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After child loss, we can still believe in God and yet struggle to understand how He could allow so much pain. Anger and bitterness may become part of our grief, leaving us wondering what that means about our faith. In this episode, Laura looks at Naomi, a mother in the Bible who lost both of her sons and openly expressed her bitterness toward God. Her story offers reassurance that we can be honest about our hurt without being abandoned by Him. Through Ruth’s faithful presence and the ways God continued working in Naomi’s life, we find gentle encouragement for our own journey. Hope may begin with someone walking beside us when we cannot see a future for ourselves. Allowing life to hold meaning again does not replace our child or erase our loss; it makes room for God to meet us in the emptiness, one small step at a time. Links Mentioned in this episode: Child Loss Support Bundle (Includes Come Grieve Through Our Eyes and The Bible’s Grieving Parents) Child Loss Support & Hope Collection (Includes Come Grieve Through Our Eyes, The Bible’s Grieving Parents and When Tragedy Strikes) Sign up for the Free GPS Hope Library Find out more about The GPS Hope Grief Cruise in October, 2027. Free printable guide: Rebuilding Your Life: A Gentle Guide Toward Hope and Healing After Child Loss. Birthdays: We lovingly remember and celebrate the lives of: Cassius John Franswah Jr was born on October 30 and is forever 26. Andrew Kapila was born on November 3. Chaney Partrich was born on November 4 and is forever 20. Jake Hammaker was born on November 4 and is forever 26. Mason Kiley was born on November 7 and is forever 14. Visit gpshope.org/birthdays to submit your child’s name and date so we can honor them, too. 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.  

When our child dies, it can be difficult to reconcile God’s love with the pain He did not prevent. In this episode, Laura reflects on the poem “The Weaving” and the struggle of seeing only tangled threads where we once pictured a future with our child. She gently explores what it means to know God’s love personally while making room for unanswered questions, anger, and the ache of missing the child we still love so deeply. Through looking at Naomi’s story in the Bible and reflections from Romans 5, Laura shares how God’s care can be present even when we cannot recognize it yet. This conversation offers an invitation to discover closeness with Him in the absence of clarity, without calling our child’s death good or pretending our grief has gone away. Links Mentioned in this episode: Child Loss Support Bundle (Includes Come Grieve Through Our Eyes and The Bible’s Grieving Parents) Child Loss Support & Hope Collection (Includes Come Grieve Through Our Eyes, The Bible’s Grieving Parents and When Tragedy Strikes) Sign up for the Free GPS Hope Library Find out more about The GPS Hope Grief Cruise in October, 2027. Free printable guide: Rebuilding Your Life: A Gentle Guide Toward Hope and Healing After Child Loss. Birthdays: We lovingly remember and celebrate the lives of: Hannah MacFarlane was born on October 26 and is forever 9. Myles Wofford was born on October 27 and is forever 4 weeks. Eric Birth was born on October 28 and is forever 29. Dawson Morris was born on October 29 and is forever 19. Cassius John Franswah Jr was born on October 30 and is forever 26. James Smith was born on October 30 and is forever 17 months. Chione Beverly McNeil was born on October 31 and is forever 15.  Visit gpshope.org/birthdays to submit your child’s name and date so we can honor them, too. 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.  

How do you keep going after losing all four of your children? And how do you trust a God who could have stopped it, but didn’t? In this episode of Grieving Parents Sharing Hope, Laura talks with Markie Ribera, whose four children and mother died in a house fire. Markie shares honestly about her grief and how leaning on Jesus has helped her find peace while still deeply missing her children. Together, they explore hard questions about faith after child loss, the comfort Markie finds in believing Jesus was with her children in their final moments, and how peace and intense pain can exist together. Their conversation also touches on Job, the poem “The Weaving,” and receiving good things in life without calling our child’s death good. Markie’s story offers gentle encouragement for bereaved parents who are struggling to trust God or wondering whether hope is still possible in a life they never would have chosen. Markie Ribera is a speaker with a background in children’s ministry, having served as a children’s pastor and camp director. In February 2022, just months after losing her father, Markie lost her mother and all four of her children in a house fire. Following the devastating personal loss, she paused her work as a children’s pastor and now shares her story of grief, faith, and hope through speaking engagements and the website Keep Going, Really! She and her husband, Carlos, have since welcomed three more children as they continue growing their family while honoring those who have gone ahead to heaven. Through her ministry, Markie encourages others to lean on Jesus in the midst of pain and find hope as they take the next step. (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: Markie Ribera’s website: keepgoingreally.com Child Loss Support Bundle (Includes Come Grieve Through Our Eyes and The Bible’s Grieving Parents) Child Loss Support & Hope Collection (Includes Come Grieve Through Our Eyes, The Bible’s Grieving Parents and When Tragedy Strikes) Sign up for the Free GPS Hope Library Find out more about The GPS Hope Grief Cruise in October, 2027. Free printable guide: Rebuilding Your Life: A Gentle Guide Toward Hope and Healing After Child Loss. Birthdays: We lovingly remember and celebrate the lives of: Samuel Buss was born on October 19 and is forever 21. Carissa Ellen Hunsaker was born on October 19 and is forever 1. Matthew Anthony Sulikowski was born on October 22 and is forever 36. Visit gpshope.org/birthdays to submit your child’s name and date so we can honor them, too. 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.  

