Second Thoughts ~ Project Tortoise Shell – Part 1

Greetings Dear Reader,

First, let me be very clear that I am not asking you for money.  This is, rather, my way of updating and enlisting your support in understanding my goals.  Your kindness and support have allowed me to see two new books published this year:  Thoughts and Questions on Ephesians and next week The Twelve Tales of Christmas.  

The next step in my journey is two-fold.  I am determined to get to the place where I am only writing for my income.  These two new books and the re-publication of Sheetrock on the Road should help.  That can only be accomplished through book sales.

The other, more daring and exciting aspect is my desire to become more nomadic in my journey.   I have found and wish to purchase a motorhome (caravan).   The one I want is suited to my needs and would allow me to visit people whom I have not seen in years.  Further, it would allow for me to write from anywhere and lower the cost of travel and lodging for book signings and speaking events.  So, here is what I need from you Dear Reader.

• Pray for me to get the motorhome. 
• Pray for me to keep pace at writing as my goal is to put out two novels a year.
• Pray for me to sell 10,000 books a year.
• Read and Share my BLOG – this helps more than you realize.
• Invite me to speak at your church, youth group, school, or event.  We can work out a fee that meets your budget.
• Buy my books

I am thankful for you and your faithful following of my work.  I am excited to be drawing closer to a dream I have had since I was eight.  Your part in it is always a source of joy and gratitude for me.  Look for my book launch and more information on this in Part 2 later this week.

 

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: From My Publisher or on Amazon                 

Web Page:  www.aramisthorn.com

Bookings: aramisthorn@aramisthorn.com

Facebook        Twitter        

Medium           Instagram 

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

Simple Gratitude ~ Motion

Greetings Dear Reader,

Most mornings now, my first movement is to coax the stiffness out of my frame and rise from my repose.  Once the stiffness is abated movement is quite easy.  The problem is that I forget how it is not always that way for others.

In that moment of difficulty at the start of each day, I am trying to develop deeper gratitude for motion and the need for it.  Physical motion, however, is not enough.  We must move mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.  The motion forward in all of these must be constant.  Each day holds opportunities to find a closer walk with Christ in every area of our being.

Consider this; the greatest commandment is to love the Father with all of our heart, mind, soul, and strength.  It is to be this way in every moment.  This is why I have chosen this as a theme all year long and why I am trying to learn the art of constant love of the Father.  I want every moment of life to be moving toward a deep love for him and all that he loves.

This is seeking the kingdom of God and his righteousness.  This is becoming a living sacrifice fit for his service.  Everything else that is, is built on this one thing.  Motion is moving forward in each of these daily, in an attempt to follow Christ.  It translates into one of my more measurable goals.  I will write about a part of that tonight.  What I am seeking to become is someone who is where I need to be in the right moment at every moment. 

The idea that we can become people, who even when we are still are in constant motion seems odd.  What it takes is determining to believe that we can be what Jesus described to Nicodemus.  “The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going.  So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”  It is in this that we find the freedom to be available to wherever the Father directs us whenever he directs us there.  This is the constant motion that we need.  The value is that people will say to you, “God is amazing and he puts people right where they need to be when they need to be there! You were right where you needed to be at the exact right time.”

That is why we are to be in constant motion in our heart, soul, mind, and body.  It is the way we love the Father in all things by being born of and bourn by the Spirit.  It is difficult.  It is not always painless.  It is, however, worth it Dear Reader.  For today, I will concentrate on being led by the heart of the Father in loving every human by being in constant motion in these things.  I am thankful that these things weave together into a life of following Christ in faith.  Following, after all, is motion.  So, Dear Reader, let us dare each other to move.

Dare You to Move – Switchfoot

Welcome to the planet
Welcome to existence
Everyone's here
Everyone's here
Everybody's watching you know
Everybody waits for you now
What happens next?
What happens next?

