Although Lent is still a bit away, I want to talk about our Lent Devotional for Women. (Bookmark that page or sign up to receive emails so you don’t miss a Lent Devotional post.) I’ve already started seeing Lenten devotionals advertised–either buy now, pre-order or coming soon.
Of course, running parallel to these Lenten devotional notifications, I’m also seeing reminders about possibly long-forgotten New Year’s resolutions that include spending freezes, decluttering, and exploring minimalism.
Just today I read an email from a financial blogger sharing the reasons behind her spending freeze and her pledge to not buy any books this year. Moments later while scrolling through Facebook I saw two posts, one sharing the release of a Lent devotional and the other announcing final edits are being completed on devotions for Lent. All things considered, there is an alternative, a free Lent Devotional for Women.
I bring all this up to say, I’ve quietly decided I really don’t want to purchase any books this year. This isn’t so much a financial decision as it is working to curb the vice of curiosity and a type of gluttony–decision. I have so many books on my shelves I have either not read or only partially read. Spending money on books this year would be shamefully greedy and bookishly gluttonous on my part.
As a matter of fact, one of the blessings of our fireplace exploding and our bedroom catching on fire is the renewed sense of, “How much of this stuff do I actually need?” For the past month, I’ve been perfectly fine with only the amount of clothes I grabbed to put in a laundry basket. As far as books, most of them are sitting in boxes out in the garage…and I haven’t missed a single one!
All that said, I do love a great Lent devotional. I mentioned in a post about Books for Lent, I return to one particular devotional year after year, Reflections on the Passion.
Let me clarify the desire to curb my book (and planner) spending. Again, not so much a financial decision, although I do need to tighten up my spending. It’s more a hard, but necessary attempt to conquer my desires, especially my impulse buys.
I do not read fiction and consider all of my books to be of good spiritual value; that’s how I justify buying a new spiritual book. I love a great book recommendation especially when it pertains to some part of my vocation–prayer, reading my Bible, marriage, parenting, closer friendship with God, etc. And again, I look forward to the various Lent devotionals each year.
The problem is, I want a spiritual good–growing in virtue and closer friendship with Christ through my vocation, so I purchase the latest and greatest spiritual book recommendation. Add in some incentives to pre-order or pictures of someone reading their book with a pretty highlighter, candle, and cup of coffee, and I’m totally and completely sold–even though I don’t burn candles or need yet another book.
I anxiously await its arrival in my mailbox. I eagerly open the package and maybe even read a chapter or a couple of days worth of devotions, and then it sits, with all the other partially read or skimmed books.
And don’t even get me started on prayer notebooks, journals, and planners that I just knew were going to whip my spiritual and prayer life into amazing shape. Hint, they don’t and I always return to my original prayer journal. You know, the one that was working just fine until I saw someone else’s.
But enough about me and my weak willpower. Here’s the other thing. There have been so many times I just couldn’t afford to buy the latest devotional to hit the social media circuit. Surely I cannot be the only one?
And really, starting Lent, feeling like you’re missing out just plain stinks. I know, I know, “offer it up” but still…And I know, I know, not being able to buy a book doesn’t constitute being able to afford holiness, but still…
This Lent, you don’t have to buy a Lenten devotional if you don’t want to or can’t afford to–spiritually or financially. I’m providing a free Lent Devotional for Women here at The Littlest Way. It will be like the Daily Advent Devotional, a free download for email friends of The Littlest Way.
So save your pennies, drop them in the poor box or the collection basket and let’s journey through Lent together. Keep checking back, or better yet, go ahead and subscribe to The Littlest Way. When a new post goes live, you’ll get an email. I typically usually only post a couple of times a week with an occasional newsletter. I’m too busy to be a spammer or even a daily blogger right now. Click here to sign up and you’ll be the first to know about the free Lenten devotional.
*from the archives
Bev says
Hello,
Is it possible to receive your lenten pdf? And can I share it with my on-line small.group?
Thank you.
Bev
Jenny says
I don’t have the posts in a PDF but I do have a Lent Devotional in my shop that’s a download, maybe that would work?
