Miscarried Joy: Moving Beyond Incredible Pain to Extraordinary Faith

by Tanika Fitzgerald

Faith over Fear. Patience over Frustration. Pain with a Purpose. In Miscarried Joy , Tanika transparently shares her deeply personal and disappointing experiences of losing her babies due to miscarriage. There were times when she felt God was the cause of her pain. However, her journey through the lives of Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, Hannah, Elizabeth and Naomi, revealed quite the opposite – God had allowed her pain for a much greater purpose. Each of these women had something in they learned to surrender their will and trust God’s plan beyond the pain. They were pushed to a posture of prayer that led them from questioning God to have total confidence in Him. Tanika discovered that this season of waiting didn’t show up simply to challenge her, but to change her. With biblical depth, heart-filled transparency and a voice of passion, you What have you miscarried? What purpose have you had difficulty conceiving? Is it a calling you fear stepping into? A vision that has not yet come to pass? Miscarried Joy has something for anyone who needs help pushing through incredible pain to conquer discouragement, walk in faith and birth their purpose. God’s delay in your life could be a set up for your greatest calling to be fulfilled. Bio Tanika Fitzgerald is a daughter of Christ, a wife to her husband, Maurice, a loving daughter, sister and friend. She is passionate about equipping women to grow spiritually, live balanced lives and helping them to become ARMED for victory in every area of their lives. Tanika is the visionary behind ARMED – a publication created to “Spiritually Equip YOU for Victory in Battle.” She enjoys spending time at Lake Michigan, creating memories with her loved ones, reading a variety of books, writing and traveling the world with her husband.

268 pages, Paperback

Published October 14, 2016

Reviews

[Katherine Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

Infertility. Since ancient days, it’s one of the most painful burdens a woman can bear. Whether because of an inability to conceive, or because of an inability to carry a healthy baby to full-term, it hurts. Deep, soul-wracking pain. What helps? A faith that buoys our hope and confidence in the future, no matter what it may hold. And knowing that we’re not alone in our suffering.

Which is where a book like Tanika Fitzgerald’s provides a welcome balm. Because in sharing our stories, we find comfort, hope, encouragement.

In Miscarried Joy, Tanika does a beautiful job of pointing readers toward God’s promises while encouraging women to claim them as their own. By example, she encourages others to look ahead, not behind, as well as to give voice to the pain. She offers compassionate community — a sister who suffers and sympathizes.

The author’s highly spiritualized approach will appeal to some women, but it may not resonate with all — especially those who are seeking a less simplified way of getting through the pain. And sometimes the book has a slight lack of editorial polish. Still, Miscarried Joy reveals the beautiful heart of a devout believer in God’s faithfulness and His good plans for her future. Those in the throes of similar season will find comfort in knowing they are not alone.

Thanks to Litfuse Publicity for providing me this book free of charge. All opinions are mine.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have suffered a miscarriage before, so I was interested in reading Tanika Fitzgerald's new book, Miscarried Joy: Moving Behond Incredible Pain to Extraordinary Faith. I have several go-to books about miscarriage that really helped me a lot when I was going through my miscarriage, and I'm always looking for good new resources to share with friends and church members who are going through the same thing. The back cover reads:

"Faith over Fear. Patience over Frustration. Pain with a Purpose.

In Miscarried Joy, Tanika transparently shares her deeply personal and disappointing experiences of losing her babies due to miscarriage. There were times when she felt God was the cause of her pain. However, her journey through the lives of Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, Hannah, Elizabeth and Naomi, revealed quite the opposite - God had allowed her pain for a much greater purpose. Each of these women had something in common: they learned to surrender their will and trust God's plan beyond the pain. They were pushed to a posture of prayer that led them from questioning God to have total confidence in Him. Tanika discovered that this season of waiting didn't show up simply to challenge her, but to change her.

