All Episodes

Dreaming about our children after they die is a topic that comes up quite often in emails and conversations. This week, Laura talks to Dr. Joshua Black, who is a leading academic expert in grief dreams. Laura asked him all kinds of questions, which made for a fascinating discussion. Listen in, and hopefully some of your questions will be answered as well. Joshua Black,  PhD , is a grief researcher...

This week’s topic is one that can bring a lot of emotion with it, because when our child is gone, all we have left are memories and their belongings. Should we be packing up their things by a certain time? What if I want to keep everything and take it with me if I have to move? These kinds of questions (and answers) take us all over the place with how different our situations are and where we are...

Some of us have been taught by “the church” that we can have whatever we ask, if we believe and have enough faith. Does that mean the death of our child was our fault, for not having enough faith to keep it from happening? Did we not pray enough, or read our Bible enough? How much is “enough”? Laura has been on this journey of what it means to have “faith” since 1985, when her three-year-old daugh...

As believers in Christ, we are familiar with who Jesus is and what He did for us. We hear a lot about who God is as well. But how much do we know about the third part of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit? Why do we need the Holy Spirit, and how can He help us in our grief? That is what Laura discusses in today’s episode. As always, there is a place for comments on the GPS Hope website. Just click here...

When our child dies, it can take us to a very dark place, even if you have had a life-long close relationship with God through the indwelling Holy Spirit. In our place of deep grief, we become a target for the enemy, making it even more difficult to find God through the suffocating darkness. How do we keep going when God seems so far away when we need Him the most? In the last episode Laura talked...

Often when our child dies, we search for God in our darkness and pain, but we feel like He either isn’t listening or doesn’t seem to care. Why is that? Laura talks about some of the possibilities in today’s episode.   Links Mentioned in th is episode: Find out more about Laura’s books: When Tragedy Strikes . My Grief Journey My Grief Journey for Kids Go to the GPS Hope store to order th...

When our child dies, many of us believe God failed us by walking out on us. We struggle in our relationship with Him. We question ourselves with things like, Is God really who I thought He was? In today’s episode, Laura does her best to answer one of those questions, Where is God in my pain and darkness as I grieve the death of my child?   Links Mentioned in th is episode: Click here to have...

Last week Laura started reading a chapter about learning how to rest in God during the deep grief of the early years of child loss from her book When Tragedy Strikes: Rebuilding Your Life with Hope and Healing After the Death Of Your Child . In today’s episode she finishes out the chapter and then goes back to share some extra thoughts and insights she has received on this topic since the book cam...

Resting in God’s love for us can be a huge struggle when we know He could have stopped the death of our child. How do we stop struggling and start resting in the very love we are questioning? Laura addresses this as she reads from a chapter in her book When Tragedy Strikes: Rebuilding Your Life with Hope and Healing after the Death of Your Child .   Links Mentioned in th is episode: I want to...

Today might seem like an unusual topic, but it seems to come up enough that Laura decided to do an episode on pets after child loss. Many of our children who are no longer here had a pet when they died, and quite often it becomes the pet of the parents. When that happens, that animal is more than just a pet, as it gives us a comforting feeling of still being somewhat attached to our child. There a...

Today’s episode is a continuation from last week with two dad pareavors, Dave Diehl and Steve Martindale. Today’s discussion includes Dave and Steve sharing what they wish they had done differently in the early months of their grief. They also answered Laura’s question if the death of their daughters changed their theology or what they believed about God. Steve closes by praying a precious prayer...

Most of you do not need to be reminded that Father’s Day is this coming weekend. For many dads, it is the hardest day of the year with the pain of missing their child. Today and next week, we are going to hear from Laura’s husband, Dave, and their friend, Steve Martindale, who also lost a daughter. These two men not only share encouragement for the dads, but for the wives/moms. May Father’s Day no...

If you have been frustrated because you are not following the “five stages of grief”, you are not alone. What most people do not realize is that these five stages are to be applied to those who have received the news they have a terminal illness. They are NOT for someone who is grieving the death of a loved one. Laura’s guest, Mitch Carmody, is a seasoned griever with over thirty years of experien...

