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GPS Hope

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February 25, 2020 by Laura Diehl 2 Comments

45: The Comfort Cub (with Marcella Johnson)

This interview with Marcella Johnson is a continuation of last week’s talk (episode 44).

In this discussion, Marcella shares about how she developed The Comfort Cub (the first weighted therapeutic bear) after the death of her son, who died in her arms fifteen minutes after being born.

I personally know a mom who lost her daughter during pregnancy well over twenty years ago, who started weeping when handed The Comfort Cub, because of the deep healing impact it had on her.

But these bears aren’t just for pregnancy loss. They have a healing effect for many mothers of any age child loss, and for those who have faced other types of deep traumas. And there is starting to be more and more professional confirmation on the helpfulness of this type of therapy.

If you haven’t yet found a way to leave your child a legacy, you may want to consider supplying these Comfort Cubs in your child’s name, for your local hospital or other emergency responders who are on the front lines of trauma and tragedy.

Marcella’s thoughts on leaving a legacy for our child: We don’t want the next person who finds themselves in our place to have to feel the depth of what I felt. What can I do, to help them along? Finding that thing that helps keep your child’s legacy alive is a beautiful and healing thing to do. Every life is precious and significant and needs to be celebrated, cherished and acknowledged.

Marcella Johnson invented the world’s very first weighted therapeutic teddy bear after the death of her son, George Gabriel Johnson, on April 11, 1999. When she first began she made each teddy bear by hand and personally delivered them to every hospital in her hometown of San Diego, CA. The Comfort Cub is now in top hospitals across the USA and is used on every continent to help alleviate grief and trauma.

Although it was originally created for mothers who lose a child, The Comfort Cub has effectively been used to provide profound relief for the loss of any loved one, adoptions, trauma, occupational and autism therapy. She also works closely with the San Diego Police Department in their Trauma Intervention Program, The SD County Emergency Shelter for Children, Domestic Violence Centers and Forensic Health and child abuse victims. Her goal is to help bring healing to anyone experiencing a significant loss or trauma in their life.

She has won several awards for helping those in need including the Soroptimist International “Women Helping Women Award, The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation “Women to Watch Award”, The Channel 10 “Leadership Award” and has received Special Congressional Recognition for outstanding and invaluable service to her community.

Marcella is the mother of five children, has been married for 32 years and lives in San Diego, California. She is a graduate of the University of California at Santa Barbara and has been a tireless volunteer to many non-profit organizations in the San Diego area.

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

Marcella’s website: The Comfort Cub

The Comfort Cub Facebook page

To enter the drawing for The Comfort Cub send an email to office@gpshope.org and put in the subject line; The Comfort Cub. Remember the deadline to enter is midnight Pacific time on Tuesday, March 10.

Birthdays:

There are no birthdays to announce this week.

 

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.

February 18, 2020 by Laura Diehl Leave a Comment

44: The Bond of a Mother to Her Child (with Marcella Johnson)

Laura’s guest for this and the following episode is Marcella Johnson. Over twenty years ago, Marcella knew she would be losing her son, George, at birth because of a rare, fatal disease that would not allow him to live outside the womb.

This interview with Marcella is part of the “How to Help Your Child Leave a Legacy” series. But the discussion surrounding the death of Marcella’s son was so rich with encouragement and new perspectives, it needed to be its own episode.

Join us next week for part two, when we will hear from Marcella what she has been doing for the past twenty years, which is allowing her to leave a legacy in a powerful way for her son, George.

Marcella Johnson invented the world’s very first weighted therapeutic teddy bear after the death of her son, George Gabriel Johnson, on April 11, 1999. When she first began she made each teddy bear by hand and personally delivered them to every hospital in her hometown of San Diego, CA. The Comfort Cub is now in top hospitals across the USA and is used on every continent to help alleviate grief and trauma.

Although it was originally created for mothers who lose a child, The Comfort Cub has effectively been used to provide profound relief for the loss of any loved one, adoptions, trauma, occupational and autism therapy. She also works closely with the San Diego Police Department in their Trauma Intervention Program, The SD County Emergency Shelter for Children, Domestic Violence Centers and Forensic Health and child abuse victims. Her goal is to help bring healing to anyone experiencing a significant loss or trauma in their life.

