All Episodes

The Christmas season can be brutal for those of us who have lost a child, especially the first few years. One year, when Laura was struggling deeply connecting to the “reason for the season” she found herself crying out to God to show Himself as Emmanuel, God with us.

She felt led to dig out the family advent wreath and found herself writing out something every day for the four weeks of advent. In this podcast episode, Laura shares the first reading from that first day.

See the webpage for the book Hope for the Future: An Advent Journey for Bereaved Parents, where you can get a PDF copy of the book for only $4.95. (Or you can order a paperback copy of the book from Amazon or your favorite book outlet.)

Find out more about The Grief Cruise and how to join Dave and Laura in 2025!

To see Laura’s other books, click here.

Joseph Amaha was born on November 28 and is forever 29.

Angie Mata was born on December 4 and is forever 36.

Chelsea Kline (Billotte) was born on December 8 and is forever 32.

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.

www.gpshope.org

To have Laura come and minister at your event, contact us at [email protected].

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.

When our child dies, we feel like we have been left wandering in a wilderness with no way out. Recently, Laura saw how the wilderness may have more to it than how she has seen it in the past, and that there just might be a different perspective we can have while in this wilderness experience.

See the webpage for the book Hope for the Future: An Advent Journey for Bereaved Parents, where you can get a PDF copy of the book for only $4.95. (Or you can order a paperback copy of the book from Amazon or your favorite book outlet.)

Find out more about The Grief Cruise and how to join Dave and Laura in 2025!

Liam “Trip” Nugent was born on November 29 and is forever 21.

Raelyne Ten Bruggencate was born on November 29 and is forever 1.

Ginny Rettig was born on November 30 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.

www.gpshope.org

To have Laura come and minister at your event, contact us at [email protected].

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.

As we are all very aware, this week is Thanksgiving. As grieving parents, child loss can make it feel like it is impossible to ever be truly thankful again.

Laura shares her heart about this family holiday, in hopes that it will be a help and encouragement to you. (Note: Most of this episode is a replay of a previous one on this topic, giving Dave and Laura a bit of a needed break during this time.)

See the webpage for the book Hope for the Future: An Advent Journey for Bereaved Parents, where you can get a PDF copy of the book for only $4.95. (Or you can order a paperback copy of the book from Amazon or your favorite book outlet.)

Find out more about The Grief Cruise and how to join Dave and Laura in 2025!

Birthdays:

Timothy Krawiec was born on November 17 and is forever 27.

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

Logan Singer was born on November 21 and is forever 17.

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

Josie Floyd was born on November 22 and is forever 25.

Jammica Shawniece Smith was born on November 22 and is forever 34.

Melissa Sulikowski Hill was born on November 23 and is forever 38.

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.

www.gpshope.org

To have Laura come and minister at your event, contact us at [email protected].

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.

Those of us who have lost a child can begin to dread the end-of-the-year holidays way before they arrive, especially the Christmas season.

Several years ago, as Laura struggled with this, she ended up putting together her own advent time with God. Today she talks about this, and how you can join her on a special advent journey, specifically for bereaved parents.

This podcast episode is sponsored by Peter and Yuniati Dinh, in memory of their 21-month-old daughter, Hanna Abigail. 

See the webpage for the book Hope for the Future: An Advent Journey for Bereaved Parents, where you can get a PDF copy of the book for only $4.95. (Or you can order a paperback copy of the book from Amazon or your favorite book outlet.)

Find out more about The Grief Cruise and how to join Dave and Laura in 2025!

Find Sara’s Facebook post here and feel free to share it.

Click here to see the webshop with the cards put together by Peter and Yuniati as a legacy to their daughter, Hanna.

Hanna Abigail Dinh was born on November 12 and is forever 21 months.

Joshua Dane Hughes was born on November 15 and is forever 30.

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

Timothy Krawiec was born on November 17 and is forever 27.

Jessica was born on November 17 and is forever 26.

Cord Ramsey Davis was born on November 18 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.

www.gpshope.org

To have Laura come and minister at your event, contact us at [email protected].

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.

Many believers in Christ struggle with their faith after child loss. It can feel like God did not keep His end of things, and some scriptures feel like a slap-in-the-face reminder of this.

Instead of refusing to read the Word because of those verses, Laura discovered there were scriptures that took on a whole new meaning after her daughter died, that gave her the peace, encouragement, strength and hope she desperately needed.

