Vision boards and free will
Why our desires matter!
This weekend, I gathered with friends for our second annual “vision board” party. We started in a prayer and guided meditation, then got to cutting up magazines and Magnificats (I save them all year to include scripture on our boards!), eagerly sharing with one another the images and themes we were finding as we pieced them together.
It was of course fun to do arts and crafts, but what was even more exciting was hearing and sharing about how God has moved in our lives over the past year. 2025 was a wild year (as I’ve written about before) and approximately zero of the things that happened were on my vision board. That was the consensus around the table — so many good (and growing) things happened in 2025 and most were unexpected!
On one hand, that could be discouraging — Why make a vision board if nothing on it is going to happen? But on the other hand, it’s exciting — Who knows what God is up to, or what He’s going to do with what I offer Him? Twenty days into 2026 I’ve already been surprised across the board (no pun intended) by what He’s done.
What I love so much about the vision board party is that everyone is so different. Each of us is drawn to unique ideas, dreams, and goals. Sure — we are friends so obviously we have a lot in common. But the variety in the boards was so beautiful to see.
Although cutting up magazines and passing pages to the friend who we think will love them can feel kind of silly, it’s a reminder that our desires are not silly to God. He delights in us! The images on my board come from my heart — they’re things I love or aspire to have more of this year. And because He loves me, and cares so much about me, God uses those very desires to delight me and to draw me closer to Him.
A friend shared this Tim Keller sermon with me this weekend, in which he discusses whether or not we actually have free will. Do our decisions matter? I think they do. And I think that, no matter what’s on your heart and mind for 2026, God wants us to embrace our (good) desires and pursue them with courage and hope.
My boards for 2025 and 2026 ended up looking quite different from one another — both filled with good things, but ultimately all of the good things on my board point to the ultimate Good — the One who created everything out of love for us.
He makes all things new… and who knows what is in store?!
In Christ,
Jane
What I’m loving lately
Much Ado about Nothing
This weekend, I went to a “salon” party where we did a dramatic reading of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing. A few weeks ago, I saw something that said we should try and do more of what we loved at the age of 12, before we started caring about what people thought of us. I was a big theater girl at 12, so when I received this invitation I was delighted! It was so, so fun, and I only knew a couple of the people there so I made new friends! Such a lovely reminder that we can always do new things.
Seven Dials on Netflix
I loved this. Three episodes is perfect length of show for me, and I laid on my couch and watched it as the snow fell outside my window. Ideal afternoon!
Admin morning
I had some girlfriends over this weekend to do an “admin morning” and we sat in front of my fireplace and checked things off our to do lists. Highly recommend!
A little walk and hygge
I went for a walk through Georgetown on Saturday morning and it started snowing on me and I was listening to some jazzy Raye and it was a moment of presence and wonder. Last year I got really into hygge (see here) and this year I’ve been trying to spend time outside in the cold because it really does make a warm cozy apartment SO much sweeter!
Prayer intentions
For a few friends’ birthdays this week!
For a special intention