What is in a name?

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_____________, Princess of Cambridge

As we wait with curiosity for the name of the Princess of Cambridge, I wonder about the significance of a name, and taking time to choose just the right one.   Even God waited on hearing the names of the animals when He “brought them to the man to see what he would name them.”  (Genesis 2:19)  God called Abram, commanding him to leave his country, his people and his home to go to a land God wanted to show him, promising several things, including to make his name great.  (Genesis 12:1-3)  Twenty four years later God changed Abram’s name to Abraham, meaning ‘father of many’, as He made His covenant with Abraham to make his name great by making him father of many nations, including kings.  This is an everlasting covenant for all of Abraham’s generations: to be their God.  The Bible details what many names mean, and their significance for the one named.  Another example, Isaac, meaning laughter, was named to reflect on the time when his mother, Sarah, laughed upon hearing that she would bear a child.  (Genesis 18)  Sarah’s advanced age points again to the waiting game!

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The greatest name is the one God gave Himself: ‘I am’.

He qualifies (for those of us in need of clarification) what ‘I am’ means throughout scripture.  Here are a few of His definitions.

“I am God Almighty.” Genesis 17:1

“I am the Lord who makes you holy.” Exodus 31:13, Lev. 20:8

“Glory in His holy name.” 2 Chronicles 16:10

“I am compassionate.” Exodus 22:27

“And there he called upon the name of the Lord, the Eternal God.” Genesis 21:33

“I am very jealous for Jerusalem and Zion.” Zechariah 1:14

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The Name above all Names, the great I am, Jesus, further illustrates and embodies what “I am” means in His life and His fulfillment of scripture.

“I am the bread of life.” John 6:35, 41, 48, 51

“I am from Him and He sent me.” John 7:29

“I am the light of the world.” John 8:12

“I am the gate for the sheep.” John 10:7

“I am the Good Shepherd.” John 8:11, 14

“I am the resurrection and the life.” John 11:25

“I am the way and the truth and the life.” John 14:6

“I am the vine and you are the branches.” John 15:5

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Jesus, the King of Kings

“that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”  Philippians 2:10-11

It is by the Name of Jesus we pray, should live, and are saved.

What is your name?  Who do you say Jesus is?  How do you see Him defined by His Name?  How do you apply God’s definitions of who He is to your life in Christ?

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Going back to London…I am naturally pulling for the new Princess to be named Mary:) 

(all photos in this post are from http://www.telegraph.co.uk)

Expecting!

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The news is out, Duchess Kate is expecting a sibling for Prince George!  A second pregnancy allows the couple to know a little bit of what to will happen during this season of expectation.  What to wear, what to schedule and not schedule, where to travel, what to eat, are all somewhat familiar things to manage as she/they/we await the arrival of the 4th in line to the throne.

prince-william3--a Prince William in Oxford in first appearance since announcing Kate’s pregnancy. getty images photo

Isn’t life full of expectations?  Some expectations are unrealistic, and find us disappointed, like (not) winning the lottery.  Others are routine, yet are still sources of great joy and pride, as in high school or college graduation.  What are you expecting?  What are others expecting from you?  And, most importantly, what is God expecting from you?

Set some goals

A new school year has begun which causes most of us to punch the reset button even if we have been out of school for decades.  At this time of renewal, set some new goals, both long and short term.  List three “expectations” for each goal, and routinely check to see how you have met your own expectations.

Disappointing others unintentionally

You may be frustrating someone without even knowing it by not meeting their expectations.  Take a step back to examine how you interact with those close to you, and evaluate if you could be missing the mark in any area.  Communicating expectations between siblings, spouses, children and co-workers can eliminate a blow up down the road.  By simply asking how you are, or are not, meeting their expectations shows a great deal of care for your relationship.

What God expects from you

God’s expectations of man seem to be quite low.  He knew we would not be able to live up to His standard, and had a plan from the beginning to send His only Son as the perfect and only acceptable sacrifice for our sin in order for us to finally meet His high expectation of being clean, forgiven, and in relationship with Him.

He expects us to sin, and He expects us to ask for forgiveness.

So, repent.

He expects us to be in relationship with Him.

So, pray.

He expects us to love others.

So, intentionally and actively GO love others.

He expects us to continue to mess up.

So, repeat this process over, and over, and over again.

