1104 results for author: Ashlee Schmidt

Remember His Faithfulness

Paul reminds us in his letter to the church in Thessalonica that we do "not grieve as others do who have no hope" (1 Thess. 4:13). But what exactly does that mean? In this series, we explore what it looks like to honor God in our grief and examine the ways we can choose to grieve with hope. “Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live.” Deuteronomy 4:9 (NIV) Can you think of an experience in your past you just knew would be seared in your mind, frame by frame, for the rest of your life? Perhaps it was your ...

Masterpiece

People often ask why bad things happen. Too often, well-meaning people try to comfort those who mourn with cliché answers about why they are enduring misfortune. “God is preparing you for something big.” “Everything happens for a reason.” “God gives His hardest battles to the strongest soldiers.” These comments were always off-putting to me after my dad died in a car accident, again after my firstborn died at 19 weeks in utero, and again after my early miscarriage a few months later. Was I really supposed to think that God orchestrated these deaths just to make me a better person? That always seemed a bit self-centered to me. We may ...

Rachael’s Story

We named her Halle. We picked it out as our future little girl name shortly after her daddy and I were married in 2012 and long before she was ever conceived. It came with ease and enthusiasm for both of us. We struggled through selecting the names of our first two sons, Weston in 2014 and Caleb in 2016. When we found out we were expecting for a third time in 2018, we assumed we would be struggling to pick out another boy name. If by some crazy chance God had given us a girl, it would be a no-brainer. We went in to the hospital for our halfway-point ultrasound in April to check on the baby’s development and discover the gender. “I think I know, ...

Hope Group Testimony: Renee’s Experience

“At least you can have more kids.” “She’s in a better place.” “You seem like you’re doing better.” All comments came from well-intentioned friends or family members trying to encourage me, and yet, I still find myself sensitive to these phrases almost three years after the loss of my first daughter. I’ve been hurt by some of the things people have said to me in my pain, but probably more hurt by those who have said nothing at all. Losing your baby is a silent sorrow. It’s a topic that most people are not comfortable talking about, and only those who have experienced it can understand the depth of loss. This is a club ...

In the Word: Enduring Forever

Welcome to Hope Mommies’ In the Word devotionals. Over the next several weeks, we will be studying Psalm 19:7-11 together.The grieving heart will often grasp at anything that seems to offer even the smallest glimmer of comfort. But every attempt to be comforted apart from God and His Word will only end in greater disappointment. In this series, we will be examining the richness of the Word, and discover how we, as Hope Moms, can find true and lasting comfort in Scripture.  Enduring Forever “The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The decrees of the Lord are firm, and all of them are righteous.” Psalm 19:9 READ: In the ...

Nothing Can Separate You From His Love

God’s Word is filled with rich promises for His children. How do these “precious and very great promises” inform and direct your grief? How does keeping your eyes fixed on these truths anchor your hope in the Lord? In this series, we write about how God, through the promises in His Word, comforts and strengthens us in our sorrow. Our life in Christ as believers brings true freedom. Because of this merciful gift of new life, we are absolutely free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:2), and we no longer live in bondage (Galatians 5:1). Jesus ultimately gives us freedom from suffering eternal death (John 6:47), but His life and ...

Lauren’s Story

The date was July 7, 2015. A typical July day in Texas—sunny and hot. I was about four months pregnant with our firstborn daughter. We had just found out that she was a girl, and had named her Annie Ruth after my great-grandmother. I was sitting on the couch about to have my quiet time when I received a phone call from my doctor. I was told over the phone that some of the sonograms taken at the Sneak-a-Peak place did not look quite right. She tried to encourage me that the machine may not have taken good quality photos, or perhaps the issue was operator error. These were perfectly logical explanations, but my husband and I both felt uneasy ...

The Gift of Chance

As we consider the profound impact that our Hope Babies have had on our lives, we can be filled with gratitude toward them, and toward the Lord. In this series, we reflect on some of the ways that we can say "thank you" to our precious babe(s) for the gifts that they have been and continue to be to us. We welcome you to contribute to this series by writing your own reflection on the impact your baby(ies) has had on your life and submitting it HERE. Dear Chance, Words cannot express how deeply you have touched my life. Your short life in my womb did not come with little impact. You lived for twenty weeks and three days, yet your legacy lives ...

My First Father’s Day: A Memoir

My first Father’s Day was not like the one we all imagine in our heads. Of sleeping in late and waking up to fresh brewed coffee and breakfast in bed. A neatly wrapped gift of a new tie. A chubby hand print picture with “I love Daddy” in mommy’s handwriting rainbowed over it. All this followed by a lazy day at home with wife and kid meeting my every need, serving my every desire, and making me a steak dinner to round out a perfect day all about me. #1 Dad. in. the. world. Yeah, that did not happen. Father’s Day 2011 was eight months after Gwendolyn went home. The sting of death lingered but was dulled by the demands of directing a ...

In the Word: Enlightening the Eyes

Welcome to Hope Mommies’ In the Word devotionals. Over the next several weeks, we will be studying Psalm 19:7-11 together.The grieving heart will often grasp at anything that seems to offer even the smallest glimmer of comfort. But every attempt to be comforted apart from God and His Word will only end in greater disappointment. In this series, we will be examining the richness of the Word, and discover how we, as Hope Moms, can find true and lasting comfort in Scripture.  Enlightening the Eyes “The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.” -Psalm 19:8b READ: One night, I was lying in bed reading before turning ...