Now and Not Yet: Making Sense of Single Life in the Twenty-First Century (Paperback)

~ Jennifer Marshall (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

In a culture that has grown unkind to marriage and the marriage-minded, Jennifer Marshall’s analysis of the facts we live with, and the faith that sustains us, offers guidance and hope for young women. You may be single, but you do not have to be alone. Jennifer Marshall shows the way.
William J. Bennett, Washington Fellow-The Claremont Institute; Host-Bill Bennett’s Morning in America

Jennifer Marshall rescues the dreary notion of “contentment” from passive resignation and recharges it with a robust faith in God that results in vigorous, purposeful living…. Singles and non-singles alike will find this brand of contented living liberating, energizing, and fulfilling.
Carolyn Custis James, author of When Life and Beliefs Collide and Lost Women of the Bible

If we value marriage, we should value and mentor those among us who want to get there but are not there yet. In Now and Not Yet, her faith-and-research-based book, Jennifer Marshall not only brings to light this unaddressed reality of modern life, but gives her fellow single traditional women the pep talk they need. Post-twenties singleness can be a lonely time for the marriage-minded; Jennifer Marshall has made it less so.
Kathryn Jean Lopez, editor of the National Review Online

Jennifer Marshall has a fresh, positive, God-centered perspective on singleness as one of the many callings we live by in the Christian life. Now and Not Yet is about much more than marital status; it is about loving and serving Jesus in the space between the way things are and the way we expect them to be. Marshall is honest about life’s struggles and open to the legitimate desire to be married during what she calls “the unexpected in-between.” What she writes is full of biblical and practical wisdom for pursuing single-minded devotion to God and finding joyf... --This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Review

In a culture that has grown unkind to marriage and the marriage-minded, Jennifer Marshall’s analysis of the facts we live with, and the faith that sustains us, offers guidance and hope for young women. You may be single, but you do not have to be alone. Jennifer Marshall shows the way.
William J. Bennett, Washington Fellow-The Claremont Institute; Host-Bill Bennett’s Morning in America

Jennifer Marshall rescues the dreary notion of “contentment” from passive resignation and recharges it with a robust faith in God that results in vigorous, purposeful living…. Singles and non-singles alike will find this brand of contented living liberating, energizing, and fulfilling.
Carolyn Custis James, author of When Life and Beliefs Collide and Lost Women of the Bible

If we value marriage, we should value and mentor those among us who want to get there but are not there yet. In Now and Not Yet, her faith-and-research-based book, Jennifer Marshall not only brings to light this unaddressed reality of modern life, but gives her fellow single traditional women the pep talk they need. Post-twenties singleness can be a lonely time for the marriage-minded; Jennifer Marshall has made it less so.
Kathryn Jean Lopez, editor of the National Review Online

Jennifer Marshall has a fresh, positive, God-centered perspective on singleness as one of the many callings we live by in the Christian life. Now and Not Yet is about much more than marital status; it is about loving and serving Jesus in the space between the way things are and the way we expect them to be. Marshall is honest about life’s struggles and open to the legitimate desire to be married during what she calls “the unexpected in-between.” What she writes is full of biblical and practical wisdom for pursuing single-minded devotion to God and finding joyful contentment in His unique plan for your life.
Philip Graham Ryken, author of The Message of Salvation and Ryken’s Bible Handbook; senior minister, Tenth Presbyterian Church, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

With sensitivity and a sharp-edged knowledge of God’s Word, Jennifer Marshall reveals the sweet and satisfying answer to our deepest longings, helping us all–whether married or single–find true pleasure in God. Thank you, Jennifer, for shining so much light on an oft-troubling topic.
Joni Eareckson Tada, JAF International Disability Center

In her insightful and hopeful meditation on contemporary singlehood, Jennifer Marshall breaks through the tired stereotypes of the single woman as desperate for marriage or obsessed with career. She makes the compelling case that “Christian, single, and content” is not an oxymoron but another pathway for women to fulfill God’s calling for their lives. This book is essential reading not only for single women of all ages but for their mothers, fathers, friends, and faith communities.
Barbara Dafoe Whitehead, author of The Divorce Culture: Rethinking Our Commitment to Marriage and Family and Why There Are No Good Men Left: The Romantic Plight of the New Single Woman; co-director, National Marriage Project, Rutgers

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Multnomah Books (June 19, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 159052649X
• ISBN-13: 978-1590526491
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #432,223 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Validating and Encouraging, July 12, 2007

By	Beth (Washington, D.C.) - See all my reviews

Jennifer Marshall provides an honest and insightful look at the young, single woman. She met me where I am and where so many of my friends are too. I did not finish the book anxiously awaiting the arrival of my prince charming, but rather hopeful of the plans the Lord has for my life, whatever they may be. The identifiable testimonies of so many women from across the country are both validating and encouraging. Marshall's illustrations and Biblical context challenged me to see my life from many different perspectives. It is an important read for any single woman (or single woman's mother). Our lives are purposeful, and we should live them with intentionality and balance no matter the season.

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not your everyday Christian singles book, August 27, 2007

By	Gina R. Dalfonzo (Springfield, VA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I once worked for Jennifer Marshall (full disclosure), so I knew she was smart, articulate, and sincere! But I was still pleasantly surprised by the depth of her insights in this book. This is not your everyday "Christian single ladies' manual." Jennifer takes an honest, clear-eyed look at the gap between where so many of us are and where we had expected and hoped to be, and the struggles we face while trying to make a life in that place. (Am I where I should be? How do others see me? What adjustments will I need to make if the opportunity for family life comes along?) And she offers wise and compassionate guidance on how to live a balanced and fruitful life no matter where we find ourselves, even as we work on preparing ourselves for what might be coming. She also does a great job of helping defuse today's version of the war between the sexes by explaining how we see each other, and what factors distort that view and cloud our judgment. A must-read, not just for single women (and men too), but for anyone trying to understand the new and strange landscape both single and married people are facing today.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Your First Purpose, July 22, 2007

By	Mary Leslie (Tennessee) - See all my reviews

I'm not in Kansas anymore either, Toto. This book re-emphasized that the easy-dating-evolving-into-marriage decade is history (for now) and that I, as a parent from that era, am inexperienced in delivering firsthand knowledge of "what you should do today" if you are single. Bottom line: Your calling is not something you wait for, but the something that is at hand today. If you are a single, Christian woman following your main purpose to reflect Christ, then consider that God is using you to be single for now, for HIS highest glory. It's not Plan A or Plan B marriage scheming that is profitable, but Plan G, the God Plan, that is pertinent. What a great way to assess your spiritual agreement with God. It's a valuable test for your TRUE, spiritual ambition.