God’s Expectations Condensed

Love God with all your heart, and love others as yourself.

If you do these two things, everything, including expectations, will fall into place.

“Jesus replied: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.  This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it: love your neighbor as yourself.  All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”  Matthew 22:37-40

Expecting some changes,

Mary Ellen

 

Photos: Blessing or Curse?

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With the great cloud debacle of “interesting” photos being captured and revealed without the subject’s permission takes me back to good, old fashioned advice: “if you don’t have any thing nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” This adage can then be translated to “if you don’t want others to see you looking like this at all, do not record it at all.” The cloud debacle is then solved quite simply for the current predicament.

What should we do? 

1. Present yourself as if you were being recorded or photographed (or both!) all of the time.  The royal family is born into this mindset.  Change your thinking from “no one notices me” to “I may be a living example to another, so I will live up to a higher standard.”

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Kate and William in Singapore hrhduchesskate.blogspot.com

2. Protect your loved ones.  Counsel your children, or fellow adults who may act like children, to be aware of the abundant presence of cameras these days.  Anyone with a cell phone also has a camera ready at a moment’s notice.  Just as a fisherman loves to reel in a big fish, most people love to capture big embarrassing acts they see.  Don’t be a big fish another would want to reel in for show and tell in cyberspace.  Pictures posted online are there forever.  (And, evidently so are ones placed in clouds.)

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3. Get out of, and away from, poor situations.   Guilt by association.  No amount of explaining can help you out of this kind of photo.

4. Seek lovely, edifying, and uplifting subjects to photograph.  Create new focal points of interest for your sphere of influence to enjoy.

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Mary Ellen Archer, last sunset of 2012

5. Ask permission to post photos of others.  Your friend, or daughter, may not love the picture as much as you do!  Your friend may also not want his/her child’s photo on social media.  Be sensitive to other’s wishes and ask those photographed before posting to social media, and, perhaps before saving to a cloud!

Happy shooting, saving and posting!

 Mary Ellen

Living Royally on Vacation

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Some have a new adventure every summer, others have their greatest opportunity to work during this season, and others keep with a traditional rhythm of relaxation.  Queen Elizabeth II, by no surprise, makes her annual summer journey to her castle in Scotland, Balmoral Castle.  Prince Albert bought this estate for Queen Victoria in 1852.  Seeing that the original castle was not large enough, he had a more suitable castle built 100 yards north of the original 15th century structure.  The Queen enjoys her time in this Scottish highlands spot of her kingdom, and keeps a steady calendar of official duties streaming throughout her “holiday”.

The other members of the Royal family have found some time to enjoy this lush summer tradition with The Queen, but they also seem to be scattered with their own Royal duties.  The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, along with Prince George, were in Belgium earlier this week formally recognizing the Centenary of the First World War with the King and Queen of Belgium.  Prince Harry joined his brother and family, as well.

We too found our summer plans to join us together a bit, as well as split us up for other excursions.  Travel to London, Paris, Texas Hill Country, Houston, and the grocery store all made our family summer full of adventure, relaxation and some work.  Living Royally in the summer for us parallels again with the Royal family, sort of!

Click here to view my page, Traveling Royally for a few photos of our London adventures, a list of London restaurants, and Anglican hotspots to add to your next trip to my favorite city.

Summer naturally lends itself to travel, relaxation and catching up on things left undone.  With August close to half spent, how will you make this summer a summer of Living Royally?  Or, how will you take your Living Royally to your life in fall?  What meaningful work have accomplished during your summer holiday?  It is not too late to help in a food pantry, take a meal to an elderly neighbor, or entertain the small children who live near you so their worn out mother can have a one hour holiday.

Another worthy project is to get your calendar out to not only mark your children’s/grand children’s year of engagements, but to set aside appointments for your quiet time, times of service, and times of refreshment.  It seems the Royal family has some balance between these elements in their schedules.  This is a Royal Example to follow.  The summer holiday season is not over, but it is winding down quickly.  Purpose to make the most of your fall by planning and committing to your way of Living Royally.

Happy Summer!

