Forging Breakthroughs in 2026
I don’t know about your 2025, but mine was a roller coaster. There were ups and downs, tunnels and spirals, loop-de-loops and twisty turns. It was a year that taught me so much about myself, a lot about my son, and even more about Jesus.
I learned that people are people, and I am only responsible for my own walk with God. I struggled a bit with forgiveness, but eventually surrendered it and became aware of the overwhelming freedom that comes with that.
Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t an easy task to work through as I navigated ministry and business-building. I often felt as though I had once again missed the mark. That no matter what I did, it would never be what it was supposed to be.
Friend…. I know.
That is not the right attitude when setting out to serve God as He has created me to do. Actually, in my endeavor to understand Him better, I realized it was a bit selfish of me to think I could find a way to fix the mess I had no control over to begin with. OUCH!!
My word for 2026
As the year comes to a close, I have learned to surrender in a way that leads to the goodness of God. This was the most beautiful thing I experienced. It is this experience that has brought me to the first blog as we close 2025 and step into 2026. I spent the first part of this year connecting with God and opening myself to what He is asking of me for the new year.
Just like Moses, if God doesn’t go with me, I won’t go.
As I sat and pondered about how God would have me end this year and start the new one with a blog, I kept coming back to my word for 2026: forge. I am not referring to the action of beating or hammering something into shape using heat. I am talking about advancing gradually and steadily. I am placing myself in a position to continue chasing the Heart of God at a pace that will allow me to embrace all He has for me. I want to meet Him in the quiet spaces and cultivate a relationship that gives me hope beyond what my heart feels in the flesh.
God invites us to join Him in the quiet spaces in Psalm 46:10:
“Be still and know that I am God.”
Not “be busy and productive.” Not “rush through and accomplish more.” Just… be still. And in that stillness, know Him. What an invitation, right?
For me to forge means that I’ll be required to once again surrender to the expectations of God rather than everyone else’s, including my own. Right now, I am seeing this in every aspect of life. It looks like letting go of people I cannot control
(yeah… I said it—but please hear me out; this is deeper than it sounds).
This surrender shows up in letting go of how ministry “should” unfold and trusting God’s timing over my own. There are shades of surrender that look like learning how to build a business one small step at a time, without forcing it to break through and happen on my schedule.
We both know that when He sets the pace, we aren’t worn or weary, and we find the joy and peace that comes with experiencing life — ALL OF IT — with Jesus.
Forging isn’t about rushing through the complex parts. Friend, it is about advancing steadily WITH JESUS.
Your Invitation
Friend, together we can choose to journey with Jesus and find those moments that lead us to surrender. The moments that transform us one breath at a time. Starting a new year should never feel overwhelming. There should be no reason that you feel as though you are “dragging” 2025 with you.
Whatever you didn’t finish… let it rest.
Whatever you didn’t do… It’s okay.
Starting fresh doesn’t have to feel burdened with a sense of failure.
What if we choose to travel into 2026 with hope and gratitude, expecting to find purpose in a new journey?
What if traveling into 2026 means choosing to forge with Jesus in a way that lets us see places we never knew and hear stories we haven’t heard?
What if this journey creates a new pathway that we never knew we could travel?
Over the next few posts, I would like to share what God is showing me and how He has led me to this place of choosing to forge rather than refuse. Will you join me?
backroads reflection
Grab your journal and spend a few minutes with these questions:
- What does “forging gradually with Jesus” look like in your life right now?
- Where have you been trying to rush or force a breakthrough instead of trusting His pace?
- What’s one area where you need to surrender your expectations and let Him set the rhythm?
"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." - Matthew 11:28-30 (ESV)
Want to journey together? Join our Backroads & Breakthroughs community on Substack, where we’re learning to pull over, get still, and encounter Jesus in the everyday overwhelm.
