Laura Diehl, Author at GPS Hope Page

June 13, 2023 by Laura Diehl Leave a Comment

215: It Hurts When They Don’t Understand (continued with Melanie DeSimone)

Today’s episode is a continuation of Laura’s conversation with Melanie DeSimone on the topic of when people around us try to help, but end up hurting us.

In today’s chat, the two talk about:

being in the “range” of normal grief of child loss within the first three to five years
when we are made to feel shame by others (who have never lost a child) by not being back to doing things in our lives after a certain period of time
how to deal with pressure from those who are trying to get us to pick up where we left off before our child died – especially in the area of church ministry

Click here to listen to the first half of Laura and Melanie’s talk.

Melanie DeSimone has lived on a small homestead for twenty-five years, nestled in rural Bibb County, Alabama. Along with her husband, Hector, she raised four children, along with dozens of various farm animals. Since her son, Dominic, ran ahead to Heaven in 2014, she has spent a great deal of her time and energy writing about their family’s grief journey and ministering to the bereaved parent community through her blog, thelifeididntchoose.com, and in person through speaking. In her spare time, Melanie loves hugging and playing with her two grandsons, sewing small one-of-a-kind handcrafts, and reading lots of books from many different points of view.

(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 Melanie: website or on Facebook

To ask us to bring the Hope Mobile and do an event near you email us at office@gpshope.org

REMEMBER TO SAVE THE DATES OF AUGUST 1-3, 2024 TO JOIN US FOR THE SPECIAL CONFERENCE AND CELEBRATION EVENT FOR THE 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF GPS HOPE!

Click here to find out more about the Bereaved Parents USA gathering where Laura will be speaking July 21-23.

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:

Avery Gingerich arrived on June 14^th. He bloomed on earth to blossom in heaven.

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

June 6, 2023 by Laura Diehl Leave a Comment

214: It Hurts When They Don’t Understand (with Melanie DeSimone)

When our child dies, it is more than just a moment in time for us. It is a continual, ongoing loss. However, most of the people around us see it as an event; as something we should be able to “get over,” and it can really hurt.

People we thought who would be there for us seem to go on with their lives, forgetting about our child and the huge gaping hole it leaves in our lives and in our hearts.

Today you will hear part of Laura’s discussion with guest, Melanie DeSimone, about the many thoughts and feelings we can have when we are hurt by those around us who don’t even seem to try and understand what it is like to lose our child from this earth.

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

This podcast episode was sponsored by Omnia Masoud in memory of her son, Ocean Yohannes Emru Campbell.

Links Mentioned in this episode:

Connect with Melanie: website or on Facebook

The reduced cabin prices for joining GPS Hope on a cruise have been extened for two more weeks! Get more information!

Sponsor a podcast episode in memory of your child.

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:

Richard Elia was born on June 5 and is forever 40.

Aaron Paige was born on June 6 and is forever 21.

Kayla Ramos was born on June 7 and is forever 25.

Ocean Yohannes Emru Campbell was born on June 7 and is forever 23.

Tasha Nicole Busick was born on June 10 and is forever 40.

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.

June 2, 2023 by Laura Diehl Leave a Comment

The Gift of the Holy Spirit Within Child Loss

As believers in Christ, we are familiar with who Jesus is and what He did for us. We hear a lot about who God is as well. But how much do we know about the third part of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit? Why do we need the Holy Spirit, and how can He help us in our grief?

Let’s look at when Jesus talks about the Holy Spirit in the book of John, chapters fifteen and sixteen. “It’s to your advantage that I go away, for if I don’t go away the Divine Encourager will not be released to you. But after I depart, I will send him to you”, John 16:7 (TPT). I love hearing that the Holy Spirit is our Divine Encourager, don’t you? (If King James is the version you are most familiar with, it calls the Holy Spirit our Helper.)

Let me share that same verse from the Amplified translation, because it lists out even more things that the Holy Spirit is for us.

But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby) will not come to you.

We often hear the Holy Spirit called our Comforter and Helper, which means He is all those things in the verse we just read.

Advocate – He is your representative, defending you against the accuser.
Intercessor – He is before the throne, adding his prayers to yours for help.
Counselor – He will help you make good and right decisions in the fogginess of grief.
Strengthener – He will give you His inner strength when you have none of your own.
Standby – He is standing by, immediately ready to help whenever you call out to Him.

In John 15:26, Jesus also says that the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth and will lead us into truth. Did you know there is one truth that even Jesus had a hard time believing at one point?

Shortly after making that statement, Jesus told His disciples they would be scattered, each one going their own way, leaving Jesus alone. He also stated to them: But I am never really alone, because the Father is with me (John 16:32 ERV). Several hours later Jesus was arrested, badly beaten, and hung on a cross to serve the judgment of a death sentence.

While hanging on that cross, Jesus cried out in complete agony and despair, quoting from King David in Psalm 22:1, My God! Why have you forsaken me? (Why have you turned your back on me? Where did you go? Why aren’t you here with me?)

But the truth is, God never left Him. The Father never turned His back on His Son. He was WITH Jesus as He hung on that cross, covered in the most hideous sins we can think of, along with all the little sins ever done by me, by you, and every person ever to live on this earth. The Holy Spirit was still dwelling inside Jesus because it is not sin that causes God to separate Himself from us.

