Christian blog: Occupy with me in 2026 Jan-Feb
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From bargain hunting and new beginnings to faith journeys and creative adventures, join me as I share how I’m filling my life with purpose, helping others, and inspiring those around me to live more intentionally. Discover personal stories, practical tips, and uplifting lessons for making every moment count and encouraging others to do the same in 2026.
Christian blog: Occupy with me in 2026
I’ll call this chapter of my life: just getting started… the best is yet to come! Covered by the blood of Jesus
Reflecting on the first two months of 2026, I ask myself: how have I spent my time so far?
So in this post I’ll tell you what I did so far, just 2 months in 2026- the reason is that I haven’t seen so many Christians willing to share what they did in 2026- they might share a little here and there, but I think it’s nice to share an overview of my life in 2026 and inspire others in their life as well. The question I keep getting in my head is: how to make your life unrecognisable, and what can I write about that’s worth doing, or doing that’s worth writing about (I want to be a content creator/blogger).
*Disclaimer: Skip the above paragraph if you’re alright with me sharing what I do in my life that doesn’t necessarily mean ministry- but if you are going to judge, below is a message to you politely saying...
Some may be thinking," Ah, why share this secular stuff you’re doing? Are you not edifying your spiritual man or focusing on kingdom building?” Look, I did manage to read a bit of the Bible daily, using a devotional on the You Version app, throughout the weeks/months. I do pray to God, but that doesn’t mean I need to prove to others that I’m worthy of God; I only need to answer to him. People don’t realise that you can’t be too heavenly-minded or over-spiritualise things- we still live in the world but not of this world- and because of that I’m still human. Did not the bible say He gives good things to us? (James 1:17: "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights.").
So here are 6 things I did, starting off with...
1) Bargain Hunting in January and February: Snagging the Best Post-Holiday Deals
*Disclaimer, I’m not trying to make others jealous or envious of me, but bring to light the kinds of things to look out for in the month of Jan-Feb if one wants a bargain.
Great tip: in the UK, Black Friday isn’t where you get the greatest discounts, you get them after Christmas, even more after New Year's- shops are rushing to get rid of their stock so they can prepare for Valentine's and easter.
Started the first day of the week in Jan: buying a bunch of bargains like a 19p reduced soft drink from ‘Holland and Barrett’.
Shops to look out for:
· TG Jones (formerly known as WH Smith) - you can get cheap wrapping paper.
· Asda: got my luxury crackers from £10 to £1.45 and some wrapping paper.
Got a bunch of wax melts 10p, 20p, 50p each RRP 2.50 each they were slightly damaged
· Hobbycraft: a must if you want Christmas décor and future gifts, with reduced items selling at £1, and even a nice scented candle at 50p. (If you sign up to their app and put your birthday, they give you a £5 discount voucher to spend annually, just got mine today! Other shops that offer a free gift on your birthday are Costa and Krispy Kreme.
· The Works: got a set of books for 50p and a resin craft making kit for £3.50 (was £6 and decided to get rid of it and was sold, so bag 70p profit wasn’t much, I know, but hey, at least others wanted it).
· Sainsbury's: some Christmas stuff, like gift sets, is reduced; bath at £1.80, down from £5. Grab those and give them away to friends.
· Morrisons: Grabbed 2x mini bath fizzers for 25p each and a Christmas tree glass jug for 75p- their reduced section goes quick- Morrisons is a great place to find bargains- look out for the reduced isle- I also got myself an ice cream maker for £8 instead of £15.
· Like at Aldi: after Valentine's, about a week later, reduced cards for 9p; grabbed them. I initially bought one for £2.99, then found the same one, and then got it for 9p as well.
If you’re into food, then I would recommend asking the staff member at supermarkets what time roughly to get the final reduction- ask for the final reduction made before dumping it into the bin- and the store gets rid of it. Trust me I used to work as a code checker (where I was hired specially to check and reduced products at a grocery store) and I was more than willing to tell the customers what time I reduce what- plus many do it and there’s no shame- but please don’t fight over food with other customers or watch the staff like a hawk as they attach the stickers onto the product, hence why Asda staff members do it behind closed doors so as not to get crazy customers grabbing and snatching- because people do snatch over a loaf of 10p bread (yes the branch I formally worked for, would allow me to reduce all pastry, bread and leftover food for 10p each) I’ll leave that story time of working in retail for another day.
Remember: different stores and managers set their own reduction times and final prices.
If you like free food, then Olio is the way to go- supermarkets even teamed up with Olio, like Tesco and Sainsbury’s. Morrisons sells its leftovers at roughly 70% off the RRP on an app called ‘Too Good to Go’, along with other shops like Costa, Harvester, and Pizza Express (bear in mind that availability varies by local area).
