Christian ladies TTC, we can encourage one another.

[markswife10]

HisGrace, praying for your LO!

Congrats No Doubt!!!! Definitely praying for your recovery and for your LO

 

[Godsjewel]

He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray; and when it was evening, He was there alone.
Matthew 14:23

How long has it been since you’ve read the story of Jesus walking on the water and calming the storm? Did you think about what it must have been like for the petrified disciples that night as they wondered where Jesus was while the winds were howling? Your heart must have had a lot in common with them as they wondered why Jesus wasn’t showing up.

“God, why did You abandon me when I needed You most? Are you as afraid as I am? Do You really know everything? Then why didn’t You help my doctor find the problem in time? Jesus, did the death of my baby catch You off guard? If You are really in control, why didn’t You stop my early labor? God, where were You in my storm?”

Maybe anger is the storm that surrounds your life. Your fury churns like deep waters when you wonder where God was when your baby lost the battle for life. Friend, if this is the cry of your wounded heart, don’t abandon ship just yet. The answer is coming—walking straight to you on the waters of your hurt.

Allow me to direct your attention to verse 23 of Matthew chapter 14. “After He had sent the crowds away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray;” (You’ll also find this nugget of truth in John 6:15 and Mark 6:46.) Jesus had not abandoned them. Not even for a moment. Rather, He was doing the most important thing He could have done while His friends were having a problem. He was praying.

Do you realize that Jesus prays for you? He was praying for you long before you ever knew you’d have a problem with your pregnancy. Long before you drew your first breath, long before you realized that your baby never would, Jesus prayed for you. How do we know? Look at Hebrews 7:24-25: “…but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.” (NIV) Jesus is interceding to God the Father for us! Jesus stands face to face with God and talks to Him about you! Can you imagine what He says? “Father, these are my children. The death of their baby has been so hard on them. But Your grace is sufficient for even so great a hurt as this. Send the comfort of the Holy Spirit to them.” Jesus sits at the right hand of God—the power side of God—and speaks to God on your behalf (Romans 8:34)! When your hurt is too deep for words and you find that you cannot even pray for yourself, Romans 8:26 tells you that the Spirit Himself intercedes for you with groanings too deep for words.

Never forget, friend. Jesus prays for you!

Taken from When Love & Sorrow Embrace: The Sufficiency of God’s Grace Through the Heartache of Miscarriage by Beth Forbus, (c) 2006

 

[Yukki2011]

HisGrace - praying for Ethan as well.

Nodoubt : Also praying for a quick recovery. Hope you are starting to feel better soon.

 

[Godsjewel]

Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.
Galatians 6:9

You’ll never believe what happened!

I was sitting in my home, doing something that surely must have been really important, when I flipped the local news on. The reporter excitedly told the story about how the President of the United States had visited our fair city. Since we’re not one of the biggest in the nation, that was kind of exciting. Then I noticed where the reporter was standing--right down the road from my house! What? The most powerful man on the planet was within walking distance, and I didn’t even know! (I thought I felt an unusual surge of patriotism for some reason!) I had no idea that there was a Presidential motorcade speeding through my neighborhood! I didn’t even notice the Secret Service men peering in my windows to make sure I was no threat to National Security! I could not believe that so much was happening right down the road and I didn’t even know!

Who is to say that this is not what’s happening in your infertility story? Maybe, just maybe, there are big things happening right down the road, and you don’t even know about it. It can get so hard to keep on trusting God, to keep believing in His plan for your life and your family. You may not even realize how He is working and moving you toward His beautifully designed dream for you, but that doesn’t thwart His plan. Just because I didn’t know the President was here certainly didn’t mean he had to stop the Presidential motorcade and sit still in the middle of the road until someone found my cell phone number, dialed me up and informed me of what was happening! “Yes, Mr. President. Please feel free to travel down my street. Now that I know you’re working here today, you are welcome to continue!” You don’t have to know all the details of God’s plan for your life, or even know that He’s working for His plan to be carried out.

