Still Waiting Book

Still Waiting Is Turning One!

April 9, 2018 by Ann Leave a Comment

I can hardly believe it, but Still Waiting just had its first birthday. WOW!

It’s been an incredible year of hearing from readers about how the book has encouraged and impacted them in their own journeys with the Lord. I’ve heard from women and men, adults and teens, students and professionals. And the feedback has been the same: It’s so good to be reminded that God is still faithful even when my circumstances don’t seem to be changing. It’s so good to be offered hope.

I know, without a doubt, that this hope doesn’t come from me. There’s one source of true hope, and his name is Jesus. But it’s been an immense honor to get to partner with him through sharing my story and pointing readers to the hope that he gives. It’s been a deep joy to get to remind readers that they’re not alone as they wait on the Lord for breakthrough–in any area of their lives.

There's one source of true hope, and his name is Jesus. Share on X

If you haven’t read Still Waiting yet, I want to encourage you to pick up a copy this week! You can get it wherever books are sold, and maybe–like this reader who just emailed me–you’ll find yourself with more courage and trust as you wait on Jesus. I’ll leave you with her words–they humbled me and reminded me of how much God can do when we entrust our stories to him and others:

Just so you know, your story continues to encourage others by pointing us to the hope Jesus offers. I’m re-reading it now after what has quite possibly been the hardest year of my life, finding more hope than I thought possible in your vulnerability and grace-filled trust of God’s power to redeem even the hardest parts of our stories. Thank you for obeying Him and being brave enough to put your heart on paper for the glory of God. Your courage is contagious, and it makes me want to trust God more with my broken places. His version of our stories is the best one—thanks for using your words to remind me that He’s not done with mine yet. –J.H.

Thank you, Lord, for Still Waiting. The story–and the glory–is all yours.

P.S. To celebrate Still Waiting’s birthday, we’re offering giveaways ALL WEEK LONG! Find me over at Instagram to join in the fun!

Waiting and the Gift of Unanswered Prayer

July 20, 2017 by Ann 1 Comment

I’m always honored to write for Desiring God;
this is the start of my newest article for them.
You can read the whole of the article here!

I have been praying the same prayer for healing for more than twenty years.

If you’ve been praying for one particular thing over months or years or decades, then you know how exhausting and difficult it can feel to keep returning to God with the same petition.

I was just a child when I developed trichotillomania — a hair-pulling condition — and while it’s not a life-threatening condition, it has been life-altering for me. Imagine not being able to stop pulling out your own hair, even though you hate how it makes you look — and feel. That’s been my daily experience for more than half of my life.

I’ve been asking God to do what no doctor, therapy, or medication can: heal me. I have tried various therapies and supplements, and I continue to seek to walk in healing, but there’s no clear “cure” for trichotillomania. I know that if I’m going to be healed, I will need a gift of grace from God himself. And while I wholeheartedly believe in God’s ability to heal me, I also know that he hasn’t healed me over these last two decades. Not yet.

Therefore, I wait.

Why Waiting Hurts

If I’m honest, waiting is something I would prefer to avoid on any level, from waiting for a prayer to be answered all the way down to waiting in line at the grocery store. Why? Because waiting elicits the feeling of helplessness — of having to rely on someone else to act on my behalf.

Waiting forces me to come to terms with my own weakness. It’s what waiting does to all of us: when we can’t work harder to get what we want, or when we can’t manipulate life to turn out the way we want it to, or when we can’t pay enough money or get enough help to achieve what our heart desperately desires, we are left with the truth of our own insufficiency: we are weak.

God is with you in your waiting: he has heard every prayer, listened to every cry, kept track of every sorrow. Share on X

And we aren’t in control. Not even a little bit. We have to rely on someone else — on God — to act on our behalf.

It’s difficult and humbling to come to terms with our own inability to make anything happen. When we have prayed and longed and hoped and begged and done all that we can and still — still — there is no change in our circumstances, we are forced to stop our striving and simply wait, in large part because there is nothing else for us to do. We must stop and pause and look to God to act. And in that waiting, at the end of our proverbial rope, we will become aware of our inability to attain anything of lasting value on our own.

Read the rest of the article here, at Desiring God!

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Ann Swindell, Desiring God, faith, praying for a long time, soul tired, Still Waiting Book, unanswered prayer, waiting, why hasn't God answered my prayer, writing for Desiring God

Why am I Still Waiting?

June 27, 2017 by Ann 2 Comments

This is the start of my most recent article for Desiring God.

What happens when God doesn’t answer your prayer after three, four, or five years? How about when he doesn’t answer it after ten, or fifteen, or even twenty years? Do you still trust him, decades down the line? Do you still ask him — again — for an answer to that same prayer?

