Hopeful-ish

Doesn’t it feel like the world has just…changed? Optimists are wrestling with pessimism. People who were formerly happy and content now look at the world with disappointment and skepticism. Prestigious professional lives are now lived on video calls in Christmas pajamas. Our relationships have taken a hit and we’ve lost people we love, and we all just feel a little beat up, you know? A little sad and tired. Life just doesn’t feel like it used to.

But does it have to be this way? Is hope possible only if life returns to the way it was? Or is hope something you can experience no matter what?

In Hopeful-ish, Scarlet Hiltibidal answers that question with a resounding yes. In her third and much-anticipated book, Scarlet holds the gospel up to the hard stuff—to deep sadness, disappointments, doubts, overwhelm, weariness, and yes, even the pain that comes with random donkey attacks on one’s children (true story). And guess what? The gospel doesn’t just hold up. It proves that hope is possible and radiant, even here. Even in the mess and the heartache and the disillusionment and the losses.

In her trademark relatable, hilarious, and vulnerable voice, Scarlet shares funny and heartbreaking stories, all which ultimately point to God’s hopeful love story we are living in right now. If you need a long walk with a friend who can give you fresh hope and even a few laughs along the way, open these pages, because Hopeful-ish is for you.

1. Opening Credits
2. Introduction
3. Section 1: Sadness Is Natural—Hope in Sadness Is Supernatural | Chapter 1: A Broken Rocking Horse and a Broken Heart
4. Chapter 2: Fake Farming . . . Weary Worship: I Want the Real Thing
5. Chapter 3: Ham-hocking and Being Held
6. Chapter 4: “Wow . . . You Have NONE Friends?”
7. Section 2: Weariness Is Inevitable, but Overcomable | Chapter 5: Preteen Retirement Goals
8. Chapter 6: The Power of a Pillow Nest
9. Chapter 7: Pillow Nest Part 2: When the Cancer Comes Back
10. Chapter 8: Middle-Aged Heartache and Blue Ribbons to Come
11. Chapter 9: Why Do We Stop Praying in Our Pain?
12. Section 3: Hope Is for Today and Forever | Chapter 10: Holding On to Hope with “Oh Piffle” Peace
13. Chapter 11: Garden of the Gods vs. The Pool at Hampton Inn
14. Chapter 12: A Sick Donkey on a Saturday
15. Chapter 13: Terminal Cancer and a Holy Sprinkled Donut
16. Acknowledgements
17. Closing Credits