Join us online for the first annual Our Hearts Are Home “Winter Retreat!”
After the holidays, many hearts ache in the quietness of the winter months. The Our Hearts Are Home Winter Retreat provides hope in the midst of the heartache.
Join us for an uplifting and encouraging day together as we enjoy four sessions offered by bereaved parents who understand the journey, and engage with others through the interactive opportunities provided.
We believe you'll find comfort in the community of others, and leave filled with hope. There is no cost to attend.
Do you know others who are grieving a loss? Please invite them to join this special day.
10 AM — 3:30 PM Eastern Time
10:00-10:15 Welcome - Gary & Laura House
10:15-11:15 Ashley Opliger
Held in the Winter : When Grief Feels Cold and Endless
Grief often feels like a long winter—quiet, heavy, and isolating. In this session, Ashley will share personal reflections and biblical encouragement to remind bereaved parents that even when God feels distant or silent, He is still holding them.
Winter reflects the brokenness of this present earth, but it is not the final season. Spring is coming—a promise of resurrection, and the New Earth and New Heaven to come. So if grief feels like it will never end, this message will remind broken hearts that God is faithful to restore and redeem, even when we cannot see it yet. Ashley will encourage those who are suffering to hold on a little longer because Jesus is coming back, and He promises to wipe every tear from our eyes.
11:30-12:30 Jim Beardsley
I Didn’t See That Coming: Trying to Make Sense of Our Unexpected Tragedy
Losing a child is shocking. It is an event we did not expect to experience as parents. It is a horrific “I didn’t see that coming” event that changes our lives forever. In this session, we will look at a unique episode in the life of Jesus where His disciples would have definitely said, “I didn’t see that coming!” We will try to gain insights into human nature, the uniqueness of Jesus, and the faithful purpose of God to help us navigate life after the death of a child.
12:45-1:15 Craig Aven
God Was There All Along
After walking the road of addiction, God restored the brokenness in Craig's life. God was there all along. Through two devastating miscarriages, He was there. God sees us. He loves us. He wants us to cry out to Him in our grief and sorrow. Craig will share his story of God's faithfulness in the valley of suffering, and sing a song that will resonate with every hurting heart.
1:15-2:15 Leonard & Amy Bailey
Questioning the Goodness of God : Does God see? If He sees, does He care? If He cares, does it matter?
Burying a child is one of the worst experiences a parent can face. Everything about it is backwards and disorienting. A Christian is faced with hard questions. Where was God? Why did he let this happen? Can I ever trust him again? Some questions will never have satisfying answers. But can a bereaved parent find hope again? Can a bereaved parent trust God’s goodness again? Leonard and Amy will walk through some of their journey and how they have begun to see the goodness of God again since burying their daughter, Ilona, in September, 2022.
2:15-2:30 Closing - Gary & Laura House
2:30-3:30 Mini-Gatherings via Zoom
