Sunday · November 1, 2026 · Midlife Faith
Sunday Snapshot: What If We Are Already Living Part of the Answer?
Looking back, connecting the dots, and learning to celebrate the chapter we are in.
Sometimes we are so busy climbing toward the next milestone that we forget to look back and see how far God has already brought us.
Hey you! It’s me! 💋
Can you believe we are already on week four of The Sunday Snapshot?
And here is the funny part. I actually had to go back and count! 😂 Apparently, I am having my own messy middle moment trying to figure out what week is what.
I mean, I am the one writing these every Sunday, studying Scripture, and walking through God’s Word with you each week, and somehow I still lost track!
Man, time flies when you are learning, leaning into the walk, and listening to what God is teaching you along the way.
Here’s What I’ve Been Struggling With
And maybe that is why these last few weeks have felt so messy.
Have you ever noticed how sometimes, when you’re trying to do something good, life seems to get a little harder?
I have been thinking about that lately because, goodness gracious, life has felt like one uphill battle.
You know those weeks when you finally feel like you are getting somewhere, and then something else comes along? You handle one thing, another pops up, and before you know it, you are wondering if you will ever reach the top of that hill.
That has been me lately.
And this week, something happened that made me stop and ask myself a question.
Am I so busy trying to figure out where God is taking me that I am forgetting to appreciate where He has already brought me?
I opened my website analytics and saw another surge of activity. I was excited. I’ve worked hard on this little corner of the internet, and it means something to see people finding it. I can almost hear you saying, “But Jenn, that’s a good problem to have!” And you’re right. It is.
Still, I caught myself asking, “Will I ever reach the top? What am I actually climbing toward?” I’ve spent so much time thinking about the next milestone that I sometimes forget to enjoy the one right in front of me.
Then I did something I don’t do often enough. I looked backward.
I started with a podcast. That led me to build a website and a community. Along the way, I found more confidence in my voice, finished my book, and met people who opened doors and brought conversations I never could have predicted. None of it arrived with a neat map. One step led to another, and only now can I connect some of those dots and see God’s hand in my life.
Looking ahead is harder. I still ask God, “Did I hear You correctly? Are You waiting for me to move, or am I waiting for You to show me what’s next?” If that question sounds familiar, it’s the one we sat with in last week’s Snapshot. I don’t know the answer yet. I wish I did.
And sometimes, I just want a regular Tuesday. Coffee, the dogs, time with my husband, and a day that doesn’t feel like I need to figure out the next chapter before dinner.
What God’s Word Tells Us 📖
Philippians 1:6 was part of last week’s Go Deeper study, and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it since last Tuesday:
“Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:6, NIV)
Paul wrote these words to his friends in the church at Philippi while he was in chains. He wasn’t writing from a season where everything was going his way. He was thanking God for them and reminding them that the good work God started in their lives wasn’t finished. God would keep carrying it forward until the day Christ returns.
Philippians 1:6 is a promise that God is still working in us. It doesn’t promise that every plan I make will succeed or that every door I want will open. But it reminds me that my life is bigger than the next number on a screen, the next opportunity, or the next thing I cross off my list.
What I’m Learning 💕
Maybe part of growing in faith, especially in midlife, is learning to see God working in what has already changed. The courage we didn’t have last year. The relationship that helped us heal. The prayer we almost forgot we prayed. Even the hard season that taught us what matters.
I’m learning that I can celebrate progress without immediately turning it into a new assignment. I can be proud of the work and still enjoy an ordinary Tuesday. I can ask God what comes next and take time to thank Him for what has already happened.
I’m still figuring this out. Some days I look back and see His hand everywhere. Other days I’m right back to asking, “What’s next?” But I’m learning that both can be true, and God is patient with me in the middle of it.
Walk With Me This Week
So will you walk with me this week? Let’s look back together. Where were you a year ago? What were you praying about? What did you think you’d never get through? Looking back, can you connect the dots of where God has been working in your life?
And if you can’t see them yet, I want you here with us, too. You don’t need a tidy success story to belong in this conversation.
What are you carrying into this week? What is one thing we can celebrate together? Write me back in Pen Pal. I’d love to hear it.
Let’s give ourselves a moment to recognize the good work already underway, even while the next chapter is still unwritten.
