There’s something about January that stirs up pressure, isn’t there?
A fresh start. A blank calendar. A brand-new list of expectations we quietly place on ourselves.
Everywhere we turn, the world tells us to hustle harder, set bigger goals, chase more, produce more, become more. And while there’s nothing wrong with goals or growth, I noticed something in myself these last few years: I didn’t need a new plan. I needed a new pace.
And not the pace the world tells me to run…
but the one God invites me to walk.
In A Pace of Grace, I write:
“Stillness doesn’t come from clearing my calendar but by filling my soul with Him, even in the chaos.”
That sentence came straight out of a season when my soul felt overextended—like I was trying to carry the weight of my life on my own shoulders. And friend… I don’t want to start another year like that. Maybe you don’t either.
Striving looks holy on the outside, but it drains us on the inside.
I used to think striving and obedience were the same thing—like if I didn’t give 110 percent, God would be disappointed. But striving is fueled by fear. Obedience is fueled by love.
Striving says:
“I have to prove myself.”
Obedience says:
“God, I trust You.”
Striving keeps us frantic.
Obedience keeps us free.
Striving puts the weight back on us.
Obedience puts the weight back on God.
As I prayed over this January, the Lord reminded me that a surrendered heart is far more powerful than a perfectly executed plan.
Maybe this year isn’t about doing more. Maybe it’s about releasing more.
Releasing control.
Releasing hurry.
Releasing the expectations we’ve been carrying for far too long.
Surrender is letting God lead instead of dragging Him behind us while we run.
And surrender becomes a doorway to peace.
When I finally stopped trying to “fix” my life through lists and schedules and leaned fully into Jesus, everything shifted. My circumstances didn’t magically change… but my heart did. My pace did. My awareness of His presence did.
Maybe the invitation for us this January isn’t to work harder but to breathe deeper.
A simple practice for this week:
5 Minutes of Stillness
I want to invite you into something small and sacred:
Take five minutes each day to sit with Jesus before you sit with the world.
Set a timer.
Sit in the quiet.
And pray, “Lord, I surrender this day to You. Lead me at Your pace.”
Don’t overthink it.
Don’t try to “do it right.”
Just show up. God loves showing up too.
This month’s heart posture: Surrender over striving
As we step into a new year, you don’t need to earn God’s love or prove your worth. You are already His daughter—chosen, loved, and held.
My prayer for you (and for myself) is this:
Lord, teach us to walk in step with You. Slow our striving. Steady our hearts. Let obedience be our joy and surrender be our strength.
✨ A Note About the Book
If your heart is longing for a gentler pace this year—one filled with rest, presence, and freedom from striving—A Pace of Grace was written for you.
It will be available for pre-order, and I can’t wait to walk this journey of surrender and obedience with you each step of the way.
