Hope Mommies Publication Release: “I AM,” by Ashlee Schmidt
Editor’s Note: This is the first half of an interview continued in the 2018 Hope Mommies e-book.
“Everyone will experience suffering; it is the effect of living in a fallen world where imperfection and sin have touched everything we see and experience. The grief of losing a beloved child is among the most painful and crippling of sorrows. Yet in your darkest moments, God, who suffered the loss of His own Son, longs to strengthen and sustain you. He calls you to draw near as He offers you the hope that your grieving heart so desperately needs. As you learn more about the character of God that is revealed throughout the pages of Scripture, you will discover the comfort, hope and joy that only He can provide to your weary heart.”
Ashlee Schmidt
1. For those just “tuning in,” what is I AM, and how did it come to be published?
I AM is a study of the character of God written specifically for women who have experienced miscarriage, stillbirth, or infant loss.
When the Hope Mommies leadership team met in the spring of 2016 to plan and prepare for the upcoming year of ministry, we spent a lot of our time discussing our small group ministry (what we call Hope Groups). As the Hope Mommies community was continuing to grow quickly and steadily, so were our Hope Groups. At the time, we only offered our Anchored study, but because our precious Hope Moms were discovering such a comforting and encouraging community through their Hope Groups, they were going through this study over and over again.
After throwing around different ideas, it was decided that I would take one of the series I had previously written for the HM blog, add a few discussion questions at the end of each post, turn it into a pretty PDF, and offer it as an additional study option for our Hope Groups that fall.
It was such a whirlwind of a project. As I began to throw together some questions for each post (just weeks before our fall Hope Groups would begin) I became increasingly energized by the work, and what started off as a pretty PDF of blog posts with discussion questions turned into a nine-week Bible study on the character of God. Constance, Erin, and Jennie worked tirelessly (and so quickly) designing a cover, formatting it into a book, and having it published just in time to send out to the Hope Group participants that fall.
2. Can you describe the significance of the title you chose for the book?
At the center of God’s character is the name that He has given to Himself—I AM. This study is all about who God says He is, not who we have made Him out to be. What we believe about God has the greatest potential to shape our suffering, and a study of His character is an infinitely valuable pursuit. It is so easy in the midst of such great suffering to turn inward and focus exclusively on the incredible pain that you are enduring. But this mindset keeps us feeling isolated, alone, and hopeless. When we choose instead to fix our eyes on the Lord, our perspective changes, and we are able to see the steadfast hope that He has extended to us through His Son.
3. What topics do you cover in I AM?
Through the course of the study we address nine different aspects of God’s character—His name, holiness, sovereignty, love, faithfulness, jealousy, immutability, goodness and justice—and how each of these characteristics offer us true and lasting hope in the midst of our sorrow.
4. What did you learn while writing this study?
I truly love writing curriculum for our Hope Groups! As soon as I sent I AM off to be published and printed, I began work on the next study for Hope Mommies. It is truly a joy to share with others the work that the Lord has done in my heart throughout my own losses.
But writing a study on the character of God is also a heavy responsibility. I found myself praying repeatedly, “Lord, help me to represent who You are accurately and beautifully. Let not my words ever hinder someone from seeing You as You truly are.” It was a very humbling experience for me. You cannot write a study on the character of God without being confident in what He has revealed about Himself through His Word.
I wanted so desperately for this study to awaken in those who read it a captivating delight of the greatness of our God, and a clear understanding of how in Him alone is found the hope, peace, and strength that our weary souls need.
The “I AM” Bible study is now available for purchase on Amazon >> HERE.
- Ashlee
Hope Mom to Simeon and Odelle
Ashlee is an Editorial Coordinator for Hope Mommies. She and her husband, Jesse, have four children on earth and two little ones in Heaven. You can get to know her more by reading her blog, Beyond Undone.
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