January 2026 — New Year, New Goals, Same Dirt Road Faith

Chronicles of Kayla

There’s something about stepping into January—the way a cold morning snaps you awake, the way a new calendar feels like turning the page on an untouched chapter. Out here on the farm, the world doesn’t magically slow down just because a new year rolled around. The cows still need fed. The wind still bites at your cheeks. The early mornings and late nights don’t skip a beat.

But my heart—my heart steps into the new year with a fresh rhythm.

A fresh posture.

A fresh purpose.

My Word of the Year for 2026 is “Encourager.”

Not just in a surface-level, “you got this!” kind of way.

But in a rooted, real, God-led way.

This year, I want to encourage from the trenches—the barn aisles, the tractor cab, the kitchen table scattered with muddy gloves, the moments where life is equal parts chaos and calling. I want to encourage in the way Jesus did: gentle but strong, steady but bold, truthful but tender.

And I want to encourage from experience, not perfection.

Encourager on the Dirt Road

God has made it clear that my dirt road isn’t just a place I live—it’s a place I’m meant to share.

It’s the classroom He keeps using to teach me grit, grace, patience, resilience, and joy in the messiest moments.

That’s why 2026 is such a big deal.

Why this year feels different.

Why I feel called to take you deeper into this farm life journey with me.

Because this is the year we officially release the Dirt Road Anthem project—

a mix of storytelling, testimony, farm life, faith walk, and real-life behind-the-scenes moments that show the road we travel isn’t always smooth… but it’s always sacred.

New Year, New Goals — Farm Style

While the world is hitting the gym and buying planners, we’re over here prepping to calve out our first-time heifers.

Talk about learning curves.

Talk about prayer.

Talk about nerves.

There’s something incredibly humbling about watching a new mama learning her role for the first time. You root for her. You help her when she struggles. You witness the miracle that never gets old.

And right around the corner?

We’ll blink and be rolling into Hay Season 2026.

Yes… already.The cycle never stops.

But it’s a cycle filled with purpose.

This year, I’m walking into all of it—with a heart ready to encourage.

To encourage other farm wives balancing chaos with coffee.

To encourage first-generation farmers who are still learning as they go.

To encourage mamas navigating motherhood between feed bunks and school runs.

To encourage anyone feeling stretched thin, worn out, or forgotten.

God didn’t give us this life to walk it alone.

He gave us community.

He gave us connection.

He gave us dirt roads that cross paths for a reason.

Grit & Grace — The 2026 Theme

If I had to sum up the vibe of this year?

Grit & Grace.

Both are needed.

Both are holy.

Both are woven into every piece of this life.

Grit for the long days.

Grace for the hard ones.

Grit for the work ahead.

Grace for the moments you need to breathe and let God show you the next step.

Chronicles of Kayla in 2026 will be all about sharing that blend—

the honest, muddy, messy, beautiful truth of faith, farm life, motherhood, marriage, and calling.

And the Dirt Road Anthem project will be the heartbeat of it all.

Walking Forward

So here’s to January 2026.

To new beginnings that still smell like the barn.

To goals built on faith, not pressure.

To encouraging others as God encourages us.

To calving season, hay fields, and everything in between.

To stepping into the year with open hands and a willing heart.

I’m glad you’re here on this dirt road with me.

Let’s see what God has planned.