Planning My Quiet Time for 2025 - Studies I Plan To Do, Books I Plan to Read, and Supplies I’ll Use

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Hey, y’all!  Happy Monday!  After being down with Covid for over a week, I’m finally back in action (mostly) today, and for that, I’m grateful because I have 84 million things that have to be done before the kids get out of school on Friday.

Today, I’m skipping ahead a bit and I’m sharing some 2025 things.  This weekend, I realized that I hadn’t really started prepping for 2025 at all – by now, I usually have an idea of some of the things that I want to do – so I sat down Friday afternoon and started mapping out the year ahead. 

As most of you know, I read the entire Bible from start to finish this past year (really, it took about 1.5 years as I started in July 2023 and then took a long break after my vertigo started), and I enjoyed it so much that I plan to do it again in 2025, this time with a different study. 

I LOVED The Bible Recap by Tara Leigh Cobble so very much, and while I’m sure I’ll pick it back up again sometime in the future, I’m going to do a different study in 2025 to get a different perspective, and hopefully learn a few new things.  I also plan to continue reading a daily devotional, and I plan to continue keeping gratitude and prayer journals as I did this year. 

All of these things require supplies, so I thought I’d share my plan for 2025 today along with all of the supplies in case you want to join me.  ;o)

Bible Study

For my 2025 Bible study, I’ll be using the same Bible I used last year (I love this one because there is space to write notes and doodle in the columns, but I love that it looks like a traditional Bible) and I’m going to do The Bible in a Year Companion by Father Mike Schmidt as my study.  Father Mike’s study is broken down into three different books, so if you plan to do this study, make sure that you pick up all three books!  They are available here, here, and here. 

I’ve heard excellent things about this study, so I’m excited to dig into it and see things from a different perspective. 

In addition to my Bible and the Bible study, I’ll continue to use these colored pens, these black pens, and these highlighters… I am still LOVING my Bible tabs that I bought last year.  They are beautiful, and I highly recommend them.  They were quick and easy to install, and they really elevate your Bible. 

 

Gratitude Journal

At the beginning of 2024, I had a couple of empty notebooks on hand that I was able to use for my gratitude and prayer journals, but this year, I don’t have anything left, so I’m currently in search of something.

For my gratitude journal this year, I plan to keep the same format as last year – I’ll write the date and then list 3-4 things that I was grateful for each day.  Then at the end of the month I’ll be summarizing them in a monthly gratitude blog posts.  Most likely, I’ll find a cute notebook at Target or HomeGoods to log everything, but there are also some cute notebooks on Amazon that I’m considering.  This one is gorgeous and it’s the perfect size!

 

Prayer Journal

For my prayer journal, I’m planning to change the format a bit.  In 2024, I wrote the date and then wrote out all of my prayers for each day, but I realized early on that many of the things I pray for each day are the same, so it was very repetitive most days.  While that’s not necessarily a bad thing, I thought this year I would grab a notepad and keep a running list of all of my prayers, and as prayers are answered, I can cross them off the list.  I plan to use a clipfolio similar to this one to house my list, and each day, instead of writing the same things over and over (which is time consuming), I can just read and reflect on those that I’ve already written down and then write down any new prayers that pop up.

 

Devotionals

I have been reading a daily devotional for years, and this year, I plan to do this one by Paul David Tripp.  My all-time favorite devotional is New Morning Mercies by PDT, so when I saw this new one by him, I couldn’t grab it fast enough. 

I also purchased New Morning Mercies for Teens by PDT, so I plan to read through that one with the kids.  We’ve always done the Sarah Young kids devotionals together in the past, but I think it’s time for something a little more thought-provoking now that they’re getting older.  I also like the variety that the PDT devotionals offer rather than the monotony of the Sarah Young ones.

