This is the (Joy)Cap, where I share a reflection or lesson and a roundup of links, recommendations, and everything that’s bringing me joy, inviting you to do the same. Think of this as a weekly coffee date with my close friends. ☕️💕🫶🏾 Join me on a joy hunt and start receiving the (Joy)Cap by subscribing today! ✨
Hey friends,
I hope you are well and staying warm amid this winter storm. It’s actually quite warm down here in the Golden Isles (today it’s going to be 78 degrees 😅), so it’s safe to say that we will be missing the storm, but I have friends and family all up and down the Midwest and East Coast — high-impact areas, so I will be keeping a close eye on the storm.
It’s been quite busy over the last few weeks — my oldest had his first parent-teacher conference, and this past week was the 100th day of school. I swear all these themed days are keeping this mama busy! In the midst of that, I’ve been preparing to audition for my church’s worship team, which will be my first time singing in this manner since high school. I say all that to say, the last few weeks have been full. I’ve been doing my best to find time for personal work and housework, but as always, I am inevitably a few beats behind.
I was hoping to have this post up yesterday, but my five-year-old ended up having an ear infection, which was the worst. I took him to urgent care yesterday as soon as it opened, and I’m thankful to say that he’s feeling much better. Between that and the chaos of the week, I’m feeling a little scattered and overwhelmed, but I’m choosing to be gentle with myself as I start planning and easing into the new week.
The Joy List ✨
A Friday beach visit. It was warm the other Friday, so I decided to pack up the car and take the kids to the beach after I picked Kaiden up from school. The weather was absolutely perfect, and I got to chat with my Dad on FaceTime and read a few pages of my book while the kids played in the sand.
A slow Saturday morning with the family. My husband usually works on Saturday, but he ended up having the day off. We ended up having Saturday breakfast together, which is rare, and he and I completed a word search puzzle together while we drank coffee together, and the kids played. It was the perfect Saturday morning.
Pepper, our new houseplant. I dipped my toe into the plant waters this past fall when I purchased some mums for our front porch. There was something about tending, watering, and checking on its progress that brought me so much joy. It convinced me that maybe I could be a good plant mom, so when I saw that Aldi was selling plants for $10, I decided to go for it. She’s a peperomia variegated green, and I aptly named her Pepper because of it. I’m sure there will be another addition to our plant family soon.
Wednesday night supper at church. Once a month, on a Wednesday, our church does a dinner along with a short teaching. While I generally look forward to these when I can go, I was exhausted this day and thought about staying home. But I’m glad I pushed through it and went. I always leave feeling encouraged and so much lighter when I attend.
Attending my son’s first parent-teacher conference. I honestly don’t even know how we made it to this point, because I just had him yesterday (or at least it feels like I did 😅). I had so much joy and pride in my heart to hear his teacher speak so highly of him and to hear how well he is doing. It was the highlight of my week.
Pacing Yourself Into the New Year
How are we feeling almost a month into the new year? I know it can be easy to capitalize on this time of year when it feels like a fresh start, but contrary to what our culture pushes, you don’t have to pursue your goals and habits full steam ahead, straight out of the gate. It’s okay to pace yourself and take time to establish new habits, rhythms, and routines. Psychologists actually encourage the same thing, and I shared more about it, along with my gentle, science-backed approach for goal setting and habit creation, in this week’s post for paid subscribers.
Reading 📖 Atomic Habits1 has been on my TBR for the last few years, and since I’m in the goal setting mood again, I decided that now was the time to finally get to it. I’m only a few chapters in, and just about every paragraph is highlighted, so there ya go! I also finished Sarah Adams’ latest release and final installment in the When in Rome series, In Your Dreams, and the book was actually a dream, pun fully intended. Definitely my favorite one that I’ve read in the series. So sad that it’s over!
Playing 🎧 Here are a few podcast episodes that I’ve enjoyed over the last few weeks:
Recommending 📝 Microjournaling in your planner. This year, I’m using a Sterling Ink B6 Vertical Common Planner and was having a hard time determining how I was going to use the hourly time slots in the weekly spread, since I don’t always have a ton of weekly appointments. This girl I followed on TikTok shared how she uses the time slots to reverse plan (essentially microjournaling by documenting her day). I tried it for this week, and I’m obsessed. This is perfect for when you want to journal in a pinch, too!
3 Spiritual Disciplines to Grow Your Faith in 2026
In my last (Joy)Cap, I shared that I’m bringing a renewed sense of hope and faith into this year. To maintain that level of hope and faith, I know that I’m going to have to work on cultivating my spiritual disciplines this year. Here are the three that I’m working on that you might want to incorporate into your walk this year.
As you move through this week, may you give yourself permission to go at a pace that honors your capacity. Rathering than rushing your progress, trust God’s timing and pacing. Even in the ordinary, everyday moments, He is present and at work, gently guiding your steps.
“The steps of a man are established by the Lord, when he delights in his way.” — Psalm 37:23 (ESV)
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Good to see a post from you. And ear infections are no fun! Atomic Habits is on my radar too. James Clear was on the Aspire podcast. Check out that episode. A few gems I’m sure the book highlights.
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Good to see a post from you. And ear infections are no fun! Atomic Habits is on my radar too. James Clear was on the Aspire podcast. Check out that episode. A few gems I’m sure the book highlights.