I dare you to move
I dare you to move
I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor
I dare you to move
I dare you to move
Like today never happened
Today never happened before

Welcome to the fallout
Welcome to resistance
The tension is here
The tension is here
Between who you are and who you could be
Between how it is and how it should be
Yeah

I dare you to move
I dare you to move
I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor
I dare you to move
I dare you to move
Like today never happened
Today never happened before

Maybe redemption has stories to tell
Maybe forgiveness is right where you fell
Where can you run to escape from yourself?
Where you gonna go?
Where you gonna go?
Salvation is here

I dare you to move
I dare you to move
I dare you to lift yourself
To lift yourself up off the floor

I dare you to move
I dare you to move
Like today never happened
Today never happened
Today never happened
Today never happened before

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: From My Publisher or on Amazon          

Web Page:  www.aramisthorn.com

Bookings: aramisthorn@aramisthorn.com

Facebook       Twitter        

Medium          Instagram 

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

Simple Gratitude ~ Food

Greetings Dear Reader,

We all know that we are supposed to be grateful for the provision of our daily bread.  We are obligated to realize that all we are given and all that we earn are still gifts from the Father.  My simple gratitude today flows from the idea of shared meals with friends or family.

I have always disliked eating alone.  I also find great joy in sitting at a meal with others sharing stories, adventures, and blessings.  I revel in celebrating those who have reached milestones or achieved something significant.  I am still dining on the joy I felt sharing a meal with my life group this past Wednesday. 

There was no time for this built into our group schedule this Autumn and our leaders wisely found a way.  They see the value of people bonding over food and the ground that can be gained.  I was privileged to see one of the families in their home and meet their children.  This too was a blessing for which I am thankful.

We are too quick to dismiss the value of informal times where our guard is down and our conversation is not directed toward a book chapter or Bible topic.  I was able to see people that I already love from a relaxed and social perspective.  When we approach these situations predisposed to loving others, we can gain great insight into the grace and beauty created in others.

I learned to love my fellow travelers more deeply this week.  It was not because of the needs shared for prayer or their struggles with the topic of the week.  It is because I saw more of their humanity and the beauty of the Creator within that creation.  I witnessed the love passing between friends.  I saw the way in which a family chooses to serve others.  All the elements of love God and love thy neighbor were there and that creates holy ground even when we do not notice it. 

The entire idea of eating together is as old as humans.  Too often now even when we eat with others the time is brief and we are rushing off to the next thing.   It is when we take the time to sit, eat, and converse that something new and beautiful appears.  I am thankful that I can obtain good food and consume it.  I am deeply grateful, Dear Reader, for the meals we share and the times when our conversation leaves us both richer and satisfied.  As we approach the feasting of these Holy Days, let us remember to cherish the people.  In the journey home, they are what matters.

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: From My Publisher or on Amazon                   

Web Page:  www.aramisthorn.com

Bookings: aramisthorn@aramisthorn.com

Facebook        Twitter        

Medium           Instagram 

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

Simple Gratitude ~ Clerks

Greetings Dear Reader,

First, I do not mean the movie.  I have seen the movie and found it humorous but I want to focus on the people who make minimum wage and spend their working hours serving us.  I try to mention this hard-working group of people every year.

I will get practical in a moment but let us consider the why before the how.  If we are going to evidence gratitude for something, we must be intentional about it.  We must plan in advance how we are going to show our gratitude to others.

Why we should do this for clerks is quite simple.  Whether it is the convenience store, the grocers, or the movie theater, the person with whom we interact is serving us.  Even if it is only for a few minutes, we are engaged in an exchange based on commerce.  How we act in those few moments can matter much longer than we consider. 

I often drive from Georgia to Wisconsin.  I am a creature of habit.  I prefer to drive at night and know the places I like to stop.  I like to eat at the same places and get my petrol at the same servos.  When I drove up to help my Son, Bezel move this past month, I drove back alone and was able to stop at my favorite breakfast place on the road.  It was about a half-hour too early for it to be open, so I decided to fill up the tank in the truck first.

I pulled into the station where I always top up the tank that is near the aforementioned restaurant.  After filling up, I went inside to acquire a drink for the next leg of the trip after breakfast.  When I went in, the young lady behind the counter greeted me with a smile and a wave and I returned the same.  After selecting my drink and some nuts, I proceed to the counter to pay. 

Linda, the clerk smiles at me excitedly and blurts, “I remember you!”  Before I can respond she tells me about the time I came in a few years back and why it made a difference to her.  I will not go into the details here but I will tell you what I did that made such a big difference.  I did not do anything different than I normally do in this situation.

