Slow Down Son – Day Two

Greetings Dear Reader,

I thought it would be good to see how I am doing with the enforced slow down.  The first thing I thought of was to list the things I have done today or intended to do today.  Then it occurred to me to do less, just rest, and post later.  So here I am.

Hobbit Meal Schedule

I have been very low key so far.  I am reading and watching some TV.  Second breakfast was a toasted cinnamon raisin bagel and some tea.  I did get to chat with a friend or two and think I will skip elevenses.  I may go down to the servo and get sub for luncheon.  I have some tea biscuits for afternoon tea and will likely have pizza for supper.

All that talk about food is proof that I am relaxing.  For the last few years when I am busy I forget to eat. Oh and I did fix the toaster so I could toast my bagel.  It was simple and the instructions were right on the internet.  They even said that if the fix did not work I should stop wasting my time and just buy a new one.  I did not think it would work so I picked out one I liked.  I guess I will have to wait until it breaks again but that is good money management.

If this all seems a little disjointed that is probably because I am forcing myself not to be very serious at the moment.  Part of relaxing for me is to refrain from over thinking what I am writing.  Thank you for being understanding about this.  I hope you have a lovely day.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store."

Slow Down Son

Greetings Dear Reader,

I must have heard this from my Grandfather fifteen million times whenever we went somewhere together.  He would kindly say, “Slow down son, you are missing the world.”  I was all energy and hurry back then. 

This week I took a spill and injured my knee.  I had great plans for the weekend and all of them are off whilst I immobilize the knee until the bruising subsides.  I spent last evening grumbling about having to cancel my plans and pondering how “unfair” it was. 

It was if my beloved Grandfather were in the room.  I heard his voice saying, “Slow down Son; just slow down.”  I was not on any medication and I have not gone mad enough to have auditory hallucinations yet.  So I listened. 

I had forgotten that when things happen that immobilize me there is a purpose.  I had fallen into the mindset of wanting things my way.  As I ponder this I realize that I can use the “down” time to care for some things that I need to care for at home.  I can also use it to meditate on the truth that God has a purpose for everything he allows in my life.

There are no moments where the path is not clear to God.  There are no “accidents” for those who follow Christ.  As much as I want to go out this evening and go to the event I was going to tomorrow I want to learn what Christ has for me more.  Sometimes sitting and healing is part of the journey.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store."

Why We Do It

Greetings Dear Reader,

A friend of mine recently posted a question as to why Conservatives attack a certain social group.  I am not going to address that particular group as the answer does not matter relative to the group.  The answer is much broader and a deep concern.

The benchmark of those who follow Christ is to be their love.  Any time I rail against any group of people that I disagree with I am not being loving.  I feel that I am a conservative person but will not identify myself with “Conservatives” politically. 

It is my responsibility to promote love, grace, kindness, and mercy.  I cannot do this if I am promoting anything less to a group that I socially or politically disagree with.  Whilst it is true that there are those who do things that are wrong in terms of a biblical definition of sin that is not to be my focus.  I do things all the time that fit the biblical definition of sin and it is hypocritical to dwell on the sin of others.

What I am supposed to do is align my thoughts, attitudes, and actions with Christ and let him deal with the sin (both mine and theirs).  Whether I consider the actions of someone as the actions of a friend or an enemy I am not allowed to hate him.  I am required to love him. 

That is where I must loving part with those who call themselves political “Conservatives.”  I must also address the notion that just because I think something is wrong means that I hate that person.  That is a lie.  I think it is wrong to run a stop sign but I do not hate people who run them.  I think that it is wrong to do many things but I do not hate people that do those things.  Assuming that my conservative position on an issue means that I hate you is an error.

Do not paint all those who follow Christ with the same brush with which you paint the “religious right”.  It is not a logical choice.  We tend to paint people with broad strokes so that we do not have to get too close.  I will not hate any or all members of a group just because I think that what they do is wrong.  I will ask in return that you not treat all of us who claim Christ in the same way.  I promise not to hate you, however, if you do.

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."

Dare You to Move – Closing Thoughts

Greetings Dear Reader,

As I close out this part of my thinking I will continue to think.  Even this morning I had to make myself move in an area that needs moving.  This choice, to move in the areas I must no matter how I feel, may be at the core of what I need to do to grow in my faith and following.

