Fellow Travelers ~ Closing

Greetings Dear Reader,

We travel with others whether we wish it or not.  From the lifelong journey with family to falling in step with someone in line for buying groceries, we encounter people.  They journey with us and we have the opportunity to be good to them.

I realize that it can be much more complex than this.  That does not mean that there is not the opportunity to be kind in every moment.  We all have failings that grind on the nerves and feelings of others.  If we hope for others to overlook them and be kind to us, we must be active in doing the same. 

The joy in our journey is found in discovering the unique beauty in every fellow traveler.  They all have something to teach us and we have lessons to learn.  Their gifts and ours can combine to make the world better one encounter at a time.  I must be vigilant to do my part.  I must look for the needs of my fellow travelers. 

We are intended to love each other as we travel together.  We are meant to take care of each other.  The needs we see are our responsibility.  I find so much richness in the infinite diversity of my fellow travelers.  As I move on down the path I hope that I can give as good as I get.  You, Dear Reader, are always welcome to walk with 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 home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Contacts for Aramis Thorn:

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

Facebook      Google +   

Twitter            Medium    

Kids BLOG

Novels on Amazon             

Bookings at aramisthorn@aramisthorn.com

Fellow Travelers ~ Where are We Headed

Greetings Dear Reader,

I am aware that all of you do not believe the same things that I believe.  It makes me grateful that you travel with me despite our differences.  I have said before that we are all on a journey back to God. 

Since I believe this is true of all of us, it becomes vital to understand how I treat my fellow travelers.  I am not sure what the clearing at the end of the path looks like. I am sure that when I get there I will have to account for how I treated my fellow travelers.  What I said and what I did will be measured as to their value.

This does not mean that I have to earn or merit my place with Christ.  That is not possible.  I am unable to earn redemption.  No one can earn redemption.  One cannot buy the love of someone who already loves completely and unconditionally.  It is just not possible.

We are headed to the end of things not being good.  We are unable to get there on our own.  We are supposed to help; each other get there.  This is accomplished by loving the one we follow and by loving our fellow travelers. 

Where we are headed does not tolerate hatred or evil.  It is good.  I must, therefore, be good.  I must live my love for Christ by loving my fellow travelers.  We carry a cross along the way but are promised joy at the end of the journey.  That has to be enough for me to keep traveling with others showing them love and compassion along the way.

Pilgrims to the City of God – Michael Card

Pilgrims of passion we follow the One

Who holds out a cross and a crown

We travel a dark road that has but one Light

For we have here no lasting town

Sometimes we run by the power of His might

On our own at the best we can plod

What we hopefully look for is just beyond sight

We are pilgrims to the city of God

The stigma of strangers lost in a strange land

In a fallen world that's not our home

But we are not just homeless prodigals here

Because we have someplace to go

Sometimes we run by the power of His might

On our own at the best we can plod

What we hopefully look for is just beyond sight

We are pilgrims to the city of God

Behold you have come to Mount Zion

The City of Great King

To thousands and thousands of angels who've come

Assembled to joyfully sing, they sing

And sometimes we run by the power of His might

On our own at the best we can plod

What we hopefully look for is just beyond sight

We are pilgrims to the city 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 home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Contacts for Aramis Thorn:

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

Facebook      Google +   

Twitter            Medium    

Kids BLOG

Novels on Amazon             

Bookings at aramisthorn@aramisthorn.com

Fellow Travelers ~ Walking not Standing

Greetings Dear Reader,

Traveling implies movement.  We are on a journey and we travel together for a day, a moment, or a lifetime.  What matters is not what we carry or the speed at which we travel.  What matters is how we treat each other along the journey.

Instead of treating each other with love and respect, we lie, harm, and avoid each other.  We stand where our hurts and offenses have stopped us instead of walking together.  We become cemented into ways of thinking and acting that reject those who would travel with us.  This is what destroys friendships and families.

My Grandfather used to often say, “You do what you believe.  Everything else is just talk.”  He would also remind me when I would boast about what I was going to do, “Well you have the talking part done.”  

