Jan Johnson (1) (1952–)

When I first read the descriptions of this book, I must admit I was skeptical. I thought it sounded like it would be touchy-feely, me-centered, emergent-church babble. I'm so glad I decided to read it anyway! Although it is about personal spiritual growth and, therefore, has an inherent degree of focus on self, it is far from what I would call "me-centered." Johnson paints word pictures for her readers of a number of character qualities Jesus possessed and suggests ways that we can become show more more godly by focusing on and modeling ourselves after Him.

The descriptions of biblical events are, in some instances, unorthodox. They did not, however, strike me as as the kind of unorthodox that tends toward a perversion of Scripture but, rather, the type of unorthodox that drags us out of our knowledgeable-Christian ruts and causes us to really see these events and absorb their import.

What impressed me most about the book was its practical nature. While each chapter began with a description of how Jesus exemplified the particular trait under consideration, each one ended with a list of very practical exercises for the reader. Not every one will be for every reader. Not all of them are necessarily designed to be permanent practices, either - some of them are more along the lines of experiments. But every single one is an immensely practical way to work toward godly habits. As a reader who often finds myself thinking, "I know, but HOW?" I very much appreciated this. I will definitely be re-reading this one. show less

I absolutely loved this book. It was a discipline to set aside very quiet, undivided time to do this book (with five kids in the house). However, the benefits were amazing. This book is meant for a spiritual retreat, but this was not an option for me. Instead I set aside time for uninterrupted silence. In this time a I did the studies. To be honest at times I had to review the last one, because I felt that there was more to glean from the study. It is set up with a portion of the 23rd Psalm show more and then guided questions and other scriptures to help the reader think more about the significance of the section of the scriptures. I especially liked the questions because they made me stop and really think on the motives and deep parts of my heart. I spent much time turning more over to God - things until this study that I did not realize I still tried to hold on to or control. This book is a great study and I would recommend it to any person seeking a deeper and more meaningful relationship with God. It is short enough to do on a weekend retreat or to break into mini sessions of retreat and reflection. It is one that you will want to read over and over again - it will certainly not be a dust collector after one read.

Thank you NavPress for this review copy. show less

I absolutely loved this book. It was a discipline to set aside very quiet, undivided time to do this book (with five kids in the house). However, the benefits were amazing. This book is meant for a spiritual retreat, but this was not an option for me. Instead I set aside time for uninterrupted silence. In this time a I did the studies. To be honest at times I had to review the last one, because I felt that there was more to glean from the study. It is set up with a portion of the 23rd Psalm show more and then guided questions and other scriptures to help the reader think more about the significance of the section of the scriptures. I especially liked the questions because they made me stop and really think on the motives and deep parts of my heart. I spent much time turning more over to God - things until this study that I did not realize I still tried to hold on to or control. This book is a great study and I would recommend it to any person seeking a deeper and more meaningful relationship with God. It is short enough to do on a weekend retreat or to break into mini sessions of retreat and reflection. It is one that you will want to read over and over again - it will certainly not be a dust collector after one read.

Thank you NavPress for this review copy. show less

How can we ever hope to be transformed from the inside out into the likeness of Christ? One important way is through prayer. In her book, "When the Soul Listens", Jan Johnson explains how imperative it is to spend time in prayer with God – not just talking but also listening, allowing God to fill us with His thoughts and desires. She quotes Amy Carmichael: “Holy Spirit, think through me till your ideas are my ideas.” Prayer is the way to start thinking like Christ....which leads to show more living, breathing and loving like Christ. Johnson shows us that when we are centered on ourselves and trying to be a “good Christian” our obedience is joyless and fruitless – but when we use prayer to center on the nature and character of God, it will be not only our desire but our delight to do God's will. show less