Heart’s Desire – Finding Strength and Direction from God

[cathann]

Hello ladies, happy Sunday! You all are too kind. I wanted to tell you about something I heard today.

Today I went to "cowboy church" at a local horse show. The "preacher" asked if anyone had seen any miracles lately. I thought to myself, "yeah, every day is a miracle, every time the sun comes up it is a miracle, every breath we take is a miracle." Anyway, he went on to tell a moving story about his 7 year old son who said some very specific prayers during a wildfire close to their home. Every one of his son's prayers were answered. Yes, miracles DO happen.

So, while I still consider some of our most basic, taken for granted things are miracles, I KNOW that there are some biggies left out there for us! Pray and believe with child-like faith, God is listening.

Peace to you all!
Cathann

[waitingforMia]

Hello Sisters!!!
My pastor was preaching on things with eternal value and he reminded me that relationships with our sisters in Christ are eternal and worthy of our time :0) I thought of y'all!!!

Cathann: On that note I was teasing my RE today as he was doing the u/s and said is this your idea of keeping the sabbath day holy, and the nurse said, well we are working in miracles Yep, so many miracles surround us every day!

Sonu: Thanks for the list And thanks for sharing your story. IF is tough and it can either shatter your world or make you stronger. SOunds like you have allowed it to make you stronger

Nic:Hey what time do you want me to meet you at the spa?? I was hoping to go to CO for my anniversary next month, but I will be in the 2ww and won't be able to ski... maybe next year! AF will come eventually, in the meanwhile try to enjoy the days you don't have to stick yourslef like a pincushion!!

Chriss: Hey you! Lurk all you want! And you are welcome to post as well!!

Hope: Did AF visit you today??? Praying she gets here SOOOOONNN!!

Indie: What have you been up to???

Well I have ER on Tuesday! And I am ready. My lining looks good, I have nice size follies, and everyting seems to be going smoothly! I am so confident taht this will work this time, but I continue to pray "Thy will be done!"

MP

[IndieBlue]

Well, I just wanted to stop in and say thank you for all your prayers Please keep them coming LOL My husband and I had a long talk on the way to visit family yesterday and he said he was open to it, that I knew him...he loved big families. He said that he just had some things he wanted to get done first (paying off some bills, and getting my oldest sons room finished). I can handle that LOL

The debt will be paid off by April so I'm really really hoping to begin with my journey in June (unless the RE's office thinks it's better to wait until after vacation in October, since it's a pretty busy vacation...Disney).

While I'm excited....I just keep thinking about how it still may not end in a pregnancy We're only trying twice (one fresh and one frozen) so while I'm trying to be optimistic it's hard when you see so many BFN's on the board daily.

So how about an update from everyone....where is everyone in the journey?

[Hope644]

Happy Sunday, Ladies-

Thank you all for your posts and for your prayers. I've had a lazy day today, including sleeping in and not going to church, so I'm not feeling great about things... but I'll snap out of it.

Chriss - thanks for popping in to say hi! You're always welcome to join in, we'd love to have you!!

Nikki - Glad you enjoyed your spa day!!! What a nice experience that is! I have a gift certificate I need to use very soon at the Red Door. Reminds me, I need to make that appointment soon!! SOOOO... any sign of AF??? SIX WEEKS after negative beta??? I'm feeling bloated and yucky, so I'm hoping that's a good sign. I sure don't want to have to wait 2 more weeks feeling like this. OH WELL. Speaking of PATIENCE!!! Some times I think God is giving me lots of lessions in patience... now I've I'd just learn!

Sonu - thanks for your guidelines... they were very helpful - one of those things I should print and post on my bulletin board for daily reminders! how you doing hun?

Cathann - Cowboy Church!? Wow. That sounds like fun. It is a beautiful thing to be reminded of the innocent wonder of the faith of children. What a blessing! Thanks for reminding us that He is BIGGER than all our problems and He listens and He cares!!