Here is the promised practical potential in interacting with clerks.  Remember that they are humans with real lives and genuine needs.  Enter the encounter at the counter intending to deposit love and kindness into the person with whom you transact.  Feel the gratitude for their being there to serve your needs.  Even if you can only offer a genuine moment of interaction, you are giving more than most offer in their transaction with that clerk.  Be polite, engaged, and present as you acquire your petrol, coffee, groceries, or burgers.  Represent Christ in that moment.  Look for ways to show his love and perhaps make a difference in a life.  I am grateful for clerks, Dear Reader.  I hope to always show 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 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: From My Publisher or on Amazon                   

Web Page:  www.aramisthorn.com

Bookings: aramisthorn@aramisthorn.com

Facebook        Twitter        

Medium           Instagram 

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

Simple Gratitude ~ Constant Creation

Greetings Dear Reader,

I was speaking with my friend Bob on Sunday.  We were discussing the beauty of the cool Autumn weather, not to pass the time but because we both appreciated the weather.  I recalled that my Grandfather always took the time to talk about the weather and point out the creation involved in it.

One of the things he taught has stuck all these years.  We were out on the first day of bow hunting season, eating a breakfast of hardboiled eggs, cold sausage patties, and pilfered pecan pie.  Perched on his favorite watching hill, we could see the valley in which we would hunt and the stream off to the east.  It was light and the sun would soon creep over the hill beyond the stream.

As I bit into the piece of pie from my Grandmother’s cupboard, my Grandfather pointed to the single shaft of light streaking upward among the tattered morning clouds.  He smiled at me kindly and said, “It looks like God is going to give us a light show before we head down to hunt.  Leave us stay and watch it.”

I was content to sit there with him as long as he wished.  I had also learned that if I said nothing he would say more.  He would tell me what he was really thinking.  He did.  Pointing at the pink and orange hues that complimented the fiery Autumn leaves he said, “Always remember when you see a pretty sunrise that the Father is making sunrise all day every day.  There is never a minute when the sun is not rising and setting and he is painting the sky for his pleasure and our instruction.”

Even in the times when I was furthest from God the sunrise and sunsets in my life have reminded me that the Father is in the business of constant creation.  The Father does this for the world and for me.  He does it for us all Dear Reader.  It is in his nature to create and his desire is to constantly recreate us into what we are meant to become.

I am thankful for the sunrises that remind me of the love of the Father and practice thanking him when their beauty presents itself.  This simple gratitude is a conscious constant reminder that he is working constantly to bring us all back to good.  We do our part by following the Son with grateful hearts.  Thank you for walking with me, Dear Reader.

Doulos – Kemper Crabb

You are my God

And I am your man

I will follow you

With the work of my hand

And the thoughts of my mind

And the love of my heart

If the world could know

If they could understand

Ah, the exquisite touch

Of the Creator's hand

Brings a blur to my eye

But makes my vision clear

Ring, rainbow ring

Encircles the throne

Fiery ring of love

Around your throne

Here is my ear

Drive through the nail

The world will know

By the ring that I wear

That I am not for sale

For you are my God

And I am your man

Ring, rainbow ring

Encircles the throne

Fiery ring of love

Around your throne

A ring to show

Just where I stand

A ring that binds my heart

Into your hand

You are my God

And I am your man

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: From My Publisher or on Amazon                   

Web Page:  www.aramisthorn.com

Bookings: aramisthorn@aramisthorn.com

Facebook        Twitter        

Medium           Instagram 

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

Simple Gratitude ~ Text Messages

Greetings Dear Reader,

I am older than email.  I have seen the computer go from a fancy idea to the keystone of communication for much of the business world. Technology provides my income until you buy enough of my books.  I am thankful for most of the technology in my life. 

Specifically, I am thankful for text messages.  I cannot always answer a call.  The text message lets someone communicate at his or her convenience without it having to be immediate.  I always answer as soon as I can out of courtesy.  It is also a good thing for remembering what was said.

When we use a text message to express kindness, compassion, support, or love we create something to which someone can return to see the words we sent.  I use this very prevalent tool to encourage others.  I have also used it to not be so kind and have chosen to never do that again.  I think what it comes down to is simple gratitude for communication.

It is the communication that is key.  I am thankful for the freedom and ease with which I can reach out to others to be good.  I want to communicate love and kindness.  There are people whose lives are busy and I can insert that communication into the day without breaking their stride.  I am thankful that the opportunity is always there and I plan to use it judiciously. 

Know, Dear Reader, that at the core of the matter is that I am thankful for the simple use of communication.  I find that the simple use of kindness in text messages can make a difference.  I am encouraged when others do the same for me.  The extended benefit is that it reminds me to have care in all that I communicate. 

