as a memorial to her actions.
I have been blessed to call prostitutes and those who license themselves to the darkness friend. I know women who literally sell themselves as slaves to the passions of others. Some of them have seen past my own falleness and found Christ. Others were not willing to see Christ and moved on, still my friend, still someone I valued.
In many places in the world tonight these women will gather in churches for the celebration of Kassiani. They will listen as an ancient hymn is sung that speaks of Christ’s overreaching mercy and one such woman’s response to it.
"Woe to me," she says,
"for nightis a frenzy of license to me,a dark, moonless love of sin.
"Receive the fountains of my tears,
O You who gather the sea-waters into cloudsIncline to the groanings of my heart,
O You who laid low the heavens by Your humility.
"I shall kiss Your immaculate feet,wipe them again with the hair of my head,
those feet at whose sound Eve in Paradise hid for fear.
"The multitude of my sins, the depths of your judgments,who can search them out,
O Savior of souls?
Do not despise me, Your handmaiden,
O You whose mercy admits of no measure."
Christ told his closest friends that this woman had done what she could for him. He pointed out that she was preparing him for burial. So many women are used and abused by the world and yet we dare look down upon what they do while we stand proudly in our own sin needing so much mercy from God. Perhaps we need to be more in touch with the brokenness this woman had.
“The alabaster case of oil is open,
Washing the feet of Jesus,
The sweet perfume is poured.
I am like that cask I must broken,
So from my heart can pour,
A life unto my Lord.” – Terry Talbot
As we draw near to the days of the garden, the scourging, the trial, the cross, and the tomb, perhaps we should examine where we stand with others. Are we judging who the woman is, or who she is to Christ? Are we saying our intentions matter and ignoring the intentions of others? Are we being poured out to honor Jesus or are we judging and rejecting those who offer all they can with what little they have, whilst knowing the truth of their own need for mercy and forgiveness of sin?
“Father break me
Take me through the fire
Oh Father hold me, mold me
Just as you desire.
I am just a cup to overflow your will
And I know I must be empty to be filled.” - Terry Talbot
Wishing you joy in the journey,
Aramis Thorn
07 April 2009
06 April 2009
Holy Week 2009 – Monday – Cleansing of the Temple
Greetings Dear Readers,
How often have you heard people say, or maybe even said yourself, that churches only want your money. Unfortunately it is true. Many churches focus so much on how the electricity will get paid or the mortgage met that they forget for whom they work. Many of us remember the televangelists’ scandals of the 1990’s. Many more think that most churches are interested in many other things that have nothing to do with who Christ is. The observance is that churches are out for themselves and not the community in which they are called to serve.
Both of these aspects drive people away from church. For one reason or another men of real faith abandon churches instead of working from within to change or protect them from the things that make them ineffective. I would say clearly that there are no perfect churches. I do believe there comes a time when God will move us from one place of worship to another for his purpose. I also believe that we make the flaws of churches an easy excuse for not being in a place where the word of God is taught well and where we can grow closer to others who belong to Christ. We use the flaws in a church as an excuse not to gather and try to influence those around us to do what churches should do.
As we walk through Holy Week together we come to a day where we must ask the questions about preparation. In light of the state of church at large in the world, I think that Christ would agree that most local churches have little to offer a fallen world. He would stride in and perhaps drive out the late’ vendors and book sellers. We can proudly say that our form of worldly identification is not as bad as that of the money changers in the Temple Court, but we still want our coffee and doughnut or we are unhappy.
Do not get me wrong. I drink coffee at church on Sunday morning and I complained when they changed brands like so many others. I also see that my church leaders try very hard to make sure that they focus on the Gospel and not the money. They do things to promote service and not to promote social entertainment that is Christ flavored.
I think that what matters as we journey through this Monday of this Holy Week is the cleansing of our own temple. Have I cast out the money changers and offering vendors that rule my heart. Do I see others in my life with anger and contempt or have I cast the out for love and forgiveness in the magnitude that I seek from Christ as he approaches the cross. It is an easy thing to compare myself to a group of fallen people who do not do thing the way I think they should. It is altogether different to compare myself to God in the form of a man who demands that I be like him as he moves closer to the burden of my sin that put him on a cross.
