In this deeply moving episode, Ashley welcomes Emily Curtis—author, poet, and founder of Hope in the Mourning—to share her story of layered grief, enduring faith, and Gospel-centered hope. What unfolds is a sacred conversation about sorrow upon sorrow: multiple pregnancy losses and the death of her beloved father.

Emily invites listeners into the holy space of lament. Through poetry, Scripture, testimony, and raw honesty, this episode creates room for sorrow to be named, carried, and surrendered before a God who sees every tear and remains steadfastly good.

This conversation is both tender and theologically rich, offering comfort to grieving mothers while equipping the Church to love better. Whether you are walking through miscarriage, compounded grief, or supporting someone who is, this episode offers language for pain, permission to lament, and hope rooted firmly in Christ.

In this episode, we discussed:

• Navigating compound grief—when sorrow stacks upon sorrow
• Wrestling honestly with God when grief feels unfair or overwhelming
• Why lament is biblical (and how to lament, based on the pattern of the Psalms)
• Naming babies in Heaven and the healing power of honoring their lives
• What not to say to grieving parents and why Christian platitudes aren't helpful
• The ministry and mission behind Hope in the Mourning
• Poetry as a form of lament, worship, and hope

GET THE BOOK! Cradled in Hope is sold on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Target, Christianbook, and Baker Bookhouse.
[www.bridgetscradles.com/book]

EPISODE SHOW NOTES & FULL TRANSCRIPT:
[www.bridgetscradles.com/post/episode67]

• CRADLED IN HOPE PODCAST WEBSITE:
Sign up here to receive email updates and hope-filled resources
[www.bridgetscradles.com/podcast]

• CRADLED IN HOPE FACEBOOK COMMUNITY FOR GRIEVING MOMS:
[www.facebook.com/groups/cradledinhope]

• FOLLOW BRIDGET'S CRADLES
[www.facebook.com/bridgetscradles]
[www.instagram.com/bridgetscradles]
[www.pinterest.com/bridgetscradles]

• CONNECT WITH THE HOST | ASHLEY OPLIGER
[www.ashleyopliger.com]
[www.facebook.com/ashleyopliger]
[www.instagram.com/ashleyopliger]

#cradledinhope #cradledinhopepodcast #bridgetscradles

In this very special episode, Ashley welcomes her longtime friend and behind-the-scenes podcast team member, Maria Childs, to the microphone. Maria has faithfully served Cradled in Hope since its launch in 2021, designing the beautiful graphics and quote carousels that listeners see each week. But in this sacred conversation, Maria steps out from behind the screen to share her deeply personal story of grief, faith, and healing.

Maria opens her heart about the stillbirth of her daughter, Taylor Ann, at 39 weeks, and the early miscarriage she experienced just six months later. She shares how her grief led her to Bridget’s Cradles through a sticker giveaway (yes—really!), and how God used a Facebook post to begin a redemptive story of connection, service, and purpose.

Together, Ashley and Maria reflect on the power of community, the healing that comes through telling your story, and how serving grieving moms has helped Maria honor her babies in Heaven while encouraging others through their pain. This episode is a beautiful testimony of how God brings purpose from heartbreak and knits friendships together through shared sorrow and eternal hope.

In this episode, we discussed:

• The traumatic experience of arriving at the hospital expecting to meet her baby—only to hear the words no parent should ever hear
• The shock and confusion of receiving no medical explanation for Taylor’s passing, and the miscarriage that followed six months later
• How God led Maria to Cradled in Hope through a social media giveaway, and how she messaged Ashley after Episode 1, saying, “I want to come to the little blue barn.”
• The journey of moving from silent sorrow to openly sharing her story—and how each Bridget's Cradles event and connection helped her find the courage to speak her daughter’s name
• Maria’s work as a graphic designer, and how using her gifts for the podcast became a healing outlet and purposeful way to honor her babies
• The Facebook group ministry and how Maria lovingly welcomes grieving moms through personal messages and prayerful connection
• Why answering the question, “How many children do you have?” is hard—and how Maria learned to confidently include her babies in Heaven
• Her bold step of faith in speaking at Manhattan, Kansas’ Pregnancy & Infant Loss event, and how Bridget’s Cradles resources helped other families that day
• The importance of walking with moms in fresh grief while also pointing them toward the hope of healing and the promise of Heaven
• Maria’s favorite chapter from Ashley's book, Cradled in Hope, and how she rereads it when grief resurfaces
• How Cradled in Hope and the podcast offer gospel truth in a variety of voices and stories—all pointing to the same eternal hope
• Maria’s favorite verse, Matthew 6:34, and how God has gently led her to take each day as it comes

Whether you’re in the crashing waves of fresh grief or standing on the shore years later, this episode reminds us that community, compassion, and Christ-centered truth are essential to healing. Maria’s story is a beautiful testimony of pain transformed into purpose—and of a mom who continues to serve, create, and share in memory of the babies she will one day hold again.