Olio is an app where you can get free stuff in your local town that your neighbours donate, for anyone interested in collecting them. They do this to get rid of items such as gravel, glass jars, books, and unwanted, unopened food. Sometimes you find good stuff, like I’m interested in craft, so I’ve managed to collect: scrapbook, watercolour pads, paints, fabrics, stamps, photo frames, and magazines over the years.
The last item I’ve collected was a nice hat-decorated box, where I keep some of my stuff, like for when I’m married.
Bear in mind- it’s first-come, first-served, and if you want the best stuff, it’s best to check regularly. It’s also handy if you live and work in different towns or travel to places- that way you have a wider range of items to choose from. Like, I’ve managed to ask my sister to grab the Lindt chocolate recipe book (the user was hesitant at first because they saw we lived 16 miles away, but we did manage to persuade her that my sister actually studies at the university in that town).
I’ve even collected used gift bags on Olio, using them for gifts- though once, one returned to me! Makes you realise you need a mental note so as not to regift someone their own bag.
2) Church-Hopping in London: The Search for the Right Spiritual Home
Went to the new church in London and visited twice- was meh. I will write about how to discover different churches and how to know which one is for you in my future post.
3) New Church Chapter: Moving On from Volunteering and Starting Fresh
Happy with the Church I’m at and excited to help out with their new community grocery on Saturdays. God actually granted what I wanted because, to be honest, I kind of needed to escape the other volunteering role, and even one team member asked why I was leaving... more about the story in another future post.
4) Big Life Shifts in 2026: Can You Guess What Changed?
New Job Adventure: Starting a Fresh Role this March
It’s quite a long story about getting this role- it was a quick process of applying and an interview, but I almost missed/turned down the job. Turns out it was made for me... I'll tell you how I knew God wanted me to apply for the new role, read here.
5) London Creative Gals: Exploring Events, Museums, and Social Circles
They host great, crafty social events in different parts of central London. I joined events for a charm bar, a museum walk, and a vision board postcard event. Check out other events hosted on their website here: London Creative Gals Social Club. Use the Code: GALS10 to get 10% off their ticket (I’m not sponsored). They also offer early-bird tickets for each event, so make sure to check out the event early before the spaces fill up.
6) Spiritual Check-In: My Ongoing Journey with God
Been talking to God more- venting to him about how humans are just meh, even other believers are just meh- like I realised that God kept me distance from all men because A) most guys in this generation do not go out of their way in real life to ask a female out which to me is meh, B) I will straight up divorce him because I’m not spiritually mature yet to commit for better or for worse or C) we end up being together but we’ll both destroy/harm each other- like I don’t have to experience a relationship to know that being in a breakup is worse than being single. So, at this point in my life, I’m quite content being single because I know the dangers of meeting a Douchebag or someone who's not well aligned with me. Like I’m hardworking and not easily pleased; I have standards, and I’m sure my man has some standards too. Which is why I’m trying to work on myself- to be the kind that will attract my man- to have the same energy. So when God says, "Yep, ready," he can put the two of us together, and we’ll be like Adam and Eve.
In upcoming posts, I'll share how I stay occupied while waiting for my future husband, in my 'Occupy My Time' series.
7) Productivity Boost: My First Experience with ‘Focusmate’
Tried out my first session and it went well. Managed to use it to do my homework, which my mentor (got matched with a mentor from the Dodds Legacy Marketing event) set for me: some research on Christian content creators who share the same values as me. You can read more about the progress of my research in a future post, another topic for another day.
Basically, it’s a FREE website where you can select a time and get matched with a stranger- you both do a task you set yourself to do, like cleaning the house, reading a book, or practising an instrument. Great, especially if you need someone to push you by being there with you on a video call, and then you can provide feedback on how it went with the task you did. Hoping to do more, as several users on there have done about 600+ sessions already. The person I was matched with in my first session set a task to apply for jobs/internships, and at the end of the session, he brainstormed ideas for filling out a job application.
I’ll keep you updated on how future ‘Focusmate’ sessions go and what I’ll be able to accomplish.
8) Swap-bot Adventures: The Ups and Downs of Online Swapping
Haven’t recently done many swaps on Swap-bot- getting a little discouraged because I'm having trouble receiving the parcel from abroad, multiple parcels have gone missing or even damaged. I’m hoping to do a video/post on all the parcel/letters I have received over the past 2 year or so just so people can get an idea of what kind of swaps to expect- because when I tell others about doing online swaps on a website called Swap-bot- many haven’t got a clue about it and doing a video on it I can explain what’s it’s all about and the general rules etc. More on it in the future (plus if you’ve seen about the sisterhood journal swap- Swap-bot actually had that kind of idea before it was over on Instagram/TikTok).
