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Marlo's Book Blog
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Last Published: 9/7/2008 6:15:23 AM
Wednesday September 3, 2008
Permalink Posted by: Marlo Schalesky at 2:20PM EST on September 3, 2008
Hi Friends!

First, I recent wrote an "Author by Night" column for the new Christian Fiction Online Magazine that talks about balancing "other life"and writing. So many have asked "how can you write too?" and this is my partial answer. So, for any who are interested, you can check it out at:



Now, some more thoughts on how to SEE . . .

I was in the seventh grade the first time I looked through a microscope at a drop of pond water. It was a required part of my science class, one that I needed to pass. I still remember my amazement at all that I could see through the microscope – a million little amoeba, paramecium, and specks of who-knew-what. The water teemed with life and activity that had been invisible to my naked eye.

Since then, I’ve come to realize that trust is a lot like that microscope. It, too, is required, and it, too, shows me what I cannot see without it. Without trust, God’s hand in my life, his workings, his glory, are all invisible to me. Instead, feelings take over - today God is good because I feel good, but tomorrow God may be not-so-good if I'm having a bad day. Today I believe He's involved in my life because it makes sense, but tomorrow I may feel He's distant because things don't go as I expect. Trust changes that - knowing that God's character and goals in my life remain constant despite my circumstances or my feelings.

So, even though God is nothing like an amoeba in a petri dish, if I want to truly see what he is up to, if I want to see Him in my life, I must look through the “microscope” of what I know to be true, however I may be feeling. Without it, I see nothing but a drop of murky pond water.

So for me, the key is knowing that God is who He says He is in the Bible, believing that He really is up to something in my life, and trusting that He knows what He's doing through all the ins and outs of what happens to me and around me. That trust that God is determined about His plan to change and perfect me, to make me into the vision He has for me, to form me into a reflection of His Son, helps me to see the beauty in the muddy waters of life.
Wednesday August 27, 2008
Permalink Posted by: Marlo Schalesky at 4:37PM EST on August 27, 2008
Hi Friends,
 
As I've been doing interviews and such about my newest novel, Beyond the Night, I've been thinking more about issues of real sight vs. blindness.  What does it mean to see?  What does it mean not to?  And as I've been pondering, I came across this verse:
 
If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light... (Matthew 6:22)
 
It reminded me of an experience I had a few years ago.  You see, once upon a time, I couldn’t tell a tree from a telephone pole, or a friend from a foe, or a clean room from a dirty one – at least not without my glasses. But a few years ago I had laser eye surgery, and suddenly everything was clear. I could see the intricate beauty of pictures on the wall. I could also see cobwebs gathering in the corner, and the dirt smudges near the light switch.
And I've come to think that the changes God works in me are much like eye surgery. When I’m focused on Him, my vision becomes clear. I can see the intricate details of God’s work in my life and in the world around me. Things I didn’t understand become clear, and I find God is good and loving, even when things don't go as I hoped or planned. But I also see the places in my life that need cleaning, places I may have thought were just fine before.

Good eyes, seeing eyes, allow me to view myself and my world as they really are, the good and the bad. But most importantly, good eyes keep me from being deceived by fear, panic, weariness, wishes, or even politics. With truly seeing eyes, I can tell a friend from a foe, truth from lies, reality from the distractions that spring into my mind. And that’s why I pray that God will keep my eyes on Him and my vision clear.  Because true sight isn't about physical vision, it's about discerning what's real.  And the only way I can do that is to keep my focus on the author of truth, the only One who sees everything perfectly clearly, from beginning to end, the author of life itself.  The clearer I see Him, the clearer I see everything else as well.
 
God, give us all eyes to see what we need to see!
Wednesday August 20, 2008
Permalink Posted by: Marlo Schalesky at 12:19PM EST on August 20, 2008
Hi Friends,

So I'm doing laundry this morning and my 8-year-old announces she has no pants she wants to wear.