When we fail to do right by those around us we stop traveling with them.  We put them in doubt of our value of them as fellow travelers.  I fail to travel “with” someone when I do not show him or her the love, loyalty, and kindness I am obligated to show.  I stand in my own opinions when I should be walking with someone; listening and caring. 

When we fail to care for each other we collect baggage that slows us down or even stops us altogether.  If we truly believe that we are meant to travel together and care for each other, then we must do so.  We must be walking and not just standing.  We are fettered to the future and, therefore, cannot afford to stand in the prison of the past.

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:

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

Facebook      Google +   

Twitter            Medium    

Kids BLOG

Novels on Amazon             

Bookings at aramisthorn@aramisthorn.com

Fellow Travelers ~ Compartmentalizing

Greetings Dear Reader,

We put our fellow travelers in boxes, or perhaps bubbles.  It would be difficult to travel in a box.  Still we compartmentalize our relationships into areas that are comfortable for us.

In some ways doing this is necessary.  One does not have the same relationship with everyone.  Some compartments are necessary and good.  Some are more important than others.  The trouble is that we also form compartments with fellow travelers that are unhealthy.

I had a co-worker once tell me that it is allowable to lie to another group of co-workers because they do not really understand the technology.  Since lying is inherently wrong to treat any fellow traveler this way is to create barriers and risk.  The other thing that it does is that it withholds love and kindness to someone for the purpose of gain. 

All of my fellow travelers are entitled to love and respect.  When I compartmentalize them into groups that do not get this I am harming everyone involved.  This extends to how I view those who disagree with me socially, politically, and in faith.  There are natural and chosen differences but none of them require me to compartmentalize my fellow travelers in a way that harms them.

The journey is difficult and we need each other.  If I relegate someone to a bubble of rejection then I lose out on the uniqueness of his or her gifts.  I miss out on the things they bring to the journey that I need. 

We need each other more that we admit.  I cannot travel alone.  Since I do not always know what I need, it is vital that I not ignore the potential of others.  It might be that their gifts fit my need in the moment.  Better still, it might be that my kindness can reach through the bubbles they create and help burst them.  That is always a beautiful thing.

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:

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

Facebook      Google +   

Twitter            Medium    

Kids BLOG

Novels on Amazon             

Bookings at aramisthorn@aramisthorn.com

Fellow Travelers ~ The Unlikable

Greetings Dear Reader,

On Thursday last week a friend told me that she feels like nobody really likes her.  I reminded her that I did like her and that I have a choice about it.  Her response was that I like everyone.  I am required to love everyone but not to like everyone. 

I am supposed to be kind to all humans.  I think that people confuse kindness with approval, agreement, and friendship.  I try to be friendly to everyone.  I will be friends with almost anyone who needs a friend.  I can disagree with you on most things and still be your friend.

The difficulty is that we are forgetting that there will be fellow travelers that we do not like.  As long as it is not based on some rejection of the person it is allowable to dislike someone.  I find it difficult to find people to dislike when it is not my own problem.  When I look at the genuine reasons for my dislike they are almost always based on my own preferences or prejudices. 

We form our opinions of people based on our standards.  If, however, we are obedient to the command to love everyone, it becomes difficult to justify dislike.  There it is.  We have to justify our dislike of our fellow travelers.  We have to have reasons that almost always turn out to be some social choice that we find unpleasant.

I never know their whole story.  I never know what my kindness and compassion toward someone can unveil.  Not everyone is “likeable” by our standards.  If we remove that filter we may find more in common than we realize.  No matter how I feel I am obligated to treat everyone with kindness. 

I have often found great beauty in the souls of those who I thought I did not like.  Once I set aside my own prejudices to walk with them a bit I found common footing.  If I am going to love everyone and be kind to them, I must look past my own preferences to the unique gift that everyone is to the world.  Each fellow traveler has something to teach me if I clear space to learn.  I have a choice about who I like.  I must always choose wisely. 

