1104 results for author: Ashlee Schmidt

Life in Our Eternity {Part 1}

Have you ever observed that the Bible starts in a garden—Eden—and ends in a garden-city—New Jerusalem—both of which are places where God dwells with mankind? The Bible begins in Genesis with a very good creation. Adam and Eve dwelled in the garden of Eden with God. God gave them everything good: close communion with Himself, a relationship together to reflect Him, and the ability to respond to God's good commands with obedience. With all of this, they chose to disobey Him. We are made for communion with God, to reflect God in relationships with each other, and for responding to God's goodness and glory with obedience. ...

Valeria’s Story

On August 13, 2018, I nursed my sweet little girl for the last time. I was starting to get sore, so I figured it was time for her to give up nursing; my daughter Adelynn was a year and a half at the time. It was a tough few days for us, but we made it! One week later, I decided to celebrate with a special dinner, but afterwards I felt off. Little did I know I was carrying Addy’s little brother. The next morning I took a pregnancy test to verify if my suspicions were correct, and in minutes, the strip read two lines. We had decided to let the chips land where they may in regards to trying to have another, so Everett was a surprise but ...

Presently With the Lord

Our babies don’t exactly experience all aspects of eternity yet, seeing as the new heavens and new earth have not yet been inaugurated. Some promises (for example, the restoration of the earth, and God making His forever-home on earth with man, and the resurrection of our bodies) are still forth-coming. Yet, Jesus made clear to the believing thief on the cross beside Him that he would truly see Jesus immediately after death—in fact, Jesus used the term “today” to describe this promise (Luke 23:43). To be away from the body is to be present with the Lord (2 Cor. 5:8). Even though the soul will not be united with the body again ...

Yet I Will Praise You: The Life of Abraham

History bears witness to the many men and women who have gone before us in choosing to praise God in spite of the great suffering they endured. We can learn much from their testimonies of faithfulness and perseverance in the midst of grief and pain. In this series, we share about the trials others have endured, and of their commitment to praise God from the valley. “By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac ...

In the Word: Our Only Hope

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. “But He was pierced for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with His wounds we are healed.” Isaiah 53:5 READ: How do I do justice to the beauty of the cross? I cannot. Indeed, I will be worshiping Him for the way He has saved me from my sin for all eternity. There is a Savior! As Thomas Watson said, "Till sin be bitter, ...

We Will See Him

We will see Him. We will “behold His face” (Matt. 18:10). We will see Him “as He is” (1 John 3:2) without any separation. We will bow before Him (Phil. 2:10). To Be with God Our eternal life is where He—His holiness, sovereignty, goodness, mercy, and more—is experienced and proclaimed. Angelic beings, called seraphim, proclaim His holiness in the heavenly places (Isa. 6:3), showing us that He will be the One we want to speak of. He will be stunning to us. We will call to one another that He is holy and glorious. As people who have experienced the greatest possible magnificence and cannot keep it within, we will exchange with one ...

Yet I Will Praise You: The Life of Peter

History bears witness to the many men and women who have gone before us in choosing to praise God in spite of the great suffering they endured. We can learn much from their testimonies of faithfulness and perseverance in the midst of grief and pain. In this series, we share about the trials others have endured, and of their commitment to praise God from the valley. One of the most difficult aspects of losing a child for me has been watching so many of those dear to me experience the same sorrow. Now that I am familiar with the devastating ache of having to say goodbye to two of my children on this side of eternity, those wounds seem ...

Brigette’s Story

Luke Charles Hawthorne was a miracle. We had been trying, unsuccessfully, for four years to conceive a child. In November 2019, I had an appointment with my doctor to discuss a possible referral to a fertility specialist. As I was praying, I felt God saying, “Trust Me.” In January 2020, we found out we were pregnant. I was ecstatic! I was finally going to be a mama. I started researching all the baby things and was in a state of bliss. My husband and I even began reading a book on God-centered parenting. Then on May 13, 2020, the unthinkable happened. My water broke when I was only 21 weeks pregnant. The prognosis was poor. My doctor prepared me ...

Amanda’s Virtual Retreat Experience

When I first heard about the Hope Mommies Retreat, I wasn’t in the best place due to losing my twins. I basically brushed off the idea of attending. I did not sign up right away. I didn’t know anyone attending. This was way out of my comfort zone, so my feelings about it were hesitant and uncertain. Was this going to be a group of women trying to be overly positive when I didn’t feel positive at all?  Close to the end of registration, it was as if God was tugging at my heart saying, “Look, you’re at the bottom right now. You only can go up from here, right? Just try it. If you don’t like it and you don’t feel My presence, ...

Yet I Will Praise You: The Life of Job

Why do bad things happen to good people? This is a question I think everyone has struggled with at some point. Suffering just doesn't make sense. You try so hard to live a good life, and you are rewarded with heartache. We deserve more. We deserve better. Don't we? Let's take a look at a man who could relate to injustice. Job is described as "blameless and upright; [he] feared God and shunned evil" (Job 1:1).  He was "the greatest man among all the people of the East" (1:3).  Here we have a good guy, a great guy—the greatest guy. Job lived a prosperous life, but he was humble and put God first. Satan went before God, and God ...