1104 results for author: Ashlee Schmidt
Love One Another: His Story
It was a typical weekend filled with family activities in late September 2009. Chelsea was 36 weeks pregnant with Chase and we were both trying to keep up with his three big sisters—Kendyll (7), Carlie (5) and Abby Kate (2.5). The long hot Texas summer was nearly behind us. We were in the homestretch of this fourth pregnancy, and simply ready for this new era as a family of six to begin. We completed all of the typical "night before church” routines—baths, hair-drying, and story time, and announced to the girls that we were going to see a live Broadway style performance of Mary Poppins after church the next day. We finally got in bed ourselves, ...
Faith in the Unseen
Welcome to Hope Mommies In the Word devotionals. Over the next several weeks, we will be narrowing in on specific truths of the gospel to learn how they direct and inform us in our grief. As we study these truths together, we’d love you to use the comments as a place to dialogue with us about what you are learning and share your answers to the questions below. We pray that you hearts will be encouraged as you dig into God's Word each week with us!
“Jesus said to him, ‘Have you believed because you have seen Me?
Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.’”
John 20:29
READ:
How do we go about believing in ...
October 15 Reflections
We are only a few weeks from October 15, the day set aside for National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day. It’s a day to remember, to come together, and to hope in the Word.
Before I had experienced loss of my own, I had no idea that October 15 existed. Perhaps I had heard it mentioned before then, but it was certainly not something that I had given much thought to. I was completely unaware of how often pregnancy and infant loss occurred. It felt unreal from the outside looking in. Sure baby loss doesn't happen now! We are living in the age of modern medicine!
When my son passed away in my womb, everything changed. Suddenly my reality was ...
Discussions in Grief: Entitlement
Grieving involves new emotions and considerations often too many to numbers. When you find yourself in overwhelming grief, you likely feel buried and lost. In this series, we slowly and compassionately look at one aspect of grief at a time from a biblical perspective for the newly grieving mother. Click {here} to read past posts in this series.
The worst thing imaginable has happened. You have lost your baby. You have suffered greatly and experienced more pain than most everyone you know. You have hit rock bottom, and the only solace is knowing that things can only go up from here.
That’s how I felt after losing my daughter, Kinley. ...
Encourage One Another: Her Story
“Put courage in.”
That’s what the word “encourage” means. In my story, courage to face the lonely days, the quiet nursery, the empty womb, the unfilled baby book, the days and days that stretched ahead that mocked me with their childlessness --- courage was one of the many things I needed.
Like all grievers, I had days when I felt completely unable to function, let alone face the day with courage and hope. That is where my incredible husband Blair was such a powerful force of God’s healing work in my grieving heart.
Gwendolyn Hope was born via emergency cesarean in October of 2010, and died 36 hours later as one by one her body ...
Encourage One Another: His Story
Therefore encourage one another with these words.
-1 Thessalonians 4:18
Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.
-1 Thessalonians 5:11
Both of these verses in 1 Thessalonians come immediately after sections of Scripture where Paul the author is giving us a glimpse into things that will happen in the end times. After cracking the window into the future for us Paul concludes with “go encourage one another. Go build each other up.”
I fear that the norm is actually the opposite when we think of the events, both marvelous and terrifying, that must take place when the world as we know it comes to an end. We ...
A Kingdom That Cannot Be Shaken
Welcome to Hope Mommies In the Word devotionals. Over the next several weeks, we will be narrowing in on specific truths of the gospel to learn how they direct and inform us in our grief. As we study these truths together, we’d love you to use the comments as a place to dialogue with us about what you are learning and share your answers to the questions below. We pray that you hearts will be encouraged as you dig into God's Word each week with us!
“I am the living bread that came down from heaven.
If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever.”
John 6:51
READ:
In John 6:55, Jesus says that His flesh is real food and His ...
An Unearned Inheritance
An inheritance is the acquisition of a possession, condition, or trait from past generations. By tradition, the recipient is not the one who worked for or earned what they have acquired from the contributor. It is simply a gift one receives because of their lineage. I have inherited my mother's eyes, my father's sense of humor, and a little plot of land tucked into the fields of East Texas. I also have inherited heaven. There has been no work on my part to obtain any of my inheritance.
"The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance." Psalm 16:6
The mention of lines and pleasant places in this verse ...
Discussions in Grief: Fear
Grieving involves new emotions and considerations often too many to numbers. When you find yourself in overwhelming grief, you likely feel buried and lost. In this series, we slowly and compassionately look at one aspect of grief at a time from a biblical perspective for the newly grieving mother. Click {here} to read past posts in this series.
Anxiety and worry have been consistent struggles in my life before loss and after. It wasn’t until I experienced the profound grief of baby loss that I was able to identify the root of my anxiety as fear, and the root of my fear as a lack of trust in the Lord. In my loss, I suddenly became sensitive ...
