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Unexpected: Leave Fear Behind, Move Forward in Faith, Embrace the Adventure
Is it possible to have peace in an uncertain world? To not only expect the unexpected but embrace it? Most of us want to have life under control. But God wants us to anticipate the unexpected with a faith deeply rooted in his goodness. He wants us to know that because he is in control, we don’t have to be. In Unexpected, beloved author Christine Caine helps us walk into the life God has for us―unknowns and all. Using dramatic examples from her own journey, Christine offers real-life strategies and biblical inspiration to help us move from fear and worry about ourselves to hope and trust in God. As we learn new ways to manage disappointment, strengthen our hearts, and build our faith, we can enjoy a new adventure with God that is more fulfilling than any day we spend trying to anticipate what will happen next. Stepping into our God-given destiny means stepping into the unknown, but we can embrace that calling because God knows it already. Nothing in our lives takes God by surprise. So even in the midst of personal upheaval, relational challenges, financial stresses, family transitions, career disappointments, and chaotic world affairs, we can expect God to be good and do good. What other expectation do we need to have? Listen to God’s dare to trust him in every unknown of your life today.
Audio CD
Published May 8, 2018
About the author
Christine Caine
114 books874 followersChristine Caine is a speaker, author, and activist who has been serving the local church globally for over 30 years. She and her husband, Nick, founded the anti-human trafficking organization, The A21 Campaign, which works at the local, domestic, and international level to end modern-day slavery. They also founded Equip & Empower, a ministry that is mobilizing people everywhere to live on mission for Jesus. Propel Women is an initiative of the ministry dedicated to coming alongside women all over the globe to activate their God-given purpose. The ministry has also planted three life-giving Zoe Churches in Europe that are not only bringing the Gospel to the region, but also serve the most vulnerable through humanitarian outreach during times of crisis.
Christine is the best-selling author of more than a dozen books and studies and you can tune into her weekly podcast or television program to be encouraged with the hope of Jesus wherever you are.
Christine is the best-selling author of more than a dozen books and studies and you can tune into her weekly podcast or television program to be encouraged with the hope of Jesus wherever you are.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 119 reviews
February 2, 2019
Uplifting and Not Fluffy
This book feels alive, the energy of the author jumps of the page. She doesn't sidestep life's very real issues but sheds new light on how we can walk through things with God. My favorite takeaway is "Impossible is where God starts."
This book feels alive, the energy of the author jumps of the page. She doesn't sidestep life's very real issues but sheds new light on how we can walk through things with God. My favorite takeaway is "Impossible is where God starts."
December 12, 2018
Books like UNEXPECTED, leave you totaly speechless. It deserves 5 ⭐s. Christine Caine and other women opened up on sad unexpected moments that happened in their lives. They had every reason to give up. But these women of God held onto FAITH, HOPE and TRUSTING GOD.
It is so easy to judge that this book is just " those typical Christian books that give generalized advice on pain and grief". No, it is not! When you read the book, you feel their grief, dissapointment and even anger towards God. Thus, this book is so special that you cant help appreciate what is written for one to have such an intimate relationship with God at such moments.
I recommend this book. In life, one experiences unexpected moments. There are always unexpected adventures, unforseen circumstances and unplanned things that just happen. How to move forward with faith and keep persevering, Christine Caine elaborates so well on that in this book.
It is so easy to judge that this book is just " those typical Christian books that give generalized advice on pain and grief". No, it is not! When you read the book, you feel their grief, dissapointment and even anger towards God. Thus, this book is so special that you cant help appreciate what is written for one to have such an intimate relationship with God at such moments.
I recommend this book. In life, one experiences unexpected moments. There are always unexpected adventures, unforseen circumstances and unplanned things that just happen. How to move forward with faith and keep persevering, Christine Caine elaborates so well on that in this book.
May 15, 2018
Wow! What a great book. How does Christine Caine know all of my thoughts feelings, emotions etc... ? This book is so inspiring and faith- building. It emphasizes that those Unexpected moments (years even) are God moments that propel us to do more with faith. My hope is to cherish every moment God gives me, every situation, every person, and to live Expectantly in the Unexpected!!!
August 29, 2018
Trust God in the unexpected
Christine Caine delivers a strong and encouraging message of TRUTH. We all face the unexpected in big and small ways everyday. Trust God has a plan, a perfect plan that is designed just for you!
Christine Caine delivers a strong and encouraging message of TRUTH. We all face the unexpected in big and small ways everyday. Trust God has a plan, a perfect plan that is designed just for you!
December 4, 2018
p. 23: But as unexpected as unexpected is, we need to remember that our unexpected is never unexpected to God. God knew this day would come in my life and he was already in this day waiting for me. Fear was trying to grip me like it naturally does when we receive any bad news, but I knew I couldn’t let it overwhelm me.
p. 27+ I had learned that we either feed fear or we feed faith, and that I had the power to choose which one I would feed. …But I soon discovered that God was not going to supernaturally deliver me from this. He was going to walk me through it.