Helping others understand the grief of a parent after child loss can feel exhausting, especially when we struggle to explain what we are carrying ourselves. In this episode, bereaved mom and podcast host, Laura Diehl, shares why child loss brings an ongoing chain of losses that reaches into our relationships, identity, and the future we imagined. She also talks about why appearing okay does not mean our grief is over, and how much it matters to have people who listen, remember our child, and continue walking beside us. Drawing from the second edition of Come Grieve Through Our Eyes: How to Support a Bereaved Parent After Child Loss, Laura offers gentle encouragement for pareavors and practical insight for family members, friends, and church communities. This conversation explores how to support a bereaved parent without rushing their grief, how to hold hope when they cannot see it themselves, and how to love the person they are becoming. If you have wished someone could better understand your grief, this episode may help put words to what has been difficult to explain. This episode is being sponsored by Mica Peterson, in memory of their son, Pike. Links Mentioned in this episode: Sponsor a podcast episode in memory of your child Pre-order Come Grieve Through Our Eyes and begin the journey toward deeper understanding and compassion. Find out more about The GPS Hope Grief Cruise in October, 2027. Free printable guide: Rebuilding Your Life: A Gentle Guide Toward Hope and Healing After Child Loss. Birthdays: We lovingly remember and celebrate the lives of: Pike Petersen was born on October 13 and is forever 14. Mitchell Ang was born on October 17 and is forever 17. Visit gpshope.org/birthdays to submit your child’s name and date so we can honor them, too. 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.  

After child loss, laughing again or enjoying time with family can bring unexpected guilt and fear that we are leaving our child behind. In this episode, Laura Diehl explores why healing does not mean forgetting, loving less, or removing our child’s place in our heart and family. With gentle, faith-based encouragement for bereaved parents, Laura shares how deeply missing our child and experiencing joy can exist together. Whether you cannot yet imagine enjoying life or are beginning to smile again, this conversation offers reassurance that God’s grace can help you live while continuing to love and remember your child. This episode is being sponsored by Richard and Violet Seet, in memory of their son, Samuel. Links Mentioned in this episode: Pre-order Come Grieve Through Our Eyes and begin the journey toward deeper understanding and compassion. Find out more about The GPS Hope Grief Cruise in October, 2027. Free printable guide: Rebuilding Your Life: A Gentle Guide Toward Hope and Healing After Child Loss. Click here to support the podcast and join Laura on Patreon for extra content Birthdays: We lovingly remember and celebrate the lives of: Samuel Seet was born on October 4 and is forever 28. Jeffrey Dunkleman was born on October 10 and is forever 53. James Fielding was born on October 10 and is forever 28. Visit gpshope.org/birthdays to submit your child’s name and date so we can honor them, too. 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.  

 After the death of a child, even the simplest parts of everyday life can suddenly feel overwhelming. In this episode, Laura shares several experiences from her own grief journey, including forgetting her groceries at the store, pulling off the road because she could not remember where she was going, and wandering through a parking lot in tears because she could not find her car. Laura explains why grief affects us much more than our emotions. It can disrupt our memory, energy, sleep, concentration, and ability to make decisions. She also offers gentle, practical ways to reduce the weight of everyday responsibilities, recognizing the difference between laziness and depletion, and give ourselves permission to do only what is truly necessary. If ordinary life feels extraordinarily hard after child loss, this episode offers reassurance that you are not weak, incompetent, or grieving wrong. Links Mentioned in this episode: Pre-order Come Grieve Through Our Eyes and begin the journey toward deeper understanding and compassion. Free printable guide: Rebuilding Your Life: A Gentle Guide Toward Hope and Healing After Child Loss. Birthdays: We lovingly remember and celebrate the lives of: Jacob Rhoades was born on September 28 and is forever 21.  Shea Thomas Patno was born on September 29 and is forever 15. Aaliyah Henderson was born on October 1 and is forever 4. Visit gpshope.org/birthdays to submit your child’s name and date so we can honor them, too. 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.  

