This website or its third-party tools use cookies which are necessary to its functioning and required to improve your experience. By clicking the consent button, you agree to allow the site to use, collect and/or store cookies.
I accept

GPS Hope

  • HOME
  • ABOUT
    • About GPS Hope
    • Meet Dave & Laura
    • Our Becca
    • AUTHOR Laura Diehl
      • About the Author
      • Laura’s Books
    • SPEAKER Laura Diehl
    • Contact Us
    • MEDIA
      • In the Media
      • PRESS KITS
  • PODCAST / BLOGS
    • PODCAST
    • Weekly VLOG (YouTube Channel)
    • Expressions of Hope Blog
    • Friends of GPS Hope Blog
    • Archives
      • Gems from the Crown
      • Kidz Korner
  • RESOURCES
    • My Profile
    • BOOKS
    • COURSES
    • HOPE For Your HEALTH
    • Laura’s Music CD
    • Free Content Library
    • FACEBOOK
    • Wall of Rememberance
  • SUPPORT GROUPS
    • ARIZONA, Sierra Vista
    • FLORIDA, Deltona (H.U.G.S.)
    • MINNESOTA, Worthington
    • OHIO, Columbus
    • OHIO, Newark
    • OREGON, Grants Pass
    • SOUTH CAROLINA, Columbia
    • TEXAS, Livingston
    • WASHINGTON, Olympia
    • WISCONSIN, Janesville
  • EVENTS
    • Calendar
    • CRUISE Feb. 2026
    • RETREATS
      • OCT 2025 Long Island NY
      • FEB 2026 Florida
  • DONATE
    • DONATE NOW
    • Sponsor Memorial Heart Decal
    • Sponsor a Podcast Episode
    • Our Sponsors
  • STORE

April 19, 2022 by Laura Diehl 4 Comments

155: “At Least You…” Which Child Loss is the Worst? (With Sara Nelson)

“There is no magical age when the death of our child doesn’t affect us in a very deep and profound way. Whether the child died in the womb or was in their sixties, the wrongness of their death causes trauma, and we are never the same.” (Laura Diehl – When Tragedy Strikes: Rebuilding Your Life With Hope and Healing After the Death of Your Child)

We bristle when someone who has never lost a child starts a sentence with, “At least….” And yet most of us can’t help but compare the loss of our child with someone else’s loss of their child, convinced that our loss is worse because…

How can we get past that and not allow a root of bitterness add to the intense pain and darkness we have found ourselves hurled into? This is the topic of today’s discussion between Laura and her guest, Sara Nelson, who lost her only child, taking with it any possibility of having grandchildren.

Sara Faith Nelson taught elementary and middle school grades for 15 years. Now she enjoys pursuing her love of writing. The primary focus of her writing has always leaned toward themes of hope, faith, and trust in the goodness of God. Since the death of her daughter and only child, she writes about her grief journey and surviving a devastating loss. She continues to write about trusting in God’s goodness and grace while grappling with the hard questions. Sara and her husband, Dennis, live in Arizona.

(Note: The views and opinions of our guests outside of this podcast may not be in agreement with GPS Hope.)

 

Links Mentioned in this episode:

Connect with Sara Nelson: writingsmiles2@gmail.com

Sara’s book on Amazon: Footsteps of Hope

Join almost 2,000 other pareavors who are receiving a Weekly Word of Hope from Laura.

Please remember to give a rating and a review on your podcast app.

 

Birthdays:

Christopher Schofer was born on April 21 and is forever 25.

Adam Sharp was born on April 21 and is forever 19.

 

Fill out the short form with the needed information to have your child’s birthday shared with our listeners.

The special song “I Remember Well“, which was written by Laura for our children’s birthdays, can be heard on your favorite music app. To hear samples of Laura’s other songs, click here.

 

Remember to Hold On Pain Eases; there is HOPE!

www.gpshope.org

 

Would you like to have Laura come and speak to your group? 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.

April 12, 2022 by Laura Diehl Leave a Comment

154: I Tried to Numb My Pain with Prescription Drugs & Alcohol When My Child Died (with Stacie Snider and Courtney Stovall)

Those of us who have lost a child have been through a trauma. We are dealing with traumatic grief. Many parents also have PTSD. How do we get through the suffocating darkness and things like night terrors? Some go to their physician who will write them prescriptions for anxiety or to help them sleep.

It is very easy to get hooked on these prescriptions, needing higher and higher doses to work. Quite often, alcohol gets added to the mix of trying to numb the pain.

Today’s episode is talking to two moms who are very open and vulnerable about their experience with prescription drugs and alcoholism after the death of their sons.

There is no judgment in this; only care, compassion and extending hope for a way out, from those who have been there.

Stacie Snider is a mom of three and GiGi of four. She has been an accountant in the healthcare field for many years. Stacie and her husband just purchased their forever home in Texas on 13 acres and raise goats, chickens, geese, donkeys and have four dogs. “Our lives never slow down but we wouldn’t change it for the world.” Stacie has been on this journey of child loss for six years and is also the administrator for the public GPS Hope Facebook page.

