Hope Beyond Heartbreak | Dr Robert and Ashley Mitchom

Charlotte Gloria: A Story of Hope Beyond Heartbreak

When Robert and Ashley Mitchom discovered they were expecting their fourth child, their family was filled with excitement. But just weeks later, that joy turned into unimaginable heartbreak as they experienced the loss of their daughter, Charlotte Gloria.

In this deeply personal conversation, they share how they navigated grief as husband and wife, helped their three sons process loss, and found strength through God's Word, worship, and the unwavering support of their church family.

If you or someone you love has experienced miscarriage or pregnancy loss, this episode offers biblical encouragement, practical wisdom, and the reminder that even in life's darkest valleys, God remains faithful.

In this episode you'll discover:

• How Robert and Ashley walked through grief together—even when they grieved differently
• The importance of community during seasons of loss
• How worship and Scripture became anchors in the storm
• Practical encouragement for couples facing pregnancy loss
• Why God can still bring purpose from profound pain

Romans 8:28 • Hebrews 12:2 • Hebrews 4:16 • Isaiah 1:18 • Psalm 34:18 

 Psalm 139:13–14

Today's Test Is Tomorrow's Testimony

Looking for Hope?

Transcript

[00:00:00] Lou Lepore: Welcome back to the More Than Conquerors podcast. I'm your host, Lou Lepore, and as always, this is where today's test is tomorrow's testimony. Today is no different. I have good friends of mine, Robert and Ashley Mitcham. Robert has a background in college basketball and just recently finished his PhD in Business Administration, specializing in accounting, and Ashley is the school director at Calvary Chapel Academy in Bechtelsville, Pennsylvania.

[00:00:26] Lou Lepore: Both highly accomplished, both great Christians that walk with [00:00:30] the Lord. Robert and Ashley, welcome to the show. 

[00:00:32] Ashley Mitchom: Thanks for having us. 

[00:00:33] Robert Mitchom: Yes, thanks for having us. 

[00:00:34] Lou Lepore: I am very excited to hear this story. I've been thinking through it as we kind of lived it and prayed through it together, and I think everybody that is going to hear the story is gonna be greatly impacted, not only by what the Lord's doing in your life, but your testimony through it.

[00:00:49] Lou Lepore: So you all have three boys. 

[00:00:51] Ashley Mitchom: Yes, we have three boys. Youngest just finished kindergarten, and the oldest is in middle school and becoming a teenager this [00:01:00] summer. 

[00:01:00] Lou Lepore: Okay, so you're running the gamut. Okay. Dad, how you feeling about this? 

[00:01:03] Robert Mitchom: I, we have a growing family, so it's exciting just to watch the boys grow in Christ.

[00:01:07] Lou Lepore: Are they basketball players like you? 

[00:01:08] Robert Mitchom: Not yet. I'm gonna get them out there this summer. 

[00:01:11] Lou Lepore: Okay. How did you both meet? 

[00:01:12] Ashley Mitchom: We did not meet until, um, after college. I had moved to Nashville, Tennessee to, uh, work in ministry, and I met him at a friend's birthday party. And the rest is history. 

[00:01:24] Lou Lepore: And he said he's a Knicks fan, and that was it.

[00:01:27] Lou Lepore: We're going to NYC. [00:01:30] I got it. Both of you served faithfully at Valley Forge Baptist for years. Ashley, you were the nursery director, which, besides the senior pastor, might be the hardest job in the entire church. 

[00:01:41] Ashley Mitchom: I mean, I'd probably argue it's the hardest, especially when the pastor goes over in the service and all those little babies are hungry and 

[00:01:48] Lou Lepore: waiting for lunch.

[00:01:48] Lou Lepore: Yeah, it, that, that is true. Yeah, I guess, uh, there's a side of it that you never think about- ... until you're in that situation. But Robert, I know you faithfully serve with your wife. There's a lot of trash to take out, cribs to [00:02:00] move. There's a lot of toys to put back together and make sure everything's set up, and you guys served as a couple there, and that is awesome to see.

[00:02:07] Lou Lepore: Ashley, you have just stepped into the role as the school director at Calvary Chapel Academy. How's that going? 

