Hope for Today, Promises for Tomorrow

About the Book:

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 to living 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.

What I Thought About the Book:

This is another book I am adding to my permanent shelf. The entire book was completely engrossing to me and something I can see helping so many women, and honestly some men as they grieve the loss of an infant. I have known a lot of women who have gone through similar situations as the author and who have never been able to find true peace or comfort wherever they have looked for it. The biggest thing I appreciate about Teske is that she never once says "Don't feel like that!" She encourages the reader to get in touch with everything they are feeling and then to let the Lord help them through those emotions and beyond.

All the way through the book Scripture is given to support what Teske is saying and sharing. She also encourages the reader to start a Hope Journal, something that can really help the reader focus thoughts and feelings in the right direction. She asks tough and thought provoking questions from the perspective of someone who has been there and understands what the reader is feeling.

I recommend reading the book with tissues in had. The stories she shares will tug at your heart and move you in way you may not expect. I believe even someone who has never experienced this kind of loss would gain an tremendous amount from this book. It will help them understand what a friend or loved one is going through and how they can better help them through the process of grief and beyond.

The most important thing I loved about the book is seeing how the author continually directed the reader to Christ. Every step of the way she points over and over to Jesus as the only true help for anyone who is grieving and who truly understands what they are going through.

Meet Teske Drake:

Teske Drake (PhD, Iowa State University) is a mommy to three babies in Heaven, mom to two on earth, and wife to her one and only. She is co-founder of Mommies with Hope, a biblically based support group for women who have experienced infant loss.

Find out more at mommieswithhope.blogspot.com

You can also buy her book at: http://ow.ly/d336C

Live Webcast

In coordination with the launch of their fall releases, Kregel will be hosting a live webcast event on September 20 at 8 PM EDT featuring authors Kim Ketola (Cradle My Heart), Teske Drake (Hope for Today, Promises for Tomorrow), Dawn Scott Jones (When A Women You Love Was Abused). The webcast will allow women to come together to share their struggles and fears in order to move toward healing and hope. Women will be able to support one another and discuss shared experiences in a non-threatening, open and loving environment.

Cat Hoort of Kregel says, "We are seeking to provide safe means for Christian women to be vulnerable with each other, to seek help and guidance and counselors, and to find encouragement from those who have shared similar experiences. Out hope is that Women Redeemed webcast will become a forum for hurting women as well as for those who can help. Kim, Teske, and Dawn are all survivors and their stories will surely inspire and equip other women to move toward healing and hope."