I attend the church I attend for the sake of the leadership there and its teaching. Many of the people do not get it, but I am no better than them. I will not use their crookedness as an excuse to indulge my own. I will work to cleanse the temple that I am to be for Christ so that others may see my cleaning and wish to do some of their own. I will spend the time cleaning my inner temple so that Christ feels no need to drive anything out. The focus after all should be on the man for whom we laid down palm fronds yesterday and whom on Thursday we will kill.
Wishing you joy in the journey,
Aramis Thorn
How often have you heard people say, or maybe even said yourself, that churches only want your money. Unfortunately it is true. Many churches focus so much on how the electricity will get paid or the mortgage met that they forget for whom they work. Many of us remember the televangelists’ scandals of the 1990’s. Many more think that most churches are interested in many other things that have nothing to do with who Christ is. The observance is that churches are out for themselves and not the community in which they are called to serve.
Both of these aspects drive people away from church. For one reason or another men of real faith abandon churches instead of working from within to change or protect them from the things that make them ineffective. I would say clearly that there are no perfect churches. I do believe there comes a time when God will move us from one place of worship to another for his purpose. I also believe that we make the flaws of churches an easy excuse for not being in a place where the word of God is taught well and where we can grow closer to others who belong to Christ. We use the flaws in a church as an excuse not to gather and try to influence those around us to do what churches should do.
As we walk through Holy Week together we come to a day where we must ask the questions about preparation. In light of the state of church at large in the world, I think that Christ would agree that most local churches have little to offer a fallen world. He would stride in and perhaps drive out the late’ vendors and book sellers. We can proudly say that our form of worldly identification is not as bad as that of the money changers in the Temple Court, but we still want our coffee and doughnut or we are unhappy.
Do not get me wrong. I drink coffee at church on Sunday morning and I complained when they changed brands like so many others. I also see that my church leaders try very hard to make sure that they focus on the Gospel and not the money. They do things to promote service and not to promote social entertainment that is Christ flavored.
I think that what matters as we journey through this Monday of this Holy Week is the cleansing of our own temple. Have I cast out the money changers and offering vendors that rule my heart. Do I see others in my life with anger and contempt or have I cast the out for love and forgiveness in the magnitude that I seek from Christ as he approaches the cross. It is an easy thing to compare myself to a group of fallen people who do not do thing the way I think they should. It is altogether different to compare myself to God in the form of a man who demands that I be like him as he moves closer to the burden of my sin that put him on a cross.
I attend the church I attend for the sake of the leadership there and its teaching. Many of the people do not get it, but I am no better than them. I will not use their crookedness as an excuse to indulge my own. I will work to cleanse the temple that I am to be for Christ so that others may see my cleaning and wish to do some of their own. I will spend the time cleaning my inner temple so that Christ feels no need to drive anything out. The focus after all should be on the man for whom we laid down palm fronds yesterday and whom on Thursday we will kill.
Wishing you joy in the journey,
Aramis Thorn
05 April 2009
Holy Week 2009 – Palm Sunday
Greeting Beloved Readers,
I wonder how often we consider what we do when we welcome someone. When dignitaries visit our city there is electricity in the air if we favor them and storm clouds when we do not. It does not matter what you think of the historical accuracy of the placement of Palm Sunday. It matters but the argument is not worth belaboring here. Perhaps I shall write about it some time.
What I would like you to do is ponder with me for a moment being in that crowd on that day. The city of Jerusalem is already bustling from the Passover pilgrims who have come from all over to worship at the temple. Talk of a Messiah has spread all over the nation and the news has spread that he will enter the city on this morning. Thousands of people gather outside the gate Jesus is to enter.
He can be seen from a distance, riding on the foal of a donkey. He is preceded by his disciples. It is a small but important procession. Who would you wish to be in this moment? Would you be one of the disciples heading into Jerusalem with the Son of God, hoping that he will claim his right as King of Kings and destroy the Roman squatters? Would you be one of the crowed, hoping to see some miracle from the Rabbi from Nazareth? Perhaps you would be one of the Pharisees, already plotting how to kill this troublesome carpenter.