[00:02:12] Ashley Mitchom: Yeah. I just finished my third month as the director at Calvary Chapel Academy at Shepherd of the Hills Calvary Chapel, and it's been a whirlwind to say the least, but such an awesome whirlwind.

[00:02:25] Lou Lepore: Mm-hmm. 

[00:02:25] Ashley Mitchom: It's been a lot of work, but a lot of fun. 

[00:02:27] Lou Lepore: And so you guys are moving along. You're doing family. [00:02:30] You're doing ministry. You're serving the Lord. It's busy. There's a lot happening. And when I think back to you coming on to the church staff at Valley Forge Baptist as a nursery director, that had a lot to it.

[00:02:41] Lou Lepore: But then in the end of 2024, you guys had some very exciting news. What happened? 

[00:02:46] Ashley Mitchom: So at the beginning of 2025, we, uh, found out that we were unexpectedly expecting. We found out, actually, it was the day after our six-year-old's birthday, on Valentine's Day. We [00:03:00] were completely shocked. 

[00:03:00] Lou Lepore: Completely shocked. Um, '

[00:03:02] Ashley Mitchom: cause we were, we were done, but- Dad, dad 

[00:03:04] Lou Lepore: was completely shocked

[00:03:06] Ashley Mitchom: also so extremely excited. We were just, we were ready for that phase. First trimester was all very normal, you know? I was sick. Those who've been through pregnancy will say that sickness is a good thing because it's a healthy pregnancy. I was exhausted. I was also homeschooling at the time, and it was a crazy season, but good.

[00:03:28] Ashley Mitchom: I was under the care of a [00:03:30] midwife, and all of, uh, the lab work was looking good. We were just shy of 13 weeks, you know, the magic number where you're supposed to be in the safe zone. That would've been Friday, and Wednesday, I started bleeding. My midwife, she was trying to comfort me, but I just felt that something wasn't right.

[00:03:48] Ashley Mitchom: And, uh, we ended up in the ER that night, where, long story short, they confirmed what I had prayed and hoped wasn't happening, that I was miscarrying. 

[00:03:59] Lou Lepore: With all the [00:04:00] excitement and all the anticipation that comes with any pregnancy, Robert, I'll go to you first. What was going through your mind at the moment?

[00:04:07] Robert Mitchom: I was just praying. I was hopeful that the worst wasn't happening, but at the same time, you know, trying to make sure to comfort my wife and comfort my boys to make sure that- If the worst did happen, then things would be okay and, you know, we can get through it as best as possible. And when the news came, I was really [00:04:30] devastated.

[00:04:30] Robert Mitchom: Mm-hmm. Um, 'cause the, even the next morning, we found out that it was a girl. 

[00:04:36] Lou Lepore: Mm. 

[00:04:37] Robert Mitchom: And so, you know, being three boys and not to say that we wanted a girl, but just the, you know- We thought that that would complete our family, is just to have a girl to go along with our boys. 

[00:04:52] Lou Lepore: Ashley, how were you getting through?

[00:04:53] Ashley Mitchom: Well, I left there feeling completely broken, and I was just... I was hurt. I was angry. I was [00:05:00] like, "Why do I have to go through this so publicly?" That kinda kept going through my head. I didn't sleep much that night. I remember going home and crying so hard that I- Mm-hmm ... just, I couldn't breathe anymore. And then, like Robert had said, we had found out the next morning that we were having a girl.

[00:05:19] Ashley Mitchom: My midwife messaged me and said, "I just got the test results from the early genetic testing we did." And she's like, "Do you want them?" And I was [00:05:30] like, "Yeah, I need them." I was almost positive that I was gonna open them up and they were gonna tell me there was something wrong, or that maybe the test was inconclusive or something.

[00:05:41] Ashley Mitchom: But I opened them up, and they said that everything was perfect and we were having a little girl, and that just, it gutted me all over again. And I remember that morning, through the tears, we sat and we prayed together, and we named her. Right there, we [00:06:00] named her Charlotte Gloria. Gloria is actually my grandma's name.

