1104 results for author: Ashlee Schmidt
Hymns of Hope: Come, Thou Long Expectant Jesus
Although the people of Israel had been long awaiting the coming of the Messiah, He did not come as they expected Him to. They expected the triumphant coming of a king, but not one born in a humble stable. They expected Him to be adored and extolled at His coming, but not by lowly shepherds. They expected Him to confront their oppressors, not the piety of their religious leaders. In fact, all throughout the gospels, we see the long expected Jesus breaking all our expectations.
We tend to fill our thoughts of Christ with our own suppositions of what He should be like, and what He should do on our behalf. But Jesus did not leave the ...
Discussions in Grief: Tears
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.
Tears are a natural part of the grieving process. They are an outward expression of internal pain, anxiety, sadness, stress and frustration. They can come on suddenly while making a meal, talking to friends, or sitting alone in the stillness of night.
For me, it came on when I was driving down the road ...
In the Word: The Weight of Glory
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.
The believer's truer reality exists in another glorious place. Heaven may be invisible, but it is more real than this world. Oh yes, and it is far better too—gloriously better. The Scriptural concept of glory is derived from the concept of weight, heaviness, and gravity. The “glory” of heaven seems to be connected with “weight,” as in “weight of splendid worthiness.” In a manner that cannot even ...
Hymns of Hope: O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
O come, O come! God, be with us!
This was Israel’s cry. Aching. Yearning. Hoping. How long, O Lord? They cried out to God in the midst of their exile, first under Babylon and then under the oppression of the Roman empire. They longed for rescue, for all that was wrong to be made right. They knew the Promised One would come to ransom them. Surely the Messiah would be here soon. In their mourning, they waited for His coming. Clinging to expectation and hope, they rejoiced at the promise of His rescue, knowing that their God was faithful. He would keep His word.
O come, O come! God, be with us!
And He did. God Himself ...
Discussions in Grief: Anger
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.
Anger. It is a part of the grief process. When we grieve, we are supposed to experience anger... at least that's what the "experts" tell us.
I do not consider myself an angry person, so when the son my husband and I desired so deeply was born still nine days before his due date, I wasn’t ...
A Song in the Night: 2022 Retreat
In Psalm 42 we’re given a poetic description of a man who is suffering unbearable circumstances. He pants and thirsts. Tears have been his food day and night. His soul is downcast. Can you relate? I can. 11 years ago, I gave birth to my daughter in a silent hospital room. There was no sweet cry of newborn, only hushed voices. Joy and light left my world the moment death entered. Her little body was so perfectly formed by the Creator. I held her and wept as I admired every single feature. 22 weeks with her wasn’t enough.
Even now, there are moments I cry tears I didn’t know I had left to cry, still longing for what was lost. ...
Giving Tuesday 2021
Did you know that 2021 marked ten years in nonprofit ministry for Hope Mommies? I have been serving with the organization for eight of those ten, and it has been an immense privilege from my vantage point.
Over the past decade Hope Mommies has:
Placed 19,895 Hope Boxes into the hands of grieving mothers.Discipled 1,781 women through Hope Groups.Encouraged, loved, and served a total of 902 women at our Retreats.And equipped our community with biblical wisdom, by publishing a total of 975 blog posts.
"But more than all these numbers, we have seen real women’s lives changed through their deepening relationship with Jesus."
But more than ...
In the Word: Momentary Troubles
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.
For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.2 Corinthians 4:17
There is something that far outweighs baby loss. This statement is tremendously difficult to believe because this experience is weighty.
If you are like me, this is how you feel:
This is the weightiest experience of your life. You were not prepared in advance for the loss of your ...