Many people in our city complained about all the traffic delays the day the President was in town. Some people knew he was here and understood the upheaval, while others were clueless to the reason for the traffic shutdown. Regardless, the President had to be protected, and that meant that some streets had to be closed for a time.

Consider the idea that the delays in your life may be the same. Your heart needs to be protected. Your family needs to be protected. Perhaps the delays you experience in your journey--absence of finances, setbacks in medical treatments, another “negative” month--are simply God’s way of protecting you. It doesn’t mean He’s forgotten you. It means He’s working.

Scripture encourages us to not lose heart. Galatians 6:9 says Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. Keep doing good for the Lord. Keep serving Him. Keep believing in Him and His plan, even if you do not know what is happening. In due time, you’ll reap a harvest. A harvest of children? Maybe. A harvest of satisfaction? A harvest of peace? He is the Prince of Peace, you know. You never know what blessings are just down the road!

-Beth Forbus

 

[xxx_faithful]

Hi all, how are we all doing this week? Fill us all in on how your going emotionally xx

Hi my dear

I'm struggling a little bit...I keep thinking about where I would be at in my pregnancy. I would be 13 weeks and would probably have passed the nausea and not so fun stuff and would have let the rest of the world know we were pregnant.

I just get a little sad at times

I feel like if I'm blessed with another pregnancy, I won't be able to live in complete joy with the fear of how it's going to turn out. Will I only be able to relax once I have a baby in my arms?

This miscarriage really threw me for a loop. I never thought this would happen. I thought my trust and faith in God during my years of ttc was going to be enough to bring a healthy baby into my life.

I really pray that no one else has to go through this journey in their life. It's hard because there is nothing you could do to stop if from happening. You go from having one of the best days of your life hearing you're pregnant to being devastated months later finding out your child is gone.

I'm tired, tired of thinking of what could have been, tired of wondering if this is ever going to work for me, tired of going to the fertility docs and all the injections and ultrasounds....just tired.

Sar, i'm so sorry i only just read this. I need to check this more often... reading your msg brought me to tears.

Hun i know how you feel, having gone through the difficulty of conceiving and then having a BFP to then be told the baby is no longer with you will do it to you. It will shake your faith in believing how you will respond next time, and you can try and think how you will be at the time when you told your pregnant again, but you just wont know how you will take it. When you would ask me month in month out along my pregnancy journey how i was going, i would always convert the conversation back to you as i did not want to face my BFP despite having tried for so long. I was in denial that i was pregnant again incase i lost it.

I was praising God in church.. roughly around 6mths and i was confused with God why i was STIILL not happy and i felt like the only thing i could do is give the child to God. Declare the life in my womb to him entirely. Afterall the child IS NOT OUR OWN, but a temporary gift given to us. We are if only, looking after the child while we are here, it is infact God's child. And so from that point on i promised i would do my very best to look after her, and cherish her, and take in all the emotion, as much as it hurt my past, i would choose to be happy and KNOW this is God's baby in my womb. I also had a conversation with God that night and it went a little like this.....

ME: God how can i be rest assure everything will work out this time?
GOD: Because i have implanted this child and her purpose within you.
ME: Yes, but my body has failed me in the past, my body is not perfect.
GOD: You dont need to be, I AM. You are only but a vessel in my will for her. Your job is to raise her up to know me. Leave the rest to me.

I pray Sar, that when you are in the moment again very soon, and you are infact feeling fearful. I want you to remember that God says in the bible. FEAR NOT, for he is with you. Keep those words close to you now.. so when you are blessed again in your womb. You will say aloud, FEAR NOT.


XXX

 

[xxx_faithful]

Hi all, how are we all doing this week? Fill us all in on how your going emotionally xx

Hi my dear

I'm struggling a little bit...I keep thinking about where I would be at in my pregnancy. I would be 13 weeks and would probably have passed the nausea and not so fun stuff and would have let the rest of the world know we were pregnant.