I have gratitude for text messages because, ultimately, they help me communicate Christ to others through love and kindness.  They surprise me with joy and hope when it is unexpected.  This simple thing pushes me to simple gratitude daily.  I want to use that gratitude to influence all of my communication.  I want continuously message love and hope to you.

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        Twitter        My Publisher

Medium   Instagram 

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

Simple Gratitude ~ Water

Greetings Dear Reader,

Recently, due to a cause unknown to me, the water was off where I abide.  I discovered this when I went to fill my water bottle.  When I turned on the tap and nothing happened, I stood there confused for just a moment.  I realized that it had been decades since I had turned on the water and there was not any.

We take for granted that we have clean, fresh, readily available water.  This is not true always everywhere.  Rather, it is one of the advantages of living in a more developed country.  Further, the water is not always clean here.  Bottled water is a billion-dollar industry.  The only brand of it I really like is $12 a gallon.  We still waste so much water and express so little gratitude for it.

After that day when the water was off, I took stock of how I treat water.  I have been paying close attention to things that I do that show or neglect gratitude for water.  I look for ways to not waste a drop and it is easier than I thought.  Here are a few things to consider.  How do we treat water when we are brushing our teeth?  Are there times when we leave the water running when it is unnecessary?  Do we consider all the ways in which we use water daily and express our appreciation for its provision?  

The point is that water is something for which I am trying to have constant simple gratitude.  I can do better.  I noticed times when I do not use all the water I have taken.  I whisper a prayer of gratitude when I turn on the faucet.  It is neither formal nor lengthy.  I also remember that Jesus said that he is the “water of life.”  If he is going to identify so deeply with water then I had best respect it and be thankful.  Even as I type this, water heats, turns to steam, and flows through ground coffee beans so that I may enjoy a morning cup of coffee.

Something so essential to life is easy to obtain here.  I must remember to show gratitude for it in how I think about it and how I use it.  Even hand out a cup of cold water is service to Christ.  That alone, Dear Reader, is reason enough to practice simple gratitude for 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 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        Twitter            

Medium   Instagram 

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

Simple Gratitude ~ Opening Thoughts

Greetings Dear Reader,

I read a meme this past week that I will edit to lose the vulgarity in it.  I would also replace the cynicism with hope and a little grace.  The paraphrase would be, “November is the month where people who have been jerks for the last eleven months want to show us how thankful they are.”

There are other approaches to this.  I try to focus on gratitude daily all year round.  During November, I try to find ways to up my awareness of that for which I should be thankful.  I also try to share my journey in this with you so that perhaps you can find more gratitude in your life.  I am not saying that you lack it.  I am suggesting that, like me, you can also find more things for which to be thankful.

This year, I want to focus on small things for which to be thankful.  I want to focus on the many simple things that result in the complexity of creating a life filled with gratitude.  As I am learning about the darker parts of my heart and combating them, I was told this: “Anyone who spent a great deal of time with you will overthink everything in good and bad ways.”  That hurt deeply because it is true.  I am, however, thankful for the understanding it gave me.  I realize that one of the keys to unlocking those chains in me is gratitude.  If I can become more grateful for what I have then I will want less.

Another aspect of this is that we can even be thankful for the things in our lives that need repair, retooling, or refit.  Those are all opportunities to grow.  They are chances to be better than we were yesterday.  The love of the Father pushes us to be better every day.  It asks that we see just how much he showers his love on us in every moment.

I want to see his love in the simple things so that they build into a constant attitude of gratitude.  If I can focus on developing simple gratitude in my daily journey, then perhaps I can build that into a life of gratitude that expresses the love of Christ in all that I see.  I am thankful, Dear Reader.  I want it to show.  If you would walk with me for a bit, I will share my simple gratitude with you.  I will share my thoughts with you and as always, welcome yours.  If we spend the month doing this, perhaps it can become a habit.

Somewhere Only We Know — Kacey Musgraves

I walked across an empty land
I knew the pathway like the back of my hand
I felt the earth beneath my feet
Sat by the river, and it made me complete

Oh, simple thing, where have you gone?
I’m getting old, and I need something to rely on
So tell me when you’re gonna let me in
I’m getting tired, and I need somewhere to begin

I came across a fallen tree
I felt the branches of it looking at me.
Is this the place we used to love?
Is this the place that I’ve been dreaming of?

Oh, simple thing, where have you gone?
I’m getting old, and I need something to rely on.
So tell me when you’re gonna let me in.
I’m getting tired, and I need somewhere to begin.