MP/Mia - thanks for thinking of us. I was listening to a radio program the other day and the pastor was talking about the time and effort that goes into friendships and how valuable they are. I thought of you all too. I know we have only "known" each other for a very short time (do I sound like a cheesy love song? ) but it has been wonderful having you guys out there... knowing we share our IF experiencesa and more importantly, the love of Christ. Thanks for being there! Tuesday is the big day!!! Praying for a very safe procedure and big, lovely follies, nice and ripe and ready to be fertilized to grow into perfect little embies!!!

Weezie???? Are you out there? Are you having ER tomorrow?? Whether tomorrow, Tuesday or whenever, you are in our prayers, sweetie! Praying for your beautiful little follies growing into lovely little embies too!!!

Princess - How are you feeling, sweetie??? Do you have a scan coming up?? Thinking of you and praying your little bean continues to grow strong and big in mommy's tummy!

Shelly and Angela - Haven't heard much from you guys lately either... thinking of you and praying for you... hope you can join in soon...

Indie! God is so good!! It is amazing! Glad to hear that you and DH are on the same page again. Whether it's June or October, I'm sure you all will do what you can when the time is right. You are right, it is hard to stay optimistic when we see the BFNs out there... but we ALL have to focus on the BFPs! There are tons of them too!!! All His little miracles...

Yes, please, updates from folks would be lovely! We can focus our prayers better when we know what to pray for!!!

As for me... Still waiting for AF. I'm hoping she'll show before Friday. Friday will be 8 weeks since the D&C. If I haven't seen any signs by then, I think I'm going to call my RE (and maybe my LAc) to see if there is anything we can or should do to get things rolling... tho after Nikki's post, I'm thinking they'll tell me no...

So.... whenever she decides to show, I'll call my RE and get started on BCPs for 3 weeks before starting stimming in Round 3. Got the BCPs on stand by - just waiting for the green light!

Love & hugs to you all.....

[Hope644]

MP/Mia- Prayers for God's will, for healthy follies and a safe, fruitful ER on TUESDAY 1/29
Weezie - Prayers for healthy follies and a safe, fruitful ER on 1/28??
Angela - Prayers for the upcoming FET - Jan 08
Nikki - Prayers for healing and cycle regulation (AF's arrival) and healthy, fruitful upcoming FET!!
Indie - Prayer for God's will and direction as well as health in the months leading up to IVF (Maybe June 08 ).
Princess - BFP on 1/18!!
Hope - Prayer for healing and cycle regulation (AF's arrival) and strength in the upcoming IVF cycle
Sonu - Prayer for upcoming FET - March 08
Chelly - Prayer for comfort and encouragement through the IVF process
Cathann - Prayer for healthy follies and a safe and fruitful ER/ET - WHEN??
Chriss - Prayers for continued inspiration and encouragement as you go through the IVF process.

Thank you, Lord, for the many blessings you have given us. Thank you for each and every person on this list. Please bless us and help us to know your will for our lives and Lord, to seek your will in all we do. Thank you God, for the blessing we have been to each other in this short time together. Please bless our friendships as we honor You! And help us, Father, to encourage and support one another through joy and laughter as well as through sorrow and tears. Teach us Lord, to love one another and others as You love us.

Draw us nearer to You, Lord, as we go through this process. Lord, whatever the path you have chosen for us, show us the way You want us to go. Grant us peace and comfort in your loving arms, Father Abba. Help us to know how our struggles and our suffering are important to you and how you long for us to grow through them and lean on You. Help us to know how to pray and for what to pray. Convict us in the areas of our lives that need correction and guide us back to the paths of fulfillment, sanctification, and righteousness.

In the Name of Your Precious Son, Jesus, Amen.