With biblical depth, heart-filled transparency and a voice of passion, you will:

Understand God's heart in the midst of incredible pain
Discover the importance of trusting God's plan over your own
Arm yourself with the strength to let go of bitterness and comparison to appreciate the beauty of your story
Learn and implement spiritual principles and strategies to walk boldly in faith
Embrace God's delay and birth contentment in your season of waiting
What have you miscarried? What purpose have you had difficulty conceiving? Is it a calling you fear stepping into? A vision that has not yet come to pass? Miscarried Joy has something for anyone who needs help pushing through incredible pain to conquer discouragement, walk in faith and birth their purpose. God's delay in your life could be a set up for your greatest calling to be fulfilled.

Bio

Tanika Fitzgerald is a daughter of Christ, a wife to her husband, Maurice, a loving daughter, sister and friend. She is passionate about equipping women to grow spiritually, live balanced lives and helping them to become ARMED for victory in every area of their lives. Tanika is the visionary behind ARMED - a publication created to "Spiritually Equip YOU for Victory in Battle." She enjoys spending time at Lake Michigan, creating memories with her loved ones, reading a variety of books, writing and traveling the world with her husband."

Miscarried Joy is divided into three parts: Understanding God's Heart in the Midst of Incredible Pain, Faith-Building Lessons from Barren Women, and Walking in Extraordinary Faith. It also includes a note from Tanika, a faith confession, an index of Scriptures for comfort during infertility and pregnancy loss, and notes. Tanika shares her own heartbreaking story of loss and going through suffering three miscarriages, then guides readers through Scriptures and spiritual truths to apply to your own heartbreak and pain. I could definitely relate to the emotions, pain, and spiritual questioning that Tanika has gone through, as I've had all of the same emotions and pain myself. The only hesitation I have about this book is that it is written from a bit of a "believe and receive" mentality which I don't personally especially ascribe to. This is most evident in the "faith confession" section of the book, where Tanika shares some positive declarations to speak. However, if "believe and receive" theology isn't your bag, it's easy to skip over this and still get a lot of great things from the rest of this book. I recommend this book to any Christian woman going through pregnancy loss.

I received a copy of this book from Litfuse in order to provide an honest, unbiased review. All opinions are my own.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

`Miscarried Joy` is a Christian woman's issues book written by author Tanika Fitzgerald. Tanika Fitzgerald is passionate about equipping women to grow spiritually, live balanced lives, and become armed for victory in every area of their lives.

There are three parts to this book, with subtitles under each. The three main parts are (1) Understanding God's Heart in the midst of Incredible Pain, (2) Faith-Building lessons from Barren Women, (3) Walking in Extraordinary Faith.

Within one year's time, Tanika miscarried 3 times. She asked how could God allow this. Her childhood dream was to one day get married and have children.She did get married but had problems carrying children to a full-term pregnancy. Her journey has not been easy but through it all, she is growing in her faith toward God. The Lord allows our suffering but He does not cause it. As Tanika wrote on page 15, to share in the glory of Christ we must also share in His sufferings.

I agreed with most of Tanika's points of view. However, I am concerned about that woman who earnestly prays and builds her faith, as Tanika says to do, yet has problems conceiving or carrying a baby to full-term. I am concerned that if she doesn't have a baby she will become depressed, instead of encouraged. Saying that, this book was written for every woman who still grieves for a baby.

I love the quote on page 42, "Every day, you will be gifted with a small puzzle piece as you travel along this journey of life. Some pieces will be for your picture and some will be for others. It may be quite a frustrating experience now because your burden has become heavy, but at the end of your journey you will see the beautiful picture I was creating all along." Love, God

Disclaimer: "I was provided a free copy of this book. All opinions are my own."

[Keri My Table of Three · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tanika Fitzgerald has suffered the losses of three her precious angels, but she still clings to the Lord and His offer of peace and hope. He has a mighty purpose for her life and she forges her path through life living every day believing and serving Him. I love her transparent spirit as she writes these chapters to encourage women in all stages of infertility and pregnancy loss. I actually cried with her as I read about her journey though her miscarriages. I really appreciated Tanika's openness to share her painful story and to use that as a chance to mister to other mothers hurting as she did. I found myself identifying with her emotions and wanting to reach out and hug her. One huge hug, from one angel mom to another.

