"One of the hardest lessons in life is letting go . . . change is never easy. We fight to hold on and we fight to let go." 

As moms who have suffered the loss of a child, we know only too well that "change is never easy!"  

Life circumstances are ever-changing and nothing stays the same, but we have the blessed assurance that no matter what comes our way, our Heavenly Father never changes and He is ever-faithful in His abiding love and presence in our lives, if we put our trust in Him alone. 

As the Co-Founding Director of Mothers Like Me, I have been devoted to entering into the grief of hurting moms, offering the "fragrance of faith, hope and love" in Christ,  for the past 10 years. A Decade?  That just doesn't seem possible, as the years have passed by quickly, because they have been rich and full of blessings.

As my husband, Bob, and I have retired and are settling into our "golden years," I have come to realize that I must make some "changes" in my life, and one very difficult change that comes out of months and months of prayerful consideration, is that I believe it is time for me to step down, as the Director of Mothers Like Me and let the ministry go.

My decision to "let go" of Mothers Like Me is made with the confidence that I have God's permission to set this leadership responsibility and ministry down, and I lay it down with much gratitude that He gave me the vision and plan for the ministry, and that it has made a difference in the journey of grief for hurting moms He has brought our way. 

As I write these words, I am overwhelmed by God's love, grace and blessings, and if these computer pages were paper pages, tears of gratitude would be falling onto the page, as my heart has been connected to each of you these 10 years in a profound way. I have prayed for all of you and your stories of loss are blended with my own and I honestly love and care for each one of you very much.

The past 10 years have been challenging, encouraging, fruitful and so worth the committment and personal investments,  as I have been privileged to witnessed God's great exchange take place in the hearts and lives of hundreds of grieving moms. Some may think that being in the company of grieving moms might be "draining," but I can honestly say that the opposite has been true for me. Being a part of this ministry has been an important part in my personal healing and these past 10 years have been some of the best years of my life - all because of YOU - the beautiful, courageous moms who are true heroes of hope.
                                                                                                                                                                    
It is my heart's desire to make myself available on a one-on-one basis to grieving moms, and I will continue to share my sympathy, concern and offer my personal care and support, as I am able.  Please don't hesitate to email or call me at anytime, and know that I would consider it a blessing to help and encourage you in Christ.

God has a plan and it's always a "...plan for good and for a future and a hope. " -Jeremiah 29:11 

With Faith, Hope and Love,
Angie - "a mom like you"
amotherlikeme@gmail.com
www.motherslikeme@facebook.com
562-305-0017

"He gives beauty for ashes, joy for mourning, praise for the spirit of heaviness that we might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord that He might be glorified." - Isaiah 61:3

"If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging symbol." I Corinthians 13:1

The pictured quote by Angie Cartwright was recently posted on our Mothers Like Me Facebook page (www.motherslikeme@facebook.com) by a precious mom who is consistent about sharing her grieving heart and her hope.

Several years ago, I was introduced to another quote by A. DeLamartine that is included in our ministry brochure . . . "Grief knits two hearts in closer bonds than happiness ever can and common sufferings are far stronger links than common joys."

When I first read the quote by DeLamartine, I had to read and re-read it, because I had a hard time wrapping my mind (and my heart) around the idea that stronger bonds are formed through sharing "common sufferings" than sharing "common joys." 


However, soon after the loss of our youngest son, Kevin, I realized the wisdom and truth of that quote, and the reason I had a hard time understanding the concept earlier was because I had not yet learned the griever's "language of the heart." 

What does it mean to speak the "language of the heart?"  For me, I believe this language is understood and spoken by those who are acquainted with grief, suffering and loss. And, I also believe that this language for followers of Christ comes out experiencing something of the sufferings of our Redeemer King who expressed and manifested the heart of God . . . His redeeming love introduced a new language to the world; the life-saving, life-changing, life-giving "language of the heart."

Not everyone who suffers loss is open to expressing their grief much less learning this new language. Many who suffer avoid and even deny themselves the relief of grieving and learning the griever's language, because they simply consider it to be a foreign language too difficult for them to learn and/or speak.

I relate the avoidance to learn this new language with my inability to learn Spanish. I have tried, practiced with a neighbor in Californa, but, I have yet to commit myself to what feels like a daunting task - it just doesn't come naturally and seems foreign to me, as English or any other language would feel to someone who speaks another language. And, this is true for learning to speak the "language of the heart." 

As Mothers Like Me began our 7th "season of comfort" this September, Angie Cartwright's words remind us that our ministry of "faith, hope and love" is committed to speaking the  "language of the heart," because we are truly "sisters of the heart" - bonded together by our "common sufferings" and by sharing "common joys," as we experience God's love, hope and healing peace.

If we give ourselves permission to grieve, find acceptance, comfort and encouragement in the company of others who grieve with hope, what might happen to us, as we learn to speak the "language of the heart?"  

It is our hope and prayer that we will become more proficient in the use of this language, which in reality is the language of LOVE.  "We grieve because we love." - Unknown

With Faith, Hope and Love in Christ,
Your "Sisters of the Heart" - Angie, Shelley, Christy, Stephanie and Julie