p. 32+: I’m thankful that because of the unexpected, who I am today is different from the Christine I was a few years ago. ..I do wish it hadn’t happened, but I wouldn’t want to go back to who I was before it happened. I belief it’s time for us to get good at navigating the unexpected, to embrace and understand that through unexpected occurrences in life—both good and bad—we need to trust God, anticipating him to move in it while he moves us through it. We need to realize that he never expected us to live boring and predictable lives, even though we work hard to create regular routines. He’s called us to live lives full of joys and sorrows, battles and celebrations, successes and failures, ups and downs. And he wants us to learn how to live expecting to gain from the unexpected, especially as the world grows ever more chaotic and unpredictable.
p. 33. No matter what kind of bubble we try to construct to manage our safety and security—physically, financially, or spiritually—trials and tribulations are going to come just as Jesus warned us. And, in our humanness, we will try to control everything—including God. Yet, we serve a God who refuses to be controlled by us. That’s because part of the mystery and the adventure of following Jesus is to trust him no matter what is going on around us. To keep our hearts completely open to him, so that when the unexpected happens, he can use it for our good. To free him to use the unexpected, a necessary catalyst, to grow us, sanctify us, and help us see life with a whole new perspective, because nothing grows without disruption and interruption—without the unexpected. If we could get this truth deeply woven into the fabric of our being, we would be far less fearful in a world that is complex and ever-changing. We could relax in knowing that while we cannot expect to control the unexpected, God is in control of everything and therefore we can expect that he will be faithful to the promises he has given us in his Word.
p. 42: But fear is not from God, and it’s not more powerful than God. He knew it would come to steal our peace, not once or twice, but constantly throughout our lives. So, in his great mercy and faithfulness to us, God made a way for us to be more than equipped to overcome its effects and walk in faith. He gave us three offensive weapons to lean into when we’re attacked: ‘For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind’ (2 Timothy 1:7). This verse clearly shows us that fear is a spirit, but it’s not from God. Every time fear tries to grip us, it’s the enemy trying to take us down and terrify us out of trusting God. But the spirit of fear is no match for the Spirit of God who lives inside us. God’s Spirit is the source of our power. We can rely on, draw on and walk in peace in the midst of fear and anxiety because the God who is in us is greater than anything or anyone that comes against us.
p. 43: When we rely on the Holy Spirit, we can take heart, because we are not fighting alone. We fight the good fight of faith, in God’s power, not by focusing on fear and trying to defeat it in our own strength, but by relying on God, knowing he is faithful. I came to realize that the more I trust my heavenly Father, the more fear is defeated in my heart and in my mind. If I focus on God more than the unexpected circumstance, then it is God who will be biggest in my heart and mind, and peace will be my outcome.
p. 44: Adrian and Jayne drew on what they needed for the moment, because trusting God is a process—a series of choices—not a one-time event. It’s the ongoing journey called life. It’s a cycle we repeat daily, hourly, sometimes even minute to minute, that leads to consistent growth. We overcome, get peace, but then get hit with another unexpected blow. But each time we go through the cycle, we grow stronger and more mature.
p. 52: They let God be God in their lives.
p. 55: “I think you can learn from fear instead of letting it affect you,” Jayne said. “It’s like learning to escape a riptide current. We always taught our children that if they got caught in one at the beach to not panic and fight it, but swim parallel with it because it will eventually end and you can escape and swim back to shore. Yes, we resist fear, but the way we fight it is to learn from it by first facing it so it loses its paralyzing effect. We recognize it for what it is and somehow let God grow us in the midst of it. And when we do, he’ll help us get back to shore.”
p. 64: As the years go by, and we wait for our dreams to come to pass, it takes courage: to keep trusting God, to keep our hearts open and tender, and to keep risking and trying again. …disappointment is inevitably going to happen to all of us, because the enemy is going to make sur ewe get hit by at least a few unexpected blows that knock us off our feet. He’s going to do whatever he can to stop our hopes for the best and to start our expectations for the worst. He’s going to reinforce the belief that if we step out and risk our heart again, people will fail us again. …disappointment is a force we have to face and overcome to live a life full of faith embracing the unexpected.
p. 67: When life doesn’t go our way—which it rarely does—and when our expectations lead to utter disappointment, we don’t always know how to recover our wonder of trusting God. When disappointment happen repeatedly, our hearts can grow sick and our thoughts can grow dark. That’s when the enemy can move in and steal the last of our hope. That’s when doubt and unbelief can overtake what’s left of our faith…
p. 68: Holding to our faith—even I the face of deep disappointment—is critical. Making God’s promises bigger than our disappointments is essential. Getting into his Word and letting it get into us brings our hearts back to life. Worshiping him opens the door for the Holy Spirit to encourage us and heal us so we can trust again. Learning how to change our perspective through steps like these helps us transition from fearing the unexpected to trusting God through it. Do we trust that God is who he says he is?
p.73: Do you see how it’s what we do with our disappointments that determines our destiny? If we don’t go through our hardships, we may move on in years, but our life stops at the point of our greatest disappointment. We either go through what happens and manage the disappointments well, or they manage us.
p. 76: Trusting God is a series of choices, not a one-time event. And it requires something of us, which is why Paul calls it “work.” It means choosing, again and again and again, to:
-Stay connected to God and his process. Daily.
-Process disorientation through God’s perspective. Immediately.
-Risk, be vulnerable, and believe. Resiliently.
