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December 29, 2020 by Laura Diehl Leave a Comment

89: Tips for Bereaved Parents, Heading into the New Year

Every time a new year shows up, it brings lots of emotions for many of us bereaved parents, especially if this is the first time the calendar has turned to a new year since your child died. It can seem horrible because it feels like we are leaving our child behind as we go into a new year.

In this episode, you will hear from a few “experienced” pareavors who know what it’s like to face going into a new year without their child, and each one will offer some advice to those who may be struggling with this.

You will be hearing from:

  • Linda Findlay – International Grief Institute (www.internationalgriefinstitute.com)
  • Michele Paul – Umbrella Ministries (www.umbrellaministries.com)
  • Mitch Carmody – Heartlight Studios (www.heartlightstudios.net)
  • Sara Nelson – Footsteps of Hope (www.hopefootsteps.com)
  • BJ Jensen – Love in Motion Signing Choir (www.signingchoir.com)
  • Glen Lord – The Grief Toolbox (thegrieftoolbox.com)

Time itself does not “heal all wounds”! It is what we do with our time that brings a measure of healing to our shattered hearts after child loss. We can’t stop the new year from coming, but there are things we can do to help ease the pain and panic of feeling like we are leaving our child behind, as time moves forward.

 

Links Mentioned in this episode:

 

I want to know more about the  Rebuilding Your Life After Child Loss self-help courses .

Take me to sign up for the Rebuilding Your Life courses at half price!

To find more resources and support, go the GPS Hope website: gpshope.org

Don’t forget to give this podcast a rating and review to help other grieving parents find us!

Click here to become a monthly partner, giving hope to other parents, or to give a special gift to keep this podcast going, along with providing  other needed resources to bereaved parents.

(GPS Hope is a 501c3 nonprofit and runs on the financial support of those who believe in passing along the hope they have received to others.)

 

Birthdays:

Melanie Bach was born on December 30 and is forever 46.

 

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.

 

December 22, 2020 by Laura Diehl 4 Comments

88: Love Came Just for You in Your Place of Darkness

Christmas can be one of the worst weeks of the year for many of us with child loss. After my daughter, Becca, died, it made me realize that even though I did my best to make Christmas about the birth of Jesus, it really was more about things like baking traditional cookies, giving my kids presents and making the season fun for them.

The death of our child causes us to rethink everything we thought we knew about life and about God. And Christmas is a great time to remind ourselves that Jesus came here on earth as a baby, for the purpose of dying so that we can live forever with Him, and with our children and other loved ones.

Without God’s love, we would remain drowning in a sea of grief. In this episode, I start out reading something I wrote called Forever, and then go on to share about the hope of heaven, because of His incredible love for you and your child.

Links Mentioned in this episode:

I want to know more about the self-help courses based on the book When Tragedy Strikes.

Take me to sign up for the Rebuilding Your Life courses at half price!

The poem “Forever” that was read in this episode can be downloaded in the GPS Hope free members library. Just click here. (If you have not signed up to access the library, you will need to put in your email address and give yourself a password.)

GPS Hope website: gpshope.org

 

Click here to become a monthly partner, giving hope to other parents, or to give a special gift to keep this podcast going, along with providing  other needed resources to bereaved parents.

(GPS Hope is a 501c3 nonprofit and runs on the financial support of those who believe in passing along the hope they have received to others.)

 

Birthdays:

James Anthony Walkley was born on December 23 and is forever 28.

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

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

Tevin Tyon was born on December 28 and is forever 21.

 

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.

 

 

December 20, 2020 by Laura Diehl Leave a Comment

Four Things We Can Learn from the Mother of Jesus About Child Loss (Part 2)

This is the time of year we think about and celebrate the birth of Christ. But have you thought about the fact that we can relate to Mary through the eyes of a bereaved parent? I recently spent some time studying this out and discovered quite a bit about Mary that I had not realized or thought about, until I had a child who died.

The first two things are in the previous blog you can read here. In this article, we are going to look at the last two things.

