PRESCHOOL & KINDERGARTEN KIDS & FAMILIES date
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As we pause and reflect on who God is and on His loving actions toward us, we understand better who we are and how we fit in God’s story. Inspire (for parents) I’m a party planner. That’s not what I get paid to do, but I do enjoy doing it. I’m especially big on birthdays. I think every life should be regularly and spectacularly celebrated. From their very first birthday, each of my children’s parties had a theme. Sesame Street, Lion King, Pocahontas … I’m not just talking about coordinating paper goods and Disney cakes. I’m talking about a total celebration experience. Handmade suede sacks for goodies, cardboard teepees, tiki torches, and twinkle lights—I even spent hours on e-bay snagging vintage hats for a Sweet 16 garden tea party.
it was good for us! As we pause and reflect on who God is and on His loving actions toward us, we understand better who we are and how we fit in God’s story. And we begin to create a daily posture of celebration, just like Paul called us to in Philippians 4:4, “Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him!” (The Message). At an orphanage in Uganda, I learned this saying: “God is good. When? All the time. Why? Because it is his nature.” That’s what I want to remember. That’s how I want to celebrate God. by Janet Lee
I love the feeling I get pulling off an awesome celebration. The anticipation in the air like little electrical shock waves, pure joy bubbling up as the excited guests begin to arrive, and the look elebrate across the candle-laden cake that emember & C to Main Point: R low your family says, “Wow! You must really feel I’m designed to al n is re ce ild ur ch so re This fore your special to go to all this trouble. I love s God’s Word be nt in re e pa r tim fo is ve ha God’s plan se au you!” It gives me such joy. ec B , . ith ch fa children’s attend chur rturers of their nu al n tu re iri ild sp ch e When God commanded the to be th iritually, your as you grow sp we know that Israelites to regularly and spectacularly l. ally as wel will grow spiritu pause and celebrate their life in Him, He wasn’t doing it because He needed the affirmation. He did it because He knew
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Equip (for parents) Seven times a year the Israelites gathered together for a festival. These seven festivals are: Passover, Feast of Unleavened Bread, Feast of First Fruits, Feast of Harvest, Feast of Trumpets, Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Tabernacles (or Booths). In addition, the Israelites would gather weekly to celebrate the Sabbath. These were times to remember what God had done for His people and to celebrate His goodness. During the feasts, the Israelites ate, danced, sang, played instruments, prayed, and offered sacrifices to God. Why do we celebrate? We celebrate to be together as a community—to collectively look backward so that we can look forward. We celebrate to stop for a moment in time and remember what God has done. We celebrate to teach children what is important—to show what we value. And we celebrate because God commanded it. In Exodus 12:47 He said, “The whole community … must celebrate.” As parents, it can be easy to get caught up in the stress of life, the talking back, the hurt feelings, the bad grades, or the bad choices and forget that in the midst of those things God is moving. Think about the impact it could have on your family if we all chose to pause in order to remember and celebrate … to remind ourselves that God is moving in our children’s lives. He is shaping our children. He is growing them. He is speaking to their hearts. Sometimes we need to remember this so we have the strength to continue through the trials of everyday life. We need to know that He is bigger than these trials. Even if it doesn’t feel like it in the moment, He is faithful to transform each of us.
REMEMBER VERSE
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.” Isaiah 6:3
Support (for parents & kids) Your children will be spending their time at church remembering and celebrating what God has done in their hearts during the last few weeks’ lessons. JUST FOR FUN, sometime this week set aside an evening to remember and celebrate as a family. Just as the Israelite celebrations revolved around a feast, create a “feast” for your family: ice cream, milkshakes, french fries, or marshmallows. Whatever you choose, just do something special and spend the time remembering what God has done in the life of your family. Some questions to get you started: What is a promise God made to you? How can you talk to God and know Him? How have you seen that God is mighty? Share times you know God is with you (at school, on the playground, going to bed). End the evening in prayer, giving everyone a chance to thank God for what they’ve seen Him do.
© 2010 David C Cook. TruResources are developed in partnership with ROCKHARBOR Church and a national network of family and children’s ministry leaders. All rights reserved.