How it all began…

Thank you so much for visiting our site and checking out our Holiday devotionals for children! We are so glad you found your way here. I wanted to take a minute and tell you all a little bit about myself, the writer of these devotionals.

My name is Kendall Kennedy and I live in Birmingham, Alabama. In November of 2016 my first child was born, a precious little baby girl. I knew right away that the deepest desire of my heart was for her to grow up knowing and loving Jesus. I struggled as I tried to figure out motherhood and what my call to action should look like as we shepherd her little heart, even from a very early age.

We would read the story book bibles to her, sing songs of worship as she babbled along and we prayed over her daily. But then, Christmas of 2018 rolled around (she was a fresh 2 years old) and I really struggled with wanting to make Christmas this big, commercialized ordeal. However, I knew even though she was only 2, the tone we set for the Christmas season now would set her expectations for every year there after. It was then that the Lord laid it on my heart to write some little lessons for her in words she would understand that we could read with her in the days leading up to Christmas Day. I felt a little crazy trying to put a story of such meaning and magnitude into words a 24month old child would understand. But sure enough God, in His sweet goodness, used these lessons to begin stirring her little brain that season and it was just the most amazing thing to watch.

I never intended on sharing the devotional- (because I am a last minute kind of person and wrote the whole thing in a few days, usually starting after bed time and writing into the wee hours of the night) but God had a different plan for it. My dear friend Hayden Sentenn did a quick edit for me in just a day! I then posted the link for it on my social media pages and just trusted the Lord would use my messy, scattered writing to assist another mom or two somewhere in teaching their child about the reasons we celebrate Christmas.

So that is where it all started.

Fast forward to the Holiday Season of 2019 and I am a few short weeks away from expecting our little boy, Prater! Naturally, despite the craziness of this season, I thought it would be a great time to begin this project again and make it a little more official this time around! I decided to rewrite the Christmas devotional “Let Every Heart Prepare Him Room”, and had the lessons illustrated and partnered with activities. Then the Lord laid “Shepherding Little Hearts” on my own heart and it got me excited about writing more holiday devotionals for children!

Children LOVE to celebrate and we, as parents, enjoy making these holidays special for them. I really wanted my family to spend our time celebrating these holidays throughout the year by focusing each one on the Lord! I want to teach them about The Greatest Love of All in February, The Savior of the World in April, having A Thankful Heart in November and then the Christmas story in December and who knows where it will go from there!! :)

As parents we are called to shepherd the hearts of our children. I believe whole heartedly that it is not for me to decide what my child can and cannot learn. I am called to diligently put the Word of God in front of my children and trust that Jesus is working in their little minds and hearts. He wants the little children to come to Him and I sure do not want to be the mom who hinders or delays my child from learning all they can about our good, good Father.

I would also like to add, nothing I do on here is supposed to be “Pintrest worthy”! In fact, the crafts were done by my little girl and me- and she was VERY hands on so I am sure you know how that goes! I am not a writer, just a mom trying to use my little knowledge of Early Childhood Education and my passion for teaching to help other parents have useful tools to assist in teaching scripture to their children.

I am praying with you and for you as you use these devotionals to shepherd the hearts of your children. I hope they provide meaningful lessons, sweet family time and deep discussion.

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” Ephesians 3:20-21

To God be the glory, great things He has done!

Kendall Kennedy