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Schedule Time to Celebrate Others

Photo credit: Fauxels

When dying people were asked about their top regrets in life, some items consistently on all lists were:

  • Not pursuing dreams
  • Not taking care of self
  • Working too much at the neglect of family
  • Not spending time with significant people
  • Not staying in touch with others
  • Holding on to bitterness
  • Not enjoying life more

There will be things that happen in 2025 that are out of your control, but there are also some things that won’t happen unless you make them happen. Instead of anticipating the negative, how about scheduling something positive? How about changing something you can control?

While you’re scheduling that doctor’s appointment, hair or nail appointment, parent-teacher conference, or dinner reservation, include a slot to celebrate someone who’s had a significant impact on your life. People will remember what you do to honor and celebrate them. Luke 5:27-29 tells of a reception Levi (Matthew) gave to honor Jesus. Over 2000 years later, this story is still being told. One of the things that should be on our to-do list for 2025 is honoring others. It leads to a life of fewer regrets.

Photo by August de Richelieu

We ought to celebrate the people who’ve done the most for us or mean the most to us. It may be a parent, sibling, friend, teacher, co-worker, or pastor. It doesn’t have to be their birthday or a special occasion. The people who are the recipients of the most should be the most grateful. Don’t let the fact that you can’t throw a big party keep you from celebrating. Do what you can do. You have a unique way of expressing appreciation to those who have blessed you.

Here are some of the benefits of celebrating:

  • Celebrating releases stress
  • Celebrating provides motivation
  • Celebrating recognizes excellence
  • Celebrating shows appreciation and acceptance
  • Celebrating builds energy
  • Celebrating provides a time of reflection

Dust off your stove (or call a caterer), open some sparkling grape juice, grab the significant people in your life and let the party begin!

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Continuing the Celebration (Joy For the New Year)

Happy New Year! We are well on our way into 2018. A new year often brings new beginnings and new opportunities. However, an opportunity is only as good as your ability to take advantage of it. Maybe 2017 was not a good year for you. You may have faced many difficulties and challenges. You said to yourself, “Things have got to get better this year.” Every year at this time you believe that this will be “your year”. You’ve been waiting a long time for dreams and promises to come to fruition. The reality is that sometimes it’s difficult to be optimistic while we wait. Circumstances have a way of affecting our joy. Maybe something has already occurred in the first few weeks of 2018 to sap you of the joy and enthusiasm you started out with on January 1.


I want to encourage you to continue the celebration you started several weeks ago. Remember the optimism and expectancy you had when the year first began. Make a choice to keep the party going despite whatever hardship you may be currently enduring. We may not be able to control our circumstances, but we can control our responses to them. If we can step back for a moment and look beyond our circumstances to our loving heavenly Father, we can rest in the fact that He knows what is best for us.

If you ask, God will give you direction. I have to admit; sometimes the answer doesn’t make sense. It may seem like you’ve been given foolish instructions, but trust Him. Take a risk. Exercise faith. It is possible for your joy to be restored. You can have joy for the new year and beyond. You’ll soon have a reserve from which you can share joy with others. You will quickly discover that joy is contagious! Let’s keep the celebration going!