What do you think?
Rate this book
Waiting for Wonder: Learning to Live on God's Timeline
It’s easy to believe God when a promise is new. It’s hard when the years pass and nothing changes. It’s even harder when desperation strikes, your plans backfire, and still God does not fill the emptiness. But what if, in this waiting, God is calling us to more?
Join author Marlo Schalesky on a unique, contemplative journey to reveal the wonder that is often missed when we find ourselves struggling to wait well. Walking through the life of the biblical character Sarah, one who knows what it means to wait, you will discover a glimpse of God’s character that will give you strength to keep hoping and praying for the desires of your heart.
Waiting for Wonder is a journey into the heart of God where you will wrestle with personal questions, think deeply about God’s true character, and learn to appreciate His divine work as you discover your own path to the promised land. Recapture your hope, restore your soul, and renew your vision of a wondrous Savior when you learn to live on God’s time.
Leader guide also available.
Join author Marlo Schalesky on a unique, contemplative journey to reveal the wonder that is often missed when we find ourselves struggling to wait well. Walking through the life of the biblical character Sarah, one who knows what it means to wait, you will discover a glimpse of God’s character that will give you strength to keep hoping and praying for the desires of your heart.
Waiting for Wonder is a journey into the heart of God where you will wrestle with personal questions, think deeply about God’s true character, and learn to appreciate His divine work as you discover your own path to the promised land. Recapture your hope, restore your soul, and renew your vision of a wondrous Savior when you learn to live on God’s time.
Leader guide also available.
272 pages, Paperback
Published November 15, 2016
9 people are currently reading
63 people want to read
About the author
Marlo Schalesky
19 books73 followersMarlo Schalesky is the founder and president of Wonder Wood Ranch, a California charitable organization that brings hope through horses to at-risk, gang-impacted, homeless, and other disadvantaged kids in Monterey County. She is also the award winning author of twelve books, including her latest nonfiction, WOMEN OF THE BIBLE SPEAK OUT, Stories of Betrayal, Abuse, Healing & Hope (2020), as well as Reaching for Wonder, Encountering Christ When Life Hurts, Waiting for Wonder, Learning to Live on God’s Timeline, Wrestling with Wonder, a Transformational Journey through the Life of Mary, and Empty Womb, Aching Heart, Hope and Help for those Struggling with Infertility. Her fiction includes RITA finalist Shades of Morning, the Christy Award winning Beyond the Night, and ACFW Book of the Year winner Veil of Fire.
She’s had over 1,000 articles published in various Christian magazines, including Focus on the Family, Today’s Christian Woman, Decision, Moody Magazine, and Discipleship Journal. She has contributed to Dr. Dobson’s Night Light Devotional for Couples, Tyndale’s Book of Devotions for Kids #3, and Discipleship Journal’s 101 Small Group Ideas.
She is a speaker, with appearances on Focus on the Family, Moody Midday, 100 Huntley Street, The Harvest Show, and hundreds of others. She is also a regular columnist for Power for Living.
Marlo is also a California native, a graduate of Stanford University (with a B.S. in Chemistry!). In addition, she has earned her Masters in Theology, with an emphasis in Biblical Studies, from Fuller Theological Seminary.
After twenty years on the infertility journey, and numerous miscarriages, Marlo now lives with her husband, six children, and fifty-some critters in a log home in Central California.
When she’s not cleaning up after critters of all kinds, doing laundry, or writing books, Marlo loves white mochas, reading the New Testament in Greek, and speaking to groups about finding the wonder of God in everyday life.
She’s had over 1,000 articles published in various Christian magazines, including Focus on the Family, Today’s Christian Woman, Decision, Moody Magazine, and Discipleship Journal. She has contributed to Dr. Dobson’s Night Light Devotional for Couples, Tyndale’s Book of Devotions for Kids #3, and Discipleship Journal’s 101 Small Group Ideas.
She is a speaker, with appearances on Focus on the Family, Moody Midday, 100 Huntley Street, The Harvest Show, and hundreds of others. She is also a regular columnist for Power for Living.
Marlo is also a California native, a graduate of Stanford University (with a B.S. in Chemistry!). In addition, she has earned her Masters in Theology, with an emphasis in Biblical Studies, from Fuller Theological Seminary.
After twenty years on the infertility journey, and numerous miscarriages, Marlo now lives with her husband, six children, and fifty-some critters in a log home in Central California.
When she’s not cleaning up after critters of all kinds, doing laundry, or writing books, Marlo loves white mochas, reading the New Testament in Greek, and speaking to groups about finding the wonder of God in everyday life.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
December 11, 2016
WAITING FOR WONDER Learning to Live on God’s Timeline by Marlo Schalesky, is an extraordinary portrayal of patience.
Inspiring! A book of hope. Powerful and life changing. A remarkable re-telling, the author takes readers on an intimate remarkable journey with Sarah, from the Old Testament. One hundred and twenty-seven years to refine a woman. Now, this is waiting!
2016 Best Book for Spiritual Growth!
Sarah is the first woman since Eve who played a major role in salvation history. She is also the only woman of the Bible whose age was given at her death. One hundred twenty-seven years.
As the author references in this well-researched inspiring journey: “I believe the biblical writer tells us her age to emphasize the length of her waiting.”
Sarah’s life was about the "long wait." She was remade through the years of frustration, fear, fury, and faith. A life of waiting. A life of becoming. A life that would ultimately, bless the whole world.
In our fast and the furious world today, everything is about immediate gratification. The now. No waiting. Rushing. When the word, “patience” is not in our vocabulary. Instant gratification is the desire to experience pleasure or fulfillment, without delay or deferment.
Basically, it's when you want it; and you want it now. Humans are hardwired to want things -- now. It’s called instant gratification, and it’s a powerful force. What lesson have we learned?
Waiting is hard, and there is an innate desire to have what we want when we want it, which is usually without any delay. In today’s world, we find ourselves waiting. Waiting for results of infertility treatments, waiting for a job offer, waiting for a change in a relationship, waiting for a change in life.
However, the author takes us to back to the Bible. A reflection. She invites you for a walk with her, through Sarah’s life. A life of waiting possibly through Sarah's eyes. What was going through her mind?
There is "wonder" when you wait. The perfect timing. God’s master plan. When it is rushed, the results are not the extraordinary. Not as intended. The pieces must be aligned in His own time for the outcome to be as intended. The work may not be complete.
“Who among you by worrying can add a single moment to your life?” Matt 6:27 and Luke 12:25
“Therefore, stop worrying about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself.” Matt 6:34
“Don’t be anxious about anything.” Phil 4:6
When God’s timing is rarely our own. It’s is easy to believe God when a promise is new and fresh, bubbling with life. It is hard when the years pass and nothing changes. Making it sometimes harder to keep praying and believing.
We start with the barren Sarai. The shame and the hopelessness. We are all barren and Sarai gives us hope. Sarah’s journey could be our own. When God sees our barrenness, and meets it with promise. The place where we have the least hope. Barrenness: A metaphor for hopelessness. No human power to invent a future. Lack.
God looks barrenness in the face and makes His promise. God chooses the impossible. He did not call a fertile woman to birth a nation. He chose a barren woman; on purpose.
From scriptures to the what if? A glimpse of what the modern-day Sarah would possibly be thinking about her situation long ago. In the Old Testament, in Sarai’s day, infertile women were despised, rejected, helpless, and considered curses.
Yet God calls the childless, the infertile, the barren to birth a nation through whom the whole world will be blessed. The place in her life that causes the most shame, pain, and hopelessness.
God makes his wildest, most impossible promises. It is the very place he chooses to work. With poignant examples, the author uses poignantly relatable stories. Those who have been broken, with losses beyond comprehension. Yet those are the ones dedicating their life to the ministry of others, filled with beauty and promise. Transforming our shame.
Sometimes it is out of a broken heart that God’s glory shines. Hope. God uses those marks, the scars, to full purposes. There is a bigger plan in motion. We do not always know what is going on in the background, preparing for the main event.
If we rush the end result and try to control the events ourselves, the movie of our life, will not play out as planned. God’s purposes. As seen by Sarah’s story.
God uses the complete redemption of the things in our lives that we hate the most. The things that cause the deepest sorrow, the worst guilt, the most agonizing pain. Those are the very things God longs to transform—for Sarai and for us. God chooses us precisely for the places where nothing seems to change and hope is sparse.
Submitting to the power of waiting, to the power of promises. We do not like Haran. The place in between. How do you wait, believe, and hang on to the promises when you are living in Haran? A place where we land. Not the place we were promised. Are we settling? Discouraged? Will we ever leave this place? We do not want to remain in this place.
Like Sarah, we can only wait and wonder. What must die before we can get unstuck, before we can continue toward the promise? Who is this God who sometimes doesn’t move fast enough? He is working. There is a purpose in the waiting place.
God is working with power and wonder and might. We can’t always see it and rarely understand it. But God is working behind the scenes. A deeper work. A work we could never do, ourselves.
Sarah’s legacy. Their wait was hard. Often hopeless. God made in the wait a life that mattered. Sarah changed the world. The world can be blessed through each of us. From the prophets who endured persecution, hardship, and even death as they waited. Faith.
