One Unique Death Proclaimed
The kind people at my home church would have been able to tell you that I cried through nearly every service—that is, every service I had the physical strength to last through—for weeks after our daughter went to glory.
A HOME THROUGH SONG
At the mention of heaven, the sound of “weary” or “grief” amplified by the church’s speakers, or the proclamation of Christ’s triumph over death: tears.
I sobbed listening to this stanza¹:
When we arrive at eternity’s shore
Where death is just a memory and tears are no more
We’ll enter in as the ...
He Will Give You Rest
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.
Rest. If there was one thing that seemed to elude me in the days, months, and years following the loss of my first two daughters, it was rest. Every part of my being was weary and overwhelmed by the simplest tasks. Little vacations here ...
Erin’s Story
In July of 2015, after two years of battling infertility, my husband and I found out that we were pregnant. We were over-the-moon excited that our five-year old daughter, Aubrey, would finally have a sibling. Our excitement grew abundantly when we found out that our family would be blessed with not only one, but two babies. We were the proud parents of twins. God answered our prayers in a far bigger way than we could have imagined. He knew that our hearts’ desire was for three children.
Walking through infertility had been a heartbreaking trial in and of itself. All ...
Isaac, 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.
“Mommy, ...
Comforted By His Word
It’s human nature to want to be heard and understood. We tend to gravitate towards people who are in the same stages of life as we are in. It’s easier to effortlessly relate to someone when they are walking a very similar path as you are. I never realized quite how much I relied on these relationships built on shared experiences, though, until the days and weeks after Paige went home to Jesus.
“I don’t even know what to say. I’m just so sorry.” Those were the heartfelt words I heard over and over again in the weeks following the loss of our Paige Abigail. I ...
In the Word: The Horn of My Salvation
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 you to use the comments as a ...
Why Are We “Hope Mommies”?
In October of 2010 Blair and Erin Cushman, while in labor with their first child, lost the heartbeat of their daughter Gwendolyn and were rushed in for an emergency c-section. Gwendolyn was revived and lived in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit for 36 hours before passing away. While in the hospital and following Gwendolyn’s death, Erin and Blair were overwhelmed with love by a community of friends and strangers who were informed of their loss. Many were praying, sending emails, texts, and messages via Facebook, sent financial assistance, provided meals, cleaned the ...
He Will Never Leave 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.
There are a few parts of God’s character that I have grown to love more deeply since losing two babies back to back in the same year. We lost our oldest son, Jacob, seven hours after he was born. Ten months later, we said goodbye ...
Annalisa’s Story
“There is no amniotic fluid.” There I was, perplexed, shocked, and heartbroken. Two days earlier we had the first sonogram of our little boy where he proudly showed off that he was definitely a boy. There was plenty of fluid then. Is that what I was feeling the night before when I thought my back went into alignment?
My midwife said she could no longer be in charge of my care. I needed to be transferred into the care of an OBGYN and put in the hospital immediately. My husband, Tee Wei, was called when I was en route to the hospital, and upon our arrival we still ...
Zachary, Forever Held
I carried you every second of your LIFE
and will LOVE you every second of mine.
As mothers, we have a special bond with our babies when we carry them. They are part of us. We share blood, oxygen, and food. We are one. We know them.
And then they are gone. But we never stop loving them and thinking of them. How do we hold our babies forever when we can’t physically hold them? I knew I would always love my son, but how would I honor his life?
Twenty-three years ago, when my son was stillborn, there weren’t balloon releases or teddy bears the same weight as my ...