"How 'bout these," I say.

"Those are too tiiiiiiight," she says.

"How about these."

"I don't like those."

"Okay, just put on these Christmas stretch pants until the laundry's done in two hours and you can wear whatever you want."

"But I only like to wear those at Christmas." (waa waa waa).

Me: "Good grief. Put them on. You need a trip to Madagascar where the kids are happy just to have clothes to wear."

(Big, heaving sigh) "Oh, all right."

And so I was reminded this morning of the kids I'd met in Madagascar - kids that taught me real joy - joy not tied to "stuff" or circumstances, ease or comfort. Just the joy found in Jesus.

It happened like this . . .

Bump, rattle, jolt - the land rover hiccuped over the furrowed lane of red earth as we made our way into the village of Morarano on the island of Madagascar. I’d come halfway around the world to help build a new church in this tiny village. Little did I know that God had even bigger plans.

We rumbled through the village of mud huts, topped with thick thatched roofs, while dozens of children raced from their homes. With wide eyes and pointing fingers, they scurried after our trucks as we traveled to the far end of the village.

Even as I stepped from the land rover, the beauty of Madagascar struck me - rolling hills, with rice paddies in every valley, trees dotting the landscape, turquoise blue skies, and red, red dirt like a swatch of crimson beneath the horizon. And there, in the valley below us, a little boy herded geese, just like in the fairy tales.

I smiled, slipped on some gloves, and got ready to work. It was then that I heard it. A tiny giggle, a snicker really. I turned. Behind me, a group of children stood with their hands covering their smiles.

"Vazaha.” Foreigner. I heard them whisper the word.

"Hello.” I took a step toward them.

Instantly, they scattered like dandelion seed in the wind. I shook my head and laughed. Then, my face sobered. Poor kids, I thought, looking at their matted hair, runny noses, and the tattered rags they used for clothes.


All that day, and the next, the kids watched and giggled and pointed as our team worked to lay the stone foundation for the 13.5 by 9 meter sanctuary that would service the 1,400 people in Morarano and surrounding villages.

By the third day, the kids had decided that we were okay, calling out "manao ahoana! manao ahoana!” (hello! hello!) as they ran, pell-mell, to greet us.

“Manao ahoana” we called back, pleased with ourselves for mastering one word of the Malagasy language.

As the days passed and the layers of mud and brick reached ever higher on the new church’s walls, I found the happy greeting of the children had changed. No longer did they just call out "hello.” Now they said "manao ahoana namana,” hello friends.

By the last day, the kids didn’t stand and watch as we worked. Each child, even those so small that they could barely walk, pitched in to help. Now, it was my turn to stare with wonder as these tiny children hauled one, two, and sometimes three bricks and handed them to us on the scaffolding.

All too soon, the sun waned in the afternoon sky. With final calls of "veloma" (goodbye) we left the village, our hearts filled with love for the Malagasy people and their sweet, dirt-splotched children.

As the red-mud huts of the village dropped from view, I thought about how the kids worked with us that day, how they had seen past our "foreigner” exterior and called us "friends.” They had stopped whispering "vazaha,” but had I stopped whispering "poor kids?”

I closed my eyes and allowed a hundred memories to sweep through my mind - little Rosa carrying her brother on her back and three bricks in her arms, a group of boys laughing as they pulled one another on the cart we used for hauling stones, the girls giggling as they pointed to themselves and said names that I couldn’t hope to pronounce. These were the kids I had pitied and thought, how sad. How could I possibly associate that word with those bright, joy-filled children?

What’s wrong with me, God? I prayed. Am I blind to happiness unless it’s wrapped in a pretty package?