We can’t be discouraged. He is working and creating through our pain, fears, and doubts. In the long hard wait, God is making you into who you must be to make a lasting difference. He is at work when nothing seems to be happening at all. It is then when He is working His miracles in us, around us, and in the kingdom, itself. Often he is working a miracle in someone else.
He could be using the trial for someone else--and we happen to be in the way or part of the relationship or overall plan.
We become who we really are in the wait. And who we are matter. Legacy is born in the waiting. Embrace this God of waiting, where impossible promises come true. Of perfect timing in the face of fear.
Millennia have passed since Sarah’s death. Yet she remains a beacon of faith for us all. A perfect example that God is most at work when we see him the least. He calls us to believe. Wait. Trust. Believe.
One of the best books I have read this year for Christian spiritual growth. Insightful, and thought-provoking. A book you will want to revisit often, (bookmarking so many passages)...especially those trying times when we are impatient. Beautifully and thoughtfully written - a "light of hope." A great lesson.
A special thank you to Abingdon and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. A calming stunning cover which draws you into this place of solace.
JDCMustReadBooks
Inspiring! A book of hope. Powerful and life changing. A remarkable re-telling, the author takes readers on an intimate remarkable journey with Sarah, from the Old Testament. One hundred and twenty-seven years to refine a woman. Now, this is waiting!
2016 Best Book for Spiritual Growth!
Sarah is the first woman since Eve who played a major role in salvation history. She is also the only woman of the Bible whose age was given at her death. One hundred twenty-seven years.
As the author references in this well-researched inspiring journey: “I believe the biblical writer tells us her age to emphasize the length of her waiting.”
Sarah’s life was about the "long wait." She was remade through the years of frustration, fear, fury, and faith. A life of waiting. A life of becoming. A life that would ultimately, bless the whole world.
In our fast and the furious world today, everything is about immediate gratification. The now. No waiting. Rushing. When the word, “patience” is not in our vocabulary. Instant gratification is the desire to experience pleasure or fulfillment, without delay or deferment.
Basically, it's when you want it; and you want it now. Humans are hardwired to want things -- now. It’s called instant gratification, and it’s a powerful force. What lesson have we learned?
Waiting is hard, and there is an innate desire to have what we want when we want it, which is usually without any delay. In today’s world, we find ourselves waiting. Waiting for results of infertility treatments, waiting for a job offer, waiting for a change in a relationship, waiting for a change in life.
However, the author takes us to back to the Bible. A reflection. She invites you for a walk with her, through Sarah’s life. A life of waiting possibly through Sarah's eyes. What was going through her mind?
There is "wonder" when you wait. The perfect timing. God’s master plan. When it is rushed, the results are not the extraordinary. Not as intended. The pieces must be aligned in His own time for the outcome to be as intended. The work may not be complete.
“Who among you by worrying can add a single moment to your life?” Matt 6:27 and Luke 12:25
“Therefore, stop worrying about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself.” Matt 6:34
“Don’t be anxious about anything.” Phil 4:6
When God’s timing is rarely our own. It’s is easy to believe God when a promise is new and fresh, bubbling with life. It is hard when the years pass and nothing changes. Making it sometimes harder to keep praying and believing.
We start with the barren Sarai. The shame and the hopelessness. We are all barren and Sarai gives us hope. Sarah’s journey could be our own. When God sees our barrenness, and meets it with promise. The place where we have the least hope. Barrenness: A metaphor for hopelessness. No human power to invent a future. Lack.
God looks barrenness in the face and makes His promise. God chooses the impossible. He did not call a fertile woman to birth a nation. He chose a barren woman; on purpose.
From scriptures to the what if? A glimpse of what the modern-day Sarah would possibly be thinking about her situation long ago. In the Old Testament, in Sarai’s day, infertile women were despised, rejected, helpless, and considered curses.
Yet God calls the childless, the infertile, the barren to birth a nation through whom the whole world will be blessed. The place in her life that causes the most shame, pain, and hopelessness.
God makes his wildest, most impossible promises. It is the very place he chooses to work. With poignant examples, the author uses poignantly relatable stories. Those who have been broken, with losses beyond comprehension. Yet those are the ones dedicating their life to the ministry of others, filled with beauty and promise. Transforming our shame.
Sometimes it is out of a broken heart that God’s glory shines. Hope. God uses those marks, the scars, to full purposes. There is a bigger plan in motion. We do not always know what is going on in the background, preparing for the main event.
If we rush the end result and try to control the events ourselves, the movie of our life, will not play out as planned. God’s purposes. As seen by Sarah’s story.
God uses the complete redemption of the things in our lives that we hate the most. The things that cause the deepest sorrow, the worst guilt, the most agonizing pain. Those are the very things God longs to transform—for Sarai and for us. God chooses us precisely for the places where nothing seems to change and hope is sparse.
Submitting to the power of waiting, to the power of promises. We do not like Haran. The place in between. How do you wait, believe, and hang on to the promises when you are living in Haran? A place where we land. Not the place we were promised. Are we settling? Discouraged? Will we ever leave this place? We do not want to remain in this place.
Like Sarah, we can only wait and wonder. What must die before we can get unstuck, before we can continue toward the promise? Who is this God who sometimes doesn’t move fast enough? He is working. There is a purpose in the waiting place.
God is working with power and wonder and might. We can’t always see it and rarely understand it. But God is working behind the scenes. A deeper work. A work we could never do, ourselves.
Sarah’s legacy. Their wait was hard. Often hopeless. God made in the wait a life that mattered. Sarah changed the world. The world can be blessed through each of us. From the prophets who endured persecution, hardship, and even death as they waited. Faith.
We can’t be discouraged. He is working and creating through our pain, fears, and doubts. In the long hard wait, God is making you into who you must be to make a lasting difference. He is at work when nothing seems to be happening at all. It is then when He is working His miracles in us, around us, and in the kingdom, itself. Often he is working a miracle in someone else.
He could be using the trial for someone else--and we happen to be in the way or part of the relationship or overall plan.
We become who we really are in the wait. And who we are matter. Legacy is born in the waiting. Embrace this God of waiting, where impossible promises come true. Of perfect timing in the face of fear.
Millennia have passed since Sarah’s death. Yet she remains a beacon of faith for us all. A perfect example that God is most at work when we see him the least. He calls us to believe. Wait. Trust. Believe.
One of the best books I have read this year for Christian spiritual growth. Insightful, and thought-provoking. A book you will want to revisit often, (bookmarking so many passages)...especially those trying times when we are impatient. Beautifully and thoughtfully written - a "light of hope." A great lesson.
A special thank you to Abingdon and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. A calming stunning cover which draws you into this place of solace.
JDCMustReadBooks
December 22, 2016
Why I Choose this Book:
Simply enough because the cover is so peaceful-looking. I was also intrigued by the title and the promise it held. I’m working on learning to be still and wait, so this book seemed perfect.
What I Thought about this Book:
This book holds an aura of calmness. It’s a restful, evenly paced book that goes through the account of Abram and Sarai (aka Abraham and Sarah) from Genesis. We get to peek inside of Sarai’s mind each chapter and see the world through her eyes – that was probably my favorite part about the book.
The author does a good job of gleaning a bucketload of life lessons from watching Sarai live out her life. We explore the reasoning, the culture, and the outcome that surrounded the choices Sarai made throughout her life. We get to learn and grow from her mistakes, and apply her difficulties to our own lives.
It was especially interesting when the author pulled in stories from her own life to illustrate a point. Knowing that she struggled with some of the same things Sarai did helped drive the book home, and made it make more sense.
Conclusion:
I’m actually a bit unsure why this book is only receiving 3 stars from me. I enjoyed the writing, the lessons, the research, and the interesting perspectives, yet for some reason it didn’t resonate with me like a 4 star book has to. All that to say, in all likelihood y’all would probably enjoy this book immensely, so go for it!
Rating:
I’m giving Waiting for Wonder 3 out of 5 stars, and 6 out of 10.
*I received this book from Litfuse
Simply enough because the cover is so peaceful-looking. I was also intrigued by the title and the promise it held. I’m working on learning to be still and wait, so this book seemed perfect.
What I Thought about this Book:
This book holds an aura of calmness. It’s a restful, evenly paced book that goes through the account of Abram and Sarai (aka Abraham and Sarah) from Genesis. We get to peek inside of Sarai’s mind each chapter and see the world through her eyes – that was probably my favorite part about the book.
The author does a good job of gleaning a bucketload of life lessons from watching Sarai live out her life. We explore the reasoning, the culture, and the outcome that surrounded the choices Sarai made throughout her life. We get to learn and grow from her mistakes, and apply her difficulties to our own lives.
It was especially interesting when the author pulled in stories from her own life to illustrate a point. Knowing that she struggled with some of the same things Sarai did helped drive the book home, and made it make more sense.
Conclusion:
I’m actually a bit unsure why this book is only receiving 3 stars from me. I enjoyed the writing, the lessons, the research, and the interesting perspectives, yet for some reason it didn’t resonate with me like a 4 star book has to. All that to say, in all likelihood y’all would probably enjoy this book immensely, so go for it!
Rating:
I’m giving Waiting for Wonder 3 out of 5 stars, and 6 out of 10.
*I received this book from Litfuse
January 17, 2024
This one pleasantly surprised me. I wasn’t expecting the depth.