The one person you do not want to be in this moment is Jesus. He knows why he is here. He knows that he arrives on the day that the Passover lamb is brought into the house to protect it from blemish. He knows why he is here. He is riding to his death and does so in the proper way. When told by the Pharisees to stop the crowd from singing his praises, he responds that if they do then the rocks and stones will cry out the truth.
On Palm Sunday, those who greeted Jesus with joy did not consider that within the week, some of them would call for his death. Some of them would have a murderer released in his stead. Some of them would watch as he is brutally beaten. They would jeer at him as he walked with his cross to Golgotha. They would spit on him. They would watch him die. But for now, they cheer as he enters the city and he knows he rides on to die.
Wishing you joy in the journey,
Aramis Thorn
I wonder how often we consider what we do when we welcome someone. When dignitaries visit our city there is electricity in the air if we favor them and storm clouds when we do not. It does not matter what you think of the historical accuracy of the placement of Palm Sunday. It matters but the argument is not worth belaboring here. Perhaps I shall write about it some time.
What I would like you to do is ponder with me for a moment being in that crowd on that day. The city of Jerusalem is already bustling from the Passover pilgrims who have come from all over to worship at the temple. Talk of a Messiah has spread all over the nation and the news has spread that he will enter the city on this morning. Thousands of people gather outside the gate Jesus is to enter.
He can be seen from a distance, riding on the foal of a donkey. He is preceded by his disciples. It is a small but important procession. Who would you wish to be in this moment? Would you be one of the disciples heading into Jerusalem with the Son of God, hoping that he will claim his right as King of Kings and destroy the Roman squatters? Would you be one of the crowed, hoping to see some miracle from the Rabbi from Nazareth? Perhaps you would be one of the Pharisees, already plotting how to kill this troublesome carpenter.
The one person you do not want to be in this moment is Jesus. He knows why he is here. He knows that he arrives on the day that the Passover lamb is brought into the house to protect it from blemish. He knows why he is here. He is riding to his death and does so in the proper way. When told by the Pharisees to stop the crowd from singing his praises, he responds that if they do then the rocks and stones will cry out the truth.
On Palm Sunday, those who greeted Jesus with joy did not consider that within the week, some of them would call for his death. Some of them would have a murderer released in his stead. Some of them would watch as he is brutally beaten. They would jeer at him as he walked with his cross to Golgotha. They would spit on him. They would watch him die. But for now, they cheer as he enters the city and he knows he rides on to die.
Wishing you joy in the journey,
Aramis Thorn
30 March 2009
Reconciliation Day
Greetings Dear Reader,
Recently a colleague at work hurt me deeply. The individual’s actions were thoughtless and really they were responding to other pressures, not what I had done. I avoided them for a few days, unwilling to deal with my pain and forgive them. I noticed that I was taking on other grudges at work. I was easily offended by other things and not as patient with my students. It was obvious that the unreconciled hurt was bleeding over into my other relationships. I acted to mend the fence and was thrilled to see the discomfort roll off of me.
Thursday, April 2nd is reconciliation day. Although the relationship I would like reconciled most does not seem possible, I am determined to reconcile other things in my life. I have reached out to family members in an attempt to reconnect with them. Old injuries never really go away. They only scar over and either lay there waiting to be reopened or they fester.
Think about the people you avoid. What do you have against them or what do they have against you? Who is wrong or right does not really matter. It is instead who will be the first to try. One must be willing to forgo their rights and their pride and do what it takes to make peace. No matter what you do the other person may be unwilling to bend. They may be trapped in their own pain or bitterness and not see a way out. We must still try. Even if we try and our efforts are rejected, we know we have tried.
I am writing about this early to give you a chance to build your courage to the moment. You can use the day as an excuse if you need to do so. The point is, we must try. We must attempt to heal the wounds they have been created along the way so that we may move forward whole. I have spent much of the last few months trying to repair some of the hurts I have caused and trying to avoid harboring hurts done to me.
So you have a head start. Write a letter, make a phone call, or send a candy gram (don’t know if you can still do that last one). The point is that if you take that first step you will know where you stand or you will heal a relationship. As one who has been doing regularly of late, it works.
