Allison Warmuth was a beautiful and talented young woman who had a knack for accomplishing anything she set her mind to.  When Allie was tragically killed in an avoidable accident in April of 2016, her mother Martha was launched on a journey she never could have anticipated.  In today's episode (the first in a series of two), Martha joins me for a wide-ranging discussion which includes Allison's story and a number of very practical tips for survival on the child loss journey.  You may want to grab a pen and take some notes! 

GriefShare has been very helpful for Martha.  Here is a link to find a GriefShare group near you:  https://www.griefshare.org/

Martha's description of climbing the mountains of grief:

"When we started this journey it was like I was hiking one of our favorite mountain trails in the Adirondacks, or perhaps the White Mountains in New Hampshire. The base of the mountain is interesting but you can not really perceive the vast shape and size of the mountain. As I begin to climb the mountain I face fatigue and my heart aches. I'm not sure my heart can make it, but know I can with help and taking it slowly. I am afraid at times that I may fall and twist or break a leg and need carried out. Sometimes I stop to rest on a rock or go to the edge and peek out at the lovely views. It takes a long time to climb this mountain of grief, this mountain that I did very little training on how to climb before hand. The trail is steeper and longer than I realized. I've brought along a few provisions...my faith and some friends and family members who are understanding. We encourage each other along the way. But I am the one who must climb this mountain of grief to acceptance of my loss and joy again. 

So when I post pictures or stories of Allie it is just my way of stopping along this difficult and grueling trail to peek out and appreciate the beautiful view... to not forget one of my girls. It is medicine for my aching heart and weak knees.

The beautiful view helps me to not think of giving up ever. I will, we will, make it. I know I may never come to the end of this mountain trail or if I do, like my husband hiking all 46 High Peaks of the Adirondacks, I may climb them again even after I achieve my badge. But I hope each trip up and then down will make me stronger and better able, with God's help to handle any mountain I find myself on and perhaps will be able to help another."

Additional links re

I would love to hear your thoughts on the show. Click here to send me a message!

** IMPORTANT** - All views expressed by guests on this podcast are theirs alone, and may not represent the Statement of Faith and Statement of Beliefs of the While We're Waiting ministry.

We'd love for you to connect with us here at While We're Waiting!

Click HERE to visit our website and learn about our free While We're Waiting Weekends for bereaved parents

Click HERE to learn more about our network of While We're Waiting support groups all across the country.

Click HERE to subscribe to our YouTube channel

Click HERE to follow our public Facebook page

Click HERE to follow us on Instagram

Click HERE to follow us on Twitter

Click HERE to make a tax-deductible donation to the While We're Waiting ministry

Contact Jill by email at: [email protected]

"How can I help my surviving children?" is one of the most common questions that comes up at our While We're Waiting Weekends for bereaved parents.   Today I host a return guest, my daughter Bethany, and we expand on our last discussion by addressing a series of questions submitted by bereaved parents.   Our conversation is very open and honest regarding these difficult issues.   I believe this is an episode that both grieving parents and grieving children will glean something from ... and that hopefully will open doors of communication between them.   

If you'd like to listen to the previous episode Bethany and I recorded together in April of 2021, please click here:  https://www.buzzsprout.com/1230350/8282823

Here is the link to our private While We're Waiting Facebook group for bereaved siblings:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/268079066696898

Additional links related to the While We're Waiting ministry:

Our website with information about our free retreats for bereaved parents:  www.whilewerewaiting.org

Our public WWW Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/whilewearewaiting/

Our private WWW  Facebook group just for bereaved parents:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/WhileWereWaiting.SupportForBereavedParents

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/while.were.waiting/

Make a tax-deductible donation to the While We're Waiting ministry:  https://whilewerewaiting.org/donation/

You can reach Jill by email at [email protected] 

I would love to hear your thoughts on the show. Click here to send me a message!

** IMPORTANT** - All views expressed by guests on this podcast are theirs alone, and may not represent the Statement of Faith and Statement of Beliefs of the While We're Waiting ministry.

We'd love for you to connect with us here at While We're Waiting!

Click HERE to visit our website and learn about our free While We're Waiting Weekends for bereaved parents

Click HERE to learn more about our network of While We're Waiting support groups all across the country.

