http://www.umbrellaministries.org/

Umbrella Ministries Grief Support, 1438 Independence Way, Vista, CA (2026)

07/30/2026

Perfect Peace
Isaiah 26:3 “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in You.”

As a child, I did not come from a home where there was peace and as a result, I developed coping skills that I brought with me into my adult life. There was a self-preservation that began to occur at a very early age, and as I grew, I became self-sufficient and very responsible, and in time I became an over achiever who relied on my own accomplishments to obtain personal satisfaction and peace. I met with a sweet friend as a result of a project I was doing for a Bible study in the book of Ephesians, and 6:15 says, “and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.” My mission was to find someone whose life was peace-filled, a person I admired who effectively applied the peace of God in her life. As I interviewed my friend, I began to realize I have never really experienced long lasting sustaining peace through every single circumstance and in the midst of difficult raging storms like she did, but that my peace had been something I had attempted to manufacture by creating an environment for myself that I thought was safe and secure.

Phil. 4:6 -7, ”Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Peace is attainable, but the peace that only comes from God is an inner tranquility and calmness of the soul. I can have peace in my soul even with so much conflict going on around me; all I have to do is trust in Jesus. Here lies the problem, I have trust issues; I have been deeply wounded by people, and I don’t trust people, and my trust issues permeate into my relationship with the Lord. What I am learning is that I cannot experience the peace OF God without experiencing peace WITH God. It is not until I have completely submitted myself, totally, and radically abandoned myself to the Lordship of Jesus that I can have peace with God. As long as I am relying on my own self-sufficiency and fall back on my own self-preservation, I will continue to struggle with obtaining true peace in my life.

Col. 3:15 says, “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.” I find it interesting that this scripture says to be thankful. One thing the Lord has always called me to do in the midst of any fiery trial is to offer up praise and thanksgiving to Him. 1 Thess. 5:18 says, “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.” What I have come to understand is that trust fuels thanksgiving and thanksgiving activates peace. The Bible doesn’t say that we have to be thankful for what is occurring, but it does say to give thanks in all circumstances. The disciples are a perfect example of men who experienced the peace of God because they made a commitment to Him and their peace with God enabled them to sing while they were in prison, to rejoice when they suffered persecution, and the peace of God carried them through to the very end. That is the kind of peace that I want to have too.
-- Melody

07/22/2026

My God is With Me EVERYWHERE!!
I had heard enough about an MRI exam to be somewhat apprehensive when my doctor decided it would be a good diagnostic tool to give reason to the aches and pains I was having. The call from the scheduler definitely quieted some of that apprehension, not because she gave me an oh-don’t-worry-about-it, but because she spelled out some of the things patients do get apprehensive about, and just knowing what to expect helped to relieve some of the qualms of the unknown. Still, the morning of my exam had me praying from home to the MRI location. And the forty-five minute wait didn’t help either. And then, my name was called by a cheerful assistant. A few minutes in the dressing room preceded my being introduced to the MRI machine. It dominated the small room I was in, being much larger than I had expected, but that also meant the tunnel I was about to enter, had a far greater diameter than I had expected, and entering in a flat-on-my-back position, much like the position I was cozy in for an afternoon nap, I also entered feet first, so my head was the last part of my body being absorbed by what I then realized was a well lit enclosure. I had been told to be still, but I was also given a squeeze ball, in case for some reason, I needed to exit prematurely of the expected twenty minute exam.

I tried napping, and that helped to keep me still, but my thinking needed a place to focus because the nap wasn’t coming. I was praying again, just for a quietness to saturate my spirit. And then suddenly, the hymns of my childhood and the promises from the Gaither songs I had always loved, began to rehearse themselves in my thinking. I lay there, consumed with the goodness of my God, the God who promises His presence and His peace, even in an MRI tunnel. I was totally relaxed, and a buzzer interrupted one of the hymns to tell me my time was over. And it seemed, it all happened so quickly.

The next morning, my close friend sent me an online video of a song that was only vaguely familiar, but the words captured my time with God the previous day. I love You, Lord. Oh, Your mercy never fails me and all my days, I’ve been held in Your hands. ... You have been faithful ... You have been so, so good ... You have led me ... You were close like no other ... You are my provider and You lead me and guide me by Your Spirit and Your word. I have never walked alone. I knew my God had stayed with me in the tunnel and He had made His presence known, but I knew too, I have been in tunnels that were much, much darker, and much more threatening. I knew also that a few other friends were struggling in the reality of life – realities that were raw with grief, both already weighing them down with its pain, emptiness, and questioning doubt, and grief that was gnawing because it was still imminent, but it was dark with its imminence. Relationships were being stretched and responsibilities were outweighing available resources. In my MRI tunnel, I just wanted the reminder that my God never leaves and He always, always provides. Even in the middle of doubt and apprehension.. Even in the turmoil that far, far exceeds the MRI.

