I don't remember how I stumbled on Joshua Becker's blog Becoming Minimalist a couple years ago, but it was a new blog, and the message resonated with me in great ways. I had just moved twice in two years (big moves....Vermont to Minnesota and Minnesota to Michigan) and was tired of dealing with all our stuff. It was through Becoming Minimalist and Joshua's writings that I was introduced to the concept of minimalist living and what that might look like for a family.
I've been a regular, faithful reader of Becoming Minimalist for several years, and I'm honored to be sharing my thoughts with you about his new book, Living With Less ~ An Unexpected Key to Happiness.
Although this book is written for a Christian, young adult audience, it is a great read for anyone and everyone. The message of this books resonates with me on so many levels ~ as a Christian, as an aspiring minimalist, as an adovcate for the poor and as a parent.
My personal desire for living with less is rooted in the example of Jesus, and as a follower of him I desire to imitate him in as many ways as possible. In Living With Less, Joshua so eloquently describes Christ's offer of abundant life and how that differs from a life that is full of material possessions. Through sharing Jesus' Story and his own story, Joshua invites the reader to create their own story.
The book is full of statistics, personal stories, Scripture, practical steps to take, benefits of living with less and so much more. The layout is simple and easy to follow. Joshua refutes the idea that the minimalist lifestyle is boring and hard and instead presents the reader with many reasons why pursuing a life with less is an unexpected key to happiness.
This is a message all young people need to hear. For most of us we come to this message after we have wasted both time and money pursuing more. It's not until we are tired of managing all our stuff that we say, "Enough is enough!"
I am so thankful Joshua has written this book. I'm off to buy a copy for our youth group, to put in the library at our church. To buy your own copy, head on over to Amazon....paperback or Kindle.