Many of us have been thinking about how to deal with the upcoming holidays, especially Christmas, for weeks or months already, so we might as well talk about it.

Advent is a time of waiting, usually known for the four weeks of waiting for Christmas and the celebration of Christ’s birth. We think of Jesus coming as a sweet little baby, but He came as more than that. He came as a Shepherd for his lost and wounded sheep. He also came as the victorious King who not only has the final word for all eternity, He IS the final word.

This week, Laura has pulled out parts of a special advent book written just for bereaved parents as an encouragement and reminder of what the coming up holiday season is really about. Christmas doesn’t have to just be about who is no longer here with us to celebrate, but it can also be a renewed time of hope.

The end-of-the-year holiday season can amplify everything for us as pareavors, especially the questions and the pain. But we can still have the assurance that He truly is Emmanuel, God with us.

Links Mentioned in this episode:

Click here for more information about the book Hope for the Future: An Advent Journey for Bereaved Parents.

Please consider giving a special gift to keep this podcast going.

Birthdays:

Lara Ann was born on November 17 and is forever 15.

Cord Ramsey Davis was born on November 18 and is forever 24.

Philip Bouthillier was born on November 19 and is forever 49.

Austin Lotterman was born on November 20 and is forever 8 ½.

Benjamin Krawiec was born on November 21 and is forever 32.

Jacinda Avina was born on November 22 and is forever 18.

Jacob LeTourneau was born on November 22 and is forever 21.

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

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 holiday season brings many dark and painful emotions to the surface for those of us who have lost a child from this earth. It is a time of year where the pain of who is missing can be so much greater than the joy of who is still here. Many of us don’t even want to acknowledge Thanksgiving (or Christmas), but it is hard to ignore because we are surrounded by reminders everywhere we look.

Specifically, this is the time of year where “thankfulness” abounds. Everyone is telling us to be thankful and to count our blessings. They even say things like, “You can at least be thankful that you are breathing.” If you are like Laura in those first couple of years, she did not want to be breathing, so it was not helpful for others who had never lost a child tell her things she should be thankful for.

So, what do we do, when thankfulness is the furthest thing from our minds, and not in our hearts? That is what Laura talks about in this episode, along with touching on the Christmas season, which we know is just around the corner as well.

Links Mentioned in this episode:

Click here for more information about the book Hope for the Future: An Advent Journey for Bereaved Parents.

Send your written or recorded scripture message to laura@gpshope.org. (Give your name, your child’s name, the scripture and what it means to you now. If sending a recording, please add “Hold On Pain Eases. There is HOPE”.)

Please consider giving a special gift to keep this podcast going.

Birthdays:

Chaney Partrich was born on November 4 and is forever 20.

Beau-Dean Gordon was born on November 10 and is forever 23.

David Shelton was born on November 11 and is forever 23.

Nathan Theriault was born on November 11 and is forever 2.

Austin Augustine was born on November 14 and is forever 16.

Casen Sancraint was born on November 14 and is forever 10.

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

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.