As I sat and remembered the happy giggles of the children of Morarano, God broke through my blinders. He taught me to see as He sees, for "Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." (1Samuel 16:7 NIV)

Now, I say, "Rags? What rags?” All I remember are white smiles like the adorning of jewels, glittering robes of laughter, and the unfettered, happy spirits of kids clothed in the joy of Jesus.
Tuesday August 12, 2008
Permalink Posted by: Marlo Schalesky at 6:12PM EST on August 12, 2008

Hi Friends,

Since attending Leadership Summit last week, I've been thinking about how God made us unique, to do the good works He prepared specifically for us ... each of us. And I was reminded of this story from a few years ago . . .

It wasn’t the knife. Or the bread. Or the cucumber, or cream cheese. It was me. I knew it. But I wasn’t ready to admit it. At least not yet. I can do this, I told myself. I can be the fancy-tea-party hostess, just like Debbie!

I took a deep breath, placed the knife ever so carefully over the cucumber sandwich, and pushed. Surely this time I would make a perfect, neat triangle. But alas, my cut was crooked, a cucumber slipped out, and a bubble of cream cheese oozed over the side of the squashed-looking bread.

The knife clattered into the sink. Who was I kidding, thinking I could host a fancy tea party? To me, a sandwich was either peanut butter and jelly slapped between two pieces of bread, or a fat subway picked up from the local deli counter. I’d never even seen a cucumber sandwich until I’d been to one of Debbie’s elegant tea parties a few months before. So, how could I possibly turn myself into a Debbie-like hostess in just a few short hours?

My husband, Bryan, walked through the kitchen door just as I retrieved the knife from the sink. He looked from me to the stack of coin-sized cucumbers beside me. “What in the world are you doing?”

I straightened my shoulders. “Making sandwiches for the high tea I’m putting on this afternoon.”

“High tea?” His eyebrows rose. “You?”

I pointed my knife at him. “Don’t you dare laugh!”

He made an admirable attempt, but in the end the laugh came out anyway. “You’re kidding, right?”

"Does it look like I’m kidding?”

His gaze wandered over the pile of misshapen sandwich wedges. “Are they supposed to look like that?”

I picked up a baking pan and aimed.

Wisely, Bryan quick-stepped out of the room. I could still hear him chuckling as he opened the front door and headed toward the garage.

I tried one more sandwich – and failed – before I, too, escaped outside. There, a blanket of purple, red, and orange wildflowers bloomed over our property. And mixed among the colors were graceful yellow flowers that looked like daffodils. They would be perfect for a centerpiece bouquet for my tea party. I trotted down the steps and began to pick a few of the long-stemmed flowers. As I did, I noticed several dandelions scattered among the other blossoms. I picked one and twirled it in my fingers. It was yellow like the daffodil, but as far removed in elegance as I was from Debbie.

And yet, as my fingers brushed the soft face, I saw that there was a beauty in the dandelion too. God created it the way it was. And if you turned it just right, it reflected the sun’s rays.

I tucked the blossom into a buttonhole on my shirt and gazed out over the field scattered with flowers. Each, I noticed, was just as God made it to be. The purple flowers didn’t pretend to be orange. The red didn’t masquerade as purple. And the dandelions certainly didn’t try to impersonate daffodils.

In that moment, Ephesians 4:11-12 (NIV) came to mind: “It was [God] who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers . . . so that the body of Christ may be built up.” It was then that I finally admitted that I’d never turn into a daffodil. So, perhaps, I should just try to be the best dandelion I could be. Maybe the important thing was that I, too, reflect the light of the Son who gave me life.

I gathered a few more flowers then returned to the house. There, I arranged the blossoms in a vase, and, just for fun, tucked my dandelion inconspicuously into the center. Debbie, of course, would never have a dandelion in her daffodils. But I wasn’t Debbie. And I didn’t need to be. I just needed to be faithful to God and to the person he made me to be. With a final look at my little dandelion, I headed out to the deli to pick up some less-than-fancy sandwiches for my not-so-high tea.
Wednesday August 6, 2008
Permalink Posted by: Marlo Schalesky at 12:29PM EST on August 6, 2008
Hi Friends,

I had a booksigning at The Carpenter last night. It was a lot of fun and quite a few people came out (thanks!!). So, I thought it would be fun to share some pictures from the event. Then, I'll share a few thoughts that came out of a conversation with Bob from the Californian newspaper last night. So, read on!