-Ask God for help when we don’t have the answers. Courageously.
p. 89: Unexpected emotional wounding is so deeply painful because it is…unexpected. It hits when our defenses are down and our trust levels are up. How critical then to understand that even when people leave us and hurt us, God never leaves us nor forsakes us. He understands what it feels like to be kicked in the gut, to have the wind knocked out of us—and he cares. He promises to be there for us and to help us.
p. 90: I know that God sometimes uses relational fractures to show us where we are out of alignment with him; maybe our affections are misplaced. It’s so easy to have unrealistic expectations of others—to inadvertently want them to love us as only God can—and to set our friendships up for failure. We can’t expect people to be Jesus to us. It’s too unfair. Jesus is the only true friend who can love us unconditionally and really stick closer than a brother.
p. 97: If we are to have healthy relationships, then we need to learn how to be good at saying what Jesus said to those who crucified him: “Forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
p. 116: When we risk hoping again, we learn how to live in the present, but with the future in mind. We shift the gaze of our focus forward. We become prisoners of hope who cling to hope, who speak the language of hope, who don’t put off hope, who are willing to let God surprise us with a new future. When we become prisoners of hope, we commit a daring act of defiance—we dare to get our hopes up. We dare to believe that the desires God has placed in our hearts will be fulfilled—somehow and some way. Will they look like we first imagined? Probably not. Will we go through more disappointments? Most likely. Will any of our future dreams die as well before they come to life? Quite possibly. Why? Because every promise is tested. Every dream is challenged. God does not always do what we want, when we want, or how we want—but he is always ready to do exceedingly, abundantly, above and beyond anything we could ever ask or think.
p.128: We all have wilderness seasons in our lives, times when everything that feels familiar, stable, and comforting falls away. But that’s exactly why the wilderness is a place of transformation. With nothing to distract us from ourselves, and with no one but God to rely on, the conditions are ripe for growth and change. If we embrace the wilderness wholeheartedly, it becomes a place in which we are freedom from our bondage to fear, insecurity, and disappointment. A place where we move from being self-absorbed to others-minded. A place where we quit trying to be self-sufficient and learn to be interdependent with one another and entirely dependent on God. It’s where we learn to live wholehearted—to fully embrace the adventure that comes with the unexpected. The word whole-hearted literally means “consecrated, dedicated, given over too fully, drenched.” That’s the faith-filled mindset God wants to develop in us, and he uses every unexpected event in our lies to whole us, to heal our halved hearts and to help us grow.
p. 134: I often say that the reason God is using me like he is today is simply because I’m still here. Because I have allowed God to heal me and to continue healing me. When you get to be my age, it seems as though many have dropped out of the race and God has fewer options to choose from. But I can tell you from personal experience that if you stay in the race, if you keep your heart whole, God can and will use you. He will get his glory through whoever is willing, available, and tenaciously wholehearted.
p. 137: What Kylie and I both have learned over the years is how to keep our peace—especially over the things we can’t control. I’m determined to keep my peace at all costs, because if the enemy can get my peace, he can get my heart. I’ve learned that just because everything in my life is going crazy doesn’t mean I have to.
p. 166: Faith is believing God, believing that he is who he says he is, and that he will do what he said he would do. Patience is our capacity to tolerate delay—to wait. It’s trusting that God is good, God does good, and God knows what he is doing—no matter how long it takes and no matter what our purpose may be.
p. 195: Jesus knows it’s so easy for us to grow accustomed to our limitations—to be defined by them, to make allowances for them—and not really want to pay the price of change. He knows how easy it is for us to settle for where we are and to live a smaller life than what he’s called us to.
p. 214: Often, when things get worse before they get better, harder before easier, darker before lighter, we doubt. We doubt God. We doubt his calling. We doubt his faithfulness. We give up. I guess he didn’t open that door. I guess he didn’t call me. I guess this isn’t his will. When did God say that it would be easy? When did he say it would be effortless? Here are a few thing I have learned over and over again while following God:
Closed doors do not mean that God is not opening a way.
Increased cost does not mean that God is not calling.
The presence of a battle does not mean the absence of God in the war.
Trials don’t mean we are out of the will of God. In fact, they often mean we are precisely in the center of God’s will—right where we’re supposed to be, doing exactly what we’re supposed to be doing. Fighting the good fight of faith. Standing. Believing. Because he is working in all things for our good.
p. 27+ I had learned that we either feed fear or we feed faith, and that I had the power to choose which one I would feed. …But I soon discovered that God was not going to supernaturally deliver me from this. He was going to walk me through it.
p. 32+: I’m thankful that because of the unexpected, who I am today is different from the Christine I was a few years ago. ..I do wish it hadn’t happened, but I wouldn’t want to go back to who I was before it happened. I belief it’s time for us to get good at navigating the unexpected, to embrace and understand that through unexpected occurrences in life—both good and bad—we need to trust God, anticipating him to move in it while he moves us through it. We need to realize that he never expected us to live boring and predictable lives, even though we work hard to create regular routines. He’s called us to live lives full of joys and sorrows, battles and celebrations, successes and failures, ups and downs. And he wants us to learn how to live expecting to gain from the unexpected, especially as the world grows ever more chaotic and unpredictable.