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 ͡°)

Contact for Aramis Thorn:

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

Facebook      Google +     
Twitter     Medium     
Kids BLOG

Novels on Amazon              
Bookings at aramisthorn@aramisthorn.com 

Second Thoughts ~ Monthly Marketing Moment

Greetings Dear Reader,

Christmas novels must be
written before Christmas 

Someone told me recently that I should not call this a “marketing moment” because people will not read it.  I am choosing to be open about it because I do not desire to “trick” anyone into reading my marketing posts.  I also owe it to those who support me to be accountable for my promise to work harder to market my work.

If you stop here Dear Reader, I will not be offended.  Here is an update and my marketing needs:

The Twelve Tales of Christmas is complete and being edited.  Cover design is in progress and should be complete by the end of June. 

Magi: The Gift Bearers will be complete by the end of June if things stay on pace.  Cover design for it will be complete by the end of July.

I hope to have both to the publisher by the end of August.

Here is what you can do to help Dear Reader:

• Comment on and Share my BLOG:  http://aramisthorn.blogspot.com/ .  Going to the actual blog page is the best but Facebook, Google +, Twitter, and Medium are helpful as well.  Every time you share or comment on my blog it raises my visibility.  Whilst you are there you can also follow me on these sites. 
• I also have a kids BLOG: https://aramisthornkids.blogspot.com/ .  Always friendly and kid safe.  The youngsters in your life can interact with a real author.  
• Read my novels.  You can get them HERE.
• Post reviews after you read my novels.  I would love to know when you have done this. Please send me a link.
• If you want me to come talk to your book club, social circle, writer’s group, or any other group you think would be interested you can reach me at aramisthorn@aramisthorn.com..  I would be happy to share my journey and experience in hopes of encouraging others along the way.

Thank you as always Dear Reader for your support and kindness. 

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 ͡°)

Contact for Aramis Thorn:

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

Facebook      Google +     Twitter     Medium     Kids BLOG:

Novels on Amazon              Bookings at aramisthorn@aramisthorn.com.

Fellow Travelers ~ Aliens and Strangers

Greetings Dear Reader,

I was shopping at the local grocer last week.  I watched, amused, as a fellow shopper walked a circuit of two isles three times.  Moved to compassion I asked if she needed help finding something. 

Greeted with a radiant smile, she responded that she was trying to remember if she forgot something.  We chatted a moment about this common grocery store malady.  The shared laugh and interaction were met with kind gratitude for my caring enough to ask. 

As I was pondering this series on fellow travelers this moment reinforced the vital nature of the moments when we travel with those we do not know.  Whether it is standing in line to pay for my groceries or a conjunction of paths at the park, it is vital that we recognize the opportunity to share kindness with momentary fellow travelers. 

We are given the opportunity to, at minimum, be good to someone.  Sometimes, we are given the chance to make a difference in another life.  I have life-long friends that are in that position because one of us took the chance to just be kind to the other when we fell in step on the journey.

I am alive because a stranger saw me and had compassion when I was much younger.  As one who used to feed on anger and pain, dining on kindness and being good to others is much more satisfying.  I may never know what the outcome of my kindness to strangers is.  What matters is that when we share the path, that I am aware of the need to be kind live it out whilst we travel together.  When I do so I feel very good.  That is a good enough reason on its own.

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 ͡°)

Fellow Travelers ~ The Long Haul

Greetings Dear Reader,

In The Hobbit, as Thorin, Bilbo, and company are about to enter Mirkwood, Gandalf warns them, ” Stick to the forest-track, keep your spirits up, hope for the best, and with a tremendous slice of luck you may come out one day and see the Long Marshes lying below you, and beyond them, high in the East, the Lonely Mountain where dear old Smaug lives, though I hope he is not expecting you.”

He warns them not to stray from the path.  He explains that finding it once left is not an easy task.  The path was the safe way through though.  It was the way in and the way out.  Then the path became their reality and they forgot its goodness.  “But they had to go on and on, long after they were sick for the sight of the sun and of the sky, and longed for the feel of wind on their faces. There was no movement of air down under the forest-roof, and it was everlastingly still and dark and stuffy.”

Sometimes the road can seem long and we become weary.  We become tempted to try shortcuts, take a different path, or go it alone.  These things do not work.  The path is the path. It is narrow and hard to find again once we leave it.  Even when things are dank, dark, or suffocating the path is the place to be. 

