The holidays can be absolutely brutal to those of us who have lost a child, especially those first few years. Even as we get further down the road, we never know how this time of year is going to affect us.

In today's episode, Laura talks to two different pareavors on how they have navigated the holidays, both in the early years, and as they are now further down this path of being a bereaved parent and missing their child during the end-of-year holiday season.

Sara Faith Nelson taught elementary and middle school grades for 15 years. Now she enjoys pursuing her love of writing. The primary focus of her writing has always leaned toward themes of hope, faith, and trust in the goodness of God. Since the death of her daughter and only child, she writes about her grief journey and surviving a devastating loss. She continues to write about trusting in God's goodness and grace while grappling with the hard questions. Sara and her husband, Dennis, live in Arizona.

Kim Peacock is the author of Victorious Heart, which details her handling of grief over the loss of her 17-year-old daughter. It also provides insightful advice for those seeking to support and help those who grieve. She has raised six children, residing with her husband, Larry in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee. Kim is the CFO of Peacock Engineering, a cemetery construction company that specializes in cemetery improvement and expansion. Through her blog, Wild Victorious Heart, and her book and speaking, Kim acts as a grief mentor to others in need. She enjoys spending time with her several grandchildren, gardening and playing with the animals on her mini farm.

(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:

Click here for more info on Hope for the Future: An Advent Book for Bereaved Parents.

Connect with Kim with this link: www.wildvictoriousheart.com

Birthdays (November 17-30):

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

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

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

Christian Story was born on November 18 and is forever 11.

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.

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

Cyrus Amado Salazar Jr. was born on November 26 and is forever 17.

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.

Remember to Hold On Pain Eases; there is HOPE!

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.

The post 277: Navigating the Holidays After Child Loss (with Kim Peacock and Sara Nelson) appeared first on GPS Hope.

Sometimes we can feel like God must not care, or He would not have let our child die and allow us to be in so much pain. There are many people in the Bible who also felt like God had abandoned them. In this episode, Laura shares a few of these, based on a song she likes to listen to occasionally, to remind her that God really does see our struggles and He cares.

Links Mentioned in this episode:

Watch the song The God Who Sees here.

To watch the entire movie The Way (where the song is from) click here.

Click here for more info on Hope for the Future: An Advent Book for Bereaved Parents.

Birthdays:

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

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

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

Hanna Abigail Dinh was born on November 12 and is forever 21 months and 7 days.

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 [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.

The post 276: You Are Seen appeared first on GPS Hope.

In today's short episode, Laura pulls out her response to an email she received quite a while back, thinking it might be helpful to others who are struggling with questions about things like God's goodness.

Links Mentioned in this episode:

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

Watch Laura’s talk with Wayne Jacobson titled “Anger and Grief” here.

Take a look at the Savanah’s Adventures website. 

Click here to take a look at preordering Savanah’s Big Surprise to help out Laura and her granddaughter with their children’s book series.

Birthdays:

Pike Petersen was born on October 17 and is forever 14.

Adrian Schartner was born on October 20 and is forever 22.

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

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

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

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

Cassius John Franswah was born on October 30 and is forever 26.

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

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 [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.

The post 275: The Enemy’s Objective appeared first on GPS Hope.

Today you are going to hear from a new friend and fellow pareavor, Kim Avery. Kim has so many things to share from a heart that is kind and caring, while encouraging us to learn how to walk from the place of grace that God has for us for the moment we are in.

Twenty years ago, Kim moved from being a professional counselor to working as a certified life and business coach. She loved every minute of it and thought she would do it for the rest of her life. However, four years ago, God called her to radically reorder her life, priorities, and the ways she serves in the world.

Now, as the author of the best-selling book The Prayer Powered Entrepreneur, host of The Pace of Grace podcast, and spiritual director for coaches, leaders, and entrepreneurs, she helps Christ-followers flourish in every area of their lives so they can serve others from a full cup.

Kim lives in beautiful Winter Haven, FL, with her husband Ron and their Australian Labradoodle, Samwise (who secretly thinks he's a Rottweiler.)

(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:

Check out Kim Avery’s website: www.PaceOfGrace.com 

Click here to sponsor a podcast episode in honor of your child.

Join us in February of 2025 on The Grief Cruise. Find out more here.

Birthdays:

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

Samuel Seet was born on October 4 and is forever 28.

