The Story of
Hope
Hope's
Story
Hope, who loves to write, who loves to draw and paint, who loves her dog, Revie, and her turtles, Skirt and Sheldon, is our forever beautiful 17-year-old daughter. On January 29, 2020, Jesus received Hope home after her earthy battle with suicide. Hope loved Jesus and she loved people, but the battle for her mind was fought in silence, and the silence was Satan's weapon of choice to take her into hopelessness, and eventually it took her life here on earth. Left behind was the carnage of grief, regret, and loss of what could have and should have been. But after many months of shock wore off and we had the courage to look at and go through her things, we found the deposit of hope, God's hope penned by Hope herself, left behind for her generation in journals and beautiful artwork. |
There is Hope Initiative was birthed out of the unshakable and undeniable call from God to use the fingerprints of Hope left behind, and our own testimony, to ravish hell and to set a generation free from the spirit of death and hopelessness. The Father has asked me to simply be Hope's voice, and His, to break the silence of shame and deception upon a generation within the body of Christ. We must equip a generation to know who they are and whose they are, how to persevere in suffering and pain, and how to find hope in the forward, that they may accomplish all the Father has for them on this earth. We can't afford to not address the "taboo" and tough issues any longer; there is a real enemy and this generation has his target on their souls.
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Invite Us To Speak
To the Church
Our story grabs the attention of every student we have the opportunity to share it with, and this open door has enabled us to be silence breakers, addressing the weapons Satan has used in the dark halls of shame and guilt, especially within the body of Christ. Help starts with a cry. It is our mandate to initiate that cry for help through the power of the Holy Spirit and our testimony of tragedy and hope. The Church has THE ONLY answer to the suicide and anxiety epidemic, and His name is Jesus!
This generation has been coined "Hopeless and lonely", but where Satan has brought hopelessness, Jesus is bringing Hope and resurrection power! John 10:10.
"I am so grateful that Kylie and I could attend last night. There aren’t the right words to articulate all the emotions I felt leaving last evening. The anointing and presence of God was so powerful. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for being so vulnerable in sharing your loss and pain to reach so many in need. Hope’s story and testimony is bringing life, restoration and healing to a generation in such need. Hell is losing its grip on our teens, and I believe many teens were set free last night. God Bless you always Alicia."
This generation has been coined "Hopeless and lonely", but where Satan has brought hopelessness, Jesus is bringing Hope and resurrection power! John 10:10.
"I am so grateful that Kylie and I could attend last night. There aren’t the right words to articulate all the emotions I felt leaving last evening. The anointing and presence of God was so powerful. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for being so vulnerable in sharing your loss and pain to reach so many in need. Hope’s story and testimony is bringing life, restoration and healing to a generation in such need. Hell is losing its grip on our teens, and I believe many teens were set free last night. God Bless you always Alicia."
To the Public schools
In January of 2020 we tragically lost our daughter, Hope, through suicide. It was life shattering and completely unexpected. Although we knew out daughter struggled with low self-esteem, as many young teens do, we had no idea the degree of which she was suffering. She hid it well.
As we began to walk through the healing process, we began to reflect on what had happened and what brought her to that place, space, and time to make the decision to end her life. They say hindsight is twenty-twenty. As in the case with most suicide bereaved, we do not have all the answers, but what we do have is Hope’s story, and a story of hope, to share to her generation and beyond, that her story would not become theirs.
Hope left behind over thirteen journals, most full of her beautiful artwork, poems, and words of hope and wisdom penned on paper. These journals offer a very unique opportunity for Hope herself to speak to students. What if she could come back into the room? What would she say to her peers? What would she do differently if she could undo what she had done?
In the School Assembly students get to here hope from Hope herself, as I share many of her own journal entries that speak directly to each one of them as if she was the one speaking. I also discuss some of the things she would do differently if she could, that may have been the difference between life and death. Hearing words directly from her grabs the attention of every student in the room and infuses into their heart and mind a rare perspective that has the power to break the silence of shame, bringing the first steps to a healthier mental perspective, and many times, saving a life of someone who is struggling to live.
As we began to walk through the healing process, we began to reflect on what had happened and what brought her to that place, space, and time to make the decision to end her life. They say hindsight is twenty-twenty. As in the case with most suicide bereaved, we do not have all the answers, but what we do have is Hope’s story, and a story of hope, to share to her generation and beyond, that her story would not become theirs.
Hope left behind over thirteen journals, most full of her beautiful artwork, poems, and words of hope and wisdom penned on paper. These journals offer a very unique opportunity for Hope herself to speak to students. What if she could come back into the room? What would she say to her peers? What would she do differently if she could undo what she had done?
