Cheri Fletcher

This week on the A Burst of Hope podcast, Martha and Kim welcome Cheri Fletcher for an encouraging conversation about navigating life’s transitions, overcoming obstacles, and learning to trust God through every season.

Sharing from her own experiences of change and personal loss, Cheri offers wisdom, hope, and practical encouragement for anyone walking through uncertainty or searching for their God-given purpose. This episode is a reminder that even in difficult seasons, God is faithful and at work.

Listen now and be encouraged. 💛

https://aburstofhope.buzzsprout.com/1729925/episodes/19193051-worn-soles-walking-grief-finding-hope-in-the-god-who-goes-before

One of the things we talked about on the A Burst of Hope podcast was my grief cards and the story behind how they came to be.

After Annie passed, I was looking for a tool to help our family share stories, memories, and conversations together.

These cards grew out of our own family gatherings and became a gentle way to help people engage with one another in grief.

Kim Stanley shared:
“A beautiful, wonderful, and practical way to grieve together as a family.”

And Martha Wilson said:
“These are a box full of questions… that can help us know how to engage with one another.”

That truly is the heart behind them.
Grief is complicated; communication doesn't have to be.

Find the grief cards and more information about the podcast through the link below:

https://cherifletcher.com/worn-soles-walking-grief-finding-hope-in-the-god-who-goes-before-guest-on-a-burst-of-hope-podcast/

Today I’m honored to be a guest on the “𝐀 𝐁𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐇𝐨𝐩𝐞” podcast with Martha Wilson and Kim Stanley.

𝐄𝐩𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐝𝐞 𝟐𝟑𝟔:
𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐧 𝐒𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐬, 𝐖𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐆𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐟; 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐇𝐨𝐩𝐞 𝐈𝐧 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐨𝐝 𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐆𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐁𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞

This conversation truly felt like sitting on the porch with friends over a cup of coffee.

We talked about grief, motherhood, spiritual warfare, serving while hurting, and what it looks like to continue walking forward when life no longer looks the way it once did.

We also discussed the importance of looking back and remembering the ways God has been present in our stories long before we recognized it.

Before Annie passed, one of the questions I often asked my podcast guests was:
"𝐋𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐨𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞, 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐟𝐚𝐫 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐠𝐨 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐩𝐮𝐫𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧?”

After Annie’s death, that reflection deepened into a different question I now ask myself often, rooted in Deuteronomy 31:8:
“𝐋𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐚𝐦 𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐟𝐚𝐫 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐈 𝐠𝐨 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐇𝐢𝐦𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐠𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐞?”

There was a lot of honesty in this conversation.

People will sometimes tell me they are amazed by my strength.

But one of the things we talked about is that grief does not always look strong from the inside.

Sometimes I find some strength by continuing to serve and show up.

And sometimes I find the strength I need by staying in pajamas, sitting in a corner, and simply asking God for the breath to make it through the day.

I’m so grateful to Martha and Kim for creating space for real conversations like this.

Listen through the link below.
https://aburstofhope.buzzsprout.com/1729925/episodes/19193051

𝑩𝒆𝒚𝒐𝒏𝒅. 𝐇𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐲 𝐌𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫’𝐬 𝐃𝐚𝐲
𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬, 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐭𝐡, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬

Today, instead of simply saying Happy Mother’s Day…I want to say:

You make this world happier because you are in it.

For some, today holds a celebration.
For others, it holds absence.

Some are missing their mothers.
Some are missing a child.
Some carry the ache of children they never got to hold.
Some are mothering through distance, grief, estrangement, exhaustion, or quiet longing.

And all of that deserves to be acknowledged gently today.

But alongside that truth, I also want you to know this:
You have made people feel ~

𝗟𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗱
𝗦𝗮𝗳𝗲
𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗱
𝗦𝗲𝗲𝗻
𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗱
𝗘𝗻𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗱

You have made ordinary days brighter simply by being who you are.

So today, 𝑩𝒆𝒚𝒐𝒏𝒅 “Happy Mother’s Day”…
I hope you hear this too:

You make life happier for the people around you.

And that matters more than you know.

Cheri 🌻

𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐁𝐚𝐛𝐲… 𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐋𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟
~ Episode 231 with Rachael Elmore

Reposting this conversation from May 2023—because it still feels just as important today.

When a new baby arrives, the questions come quickly—
“How’s the baby sleeping?”
“Are they eating well?”
“Who do they look like?”

But somewhere in all of that…
The mother can quietly disappear.

Because while a baby is being welcomed into the world,
A mother is being born, too.

And that part of the story doesn’t always get the same attention.