As fellow travelers we are meant to be on the path.  We are designed to support and care for each other.  We are to keep each other on the path through love and encouragement.  The group of fellow travelers in The Hobbit failed to care for each other and got lost first in their own complaints and wants.  They were lost long in their minds before they ever set foot off the path.  They forgot that the path was the safest way through when they needed it most.  They forgot to keep each other on it.

The long road home will have place where we do not walk in the sun.  It will be Mirkwood at times.  We will feel like we are suffocating under the oppressive environment.  The truth is that the only way out is through.  The fellow travelers we have need encouragement to stay the path.  We do too.

It is in the caring for each other when the path is dark and dank that we realize the great value of fellow travelers.  We must not reject them when they come along side us and remind us that we need to stay the path.  We must not disregard them when they warn us not to dwell on our wants over keeping to the course.  We must encourage them when they need it as well.

I am sure that the dismal parts of the journey have much to teach me.  I am tempted to find a shortcut or blaze a new path altogether.  I have tried that before and failed. It is hardest when I get my eyes off of the journey, the purpose and only see the darkness and feel the humidity.  The long haul is weary but the only way out is through. 

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 ͡°)

Fellow Travelers ~ The Vital Nature

Greetings Dear Reader,

'No Man is an Island' – John Donne

No man is an island entire of itself; every man

is a piece of the continent, a part of the main;

if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe

is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as

well as any manner of thy friends or of thine

own were; any man's death diminishes me,

because I am involved in mankind.

And therefore, never send to know for whom

the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.

When John Donne wrote that “no man is an island”, he was writing about death.  The bell that was tolling was the death bell he could hear from his sick bed.  When he told us to seek not for whom the bell tolls he reminds us that we all face death.

When we consider the fact that it is rare for someone to want to die alone, we must also consider that if this is to be prevented we need fellow travelers.  We need people who walk with us.  We need those who see us and value our part in the journey.  The makeup of our being is to connect and have community.

Pain and joy will be part of the journey.  We will travel through darkness and light.  We are not meant to do so alone., We need fellow travelers with whom we can share our joy and sorrow.  We not only benefit from sharing this but we give benefit to those with whom we share it.  It is the sharing of our pain and joy that brings us closer and makes us stronger.

The other aspect of this is perspective.  When we share our journey with fellow travelers we see that we are not the only ones who suffer or have joy.  We get the resounding reminder that we are not alone.  The first thing that the Father ever said was not good was that it is not good for man to be alone. 

The bell will toll for us one day.  We will reach the clearing at the end of the path.  The fellow travelers we have collected along the way will go on without anything of us but that which we shared with them whilst we walked together.  I want to be know for loving them.  I want to be remembered as someone who saw every encounter whether life-long or single serving as an opportunity to show kindness and love.  How about you 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 home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Fellow Travelers ~ Opening Thoughts

Greetings Dear Reader,

Imagine for a moment your deepest fear.  Whatever it is, I want you to know that I care.  Since I have brought thoughts of it to the surface, I feel it only just that I tell you mine.  I feel it when I touch my oldest memory.  I am immersed in it almost daily. 

Ever since I can remember, being alone, especially at night fills me with almost debilitating fear.  I manage it most of the time.  I have spoken with counselors about this over the years and nothing really helps.  We cannot get at the root of what causes it. 

I cope in both good and bad ways.  Lately I have been coping in some ways that are unwise.  I am not doing anything that is dangerous for me physically but I have been exerting more control and that is not healthy.  I am not sure how long I need to navigate this path but I know that I need to do so.

We have so many fellow travelers along the journey.  Some are closer than others.  Some get close enough to help.  We fall out of step with some whilst falling in step with others.  Our need is to do the most good we can for each other whilst we are in step.

There are fellow travelers I miss.  There may be travelers who miss me.  I know that I have developed specific thoughts about the journey, community, and our inter-dependence that I want to solidify into something that I can keep with me as I continue.

The source of this is dark but in it I am seeking light.  I could use your company Dear Reader.  As always, your thoughts and questions are welcome.

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 ͡°)