In this episode, Ashley walks through Chapter 13 of Cradled in Hope, “With the Same Comfort: When You Want to Use Your Grief for Good.” She reflects on how God can use our heartbreak to minister to others and reminds grieving moms that purpose flows from a transformed heart—not from striving or pressure to “make meaning” out of tragedy.

Ashley shares a powerful story about the day of Bridget’s funeral and how their procession unknowingly passed by the future headquarters of Bridget’s Cradles—a building not yet built, but already known to God. This moment, years later, became a testimony to His faithfulness and sovereign plan.

In this episode, Ashley shared:

• The story of Bridget’s funeral day and the moment sunbeams broke through the clouds over the cemetery

• Why grief feels unbearable at first and how Ashley once told God, “Nothing good will ever come from this”

• How years of walking through loss, including her dad’s death, revealed that God could redeem her pain for good

• A reflection on 2 Corinthians 1:3–4 and how we’re called to comfort others with the same comfort we’ve received from God

• Why moms don’t need to strive to honor their babies—their value is inherent, and they are already honored in Heaven

• The distinction between serving God from love and gratitude vs. striving to earn worth or validation

• How Bridget’s Cradles is not just a grief project but a ministry rooted in obedience and the Great Commission

• Encouragement that everyone’s calling will look different—and why obedience in small acts is where impact begins

• How her ministry started with a single cradle in Bridget’s nursery, and grew through thousands of small, unseen yeses

• An explanation of the difference between purpose (which is always to serve Jesus) and calling (which is specific to each woman)

• Testimonies of grieving moms who’ve found unique ways to serve others and share the hope of Christ

• A reminder that we may never see the fruit of our obedience here on earth—but God sees every seed planted

• An encouragement to keep serving, keep shining, and keep running your race until the day you hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

Ashley reminds us that we are called to serve the one who sees us—Jesus—and to love the one in front of us, even in small ways. We don’t have to do something grand. We just have to begin.

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/bookclub14]

• 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 episode, Ashley walks through Chapter 12 of Cradled in Hope, “More Than Gold: When You Allow God to Transform You,” and reflects on how her faith has been shaped through trials—even before losing Bridget. She shares how past hardships prepared her to walk through grief with Jesus and how those earlier seasons of suffering laid a foundation of trust in God's goodness.

Ashley explains that transformation doesn’t mean moving on from grief—it’s about sanctification: becoming more like Christ through the pain. Rooted in 1 Peter 1:6–7, she talks about how God can use the fire of loss to refine our faith. With honesty and hope, she encourages grieving moms to surrender their broken hearts to Jesus and to consider how He might be working in them—even in the midst of deep sorrow.

In this episode, Ashley shared:

• How suffering is often the way Jesus molds and refines us through trials

• The biblical meaning behind the title “More Than Gold” from 1 Peter 1:6–7

• Her personal story of walking through many painful trials—including a divorce due to adultery, Bridget’s death, her son Brenner’s medical crisis, and her father’s tragic death

• A chart she includes in the book illustrating that in life, we are always either about to enter, in the middle of, or coming out of a trial

• How her questions to God have shifted over time—from “Why me?” to “What do You want to teach me through this?”

• Why pruning is part of the process of bearing more fruit for God’s Kingdom (John 15)

• How our desperation in grief leads us into deeper dependence on Jesus

• Scriptural promises that link suffering with future glory and purpose

• The urgency to live for eternity, invest in Heavenly treasure, and serve God out of gratitude—not obligation

Ashley gently reminds moms that God never wastes our pain. If we allow Him, He will take the ashes of grief and turn them into something more beautiful and eternal than we could ever imagine—faith that is more precious than gold.

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/bookclub13]

• 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 episode, Ashley shares a deeply personal story of how grief resurfaced during her third pregnancy, years after the loss of her daughter Bridget. Centered on Chapter 11 of Cradled in Hope, “Holding Both: When You Experience Both Joy and Sorrow,” she reflects on how conflicting emotions—gratitude and grief, joy and sadness—can coexist and create confusion, guilt, and shame for grieving moms.

Through honest storytelling and gentle encouragement, Ashley invites listeners to reframe “either/or” thinking into “both/and” truth. With grace, she reminds moms that it’s possible to feel immense love for one child while still mourning another, and that sorrow and joy can live side-by-side in the sacred space of a grieving mother’s heart.

In this episode, Ashley shared:

• The emotional experience of finding out her third child was a boy, and the waves of unexpected grief that followed

• The phrase “holding both” and how her counselor introduced it as a healing framework for complex emotions

• How expectations versus reality can lead to disappointment—and how the enemy uses that gap to plant lies

• Real-life examples of “both/and” experiences in grief (e.g., being thankful and heartbroken, smiling while missing your baby)

• Why joy does not cancel out sorrow, and laughter is not a betrayal of your grief

• The temptation to tie grief up with a “rainbow baby” happy ending—and why only Jesus can be our redemption

• How rainbow babies can bring joy, but should never bear the burden of being our hope or healing

• Encouragement to trust God’s sovereignty even when your story doesn’t go the way you planned

Ashley reminds grieving moms that time alone does not heal all wounds—but Jesus does. And though we live in the tension now, one day in Heaven, we will no longer have to hold both—because we’ll be holding our babies 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/bookclub12]

• 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