If 2026 Already Feels Impossible, It's Possible With God

With the start of 2026, the New year pressure is real, but Matthew 19:26 reminds us where our strength actually comes from.

New Year’s used to feel exciting when I was in my twenties. Setting goals. Making resolutions. Staying up late. Having someone to kiss at midnight. It all felt hopeful and simple.

Motherhood changes that. And disability motherhood adds a weight to the New Year that’s hard to explain unless you’ve lived it.

Instead of excitement, January can feel heavy. Almost burdensome. Sometimes it feels easier to ignore the New Year altogether and treat it like any other day rather than face the pressure that comes with it.

Setting goals feels nearly impossible when so much of your life is uncertain.

Will we have another hospital stay this year?
When is the next specialist appointment?
What tests will he need?
What will insurance actually cover?

When uncertainty is constantly sitting at your feet, planning for the future can feel like just one more thing to stress about.

But this year feels different for me.

This is the first year I’m walking into January with a heart full of Jesus. And honestly? It does feel different.

In years past, whenever I set goals for myself, I’d eventually fall short. I’d grip tighter. Add pressure. Use anxiety as fuel to keep going. And when life inevitably forced me to let go of the goal, I felt like a failure.

So this year, I’ve adopted a new philosophy:

Instead of setting goals, I’m choosing to have dreams.

That simple shift has changed everything.

Dreams remove pressure and replace anxiety with excitement.
Dreams make even small, ordinary tasks feel meaningful… even magical.

Some of my dreams this year are simple:

Making better snacking choices
Creating a cleaning schedule and sticking to it
Exercising three times a week
Doing something once a week just for me (even if that’s watching a Netflix series)

Dreams don’t have to be grand or impressive. They don’t have to be “write a New York Times bestseller” — though that’s still on my long-term list.

Calling them dreams instead of goals makes them feel possible. Gentle. Life-giving.

And honestly? I think we could all use a little more magic this year.

Stay Mighty,

Devotional of the Week

Matthew 19:26 (NIV)

With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.

Pressure has a way of convincing us that everything depends on us. That if we just try harder, plan better, or stay more disciplined, we can hold it all together. But the kind of pressure many moms carry isn’t motivating… it’s consuming. It drains joy, turns growth into obligation, and makes even good desires feel heavy.

Jesus doesn’t shame human limitation in this verse. He acknowledges it. Some things truly are impossible by human strength alone. Peace in uncertainty. Hope without guarantees. Forward movement when the ground keeps shifting. God never asks us to pretend otherwise. Instead, He invites us to stop measuring what’s possible by our capacity and start trusting His.

When we turn toward God, the impossible doesn’t magically disappear, but the pressure changes hands. What once felt unbearable becomes shared. What once required control becomes an invitation to trust. God doesn’t demand that we achieve more. He offers to carry more.

Reflection

So many of us confuse pressure with purpose. We think if we release it, everything will fall apart. But God’s way has always been different. His strength shows up most clearly where ours runs out.

Living faithfully doesn’t mean pushing harder. It means staying connected. It means allowing God to redefine success, progress, and growth. When we stop demanding certainty from ourselves and start leaning into God’s presence, possibility opens where pressure once lived.

You are not failing because things feel hard. You are human. And God specializes in meeting humans right there.

Journal Prompt

Where has pressure been shaping my choices more than faith? What would it look like to let God define what is possible for me this season?

A Closing Prayer

Heavenly Father,
You know how easily pressure takes over my thoughts and my heart. Help me recognize where I’ve been trying to carry what was never meant to be mine alone. I give You my limitations, my uncertainty, and the things that feel impossible right now.

Teach me to trust You more than my own strength. Remind me that with You, I don’t have to force what I cannot control. I rest in Your power, Your presence, and Your promises.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.