Guest post at Sandra Robbins' blog

The lovely Sandra Robbins is hosting me over at her blog today. Here's a snippet of our conversation:

What Bible scripture has impacted your life the most?

The Psalms. I know it sounds like a cheat to cite a whole book, but several years ago I started listening through the book of Psalms once a month and it absolutely changed my prayer life and my interior thought life. I’ve heard the Psalms called “the prayer book of the church” and I feel that letting them soak into my mind and heart has really taught me how to pray.

Come on over and read the rest!


Peace of Christ to you,
Jessica Snell

Giveaway! Win a copy of "Not Alone"

Today, I'm honored to be over at author Anna Weaver's website, sharing a little bit about "Not Alone". The interview includes a giveaway -- please come on over and enter to win a copy!

Here's a little snippet of the interview Anna conducted with me about the book - in this paragraph, I have a chance to explain the book's crazy-long subtitle! :)

The book I'm featuring today is "Not Alone: A Literary Companion For Those Confronted with Miscarriage and Infertility". 

I know that's a mouthful of a subtitle! But we wanted readers to know what they were picking up. 

"Literary" because it's a book of essays. So very many people have shared this kind of suffering and so we wanted to feature a multitude of perspectives. 

"Companion" because the longing for a child -- either one you've lost or one you've never had -- can be a very lonely kind of suffering. We wanted people to know this book was full of people who had been there too, who want to walk beside you in your grief. 

And "Confronted" because this isn't something you ask for. It's something that comes upon you when you never wanted it and weren't looking for it. 

This is a book that doesn't pretend that these things are easy, but also confirms that God is good. And those two truths: that there is real sorrow and a good God who loves us ... those can be hard to reconcile. The contributors to "Not Alone" were really honest about *both*, and I think it's that honesty that makes the book so valuable.

Please head on over to Anna's place to read the rest!

Peace of Christ to you,
Jessica Snell

This post contains Amazon affiliate links; if you purchase a book from this link, I receive a small percentage of the purchase price.  (See full disclosure on sidebar of my blog.)

some things we share, and some we don't...

So, after sharing that book post about how sharing bits of your day is such a good way to blog ... I got horribly sick.

I decided everyone would be okay if I didn't share tales of the flu every day. :)  You're welcome.


But something nice did happen online this week, and that's that the lovely Anne Kennedy reviewed "Not Alone". Here's a bit of what she had to say:

...I was constantly surprised by hope as I turned over the pages. God cares for the child, we all know that. But we don’t give much thought for the gracious consolations of the mother by God, nor for the heartbroken father. For the Christian, suffering isn’t random, isn’t cruel, however sharp and unbearable. These writers lay bear the internal, private, outpouring of God’s mercy in their grief. What did he say? What didn’t he? How did they go on? What did they learn? It’s all there.

Head on over to Anne's place to read the rest.


Peace of Christ to you,
Jessica Snell

Loss or Tragedy?

photo credit: Betsy Barber

Today I'm honored to be guest-blogging over at "Stitches Thru Time". Here's a snippet of the devotional I wrote for them:

Our nights—our deepest, darkest, hardest nights—are places where the Lord still sees us and still knows us. The evil of the world and its losses do not surprise Him, and they do not overwhelm Him. 

Please head over to "Stitches Thru Time" to read the rest!


Peace of Christ to you,
Jessica Snell

"Not Alone" giveaway and interview!

I'm honored to be a guest today over at Lena Nelson Dooley's blog, talking about "Not Alone" and how miscarriage and infertility aren't "pretend griefs".  Here's a snippet:

These can be very private griefs, which lead to people feeling very alone. As the church, it’s important to comfort one another and to be there for each other—especially because, as Christians, we know that the unborn are real people, loved and known by God. And because we value children, and so can acknowledge that infertility is a real loss—not some pretend grief that people should just “buck up” and “get over.”

Please stop by Lena's place to read the rest, and to enter the #giveaway!


Peace of Christ to you,
Jessica Snell


This post contains Amazon affiliate links. If you purchase something through these links, I'll receive a small percentage of the purchase price - for my own shopping! :) (See full disclosure on sidebar of my blog.)

A God Who Knows Grief

I'm honored today to be guest posting over at Sarah Ruut's blog. Here's a snippet:

Private grief is sometimes what we want. 

It's not always what we need. 

And it's never our only choice. Why? Because we serve a Lord who is familiar with suffering...

Please go read the rest over at Sarah's beautiful website! I hope it offers you a bit of encouragement for your day.


Peace of Christ to you,
Jessica Snell

Come and say hi! (plus, a giveaway!)

I'm honored to be the Friday Featured Guest over at June Foster's blog today. Come on over and say hi in the comments!


Also, have you been curious about "Not Alone", but not quite sure you wanted to buy? Jennifer Hallmark has your solution! She's hosting a giveaway of "Not Alone" over at Elaine Stock's blog. Head on over in order to enter!

-Jessica Snell

Infertility and Miscarriage - in the authors' own words

This is a follow-up to yesterday's post, where I wrote a bit on what I noticed while editing "Not Alone". I thought it only fitting to use today's post to direct you towards some reflections from the actual contributors to the book, so here's a small link round-up of their thoughts:


-Jared Begg, on promoting a book about such hard topics:

I contributed to a book again . . . The first book was uplifting in theme and overtly worshipful. 

This second book is a little different than that.

-Marcy Ratcliff, on all the emotions reading the book brought up:

These beautiful, heartbreaking stories. I want to hug everyone in the world. Especially every mother, but also every father, everyone yearning for a child, even everyone not. Those struggling with other things and those who are like, Why are you hugging me, you crazy lady?!

-Jennifer Hallmark, in an interview about writing her contribution:

It could be called an "edgy" Chicken Soup for the Soul. By edgy, I mean the essays, written by men and women who've dealt with the pain and emotions that come with miscarriage and/or infertility, are heart cries. These stories are told by broken people who have found hope in the midst of their struggle.

-Finally, Anna Gissing on "Advent and Infertility":

And even now, God sees and hears you. God knows your unfulfilled longings and desires.

If you've experienced miscarriage or infertility, or if you (like me) want to understand your loved ones who have been in this place, considering picking up a copy of "Not Alone".


Peace of Christ to you,
Jessica Snell



This post contains Amazon affiliate links.  See full disclosure on sidebar of my blog.

"Not Alone: A Literary Companion for Those Confronted with Infertility and Miscarriage"

It sounds weird to say that I'm very excited about this book release precisely because this book is not a cheerful book.

It's not. It's about infertility and miscarriage, and it's not a cheerful book.

But I hope very much that it's a good one.


I didn't contribute a chapter to this book. Instead, I had the honor of editing it.

And it was indeed an honor. The people who share their stories here are generous, honest, and brave. They're generous with their lives, willing to share their own stories in order to help others. They're honest about what actually happened, and don't shy away from the parts of their experiences that are hard or ugly. And they're brave enough to be open about what it's actually like to lose a beloved child before birth, or to never be able to conceive that very-loved child in the first place.

It's these contributors who make me excited about this book release. Because they are amazing people and their work is worth reading.

The hope behind this book is that those who are in the middle of their own encounter with these hard things will find companions here. Those who can walk alongside, who can say, "I know" and really mean it, and who can sit and stay and weep with and understand.

These stories testify to the fact that both miscarriage and infertility can be lonely experiences. We hope this book makes them a little less so.


Peace of Christ to you,
Jessica Snell