{"id":1514,"date":"2017-04-10T13:18:11","date_gmt":"2017-04-10T18:18:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/afriendoftheking.com\/?p=1514"},"modified":"2022-01-10T21:36:27","modified_gmt":"2022-01-11T03:36:27","slug":"friends-freedom-flight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/afriendoftheking.com\/?p=1514","title":{"rendered":"Friends Freedom Flight"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>

Awaiting the Freedom of Flight<\/p><\/div>\n

As some of you know, and others may have gathered, I\u2019ve been led to a life long career and love of aviation. After having the unanticipated pleasure of flying fighter jets and commercial airliners, I\u2019m experiencing presently the unanticipated joy and opportunity to own and fly a private airplane.<\/p>\n

This experience continues to teach me a lot about God. His largeness, His generosity, His joy in creation, His joy in adventure, and His joy in showering good gifts upon His children. I continue to be humbled by His goodness, as well as, quietly and joyfully overwhelmed by the same.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

N188DL Visiting Her Previous Home and \u00a0a True Friend<\/p><\/div>\n

Recently I was invited to join a fraternal organization of pilots with all types of back grounds in aviation. Apparently it\u2019s a friendship fraternity centered around flight. It\u2019s a bit mysterious, and I usually steer well clear of secret or mysterious organizations, but I took courage by meeting the members a number of times, and because two of the members have been my close aviation and personal friends for more than thirty years. \u201cWhat could be wrong with it?\u201d I thought. And, \u201cI\u2019m all about friendship!\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Getting a Friend Out of the House for a Spiritual Lift<\/p><\/div>\n

So on the appointed night of my acceptance (or rejection?), I felt the Spirit impress me to write a short poem as an acceptance speech, should there be an acceptance, and such an occasion to speak afterwards arise? \ud83d\ude42 This I did hurriedly by the fire on a scrap of paper, the inspiration and words flowing into my mind surprisingly quickly, within five minutes. Sticking it in my pocket I kissed my wife goodbye and headed out the door to the meeting.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

And Enjoying a Day Out in Creation<\/p><\/div>\n

After the hilarious\u00a0 meeting, I was asked to step out, while I assume some sort of vote was taken. I returned and it was announced that I\u00a0 had been accepted as a member to smiles, laughter, and a short round of applause. While this was dying down, I ripped the little paper from my pocket, and announced, \u201c I have prepared an little acceptance speech for you, in the event you accepted me? If it\u2019s appropriate to do so? It\u2019s actually an acceptance poem.\u201d They nodded their quizzical approval with smiles, and I began.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Friends On a Mountain Top to Enjoy a Sunset<\/p><\/div>\n

[The name of the organization isn\u2019t important, and I told you they were a bit mysterious, so I\u2019ll just use XX for the name. \ud83d\ude42 Thank you for your understanding.]<\/p>\n

XX<\/i><\/p>\n

What the heck\u2019s a XX?
\nI don\u2019t really know.
\nIt seems by evenings end,
\nI may be one though.
\nIt may be a man
\nWith courage to leave the ground,
\nTo launch toward the sky,
\nWhere more that blue is found.
\nTo soar with the birds
\nAnd look down on things,
\nTo trade gravity\u2019s bonds
\nFor engines and wings.
\nAnd to walk among men,
\nWho similar paths have trod.
\nSome trusting in their aircraft.
\nAnd most trusting in God.
\nA fraternity not earthbound,
\nWith skill and courage they flee,\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n

Mostly they have in common<\/i><\/p>\n

The desire to be free.<\/i><\/p>\n


\nThank You Brothers and Friends In Flight ,\u00a0<\/i>And have a good night.\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>An officer asked me for the poem which I handed over with a smile. And I wouldn\u2019t even have a copy except for the fact it was published in their national magazine last month.<\/p>\n

There is a lot of freedom in flight, along with adventure, joy, beauty, spiritual truth, and friendship. But instead of exalting flight, the gift, I want this writ to exalt the Giver of flight, friendship, and freedom, even Jesus Christ, the Lord. His peace to you all in this Easter season of meditation and contemplation of His holy life, and His holy gift, freedom<\/i>. Also His joy!!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Flying Into the Sunset … Arriving Home<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cIt is for freedom that Christ has set us free.<\/i>\u201d (Galatians 5:1)<\/p>\n

\u201cJesus said to him, \u201cI am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.<\/i>\u201d (John 14:6)<\/p>\n

\u201cSo Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, \u201cIf you continue \u2026 you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.\u201d<\/i>\u201d (John 8:31\u201332)<\/p>\n

[Dedicated to Friends who soar in flying machines, and spiritually.]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As some of you know, and others may have gathered, I\u2019ve been led to a life long career and love of aviation. After having the unanticipated pleasure of flying fighter jets and commercial airliners, I\u2019m experiencing presently the unanticipated joy and opportunity to own and fly a private airplane. This experience continues to teach me […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,10,9,8,11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1514","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-friendoftheking","category-be-a-leader","category-be-a-man","category-the-book-journey","category-understanding-our-times"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/afriendoftheking.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1514","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/afriendoftheking.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/afriendoftheking.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/afriendoftheking.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/afriendoftheking.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1514"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/afriendoftheking.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1514\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1550,"href":"https:\/\/afriendoftheking.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1514\/revisions\/1550"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/afriendoftheking.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1514"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/afriendoftheking.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1514"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/afriendoftheking.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1514"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}