 

Courtney Stovall lives in Greer, South Carolina and is a mother to seven children, one fur baby and a Gigi to one. Before losing her son, she was an executive assistant. Courtney did not go back to work for almost four years and now works for her mother-in-law.  She and her husband have two “surprise babies” still living at home who are five and six, both red headed and keep them very busy.  As a pareavor who is four years into this journey, Courtney enjoys keeping in touch with other pareavors, helping them through the struggles she has walked through.

 (Note: The views and opinions of our guests outside of this podcast may not be in agreement with GPS Hope.)

 

Links Mentioned in this episode:

Sponsor an episode in honor of your child.

Email Stacie:acctnt4ever@yahoo.com

Email Courtney: cdstovall81@gmail.com 

Info page on Pearls of Hope.  (Unfortunately, we can only ship to the USA.)

Go directly to the Pearls of Hope online store

Be sure to use the promo code BECCA40 when placing your order. 

Watch the pearl opening on the public GPS Hope Facebook page Wednesday, April 13 @ 8:00PM Eastern time.

(Ask to join our private GPS Hope Facebook page here.)

 

Birthdays:

Malish (Caspian) Aurova was born on April 11 and is forever 9 weeks.

Megan Small was born on April 11 and is forever 21.

Michael Rhodes was born on April 11 and is forever 18.

Carter Braun was born on April 13 and is forever 15.

Rachel Pilcher was born on April 13 and is forever 41.

Rebecca Diehl Howard was born on April 13 and is forever 29.

Brandon Matos was born on April 14 and is forever 23.

 

Fill out the short form to have your child’s birthday shared with our listeners.

The special song “I Remember Well“, which was written by Laura for our children’s birthdays, can be heard on your favorite music app. To hear samples of Laura’s other songs, click here.

 

Remember to Hold On Pain Eases; there is HOPE!

www.gpshope.org

 

Would you like to have Laura come and speak to your group? 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.

 

April 5, 2022 by Laura Diehl Leave a Comment

153: Why I Don’t Need Support from Other Bereaved Parents (with Dave Diehl)

When we find ourselves thrown into the dark world of child loss, some of us know we need help right away and find ways to connect with other bereaved parents almost immediately.

Some of us take longer to realize how important it is to be around others who “get it”. Other parents who are further along on this unwanted journey can let us know our thoughts and actions are not abnormal for grieving the loss of our child from this earth such as:

  • I am not getting early Alzheimer’s.
  • It’s okay to still have days I can’t get out of bed when it’s been well over a year.
  • You are not a terrible person for not able to go to things like family functions, work parties and celebrations, no matter how long it has been.

Being around other pareavors can give us the hope we desperately need that somehow, I can get through this; not just barely surviving but learn how to live a life of meaning and purpose again that seems impossible.

When we do finally get to the place where we start having some good days and our thoughts are not consumed with the pain of our loss, we can begin feeling like being around other pareavors pulls us back down into that darkness, and we no longer want to be around them.

We all have different needs at different points in this grief journey. These are the things Laura discusses in today’s episode, with her husband, Dave.

 

Links Mentioned in this episode:

Unfortunately, we can only ship to the USA.

Info page on Pearls of Hope

Go directly to the Pearls of Hope online store

Be sure to use the promo code BECCA40 when placing your order. 

Watch the pearl opening on the public GPS Hope Facebook page Wednesday, April 13 @ 8:00PM Eastern time.

(Ask to join our private GPS Hope Facebook page here.)

Find our more about GPS Hope Share & Care support groups

Join over 2,000 parents recieving the Weekly Word of Hope here.

 

Birthdays:

William Judah was born on April 3 and is forever 40.

Cory Spires was born on April 4 and is forever 28.

Greg London was born on April 8 and is forever 34.

 

Fill out the short form with the needed information to have your child’s birthday shared with our listeners.

The special song “I Remember Well“, which was written by Laura for our children’s birthdays, can be heard on your favorite music app. To hear samples of Laura’s other songs, click here.

 

Remember to Hold On Pain Eases; there is HOPE!

www.gpshope.org

 

Would you like to have Laura come and speak to your group? 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.

April 3, 2022 by Laura Diehl Leave a Comment

One Day (by Vickie Hickox)

One day I’ll wake up in the morning
And I will not miss your presence.
One day I’ll wake up in the morning
And I will not cry for you anymore.

One day I’ll wake up in the morning
And I will not miss your smile,
The sound of your voice
And your laughter.

One day I’ll wake up in the morning
And will not ask “Why?” anymore.
One day I’ll wake up in the morning
And will not have the longing to
Hug you and tell you I love you.

Because one day when I wake up
In the morning I will see your
Beautiful face again.
I will hear your voice,
I will hear your laughter
And see your smile again.

