Friend, let’s talk about boundaries. 


Not the don’t speak to me before 7 a.m. kind – although that’s a real thing! 🥱


I’m talking about time boundaries. 


🌱 Space. 

🌱 Stillness. 

🌱 Breathing room. 

🌱 Investment in your spiritual and physical health. 


The kind of boundaries that make you more than a family taxi driver and snack-fetcher. The kind that hold space for you to be a whole person again – to pause, to be present, to enjoy your people, and to rekindle intimacy with a God who treasures you. 


If you’ve ever felt like your time is stretched paper-thin…

Or your days are filled before they even start… 

Or your soul is starving but you can’t find five minutes alone with Jesus… 

You’re not alone! There’s SO much grace for that! Really. 🫶


But there’s also a better way: learning to build healthy, sustainable boundaries to protect the Source of your peace. 


We often think of creating boundaries as unrealistic, impractical things that will never fit into our busy, full lives. So we put it off. 


⌛ Maybe when the kids are older. 

⌛ Maybe when work slows down. 

⌛ Maybe when summer comes. 

⌛Maybe when I get my health under control. 


But has it ever happened? Probably not. Believe me, I’ve been there too! The more we put it off, the less likely we will ever regain that margin we so desperately need. 😣 


The GREAT news is that building and maintaining healthy boundaries can be incredibly manageable, natural, and practical. Today! Yes – EVEN for packed-schedule moms like us! 


(Psst! 👋 Even Jesus Himself set boundaries!) 


That’s why I designed the Jesus challenge: to help busy people like you and me protect space to nurture a deep friendship with Christ. Naturally. Simply. Practically. We NEED it. 


So let’s talk about what it looks like to build – and hold onto – these healthy boundaries. 👇


What Does Keeping Boundaries Mean? 

Have you ever wished, “Oh, I just want to feel like a person again?” 


Not a machine. 

Not a chauffeur or chef or referee. 

Not someone barely keeping up with everyone that needs you. 


Just a carefree, happy person. 

Whole. 

Present. 

Alive. 🌿


Somewhere deep down you know what that feels like – or felt like. And you long for it. A full heart, a clear mind, and the capacity to soak up God’s fingerprints in the details of your day. 


But that kind of lifestyle doesn’t happen when “life slows down” or the kids move out. It begins now – today – in the middle of the chaos. And it grows with small, daily, intentional choices, starting with a few sacred boundaries around your time alone with God


Whether you’re rocking a newborn, carting kids to practice, juggling work and laundry, or doing a bit of everything – healthy boundaries do NOT magically appear in your schedule. You have to choose them. You have to fight for them. 💪


And in creating boundaries, you choose to care for yourself. In fighting to hold onto boundaries, you fight for your own health so that you move through you day from a place of health, fullness, and healing. 🌿


Protecting your intimacy with the Lord like a Mama Bear ropes off room in your heart to be fully present in the moment and aligned with the Holy Spirit. 


To pause and soak up the way that bird sings. 

To pray out loud over your child. 

To sit with Jesus in the quiet, even just for a moment. 

To be 100% present – not surviving, but fully living. 


When Boundaries Start Disappearing 

Maybe you’re in a season right now where, on paper, things should feel a little more manageable. The kids are done with school, your work schedule isn’t as chaotic, and you’ve intentionally said “no to a few things. You should have more space to spend time with Jesus… and yet somehow, your days are still packed to the brim. 🥵


Sound familiar? 


It’s wild how fast that open time disappears, isn’t it? Like crumbs in the car seat, little things sneak into every nook and cranny of your day without you even realizing it – until there’s suddenly no breathing room left. Again! 


You say yes to a little thing. 

You squeeze in one more errand to save a trip. 

You reply to one more message. 

And just like that, the space you hoped to protect is swallowed whole. 😫


Here’s the truth, friend: more time does not automatically mean more margin. Life will fill every inch of breathing you have unless you protect it – intentionally and fiercely. 


So if you’ve tried to carve out time with God, but it keeps being overtaken by everything and everyone else –

🫶 You are not alone. 

🫶 You are not behind. 

🫶 You are not failing. 


It just means it’s time for your reset. 


Healthy boundaries are NOT selfish – they simply protect what matters most: spending time with Jesus. And I don’t mean just checking in mindlessly, but actually resting in Him. 

Abiding

Breathing in His peace. 

Letting His presence remind you of who you are and why you were created – to delight in His presence. 😌


You and I need that time with Jesusit’s non-negotiable for a healthy life. 


So let’s talk about practical ways to guard that time so you can live in a place of peace and presence. 


