Category: Fertility

You Should’ve Been Here at the iHope Fertility Retreat!

Posted on by Evangeline

iHope fertility retreat themeI recently hosted and facilitated a retreat to help women who are struggling with infertility. The iHope Fertility Retreat helped women attending from across the country to:

  • Pull away from the daily stress of infertility and hear what God has to say about infertility. 
iHope Fertility Retreat workshop booklets
iHope Fertility Retreat workshop booklets
  • Spend a weekend of R&R—Resting and Receiving.
iHope Fertility Retreat 2014
iHope Fertility Retreat – Times of Rest and Relaxation
  • Enjoy a time of fun, pampering and recreation– Pajama Party, Pedicure, Swimming, Nature Walk. 
iHope Fertility Retreat Nature Walk
iHope Fertility Retreat Early Morning Nature Walk at South Mountain
  • Address the spiritual aspect of infertility and get new Word-based tools to help maintain hope.
iHope Fertility Retreat Shower Power
iHope Fertility Retreat Shower Power
  • Receive prayer and encouragement for overcoming infertility.
iHope Fertility Retreat balloon release
iHope Fertility Retreat balloon release

Workshops at the iHope Fertility Retreat were based on the content of my book, A Seed of Hope: God’s Promises of Fertility. We discussed many topics that helped with increasing trust in God such as God’s lavish and unending love and  His faithfulness to always follow through on His promises. The weekend was filled with revelation and spiritual growth as we held open and honest discussions centered on God’s promise.

In addition to hearing my personal story of victory over infertility, attendees were empowered through video testimonies of other women who have overcome infertility. Guest speakers provided encouragement and fun insights. Activities and props enhanced the lessons learned in the workshop sessions.

A personal chef provided delicious and nutritious meals that incorporated natural, “good for you” foods because the goal was to feed the women “as if they were pregnant.”

iHope Fertility Retreat Meals 2iHope Fertility Retreat Meals

The iHope Fertility Retreat provided an environment to recharge each woman’s spirit by tapping into what God says about infertility in the Bible. Learning how to increasingly trust God’s love and believe His fertility promises in the Bible helped the women to experience enhanced peace.

I was excited to share spiritual strategies and solutions that specifically related to infertility and empowered women to leave with a more hope-filled focus for having a child!

If someone you know is struggling with infertility, invite them to contact me about the next iHope Fertility Retreat, which will be held in Fall 2014.

 

Why Should I Be…Thankful?

Posted on by Evangeline

You may have asked yourself, “What do I have to be thankful for when all I want is to get pregnant and it isn’t happening?”

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles/ FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Image courtesy of Stuart Miles/ FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Some people believe that we’re to thank God for putting us in tough situations because that’s how He teaches us something. I believe God is a better teacher than that. He can get his point across to us without putting us in tough situations. I believe that tough situations are brought to our lives by the devil and that God can and will bring us out of them.

But when you’re in the throes of difficult circumstances, life can become overwhelmingly sad and anxiety-laden. So what is there to be thankful for? Start by remembering that God is with you. If you’ve asked Jesus into your heart, He has promised to never leave you. Just think about that. The One who has the power to change your circumstances is always right there with you in the midst of them, desiring to lovingly see you through them. He wants to bring you out of the grip of tough times into His gentle caress of peace and rest. That’s what He planned for your destiny.

Rest in knowing that God is for you and not against you (Romans 8:31). Trust that He hears you as you pray His promises. Believe that He loves you unconditionally, just as much as He loves Jesus (John 17:23). To have someone who always loves you no matter how much you doubt His ability, willingness, and timing…that’s something to be thankful for!

“Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.”  ~~ Isaiah 41:10 [NLT]

 

5 MORE Bible Verses Every Infertile Woman Needs to Know

Posted on by Evangeline

Sunset CloudsI paused as I wrote the title of this blog, wondering if I should give it a different title. As a big proponent of making sure that the words you speak about yourself are positive, typing “Infertile Woman” in my title gave me pause. The Bible tells us that the words we speak (and the labels we attach to ourselves) carry the power of life or death (Proverbs 18:21).

If you are struggling with infertility, do you label yourself as “an infertile woman?” I think we need to come up with some other label that designates you as a someone who is filled with hope for becoming a mother, not someone who dooms herself to endure barrenness.  Got any suggestions? I’d love to hear about them. Please put them in the comments section below.