December 19, 2016
Sometimes the hardest thing for us to do is wait for answers. Sometimes the hardest thing is to feel alone. Sometimes the hardest thing is to face our past. Sometimes the hardest thing is to feel free. With this book all those "sometimes " can be overcome and a new life emerges. I enjoyed how the author used the story of Sarah and showed how waiting can be painful, but God's timing is always perfect. Many of us have been through pain, hurt, loneliness and brokenness. As I began to read this book, I felt a sense of the past starting to rise up to trap me once again. But then I read,"He is the God who uncovers the deepest places of our shame and pain and promises to bless the whole world right from those places." It is time for us to allow God to heal us and hold our head up as His glory surrounds us. I can picture Him as He holds the hurting and dries their tears.
I am not very patient and I try to run ahead and make things happen before it is time. I don't like when someone tells me I just have to be patient and wait. I really liked how the author used Haran in explaining why we are in that" holding zone " as I call it. We know of His promises so what is taking so long? It sure did open my eyes as I read that maybe we are in the way of moving forward. What it is in your life that is holding you back?
The book is filled with stories that are easily relatable. The author breaks down subjects into different chapters and takes us on a journey with Sarah as she sees the promises manifest. This is a very intense book at times that really made me search myself. What thoughts have I had that is keeping me in a barren land like Sarah? Am I really listening to God or trying to do things my own way? Throughout the book I found encouragement, and scriptures that reminded me of His love and promises that He keeps. It is our choice to change things that are not right in our life and to experience God's unconditional love.
"No matter how helpless you are or how you've been betrayed, God can bring blessing and restoration to your life."
I received a complimentary copy of this book from LitFuse. The review is my own opinion and I was not compensated for it.
I am not very patient and I try to run ahead and make things happen before it is time. I don't like when someone tells me I just have to be patient and wait. I really liked how the author used Haran in explaining why we are in that" holding zone " as I call it. We know of His promises so what is taking so long? It sure did open my eyes as I read that maybe we are in the way of moving forward. What it is in your life that is holding you back?
The book is filled with stories that are easily relatable. The author breaks down subjects into different chapters and takes us on a journey with Sarah as she sees the promises manifest. This is a very intense book at times that really made me search myself. What thoughts have I had that is keeping me in a barren land like Sarah? Am I really listening to God or trying to do things my own way? Throughout the book I found encouragement, and scriptures that reminded me of His love and promises that He keeps. It is our choice to change things that are not right in our life and to experience God's unconditional love.
"No matter how helpless you are or how you've been betrayed, God can bring blessing and restoration to your life."
I received a complimentary copy of this book from LitFuse. The review is my own opinion and I was not compensated for it.
December 10, 2016
We don't like to wait. It's the not knowing, the time between the medical scan and the phone call with the report. It is waiting for the fulfillment of what you are sure God has promised. Schalesky takes us through the life of Sarah (Sarai) and her time of waiting to help us in ours.
Here are just a few of the lessons we learn from Sarah. God has purposes in causing the wait. For example, “He is the God who uncovers the deepest places of our shame and pain and promises to bless the whole world right from those very places.” Maybe there is something in us that has to die before the promise can be fulfilled. Maybe God is calling us to a deeper relationship with Him. Perhaps our waiting is aimed at a deeper devotion to Him. Maybe God is identifying ingrained patterns of fear within us. We learn what happens when we lose faith and follow the customs of our society and our plans go awry. We learn that God desires to restore us when we are so much less than He created us to be.
I like all the lessons Schalesky helps us learn from Sarah's life. “God plans everything precisely,” she writes. We can trust that our waiting is not some punishment but is rather part of God's timing.
I am always a little cautious when an author tries to recreate a biblical story, retelling it and putting thoughts and words into the characters' minds and mouths. Schalesky does that here. I would rather an author just adhere to the biblical account we have.
This is a good book for those waiting. Schalesky gives lots of insight and encouragement from Sarah's life and her own experiences. I recommend it for those learning to trust God in the inbetween times.
I received a complimentary egalley of this book through Litfuse. My comments are an independent and honest review.
Here are just a few of the lessons we learn from Sarah. God has purposes in causing the wait. For example, “He is the God who uncovers the deepest places of our shame and pain and promises to bless the whole world right from those very places.” Maybe there is something in us that has to die before the promise can be fulfilled. Maybe God is calling us to a deeper relationship with Him. Perhaps our waiting is aimed at a deeper devotion to Him. Maybe God is identifying ingrained patterns of fear within us. We learn what happens when we lose faith and follow the customs of our society and our plans go awry. We learn that God desires to restore us when we are so much less than He created us to be.
I like all the lessons Schalesky helps us learn from Sarah's life. “God plans everything precisely,” she writes. We can trust that our waiting is not some punishment but is rather part of God's timing.
I am always a little cautious when an author tries to recreate a biblical story, retelling it and putting thoughts and words into the characters' minds and mouths. Schalesky does that here. I would rather an author just adhere to the biblical account we have.
This is a good book for those waiting. Schalesky gives lots of insight and encouragement from Sarah's life and her own experiences. I recommend it for those learning to trust God in the inbetween times.
I received a complimentary egalley of this book through Litfuse. My comments are an independent and honest review.
December 20, 2016
Marlo Schalesky blends personal stories with grace-filled observations from Scripture, as well as creative vignettes that give us possible insight into Sarah’s perspective as she herself waited on God. The chapters cover topics such as being stuck in-between God’s promise and your present reality, living in a life that hasn’t gone as planned, becoming your worst you in the face of disappointment, becoming your TRUE you under God’s restoration, and much more. My favorite sections are the “Who is this God” sections that usually close out each chapter. Such great quotes to savor and apply to my heart.
This is a book I want to re-read, because there’s so much truth here that I know I’ve missed some of the great wisdom and encouragement the first time around. The words leap off the page and hit you right where you’re at, right in the center of your own waiting room, and they settle over your spirit like both a comforting quilt and a gentle conviction.
For everyone who is in a season of waiting, has been, or will be (so, basically … everyone), Waiting for Wonder by Marlo Schalesky will be a refreshing balm and a source of wisdom. Ever pointing us to our God who builds, who restores, who “loves us enough to make us wait longer to give us more”. It’s well written, engaging, and full of great truth and Scripture.
(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.)
See my full review at Reading Is My SuperPower
This is a book I want to re-read, because there’s so much truth here that I know I’ve missed some of the great wisdom and encouragement the first time around. The words leap off the page and hit you right where you’re at, right in the center of your own waiting room, and they settle over your spirit like both a comforting quilt and a gentle conviction.
For everyone who is in a season of waiting, has been, or will be (so, basically … everyone), Waiting for Wonder by Marlo Schalesky will be a refreshing balm and a source of wisdom. Ever pointing us to our God who builds, who restores, who “loves us enough to make us wait longer to give us more”. It’s well written, engaging, and full of great truth and Scripture.
(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.)
See my full review at Reading Is My SuperPower
December 21, 2016
In Waiting For Wonder: Learning To Live On God’s Timeline, Marlo uses the story of Sarai and Abram (along with examples of other biblical and modern-day contemporaries) to show us how God can call us and take us from the place of our deepest shame and use those experiences to transform and redeem us and others in our lives.
Through her biblical teaching, Marlo also helps us to gain insight and trust in the God who keeps the promises He makes but does so in His own timing.
Waiting For Wonder is a beautifully written book that will deepen and sustain your faith as you work through the wounded places in your life.
I highly recommend this book to you!
This review is an excerpt from my original review that is published at Create With Joy.
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
Through her biblical teaching, Marlo also helps us to gain insight and trust in the God who keeps the promises He makes but does so in His own timing.
Waiting For Wonder is a beautifully written book that will deepen and sustain your faith as you work through the wounded places in your life.
I highly recommend this book to you!
This review is an excerpt from my original review that is published at Create With Joy.
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
November 21, 2016
Waiting for Wonder
Learning to Live on God's Timeline
by Marlo Schalesky
Abingdon Press
Christian, Nonfiction (Adult)
Pub Date 15 Nov 2016
I am voluntarily reviewing a copy of Waiting to Wonder through the publisher and Netgalley:
The author points out that we must accept the barrenness if we are going to continue on to the journey of God's Promises.
This book points out that none of us want to be identified by our failures.
The author points out that there are times that we are not in control, that things happen that are beyond human control.
We are reminded too that though the world wants us to believe we are in control, we must remember that God is in Control.
The author also reminds us that Wonder is found in God.
I give Waiting for Wonder five out of five Stars.
Happy Reading!!
July 30, 2017
Sarah, wife of the Biblical patriarch, Abraham, waited for wonder in her wilderness. Weary and worn-out with endless waiting, she had given up all hope of ever seeing God’s promises fulfilled in her life. With rich insights and refreshing hope, this book transforms Sarah’s deep-rooted weariness into stunning, eye-opening wonder to see God’s sacred plans and purposes unfold in her personal wilderness of waiting. Sarah’s decades-long, wearisome wait for God’s promises to happen in her life is heartrending and utterly riveting. New hope springs up in her heart to see God at work, hemming her in with wonder, as she waited for God’s wonder-working power to unfold, when life’s trials hit home mercilessly, threatening to engulf and submerge her in its devastating deluge. Waiting for Wonder is all about hope in the midst of despair as we read Sarah’s passionate story of agonizing heartache, bitter struggle and seemingly endless waiting upon God.
