Abundant Simplicity - by Jan Johnson (Paperback)

About the Book

Which activities give you energy and connect you with God? Do you know what behaviors are life-draining for you, separating you from God? In this book Jan Johnson provides small experiments with simplicity as well as questions for discussion or reflection to help you discover the unhurried rhythms of grace.

Book Synopsis

Which activities give you energy and connect you with God? Do you know what behaviors are life-draining for you, separating you from God? In this book Jan Johnson provides small experiments with simplicity as well as questions for discussion or reflection to help you discover the unhurried rhythms of grace.

Review Quotes

"Abundant Simplicity is a quiet yet powerful resource for all who desire to make space in their lives for more of God."

"Abundant Simplicity is a quiet yet powerful resource for all who desire to make space in their lives for more of God."

--Elaine Raxon, CBA Retailers + Resources, June 2011

"Abundant Simplicity is more than a primer on simplicity. It is a lesson in humility and a reminder of who we are as Friends."

"Abundant Simplicity is more than a primer on simplicity. It is a lesson in humility and a reminder of who we are as Friends."

--Ellen Michaud, Friends Journal, November 2011

"For our hurried and harried existence, both within and without the church, Jan Johnson proposes fruitful pathways leading to a simpler and less cluttered lifestyle. Abundant Simplicity offers guidelines that commend to readers life-giving simplicity through protocols such as economy of speech (clipping our tongues), loosening our grip on possessions (frugality) and creating margins in life (leisure). The more I read, the more engrossed, convicted and encouraged I became to pursue the abundant life for the glory of God and the good of others."

"For our hurried and harried existence, both within and without the church, Jan Johnson proposes fruitful pathways leading to a simpler and less cluttered lifestyle. Abundant Simplicity offers guidelines that commend to readers life-giving simplicity through protocols such as economy of speech (clipping our tongues), loosening our grip on possessions (frugality) and creating margins in life (leisure). The more I read, the more engrossed, convicted and encouraged I became to pursue the abundant life for the glory of God and the good of others."

--Bruce Demarest, professor of Christian formation, Denver Seminary, and author of Seasons of the Soul

"If life is what you want, you must free yourself from trivial entanglements. St. Francis of Assisi advised us to wear the world like a loose garment--one which touches us in few places and there lightly. Most people fail in their efforts to do so. Jan Johnson can help you. She combines profound insight into the concrete realities of a life lived in Christ's kingdom with specific directions on where and how to cut--to eliminate stuff that does not matter at all or matters very little. Do what she says. Deliverance is at hand."

"In a world where abundant has come to mean prosperity and simplicity is often equated with scarcity, Jan Johnson proposes an alternative. She introduces us to a biblical lifestyle of fullness--full in ways that only God can fill. In our materialistic, over-scheduled, stress-filled world . . . we need to tame the monster called 'more.' Abundant Simplicity is a monster-tamer."

"In a world where abundant has come to mean prosperity and simplicity is often equated with scarcity, Jan Johnson proposes an alternative. She introduces us to a biblical lifestyle of fullness--full in ways that only God can fill. In our materialistic, over-scheduled, stress-filled world . . . we need to tame the monster called 'more.' Abundant Simplicity is a monster-tamer."

--Paul Borthwick, author of Simplify and Six Dangerous Questions to Transform Your View of the World

"Jan Johnson writes in a clear style that seeks to make spirituality--following God's Spirit in daily life--more accessible to the reader. She challenges readers yet expresses sympathetic patience with the difficulty of practicing spiritual disciplines."

"Johnson's easy writing style and highly practical approach to everyday problems, paired with her obvious depth of relationship with God and the fact that she practices what she preaches, make this book a worthwhile read. I heartily recommend it to those considering simplifying their life, but it also a good read for those ready to reevaluate their commitment to simplicity and to take some new steps into God's abundance."

"Johnson's easy writing style and highly practical approach to everyday problems, paired with her obvious depth of relationship with God and the fact that she practices what she preaches, make this book a worthwhile read. I heartily recommend it to those considering simplifying their life, but it also a good read for those ready to reevaluate their commitment to simplicity and to take some new steps into God's abundance."

--Christine Sine, PRISM, July 2011

"Johnson's firm yet inviting counsel should arrive as a welcome change to the prevailing tone of much contemporary popular spirituality; recommended for Christian individuals and church groups."

"Johnson's firm yet inviting counsel should arrive as a welcome change to the prevailing tone of much contemporary popular spirituality; recommended for Christian individuals and church groups."

--Graham Christian, Library Journal, May 1, 2011

"Once again writer Jan Johnson proves herself to be a wise, welcoming and eminently helpful guide as we follow Jesus day by day. Abundant Simplicity assists readers in taking a long, grace-imbued look into our deepest selves, discerning what within us is in keeping with our journey of faith, and then, by God's grace and spiritual discipline, discarding what is not. As Johnson demonstrates in theologically sound and practical ways, when we are winnowed toward holiness, what remains is, indeed, simple and abundant."

"Once again writer Jan Johnson proves herself to be a wise, welcoming and eminently helpful guide as we follow Jesus day by day. Abundant Simplicity assists readers in taking a long, grace-imbued look into our deepest selves, discerning what within us is in keeping with our journey of faith, and then, by God's grace and spiritual discipline, discarding what is not. As Johnson demonstrates in theologically sound and practical ways, when we are winnowed toward holiness, what remains is, indeed, simple and abundant."

--Susan S. Phillips, Ph.D., author of Candlelight: Illuminating the Art of Spiritual Direction and executive director, New College Berkeley

"Time and possessions, words and worries are the raw material that comprise daily life. They are also the places where students of Jesus often experience the 'simplicity gap'--the distance between their desire for simplicity and their experience of it. In Abundant Simplicity Jan Johnson wisely, gently and creatively demonstrates how that raw material of ordinary living can be transformed into extraordinary kingdom living through experiments and adventures in simplicity. This is a book of lived truth and uncommon yet simple wisdom."

"Time and possessions, words and worries are the raw material that comprise daily life. They are also the places where students of Jesus often experience the 'simplicity gap'--the distance between their desire for simplicity and their experience of it. In Abundant Simplicity Jan Johnson wisely, gently and creatively demonstrates how that raw material of ordinary living can be transformed into extraordinary kingdom living through experiments and adventures in simplicity. This is a book of lived truth and uncommon yet simple wisdom."

--Howard Baker, Instructor of Christian Formation, Denver Seminary, and author of The One True Thing

About the Author

Jan Johnson, a spiritual director and a frequent speaker at retreats and conferences, is based near Los Angeles, California. She has authored hundreds of articles and a number of books, including Invitation to the Jesus Life and Spiritual Disciplines Companion. She is also coauthor of Dallas Willard's Study Guide to "The Divine Conspiracy."