Linens: Using them, cleaning them, and how Jesus left His

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Jesus folded His napkin

The use of linens goes back for centuries, yet they get only “special occasion” use in most households today.  Jesus even gave us a clue to His travel schedule, i.e. His Return, in how He left the linen cloth in the tomb after the Resurrection (John 20:1-9).  Here John records that the Resurrection has happened, Mary Magdalene has been to the tomb and returned to tell the other disciples what she saw.  When Peter enters the tomb he sees “the strips of linen lying there, as well as the burial cloth that had been around Jesus’ head.  The cloth was folded up by itself, separate from the linen.”  So what?  The linen strips “lying there” indicate that Jesus did rise up out of them, as opposed to unwrapping them from around His body.  The burial cloth folded next to the strips is a clue to the Hebrews of the day, emulating their Master to servant relationship in the table clearing custom.  At this time, it was customary for the servant to prepare the master’s table exactly how he wanted it.  The servant would not disturb, or clear the table until he knew the master was finished with the meal, and was not coming back.  Should the master leave the table, finished and not returning, he would throw his napkin, wadded up, on the table.  If the master intended to return to the table, he would carefully fold his napkin and place it next to his plate.  Similarly, Jesus carefully folded his burial cloth (napkin), placed it next to his linen strips, indicating that He will return!  His message, “I am coming back”, would have been understood by all Jewish people at the time of the Resurrection.

This wonderful illustration makes the use of fine linens even more enjoyable!  In the last several weeks I have had the pleasure of using many of my grandmother’s and great-great aunt’s beautiful linens as we have celebrated a variety of milestones and achievements.  In so doing, proper cleaning comes into play.  Below are some photos of beautiful linens and their sources, as well as some cleaning tips for fine linens.

Cleaning tips:

1. Immediately after you beautifully entertain with your fine linens, soak them in cold water overnight.

2. Make a solution of Oxyclean and cold water to soak again to remove any stains, and to brighten yellowed items. Oxyclean is non-chlorine and will not damage the fibers.  Always use a non-chlorine product.  Lemon juice and salt is another stain removing trick.  thelaundress.com also has tips and products that look tempting!

3. Rinse thoroughly and roll between a terry cloth towel to get as much moisture out as possible.

4. Iron linens while still damp on the backside of the linen.  (You may line dry them in the sun, or on low in the dryer.  You will need to dampen them again to iron them later.)

5. Store folded in acid free paper, in an acid free box.  (Container Store has several sizes)

Click here for a Martha Stewart video with a few more cleaning product ideas for removing rust and other stains.

Now, for the eye candy!

The following are from pioneerlinens.com

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The following are from horchow.com

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The following are from schweitzerlinen.com

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Set your table for the royalty in your life, especially if it not a “special occasion”!

 

Happy Third Anniversary to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge!

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Royal Weddings

I love weddings.  From the engagement to the altar there is much excitement, planning, and stress, too.  Once the day arrives, joy, hope and happiness seem to take center stage in this theater of emotions.  How true this was for the last several Royal weddings!  It takes something very important, or very special to get me up at 3:00am or 4:00am.  My memories of watching (before the crack of dawn) Lady Diana Spencer walk down the aisle of St. Paul’s Cathedral, and then viewing her son admire his bride traverse the aisle at Westminster Abbey, are priceless and treasured.  Sharing the Anglican tradition of worship made the ceremonies all the more meaningful to me.

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s Kirsty Wigglesworth via Getty images

God loves Weddings, too

God uses a wide variety of literary devices to capture our attention and illustrate who He is to us.  One of my favorite analogies is marriage as an example of how He feels, cares, and is committed to us.  After all, the first miracle Jesus performed was at a wedding!  Jesus describes Himself as the Bridegroom in Matthew 25:1-13 in the Parable of the Ten Virgins.  This is a lesson in being ready for His return.  Revelation 19:7 tells of the wedding between the Lamb and His bride who has made herself ready. Then, in chapter 21 of Revelation the bride of the Lamb is identified as the ‘Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God.’  The apostle Paul understood this relationship analogy from his time with Jesus.  To the church at Ephesus Paul wraps up a marriage instruction with, “This is a profound mystery – but I am talking about Christ and the church.  However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.”  (Ephesians 5:32-33)

The Old Testament lays the foundation for Jesus being the Bridegroom to the church (believers).  Isaiah says in 62:5 “As a young man marries a maiden, so will your sons marry you; as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will God rejoice over you.”

