Now and Not Yet: Making Sense of Single Life in the Twenty-First Century
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 AmericaJennifer 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 ofWhen Life and Beliefs CollideandLost Women of the BibleIf we value marriage, we should value and mentor those among us who want to get there but are not there yet. InNow 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 theNational Review OnlineJennifer 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 Yetis 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 ofThe Message of SalvationandRyken’s Bible Handbook; senior minister, Tenth Presbyterian Church, Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaWith 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 CenterIn 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 ofThe Divorce Culture: Rethinking Our Commitment to Marriage and FamilyandWhy There Are No Good Men Left: The Romantic Plight of the New Single Woman; co-director, National Marriage Project, Rutgers