Wishing you joy in the journey,
Aramis Thorn
Recently a colleague at work hurt me deeply. The individual’s actions were thoughtless and really they were responding to other pressures, not what I had done. I avoided them for a few days, unwilling to deal with my pain and forgive them. I noticed that I was taking on other grudges at work. I was easily offended by other things and not as patient with my students. It was obvious that the unreconciled hurt was bleeding over into my other relationships. I acted to mend the fence and was thrilled to see the discomfort roll off of me.
Thursday, April 2nd is reconciliation day. Although the relationship I would like reconciled most does not seem possible, I am determined to reconcile other things in my life. I have reached out to family members in an attempt to reconnect with them. Old injuries never really go away. They only scar over and either lay there waiting to be reopened or they fester.
Think about the people you avoid. What do you have against them or what do they have against you? Who is wrong or right does not really matter. It is instead who will be the first to try. One must be willing to forgo their rights and their pride and do what it takes to make peace. No matter what you do the other person may be unwilling to bend. They may be trapped in their own pain or bitterness and not see a way out. We must still try. Even if we try and our efforts are rejected, we know we have tried.
I am writing about this early to give you a chance to build your courage to the moment. You can use the day as an excuse if you need to do so. The point is, we must try. We must attempt to heal the wounds they have been created along the way so that we may move forward whole. I have spent much of the last few months trying to repair some of the hurts I have caused and trying to avoid harboring hurts done to me.
So you have a head start. Write a letter, make a phone call, or send a candy gram (don’t know if you can still do that last one). The point is that if you take that first step you will know where you stand or you will heal a relationship. As one who has been doing regularly of late, it works.
Wishing you joy in the journey,
Aramis Thorn
27 March 2009
Rachael’s Birthday
Greetings Dear Readers,
Today is my first Daughter’s birthday. She is not here. I cannot hold her. My younger Son, Bezel and I spoke last night and he reminded me that she would be a senior in high school now. He spoke of having to go to the school daily to remind the boys to stay away. We used to celebrate her birthday by getting a family gift and having a cake. We talked for a bit about all the things that might be were she here.
I see her all the time. She would have her mother’s hair and smile. She would probably have my sarcastic wit; both of my Sons do. I wonder often what things would be like had she lived. My first marriage may have survived. I might probably still be teaching at my original school. Things might be very different and then again they might not. I will not secretly lay my failures on the spirit of my departed Rachael. Instead I think that I will work harder to adopt the spirit my Sons have taken with each other. I will honor her by being an example to my Sons, my Daughter, my Students and my Friends.
I have failed much in my life but that is not how the story ends. Christ knew before he formed me when and how I would fail him. He still chose to form me, love me, and redeem me. He still chose to call me to himself and I am learning better ways to honor that love. This has been a very painful but growing year. My heart is both heavy and soaring all at once. I know Christ has used me to help others, but I also know there are some barriers I cannot reach across.
Old patterns try to get my attention but I refuse. So tonight I will gather with my Son Maxim, his lovely wife Raven, and my adopted Daughter Christmas to remember and recall the love I have that I cannot share with Rachael yet. She will not come to me but some day I will go to her. Soon my other Son Bezel will join us here and we will build together a more solid and healed family that lives to serve Christ. We will honor those we cannot hold by holding onto the one who keeps them in his hand.
I wish you happy birthday, Rachael. Know that we love you and miss you.
Wishing you joy in the journey,
Aramis Thorn
Today is my first Daughter’s birthday. She is not here. I cannot hold her. My younger Son, Bezel and I spoke last night and he reminded me that she would be a senior in high school now. He spoke of having to go to the school daily to remind the boys to stay away. We used to celebrate her birthday by getting a family gift and having a cake. We talked for a bit about all the things that might be were she here.
I see her all the time. She would have her mother’s hair and smile. She would probably have my sarcastic wit; both of my Sons do. I wonder often what things would be like had she lived. My first marriage may have survived. I might probably still be teaching at my original school. Things might be very different and then again they might not. I will not secretly lay my failures on the spirit of my departed Rachael. Instead I think that I will work harder to adopt the spirit my Sons have taken with each other. I will honor her by being an example to my Sons, my Daughter, my Students and my Friends.
I have failed much in my life but that is not how the story ends. Christ knew before he formed me when and how I would fail him. He still chose to form me, love me, and redeem me. He still chose to call me to himself and I am learning better ways to honor that love. This has been a very painful but growing year. My heart is both heavy and soaring all at once. I know Christ has used me to help others, but I also know there are some barriers I cannot reach across.
Old patterns try to get my attention but I refuse. So tonight I will gather with my Son Maxim, his lovely wife Raven, and my adopted Daughter Christmas to remember and recall the love I have that I cannot share with Rachael yet. She will not come to me but some day I will go to her. Soon my other Son Bezel will join us here and we will build together a more solid and healed family that lives to serve Christ. We will honor those we cannot hold by holding onto the one who keeps them in his hand.
I wish you happy birthday, Rachael. Know that we love you and miss you.
Wishing you joy in the journey,
Aramis Thorn
24 March 2009
Red Winged Black Birds
Greetings Dear Readers,
I woke up Friday morning miserable and heartsick. I met with Avalon to discuss some things that need to be settled. The time was pleasant and she is a beautiful as ever but it reopened all the pain of her absence. I noticed she had taken the step of removing her wedding ring. It was a note of finality that pierced deep and is staying long. Maybe I am a sap, but I still love her as much if not more than the day we wed.
Friday mornings used to be the best. For a few years I was able to have breakfast with my Son Maxim. Schedules change and things move and our breakfasts have become hard to schedule. I do not know if he will ever fathom how much those weekly meetings mean to me. With little anticipation or excitement, I plodded through my morning at the house. I donned clothes after it was light and made my way out to the car. I noticed that the morning smelled like spring. It was that earthy damp smell that is both pungent and sweet at the same time.
I stated the car, cranked up Cross Eyed Mary on my stereo and began my 7 minute commute to work. I was deep into the magnificent bass line of the song and winging my way through the traffic, doing my best to close the door to the bits of me that were hurting. I remember praying that God would give me the grace to not let my hurt spill over into my interactions with anyone at work just as I was exiting on the street that lead to my job.
On the side of the road by the exit ramp a flash of red caught my eye. It was a Red Winged Black Bird. As I zipped down the ramp I saw another, then another. They were back. They at least had decided that the siege of Wisconsin winter was over. Their contrast against the still brown foliage was stark and elegant. These creatures are so beautiful to me and their presence at that moment was like God whispering directly into my soul. He was telling me that winter ends and life returns and that there is hope. It is not our pain that defines us, but rather who we are in the midst of that pain. I arrived at work with my eyes off of my woes and my heart ready to share life with those around me.
Wishing you joy in the journey,
Aramis Thorn
I woke up Friday morning miserable and heartsick. I met with Avalon to discuss some things that need to be settled. The time was pleasant and she is a beautiful as ever but it reopened all the pain of her absence. I noticed she had taken the step of removing her wedding ring. It was a note of finality that pierced deep and is staying long. Maybe I am a sap, but I still love her as much if not more than the day we wed.
Friday mornings used to be the best. For a few years I was able to have breakfast with my Son Maxim. Schedules change and things move and our breakfasts have become hard to schedule. I do not know if he will ever fathom how much those weekly meetings mean to me. With little anticipation or excitement, I plodded through my morning at the house. I donned clothes after it was light and made my way out to the car. I noticed that the morning smelled like spring. It was that earthy damp smell that is both pungent and sweet at the same time.
I stated the car, cranked up Cross Eyed Mary on my stereo and began my 7 minute commute to work. I was deep into the magnificent bass line of the song and winging my way through the traffic, doing my best to close the door to the bits of me that were hurting. I remember praying that God would give me the grace to not let my hurt spill over into my interactions with anyone at work just as I was exiting on the street that lead to my job.
On the side of the road by the exit ramp a flash of red caught my eye. It was a Red Winged Black Bird. As I zipped down the ramp I saw another, then another. They were back. They at least had decided that the siege of Wisconsin winter was over. Their contrast against the still brown foliage was stark and elegant. These creatures are so beautiful to me and their presence at that moment was like God whispering directly into my soul. He was telling me that winter ends and life returns and that there is hope. It is not our pain that defines us, but rather who we are in the midst of that pain. I arrived at work with my eyes off of my woes and my heart ready to share life with those around me.
