Faithfulness in the Process
January 25' Reflections: Noticing & Pressing In When Life Feels Hard or Uncertain + Monthly Round Up
Today, I glanced at my calendar and realized that it was January 28th, and somehow, it has felt like it’s been both the shortest and longest month. I don’t know about you, but this month felt like it lasted both five minutes and five years at the same time. January always brings a weird mix of fresh starts and figuring things out as you go, and this year was no different.
The month started with all the best intentions—new rhythms, goals, and a slow but steady return to routine after the holidays. But somewhere between navigating some challenges, the winter storm, and unexpected sickness, and simply trying to keep up, it quickly turned into a blur. And in that blur, I’ve found myself quickly losing sight of the purpose of it all.
I had shared in one of my most recent (Joy)Caps that most times, it’s hard for me to see the good, the glorious work that the Lord is doing in my life in the moment. That’s because honestly, it’s a fight. It’s a fight to capture my thoughts and bring them into submission of the Word. It’s a fight to find gratitude and joy in the midst of what feels like consistently hard situations. After years of praying and believing, it’s a fight to hold onto hope and contend for change. That is why I must constantly remind myself to fight for it — to chase it down and savor it at all costs.
While I have been documenting daily joys, both in my journal and on Substack, this year, I’ve felt called to take it a step further by not just documenting joys but also my process — the process of what the Lord is doing in my mind, heart, and soul by reflecting on what He’s doing and teaching me each day.
Even though I don’t always see it in the moment, I know that nothing is wasted. Every prayer whispered in exhaustion, every attempt to shift my focus from discouragement to gratitude, every step forward—no matter how small—matters. And maybe that’s the lesson I’m carrying from this month: that while joy is worth chasing, so is faithfulness in the process. Because sometimes, faithfulness is the joy.
So, as January wraps up and we step into a new month, I’m reminding myself to keep showing up. To keep noticing. To keep pressing in, even when things feel slow or uncertain. Because even in the blur, even in the battle, God is still at work—and that’s a promise I can hold onto.
Books 📚
Practice Makes Perfect by Sarah Adams. I enjoyed this book much more than the first one in the series. This book continues with the Walker sibling, Annie as she fake dates her soon-to-be sister-in-law’s bodyguard, Will Griffin. I’m pretty sure that fake dating is one of my favorite romance tropes. I found myself giggling and kicking my feet several times. This is also a pretty low-spice romance with many of the intimate scenes fading to black, so if you like clean romance, this is the one for you.
Mrs Quinn’s Rise to Fame by Olivia Ford. I was pleasantly surprised by this cozy read. This story is about Jenny Quinn, who after fifty-nine years of marriage, decides she wants to sweeten things up and pursue a long-held passion by becoming a contestant on the Britain Bakes TV show. It’s not just the goal of winning the show that drives her, but more of the fact that she’s allowed some deep-seated secrets and beliefs to hold her back from having any goals or ambitions. This is a coming-of-age story of love, redemption, forgiveness, and permission to pursue your passions despite your past trauma and pain. I read this both on Kindle and audio, and I highly recommend listening to the audio, as the narrator does a phenomenal job. And who doesn’t love a good British accent?
Hard Is Not the Same Thing as Bad by Abbie Halberstadt. This is honestly the most convicting and humbling motherhood book I have read to date. In this book, Abbie, a mother of 10, provides a straight, no-chaser approach for mothering through the hard seasons through a gospel lens by sharing how the everyday trial in motherhood can transform us more into Christ. I buddy-read this book with my sister, and we both agreed that it read like a therapy session. Even the headlines were convicting in themselves, and I found myself highlighting and annotating multiple paragraphs in every chapter. Both new and seasoned mothers will find truth, hope, and encouragement in this book.
These were just some of my favorites from the month. For a full list and reviews of what I read, check out my Goodreads.
Podcasts 🎧
Lately, I’ve been considering how I can help my littles root the gospel in their hearts by having them recall scripture. In this episode of the Family Discipleship Podcast, Hunter Beless shares practical tips and resources for making scripture memory a part of your kids’ daily rhythms and routines.
Despite what you see on Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest, there is no perfect mom. I loved this bite-sized episode with Laura Wifler from Risen Motherhood. In this episode, Laura shares how we can use the gospel to free us from these misconceived notions regarding the best way to mother our children. There’s no one-size-fits-all solution, but there is a gospel one, and it’s grace-filled and perfection-free.
This was such a rich and encouraging conversation with Courtney Doctor. If you’re in your 30s feeling behind or trying to discern your next steps, Courtney helps you release the pressure by reminding you that God has you exactly where you need to be. Do the next best thing and let God sovereignly weave your story together.
January Snapshots 📸
Bringing in the New Year with a new Kindle // A photo from a rare solo coffee outing // A beautiful photo of my girl at Blythe Island Regional Park // Kailey experiencing her first snow
Throughout the month, I love to post notes, reflections, or other resources that I find encouraging or helpful. Make sure you download the Substack app so you don’t miss out on new notes, chats, and threads.
Catch up on January Posts
The Year of Living Wholly
We’re over a week into the year, and I still haven’t finalized any goals or created a Pinterest-worthy, Canva-made vision board. In previous seasons, I was so ready and excited for a fresh start. I’d buy all the luxury planners, set ambitious goals, and craft a manifesto to guide my year. Even now, I feel a flicker of that same excitement—I love the talk of motivation, productivity, and discipline. I even wrote a 5-day challenge on developing the discipline to help people accomplish their goals. But for the last few years, the typical push for productivity hasn’t resonated with me.
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I really enjoyed this. I’m in. A season where I need to be faithful in the process and trust God for the outcome.