Isaiah 30:15 says, “In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength.” I hope you’re encouraged to live with a hope-filled focus and blessed by Jenne Acevedo’s post.
Category: Hope
A Wholesome Tongue
Have you noticed that I frequently mention that we should be mindful of the words we allow to come out of our mouth? That’s because what we say is a difference-maker in our personal world. Our words are powerful! They are vessels that contain and convey life or death. What we say is what we get and it’s our choice to determine what we speak into our lives.
“A wholesome tongue is a tree of life…” ~~Proverbs 15:4
“Wholesome” is defined as “conducive to general well-being.” So the Bible is showing us that speaking positive, faith-filled words is conducive to our well-being. The opposite is also true: speaking words that are contaminated with negativity leads to unfavorable things.
Is your world tainted with uneasiness and frustration? I encourage you to be more aware of what you say. Are your words sometimes full of fear, anxiety, and hopelessness? Choose to change them to words with a more positive “vibe”—words of peace, contentment, and hope. I’m sure you’ll see what a difference-maker a wholesome tongue can be!
I’m Just Sayin’
I have learned, and am still learning, how important my words are. Not only do they let others know what I think, but also they are actually vessels filled with the power to change things in my life or to keep things the same.
Zig Ziglar, a world-renowned motivation speaker said, “You are what you are and where you are because of what has gone into your mind. You can change what you are and where you are by changing what goes into your mind.” Other than images, words are what go into your mind. God designed this universe to respond to words. He spoke words and things happened (Genesis 1). That’s why He sent the prophets of the Old Testament, to speak the words that He spoke about things so that those words would cause His plan to happen.
Throughout the book of Isaiah in the Bible, we see so many prophetic words about what was coming in the future through the Messiah. Those prophecies proclaim the things to come so that the words would set in motion those things that God included in His plan for man. All of those words were eventually fulfilled, accomplished, and completed through Jesus.
God has placed that same significance and power in our words. Our words are able to change our personal world when we speak what God says about our situation. The act of saying what God says (His promises), initiates, strengthens and builds our faith. Believing and speaking His promises instead of repeatedly speaking our problems can change our personal world.
So if God said it, I choose to believe it AND I choose to say it (2 Corinthians 4:13).
Grace Always
Have you ever wondered if God is mad at you? Do you sometimes wonder if infertility is a result of God’s anger toward you because of something you’ve done or haven’t done?
The best thing to do whenever you’re wondering about the negative things in your life is to look to the Word of God. It continually points us to Jesus and His loving, all-encompassing work on the cross. Do you know that Jesus died for you so that God’s anger toward your missteps, your wrong choices, and your bad behavior would be totally satisfied? Because He died on your behalf, He took ALL the punishment and now you can simply rest in God’s grace.
“Rest” means living life knowing that everything is completed, there’s nothing left to do to satisfy God. Jesus did it perfectly and completely so that you can enjoy receiving all that God’s grace provides. God’s response to the believer in Jesus Christ is always grace. His grace is free, it is unearned favor—nothing you can do to acquire it, nothing you can do to lose it. Grace brings goodness in your life as you continually believe that God is for you and not against you.
So when you are once again faced with wondering if God is angry and sent infertility your way as a result, think again. Only this time, think about His grace toward you and how it is sufficient to turn infertility around and send it packing.
“And since it is through God’s kindness, then it is not by their good works. For in that case, God’s grace would not be what it really is—free and undeserved.” ~~Romans 11:6 New Living Translation
Keep Hope Alive!
Hope= the confident expectation that GOOD things will happen.
Sometimes, we can run low on how much hope we have about ever having a baby. Here’s a “booster shot” for increasing your personal level of hope:
Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you,plans to give you HOPE and a future.”
Be encouraged…keep your hope alive!
Coping with Mother’s Day
When I was on the frontline of the battle against infertility, Mother’s Day was difficult to celebrate. Of course, I honored my own mother but something inside me yearned for the ability to celebrate it with my own child.
