1104 results for author: Ashlee Schmidt
In the Word: Already Ours
Welcome to Hope Mommies’ In the Word devotionals. It is our desire that this series will aid you in getting in the Bible for yourself and discovering the joy that comes from hearing from God through the pages of His Word.
"who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." 1 Peter 1:5
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Our heavenly future is being guarded on an on-going basis according to the language used here. It is being guarded even now, this minute. Why is that important? This means it is already ready and prepared. It already exists, and, even more, it already exists for us; it is already ...
What Comes Will Be His Gift
Sometimes I wake up and feel the stillness, I wonder if I’m empty again. I wait, trying just to breath when everything feels too quiet.
And then I feel her. She moves so deep within me. That pulse inside—the universe shifts—I feel her intertwined with my body and blood, nestled deep inside, everything that I am is protecting her. And yet I am completely out of control, this seed growing and growing takes no thought from myself. I don’t knit her together. I don’t form her blinking eyes, curling fingers, or kicking feet. Yahweh does—the One who has always been the Creator and always will be. She is a seed I pressed down eager and hopeful ...
Discussions in Grief: Timeline
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.
Imagine setting out on a road trip all alone without a map. There is a destination, but it isn’t clear where. There are deep canyons, detours, and road blocks along the way, but without a map or GPS the route will be dangerous, time-consuming, and there is no way of knowing when you will arrive. ...
Cliche Comforts: “Everything Happens For A Reason”
Everything happens for a reason. I heard it when my son died and I heard a young mother say it the other day. I didn’t like it 26 years ago when someone said it to me, and it still rubbed me wrong the other day. I know the young mom who just buried her child had probably been told that and she was just repeating it. I didn’t have a good response at the time, but that phrase has been banging around in my head for a few weeks now.
Here’s what I wish I had replied to that hurting mom. I wish I had told her I don’t know why babies die and cannot figure out a good reason for it, but I do know God can take even the worse situation and use it for ...
God’s Goodness to Me
We are great at declaring God’s goodness when He does something for us, when He shows up in the way we had prayed for and hoped—when He provides, when He heals. I heard a story of a man who was reading his Bible on a train when it crashed and killed many. He told a reporter, “I don’t know why I didn’t die, why I’m still alive…God is so good.” While I do not disagree with his statement, or think we shouldn’t declare God’s goodness when He spares our lives, heals, and provides, I just couldn’t help but think of the questions that may appear on the hearts of all the families who did lose someone on that train, the families who know ...
In the Word: Protected
Welcome to Hope Mommies’ In the Word devotionals. It is our desire that this series will aid you in getting in the Bible for yourself and discovering the joy that comes from hearing from God through the pages of His Word.
"who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." 1 Peter 1:5a
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Our heavenly future, or, the final step in the process of our salvation (Romans 8:30), is being guarded heavily. Here, "guarded" gives the image of a military presence that is shielding what is of value. What kind of backing and resources does this "military presence" have? ...
Ask the Blog Team: What is Something You Wish You Would Have Known?
Welcome to our Q+A series, Ask the Blog Team. In this series, the Hope Mommies blog team joins together to answer questions that are commonly asked in grief. If there is a question or topic that you have wrestled with in your grief that you would like the opportunity to see how other Hope Moms have processed or answered, we would love to hear from you. You can submit your questions here.
What is something you wish you would have known in those early days of grieving when it felt so heavy and dark?
I wish I had known it wouldn't always be so heavy and dark. I wish I knew my joy would be restored. In the beginning, I willed myself to believe ...
Cliche Comforts: “You Are So Strong”
“You are so strong.”
How do you respond when someone says these words as a complement or kind word of encouragement, but you feel so very weak and weary? This well-meaning comment is one that I still hear ten years after the loss of our son. I often want to look around and say, “Who, me?” Every time someone says this I think to myself, “But what if I’m not?”
At the beginning, I didn’t want to risk someone misunderstanding my doubt in my own strength as doubt in the sovereignty of God, so I simply said, “Thank you.” If I showed fear, anxiety, or weakness, what would that be saying about my belief in God and His plan for my ...
