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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!

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!