This is also the place where procrastination and a fallen nature scream the loudest.  Every time I try to move the fallen parts of me claw and cling willing me to stay.  Moving is vital and essential.  Moving is the only thing that will keep me alive. 

I do not have to move on my own.  Christ promises to work in me both to will and to do according to what he needs from me.  I will fall.  I will choose to get up again.  The journey is not an easy one but it is a necessary one.  The journey is vital and filled with wonder but it can be a nightmare at times.

I will continue to move.  I dare you to move.   

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."

Dare You to Move – What Happens Next?

Greetings Dear Reader,

In all of my blogging I always end with the same question in my mind: “So what?”  In this case it is phrased as “What happens next?”   It does no good for me to ponder any of this if it does not change me. 

So as I examine each of the things that are true about my brokenness and fallen nature I need to ask this question.  I need to see the areas clearly where I do or do not move in my faith and I need to change them.  I need lovingly to challenge others to do the same. 

Everything about following Christ is about living in the moment and being a part of what happens next.  I do not spend too much time focused on the long view of what happens next.  The truth is that a lot of it is a mystery to me.  I have my hands full staying focused on the next moment in follow Christ. 

I must have an eye to what happens next because others are watching me.  Others wait to see what I do.  If I do not move then they watch and are forced to wait or move on without me.  Whether I wish it or not, my following give me a responsibility.  I know some who refuse to follow for this very reason.  It is not a valid reason for me not to follow.

Those of us who know Christ are to move toward him as loving examples of who he calls us to become.  Those who do not know him will see us doing this and have another reason to move as well.  What happens next is up to each of us.  It is our free choice.  I dare you to move.   

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."

Dare You to Move – Where Can You Go?

Greetings Dear Reader,

Recently a student told me that no matter where he works he ends up hating his boss.  He explained that eventually he just gets tired of having someone tell him what to do all the time.  After a few questions it became clear that he just did not like working for someone else and that he transferred that resentment to whomever was in charge.

I have long held that when someone keeps having the same problem wherever they go, then they are likely taking those problems with them.  The one thing we take wherever we go is ourselves.  There is no escape.

Since all of our problems with God stem from the tension of our distance from him then moving toward him can diminish that tension.  There is no place to run from who we are and what we need.  I can think easily of people to whom God has given a clear vision of what he desires for them.  Instead they run headlong in the other direction.  They then wonder why they are always dissatisfied with life and the lot they have in it.

Where is anyone going to go to escape from who they are?  One cannot.  If I hope to have a life that is free of this frustration I must give all of who I am to Christ.  I must let him re-sculpt and recreate me.  I must not deny the fallen nature I carry within.  There is no escape from it outside of Christ.

The tension is only relieved through faith and following.  The pain is only eased through the love and grace of Christ.  The only way out is through.  Moving away from Christ or simply standing still are guaranteeing more pain.  Redemption has stories to tell.  I play my true part in the story as a follow Christ.  I dare you to move. 

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."

Dare You to Move – Tension is Here

Greetings Dear Reader,

I used to love being part of a tug of war team during field events in school.  I was big and strong and made a great anchor.  Win or lose the moment I loved the most was the release of the tension when the match ended.  Pressure and tension have always been my enemies. 

Resistance to God always yields tension.  So much of the dissatisfaction, pressure, and tension in our lives has its power due to our resisting the pull of God on our spirit.  Those who know God and are not following cannot help but have tension.  Those who do not know him face the lifelong tension of his call to their spirit. 

The real tension is the difference between who we are and who we can be in Christ.  I know so many people who at some point were determined to be what Christ was calling them to become and have abandoned that quest.  Samuel Shoemaker Moore in his apologia I Stand by the Door said, “Once taste God and nothing but God will do.” 

So many things in my life that dissatisfy are a result of my failing to follow the process to be what I could be instead of what I am.  This process takes courage.  When God designs us he puts a pattern in our hearts for us to actualize in our lives.  The tension builds as we move further from that pattern.  Even if we do not admit it much of our pain is our failure to live out what God has created us to be with him.

