Hope Deferred asks the question: How did Zimbabwe, a country with so much promise—a stellar education system, a growing middle class, a sophisticated economic infrastructure, a liberal constitution, and an independent judiciary—come so close to collapse? In their own words, Zimbabweans tell their stories of losing their homes, land, livelihoods, and families as a direct result of political violence. They describe being tortured in detention, firebombed at work, or beaten up or raped to “punish” votes for the opposition. Those forced to flee to neighboring countries recount their escapes: cutting through fences, swimming across crocodile-infested rivers, and entrusting themselves to human smugglers. This book includes. Zimbabweans of every age, class, and political conviction—from farm laborers and academics to doctors and artists—ordinary people surviving the fragmentation of a once-thriving nation.

Is life not turning out how you expected? In the summer of 2007, Jillian Heerlyn and her husband found themselves counted among the 1 in 8 couples who have trouble getting pregnant. The first half of their 9-year battle with infertility included a considerable amount of depression and questioning God. A wrestle with infertility is ultimately a wrestle with God. Hope Deferred is the guidebook that enabled Jillian to rise above her circumstances with joy, peace, hope and a deeper relationship with God. What if turning to God is painful? What if fear and doubt are making it difficult to hope? Is God causing infertility in order to teach a lesson? Is God able to intervene, but choosing not to for some reason? Why is everyone else able to get pregnant so easily? Hope Deferred dives into these tough questions and more, and addresses the difficulties surrounding infertility, while offering the tools needed to have hope and peace even when circumstances are not resolved. The truths carefully presented will help heal the heart and mind of the one who is affected by infertility. Even those who are past child-bearing age will find salve to cover old wounds. With honesty and authenticity, Jillian shares the pain and trials that plagued her through infertility. She opens the door into her journey and invites you to join her in finding greater freedom, joy and peace while enduring difficult circumstances. You will quickly realize that, although your story is unique, you have a sister who understands. This book is a must read for anyone personally dealing with infertility and for loved ones to gain insight into the infertility journey. This book speaks to anyone who has ever lived with an unmet desire.

Through personal anecdotes and careful examination of Scripture, Carolyn McCulley challenges single women to regard their singleness not as a burden, but as a gift from God that allows them to perform a unique role in the body of Christ.

Drawing on scriptural teaching, heart-to-heart storytelling and inspiring quotes, Dutch Sheets shows what God wants to reveal to us during difficult times.

We use the word “adoption” very casually today—we speak of adopting pets, books, and highways. Yet the word has a far nobler significance. Adoption is the permanent placement of a child in a family with all its rights and privileges. God has forever placed us in his family. He has forever made us his children. He has forever changed our legal status. A Hope Deferred probes the depths of this wonderful reality and intertwines these blessings with an account of one family’s journey to international adoption. The result is a valuable glimpse into the essential relationship between adoption, affliction, and the fatherhood of God over his people.

David Stoltzfus and Anna Fisher have been best friends for as long as anyone can remember, but as they approach their teen years their friendship turns into deep attraction. David, however, takes off for Australia on an adventure, leaving Anna to sort through her feelings alone.

Infertility affects nearly 6.1 million women and 2.1 million married couples in the United States. Additionally, 25 percent of women of childbearing age will experience a miscarriage and one in 80 pregnancies will end in a stillbirth. In Hope Deferred, we hear the voices of five female scholars from a variety of Christian denominations--Church of the Brethren, Disciples of Christ, Lutheran, Presbyterian, and Roman Catholic--as they share their very private stories of painful loss in the hope of bringing comfort and a theological understanding to those who have experienced reproductive loss.

Instead of being frozen with fear, I have an unshakeable faith. Instead of being filled with endless questions, I have answers or I know where to get them. Maybe for you, it wasn't a job loss, maybe it was something else. My story is not unique, we are all hit by trials. The difference is what we choose to do with them. We are all hit by struggles in life - trials, transitions, and things that didn't go according to plan. The difference is what we do with them. When Cherlyn Decker was laid off all hell broke loose. She was paralyzed by her circumstances. Frozen with fear and filled with endless questions. She lost who she was. But in the middle of her mess, God showed up and he taught her how to roar back-- to find that voice inside of her that responds to her circumstances with confident boldness, that voice that sends packing all the doubts, fears, anxieties, and worries; and that voice that stops the chaos from spinning. How do you roar like that? Well, we have to face our trials with a lot of bravery and courage. We have to dig deep and know our identity - both who we are and whose we are - so we can stand in authority. We have to know how to partner with God to shift our circumstances.You can come out of the other side of your mess a warrior because she's done it. She has discovered how to triumph, how to fight back, how to overcome, and how to breakthrough. For the past 15 years, Cherlyn has helped hundreds of people just like YOU not only survive the trials but use them, learn from them and get breakthrough for ourselves and others. And now in this book, Cherlyn will teach you how to do just that, how to ROAR back. And when you do, then then you will not only transform your struggles into strength, but you will be equipped to face whatever comes your way.

‘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.

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