God’s timing is not our own. We believe God when His promise is new but as the long, seemingly endless years pass by and nothing really changes, desperation strikes our hearts. Yet, as we are Waiting for Wonder, God calls us to experience the Wonder of Waiting. We miss the wonder of God’s plan when we struggle to wait. Abraham’s wife, Sarah knew what it meant to wait. God gives us strength to hope against hope and pray for the desires of our heart to be fulfilled. Waiting for Wonder takes us into the heart of God to ask questions and discover God’s answers, to appreciate God’s plan for our lives and refresh our spirits, to rekindle our hope and renew our trust in God’s promises, and to learn to wait for God’s time.
Rich spiritual insights in this life-transforming book will fill you with wide eye-opening wonder as you clearly see God’s divine purposes in your wilderness of waiting. Are you Waiting for Wonder? As you wait for God’s promises to be fulfilled in your life, fresh new hope will spring up in your life, when God hems you in with wonder on every side. This inspiring book touches our hearts as we are Waiting for Wonder from God. It is all about hope, faith, love and trust. The Bible’s real life story of Sarah’s bitter heartache, struggle and forever waiting on God turns into a precious lesson for us to trust Him with our lives. If God wants us to wait as Sarah did, we must learn the lessons she did. This engaging story inspires us to come closer to God, dig deeper into faith and trust even more deeply in the God who will never let us down. In today’s instant world, waiting is considered to be a waste of time. But in God’s world, waiting is a priceless treasure to be discovered.
In ‘Waiting for Wonder’, Marlo Schalesky’s deeply soulful and insightful wisdom is revealed as she passionately probes the unexplored landscape of Sarah’s wilderness journey, in the hollow canyons of the mountains and deep valleys of waiting, exposing the ever-present barrenness teetering at the precipice of doubt and despair. Sarah’s life is a silent testimony to how she fervently hoped against hope, trusting and believing in the endless years of waiting, that God would find a way out to illuminate the pure wonder of waiting, until He fulfilled His glorious promise to her.
Marlo Schalesky’s hard-won courage, wrested from the heart of despair, lights our hearts with love, inspires us with hope and illuminates our eyes to the pure wonder of waiting. Waiting for Wonder helps us to understand God, whose ways are not our ways, and trust Him still. Marlo sees very human people behind Bible characters, studying their lives for soul-transforming truth, saying it gracefully in all humility. Waiting for Wonder reveals Marlo’s devotion to the truth of God’s Word as she discovers wonder-filled moments of God’s grace. The spiritual truths in this book open our eyes in breathless wonder to see God in our waiting.
At the heart of Marlo Schalesky’s “Waiting for Wonder: Learning to Live on God’s Timeline”, lies an important spiritual truth. In our waiting, God calls us to more. Waiting is hard and learning to wait well, even more so. At first, we all wait well, with new-found faith and hope, expecting God to meet us at our point of need, to answer our persistent questions and bring our fledgling dreams to life. But what happens in God’s timeline, when troublesome days turn into wearisome weeks, tiresome months, and seemingly endless years? Do we still wait well or flag in zeal and become discouraged? Waiting on God is where we all want to be. Though we believe God when a promise is new, it gets so much harder as the long years pass by with no significant changes. That’s when desperation strikes and plans backfire, causing tremendous pain and distress. In the midst of all this waiting, God calls us to more.
Studying the life of Sarah, Abraham’s wife, who learnt to wait the hard way, we glimpse the character of God, as He works in the lives of Sarah and Abraham in their long wait for the child of God’s promise. Like them, as we wait for wonder, we wrestle with wonder. As Marlo Schalesky wisely points out, in our lives, God loves to redeem the deepest sorrow, the worst guilt, the most agonizing pain, transforming them into platforms for His glory to be revealed. When we are so deeply hurt that we feel the pain will never pass, so bitterly frustrated to see the fragments of our carefully planned lives crumble into dust, can we trust God to bring overwhelming good out of the devastation of evil. This awesome and inspiring biography of Sarah will encourage and refresh your soul as you wait for the God of all hope to reveal His glory in your life.
God’s timing is not our own. We believe God when His promise is new but as the long, seemingly endless years pass by and nothing really changes, desperation strikes our hearts. Yet, as we are Waiting for Wonder, God calls us to experience the Wonder of Waiting. We miss the wonder of God’s plan when we struggle to wait. Abraham’s wife, Sarah knew what it meant to wait. God gives us strength to hope against hope and pray for the desires of our heart to be fulfilled. Waiting for Wonder takes us into the heart of God to ask questions and discover God’s answers, to appreciate God’s plan for our lives and refresh our spirits, to rekindle our hope and renew our trust in God’s promises, and to learn to wait for God’s time.
Rich spiritual insights in this life-transforming book will fill you with wide eye-opening wonder as you clearly see God’s divine purposes in your wilderness of waiting. Are you Waiting for Wonder? As you wait for God’s promises to be fulfilled in your life, fresh new hope will spring up in your life, when God hems you in with wonder on every side. This inspiring book touches our hearts as we are Waiting for Wonder from God. It is all about hope, faith, love and trust. The Bible’s real life story of Sarah’s bitter heartache, struggle and forever waiting on God turns into a precious lesson for us to trust Him with our lives. If God wants us to wait as Sarah did, we must learn the lessons she did. This engaging story inspires us to come closer to God, dig deeper into faith and trust even more deeply in the God who will never let us down. In today’s instant world, waiting is considered to be a waste of time. But in God’s world, waiting is a priceless treasure to be discovered.
In ‘Waiting for Wonder’, Marlo Schalesky’s deeply soulful and insightful wisdom is revealed as she passionately probes the unexplored landscape of Sarah’s wilderness journey, in the hollow canyons of the mountains and deep valleys of waiting, exposing the ever-present barrenness teetering at the precipice of doubt and despair. Sarah’s life is a silent testimony to how she fervently hoped against hope, trusting and believing in the endless years of waiting, that God would find a way out to illuminate the pure wonder of waiting, until He fulfilled His glorious promise to her.
Marlo Schalesky’s hard-won courage, wrested from the heart of despair, lights our hearts with love, inspires us with hope and illuminates our eyes to the pure wonder of waiting. Waiting for Wonder helps us to understand God, whose ways are not our ways, and trust Him still. Marlo sees very human people behind Bible characters, studying their lives for soul-transforming truth, saying it gracefully in all humility. Waiting for Wonder reveals Marlo’s devotion to the truth of God’s Word as she discovers wonder-filled moments of God’s grace. The spiritual truths in this book open our eyes in breathless wonder to see God in our waiting.
At the heart of Marlo Schalesky’s “Waiting for Wonder: Learning to Live on God’s Timeline”, lies an important spiritual truth. In our waiting, God calls us to more. Waiting is hard and learning to wait well, even more so. At first, we all wait well, with new-found faith and hope, expecting God to meet us at our point of need, to answer our persistent questions and bring our fledgling dreams to life. But what happens in God’s timeline, when troublesome days turn into wearisome weeks, tiresome months, and seemingly endless years? Do we still wait well or flag in zeal and become discouraged? Waiting on God is where we all want to be. Though we believe God when a promise is new, it gets so much harder as the long years pass by with no significant changes. That’s when desperation strikes and plans backfire, causing tremendous pain and distress. In the midst of all this waiting, God calls us to more.
Studying the life of Sarah, Abraham’s wife, who learnt to wait the hard way, we glimpse the character of God, as He works in the lives of Sarah and Abraham in their long wait for the child of God’s promise. Like them, as we wait for wonder, we wrestle with wonder. As Marlo Schalesky wisely points out, in our lives, God loves to redeem the deepest sorrow, the worst guilt, the most agonizing pain, transforming them into platforms for His glory to be revealed. When we are so deeply hurt that we feel the pain will never pass, so bitterly frustrated to see the fragments of our carefully planned lives crumble into dust, can we trust God to bring overwhelming good out of the devastation of evil. This awesome and inspiring biography of Sarah will encourage and refresh your soul as you wait for the God of all hope to reveal His glory in your life.
October 16, 2021
“𝘈𝘴 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘧𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘩, 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘫𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘺. 𝘏𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘦.”
“𝘉𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘸𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳. 𝘞𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘥.”
4.5 rounded to 5. This is the kind of book anyone who has been waiting, has been filled with shame, and has felt like nothing is going to get better should definitely read! The intro, let alone even the first chapter, is one filled with truth, perspective, and wisdom that we would do well to take to heart.
Marlo focuses on Sarai (Abraham’s wife before they both were renamed) and how she is first introduced as barren; that what caused her pain, shame, and probably what had her confused and frustrated, is how the Bible labels her. From there Marlo works through Sarai’s story, the waiting, the promises, the waiting for those promises, the wandering, the delays and detours, and how we can easily relate to Sarai in a number of ways.
Marlo reminds us that sometimes we are brought into a season of waiting divinely by God (to learn, be humbled, for protection, etc), and sometimes it is a result of a barrier (eg. an idol) that can only be fully removed with God’s help, but no matter the reason why we have found ourselves in this waiting, God is with us and He is working. Marlo addresses anger and frustration, failed plans, disappointment, restoration and redemption. She calls us to believe Gods promises, even if they seem impossible and improbable, and to bring our doubts and questions to Him.