I just get a little sad at times

I feel like if I'm blessed with another pregnancy, I won't be able to live in complete joy with the fear of how it's going to turn out. Will I only be able to relax once I have a baby in my arms?

This miscarriage really threw me for a loop. I never thought this would happen. I thought my trust and faith in God during my years of ttc was going to be enough to bring a healthy baby into my life.

I really pray that no one else has to go through this journey in their life. It's hard because there is nothing you could do to stop if from happening. You go from having one of the best days of your life hearing you're pregnant to being devastated months later finding out your child is gone.

I'm tired, tired of thinking of what could have been, tired of wondering if this is ever going to work for me, tired of going to the fertility docs and all the injections and ultrasounds....just tired.

Your despair is so normal and completely justified. Sadly, TTCAL is so much harder and so much scarier. And nothing anyone says or does can calm your fears or heal your worry. But you are not alone. Being a miscarriage and stillbirth Mom, I never feel safe while pregnant. Its a very lonely and time consuming feeling. I have seen God work miracles in others lives, for instance. My friend G who is now pregnant with twin girls after trying for 13 years, having 4 miscarriages, and 3 IVF rounds. She never gave up hope. I pray you find the strength to endure.

Please share more on your experience... wow you must be ONE INCREDIBLE WOMAN. A miscarriage and a stillborn, i cant begin to imagine your courage and strength. I have experienced miscarriage, but how does one get through a stillborn? I already know i will be inspired by your words.

Bless you VGibs, God has mighty things in store for you. Sorry i am out of the loop, where are you currently at in your journey?

Much love XXX

 

[Godsjewel]

I have the sweetest friend. He is pretty amazing! He thinks I am wonderful no matter what I say, what I do or what I look like. It’s really hard to find a friend like this, you know! Every time he sees me, he acts like I am the greatest thing he’s ever seen. If I allow it, he goes with me everywhere I go. If I tell him he can’t go, he looks like it absolutely breaks his heart. That beautiful, auburn hair and those dark brown eyes get to me every time. So does his cute, little wet nose and wagging tail. Yep. I’ve got a bad case of puppy love!

You see, there are few friends in life like a friend who sticks as close as my new puppy. He loves me and wants to stay with me all throughout my day. He’s almost like a living magnet--sticking with me through thick and thin.

But there’s a Friend who sticks even closer than a puppy! Jesus Christ is your friend who will never, ever leave your side. Scripture is full of this reassurance. It’s almost like Jesus’ Friendship Resume’.

Family can be a great source of support through this struggle with infertility. Unfortunately, some cannot enjoy the blessing of strong families, or are loved by those who cannot understand the heartache that infertility brings. What then?

There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
Proverbs 18:24

But what if your infertility struggle has lasted far longer than you ever imagined? Will He stay with you through the years?
I am with you always, even to the end of the age
Matthew 28:20

It seems that all of your friends have children. You feel like you stand alone.

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified..., for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you."
Deuteronomy 31:6

The future is uncertain! How can you cope when you do not know what the years ahead will hold? Will there be children or will I have to walk through life alone?

The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged."
Deuteronomy 31:8

All these promises sound great, but they were written to people living thousands of years ago! I’m not riding camels to work today! I’m fighting traffic to get to the fertility clinic for more bloodwork! How do I know these promises are for me?

May the LORD our God be with us as he was with our fathers; may he never leave us nor forsake us.
1 Kings 8:57

As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.
Joshua 1:5

The greatest love story ever?

Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.
John 15:13

So you have a friend in Jesus! He’ll never leave no matter the intensity of your struggle with infertility, or how long you must fight. You have a Friend who sticks closer than a brother-or a puppy!