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

Jeffrey Dunkleman was born on October 10 and is forever 53.

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

David Stolz was born on October 12 and is forever 33.

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.

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 [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.

The post 274: Grace and Grief After Child Loss (with Kim Avery) appeared first on GPS Hope.

When our child dies, it can feel like God betrayed us. We prayed for our kids, we took them to church, etc. In other words, we did what we were supposed to do, so why didn't God keep His end of things?

In today's episode, Laura talks about looking beyond what we know here and now, encouraging the listeners to also take into consideration God's view of eternity.

Links Mentioned in this episode:

Join us in February of 2025 on The Grief Cruise. Find out more here.

Birthdays:

Justin Seehafer was born on September 16 and is forever 28.

Rodney Lorenz was born on September 18 and is forever 49.

Rachel Terrazas was born on September 19 and is forever 22.

Nicole Zanoni Romualdo was born on September 21 and is forever 16 months.

Myles Bradley Shaffer was born on September 24 and is forever 44.

Valerie Ines Cepeda was born on September 26 and is forever 19.

Jacob Rhoades was born on September 28 and is forever 21.

Shea Thomas Patno was born on September 29 and is forever 15.

Stephanie Webber was born on September 29 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.

Remember to Hold On Pain Eases; there is HOPE!

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.

The post 273: I Feel Like God Betrayed Me appeared first on GPS Hope.

In those first few months (or even first two or three years) many pareavors (bereaved parents) have a hard time believing they will get to the point where they are not in the place of suffocating grief they have found themselves thrown into.

There are thousands of pareavors who are several years down the road, who thought the same thing. But once they find themselves out of that dark pit, is it healthy to purposely put yourself back into a place of painful darkness, remembering the depth of who and what you have lost, like listening to podcasts, or attending a retreat, or something like going on The Grief Cruise?

As Laura's friend, Sara Nelson, recently experienced this when she attended the GPS Hope Weekend of Hope, Laura realized it would be good to have her on the podcast to talk about this.

Sara Faith Nelson, has been on this journey for ten years. She taught elementary and middle school grades for 15 years. Now she enjoys pursuing her love of writing. The primary focus of Sara's writing has always leaned toward themes of hope, faith, and trust in the goodness of God. Since the death of her daughter and only child, Jeanette, she writes about her grief journey and surviving a devastating loss. She continues to write about trusting in God's goodness and grace while grappling with the hard questions. Sara and her husband, Dennis, live in Arizona.

(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:

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

To look at the Hold On Pain Eases: There is HOPE shirts, click here.

Join us in February of 2025 on The Grief Cruise. Find out more here.

Birthdays:

Stephanie Wright was born on September 1 and is forever 26.

Bryanna Dugan was born on September 5 and is forever 22.

Alyshia DeFranco was born on September 6 and is forever 24.

Brady Keith Herbert was born on September 7 and is forever 30.

Jacob Sorouri was born on September 8 and is forever 32.

Emma Ho was born on September 9 and is forever 10.

Paul Murphy was born on September 9 and is forever 21.

Zachary Tyler was born on September 11 and is forever 18.

Petrina Charlean Bostic was born on September 12 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 [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.

The post 272: Getting Pulled Back into Our Grief appeared first on GPS Hope.

We are very aware of the four seasons of the year, but have you thought about how our grief can have seasons as well?

In this episode, Laura shares her thoughts about all four seasons, and how they correspond to the grief we deal with, in the loss of our child.

Note: Laura also shares that for a season , she will be releasing a podcast every other week instead of weekly.

Links Mentioned in this episode:

Click here to recieve a personal Weekly Word of Hope from Laura.

Take a look at the hoodies, sweatshirts, long-sleeved T-shirts and sweat jackets here.

Join us in February of 2025 on The Grief Cruise. Find out more here.

Birthdays:

Kristina Michelle Lee was born on August 26 and is forever 26.

Daniel Budd was born on August 29 and is forever 4.

Victoria Botto was born on August 30 and is forever 20.

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 [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.

The post 271: Going Through Different Seasons of Grief appeared first on GPS Hope.

Do we know the difference between our soul and our spirit and how each of them affects us? As a bereaved parent, do we have a broken soul, a broken spirit, or both? Does it really matter?

Listen in as Laura shares some insights that she believes the Lord has given her recently about this.

