Faithful Always.
I had no intention of choosing a word for 2025. After all, I had forgotten that God had even given me one last year. (You can read about that here.) But as I spent time doing some heart work—reflecting on 2025 and looking ahead to 2026—it became very clear that there was going to be a word after all.
FAITHFUL.
God is faithful, even when I am not. And there were many moments over the past year (and beyond) when I wasn’t faithful to Him. One thing I did spend the last year doing, though, was counting gifts. I read Ann Voskamp’s 1000 Giftsback in 2015, and it deeply impacted me. I had counted 1,000 gifts before, but over a much shorter period of time. This time, these 1,095 gifts came slowly, spread out over the course of the entire year.
That practice created a rhythm of noticing God’s goodness every single day—even on the hard ones. I realized that those gifts could just as easily be viewed as evidence of God’s faithfulness. I believe that there’s no better way to end the day than to look back and ask, “Where did I see God faithfulness in my life today?”
With FAITHFUL as my focus, I won’t only look outward at God’s faithfulness in my life—I’ll also turn inward and work to live faithfully as well.
I want to be faithful to the things God has already called me to. While the new year often brings fresh resolutions, it’s also an opportunity to resolve to continue. I made some changes over the summer that I’m renewing in this season, and I want to remain faithful to those things, holding steady to what I sensed God nudging me toward for my good and for the good of those around me. A healthy mama is the best version of myself I can bring to my family, and it helps me love and serve others well.
I want to be faithful in my responsibilities, offering my best in the areas where I’ve made commitments, and I especially want to be faithful in my writing, something God has called me to a long time ago.
I mentioned in my “Still Faithful” blog yesterday that I had put a lot on my plate over the last year that God hadn’t actually placed there. I gave quick yeses that weren’t always my best yeses. So, this year I want to be faithful with both my yeses and my nos. I want to seek the Lord with each decision and move forward confidently, grounded in His guidance.
In 2026, FAITHFUL looks like:
· Reading the entire Bible with The Bible Recap → daily faithfulness
· Walking/running 1,000 miles → showing up consistently
· Finishing my book → staying faithful to the calling even when motivation dips
· Reading 26 books and losing… “some more” weight → long obedience, not quick fixes
FAITHFUL emphasizes showing up, on the ordinary days…even the hard ones.
This word covers spiritual depth, physical perseverance, creative obedience, and mental endurance, without turning the year into a performance checklist, something I am so guilty of so often. It leaves room for grace and growth. “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:23) isn’t just a phrase for the end of our lives, but an invitation for our daily lives too.
Faithful is not fast.
Faithful is not flashy.
My daily mantra for 2026 reflects this focus: “Show up. Trust God. Keep going.”
It’s simple enough to remember on tired days, and strong enough to carry every goal.
· Show up → in daily Bible reading, miles walked, and words on the page
· Trust God → in surrendering outcomes, weight loss, timing, and creativity
· Keep going → in finishing what I’ve started, one day at a time
My anchor verse for a FAITHFUL year is Galatians 6:9:
“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”
And with that, my daily prayer is simple: “Lord, help me be faithful today.”
