This is the (Joy)Cap where I share a weekly 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 weekly joy hunt and start receiving the (Joy)Cap by subscribing today! ✨
Happy New Year!
I hope everyone had a rested and refreshing holiday season. I took some unplanned time off from writing the last few weeks. After months of running hard, I needed time and space for my mind to just breathe, rest, and relax. At this stage in life, I have learned not to force things — work, opportunities, plans, friendships, and goals — but to let things unfold organically. That doesn’t mean we avoid effort or intention, but it requires patience and discernment to let things flow in their time. This is where I am as we enter into the New Year.
I don’t have hard-core plans or Pinterest-worthy vision boards. So far my planning is looking very demure and mindful with a budget-friendly Day Designer planner from Amazon and a $5 planning pad from Target (a far cry from my previous days spending $100 + dollars on goal and luxury planners). Honestly, I don’t have much planned for the year. While there are some projects I hope to pursue, God-willing, my primary focus this year is on living a whole, integrated life. I’ll be sharing more about this soon in a post for paid subscribers. If you’d like to upgrade, you can do so here.
On New Year’s Day, I shared in the chat how easy it can be to base God’s goodness on the year's outcomes. But He is good and sovereign over all of our lives, no matter what the year brings. While it is wise to plan, remember that His purpose prevails.1 This year, don’t feel pressured to outpace His timing. Trust that He will make everything beautiful in His time.2
What Brought Me Joy ✨
Seeing the Holiday Lights on Jekyll Island. Since we moved here, everyone has recommended that if we didn’t see do anything else this holiday season, that we see the Holly Jolly Jekyll Island Christmas lights, and they didn’t disappoint. We waited until the Sunday before Christmas when my husband was off and piled the kids in the car with our hot cocoa to drive over to the island to look at the lights. It was probably the most magical events we experienced as a family this Christmas season (although this video clip does not do it justice). I can easily see this becoming a yearly traditon.
Getting to spend Christmas Eve and Christmas together as a family. This might be normal for many families, but a rarity for mine with a truck driver husband. I was so thankful that he got to enjoy some time home this Chrstimas. I got up early Christmas Eve morning to make a breakfast casserole, candied bacon (both recipes found in this year’s She Read’s Truth Advent devotional), and homemade biscuits, which we enjoyed after my husband got back from work. Then, I spent the day cooking and watching Christmas movies with the kids while we munched on chocolate chip cookies I made the day before. I did my best to get most of the food cooked or prepped beforehand so that on actual Christmas day I could just relax. I only had to pop a few things in the oven.
Rest. This is the one thing I have been prioritizing over the last few weeks. I made it an effor to lounge around the house as much as I could while wrapping up my holiday reads, reflecting, praying, and considering the New Year.
My new baby Kindle. I’ve had the Kindle Oasis since it came out in 2017 and have been wanting to upgrade. Mine still works, but it lags and glitches considerably. I was thinking about grabbing the newest Kindle Colorsoft, but decided to wait after hearing the reported kinks. Instead, I picked up the newest Kindle in the color Matcha with an Amazon gift card I received. I’m not usually a color girlie when it comes to tech, but this match/mint green color got to me.
My sister and I started buddy reading Hard Is Not the Same Thing as Bad by Abbie Halberstadt, and it’s such a convicting and humbling read. I’m not even halfway through, but I already recommend it to all mothers.
I recently started What You Leave Behind by Wanda M. Morris after it was recommended to me by
. The setting takes place in Brunswick, and I’ve been enjoying learning the listening to the little pockets of history mixed in with this mystery.
No matter what I’m reading, I always need a romance in rotation to keep it fun and light. I just started Practice Makes Perfect by Sarah Adams. Hopefully, I’ll like it better than the first in the series.
The Plan by Kendra Adachi became available to me on Libby this week, which seems pretty fitting for this time of year.
I’m always sharing my thoughts in real-time on Fable and Instagram. For ratings and reviews, check out my Goodreads.
Currently Listening 🎧
Lately, I’ve been considering how I can get the gospel rooted in my littles’ 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 apart of your kids’ daily rhythms and routines.
I would love to hear from you! What brought you joy this week? Leave a comment, or send me a direct message!
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Glad you had a time to just be and recharge a bit with family! And yes to What You Leave Behind. I’m going to read that soon. Currently back to romance bc my reads were heavy lately!
Janelle, I absolutely love this right here -->' I have learned not to force things — work, opportunities, plans, friendships, and goals — but to let things unfold organically. That doesn’t mean we avoid effort or intention, but it requires patience and discernment to let things flow in their time.'
This is like a key to living lightly, freely, hopefully, and sanely. I'm taking your words to heart this evening. Happy new year to you and your family!
Glad you had a time to just be and recharge a bit with family! And yes to What You Leave Behind. I’m going to read that soon. Currently back to romance bc my reads were heavy lately!
So fun collaborating with you!
Janelle, I absolutely love this right here -->' I have learned not to force things — work, opportunities, plans, friendships, and goals — but to let things unfold organically. That doesn’t mean we avoid effort or intention, but it requires patience and discernment to let things flow in their time.'
This is like a key to living lightly, freely, hopefully, and sanely. I'm taking your words to heart this evening. Happy new year to you and your family!