Christian ladies TTC, we can encourage one another.

[Godsjewel]

Adam & Eve lived in a sinless state in the Garden of Eden. When they sinned, a broken-hearted God placed a curse over them. Genesis 3:16-19 describes the curses God applied to woman and to man as a result of the Fall of mankind.


To the woman He said,
"I will greatly multiply
Your pain in childbirth,
In pain you will bring forth children;
Yet your desire will be for your husband,
And he will rule over you."

Genesis 3:16


There is no mention of a curse of infertility being pronounced on a woman as a result of sin. In fact, childbirth is even mentioned—not the lack of being able to give birth.


Look at Genesis 3:17-19 to see the curse a man must live under as a result of sin entering the world.


17 Then to Adam He said, "Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, 'You shall not eat from it';

Cursed is the ground because of you;
In toil you will eat of it all the days of your life.
18 "Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you;
and you will eat the plants of the field;
19 By the sweat of your face you will eat bread,
Till you return to the ground,
Because from it you were taken;
For you are dust, and to dust you shall return."

Genesis 3:17-19


For the first time, man had to work hard to eat, and thorns made their pointed appearance on the ground. However, there is no mention of a man not being able to produce children as a result of the fall of mankind.


Based on this evidence from Scripture, do you believe that infertility was a part of the curse placed on human beings for the fall of mankind?

-Beth Forbus

 

[QueenKingfish]

Today began our annual staff retreat for our church. It started with a WONDERFUL time of worship and prayer after we all wrote something down that has been weighing heavily on us or consuming us, expecting God to answer it in the next 3 days. I wrote down, "When will we be pregnant?" During the time of worship, one of my very favorite people got the word and said, "Someone here needs to hear this - You have time. Relax." Yup. Thanks, God! I am now trying to accept that as a peace about my biological clock.

A few minutes later I went to the restroom. Bright red, what I thought was AF coming 4 days early (I'm 10 DPO). Devastation set in. Not that I wasn't pregnant, but that I had no idea what was going on with my body. There was no better place I could be - surrounded by my wonderful church family. I got some hugs, a tampon (I was completely unprepared) and some much needed prayer. Luckily, our "retreat" is in town, so when DH was done with baseball practice, he brought me my progesterone, a selection of tampons and a root beer (my favorite). However, when I went in to change the tampon, I got nothing. Still nothing even now. We'll see what tomorrow holds.

I know our Father has this situation in His hands. I know He has a plan for my life. I know he gave me the most amazing husband imaginable, and placed me with an incredible team of kingdom-minded folks to work with. Blessings abound! I am thankful for that. I give Him praise and glory!

 

[Godsjewel]

Today began our annual staff retreat for our church. It started with a WONDERFUL time of worship and prayer after we all wrote something down that has been weighing heavily on us or consuming us, expecting God to answer it in the next 3 days. I wrote down, "When will we be pregnant?" During the time of worship, one of my very favorite people got the word and said, "Someone here needs to hear this - You have time. Relax." Yup. Thanks, God! I am now trying to accept that as a peace about my biological clock.

A few minutes later I went to the restroom. Bright red, what I thought was AF coming 4 days early (I'm 10 DPO). Devastation set in. Not that I wasn't pregnant, but that I had no idea what was going on with my body. There was no better place I could be - surrounded by my wonderful church family. I got some hugs, a tampon (I was completely unprepared) and some much needed prayer. Luckily, our "retreat" is in town, so when DH was done with baseball practice, he brought me my progesterone, a selection of tampons and a root beer (my favorite). However, when I went in to change the tampon, I got nothing. Still nothing even now. We'll see what tomorrow holds.

I know our Father has this situation in His hands. I know He has a plan for my life. I know he gave me the most amazing husband imaginable, and placed me with an incredible team of kingdom-minded folks to work with. Blessings abound! I am thankful for that. I give Him praise and glory!

There is nothing better than being in the presence of God with all your brothers and sisters in Christ.

What perfect words..."You have time. Relax"...we live in a world where we want everything now and when we have to wait for it, we start to get a little upset and very impatient. I'm speaking from experience

I always thought, Lord...I'm getting up there in age...I'm almost hitting mid-thirties...Taylor is already 10 years old...do you know that each year my chances of conceiving go down drastically??? When, Lord...When??? of course I never got a definite answer from Him, but I did get His peace. I just knew without a shadow of doubt that it would happen someday, not when I wanted it, but when He wanted to present me with this precious gift.

Yay for wonderful husbands!!!

 

[Godsjewel]

Abraham & Sarah


If you have struggled with infertility for a long time, you’ve gotta love Abraham and Sarah. Talk about waiting beyond childbearing age. They must have had friends whose grandchildren were beyond childbearing age. Was their 75-80 year struggle with infertility a result of a curse or punishment for past sins?