Ancient Hebrew Weddings

His chosen people, the Hebrew nation, had laws and customs given directly by God to order their daily life, as well as rituals throughout their lives in order to draw them closer to Him. There is much symbolism and great detail to the Hebrew Wedding Marriage Proposal process.  Here are a few of the most obvious analogies:

A suitor would bring something of great value in order to marry a certain maiden (Christ gave His life for us), he would then offer her a cup from which to drink.

To signify her acceptance of the marriage proposal, she would drink from the cup, thus legally binding herself to him.  Christ offers us the cup of salvation, as we drink it we are binding ourselves to Him.  (Matthew 26:18 & 26:27-28, Mark 14:13 & 14:23, Luke 22:8 & 22:20)

The bridegroom would leave his bride with some gifts for her to remember him by while he is away.  Christ left us the Holy Spirit and His many gifts by which to remember Him. (Luke 24:49, Acts 1:4-5, Galatians 5:22-23)

Once the bride accepted the marriage proposal the bridegroom would go back to his father’s house to add a room where they would live after the wedding.  The bridegroom would continue to work on the room until his father said it was ready.  Then, and only then, he could go back to his bride’s home, marry her, and bring her home to live at his father’s house in the room he prepared for them.  Christ is doing the same thing for us!  He has gone back to His Father’s house to prepare a place for us, and only the Father knows the time when He will tell Jesus to come back to get us, His bride! (Acts 1:7, John 20:17, John 14:1-3, Mark 13:32-33)

There are more symbolic details to this process, but these are the highlights that might spark an interest to dig further.

Don’t you feel loved like a new bride?

 

Happy Birthday, Your Majesty!

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April 21 – Her Majesty, The Queen’s Birthday

Today marks Queen Elizabeth’s 88th birthday.  While her official birthday celebration occurs in June each year with the Trooping of the Colour, she will continue on with her Easter Court entertaining at Windsor Castle through the end of April.  Also marking this day is the unveiling of her latest photograph taken by renown photographer, David Bailey!  This magnificent capture of her vivacious spirit was taken at Buckingham Palace last month.  A new year in the life of this Monarch begins!

Birthday Portrait Of Queen Elizabeth II By David Bailey

Birthday Portrait Of Queen Elizabeth II By David Bailey via royalcentral.com

New beginnings and rebirth also mark today, Easter Monday

The egg is a universal symbol for Easter, almost more so than the Cross these days.  A symbol chosen as it represents new birth, new beginnings, and a fresh start.  This is just what Jesus accomplished on the first Easter morning with the Resurrection.  He rose from the dead in a fully healed body from the tortures and death three days prior.  This Risen Lord is the One who allows us the same new life!  John 3:16 says it most succinctly, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”  He repeats this theme in John 14:6, “I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.”  John precedes this quote of Jesus by telling what you will find by following Him (Jesus), His way.  “Do not let your hearts be troubled.  Trust in God; trust also in me.  In my Father’s house there are many rooms; if it were not so I would have told you.  I am going there to prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.  You know the way to the place where I am going.” (John 14:1-4)

Jesus sets the example, the way, to live on earth as fully human and resurrected.  He showed himself to the disciples after the resurrection to not only prove himself as the One Messiah foretold in scripture and in person to them, but also to instruct them to get out there and tell the rest of the world!  In other words, Jesus was telling the disciples to also live “resurrected lives” a certain way.  A resurrected life is how one decides to live like Jesus, and as instructed by Jesus (his way/the way), after meeting and accepting Jesus as Lord.  It is not the life one lives just on Easter Sunday, looking like the model Christian sitting in the church pew flanked by her beautifully appointed family members.  As our rector said at the conclusion of his Easter sermon, it is the resurrected life you decide to live on Monday after Easter, and Tuesday, and so on that matters.

How do you live a resurrected life?

Here are a few suggestions:

1. Ask yourself if you are living life your way, or Jesus’ Way.

2. When you get that nudge, funny feeling in the pit of your stomach, or cannot stop thinking about the person you just heard is in the hospital or in need, GO visit him or her!  And, in the name of the Resurrection, please deliver a meaningful message.

3. Start your day a little earlier to create, or extend your quiet time with God.  Even 15 minutes toward this goal will cause new life for the rest of your days, weeks and months.  Journal what changes occur to this new daily beginning.  Share your growth and change with another.  It will almost always encourage another to do the same.