p. 33. No matter what kind of bubble we try to construct to manage our safety and security—physically, financially, or spiritually—trials and tribulations are going to come just as Jesus warned us. And, in our humanness, we will try to control everything—including God. Yet, we serve a God who refuses to be controlled by us. That’s because part of the mystery and the adventure of following Jesus is to trust him no matter what is going on around us. To keep our hearts completely open to him, so that when the unexpected happens, he can use it for our good. To free him to use the unexpected, a necessary catalyst, to grow us, sanctify us, and help us see life with a whole new perspective, because nothing grows without disruption and interruption—without the unexpected. If we could get this truth deeply woven into the fabric of our being, we would be far less fearful in a world that is complex and ever-changing. We could relax in knowing that while we cannot expect to control the unexpected, God is in control of everything and therefore we can expect that he will be faithful to the promises he has given us in his Word.
p. 42: But fear is not from God, and it’s not more powerful than God. He knew it would come to steal our peace, not once or twice, but constantly throughout our lives. So, in his great mercy and faithfulness to us, God made a way for us to be more than equipped to overcome its effects and walk in faith. He gave us three offensive weapons to lean into when we’re attacked: ‘For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind’ (2 Timothy 1:7). This verse clearly shows us that fear is a spirit, but it’s not from God. Every time fear tries to grip us, it’s the enemy trying to take us down and terrify us out of trusting God. But the spirit of fear is no match for the Spirit of God who lives inside us. God’s Spirit is the source of our power. We can rely on, draw on and walk in peace in the midst of fear and anxiety because the God who is in us is greater than anything or anyone that comes against us.
p. 43: When we rely on the Holy Spirit, we can take heart, because we are not fighting alone. We fight the good fight of faith, in God’s power, not by focusing on fear and trying to defeat it in our own strength, but by relying on God, knowing he is faithful. I came to realize that the more I trust my heavenly Father, the more fear is defeated in my heart and in my mind. If I focus on God more than the unexpected circumstance, then it is God who will be biggest in my heart and mind, and peace will be my outcome.
p. 44: Adrian and Jayne drew on what they needed for the moment, because trusting God is a process—a series of choices—not a one-time event. It’s the ongoing journey called life. It’s a cycle we repeat daily, hourly, sometimes even minute to minute, that leads to consistent growth. We overcome, get peace, but then get hit with another unexpected blow. But each time we go through the cycle, we grow stronger and more mature.
p. 52: They let God be God in their lives.
p. 55: “I think you can learn from fear instead of letting it affect you,” Jayne said. “It’s like learning to escape a riptide current. We always taught our children that if they got caught in one at the beach to not panic and fight it, but swim parallel with it because it will eventually end and you can escape and swim back to shore. Yes, we resist fear, but the way we fight it is to learn from it by first facing it so it loses its paralyzing effect. We recognize it for what it is and somehow let God grow us in the midst of it. And when we do, he’ll help us get back to shore.”
p. 64: As the years go by, and we wait for our dreams to come to pass, it takes courage: to keep trusting God, to keep our hearts open and tender, and to keep risking and trying again. …disappointment is inevitably going to happen to all of us, because the enemy is going to make sur ewe get hit by at least a few unexpected blows that knock us off our feet. He’s going to do whatever he can to stop our hopes for the best and to start our expectations for the worst. He’s going to reinforce the belief that if we step out and risk our heart again, people will fail us again. …disappointment is a force we have to face and overcome to live a life full of faith embracing the unexpected.
p. 67: When life doesn’t go our way—which it rarely does—and when our expectations lead to utter disappointment, we don’t always know how to recover our wonder of trusting God. When disappointment happen repeatedly, our hearts can grow sick and our thoughts can grow dark. That’s when the enemy can move in and steal the last of our hope. That’s when doubt and unbelief can overtake what’s left of our faith…
p. 68: Holding to our faith—even I the face of deep disappointment—is critical. Making God’s promises bigger than our disappointments is essential. Getting into his Word and letting it get into us brings our hearts back to life. Worshiping him opens the door for the Holy Spirit to encourage us and heal us so we can trust again. Learning how to change our perspective through steps like these helps us transition from fearing the unexpected to trusting God through it. Do we trust that God is who he says he is?
p.73: Do you see how it’s what we do with our disappointments that determines our destiny? If we don’t go through our hardships, we may move on in years, but our life stops at the point of our greatest disappointment. We either go through what happens and manage the disappointments well, or they manage us.
p. 76: Trusting God is a series of choices, not a one-time event. And it requires something of us, which is why Paul calls it “work.” It means choosing, again and again and again, to:
-Stay connected to God and his process. Daily.
-Process disorientation through God’s perspective. Immediately.
-Risk, be vulnerable, and believe. Resiliently.
-Ask God for help when we don’t have the answers. Courageously.
p. 89: Unexpected emotional wounding is so deeply painful because it is…unexpected. It hits when our defenses are down and our trust levels are up. How critical then to understand that even when people leave us and hurt us, God never leaves us nor forsakes us. He understands what it feels like to be kicked in the gut, to have the wind knocked out of us—and he cares. He promises to be there for us and to help us.
p. 90: I know that God sometimes uses relational fractures to show us where we are out of alignment with him; maybe our affections are misplaced. It’s so easy to have unrealistic expectations of others—to inadvertently want them to love us as only God can—and to set our friendships up for failure. We can’t expect people to be Jesus to us. It’s too unfair. Jesus is the only true friend who can love us unconditionally and really stick closer than a brother.