 

Self-Development / Self Care Books

I have become somewhat of a self-development book junkie, and I’m hoping to read at least one per month in 2025.  I don’t have 12 lined up just yet, but I do have several and here they are in no particular order…

Victory Over Vestibular Migraine by Shin C. Beh – This book was highly recommended to me by Abe Parker’s (one of my favorite musicians) sister as she has experienced similar symptoms to what I have been experiencing for the last 17 months with my vertigo, dizziness, boat-rocking, etc.  I have it on order and I’m just waiting for it to come in, and I’ll be digging into this one right away.  The faster I can put this dizziness behind me, the better.

 

The Dizzy Cook by Alicia Wolf – This was another highly recommended book from Abe Parker’s sister, and she said that this one helped her tremendously.  Again, I already have this one on order and I’m just waiting for it to arrive.

 

The New Menopause by Mary Claire Haver – Many people have asked me if I think my dizziness could possibly be a symptom of a hormonal imbalance, and that is another avenue I’m exploring.  This book was recommended to me by one of my friends… it’s sitting on my nightstand just waiting to be read!

 

Marriage: 6 Gospel Commitments Every Couple Needs to Make by Paul David Tripp – I love PDT so much that I literally purchased all of his books back during Amazon Prime Day sale because they were all so deeply discounted.  All of his books are exceptionally rated, and I want to read them all.  I always find myself highlighting and taking notes when I read his work, so I always purchase his books rather than borrowing them or checking them out from the library so I can do just that.

Parenting: 14 Gospel Principles That Can Radically Change Your Family by Paul David Tripp – This was another PDT book purchase… I know our kids are getting older and I’ve kind of missed the boat with the parenting strategies and advice since they’ll be leaving the household soon enough, but it’s really never too late right?

 

Outlive: The Science & Art of Longevity by Peter Attia – I have seen this book all over creation and one of my favorite bloggers said it’s one of the best books she’s ever read on health and fitness, so it’s been on my list for a while.  This book is HUGE, so it will be quite a time commitment, but from what I hear, it’s worth the read.

 

The Small and the Mighty by Sharon McMahon – This isn’t technically a self-development book, but since it’s non-fiction I’m including it in this section.  And really, reading and learning about history could be considered a form of self-development, so I’m sticking with it.  ;o)  I have loved “Government Sharon” on Instagram since 2020, so I couldn’t grab this book fast enough when it came out.  It’s been sitting on my nightstand forever, and I’m hoping to get to it soon.

 

Books to Read for Fun

I do also love a good fiction book, so I thought I’d share a few that are near the top of my list for 2025…

The Perfect Marriage by Jeneva Rose – Sarah Morgan is a successful and powerful defense attorney in Washington D.C. At 33 years old, she is a named partner at her firm and life is going exactly how she planned.  The same cannot be said for her husband, Adam. He is a struggling writer who has had little success in his career. He begins to tire of his and Sarah’s relationship as she is constantly working.  Out in the secluded woods, at Adam and Sarah’s second home, Adam engages in a passionate affair with Kelly Summers.  Then, one morning everything changes. Adam is arrested for Kelly’s murder. She had been found stabbed to death in Adam and Sarah’s second home.  Sarah soon finds herself playing the defender for her own husband, a man accused of murdering his mistress.  But is Adam guilty or is he innocent?

 

How to Read a Book by Monica Wood – Violet Powell, a twenty-two-year-old from rural Abbott Falls, Maine, is being released from prison after serving twenty-two months for a drunk-driving crash that killed a local kindergarten teacher.  Harriet Larson, a retired English teacher who runs the prison book club, is facing the unsettling prospect of an empty nest.  Frank Daigle, a retired machinist, hasn’t yet come to grips with the complications of his marriage to the woman Violet killed.  When the three encounter each other one morning in a bookstore in Portland—Violet to buy the novel she was reading in the prison book club before her release, Harriet to choose the next title for the women who remain, and Frank to dispatch his duties as the store handyman—their lives begin to intersect in transformative ways.  How to Read a Book is an unsparingly honest and profoundly hopeful story about letting go of guilt, seizing second chances, and the power of books to change our lives. With the heart, wit, grace, and depth of understanding that has characterized her work, Monica Wood illuminates the decisions that define a life and the kindnesses that make life worth living.