4. Seek to enrich the life of another on a regular basis.  Choose your regularity (daily, weekly, monthly), make the appointment with the agency or person you aim to enrich, mark your calendar, and DO IT.  Think of it as a doctor’s appointment that took months to schedule.  You would never break this appointment.  Treat your resurrected life changes as unbreakable appointments.

mow the lawn, or pull the weeds from the garden of an elderly neighbor

take dinner and/or flowers to a widow, elderly person, someone lonely or a family with a new baby

call a local elementary school to ask to be a regular reading buddy for struggling students

join a new service committee at your church and serve with gusto

offer to take the altar flowers to hospitalized parishioners on set Sunday afternoons

start a Bible study in your neighborhood or community

5. As you enrich others, ask God to give you the words He would have you say to those you are helping.  As He directs, speak His Word. (“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was with God in the beginning.” John 1:1 Jesus is the Word.)  It can be as simple as saying, “Jesus loves you, and I do, too.”

Here’s to celebrating Resurrected Living Today!

Easter Travels

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British Royals’ Easter Travel

Many will have travel plans and various ways of observing Easter this weekend.  The Cambridge family of three will still be Down Under, Queen Elizabeth will participate in the Maundy Thursday service at Blackburn Cathedral in Lancashire, while the rest of the Royal family will head to Windsor Castle to greet The Queen when she arrives from Blackburn for her month-long stay for Easter Court.  The word “Maundy” is from the Latin word mandatum, meaning commandment, and refers to the Last Supper when Jesus gave His disciples a new commandment, “Love one another”.  So, in Blackburn, The Queen will keep the 13th century tradition of Edward I, and the spirit of the great commandment, by having alms (money) given to senior citizens.    Until 1689, the Kings and Queens of England would also wash the feet of the poor at Westminster Abbey to demonstrate what Jesus, the King of Kings, did for His disciples at the Last Supper.

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A month of Easter Court at Windsor Castle http://www.royalcentral.co.uk

 

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The Queen will observe Maundy Thursday at Blackburn Cathedral http://www.royalcentral.co.uk

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The alms pouches are in the platter on the yeoman’s head yeomanoftheguard.com

The Yeoman of the Guard will give out pouches of money to 88 men and 88 women, the same number as her age.  Each senior will receive a red pouch of money intended for food and clothing and a commemorative coin, probably to celebrate the birth of Prince George.  The white pouch will have 88pence, a nod to her age.

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alms pouches wikipedia.org

Jesus’ Easter Travel

Prior to the Passover, Jesus was in Ephraim taking cover from those who wished to kill Him.  Six days before Passover He came closer to Jerusalem and stayed in Bethany (a ‘suburb’ of Jerusalem), where He raised Lazarus.  Then, He made His way into Jerusalem for His final days.  Even in the city, at the dark of night, He traveled quite a bit, going from a Last Supper loft for the first communion, feet washing, final instructions and prayers, to the Mount of Olives to pray some more and be arrested, then to Annas’ house, Caiaphas’ house, and Pilate’s palace for questioning, then to the Governor’s city house for torture by the soldiers, to Golgotha for mocking and crucifixion, and finally to a new tomb.  As discussed in the previous post, Jesus was meticulous in carrying out God’s plan, which included all of this torture-filled travel.  God designed His itinerary in order to fulfill Old Testament scripture about sacrifice, atonement, Passover, and Messiah.  Everything, every event, every word, and every action had significance.

The most significant event of all is, of course, the Resurrection.  The guards kept watch, Mary Magdalene came in respect, love and grief, and an angel was present to explain and direct her about the miracle of all miracles.  The disciples were grieving in town, fearful of what would happen next.  Then, Mary Magdalene finds the disciples to tell them the Good (unbelievable) News, and Jesus was not far behind her to show the boys the Good News Himself.  He tells them, “Peace be with you!  As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”  (John 20:21)  Matthew quotes Jesus as saying, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”  (Matthew 28:19)  That is quite an itinerary for all who follow Him!

Your Easter Travels

Tradition will dictate what most families will do this weekend.  Will your travels take you to the Easter bunny more often than to the Cross?  Will the tradition you pass on to the next generation be about the contents of plastic eggs, or the empty tomb?  No matter if you travel on a plane, in a car across town, or barefoot to the backyard, how will you make your Easter travels significant? Here are five suggestions for your itinerary:

Immerse yourself in the worship service offerings this week. (Maundy Thursday service, Good Friday service, Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday)  Truly transport your mind to Jerusalem as scripture is read and actively interpreted.

