Sharing His Love on Mother’s Day
The weightiness of Mother’s Day was lost on me until I lost my son. I never considered how hard the day could be for those that longed for a child but experienced infertility. I never gave thought to how those that no longer had their child to hold might feel forgotten. The first Mother’s Day after my son passed away was incredibly heavy. It had only been two weeks since we had laid him to rest, and I was emotionally and physically exhausted.
From the moment the sun began to shine through my windows that morning, I wanted the day to be over. I felt like a shell ...
Drawing Near on Mother’s Day
May 8, 2011.
My first Mother’s Day as a Hope Mom.
I had survived my birthday, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Valentines without Gwendolyn. And “survival” is an appropriate word—these first holidays were what I call the “little deaths”; the barely-holding-back-sobs (or escaping to another room) to let out all the sadness that can’t help but be expended through tears. But Mother’s Day loomed so large, obscuring the rest of what is typically a lovely month out of the year. Thinking of all I had stored up in hope for Mother’s ...
Unspeakable Joy on Mother’s Day
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Romans 15:13
Joy—unspeakable joy—is one of the many emotions I experience each year as Mother’s Day makes its appearance. Joy that is intermingled with pain, happiness, grief, hope, anger, and thankfulness. Mother’s Day is a sweet reminder of the blessings the Lord has bestowed upon me and my family, but it is also a day that is shadowed by loss.
I have five beautiful children that are earth-side with me, and I have one ...
In the Word: Reviving My Soul
Welcome to Hope Mommies’ In the Word devotionals. Over the next several weeks, we will be studying Psalm 19:7-11 together.The grieving heart will often grasp at anything that seems to offer even the smallest glimmer of comfort. But every attempt to be comforted apart from God and His Word will only end in greater disappointment. In this series, we will be examining the richness of the Word, and discover how we, as Hope Moms, can find true and lasting comfort in Scripture.
REVIVING MY SOUL
"The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul."
P...
He Will Finish the Work He Began in You
God’s Word is filled with rich promises for His children. How do these “precious and very great promises” inform and direct your grief? How does keeping your eyes fixed on these truths anchor your hope in the Lord? In this series, we write about how God, through the promises in His Word, comforts and strengthens us in our sorrow.
After my son Max died, I struggled to perform even the most basic of daily tasks. I couldn’t clean my house or cook. I had no interest in putting on makeup or doing my hair. I couldn’t imagine sitting in my office attempting to do ...
Alexa’s Story
"Sometimes the thing you never would choose for your life, chooses you for a reason. And the thing that you’d never pick, picks you to become brave. And sometimes, you get what you need by walking through what you never wanted, and the thing you never wanted, may turn out to be the thing you need most."
Ann Voskamp
I read this quote often, and each time, I believe more and more that Garrett was this for me, for us, and for our family. I had always believed that God made beauty from ashes, but I never actually experienced this undeniable truth until Garrett. His story ...
Anna Joy, Forever Held
We may have only carried our babies on this side of eternity for a short while, but they are forever held in our hearts. In this series, Hope Moms share how they have held their precious babies throughout the months and years following their home going. What has remembering your hope baby looked like for you? We would love to have you write about the traditions you have started to represent your hope baby in your holiday celebrations, family photos, home, etc., or how you celebrate their birthday or heaven day. Find out how you can share your story HERE.
When I was ...
He Will Draw Near to You
God’s Word is filled with rich promises for His children. How do these “precious and very great promises” inform and direct your grief? How does keeping your eyes fixed on these truths anchor your hope in the Lord? In this series, we write about how God, through the promises in His Word, comforts and strengthens us in our sorrow.
I walked down the hall as tears began to form in the corners of my eyes. It had been just a few days since I had learned that the babe I was carrying in my womb was already gone from me. Another still heart. Another journey ...
20 Truths to Know about Jesus’ Triumph
In “One Unique Death Proclaimed,” posted on Good Friday, I write that Jesus does not brush past me in grief or scurry my wounds to patched-up, peripheral healing. Rather, Jesus addresses the core of my pain. Today, on Easter Sunday, I want to expound via twenty truths about Jesus’ triumph over sin and death:
Death affects all mankind, so we are wise to study in Scripture how it originated, what implications it has upon this present life, and what happens following it: “It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of ...
In the Word: God is My Stronghold
Welcome to Hope Mommies’ In the Word devotionals. Over the next several weeks, we will be studying Psalm 18:1-2 together. Psalm 18 was penned by David after God had delivered Him from the hands of his enemies, and is rich with metaphors describing the nature and character of God. In this series, we will be looking at how each of these attributes affords us a greater picture of God’s care for His children, and how knowing and believing these truths can bring comfort to our hearts in the midst of grief. As we study together, we encourage ...