[chriss]

Hello everyone, yes Mia, you caught me lurking. I can't help it. your posts inspire me and give me strength. I am going to spend some time reading the thread to try to get to know you girls. That may take some time. I am finally catching up on another thread. thanks for the inspiration everyone. -chriss

[kildean23]

Hello All:

I am new to this thread and this is my first IVF. I am currently waiting on ER which is to take place on Thursday. I am so happy that this thread was started. I do my devotion and prayer every morning. It is going to take me a while to go back and read through all these posts.

I have a verse that I would like to post that encourages me:

Genesis 15: 1-6

“ After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.” But Abram said, O sovereign Lord what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus? And Abram said, You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir. Then the word of the Lord came to him: This man will not be your heir, but a son coming from your own body will be your heir. He took him outside and said, “look up at the heavens and count the stars-if indeed you can count them. then he said to him, so shall your offspring be. Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.

Hebrews 11:1, 11-12

“Now Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. By faith Abraham, even though he was past age – and Sarah herself was barren-was enabled to become a father because he considered him faithful who had made the promise. And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.”

Matthew 7: 7-8

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

And a daily parayer that I pray and I will pray this prayer for each and everyone of you as well:

Lord, We pray that we are able to receive these beautiful blessings you are about to give us. We pray for perfect health for us and babies. We thank you in advance. Give the doctors the right protocol. Keep us relaxed and stressed free, for we know that if we ask and believe we shall receive!

Amen

[chriss]

Hello girls, well I did it, I just re-read all 7 pages so that I could try to get a handle on everyone. What an amazing group. I find that the women I meet on this message board are the best! I want to thank everyone for opening up and sharing and for listening to and supporting each other. I never could have made it this far without this message board.

It's funny because someone the other day called me her inspiration on another thread and I was shocked because I always feel like the one who is in need of inspiration. How could I be someone else's inspiration??? . I guess I am learning how this whole IVF process has been helping me to become a stronger, more caring person. I do think that there is much to be learned when going through adversity such as IF. I was never able to put myself on the line the way I do now. I was so afraid of doctors, you wouldn't believe it. I had no patience and needed to be in control of everything all the time. Now I find myself to be a more patient person. I am much more open about things, I have a stronger spiritual bond and I am growing stronger everyday. It has also helped me to stop and think about others. Anyone could be going through something just as difficult, and it's not so easy to know this. I am trying to be more considerate of others. IVF has given me the opportunity to become a better person. I continue to grow and learn through this experience. I am gratful that I've met all of you who continue to inspire me each and every day. Thank you for being here. Thank you for caring. And thank you for posting your insightful messages. You are all amazing women who have gone through so much. I am praying for you too.

-chriss

[waitingforMia]

Chriss: thanks for sharing. And good for you for going back and reading all of the pages!! As I posted earlier, IF can often break someone down. I honestly don't know what I would w/o the hope I have in Christ through this struggle. Knowing that this life is only temporary was the first step in healing for me! And you are an inspiration. Your positive attitude and sincere concern for others shines through on th eother threads I am glad you are not only my IF sister, but my sister in Christ as well!

Kildean: Yeah another sister in Christ !! :0) Glad you made it over here! "Now Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see" Yep, that sums up pur IF journey doesn't it? Thanks for sharing the verses. I cling to many of them myself! I will be praying for your ER on Thursday.

To my other sisters HELLO!! Hope everyone drew closer to Christ today. I still have been struggling with focusing on God's word with all this madness of IVF! I am reading Max Lucado's Facing Your Giants and hope to finish it this week. I have ER tomorrow (I am praying for not too many eggs and not too little) I would really like four embies to make: 2 to freeze and two to transfer. This is what I am praying for. I will have some down time this week and promise to lift each of you up in some serious prayer!

I praise God for each of you and your willingness to share your struggles and triumphs on this board!

MP

[Hope644]

YEA!!! So nice to have you, Kildean and Chriss - thank you both for sharing...
to you both!!

