Welcome to 2026: Big Sister Advice for Your Best Year Yet

Jan 15

Written By Sophie

It’s 2026.
We made it.
Cue the remix. 🎶

Jesus will take all your problems and give them a fix. Don’t take the bait. Life is really great. This might just be your best year to date.

Okay… I’ll stop. But truly — welcome to a brand new year.

There’s just something about January that feels like a deep breath. A clean slate. A holy “okay Lord, let’s do this better this time.” And as we step into 2026, I wanted to sit down with you — big sister style — and talk about joy, Jesus, growth, and a few lessons I’m carrying with me into this year.

But first… we need to talk about Christmas. 🎄

Christmas Memories, Scooters, and Riding Horses to School

This Christmas was especially sweet for us. My grandparents came into town, and any time we get to spend the holidays with them feels like a gift I don’t take lightly anymore.

My grandfather just turned 89. Eighty-nine. That alone is a miracle. Sitting with him and my grandmother, listening to stories about high school, falling in love at sixteen, getting married at eighteen — it was one of those moments that makes you realize how fast life really moves.

At one point, my son (who got a scooter for Christmas) asked my grandfather if he ever rode a scooter to school.

My grandfather said, “No, but I did ride my horse.”

A. Horse.

Apparently, he’d saddle it up, ride to school, tie it to a tree… and half the time the horse would escape and run home. Which meant he had to walk back instead.

I’m sorry — WHAT?

It’s funny, but it’s also humbling. Generations lived so differently. Slower. Simpler. And it made this Christmas feel extra meaningful.

The Great Christmas Gift Debacle (a.k.a. The Spatula Incident)

Now let’s talk gifts.

This year, my husband actually knocked it out of the park. He got me this really nice, name-brand lotion I’d never heard of but now apparently can’t live without.

But that wasn’t always the case.

Let me tell you about the spatula.

Years ago, when my kids were tiny, I woke up on Christmas morning to… nothing. No gifts under the tree. I was devastated. Crying. Furious. Hurt.

That night, Blaine left the house and came back around 11 p.m. holding a Walmart bag.

Inside?

A spatula.

With a green clearance sticker.

He looked at me and said, “You like making pancakes.”

Friends… I launched that spatula. Straight at his head.

In his mind, it was practical. In my mind, it was a crime.

Men are… special. Bless them.

The Worst (and Funniest) Gifts You’ve Ever Received

We opened up the group chat and y’all absolutely delivered. Highlights included:

Dr. Pepper–flavored chapstick
A Bluetooth beanie that was definitely not a jackpot gift
An extra-extra-large robe for a woman who weighs 130 pounds
Kitchen appliances when someone was expecting a puppy
A book about Hitler… that praised Hitler (NO MA’AM)
A yo-yo… for a 30-year-old
And my personal favorite:
“Forget about the present. I didn’t get you one.”

Honestly? Iconic.

If you want to be part of the group chat and share stories like this, you can join us anytime — it’s free, fun, and where so many of these moments come from.

Things We’re Leaving Behind (Looking at You, Stranger Things)

Let’s make one thing clear: we are leaving Stranger Things in 2025.

I watched it. I’m not endorsing it. And honestly? We’re just tired of being force-fed stuff we don’t want to watch.

Instead, my husband and I have been loving old-school shows — Seinfeld, Cheers, Friends, Golden Girls. Shows that are funny without being vulgar. Comfort TV. Blanket-and-couch kind of joy.

If I have to choose between Rainbow Vecna and Elaine’s thumb dance?

I’m choosing the thumb dance. Every time.

Hollywood… take the hint.

Big Sister Advice for Your Best Year Yet

Now let’s get serious — but still keep it real.

If we want 2026 to be different, we can’t just hope it is. We have to live differently. Here’s what I’m carrying with me into this year:

1. Pray Before You Post

Because being petty doesn’t make you pretty.

Comment sections are not ministry. They are rarely effective and often hurt your testimony. Let’s be intentional with what we post, share, and respond to online.

Pettiness stays in 2025.

2. Chips Are for Salsa, Not Your Shoulders

Let offense go.

Offense will ruin your peace faster than almost anything else. If this is something you struggle with, I highly recommend The Bait of Satan by John Bevere. It changed my life.

Being offended is a trap. Don’t live there.

3. Go to God Before You Go to Your Girlfriends

Guidance is better than gossip.

Living a gossip-free life brings an unbelievable amount of peace. Before calling someone to vent, try praying first. You might be surprised how often the issue resolves itself when you bring it to the Lord.