Other noteworthy quotes:
“𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘮𝘦, 𝘱𝘢𝘪𝘯, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘚𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘪 𝘪𝘴 𝘦𝘹𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘴 𝘏𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘵, 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘴.”
“𝘐𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘯 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘎𝘰𝘥’𝘴 𝘨𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴.”
“𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘴, 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘧𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴, 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘮𝘴, 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘴.”
“𝘖𝘶𝘳 𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘴 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘤𝘳𝘶𝘮𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘶𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘵 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘣𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘥 𝘶𝘴 𝘩𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘏𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘴.”
“𝘉𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘸𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳. 𝘞𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘥.”
4.5 rounded to 5. This is the kind of book anyone who has been waiting, has been filled with shame, and has felt like nothing is going to get better should definitely read! The intro, let alone even the first chapter, is one filled with truth, perspective, and wisdom that we would do well to take to heart.
Marlo focuses on Sarai (Abraham’s wife before they both were renamed) and how she is first introduced as barren; that what caused her pain, shame, and probably what had her confused and frustrated, is how the Bible labels her. From there Marlo works through Sarai’s story, the waiting, the promises, the waiting for those promises, the wandering, the delays and detours, and how we can easily relate to Sarai in a number of ways.
Marlo reminds us that sometimes we are brought into a season of waiting divinely by God (to learn, be humbled, for protection, etc), and sometimes it is a result of a barrier (eg. an idol) that can only be fully removed with God’s help, but no matter the reason why we have found ourselves in this waiting, God is with us and He is working. Marlo addresses anger and frustration, failed plans, disappointment, restoration and redemption. She calls us to believe Gods promises, even if they seem impossible and improbable, and to bring our doubts and questions to Him.
Other noteworthy quotes:
“𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘮𝘦, 𝘱𝘢𝘪𝘯, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘚𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘪 𝘪𝘴 𝘦𝘹𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘴 𝘏𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘵, 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘴.”
“𝘐𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘯 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘎𝘰𝘥’𝘴 𝘨𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴.”
“𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘴, 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘧𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴, 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘮𝘴, 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘴.”
“𝘖𝘶𝘳 𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘴 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘤𝘳𝘶𝘮𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘶𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘵 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘣𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘥 𝘶𝘴 𝘩𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘏𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘴.”
December 27, 2016
It is one thing to read a Christian inspirational work where the author takes her experience, discusses it, and refers to verses from the Bible to strengthen her writings. It is an entirely different level of depth that is found when an author takes experiences & people from the Bible, discusses them, humanifies the person, explains how God grew them and used them, and THEN blends in her own story after having laid down a biblical foundation. Marlo Schalesky accomplished this example of depth in her book, Waiting for Wonder.
Schalesky focuses on Sarah and the way she had to wait not just for a child, but also for the land God had promised. While Schalesky's key focus is Sarah, she also focuses on other biblical characters who learned, grew, and were used by God. The biblical characters (especially Sarah) become even more meaningful when Schalesky presents her personal experiences and relates them back to what God was teaching Sarah. It is a fantastic writing style, and I truly enjoyed this book.
**I received a copy of the book from the publisher, but was under no obligation to write a review. My honest opinion has been provided without any requirement to give a positive review.**
Schalesky focuses on Sarah and the way she had to wait not just for a child, but also for the land God had promised. While Schalesky's key focus is Sarah, she also focuses on other biblical characters who learned, grew, and were used by God. The biblical characters (especially Sarah) become even more meaningful when Schalesky presents her personal experiences and relates them back to what God was teaching Sarah. It is a fantastic writing style, and I truly enjoyed this book.
**I received a copy of the book from the publisher, but was under no obligation to write a review. My honest opinion has been provided without any requirement to give a positive review.**
December 10, 2016
Have you ever struggled to wait for something? I think that is very natural as humans, but we always hear the words that it is in God's timing, I mean right? Well, if you are like me you struggle with His timing. If you know anything about my life, I have been waiting on God for a long time, or maybe he is waiting on me, I am not sure, but this little book is and has been such an encouragement!
I think this book will encourage you as you wait too, especially if you are waiting a miracle and wondering... When?? This book just brings peace to your life as you wait. It allows you to realize your time is nothing life God's time and the way we view time is so different than his. I related so much to Abraham and Sarah's story. My eyes were in tears so much throughout this book. I just recommend this book. It can be applied to so many aspects of our life!
I give this book 5/5 stars. Thank you to the publisher and Litfuse for the opportunity to read and review it. I was not compensated for a positive review. The thoughts and opinions expressed here are my own!
I think this book will encourage you as you wait too, especially if you are waiting a miracle and wondering... When?? This book just brings peace to your life as you wait. It allows you to realize your time is nothing life God's time and the way we view time is so different than his. I related so much to Abraham and Sarah's story. My eyes were in tears so much throughout this book. I just recommend this book. It can be applied to so many aspects of our life!
I give this book 5/5 stars. Thank you to the publisher and Litfuse for the opportunity to read and review it. I was not compensated for a positive review. The thoughts and opinions expressed here are my own!
June 18, 2017
Waiting is really hard. And when you're in a long season of waiting, you're desperate to find any answer or encouragement along the journey. And this book is just that--an encouraging reminder of God's sovereignty and His hand in every season of life.
What I loved about this book was that it followed the life of Sarah from the Bible, gleaning lessons from each part of her story. I also appreciated that the book didn't give the false hope that if you just follow these steps, you'll get whatever it is you're waiting for. Instead, it focused on the ultimate gift, Jesus.
I found myself skipping the narrative parts, where the author imagined what Sarah may have been feeling or thinking during her experiences, but perhaps others will find that a nice bonus. I preferred the focus on the scriptures, their meaning, and the application.
Overall, I would recommend this to anyone who has grown weary in her season of waiting.
I received this book in exchange for my review. My thoughts are my own.
February 18, 2020
What an amazing book by this author, she has made me inclined to read more by her. From the beginning Marlo had my attention as a person who in their 30's recently started to dive into the Bible, I was able to follow along very easily. Even if you have no clue about the Bible, you will be captivated by how Marlo compares and contrasts our daily life, wonder, and patience with women and men from many lifetimes ago.
This book has reached out and reminded me that it is not always "that time" for something to happen. Not Yet has kind of become my mantra when it comes to things I expect. You too will find yourself saying the same thing especially with other people after reading this book. This book also allows you to rest easy knowing things are going the way they are planned to go.
I am excited to read more of Marlo soon her writing and narrating are by far the best as a writer when it comes to comparing , contrasting and life lessons explained. It is also a very interactive book with questions asked of yourself to reflect on.
This book has reached out and reminded me that it is not always "that time" for something to happen. Not Yet has kind of become my mantra when it comes to things I expect. You too will find yourself saying the same thing especially with other people after reading this book. This book also allows you to rest easy knowing things are going the way they are planned to go.
I am excited to read more of Marlo soon her writing and narrating are by far the best as a writer when it comes to comparing , contrasting and life lessons explained. It is also a very interactive book with questions asked of yourself to reflect on.
August 19, 2021
I have read Marlo Schalesky before, and enjoyed that one so much that I picked this one up. This author has a way of looking at Scripture and pulling out of it some pretty keen insights. In this one, she examines the life of Sarah and the waiting she had to endure before she saw God act in her life. Schalesky makes application to our own lives today and reminds us that God is indeed busy doing wonder-filled things, though our perspective says differently. So I recommend this book if you find yourself in the waiting room and wondering where God is. You will be greatly encouraged to know that God has a plan and that the timing of it is crucial. He knows what He is doing, and we can trust Him.
August 22, 2017
Outstanding
Another excellent book with just the right message at just the right time! Thank you Marlo for allowing God to use you as an instrument of His Word through your writing. I can't wait for the next one.
Another excellent book with just the right message at just the right time! Thank you Marlo for allowing God to use you as an instrument of His Word through your writing. I can't wait for the next one.
September 19, 2021
A beautiful journey through the life of Sarah. Perfect for anyone walking through a season of waiting.
May 20, 2020
Do you find it hard to wait on God? What does it even look like to wait faithfully? Through the life of Sarah, Isaac's mother and Abraham's wife, find out in Waiting for Wonder! Great for personal study or groups. (A leader's guide is available separately.)
January 1, 2017
This book really changed my life. I am a worrier, and I am extremely impatient. I have always struggled to wait for God's timing. Isn't this something we all struggle with from time to time? This couldn't be a more timely book for me. As a young college student I have a million things I am waiting to hear about, do, accomplish, you name it. Sometimes those plans backfire, and I feel as if God has let me down. The truth is that he hasn't. He never lets us down.
This book is a unique and fascinating look at our journey to become closer to God. The author guides us to help reveal the wonder that is our walk with Jesus. Using biblical characters as guides.
This book is so telling. I enjoyed the lessons that were pointed out from the Bible. Using the story of Sarah we remember that everyone has to go through some pretty rough patches at some point in their life. This is so that we can eventual reach a place of destiny that God himself wants.
I really need to hear all the words the author had to say. In summary, her message is that we have to wait for God's plans to come to pass. We can wish, hope, and pray for quicker resolutions but God will bring solutions and answers in his own time.
This is an awesome read for anyone struggling with waiting on God. Which at some point I believe, is all of us.
**Disclosure** This book was sent to me free of charge for my honest review from Life House Publicity for a blog tour. All opinions are my own
December 12, 2016
Waiting.
No one that I know of likes to wait for anything.
