If your heart’s desire for 2026 is to grow closer to God but you’re craving practical, realistic ways to do that, this episode is for you.

In today’s episode, I’m sharing 10 powerful and doable ways to grow in your Christian walk in 2026. These aren’t about perfection or religious pressure; they're about building intimacy with God, creating sustainable rhythms, and learning to walk with Him daily in real life.

We’ll talk about:

• How worship music can bring healing and deepen your connection with God
• Why keeping a prayer journal builds faith and reminds you of God’s faithfulness
• Inviting the Holy Spirit into your day…on purpose
• Finding a Bible translation and reading plan you’ll actually stick to
• Choosing consistency over perfection in your faith walk
• The importance of church, community, prayer, and fasting
• A life-changing book recommendation for emotional and spiritual growth
• Why you were never meant to walk this journey alone

If you’ve been feeling spiritually dry, overwhelmed, or unsure how to grow closer to God this year, this episode will encourage you, ground you, and give you clear next steps.

✨ Need extra support and accountability?

You’re invited to join our FREE 5-Day Becoming a Woman of Value Challenge, where women come together to grow in faith, identity, and purpose.

👉 The link to join is in the show notes.

And if you’re looking for ongoing Christ-centered community, accountability, and encouragement, come join us inside the Joyful Fit Life Community because you were never meant to do this alone.

💛 Let’s grow together.

The Bible in 52 Weeks Book Link

Emotionally Healthy Woman Book Link

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JOYFUL FIT LIFE COMMUNITY 2 WEEK TRIAL

Connect with me here:

WEBSITE: https://www.thejoyfulfitlife.com/

IG: https://www.instagram.com/joyfulfit_life/

Why does money bring up so much fear, stress, or overwhelm, even when we’re doing “all the right things”?

In this powerful and eye-opening episode of The Journey to Becoming Podcast, I’m joined by Brigid Tebaldi, a Nervous System + Identity Coach, to explore the deeper connection between your nervous system and your money story.

So often, budgeting, saving, or managing finances triggers anxiety, fear, shame, or avoidance. Instead of just addressing the behavior and trying to force better habits, Brigid invites us to slow down and get curious about what’s happening beneath the surface.

We talk about how your relationship with money may be rooted in early childhood experiences, learned patterns, and moments where your body learned whether money felt safe or threatening. When we begin to understand these connections, true healing and real financial freedom becomes possible.

💡 In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why money stress is often a nervous system response
• How childhood experiences shape your financial habits today
• Why behavior modification alone doesn’t lead to lasting change
• How curiosity, compassion, and regulation can bring freedom around finances

If budgeting makes you feel tense, finances trigger fear, or money conversations feel overwhelming, this episode will help you see your story through a new lens, one rooted in healing, awareness, and freedom rather than shame.

✨ This conversation is an invitation to stop fighting yourself and start understanding yourself so you can experience peace, safety, and confidence in this area of your life.

Xoxo Coach Joy

Connect with Brigid

Brigid’s Book Recommendation

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WEBSITE: https://www.thejoyfulfitlife.com/

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Parenting doesn’t suddenly get easier as kids grow — it just changes. In this honest and practical episode of The Journey to Becoming Podcast, I’m joined by Nellie Harden, wife, mom of four daughters (ages 16–20), author, and speaker in family life and leadership, to talk all about what she calls “the great transition” — parenting in the middle years.

We dive into the real-life challenges and opportunities that come with raising teens and young adults, from setting healthy phone boundaries to understanding different learning styles, meeting your children where they are, and creating meaningful one-on-one time with each child. Nellie also shares powerful tools for staying calm when you’re overstimulated, emotionally taxed, or tempted to react instead of respond.

This conversation is a much-needed reminder that leadership in the home matters — especially in seasons of discipline, tension, and growth. Nellie encourages moms to lead by example, model emotional regulation, and create an environment where connection and character development can flourish.