 

The God of the Woods by Liz Moore – Early morning, August 1975: a camp counselor discovers an empty bunk. Its occupant, Barbara Van Laar, has gone missing. Barbara isn’t just any thirteen-year-old: she’s the daughter of the family that owns the summer camp and employs most of the region’s residents. And this isn’t the first time a Van Laar child has disappeared. Barbara’s older brother similarly vanished fourteen years ago, never to be found.  As a panicked search begins, a thrilling drama unfolds. Chasing down the layered secrets of the Van Laar family and the blue-collar community working in its shadow, Moore’s multi-threaded story invites readers into a rich and gripping dynasty of secrets and second chances. It is Liz Moore’s most ambitious and wide-reaching novel yet.

 

Husbands & Lovers by Beatriz Williams – New England, 2022. Three years ago, single mother Mallory Dunne received the telephone call every parent dreads—her ten-year-old son, Sam, had been airlifted from summer camp with acute poisoning from a toxic death cap mushroom, leaving him fighting for his life. Now, searching for the donor kidney that will give her son a chance for a normal life, Mallory’s forced to confront two harrowing secrets from her past: her mother’s adoption from an infamous Irish orphanage in 1952, and her own all-consuming summer romance fourteen years earlier with her childhood best friend, Monk Adams— one of the world’s most beloved singer-songwriters—a fairy tale cut short by a devastating betrayal.  Cairo, 1951. After suffering tragedy beyond comprehension in the war, Hungarian refugee Hannah Ainsworth has forged a respectable new life for herself—marriage to a wealthy British diplomat with a coveted posting in glamorous Cairo. But a fateful encounter with the enigmatic manager of a hotel bristling with spies leads to a passionate affair that will reawaken Hannah’s longing for everything she once lost. As revolution simmers in the Egyptian streets, a pregnant Hannah finds herself snared in a game of intrigue between two men . . . and an act of sacrifice that will echo down the generations.  Timeless and bittersweet, Husbands & Lovers takes readers on an unforgettable journey of heartbreak and redemption, from the revolutionary fires of midcentury Egypt to the moneyed beaches of contemporary New England. Acclaimed author Beatriz Williams has written a poignant and beautifully voiced novel of deeply human characters entangled by morally complex issues—of privilege, class, and the female experience—inside worlds brought shimmeringly to life.

 

All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker – 1975 is a time of change in America. The Vietnam War is ending. Muhammad Ali is fighting Joe Frazier. And in the smalltown of Monta Clare, Missouri, girls are disappearing.  When the daughter of a wealthy family is targeted, the most unlikely hero emerges—Patch, a local boy, who saves the girl, and, in doing so, leaves heartache in his wake.  Patch and those who love him soon discover that the line between triumph and tragedy has never been finer. And that their search for answers will lead them to truths that could mean losing one another.  A missing person mystery, a serial killer thriller, a love story, a unique twist on each, Chris Whitaker has written a novel about what lurks in the shadows of obsession and the blinding light of hope.

 

The Measure by Nikki Erlick – Eight ordinary people. One extraordinary choice.  It seems like any other day. You wake up, drink a cup of coffee, and head out.  But today, when you open your front door, waiting for you is a small wooden box. The contents of this mysterious box tells you the exact number of years you will live.  From suburban doorsteps to desert tents, every person on every continent receives the same box. In an instant, the world is thrust into a collective frenzy. Where did these boxes come from? What do they mean? Is there truth to what they promise?  As society comes together and pulls apart, everyone faces the same shocking choice: Do they wish to know how long they’ll live? And, if so, what will they do with that knowledge?  The Measure charts the dawn of this new world through an unforgettable cast of characters whose decisions and fates interweave with one another: best friends whose dreams are forever entwined, pen pals finding refuge in the unknown, a couple who thought they didn’t have to rush, a doctor who cannot save himself, and a politician whose box becomes the powder keg that ultimately changes everything.  Enchanting and deeply uplifting, The Measure is an ambitious, invigorating story about family, friendship, hope, and destiny that encourages us to live life to the fullest.

 

The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon – Maine, 1789: When the Kennebec River freezes, entombing a man in the ice, Martha Ballard is summoned to examine the body and determine cause of death. As a midwife and healer, she is privy to much of what goes on behind closed doors in Hallowell. Her diary is a record of every birth and death, crime and debacle that unfolds in the close-knit community. Months earlier, Martha documented the details of an alleged rape committed by two of the town’s most respected gentlemen—one of whom has now been found dead in the ice. But when a local physician undermines her conclusion, declaring the death to be an accident, Martha is forced to investigate the shocking murder on her own.  Over the course of one winter, as the trial nears, and whispers and prejudices mount, Martha doggedly pursues the truth. Her diary soon lands at the center of the scandal, implicating those she loves, and compelling Martha to decide where her own loyalties lie.  Clever, layered, and subversive, Ariel Lawhon’s newest offering introduces an unsung heroine who refused to accept anything less than justice at a time when women were considered best seen and not heard. The Frozen River is a thrilling, tense, and tender story about a remarkable woman who left an unparalleled legacy yet remains nearly forgotten to this day.

 

The Women by Kristin Hannah – Women can be heroes. When twenty-year-old nursing student Frances “Frankie” McGrath hears these words, it is a revelation. Raised in the sun-drenched, idyllic world of Southern California and sheltered by her conservative parents, she has always prided herself on doing the right thing. But in 1965, the world is changing, and she suddenly dares to imagine a different future for herself. When her brother ships out to serve in Vietnam, she joins the Army Nurse Corps and follows his path.  As green and inexperienced as the men sent to Vietnam to fight, Frankie is over-whelmed by the chaos and destruction of war. Each day is a gamble of life and death, hope and betrayal; friendships run deep and can be shattered in an instant. In war, she meets―and becomes one of―the lucky, the brave, the broken, and the lost.  But war is just the beginning for Frankie and her veteran friends. The real battle lies in coming home to a changed and divided America, to angry protesters, and to a country that wants to forget Vietnam.  The Women is the story of one woman gone to war, but it shines a light on all women who put themselves in harm’s way and whose sacrifice and commitment to their country has too often been forgotten. A novel about deep friendships and bold patriotism, The Women is a richly drawn story with a memorable heroine whose idealism and courage under fire will come to define an era.

 

The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern by Lynda Cohen Loigman – On the cusp of turning eighty, newly retired pharmacist Augusta Stern is adrift. When she relocates to Rallentando Springs―an active senior community in southern Florida―she unexpectedly crosses paths with Irving Rivkin, the delivery boy from her father’s old pharmacy―and the man who broke her heart sixty years earlier.  As a teenager growing up in 1920’s Brooklyn, Augusta’s role model was her father, Solomon Stern, the trusted owner of the local pharmacy and the neighborhood expert on every ailment. But when Augusta’s mother dies and Great Aunt Esther moves in, Augusta can’t help but be drawn to Esther’s curious methods. As a healer herself, Esther offers Solomon’s customers her own advice―unconventional remedies ranging from homemade chicken soup to a mysterious array of powders and potions.  As Augusta prepares for pharmacy college, she is torn between loyalty to her father and fascination with her great aunt, all while navigating a budding but complicated relationship with Irving. Desperate for clarity, she impulsively uses Esther’s most potent elixir with disastrous consequences. Disillusioned and alone, Augusta vows to reject Esther’s enchantments forever.  Sixty years later, confronted with Irving, Augusta is still haunted by the mistakes of her past. What happened all those years ago and how did her plan go so spectacularly wrong? Did Irving ever truly love her or was he simply playing a part? And can Augusta reclaim the magic of her youth before it’s too late?

 

And those are my plans so far for 2025!  If you have any recommendations for any of the above categories, do let me know! 

Happy Monday, y’all!