When we experience deep sorrow, many of us long for heaven more than ever. The desire for a joy-filled eternity with God is a good one, wired in us by our Creator. But have you ever wondered what makes heaven such a source of hope for believers today? In this episode, Emily and Laura sit down with author and Bible teacher Courtney Doctor to look at what Scripture says about heaven. Throughout the Grief series, we’ve heard stories of suffering and pain, but the thread of hope woven throughout them all is the promise that one day God will wipe away every tear for those who are found in Christ (Rev. 21:4). As Christian moms, when we ponder what his Word has to say about heaven, we can better run our race here on earth. Never-ending joy truly awaits those in Christ. This episode is brought to you by our generous donors. If you'd like to join them or learn more, click here. Find the free download (Risen Motherhood x Every Moment Holy: Liturgies for Grieving Moms), discussion questions, links, and related resources from our Grief series here. R|M on Instagram, Facebook, & Twitter

Motherhood holds challenges, even with a loving husband and father by our side. So when the painful sting of death ends our marriage, how can we shepherd our children and find healing when grief is this deep? In this episode, Emily and Laura chat with author and widow, Lisa Appelo, on her experience raising seven children after the sudden death of her husband. The heartbreak of losing a father and husband is painfully real, but as we navigate the seas of grief, we can be reminded that God is always with us—in his presence, we can have hope in the darkest of places.  This episode is brought to you by our generous donors. If you'd like to join them or learn more, click here. Find the free download (Risen Motherhood x Every Moment Holy: Liturgies for Grieving Moms), discussion questions, links, and related resources from our Grief series here. R|M on Instagram, Facebook, & Twitter

There’s no way to soften the tragedy of losing a child. As moms, we love, protect, and care for our children with fierce depth and intensity, but we don’t have ultimate control. When the unimaginable loss of a child occurs, how do we carry our grief as we walk forward in the life and family God has kept earthside? In this episode, Emily and Laura hear from author and Bible teacher Nancy Guthrie on what she learned in the process of losing two children after birth. While grief this deep may never truly leave us this side of heaven, we can look to the God who sacrificed his own Son for us and know that he meets, sustains, and restores, even in the immense sorrow of losing a beloved child. This episode is brought to you by our generous donors. If you'd like to join them or learn more, click here. Find the free download (Risen Motherhood x Every Moment Holy: Liturgies for Grieving Moms), discussion questions, links, and related resources from our Grief series here. R|M on Instagram, Facebook, & Twitter

When God allows adoption to be a part of our family’s story, there can be hopeful anticipation alongside waiting and sorrow. How can we hold the beauty and hardship of it with grace? In this episode, Emily and Laura chat with author and adoptive mom Jen Oshman on her own experience with adoption, and the tension that parents hold when bringing a child out of his or her birth family and into their own. Jen also shares a word of encouragement to adoptive moms, as well as what to consider before pursuing adoption. As we seek to love our children well in the midst of hard circumstances, we can trust that our God whose heart is for the fatherless (Ps. 68:5) supplies our every need. This episode is brought to you by our generous donors. If you'd like to join them or learn more, click here. Find the free download (Risen Motherhood x Every Moment Holy: Liturgies for Grieving Moms), discussion questions, links, and related resources from our Grief series here. R|M on Instagram, Facebook, & Twitter

Have you ever felt desperate to find something steady in the midst of grief? Someone you can turn to that can hear, see, and truly understand your pain? While our needs in seasons of grief are many and real, from getting proper sleep to eating well and spending time in community, there is only one place we can go that will never fail us or prove untrue: God’s Word. In this episode, Emily reads verses from Scripture that we hope meet and uplift you in sorrow. As you listen to the words of God’s people crying out to him for help, and God’s gracious response to them that he will save and redeem all that has been broken, we pray that these truths from Scripture will be a steady rock when all else feels like sinking sand. Whatever we may be struggling with today, God hears the cries of his beloved people. Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The ESV text may not be quoted in any publication made available to the public by a Creative Commons license. The ESV may not be translated in whole or in part into any other language. This episode is brought to you by our generous donors. If you'd like to join them or learn more, click here. Find the free download (Risen Motherhood x Every Moment Holy: Liturgies for Grieving Moms), discussion questions, links, and related resources from our Grief series here. R|M on Instagram, Facebook, & Twitter