Chriss - Mia/MP is right... you ARE an inspiration... and it is wonderful to have you here. It is so wonderful to have each other to support and lean on... we all have ups and downs and we know exactly how it feels to be going through any part of that roller coaster. It brings us closer to each other and hopefully we can support each other not only in IF, but in our daily walks with Christ and growing closer to Him every day!!

Kildean - we will lift you in prayer as you go in for your ER on Thursday! Thank you so much for sharing the scripture. They are wonderful reminders of God's promises and miracles.



Gotta keep it short, but one more thing...

Lord Jesus, we lift up Mia/MP to you as she heads into surgery tomorrow. Lord protect her and guide the hands of the doctors and nurses as they perform the procedure. Lord, you know the perfect little embies now resting inside her, each one. Lord, give her and DH exactly what is your will for them. Help the embies, Father, to fertilize and to grow into the healthy, perfect little babies you already know them to be. For you know everything about them, Lord, even yet, before they are formed. May you bless them, Lord and keep them safe in the lab before they go back home to the loving womb of your child, MP. Thank you, Father, for your Word, as it is and shall remain a lamp unto our feet and light unto our paths. For it is in the name of Your Precious Son, we pray, Amen!

[Hope644]

MP/Mia- Prayers for God's will, for healthy follies and a safe, fruitful ER on TUESDAY 1/29
Weezie - Prayers for healthy follies and a safe, fruitful ER on 1/28??
Angela - Prayers for the upcoming FET - Jan 08
Nikki - Prayers for healing and cycle regulation (AF's arrival) and healthy, fruitful upcoming FET!!
Indie - Prayer for God's will and direction as well as health in the months leading up to IVF (Maybe June 08 ).
Princess - BFP on 1/18!!
Hope - Prayer for healing and cycle regulation (AF's arrival) and strength in the upcoming IVF cycle
Sonu - Prayer for upcoming FET - March 08
Chelly - Prayer for comfort and encouragement through the IVF process
Cathann - Prayer for healthy follies and a safe and fruitful ER/ET - WHEN??
Chriss - Prayers for continued inspiration and encouragement as you go through the IVF process.
Kildean - Prayers for healthy, beautiful follies and a safe and fruitful ER on Thursday, 1/31/08

Thank you, Lord, for the many blessings you have given us. Thank you for each and every person on this list. Please bless us and help us to know your will for our lives and Lord, to seek your will in all we do. Thank you God, for the blessing we have been to each other in this short time together. Please bless our friendships as we honor You! And help us, Father, to encourage and support one another through joy and laughter as well as through sorrow and tears. Teach us Lord, to love one another and others as You love us.

Draw us nearer to You, Lord, as we go through this process. Lord, whatever the path you have chosen for us, show us the way You want us to go. Grant us peace and comfort in your loving arms, Father Abba. Help us to know how our struggles and our suffering are important to you and how you long for us to grow through them and lean on You. Help us to know how to pray and for what to pray. Convict us in the areas of our lives that need correction and guide us back to the paths of fulfillment, sanctification, and righteousness.

In the Name of Your Precious Son, Jesus, Amen.

[waitingforMia]

Aww Hope Thanks soooo much for that heartfelt prayer!!

[sonu911]

Welcome Kildean and Chriss,

Happy to have two more shoulders to lean on...

Chriss - You are so thoughtful and you certainly have come a long way.

Kildean - Thanks for those wonderful words.

Mia - My best wishes for you on your ER. May God fullfill your wishes. Prayers...


Hope - Prayers/list are just so awesome, gives so much of strength-thanks a ton for them .


All my other sisters...thanks a lot for the kind words, they are so precious.

[cathann]

Hope~

If everything goes according to schedule then our projected ET would be somtime around 2/20 - 2/25!

Continued prayers to all!
Cathann

[waitingforMia]

wanted to let you all know ER went great! 9 eggs! I am happy with this number b/c I have been praying that I don't end up with a whole lot!! Thanks for your prayers girls!!

MP