In the School Assembly students get to here hope from Hope herself, as I share many of her own journal entries that speak directly to each one of them as if she was the one speaking. I also discuss some of the things she would do differently if she could, that may have been the difference between life and death. Hearing words directly from her grabs the attention of every student in the room and infuses into their heart and mind a rare perspective that has the power to break the silence of shame, bringing the first steps to a healthier mental perspective, and many times, saving a life of someone who is struggling to live.
Addressing suicide to students in the walls of our churches is not about speaking to those who want to physically kill themselves, it’s about the "Garden Moments" happening within the soul of an entire generation. It’s about a generation who walks with God and talks with God, but beholds the voice of seduction and the fruit of deception in front of them. It's a wrestling in the soul of our youth who know where they will live in eternity to come, but do not know how to live in the life of today. When we speak to students we address these two "Garden Moments" that get to the heart of the matter and infuse hope for them to live the abundant life Christ desires for them.
1. Garden Moments that bring identity crises. Saved yes, but confused and anguished in their soul over who they are in Christ and the purpose of which they were creator for. Without purpose, there is no hope.
2. Garden Moments that come out of suffering. In this world we will have pain and suffering, but this generation today does not know how to walk through suffering well inside of Christ. They desperately are seeking relief from the pain in all the wrong places.
Here in these "Garden Moments" a generation's arms are ready to reach out for the fruit of a tree. Wanting desperately to feel purpose, to feel valued, and feel relief from the pain. The great deceiver, through the voice of this age, is shouting to them to pick from his tree. A fruit that will bring them temporary relief from the torment of their soul, but spiritual, and perhaps physical death. The only way out of the snare of temptation and deception before them is to hear the faint whisper of the ONE on a tree that offers Himself as the fruit. His ways are the way of the cross, the way of suffering, but the fruit will be resurrection, purpose, identity, and life.
We are either going to stand back in fear of addressing the tough issue of suicide and watch a generation suffer in silence in the garden, tragically seeing death of all kinds, or we will become the voice of the Father leading them to the tree of life. We have the answer, the ONLY answer that will break the spirit of suicide in a generation. It's time to have courage, break the silence, and teach a generation how to resist temptation in the garden, do the will of the Father, and have hope for another day.
1. Garden Moments that bring identity crises. Saved yes, but confused and anguished in their soul over who they are in Christ and the purpose of which they were creator for. Without purpose, there is no hope.
2. Garden Moments that come out of suffering. In this world we will have pain and suffering, but this generation today does not know how to walk through suffering well inside of Christ. They desperately are seeking relief from the pain in all the wrong places.
Here in these "Garden Moments" a generation's arms are ready to reach out for the fruit of a tree. Wanting desperately to feel purpose, to feel valued, and feel relief from the pain. The great deceiver, through the voice of this age, is shouting to them to pick from his tree. A fruit that will bring them temporary relief from the torment of their soul, but spiritual, and perhaps physical death. The only way out of the snare of temptation and deception before them is to hear the faint whisper of the ONE on a tree that offers Himself as the fruit. His ways are the way of the cross, the way of suffering, but the fruit will be resurrection, purpose, identity, and life.
We are either going to stand back in fear of addressing the tough issue of suicide and watch a generation suffer in silence in the garden, tragically seeing death of all kinds, or we will become the voice of the Father leading them to the tree of life. We have the answer, the ONLY answer that will break the spirit of suicide in a generation. It's time to have courage, break the silence, and teach a generation how to resist temptation in the garden, do the will of the Father, and have hope for another day.
Resources
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I recently purchased your book, At the Cliffs of Abandonment, and have been deeply moved in so many ways. I not only have a greater understanding of your journey but also greater understanding of others and my own self and God. I am still not finished yet but don’t want to put it down each time I start reading again. Recently a family in our church had a similar experience. My hope is that your book will minister to the mom’s heart. I will also be purchasing for our pastors. I think it will be helpful for them not only professionally but also personally. I wanted to let you know this so that you can see how Hope is bringing healing to so many hearts and how you sharing your experience is bringing people closer to God and growing greater compassion among the body. There is so much to capture in your words. Thank you for following Gods leading and for having the courage to be raw and trusting.
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Alicia and Jason White, Founder and Directors of Chosen Stones Ministries
Alicia White is an author, teacher, and minister of the Word. She has been active in family ministry for over twenty years. After the suicide death of her daughter in 2020, the Holy Spirit shifted her focus to suicide prevention with teens/college students as well as parents. She also ministers to those who have suffered great tragedy and loss. It is her primary goal and calling to deposit hope to families who find themselves in the battles of life.