54 results for author: Ashlee Schmidt
I’ll never forget holding up the stick with two pink lines on it as I watched my husband take the Christmas tree off the top of the car. In an instant, our world changed and we couldn’t be happier. Our precious little one we had waited for, hoped for, and prayed for was on the way. My pregnancy was hard, but progressed like we expected it to. Our doctor guessed we were having a girl and I’ll never forget hearing her daddy mutter “pink?!” as we walked out of the doctor’s office. Weeks later it was confirmed and we were head over heels in love with our daughter. Our hearts and lives were filled with so much hope for our future and for ...
But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning
them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which
have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again,
even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with them.
I Thess 4:13, 14
. . . A call came. An unexpected call.
. . . A call that seemed to come too soon.
. . . A call no parent or grandparent anticipates.
. . . A call, where on the other end of the line was the distraught voice of my youngest daughter, filled with ...
I once saw a movie or video clip that made a lasting impression on me. They first showed the view while walking through the streets of a specific city or town. It was dirty, scary, and broken. Then they showed the view at night from a mountain. Lights everywhere, something mysterious, breathtakingly beautiful. The same city but different viewpoints, different perspectives.
My view of heaven has been very limited. Maybe it’s like that with many people. I remember thinking previously, what are we going to do all the time for eternity? –almost worried that it is not going to be great at all. For how long can one sing and pray? I ...
From early in our marriage, we had talked about having four children. Right after an end of year trip for our 10th anniversary, we learned we were expecting our 4th baby! We were thrilled! I wasn't experiencing the symptoms that I typically did with early pregnancy, but knowing every pregnancy can be different, I tried not to be concerned. We were already thinking of what the future would hold with a new baby. But, on January 18, 2014, the day did not go as anticipated. I started lightly bleeding, and my heart dropped. It soon turned into heavier bleeding, to the point where I knew that our baby would not be staying with us on earth. My husband and I ...
An Inheritance of Tears: Trusting the Lord of Life When Death Visits the Womb by Jessalyn Hutto, is a brief book of about 100 pages packed with Scriptural, gospel-centered perspective for women who have experienced baby loss. In five chapters, Hutto takes us through theology for death and suffering as a woman who is, sorrowfully, very familiar with baby loss due to miscarriage.
Our Limited Understanding
Hutto acknowledges that when we have experienced something so traumatic in our lives, our minds tend to want to fill the gap in understanding, meaning we seek to grasp the reasons and purposes God had in mind in not preventing our losses. We ...
After just 6 months of marriage my husband and I were overjoyed to find out we were pregnant with our first child only to discover 3 months later that our little girl, Sophia Kyla, had a fatal neural tube condition called anencephaly and would not live once born. When 95% of babies diagnosed with a fatal condition are terminated, we were determined to carry her to term and celebrate every moment of her life no matter the cost. As Sophie’s story began to unfold, our community rallied around us to help us celebrate Sophie’s short life. Unbeknownst to Kevin and I, a secret Facebook page had been created for our friends to help us celebrate each ...
March 23, 2015: My daughter, Eisley Hope, was born at 31 weeks. I went into preterm labor and much to our surprise, she was delivered with a chromosome abnormality and fatal diagnosis. After 12 sweet days, I held my girl for the 4th and final time while “Oceans” by Hillsong played on repeat in the background. To say my faith was shaken is an understatement. The first 15 years of my life, I was a part of a reformed church, and I understood that having a "crisis of faith" supposedly meant that I wasn't saved. I should be blessed to have such affliction and burden to carry—or joyful and thankful that my daughter was dancing with ...
My husband and I have lived in Osaka, Japan working as church planters for the last six years. The Japanese are considered “unreached,” meaning less than 1% are Christian; most people have little to no understanding of the Gospel. We have been blessed to have two children in Japan. My Japanese friends ask me how childbirth here compares to the United States, to which I usually grin and say, “I don't know, I’ve never given birth there!”
I was so anxious to get pregnant with our third child. We have a four-year-old boy, and a two-year-old girl, and I was excited to add another child to the family. When we discovered we were pregnant, it was ...
Some days are more memorable than others. This was just such a day. Because on this day, I put hope in a box and tied it up with a jute twine bow.
This day was years in the making.
This day was the culmination of months and months of planning. This day, wishing turned into reality. This day helped give my pain meaning. This day helped give my baby's death purpose. Somehow, putting hope in a box and tying it up with a bow for another mother who lost her baby helped answer the "why" of losing mine.
I wish there were not a need for one more Hope Box ever again. But because the need is unfortunately so great, I wish ...
After almost a year of trying, we finally got pregnant with our second baby and were able to surprise my Dad on Father’s Day with the news. Just six short weeks later on July 26, our family got the worst blow we have ever experienced when we lost my Dad unexpectedly in an electrical accident while working under my parent’s farmhouse. A week to the day following his accident I started experiencing complications in my pregnancy and was immediately sent to my doctor’s office for an ultrasound. Much to my relief there was still a strong heartbeat, everything seemed fine. I was simply instructed to rest.
The complications continued, and I spent ...