[00:06:04] Ashley Mitchom: I have a very special relationship with my grandma. We were... We've always been really close growing up, and I always told her, when I was a little girl, I always told her, I'm like, "I'm gonna have a little girl one day, and I'm gonna name her after you." And then I had boy after boy after boy. And it just never happened.

[00:06:23] Ashley Mitchom: It was just really special to be able to give, you know, Charlotte my grandmother's name. My grandma won't get [00:06:30] to know her on this side of heaven, but her namesake is there waiting for her on the other side. 

[00:06:37] Lou Lepore: Yeah, I can see how that is just so incredibly devastating. My wife and I shared in the experience of miscarriages ourselves, and you get to the highest high and feel like you go down to the lowest low in a matter of seconds in trying to process that information.

[00:06:52] Lou Lepore: I'm very encouraged and love that you had the opportunity to use the name Gloria and sharing that with your grandmother. You had mentioned that [00:07:00] both of you were processing the information individually. Robert, you mentioned just the devastation and total letdown, and Ashley, you were crushed, tears, and, and all that.

[00:07:09] Lou Lepore: How did you all process this information as a married couple? 

[00:07:13] Ashley Mitchom: That wasn't immediate. We were both grieving very, very deeply, but we were grieving in different ways. We were feeling different pains, and there was a point where we were almost, like, grieving [00:07:30] apart instead of grieving together. And I d- I don't know, I don't remember exactly the timeframe, but I just remember that I, I couldn't understand the type of grief that he had.

[00:07:42] Ashley Mitchom: It was different than mine. Mine was, you know, emotional and physical, but his was different. And, you know, I don't know that I could ever fully understand that. And I remember I just started praying for him, and praying over him, and praying scripture for him. And [00:08:00] his way of helping me would be he kinda picked up every single ball that I dropped.

[00:08:06] Ashley Mitchom: Like, I fell to pieces. There were weeks upon weeks where I just, I couldn't function, and he just, he picked it all up. He, he did the food , he did the karate with the boys, he took them to school. I mean, he even became teacher and you were doing 

[00:08:24] Lou Lepore: The, the servant leader we're supposed to be. 

[00:08:26] Robert Mitchom: Right. 

[00:08:27] Lou Lepore: Right? 

[00:08:27] Robert Mitchom: Yes.

[00:08:28] Lou Lepore: Right? 

[00:08:28] Robert Mitchom: Absolutely. 

[00:08:28] Lou Lepore: Was serving your [00:08:30] wife, was that helping you find the purpose and, and those things in life? 

[00:08:34] Robert Mitchom: Yeah, absolutely. Serving her and, and just helping her be able to pick up the pieces. I was just trying to process what happened, and praying, and just trying to figure out how to move forward next.

[00:08:47] Lou Lepore: Mm-hmm. 

[00:08:48] Robert Mitchom: Um, but it was also devastating 'cause I was also watching my wife go through a devastating process of, you know, healing. 

[00:08:55] Lou Lepore: Yeah. The per- hey, the person that you love more than anything on earth is [00:09:00] hurting, and guys, we wanna fix it. There's not really a way to fix it other than to just support. 

[00:09:07] Robert Mitchom: I cried the most I've ever cried- 

[00:09:09] Lou Lepore: Mm-hmm

[00:09:09] Robert Mitchom: in my life. And just watching her go through that situation and, you know, it's still, even to this day, just kind of brings back just memories that you try to get over. 

[00:09:20] Lou Lepore: Mm-hmm. 

[00:09:20] Robert Mitchom: It was rough, but we, we got through it together. After a while, we found out that we had this community here that we didn't know about.

[00:09:27] Lou Lepore: Mm-hmm. 

[00:09:28] Robert Mitchom: Uh, or we, we knew about, [00:09:30] but we didn't know the reach, the breadth of the community that we had. It was, it was so much outreach, so much food. We didn't have to cook for, like, three weeks. It was great. 

[00:09:41] Lou Lepore: Ashley, how did you feel about the community coming around 

[00:09:44] Ashley Mitchom: you? You know, the community was really what kinda held me together through it.