I will put my arms around you
And never let you go again.
I will tell you I love you
And how much I have missed you.

But until that day, I will live
This life without you.
I will find ways to honor your life and
Keep your memory alive.
I will cherish the memories of you
And hold them in my heart.

Until one day when I will wake up
To your beautiful face and we
Will spend eternity together
And my broken heart
Will once again be whole.

One day…

 

Vickie Hickox lost her son, Dominic, from this earth on June 22, 2019 from brain cancer, which sent her on a journey to rediscover who God is in the midst of such a horrible tragedy. She lives in Georgia, where she has been a correctional officer in a county jail for ten years. Whenever she can get away from her job, she enjoys spending time with her other children and grandchildren in Florida, and time on a beach somewhere.

 

We all need hope, or we cannot go on without our child here with us. If you would like to be sent a PDF of 36 scriptures of hope, to help in this area, just fill out the form below to let us know where to send it. (You will also be placed on our Weekly Word of Hope email list, which you can unsubscribe from at any time.)

 

Expressions of Hope is provided by Grieving Parents Sharing Hope (GPS Hope). The founders, Dave and Laura Diehl, travel full time in their Hope Mobile (a 38-foot motor home) to be more easily available for speaking and ministry requests, and bringing intimate weekend retreats to bereaved parents. Laura is also a singer/songwriter and the author of multiple award-winning books.

If you would like more information about bringing Dave and Laura to you for an event, please send an email to office@gpshope.org.

If you are interested in bringing GPS Hope to your area for a weekend retreat click here.

 

  • Check out the Grieving Parents Sharing Hope weekly podcast
  • Subscribe to Laura’s YouTube channel. 
  • If you are a bereaved parent, we encourage you to connect with us on our private Facebook page or our public Facebook page. 
  • If you are not a bereaved parent but want to support those who are, or want to follow us as we give hope to these precious parents, please connect with us at Friends of GPS Hope on Facebook.

 

 

Filed Under: Expressions of Hope Tagged With: bereaved parent support, child loss grief journey, faith and healing after child loss, GPS Hope grief resources, grief and hope poetry, grief poems, grieving a child’s death, honoring child’s memory, hope after child loss, memory of lost child, reunion after death

March 29, 2022 by Laura Diehl Leave a Comment

152: Putting Words to Our Unwanted Journey of Child Loss

There are times when Laura is sent something written by a pareavor that seems to capture the essence of who we are and how we feel after the death of our child, as well as what it is like to travel on this unwanted journey.

On this episode, Laura reads three of these.

  • This Mom’s Grief by Val Breslau
  • It’s Been Two Years by Fran Rhodes
  • One Day by Vickie Hickox

Laura also reads something she wrote back in 2017 called Forever.

Because these hit the heart of our journey, listeners may find themselves feeling a bit more emotionally tender than most episodes, but they are worth hearing and absorbing.

 

Links Mentioned in this episode:

This Mom’s Grief by Val Breslau

It’s Been Two Years by Fran Rhodes

One Day by Vickie Hickox

Find out more about Laura’s Books

Go directly to the GPS Hope store.

Send something you have written to Laura: laura@gpshope.org

Birthdays:

Dakota Crandall was born on March 27 and is forever 25.

Tommy Simmons was born on March 29 and is forever 59.

Miles DiGiannantonio was born on March 30 and is forever 20 months.

Jonda Steinkamp was born on April 2 and is forever 5 months.

 

Fill out the short form with the needed information to have your child’s birthday shared with our listeners.

The special song “I Remember Well“, which was written by Laura for our children’s birthdays, can be heard on your favorite music app. To hear samples of Laura’s other songs, click here.

 

Remember to Hold On Pain Eases; there is HOPE!

www.gpshope.org

 

Would you like to have Laura come and speak to your group? 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.

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • …
  • 34
  • 35
  • 36
  • 37
  • 38
  • …
  • 101
  • Next Page »

Get Laura’s Newest Award Winning Book!

Click Image for More Information!


Get Your Copy of This Award-winning Book Now!

Click Image for More Information!

Get Laura’s Music CD

Click Image for More Details.

Get Your Copy Now!

Click Image for More Information!

Get your Copy Now!

Click Image for More Information!

What is a Pareavor?

Click to find out.

Get Your Copy Now!

Click Image for More Information!

Recent Posts

  • Can I Trust God Leading Me?
  • Psalm 23:1 Through the Eyes of Child Loss
  • The Lord is My Shepherd
  • The Struggles with Thanksgiving and Child Loss



LIKE US ON FACEBOOK

GPS Hope Page (for bereaved parents)

Events & Itinerary

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

BROWSEOUR STORE

Contact Us

guidestar

GPS Hope is a 501c3 not-profit Christian Ministry

Privacy Policy

Voted Podcast of the Year

for second year in a row!

Religion Category

2024 Illumination Award Medalist
Reflections of Hope

Available NOW!