Hope Mommies Publication Release: “Anchored,” by Erin Cushman

“Anchored,” by Erin Cushman is now released! Today, we celebrate what God has done in faithfulness through Erin, those who contributed their Hope Babies’ stories to each chapter, those who financially partnered with Hope Mommies to make this publication possible, and those who have supported this effort in other ways! Whether you are familiar with “Anchored” or just “tuning in,” we want to give you an opportunity to hear from Erin today about this book and also to enter our giveaway of two copies at the end of this post! Also, watch our social media pages, as we will be running a series of quotes from this publication and another giveaway of “Anchored” on Instagram in the coming weeks.

Here is our blog’s interview Erin:

Hope Mommies Blog: For those who are just “tuning in” and do not know any background, what is Anchored and how did it come to be published?

Erin: Anchored is a Bible study specifically geared for women who have experienced miscarriage, stillbirth or infant loss (although a good friend, mentor and proof-reader said that it was encouraging to her and applicable for anyone who has experienced grief.)

In 2013, the Hope Mommies leadership team decided that we wanted to offer a more in-depth, “life-on-life” community beyond our annual retreat and our online forums. The bones of Anchored was the curriculum for these small groups (named Hope Groups) which met for 8 weeks and discussed many of the common questions that we as grieving women face, for example: Where was God when my baby died? How can I relate to my family and friends that haven’t experienced loss? What do I have to look forward to? I’m so angry; what do I do with that?

The curriculum was written as PDF documents and would be emailed weekly to each participant. Over three semesters, we had 214 women from all over the U.S. and Canada participate in groups. The response from these mamas was encouraging – so many of them were grateful for the smaller, tight-knit community they formed and friendships that lasted beyond the 8 weeks of studying and discussion.

In fall of 2014, the Board of Directors established Circle of Hope, an opportunity for friends of Hope Mommies to partner with us to take our PDF format to a published book. The goal was to make the content widely available in a format that was attractive, easy to use, and better communicated. We raised the necessary funding and began a relationship with Westbow Press to publish the book in 2015.

HM Blog: What first prompted in you a desire to write this book?   

E: When I was in the shock stages of grieving Gwendolyn, I devoured any book that I could find that had a Biblical basis for coping with infant loss. I appreciated I Will Carry You, by Angie Smith, and Holding on to Hope, by Nancie Guthrie. But I didn’t find very much beyond that. (Since then, I’ve found more books that I have found helpful; they’re on the Resources page on hopemommies.org)

I wanted the women that we’ve had the honor of grieving with to have a topical study that would meet them where they are at. So much of mourning IS topical, cyclical, and subject to change based on current circumstances. I wanted these moms to be armed with Biblical truth for when they prepare to go to church and worship; when they head to the grocery store and do “normal life” things; when they have to pack up the nursery or return baby gifts; when they have their first round of holidays or family gatherings.

Anchored is written to provide a foundation of faith to sustain loss. It’s not comprehensive or doctrinally heavy. I remember when just getting up, brushing my teeth, or eating was laborious – I didn’t want Anchored to feel burdensome to these moms. But what I know they need most is something to hold on to – and the only thing that can hold up against the strength of grief is God, the Rock of our salvation.

HM Blog: Is there a chapter or aspect of the book that is most significant to you personally? If so, why?

E: Every time I hear a Hope Mom’s story, I am humbled. It takes great courage to share your deepest wounds with transparency, and greater courage still to hold fast to God when everything in your circumstance says to give up. At the end of each chapter is the story of a fellow Hope Mom. Partnering with these nine women, who have graciously allowed the story of their children to be published, is the most significant and lovely part of Anchored for me personally.

HM Blog: What did you learn personally while writing it?

E: That writing a book is not for the faint of heart! 🙂 No, I learned (or re-learned) that healing is really only possible when God, through the power of His Word, awakens a dead heart. I want so badly for everything about this book to be perfect; I want to reach through the book to each and every person who will read it and somehow convince them that despite the horror, despite the most awful, most tragic of losses, God can restore their joy and give them hope. But I cannot do that, and my words are not divine. I struggled through which verses to include, which questions to ask, and agonized over whether or not they would perfectly communicate the message. On my writing days, I often ended up not in front of the keyboard but on my knees, pleading with God to do what I want to do but cannot. It was very humbling, and I’m sure will continue to be as reviews come in. 🙂

HM Blog: Can you describe the significance of the title you chose for the book?

E: Loss is so turbulent. Physically, emotionally, spiritually; you’re tossed back and forth often without warning. Hebrews 6:19 talks of hope being an anchor for your soul. Regardless of what the storm is doing above the surface, to be anchored means that on the deepest level you are being held secure. The only thing that can fully anchor a heart is the truth that Jesus Christ loved us, gave Himself for us, and made a way for us to live forever with Him. That is the hope that the author of Hebrews refers to in 6:19, and that is why I chose “Anchored” for this study.

HM Blog: In what format(s) do you hope this study is used?

E: Hope Mommies will continue to offer Hope Groups in the spring and fall semesters, (in which the participants get some Hope Mommies goodies to go along with their books), but my hope is that churches, small groups, MOPs, etc. will rally behind this book and use it to meet the needs of these mamas in their communities. There is a leader guide in the back of the book, specifically for this purpose.

HM Blog: If you had to sum it up in one to a few sentences, what do you want Hope Moms to take away from reading and completing the study?

E: That Christ is sufficient for your every heartache, and “earth has no sorrow that heaven cannot heal”

HM Blog: Do you have any other comments you would like to make, as we announce the release of this book today?

E: The fact that this book is a reality is nothing short of a miracle, and I’m so thankful for each of you who will buy and review it! I pray it brings encouragement to your heart and feeds your soul as you read.

To learn more about Erin and Gwendolyn on the Hope Mommies website, visit our History page or Erin’s recent “Share Your Story Saturday” blog post.

“Anchored” is now available at Amazon and other retailers! Visit our Anchored page to learn more.

Click here to view and purchase at Amazon.com!

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Today, we are giving away 1 hardcover copy and 1 softcover copy of this publication! See below for an opportunity to enter win this new Bible study resource for grieving mothers.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Erin Cushman is the co-founder and Director of Hope Mommies. Erin is married to Blair and has three children: Gwendolyn, who has been with Jesus since October 20, 2010, and Malacai, who is three, and Gemma who arrived in June 2015. She loves photography, gardening, cooking, reading, playing with her son, and loves especially when all those things combine. You can get to know her more by reading her blog, Our Blessed Hope