20 results for tag: Easter

Will I recognize my baby in heaven?

One of the things that happens after losing a baby to miscarriage, stillbirth, or infant loss is a battering of questions from deep places in our hearts, such as, “What will my baby be like in heaven? Will they always be a baby? Will I recognize them? Will they recognize me?” These are tender, personal questions that come from love and longing. We were created to know and be known, and that desire runs especially deep within families, and with our children, where bonds feel so immediate and instinctive. And while Scripture doesn’t give us explicit answers to each of them, it does give us something steady to hold onto, a hope rooted in truth, ...

What if my baby wouldn’t have chosen Him?

Every year at our Retreat we host a Q&A hour. This year we had more questions than time to answer them. The hope of our Leadership Team is that we can address some of them in this newsletter or on our podcast. One of those questions was, “How do I know my babies are in heaven? What if God knew they wouldn’t accept Him later, so they didn’t go to heaven when they died?” I think it’s likely she was asking, “If God knew my child wouldn’t choose Him later in life, is this why He chose to take them now?” What hard thoughts we Hope Moms wrestle with. Underneath these words are often much deeper fears. Fears that are both ...

Is My Baby in Heaven?

He is Risen.  Hope moms, Jesus Christ is God, put on human flesh, and died for our sins that keep us eternally separated from God. He rose from death, conquering its power over those who believe. While joy in this season may be hard to come by (and that’s ok!), let this truth bring even a small flicker of light to chase away the darkness.  In honor of the Easter season and the glorious future Jesus has won for us, this month we will be covering various ideas on the topic of Heaven.  The first two weeks, Kelly and Jennie will cover Biblical answers to common Hope Mom questions: “Is my baby in Heaven? What if my baby would not have ...

Holding Space on Holy Saturday

I’m always caught off guard by how tragedy is inevitably invaded by the ordinary. I am sure you can relate. After our babies died, didn’t it feel so wrong that most of the world went on as usual? I remember emerging from the silence of the hospital, the quiet of the house, the darkness of the day of her funeral, and feeling so disoriented by the routine bustle of life. People in cars driving places. Laughter on playgrounds. Shoppers downtown. Planes taking off from runways. Didn’t they know what had just happened? I remember having to resist the urge to scream, “Stop!” How can life drum on when the world has been turned upside down? But ...

He is Risen! Hope is Alive!

For all of us with aching hearts today,  I pray we hold onto the glorious truth of Easter—Jesus has conquered death! Because of His victory, we have the unshakable hope that one day, we will see our precious children again. Though our arms may feel empty, our hearts can rejoice, for the resurrection of Christ assures us that death is not the end. His love endures and eternity awaits. “Death is swallowed up in victory. ‘O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?’”– 1 Corinthians 15:55 “Because I live, you also will live.” – John 14:19 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! ...

The Sweetest Hope – Easter’s Promise for Hope Moms

Dear Hope Mom, Easter wasn’t always my favorite holiday. But after my daughter went to Heaven, it became the sweetest, most important one to me. Grief has a way of making you see things differently. Before loss, I knew the story of Easter—I believed in the cross, in the empty tomb, and in the hope of Christ. But after saying goodbye to my baby, Easter became personal. It became the lifeline that held me together when my arms were empty and my heart was shattered. Because of Christ, my daughter is safe in the loving hands of God. The Son of God was tortured, ridiculed, and put to death—not only to offer me forgiveness, but to cover me in ...

When Hope Feels Distant – Easter Through a Grieving Mother’s Eyes

Few things make you ponder the resurrection like losing a loved one—especially a child. In the weeks leading up to Easter, the talk of celebration and hope can feel heavy when your arms are painfully empty. The weight of grief can make it difficult to rejoice, and the ache of longing can make it hard to embrace the joy of resurrection. But Easter was made for the weary. It was made for the brokenhearted. It was made for those who long for restoration, for reunion, and for life to be made whole again. When Mary Magdalene stood outside the empty tomb, she wept (John 20:11). She grieved deeply because she thought all hope was lost. But in that ...

Because He Lives

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow,Because He lives, all fear is gone;Because I know He holds the future,And life is worth the living,Just because He lives! Because He Lives, Bill and Gloria Gaither Never did the resurrection bring such comfort to my weary heart as when I first found out that my baby’s heart had stopped beating. I was suddenly faced with the reality of death and all that it had stripped me of—all of the firsts and all the memories that would never be experienced, the innocence and care-free naivety of pregnancy, and the sense of “completeness” for our family. Something—someone—would always be missing. Fear and ...

The Wonderful Cross

Oh the wonderful Cross, oh the wonderful CrossBids me come and die and find that I may truly liveOh the wonderful Cross, oh the wonderful CrossAll who gather here by grace, draw near and bless Your name The Wonderful Cross, Chris Tomlin The cross is heart-wrenching and bloody. It is shameful and full of rejection. It is painful, and terrifying, and yet so beautiful. This day that we call “Good Friday” is the day that God watched His only Son die. Our God can and does empathize with us in our sorrow, because He has felt it too. That cross—it is heart-wrenching and bloody. It is shameful and full of rejection. It is painful, and terrifying, and ...

Darkness Has Not Overcome the Light

“Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?’ Supposing Him to be the gardener, she said to Him, ‘Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him away.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Mary.’ She turned and said to Him in Aramaic, ‘Rabboni!’ (which means Teacher).” John 20:15-16 When Mary Magdalene first recognized the risen Christ, she spoke the word Rabboni, Teacher, a word of personal knowledge and a word of submission. “Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, ‘Children, do you have any ...