[00:09:50] Ashley Mitchom: Like, I had people showing up that they were helping me in ways I didn't know that I need help. One Wednesday night while the boys went to church, I stayed home 'cause I was [00:10:00] still going through the physical side of things. I had two friends just show up. Like, they didn't know the other person was coming, but they just showed up, and they just sat with me.

[00:10:10] Ashley Mitchom: We didn't talk about it. It was things like that, like Robert said, the people bringing meals. That was just so, so good. And- Just the people that showed up and said, "Hey, I'm gonna take your kids for the day. Do you care?" And like, without being asked. 

[00:10:28] Robert Mitchom: Mm-hmm. 

[00:10:28] Ashley Mitchom: They just showed up. [00:10:30] And, you know, it was our church community, but also it was the community of the school that I am now serving.

[00:10:38] Robert Mitchom: Mm-hmm. 

[00:10:38] Ashley Mitchom: It was probably one of the most powerful things for me, just to see these people- Show up and be the hands and feet of Jesus. 

[00:10:46] Lou Lepore: Yeah, that's really powerful in the trial. And there was also a special worship song that you listened to that you said touched your heart. What was that? 

[00:10:54] Ashley Mitchom: Yeah. So the song The Goodness of God kind of shown up a lot for me over the past year.

[00:10:59] Ashley Mitchom: It [00:11:00] was one evening, a few weeks into it, and I was just... I was struggling. I was struggling to just be a mom, be a wife, just be a person. And I found myself laying on the bathroom floor just crying uncontrollably. And actually, Robert, I think you had... He had taken the boys to karate. So I was, I was home alone, and I found that listening to Christian music helped.

[00:11:27] Ashley Mitchom: So, you know, you have the playlists on [00:11:30] iTunes or just the, the iTunes Radio, you know, curated whatever, and The Goodness of God came on that night. And the lyrics washed over me. "All my life you have been faithful." And he has. Yeah. He has been so faithful. Like, why do I not trust him to be faithful here, now?

[00:11:49] Ashley Mitchom: And it's like I just, I took it all and I laid it at his feet. I said, "Hold me. Here it is. Hold me." And you know that song, it, it popped up a lot for me. There were just [00:12:00]moments where maybe I was having a, a bad day or I was struggling remembering things and, you know, it would be there, Sunday morning at church.

[00:12:09] Ashley Mitchom: And also the day I accepted the position at Calvary Chapel Academy, I got in the car and I turned the car on, and that song came on. And it was just like God saying, "I'm here." 

[00:12:21] Lou Lepore: Ashley, you had mentioned that you felt like that was your song with Jesus. 

[00:12:24] Ashley Mitchom: Yeah. I mean, I've always enjoyed the song, but this past year it's kind of became my [00:12:30] song.

[00:12:30] Ashley Mitchom: And, you know, believe it or not, it actually came on the radio this morning on my way to work. I was like, "Okay. All right, God. Uh, yeah. Yep, okay." It's like I just dropped the boys off at the sitter and I hop in the car, running a few minutes late, and there it is. When I need these little glimmers from God, like little reminders that he is still here, and every time it comes on I turn it up and I just get lost in it.

[00:12:55] Ashley Mitchom: The boys even know. Vinnie even says, "This is Mommy's song." He [00:13:00] knows. 

[00:13:01] Lou Lepore: Yeah. Communicating this with your children as we're trying to disciple and helping them to understand that trials are real, but that Romans 8:28 says that God does work all things for good, what wisdom did God give you all to communicate this with your kids?

[00:13:19] Ashley Mitchom: That was hard. They were completely devastated. They- Wanted a new baby in the house more than anything 

[00:13:27] Lou Lepore: And a sister no less. A sister, yeah. 

[00:13:29] Ashley Mitchom: Yes. Well, [00:13:30] once they found that out, it was even, like, another level. You know, I think for our youngest, it's still kinda hard for him to completely understand. There's times where he'll just say, you know, "Charlotte's with Jesus now."

[00:13:41] Ashley Mitchom: But a couple weeks after it happened, we planted a peony in the backyard. It's in this huge pot, and it says, "In loving memory." It says, "Charlotte Gloria Mitcham," and then April 2025. And it's kinda this reminder, [00:14:00] and the peony bloomed for the first time this spring, and I think that's part of what made this so hard, is because the boys knew.

