The Gift of the Unexpected
Discovering Who You Were Meant to Be When Life Goes Off Plan
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Narrated by:
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Jillian Benfield
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By:
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Jillian Benfield
About this listen
What if the unexpected is the beginning of becoming your truest self?
Jillian Benfield was living life in the spotlight as a TV journalist, but after receiving a life-altering diagnosis for her unborn son, she realized no camera-ready outfit could dress up her grief.
Overcoming this unexpected circumstance wasn't an option. She would have to undergo it instead. In doing so, she discovered who she was and who God wanted her to become.
In this riveting story filled with grit and grace, Jillian helps you break down the false constructs you've built around God and your identity. You won't avoid your pain, but you'll learn to feel it, in a healing way. And you'll discover how your internal transformation leads to external purpose.
No matter what you're going through, you're invited to open this gift: The Gift of the Unexpected.
©2023 Jillian Benfield (P)2023 eChristianListeners also enjoyed...
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Overall
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After the tragic loss of her son and a marriage that ended in divorce and near-bankruptcy, world-renowned health and transformation expert Danette May found her life in shambles. But when her support seemed to come from few and her options seemed the most far between, she began to hear a voice inside her telling her it was time. May never predicted that her journey would take her into a world bikini competition, to a sacred healer in Costa Rica, or through a process of heart-wrenching forgiveness. Yet it was her soul's calling that led her there.
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Vulnerable
- By Priscilla Lopez on 10-29-18
By: Danette May
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Courage, Dear Heart
- By: Rebecca K. Reynolds
- Narrated by: Rebecca K. Reynolds
- Length: 6 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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Our world is chaotic and often feels dark and devoid of hope. And it’s not just the headlines we see every day. Our relationships are broken. A loved one’s health is failing. We’re disoriented and restless and wrestling with fear. These things are the reality of living in a fallen world. But our God is over that world. He is present in the midst of the daily ache of life. He loves us in the midst of that ache. In a series of 11 letters, Rebecca Reynolds writes to the lonely, the weary, the restless, and afraid and provides perspective and hope to find where God is in the midst of it.
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Words for every heart
- By Adam Morrison on 05-25-23
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More Beautiful Than Before
- How Suffering Transforms Us
- By: Steve Leder
- Narrated by: Steve Leder
- Length: 4 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
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Every one of us sooner or later walks through hell. The hell of being hurt, the hell of hurting another. The hell of cancer, the hell of a reluctant, thunking shovel full of earth upon the casket of someone we deeply loved, the hell of betrayal, the hell of betraying, the hell of divorce, the hell of a kid in trouble...the hell of knowing that this year, like any year, may be our last. We all walk through hell. The point is not to come out empty-handed.... There is real and profound power in the suffering we endure if we transform that suffering into a more authentic, meaningful life.
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Learning from Pain
- By Dave on 02-20-19
By: Steve Leder
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Marrow
- A Love Story
- By: Elizabeth Lesser
- Narrated by: Elizabeth Lesser, Sally Field
- Length: 9 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
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A mesmerizing and courageous memoir: the story of two sisters uncovering the depth of their love through the life-and-death experience of a bone marrow transplant. Throughout her life Elizabeth Lesser has sought understanding about what it means to be true to yourself and, at the same time, truly connected to the ones you love. But when her sister, Maggie, needs a bone marrow transplant to save her life, and Lesser learns that she is the perfect match, she faces a far more immediate and complex question about what it really means to love.
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“ Love came first “
- By marie on 03-26-18
By: Elizabeth Lesser
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When God Doesn't Fix It
- Lessons You Never Wanted to Learn, Truths You Can't Live Without
- By: Laura Story
- Narrated by: Dara Rosenberg
- Length: 9 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
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Worship leader and recording artist Laura Story's life took an unexpected turn when her husband, Martin, was diagnosed with a brain tumor. Their lives would never be the same. Yes, with God all things are possible. But the devastating news was that no cure existed to restore Martin's short-term memory, eyesight, and other complications. The fairy-tale life Laura had dreamed of was no longer possible. And yet in struggling with God about how to live with broken dreams, Laura has found joy and a deeper intimacy with Jesus.
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Right on the Mark!
- By Susan Belanger on 08-30-17
By: Laura Story
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The Louder Song
- Listening for Hope in the Midst of Lament
- By: Aubrey Sampson
- Narrated by: Aubrey Sampson
- Length: 5 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
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When you’re in the midst of suffering, you want answers for the unanswerable, resolutions to the unresolvable. But there is a pathway through this suffering. It’s not easy, but God will use it to lead you toward healing. This path is called lament. In the midst of your darkest times, you will discover that lament leads you back to a place of hope - not because lamenting does anything magical, but because God sings a louder song than suffering ever could, a song of renewal and restoration.
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You will grow up a little in this book
- By J. D. Jones on 06-16-21
By: Aubrey Sampson
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Out of Sorts
- Making Peace with an Evolving Faith
- By: Sarah Bessey
- Narrated by: Joell A. Jacob
- Length: 7 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
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In Out of Sorts, Sarah Bessey, award-winning blogger and author of Jesus Feminist, helps us grapple with core Christian issues using a mixture of beautiful storytelling and biblical teaching. As she candidly shares her wrestlings with core issues - such as who Jesus is, what place the church has in our lives, how to disagree yet remain within a community, and how to love the Bible for what it is rather than what we want it to be - she teaches us how to walk courageously through our own tough questions.
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Sounded like a robot reading this!
