Welcome to our December Coffee Chat! Grab your favorite beverage and settle in as we talk about what’s ahead for 2026. This isn’t about rigid goals or pressure-filled resolutions—it’s about creative plans that honor both faith and the season of life I’m in.
What I’m Reading
These are all Amazon affiliate links. Clicking on them helps to support my ministry. I really appreciate your support.
-Holy Hygge: Creating A Place For People To Gather And The Gospel To Grow
-The Simplest Way To Change The World: Biblical Hospitality As A Way of Life
-Theology of Home: Finding The Eternal In The Everyday
-Theology of Home II: The Spiritual Art of Homemaking
Writing Updates
Blue Stone Christmas Has Arrived!
Blue Stone Christmas officially released this month, and friends, the reception has been tremendously positive. I’m so grateful. What’s been especially exciting is seeing the book available in multiple public library systems across the country—that was a huge goal of mine because I want these stories to be accessible to everyone.
Where to Find Blue Stone Christmas:
Signed author copies (limited stock): saltypagebooks.com
Amazon: Ebook and paperback (free for Kindle Unlimited subscribers)
Your local library: Request it!
Bookstores: Barnes & Noble, Chapters, bookshop.org, or anywhere you buy books
What I’m Working On Now
Right now, I’m actively working on Blue Stone Blooms, the full-length novel sequel to Blue Stone Christmas. This is what I’ll be focusing on through the winter and into spring.
2026 Publication Plans
Here’s what’s coming in the Blue Stone Seasons series:
Blue Stone Blooms (full-length novel) - Spring 2026
Two more novellas in the Blue Stone Seasons series - Fall & Winter 2026
I also have plans to release some non-fiction books in 2026—possibly devotionals or mini books—but my primary focus is on my fiction releases and my Substack content. I want to be realistic about what I can sustainably create while honoring my season of life. And that’s very much in line with my soft, sacred, slow philosophy—I’m choosing to focus deeply on fewer things rather than spreading myself too thin trying to do everything.
Substack: My Home Base for 2026
My Substack, Soft Sacred Slow, is really where my heart is for 2026. If you’re not subscribed yet, I would love to have you join us.
I’ll continue with my Wednesday deep-dive teaching posts and Sunday Sabbath devotionals. Those are the rhythms I’ve established, and they’re working really well for the community.
Coming Soon: Audio Content
One exciting thing I’m working on is recording audio voiceovers for my back catalog of posts. These will show up in the podcast stream as “From the Archives,” so if you prefer to listen rather than read, you’ll have that option.
Introducing: The Cultivator’s CoWorking Club
I’m really excited to launch something new in January for my Cultivator’s Circle members!
The Cultivator’s Circle is my paid membership tier at $7/month, and starting in January, members will have access to the Cultivator’s CoWorking Club.
How It Works
We’ll gather every Monday morning from 10 am-12 pm Eastern time (except the first Monday of each month, which is reserved for our coffee chat).
Here’s the flow:
3-2-1 Check-In: Share 3 wins from last week, 2 goals for this week, 1 prayer request
Focused Work Sprints: Work together with body doubling and accountability
Stretch Break: Mid-session movement break
Continue Working: Second sprint to finish strong
The sessions are recorded, so if you can’t make it live, you can catch the replay and still participate in the conversation through comments. I’ll be using these Mondays to work on whatever I need to focus on that day—sometimes my book, sometimes Substack posts, sometimes other creative tasks. And you’re welcome to bring whatever creative work you need to focus on.
Other Cultivator’s Circle Benefits
Beyond the CoWorking Club, members also get:
Monthly goals posts where I share what I’m working on
Quarterly group planning sessions
Supporting the ministry of Soft Sacred Slow
To join: Simply subscribe to the paid tier on Substack, or if you’re already subscribed for free, you can upgrade anytime.
YouTube Update
Quick note about YouTube—my YouTube presence is officially non-existent at this point. I still have my profile up because I use it as a viewer, and my channel description directs people to Substack and my shop, but there’s no public content on my YouTube, and nothing new will be added.