The five stages of grief were not to be applied to those who are grieving the loss of a loved one, but for those who have received the news they have a terminal illness. If you have been frustrated because you are not following those five steps, you will be relieved to hear about the seasons of grief which today’s guest, Mitch Carmody, shares. Mitch is a “seasoned” griever with over thirty years o...

Here in the United States, the last Monday in May is Memorial Day, which is a day to honor those who have given their lives for our country. In this episode, Laura focuses on pareavors who have lost their children because of being in the military. Their child chose to go into the armed forces, knowing their life might be sacrificed, which can have so many mixed emotions for their families because...

Those of us who have lost a child have been through a trauma. We are dealing with traumatic grief. Many parents also have PTSD. How do we get through the suffocating darkness and things like night terrors? Some go to their physician who will write them prescriptions for anxiety or to help them sleep. It is very easy to get hooked on these prescriptions, needing higher and higher doses to work. Qui...

Attaining the Triple Crown is a rare accomplishment, whether in horse racing or in baseball.  Unfortunately, it is also a rare accomplishment in our life as a Christian and can be especially difficult after the death of our child. What is the Triple Crown for a follower of Christ? Laura believes it is learning: 1) how to clarify God’s vision for our lives, including being released from our paralyz...

Attaining the Triple Crown is a rare accomplishment, whether in horse racing or in baseball.  Unfortunately, it is also a rare accomplishment in our life as a Christian and can be especially difficult after the death of our child. What is the Triple Crown for a follower of Christ? Laura believes it is learning: how to clarify God’s vision for our lives, including being released from our paralyzing...

Did you know the first Sunday of May is International Bereaved Mother’s Day? Yes, it is a real thing. A day just for us. Today’s episode talks about this special day. Laura also shares some real and honest thoughts and feelings about the following week, which is Mother’s Day. It is one of the hardest days we have to face each year after child loss, and there is no reason to not admit it or t...

“There is no magical age when the death of our child doesn’t affect us in a very deep and profound way. Whether the child died in the womb or was in their sixties, the wrongness of their death causes trauma, and we are never the same.” (Laura Diehl – When Tragedy Strikes: Rebuilding Your Life With Hope and Healing After the Death of Your Child ) We bristle when someone who has never lost a child s...

Those of us who have lost a child have been through a trauma. We are dealing with traumatic grief. Many parents also have PTSD. How do we get through the suffocating darkness and things like night terrors? Some go to their physician who will write them prescriptions for anxiety or to help them sleep. It is very easy to get hooked on these prescriptions, needing higher and higher doses to work. Qui...

When we find ourselves thrown into the dark world of child loss, some of us know we need help right away and find ways to connect with other bereaved parents almost immediately. Some of us take longer to realize how important it is to be around others who “get it”. Other parents who are further along on this unwanted journey can let us know our thoughts and actions are not abnormal for grieving th...

There are times when Laura is sent something written by a pareavor that seems to capture the essence of who we are and how we feel after the death of our child, as well as what it is like to travel on this unwanted journey. On this episode, Laura reads three of these. This Mom’s Grief by Val Breslau It’s Been Two Years by Fran Rhodes One Day by Vickie Hickox Laura also reads something she wrote ba...

Those of us who have lost a child will talk among ourselves about how hurtful it is that our family and friends seem to abandon us after the first few weeks or months. Not only that, but many of these people also seem to expect us to snap out of our grief after a certain amount of time. We all know what helps and what hurts, but do those around us know? How could they, if they have never experienc...

After our child dies, we all seem to struggle with the guilt of why we didn’t do more, or do something differently, that would have prevented their death. How do we get past that? Does that feeling ever go away? In this episode, Laura brings on a guest, Sara Nelson, to discuss this. Sara Faith Nelson taught elementary and middle school grades for 15 years. Now she enjoys pursuing her love of writi...