9) Second-hand Seller Life: Updates from Vinted & eBay
Have managed to sell more items on vinted and eBay: sold total of 60 items on vinted now (started back in 2024), and eBay earned £60 for this year but don’t you envy me because this money is just what people call beer money or pocket money- not life changing as it’s more of an exchange- you sell an item only to buy another item for the equivalent price, (if you want to know more about how to start selling your used stuff online, watch out for future posts).
It's not enough profit for the tax man to go after me.
Plus, if you look at the house, 70% of the living room and bedroom are filled with my stuff, 20% with my sister’s, and 10% with my mum’s. Now my mum is too embarrassed for anyone to enter. When they do, they judge it as messy right away.
You may be thinking, 'How come?' I’ll explain why the house got so messy over the years...
It’s probably trauma. Seeing all my stuff brings a little comfort, yet I’m a bit mad because it takes up so much space. A few years ago, I gave away 50% of my things to charity, but I kept wanting more. I can’t help wanting this or that just because it looks nice, or thinking I’ll use it. In the end, it just takes up more space. This probably happens to many collectors or art enthusiasts. We buy things we think we need, but they're really just wants. That stuff takes your energy and time—time to stare at it, wonder what you'll do with it, and figure out where to store or use it, or just planning to use it.
I also end up having a bit of a stash now of all the letters from the swaps I’ve done on Swap-bot.
From my experience, I tend to regret donating. However, I feel less regretful if I turn the items into profit, even if, after packing and sending, I only get 50p. It’s better than giving it to a charity shop, since they often charge high prices. We might as well price items ourselves and pocket the money. For example, my colleague reported a charity shop selling a new £4 Primark top for £8. This is no better than selling from Temu or AliExpress and marking up the price on Vinted.
Anyways, car boot sale will be on in April- can’t wait for that- I’m always into another man's trash, another man's treasure.
Sometimes, with old age, I wonder how people end up trying to get rid of stuff? In ancient times, they lived with the bare minimum. Now, even the poorest Brits have more than people in the ancient world did. Yet we all still want more and more stuff.
I often think that if I force myself to move to another country with only 1 suitcase, I’ll be able to ditch all my unnecessary stuff, but on the contrary, when I’m at home, I’m very hesitant to put my stuff up for sale online.
Which reminds me: On one of the Swap-bot swaps, the host asked us to share a no-buy list. I think I’ve already broken mine! I said I wouldn’t buy any more fabric, but silly me- how could I refuse a 50p or £1 piece? Then there were books/notebooks. I bought a small notebook called Big Ideas for £5.99 at the London Waterloo bookstore (Foyles). I was also gifted a notebook. I didn’t buy any more stationery- I just picked up a reduced set of £1 ballpoint pens from the clearance section at Hobbycraft. Yesterday, I was tempted to get some Rooibos tea, but after trying it for free at an event, I thought, “Nah.”
Deep down, I wanted to experiment with brewing cold tea and tea mixology—like how people mix drinks with alcohol—but wanted a non-alcoholic version. I even bought a pack of dried red dates from an Asian shop, inspired by a Chinese drama, and btw, you have to watch out—shows and dramas might influence you. I know some women who’ve been convinced to marry East Asian guys because of them.
What have I learnt from failing my no-buy list?
Lessons learnt: If I don’t remember my list, how will I stick to it? It’s the same with God’s words. If I’m not reading the scriptures, how am I supposed to change? The Bible says a man looks at himself in the mirror, but then forgets what he looks like. (James 1:23-24: "Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.")
I think that’s a reason why many people are not successful in general- they forget about their dreams and desires and end up getting distracted. Like life suck them back into a deep pit of despair.
10) Birthday, Belief, and Honest Faith Talks: What I Learned from My Friends
Then, a couple of days ago, I celebrated my birthday with a bunch of my work friends (when all 4 of us had the day off). One of my close work friends offered to come over to her house, and she bought some nibbles (crisps, pain au chocolate and Collin the caterpillar cake), they got me gifts, and we spent a nice time chatting (mostly about work, like updates on the new colleague, patients and even about random stuff like dogs). I learnt that one of the friend was a non-practicing Christian and I’ve managed to ask one of the burning question I had which was, ‘how can a person inspire or encourage others to explore their faith further’, the response you can’t, they have to want it themselves and I could actually see that because the non-practicing friend (I call her that because I do not want to reveal personal details) said she believe in a God but wants him to show and appear in front of her, so then I probed and said why don’t you ask him to reveal him to you and she said that would freak her out.