Read all four Gospel passage accounts of The Last Supper through the Resurrection.  Note details amplified by each gospel writer, how harmonious they are, and decide which one makes the scene most clear to you. (Matthew 26-28, Mark 14-16, Luke 22-24, John 13-21)

Identify who you say Jesus is.  He spent three years teaching and demonstrating who He is.  He spent His last three days, not only continuing this pattern, but also paying the full cost of the sins of the world for all time.  Make a list of who you identify Jesus as, and compare this list to what the Bible says.

Tell someone the Gospel Easter account as you know it through scripture.  “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” John 20:21 says it all!  Or, “Just do it”, says Nike.  This final commandment is your proverbial “next trip” as you continue in your Christian journey.  The Christian who simply gains knowledge about God, and does not share it with others, is essentially staying home.  To truly be a Christian, one must “be sent out” as John says.   You are sent out as Jesus was sent out, to teach and show who He is to “all nations”, i.e. everyone.

Reflect on your Christian “travels”.   Think about where you first learned about Jesus, how God has helped you to grow, what you have learned about the Cross, and what does God want you to do next.

Use tradition as a vehicle to go to a new place God has for you to experience this Easter.  Add to your tradition something(s) that will take your love of the Lord with all your heart, your soul, your mind and your strength (the first commandment) to travel closer to loving your neighbor as yourself (the second commandment) by being sent out (the Great Commission).

May your heart and soul travel far this weekend, and may God give you your next itinerary.

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fineartamerica.com

Happy Easter!

Traveling Royally

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The Royal Windsors traveled to New Zealand on Monday

This week we see the Royals have made it Down Under safely on their commercial flight from London to Dubai, then to Sydney for an Air Force transfer to Wellington, New Zealand.  Across all of those miles and hours in a steel canister, Prince George came out as the perfect smiling baby in his mother’s arms!  Well done!  Today, Tuesday, the family has a day to rest before continuing their adventures in hiking, yacht racing, visiting hospitals, and taking tea, to name a few activities during their three week journey.  Their priorities as parents will be evident as they return early each afternoon to spend time George.

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(Photo: Danny Martindale, WireImage)

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(Photo: Danny Martindale, WireImage)

 

The King of Kings travels to Jerusalem on Sunday

This Sunday, Palm Sunday, we mark the day Jesus traveled to Jerusalem on a donkey as prophesied in Zechariah 9:9, “see your King comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”  Jesus, as described in Matthew 21:5, allowed two disciples and a villager near Jerusalem to participate in this fulfillment of prophecy.  The very large crowd saw Jesus riding into town on this donkey (not a stallion, but a dinky donkey!) and immediately responded to Him as His royal subjects in reverence, awe, and enthusiasm.  I wonder how many in this large crowd traveled distances to come see this King of Kings parade down the dusty road to Jerusalem. Two years ago I traveled 5000 miles to stand in a crowd to see Queen Elizabeth II and her family parade down the Mall for her Diamond Jubilee.  I understand the desire to get a glimpse of Royalty!

Jesus’ priority was consistent with how He lived His life on earth: He came to do the work His Father had for Him to do, i.e. “for God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:17.  This Son has been talked about, and read about through the prophets since as early as 700 B.C. by Isaiah, and is referenced in Genesis as co-creator with God as Genesis 1:26 uses the plural pronoun “us” in identifying the creators of man.  (That is an interesting lesson of tying the Old and New Testaments together in consistent harmony.)  Isaiah uses titles such as a child is born, Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace, a shoot from Jesse.  Isaiah 35 indicates actions this Messiah will take, like opening the eyes of the blind (John 9), unstopping the ears of the deaf (Mt. 11:14-15), and causing the lame to leap (Mt. 9:1-8).  All of these miracles were really signs to alert the prophecy educated public that this is the One, let your eyes be opened!