p. 97: If we are to have healthy relationships, then we need to learn how to be good at saying what Jesus said to those who crucified him: “Forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
p. 116: When we risk hoping again, we learn how to live in the present, but with the future in mind. We shift the gaze of our focus forward. We become prisoners of hope who cling to hope, who speak the language of hope, who don’t put off hope, who are willing to let God surprise us with a new future. When we become prisoners of hope, we commit a daring act of defiance—we dare to get our hopes up. We dare to believe that the desires God has placed in our hearts will be fulfilled—somehow and some way. Will they look like we first imagined? Probably not. Will we go through more disappointments? Most likely. Will any of our future dreams die as well before they come to life? Quite possibly. Why? Because every promise is tested. Every dream is challenged. God does not always do what we want, when we want, or how we want—but he is always ready to do exceedingly, abundantly, above and beyond anything we could ever ask or think.
p.128: We all have wilderness seasons in our lives, times when everything that feels familiar, stable, and comforting falls away. But that’s exactly why the wilderness is a place of transformation. With nothing to distract us from ourselves, and with no one but God to rely on, the conditions are ripe for growth and change. If we embrace the wilderness wholeheartedly, it becomes a place in which we are freedom from our bondage to fear, insecurity, and disappointment. A place where we move from being self-absorbed to others-minded. A place where we quit trying to be self-sufficient and learn to be interdependent with one another and entirely dependent on God. It’s where we learn to live wholehearted—to fully embrace the adventure that comes with the unexpected. The word whole-hearted literally means “consecrated, dedicated, given over too fully, drenched.” That’s the faith-filled mindset God wants to develop in us, and he uses every unexpected event in our lies to whole us, to heal our halved hearts and to help us grow.
p. 134: I often say that the reason God is using me like he is today is simply because I’m still here. Because I have allowed God to heal me and to continue healing me. When you get to be my age, it seems as though many have dropped out of the race and God has fewer options to choose from. But I can tell you from personal experience that if you stay in the race, if you keep your heart whole, God can and will use you. He will get his glory through whoever is willing, available, and tenaciously wholehearted.
p. 137: What Kylie and I both have learned over the years is how to keep our peace—especially over the things we can’t control. I’m determined to keep my peace at all costs, because if the enemy can get my peace, he can get my heart. I’ve learned that just because everything in my life is going crazy doesn’t mean I have to.
p. 166: Faith is believing God, believing that he is who he says he is, and that he will do what he said he would do. Patience is our capacity to tolerate delay—to wait. It’s trusting that God is good, God does good, and God knows what he is doing—no matter how long it takes and no matter what our purpose may be.
p. 195: Jesus knows it’s so easy for us to grow accustomed to our limitations—to be defined by them, to make allowances for them—and not really want to pay the price of change. He knows how easy it is for us to settle for where we are and to live a smaller life than what he’s called us to.
p. 214: Often, when things get worse before they get better, harder before easier, darker before lighter, we doubt. We doubt God. We doubt his calling. We doubt his faithfulness. We give up. I guess he didn’t open that door. I guess he didn’t call me. I guess this isn’t his will. When did God say that it would be easy? When did he say it would be effortless? Here are a few thing I have learned over and over again while following God:
Closed doors do not mean that God is not opening a way.
Increased cost does not mean that God is not calling.
The presence of a battle does not mean the absence of God in the war.
Trials don’t mean we are out of the will of God. In fact, they often mean we are precisely in the center of God’s will—right where we’re supposed to be, doing exactly what we’re supposed to be doing. Fighting the good fight of faith. Standing. Believing. Because he is working in all things for our good.
September 18, 2018
This book was so perfect in this season of my life. The book teaches you to move pass fear and fully trust God and his promises for us. Although obstacles may unexpectedly get in our way, embrace it and move forward with what God has called you to do. Know that everything happens for a reason and that God has already gone before you and paved the way for you. People may not stick with you or they may hurt you, it’s ok to FEEL that pain, but don’t wallow in it too long. Press forward! Sometimes we get in our own way with degrading thoughts, lack of confidence, lack of believing we are worthy, but you have to realize God is in and with you. You are a daughter of the King! You are fearfully and wonderfully made! There is so much goodness in this book. I could go on and on and on! I highly recommend this read!
August 3, 2018
Encouraging and motivating book
I love the enthusiasm and faith of Christine's writings. She shares life examples that encouraged me that God is in it all if we keep our eyes focused on Him.
I love the enthusiasm and faith of Christine's writings. She shares life examples that encouraged me that God is in it all if we keep our eyes focused on Him.
December 26, 2018
Perfect timing!
I had an unexpected health issue come my way. This book was such an encouragement through my journey...”God is good, God does good, and God works all thing together for our good!” Highly recommend!
I had an unexpected health issue come my way. This book was such an encouragement through my journey...”God is good, God does good, and God works all thing together for our good!” Highly recommend!
October 20, 2018
This book challenged me while giving me the hope to continue pressing into the adventurous life God has called me to. I began the book with a sense of hopelessness and ended it with hope and drive to keep going. This was the first Christine Cain book I have read and look forward to reading more of her books.
May 14, 2018
If you're going through a trial, this is the book for you.
Wow. Just what I needed when I needed it. A powwrf book that will build your faith during tough times. Thank you, Christine.
Wow. Just what I needed when I needed it. A powwrf book that will build your faith during tough times. Thank you, Christine.