She has won several awards for helping those in need including the Soroptimist International “Women Helping Women Award, The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation “Women to Watch Award”, The Channel 10 “Leadership Award” and has received Special Congressional Recognition for outstanding and invaluable service to her community.

Marcella is the mother of five children, has been married for 32 years and lives in San Diego, California. She is a graduate of the University of California at Santa Barbara and has been a tireless volunteer to many non-profit organizations in the San Diego area.

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

Marcella’s website: The Comfort Cub

Laura’s book: When Tragedy Strikes: Rebuilding Your Life with Hope and Healing after the Death of Your Child

GPS Hope travel schedule and events

Birthdays:

Sean Kelly was born on February 22nd and is forever 44.

Dennis Santos was born on February 23rd and is forever 31.

 

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.

February 11, 2020 by Laura Diehl Leave a Comment

43: Footsteps of Hope (with Sara Nelson)

Many parents who have lost a child either think about writing a book or have been told they should write a book. Obviously, it’s a great way to tell your child’s story and to help him or her continue to live on in the hearts and minds of others.

But how do you do it? Where do you start? Who do you go to for help?

As a published author of seven books, host Laura Diehl is joined by Sara Nelson, a bereaved parent and a new author. They discuss how knowing the purpose for writing your book can help determine the process you choose, and talk about things like the differences between traditional publishers, vanity publishers, “hybrid” publishers and self-publishing.

Sara also shares some great words of encouragement, especially for those who are new on this journey.

Sara’s answer to how to help your child leave a legacy: Don’t necessarily try to find something that your child did that you can carry on. You don’t have to be who your child was, trying to fill their shoes. That is impossible. Find something that is your way of carrying on their memory, picturing your son or daughter up there in heaven, cheering you on.

Sara Nelson taught elementary and middle school grades in Christian school for 15 years before retiring from teaching to focus on writing. Themes of hope, faith, and trust in the goodness of God permeate Sara’s writing. She authentically testifies to the goodness of God, not because He keeps bad things from happening, but because He strengthens us, comforts us, weeps with us, walks with us, and carries us through, enabling us to overcome whatever happens.

Sara has been ministering in grief support since 2017. Her desire to provide comfort and support to others who have experienced a heartbreaking loss stems from personal experience. As a writer, Sara instinctively began chronicling her grief journey, which evolved into a book and testimonial to the faithfulness of God.

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

Find Sara Nelson on Facebook

To go to the Footsteps of Hope Facebook page

Email Sara: hopefootsteps@gmail.com

Go to Laura’s publisher Morgan James Publishing 

Find out more about Laura’s book with MJP: When Tragedy Strikes: Rebuilding Your Life with Hope and Healing After the Death of Your Child

Go to My Book Hook for help on how to write a book, or sign up for an Author Secrets webinar that will also get you started and connected with AAE. (Note, both of these links are connected to Laura’s name, so that if you decide to publish your book through Author Academy Elite, GPS Hope will get a monetary thank you from AAE for the recommendation.)

For help with self publishing, check out Chandler Bolt and Self-Publishing School.

Birthdays:

There are no birthdays to announce this week.

 

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.

February 4, 2020 by Laura Diehl 2 Comments

Episode 42: When the Unthinkable Happens (with Rick Kauffman)

Rick Kauffman calls himself a fixer and as a fixer, he was a total failure after his three-year-old daughter, Kelsey, drowned in a public swimming pool, eight feet in front of a life guard. Rick started getting involved with water safety, but he quit as things in his life went downhill. Rick ended up divorced, was a failure as a dad, and even attempted suicide. For eight years he let the darkness of grief consume him and blamed all of his failures on his daughter’s death, instead of his own bad choices.

Fifteen years later, Rick came back to the area of water safety and found out nothing has changed. The numbers of drownings were still the same and there were still too many families with a similar story of children drowning in front of a lifeguard. God has given Rick favor to be a voice and to help bring awareness of water safety to others in Kelsey’s name.

