Advent is a time of waiting. This time of year, advent means waiting for Christmas to arrive. As bereaved parents, our advent is waiting for the day we can see and be with our children again. Fortunately, Jesus coming to earth was out of God’s love for us, so that our separation is only temporary.

In the meantime, we grieve deeply because we love deeply. Along with the fourth (and final) week of the advent reading, Laura also shares “ ‘Twas the Night After Christmas for Bereaved Parents” which voices for many of us our thoughts about the holiday season we have just come through.

Note: There will be a short break from the GPS Hope podcast until January 23.

Links Mentioned in this episode:

Watch the fourth week advent reading on the GPS Hope YouTube channel here.

Find out more about the book Reflections of Hope here.

Click here to order Reflections of Hope on Amazon.

Write a review here for Reflections of Hope on Amazon.

Click here to find out more about the Weekend of Hope (and the Celebration of Hope) in August of 2024.

Birthdays:

John Ferreira Jr. was born on December 24 and is forever 32.

Isaiah Key was born on December 25 and is forever 13.

Nicole Daniel was born on December 26 and is forever 27.

Ryan Durkin was born on December 27 and is forever 19.

Aria Arrona was born on December 31 and is forever 15.

If you would like your child mentioned on the podcast the week of his or her birthday, click here to fill out the short form with the needed information.

The special song written for our children’s birthdays I Remember Well can be heard here.

Remember to Hold On Pain Eases; there is HOPE!

www.gpshope.org

To have Laura come and minister at your event, contact us at office@gpshope.org.

Grieving Parents Sharing Hope (GPS Hope) is here to walk with parents through the darkness of child-loss, guiding them to a place of hope, light and purpose.

It is a safe place for anyone who has lost a child from this earth. There is no shame or judgment in where you are in this journey, including if you are struggling in your relationship with God or your faith has been completely shattered.

Joy is something that seems impossible to have ever again, after the death of our child. In today’s episode, Laura talks about this, along with sharing some details about someone in the Bible who had an extremely difficult life (that included the death of her child) that most of us can relate to.

We can have joy in our lives once again, but it is something most of us have to fight for, when we are ready.

Links Mentioned in this episode:

Find out more about the book Reflections of Hope here.

Click here to order Reflections of Hope on Amazon.

Write a review here for Reflections of Hope on Amazon.

Click here to find out more about the Weekend of Hope (and the Celebration of Hope) in August of 2024.

Birthdays:

Brian was born on December 17 and is forever 26.

Bobbie Jo Odell was born on December 18 and is forever 44.

Luke Getchell was born on December 19 and is forever 14.

Carissa Perkins was born on December 21 and is forever 29.

If you would like your child mentioned on the podcast the week of his or her birthday, click here to fill out the short form with the needed information.

The special song written for our children’s birthdays I Remember Well can be heard here.

Remember to Hold On Pain Eases; there is HOPE!

www.gpshope.org

To have Laura come and minister at your event, contact us at office@gpshope.org.

Grieving Parents Sharing Hope (GPS Hope) is here to walk with parents through the darkness of child-loss, guiding them to a place of hope, light and purpose.

It is a safe place for anyone who has lost a child from this earth. There is no shame or judgment in where you are in this journey, including if you are struggling in your relationship with God or your faith has been completely shattered.

Peace can be hard to come by after the death of our child, and the Christmas season can make it even more difficult to find the peace we so desperately need. In this episode, Laura starts with a recording of the live reading from the book “Hope for the Future: An Advent Journey for Bereaved Parents” (Week 2 Day One) on the topic of peace within the Christmas season.

Since the podcast episodes are released on Tuesdays, she then reads Tuesdays entry from the book, sharing more about Jesus being our Prince of Peace.

Links Mentioned in this episode:

See the webpage for the book Hope for the Future: An Advent Journey for Bereaved Parents, where you can get a PDF copy of the book for only $4.95. (Or you can order a paperback copy of the book from Amazon or your favorite book outlet.)

Click here to find out more about the Weekend of Hope (and the Celebration of Hope) in August of 2024.

Birthdays:

Sarah Jordan was born on December 11 and is forever 42.

DW Grubbs was born on December 12 and is forever 27.

Tyler Sitter was born on December 12 and is forever 32.

Maria Elena Navarrete was born on December 12 and is forever 55.

Tanner Allen-Harris was born on December 13 and is forever 20.

Cameron Paddock was born on December 14 and is forever 22.

David Paul French was born on December 16 and is forever 52.

If you would like your child mentioned on the podcast the week of his or her birthday, click here to fill out the short form with the needed information.

The special song written for our children’s birthdays I Remember Well can be heard here.

Remember to Hold On Pain Eases; there is HOPE!

www.gpshope.org

To have Laura come and minister at your event, contact us at office@gpshope.org.

Grieving Parents Sharing Hope (GPS Hope) is here to walk with parents through the darkness of child-loss, guiding them to a place of hope, light and purpose.

It is a safe place for anyone who has lost a child from this earth. There is no shame or judgment in where you are in this journey, including if you are struggling in your relationship with God or your faith has been completely shattered.

The Christmas season can be brutal for those of us who have lost a child, especially the first few years. One year, when Laura was struggling deeply connecting to the “reason for the season” she found herself crying out to God to show Himself as Emmanuel, God with us.

She felt led to dig out the family advent wreath and found herself writing out something every day for the four weeks of advent. In this podcast episode, Laura shares the first reading from that first day.

Links Mentioned in this episode:

See the webpage for the book Hope for the Future: An Advent Journey for Bereaved Parents, where you can get a PDF copy of the book for only $4.95. (Or you can order a paperback copy of the book from Amazon or your favorite book outlet.)

Find out more about The Grief Cruise and how to join Dave and Laura in 2025!

To see Laura’s other books, click here.

Birthdays:

Joseph Amaha was born on November 28 and is forever 29.

Angie Mata was born on December 4 and is forever 36.

Chelsea Kline (Billotte) was born on December 8 and is forever 32.

If you would like your child mentioned on the podcast the week of his or her birthday, click here to fill out the short form with the needed information.

The special song written for our children’s birthdays I Remember Well can be heard here.

Remember to Hold On Pain Eases; there is HOPE!

www.gpshope.org

To have Laura come and minister at your event, contact us at office@gpshope.org.

Grieving Parents Sharing Hope (GPS Hope) is here to walk with parents through the darkness of child-loss, guiding them to a place of hope, light and purpose.

It is a safe place for anyone who has lost a child from this earth. There is no shame or judgment in where you are in this journey, including if you are struggling in your relationship with God or your faith has been completely shattered.