Third observation

One of the biggest things to notice is that Mary completely surrendered to the Lord’s plans for her life, not knowing what that meant and how painful her future would be. In Luke 1:18 we find her telling the angel, Gabriel, “Behold the handmaiden of the Lord, (I am the Lord’s servant) be it unto me according to your word.”

As we already noted, I am sure Mary had no idea that her son would die a very brutal death at the age of 33, and she would be there to watch it.

I used to think, “At least Jesus rose from the dead and came back to life here on this earth. I don’t have that with Becca!” But as I was studying this out, I realized Mary still lost him permanently from this earth, because He was only here for 40 days and then He went to heaven.

The permanent earthly loss of her son here on earth was confirmed at the foot of the cross when Jesus looked down and gave his mom to the apostle John to take care of (John 19:26-27). This is also confirmation that his brothers still didn’t believe who Jesus was because the next son in line should have been the one to take care of the mother.

We may not be able to relate to Mary’s exact, unique grief, but she was a mom whose child died and left this earth for her remaining time here, which is something we can all relate to.

 

Fourth Observation

Mary watched her son die. Nothing could prevent this mother from standing by her son to the very end, no matter how brutal it was. I can’t help but think that some of you have had the same experience of being with your child until he or she took their last breath. You know what that is like to be with them.

I didn’t have that experience. My daughter, Becca, was in the hospital, with plans of being dismissed the next morning. The night of October 12, 2011 her heart was crashing, and she was fighting everyone, trying to get out of bed, yelling at them to leave her alone. Her husband told her to lie down and let them do what they needed to do and was kicked out of the hospital room. She died surrounded by a bunch of medical staff trying to save her.

I wish I had been with her, sort of… I think it has to be one of those bittersweet things. Those of us who weren’t with our child don’t have that as another image we have to get out of our heads. On the other hand, we have to fight the guilt that we weren’t there with them, feeling like he or she died alone.

Did Mary have thoughts of “If only I had…” or “I should have….”?

Did she think about the last time Jesus gave her a hug? The last time they had a meal together? The last time she heard Him laugh? The last time she was able to say, “I love you?” I can’t help but think that she did, because that is what the rest of us do.

The last mention of Mary is in the upper room with the other believers (Acts 1:14). Jesus had risen from the grave, but He had also left this earth permanently. What was that like? There must have been some intense grieving, knowing she had just gotten Him back and now He was gone, never to be here on earth with her again.

Knowing that Mary stayed with the group and was in the upper room when the Holy Spirit showed up in a big way, is an example to us that life can be worth living again. Mary knew she would see her son again. She figured out how to keep living, even within the grief.

Our children are alive also! They may not have come back for a few days after they died and then risen up in the clouds in their bodies, but he or she is alive and with Jesus! Thank you, Father that part of Your will for our lives is to reunite us with our children, never to be separated again.

I want to wrap this up by looking at a scripture that talks about Jesus’ mother in Luke 11:27-28. As Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the crowd called out, “Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you.” Jesus replied, “Even more blessed are those who hear God’s voice and make God’s message their way of life”. (VOICE)

If we take this scripture to heart, what is God’s voice to us as bereaved parents? I believe it is that we have that exact same hope as Mary. We will see our children again, and we can fight our way out of the grief. I want to encourage you not to choose to remain stuck in the event of your child’s death, but learn how to live in a way that honors the life of your child, just like Mary did.

And just like the Holy Spirit showed up in that upper room for those who were waiting for Him, I believe the Holy Spirit will show up for you. He will comfort you, and not only comfort you, but give you the strength to live out your life here with meaning and purpose, until it is time to join your child, and Mary and Jesus in heaven.

Until then, you might be interested in listening to the podcast series People in the Bible Who Lost a Child. Just click on each individual episode below to read the description and listen to it directly on the GPS Hope website. (You can also find each one on your favorite podcast app. Just look for the Grieving Parents Sharing Hope podcast.)