So, I forwarded the song that had encouraged and reminded me yet again, and I prayed that my friends would hear not only a song of warmth, but a song of promises. My God will never, never leave me. And He will always, always, make my impossible reality, possible.
– Bev
(Related Bible reading: Psalm 139:1- 12; Psalm 23:1-6; Hebrews 13:5,6)

07/16/2026

God's Bright Light
Matthew 5:14, 16 “You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hidden… In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

It was with great sadness that I learned of the passing of Daisy Catchings-Shader, the founder of our cherished Umbrella Ministries, a support group for women all over the country who have suffered the loss of a child. This is a fellowship no one wants to belong to, but when I came to my first meeting after the loss of my son, Elisha, on June 19, 2015, I came to realize I was not the only mom who was suffering. I found a safe place that offered me the hope of Heaven and I met hundreds of women just like me who were also on their own grief journey and I knew that I didn’t have to walk alone. Oh, what an incredible legacy Daisy left. Every single time I talked to her, she would always encourage me to keep writing, to keep journaling, to keep reading my Bible, and to continue to look to Jesus.

Matthew 10:42 says, “And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward." The Bible tells us that we are to be the light of the world, that city on hill, a shining beacon for all to see, that cold cup of water to the thirsty, and to come alongside those that are weary and heavy laden. That is exactly what Daisy did for over 30 years as she touched so many lives with healing words, unconditional love, and compassion for hurting and grieving women. Who would have thought that even though she suffered the devastating loss of her son Danny, that God could meet her where she was in that dark place, heal her broken heart, and then turn her tragedy into something so beautiful and amazing, a refuge of hope and strength for all to see.

Isaiah 61:3 says that “those who grieve are to be given a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.” What the Lord calls us to do after such a terrible loss does not come naturally. Our instinct is to curl up and pull the covers over our head and ask God to stop the world so we can get off. But I’ll never forget the day I hung up my cross that I wore around my neck that held the ashes of my precious Elisha, the first day that I was able to smile, laugh, and find joy again in my life and especially the day that I was able to enter into worship and truly praise my Lord and Savior at church. Daisy was a beautiful and shining example of someone who had an overflowing heart full of joy and she was forever praising our Lord in her speech and her countenance. When I saw her at conferences and support groups, there was a flame of excitement in anticipation of what the Lord was about to accomplish, and it was contagious. We were incredibly blessed by this remarkable and wonderful lady, and she will be greatly missed. So shines a bright light in a dark and weary world.
-- Melody

07/11/2026

Dear Mamas. Don’t forget to join our new IG page and join us in our first giveaway. Right now your chances are more than super high to win a $50 Amazon gift card.

Let us celebrate you and gift you with a treat to spoil yourself. Giveaway ends July 15.

07/09/2026

From Daisy’s Heart to Ours
From 2 Corinthians 1:3,4 come Paul’s words that became Daisy’s words for all the moms touched by the outreach of Umbrella Ministries. Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. Those words have shaped all that Umbrella Ministries has done over the years, and desires to continue doing. Umbrella has been literally, a sheltering place under the umbrella of God’s love, compassion, and strengthening. God comforts the broken, the moms touched by Umbrella Ministries, through its conferences, support groups, teaching, devotionals, and other written resources, but primarily through the moms who open their own hearts to other moms. And it started with Daisy and Donna, two friends who, in 1996, had been to a retreat which Daisy had spoken at, and they had also shared copies of Daisy’s little book, “Under God’s Umbrella,” that Donna had typed up and bound. The book was filled with letters from Daisy to her son, Danny, in Heaven. Those letters were full of God’s love, compassion, and strengthening. On the way home from the retreat, these two best friends, stopped for lunch, and sketched out on paper napkins all their thoughts about starting a ministry for moms, who, like Daisy, had experienced the loss of a child.

