June Warned Leslie!

Kopp Disclosure
(John 3:19-21)

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June warned Leslie on our wedding day, "He's a kite. He's out there. He needs you to keep him from flying off completely; but, remember, don't try to hold him too close to the earth or you'll destroy what you love most about him. Hold on to him; but don't try to ground him. He wants to soar! He must soar to be who God meant him to be!"

Yeah.

Isaiah 40.

Colossians 3.

That's the, uh, mindset.

So, as Erma would say, I haven't always been a hot fudge sundae for my wife...or mom or anybody else.

To mix metaphors/genders, I'm Mary in a world/church of so/too many suffocating Marthas.

Because I believe He's alive and active in anyone who wants to soar with Him, I'm not afraid to change, expand my wineskin, travel those less-traveled roads, or whatever you and Eldridge wanna call it.

I just wanna ride!

Indeed, it really hasn't been that hard to change...

I don't know any other way to feel more safe and secure than holding firmly/calmly onto the hand of Jesus and stepping out of the...

If I didn't wanna upset the fundies and anal-spiritualists in my life, I'd say I feel like Peter Pan; and you can take that anyway that you're going to anyway.

Hey, I know this sounds rather self-indulgent; but I was taught early in seminary, "Preaching is truth through personality."

Nobody cares what Cyril of Alexandria said. They want to know how Jesus is working in your life because then maybe...

O.K., I'll get to the point.

If you think you've arrived, you haven't started.

If you think you're just fine, you've got more room for improvement than...

I feel like I've just grabbed onto the coattails of the Holy Spirit for the greatest ride of my life and ministry.

I feel like I'm just scratching the surface of my relationship with Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; and about to replace those trickles with rivers.

And if you don't know what any of the above means, that means you gotta spend more time looking up than down and around.

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While I know He loves everybody the same in the end, Jesus always seemed to like children the best.

Surely, I don't need to repeat the Sunday School version of why; but, using some more metaphors because Rice said they stick to the soul more than cold/wooden/academic propositions, I think it's because kids like kites more than hot water bottles.

Children are always learning, exploring, changing, growing, and...

It takes the child in older people to get it/Him: "Behold, I make all things new...even you!"

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My first mentor and home pastor, The Rev. Harold F. Mante who's been home with F/S/HS for many years now yet remains as alive as ever to me because he is by His eternal graces, often counseled/warned, "Never assume too much or too little about anyone."

Doing that, he meant, makes an ___ out of you and me.

Well, because I was preparing for what I'd always been called to be/do, that meant, specifically, for gals/guys like me to never assume pulpiteers/peers/pewsitters are real close to Jesus or real far away from Him.

Just wait and watch and you'll find out.

Titus 1:16 read both ways comes to mind.

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I don't know if any of this makes any sense to you.

I'm having a hard time with it myself.

All I'm trying to say is don't stop looking up, standing up, speaking up, and acting up for Jesus; unless, of course, you wanna be grounded.

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BTW, June is older in actual age than me but shares the same spirit of agelessness in Jesus.

We met over three decades ago in a New Jersey church where I could never really figure out anybody's age.

That's why it soared.

Kites!

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Blessings and Love!