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Hope for Today, Promises for Tomorrow: Finding Light Beyond the Shadow of Miscarriage or Infant Loss
No mother ever expects to grieve the death of her child before or immediately after the child is born. But the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences reports that as many as 31 percent of all pregnancies end in miscarriage, stillbirth, or infant loss. When the unthinkable happens, where do women turn for help? Written from the perspective of one grieving mommy to another, Hope for Today, Promises for Tomorrow is a ten-week study that will encourage and challenge women to delve into a deeper understanding of God’s Word. As women engage in biblical teaching, they will learn to embrace God’s promises of love, goodness, purpose, comfort, peace, refinement, restoration, hope, and eternity. “Hope for Today” verses peppered throughout each chapter, journaling cues, prayers, and the stories of other women who have experienced loss will help readers move from grieving in silent solitude to living life in the richness of God’s love. While other books suggest a one-size-fits-all method for grief management or focus on understanding specific causes of child loss, Hope for Today, Promises for Tomorrow offers comfort for the reader, whatever her situation, by helping her focus on the light of the ultimate Promise, the hope of a Savior, Jesus Christ.
144 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2012
About the author
Teske Drake
4 booksTeske Drake is mommy to three babies in heaven, mom to two on earth. She is the cofounder of Mommies with Hope, a biblically based support group for women who have experienced infant loss (mommieswithhope.com), and the author of Hope for Today, Promises for Tomorrow.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
October 31, 2012
I’ve never lost a child, so I can’t say I can even begin to know what that feels like. The insurmountable pain that accompanies that kind of loss is a concept that I can’t wrap my head around. But I know that there are many women who have had to deal with this kind of loss. I would imagine that if I were ever in that position that I would want to be reassured that I can pull through and that it wasn’t just a senseless death. I think Teske Drake’s book does that. She built a community for women dealing with the loss of an infant to commiserate, give hope, and continue on. It’s an amazing thing. I’ve taken a bit of time and looked through her site and it really is a community.
The book is a great resource to help a woman dealing with the loss of an infant. In the book Drake shares scriptures, tells her story, shares other’s stories, and helps the reader create a journal to help them deal with the pain they are feeling. I am a fan of journaling, as sometimes getting everything out on to paper can really help clear your head out and look at things with a new perspective. I think that was one of the greatest resources that this book offers. I think some people want to write what they are feeling, but they don’t know where to begin. I would imagine a woman dealing with infant loss has so many different thoughts floating in their heads that even trying to put that on paper could feel like an impossible task. With this book Drake gives guidance for getting all that on paper. That guidance could be just what some women need to get their thoughts “straightened out”.
The book is really well written. I had no basis on which to connect with the stories and yet I still did connect with them. Even though it was sad to read some of the stories it wasn’t a sad book. The subtitle “Finding Light Beyond the Shadow of Miscarriage or Infant Loss” really describes the whole purpose of the book. It isn’t a “feel bad for me – look what I’ve been through” kind of book. It was more like “I’ve been there I know what you’re going through and you can make it through this” kind of book. It was inspiring and I think if I were to ever have to experience the loss of an infant that it contains exactly what I would need to hear.
The book is a great resource to help a woman dealing with the loss of an infant. In the book Drake shares scriptures, tells her story, shares other’s stories, and helps the reader create a journal to help them deal with the pain they are feeling. I am a fan of journaling, as sometimes getting everything out on to paper can really help clear your head out and look at things with a new perspective. I think that was one of the greatest resources that this book offers. I think some people want to write what they are feeling, but they don’t know where to begin. I would imagine a woman dealing with infant loss has so many different thoughts floating in their heads that even trying to put that on paper could feel like an impossible task. With this book Drake gives guidance for getting all that on paper. That guidance could be just what some women need to get their thoughts “straightened out”.
The book is really well written. I had no basis on which to connect with the stories and yet I still did connect with them. Even though it was sad to read some of the stories it wasn’t a sad book. The subtitle “Finding Light Beyond the Shadow of Miscarriage or Infant Loss” really describes the whole purpose of the book. It isn’t a “feel bad for me – look what I’ve been through” kind of book. It was more like “I’ve been there I know what you’re going through and you can make it through this” kind of book. It was inspiring and I think if I were to ever have to experience the loss of an infant that it contains exactly what I would need to hear.