If you’re a mom navigating the in-between — no longer in the little years, but not quite on the other side — this episode will leave you feeling encouraged, equipped, and reminded that you’re not alone in this season.

✨ In this episode, we talk about:

• Parenting teens and young adults with wisdom and confidence
• Setting boundaries with phones and technology
• Understanding learning styles and meeting your kids where they are
• Creating intentional one-on-one time
• Staying calm when you feel overstimulated
• Leading by example in discipline and character

🎧 Tune in for encouragement, practical parenting wisdom, and a fresh perspective on raising the next generation well — even in the middle.

Xoxo Coach Joy

Connect with Nellie

8 Great Smarts

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What if reading the Bible felt life-giving instead of overwhelming?

In this week’s episode of The Journey to Becoming Podcast, I sit down with author Annie Weber, the heart and voice behind the book Astounding Truths. Annie’s passion is simple but powerful: helping people read God’s Word for themselves and truly understand it — not as religion, but as relationship.

Annie shares what inspired her to write Astounding Truths, a bite-sized, approachable guide to understanding the world’s best-selling book: the Bible. We talk about how learning Scripture transformed her faith, deepened her intimacy with God, and shifted her perspective from obligation to invitation.

If you’ve ever struggled to stay consistent in reading the Bible, felt intimidated by Scripture, or wondered how to actually apply God’s Word to your everyday life, this conversation will meet you right where you are. Annie’s story will inspire you to open your Bible with fresh eyes, renewed confidence, and a desire to know God more deeply.

✨ This episode is an encouragement to stop outsourcing your faith and start digging into God’s Word — one truth at a time.

📖 You’ll walk away encouraged to:

• Read the Bible with clarity and confidence
• Grow your relationship with God through understanding Scripture
• Stay consistent in the Word without pressure or perfection
• Use Astounding Truths as a practical tool for daily Bible study

🎧 Tune in now and be inspired to fall in love with God’s Word all over again.

Xoxo Coach Joy

Connect with Annie

Get her book here 📚

JOIN THE FREE 5 DAY BECOMING A WOMAN OF VALUE CHALLENGE 🥰🤩

Connect with me here:

WEBSITE: https://www.thejoyfulfitlife.com/

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At the start of a new year, the noise of diet culture, quick fixes, and restrictive health trends is louder than ever. But what if true healing doesn’t start with another diet…it starts at the cellular level?

In this eye-opening episode of The Journey to Becoming Podcast, I’m joined by Cynthia from Rooted Wellness, a live blood analyst who is helping women uncover the root causes of their health challenges and begin healing from the inside out. Instead of chasing symptoms, Cynthia looks directly at what’s happening inside the body by analyzing live blood — offering insight, clarity, and a personalized approach to wellness.

Visiting Cynthia was truly a life-changing experience for me, and I cannot recommend her work enough. This conversation pulls back the curtain on what our blood can reveal about inflammation, deficiencies, gut health, stress, and overall vitality — and why so many women stay stuck when they only treat symptoms instead of causes.

💡 In this episode, we talk about:

• What live blood analysis is and how it works
• How looking at health from a cellular level changes everything
• Healing the body from the inside out instead of chasing quick fixes
• What to consider if you’re ready to make real, lasting changes in your health this year

If you’re tired of starting over every January, overwhelmed by health advice, or ready to finally understand what your body is trying to tell you — this episode will give you a fresh, empowering perspective.

✨ If you’re ready to make this the year you stop guessing and start healing, this conversation is for you.

Scriptures Referenced:

Leviticus 17:11

Xoxo Coach Joy

Connect with Cynthia on IG

Rooted Wellness Website

Apps Recommended:

Yuka App

Seed Oil Scout

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WEBSITE: https://www.thejoyfulfitlife.com/

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As 2025 comes to a close, it’s easy to fall into comparison, regret, or the pressure of feeling like you didn’t do enough. In this final episode of the year, we’re talking about reflection—not rumination.

