1104 results for author: Ashlee Schmidt

Hope for the Holidays {Rejoice in Hope}

“Rejoice in the Lord always, I will say it again: rejoice!” -Philippians 4:4 As the Christmas season draws near, the last thing you may feel like doing this year is rejoicing.  It may seem there is little reason for joy this year.  If your loss is new, it is possible you pictured celebrating your Christmas very differently than you now will.  Last Christmas was that way for me.  We had expected sharing our Christmas with a six-month-old boy and all the fun that comes with watching a baby at Christmas.  Instead, the holidays seemed like a huge reminder of the ache of his absence.  Yet as Christmas approached, the Lord continually caused me ...

Hope for the Holidays {Why We Give Thanks}

Dear ones, there are so many sorrows in this world — so much heartache, so much pain, so many questions.  We who have said goodbye to a beloved child have known great pain.  But in this season of Thanksgiving, we are reminded often about what God’s Word says about being thankful. “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” -1 Thessalonians 5:18 “Giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,” -Ephesians 5:20 “Praise the Lord! Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever!” -Psalm 106:1 We watch ...

Hope for the Holidays {Our God of Hope}

Hope for the holidays. Is there such a thing for us Hope Mommies? I sit and write today - fresh on the heels of Halloween. Last night, my Facebook feed was a mixture of moms posting pics of their kids in cute costumes and moms lamenting the last time their kids dressed up or the fact that they would never pick out costumes for their kids. Hope for the Holidays? Is that even possible? Yes, we can have hope for the holidays – if we plug into the source of all hope – the God of hope. This time of the year is often hard for Hope Mommies. Everywhere we look, there seems to be excitement and joy. People are bustling about making plans for the ...

Christie’s Story

In 2008, I met the love of my life, Ken Stoddart. We had an exciting and romantic courtship and were married on July 17, 2010. We were beyond thrilled when we found out we were pregnant right after the wedding. I remember taking a pregnancy test 20 times, just to make sure. The feeling of seeing those lines was beyond exciting. I called my sister, and asked her “What do I do now?” She simply replied, “You wait.” I had horrible morning sickness and only wanted to eat cookies and ice cream. My mother-in-law told me that the sicker I was, the healthier the baby was going to be. I had no doubt that PNut was going to be beautiful. We went ...

Choose Hope 2016

The pain of losing a child, whether to miscarriage, stillbirth, or infant loss, is among the most agonizing of sorrows.  Whether your loss occurred many years ago or very recently, the ache you carry in your heart is heavy indeed.  There is nothing that can prepare you for the devastation of losing a child, and there are no words that can take away the pain that results.   But dear one, your grief does not need to be carried alone. For the past ten years, our nation has officially recognized October 15 as an opportunity to honor and remember our precious babies who have gone home before us, and to spread awareness of the tragedy that befalls 1 in ...

Kinsey’s Story

It’s hard to believe that it’s been a year already. A year since our world was shaken. A year ago, this month, our little family welcomed a new addition—one we had eagerly awaited and prayed for, for so long. And instead of snuggling him in my bed, I was on my knees in the hospital bathroom, with my head to the cold floor, begging God to spare our son. It was not supposed to end this way. This was not what I had imagined six months before when I first saw those two pink lines. In Feb, 2015 we found out that we were expecting our second child. Our 2-year-old son would be getting a little brother that November. Early on in the pregnancy I ...

Heather’s Story

My story began long before the births and deaths of my babies. I had always wanted to be a mom. I wanted a big family. I wanted lots of children. Fast forward to married life, and I learned I couldn’t have children without medical intervention. With the use of fertility drugs, a willing husband to give me hundreds of shots, and great doctors, I became a mom to my firstborn, Claire. Life was fabulous. We decided to try 6 months later. It was a “breeze” the first time, so how hard could it really be? I was so very naive. It was very hard to get pregnant the second time. After many attempts at IUI, and many, many more shots, I finally became ...

Laura’s Story

My pregnancy with my daughter was easy. I glowed from day one, never having much nausea, all the way through to the end when my overdue self waddled into a room, happy and content, dreaming of my baby. Aside from her necessary induction ten days after her due date, my pregnancy and delivery were textbook. This is one thing that I truly took for granted, as most do when they haven't been touched with loss. Her younger brother's story, while textbook in the pregnancy stages, didn't conclude with a happy ending. Funny how eight years later, I can close my eyes and review details that weren't as sharp to me as I was living in them. The grief walk is a ...

Julia’s Story

“I’m sorry, I normally can see a heartbeat in a baby this size, but I don't.” “I’m sorry, this doesn't look to me like a viable pregnancy.” Two different pregnancies, two different ultrasound techs, two different lives lost. And my heart broken two different times. The doctors say it’s good that my two “missed” miscarriages didn't happen in a row. I had a healthy son between the two of them. But that didn't comfort me. Nothing can comfort a woman who has just found out her baby “isn't viable.” Nothing but the love of Jesus. The first time I miscarried, the pregnancy was not planned. I still, however, cried buckets of ...

Hope Group Testimonies

Hope Groups are small groups of women who have experienced miscarriage, stillbirth or infant loss (up to two years of age) at any point in their life. It’s a collection of women who meet and share their stories with one another, pray together, ask questions, share hurts, share happinesses, and cling to His Word to find that there is still hope after the death of their precious sons and daughters. Hope Groups are nine-week Bible study small groups. Some meet online through Facebook and some meet in person. Each group will establish a specific meeting time. Even if you can’t make it for that specific time each week, the topics ...