Loved Baby: book review part 1

I have put off writing this review for so long. =(

Because I don’t like the book?

Nope.

It’s an amazing book, but I’ve been through a rough period the last couple of months, compounded by the stress of the holidays and an attempt at what seems like it will be an impossible move across the country. And this book brings up gobs of emotions! In a great way, but also, it is a bit emotionally exhausting.

So I decided that instead of trying to throw out a half-hearted quick overall review before I’ve even made it through the whole book, I would take it in small pieces! So be watching for a few more posts in this mini-series review, as I make my way through the book.

The first thing, though seemingly small, that I love about the book, is the little heart on the inside cover with a place to put “to” and “from.” This is a small touch, but very important, as I believe this is one of the best books you can gift to a grieving mama. And I’ve read a LOT of books for grieving mamas in the last 4 years since my first loss.

In the beginning is a short introduction from the author, Sarah, where she shares a bit of her heart and story, and it immediately feels as though she has invited you for coffee in a quiet and calm place, free from the judgment and advice-filled comments that so commonly surround loss. I felt my guard immediately begin to drop, as her compassion and care are so evident that it’s impossible to feel anything but loved.

The book is conveniently divided into 31 sections, short enough to read even when you don’t feel like investing the emotional energy or time for a long chapter. There is a short snippet in the “meat” of each section, sharing a personal story or experience from either the author or a loss mama, along with some important truths that every loss mother needs to hear, but few or none will speak to her. Things like “Even though we find comfort in the fact that our babies are in heaven with God, it still hurts.”

At the end of each section, there is a part labeled “soul work” with some very healing truths and things we can do to help our hearts begin to rebuild. It’s the real-life, nitty-gritty, practical advice part of the healing process, and helpful advice that most loss mothers will not receive elsewhere. There is also a short prayer, which I found to be comforting, and especially when I first began to experience losses, would’ve been helpful when there were so many times I simply didn’t have any words to pray.

This week, one of my favorite parts was this:

“Your loved ones-especially the father of your baby-might want to know how they can help ease you. How they can be a friend. Give them permission to sit quietly beside you in your grief. Ask them to hug you and hold you. Please know you might have to ask for this. Don’t be ashamed to speak what you need. It’s okay to set boundaries, and it’s ok to be specific with your requests.”

Oh how I wish I knew that with my first loss. I didn’t know how to tell my husband what I needed, and he didn’t know how to help/comfort me. Many friends and family weren’t quite sure what to say or do, either, and it led to me feeling alone, hurt, and unloved. Sarah knows exactly what it’s like to lose babies, and she nailed this point…ASK. It’s ok. It’s ok to guide people as they help you and support you.

Anyway, this is just part 1! Stay tuned, as I update y’all on my way through the book. I am enjoying going through it without rushing, and savoring every word. It’s like a balm, and although a lot of people think that after 12 babies lost, I should be “used to it” by now, some days it really feels like it gets worse with every loss. So although I wish I had this book in the beginning, I’m still incredibly grateful for it now! <3

If you’re looking to purchase this book, you can find it on Amazon right here:

 

*I received this book for free in exchange for a review, but y’all should know by now that I never recommend things based off of anything but my personal opinion, and I’m quite opinionated. 😉

**This post contains affiliate links, and if a purchase is made through that link, I may receive a small percentage of the sale at no additional cost to you. This is simply a small way I can bring in a little extra for my family for things that I already love and recommend anyway. =)

Healing from severe food allergies?!

So… some of you know that I’ve been praying for months about my food allergies, after God seemed to tell me they were demon oppression/attack (I know it sounds crazy to some of you but hear me out). This week, I had a major breakthrough in my life, relating to the trauma caused by my mom, thanks to Deanna Ritchie (www.facebook.com/heavenonearthhealingschool) helping me over the last few months to find deep soul wounds, and also learning to claim the full power of God in mending these wounds. I believe this last bit of unforgiving spirit was providing a “landing strip” for Satan and his crew to afflict me. 

Well, I’ve been nervously testing this out–this whole week, I’ve had a huge amount of gluten, several times, and… 

Nothing.

I keep waiting for the head-to-toe hives, the other horrific side effects that you don’t want to hear about lol, and not one problem! 

I can hardly believe it myself, and I didn’t even want to say anything to anyone, because it’s just weird. You don’t get healed from things like food allergies…or so says my nurse brain. I am learning that God brought me out of nursing, at least for a season, to help me fully experience miraculous medical healing and breakthrough, because my nurse brain kept putting Him in a box, saying “that’s just impossible.” 

Last night, we prayed over some spiritual warfare we’ve been dealing with, and Satan really started to get in my head. ?

So today… I’m claiming this publicly, because I need to show Satan he needs to shut up! 
I’ve been truly miraculously healed of severe food allergies! 

?

This just doesn’t happen. I’ve suffered for years… it’s been miserable. It was so bad that if Ben even ate gluten and then kissed me, I’d break out in hives, so he had to eat gluten free, too! I was terrified of restaurants touching something and contaminating it, because it would mean hours and hours of torture later. I didn’t ever want to go eat at someone’s house, because they didn’t know how to prepare food carefully, and I’d pay the price.

Now, I’m not saying all food allergies are Satan’s doing lol, that’s just what God told me after praying and begging him to show me how to pray for mine, because I was so done with it, and I desired a miraculous intervention.

And maybe God had me go through all of this to learn how to carefully cook for food allergies, so that we can take in foster kids with life-threatening allergies or something, who knows? 

But all I know is that for the first time in maybe my whole life, I feel actual compassion toward my mom, the person who has hurt me deeply from the time I was even in utero. Most of you don’t even know my story to the fullest extent…there was atrocious behavior. I know I could never fully forgive her on my own, but I learned how to repair my soul from the hurt, so that I could allow God to place that deepest forgiveness in my heart.

Also, this sounds weird, I’m sure, but today I need to heavily claim the promises of God publicly, so… God also whispered to me that this forgiveness bit with my mom was what was hindering me from carrying a child to term. So please, I covet your prayers for a healthy child to be born to us. We desire so deeply to foster and adopt (we’ve desired to adopt since before we even got married), but this desire for natural children hasn’t left, either. We truly wish for a home full of children who come to us through all sorts of ways. So please be in prayer with us over this. ❤️
Ok, now that you probably think I’m crazy (??‍♀️??‍♀️?), go claim a promise of God for yourself! Satan really is afoot and doing some horrible things… let’s combat it by shouting praise and claiming promises! 
Thank you Jesus for healing what should’ve been impossible, both physically and emotionally! ??