The other aspect of the tension is the difference between how it is and how it should be in the world.  We conceive of a world where people treat each other with love and grace.  We feel the tension that it does not exist.  We live in a world where life is tense because we do not love each other as we should, as God intends us to love.  When we do not move toward the love that Christ wishes us to share in him we hinder the redemption process.

Tension yields pain in us.  The truth is that I can release that tension by faith and following thus reducing the pain.  I can put life in perspective and work to follow Christ instead of not following.  I can get up from my place of refusal and falling.  I can work toward the redemption that Christ wishes for us all.  I can move.  I dare you to move. 

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."

Dare You to Move – Welcome to Resistanc

Greetings Dear Reader,

Electrical Cord Burned by Resistance

In electrical terms resistance is the impedance of flow of current through a conductor.  You do not need to understand all the science behind this to get that it can be a bad thing.  For example if you use a long extension cord with a power saw that is not thick enough the resultant heating can burn through the cord.  The electrical impedance causes heating as the current is forced through the medium.  Energy is lost through resistance in the form of heat and that heat causes damage. 

So why the science lesson?  We resist God.  He resists our pride.  This causes damage.  Every time I resist what God calls me to do I create damage for myself or others.  Ohms law is a great spiritual lesson.  My resistance to God and what he calls me to become is a problem for everyone.  The energy lost through my resistance causes damage to that which is around me.  Eventually there is combustion of some kind.

When I refuse to follow Christ I am resisting the natural flow for which I was created.  When I fail to do what is right I create resistance and a hazard.  The power of God is intended to flow through me into the lives of others.  When I do not allow this to happen without resisting it the energy dissipation creates a dangerous problem. 

I dare you to move.  Resistance yields tension.

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."

Dare You to Move – Welcome to the Fallout

Greetings Dear Reader,

There is always fallout when we fall.  When I fail to faithfully follow Christ there is always collateral damage.  There is harm done to others just through my disobedience and faithlessness.  The big problem is that when I do not follow faithfully my selfishness keeps me from seeing the damage that I inflict.

I think that we do not really count the cost to others when we fail in our obligation to Christ.  When I sin it hurts those around me.  My failures as a husband caused harm to my children.  I was too blinded by the “need” to quell my own pain to see the fallout I was and would cause.  When we fail at faith and following or when we walk away from it altogether we do not see the great damage we do to others.

Everything about refusal to move toward Christ and remain faithful to him causes damage to others.  When I abandon my obligations to Christ for a moment or for good I harm others.  Since the abandonment is intentional so is the collateral damage no matter how much I might not intend it.

God is not to blame for any of my failures but others will blame him when my failures harm them.  This alone is reason to be more vigilant concerning my following Christ.  I cannot undo the damage I have already done with my failures.  I can, however, work to mitigate the fallout.  I can seek forgiveness and offer restitution.  I can live my life in such a way that shows I have learned from my failures.  I can move toward Christ in humility and love and dare others to do so as well.  I dare you to move. 

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."

Dare You to Move – Get Up

Greetings Dear Reader,

One of my favorite lines from any of the Batman movies is when Thomas Wayne asks the young Bruce, “And why do we fall, Bruce?”  There is a heartbeat of silence and then, “So we can learn to pick ourselves up.”  We will fall.  We will face plant.  We will be broken, damaged, and hurting. 

I have had days where getting out of bed hurt so much emotionally that I would have preferred to just stay there.  The world is a spiny, thorny place.  Some days I feel like I am swimming naked in a sea of shards of glass.  The thing is and this will not change: the only way out is through.

No matter how much it hurts or damages me I must move forward.  I must pursue Christ with all that I am.  I will fall, fail, and fracture.  I have to get up.  I have to keep going.  When I refuse to get up then I am refusing to follow. 

Jesus told me that in order to follow I had to take up the cross.  I have to feel the weight of the beam on my shoulder.  I must get up when I fall beneath the weight of it.  He did it for me and asks that I do it for him.  In order to move I risk falling and all the pain associated with it.  In order to keep moving I must get up when I fall.  It really is that simple.  “You do what you believe.  Everything else is just talk.”

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."