Click HERE to subscribe to our YouTube channel

Click HERE to follow our public Facebook page

Click HERE to follow us on Instagram

Click HERE to follow us on Twitter

Click HERE to make a tax-deductible donation to the While We're Waiting ministry

Contact Jill by email at: [email protected]

"Just today" ... Two simple words that can have a profound impact in the life of a bereaved parent.  As I continue my conversation today with Judy Hostetler, mom of Joshua and Kayli, she shares how she has adopted that phrase as a way of life, reminding us that we don't have to carry a whole lifetime's worth of grief at once ... but "just today."  I hope you'll listen in for a wide-ranging and encouraging discussion of issues faced by bereaved parents. 

To view Kayli's videos and to read her (and Judy's) blog, click here:  www.finishwell.weebly.com

Links related to the While We're Waiting ministry:

Our website with information about our free retreats for bereaved parents:  www.whilewerewaiting.org

Our public Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/whilewearewaiting/

Our private Facebook group just for bereaved parents:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/WhileWereWaiting.SupportForBereavedParents

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/while.were.waiting/

Make a tax-deductible donation to the While We're Waiting ministry:  https://whilewerewaiting.org/donation/

You can reach Jill by email at [email protected] 

I would love to hear your thoughts on the show. Click here to send me a message!

** IMPORTANT** - All views expressed by guests on this podcast are theirs alone, and may not represent the Statement of Faith and Statement of Beliefs of the While We're Waiting ministry.

We'd love for you to connect with us here at While We're Waiting!

Click HERE to visit our website and learn about our free While We're Waiting Weekends for bereaved parents

Click HERE to learn more about our network of While We're Waiting support groups all across the country.

Click HERE to subscribe to our YouTube channel

Click HERE to follow our public Facebook page

Click HERE to follow us on Instagram

Click HERE to follow us on Twitter

Click HERE to make a tax-deductible donation to the While We're Waiting ministry

Contact Jill by email at: [email protected]

As a young wife expecting her first baby, Judy had a certain picture of how the path of her life would go.  When her son Joshua went to Heaven just minutes after he was born, she realized that God was calling her and her husband Michael to walk through a new doorway.  I know you will be blessed by listening in on the first half of our conversation today, as we hear the story of Joshua and the impact that his life has made in the world.  You will also be moved and inspired as Judy shares the story of her daughter Kayli, her courageous and faith-filled battle with cancer, and her ultimate healing in Heaven. 

To view Kayli's videos and to read her (and Judy's) blog, click here:  www.finishwell.weebly.com

Links related to the While We're Waiting ministry:

Our website with information about our free retreats for bereaved parents:  www.whilewerewaiting.org

Our public Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/whilewearewaiting/

Our private Facebook group just for bereaved parents:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/WhileWereWaiting.SupportForBereavedParents

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/while.were.waiting/

Make a tax-deductible donation to the While We're Waiting ministry:  https://whilewerewaiting.org/donation/

You can reach Jill by email at [email protected] 

I would love to hear your thoughts on the show. Click here to send me a message!

** IMPORTANT** - All views expressed by guests on this podcast are theirs alone, and may not represent the Statement of Faith and Statement of Beliefs of the While We're Waiting ministry.

We'd love for you to connect with us here at While We're Waiting!

Click HERE to visit our website and learn about our free While We're Waiting Weekends for bereaved parents

Click HERE to learn more about our network of While We're Waiting support groups all across the country.

Click HERE to subscribe to our YouTube channel

Click HERE to follow our public Facebook page

Click HERE to follow us on Instagram

Click HERE to follow us on Twitter

Click HERE to make a tax-deductible donation to the While We're Waiting ministry

Contact Jill by email at: [email protected]

Today's conversation with Doug and Raquel Lawrence picks up right where we left off last week and covers a wide range of issues bereaved parents encounter in their daily lives ... sadness over the things our kids missed out on, the marriage relationship after child loss, going back to church, forgiving God, and parenting surviving siblings.  We even discuss some of the darker thoughts that bereaved parents sometimes have.  You may find yourself saying, "I thought I was the only one!" as you listen in, and hopefully that will help you feel a little less alone on the journey. 

Links related to the While We're Waiting ministry:

Our website:  www.whilewerewaiting.org

Our public Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/whilewearewaiting/

Our private Facebook group just for bereaved parents:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/WhileWereWaiting.SupportForBereavedParents

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/while.were.waiting/

Make a tax-deductible donation to the While We're Waiting ministry:  https://whilewerewaiting.org/donation/

You can reach Jill by email at [email protected] 

I would love to hear your thoughts on the show. Click here to send me a message!

** IMPORTANT** - All views expressed by guests on this podcast are theirs alone, and may not represent the Statement of Faith and Statement of Beliefs of the While We're Waiting ministry.

We'd love for you to connect with us here at While We're Waiting!

