LIFE IN BLOOM

Learning How to Flourish in God's Grace

Author Archives: erin.almond


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My Journey to Reading More Books in 2025

I am a LOVER of books, and would previously have considered myself to have been an avid reader. Over time, reading books shifted to reading blogs and newspaper articles; and while I would still read some each day, it wasn’t the same experience of my childhood and adolescent years of being lost in a book. I’ll add that I think the process of reading for graduate school and my dissertation took away some of the joy of reading, as I needed to keep up the pace necessary to finish. By the time I was finished, I was thrilled to not have to read, scan, and analyze; as I had devoted so much time to reading solely for that purpose.

A couple of years ago, I asked Preacherman for a Kindle – realizing that I wanted to read more, but also didn’t want to lug around an assortment of books. It was slow going, but has really picked up. While I’m far from my friends who are reading 50+ books a year, this past year, I read 9 books (8 on my Kindle, 1 tangible). My goal for 2025 is to read 15 books, and I’m excited to carve out the space and time to do so.

Here are some things that I realized:

  • I really enjoy Young Adult novels. This may be because my entire career has been spent working with young adults, so I generally enjoy this age group. Or it may be because I feel that it gives me insight into Young Adults as people. Either way – I appreciate the way that topics are covered, how characters are developed, and it allows me to get a peek into a world that I am around, but not in.
  • Reading for small blocks of time is the spark. I often don’t feel that I have large chunks of time available to read, but when I am reading, I’ve found myself grabbing 10 minutes here or 15 minutes there – and it makes a difference.
  • Taking the time to read helps to quiet my mind and realign my focus. When I’m scrolling through social media feeds, especially stories or reels, there’s continuous interruption because stories change and they frequently include sound. The frequency of sound eventually leads me to feel agitated and overstimulated. When I’m reading, even if there are other sounds in the background (tv, kids, etc), I’m able to lock in and focus.

I’m looking forward to being intentional about something that I enjoy, and that I believe will help me better manage my feelings of overwhelm and overstimulation. And honestly – while I love feeling connected to people via social media (especially since our immediate family doesn’t live nearby), I know that I need to be better about the amount of time that I’m spending on my devices and model more healthy tech engagement habits for my kids.

My first book of 2025 is The Davenports by Krystal Marquis and while I’m just in the 2nd chapter, I have a feeling it’s going to be good! My last book of 2024 was Briarcliff Prep by Brianna Peppins and I found myself SO connected to the story and the characters. The sequel, Briarcliff Prep: Sophomore Year, has been added to my reading list also.

One thing that I’m curious about (and I should probably just ask) is if my friends who are reading 50+ books a year reading via Kindle or tangible books or if they are doing audiobooks. I have yet to venture into the audiobook space, but I’m curious about it. There’s a part of me that feels that I would enjoy it because I LOVE podcasts, and there’s a part of me that really enjoys reading text and creating a mental movie, if you will. Perhaps I’ll explore audiobooks this year also.

Stay tuned to see how this journey goes! But what about you? What are you reading? Are you a fan of audiobooks?

Until next time- be encouraged! Peace and blessings!


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Reflecting on Growth: Embracing 2025 with Purpose

And just like that, we’re at the beginning of a new year.

When I think about my kids, I frequently think, “The days are long, but the years are short.” At each point, I marvel at how fast they are growing, meeting and exceeding milestones, and becoming the little people God has created them to be – AND also dragging to bedtime for a semblance of quiet before we rally up for another day. So while that is true for them, it’s true in general. The day-to-day grind feels incredibly long and mundane, and at the same time, we find ourselves trying to figure out how we’re at (insert point here) so fast.

I am thankful for 2024 – for the opportunities, the growth, the new relationships, the challenges, and everything in between. Last year at church, our theme was CONNECT – exploring how we connect with God, our family, our community, and ourselves. It was a challenge, especially as the end of 2023 felt incredibly hard, but as I reflect – I can see the ways that I have grown in my faith, built new relationships, been more intentional with my family, and in how I serve the community. I plan to take all of this forward into this new year, as I strive to honor God and all He has placed in me.

As I get older, I feel that I have more clarity on my why (my purpose) and all the things connected to that (what I like and dislike, my skills and talents, my interests). But not only that – I feel pressed to execute on that – and not in a “meet milestones for work” kind of way, but in a “fully utilize all that I am to the glory of God” kind of way. And so, that is what this next half of my life will be about – whether through marriage, parenting, leading, or serving – connecting the essence of who God has created me to be and pouring that out for His glory. This quote sums it up nicely:

“When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, ‘I used everything you gave me’.” – Erma Bombeck

Here’s to making it count – for His glory!

Until next time- be encouraged! Peace and blessings!