The Virtual Jesus Challenge: Your Natural Boundary-Holder 

If you’re anything like me, you don’t need more productivity hacks. You’ve probably tried ALL the things – planners, block schedules, alarms, meal preps, whiteboards, etc. – and yet here you are:  

🪫 still tired 

🪫 still stretched 

🪫 still craving something that actually fills your soul 


If that’s you, you’re the person for whom I designed this Christian virtual challenge


It’s not another trending life hack – it’s a tried and tested framework to help guard your time with the Lord. And it’s created specifically for busy people like you who crave spiritual depth but are constantly pulled in a thousand directions. 🌪️


Here’s how the Jesus virtual challenge makes space for you to breathe, connect, and stay anchored in God’s truth: 


  1. The Jesus challenge gives you a clear (and realistic) rhythm for your time with God. 

Instead of wondering how to structure your devotions (and inevitably losing it because you didn’t have a plan) my Jesus virtual challenge offers a doable rhythm to center your heart without overwhelming your schedule. 👏


Here’s what it looks like practically: 

  • Walking or running 1 mile every day, away from distractions and demands. 

  • Reading and reflecting on pre-assigned Scripture during your walk/run. 

  • 20 minutes of intentionality every day to ground your mind, heart, and soul in God’s Truth. 

  • Optional challenges to help apply your Scripture reading to daily life. 

  • A supportive, active Facebook group to encourage you and help you stay on track. 


  1. The Jesus challenge helps you say yes to God by saying no to everything else – for a time. 

When you commit to the virtual Christian challenge, you pre-decide that Jesus comes first for the next 40 days. No exceptions. 🙅🏻 


That commitment becomes a boundary, protecting the thing you need most. It gives you permission to tell yourself, 

🫷“Nope, I’m not opening my inbox before I go on my walk with Jesus.” 

🫷 “That can wait – I need this time with the Lord.”  

🫷 “I’m not available right now. I’m in a very important meeting with Jesus.” 


And you don’t have to spend time and effort figuring out how to structure that time with Jesus – it’s already laid out for you! 🥳


  1. The Jesus challenge anchors your whole day in God’s Word. 

I didn’t design the Jesus virtual challenge to be a one-and-done devotional. Even if you only have 20 minutes to give at the beginning of the day, the virtual Jesus challenge helps weave God’s truth throughout your whole day. My daily optional challenges help you carry bite-sized truth with you while you do the dishes, work, or break up sibling squabbles. 🤲


The goal is not to “pause your life” to spend time with Jesus. It’s to be so deeply connected to God that He’s a natural part of every small moment that make up your life. 


  1. The Jesus challenge meets you in messy, real, daily life. 

❌ This virtual Christian challenge doesn’t carry any guilt. 

❌ Any spiritual perfection. 

❌ Any expectation of where you “should” be. 


This challenge is full of grace, designed to point you back to Jesus no matter whether you feel like His best friend or have never felt further. 


You’ll be reminded every day that God meets you with grace, truth, and love right where you are – in your pajamas, in a pile of dirty dishes, in your minivan – and that you don’t have to DO more to be with Him. You just need to show up as you are. 🥲 


Reclaim Your Peace With the Virtual Jesus Challenge 

Even in a season where your days are full and loud and exhausting, you CAN move through them with peace and purpose, connected to the One who holds you steady.


Every single day you get to choose how to respond to the quiet, sacred invitation to reconnect with Jesus – the maker and lover of your soul. 


Friend, if you’re longing for deeper intimacy with God but don’t know how to fit in it, my Christian virtual challenge is your doorway. 


🌱 To intentionally pause every day. 

🌱 To stop racing through life. 

🌱 To create space where you live with peace and presence again. 


The Jesus virtual challenge guides you through 40 days of intentional Scripture reading, prayer, and reflection – not to impress God, but to finally BE with Him. To let your soul come home to His presence and rest in His fullness. HE is enough for your every need. 🥹


You were made for deep intimacy with Him. 

You were made to live every moment to the fullest, seeing God move in the small details. 

You were made to delight in Him – as a whole, full, alive person. 


So if you’re ready to stop surviving every day and begin savoring God and His infinite gifts, join the upcoming Jesus challenge below. We can’t wait to support you! 🤗


Reclaim My Time With the Lord 




May 14, 2025 — Rachel P

Comments

Victoria Pinell said:

Hi Forty Forty Family,

At the beginning of this year, I started the challenge with so much hope, but life pulled me off track. I recently felt a strong nudge to begin again—and when I opened the email you sent yesterday, it felt like confirmation from the Lord.

Please pray that as I recommit to walking with Jesus through this Summer Challenge, I would remain rooted, consistent, and full of grace for myself. I want to create space for His Word, for rest, and for healthy boundaries that keep me close to Him.

Thank you for praying with me.

With love,
Victoria P.

Kathleen McGonigle said:

just read the blog!! It could not have come at a better time. I am hoping to realign my priorities with Jesus first and everything else will fall into place.

Gina said:

I love this! I wanted to share that I did my first forty forty challenge with you in 2023, when I celebrated my 40 years as a believer and my 40th wedding anniversary. It really was an "all things 40 kind of year, and I literally applied all things 40 to my life! This month I’m on my 21st 40 day challenge, that I call 40/40s, which comes to about 4 and a half years. In this time, I’ve done almost every challenge you’ve led. Each one has greatly enriched my life and focus on Jesus!! I think it’s super cool that this challenge speaks to boundaries. Boundaries has become my life lesson learned! I’ve led small groups for years on this subject, and I am excited to join this challenge for such a time as this! Thank you and God bless!

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