Even in our prayers, waiting on the answer, seems like the hardest thing to do. Perhaps it is because we aren't sure of what the answer will be, or when that answer might even come. There have been some who have prayed and have their prayer answered years from the day they prayed and others have gotten the answer to their prayer on the other side of this life. So how does one learn to be patient in the waiting? How can we maintain our faith, knowing God is working it out on His end and on His timeline, which is not the same as ours?
Marlo Schalesky has written a wonderful book, Waiting for Wonder: Learning to Live on God's Timeline and the best way to describe this book is half Biblical fiction in a sense and Christian self help using Scriptures from the Bible to help us what we can do in the waiting. Using a character from the Bible, that I have to be honest, I glazed over without really considering her in a better light and digging deeper to see if there might be some spiritual treasure I overlooked. Marlo uses the life of Sarai who later became Sarah which all of us are familiar with. She was Abram's wife who was promised by God that her descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the sky, yet in her old age, she failed to conceive.
I even failed to understand on how this was something as a failure in those times when a woman could not conceive and in most cases was merely property for a man with the sole purpose for procreating and having a family to care on the family legacy. Poor Sarai couldn't do any of that even though Abram had been told that God was going to bless Sarai with off-spring. So how long did Sarai have to wait? Was it just a few days, a couple of weeks, months or even years for that miracle to happen? What did she do while she was waiting? Maintain her faith in God's promises or did she take matters into her own hands when she thought God forgot about her?
Using what might have been an extended portion of what the Bible alludes to using what we know historically of women from that time in history, Marlo Schalesky gives us peeks at what Sarai might have had to deal with in her interactions with other women, how her husband might have viewed her, and even the secrets they both kept when Abram and Sarai went to Egypt and lied to Pharoah to save Abram's own skin.
Is there something we might glean from this story of Sarai, something we might learn in our own season of endless waiting like she did? Yes, there is and this book is a wonderful way to take the lessons of Sarai and teach us how to wait while God is working in our lives despite how long it might take. This would be perfect for a small woman's Bible Study to work on a chapter of this book each week. I know for me, it greatly increased my admiration that God has a purpose in the very people we meet in the Bible no matter how much or little is mentioned of them and has caused me to dig deeper in my own study. I love the duality of the way this book is written and will be referencing this one often as I find sometimes waiting can be the hardest thing in my own walk of faith, and for this reason I give this one a 5 out of 5 stars. I received Waiting for Wonder by Marlo Schalesky compliments of Abingdon Press and Litfuse Publicity.
No one that I know of likes to wait for anything.
Even in our prayers, waiting on the answer, seems like the hardest thing to do. Perhaps it is because we aren't sure of what the answer will be, or when that answer might even come. There have been some who have prayed and have their prayer answered years from the day they prayed and others have gotten the answer to their prayer on the other side of this life. So how does one learn to be patient in the waiting? How can we maintain our faith, knowing God is working it out on His end and on His timeline, which is not the same as ours?
Marlo Schalesky has written a wonderful book, Waiting for Wonder: Learning to Live on God's Timeline and the best way to describe this book is half Biblical fiction in a sense and Christian self help using Scriptures from the Bible to help us what we can do in the waiting. Using a character from the Bible, that I have to be honest, I glazed over without really considering her in a better light and digging deeper to see if there might be some spiritual treasure I overlooked. Marlo uses the life of Sarai who later became Sarah which all of us are familiar with. She was Abram's wife who was promised by God that her descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the sky, yet in her old age, she failed to conceive.
I even failed to understand on how this was something as a failure in those times when a woman could not conceive and in most cases was merely property for a man with the sole purpose for procreating and having a family to care on the family legacy. Poor Sarai couldn't do any of that even though Abram had been told that God was going to bless Sarai with off-spring. So how long did Sarai have to wait? Was it just a few days, a couple of weeks, months or even years for that miracle to happen? What did she do while she was waiting? Maintain her faith in God's promises or did she take matters into her own hands when she thought God forgot about her?
Using what might have been an extended portion of what the Bible alludes to using what we know historically of women from that time in history, Marlo Schalesky gives us peeks at what Sarai might have had to deal with in her interactions with other women, how her husband might have viewed her, and even the secrets they both kept when Abram and Sarai went to Egypt and lied to Pharoah to save Abram's own skin.
Is there something we might glean from this story of Sarai, something we might learn in our own season of endless waiting like she did? Yes, there is and this book is a wonderful way to take the lessons of Sarai and teach us how to wait while God is working in our lives despite how long it might take. This would be perfect for a small woman's Bible Study to work on a chapter of this book each week. I know for me, it greatly increased my admiration that God has a purpose in the very people we meet in the Bible no matter how much or little is mentioned of them and has caused me to dig deeper in my own study. I love the duality of the way this book is written and will be referencing this one often as I find sometimes waiting can be the hardest thing in my own walk of faith, and for this reason I give this one a 5 out of 5 stars. I received Waiting for Wonder by Marlo Schalesky compliments of Abingdon Press and Litfuse Publicity.
December 19, 2016
We're all familiar with the story of Abraham and Sarah … how they were blessed by God to be the blessing for future nations and generations. Of how Abraham, the great man of faith, on hearing God's instruction to leave home, grabbed his family and did just that, not knowing where the Lord was leading them. But in Marlo Schalesky's marvellous book we hear from Sarah, we gain insight into her perspective, on being Abraham's wife and being wholly favoured by God not because she was a wife but because she too was the Lord's beloved.
I liked how Ms Schalesky set out each chapter: we start with a Scripture from Genesis which sets it up, then a short introduction before we "hear" from Sarah herself, well, the author's thoughts on what may have been going through Sarah's mind at the time, then a section "Waiting for Wonder" where the author explores what's to be discovered in the waiting and then finally "Who is this God?", a short section bringing back to the greatness and goodness of God.
Yes, there is some repetition across 14 chapters of exploring "waiting", however, there are some outstanding insights to be gleaned from the author's interpretation of Sarah's story that makes this book such a worthy resource on the subject. As Sarah and Abraham journeyed through many years of waiting the Lord drew them increasingly towards Himself, to a deeper intimacy and new devotion. This is what He calls each of us too. And that's the wonder of "waiting": our Creator woos us. To Himself in order that we discover our Lord in ways we could never have imagined and in so doing fresh perspectives on ourselves and His beloved.
I also appreciated the point that even when they received the blessing (yes, Sarah received it specifically too) from God of a child in a year's time, they were again tested. And again they initially struggled because of their inherent fears that had always inhibited them. "Sometimes we must go back in order to go forward. We must face the sin, the lies we live, those in ourselves and in the people close to us.We cannot receive the fulfilment of promises to bless the world when we are stepped in old fear, old deceptions, old sins."(loc 1357)
This so spoke to me. The Lord has something more for us but first of all we need to let go of the past and all its muck, whatever form it may take.
If you're presently in a season of waiting then buy this book. Ms Schalesky wrestles with Scripture and overlays aspects of waiting in her own life to provide an excellent insight into the wonders that can be gained from waiting.
Note: A special thank you to Abingdon Press and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I liked how Ms Schalesky set out each chapter: we start with a Scripture from Genesis which sets it up, then a short introduction before we "hear" from Sarah herself, well, the author's thoughts on what may have been going through Sarah's mind at the time, then a section "Waiting for Wonder" where the author explores what's to be discovered in the waiting and then finally "Who is this God?", a short section bringing back to the greatness and goodness of God.
Yes, there is some repetition across 14 chapters of exploring "waiting", however, there are some outstanding insights to be gleaned from the author's interpretation of Sarah's story that makes this book such a worthy resource on the subject. As Sarah and Abraham journeyed through many years of waiting the Lord drew them increasingly towards Himself, to a deeper intimacy and new devotion. This is what He calls each of us too. And that's the wonder of "waiting": our Creator woos us. To Himself in order that we discover our Lord in ways we could never have imagined and in so doing fresh perspectives on ourselves and His beloved.
I also appreciated the point that even when they received the blessing (yes, Sarah received it specifically too) from God of a child in a year's time, they were again tested. And again they initially struggled because of their inherent fears that had always inhibited them. "Sometimes we must go back in order to go forward. We must face the sin, the lies we live, those in ourselves and in the people close to us.We cannot receive the fulfilment of promises to bless the world when we are stepped in old fear, old deceptions, old sins."(loc 1357)
This so spoke to me. The Lord has something more for us but first of all we need to let go of the past and all its muck, whatever form it may take.
If you're presently in a season of waiting then buy this book. Ms Schalesky wrestles with Scripture and overlays aspects of waiting in her own life to provide an excellent insight into the wonders that can be gained from waiting.
Note: A special thank you to Abingdon Press and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
December 16, 2016
We are dreamers, aren’t we? We love to dream big dreams, to envision how much richer our lives (and others’) will be when our dreams come true. Unfortunately, dreams-come-true seldom come delivered on a platter. Usually we must wait for them. And the waiting is hard — a cold, dark, inhospitable test of endurance. Though I know intellectually it can also be a time for tremendous growth, faith, and beauty, these are not what I tend to focus on. Until now. Waiting for Wonder has changed that.
When I open a book, I usually know within seconds if the writer’s voice, style, and choice of topic are going to resonate. Marlo Schalesky’s Waiting for Wonder was one I knew would click, and it did, from first page to last. Everything about it rang true to my spirit.