GET THE BOOK! Cradled in Hope is sold on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Target, Christianbook, and Baker Bookhouse.
[www.bridgetscradles.com/book]

EPISODE SHOW NOTES & FULL TRANSCRIPT:
[www.bridgetscradles.com/post/episode66]

• CRADLED IN HOPE PODCAST WEBSITE:
Sign up here to receive email updates and hope-filled resources
[www.bridgetscradles.com/podcast]

• CRADLED IN HOPE FACEBOOK COMMUNITY FOR GRIEVING MOMS:
[www.facebook.com/groups/cradledinhope]

• FOLLOW BRIDGET'S CRADLES
[www.facebook.com/bridgetscradles]
[www.instagram.com/bridgetscradles]
[www.pinterest.com/bridgetscradles]

• CONNECT WITH THE HOST | ASHLEY OPLIGER
[www.ashleyopliger.com]
[www.facebook.com/ashleyopliger]
[www.instagram.com/ashleyopliger]

#cradledinhope #cradledinhopepodcast #bridgetscradles

In this honest and powerful episode, Ashley welcomes Anne Cockrell—wife, mom, and cohost of Hannah’s Heart on American Family Radio—to share her remarkable story of faith, surrender, loss, and hope. Anne vulnerably walks us through her journey of infertility, miscarriage, foster care, adoption, and the heartbreaking loss of her baby boy, John-Micah, who lived 27 precious minutes on earth before entering eternity.

With wisdom and a tender spirit, Anne shares how God met her in the moments of deepest grief—from chemical pregnancies and delayed diagnoses to a traumatic emergency C-section and saying goodbye far too soon. She also beautifully shares how God brought life and redemption through the births of her daughters, the adoption of her son, and the sacred calling of foster care.

This episode is a gentle reminder that love is always worth the risk—and that Jesus is faithful to meet us in every part of our story. Whether you’re walking through infertility, pregnancy after loss, or discerning your next step in growing your family, Anne’s story will comfort and encourage your heart.

In this episode, we discussed:

• Anne and her husband's unexpected road through infertility and loss
• The heartbreak of multiple early miscarriages and the confusing grief of chemical pregnancies
• Their decision to pursue foster care and how loving children in crisis shaped their hearts and faith
• The bittersweet beauty of adoption and the complex emotions that come with it
• The power of surrender—Anne’s pivotal moment at the washing machine when she fully gave her motherhood journey to God
• How God surprised them with two miracle pregnancies after surrendering fertility treatments and plans
• The story of Anne’s son, John-Micah, and the devastating day she delivered him via emergency C-section at 26 weeks
• How it felt to hold her son after his passing, and the powerful peace of God's presence in the hospital room
• Why Anne would do it all again—just to hold her son one more time
• How God led Anne to cohost Hannah’s Heart on American Family Radio, and how the ministry now supports families walking through infertility, miscarriage, and loss
• The inspiration behind the name Hannah’s Heart and what it means to offer your answered prayers back to God

If you’re facing an uncertain path, longing for motherhood, or grieving a baby you never got to raise, this episode will speak directly to your heart. Through every twist and turn, God is writing a redemptive story—and He is holding both you and your baby in His love.

GET THE BOOK! Cradled in Hope is sold on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Target, Christianbook, and Baker Bookhouse.
[www.bridgetscradles.com/book]

EPISODE SHOW NOTES & FULL TRANSCRIPT:
[www.bridgetscradles.com/post/episode65]

• CRADLED IN HOPE PODCAST WEBSITE:
Sign up here to receive email updates and hope-filled resources
[www.bridgetscradles.com/podcast]

• CRADLED IN HOPE FACEBOOK COMMUNITY FOR GRIEVING MOMS:
[www.facebook.com/groups/cradledinhope]

• FOLLOW BRIDGET'S CRADLES
[www.facebook.com/bridgetscradles]
[www.instagram.com/bridgetscradles]
[www.pinterest.com/bridgetscradles]

• CONNECT WITH THE HOST | ASHLEY OPLIGER
[www.ashleyopliger.com]
[www.facebook.com/ashleyopliger]
[www.instagram.com/ashleyopliger]

#cradledinhope #cradledinhopepodcast #bridgetscradles