This episode is an invitation to look back with grace, not judgment, and to move forward with faith, peace, and confidence in God’s timing. Drawing from Philippians 3:13–14, we explore what it means to press on toward the upward call of Christ Jesus—not by striving, but by trusting God with what has been planted, pruned, and grown in you this year.

You may not be where you want to be, but you are not where you used to be—and God is not finished with you yet.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• The difference between healthy reflection and harmful rumination
• How to guard your mind against intrusive thoughts at the end of the year
• Why God measures obedience, not outcomes
• How to end 2025 with a clean heart and clear vision
• Why you’re not starting over—you’re going deeper

I’m also inviting you to join my free 5-day Becoming a Woman of Value Challenge, designed to help you release striving, reset your identity in Christ, and step into the new year grounded in peace and purpose.

If you’re ready to stop carrying old weight into a new season and want to enter the next year aligned with who God says you are, this episode is for you.

✨ You are not behind. ✨ God is faithful. ✨ And the journey of becoming isn’t over—it’s just going deeper.

Scriptures Referenced:

Philippians 3:13-14 NLT

Xoxo Coach Joy

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WEBSITE: https://www.thejoyfulfitlife.com/

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What do you do when you’re standing in the middle, the space between God’s promise and its fulfillment? When answers feel delayed, emotions feel loud, and uncertainty tries to speak louder than faith?

In this episode of The Journey to Becoming Podcast, we dive into what it truly means to trust God in the middle and why the words we speak matter more than we often realize. As believers, we always have a choice: we can agree with fear, circumstances, and opinions or we can declare the Word of God over our lives and situations.

God’s Word is not just encouragement it is truth, and it always stands above feelings, culture, and human opinion. This episode will encourage you to anchor your faith in Scripture, speak life in uncertain seasons, and trust that God is working even when you can’t yet see the outcome.

Together, we reflect on powerful verses that remind us where our trust belongs. If you’re in a season of waiting, believing, or learning to silence the noise around you, this conversation will help you recenter your heart on God’s promises and remind you that what God says will always outweigh what the world thinks.

✨ Because when we speak His Word, we align ourselves with truth — and truth always leads us forward.

Scriptures Referenced:

Proverbs 3:5-6

Jeremiah 17:7-8

Psalm 118:8

Romans 15:13

Psalm 20:7

Psalm 56:3-4

Psalm 37:3-5

1 Peter 5:10

Romans 8:28

Isaiah 60:22

Xoxo Coach Joy

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Connect with me here:

WEBSITE: https://www.thejoyfulfitlife.com/

IG: https://www.instagram.com/joyfulfit_life/

What does it really mean to live out your purpose as a follower of Christ? In this week’s episode of The Journey to Becoming Podcast, I sit down with Anna McHaughlin for a powerful and refreshing conversation on trusting God in the middle, especially when it comes to discovering and walking in your God-given purpose.

Anna opens up about her own journey of trusting God through the unknowns and learning that purpose isn’t just about a position or platform… it’s about obedience, humility, and operating in your spiritual gifts right where you are.

If you’ve ever compared your journey to someone else’s, felt behind, or questioned what your “purpose” really looks like, this conversation will breathe fresh faith into your heart. You’ll be reminded that God’s timing is perfect, His plan is personal, and your purpose is already being worked out — even in the middle.

So grab your journal, press play, and be encouraged to trust God in the process and walk boldly in who He’s called you to be.

🎧 Tune in now for a heart-to-heart on:

• What purpose really means for believers
• How to identify and operate in your spiritual gifts
• Guarding your heart from comparison and pride
• Learning to walk humbly and trust God’s timing

Xoxo Coach Joy

Connect with Anna & her podcast HERE

Link to Spiritual Gifts Assessment

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Connect with me here:

WEBSITE: https://www.thejoyfulfitlife.com/

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