-Beth Forbus

 

[BRK06]

HisGrace-Praying for you and your sweet little one... I have faith that God can make him strong! (And you too!) please keep us updated

NoDoubt- Congrats!! Praying for your quick healing! Rest when you can

 

[HisGrace]

Thank you to everyone for your prayers. His last test came back normal and he is home! All glory goes to God!

 

[ProfWife]

HisGrace - So happy for you both!! Can't get over how adorable he is!!

 

[No Doubt]

So glad you guys are home hisgrace!

 

[Godsjewel]

“Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us...” Ephesians 3:20

My husband and I had the privilege of knowing an amazing missionary and calling him friend. He and his wife have served God for many years, and some of those years led them to Africa. He once shared a story with us from their days carrying the gospel to the people of Nigeria.

While he and his family were faithfully ministering to the people of a small Nigerian village, they hired a man named Nacho to help them with daily chores. (Yes, there really was a Nigerian man named Nacho.) Snakes were a big problem there and when the grass around their home grew high, so did the population of snakes. Nacho was hired to cut the tall grass around the home with a machete. As payment for his work, he was promised 20 lira a month.

Over the course of time, my Missionary wanted to bless Nacho more. He called Nacho aside and told him he wanted to give him 30 lira a month instead of 20. “No suh! No suh! You promised 20 lira! I want 20 lira!” Imagine the shock on my friend’s face when Nacho refused this blessing! “You not give me 30 lira! Want 20 lira!” Nacho was adamant that he wanted 20 lira as promised! Then it dawned on my friend--Nacho didn’t understand that 30 lira was more than 20 lira! He thought he was being given less, when my friend was actually trying to give him more!

Do you ever feel like God is trying to give you less than He has promised? He says He’ll give you the desires of your heart, yet your heart still yearns for a baby. He says He knows what you have need of before you ask, yet your arms and your nursery are still empty. Have you ever felt like a Nigerian man named Nacho telling the man in charge that he’s not giving you what he promised?

Why did Nacho get so upset over the thought of receiving 30 lira instead of 20? He didn’t understand the plan. He didn’t realize that my friend was working things out to bless him more than he expected. There was a language barrier. Nacho didn’t understand everything being told him because he didn’t have as firm a grasp on the English language. Eventually he realized my friend wasn’t going to mistreat him, and actually had a great plan to bless him.

Why does infertility make us feel like God has forgotten us, giving us infertility instead of fertility? We don’t understand God’s plan. We don’t realize during the dark days that He really is working things out to bless us even more than we could ever expect. We have a language barrier sometimes. We are told to give thanks in everything, yet sometimes we can do nothing but tell God how He doesn’t understand how much we want a baby, or question His ability or His motives. We simply don’t have the grasp of the eternal scheme of things that God uses to work things for our good. Eventually, we can see that God isn’t mistreating us, and that He really does have a great plan for our lives.

Even through the confusion of infertility, know that God really is able to do exceeding, abundantly above all that we can ask or think. When you cannot understand how infertility can be a great blessing in your life, just remember that you are like Nacho. Trust God through the confusion, trust Him in the dark days. Trust Him when His magnificent plan is as confusing as 30 lira.

-Beth Forbus

 

[Jett55]

Hello ladies a little update on the fia team this Sunday we'll be going to a church where the pastor just passed away recently & another church that'd had broke off from that church. There's been a lot of confusion & stuff so just pray that all will go well & we'll be an encouragement. be blessed ladies

 

[Godsjewel]

How long, O LORD? Will You forget me forever?

How long will You hide Your face from me?

How long shall I take counsel in my soul,

Having sorrow in my heart all the day?

How long will my enemy be exalted over me?

Consider and answer me, O LORD my God;

Enlighten my eyes, or I will sleep the sleep of death,

And my enemy will say, "I have overcome him,"

And my adversaries will rejoice when I am shaken.

But I have trusted in Your lovingkindness;

My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation.

