Freely Given, Freely Received: Seeking Reconciliation
It was only a few weeks after Anna died and I could sense that she was pregnant. Why wouldn’t she just tell me and get it over with? And how could she hide this knowing how badly I hurt? I talked with my grief counselor about my fears. I expressed how hurt I was—as if my friend getting pregnant was a direct attack on me and my grief. I was jealous, I was envious, I was angry.
I wasn’t angry at God for allowing it, I was angry at her for letting this happen so soon after my loss. I realized it was incredibly selfish, but I needed time to heal first ...
Becky’s Story
I became a Hope Mom on May 2, 2015. It was less than five weeks shy of my due date with our second child, and I found myself headed to the hospital thinking I may have an early delivery. However, when I arrived there, I found out my son was already with Jesus. It’s the kind of thing I thought would never happen to me.
There are many things I am thankful for in the midst of our loss. All the tangible things that the Lord provided in loss, especially the sweet presence of family and friends with the many ways they sought to help us. But above all things, ...
Bear Much Fruit: Self-Control
The notion of self-control suggests that our hearts are divided. As children of God, we are constantly battling against desires, responses, and impulses that should not be gratified. Every day of our lives is filled with choices. And every choice presents us with the opportunity to either honor the Lord or satisfy the flesh. Self-control is the ability to forsake these sinful inclinations.
The battle for self-control is fought in every area of our lives—from choosing what we eat, to how we respond in traffic. And while different aspects of our lives may be ...
Bear Much Fruit: Gentleness
I can't quite imagine the emotion of the scene. A woman, caught in the act of adultery, put on display before many, judgements falling free from her peers. If I had to guess I would imagine her voice was shaking, body trembling, and her mind racing with worry about what was about to become of her.
"At dawn He appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around Him, and He sat down to teach them. The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, “Teacher, ...
In the Word: Shaped By His Promises
Welcome to Hope Mommies’ In the Word devotionals. It is our desire that this series will aid you in getting in the Bible for yourself and discovering the joy that comes from hearing from God through the pages of His Word.
“Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. But if that wicked servant says to himself, ‘My master ...
Tomorrow is October 15
Many families will join across the country tomorrow, t, to remember babies, both in and out of the womb, who have been lost from our earthly lives. As we ready our hearts for this day, let us not forget the bereaved mothers and families who do not yet personally know the hope that is in Christ.
I pray that more and more grieving families in our country come to know and hear that this present fallen life, containing devastating loss and grief, is but a moment, and that there is hope beyond this world.
I hope this October 15 is a day to see ...
Purpose in the Pain: Greater Fruitfulness
Every year, there is a season as a gardener where it’s time to prune my roses. When pruning roses, the technique is to pluck all the leaves off the rose bush and cut the long stems (called canes) in half, generally speaking.
I look at my once voluptuous Julia Child roses, grab my sheers, and cut them down to only the necessities every February here in Texas. When I’m done they look lifeless and nonexistent. The first time I did this, I thought they would never come back—but I was wrong. Not only do they come back from this every year, but they also ...
Kelly’s Story
Four children had always been the dream. Getting married in my mid 30’s meant that if there was any shot of that dream becoming a reality, my husband and I would need to start having children pretty quickly. About a year after our wedding, we found out we were pregnant with our first son, Rhett. Over the next three years, we added another son, Hayes, to the mix as well as our daughter, Sawyer. Having three kids in under three years was challenging at times, but we loved it. We were eager to add a fourth and final child to our family, but for various reasons and circum...
Choose Hope: Testimony
It had been three years since my first loss. Three years since National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day first felt significant to me. This year, October 15 caught me by surprise. With all of the changes brought about by a recent move and an ever shifting season of life, it had completely escaped my radar. When I realized what day it was, I ran out to grab balloons and helium so that we could do a small balloon release as a family after our kids got home from school. Most of our belongings were in storage as our family was attending a four month training residency ...
Purpose in the Pain: Strong Character
”The will of God is love. And love suffers.” - Elizabeth Elliot
Love suffers. You, as a Hope Mommy, know this better than most anyone else. You were called to love, and you were called to suffer.
You are not alone. Jesus was also called to love and suffer. Because He loved us, He suffered on the cross and overcame the world. Jesus did not overcome the world with violence or with money or with political power. Jesus overcame with world with suffering. John 16:33
As daughters of God and co-heirs with Christ, we are to follow Him. We are to ...