That conversation left me disappointed, and my hopes of actually bringing others to Christ, including my mother, fell through. Because I heard so many Christians say to me, "It’s alright that they don’t believe they will eventually come to the faith”, knowing in my heart there’s a place of torment where lost souls go (who reject their saviour). So from this I understand I shouldn’t work too hard to have others ‘force or encourage’ them to know God, but rather humble myself and work on me, because at the end of the day God did give us all freedom to choose, and when faith is forced it won’t stick for too long. Plus, there are many like me in the world who wonder- how do we get others to Christ, to church, to believe there is a God who is loving? I’ll explore that idea in a future post, along with the idea of soft preaching, which might actually be more effective than hardcore condemnation of others to hell.
So to sum it all up... These are the highlights. So far in 2026, just 2 months in...
· Got some great discounts
· Tried ‘Focusmate’
· Sold more items online
· Failed my no-buy list
· Quit my volunteering
· Tried another Church
· Went to London Creative Gals
· Got a new role
· Celebrated my birthday with my work friends
If you made it to the end, I just want to thank you for sticking around and at the end of the post, I’m trying to pray for you- something I really want more Christians to do.
Prayer for you:
Lord, I pray that this post reaches the audience that needs to read about this post for whatever reason, you have directed them to my blog- may it inspire them, encourage them. Lord, may you bless all those who entered my website today. Lord keep their faith alive, in this great time that is coming, Lord I ask may you prepare these people in all season of life, Lord may you remind us to be content with what you have given us, Lord use us greatly in the name of Jesus, Lord protect us and cover us with the blood of Jesus, let no evil be near us, Lord I just want to rebuke evil and naysayers, Lord help us to listen to your voice and not man’s, Lord we want to thank you for giving us a chance at life, and Lord to those who have yet to come to faith, will you show them you’re loving kindness like you have done for me, for those who have come to faith, Lord will you help them in their maturity and enable them to conquered nations- Lord I know you have big plans for them- which is the reason why they are even born in such a time as this- Lord I know there is no greater time than living in the end of times- where much of your glory will manifest- Lord lead us and I ask that you tell my brothers and sisters what you want them to have them do today- so instruct them but also remind them of your great mercy and love- please also remind them there are so many rewards for them waiting in heaven and that heaven and this path is so worth it even if it may look so bleak for them now. Lord I also ask, that you bless their going in and going out, bless 2026, there isn’t going to another 2026 like this, Lord I know that some were facing a hard year last year, Lord I just ask if you can uphold them, give them the strength that comes only from you- for without your hope and strength man cease to exist, Lord provide and grant your warrior angels to protect the people and the nation. Lord protect all nation, Lord give us all the time to repent and turn our hearts back to you- but Lord I know there will be a time when the restrainer will be removed and that your will have to go on, Lord I ask if you protect all our loved ones, cover them and bring them back to you- Lord I know you don’t desire them to perish, Lord many are stubborn like how I was, but what you did for me, Lord I ask if you can do it more than 100 fold. Lord, please bring back the nation into your hands, not just for peace, as I understand that darkness is looming, but to have many more people to enter the gates of heaven. Lord I want, there to be a great party feast in heaven where we will be able to distinguish familiar faces like our neighbours, family and friends, Lord I want them to all be there, not because it’s a great place to be and even though it’s hard to enter, Lord do it for your son sake as he died for all and want all to know you. Lord, use your servant to do your will on earth, for I know our time is short, and I don’t want any of us to mess it up. Lord, guide us and keep us. Lord, make us ready for your coming.
In Jesus name I pray, Amen. God bless,
~Humble pickle
On another thought: This is what to expect from future blog posts...
Defo Future post: I’ll keep my word and try to post more content here on my blog
· · On how to discover different churches and know which one is for you, on 12th March? Not sure now if I can actually commit to this deadline- will do this post for sure- have it drafted, just need some edits. Done, you can read about it here.
· Story about my situation with the volunteering role + how I knew God wanted me to apply for the new role-next Thursday, 5th March. You can find this post down below with other blog post or click here to read.
· · How I stay occupied while waiting for my future husband in my Occupy My Time series- Posting that in mid-march?. Will do a post of this next week.
· Keep updated with Focus Mate- when I find a time to book the next session
· End of April, I will update you again with the overview of my life- What to expect (content I will cover), how my new role is at the hospice, I’ll also be updating you on my side hustle ideas and how my content creator journey goes, any changes, etc.
Potential future video/post I could do: (if you're interested, please let me know and I'll do my best to cover the content).
· Recommended videos to watch that I’ve been watching
· Creative project I’ll be working on
· Could do a bargain haul video
· collected stuff from Olio,
· What I did at London Creative Gals,
· Video: Swaps on Swap-bot haul and the rule
If there’s any content you want to see more of, definitely reach out. I welcome any feedback! 😊
In the meantime, if you haven't done so already, you can...