Back to the Bible verses. I wrote a post in February listing five verses that would be helpful in developing or maintaining hope for having a child. Here are five more that should be helpful:

John 17:23 (NLT)- “…you love them as much as you love me [Jesus]”

Lamentations 3:26 (NKJV)- “It is good that one should hope and wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.”

Hebrews 13: 5 (NLT)- “For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.”

1 John 5:4 (NLT)- “For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith.”

1 John 5:14, 15 (NIV)- “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.  

What other bible verses do you depend on to give you hope? Please share them below.

Your Blessings

Posted on by Evangeline

Ever doubt that the blessings of God are for YOU?

Well, rest assured, they are!

What have you asked Him for lately?

Go ahead, accept what is yours to receive from God.

Image courtesy of nuttakit / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Image courtesy of nuttakit / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Get more ways to build your hope in Evangeline’s book, ” A Seed of Hope: God’s Promises of Fertility.”

Ridiculous Hope

Posted on by Evangeline

Romans 4:18 (NLT) tells us how Abraham had ridiculous hope—“Even when there was no reason for hope, Abraham kept hoping—believing that he would become the father of many nations.”

Abraham believed God’s promise. Even when there was no reason to hope— Sarah had been barren for decades and he was nearly 100 years old—Abraham kept believing that they would have a child. Their predicament made hope seem nonsensical, even laughable. But Abraham kept hoping.

This wasn’t the first time Abraham had experienced and maintained ridiculous hope. God told him to leave his extended family (very unusual in that culture) and go to a different land, promising him that he would be blessed and become great.  Abraham made a decision to step out and find out. The promises came true as Abraham trusted God.

I think Abraham was an outstanding example of how to have ridiculous hope in the midst of infertility. He opened himself to hear from God. He trusted what God said. So much so, that he changed his name from Abram, which means “exalted father”  , to Abraham, which means “father of many nations.” Imagine hearing other people call him father of multitudes when he and Sarah didn’t even have one child!  Think of the ridicule he must have experienced.  That required having faith in what God had said, trusting that what God had promised would indeed come to pass.

Repeatedly hearing that description of himself , through others calling his name, surely must have built Abraham’s faith (faith comes by hearing–Romans 10:17). There was another factor that increased Abraham’s hope for a child and faith in God’s promise. We learn in Romans 4:20  (YLT) that he “was strengthened in faith, having given glory to God.” The act of praising God, acknowledging His majesty and honoring Him by the words that Abraham spoke, helped to build up his faith.

He had ridiculous hope in God, viewing Him as the only One who could give him all that he desired.

What will it take for you to have ridiculous hope?

Original Image courtesy of Michal Marcol/ FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Original Image courtesy of Michal Marcol/ FreeDigitalPhotos.net

5 More Bible Verses Every Infertile Woman Needs to Know

Posted on by Evangeline

I paused as I wrote the title of this blog, wondering if I should give it a different title. As a big proponent of making sure that the words you speak about yourself are positive, typing “Infertile Woman” in my title made me a bit uneasy. The Bible tells us that the words we speak (and the labels we attach to ourselves) carry the power of life or death (Proverbs 18:21).

If you are struggling with infertility, do you label yourself as “an infertile woman?” I think we need to come up with some other label that designates you as a someone who is filled with hope for becoming a mother, not someone who dooms herself to endure barrenness.  Got any suggestions? I’d love to hear about them. Please put them in the comments section below.

Back to the Bible verses.

I wrote a post in February listing five verses that would be helpful in developing or maintaining hope for having a child. Here are five more:

Sunset CloudsJohn 17:23 (NLT)- “…you love them as much as you love me [Jesus]”

Lamentations 3:26 (NKJV)- “It is good that one should hope and wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.”

Hebrews 13: 5 (NLT)- “For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.”

1 John 5:4 (NLT)- “For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith.”

1 John 5:14, 15 (NIV)- “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.

 

What other bible verses do you depend on to give you hope?

Sharing My YouVersion Plan

Posted on by Evangeline

Recently, I received a request from a reader to write a Bible study plan that specifically addresses infertility and post it on the YouVersion Bible website.  [According to their website, “YouVersion is a simple, ad-free Bible that brings God’s Word into your daily life,” via your phone, tablet or computer.] YouVersion_logoREV

Because I know how much enlightenment comes from reading the Bible, I thought it was a wonderful idea and followed up on that suggestion.