July 29, 2018
Christine Caine is such a great coach, cheerleader, and visionary you just have to pick up her book. She listens to God and moves and calls you to do the same. Just don't sit, look for the unexpected.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 9, 2018
This book was very inspirational. Christine gave examples from the lives of people she knows as well as from her own life that really demonstrated what it meant to move forward in the face of the unexpected. The book encouraged me to stand strong when things do not go the way that I planned.
November 20, 2018
I struggle a bit to rate this book. Parts of it were so spot-on, exactly what I needed to hear. Other parts were really hard to connect with. And I thought her theme of “unexpected” was a stretch at times.
December 27, 2018
Caine is such an empowering writer and speaker. Her writing and speaking are both bold and Holy Spirit filled. She reminds you who you are and who you have been called to be. This world is tough, but Caine teaches her audience how to find a peace beyond understanding.
June 5, 2018
This one goes on the “Books that the Lord used to speak into my life” shelf. Thank you, @Christine Caine.
October 14, 2018
Good and entertaining but very repetitive with her writing.
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January 16, 2024Книгата съдържа страхотни вдъхновяващи истории, препратки към Библията и много свеж поглед върху основни истини. Четейки глава след глава, книгата бавно, но сигурно увеличаваше вярата ми.
Кристин Кейн е един от най-големите мотиватори в живота ми и сърцето ѝ за хората (което е Божието сърце в нея) започва да тупти в мен, когато слушам и чета нейните думи. Препоръчвам тази, както и всички други нейни книги, не защото са велико произведение на изкуството, но защото съдържат в себе си живот и огън, които рядко могат да се намерят в толкова чиста форма.
Кристин Кейн е един от най-големите мотиватори в живота ми и сърцето ѝ за хората (което е Божието сърце в нея) започва да тупти в мен, когато слушам и чета нейните думи. Препоръчвам тази, както и всички други нейни книги, не защото са велико произведение на изкуството, но защото съдържат в себе си живот и огън, които рядко могат да се намерят в толкова чиста форма.
April 22, 2020
Great book to read during COVID-19 Pandemic! Choosing faith and leaving fear behind as we face the unexpected. Learning to move forward in faith and embrace every bit of the adventure God has set for my life.
February 12, 2024
I love Christine Caine’s heart for others and her strong faith in the Lord!! Her writing is so accessible but so full of powerful truths. She gave me so much to chew on and think about for my life and my future.
October 9, 2020
Excellent read for anyone on their faith journey.
August 7, 2019
Defenitely recommended
September 1, 2018
Many many months ago, when I saw on Instagram that Christine Caine was writing her manuscript for Unexpected, the flame that God had ignited in my own heart years ago grew larger and burned brighter. Christine was writing about some of the same passions and messages God had placed within me to share. (I mean my website is called An Expectant Heart and my tagline is “expecting God’s faithfulness in life’s unexpected struggles”). I pre-ordered her book as quickly as I could and eagerly dove into her words once it arrived in the mail.
(First, a disclaimer, this is the first book by Christine that I’ve read).
What I discovered in my reading were two main things.
One, her writing style is not my cup of tea, but I know for many people they will prefer her style. Personally, I prefer Christian non-fiction books like Christine’s to be written in more of a memoir style where as I read I feel as though I’m living the journey and learning the lessons with the author. I’m seeing, smelling, tasting, touching, and hearing the author’s experiences. I prefer stories painted in word images that evoke strong emotions (I am a 4 on the enneagram after all). But Christine’s book is not written this way.
In the book, she does draw from her own life experiences, touching on her experiences with cancer and learning she, as an adult, that she was adopted as a child. But she also weaves in the “unexpected” stories of others. Perhaps some might feel this helps strengthen her message and enables it to reach a broader audience as we see additional unexpected life events and faith journeys. But for me, I like to dive in deep to one person’s heart and experiences.
The second discovery I made was that like with her bold speaking, she knows how to powerfully deliver a message in writing. Of course I marked up the pages of my book with yellow highlighter as passage after powerful passage shouted out to me as I replied with an Amen! She speaks truth according to God’s Word. Truths we ALL need to hear. Especially if we’re walking through the unexpected in our lives. Many of the messages I want to shout from the rooftops, Christine is blaring forth with a megaphone in this book.
Here are some of my favorite passages:
God wants us to learn how to accept every unexpected event as an invitation to trust Jesus and his Word, to expected his goodness all the way through.
When we expect instead of worry, we can live with a heart full of hope.
Hope is unshakeable confidence in God. It doesn’t deny the reality of our pain, but it does give us a life beyond our pain. It gives us permission to believe in a new beginning. It is the happy and confident expectation of good that lifts our spirits and dares us to believe for a different future. It is always looking to God with expectation…
This is one of those books that I will most definitely recommend and refer people to if they’re walking through unexpected, painful seasons. If this is you, you need to read this book. This is one you don’t want to waver on and maybe save for later. This is one you run to find and grab your pens and highlighters for and dig in ASAP. It will draw you straight to the unfailing promises and loving character of God even in the midst of the pain and the struggles. I am confident this book will lead you to the very truths your soul needs to find encouragement, strength, perseverance, and hope for the journey.
(First, a disclaimer, this is the first book by Christine that I’ve read).
What I discovered in my reading were two main things.