Because there are hundreds of books out there on any given subject, we choose the ones that connect dots for us in original ways. Here, Marlo took a very familiar story and rendered it completely fresh for me. I’m not kidding — I wouldn’t have supposed it could be done. Sarai’s story, I thought…I’ve been there so many times, it has surely been wrung dry for me. So I was amazed at all the ways Marlo opened my eyes to aspects of Sarai/Sarah’s story I’ve never seen before, but which have always been there in the pages of Scripture. She not only revealed them, but showed them to be relevant and applicable to me, to my life, today. She maintained Big Story perspective while immersed in the smaller story and revealed God in a new light in every chapter. She gave me new understanding and then upped the ante by offering still more by way of enlightenment, peace, compassion, and hope.
Friends, are you waiting for something? A dream, a healing, a baby, a reconciliation, a spouse? Does your spirit grow dry during the wait? I urge you to pick up this book. Savor its insights and comfort, as I did. You will find balm for your weary soul as you discover — as Marlo writes — that the woman God created you to be is found in the waiting.
Thanks to Litfuse Publicity and Abingdon Press for providing me this book free of charge. All opinions are mine.
When I open a book, I usually know within seconds if the writer’s voice, style, and choice of topic are going to resonate. Marlo Schalesky’s Waiting for Wonder was one I knew would click, and it did, from first page to last. Everything about it rang true to my spirit.
Because there are hundreds of books out there on any given subject, we choose the ones that connect dots for us in original ways. Here, Marlo took a very familiar story and rendered it completely fresh for me. I’m not kidding — I wouldn’t have supposed it could be done. Sarai’s story, I thought…I’ve been there so many times, it has surely been wrung dry for me. So I was amazed at all the ways Marlo opened my eyes to aspects of Sarai/Sarah’s story I’ve never seen before, but which have always been there in the pages of Scripture. She not only revealed them, but showed them to be relevant and applicable to me, to my life, today. She maintained Big Story perspective while immersed in the smaller story and revealed God in a new light in every chapter. She gave me new understanding and then upped the ante by offering still more by way of enlightenment, peace, compassion, and hope.
Friends, are you waiting for something? A dream, a healing, a baby, a reconciliation, a spouse? Does your spirit grow dry during the wait? I urge you to pick up this book. Savor its insights and comfort, as I did. You will find balm for your weary soul as you discover — as Marlo writes — that the woman God created you to be is found in the waiting.
Thanks to Litfuse Publicity and Abingdon Press for providing me this book free of charge. All opinions are mine.
December 22, 2016
Waiting for Wonder: Leaning to Live on God's Timeline, a new release by Christian author Marlo Schalesky, takes a unique look at waiting on God's timing. Let's be honest. How many of us are good at waiting? Through waiting for wonder, Marlo looks at the long wait Sarai had to endure while waiting for God's promise to be fulfilled. In Genesis 17:19, God promised that Sarai would bear a son to Abraham. This promise wasn't fulfilled until she was 90 years old! How was she able to endure such a long wait? Did she doubt God's promise? Did she wait patiently? Did she try to take matters into her own hands? Did she get discouraged? Did she grow weary?
While we are enduring trials, suffering, and in the midst of what can feel like a spiritual drought, waiting can seem like an impossible task because the situation is completely out of our control. Let's face the truth. None of us truly like letting go of our control over our lives. In unraveling Sarai's story for her readers, Marlo helps us learn the value in waiting. Waiting not only draws us closer to God but the true wonder is that in our waiting His glory is also revealed for all to see. We become a living testament to His works in us and through us. Marlo reminds us of this not only through Sarai's story but also through myriad other Biblical characters whose waiting served a far greater purpose than they could ever imagine: the blind beggar, the Samaritan woman at the well, King David, Noah, Daniel, Joseph, and Lazarus. He is the God of miracle. He is the God of you.
If you find yourself in a place of waiting or have ever wondered why God makes us wait, I recommend you read Waiting for Wonder: Learning to Live on God's Timeline by Marlo Schalesky.
While we are enduring trials, suffering, and in the midst of what can feel like a spiritual drought, waiting can seem like an impossible task because the situation is completely out of our control. Let's face the truth. None of us truly like letting go of our control over our lives. In unraveling Sarai's story for her readers, Marlo helps us learn the value in waiting. Waiting not only draws us closer to God but the true wonder is that in our waiting His glory is also revealed for all to see. We become a living testament to His works in us and through us. Marlo reminds us of this not only through Sarai's story but also through myriad other Biblical characters whose waiting served a far greater purpose than they could ever imagine: the blind beggar, the Samaritan woman at the well, King David, Noah, Daniel, Joseph, and Lazarus. He is the God of miracle. He is the God of you.
If you find yourself in a place of waiting or have ever wondered why God makes us wait, I recommend you read Waiting for Wonder: Learning to Live on God's Timeline by Marlo Schalesky.
February 7, 2017
Waiting. Waiting is such an annoying, yet smart word. And Waiting for Wonder: Learning to Live on God's Timeline by Marlo Schalesky is a book filled with personal insights and wisdom of the term. Using Sarah's story in the Bible, our Book of Truth, the author guided us in diving into Sarah's story of waiting. It is the kind of book that will enlighten you every time you dive into it, even if it's a repeat, because there is joy in the wonder.
In truth, before the first chapter, the first pages of the introduction connected with me on a personal level. I too, like the author struggled with the wonder of waiting, sometimes with anger, with frustration and even hope. Yet, it is through waiting that we can see the revelation.
"He is the God who calls us at the very place of our deepest shame, our deepest pain, and transforms that place into something with breathtaking beauty. No one but God...would dare do such a thing." (9)
Waiting for Wonder is a source of encouragement through Biblical references - guiding us towards a God that promises as we wait, restores as wait and in turn gives us much more because we waited. The wonder of waiting is in Him. The waiting for wonder is for Him. Who is He, seek, and wait.
"Wait for Him. He will change your world, and because of that, you will change the world around you." (81)
This review first appeared on Just Commonly blog.
Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book from the author/publisher. I was not required to write a positive review, and have not been compensated for this. This is my honest opinion.
In truth, before the first chapter, the first pages of the introduction connected with me on a personal level. I too, like the author struggled with the wonder of waiting, sometimes with anger, with frustration and even hope. Yet, it is through waiting that we can see the revelation.
"He is the God who calls us at the very place of our deepest shame, our deepest pain, and transforms that place into something with breathtaking beauty. No one but God...would dare do such a thing." (9)
Waiting for Wonder is a source of encouragement through Biblical references - guiding us towards a God that promises as we wait, restores as wait and in turn gives us much more because we waited. The wonder of waiting is in Him. The waiting for wonder is for Him. Who is He, seek, and wait.
"Wait for Him. He will change your world, and because of that, you will change the world around you." (81)
This review first appeared on Just Commonly blog.
Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book from the author/publisher. I was not required to write a positive review, and have not been compensated for this. This is my honest opinion.
December 24, 2016
This book spoke so deeply to my heart. I could really relate to the waiting part we sometimes have to do as believers. It's not always easy but after reading this book, I'm realizing that God has a purpose in it and is probably allowing His best work to be done in me through the waiting.
Marlo shares the story of Sarai/Sarah and how she had to wait on the Lord for a child. I really loved how she told her story as though from Sarah's own perspective. It was like reading her diary and seeing her environment and life through her own eyes. It gave me a new understanding for Sarah's life.
This book is not about waiting for a child, although it would be an encouragement if you are, but for all of us who find ourselves waiting for things to change, for our dreams to come true, for things to get better. She shares how God has never forgotten us in our waiting but is working His will and plan through it.
I enjoyed how the author shared personal stories from her own life and was honest about the waiting she had done herself. She doesn't sugarcoat anything but is honest about her own walk of faith that sometimes was strong and sometimes it was not. I could relate to so many of her feelings and struggles. It helped to be reminded again and again that God was truly there through it all.
I enjoyed this book and gained so much from it. It gave me hope and strengthened my faith and that's a huge testament to a really good book. I give it 4.5 out of 5 stars.
*I book was provided to me for my honest review by LitFuse Publicity Group
Marlo shares the story of Sarai/Sarah and how she had to wait on the Lord for a child. I really loved how she told her story as though from Sarah's own perspective. It was like reading her diary and seeing her environment and life through her own eyes. It gave me a new understanding for Sarah's life.
This book is not about waiting for a child, although it would be an encouragement if you are, but for all of us who find ourselves waiting for things to change, for our dreams to come true, for things to get better. She shares how God has never forgotten us in our waiting but is working His will and plan through it.
I enjoyed how the author shared personal stories from her own life and was honest about the waiting she had done herself. She doesn't sugarcoat anything but is honest about her own walk of faith that sometimes was strong and sometimes it was not. I could relate to so many of her feelings and struggles. It helped to be reminded again and again that God was truly there through it all.
I enjoyed this book and gained so much from it. It gave me hope and strengthened my faith and that's a huge testament to a really good book. I give it 4.5 out of 5 stars.
*I book was provided to me for my honest review by LitFuse Publicity Group
February 3, 2017
It’s easy to believe God when a promise is new. It’s hard when the years pass and nothing changes. It’s even harder when desperation strikes, your plans backfire, and still God does not fill the emptiness. But what if, in this waiting, God is calling us to more?