I’m glad to say that I submitted a proposal to YouVersion and they have approved it! I must now craft a reading plan for them to upload to their site.

Would you please give me some input as to what you would like to have in a Bible reading plan about infertility? Would you want a scriptural guide outlining hope-filled verses to read on a daily, every-other-day, or weekly basis? Or would you prefer a plan that provides devotions for you to read in addition to the verses? Please let me know your preference (and other ideas) in the comments section below. Also, I would appreciate your prayers as I compose this plan. Thank you!

I will let you know when the plan is available for you and others to access on YouVersion. To say the least, I am very excited about providing this resource to bring hope to those in the midst of infertility  and to encourage people around the world that infertility is not too hard for the Lord! (Genesis 8:14)

The Overwhelming Truth

Posted on by Evangeline

Sunset CloudsIt may seem like a contradiction to say that you believe that your womb is fertile even in the face of experiencing long-term infertility. But when you say the things that God has said, like “none shall be barren” (Deuteronomy 7:14), you are putting yourself in agreement with the Creator of the universe. Remember, with Him, nothing is impossible!

So keep saying and believing the Truth (what God has said in the Bible), rather than the facts of your reality. You’ll see the Truth is powerful enough to overwhelm the facts and make the Truth your new reality!

 

5 Bible Verses Every Infertile Woman Needs To Know

Posted on by Evangeline
Infertile woman addresses the spiritual aspect of infertility
Photo courtesy of Microsoft Images

Shouldn’t every infertile woman address the spiritual aspect of infertility?

If you are struggling with infertility, you know what a hopeless situation it can become, if  you let it. When I dealt with it, I found the best source of hope was the Bible. It contains numerous scriptures that pertain directly to infertility. It also gives many accounts of women who were once barren/infertile/childless but became a mother, all because they trusted God to be true to His Word.

I’ve said it before, Infertility Sucks! But I know firsthand that it can be overcome. Here are five verses that I meditated on and repeatedly used as verbal affirmations, putting my name in each scripture. I think you’ll find them to be great sources of HOPE.

Deuteronomy 7:14 [NKJV] ~ “You shall be blessed above all people; there shall not be male or female barren among you.”

Isaiah 50:7 [NKJV] ~ “For the Lord God will help me; Therefore I will not be disgraced; Therefore I have set My face like a flint, And I know that I will not be ashamed.”

Leviticus 26:9 [Amplified Bible] ~ “For I will be leaning toward you with favor and regard for you, rendering you fruitful, multiplying you and establishing and ratifying my covenant with you.”

Hebrews 11:11 [NLT] ~ “It was by faith that even Sarah was able to have a child, though she was barren and was too old. She believed that God would keep his promise.”

Luke 1:37 ~ “For with God NOTHING shall be impossible.”

Are there other scriptures in which you find hope? Please share them below so that others can be encouraged.

How We Weather a Storm

Posted on by Evangeline

Winter is usually not too cold in central Arizona. But this year’s winter has been decidedly different. Most of the plants in our front yard took a hard hit from below-freezing temperatures a few weeks ago. Take a look at this 7 foot tall victim:

dead plant jpg

If you look near the bottom of this plant, you can see that it had been a large and rather lush green bush before the freeze.  But now, because it did not have what it takes inside the bush to keep it from reacting to the extremely cold desert temperatures, it appears to be close to death. Major pruning will be required to bring it back to its once verdant and healthy state.

But just 10 feet away, in the same freezing temperatures, sat this pot of flowers:

flowers-pretty jpg

These flowers emerged victorious! They weathered the storm VERY well—something inside of them kept them strong and almost non-reactive to the harsh circumstances.

Our lives can be the same way. We can weather the storms of life and come out damaged, messed up and not having anything that looks appealing about us. BUT, if we have something inside of us, or should I say Someone inside of us, we can weather the storms of life and come out victorious, looking unscathed and healthy, like these flowers did. We can continue flourishing and give others joy through the beauty within us.

We’re blessed to have a God and Savior who loves us and puts His Holy Spirit in us to aid us in all our times of need. It is He who enables us to weather the storm and yet flourish so that others will see that His exceptional love, attention, and grace are just what they need in their lives.