Showing posts with label Royal Wedding. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Royal Wedding. Show all posts

Monday, April 25, 2011

Advice for the Royal Couple?

pic courtesy of radio.foxnews.com
Friday, April 29th is the BIG DAY, and if you don't know what I'm talking about, where have you been? ;-) You don't even have to be interested in all the hoopla to know what this date is all about.

Only 7 days before,  Dr. Dale Archer and I were invited to be part of a panel discussion with host Lauren Green to have a little “spirited debated” about the Beatification of Pope John Paul II and also to discuss this little upcoming wedding of a young couple you may have heard about.

I didn’t realize Lauren would ask me to give out a little advice to the nearly-wed couple. I can only imagine they were glued to their computers with bated breath for the Church 4 Chicks gal to bestow on them her sage counsel! It’s also a tad ironic to me, given the timing of this question. I have told people for quite some time that I didn’t think I would be in a position to offer much on marriage (i.e. conferences, writing, etc.) until I had been married for at least ten years. Well, as of January 20, 2011, I have been married for that length of time.

When you’re on a talk show of any kind, you’ll only get so much time to offer your input, whatever it may be. I knew I could only give the briefest counsel. My advice to this couple would be the same given to any other, I imagine. You can watch the clip from the interview here:



video

(For the entire video, please click here)
I didn't know I'd be asked this question and I highly doubt anyone within any royal family will come across this little blog article. But it got me thinking. At Church 4 Chicks this spring series, we've been discussing the fact that we are, as daughters of God, what we've dubbed “royal chicks.” As we've studied the life of Queen Esther, formerly a commoner known as Haddaseh, we’ve looked at the principles that governed her life, and we've considered how we, too, can live lives “On Purpose For a Purpose.” (For more on that, please visit www.church4chicks.com)
Haddaseh became Queen Esther because of another’s choice and favor. Kate Middleton will become royalty—Princess Catherine—because someone in the position to elevate her chose her, in love, for himself and will bestow upon her his own name and resources and all that that encompasses—making her his royal bride. What a parallel, don’t you think?

With more time I could have gone into this incredible reality: for those of us celebrating what this past Easter weekend is all about, and what it means to be a child of God, we, too, can live out of the generous position we’ve been given. We, too, are royal—and not in the temporary sense of the word, but truly in the eternal sense.

I’m thankful to see Prince William following in the steps of his mother as he leverages his position to help others in need and not just to advance his own agenda or increase his own comfort. I’m impressed with this young man’s humility and depth. I wish him and his lovely bride-to-be all the best, and look forward to celebrating this marriage with the world. I only hope that both he and his bride will stand on the only sure foundation--Jesus Christ...especially since he is the future Head of the Church of England. 

What about you? What advice would you give to the new couple?


Sunday, April 24, 2011

A few things I'll never forget from my Fox News Debut...

As you are probably aware, I had the privilege of being a panelist on Fox News Live this past Friday, a show hosted by Lauren Green. What a blast! I'm so grateful to my friend, Merry Miller, for making this connection and for encouraging me to go for it. We all need friends like that!

4-22-11 in front of Fox News

So, the whole trip to the Big Apple is really a bit of a blur. It seemed we were in a hurry the whole time. (Of course the fact that it was freeeeezing made us move our feet a bit faster than normal!) We didn't take many pictures; in fact, I can't believe I didn't think to get a picture taken with Lauren before we left the studio. Next time for sure! Although we didn't take many pics, we did make plenty of memories!

There were several things that made the crazy cab drives and the cost of the trip (for a couple in full-time ministry, this was NO small thing!) a great 3 days; and I want to post them before this week gets away from me and I begin to forget.

1) Lauren Green is one tall chick. Seriously. It's no wonder she won the Miss America pageant, because not only is she amazingly talented (she is a concert pianist of all things--wow!!), drop-dead beautiful, and genuinely gracious--the woman has legs! I felt very short standing next to her.

2) Roaches in Florida have NOTHING on their New York cousins. Yowzers!! You should have seen the dragon size roach my knight in shining armor protected me from in the studio. Oh. My. Goodness. They say there are no atheists in foxholes, and I'd submit to you there are no atheists in direct eye contact with a New York City cockroach either! (Just reliving the memory is giving me the heebie-jeebie's!!)

**Don't worry--no pics here! But it was easily the size of a Hyundai....**

3) Hearing my man remind me at least a dozen times that the former Miss America thinks--nay, SAID--he's a great looking man. ;-) He is indeed! I'm so glad she noticed and proclaimed it on her program to back up publicly what I've been declaring for at least the past decade. And, as only men can, he just gets better looking the older he gets.

4) Also, re: Stephen and his looks: I won't soon forget the NYC street comedian who said Stephen looked like a "civil war dude." We're still not exactly sure what that means...

5) The incredibly delicious meal we enjoyed at Carmine's in Times Square with my New York cousins and aunt. SO. Good. SO. Fun!! I only hate that we don't get to see one another more often. One thing about those NY cousins of mine--it never feels like we've had any time apart. You pick up where you left off, enjoy your meal, and keep on going.

6) The interview: of course! I had NO idea what to expect once I got there. Heck, I thought it was to be aired on Fox News (TV version), so I was even more nervous than I should have been. Everyone was so down-to-earth and gracious, though. I was especially concerned that I wouldn't be able to hear everyone, especially the satellite portions; but the inner ear monitor worked FABULOUSLY and I heard every single thing--including the time Lauren Green said Stephen is a great looking guy. ;-) Stephen and I enjoyed being at Fox and look forward to being back when the time is right.
From L-R Lauren Green, Dr. Dale Archer, and Shelley Hendrix

7) I've already been invited back to be a panelist again, only next time, I'll get to do this via satellite from the Atlanta Bureau, so I am tickled slap PINK over this opportunity!

8) A quick bite with my man and my sweet friend, Dee Marshall! Dee is the founder of Raise the Bar and Girlfriends Pray. She is A.MA.ZING! You need to find out more about this fabulous woman if you don't already know her. You can find her on Twitter here and Facebook here.  Dee will also be a part of the Cruise with a Cause 2011, and we are both PUMPED about this incredible adventure where we've been invited to "take a vacation and change a nation!" May 30-June 4, 2011. (www.cruisewithacause.org and there is STILL time to join us, but just barely!)

9) And, as always, my favorite part of just about any trip is the Homecoming. I have four kiddos--if you count the 15 year old, four-legged, brown-eyed Patterdale Terrier, who has been by my side through just about my entire adult life--and all of them make coming home something to look forward to each time.

10) A quiet Easter Sunday at home. So much to be thankful for and celebrate, but nothing tops a resurrected Lord and Savior! NOTHING.

As I think back over the past month or so, I'm overwhelmed by the goodness and graciousness of my Heavenly Father. His surprises are the best! My prayer continues to be that I will be faithful in my generation and that I will finish my journey well. After all, the adventure is one thing, but the real joy and the real contentment comes from the deep, abiding, intimate relationship with the One who started and sustains the entire thing. Regardless of circumstances--the enjoyable, the tolerable, and the unbearable--God is always good and can always be trusted. Amen?

Happy Resurrection Season everyone!

Because He Lives...
Shelley