45 results for tag: Brittnie

In the Word: Unshaken Hope

Welcome to Hope Mommies In the Word devotionals. Over the next several weeks, we will be meditating on 2 Corinthians 1:3-11. As we study the truths found in these verses together, we’d love you to use the comments as a place to dialogue with us about what you are learning and share your answers to the questions below. We pray that you hearts will be encouraged as you dig into God's Word each week with us! “Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort.” 2 Corinthians 1:7 READ: Some heartaches and trials will never make sense this side of heaven. One of those ...

Dear Chance: A Letter to my Hope Baby

Dear Chance, It is hard to believe that eight years have passed since I held your tiny body in my arms, admired your cute-as-a-button nose, and soaked in every detail of your being. Those early days after saying goodbye were filled with deep sadness, pain, and grief. The tears came heavy and often, hitting with a force so sudden it took my breath away. A tear-stained pillow was my common companion as light gave way to darkness. Slowly, as days passed and time kept inching on, the space between the blows of grief widened ever so slightly. And again, ever so slightly, until eventually joy reclaimed its proper place and I discovered purpose in the ...

Honest and Humble Words

It was a Friday night, exactly thirteen days since Chance’s funeral. I was home alone with the girls while Brandon was at a baseball game with friends. This was the first night since we’d lost Chance that I would be alone for a significant amount of time. Being alone is not something that has ever bothered me, and quite frankly, I enjoy moments to myself, but during that time, as I was grieving the loss of my son, I craved faces and people and bodies. I knew I was taking a risk. I was putting myself in a vulnerable situation, but kept telling myself it would be good for me and all would be okay. I also knew that Brandon needed some time out of ...

Held Together

Our third child enters the world. The room is silent. There is no noise, only hushed commotion—no cries from my babe. The air is thick, but peace is present. I look up and ask my sister, “Does my baby look like a baby?” “Oh goodness, yes,” she replies. I then ask, “Is it a boy or a girl?” All goes quiet for several seconds, and Dr. G gently replies, “It’s a boy.” Brandon lets out a cry from the sitting room. The nurses gently clean off my son. They weigh and measure him. 6.6 ounces and 7 inches of perfection. They wrap him in a tiny blanket and place a tiny hat on his head. He is little, yet amazingly formed. The nurse ...

Blessed Are the Hungry

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied." -Matthew 5:6 Several weeks after Chance’s funeral, a sweet friend from church stopped me when she spotted me across the church aisle. “I want you to know I have been praying for you. Specifically, I have been praying that God would reveal to you the purpose in Chance’s life.” With that one simple sentence, her prayer became my prayer too. I had never thought to pray this prayer, but in that moment, it sounded so profound. And it sure sounded like a good way to turn this tragedy back to truth.   So I would pray day after day after day, ...

Comfort For Hope Siblings: The Joy of Heaven

Dear Precious Child, I see you there, smile on your face but pain in your eyes, longing for your Hope Sibling. You feel so many feelings, just like we do. You feel all the things within a matter of seconds, just like we do. Sadness, confusion, a bit of anger. Your mind races with questions as to why your meant-to-be sibling now lives in heaven instead of our home. You expected to spend hours snuggling on the couch and lending a helping hand with feedings and bath time. Instead, you now have memories of a casket far too small and a permanent resting spot which we plan to visit on special milestone days, like his birthday and Christmas. Recently, as I ...

A Prayer for the One Who Feels Stuck

Dear Hope Mom, I see you there, under the covers, the weight of your grief like a blanket so heavy you cannot muster the strength to remove even the slightest corner. I, too, remember laying there feeling as though my entire world was shattered forever, while the rest of the world continued spinning on its happy axis. I, too, remember feeling too burdened to take a shower, make a sandwich, or even pick up my phone to distract myself, because once again the phone reminded me of everyone else and their perfect, happy, sorrow-free life. I know the feeling, dear one. Do you feel like you remain in the same spot in your grief journey, at a loss for what ...

The Gift of Endurance

It wasn’t until many days after the burial of my son that I began to feel the deep grief and suffering. Things had moved too fast up to that point to process the magnitude of what had just occurred. One day, we learned our son had passed away. A few days later he was born, and a few days after that we honored his life with a small graveside service. Yet, when the phone stopped dinging and the casseroles stopped appearing, and I could finally well, just stop, it was then that the heaviness of our loss was truly felt, really felt for the first time. The dictionary describes suffering as the state of undergoing pain, distress, or hardship. Pain? ...

Joy is Possible

I sat down at the kitchen counter with my Bible and prayed "Lord, show me the verse. Your word is so rich, so full of truth, that I don't even know where to begin. Lead me to the verse that will be etched on my son's gravestone. The verse that will point me to you, that will become our family's theme, so to speak." And as I flipped through my Bible, eyes scanning, I stopped at Psalm 16:11. You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand there are pleasures forevermore. Psalm 16:11 (NIV) Tears dripped from my eyes as I read it again and broke it down, bit by bit. God has written my ...

Discussions in Grief: Forgiving Others

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 slowly turned the corner into the playground parking lot. The nerves in my stomach were so intense I felt as though I might get sick. It had only been a few weeks since I buried my only son, Chance, and this was my attempt at pulling back the covers and rejoining a community of friends. This was ...