Jenny says
Hi Bev, I just added the option to print or email my posts. You’ll find the buttons at the bottom of each post.
Marie says
Is it bad if I like the term “bookishly gluttonness”? Oh man, Jenny, m so bad at finishing books…or a lot of things. But that new book smell… Anyway, can’t wait to crack open your Lenten devotional. Thank you for creating it, and for making it easily-accessible and free. A blessed Lent to you!
Kim says
Thank you, Jenny.
I just read the post from the blogger you mentioned and thought, “Oh my. I don’t know if I could commit to that for an entire year, 12 months!” (But she is young!) I appreciate your perspective of it being of spiritual concern (vs. financial.)
My One Word for 2018 is Simplify. I need to reduce stuff and make room for white space. I want to be able to have less to maintain so my time can be spent on what matters, time with the Lord, my family and friends.
Thank you for your posts. I love reading them – I rely on the emails because I try to avoid FB as much as possible. It is a black hole for me. (I’m a working wife & mom of four adult children, the youngest is still in College. Three of them live at home and our eldest got married in May.)
Many blessings to you and your family.
Denise says
Thank you. I feel I could’ve written this. I’ve been starting to feel like I HAVE to buy the newly published Lenten Journal and I just can’t afford it. Two of our children have January birthdays and just a million other little things. I need to curb my book spending. Big time.
Julie says
Jenny,
Thanks for doing this! I am already receiving your emails. I love them.
Julie
Jenny says
You are welcome Julie! I’m so pleased to see how many ladies will be journeying through Lent together♥
clarefcj says
How amazing! I find myself thinking on similar lines to you. I am going to try this year and buy as little as possible. So often I buy things I don’t need. I am not going to buy anything new for myself unless it is really necessary. As for books – me too! I just love books!
Lisa says
Thank you for offering this. I, too, have fallen into the trap of all the new devotionals and journals etc. just to have them sit on my shelf. I used your Advent Journal this year and loved it!! Simple and so real.
Jenny says
I’m so happy you’re joining me Lisa!
Lynn says
You sound so much like me (except I love to read fiction). I can’t tell you how many books I have on my Amazon wish list because someone else online mentioned it or it sounded interesting in an article or what have you. I completely agree with your ‘book gluttony’ term. So true. I do have a tone of books, and there are a lot I have not read. In my defense, I do work for a library services company, so we have period book sales where you can get them for a buck a piece, and we sometimes have free ARCs hanging around, so I don’t always spend a lot of money on them, but I have also bought more than I need. I know I need to cut back on the spur of the moment Amazon purchases, it is just too easy to buy things, especially books, and you don’t even realize how much you are spending. Thanks for offering the devotional, I enjoyed the Advent one. It would be great it it were something easy to print, I don’t like to read that kind of thing online, I know I don’t absorb it as well.
Jenny says
So happy to hear you’re joining me Lynn! I could do some serious book hoarding if I worked for a library service! I already do my fair share in the name of good spiritual reading. Problem is, they don’t do me any good if I never read them.
Marcie says
Thank you Jenny. I really could use this. And you do such beautiful work.
Thank you. And as my priest says as he laughs. Have a miser lent. Because if you are not, you are doing something wrong.
*meant to be miserable
Jenny says
I don’t know Marcie, I think ‘miser’ fits there as well! I cannot wait to journey through Lent with you♥
Michelle says
Oh, I am with you on this one! It’s like shopping for more food when you already have plenty. It’s only when you can’t buy more, that you realize how much you already have. And have you had a book and thought, “This is honestly the only book I need beside the bible and could reread and dissect it until death and it would be enough.”? (for example, any one of Jacques Philippe’s)
With that said though, I’d be ready to obey the voice of the Holy Spirit if I was pretty sure I was meant to buy one.
Jenny says
We had a priest one time say the only books we needed were the Bible, our missal, and Introduction to the Devout Life. I agree on the Jacque Philippe book though; I would choose “Called to Life.” Which one would you choose?
Michelle says
Searching for and Maintaining Peace. But I’ve yet to read them all. And now I want the one you mentioned!! lol.