Welcome to CocoaBloom
Welcome to CocoaBloom! I’m so glad you are here and ready to embark on this journey together. This blog and website is an act of obedience where faith and community converge to nurture the soul and uplift the spirit. I did not want to do this, lol. I was, and still am, hesitant to share my journey, AND God calls us to be salt and light on the earth, so that is what I am here to do. I am not perfect in any way, but I am progressing in my faith walk. So, with that being said, I'm thrilled to extend a warm embrace to each of you, inviting you to join me in this sacred space of love, belonging, and acceptance.
You may be asking, who are you? I despise questions like this because I’m so much more than what I do, my past, present and future. But I digress lol. I'm Leandra McLaurin, a child of God and the heart and soul behind this Christ-centered blog dedicated to nurturing spiritual growth, fostering genuine connections, and empowering people to live their fullest lives.
If I could get paid to be a professional student with no student loan debt, I would lol. I hold a Bachelor's in Health and Human Science, a Master's in Health Education, and a Master's in Public Health. I'm also a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES), Lactation Educator, and a non-practicing doula. My career journey has been a roller coaster, but being a Health Educator has been my most fulfilling position. Working in Public Health, particularly Black Maternal and Infant Health, where I dedicated myself to improving the lives of mothers and infants in my community, opened my eyes to a world of possibilities. So much so that I and my coworker turned friend founded JNL Consulting, LLC and JNL Foundation, Inc. I bring my expertise in building community relationships to a broader audience while appreciating the hard work that community and public health workers do. My passion for helping businesses, organizations, and individuals thrive through meaningful community connections has been a driving force in my professional life, which has led me to start my own business Leandra McLaurin Coaching.
But CocoaBloom is something deeply personal and special to me. As a progressing and not perfect Christian, I understand the unique challenges and joys that come with navigating life as someone who is just trying to get it right and make better decisions because adulting is hard. I cherish my faith and relationship with Jesus Christ and firmly believe in the power of community, so my desire is to create a space where people can find connection, love, acceptance, and belonging, all while growing in their faith and personal lives.
You will soon learn that I love to travel and experience new places and foods. I love music (mainly 90s R&B and the '99s to 2010s are my jam, but my mother loves Motown, so you can catch me Crusin’ to a toon or two), and I enjoy spending quality time with family and friends.
I pray that CocoaBloom will serve as a beacon of hope, inspiration, and encouragement in your life. This is an act of faith. Again, I wanted to do something other than this, lol. God had placed this blog on my heart for some time, like some years, but I hesitated and continuously asked why. This blog is an act of pure obedience and surrender to God. I pray it blesses you.
Together, we can embrace the fullness of life that God has intended for us, finding love, joy, peace, and strength in our shared journey.
Welcome to CocoaBloom—where hearts bloom, spirits thrive, and love abounds.
Thank you for being here.
With love,
Leandra
