Lindsey’s Story
My husband, Josh, and I started trying to get pregnant in January of 2017, and it took us almost two years to get pregnant with our first baby. We found out at 12 weeks that our sweet baby girl didn’t have a heartbeat anymore. We were completely devastated. While attempting to heal from our first loss, we decided to start trying again right away because we didn’t know if it would take a while again. To our great surprise and delight, I was pregnant again after our first month of trying.
The first 34 weeks of pregnancy were so smooth. My husband is the youth ...
My First Time With Other Babies Born When Mine Was Due
A few weeks after I miscarried my first baby, a close friend who hadn’t even told us she was trying to conceive, warned me about thirty minutes before our small group girl’s accountability meeting that she had been trying to conceive, and was in fact pregnant. I did a decent job in that moment of putting on a happy face and faking excitement. But during the ten minute drive from where she and I had coffee to the house where we were having group, I began to unravel at the seams. By the time I arrived, my heart was bitter and angry, and I was barely holding it ...
Three Books For Your 2020 Reading List
Today, I want to share with you aspects I appreciate of three books, which might be helpful and encouraging additions to your 2020 reading list.
For All Who Grieve: Navigating the Valley of Sorrow and Loss (Smith). This work is authored by my former pastor (prior to our family’s recent cross-country move). In addition to being an author and pastor, Smith is a council member with The Gospel Coalition and president/teacher of Unlocking the Bible. Here is my endorsement of For All Who Grieve: “For all those who grieve: Discover how tears are released and seen by God, ...
Yet I Will Rejoice
Welcome to Hope Mommies’ In the Word devotionals. Over the next several weeks, we will be studying the book of Habakkuk together. In this book, we gain insight into how God is at work on our behalf even when we can't always see it. Join us in the weeks ahead as we discover the God who is who carefully and lovingly crafted you, and lovingly created the gift of your child for which you now long. He has not carried you thus far simply to leave you on your own, but will be your Guide and your Strength.
Even Though
"Even though the fig trees ...
The Offering of Lament
To lament is to turn to God in honest, desperate prayer, expressing the reality of our emotions—as intense and tumultuous as they may be. Ultimately, a lament is an expression of faith in the God who hears our cries and responds with mercy and grace. In this series, we seek to write our own laments in the style of the Psalmists, beginning by giving voice to the real and raw emotions that accompany our grief, and then lifting our eyes heavenward in trust and adoration of the One who is greater than all of our sorrow.
As I was reading in Leviticus this past week (a ...
My First Time Returning to Work After Loss
I sat in my car, trying to practice the deep breaths I knew I needed to take. I rolled some essential oils on my wrists, touched my Isaac necklace, and thumbed through my purse to be sure the pictures of my baby were still there. I hesitated. I cringed. I wanted to drive away. Instead, I opened the car door, stepped out, stood still and straight, and walked unsteadily towards my office building, pep-talking myself each step of the way.
Thoughts and memories of the baby announcement at work, along with the smiles and well-wishes, flooded my mind as I climbed the ...
Donesia’s Story
My husband and I have an inside joke whenever we hear somewhere say I love you, or even sometimes when we say I love you to each other. We say, “Love, love, love, love.” It’s as if we are asking what love really means. I think we often use the word “love” too casually, not really having a true understanding of the meaning of unconditional love. God’s unconditional and comforting love is a revelation of His true nature. And His healing can be understood more fully within the context of His love.
On December 18, 2016, my baby boy, Ethan, was born. ...
Kayla’s Lament
To lament is to turn to God in honest, desperate prayer, expressing the reality of our emotions—as intense and tumultuous as they may be. Ultimately, a lament is an expression of faith in the God who hears our cries and responds with mercy and grace. In this series, we seek to write our own laments in the style of the Psalmists, beginning by giving voice to the real and raw emotions that accompany our grief, and then lifting our eyes heavenward in trust and adoration of the One who is greater than all of our sorrow.
I’m sorrowful over simply being called to ...
My First Baby Shower Invitation After Loss
When I was little, one of my favorite things was receiving mail. Whether it was a birthday card, a magazine, or a dentist appointment reminder, it thrilled me to see my name in print. The absolute best, though, was a party invitation. That signified that I had been chosen to partake in a day of fun. I would proudly hang the invitation on the refrigerator with a magnet and count down the days until the party. Even now, I still love being invited to share in someone’s special day. I am usually always ready for a celebration. It feels wonderful to be included in those ...
God Will Be Faithful
Welcome to Hope Mommies’ In the Word devotionals. Over the next several weeks, we will be studying the book of Habakkuk together. In this book, we gain insight into how God is at work on our behalf even when we can't always see it. Join us in the weeks ahead as we discover the God who is who carefully and lovingly crafted you, and lovingly created the gift of your child for which you now long. He has not carried you thus far simply to leave you on your own, but will be your Guide and your Strength.
God Will Be Faithful"O Lord, I ...