And if you have a minute, why don’t we go,
Talk about it somewhere only we know?
This could be the end of everything.
So why don’t we go,
Somewhere only we know?

Oh, simple thing, where have you gone?
I’m getting old, and I need something to rely on.
So tell me when you’re gonna let me in?
I’m getting tired, and I need somewhere to begin.

And if you have a minute, why don’t we go,
Talk about it somewhere only we know?
This could be the end of everything
So why don’t we go?
So why don’t we go?

This could be the end of everything
So why don’t we go
Somewhere only we know
Somewhere only we know
Somewhere only we know?

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        Twitter            

Medium   Instagram 

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

The Hallowed Days ~ All Souls

Greetings Dear Reader,

Some cultures refer to today as the Day of the Dead.  There are few things that are inevitable and none as certain as death.  We are all born owing a life.  We all have that appointment with the end of this part of the journey.  My first published novel, Chronicles of Thanatos, the Reaper, is an attempt to explain the vital role that death plays in life.

We think that what matters is possessions and our physical life.  People acquire, exercise, and indulge whilst focused primarily on this mortal aspect of our pilgrimage back to the Father.  What we seem to have lost along the way is the value of every single soul.  We seem memes that make light of the death of others.  We cheer when political enemies die.  We speak ill of the dead when we know they cannot answer our accusations.  We have lost respect for the soul along with our respect for life.

If we are to hallow any aspect of the human experience, it must be that we seek to hallow the soul.  It is for the sake of the soul that we care for the body, respect the heart, and attend to the physical needs of others.  It is for the benefit of our souls and theirs that we are to live in love, grace, and compassion.

It is also vital to understand that there is nothing in life that is separate from this hallowing.  There are no issues, agendas, or endeavors that are segregated from the journey of our souls back to God.  There are no secular issues and it is after death that we must account for how we have used our lives.  It is true, therefore, that “how we deal with death is at least as important as how we deal with life.”  There is no death that does not impact us all even if we do not see it. 

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 if a manor of thy friend's 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. – John Donne

We must all be involved in mankind Dear Reader.  Every soul that I encounter must matter to me.  Every encounter is my opportunity to be good to that soul.  It is in being good that we find the reserves of love we need to feed that difference and weather the diminishing.   I have a friend whose son is fighting for his life.  I have never met the son.  Still, his struggle is mine as well.  He is a life, created and loved by the Father.  That is enough for me to care, pray, encourage, and live among the bells as if they are all calling for me. 

We will turn toward gratitude tomorrow.  For today, however, let us pause to honor those who have gone before us.  More so, let us breathe a prayer of gratitude for those who travel with us, invest in their lives, and hallow all things with love in every moment.  Let us hallow our lives to gratitude, love, peace, and joy that is called for by these Holy Days.

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        Twitter            

Medium   Instagram 

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

The Hallowed Days ~ All Saints

Greetings Dear Reader,

For those of you who do not share my faith, this has nothing to do with the New Orleans football team, the British fashion line, or the movie of that title.  The latter bears one’s attention, however.  What we are speaking about is the day in which we honor all the saints, all those known and unknown who have followed Christ in faith.

I am not talking about just the miracle workers or the famous icons of our history.  I am speaking of all those who fight every moment to be more like Christ in love and faith.  This all sounds very “religious” to some but it is at the core of the inclusiveness of faith.  Anyone who makes it a practice to seek the Father through the Son is honored today.  I realize that you do not all agree with this but I will honor you none-the-less. 

It is my heart to be sure that anyone with the courage to have faith in a world where it is thin be respected and honored.  Your faith need not be strong or large.  It is not required that it be unwavering or lack questions.  I have a friend, Brian, who shows great faith because in his doubt he relentlessly pursues the truth.  The faith to keep seeking is a faith to be honored.

I find that my faith, though hard-won, is easy to hold.  I do not always employ it well but it is rarely thin.  In that blessing, I must avoid the curse of forgetting that it is not easy for everyone.  Simply saying to have faith can be condescending and an insult to those who battle to hold onto the mustard seed they possess. 

If you have faith in any measure and seek to follow in it, you are doing the work of a saint.  So, today I express my gratitude for your company in the journey and my love for you as we travel home to that Undiscovered Country only reachable through faith.  It is this gratitude, Dear Reader, that I wish to hone as we begin the turn toward the other Holy Days.  After all, if we journey with saints, the entire duration of the journey is hallowed.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

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

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