Click HERE to visit our website and learn about our free While We're Waiting Weekends for bereaved parents

Click HERE to learn more about our network of While We're Waiting support groups all across the country.

Click HERE to subscribe to our YouTube channel

Click HERE to follow our public Facebook page

Click HERE to follow us on Instagram

Click HERE to follow us on Twitter

Click HERE to make a tax-deductible donation to the While We're Waiting ministry

Contact Jill by email at: [email protected]

Doug and Raquel Lawrence affectionately describe their daughter Parker as "a lot of sass with a little bit of class".  In fact, her nickname was "Sassy", given to her by her big brother before she was even born.  Parker was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes when she was in fifth grade, but never let it slow her down, playing a variety of sports and maintaining a very active social life.  Two days after her 21st birthday, a car accident caused by another driver's negligence took her home to Heaven.   In this first half of my conversation with her parents we discuss how this incident put them in a position of having to consider forgiveness and led them to give even "this" to God.  Be sure to come back next week to hear the rest of our chat. 

Links related to the While We're Waiting ministry:

Our website:  www.whilewerewaiting.org

Our public Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/whilewearewaiting/

Our private Facebook group just for bereaved parents:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/WhileWereWaiting.SupportForBereavedParents

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/while.were.waiting/

Make a tax-deductible donation to the While We're Waiting ministry:  https://whilewerewaiting.org/donation/

You can reach Jill by email at [email protected] 

I would love to hear your thoughts on the show. Click here to send me a message!

** IMPORTANT** - All views expressed by guests on this podcast are theirs alone, and may not represent the Statement of Faith and Statement of Beliefs of the While We're Waiting ministry.

We'd love for you to connect with us here at While We're Waiting!

Click HERE to visit our website and learn about our free While We're Waiting Weekends for bereaved parents

Click HERE to learn more about our network of While We're Waiting support groups all across the country.

Click HERE to subscribe to our YouTube channel

Click HERE to follow our public Facebook page

Click HERE to follow us on Instagram

Click HERE to follow us on Twitter

Click HERE to make a tax-deductible donation to the While We're Waiting ministry

Contact Jill by email at: [email protected]

When Deborah's daughter Katelyn was murdered in 2018, she found herself in the middle of a challenging legal process filled with delays and frustrations.  (You'll want to listen to last week's episode to hear more about Katelyn and her story.)  Today, Debbie shares what God taught her as she moved through that process, and discusses issues of forgiveness in regard to the man who took Katelyn's life.  We also talk about handling with grace the inappropriate things people sometimes say, and how what's happened in her life has impacted her relationship with God.  She believes the Lord has called her to "be bold" as she shares her story, including how He is faithfully restoring her joy.   

Links related to the While We're Waiting ministry:

Our website:  www.whilewerewaiting.org

Our public Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/whilewearewaiting/

Our private Facebook group just for bereaved parents:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/WhileWereWaiting.SupportForBereavedParents

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/while.were.waiting/

Make a tax-deductible donation to the While We're Waiting ministry:  https://whilewerewaiting.givingfuel.com/donate

You can reach Jill by email at [email protected] 

I would love to hear your thoughts on the show. Click here to send me a message!

** IMPORTANT** - All views expressed by guests on this podcast are theirs alone, and may not represent the Statement of Faith and Statement of Beliefs of the While We're Waiting ministry.

We'd love for you to connect with us here at While We're Waiting!

Click HERE to visit our website and learn about our free While We're Waiting Weekends for bereaved parents

Click HERE to learn more about our network of While We're Waiting support groups all across the country.

Click HERE to subscribe to our YouTube channel

Click HERE to follow our public Facebook page

Click HERE to follow us on Instagram

Click HERE to follow us on Twitter

Click HERE to make a tax-deductible donation to the While We're Waiting ministry

Contact Jill by email at: [email protected]

In February of 2018, Deborah Ervin's life was forever changed when her 26-year-old daughter Katelyn's life was taken by an intruder in their home.  In the first half of this two-part episode, Deborah shares the story of Katelyn's remarkable life and how God called her to “be still” throughout the ensuing legal process. 

Links related to the While We're Waiting ministry:

Our website:  www.whilewerewaiting.org

Our public Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/whilewearewaiting/

Our private Facebook group just for bereaved parents:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/WhileWereWaiting.SupportForBereavedParents

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/while.were.waiting/

Make a tax-deductible donation to the While We're Waiting ministry:  https://whilewerewaiting.givingfuel.com/donate

You can reach Jill by email at [email protected] 

I would love to hear your thoughts on the show. Click here to send me a message!

