Let Us Not Forget to Remember: The Power of Presence

With Christmas behind us, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on why Christmas is so special. 

Two weeks ago, I talked about why we love traditions and how Christmas reminds us of God's faithfulness.

However, there is another reason why Christmas is special. I always wondered why we made such a big deal of Christmas as Christians. I mean isn't Easter where we celebrate the big stuff, the fact that He died for our sins and rose again from the dead!

Yes, Easter rocks. It's when we celebrate the victory.  However, Christmas is where we celebrate that God came in the first place. 

We celebrate that He is here. He is alive, and He came for us. 

He left heaven and was born as a baby to come for us. 

In an age of technology, we have the simulation of presence all the time.  The distance between people gets shorter with Facetime and technology. 

However, there is nothing like presence. Trust me I've been dating someone long distance for a little bit now, and it's hard.  You can talk to them all you want over the phone, and even see them on camera, but it doesn't compare to their presence. 

When God came to earth, He gave us his presence.  Before yes we communed with Him, in magnificent ways.  There was fire, there were mountaintop experiences, but at Christmas, He came and visited us.  He was here.

Not only that, He came so that we could have communion with him forever.

and because he came all those years ago, we can experience the power of His presence today and every day. 

So, yes Easter still has a significant place in my heart, but Christmas just got a little more special, because I don't know about you....but there are many moments I need to remember that He is here.

So, let us not forget to remember the power of His presence.

Let Us Not Forget to Remember: God never changes

What is it that we like about the holiday season? Is it the sweets, the chocolate? The days off work? Time spent with family?

While all of those are valid reasons and probably true, but I would venture to guess that there is another reason that is a big part of it. 

Tradition.


We may be caught in traffic every day for no reason. We may be up to our eyeballs in shopping lists, and our calendar may be full with lots of Christmas parties.

However, there is something about knowing that some things never change.

It's the one time of year where you here old songs, and I mean old songs on the radio.  It's one of those times where you do the same thing every year because it's a tradition.   There's the same old tree, with the old ornaments and there is something calm about that. It's a time for nostalgia for doing things the same way because that's the way it always was.

Why?

I believe there is a deep deep longing inside each of us that wants stability.  We are in a world that is constantly changing and yet inside we long for stillness. We wish the world would just slow down for a minute. 

Why?

Because we are longing for Jesus.  Our heart longs for stability and stillness because we have a God-sized hole.  We are longing because we are caught in the already but not yet of the redemption story.  God did come and set us free, however, He will come again and redeem all of heaven and earth.  We long for this, and all of creation is crying out for a savior. 

The world is crazy and things are constantly changing, but I praise God because He is faithful.  I praise God because He never changes.  This knowledge provides me with a peace that the world can not simply give.

He is the one thing I can count on. 

Even Christmas, as sure as it is, will change on us.  Family members will leave us.   People will get married and have to split time.  Kids will grow out of there favorite Christmas pajamas.

So when you are overwhelmed by change this year, or longing for stability.... 

let us not forget to remember that when the world is constantly changing, we have a God that never changes, a God that is the same yesterday, as He was today, as He will be forever. 

Praise God! Lord, help me never to forget.

Let Us Not Forget to Remember: God's plans are better than our own!

Starting in 2017, I branded every year with a motto.  It gave me some sort of goal to shape the planning of that year.

In 2017, it was my "Live It Up Year." Wow! 2017 was amazing.  I felt at the beginning of this year that nothing could top it.  I traveled to Italy and tried the best pasta you could ever imagine, I got lost in Venice, I sang in the Vatican, I went on a ski trip with my friends, I traveled to Greece with my family, I got to lead worship with a full orchestra in the Adirondack mountains, I won a scholarship, and I worked for the GRAMMY's and got to go to ACL and the GRAMMY Christmas party.

Well, It seems like I have to follow my own advice because I've forgotten how awesome that year was!

This brings me to this year, 2018, I mean how could I top last year? I had to come up with a motto. So I landed on "Dream God-sized dreams!" I knew a lot was going to change this year with me graduating and all and I didn't want to sell God short.

However, I was disappointed.

To me, God-sized dreams were having my musical performed in New York, or getting a job in New York, or having some nice awesome pad with amazing roommates.

To me, a God-sized dream was having a job come in my timing, and everything to work out the way I want it.

Whoa, how selfish am I?  I had forgotten God's voice.

Elijah was on the mountain and where was God's voice? It didn't come in the fire no, or the wind no, or the earthquake no!  It came in the still small voice.

I love what God asks here in 1 kings 19, "What are you doing here, Elijah?"

What are you doing here, Kenady?  Why were you looking for me in the fire, and the earthquake, when my still small voice is better.

I forgot that God-sized dreams cannot be limited by my expectations no matter how big my expectations are.

And guess what? My Kenady-sized dreams may have not come true but what I got is so much better.

I graduated from an awesome school.  I've gotten to do three amazing readings of my musical, and joined this amazing mastermind group that inspires me to produce! I get to be an officer for the Texas Business Hall of Fame with some awesome people.



I still got to Camp-of-the-Woods and let me tell you, the Lord redeemed and worked so much in my life there!

I met an amazing Godly man who reminds me that simple things are often the sweetest, and I got a job at an amazing place, the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention, that provided me with a camp years back that I cherished in high school.

I got to sing and dance! I got to worship, and I made/continued friendships that I hope will last a lifetime!

God is good.

So in short, I may not have been dancing in Venice or performing on Broadway this year, but the God-sized dreams that God had for me were so much better.

This year was truly amazing and awe-inspiring! What will 2019 be like?

So let us not forget to remember his still small voice, and that his plans are way better than our own!