Let's Celebrate

As a kid, I remember getting so excited for celebrations. Birthdays, Valentines, Easter, Christmas, Halloween, good report cards and all the in betweens. As an adult, I’m finding that I allow celebrations to cause more stress than excitement. Many times, I skip celebrating things that maybe I should because of the effort it would take. Celebrations allow us to step back and take time to incorporate fun and excitement into our mostly busy and routine lives. Sometimes it seems like as adults, we forget how to have fun. We focus on the “have to’s” instead of the “want to’s.” Without celebrating, it can be easy to stay stuck in the negatives of life.

This past weekend I went to my hometown to celebrate my Uncle's wedding. It was maybe the busiest weekend I’ve had in a long time. The rehearsal dinner and a lunch the day of the wedding was scheduled at my parent’s house. It was a lot to get ready for and we obviously had to clean up when each event was over.  At first, I started to feel overwhelmed by all that we had to do in 3 short days. But then, I remember realizing that this weekend was going to be over soon. I wanted to be able to think back on the weekend and remember the celebration and the joy instead of the stress and the running around. Luckily, I was able to catch my mindset and change it before it was too late. Now when I think about the weekend, it brings me so much joy! I was able to stay present and celebrate with my family instead of getting caught up in the stress.

Celebrating is also a way to thank God for the good things happening in your life.

Psalm 118:24 says, “This is the day that the Lord has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

God doesn’t want us to go through each day and forget to notice the good. He loves us and wants to see us rejoicing in our daily lives. Allow yourself and your family and friends to break up the routines and have fun together. Find ways to encourage each other where you can by celebrating each other!