One, her writing style is not my cup of tea, but I know for many people they will prefer her style. Personally, I prefer Christian non-fiction books like Christine’s to be written in more of a memoir style where as I read I feel as though I’m living the journey and learning the lessons with the author. I’m seeing, smelling, tasting, touching, and hearing the author’s experiences. I prefer stories painted in word images that evoke strong emotions (I am a 4 on the enneagram after all). But Christine’s book is not written this way.
In the book, she does draw from her own life experiences, touching on her experiences with cancer and learning she, as an adult, that she was adopted as a child. But she also weaves in the “unexpected” stories of others. Perhaps some might feel this helps strengthen her message and enables it to reach a broader audience as we see additional unexpected life events and faith journeys. But for me, I like to dive in deep to one person’s heart and experiences.
The second discovery I made was that like with her bold speaking, she knows how to powerfully deliver a message in writing. Of course I marked up the pages of my book with yellow highlighter as passage after powerful passage shouted out to me as I replied with an Amen! She speaks truth according to God’s Word. Truths we ALL need to hear. Especially if we’re walking through the unexpected in our lives. Many of the messages I want to shout from the rooftops, Christine is blaring forth with a megaphone in this book.
Here are some of my favorite passages:
God wants us to learn how to accept every unexpected event as an invitation to trust Jesus and his Word, to expected his goodness all the way through.
When we expect instead of worry, we can live with a heart full of hope.
Hope is unshakeable confidence in God. It doesn’t deny the reality of our pain, but it does give us a life beyond our pain. It gives us permission to believe in a new beginning. It is the happy and confident expectation of good that lifts our spirits and dares us to believe for a different future. It is always looking to God with expectation…
This is one of those books that I will most definitely recommend and refer people to if they’re walking through unexpected, painful seasons. If this is you, you need to read this book. This is one you don’t want to waver on and maybe save for later. This is one you run to find and grab your pens and highlighters for and dig in ASAP. It will draw you straight to the unfailing promises and loving character of God even in the midst of the pain and the struggles. I am confident this book will lead you to the very truths your soul needs to find encouragement, strength, perseverance, and hope for the journey.
February 6, 2019
Awesome book.
January 27, 2019
Good Read
This book is very inspiring and encourages you to live out your faith. I loved all the testimonies of those living wholeheartedly for Christ.
This book is very inspiring and encourages you to live out your faith. I loved all the testimonies of those living wholeheartedly for Christ.
May 16, 2018
What happens to you when the unexpected arrives? How do you react? Do you see it as a gift from God? Christine Caine, in "Unexpected", shares personal stories of her own and others' unexpected events in life and how they coped and learned to trust God completely.
Caine's book was an unexpected surprise. I wasn't expecting any new revelations. However, I saw things in my own life differently as I connected with some of the stories. There is a chapter for everyone--whether you've experienced the loss of a child, infertility, the betrayal of a a friend or family member, a diagnosis of cancer or a disappointment such as the loss of a dream. This isn't just Caine's book. It belongs to all of those who shared their stories, emptied their hearts and showed us what life is like on the other side of unexpected.
If you are living in a period of unexpected hurt, betrayal, pain, illness, disillusionment, this inspirational book will encourage you and keep you hopeful in God's goodness and blessings.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received these books free from Icon Media Group in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Caine's book was an unexpected surprise. I wasn't expecting any new revelations. However, I saw things in my own life differently as I connected with some of the stories. There is a chapter for everyone--whether you've experienced the loss of a child, infertility, the betrayal of a a friend or family member, a diagnosis of cancer or a disappointment such as the loss of a dream. This isn't just Caine's book. It belongs to all of those who shared their stories, emptied their hearts and showed us what life is like on the other side of unexpected.
If you are living in a period of unexpected hurt, betrayal, pain, illness, disillusionment, this inspirational book will encourage you and keep you hopeful in God's goodness and blessings.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received these books free from Icon Media Group in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
May 26, 2018
This is the first book I've read by Caine and it certainly will not be the last. What an encouraging woman.
Caine concentrates on the unexpected in this book. We've had the unexpected, the surprise, the disappointment, the betrayal, the hurt. Maybe we swear we will never be vulnerable again. But Caine says we can't do that if we want to follow God's plan for us. “We cannot shrink back in fear and go forward in faith at the same time.” (11)
Caine writes that she doesn't have five steps or seven keys to success. She just shares the process God walked her through, the same process she has seen God take others through too. (167) She shares stories from her own life and the lives of others. They are amazing stories of faith in the midst of adversity.
She encourages us with the lessons she has learned from her experiences. They include the necessity of faith and patience. She challenges us to learn to walk with confidence as we face the unexpected. We will be a witness to others and cultivate an intimate relationship with God in the process.
I highly recommend this book. It contains great encouragement to trust God with our pain and develop intimacy with Him. We can step out into the unexpected and unknown with unshakable confidence in God.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through Icon Media. My comments are an independent and honest review.
Caine concentrates on the unexpected in this book. We've had the unexpected, the surprise, the disappointment, the betrayal, the hurt. Maybe we swear we will never be vulnerable again. But Caine says we can't do that if we want to follow God's plan for us. “We cannot shrink back in fear and go forward in faith at the same time.” (11)
Caine writes that she doesn't have five steps or seven keys to success. She just shares the process God walked her through, the same process she has seen God take others through too. (167) She shares stories from her own life and the lives of others. They are amazing stories of faith in the midst of adversity.