Rick has been on this grief journey for over twenty years, and has a lot of good things to share with us.

Rick’s answer to how to help your child leave a legacy: Start small. Make a difference in one person’s life, then do it again, and do it again, until you reach hundreds, thousands and maybe even millions. Get with yourself and with God, asking Him for help, and He’ll show you the way. Let Him help you find your story because you never know who you will touch.

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

Rick Kauffman’s Information

The Kels Group Website

The Kels Group Podcast

Email: rick@thekelsgroup.com

Families United to Prevent Drowning Website

I want to know more about sponsoring a podcast episode in honor of my child.

Birthdays:

Celeste France was born on January 29 and is forever 17.

Brenton Smith was born on February 10, and is forever 24.

 

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 judgement in where you are in this journey, including if you are struggling in your relationship with God or your faith has been completely shattered.

February 3, 2020 by Laura Diehl 4 Comments

I’ll Love You Forever

February is a month where “love is in the air” with Valentine’s Day. Personally, I always used this day to love on my kids, since I didn’t feel like Dave and I needed a day set aside to show our love for each other.

One reason the pain is so deep after the death of our child is because our love for him or her doesn’t go away when they leave us. The love we have for our children lasts forever, which is expressed in the writing below.

Forever

My child,
Flesh of my flesh,
Soul of my soul,
Part of my very being;
I had an instant deep and fierce love when I first saw you.
My heart was yours, and I knew I would give my very life to protect you.

And yet, here I sit, with the suffocating pain and darkness of knowing I was unable to protect you from death.

So now I find that just as deep and intense as my love for you, is the deep and intense pain of my grief in living without you. And yet I know that somehow, I must.

How? How God? How do I go on with a piece of my very being gone from this earth?

And as I ask and seek for this help, God in His tender love, compassion and faithfulness reminds me that I don’t have to live without you.

You are forever in my heart and my thoughts, and forever a part of my very being; that our separation is only temporary. You have just moved on to our eternal home before me and have unpacked and settled in, waiting for me and the rest of us to join you.

This isn’t a final good-by. It is an “I’ll see you later.” When I have the thoughts that I would give anything to see you again, to hug you or hear you laugh, I realize that I will! Maybe not as soon as I want to, but it will happen!

And so, I will wait. I will wait with hope, expectancy and even excitement to see you again. Every day I am here on this earth means I am one day closer to that desperate need that I have as a mother to love on you. 

And while I wait, I will choose to live my life in a way that is full; full of love, full of peace and contentment, full of laughter. And yet I know it will also still be full of pain and longing. For I have now learned that all of these things can live inside of me together.

So, let me say I am honored. I am honored and blessed to be your mom, and I imagine and dream of our reunion someday, filled with love and joy that goes beyond words to describe it.

But until then, I will have good days and bad days. I will have days filled with happiness, and days filled with pain. And all of those days I will continue miss you with every fiber of my being.

We grieve deeply, because we love deeply. That is one of the risks of love. But as the poem reminds us, our child is forever in our hearts and in our thoughts. He or she is forever a part of our very being. Our separation is only temporary, because God, in His deep love for our child and for us, made a way for that to be possible.

Consider praying this prayer with me: Lord, my deep grief is a reminder of my deep love that cannot be poured out on my child right now. But someday we will be together again, and all this stored up love will be dumped on my child! And Father, I ask that right now, you would give my child a big hug from me, and love on them in my place. Thank you.

 

If you were to buy a little Valentine gift to show your child how much you love and miss them, what would it be? I would love to have you share it in the comments below.

 

By the way, Laura has written a song that expresses some of the thoughts above. Click here to listen to the song Together Forever.

 

 

 

 

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 parents support, child loss grief, child loss poetry, child loss support, expressions of love after death, forever in my heart, God's love in grief, GPS Hope, grief and healing, grief and love, grief during holidays, grief journey, grief prayers, grieving a child, grieving family, grieving mother, grieving parents, healing from grief, hope after child death, love after child loss, love and pain after loss, remembering a child, reunion after death, Valentine's Day grief

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