I wanted to experience pregnancy. I wanted to watch my tummy grow. I wanted to feel the baby kicking and moving inside of me. I wanted to be the one who could console my child when no one else could. But it wasn’t happening…
Thankfully, I had a husband who was understanding and got me through the day without tears (he was good at distracting me). And I had a mother who encouraged me to never give up hope. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “We must accept finite disappointment, but we must never lose infinite hope.” Even though he was referring to the Civil Rights struggle, it is applicable to this personal struggle of dealing with childlessness. With infertility, the finite disappointment rolls around on a monthly basis, but don’t allow it to make you lose hope in having a child.
Childlessness can drain you emotionally, if you let it. It can sink you into great despair, if you let it. I encourage you to find creative ways to maintain ongoing, infinite hope.
How will you cope with Mother’s Day 2012? Please share with us your ways of maintaining hope!
No Condemnation
Do you ever get tired of “shoulding” all over yourself?
I do. I should have gotten up and walked this morning. I should have set the timer to get off the computer so I could get other important things done. I should have made a better choice for a snack this afternoon. I should have told my hairdresser to not cut so much of my hair off. I should have told each of my children “I love you” this morning.
I could “should” all over myself all day,everyday, if I allowed myself to do so. I could beat myself up about so many little things and big things. But I have to daily remind myself that there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ (Romans 8:1). If I make a mistake or if I make a wrong choice, I don’t have to re-live it over and over again in my head. If Jesus doesn’t hold things against me, why do I? That’s not to say that I shouldn’t try to make right choices; it just means that I can find peace in Him when I don’t.
If you condemn yourself because of a life changing choice you made years ago, or even yesterday, STOP! You’re the only one on that ride going to nowhere! Jesus is on the ride that is headed toward the destination of grace, forgiveness and peace and He wants you to join Him. So stop “shoulding” all over yourself and take a ride on the GRACE side.
Think about what you’re thinking about…
When faced with a thought filled with doom and gloom, and it repeatedly comes to mind, it’s hard to maintain a hope-filled focus. That’s exactly when we must remind ourselves that we can choose what we think about. We can dwell on the thought that brings us down and continue to ride that wave of despair, OR, we can switch gears and begin to think about the Truth.
Truth always prevails. It is unshakable. It is unchangeable. It is the foundation upon which we can build a thought-life that brings waves of joy and not sorrow, hope and not despair.
The only Truth I know is the Word of God. It is filled with hope and love. It is food for good thoughts!
“And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” ~~Philippians 4:8 NLT
Announcing…’A Seed of Hope’ Devotional
Finally, an encouraging devotional for those suffering with infertility! My new ebook, “A Seed of Hope—God’s Promises of Fertility,” is from my perspective of having overcome infertility. It uplifts and brings hope to the reader through daily readings with the premise that nothing is too hard for God, not even infertility.
You’ll be encouraged along your journey to get through this season of childlessness by relying on, speaking, and trusting in the Word of God and His love for you. Please let me know what you think after you take a look inside “A Seed of Hope” .
Devotional Readings that encourage you in the struggle of infertility!
Don’t Ignore…
Don’t ignore the spiritual aspect of infertility.
It is so easy to lose focus on the spiritual nature of infertility when the physical aspect overtakes your daily life. You and your spouse can become so obsessed with finding the cause and the cure for you situation that it can rob you of your peace. When you’re not experiencing peace, you’re likely to ignore the one thing that can bring about the solution you’re looking for.
It is important to strengthen yourself spiritually while dealing with infertility. Acknowledge the need to ask God for wisdom when faced with overcoming the enemy called “Infertility.” It may seem like a Goliath-sized enemy to you, but for God, “Infertility” is already a defeated foe. It is not too hard to break or destroy. God said so when he defeated infertility in Sarah’s life (see Genesis 18:14).
Luke 18:27 states, “And he [Jesus] said, The things which are impossible with men are possible WITH (in close proximity to) God”{emphasis mine}. Join yourself WITH Him by asking for wisdom in the decisions you make, by reading His word, by speaking and meditating His Word.
Trust that God’s Word is true for you. It will bring you guidance, comfort, and ultimately, greater peace.
“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.” ~~ Isaiah 26:3
“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” ~~ John 14:27
- http://www.resolve.org/infertility101 (Basic understanding of the disease of infertility.)
- http://www.resolve.org/national-infertility-awareness-week/about.html (About NIAW)