Danny strongly impacted Daisy’s desire for the outreach of Umbrella Ministries, but he also strongly impacted her own personal walk with God. As Daisy said in the prelude to “Under God’s Umbrella,” “I would once again thank God for that precious little four year old boy who so innocently prayed a simple prayer that set the wheels in motion for us to come to know Jesus as our Savior so we could now know Him as our Comforter.” Daisy came to know the depths of God’s comfort when Danny passed away unexpectedly as a still young adult. Personally, I came to know the depths of God’s comfort when I was introduced to Umbrella Ministries over 20 years ago, at a time when my daughter Tonia would have been 32 years old, but I had never held her in my arms, because she was carried by Jesus shortly after her birth to her heavenly home. And even at that conference, I heard so many other moms speak the words of pain and loss that had been my own thoughts for so many years. But my grief at that first conference also saw what God could do when our own comfort reaches out to comfort others. And Daisy challenged me on many occasions to do just that.

Daisy now too has passed into the eternal presence of Jesus, just as Danny and Tonia have, and if you are reading this, your child may also be in His presence. And our children are surrounded by all the perfections of Heaven, and right now, many of our children may be surrounding Daisy, with a, “Daisy, do you know my mom? Tell me more about her. I know she’s doing better, because you and God helped her. Thanks, Daisy.” Yes, we can all tell her “thank you,” but we can also help her legacy, her desire, for all of us, to continue to be lived out by all of us. First, that we would know the comfort God longs to give us, a comfort that lightens the harsh burden of grief while our love for our child never diminishes, and secondly, as we taste of His presence and His comfort, that we would have a growing desire ourselves to share with someone else the comfort of our God.. The place God gives us may look different than Daisy’s, but it will be God’s place for me, and it will hold the heart of Daisy’s legacy.
– Bev

07/09/2026

Daisy acrostic on the hope HOPE of heaven. Indian Wells Resort May of 2024

07/09/2026

Daisy acrostic on the HOPE of heaven.

07/04/2026

Please join us for our first Umbrella Ministries give away.

We have a new look and new Instagram account. Undergodsumbrella2026. Please join us and help us get the word out. We will be discontinuing the current IG page so don’t post to enter the contest there. Go to our new account. We look forward to serving you and your grief. We are here for you. 🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼

07/01/2026

Remembering Daisy.......
and her heart and leadership with Umbrella Ministries

James1:22 “Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial, because having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.”

The word “daisy” comes from an Old English term meaning “day’s eye.” It earned that name because its petals open in the morning and close at dusk. The flower has long symbolized purity, innocence, and simplicity. To each of us, there is only one Daisy. Daisy was the perfect name for her.

Her presence entered my life in 1997, during one of the darkest seasons I have ever known. In the shattering days and weeks after Katie’s death, my pain felt like it would never end. I wasn’t sure how I could go on living with a broken heart. As I struggled to find my footing, one evening this sweet woman called me. It was a simple phone call, yet it became the beginning of something that would slowly change everything.

Daisy listened to me. She cared. She pointed me toward the same faith that had been such a comfort to her. It wasn’t an instant fix, and it didn’t erase the sorrow. Instead, she offered small words of hope and encouragement – something I could hold on to when each day felt overwhelming. Little by little, those moments of kindness helped me see beyond my grief. Daisy was a gift to me at just the right time. When everything had been stripped away, she reminded me that God still sees, still provides, and still sends people to walk beside us in our darkest moments.

Daisy didn’t fix my grief. She simply showed up and helped me take a step forward. Looking back, that phone call marked the beginning of my journey from despair toward hope. As the years passed, I came to realize that my experience was not unique. She has touched so many lives, often arriving just when she was needed most. Each of us has our own story of how she encouraged us. Her influence on my life has taken me to places I never could have imagined. Who would have thought that a grocery store checker would one day find herself speaking to other women about grief? I still remember when Daisy asked me to write a devotional. I had to ask her, “What is a devotional?”

What began with one encouraging phone call continued to open doors I never expected. The one thing I never could have imagined from that first conversation was traveling to Africa and presenting Umbrella Ministries to two villages. That happened because Daisy believed in me and encouraged me to keep moving forward. The same steady faith that helped carry me through loss is reflected in the way Daisy lives her own life. Proverbs 31 describes Daisy well. “The Lord is in the midst of her, and she will not be moved. She trusts that God will help her when morning dawns. She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future. When she speaks, her words are wise, and she gives instruction with kindness. There are many capable women in the world, but you surpass them all.”

And that is our Daisy. Our loving Daisy went home to be with the Lord. She brought so much joy into our lives, and we will cherish her sweet spirit forever.
– Michele

Umbrella Ministries Grief Support

07/30/2026

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