Listen in, as Laura shares some of those scriptures in today’s episode.

Find out more about The Grief Cruise and how to join Dave and Laura in 2025!

Everett Molino was born on November 9 and is forever 15.

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

Nathan Theriault was born on November 11 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.

www.gpshope.org

To have Laura come and minister at your event, contact us at [email protected].

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.

Today is another topic that can be such a huge struggle for so many of us, which is what to do with our children’s things when they are no longer here. Is it okay that I have left everything exactly where it was? What if I lost an adult child, and I wasn’t given the things I wanted that were special to me?

These are some of the things Laura talks about in today’s episode. If this is a hurdle you have been able to get across, feel free to share a word of encouragement to others who are struggling in the comments under the episode on the website.

To join the private GPS Hope Facebook page, click here. Be sure to answer the questions or your request will be declined.

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

Order When Tragedy Strikes on Amazon here.

Share your experience to encourage other pareavors by writing in the comment area here.

Shannon Shelby was born on October 28 and is forever 43.

Dawson Morris was born on October 29 and is forever 19.

Donice Vaughan was born on October 29 and is forever 30.

Mary Elizabeth Englebert was born on October 30 and is forever 21.

James was born on October 30 and is forever 17 months.

Ikaika Ewer was born on November 1 and is forever 6.

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

Sophie Goertzen  was born on November 4 and is forever 17.

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.

www.gpshope.org

To have Laura come and minister at your event, contact us at [email protected].

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.

Last week (episode 233) Laura talked about struggling with guilt after child loss. If you did not hear it, you may want to listen to that one first. In this episode, Laura continues addressing the topic of guilt; specifically about some of the reasons we may have a hard time releasing ourselves from the guilt we carry after the death of our child.

Click here to get Laura’s Weekly Word of Hope.

Help Laura and Dave continue providing podcasts and other resources by giving a special gift to GPS Hope or become a monthly supporter here.

Matthew Anthony Sulikowski was born on October 22 and is forever 37.

Dustin Clements was born on October 26 and is forever 21.

Myles Wofford was born on October 27 and is forever 3 weeks.

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.

www.gpshope.org

To have Laura come and minister at your event, contact us at [email protected].

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.

Guilt. It is something we all struggle with after the death of our child. We believe it is somehow our fault and that we should have done something differently so our child would still be here with us. We feel guilty that we did not/could not keep our child safe.

Listen in, as Laura talks about this struggle we all face, and why we do not need to continue to carry guilt and self-condemnation.

There were no links mentioned. Save the date of August 1-4, 2024 for the Celebration of Hope in Wisconsin. Watch for details.

Alicia Martin was born on October 17 and is forever 36.

Carissa Ellen Hunsaker was born on October 19 and is forever 1.

Samuel Buss was born on October 19 and is forever 21.

Taylor Contreras was born on October 20 and is forever 16.

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.

www.gpshope.org

To have Laura come and minister at your event, contact us at [email protected].

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.

For most of us, what used to be just a normal date on the calendar has become the worst day of the year.

This week, Laura hits that calendar day once again, which is October 12. Listen in, as she shares some of her thoughts on this topic we all have to deal with, as bereaved parents.

Click here to leave a review for Reflections of Hope on Amazon.

Find out more about Laura’s newly released book Reflections of Hope: Daily Readings for Bereaved Parents.

Purchase Reflections of Hope on Amazon here.

Rikki Grace was born on October 9 and is forever 25.

Mitchell Ang was born on October 12 and is forever 17.

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.

www.gpshope.org

To have Laura come and minister at your event, contact us at [email protected].

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.

We can get very frustrated (even angry) when someone tries to compare their loss to our loss of the death of our child. No one can possibly know the suffocating pit it hurls you into, unless you have found yourself in that same pit of child loss.

There is another comparison that can frustrate us, and it is one we can make among each other – if not out loud, then sometimes silently.

In today’s episode, Laura focuses on us as pareavors, and how our comparisons cannot only hurt others, but keep us in our own cycle of grief.

Click here to go to the GPS Hope store and look at the various Hold On Pain Eases shirts.

Find out more about Umbrella Ministries.

Aaliyah Henderson was born on October 1 and she is forever 4.

Joshua Konaszewski was born on October 2 and is forever 24.

Paul Meyer was born on October 4 and is forever 29.

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.

www.gpshope.org

To have Laura come and minister at your event, contact us at [email protected].

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.