First, here I am with Lois, the first to come in an pick up a copy of Beyond the Night (in fact, she got more than one, and Veil of Fire too ... thanks, Lois!)

And here are a few others, including the fun gals who own The Carpenter . . .














What fun! Thanks, Ladies for coming in and buying books. Enjoy the read and bless you for your support!

After the signing, I had some time to talk with Bob Walch from The Californian (the newspaper here in Salinas) for a feature article he's writing up for the Living section (for you locals, keep your eyes out for that in the future!). One of the things he asked me about is what advice I would give to up and coming writers. Part of what I thought about and shared is applicable I think to whatever we do - not just writing, but our jobs, our dreams, everything that we give ourselves to do. And that is . . .

I believe that what we do, and what I do, shouldn't be all about pursuing my dreams, following my vision, accomplishing things for my own status. We are so often bombarded with that kind of goal-setting message in our culture: Follow your dreams, you can do anything you set your mind to ... all those success posters you see in business catalogs. But life isn't about that. What we do should be a gift to others. My reason for writing can't be to succeed in my dreams, but to offer something to others of quality, hope, and help. My books are an act of faithfulness to God that He may use to bring wonder and blessing into the lives of His loved ones (that's you!). And I think whatever we do (jobs, hobbies, etc.) should be that too ... ways we can show our love to God by offering something to others, by serving, by making lives a little brighter, a little more filled with hope, a little more connected to the God of the universe.

So, there's my little thought for the day, coming out of my time last night. So now, if there's a way your job, your hobby, or whatever other thing you're doing blesses others, or a way you hope it will, I hope you'll share your thoughts here. Comment away! I love hearing from you!

May your day be filled with wonder and your life be brimming with light!

--Marlo
Wednesday July 30, 2008
Permalink Posted by: Marlo Schalesky at 12:32PM EST on July 30, 2008
Hi Friends,
 
Today, I thought it'd be neat to share a few simple thoughts about Revelation 1:17-18.  Here's how it reads:
 
When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys to death and Hades” (Revelation 1:17-18).

Some Thoughts:

Imagine for a moment that you’re sitting in your favorite chair. One leg is tucked beneath you. Your Bible is in your lap, and your brand new copy of Beyond the Night (hee hee) is propped against your knee. Then, without warning, Christ himself is standing before you. His eyes are blazing like fire, his hair is as white at lightning, his waist sparkles with gold, his face is shining like the sun at high noon. What would you do? Would you cover your face, fall at his feet, jump up and hug him? John, the apostle who knew Jesus so well, the one who spoke of Christ’s love most often, chose option #2. He fell at Jesus’ feet as though dead.

His reaction shows us how incredible, breath-taking, magnificent Christ’s presence is. Yet Jesus calls us daily into his presence and tells us, as he told John, “Do not be afraid.” So, how can we take this call lightly? Think about the amazing privilege we have to be able to talk with the One who not only died on the cross for us, but who holds our very lives in his hands. “The First and the Last,” the “Living One,” the One who holds the keys of death and Hades – he is the One who calls you to spend time with him today, to tell him your concerns, to listen to his guidance. He is the One who longs to share with you what’s in his heart. He is the One who loves you. Wow, huh?
Wednesday July 23, 2008
Permalink Posted by: Marlo Schalesky at 1:39PM EST on July 23, 2008


Hi Friends,


Well, this has been a week full of big news. So, I figured I'd share the news and some thoughts on Beyond the Night too, all in fun interview format. So, read on, you don't want to miss this . . .



Inquiring Minds: So, I heard your Veil of Fire has been named a finalist in a big national contest. Is that true?