Wishing you joy in the journey,
Aramis Thorn
16 March 2009
Echoes
Greetings Dear Reader,
I recently heard from a friend that I have not spoken to in over 12 years. They reminded me how words I had said to them then have guided them in some very dark places over the years. It made me feel like I had made a difference. In the same week, I sought forgiveness from someone I had hurt over 15 years ago. They expressed how my asking for forgiveness and expressing that I had been wrong touched a place in them that had bothered them for all this time. They neither bitter nor angry but there was a constant echo of the circumstances from the past that would plague them over the years.
As I dive deeper into self examination I see where I have left both positive and negative echoes in the lives of others. I have been seeking out those for whom those echoes are negative and asking their forgiveness. It is very freeing. It also makes me very strong internally. It also makes me much more aware that I want less of those echoes in the coming days. I want the ripples of my passing to leave others enriched and more alive. Again I find that the only way to do that is with strict obedience to Christ. My footprints that do not echo his leave footprints that echo poorly in others.
What echoes are you leaving behind? What are your choices leaving in the lives of others? We cannot pass through life without leaving traces behind. Are we living so that those traces echo Christ or do we leave false paths that hurt others? Do we leave behind memories that guide and heal? You can change some of the old echoes by asking forgiveness. More importantly, we can decide today that our future ripples will echo Christ and the traces we leave will point to him. I intend to watch where I step more closely.
Wishing you joy in the journey,
Aramis Thorn
I recently heard from a friend that I have not spoken to in over 12 years. They reminded me how words I had said to them then have guided them in some very dark places over the years. It made me feel like I had made a difference. In the same week, I sought forgiveness from someone I had hurt over 15 years ago. They expressed how my asking for forgiveness and expressing that I had been wrong touched a place in them that had bothered them for all this time. They neither bitter nor angry but there was a constant echo of the circumstances from the past that would plague them over the years.
As I dive deeper into self examination I see where I have left both positive and negative echoes in the lives of others. I have been seeking out those for whom those echoes are negative and asking their forgiveness. It is very freeing. It also makes me very strong internally. It also makes me much more aware that I want less of those echoes in the coming days. I want the ripples of my passing to leave others enriched and more alive. Again I find that the only way to do that is with strict obedience to Christ. My footprints that do not echo his leave footprints that echo poorly in others.
What echoes are you leaving behind? What are your choices leaving in the lives of others? We cannot pass through life without leaving traces behind. Are we living so that those traces echo Christ or do we leave false paths that hurt others? Do we leave behind memories that guide and heal? You can change some of the old echoes by asking forgiveness. More importantly, we can decide today that our future ripples will echo Christ and the traces we leave will point to him. I intend to watch where I step more closely.
Wishing you joy in the journey,
Aramis Thorn
10 March 2009
Aussie Burgers
Greetings Dear Readers,
From time to time (every chance I get), I muse on the gastronomic wonders of the world. This weekend I had one of my favorites thus far in life. It is an Aussie Burger. Many of you know I am in the process of adopting a young lady from Australia. She is very gifted in the kitchen and has shared many excellent dishes native to Oz. Aussie Burgers are one of the finest things I have ever eaten. Sunday evening she made them for me. Not only did I consume two of the massive burgers but had another for breakfast on Monday and another for Lunch. They are delicious, protein rich, and very satisfying. Here is the recipe.
Ingredients
Hamburger Patties
17 2/3 ounces lean ground beef
1 onion, finely chopped
1 egg
1/3 cup breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons Australian tomato sauce (may substitute ketchup)
1 teaspoons steak seasoning
salt and pepper
Topping for Burgers
1 1/2 ounces butter
2 large onions, cut in thin rings
4 slices cheese
4 eggs
4 slices bacon, rind removed
4 large hamburger buns, halved
shredded lettuce, for serving
1 large tomato, sliced
4 large pickled beets, sliced, drained (out of tin)
4 pineapple rings, drained
Australian tomato sauce (may substitute ketchup), for serving
Directions
Combine ground beef, chopped onion, egg, breadcrumbs, Australian tomato sauce (may substitute ketchup), steak seasoning, salt and pepper in bowl, mix with hands to combine.
Divide mixture into 4 and shape into round patties.