[00:14:11] Ashley Mitchom: It wasn't like- We kept it quiet, and we grieved behind the scenes, and we didn't tell them. Like, they knew, and they were grieving along with us. And we just continued to point them back to the Word and, you know, they know we have this peony in our backyard, and sometimes, [00:14:30] you know, we go back there and we pray for Charlotte, or we just, you know, just remember.

[00:14:36] Ashley Mitchom: There were friends who gave us books and things like that, but none of those really hit the way just sitting on the couch, holding them and praying with them did. 

[00:14:45] Lou Lepore: Robert, to spiritually lead your home, what was God doing in your heart? 

[00:14:49] Robert Mitchom: Uh, I would say a lot of strength. You know, we're gonna be hit with trials all the time, and there's always blessings in the end.

[00:14:57] Robert Mitchom: And just communicate to the boys that there's [00:15:00] always gonna be trials in your life, but at the end of the day, God's gonna take care of us. 

[00:15:04] Lou Lepore: Mm-hmm. 

[00:15:05] Robert Mitchom: So, you know, just trying to lead them through that, just being a, a spiritual leader for my wife, making sure that she gets the... had the care that she had and, and the support that she had to get through the worst of it.

[00:15:18] Lou Lepore: So when you guys were going through this, taking in all this information, helping the kids, I know for a fact you are all still serving faithfully as the nursery director at Valley Forge Baptist, which [00:15:30] unfortunately made this very public. In our family, we were able to go through this a little more on the silent side, which didn't make it necessarily easier, however, there wasn't like this billboard that said, "Hey, guess what?"

[00:15:43] Lou Lepore: Right? In your particular situation, there were so many young mamas coming around you to be excited and were praying for you and wanting to help. Not only was this public in sharing, but now you're public in the loss of it. How are you guys processing that? [00:16:00]

[00:16:00] Ashley Mitchom: You know, that was probably one of the hardest things for me.

[00:16:03] Ashley Mitchom: It's like you have the sting of the miscarriage, but then you also have the sting of having to do it so very publicly. And I remember thinking, "Why do I have to walk through this so publicly? Why couldn't this have happened, like, behind closed doors?" And the reality is, those are all lies from the enemy, and God was using that.

[00:16:25] Ashley Mitchom: I joke at work sometimes that I used to be a behind-the-scenes character, you [00:16:30] know? I just... I did what I did behind the scenes, and God was preparing me to kind of step forward and be a little, little more out front with everything, especially with this job I have now. God was preparing me all along. 

[00:16:46] Lou Lepore: So you felt that 2025 was simply a little heartbreak that was getting you ready to continue serving him in 2026?

[00:16:55] Ashley Mitchom: Absolutely. You know, I had a friend recently ask me, like, "If you knew what you were gonna go through, [00:17:00] would you do it again?" And I said, "Yes. Yes, I would do it again." That's awesome. I mean, I would give anything to be holding Charlotte right now. I would. But the reality is- God handed me an entire school of children, and that's such- Amen

[00:17:16] Ashley Mitchom: an honor. 

[00:17:17] Lou Lepore: Amen. So now you serve children, is it three years old through 12? 

[00:17:21] Ashley Mitchom: Yes, three years through eighth grade, so. 

[00:17:25] Lou Lepore: To understand the school, not only are you covering the academic side of things, but you guys run [00:17:30] chapels, you have God-centered events at the school as well? 

[00:17:34] Ashley Mitchom: Yes. It's very Christ-centered. The number one focus is ministering to these children.

[00:17:40] Ashley Mitchom: Academics is important, but this is kingdom work, y'all. Mm. This is kingdom work. 

[00:17:46] Lou Lepore: That's right. With everything that was going on, the challenges came, and so we know in any Bible story, that resistance does not always mean rejection, and delay doesn't always mean denial. [00:18:00] So how do you think going through this trial has helped you minister to the students that you care for every day now?