Want to walk a little further with me? This week’s free 7-day Go Deeper devotional, Connect the Dots, is ready for you.
What I’m Leaving Behind
The pressure to turn every achievement into another race.
What I’m Taking Into This Week
Looking back long enough to notice how far I’ve come, and thanking God for the good work He’s already doing.
Your 7-Day P.O.P. 🤍
Pause: Before you race toward the next goal, take a moment to recognize where you are today.
Observe: Look back over the last year. Notice one unexpected connection, one change in yourself, and one moment worth celebrating.
Pray: “Lord, thank You for the work You have already done in me. Help me see what I tend to overlook and trust You with the parts I cannot see yet. Amen.”
💋 A Little Note From Jenn
Before we start connecting the dots this week, I want you to listen to our song, Goodness of God. Think about the chapters you have already lived, the prayers you have seen answered, and the moments you can now recognize God’s hand in your life.
And when you find yourself worrying about what comes next, remember Philippians 1:6. God is still working in us.
He has not given up on us. Let’s not give up on ourselves.
🎶 Our Song of the Week: “Goodness of God” by Bethel Music and Jenn Johnson
A Little Something for Us: Go Deeper
This week’s Go Deeper devotional is called Connect the Dots. Seven short devotions, Sunday through Saturday, to help you look back, notice who you’re becoming, and trust God with the chapter you cannot see yet.
- Sunday, Sunday Soul Check: Let’s Pray Over Our Week
- Monday, Motivational Monday Moment: Step One: The Timeline
- Tuesday, Tuesday Throwback: Step Two: Connecting the Dots
- Wednesday, Wednesday Wine Down: Step Three: Can You See It? · 🎶 Midweek song: “Way Maker” by Leeland
- Thursday, Thoughtful Thursday: Step Four: Look Who You Are Becoming
- Friday, Feel-Good Friyay: Step Five: Finding Joy in the Ordinary
- Saturday, Saturday Soul Check: Step Six: Your Story Is Still Being Written
Inspired by Philippians 1:6 and the P.A.U.S.E.™ Framework: Pause, Acknowledge, Understand, Surrender, Emerge. Each day has a little note from me, what God’s Word tells us, a thought of the day, one small step to walk with me, a journal prompt, and a prayer.
Print it. Live it. Share it. Tag me.
One prompt for each day to keep on your fridge, your mirror, or in your journal.
Seven days of scripture, journaling, and prayer.
Show me your Sunday Snapshot. Snap a picture of your coffee, your Bible, or your Quick Reset Card and tag me @justjennboard.
📖 Verse of the Week: Philippians 1:6 (NIV)
“Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
The Quick Snap 💋
This week’s reminder: Look back long enough to notice how far you have come.
Verse to carry: Philippians 1:6
Celebrate: One answered prayer, one unexpected connection, or one small win.
Release: The pressure to turn every achievement into another race.
Your question: Can you connect the dots of where God has been working in your life?
Write me back in Pen Pal and tell me what you are celebrating. Let’s celebrate together. 💋
Until Our Next Chat
Until our next chat. Just stay sweet out there.
I love you, Jenn 💋
Don’t quit in the quiet.
Your perfectly imperfect podcast host
P.S. If you want to hear where some of my own dots started, my new episode of Just Jelly Unfiltered, When God Says Move: The Road Trip That Changed My Life, drops Monday at 7 p.m. on YouTube and Tuesday morning on Spotify.
P.S. Want a little more from me every Sunday morning? Subscribe to The Sunday Scoop 🗞️, my weekly newsletter filled with midlife conversations, helpful resources, upcoming adventures, and a little bit of everything in between.
P.S. Here is what is coming up this week:
- Sunday: this Sunday Snapshot and The Sunday Scoop
- Sunday through Saturday: Connect the Dots, your 7-day Go Deeper devotional
- Monday, November 2, 7 p.m.: a new episode of Just Jelly Unfiltered on YouTube, When God Says Move
- Tuesday, November 3: the new episode on Spotify
- Friday, November 6: Friday Finds, my first Christmas gift guide and Thanksgiving outfits for her and him
You never have to walk through this messy middle alone.
I was the woman who almost didn't speak. If you're still searching for your voice, Silent to Spoken is where I share how I found mine, and how you can find yours too.
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