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Not What I Signed Up For: Finding the Strength, Purpose, and Faith to Get through a Season You Didn’t Expect
What do I do when I don’t know what to do?
Have you ever found yourself in an unexpected season? Struggling with fear, uncertainty, and an unknown future? And thinking to yourself (and saying to God): This is not what I signed up for.
From counselor and Bible teacher Nicole Unice comes a book for when you feel scared, helpless, and in over your head. In Not What I Signed Up For, Nicole takes us on a journey through the biblical story of Joseph—thirteen years of conflict, abandonment, and captivity—to help us see how God uses life’s hard times, twists, turns, and in-between spaces to grow something essential in our souls. With honest vulnerability, she’ll help you learn forward when every choice feels impossible.Persevere when you have no idea how your story will end.Recognize signposts of hope in times of doubt, anxiety, and disappointment.Develop a sense of purpose and a resilient faith as you walk through seasons of uncertainty.As you witness Joseph’s eventual restoration and redemption unfold in an entirely different way than what he must have expected, you’ll find the strength, hope, and perspective to navigate a season you didn’t sign up for.
Not What I Signed Up For also makes a perfect gift for anyone in need of spiritual encouragement.
Have you ever found yourself in an unexpected season? Struggling with fear, uncertainty, and an unknown future? And thinking to yourself (and saying to God): This is not what I signed up for.
From counselor and Bible teacher Nicole Unice comes a book for when you feel scared, helpless, and in over your head. In Not What I Signed Up For, Nicole takes us on a journey through the biblical story of Joseph—thirteen years of conflict, abandonment, and captivity—to help us see how God uses life’s hard times, twists, turns, and in-between spaces to grow something essential in our souls. With honest vulnerability, she’ll help you learn forward when every choice feels impossible.Persevere when you have no idea how your story will end.Recognize signposts of hope in times of doubt, anxiety, and disappointment.Develop a sense of purpose and a resilient faith as you walk through seasons of uncertainty.As you witness Joseph’s eventual restoration and redemption unfold in an entirely different way than what he must have expected, you’ll find the strength, hope, and perspective to navigate a season you didn’t sign up for.
Not What I Signed Up For also makes a perfect gift for anyone in need of spiritual encouragement.
232 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 19, 2024
56 people are currently reading
844 people want to read
About the author
Nicole Unice
21Ìýbooks101ÌýfollowersNicole brings 20 years of leadership and counseling experience to her work as a coach and communicator. Nicole’s passion is facilitating environments of safety and vulnerability so that individuals and communities can courageously identify obstacles keeping them from maximum potential.
In her books and videos, Nicole is passionate about making transformation attainable and accessible to people in all stages of life. As a coach, Nicole brings clarity and courage for individuals and teams as they pursue a preferred future.
As a speaker, Nicole brings both wit and wisdom to the platform, with an honest and vulnerable approach that appeals to both faith and leadership environments alike.
Nicole works internationally but loves her home in Richmond, VA, which she shares with her husband and three teenagers. Nicole holds degrees from the College of William and Mary and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and serves on the boards of East Mountain, an international leadership organization and CHAT, a local nonprofit focused on restorative work with young people in poverty.
Connect with Nicole online at her website (nicoleunice.com) or on any of these social media platforms:
See more at:
Her heart belongs to Hope Church in Richmond, Virginia, where she serves as ministry director and leads Praxis, a full-time ministry residency program for young leaders. Nicole holds degrees from the College of William and Mary and from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.
In her books and videos, Nicole is passionate about making transformation attainable and accessible to people in all stages of life. As a coach, Nicole brings clarity and courage for individuals and teams as they pursue a preferred future.
As a speaker, Nicole brings both wit and wisdom to the platform, with an honest and vulnerable approach that appeals to both faith and leadership environments alike.
Nicole works internationally but loves her home in Richmond, VA, which she shares with her husband and three teenagers. Nicole holds degrees from the College of William and Mary and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and serves on the boards of East Mountain, an international leadership organization and CHAT, a local nonprofit focused on restorative work with young people in poverty.
Connect with Nicole online at her website (nicoleunice.com) or on any of these social media platforms:
See more at:
Her heart belongs to Hope Church in Richmond, Virginia, where she serves as ministry director and leads Praxis, a full-time ministry residency program for young leaders. Nicole holds degrees from the College of William and Mary and from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
May 26, 2024
This book was engaging and readable, but most importantly, helpful. It really helped me look at my trauma differently, and the story of Joseph was a great perspective on suffering. Thanks so much for this great spiritual support!