The first mention of Sarah’s (then called Sarai) barrenness is in Genesis 11:30.


Sarai was barren; she had no child.

Genesis 11:30


There is no mention of a curse or of past sin.


In Genesis 13:16, God speaks to Abraham (then called Abram), the husband of a barren wife, and says


“I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth, so that if anyone can number the dust of the earth, then your descendants can also be numbered.”


An infertile couple. God referring to billions of descendants. Does this sound like a curse or a punishment for past sins?


Read Genesis 17:16.


“I will bless her, and indeed I will give you a son by her. Then I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her."


God speaks to Abraham regarding his infertile wife, Sarah. God promises Abraham a child by Sarah and calls her a mother of nations.


Does this sound like a curse or a punishment for past sins?


Romans 4:3 says that “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness." Does this sound like Abraham was being punished by past sins and the curse placed on him was infertility?


Based on this evidence from Scripture, do you believe Abraham and Sarah carried a curse of infertility?


God used infertility in the life of Abraham and Sarah and fulfilled great and mighty promises He made them through their desire for a child. What will He do in your life?


-Beth Forbus

 

[Godsjewel]

Yesterday we examined the infertility of Abraham and Sarah. Today we’ll look into the infertility story of their grandson, Jacob and his wife, Rachel.


Jacob & Rachel



In the account of Jacob & Rachel and her inability to conceive, where is her barrenness described as a curse?


Now the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, and He opened her womb, but Rachel was barren.

Genesis 29:31


Now when Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, she became jealous of her sister; and she said to Jacob, “Give me children, or else I die.”

Genesis 30:1


(You can read more of Jacob and Rachel’s story in Genesis 29:31-30:1-24; 35:16-18.)


There simply is no mention of Jacob and Rachel’s struggle to conceive a child of their own being a result of a curse or punishment for past sin. Don’t get me wrong--they were far from perfect human beings. Rachel became so jealous of her sister and her fertility that she passed down the trait of jealousy to the sons she was eventually given. However, infertility was not given as a punishment for Rachel’s jealousy. In fact, jealousy was a result of her struggle with infertility.


Genesis 30:23 says that when she conceived, Rachel said “God has taken away my reproach.” The literal definition of the word reproach is “shame, the state in which one finds himself or herself,“ making reference to the societal view of a woman without children being disgraced. Notice that even Rachel did not refer to her infertility as a curse or punishment for past sins.


Based on this evidence from Scripture, do you believe Jacob and Rachel carried a curse of infertility?


God had a plan for Rachel and her family despite her struggle with jealousy. God still worked and moved through their lives. God still works and moves in yours!

-Beth Forbus

 

[Jett55]

Song that's been on my heart lately is still by hillsong
It says, "When the oceans rise and thunders roar
I will soar with You above the storm
Father you are King over the flood
I will be still, know You are God"
Sometimes we feel like we're in the midst of a storm and it looks bad but if we just remember God is with us we don't have to fear. God is in control of the storm we just need to trust Him and let Him take of care of it & know He will. For me that part that speaks to me most is to be still and know He is God sometimes all we need to do is just get quiet in His presence not say anything just be still and let Him mend us.Know He is God and He will never leave us nor forsake us He has our lives in His hands and He knows exactly what He's doing better than we do. Even though sometimes it doesn't seem like it but when we finally let go and let him take control He works things out soo much better than we even imagined. That is how awesome our God is This song has been a real encouragement to me so I hope it encourages you ladies as well. Have a blessed day ladies

 

[minimoocow]

Hello ladies . . . was more of a lurker than a poster a few months back and been away for a while but lovely to come back and see Godsjewel's spoiler - massive congrats!!!

For the rest of you I have found this book very helpful and wanted to tell you about it https://www.amazon.co.uk/Just-two-E...1366317917&sr=8-6&keywords=just+the+two+of+us I've posted on another thread also so hope the double post is ok . . . I promise I have no financial interest in the book sales but I do think everyone should read it!!!

 

[Godsjewel]

We see the thread of infertility running through the family of Abraham and Sarah. Not only did they struggle with infertility, but so did their son and daughter-in-law, Isaac and Rebekah, and their grandson and his wife, Jacob and Rachel! Isn’t it amazing how God brings glory through struggles? Let’s examine the lives of another couple who struggled greatly with the unmet desire for a baby.


Elkanah & Hannah


I believe Hannah’s story has done more to encourage infertility women than any other story in Scripture. Trusting God through the tears, and persevering in prayer. What an example for us to follow. However, Hannah was human and carried with her all the emotions that we do today. There is no doubt that Hannah questioned why she could not have a baby.


Read about Hannah in 1 Samuel 1: 6.


“…the LORD had closed her womb.”


