Thorns and Gold by Tanya Marlow - on the Bible, suffering and the messy edges of life

Pregnant with Heaven (She Loves)

13th November, 2017 1

This is what it means to be a Christian. We don’t freeze our lives as we wait for Christ, as though we must hold our breath until either we die or Christ comes again. There is good to be done in this world, and God’s good gifts to enjoy. And as we enjoy our lives, Christ is still being formed within us. Sometimes we live our lives almost forgetting about Christ. Other times we can feel a quickening in our spirit, as a pregnant woman feels the fluttering of a baby’s first kicks, and we long for a glimpse of heaven.

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On silence and brain chatter

10th November, 2017 3

Every day, I look up at the sky for fifteen minutes and try and connect with God. It is my way of practising the discipline of silence.

But even when the world is quiet, I am the noisiest person in the universe. My internal noise drowns all quiet. My brain just doesn’t stop.

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To the One Bruised by Church (at Off the Page)

30th October, 2017 2

I started to wonder: can we reframe our experiences in the wilderness? Rather than being a curse, what if spiritual wilderness is a strange blessing?

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On Overcoming and Chronic Illness

27th October, 2017 9

It’s not a battle: it’s losing your foothold and swirling beneath the waves. You cannot overcome when the hard times come; you are overcome.

This is our reality. But it is not the only story.

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That time my book became a bestseller – Those Who Wait

22nd October, 2017 3

The Wait is Over! If you somehow haven’t heard the news by now – Those Who Wait, my NEW full-length book released this week! Here were some highlights of the launch week, and some great resources for you to check out. Those Who Wait: Finding God in Disappointment, Doubt and Delay is a creative and transformative […]

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What are you waiting for? #thosewhowait Synchroblog

18th October, 2017 11

Details about the synchroblog and how to join in are below. Anyone can link up if you’ve written something on waiting. Alternatively, you can write a poem, like mine, based on what you’ve been waiting for all your life.

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Excited child - photo by Steve Milldam creative commons

Those Who Wait is here! Launch Day

16th October, 2017 14

It’s for those who can’t wait. My publisher, the lovely Malcolm Down, has been joking about the irony of publishing a book called Those Who Wait for what must be the most impatient author he’s ever dealt with. (Guilty as charged). He said it should be called, ‘Those Who Can’t Wait’. This made me laugh, because that’s actually exactly who it’s written for. It’s for those who not only can’t wait, but don’t want to wait, and don’t understand why God doesn’t act in times of seemingly meaningless delay. It’s a book for those who question and wrestle with doubt and disappointment.

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When You’re the Only One Not Invited

13th October, 2017 6

When I was eight, I was chosen to do a reading at the school’s Advent service. It felt like a very important role, and I practised it for days to get the words right. I got to sit in the choir stalls, which was an important place. I wasn’t, however,

I wasn’t, however, chosen for the choir. My voice was judged inferior* – at least that’s what I remember feeling, even if that wasn’t the full reason. Whenever the choir sang, they all stood up; I remained seated in the stalls. Gradually, I realised – I was the only one sitting down when the choir stood up. All the other readers were also singers.

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