I will sing to the LORD,

Because He has dealt bountifully with me.
Psalm 13

My husband and I were out running errands and as we were driving, my husband began to pray and ask God’s blessings on our day. As he does every morning, he prayed aloud over our family, asking for God’s provision and protection, and praying for lost loved ones. It really is a magnificent blessing to hear your husband pray over you this way.

All of a sudden, some goofball decided that the road was built just for him and careened a little too close to our car. My husband hit the brakes and the horn simultaneously. We skidded to a stop close enough to the other car to read the cursing lips of the other driver. Fortunately, nothing happened--except that I couldn’t breathe right for about 45 seconds.

As we continued on our errands I realized something. My husband wasn’t praying anymore. He was only about half way through his prayer over our day when we were scared half stupid in traffic, but we continued on our way and he had stopped praying. I looked over at him and asked if he was finished praying. “Oh. No, I wasn’t finished. I guess I just got distracted.” With that, he continued thanking God for His many, many blessings--including us not getting in an accident--and asked for His continued blessing over our day.

Has infertility been to your prayer life what our near-miss was to ours? Has your disappointment over repeated failed treatments caused you to get so distracted that you don’t pray about anything else but infertility? Maybe you’ve stopped talking to God altogether. It’s easy to stop praying when it’s hard to keep going with month after month of an apparent silence from your Father. Have you found it hard to keep praying through the continuing struggle with infertility?

If it feels like you have prayed to no avail, that God doesn’t hear your cry for a baby, perhaps you feel like David must have felt when he penned his frustration in Psalm 13. “How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever?” Maybe David felt like clamming up and not talking to God anymore. Maybe you have too. Maybe the start of your period slammed you like the car that almost slammed into mine last weekend. If your prayer life has been halted or discontinued, why not follow David’s lead?

David was hurting and frustrated, but he told God about it. “I’m so frustrated with this, that I feel like I’ll die!” David didn’t stop with telling God how it hurt. He went on to remind God--and himself--that he still trusted in God, and rejoiced in the salvation God has offered. Why not do the same? Remember who He is as you pour your heart and your frustrations out to God. If infertility makes it hard to sing praises to God, why not open the pages of your Bible and pray the Psalms back to God? Many of them were written by a man who understood frustration, and even experienced the death of his own baby. You can find words to express how your heart feels even if you cannot voice them yourself.

Don’t let infertility stop you from praying. Don’t let infertility keep you from talking with God about all areas of your life. Offer praise to the God who loves you and is constantly working in your life--even through infertility.

-Beth Forbus

 

[Godsjewel]

Hi Ladies!

It's been awhile since I did a regular post and wanted to see how everyone is doing.

I've be doing really good and know it's because God is doing a work in me. Through this miscarriage, I have learned some things about myself and am grateful that with God's help I am able to turn this situation for the good.

I started spotting yesterday and had reddish/brown spotting this morning. Hopefully this means AF is coming and my body is back on track Weird to be excited about AF As soon as it starts, I will need to contact the doctor to get blood work done to make sure my pregnancy hormones have gone down to zero. If not, another pregnancy will not happen.

As for home life, Taylor's last day of 4th grade was on Friday. She is now on summer vacation. This week she is staying with my in-laws, they will be taking her to the fair and this Friday we get to go to a theme park. I love me some roller coasters!!! She will be going back and forth between family members as both my husband and I work full time.

This summer we will be having a couple visits from friends and family and then in August we are heading to Lake Tahoe to stay at my sis-in-laws condo to go on the boat and just hang out at the lake. Should be fun

Anybody have any plans this summer?

 

[Godsjewel]

All eyes were on the bride as she paraded down the petal lined aisle, but mine were fixed on the groom. I had loved him for more years than she had even known him and I know he loved me too. Had anyone noticed me in those sacred moments, they probably would have thought I was caught in the emotion of the exchange of the couple’s vows, but they were wrong. I was remembering her look and her tears streaming down, brought on by his words only moments before the service began, and I found myself smiling.