Hannah was infertile because the LORD closed her womb. It was not something that “just happened”. It was a purposeful action by God’s hand. Why do you think God did this? There is no mention of sin. There is no mention of a curse. Why would God allow Hannah to hurt and weep year after year because He chose to close her womb? Was it a punishment?


Go to 1 Samuel 1:19.


“Then they arose early in the morning and worshiped before the LORD, and returned again to their house in Ramah. And Elkanah had relations with Hannah his wife, and the LORD remembered her.”


The literal meaning of the word remembered is “used of God in respect to His covenant promises and is followed by an action to fulfill His covenant.” God wasn’t punishing Hannah and Elkanah for past sins. He wasn’t pronouncing a curse of infertility. He was keeping a covenant promise to this precious couple.


Go one verse further. 1 Samuel 1:20 says this:


“It came about in due time, after Hannah had conceived, that she gave birth to a son:…”


God was keeping a covenant promise and bringing it about at just the right time! What an amazing God we serve. He is able to work through heartache like infertility to bring about His plan in perfect timing.


Based on this evidence from Scripture, do you believe Elkanah and Hannah carried a curse of infertility?


You can read more about Hannah and Elkanah in 1 Samuel 1-2:11.

-Beth Forbus

 

[ProfWife]

Having a very hard day today, ladies. Please pray for us. Another month of negatives...

I think this month we may not even do any tracking or anything. It is the only thing we HAVEN'T tried.

 

[No Doubt]

I'm sorry pro, may God give you peace in this time. There's nothing wrong with a break or switching up how you do things. You have to do what you think is best. Not tracking, telling etc. was the only thing we hadn't tried either. So if you feel that's where you should go then you should go that route.

 

[Jett55]

af showed yesterday morning so been feeling quite upset but def feeling a bit better today though

 

[Godsjewel]

Having a very hard day today, ladies. Please pray for us. Another month of negatives...

I think this month we may not even do any tracking or anything. It is the only thing we HAVEN'T tried.

I'm sorry hun, I now how disheartening it is to constantly see negatives. It might actually help to put away all the things you use to track your ovulation...take this time to relax and enjoy your time with your husband. You might find it to be less stressful, I know I did when I put away everything because it was a constant reminder.

Praying for you

 

[Godsjewel]

af showed yesterday morning so been feeling quite upset but def feeling a bit better today though

It's definitely an emotional time when AF comes and it's ok to feel upset, but I have good news for you...God knows the future and He already sees you with your child in hand...of course it's in His perfect timing.

Glad you're feeling better

 

[Godsjewel]

We’ve looked at the lives of Abraham and Sarah, Jacob and Rachel, and Elkanah and Hannah. Hopefully, you are beginning to see a pattern emerge. Imperfect people serving a perfect God, bringing about His perfect plan for their families. Let’s look now at a couple who seemed to live a perfect life—but had no child. Could there be some hidden curse or sin lurking beneath the surface?


Zacharias & Elizabeth


Some people assume that if they are not able to conceive and carry a child to term, it is God’s way of punishing them for past sins, even if those sins have been confessed and cleansed by the blood of Jesus. Although it is true that some events of our past can carry consequences into our future, evidence we find from Scripture shows that God can use infertility to bring about His glory no matter how damaged or how spotless our pasts can be.


How did God describe Zacharias and Elizabeth? The answer is found in Luke 1:6-7:


“They were both righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years.”


Righteous. Blameless. Barren?


Can you find a record of a curse or of past sins in this account? No. Rather, we are told of their righteousness and blamelessness.


In Luke 1:13 and 19, the angel Gabriel speaks to Zacharias. He tells him he has been sent from God to speak to him and bring him good news. (Notice that this angel was not sent to speak a curse over them or to declare punishment.) He told Zacharias that even in their old age, Elizabeth would bear a son.


After Elizabeth became pregnant she said (verse 25) “This is the way the Lord has dealt with me in the days when He looked with favor upon me, to take away my disgrace among men.” Like Rachel, Elizabeth did not refer to her infertility as a punishment or a curse, but again, referred to it as a societal view of barren women. She didn’t even describe it as disgrace in God’s eyes, but only in the eyes of man.


Based on this evidence from Scripture, do you believe Zacharias and Elizabeth carried a curse of infertility?


Once again, we see God withholding conception for a while, so that His perfect will would be accomplished. This child would be the forerunner of the Messiah. What if God had not intervened with infertility in the lives of this family? John the Baptist would not have been born at the perfect time in history and might not have been able to go before Christ.


Think beyond today. Realize that God sees your entire future, not just the two-week wait or day 28. He holds your future in the palm of His hand. God and only God can take something as devastating as infertility and turn it for your good and His glory. It is our prayer that you will trust Him through the difficult days learn to rely fully on His plan for your life.