All of my writing sprints and live videos are happening on Substack going forward. That’s where the community is, that’s where I want to invest my energy. Again, this is about sustainable focus—choosing one platform and doing it well rather than trying to maintain a presence everywhere.
What Else Is Coming
Shop & Products
Merch and digital products are on my radar for 2026. I’m thinking about what might serve you all well—whether that’s planners, guides, or physical products. But here’s the thing: they have to fit in between my primary focus of writing fiction and creating content on Substack. So I’m not making any promises about timelines, but know that it’s something I’m considering and planning for.
Exploring Coaching
I’m also researching and considering offering asynchronous coaching—seeing if there truly is a market for it and if it will serve my community well. I want to make sure anything I offer is something you actually need and that I can deliver with excellence. So I’m in the exploration phase with that.
Life & Faith Updates
New Ministry & Family Activities
On the personal front, there are some exciting things happening in my family and church life:
Moms’ Ministry: We’re launching at our church in January, and I’ll be co-leading
Track Season: My two younger boys are thinking about running track in the spring
What Matters Most
Here’s something I want to be really clear about: my family and in-person ministry always come first. Always.
That means how much I can get done in 2026 will be determined by how I adjust to changes in my schedule. If my boys run track, that’s going to look different than if they don’t. If the moms’ ministry requires more of me in certain seasons, I’ll shift accordingly. And I’m at peace with that because I’m building a creative life that works WITH my real life, not against it.
The August Transition
The other big thing on the horizon is that later in 2026, we’ll be transitioning from our apartment ministry work. That’s going to free up a lot of time and emotional energy to work on new projects. So the second half of 2026 might look very different from the first half in terms of what I’m able to create and release. And I’m okay with that flexibility.
Plans, Not Goals
This all comes back to why I’m talking about creative plans and not creative goals today.
Goals can feel rigid and pressure-filled. Plans feel more like a map—here’s where I’d like to go, here’s the general direction, but I’m leaving room for detours, for seasons of rest, for the Holy Spirit to redirect me.
I’m committed to building a creative life that doesn’t deplete me, that honors my season as a mom of three boys, that serves my community well, and that ultimately glorifies God. That’s the soft, sacred, slow way. And that’s what 2026 is going to be about for me.
Looking Ahead to January
My focus in January will be:
Finishing Blue Stone Blooms
Launching the CoWorking Club
Settling into rhythms with the moms’ ministry
Starting the year sustainably rather than sprinting
I want to start the year sustainably rather than sprinting out of the gate and burning out by February. I’ll continue my Wednesday teaching posts and Sunday devotionals on Substack, and I’m excited to see how the audio versions of my back catalog are received.
My 2026 Word: Intentional Joy
My word for 2026 is “Intentional Joy.”
Not just joy when things are easy, but choosing joy intentionally—in the mundane moments, in the challenging seasons, in the creative work, in the rest.
I want to build a year that I don’t need to escape from. A life that feels good to live, not just good to talk about. And I want to help you do the same through the content I create and the community we’re building together.
Join Me
If you’re not already subscribed to Soft Sacred Slow on Substack, I’d love to have you join us. That’s where all my teaching, the Sunday devotionals, and the community happen.
Your Turn
I’d love to hear from you:
What are YOUR creative plans for 2026? What are you focusing on? What are you saying no to so you can say yes to what matters most?
Drop your thoughts in the comments below!
Remember: soft, sacred, slow. You don’t have to do it all. You just have to do what’s yours to do, with joy.
Connect & Support
🌱 Join Our Community: Subscribe to receive The Sunday Sabbath newsletter and follow along on this soft, sacred, slow journey.
🤍 Support This Ministry:
Monthly Support: Join the Cultivator’s Circle to sustain this digital ministry with a monthly contribution.
One-Time Gift: Prefer a one-time donation? You can nurture this garden with a single contribution.
📚 Explore Resources: Discover books, assessments, and resources to support your creative journey in the Salty Page Books shop.
💬 Share Your Thoughts: I’d love to hear your perspective in the comments below.