You see, the bridegroom was my nephew, and I have loved him since his birth. Indeed, when all eyes were locked on his stunningly gorgeous bride, I looked straight at Philip, and I loved what I saw. It thrilled me as I watched waves of emotion wash over his face and tears cascade down his cheeks as the love his life sashayed down the aisle to joyfully and freely give herself to him. As this couple promised to love each other until they draw their final breaths, I remembered how moments before their sacred ceremony publicly began, Philip prayed over his bride, thanking God for bringing her into his life, and her tears of gratitude freely flowed. I found myself smiling. There are few things in this life more beautiful than the joining of a couple brought together by God’s own design.

As Christians, we are the bride of Christ. Just as my nephew was breathless at the sight of his bride on his wedding day, Jesus is breathlessly in love with us. Sometimes we forget our value and worth in His eyes when we view ourselves in the mirror of infertility. We gaze at our image and see scars of miscarriage or childlessness and cannot begin to imagine how One like Jesus could desire such a bride. But our worth is not found in our ability to conceive. Our worth is found in the sacrifice made for us by our Bridegroom. He is the Love of our lives who prays for us with an understanding that no one else could ever possibly possess. (John 17:20) The love of the One who rejoices with us when life is good and refuses to leave us when we hurt is what gives us our unfathomable worth. (Deuteronomy 31:8) Our Groom rejoices over us with singing even when we cannot imagine what He can find to sing about. (Zephaniah 3:17) This is the Bridegroom who has an amazing plan for our future, even when it includes infertility or loss. (Jeremiah 29:11)

-Beth Forbus

 

[uwa_amanda]

Hi Ladies!

It's been awhile since I did a regular post and wanted to see how everyone is doing.

I've be doing really good and know it's because God is doing a work in me. Through this miscarriage, I have learned some things about myself and am grateful that with God's help I am able to turn this situation for the good.

I started spotting yesterday and had reddish/brown spotting this morning. Hopefully this means AF is coming and my body is back on track Weird to be excited about AF As soon as it starts, I will need to contact the doctor to get blood work done to make sure my pregnancy hormones have gone down to zero. If not, another pregnancy will not happen.

As for home life, Taylor's last day of 4th grade was on Friday. She is now on summer vacation. This week she is staying with my in-laws, they will be taking her to the fair and this Friday we get to go to a theme park. I love me some roller coasters!!! She will be going back and forth between family members as both my husband and I work full time.

This summer we will be having a couple visits from friends and family and then in August we are heading to Lake Tahoe to stay at my sis-in-laws condo to go on the boat and just hang out at the lake. Should be fun

Anybody have any plans this summer?

We don't have much going on this summer yet. It sure feels like summer here has already started! Our highs have been in the 90's all week. I hate Deep South heat! LoL. It gets so humid around here.

We usually go to Florida every year for vacation but we are probably not going to get to go this year. We are probably going to ride down to Mobile and spend a weekend down there in late August...barring any hurricanes.

 

[Godsjewel]

We don't have much going on this summer yet. It sure feels like summer here has already started! Our highs have been in the 90's all week. I hate Deep South heat! LoL. It gets so humid around here.

We usually go to Florida every year for vacation but we are probably not going to get to go this year. We are probably going to ride down to Mobile and spend a weekend down there in late August...barring any hurricanes.

Were you born in Alabama? I have visited Florida before and I don't know how anyone can stand the humidity. I look like a crazy poodle with my curly hair...lol!

 

[ProfWife]

I've lived in FL my whole life. You get used to the humidity. A FL summer is simply meant to be spent beach side (considering I'm in the dead center of the state - not much beach around here. I spend the summer running from one a/c spot to another ).

 

[Jett55]

We don't have any summer plans since dh works most of the time. But we might go to a theme park or something fun not real sure yet. Hoping to go to the zoo sometime with my sister & my nephews we'll just see where this summer takes us. I know there will be much hanging out with a/c & going to get snow cones