Heat 1/2 butter in pan, add onion rings and cook over medium heat until browned, drain, keep warm.
Heat skillet or grill (broiler), brush with oil.
Cook patties 3-4 minutes each side or until cooked through, place cheese slice on each patty.
While patties are cooking heat remaining butter in skillet and fry eggs and bacon until cooked.
Toast buns and place bases on serving plates.
On each bun place lettuce, tomato, beetroot, pineapple, then meat patty, onion rings, bacon, egg and finally bun top. Add extra Australian tomato sauce (may substitute ketchup).
Enjoy with an icy cold beer!
If you make them, let me know how you liked them, or invite me over to eat one. They ROCK.
Wishing you joy in the journey,
Aramis Thorn
From time to time (every chance I get), I muse on the gastronomic wonders of the world. This weekend I had one of my favorites thus far in life. It is an Aussie Burger. Many of you know I am in the process of adopting a young lady from Australia. She is very gifted in the kitchen and has shared many excellent dishes native to Oz. Aussie Burgers are one of the finest things I have ever eaten. Sunday evening she made them for me. Not only did I consume two of the massive burgers but had another for breakfast on Monday and another for Lunch. They are delicious, protein rich, and very satisfying. Here is the recipe.
Ingredients
Hamburger Patties
17 2/3 ounces lean ground beef
1 onion, finely chopped
1 egg
1/3 cup breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons Australian tomato sauce (may substitute ketchup)
1 teaspoons steak seasoning
salt and pepper
Topping for Burgers
1 1/2 ounces butter
2 large onions, cut in thin rings
4 slices cheese
4 eggs
4 slices bacon, rind removed
4 large hamburger buns, halved
shredded lettuce, for serving
1 large tomato, sliced
4 large pickled beets, sliced, drained (out of tin)
4 pineapple rings, drained
Australian tomato sauce (may substitute ketchup), for serving
Directions
Combine ground beef, chopped onion, egg, breadcrumbs, Australian tomato sauce (may substitute ketchup), steak seasoning, salt and pepper in bowl, mix with hands to combine.
Divide mixture into 4 and shape into round patties.
Heat 1/2 butter in pan, add onion rings and cook over medium heat until browned, drain, keep warm.
Heat skillet or grill (broiler), brush with oil.
Cook patties 3-4 minutes each side or until cooked through, place cheese slice on each patty.
While patties are cooking heat remaining butter in skillet and fry eggs and bacon until cooked.
Toast buns and place bases on serving plates.
On each bun place lettuce, tomato, beetroot, pineapple, then meat patty, onion rings, bacon, egg and finally bun top. Add extra Australian tomato sauce (may substitute ketchup).
Enjoy with an icy cold beer!
If you make them, let me know how you liked them, or invite me over to eat one. They ROCK.
Wishing you joy in the journey,
Aramis Thorn
09 March 2009
Where do Work Where you Work?
Greetings Dear Readers,
Recently I had was having breakfast with my Son Maxim. I cherish these weekly meetings at a level that his difficult to describe. At our last breakfast we discussed the jobs that he and his lovely wife Raven hold at this time. Both jobs support not for profit organizations. Maxim expressed to me how satisfying it is to work at a job that you know does good for others.
He is young but he is a good worker. His fellow employees respect him and he is faithful to tasks given him. Knowing this, the passion behind his commitment to work at something that mattered felt so true. It got me to wondering why people work the jobs they work. My Grandfather used to always say, “Do what you love and the money will come.” We currently live in a society that has so many working at jobs that provide a paycheck.
Many are doing this as their “fake” job until they reach the job of their passion. Others are working whatever job they can find and have been and will be for years to come. I hear people all the time complain about where they work. They engage in so many activities to relieve the pain of their unwanted job. Many of those things do not get them closer to a satisfying life.
I have the blessing of working at a job I love while I pursue the career that is my passion. In a perfect world my sole income would be as a writer. I also know that as a professor I get the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others. I often come home tired but it is not the kind of tired bred by boredom or dissatisfaction. I have experienced those and they are unbearable.
So I ask, why do you work where you work. Does it satisfy you? Does it meet that part of your person that can give your best to others? I urge you to look at what you do and how it leaves your spirit. Imagine a world where people do the job they love. It is never too late for you to find a path that is your best destiny.
