Hey there, in case you missed our announcement on our last post, I am in addition to doing my long form regular podcast episodes you guys know and love.

I am going to be recording my new blog post this year that will be much shorter form content, five to ten minutes at the maximum.

So welcome to my second blog post. Still learning, recultivating the

habit of reading in a full season of life. There was a time when I rarely went anywhere without a

book tucked into my bag. Reading was part of the rhythm of my days, early mornings, quiet afternoons, evenings

before bed. It was something that filled me up and spilled over into my home and family life.

And then, somewhere along the way, that rhythm faded. The past few years have been full in ways

I never could have anticipated. Multiple cross-country moves, my son

being badly burned and spending eight long days in the hospital, my own health issues,

quietly demanding more of me than I had to give. In the middle of all of that, reading slowly

slipped off my priority list. And honestly, that's okay. A season of not reading is not the end of the world. Some seasons

require everything you have just to stay afloat. But as I look toward 2006, I feel a gentle

nudge to return to this habit, not out of guilt or obligation, but because reading has always

been deeply life-giving for me. Reading fills my soul. It gives me

fresh ideas to bring back to my family. It inspires me, teaches me, and helps me think more clearly

about God, our world, and the work of running a home. It gives me true rest, rest that doesn't

involve screens and scrolling, but quiet presence and focus.

I can't overstate how important reading has been in shaping my heart, my faith, and my

homemaking over the years. And yet, my reading life has fizzled lately. It's honestly a

miracle I read at all in 2025. But this isn't about looking back and dwelling there. It's about understanding why this

habit fell away, without shame, and discerning what God might be inviting me into now. As I reflect,

a few things are clear. First, my health was at rock bottom for much of the year. My energy was so low

...