I’m walking this road, because I’ve been asking God to answer one prayer — for healing from a medical condition I developed as a child — for over twenty years.

Still, after these long years of waiting, I can tell you two things with complete honesty:

I trust God.
I definitely don’t always understand him.

I trust that God is who he says he is — good, just, merciful. And I trust that Christ’s death on the cross was his proving once and for all just how much he loves me and all people (Romans 5:8).

I trust that God is who he says he is, yet I don't always understand him. #stillwaitingbook Share on X

Yet I don’t always understand him. It’s hard to square what I read about Jesus in the Bible — his willingness and ability to heal, his miracles, his compassion and tenderness — with what seems like a lack of help and healing in my own life. I know it wouldn’t be hard for him to heal me, but in twenty years, he still hasn’t done it. And if I’m going to be honest, I have to say that if this is his love toward me, it sure doesn’t feel like love.

Read the rest of the article here, at Desiring God.

Purchase my whole story, Still Waiting, here–and learn more about how God is with you in your own waiting journey. You’re not alone.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Ann Swindell, Desiring God, God's love, guest post, Still Waiting Book, why doesn't God love me, why doesn't it feel like God loves me

Pre-Order Freebies for Still Waiting

March 3, 2017 by Ann 3 Comments

Step 1. Pre-order the book from your favorite retailer (and save your receipt)!

Step 2. Email us a copy of your receipt at StillWaitingtheBook@gmail.com

Step 3. We will send the following freebies your way before April 4th!

Order 1 copy of Still Waiting and receive:

-A downloadable Gracelaced print of 2 Corinthians 12:9
This is an exclusive print, created by Ruth Simons for the release of Still Waiting
-An e-copy of the Waiting with Hope Devotional, written by Ann Swindell
-A discount code to Wilfred Wax (Ann’s favorite candle company!)
-Three Still Waiting iPhone lock screens featuring quotes from the book

Order 2 copies of Still Waiting and receive:

Order 5+ copies of Still Waiting and receive:

*Quantities are limited and we may sell out quickly!

Remember, all you have to do to claim your pre-order freebies is email us a copy of your receipt at StillWaitingtheBook@gmail.com. We will send the following freebies your way before April 4th!

The #stillwaitingbook pre-order bonuses are live! Check them out here! Share on X

**Gracelaced print is for personal use only and many not be reproduced, altered, sold, or shared for profit. Artist attribution is required if image is shared online.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Ann Swindell, Gracelaced print, pre-order freebies, pre-order goodies, Still Waiting Book

Still Waiting Cover Reveal

August 2, 2016 by Ann 29 Comments

I’ve been writing a book this past year, and have spent the last few months crystallizing edits with my powerhouse team at Tyndale. It’s hard to believe that nine months have passed since I signed the contract; we have less time than that before it releases in April of 2017!

One thing that I’ve loved about the process of seeing this book come to life has been the excitement generated around the cover. I’ll share more later, but Tyndale walked me through a really helpful and empowering process when it came to designing the cover of this book. Although their design team creates the cover, as an author I had a clear hand in the tone and feel of the design, which I was deeply thankful for.

The #stillwaitingbook cover reveal! Share on X

The cover matters so much to me because as much as we say otherwise, the truth is that we really do judge a book by its cover. Whether we’re perusing the stacks at a bookstore or clicking through pages online, it’s the front of a book that initially draws us in or pushes us away. My hope is that this cover will draw you in and thrill you as much as it has thrilled me!

I won’t keep you waiting any longer. Here it is!

Isn’t it beautiful? This cover encapsulates so much about Still Waiting in one image. I’m amazed at how the design team captured both the beauty and the ache of trusting God; they nailed the feeling of yearning, and yet the rich colors point to the vibrancy that can be found even in waiting seasons. The handwritten title adds a softness to the cover without being overly dramatic.

In short: I love it. LOVE IT.

This cover blew me away the first time I saw it, and I’m so thankful that it will be the “face” of my first book. I’ll be sharing more about the book-writing process in the months ahead, but I wanted to let you be the first ones to catch a glimpse of the cover!

(If you’re new here and want to stay up-to-date with my work and this book, click here to join in on my monthly updates!)

Oh, and if you want to pre-order Still Waiting, you’re in luck. You can pre-order it here!

So, what do you think? Do you love the cover as much as I do?

Additionally, if you’re interested in writing, too, make sure to check out the course that I offer, Writing with Grace. Registration just opened TODAY, but it won’t be open for long! Click here to learn all about the class: