Celebrate joyous occasions with the Lord in mind

... to celebrate joyfully the dedication."

- Nehemiah 12:27 (NIV)

As I write this column to you, I'm joyful, because I have some special family events taking place.

One of my granddaughters is in labor with her first baby, and we're excited to see our little one's face. And another family member, my grandson and his wife, are having a baby dedication for their baby today. I'm equally excited about both events. I love celebrations.

I believe God enjoys parties and family festivities. The Old Testament was full of many feasts and celebrations. The Bible even mentions that Jesus attended family celebrations, with a wedding reception as one example.

When we celebrate, we need to remember that God is an important part of our family structure and we should do so with sensibility. We need to be respectful toward those we honor and not act foolish.

Some of the ways we can celebrate with sensibility is to remember we are attending to celebrate a guest of honor or a special cause to which the party is dedicated. We are not there to bring up family grievances, belittle others, or fan the flame of old family feuds. It's also not appropriate to lose our temper.

You don't always have to be in attendance to celebrate the joy of the occasion. Nowadays, you can join in by Zoom, or phone or text if you can't attend. My loved ones are updating me by text messages because I live too far away to be there with them.

Celebrations are intended to be a time of joy. Staying level headed while engaging in fun with family and friends can ensure a good time for all, and show we have included the Lord.

As I plan to celebrate a few of my own occasions, I wish all of you safe and happy celebrations.

• Annettee Budzban is a Christian author, speaker, life coach and nurse. She can be contacted at annetteebudzban@aol.com or (847) 543-8413.