[00:18:06] Ashley Mitchom: You know, I've said from the get-go when I took this job that it's a great honor and a great privilege to come alongside so many families for their child's education, and not just academically, but spiritually. And I don't take that lightly. It's so much joy that I get to come alongside these families and live life with them.

[00:18:29] Ashley Mitchom: [00:18:30] We have some of the s- the sweetest families at our school, you know. One of my love languages is coffee, and when a parent shows up to drop their kid off with a coffee in hand for me, I just know that I'm in the right place and that they can see the direction that the school is going. I've said from the beginning, too, that it's, it's not my school, this is God's school, and I'm just, I guess- Kind of steering the ship, the direction he wants the wind to blow.

[00:18:58] Robert Mitchom: Yeah. And then the job first [00:19:00] came up, she asked me, she was like, "Do you think I should apply for it?" I said, "That's your job." Like, "That's your job. There's no one else better qualified or would take on that responsibility more than you." 

[00:19:12] Lou Lepore: Mm-hmm. 

[00:19:13] Robert Mitchom: And so from day one, I, I just knew. Even before she started, I knew that she would be just all in for the kids and, and the parents, and she just has that love language again of, of, of making people feel special.

[00:19:26] Lou Lepore: Mm-hmm. Hey, listen, pregnancy loss, miscarriage, [00:19:30] whatever the term is that people are using, bottom line, it's tough. And if you allow Satan in, this could be something that totally can take your marriage and push it off the rails and send you in a tailspin and put you in a spot you never planned to be. So what practical advice and godly wisdom would you give couples who are walking through a pregnancy loss right now?

[00:19:56] Ashley Mitchom: I think my number one would be talk about it. We were [00:20:00] both grieving in such different ways, and we were doing it apart instead of together. And I think that was one of the mistakes that we quickly remedied, but just talk about it. Talk about how you're feeling. I know for guys that can be tough, but pray about it and serve one another.

[00:20:19] Ashley Mitchom: Like I mentioned, Robert, he was, he was the glue during all of it. He held it together. And then as we came out of it and into 2026, I mean, you just heard him say, [00:20:30] he, he was my biggest encourager. Whatever I've been doing for the Lord, he's been behind me just cheering me on and praying with me and diving into the Word together.

[00:20:42] Lou Lepore: Robert, you were serving as God calls husbands to do in the marriage. That's wonderful. What was Ashley doing for you to help you? 

[00:20:49] Robert Mitchom: She was praying for me as well, um, you know, because again, guys, we don't talk about feelings a lot. We avoid those feelings. And so the [00:21:00] biggest thing that she helped me, encouraged me is to just say that you're not okay.

[00:21:05] Robert Mitchom: You know? It's okay to cry. You know, it's okay to express your feelings and emotions, and, and that's how you're able to better get through the pain and the, the suffering. But yeah, again, like she prayed for me, 'cause b- you know, sometimes being a leader is, is difficult, especially a, a- 

[00:21:24] Lou Lepore: And in a trial too ... 

[00:21:25] Robert Mitchom: in the trial too.

[00:21:27] Robert Mitchom: Absolutely. So she, she helped me, she prayed with [00:21:30] me, and again, just, just feelings. Mm-hmm. That's the biggest thing I can take from it. 

[00:21:34] Lou Lepore: Ashley, you mentioned previously Praying For Your Husband From Head To Toe was a book that shifted your perspective on the situation. How did that help in this time? 

[00:21:44] Ashley Mitchom: So it's just a book about taking scripture and praying that scripture over your husband.

[00:21:50] Ashley Mitchom: When you're in a dark place, you need clear-cut, easy... I needed something I could read, something practical, and it, it really helped me kind of get over [00:22:00] that hump. And in the middle of all of this, he was finishing up his PhD. So really, 2025 really was a crazy whirlwind. I kind of came out of the worst of it just as he was doing the final sprint to the finish line of his PhD.

[00:22:18] Ashley Mitchom: We had to be there for one another. 

[00:22:20] Lou Lepore: Mm-hmm. Well, it sounds like you had incredible focus. So you're going through a trial, and on top of that you're working, you have ministry that you're doing. Robert, you're finishing a PhD, which is [00:22:30] nothing like- I mean, like I barely got out of high school, let alone all of that.