I enjoyed the pages in the book that held uplifting quotes and the list of Bible Scriptures that she has listed in the later chapter. Tanika's determination to rise above the loss and to keep believing for her miracle babies is amazing and inspiring. Her faith and belief in things to come will hopefully encourage moms walking through even the darkest of times. Of course there are no books that will make our pain of the loss go away and only our heavenly father can heal our broken hearts. But this book would be a great read for those ladies that are going through this or perhaps someone who has gone through these experience of loss in the past.

**Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own thoughts.

[Just Commonly · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Physical limitations do not limit or intimidate God." (174)

"Anything that stays on your hearts should be brought to God in prayer." (183)

Yes, and in prayer did I start reading Miscarried Joy by Tanika Fitzgerald. My personal experiences with miscarriages have piqued my interest in picking up this book, and with a prayerful heart, I dive into the author's open honestly of her journey. During this time, I am reminded my God's faithfulness and greatness. With tears I join the author in embracing the peace by trusting in Him, and finding serenity in waiting. Miscarried Joy is a story, a devotion and a companion for those who need to move beyond pain to faith together with Christ, as well as together with your love ones. That is one area in the book that began a subtle yet transformative comprehension in my heart. The part where your husband is with you, and when you pray together, and grieve together, there you will find peace that flows through you. With biblical references and personal experiences, Miscarried Joy isn't just about joy, it's about understanding, transformation and finding peace that comes with trials and pain. I highly recommend this.


This review first appeared on Just Commonly blog.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the author/publisher. I was not required to write a positive review, and have not been compensated for this. This is my honest opinion.

[Wendy Andrus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Miscarried Joy will take you through more than recovering from the pain of miscarriage, or stillbirth, or infertility. The concepts and tools Tanika shares can be used for other challenges along life's journey.

I have been blessed with four wonderful children; two are young adults, two are teenagers now. But I suspect I have had perhaps 2-4 miscarriages myself, none of them "confirmed" by a doctor, because the pregnancies were not doctor-confirmed, either. But it stands to reason when statistics indicate that as many as 50% of pregnancies end in miscarriage, that I would have had that many miscarriages. So, I found the information in Miscarried Joy to be useful, and wished I'd had it back when I suffered my probable miscarriages myself. I look forward to having those babies placed in my arms, when Jesus comes.

After I signed up for this review, and shortly before the book arrived, a mom at the homeschool group of which we are members, suffered a miscarriage. I will probably pass the book on to her now.

If you, or someone you know, has had a miscarriage, this will make a thoughtful gift.

[Julie D. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book of faith and devotion to God and His promises. It is a book that will definitely uplift those who have suffered from the disappointment and grief of miscarriage.

Tanika shares her heart openly and honestly about her losses and her grief. She has found great comfort in her faith and shares with us how she continues to go forward despite the heartbreak and pain. She also shares the Biblical women who have gone through the pain of infertility and how their faith helped them. As she so beautifully tells us, God had a plan for these women and He has a plan for us.

I really loved how easy this book is to read and how much it touched my heart. I believe this book would help women who have suffered a miscarriage to understand that God is truly with them and give them hope, and even joy.

The author encourages women to know God's promises and to make them their own. I thought this book was very good and I give it 4 out of 5 stars.

*This book was provided to me for my honest review by LitFuse Publicity Group

[Crystal Carney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tanika transparently opens up to those who have suffered from the loss of miscarriage as she has in such a loving, Christ-centered way that will help her readers on the path of healing and restoration. I am so grateful to her for sharing her journey.

Miscarried Joy is extremely helpful for those of us who have suffered miscarriages and those who deal with infertility. Tanika not only shares her personal journey but encourages her readers to lean on the one who can make beauty rise from the ashes of despair. I will be gifting this book to our church library so that others who have experienced loss,may find healing in its biblical encouragement.

*Disclaimer*
I received a copy of this book free to review. I was not financially compensated in any way. The opinions expressed are my own and are based on my observations while reading this book.

[Larry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful book. It will encourage you, challenge you, and up left you.