Celebrating the Gospel Every Day in 2017, Part 2

I love a good party. The food. The décor. The games. The dessert. The entertainment. The people….and THE PLANNING. I know, I know…I’m one of those crazy people that probably enjoys the planning as much as the party itself. I’m a Pinterest party junkie. If I could make a job out of just researching and planning parties, I would…maybe someday???

I love to celebrate. Amidst all of the hardships, heartache, sin, and evil that is in this world, I still believe there is much to celebrate in the life God has given us. Babies, promotions, baptisms, graduations, engagements, weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, milestones, accomplishments, meeting a goal, life, beauty, joy, love, friends, family, children…it’s a long list, but I love to celebrate it all. And do you know what all these parties point back to? Our GOOD, GRACIOUS, LOVING Father. He created all the good things in life, and I just want to celebrate them all! Because in this world that is still full of darkness, we need hope. We need pure joy and fun. We need to laugh. We need to enjoy the good things and give thanks!

All the good things in this world, all the things that we celebrate…they are in no comparison to the party that is awaiting us in heaven. When Jesus returns and sin is no more, the party in heaven is going to be like nothing we have ever experienced. It will be wonderful, glorious, and beautiful. And we will be celebrating with the One who created all the good things that we celebrate. All the good will be packed into one marvelous party with our Lord and all our brothers and sisters in Christ. We will feast with Jesus, our Bridegroom, at last. It will be a day that is too magnificent to describe.

Then I heard again what sounded like the shout of a vast crowd or the roar of mighty ocean waves or the crash of loud thunder:

“Praise the Lord!
    For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns.
Let us be glad and rejoice,
    and let us give honor to him.
For the time has come for the wedding feast of the Lamb,
    and his bride has prepared herself.
She has been given the finest of pure white linen to wear.”
    For the fine linen represents the good deeds of God’s holy people.

And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb.” And he added, “These are true words that come from God.”

Revelation 19:6-9

The Every Day Celebrating of the Gospel

So how do you celebrate the gospel every day in a practical but meaningful way?

Well, it’s not very realistic to throw an party every. I don’t have the time, energy, nor the money to do so. But really, how am I going to celebrate the gospel every day in 2017 that fits into daily life and mothering? How can I help my daughter to celebrate the gospel with me in tangible, simple ways?

That is what I am setting out to do this year. I want to gospel of Jesus Christ to be alive in our home every day. I want the truth of God’s amazing grace and salvation through His Son to fill every ordinary and extraordinary day in our lives.

Here are just some of the ways I am going to celebrate the gospel every day:

1. Being in God’s Word first thing in the morning. Since last spring I have been using a Bible study tool called She Reads Truth. This wonderful organization goes through books of the Bible weekly and/or monthly. Depending on the study, it can be two weeks long or up to seven weeks long. I love these Bible studies because they are purely Scripture based. No fluff. No extras. Just the pure Word of God. They have their studies available online for free or you can order their study books. (Their study books are gorgeous by the way and make me so excited to read every morning…see pictures below.) The study books often have maps, descriptions, timelines, and even recipes that tie into the book’s theme. I have never been so excite to study God’s Word.
   

   

   
2. Singing songs and listening to gospel-based music. I am still working on this one, but I want our breakfast time to be a little family worship time…a time to celebrate the gospel together. I play the ukulele, and I hope to learn some worship songs on it soon. Otherwise, we will sing praise songs or hymns a cappella. Music is such a wonderful way to celebrate! I haven’t gone to many parties that don’t have music. During the day, Corra and I will listen to gospel-based music stations on Pandora or listen to Seeds Family Worship, which puts whole Bible verses to music for kids to learn.
3. Giving thanks to God out loud. This is one I am still becoming comfortable with. Many parties involve speeches, thanking someone of importance. I often forget to give thanks to God when He blesses me in a given day. Sometimes it’s just thanking Him for our food. Sometimes it is more significant like an answered prayer request. Sometimes it is thanking Him for helping us avoid something hard in our day. And sometimes it is even thanking Him for the hard lessons we learn each day as mother and child. I want our celebration of the gospel to be filled with thanks to our gracious, merciful God.
4. Reading books that help me learn even more about God’s grace and how to parent with grace. I love parties, and I love to read. It is my goal to read books this year that will challenge me, grow me, and help me learn even more about God and His grace. Right now, I am reading “Give Them Grace” by Elyse M. Fitzpatrick. It is a parenting book, but it is all based on pointing your kids to Christ when they sin. Josh and I also read to Corra at bedtime out of the “Jesus Storybook Bible”. Sally Lloyd-Jones takes the most key Bible stories and weaves them all together into a tapestry of Jesus, His love and His sacrifice for us. Even Josh and I learn from this book.
5. A little party every day. God gave us so many good things to enjoy. Sunshine. Food. Friends. Nature. Play. Art. Every day I want to enjoy doing something good with my daughter. Whether it is baking something yummy, coloring, taking a walk to the park, visiting a friends, dancing, going to the zoo,  or swimming at the pool, I want every day to be filled with something good that God has created. I want us to enjoy a gift from God every day and praise Him while doing it. It can be helping out a friend in need. It can be talking on FaceTime to a loved one. It can be getting an ice cream cone at Chick-fil-A. Whatever it is, I want us to remember that all of it is a gift. We don’t deserve these things, but we get to enjoy them and celebrate God’s goodness and creativity every day!

I hope to come up with some more ideas as the year progresses, but I think this is a sufficient list for now. Some days it won’t be perfect, and some days I am sure I won’t feel like celebrating. But I know that even on the hard days, God will still whisper to me through His Word, “I love you, Sierra. I will celebrate for you today. Don’t give up celebrating and inviting the whole world to join in with you.”

Thank you, Jesus, for giving us the greatest gift to celebrate–our salvation and our inheritance with you in heaven. Amen.

To God Be the Glory,

Sierra Leanne

Do you need to celebrate the gospel every day?

What ways would you do it in your home? Share your ideas at the bottom of the page!

Corra’s 1st Birthday was so much fun to plan and host!

Enjoy taking a look at my Pinterest party boards! Click on the pictures below.