I Didn't Sign Up for This: Finding Hope When Everything Is Going Wrong

So many things have the power to change our lives dramatically--loss, fear, betrayal, failure. When everything goes wrong in life, it’s so easy to give in to the pain, frustration, and anger that threaten to overwhelm us. Though we may feel like giving up, there is life--abundant, exciting, and fulfilling--after our world gets turned upside down. In fact, says John Westfall, it’s often in the face of fear and loss that we truly learn to live with courage, faith, and surprising joy.

Westfall speaks from experience. He may have pretended everything was fine, but inside he was beaten down, burdened, and aching for freedom from the depression that gripped him after a sudden loss. Through his own story, the stories of others, and wisdom from Scripture, Westfall shares with readers the peace of acceptance, the pleasure of release, and the power of risk.

Joy can be ours, even after devastating events. This book lights the way to a bright and new beginning.

From the Back Cover

You can survive the storms of life--no matter what they throw at you.

So many things have the power to change our lives dramatically--loss, fear, betrayal, failure. Though we might feel like giving up when we’re beaten down, there is life--abundant, exciting, and fulfilling--if we can trust God with this new chapter.

After a series of traumatic losses in his own life, pastor John Westfall realized that when everything feels like it’s ending, sometimes God is starting something new. Through his own dramatic story, the stories of others, and wisdom from Scripture, Westfall shares with the weary the peace of acceptance, the pleasure of release, and the power of risk.

You don’t have to wait until life is perfect to follow God into a new adventure--even if you didn’t sign up for it.


"Life is hard. Often, it doesn’t turn out as well as we expected, and we find ourselves looking at our lives and wondering how we got here. It’s messy and we don’t know what to do. John Westfall has been there, and in this book, he gives us hope. Weaving together biblical passages and much of his own story, he shows us how to deal with disappointment and much worse, and live joyfully regardless of the circumstances."--Denny Rydberg, president emeritus, Young Life

"It’s not often that an author shares their inner soul like John Westfall does in his new book. John gave me a comfort I didn’t realize I needed or even wanted."--Joe Boldan, CEO, Ya Joe Men’s Apparel


John F. Westfall is founding pastor of Harbor Church, a creative new congregation in the Pacific Northwest, and has pastored churches in Washington, California, and Minnesota. A former radio show host, an ordained pastor, an adjunct professor at Fuller Theological Seminary, and a popular retreat and conference speaker, John is the author of Getting Past What You’ll Never Get Over. He lives in the Seattle area with his wife, Eileen.