You can read the entire story of Zacharias and Elizabeth and their infertility journey in Luke 1:5-80.

-Beth Forbus

 

[Godsjewel]

Happy Birthday Kim (BRK06)!!!

Praying blessings for you today and throughout the year

 

[uwa_amanda]

Just wanted to stop by real quick to let everyone know that I'm okay. I'm not feeling 100% yet about everything but I'm getting there. This has been the hardest year of my life emotionally. I appreciate everyone's prayers and support. You have no idea how much it means to me. LTTTC is the most lonely place in the world to be in if you don't have faith in God's timing. Sometimes I have trouble with that. Once again I appreciate everyone's prayers.

 

[No Doubt]

Jett, I'm sorry about af showing. Glad you are feeling better though!

Happy bday BRK!

Amanda, glad to hear from you. We are always praying for you hun!

 

[Godsjewel]

Just wanted to stop by real quick to let everyone know that I'm okay. I'm not feeling 100% yet about everything but I'm getting there. This has been the hardest year of my life emotionally. I appreciate everyone's prayers and support. You have no idea how much it means to me. LTTTC is the most lonely place in the world to be in if you don't have faith in God's timing. Sometimes I have trouble with that. Once again I appreciate everyone's prayers.

Praise God! I'm so glad you are doing better

I know you have been on this journey the longest and I pray that God blesses you overly and abundantly all you could ever ask or think.

God didn't put that desire in your heart for no reason, I don't know how it will happen or when, but I do know we serve a God who is always on time.

 

[Godsjewel]

Cast your burden upon the LORD and He will sustain you...

Psalm 55:22


You’ll never believe the email I’m going to share with you! What would your response be to this woman?


Hey Beth,


I just thought I’d check in with you and let you know how I’ve been doing. I have been in an accident. My friend and I were both injured. I broke my left leg and she broke her right arm, and her left wrist. It was quite upsetting, as you can imagine! Before long, there was a crowd of people standing around staring at us, and soon we could hear the sound of sirens signaling the arrival of the ambulance.


Apparently when an on-looker called for help, they didn’t realize we were both hurt, and only one ambulance came. The paramedics jumped out and began their assessments of us both. Of course, as any good friend would do, I refused treatment. My friend was hurting and I wanted to be sure that she got the help she needed. I was in pain, too, but I didn’t want to take the time or attention of the paramedics when I knew she needed help. It was apparent that her injury was more severe than mine, so I decided that I would tend to my own wounds myself. I figured I could survive with my leg broken easier than she could function with a badly broken arm. I am walking with a limp now, but I’ll survive.


Ridiculous? Of course it is. What would you say to her? Why in this world would someone refuse the help they needed just because their friend was also hurt and possibly had more severe injuries? Why would she ignore her own pain simply because her friend experienced more pain?


Why would you apologize for the frustration of infertility simply due to the fact that someone else has struggled longer? Your friend has not only suffered through infertility but also struggles to survive the loss of her baby. Why should this mean that you ignore the pain of your own infertility? When someone else experiences great pain, it does not diminish your own.


Obviously, this is not a true email. It would be unheard of for someone to refuse help if they were hurt in a car accident. Doesn’t infertility seem to make your life an emotional wreck? Even if infertility is a new battle in your life, it hurts. It’s frustrating. Some women almost feel guilty for feeling upset when they hear the heartbreaking stories of those who have been walking infertility’s road for a long time. I’ve heard so many women say, “I guess I shouldn’t feel this way. It’s only been a few months since I was diagnosed. A woman at work has had four miscarriages. What’s wrong with me? Why am I so self-centered?”


If you are hurt or frustrated over your own infertility, don’t compare yourself with someone who has been in the fight to conceive longer than you, or who has suffered the crushing blow of miscarriage. Don’t be afraid to join support groups or seek godly counsel for this period in your life, even if others involved have “better stories” than you. There is no doubt that others battles are hard. Chances are, even if you have faced infertility for several years, you will find someone who has struggled longer than you or has had more situations to deal with than you have. But your hurt is still real. Your hurt is still important. And if it’s important to you, it’s important to God.


Psalm 55:22 exhorts us to cast our burdens on the Lord, and He will sustain us. It doesn’t say that you need to wait until the load you bear outweighs all the burdens of those around you before you call on the Name of the Lord to help you. It simply invites you to cast your burdens on the Lord and He’ll sustain you. He’ll sustain you through each period. He’ll sustain you through each test. He’ll sustain you. Period.

-Beth Forbus

 

[Yukki2011]

Having a very hard day today, ladies. Please pray for us. Another month of negatives...

I think this month we may not even do any tracking or anything. It is the only thing we HAVEN'T tried.

Will be praying.