A Life Unexpected

‘The book to recommend to patients when they face coming to terms with unavoidable childlessness.' – British Medical Journal In Living the Life Unexpected, Jody Day addresses the experience of involuntary childlessness and provides a powerful, practical guide to help those negotiating a future without children come to terms with their grief; a grief that is only just beginning to be recognized by society. This friendly, practical, humorous and honest guide from one of the world’s most respected names in childless support offers compassion and understanding and shows how it’s possible to move towards a creative, happy, meaningful and fulfilling future – even if it’s not the one you had planned. Millions of people are now living a life without children, almost double that of a generation ago and the numbers are rising still. Although some are childfree by choice, many others are childless due to infertility or circumstance and are struggling to come to terms with their uncertain future. Although most people think that those without children either 'couldn't' or 'didn't want’ to be parents, the truth is much more complex. Jody Day was forty-four when she realized that her quest to be a mother was at an end. She presumed that she was through the toughest part, but over the next couple of years she was hit by waves of grief, despair and isolation. Eventually she found her way and in 2011 created Gateway Women, the global friendship and support network for childless women which has now helped almost two million people worldwide. This edition, previously titled Rocking the Life Unexpected, has been extensively revised and updated, with significant additional content and case studies from forty involuntarily childless people (mostly women) from around the world.

Despite childhood poverty and the death of her brother and both parents at the age of thirteen, actress Linda Cristal escapes certain death in Argentina by stowing away on a ship to eventually become one of the most beautiful, successful, and well-known actresses in the world. A Life Unexpected is a book about her perseverance, her constant battles with naysayers, and her strength to move forward despite numerous obstacles. There has never been a story like this nor could there be as it wouldn’t be believed. Yet it’s true. This book details —the men in her life (Cary Grant, Jimmy Stewart, Dana Andrews, John Wayne, Charles Bronson, and even billionaire Howard Hughes); —the emotions throughout her life (fear, isolation, passion, sadness, joy, and a longing for real love); —the experiences in her life, such as reckless stunts, heartbreaking romances, and breaking all the rules, even flying to the edge of the atmosphere with an astronaut; and —finally, her unstoppable goal to become one of the most famous actresses in the world in an effort to make her mom proud. A Life Unexpected is a mixture of vignettes and short stories of her travels in the film lands of the world, her interactions with amazing people, and a lot of laughs sprinkled with salty tears for good measure.

From telemarketers to traffic jams to twenty-item shoppers in the ten-item line, our lives are full of interruptions. They're often aggravating, sometimes infuriating, and can make us want to tell people what we really think about them. But they also tell us something quite important about ourselves. The prophet Jonah's life was interrupted by a clear call of God that made him mad enough and scared enough to run in the completely opposite direction. Yet it wasn't really an interruption. It was an opportunity for Jonah to be involved in something the likes of which the Old Testament world had never seen: national revival in a Gentile country. What if Jonah had seen God's interruption for what it truly was—a divine intervention that held more adventure and possibility than any other thing he could have been doing at the time? What could have felt any better than being directly in the center of God's will? Yet we play it that same way—always running from major pains and minor problems that just don't seem to suit us at the time. Who knows what we're missing by being so interruption avoidant? In this very personal account of opportunities lost and lessons learned, popular conference speaker and author Priscilla Shirer shows how to embrace the amazing freedom and fulfillment that comes from going with God, even when He's going against your grain. .

When a scandal surrounding her father upsets all her carefully laid plans for her future, Andie must learn to accept a new relationship with her father and to embrace a little chaos in her life.

Known for her outstanding performances on the groundbreaking television series The Good Wife and ER, Julianna Margulies deftly chronicles her life and her work in this deeply powerful memoir. NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY GOOD HOUSEKEEPING • “At once a tender coming-of-age story and a deeply personal look at a young woman making sense of the world against a chaotic and peripatetic childhood.”—Katie Couric As an apple-cheeked bubbly child, Julianna was bestowed with the family nickname “Sunshine Girl.” Shuttled back and forth between her divorced parents, often on different continents, she quickly learned how to be of value to her eccentric mother and her absent father. Raised in fairly unconventional ways in various homes in Paris, England, New York, and New Hampshire, Julianna found that her role among the surrounding turmoil and uncertainty was to comfort those around her, seeking organization among the disorder, making her way in the world as a young adult and eventually an award-winning actress. Throughout, there were complicated relationships, difficult choices, and overwhelming rejections. But there were also the moments where fate, faith, and talent aligned, leading to the unforgettable roles of a lifetime, both professionally and personally—moments when chaos had finally turned to calm. Filled with intimate stories and revelatory moments, Sunshine Girl is at once unflinchingly honest and perceptive. It is a riveting self-portrait of a woman whose resilience in the face of turmoil will leave readers intrigued and inspired.

Corey Bennett knows how to handle loss: she buries her grief, just as she buried her loved ones. After losing her parents to a tragic car accident and then her husband to cancer, Corey has focused all her attention on her career--first in law school and then on the partner track at a prestigious Atlanta law firm. When her boss insists she take a vacation, Corey balks. But two weeks on the Florida Gulf Coast, where she reconnects with Tripp, a childhood friend, prove to be profoundly rejuvenating. Torn between her workaholic patterns and a new urge to nurture, Corey starts to question all her past choices. What does she want her life to be? And is she brave enough to say yes to love again? J.A. Stone's graceful, big-hearted novel about one woman's rebirth reveals that sometimes the greatest courage is required for the simplest act: choosing your own path. Revised edition: This edition of Life Unexpected includes editorial revisions.

Fushek presents a candid, flesh-and-blood portrait of the sacred and the profane in his life as an ordained priest. The good, the bad, and the unbelievable are described with gratitude and commitment to a larger purpose.

A Life Unexpected