Finding Time to Read

I have had several people ask me how I find time to read so much. This question always makes me laugh, because there are so many people who are able to read WAY more than I can and I myself wonder how they do it. I mean, I LOVE to read, but I don't think there is anyway I could sit for long enough to read as much as some of the other bloggers I follow! I just get too antsy!

Anyway, the answer to the question is I really am not sure how I find time to read. Some weeks I feel like I have a lot of time and am able to read a lot, but then some weeks I feel like I barely had any time at all. What the difference is, I have no idea. So here are some thoughts about how I manage to find the time to read...

• I ALWAYS have a book with me. I usually carry a big purse so that I am able to stick a book in it. Even if I am reading a big, thick book I will still carry a smaller one with me that I read whenever I can. This allows me to read in places like the bank drive-thru line, waiting rooms, and yes, even the checkout line at WalMart.
• By the time I get home in the afternoons, get the car unloaded, get any groceries put away, and get the dogs out, I need a break! I find that even if I have a lot of work to do, giving myself 20-30 minutes to just sit and do something I enjoy actually makes me more productive when that time is over. If I try and just work straight through, my body complains and my mind whines and I'm grumpy and just not very productive. Granted, some days I get home too late or have something important to do and don't get this much-needed time. I loathe those days. (And yes, I do know that once Jacob arrives and grows up I may not get this time either. Just let me enjoy it while it lasts!)
• Jeff and I do watch a lot of TV together, but some shows are just a little to much for me (i.e. 24) or I am just not into them like he is. While he watches these shows, I usually clean or read.
• AM - I try to make it a priority to take a few minutes before I leave the house in the morning to spend some time in Scripture. Sometimes if I am reading a good Faith-Building book, I will read some of it here too. Most days we're talking just a few minutes here though.
• PM - On nights when I don't fall asleep on the couch, I have to unwind before bed. I do spend time in Scripture/Faith-Building books, but some days my brain will just not turn off and I have to read for 30 minutes or more.

So there you have it. It's not a master plan or anything. Really it just comes down to the fact that reading is something I love to do and I just make time for it. Even if it's just a little bit here and there, it adds up.