49: The First Death in the Bible was a Son Who Was Murdered (Adam and Eve)
50: The Rainbow Baby in the Bible (King David lost an infant son before Solomon was born)
51: Three Things we Can Learn from Jesus’ Mother After the Death of Our Child
53: Trying to Find God in the Midst of Our Deepest Pain (A look at Job)
54: Why Did God Allow Me to Suffer Like This? (Job’s suffering after the death of all ten of his children)
55: From Fullness to Bitterness to Fullness Again (Naomi)
56: Reunited with Our Children (Jacob and Jairus)
57: Our Grief is the Same, Yet Different (two groups in the Bible who had children mass murdered)

 

Note: On each podcast, I announce the name, birthday and forever age of our children who are no longer here with us, the week of his or her birthday. If you would like to share your child with our listeners, just click here to fill out and submit the form with the needed information.

 

Expressions of Hope is written by author, speaker and singer Laura Diehl. She and her husband, Dave, are the founders of Grieving Parents Sharing Hope (GPS Hope). Dave and Laura travel full time in their Hope Mobile (a 38-foot motor home) to be more easily available for speaking and ministry requests, including being invited to hold one-day GPS Hope & Healing conferences.

 

If you would like more information about Laura as a speaker for your next event or want more information on hosting a GPS Hope & Healing conference, click here.

 

  • Check out the Grieving Parents Sharing Hope weekly podcast
  • If you are a bereaved parent, we encourage you to connect with us on Facebook.
  • 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.
  • Subscribe to Laura’s YouTube channel. 

Filed Under: Expressions of Hope Tagged With: bereaved parent hope, bereaved parents, child death, child death in Christian faith, child loss faith, Christian grief support, comfort for grieving parents, comfort in grief, eternal hope, faith in grief, grief after child loss, Grieving Mothers, grieving with faith, hope after loss, life after child loss, Mary and grief, Mary’s grief, mother of Jesus, purpose after loss, seeing our children again, spiritual growth through grief

December 15, 2020 by Laura Diehl 2 Comments

87: Joy that Goes Beyond Our Grief

Child loss take us to such a dark place that we can easily believe it’s impossible to ever have joy in our lives again. But if Christ is in us, so is joy, because that is one of the fruits of the indwelling Holy Spirit.

Our lives will never be the same. We will never be the same, but He is always the same. God is right here with us, ready to wash over us with His love, to put the pieces of our shattered hearts back together and to help us fight our way out of the darkness of the enemy and back into His light.

In this episode I share a key that will move us in the direction of having joy back in our lives again. It might not look or feel the same, but it is real, and it is possible.

Links Mentioned in this episode:

Click here to find out more about the book Hope for the Future and the live advent readings.

Information on the retreat in Texas, March 2021

Sponsor a podcast in memory of your child on a special date

GPS Hope website: gpshope.org

 

Click here to become a monthly partner, giving hope to other parents, or to give a special gift to keep this podcast going, along with providing  other needed resources to bereaved parents.

(GPS Hope is a 501c3 nonprofit and runs on the financial support of those who believe in passing along the hope they have received to others.)

Birthdays:

Brian was born on December 17 and is forever 26.

Austin Smith was born on December 18 and is forever 30.

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

Dylan Bieber was born on December 21 and is forever 16.

Jonathan Granick was born on December 21 and is forever 36.

 

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.

 

 

December 8, 2020 by Laura Diehl Leave a Comment

86: It is Possible to Have Peace with Your Pain

Christmas time can be brutal the first few years for those of us who have lost a child. It is so easy to lose what little peace we started to find.

This week we will talk about peace, and the Prince of Peace who came as a baby to die so that we can have peace in the midst of our worst nightmare.

 

Links Mentioned in this episode:

Join GPS Hope on a cruise for those who have faced a deep loss, December 2021. Click here for information.

Click here to find out more about the book Hope for the Future and the live advent readings.

GPS Hope website: gpshope.org

 

Click here to become a monthly partner, giving hope to other parents, or to give a special gift to keep this podcast going, along with providing  other needed resources to bereaved parents.

(GPS Hope is a 501c3 nonprofit and runs on the financial support of those who believe in passing along the hope they have received to others.)

Birthdays:

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

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

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

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.

 

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Recent Posts

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  • Is God Punishing Me for My Past? A Word for Grieving Parents Struggling with Guilt
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