163 results for tag: Ashlee

Because He Lives

“And He who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” -Revelation 21:5 Go back and read that verse again and again and again.  Our Great God is making ALL things new.  This, dear one, is the message of Easter.  This is what we have to look forward to.  This is the hope we have been given through the death and resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ.  Everything will be new and perfect.  Nothing will be damaged or spoiled or blemished by the darkness of sin.  The splendor of heaven is truly beyond the scope of our comprehension.  And anything less magnificent and unfathomable wouldn’t be heaven, would it? ...

Discussions in Grief: Perfectionism in Grief

Grieving involves new emotions and considerations often too many to numbers. When you find yourself in overwhelming grief, you likely feel buried and lost. In this series, we slowly and compassionately look at one aspect of grief at a time from a biblical perspective for the newly grieving mother. Click {here} to read past posts in this series.  Ashlee is the Editorial Coordinator for Hope Mommies and author of I AM (Hope Mommies, 2017) and Identity (Hope Mommies, 2018). She and her husband, Jesse, live in Milwaukee with their children—five on earth and two in heaven.   Are you a writer who would ...

A Great Love

Through [Christ] we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.  Romans 5:2-5 Our hearts are prone to ignore, discredit, and even forget the greatest love in the word. It is a love of so great a measure that we could never define or fully comprehend it. We forget that God pursues us, cares for ...

The Weary World Rejoices

For weeks now, the world has been eagerly anticipating Christmas Day. That’s what the Advent season is all about—waiting. Clinging to hope. Knowing and trusting that help is on its way. The baby in the manger is coming. One day all will be made right. Advent invites us to sit in the tension between the promise and its fulfillment. It gives voice to the longing in our hearts. The people of Israel expected the Messiah to liberate them from the oppression of the Romans. But Christ’s coming didn’t bring the political relief they were expecting. Much in the same way, we often expect Christ’s coming to deliver us from all suffering, but ...

A Thrill of Hope

“For to us a Child is born,to us a Son is given;and the government shall be upon His shoulder,and His name shall be calledWonderful Counselor, Mighty God,Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”Isaiah 9:6 We live in the space between the first and second coming of this born-to-us Savior. Jesus, who came to earth as a baby to save His people, will one day return to bring them home. We celebrate the first Christmas because we know Christ will come again to make all things new. This Christmas may be filled with reminders of your empty arms, but you can still cling to hope in the midst of the sorrow, because ...

Hymns of Hope: O Little Town of Bethlehem

The City of David was situated on a hill just a few miles south of Jerusalem. Weary travelers, brought in by the census, were packed in every available room in town. Yet, in the quietness of night, while the streets lay in sleepy silence, the stillness was broken by the cry of a baby. Into the darkness, Light had dawned, and the course of history was forever changed in that little town of Bethlehem. O little town of Bethlehem,how still we see thee lie!Above thy deep and dreamless sleepthe silent stars go by;yet in thy dark streets shineththe everlasting light.The hopes and fears of all the yearsare met in thee tonight. That ...

Hymns of Hope: Come, Thou Long Expectant Jesus

Although the people of Israel had been long awaiting the coming of the Messiah, He did not come as they expected Him to. They expected the triumphant coming of a king, but not one born in a humble stable. They expected Him to be adored and extolled at His coming, but not by lowly shepherds. They expected Him to confront their oppressors, not the piety of their religious leaders. In fact, all throughout the gospels, we see the long expected Jesus breaking all our expectations. We tend to fill our thoughts of Christ with our own suppositions of what He should be like, and what He should do on our behalf. But Jesus did not leave the ...

Hymns of Hope: O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

O come, O come! God, be with us! This was Israel’s cry. Aching. Yearning. Hoping. How long, O Lord? They cried out to God in the midst of their exile, first under Babylon and then under the oppression of the Roman empire. They longed for rescue, for all that was wrong to be made right. They knew the Promised One would come to ransom them. Surely the Messiah would be here soon. In their mourning, they waited for His coming. Clinging to expectation and hope, they rejoiced at the promise of His rescue, knowing that their God was faithful. He would keep His word. O come, O come! God, be with us! And He did. God Himself ...

Discussions in Grief: Suffering

Grieving involves new emotions and considerations often too many to numbers. When you find yourself in overwhelming grief, you likely feel buried and lost. In this series, we slowly and compassionately look at one aspect of grief at a time from a biblical perspective for the newly grieving mother. Click {here} to read past posts in this series.  I don’t know the circumstances surrounding your sorrow. Whether your loss occurred many years ago or very recently, the ache you carry in your heart is agonizing. There is nothing that can prepare you for the devastation of losing a child, and there are no words that can take away the pain that ...

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 easier to “control” than others, nothing is exempt from the need of self-c...