Lent

I pretty much failed last week sticking to my 'no unnecessary shopping-give up for lent' pledge. I bought some Easter cards, some birthday cards, a bracelet for $12.99 for myself. I also bought some baby sport yarn to make hats....but I really didn't 'need' to buy the yarn last week, even though it was on sale. The cards I can 'justify' as they are for others, but the bracelet I couldn't resist. There's a cool little drug store near where I live, that has the cutest cards and candles and pretty things....and they just recently got a shipment in of these cute stretchy bracelets...they are kind of antique-looking, like something you would see in Victoria Magazine. I bought a purple/pink butterfly one a few weeks ago, and when I went there again last week to get a birthday card (which I didn't need to do as I have birthday cards at home) I saw some more cute bracelets they had put out, so I caved and bought a pretty blue sparkly one with a big morning glory kind of flower on it. Yes, I could have resisted and walked away, but I didn't. It was payday, I had just been to the bank, and had to go into the drugstore to mail in my passport renewal stuff at the little post office inside. That's when the bracelets captured my attention again, I remembered them from when I was in a few weeks ago.

Already today I have been tempted to buy a book I saw on the Proverbs 31 website and a top at Ann Taylor Loft at the Mall. I saw the book at the link of a daily email devotional I get, so I just wrote it down on a list of 'wants'. The top which is a cute silk sleeveless one in a big roses pattern looked really cute for spring/summer but I checked online to see that it is $49.99, way too much. I will write it down on my list. It is interesting to kind of watch myself with my reactions...when I first saw the book this morning I wanted it immediately, and when I saw the top while walking this morning I started thinking about coming back over to the Mall at lunchtime to buy it. But I didn't. I realize I am very much an impulse buyer and it's a bad habit I need to break. I need to trust the Lord to be my provider and to help me be a good steward with what He has given me. One more top in my closet and one more book isn't being a good steward when I have a balance owing on two Visa credit cards. I really really need to pay those off and it isn't going to happen if I keep buying stuff I don't need. Clothes, costume jewelry, accessories, books, cards, stationery, cosmetics, shower & bath goodies, lotions, etc. are all big impulse weaknesses for me. All of that is stuff that depreciates so I need to be mindful of what I really need and what are just wants, which most of it is. I need to stick with my Lent plan this month of March, I figured I will start over today since it is the first of March. This is a harder fast for me than to give up certain kinds of food, which I have done before.

Tomorrow I go in for my appointment with the ortho surgeon about my hips. I am very curious to find out what he will say. I am praying and trusting God through it all, although I do feel a little anxious in thinking about what will I do if I need to have hip replacement surgery at such a young (52 almost) age. I have never had any major surgery and it is kind of scary to think about.