Wishing you joy in the journey,
Aramis Thorn
Recently I had was having breakfast with my Son Maxim. I cherish these weekly meetings at a level that his difficult to describe. At our last breakfast we discussed the jobs that he and his lovely wife Raven hold at this time. Both jobs support not for profit organizations. Maxim expressed to me how satisfying it is to work at a job that you know does good for others.
He is young but he is a good worker. His fellow employees respect him and he is faithful to tasks given him. Knowing this, the passion behind his commitment to work at something that mattered felt so true. It got me to wondering why people work the jobs they work. My Grandfather used to always say, “Do what you love and the money will come.” We currently live in a society that has so many working at jobs that provide a paycheck.
Many are doing this as their “fake” job until they reach the job of their passion. Others are working whatever job they can find and have been and will be for years to come. I hear people all the time complain about where they work. They engage in so many activities to relieve the pain of their unwanted job. Many of those things do not get them closer to a satisfying life.
I have the blessing of working at a job I love while I pursue the career that is my passion. In a perfect world my sole income would be as a writer. I also know that as a professor I get the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others. I often come home tired but it is not the kind of tired bred by boredom or dissatisfaction. I have experienced those and they are unbearable.
So I ask, why do you work where you work. Does it satisfy you? Does it meet that part of your person that can give your best to others? I urge you to look at what you do and how it leaves your spirit. Imagine a world where people do the job they love. It is never too late for you to find a path that is your best destiny.
Wishing you joy in the journey,
Aramis Thorn
02 March 2009
Classic Letters
Greetings Dear Readers,
Recently someone I love told me his honest feelings about the digital age. He mentioned that the fading art of letter writing is important to him. He went on to say that when communicating with others we should take the time occasionally to pick out a card or write a letter. I think that he is right.
When Avalon and I were first together we communicated through letters. I still have them and recently reread them. Letters have a sustain power in them. They capture moments in time where thoughts and feelings may be expressed. One is able to think through what they would say and characterize it so that the small nuances are expressed. One is also able to be very cryptic and require others to read between the lines. I have poured over some letters long after getting them in order to reason out the thoughts behind some words.
We track history through letters. They are kept in boxes, framed, and are sold with estates. They have great value to understanding the thoughts and feelings of those now part of the past. One expresses a level of trust when they write a letter that its contents will be shared or not shared judiciously.
Email and IM’s are quick and efficient but lack something. Once one has an internet connection and email client communication is easy. Email can be traced to be sure it is received. It can also be intercepted and read by unwanted eyes. Letters are much more personal.
This does not mean that the transition to the digital age is not vital. It does not mean that the emerging generations must remain locked into to paper world. It does mean that some art forms have value as they are and should not be completely abandoned.
I love getting letters and have decided to write them more often. If you get one, I hope you write back.
Wishing you joy in the journey,
Aramis Thorn
Recently someone I love told me his honest feelings about the digital age. He mentioned that the fading art of letter writing is important to him. He went on to say that when communicating with others we should take the time occasionally to pick out a card or write a letter. I think that he is right.
When Avalon and I were first together we communicated through letters. I still have them and recently reread them. Letters have a sustain power in them. They capture moments in time where thoughts and feelings may be expressed. One is able to think through what they would say and characterize it so that the small nuances are expressed. One is also able to be very cryptic and require others to read between the lines. I have poured over some letters long after getting them in order to reason out the thoughts behind some words.
We track history through letters. They are kept in boxes, framed, and are sold with estates. They have great value to understanding the thoughts and feelings of those now part of the past. One expresses a level of trust when they write a letter that its contents will be shared or not shared judiciously.
Email and IM’s are quick and efficient but lack something. Once one has an internet connection and email client communication is easy. Email can be traced to be sure it is received. It can also be intercepted and read by unwanted eyes. Letters are much more personal.
This does not mean that the transition to the digital age is not vital. It does not mean that the emerging generations must remain locked into to paper world. It does mean that some art forms have value as they are and should not be completely abandoned.
I love getting letters and have decided to write them more often. If you get one, I hope you write back.
Wishing you joy in the journey,
Aramis Thorn
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