Laura Diehl, Author at GPS Hope Page

April 27, 2021 by Laura Diehl Leave a Comment

106: International Bereaved Mother’s Day

Did you know that the first Sunday of each May is International Bereaved Mother’s Day? That’s what we will be talking about in this episode, along with touching on the week that follows which most of us dread… Mother’s Day.

Just a warning, I am very real and honest about my thoughts and feelings about all of this, in a way that isn’t normally like me. But Mother’s Day is one of the hardest days we have to face each year, and there is no reason to not admit it or try to sugar coat it.

I also close by praying over each mom who is listening. We need extra strength, and God is the only one who can give that to us.

Links Mentioned in this episode:

Blog about International Bereaved Mother’s Day

A Letter to My Child on Bereaved Mother’s Day

GPS Hope Facebook Page

Information about joining GPS Hope on a cruise.

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:

Michael Roach was born on April 26 and is forever 28.

Nikolas Barrett Graves was born on May 3 and is forever 23.

Shannon Olsen was born on May 3 and is forever 19.

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.

April 20, 2021 by Laura Diehl 2 Comments

105: I Just Want to Die and Be with My Child

When our child dies, we want to die ourselves so we can go be with them. It may not make sense to others, or even ourselves, especially when we know in our heads that we have reasons (people) to live for.

It is important for you to know that this is “normal” for someone who has lost a child, and also that you will get past those feelings at some point and start seeing that life is worth living again.

You are not alone. There are others who have felt the same way. We didn’t think we could make it, but we did, and so can you! I pray this episode is an encouragement and brings at least a glimmer of hope into the dark pit you found yourself thrown into, after the death of your child.

Links Mentioned in this episode:

Suicide prevention lifeline 800-273-8255

Find out more about EMDR (Rapid Eye Movement therapy for trauma and PTSD)

Click on the episodes below you would like to hear:

12 – Facing our Fears After the Death of our Child

13 – I Am Afraid No One Will Remember My Child

14 – I Am Afraid to Enjoy Life Without My Child

15 – I Am Afraid of Losing Another Child

16 – The Fear of Grief Triggers

17 – I Am Afraid I Am Losing My Mind

18 – I Am Afraid My Child Might Not Be in Heaven

Page with a downloadable copy of To the Newly Bereaved

Be sure to check out all the resources we have at 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:

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

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

Abigail Jane (Abi) was born on April 25 and is forever 18 months.

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.

April 18, 2021 by Laura Diehl 4 Comments

It’s Been Two Years

It’s Been Two Years

Your smile was worth a thousand words
To everyone you knew.
It lit up a room wherever you went,
The love in our hearts grew and grew.

It’s been two years since I’ve seen you,
The days seem never ending.
My Savior, My Redeemer,
It’s on Him I am depending.

There were many trying times,
And hardships along the way.
But your endurance was admired
Each and every single day.

You are the apple of my eye,
The biggest hero I’ll ever meet.
I must lay down my sorrows
At the cross, at Jesus’ feet.

Losing a child, who is part of your soul,
Will shatter it into pieces.
But each day that passes,
I know my earthly time decreases.

I will be reunited with you again
And see your body pure and whole.
Until then, I just hold on
To God, who is in complete control.

There are still so many questions
That I don’t understand, big and small.
I will remain in this waiting room,
And know God catches me when I fall.

My prayer was urgent, but God said no.
I trust Him anyway.
It’s for His glory and for my good;
I tell myself it will be okay.

Grief feels like you’ve been punched in the gut;
There is no more air to breathe.
To think your sweet precious body
Is in the ground, underneath.

But Jesus knew that day would come,
No more sorrow, no more pain.
Your body was made brand new,
No more suffering, only gain.

You’re in my thoughts every hour,
And when my heart hardens,
I must turn back to God,
Who turns graves into gardens.

Your sweet little hands, I miss,
And even though you didn’t speak a word,
I could understand your soul,
For in your eyes, it was greatly heard.

I’ll always be your mama,
As we are connected heart to heart.
The joy I have to look forward to,
Knowing one day, we will never part.

I must choose to be happy for you.
I’m jealous you’re with the One
Who sacrifices and saves,
For it is finished, it is done.

Written by Fran Rhodes for her son Charlie.

Do you have a difficult time finding things that bring you comfort? We have put together a list of thirty ways on how to bring yourself comfort and take care of yourself after the death of your child. We know God is the ultimate comforter, but it can help when we know how to give Him something to work with and to flow through.

Let us know below if you would GPS Hope to send you this list. You will also begin to receive a Weekly Word of Hope, that is easy to unsubscribe from if you no longer want to receive it.

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 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.

April 13, 2021 by Laura Diehl Leave a Comment

104: My Child’s Birthday, Now that They are Gone…

The day this episode is released, my daughter, Becca, would be 39 years old. Instead, she is forever 29. Three of Becca’s siblings are now older than their big sister, with one more sibling yet to hit that marker.

The birthdays of our children are painful and bittersweet. We are so thankful for the day they came into our lives, but we won’t be celebrating with them, doing things like serving them a special cake or buying gifts and a card for them. It hurts more than can be put into words that all we have now are past birthday memories, and won’t be making any new ones. (And if you had a pregnancy or infant loss, you don’t even have that… I am so sorry!)

In this episode, I talk about some of the struggles we have with our child’s birthday, along with some words of encouragement on why it is important to still celebrate the special day our child came into this world, even when those around us don’t understand why we want to acknowledge the birthday of our child who has died.

Having some sort of launch (like bio-degradable balloons, lanterns, or butterflies), eating their favorite food or watching their favorite movie are great ways to celebrate and remember our child on their birthday, but I also share a small handful of unique ideas on other special things you can do that day.

Happy Birthday, Becca-Boo! We love you and miss you like crazy!

Links Mentioned in this episode:

Listen to Laura’s song Together Forever.

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

Send Laura your voice recording at laura@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:

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

Rachel Pilcher was born on April 13 and is forever 40.

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

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

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.

April 6, 2021 by Laura Diehl Leave a Comment

103: Child Loss was Not in My Plan (Part 2)

This episode is a continuation of last week’s topic. We are all very aware that in this life, we don’t always get what we planned. I’m pretty sure as a parent, it wasn’t your plan to be listening to a podcast for grieving parents, and it certainly wasn’t in my plan to host one, or to have a full-time ministry to pareavors.

Something we desperately need, to be able to move forward is hope. This includes eventually having hope that God still has a plan in place to bring blessings into our lives, even with our child no longer here on earth with us.

If you missed last week’s episode, I highly recommend you click here to listen (or find episode 102 on your app), and then come back and listen to this one, because I talk more in depth about hope and I shared three keys on how to move toward those blessings.

So if you have already heard last week’s episode, go ahead and hit play, as I share more of these keys.

Links Mentioned in this episode:

Listen to Part One of Child Loss was Not in My Plan

Read more of Becca’s Story.

What is a pareavor?

Join GPS Hope on a cruise! Click here for more information.

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:

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

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

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

Megan Small was born on April 11 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.