[00:22:33] Lou Lepore: So throw that on top of it. You got three boys at the house that you're caring for, but you stayed focused. How do you feel like God was your strength during that time? 

[00:22:43] Ashley Mitchom: During that time, I just had to give it all to him. 

[00:22:46] Lou Lepore: Mm-hmm. 

[00:22:47] Ashley Mitchom: And when I gave it all to him, it opened up something in me, and I've been waking up every single morning and grabbing my Bible immediately.

[00:22:57] Ashley Mitchom: Like, I sit in bed and I sit there with my Bible, [00:23:00] sometimes annoying him as he's still asleep. But, um- 

[00:23:04] Lou Lepore: Wake up. 

[00:23:05] Ashley Mitchom: It, it was- Jesus is here. Yeah. It, it was more of just, like, it, it helped, like, discipline me. And when you're in the Word, you crave the Word more, and you want more of him. And my focus shifted from this, "Woe is me," to, like, "Jesus, how are you going to take this pain?

[00:23:22] Ashley Mitchom: What are you going to do with it? Lead me." 

[00:23:25] Lou Lepore: Hebrews chapter 12 says that Jesus is the author and finisher of our [00:23:30]faith, and we're told to come boldly to the throne of grace in time of need. He doesn't say, "You come to me when you're ready." He doesn't say, "Come to me when you're right." He says, "Let's reason together.

[00:23:41] Lou Lepore: Let's talk about this." And really, to get that strength and encouragement is great. For the couple listening right now who just lost their baby, what would you want them to know?

[00:23:50] Ashley Mitchom: So the same Jesus who carried the cross is carrying your broken hearts now. He sees every tear you cry in the middle of the [00:24:00] night, every question you're afraid to ask out loud, every ache- That words cannot explain.

[00:24:08] Ashley Mitchom: Your baby was real. That precious life was fearfully and wonderfully made, loved completely, and welcomed into the arms of heaven before ever being welcomed into yours. Jesus is not distant from your pain. He is near to the broken-hearted, and He weeps with you in the [00:24:30] sorrow. You do not have to be strong right now.

[00:24:33] Ashley Mitchom: Right now, faith may not feel strong. It may just feel like falling apart at the feet of Jesus, but that is still faith. So cry, grieve, mourn, and when you cannot hold on to God, trust that He is still holding on to you. Sometimes faith looks less like worship songs and more like [00:25:00] whispering, "God, please hold me together because I can't do this by myself."

[00:25:06] Ashley Mitchom: And He will. Maybe not in the way you expected, maybe not as quickly as you wish, but He will meet you here in the ache, in the anger, in the empty nursery, in the tears that come out of nowhere, and the questions that have no earthly answers. The [00:25:30] enemy will try to convince you that this pain will define your story forever, but God is still writing your story.

[00:25:37] Ashley Mitchom: And while this chapter is devastating, it is not the end. This is not the end of your story. 

[00:25:44] Lou Lepore: Robert and Ashley, we thank you so much for not only the encouragement you provided me and all the listeners today, but for just walking faithful with the Lord and giving the trial to Him. It is so refreshing to see Christians in that hour of need [00:26:00] not run to a vice or to an idol, but seeing you be faithful to the Lord through this has just been awesome.

[00:26:08] Lou Lepore: As your brother in Christ, I am encouraged by you, I'm proud of you, and I'm thankful to call you friends. Thanks for being on the show. 

[00:26:16] Ashley Mitchom: Thanks for having us. Yeah, 

[00:26:17] Robert Mitchom: thanks for having us. 

[00:26:18] Lou Lepore: Well, there you have it, folks. Even in the valley, God is good, and that's what this show is all about, to encourage those who are in the valley.

[00:26:25] Lou Lepore: If you have a miscarriage or a pregnancy loss and you're looking for [00:26:30] answers, contact us at morethanquanconquerorspodcast837@gmail.com, and we would love to get you in contact with Ashley and Robert Mitcham so you can share your story and further know theirs. I'm your host, Lou Lepore. This is the More Than Conquerors podcast,