- By KNimblett on 02-23-16
By: Sarah Bessey
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Mom Up
- Thriving with Grace in the Chaos of Motherhood
- By: Kara-Kae James, Jamie Ivey - foreword
- Narrated by: Kara-Kae James
- Length: 3 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
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Author Kara-Kae James shares four themes that impact how she follows Jesus and parents her kids: intentional motherhood, genuine community, refreshing rest, and embracing chaos. With practical ideas for building relationships with other moms, grace-filled Scripture reminders, and a healthy dose of humor, Mom Up helps listeners step out of survival mode and into the abundant life God has for them and their family.
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Words that really touch the soul!
- By Leigha Corso Munizzi on 01-08-19
By: Kara-Kae James, and others
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The Dream of You
- Let Go of Broken Identities and Live the Life You Were Made For
- By: Jo Saxton
- Narrated by: Jo Saxton
- Length: 6 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
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Let's be honest: the life you're leading isn't the one you've always dreamt of. And maybe the person you've become isn't who you imagined you'd be. Sure, you can work longer, love harder, and eat better. You can scrub the surface of your life until it gleams. But that won't address the fact that you've somehow lost sight of who you really are. Working from the core message of Ephesians 1:11, Jo Saxton implores women to reject mistaken identities. Relying on personal stories from her own life, she identifies key scenarios where identities develop that are not true to God's vision, demonstrating the importance of knowing one's name, embracing the gifts you've been given, confronting body issues, managing seasons of depression and grief, and letting go of perfectionism.
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Just what I needed
- By Janice Pritchard on 10-03-20
By: Jo Saxton
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Finding Your Way Back to God
- Five Awakenings to Your New Life
- By: Dave Ferguson, Jon Ferguson
- Narrated by: Mike Chamberlain
- Length: 5 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
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"God, if you're real, make yourself real to me." Each of us spends our lives on a journey toward God. Yet often our most deeply felt longings - for meaning, for love, for significance - end up leading us away from instead of toward our Creator and the people he made us to be. Finding Your Way Back to God shows you how to understand and listen to your longings in a whole new way.
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First audible boom
- By Travis J. Curnutte on 05-26-16
By: Dave Ferguson, and others
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I Give Up
- The Secret Joy of a Surrendered Life
- By: Laura Story, Leigh McLeroy - contributor
- Narrated by: Jill Blackwood
- Length: 5 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
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Newlywed Laura Story thought she had control over the great life ahead of her. After all, she followed Jesus and had a promising new job as a worship leader. Why would God not want to fulfill her dreams? But when Laura and her husband, Martin, faced a brain tumor, infertility, and a son’s birth defect, she realized she’d been looking for a happiness that comes from circumstances, rather than a deeper joy that comes from God. Again and again, Laura had to surrender her vision for her life so she could embrace God’s vision.
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1st book was better
- By Scott D. Christiansen on 06-18-20
By: Laura Story, and others
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Wild and Free
- A Hope-Filled Anthem for the Woman Who Feels She Is Both Too Much and Never Enough
- By: Hayley Morgan, Jess Connolly
- Narrated by: Amy Melissa Bentley, Rachel Dulude
- Length: 7 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
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Wild and Free is in equal parts an anthem and an invitation to find freedom from the cultural captivity that holds us back, and freedom to step into the wild and holy call of God in our lives. With fresh biblical insight tracing all the way back to Eve and a treasury of practical application, Jess and Hayley reveal how women today can walk in the true liberty we already have in Jesus.
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Every women needs to read!!
- By Brenda on 04-04-17
By: Hayley Morgan, and others
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Unreasonable Hope
- Finding Faith in the God Who Brings Purpose to Your Pain
- By: Chad Veach
- Narrated by: Chad Veach
- Length: 6 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
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When things go horribly wrong and the world seems to be unraveling, how do you believe in God's goodness? How do you cling to hope? Chad Veach directs listeners away from clichéd Sunday school answers that fail to offer real comfort or provide faith-building insights. Instead he draws from God's promises in the Bible and from the story of his own daughter's diagnosis of a devastating and debilitating disease to reveal simple, purposeful steps for dealing with pain.
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So Passionate!
- By Trevor Tyson on 09-28-16
By: Chad Veach
What listeners say about The Gift of the Unexpected
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- John T.
- 10-09-24
Heart Healing
This book helped me find hope and a new perspective. Sometimes it takes a shift in perspective to move forward from tragedy. Thank you for this honest and thoughtful push forward into a meaningful life.
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- Amy
- 02-06-23
beautiful story
I loved it my brother has Down syndrome and my son has autism the most beautiful unexpected gifts
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- Aleksandra
- 01-31-23
Yes - you should read this book.
If you ever wonder if this is next book you should read, let me save your time- YES. You are welcome.
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- Helen
- 03-01-23
Loved her reading and the story
I have an autistic child. This story resonated with me. How scary, and guilty we felt when we first receive a diagnosis.
It is emotional when we find out our
Precious children has special needs. It was therapeutic.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Anonymous User
- 02-16-24
Life changing!
I love this what a blessing! Truly awesome and applicable to everyone with b any b unexpected scenario.
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- chrissy carston
- 06-30-23
Enjoyed !
Very much enjoyed this book ! Gave me a lot to think about and apply in my own life
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1 person found this helpful
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- Jannie Lee
- 03-01-23
Not biblical! Not sound!
author is all over the place, very emotionally driven. the part where she goes full woke is disgusting.
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- Anonymous User
- 10-05-24
Disappointing Presentation of the Gospel
As a woman married to someone with a disability, I was very excited to listen to this book. The narration was not my favorite style; it sounded more like the narration of a child’s story with the tone of a damsel in distress.
She made a few good points in her story and I enjoyed listening to her life experiences. However, I was most disappointed in Benfield’s presentation of Biblical principles and truths. I found faulty theology somewhere between “pick and choose what you want to believe from the Bible” and a prosperity gospel.
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