Marlo sez: Yep. Got the call this week that Veil of Fire is a finalist in the ACFW (that's the American Christian Fiction Writers) Book of the Year Contest in the Long Historical category. Yay!


Inquiring Minds: What else happened this week? Something surprising? Something OH WOW??!!??

Marlo sez: Okay, well, I suppose I’ll just break the news here for those who haven't heard . . . I’m pregnant. And that is a HUGE surprise. I still can hardly believe it. After spending most of my adult life (15 years) dealing with infertility, never ever being able to have a baby without extreme medical intervention (some of which worked, many of which didn’t), finally coming to end of that journey (I thought), turning the big 4-0, and giving away every last bit of my maternity clothes, nursing clothes, baby clothes, baby equipment, everything … I’m pregnant.

Can you hear God chuckling? I’ve been in shock (happy shock, but shock!), and hoping that nothing goes wrong (after having four awful miscarriages last year to end our hopes for a last baby, it’s been a bit scary wondering if this baby would make it . . .but we’ve made it out of the touchy first trimester and so far so good! Feel free to pray for me and new baby, please!)




And the latest from yesterday . . . we had our 21-week ultrasound and baby looks perfectly fine. AND IT'S A BOY! His four sisters are ecstatic, and so are we. What fun!

Inquiring Minds: Wow, after that big news, let's move on to talk a bit about your latest novel, Beyond the Night. A significant setting in Beyond the Night is Stanford University, your alma mater. What made Stanford perfect for this book?

Marlo sez: Setting the story partially at Stanford was SO MUCH fun! It allowed me to pluck out a some neat memories from my husband’s and my own love story and sprinkle those things throughout Paul and Maddie’s story. Mem Chu, Tressider, and the Quad … it was fun to go back relive moments through Paul and Maddie’s eyes. And when Paul and Maddie take their trip to the city (that is, San Francisco), well, let’s just say Sam Wo’s is a place not to be missed!

Plus, for Maddie’s situation, I needed a university that would both work with its students to keep them enrolled but was also highly dedicated to its educational standards, a place where most students are pursuing a specific vision for their lives, a vision, which for Maddie, is interrupted by blindness. Stanford fit the bill there too.

So, if readers want to find out more about the connection between Stanford, me, my hubby, and Paul & Maddie’s story, I encourage them to check out the fun, informal Stanford video tour on my website (just click the video player on the bottom right side of my front page!) http://www.marloschalesky.com/


Inquiring Minds: And lastly, what do you hope people take away after reading Beyond the Night?

Marlo sez: Funny thing is that if you’d asked me that when I first proposed this book, I would have said something about the enduring qualities of real love. And that still is part of what Beyond the Night is all about. But as I started to write, I soon discovered the story, at its heart, was really about overcoming fear – fear of the unknown, fear of death, fear of getting hurt, fear of letting go – the kinds of fear that regular, not-particularly-fearful people still have to face in their everyday lives.

Then, as the story progressed, I began to see that overcoming fear isn’t really about “getting up the courage” or trying to be brave. Not at all! What truly defeats fear is a glimpse of the breathtaking wonder of a vivid God. It’s about the awe of knowing that “no eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has risen to understand what God has prepared for those who love Him” (my translation from the Greek of 1 Corinthians 2:9). Just as light drives out darkness, so fear is driven out by hope, and hope is found in God’s amazing love.

So, that’s really what I’m hoping people will take away after reading Beyond the Night – that glimpse of God and His breathtaking love, that glimmer of beauty, that “wow” of seeing a bit more of the wondrous love of God – the love that drives out our fears.



Inquiring Minds: Okay, any last words for today?

Marlo sez: I hope y'all will pick up a copy of Beyond the Night and give it a read! Let me know what you think ... I'm gathering up reader quotes for my sales reps and would love to include you! (As always, handy links to Amazon and CBD are on my website.)

Also, the contest for Beyond the Night is still running, so you can still play to win a great gift bag filled with Beyond the Night related surprises. Fun!

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