Waiting for Wonder is a journey into the heart of God where you will wrestle with personal questions, think deeply about God’s true character, and learn to appreciate His divine work as you discover your own path to the promised land. Recapture your hope, restore your soul, and renew your vision of a wondrous Savior when you learn to live on God’s time.
Waiting for Wonder is an in-depth look at the life of Sarah. I have seen many writers talk about Sarah recently. This brought the familiar story into a different light. Marlo introduces us with the way the bible defines Sarah by her greatest point of shame. That is how God introduces her. Sarah is ashamed because she is barren. Yet God takes that place of our greatest shame and uses that exact place to transform us into who we are called to be.
This book will minister to everyone who finds themselves in a season of waiting. As you read God whispers to your soul on those places where you long to see change. You can feel God gently whisper to your situation and you feel hope begin to stir anew. We often hate our waiting times but it is in the waiting that God begins to shape us. It is hard and messy and often terribly inconvenient but we can learn not to lose hope as we find inspiration from Sarah.
Waiting for Wonder is a journey into the heart of God where you will wrestle with personal questions, think deeply about God’s true character, and learn to appreciate His divine work as you discover your own path to the promised land. Recapture your hope, restore your soul, and renew your vision of a wondrous Savior when you learn to live on God’s time.
Waiting for Wonder is an in-depth look at the life of Sarah. I have seen many writers talk about Sarah recently. This brought the familiar story into a different light. Marlo introduces us with the way the bible defines Sarah by her greatest point of shame. That is how God introduces her. Sarah is ashamed because she is barren. Yet God takes that place of our greatest shame and uses that exact place to transform us into who we are called to be.
This book will minister to everyone who finds themselves in a season of waiting. As you read God whispers to your soul on those places where you long to see change. You can feel God gently whisper to your situation and you feel hope begin to stir anew. We often hate our waiting times but it is in the waiting that God begins to shape us. It is hard and messy and often terribly inconvenient but we can learn not to lose hope as we find inspiration from Sarah.
January 18, 2017
I currently live in a season of waiting. I’m waiting to hear back on a job that I interviewed for last week. The wait seems like an eternity, and the more time that passes, the possibility that there’s less interest that the company may have in me begins to fester like an internal unhealed wound. So I was initially happy to pick up Marlo Schalesky’s Waiting for Wonder. It’s a book more suited for women, for reasons that may become apparent in a moment, but I was hopeful to take something away from the read. I wanted to learn how to wait while God makes plans, if He even makes plans for people — either for me or someone else who will take that job. I’m not sure what I got out of the book, though.
Before going any further, I should explain that much of the book follows the story of Sarai (later renamed Sarah) in the Old Testament book of Genesis. Sarai/Sarah longed to have a child with her husband Abraham. The problem was that both she and her hubby were very old. Sarai/Sarah had been “barren” (to use the word Schalesky uses a lot) for an awful long time, and it was going to take a miracle for her to become pregnant. Basically, without God’s intervention, nothing would happen. The thing is, while God promised that Sarah would become pregnant, He wound up taking his sweet time making it happen — decades, even. This book recounts the journey. And the wait.
Read more here: https://medium.com/@zachary_houle/a-r...
Before going any further, I should explain that much of the book follows the story of Sarai (later renamed Sarah) in the Old Testament book of Genesis. Sarai/Sarah longed to have a child with her husband Abraham. The problem was that both she and her hubby were very old. Sarai/Sarah had been “barren” (to use the word Schalesky uses a lot) for an awful long time, and it was going to take a miracle for her to become pregnant. Basically, without God’s intervention, nothing would happen. The thing is, while God promised that Sarah would become pregnant, He wound up taking his sweet time making it happen — decades, even. This book recounts the journey. And the wait.
Read more here: https://medium.com/@zachary_houle/a-r...
December 23, 2016
`Waiting for Wonder: Learning to Live on God's Timeline` is a spiritual growth book written by author Marlo Schalesky. I am reviewing an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC).
The contents in this short book are listed topically with such topics as: Who are you? Identity and Shame, `Not Again: Sarah and Abimelech, and `Having the Last Laugh: The Birth of Isaac`. `Waiting for Wonder` asks the question: Who is this God? When we don't get our answers to prayers quickly we wonder if He is the God of waiting. Will He keep His promises?
The reader will walk through Sarah's life. Her life of disappointment, doubt, and detours to discover God in the "not yet" places of life as we wonder in the waiting.
Each chapter has a section written from Sarah's point of view. This covers the story of Sarah which may also be the reader's story. This book is suitable for older teens and adults. The language is clear and concepts well defined. The story of Sarah progresses as the book moves along. Sarah's big problem was that she was barren and beyond childbearing years. Yet, God promised her and Abraham an heir.
The last chapter summarize's Sarah's life. She lived to be 127 with most of those years spent waiting on God. She finally had a son at the age of 90. As page 184 states her life was a life of waiting, a life of becoming. And so is our life, a life of waiting, a life of becoming.
Disclaimer: "I was provided a free copy of this book. All opinions are my own."
The contents in this short book are listed topically with such topics as: Who are you? Identity and Shame, `Not Again: Sarah and Abimelech, and `Having the Last Laugh: The Birth of Isaac`. `Waiting for Wonder` asks the question: Who is this God? When we don't get our answers to prayers quickly we wonder if He is the God of waiting. Will He keep His promises?
The reader will walk through Sarah's life. Her life of disappointment, doubt, and detours to discover God in the "not yet" places of life as we wonder in the waiting.
Each chapter has a section written from Sarah's point of view. This covers the story of Sarah which may also be the reader's story. This book is suitable for older teens and adults. The language is clear and concepts well defined. The story of Sarah progresses as the book moves along. Sarah's big problem was that she was barren and beyond childbearing years. Yet, God promised her and Abraham an heir.
The last chapter summarize's Sarah's life. She lived to be 127 with most of those years spent waiting on God. She finally had a son at the age of 90. As page 184 states her life was a life of waiting, a life of becoming. And so is our life, a life of waiting, a life of becoming.
Disclaimer: "I was provided a free copy of this book. All opinions are my own."
Read
December 18, 2016I don’t know about you, but I am not a fan of waiting. I am not a very patient person. Have you ever had to wait on someone or something? Even more personal, have you ever had to wait on God? At one point or another, if we are putting our faith in Christ, our faith will be tested. And often, that looks a lot like waiting. Waiting for God to show us our next steps, or to reveal a greater purpose behind our suffering, or to fulfill a longing of our hearts.
Author Marlo Schalesky dives deep into this waiting period by looking at the Old Testament story of Sarah. For years, she longed for a baby— a baby that even God had promised her. Schalesky takes her readers on a journey with Sarah, helping us to discover more of God’s character and the wonder that can be found in the waiting. This book is small in comparison to other christian living books, but what it lacks in size it makes up for in content. Every page, every paragraph is rich with biblical truths about the sovereignty of God and the perfection in his timing.
This is a great book to read for yourself and to gift to a friend! Definitely one to have on hand for those times when I don’t have the words to say to a friend, but God does. And this book can help steer them in His direction.
Author Marlo Schalesky dives deep into this waiting period by looking at the Old Testament story of Sarah. For years, she longed for a baby— a baby that even God had promised her. Schalesky takes her readers on a journey with Sarah, helping us to discover more of God’s character and the wonder that can be found in the waiting. This book is small in comparison to other christian living books, but what it lacks in size it makes up for in content. Every page, every paragraph is rich with biblical truths about the sovereignty of God and the perfection in his timing.
This is a great book to read for yourself and to gift to a friend! Definitely one to have on hand for those times when I don’t have the words to say to a friend, but God does. And this book can help steer them in His direction.
November 15, 2016
I received Marlo Schalesky’s ARC of Waiting for Wonder at the perfect time. We have been in God’s waiting room many times throughout our marriage, but the last few months have been especially difficult. Her subtitle makes clear that: Learning to Live on God’s Timeline is not easy; it is a test of patience and faith to believe when you don’t see the future, and your hope is hanging by a tiny thread.
Marlo has written beautifully about Abram and Sarai as they wait years for God to bless them with a child. What looks like to the casual reader of the Old Testament story of Abraham and Sarah a quick “God promised them a son and in a few years the promise was fulfilled, was in actuality a lifetime of one step forward and two steps back with lots of heartache. Marlo has retold their story with insights into how Sarai felt being barren during that time in history, and then she juxtaposes it with instances in her own life. Those insights put perspective on what I’m going through: very helpful. The book is less than 200 pages, and would be great to use in a woman’s Bible study or as a sensitive gift for anyone dealing with their own time in God’s waiting room. 5 stars.
Marlo has written beautifully about Abram and Sarai as they wait years for God to bless them with a child. What looks like to the casual reader of the Old Testament story of Abraham and Sarah a quick “God promised them a son and in a few years the promise was fulfilled, was in actuality a lifetime of one step forward and two steps back with lots of heartache. Marlo has retold their story with insights into how Sarai felt being barren during that time in history, and then she juxtaposes it with instances in her own life. Those insights put perspective on what I’m going through: very helpful. The book is less than 200 pages, and would be great to use in a woman’s Bible study or as a sensitive gift for anyone dealing with their own time in God’s waiting room. 5 stars.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews