33 results for tag: Kayla

The First Pregnancy Announcement I Received After Loss

I’ve often compared my grief to an infant who needs full attention and love to survive. Friends often extend immense grace to us in our grief as they did in my case, but eventually, the attention naturally dwindles as our grief continues. It isn’t because our friends are bad friends who have forgotten about our pain. This world just keeps moving forward and sweeps us right along with it. Life goes on, and naturally other babies enter the story—babies who live and are healthy. This was one of the most difficult parts of my early grief process, but also one of the most healing and redemptive. I still to this day feel terrible for the close ...

A Renewed Focus for the New Year

New Year’s resolutions have a bad reputation. So much so that my husband decided to start working out on December 31 last year to avoid quitting during 2019. I will say he was successful in his reasoning, but one day didn’t actually make the difference. His commitment to one day at a time with focus on his future goals did.  As believers, we often find ourselves living with this temporary, humanistic view of time—we are impatient, frustrated in trials, lacking in perseverance, not living with eternity in mind, worrying, not trusting God for provision, or living in fear. Often, our goal is to make this life as easy as possible, not ...

Infertility After Loss

Each child gone ahead from among us is a precious person made in the image of God—and all having been made into Hope Moms, we together declare motherhood in each of our journeys. Through this series, we honor each other’s experiences of motherhood in love through our shared God of hope. When I was a newlywed, I struggled with the thought of wanting children. My time, money, and freedom were all too valuable to me to the point where I wasn’t sure I should even be married. Marriage proved very difficult for us, and around that same time, I was very hurt by people in the church. It all left me bitter, frustrated, and confused as to ...

Helmet of Salvation

Grief is often accompanied by a myriad of temptations: anger, bitterness, fear, and despair, just to name a few. But God has provided us with everything we need to overcome these temptations, and to move forward in our sorrow with His strength. In this series, we will be studying the various pieces of our spiritual armor, and how each of these pieces uniquely equip us to cling to the hope we have been given in Christ. Before experiencing loss, I had a general understanding that Satan has a level of control over the world today. Yet, I often lived flippantly, as if the effects of this invisible war waging above had me ...

Encouragement for October 15

To my fellow Hope Mommy on October 15th— I see your pain and loss, and I want you to know you’re not alone. I remember my first Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day being only a week after my baby was born into heaven. It felt painfully ironic, yet I was grateful for another way to share about her—to be seen and understood in my grief. I am so sorry this is now your bittersweet day too. I find it bitter because it is still a reminder of what is missing in this life: an empty space in our family unit, and a missed chance to mother a child here on earth. Yet it still remains somewhat sweet because it is our day to share ...

The Gift of Anna Joy

As we consider the profound impact that our Hope Babies have had on our lives, we can be filled with gratitude toward them, and toward the Lord. In this series, we reflect on some of the ways that we can say "thank you" to our precious babe(s) for the gifts that they have been and continue to be to us. We welcome you to contribute to this series by writing your own reflection on the impact your baby(ies) has had on your life and submitting it HERE. My sweet Anna,  You were so longed for, and are still so loved. You were the answer to a prayer I never thought I’d have. My desire for you was brought through the ...

In the Word: Fully Known

Welcome to Hope Mommies’ In the Word devotionals. Over the next several weeks, we will be studying Psalm 139 together. This Psalm is used often (and rightly so) to demonstrate the value of human life, and God's care for us from even before we were conceived. What can we learn about God's tender care for us and for our babies from these verses? How does a greater knowledge of these truths offer hope and comfort to us in the midst of grief? Fully Known "O Lord, you have searched me and known me!You know when I sit down and when I rise up;    you discern my thoughts from afar.You ...

Nothing Can Separate You From His Love

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. Our life in Christ as believers brings true freedom. Because of this merciful gift of new life, we are absolutely free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:2), and we no longer live in bondage (Galatians 5:1). Jesus ultimately gives us freedom from suffering eternal death (John 6:47), but His life and ...

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 growing up, my parents told me about my sister who was stillborn at around 21 ...

A Song for My Soul: Weep With Me

Music has the ability to speak into the deepest recesses of our hearts. God often uses songs to speak hope and encouragement to our souls. In this series, Hope Moms share songs that have pointed them to the hope of Christ in the midst of their grief. Is there a song that has comforted you in your grief? We'd love to have you share your story here. During a particularly large chasm of grief after our loss of Anna, I simply wanted to be sad and cry over her daily. Although these times were exhausting and time consuming, I hated avoiding it because that is when I felt closest to her. I’d weep over her absence and imagine her being near. I’d ...