March 27, 2024
Not What I Signed Up For by Nicole Unice is worth every moment you give to reading it. Using the Biblical story of Joseph, she creates a book that is more a long talk with a good friend then a mere printed list of good ideas for the reader. We are encouraged to admit life is hard and our souls were never created for such struggle and pain that this world dishes out. But are we resigned to spin our wheels in the mud of this world or is there a way to be present in the messiness of it and live in freedom regardless. This book will help you find a place of freedom within your struggles and pain. The restoration and redemption we see lived out in the story of Joseph is available to us too. Our unexpected seasons, as the author calls them, have purpose and meaning when we allow, the God who permits them, to demonstrate His goodness and power through them. As Nicole writes, we need to dust for prints and see God’s hands at work even in our hardest seasons and consider how our perspective about our difficult season could change if we really believed that in all our pain and suffering God really is working good out of it. I found this book deeply encouraging, a wonderful engaging read and left me challenged to retool my own perspectives on those difficult seasons of life as they come my way.
September 13, 2024
Fantastic book and I probably only absorbed about 50% of what it has to offer.
I’ll leave you with a few nuggets, that are in no way a spoiler, there is so much more. I am currently going through one of life’s difficult times and I found comfort from this book. Highly recommend.
“The questions feel too big and too hard to answer. Knowing God feels like trying to hold smoke or water you’ve scooped up in our hands: Impossible to grasp with nothing to show for the effort.�
“The Psalms are the place where lament and worship freely coexist; where I can acknowledge the trouble and darkness that so often surround me while also embracing the light and goodness of God’s peace, mercy, and love.�
“Once we understand that redemption is always a process, that grace and forgiveness and a new view on life are so profoundly impactful that they happen at the slow growth rate of a tree, we can be gentle with ourselves. Knowing that old habits die hard and change takes time, we can celebrate what has changed while being patient with what still feels stuck, broken, or tender.
I’ll leave you with a few nuggets, that are in no way a spoiler, there is so much more. I am currently going through one of life’s difficult times and I found comfort from this book. Highly recommend.
“The questions feel too big and too hard to answer. Knowing God feels like trying to hold smoke or water you’ve scooped up in our hands: Impossible to grasp with nothing to show for the effort.�
“The Psalms are the place where lament and worship freely coexist; where I can acknowledge the trouble and darkness that so often surround me while also embracing the light and goodness of God’s peace, mercy, and love.�
“Once we understand that redemption is always a process, that grace and forgiveness and a new view on life are so profoundly impactful that they happen at the slow growth rate of a tree, we can be gentle with ourselves. Knowing that old habits die hard and change takes time, we can celebrate what has changed while being patient with what still feels stuck, broken, or tender.
March 10, 2025
Definitely a book you want to read with a pen and highlighter! Lots of notes to come back to. I think I would’ve appreciated the book more if I was in a difficult stage. The book reminded me how hard some seasons of life can be and how long they can feel. I do think it helps me support others in a difficult season. It was a good Bible study discussion book. I appreciated the authors use of Joseph’s biblical history to coach through hard seasons.
March 25, 2024
"The test of loss is always an invitation to communion, to experience new levels of connection with God." (p39). I have found this book so helpful, especially in my journey of grieving the loss of both my parents over the last couple of years. This book by Nicole Unice is for anyone who is navigating life's unexpected turns, including any kind of loss or personal turmoil.
October 22, 2024
I genuinely appreciate the perspective and thoughtfulness that Nicole brought to the story of Joseph. This book didn't even remotely feel like 200+ pages of Bible story; it was somehow personal. She was able to touch so many interwoven topics in so few pages without leaving me feeling like she'd skimmed something deeper or that a hurt was highlighted without being addressed.
April 28, 2024
We all those seasons
This was an easy read and really enjoyed this book. I think we all need to read and remind ourselves that don't give up we all have a plan, even when we are are in a middle of a tough season.
This was an easy read and really enjoyed this book. I think we all need to read and remind ourselves that don't give up we all have a plan, even when we are are in a middle of a tough season.
October 19, 2024
Did this as a Bible study. Very good look into how we handle problems and gave a new outlook on how we should actually handle issues that come up in life. I would recommend! The companion study guide was great.
November 16, 2024
God is good! Talks of grief, lost, and struggling. This spoke to me in ways I wasn't really ready to confront but I did and it helped a lot.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
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