She encourages us with the lessons she has learned from her experiences. They include the necessity of faith and patience. She challenges us to learn to walk with confidence as we face the unexpected. We will be a witness to others and cultivate an intimate relationship with God in the process.
I highly recommend this book. It contains great encouragement to trust God with our pain and develop intimacy with Him. We can step out into the unexpected and unknown with unshakable confidence in God.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through Icon Media. My comments are an independent and honest review.
June 29, 2018
Each of us has unexpected things occur in our lives and we are seldom prepared. Christine Caine received a diagnosis of cancer that rearranged plans she had made for her life and this book opens with her story. She doesn't offer easy steps of dealing with these changes but does tell the reader how she trusted Jesus during the ordeal.
But this is more than Christine's story. She also shares many other stories of people who have had their lives turned upside down. We are given a peek into how God used circumstances and other people to help each during the difficult times and, even to prepare for their future. Caine gives many examples of the hope to be found and the restoration of lives to a 'new normal' that is meaningful.
I highly recommend this book to all. No one goes through life without facing the unexpected, whether minor or major, and we all need the reminder that we have a God who is with us at all times. The message of comfort, strength, hope, and healing reminds us to face our fear by trusting God as He leads us through the trials we face. What is unexpected by us is known by God and Christine will help you fight the fear you are facing and move forward.
I received a copy of this book from Icon Media Group for review purposes. I was not required to write a good review.
But this is more than Christine's story. She also shares many other stories of people who have had their lives turned upside down. We are given a peek into how God used circumstances and other people to help each during the difficult times and, even to prepare for their future. Caine gives many examples of the hope to be found and the restoration of lives to a 'new normal' that is meaningful.
I highly recommend this book to all. No one goes through life without facing the unexpected, whether minor or major, and we all need the reminder that we have a God who is with us at all times. The message of comfort, strength, hope, and healing reminds us to face our fear by trusting God as He leads us through the trials we face. What is unexpected by us is known by God and Christine will help you fight the fear you are facing and move forward.
I received a copy of this book from Icon Media Group for review purposes. I was not required to write a good review.
September 1, 2018
Christine Caine speaks honestly and transparently in this book about her own battle with cancer, self-doubts, and challenges. She also uses the stories of those close to her (mainly people that she now works with through A21, the nonprofit she founded with the goal of abolishing human trafficking) as examples and analogies throughout her book. The way that she seamlessly interweaves scripture within the larger story found in each chapter makes this a quick read. The power and feistiness that you associate with her if you have ever heard her speak is just as present in the book. The one negative about the book, and it’s really more of a personal preference, is that the chapters are rather long (around 20 pages each). I like to be able to read a chapter each time I pick up the book, so I prefer chapters be shorter, however she does provide quite a few subheadings throughout the book, which still enables the reader to find a good stopping point rather easily each time they pick up the book. One of the things I absolutely love about this book is that she begins each chapter with a quote. I’m a collector of good quotes and can never have too many, so I always enjoy when a book begins with a quote by someone else from whom the author found inspiration.
For the rest of my review see my blog post at https://bythegraceofgodiam.com/2018/0...
For the rest of my review see my blog post at https://bythegraceofgodiam.com/2018/0...
October 2, 2018
Christine Caine’s book, Unexpected, has a subtitle that describes her philosophy of life: Leave Fear Behind, Move Forward in Faith, Embrace the Adventure. She is realistic about the unexpected events in life that can upend us and details how the unexpected can bring fear and disappointment, disillusionment, betrayal, and disheartenment. She gives many examples from people who have faced these negative parts of life. But she’s equally clear on the necessity of faith, risk, change, and the incremental steps in the process of that change. She herself has had cancer and dealt with people in her ministries who have faced unwanted singleness, betrayal, terminally ill family members, and a host of other unexpected, negative circumstances. Yet she insists that it is possible to turn negatives around by how we deal with them. Hence, she challenges her readers to “Leave Fear Behind, Move Forward in Faith, [and] Embrace the Adventure,” (Unexpected: Leave Fear Behind, Move Forward in Faith, Embrace the Adventure, Christine Caine, Zondervan, 2018), God has for their lives. This is a realistic, practical, challenging, and uplifting book.
5 stars Dr. ML Codman Wilson, Ph.D., 9/28/2018
5 stars Dr. ML Codman Wilson, Ph.D., 9/28/2018
June 15, 2018
In Unexpected, Christine teaches us how God moves in and through the unexpected events in our lives to grow us, to build our faith, and to sanctify us. She is passionate about helping us find the adventure in trusting Jesus no matter what is going on around us. To learn to anticipate that God is working in the messiness of life while moving us through it...for our good and His glory.
Through biblical teaching, true stories, and practical insights we are shown how we can face the unexpected, the disappointments, the tragedies of this life with our faith in a loving and good God intact. To look to the future in anticipation of the unexpected as an invitation to experience more of the goodness of God.
This is one earns a permanent spot on my bookshelf.
Through biblical teaching, true stories, and practical insights we are shown how we can face the unexpected, the disappointments, the tragedies of this life with our faith in a loving and good God intact. To look to the future in anticipation of the unexpected as an invitation to experience more of the goodness of God.
This is one earns a permanent spot on my bookshelf.
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