** IMPORTANT** - All views expressed by guests on this podcast are theirs alone, and may not represent the Statement of Faith and Statement of Beliefs of the While We're Waiting ministry.

We'd love for you to connect with us here at While We're Waiting!

Click HERE to visit our website and learn about our free While We're Waiting Weekends for bereaved parents

Click HERE to learn more about our network of While We're Waiting support groups all across the country.

Click HERE to subscribe to our YouTube channel

Click HERE to follow our public Facebook page

Click HERE to follow us on Instagram

Click HERE to follow us on Twitter

Click HERE to make a tax-deductible donation to the While We're Waiting ministry

Contact Jill by email at: [email protected]

Shortly after my 17-year-old daughter Hannah died, I began blogging, and I kept it up for several years.  In the winter of 2011, about 2 ½ years after Hannah’s death, I wrote two blog posts … one titled Ten Things That (Still) Make Me Sad (last week's podcast episode), and one titled Ten Things That (Still) Make Me Smile, which I’ll be sharing in today's episode.

I remember literally smiling as I compiled this list of Ten Things, something that didn’t always come easily in those early years after Hannah’s death.  My hope is that by sharing these things today, someone listening to this podcast may realize that even though we miss our kids desperately, it’s okay to smile … and even to laugh!  In fact, I truly believe that my smiles honor my daughter’s life just as much, if not more than, my tears.

Links related to the While We're Waiting ministry:

Our website:  www.whilewerewaiting.org

Our public Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/whilewearewaiting/

Our private Facebook group just for bereaved parents:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/WhileWereWaiting.SupportForBereavedParents

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/while.were.waiting/

Make a tax-deductible donation to the While We're Waiting ministry:  https://whilewerewaiting.givingfuel.com/donate

You can reach Jill by email at [email protected] 

I would love to hear your thoughts on the show. Click here to send me a message!

** IMPORTANT** - All views expressed by guests on this podcast are theirs alone, and may not represent the Statement of Faith and Statement of Beliefs of the While We're Waiting ministry.

We'd love for you to connect with us here at While We're Waiting!

Click HERE to visit our website and learn about our free While We're Waiting Weekends for bereaved parents

Click HERE to learn more about our network of While We're Waiting support groups all across the country.

Click HERE to subscribe to our YouTube channel

Click HERE to follow our public Facebook page

Click HERE to follow us on Instagram

Click HERE to follow us on Twitter

Click HERE to make a tax-deductible donation to the While We're Waiting ministry

Contact Jill by email at: [email protected]

This coming Saturday will mark 13 years since my 17-year-old daughter Hannah went to Heaven, and I hope you won’t mind indulging me with some memories over the next couple of episodes.  

Shortly after Hannah died, I began blogging, and I kept it up for several years.  It was always so helpful to me write out my thoughts, struggles, and victories.  I seem to be one of those people who doesn’t really know what they’re thinking until they put it in writing!  

In November of 2011, about 2 ½ years after Hannah’s death, I wrote two blog posts … one titled Ten Things That Still Make Me Sad, and one titled Ten Things That Still Make Me Smile, and over the next two episodes, I’d like to share those. 

I remember as I compiled the Ten Things That Still Make Me Sad, I was trying to clarify for myself what things were triggering my sadness.  My thought was that by specifically identifying them, I could be better prepared for their onslaught.  And maybe there's someone listening to this podcast who can relate ... who might hear this list and realize that they are not the only one who struggles with this kinds of things.

Links related to the While We're Waiting ministry:

Our website:  www.whilewerewaiting.org

Our public Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/whilewearewaiting/

Our private Facebook group just for bereaved parents:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/WhileWereWaiting.SupportForBereavedParents

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/while.were.waiting/

Make a tax-deductible donation to the While We're Waiting ministry:  https://whilewerewaiting.givingfuel.com/donate

You can reach Jill by email at [email protected] 

I would love to hear your thoughts on the show. Click here to send me a message!

** IMPORTANT** - All views expressed by guests on this podcast are theirs alone, and may not represent the Statement of Faith and Statement of Beliefs of the While We're Waiting ministry.

We'd love for you to connect with us here at While We're Waiting!

Click HERE to visit our website and learn about our free While We're Waiting Weekends for bereaved parents

Click HERE to learn more about our network of While We're Waiting support groups all across the country.

Click HERE to subscribe to our YouTube channel

Click HERE to follow our public Facebook page

Click HERE to follow us on Instagram

Click HERE to follow us on Twitter

Click HERE to make a tax-deductible donation to the While We're Waiting ministry

Contact Jill by email at: [email protected]