Jesus was meticulous in carrying out the Father’s plan.  In so doing, He accomplished all things in love.  He carefully created relationships, and maintained them faithfully.  We see how He called His disciples out of boats, an outcast woman at the well, a paralyzed man from his mat, a blind man to wash in the Pool of Siloam, and even a tax collector to be changed and follow Him.  They all were changed, and did follow Him!  As they followed Jesus, their relationship with Him grew because Jesus intentionally and continuously instructed, loved and prayed with them.  Not only was He an example to follow, but He interacted with them as The Example.

How are you being an example to those around you?  How are you intentionally interacting to deepen and grow your relationships?  What titles might be used to describe you, and what actions have you taken that mimic the One you follow?  As you travel the road to your church this Sunday, ask yourself why are you drawn there this Sunday, and what will you continue to do the next week, and the next?  The first century followers of Christ quickly abandoned Him after He entered the City.  How will you maintain your relationship with the One who came to save the world even after Easter Sunday, the easiest day to show your title as “Christian”?

Jesus shows His priority clearly in fulfilling God’s plan to save the world from sin.  The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge show their priority as a strong, devoted family in keeping George not only close, but apart of their day, unlike past generations in their travels.  What are your priorities, and how would anyone know by seeing your actions?

May your road to Jerusalem this week reveal the King on the prophesied donkey, and your response to Him.

“Your attitude should be that of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 2:5

 

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PS for some New York travel, restaurant, and photo ideas, see my new page, Regal Travel.

The fun may be over….

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Indulgence was the word yesterday, today it is repentance!  With Ash Wednesday brings the beginning of the 40 days of Lent.  Does this mean we roam around in somber, depressed solitude?  No.  In fact, we are instructed by Jesus to do quite the opposite, “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.”  (Matthew 6:16, NIV)  We are instructed to pray in solitude (Matthew 6:5), do good things for others with notice (Matthew 6:1), fast without advertisement (Matthew 6:16), store up treasures in heaven (Matthew 6:20), don’t worry (Matthew 6:25), don’t judge others (Matthew 7:1), pray some more (Matthew 7:7), and the list continues.  In short, we are to live for this season, not get through it.

Live for Lent, instead of trying to get through it

The above list of instructions does, indeed, seem endless.  There is a common denominator to make all of them achievable: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind…Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:37-39)

Love God

Spend time daily with God in prayer.

List His attributes (love, powerful, almighty, creator), thank Him for blessings, ask forgiveness for your sins, and ask for His help.

Select something to give up (chocolate, carbonated drinks, bread, gossip), and abstain from it until Easter.  Do this without letting on that you are “working” on this little exercise.  In other words, self control, the tenth fruit of the Spirit. (Galatians 5:22)  You will master self control for abstaining, and from running your mouth and complaining about it.

Love others

Pray for other people before you pray for yourself.

As you pray for those close to you, identify one to bless in some way, anonymously, or not.  In certain situations the blessing may be only meaningful if your identity is known.

“Pay it forward” for someone at Starbucks!

Gather canned goods and toilettries on your next trip to the grocery store to take them to your local food pantry.

Serve at a food pantry.

Take time to be one on one with your child in a new way.

Listen to your spouse carefully to learn something you can do to show your love and attention to him or her.

Prepare for the Party!

Smile!  Although Lent is a season of repentance, it is also a time of preparation for a celebration.  When you prepare for a party, I hope you do the work necessary for the event in joy and excitement.  Lent can be viewed much the same way.  We are preparing ourselves, our hearts, for the celebration of Easter, the Resurrection.  Reflecting on the days preceding the Crucifixion are truly painful, and must be considered this way.  In this pain we also now know the forgiveness available to us because of the pain He endured.  For this grace we may rejoice!  Here are some ways to prepare yourself:

Read scripture daily.  “Daily Office” (scripture prescribed for most Protestant churches): http://www.esvbible.org/devotions/bcp/

Add an edifying habit to your routine. Read a good book, start a new exercise method, read a scripture passage to you family at breakfast each morning, park in the farthest parking spot and walk!  It doesn’t have to Pulitzer Prize-worthy, just something good.

Ask God to change your will to be His will.  This is the hardest one to do because you really have to mean it, and mean to be changed.  Once you start asking God what He thinks, what is His will, how He wants you do do things, instead of giving Him a list to complete for you, you will notice a change not only in yourself, but how you see, and feel about everything around you.

The fun may be over in the life you lead before today.  The new ways to experience the life you lead in the future will have a label much better than “fun”.

Live for Lent, instead of trying to get through it.