In this conversation, Rachael shares both her professional insight and her personal experience of early motherhood—reminding us that caring for a baby and caring for yourself were never meant to compete.

𝐖𝐞 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐤 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭:
– 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐛𝐚𝐛𝐲 𝐛𝐥𝐮𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐦 𝐝𝐞𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧/𝐚𝐧𝐱𝐢𝐞𝐭𝐲
– 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝐝𝐚𝐲𝐬
– 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐛𝐨𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐛𝐚𝐛𝐲… 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐨𝐰𝐧

If you’re in that season right now, I hope this feels like someone sitting beside you, asking a question that matters:
How are you?

And if you’re not—Maybe this is something you pass along to a daughter, a daughter-in-law, or a young mom in your life.
Or maybe… It’s a chance to look back with a little more grace on your own story.

𝐄𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐲, 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬.
𝐓𝐨 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫, 𝐢𝐧 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲—𝐇𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐲 𝐌𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫’𝐬 𝐃𝐚𝐲. 🌻

𝐆𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐟 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐫…
𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐬𝐨𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬.

A month after Annie passed, we said yes to a little yellow house behind ours…not really knowing why.

We prayed over it—
that it would be a place of comfort.

This weekend… it became something more.

Eight mothers gathered.
Photos in hand.
Names spoken out loud.
Candles lit.

There were stories…
tears…
and even some laughter.

It’s something I’m still holding.

𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐈 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐌𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫’𝐬 𝐃𝐚𝐲—

The way loving our children shapes us…and how that love continues to show up in the lives of others.

Sometimes in ways we expect…
and sometimes in ways we never could have planned.

I wrote more about this— about the house, the word “𝐜𝐨𝐳𝐲,” and what I’m beginning to see unfold there.

I’d love for you to read it and let me know:
Where do you see love still shaping you?

https://cherifletcher.com/a-table-set-for-remembering-a-bereaved-mothers-day-tea/

𝐆𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐟 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐞𝐭…𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐧𝐨 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐞𝐥𝐬𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐬𝐞𝐞.

But you are not alone.
When you join my email community, I’ll send you a 5-day reflection guide called 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞—
a gentle place to land in the middle of grief.

Over those five days, you’ll receive short reflections with Scripture, encouragement, and simple prompts to help you
pause… remember… and rest.

I’ve also shared parts of my own journey after losing my daughter, Annie, on my website.

You’ll find my latest articles, podcast episodes, and conversations from podcasts I’ve been a guest on—
places where grief isn’t rushed, and faith is allowed to be honest.

My prayer is that somewhere in those words… in those conversations you’ll be reminded that:
𝐆𝐨𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐠𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮…
𝐇𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞…
𝐇𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐨 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮

And if you’ve ever found yourself not knowing what to say—
within your own family's loss OR
to someone else walking through loss
You’ll also find my 𝐆𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐟 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬 there…
created to help open the door to conversations that keep love and memory alive.

If your heart is saying, I need this…
I would love to meet you there ♥️

Join here: www.cherifletcher.com

🌻 Grief is complicated. Communication doesn’t have to be.

𝐍𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 “𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬.”

In Scripture, a name carries identity, purpose, and belonging.
God says in Isaiah 43:1, “I have called you by name; you are mine.”

And in Revelation 20:15, we’re reminded that the names of His children are written in the Book of Life.

𝐓𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐝… 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐧.
𝐓𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝.
𝐓𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫.
Isn’t that what all of us want?

And for a mother who has lost a child—
Their name still holds all of that.
Saying their name matters.

𝐈𝐭 𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐚 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐝—𝐧𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞.
𝐈𝐭 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐟 𝐬𝐨 𝐨𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐢𝐧.
𝐈𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐚 𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫: 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧.
𝐈𝐭 𝐬𝐚𝐲𝐬, “𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫.”

The pain is always there, but hearing their name?
That brings comfort.
It brings them back into the room.

𝑴𝒚 𝒅𝒂𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒆𝒓’𝒔 𝒏𝒂𝒎𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝑨𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒆.
𝑯𝒆𝒓 𝒏𝒂𝒎𝒆 𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒏𝒔 𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒆… 𝒇𝒂𝒗𝒐𝒓… 𝑮𝒐𝒅 𝒉𝒂𝒔 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒊𝒐𝒖𝒔.
𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕—𝒈𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒍𝒆, 𝒇𝒖𝒍𝒍 𝒐𝒇 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒎, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒅𝒆𝒆𝒑𝒍𝒚 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒅.

As we recognize Bereaved Mothers Day…
If you have lost a child,
I would be honored to hear their name.