August 24, 2012
First let me say that this book covers a topic that I have never experienced, so I was not able to connect with the stories on a very personal level. But I have known women who have lost their babies or miscarried. My own mom is one of those. I have to admit that I never truly considered the emotions and issues that women experience because of a miscarriage. I will be brutally honest here. I sometimes figure that when a woman miscarries, the best way to deal with it is to get pregnant again. Then when she has a healthy baby, she can forget the child she lost, especially if it was within the first trimester. That sounds kind of horrible, I realize, but having never experienced a miscarriage myself, that was kind of my outlook. Multiple miscarriages and full-term pregnancies that ended in premature death--I can understand how that would involve grief.
What I can say is that this book showed me that whenever a mother loses a baby--no matter the circumstances--it is very difficult for her. She does go through a grieving process, and this book shows women in this situation how to do that in light of God's Word. It is real, and the author speaks from experience. I admit that my thinking was wrong, and I fully embrace the teaching of this book. I never disagreed once. I would definitely recommend this to any mother who has lost a baby--born or unborn. It would be perfect for a church support group or even for a woman to do on her own.
I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. I was not financially compensated in any way, and all opinions are 100 percent mine.
What I can say is that this book showed me that whenever a mother loses a baby--no matter the circumstances--it is very difficult for her. She does go through a grieving process, and this book shows women in this situation how to do that in light of God's Word. It is real, and the author speaks from experience. I admit that my thinking was wrong, and I fully embrace the teaching of this book. I never disagreed once. I would definitely recommend this to any mother who has lost a baby--born or unborn. It would be perfect for a church support group or even for a woman to do on her own.
I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. I was not financially compensated in any way, and all opinions are 100 percent mine.
August 21, 2012
I wish I had had this book many years ago. My daughter died 77 days after she was born. She never came home, and I have fleeting memories of what she looked like.
At the time it was hard to understand the why? She had a 2 year old sister, and you imagine how close they might have been. It was a very hard and difficult time in my life.
I would have loved to have this in the time I needed the healing. I did have the solace of her dying on Christmas, and becoming whole again with our Heavenly Father. I felt the Jesus had pity on her on his Birthday, and her suffering was over.
Teske Drake has presented this wonderful book in such a great way, and I will pass it on when the time is right. I know that at the time it helped me to talk about what happened, and 18 months later we brought home her brother. One child does not replace another, but it does help in the healing.
I thank God for his many mercies.
I received this book from Litfuse Blog Tours, and the Publisher Kregel, and was not required to give a positive review.
At the time it was hard to understand the why? She had a 2 year old sister, and you imagine how close they might have been. It was a very hard and difficult time in my life.
I would have loved to have this in the time I needed the healing. I did have the solace of her dying on Christmas, and becoming whole again with our Heavenly Father. I felt the Jesus had pity on her on his Birthday, and her suffering was over.
Teske Drake has presented this wonderful book in such a great way, and I will pass it on when the time is right. I know that at the time it helped me to talk about what happened, and 18 months later we brought home her brother. One child does not replace another, but it does help in the healing.
I thank God for his many mercies.
I received this book from Litfuse Blog Tours, and the Publisher Kregel, and was not required to give a positive review.
August 18, 2012
While my grief isn't "fresh" (it has been 2 yrs since my third pregnancy loss), this book was still an encouragement. Knowing Teske personally, a person I consider a friend, I was looking forward to reading the words she'd written, the words God had given her to speak to us fellow Mommies. I've read many books on the subject as I've dealt with the losses of my babies and this is one of the best! It is SO uplifting, so encouraging and FILLED with Scripture! I devoured it and didn't want the truths to end! It brought back feelings, memories and helped me to realize that even now, 2 years later, there are still some unresolved things I need to deal with. At times I felt like I was sitting across the table in the coffee shop from Teske, I could hear her speaking the words. Very well written. Truly a book any counselor, Pastor, etc should have on their shelf for women, a resource I will recommend over and over again as I encounter women who deal with pregnancy loss. Thank you Teske.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews