1104 results for author: Ashlee Schmidt

Hymns of Hope: Be Still My Soul

Many of the hymns were born out of immense sorrow. In this series, we will examine these songs of old, discover the circumstances behind when they were written, and find comfort in the lyrics that so powerfully point us to the hope of Christ. Many of us can think of specific hymns that have ministered to us in times of deep sadness and trial. “Be Still, My Soul” is one of those hymns for me. We chose to sing this hymn at my daughter’s funeral, and I sang it for months afterward when the silence of having no baby in the house became too much to bear. And now, I continue to sing this hymn as a reminder of God’s faithfulness and love ...

Anchored

The nature of infant loss occurring in 1 out of 4 pregnancies, means that there are new women joining our community on a weekly basis. Over the next few weeks, we want to repost some of our earliest blog articles to encourage the dear mommas that have recently joined the ministry and community of Hope Mommies. Although these posts may have been written many years ago, the truths they contain remain the same. God is enough. He has always been enough. And as we place our hope in Him, we will find that He is our anchor in the midst of this storm of grief. Have you ever looked up the definition of the word "hope"? According to dictionary.com, ...

Chapter Spotlight: West Texas

What's happening in West Texas: The West Texas chapter was formed in May, 2016 to help support the mission of Hope Mommies by sharing the hope of Jesus Christ and creating local support to moms and families experiencing pregnancy and infant loss. Our chapter has experienced a lot of change in the past year as we continued to grow daily in the number of families we support. This growth was beginning to take a toll on our leadership and volunteer team, which caused us to look at how we could better serve our area with our time and resources.  Prior to October, 2019, we provided this support in the larger communities of Midland, Odessa, ...

Hymns of Hope: It is Well With My Soul

Many of the hymns were born out of immense sorrow. In this series, we will examine these songs of old, discover the circumstances behind when they were written, and find comfort in the lyrics that so powerfully point us to the hope of Christ. Growing up in a Baptist church, “It Is Well With My Soul” was a very familiar hymn. It made the worship lineup at least every other month. At Bible camp, it was the song my friends and I selected to perform for Talent Show night (yes, we were super cool). Yet, in all of my times singing this beloved hymn, the lyrics only landed on the surface for me. It was a pretty tune, and the words were nice, ...

Theology Matters

Theology matters. As believers, we often hear that word and think it is only for pastors, seminary students, and Sunday school classes. But theology matters in every day life. Our understanding of God, His creation, and His plan matters in our day-to-day lives. This has never been clearer to me than when my wife and I experienced our first miscarriage. As we worked through our sorrow, our theology was invaluable. It helped directed our grieving process and brought us great comfort in the midst of the pain. Here are three truths that helped us form a theological framework from which to view and respond to our loss. THIS WAS A ...

Mothering With Empty Arms

Each child gone ahead from among us is a precious person made in the image of God—and all having been made into Hope Moms, we together declare motherhood in each of our journeys. We are eager to go above and beyond in showing honor and love for one another (Rom. 12:10, 15). Through this series, we honor each other’s experiences of motherhood in love through our shared God of hope. What does it look like to mother with empty arms, to mother on one side of heaven while your baby is on the other? It looks like having the heart of a nurturer with nobody to nurture, the heart of a mother, yet there is nobody to mother. Maternity clothes ...

Links for Hope Moms: Spring 2020 Edition

We want to share with you links to posts, videos, and resources from around the web to uplift, help, and encourage you in your walk with the Lord as you grieve. {Even If Not, He is Still Good: Lessons from Habakkuk} // "Earlier this year, we were expecting our first son, Joshua. On April 1st, we woke up excited to see his sweet little body at our anatomy scan, only to face one of the deepest valleys of our lives. Sometime before our twenty-week scan, the Lord saw fit to take Joshua home. We went into the hospital to deliver that evening and went through the longest, saddest night of our married life. After induction began, I looked at ...

Easter Mourning

Never did the resurrection bring such comfort to my weary heart as when I first found out that my baby’s heart had stopped beating. I was suddenly faced with the reality of death and all that it had stripped me of—all of the firsts and all the memories that would never be experienced, the innocence and care-free naivety of pregnancy, and the sense of “completeness” for our family. Something—someone—would always be missing. Fear and anxiety now had greater access to my heart through the terrible wound that was opened in the wake of my child’s death. Grief would now be my faithful companion for the rest of my weary days on earth.&nb...

Consider the Cross

As mothers who have heard the words, “there is no heartbeat,” who have held the lifeless body of their precious baby, or who have watched their child take their final breath, the cross tells us that we are not alone. This day that we call “Good Friday” is the day that God watched His only Son die. Our God can and does empathize with us in our sorrow, because He has felt it too.  That cross—it is heart-wrenching and bloody. It is shameful and full of rejection. It is painful, and terrifying, and yet so beautiful. When I begin to think about what my Savior endured on that cross for me, my soul weighs heavy. It is never easy to linger ...

Sharing Your Hope Baby With Siblings

Each child gone ahead from among us is a precious person made in the image of God—and all having been made into Hope Moms, we together declare motherhood in each of our journeys. We are eager to go above and beyond in showing honor and love for one another (Rom. 12:10, 15). Through this series, we honor each other’s experiences of motherhood in love through our shared God of hope. “I have a brother. He’s five years old. He died in my mama’s tummy before it was time for him to come out. He doesn’t live with us, but he is alive. He is in heaven!”  I stood in silence, staring at my daughter from across the room. She ...