On My Kindle: Seven

(in full disclosure, I bought this book in paper form..not on my kindle.)

I picked this up on a whim while at the Christian Bookstore looking for some Lent stuff. I had seen it around the bloggosphere but thought (without having actually looked into it) that I may not agree with the theology of it, or that it was another "how to" type of book.

So I grabbed it feeling lately like my personal spiritual disciplines are struggling a bit lately.

I pulled it out of the bag in the parking lot after the purchase to read the back. Sounded good so I opened it to see what the first page looks like.

Friends I sat there for 30 minutes and read the first couple dozen pages. I. Couldn't. stop.

She writes it like a blog, and shes hilarious. So really two of my favorite things-amusing blogs put together in this little gem.

I continued over the next 2 days to devour this book even though I really didn't have time for a couldn't-put-it-down type of book.

Jen Hatmaker embarked on a seven month experiment in which each month she would concentrate on one aspect of "too much" stuff and write a blog/journal/real time entries about how it was going and what this meant to her faith.

She continues her hilarity throughout, but man does she have some great theological insights. The facts she uses were eye opening and I felt like I was going through this with her.

In the end she describes who would likely be her reader...and pretty much described me to a tee. Comfortable, always having "wants" when really I want for nothing, always feeling under pressure to have the best/new/biggest, but knowing that I really only need less. Less clutter, less stuff, less busyness. 

This book is one that was comforting (I'm not alone), but uncomfortable (because I have to admit, she was really spot on about everything).

This changed my life and I wish I could forget it all just so that I could read it again discovering it all over for the first time.

As I was struggling to think about Lent and floundering in budget planning, stress, and being on the verge of packing everything up to move to an unknown location...this book came at the perfect time.

It has inspired my lenten practice for this year as well as a huge project for my congregation to undertake for Lent...More on that later.

But seriously, go out and buy this book (its a good one to have on your shelf), it'll change your life.