How can I say that? For one thing, we see in scripture that God still came down to the garden of Eden to fellowship with His creation of mankind, knowing that Adam and Eve had sinned. Also, in the book of Job, we read that Satan was at God’s throne. That goes against the thought that God’s holiness keeps Him from being able to be around sin.

Here is another thing to think about. If God is so holy that He cannot be around sin or even look at us as sinners, how was Jesus able to come to earth to live as one of us, as God in the flesh dwelling among us? How is the Holy Spirit able to come to us as sinners, allowing us to see our need for the Father’s love to set us free from the chains of sin?

So, if God’s holiness does not keep God away from being around sin and evil (like many of us have been taught), what was it that separated Adam and Eve from God? It was their guilt and their shame! Not their sin.

It is our guilt and shame that causes us to pull away from Him. But things were so dark for Jesus as He hung there, that God’s light could not break through, causing Jesus to feel alone in that suffocating darkness, even though God had not left Him.

It may be so dark that you cannot see God, hear God, or feel God’s presence. Jesus knows what that is like! You have not been betrayed, forsaken, or left alone any more than He was. God is right there with you in the horrific darkness because God’s incredible gift of His very Spirit lives inside you.

Let’s go back to the end of John 16:7 which says, The Holy Spirit cannot come to help you until I leave. But after I am gone, I will send the Spirit to you (CEV). The Amplified version adds to be in close fellowship with you.

God gave us the grace of the Holy Spirit to live in us because He knew we would be challenged by His higher ways and overwhelmed by some of the circumstances of this world at times. But because of His Spirit dwelling in us, it is also possible to also be overwhelmed by His majesty, His fullness, His faithfulness, goodness and incredibly deep love for us!

Jesus knew there was joy ahead beyond the darkness and pain (Hebrews 1:2), even if He could not see it while He was in a place of suffocating darkness. There is joy ahead for you as well, but you must lean on His Spirit, living inside you, to find it.

But God now unveils these profound realities to us by the Spirit. Yes, he has revealed to us his inmost heart and deepest mysteries through the Holy Spirit … His thoughts and secrets are only fully understood by his Spirit, the Spirit of God.

1 Corinthians 2:10-11 (TPT)

Would you like to receive a Weekly Word of Hope written and sent by Laura? Let her know below. Your email address is safe with GPS Hope.

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.

May 30, 2023 by Laura Diehl Leave a Comment

213: The Gift of the Holy Spirit Within Child Loss

Last Sunday, May 28 was Pentecost Sunday. This is when the Holy Spirit fell on those in the upper room with power and anointing, fifty days after Jesus’ resurrection.

As believers in Christ, we are familiar with who Jesus is and what He did for us. We hear a lot about who God is as well. But how much do we know about the third part of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit, who lives in us when we receive the gift of salvation?

Why do we need the Holy Spirit, and how can He help us in our grief after the death of our child? This is what Laura talks about in today’s episode.

Links Mentioned in this episode:

Click here to find out more about Laura’s health journey.

Click here to sign up to talk with Laura about having her as a health coach and have a health assessment.

Send Laura an email to let her know you would like to join other pareavors working toward better health in the GroupMe app.

Join Laura and Dave on The Grief Cruise! Click here for more information.

Birthdays:

Jordan Kok was born on May 28 and is forever 33.

Alayna Lisboa was born on May 28 and is forever 7 weeks.

Kyle Enanoria was born on May 30 and is forever 11.

Kyron was born on June 2 and is forever 18.

James Manning was born on June 3 and is forever 2.

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.

May 23, 2023 by Laura Diehl Leave a Comment

212: Grief and Laughter (with Nancy Weil)

Do you feel guilty for laughing after your child died? Are humorous things that used to make you laugh no longer funny? How do we get past that? What if we don’t want to ever laugh again?

Laura’s guest, Nancy Weil, is a certified laughter specialist, who combines it with being a certified grief worker. Laughter is something that is needed in our lives as soon as possible because of the physical, mental and emotional benefits it brings to the grieving process. Find out why and how in today’s discussion.

Nancy Weil is a leading authority on the relationship between humor and grief, and is known for her energetic, entertaining and content rich programs. She runs a national virtual grief support group through her work with the Order of the Golden Rule, an association for independent funeral homes. Nancy is Certified as a Funeral Celebrant, Grief Management Specialist, and Laughter Leader. She is the founder of The Laugh Academy and the author of, If Stress Doesn’t Kill You, Your Family Might.

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

This podcast episode was sponsored by Lester and Kathy Wilfong, in memory of their daughter, Jessi Wilfong.

Links Mentioned in this episode:

Listen to previous episode with Nancy: Can Our Children Still Communicate With Us?

Connect with Nancy: website thelaughacademy.com or email nancy@thelaughacademy.com

It is the last week to get in on the reduced cabin prices! Get more information to join Laura and Nancy on The Grief Cruise!

Sponsor a podcast episode in memory of your child.

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:

Isaiah Santell was born on May 22 and is forever 16.

Tyrin Carter was born on May 22 and is forever 19.

Andrew Ricken was born on May 22 and is forever 35.

Kyle Terry was born on May 24 and is forever 28.

Jessi Wilfong was born on May 26 and is forever 20.

Andrew LaPlante was born on May 27 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.