Links Mentioned in this episode:

Click here to recieve a personal Weekly Word of Hope from Laura.

Join us in February of 2025 on The Grief Cruise. Find out more here.

Birthdays:

Destine Wood was born on August 21 and is forever 40.

Kevin Zick was born on August 21 and is forever 33.

Frank Cisewski was born on August 22 and is forever 34.

Evan Sabine was born on August 23 and is forever 15.

Bailey Arwine was born on August 23 and is forever 22.

Katie Mullen was born on August 24 and is forever 19.

Jordyn Hansen was born on August 24 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 [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.

The post 270: Feeling Broken After Child Loss appeared first on GPS Hope.

Most of the time, when we use the word hope it is wishful thinking, as in I hope our team pulls out a win today. But when the word hope is used in scripture, God has a different meaning.

Listen in, as Laura talks about this, and how important it is to be a prisoner of hope, as we find in Zechariah 9:12.

A special thank you to Chris and ReNea Trebelhorn, for sponsoring today's episode in honor of their son, Aaron.

Links Mentioned in this episode:

Join us in February of 2025 on The Grief Cruise. Find out more here.

Click here to sponsor an episode in honor of your child.

Birthdays:

Hizkia Aritonang born on August 14 and is forever 20.

Callan Letcher was born on August 15 and is forever 17.

Aaron Trebelhorn was born on August 16 and is forever 21.

Jeremy Bornemeier was born on August 16 and is forever 32.

Jadyn Philipps was born on August 17 and is forever 18.

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 [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.

The post 269: Becoming a Prisoner of Hope appeared first on GPS Hope.

As parents who have lost a child, we all know people who have said things that are inappropriate or just plain hurtful. In this episode, you are going to hear from two very special ladies in a conversation with Laura, about things people say that are just not true, in their attempt to make us feel better.

Sara Faith Nelson, has been on this journey for ten years. She taught elementary and middle school grades for 15 years. Now she enjoys pursuing her love of writing. The primary focus of Sara's writing has always leaned toward themes of hope, faith, and trust in the goodness of God. Since the death of her daughter and only child, Jeanette, she writes about her grief journey and surviving a devastating loss. She continues to write about trusting in God's goodness and grace while grappling with the hard questions. Sara and her husband, Dennis, live in Arizona.

BJ Jensen has been on this journey for almost 30 years and is the mom of baby Jodi and adult son Jay, who left this world too soon. BJ and her husband, Dr. Doug Jensen are best known for directing the Love in Motion signing choir for 30 years. They founded the non-profit called Healing Hallelujah Ministries to offer hope, help, and healing to hurting hearts. Doug and BJ's creative efforts include writing books and stories, songs and sketches and are highly sought speakers at events and conferences for bereaved parents.  All of their ministries have come to fruition since the loss of 2 children.

(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:

Join us in February of 2025 on The Grief Cruise. Find out more here.

Birthdays:

Neena Renee Rey was born on August 5 and is forever 2.

Gabriel Andrew Moreno was born on August 5 and is forever 28.

Jacob Gary was born on August 6 and is forever 21.

Travis M. Blair was born on August 9 and is forever 30.

Christopher Hotch was born on August 10 and is forever 31.

Jacob Holiday was born on August 10 and is forever 26.

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 [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.

The post 268: Things People Say That are Not Helpful after Child Loss appeared first on GPS Hope.

It seems many of us struggle to hear from God after the death of our child. We wonder why He has abandoned us when we need Him more than we ever have before.

This was not Laura's original topic for this episode, but God directed her to change it unexpectedly, a few hours before she was planning on recording.

Links Mentioned in this episode:

To get My Grief Journey for only $5 (through July) click here. (Be sure to check out My Grief Journey for Kids also.)

Listen to previous podcast with Wayne Jacobson: I Am So Angry at God

Birthdays:

Daniel Krawiec was born on July 28 and is forever 32.

Easton Holden was born on July 28 and is forever 5.

Joey Ray was born on July 28 and is forever 26.

Dayne Sturm was born on July 29 and is forever 21.

Whitney Leanne Garkow Seehusen was born on July 30 and is forever 31.

Lauren Miller Dobbins was born on July 30 and is forever 33.

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 [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.

The post 267: God, Why Can’t I Hear You? appeared first on GPS Hope.