Can grace and grief exist together when your child has died? Through Paul’s experience with the thorn in his flesh, Laura gently explores what it means when God does not remove the pain, yet promises that His grace will meet us within it. This episode also addresses the hurtful idea that a grieving parent must “let go” of their child before healing or receiving God’s blessings. The death of our child was not good, but that does not mean God cannot bring meaning, purpose and good things into our lives while we continue to carry both our love and our grief. Links Mentioned in this episode: Free printable guide: Rebuilding Your Life: A Gentle Guide Toward Hope and Healing After Child Loss. If this episode stirred something in your heart, you’ll find gentle Weekly Reflection Questions waiting for you in our Patreon community. Birthdays: We lovingly remember and celebrate the lives of: Nicole Zanoni Romualdo was born on September 21 and is forever 16 months old. Cassandra Noel Persichetti was born on September 24 and is forever 17. Visit gpshope.org/birthdays to submit your child’s name and date so we can honor them, too. 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.  

Grief can hit without warning in the middle of an ordinary day, or even a genuinely good one. A song, a familiar scent, an innocent comment, or something as simple as seeing our child’s favorite cereal can suddenly bring the pain rushing back. Sometimes we know exactly what caused it; other times, the sadness or anxiety arrives before we understand why. In this episode, Laura talks about these unexpected grief moments, why the words used to describe them may feel different to each pareavor, and what can help when one happens in public or while driving. Most importantly, she offers the reassurance that being caught off guard by grief does not mean you have gone backward or lost the healing that has already taken place. Links Mentioned in this episode: Find out more about The GPS Hope Grief Cruise in October, 2027. Free printable guide: Rebuilding Your Life: A Gentle Guide Toward Hope and Healing After Child Loss. If this episode stirred something in your heart, you’ll find gentle Weekly Reflection Questions waiting for you in our Patreon community. Birthdays: We lovingly remember and celebrate the lives of: Johnathan Andrews was born on September 15 and is forever 32. Rodney Lorenz was born on September 18 and is forever 49. Marco Diosdado was born on September 18 and is forever 34. Cali Minor was born on September 19 and is forever 19. Visit gpshope.org/birthdays to submit your child’s name and date so we can honor them, too. 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.  

“My child died.” For some pareavors, those words feel painfully harsh and impossible to say. Others may choose “passed away,” “went to Heaven,” “is gone,” or “I lost my child” because those words soften a reality their hearts are still struggling to comprehend. Yet the language that comforts one grieving parent may be difficult or even upsetting for another. In this episode, Laura explores the meaning and emotions carried by the words we use to talk about our child’s death. There is no right or wrong phrase and no deadline for being able to say certain words. This episode will help you give yourself permission to use the words that feel most honest and bearable to your heart, even if they are different from the words another pareavor chooses. This episode was sponsored by Teck-Min Ho, from Singapore, in memory of his daughter Emma. Links Mentioned in this episode: Find out more about The GPS Hope Grief Cruise in October, 2027. GPS Hope & Healing retreat, October 16-18, in Sarasota, FL Free printable guide: Rebuilding Your Life: A Gentle Guide Toward Hope and Healing After Child Loss. Click here to support the podcast and join Laura on Patreon for extra content Birthdays: We lovingly remember and celebrate the lives of: 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. Petrina Charlean Bostic was born on September 12 and is forever 23. Visit gpshope.org/birthdays to submit your child’s name and date so we can honor them, too. 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.  

We are living in God’s love story, but that story is currently set in a world at war. As pareavors, we understand the casualties of that war in a way we never wanted to. How do we hold on to the truth of God’s love while also facing the pain, evil and devastating loss that are part of this broken world? In this episode, Laura shares how this picture has helped her hold those difficult truths together. She talks about the comfort of knowing our children are no longer living in the setting of war, the difference between seeking God’s presents and His presence, and why being overcome by grief is not the same as giving in to self-pity. Even when we cannot understand how this painful part fits into God’s love story, we can trust that the war is not the whole story, and it does not get to decide the ending. Links Mentioned in this episode: Find out more about The GPS Hope Grief Cruise in October, 2027. Free printable guide: Rebuilding Your Life: A Gentle Guide Toward Hope and Healing After Child Loss. GPS Hope & Healing retreat, October 16-18, in Sarasota, FL Click here to support the podcast and join Laura on Patreon for extra content Visit gpshope.org/birthdays to submit your child’s name and date so we can honor them, too.   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.