Caitlin’s Story
I came across an old Instagram post of mine that showed a handwritten definition of glory. It said, “Glory-original meaning ‘weightiness.’ Like the force of a sledgehammer to our lives.”
That was written four years ago, long before I knew the true force glory would have on my life.
Six months into our marriage, my husband and I started to experience some swells in the waves of daily married life. I hurt my back, rendering me almost immobile despite months of physical and drug therapy. Surgery was imminent. Relief was on its way!
The day of my back surgery found ...
Liv’s Story of Hope
My life plan was abruptly interrupted on April 14, 2010 when I got the most earth-shattering news I could have imagined. Our 11-week-old baby's heart was no longer beating. With the swirling of an ultrasound wand and seven horrible words, "Honey, more people miscarry than you know," I was broken.
I had longed to be a mommy since my baby doll days. But just like that, in one little moment, it was stripped away. The doctors scheduled my D&C for two days later. Could they really take my baby? What if they were wrong about that little heartbeat?
That night was the ...
A Letter from Erin, Founder and Director of Hope Mommies {On Future Leadership}
“Establish the work of our hands upon us,
Yes establish the work of our hands!”
-Psalm 90:17
“We do not know what to do,
but our eyes are on you.”
-2 Chron. 20:12
“This is the Lord’s doing;
it is marvelous in our eyes.”
-Psalm 118:23
In the past five years, these prayers have been repeatedly on my lips as the Founder and Director of Hope Mommies. What began as a tentative, fledgling idea has grown into a national and international ministry with a mission that is zeroing in on two principle needs for those that grieve: Truth and Community.
These ...
Hope Dads: Shepherd Your Family
“Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in his ways!
You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands;
Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house;
your children will be like olive shoots around your table.
Behold, thus shall the man be blessed who fears the Lord.”
-Psalm 128:1-4
Dads, this Psalm was directed at you and me. Every time I read this passage, I want to say YES PLEASE! This is the family life that we all want, a family that is flourishing! This is what we want for our family when we celebrate Fathers Day, when we go out ...
Saran’s Story
"A few months ago my life changed forever.
I was about 6 months pregnant with our first child, a baby boy named Riley, and up until this point it had been a smooth and happy pregnancy. I dealt with those typical pregnancy symptoms, and even though those can drive you crazy, the thought of becoming a mommy was the most beautiful gift that I could have ever been given. On January 17th of this year, my husband and I both started having stomach pains before bed and we naturally thought it was probably something we ate. His pain was gone by morning but mine was intensifying. ...
Identity: We Are Loved
Love stories. We've read them in books. We've watched them on tv and movies. We are drawn to the romance, the passion, the security. We long to know that true love exists and that it exists for us. That need for love, to feel loved, is in every person. The key is to make sure that the love that defines us is from the right source.
In order to embrace our identity of "loved," we need to know where love is not found.
Love is not based on appearance. Your hair, your skin, your weight, those things don't earn you love. When we look in the mirror, we all see things we'd ...
Betsy’s Story
"July 14, 2010, I waddled into the labor and delivery wing full of excitement and hope. This time it was real labor and I would soon be able to meet this long-awaited baby girl! It was my first time pregnant and it was a lot harder than anyone could predict. With active rheumatoid arthritis, my doctors and I had a master plan based on all the known research and statistics. I had an expert team of High Risk OBs and Rheumatologists monitoring every step.
Most women with RA go into remission during pregnancy as the body turns its attention away from attacking your joints to ...
Shelly’s Story
"My husband and I found out we were pregnant for the first time on Father’s Day. We were a little shocked but mostly overjoyed. Perfect pregnancy. Perfect delivery. And we did it again about two years later. We had two little girls but I wanted another baby. My husband was content with two children and we did not try again so we were very shocked when we found out I was pregnant for a third time.
When we found out I was having a son, we just knew the Lord had plans better than our own. My husband is a football playing, hunting, fishing, sports loving kind of ...
Identity: We Are New
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”
-2 Corinthians 5:17
As mothers who have walked through the death of a child, it is easy to define ourselves by our losses — to feel unworthy, damaged, incomplete. But, dear one, this is not the sum of who you are. In Christ you have been made new! You have become a new creation!
“And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.”
-Romans 6:4b
This reality of being made new in ...
Identity: We Are Free
So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.
-Romans 8:1, 2
Freedom. We all want it. We think it is owed to us. But what does it mean to be free.
In America, we think of our freedom in terms of our rights. Our right to free speech. Our right to assemble. Our religious liberty. Our right to bear arms.
In the 1970’s, women signified their freedom by burning their bras.
Teenagers have a distinct definition ...
