Over on Caroline’s blog, In Due Time, my book is being offered via a Rafflecopter contest.
It’s a fun way to get a free copy of my book. I’ll sign it with a personal note to you.
Check out the contest here. There’ll be three (3) winners!
Will you be one of them?
Today’s post is courtesy of Lisa, a blogger who has a personal connection to the stress and strain of infertility. She gives us an honest look at choosing to have and maintain hope. Be encouraged as she shares from her heart. Thank you Lisa for being my guest!
I don’t “do” hope very well.
Intellectually and academically, I believe God has His perfect plan for me, He desires to bless me, and He has impeccable timing.
But if I’m honest with myself, my heart doesn’t really absorb it all. Most of time I don’t feel hopeful expectation; I feel resignation. Fear of disappointment and fear of pain holds me back from experiencing true hope.
After I became aware of this, God has two different sources to send me little nuggets of encouragement and truth to counteract my fear.
The first nugget came from a book I recently reviewed (http://amateurnester.blogspot.com/2014/02/book-review-sweet-side-of-suffering.html) called The Sweet Side of Suffering by M. Esther Lovejoy. The book focuses on the blessings that come out of suffering, and she touches on the topics of fear and resignation. She says:
“At times of suffering we have three choices: We can rebel against what has happened to us and become angry and bitter. We can resign ourselves to the inevitable with a sense of helplessness. Or we can yield to the purposes of a loving heavenly Father and discover the sweetness in that surrender.”
As I read that quote, I knew the Lord was speaking directly to me. I had been choosing resignation.
The second nugget came when a friend suggested that I don’t need to force myself to feel hopeful every day, all day. Rather, I can think of hope as an article I can put on and take off at-will. The idea is to practice putting on hope daily, even if it’s just for a few moments. She even encouraged me to buy a special sweater, scarf, or pair of socks and literally put it on for a few minutes every day while I practice “putting on” hope.
When I told the same friend that I avoid the baby section in Target because it feels so foreign and makes me cry, she encouraged me to practice putting on hope while walking through the racks of tiny clothes and cute socks. I am not a failure if the tears come. I’m merely fighting for hope. I tried this the other day, and the tears came indeed, but I felt powerful because I knew I had chosen the experience.
I guess what I’m learning is that I can choose to be hopeful. I can choose to expect God’s blessings. It may feel awkward or unnatural sometimes, but hope is not a feeling that randomly falls upon certain people and ignores others.
It is something we must work towards and choose.
Lisa writes about her infertility journey and shares encouraging stories at http://AmateurNester.blogspot.com.
It’s my pleasure to have Lisha Epperson bless you with her unique way of inspiring you to have hope– to wait with expectancy. Thanks Lisha for being my guest!
It was Christmas and the long drive out to southern New Jersey made my legs cramp and tingle. I jumped out of my seat, folding arms around my most valued possession. That year, I was happy. That year, I had a baby to hold. I made a beeline for the entrance. Making my way to my brothers’ always open door, I trudged through fresh fallen snow.
Cold rushed in behind me but couldn’t compete with their cozy home. I pushed the door shut with my free arm and enjoyed the heart warming feeling of family…of home. Surrounded by faces I love, I looked up to see my sister-in-law coming down the stairs. She had just given birth to their third child…a boy. And I had forgotten the particular sting a new baby brings to a woman who cannot birth her own children. I was in love with my son and in so many ways fulfilled, when I remembered. Adoption isn’t a cure for infertility. It healed my hurt but didn’t cure the longing.
She held him over her shoulder swaddled in a thin tan blanket. I could smell him. Before she reached me I imagined the softness of his skin, the tender curl of his hair. I wasn’t done. The longing was intense and moved me to hopeful, happy tears. I lowered my eyes to hide tears I could never explain. That night I knew there’d be another baby in my world. And so began another season of waiting.
This season of waiting would be different though. I’d learned how to do it.
Winter is for waiting.
It’s cold and NYC is covered in a blanket of snow. Outside, several inches cling to over-laden leaves and branches. They bend, giving in and to the weight of their unexpected burden.
But it’s beautiful and important. The shimmering softness and powdery glitter tell stories of an airy wonderland. It feels magical and weightless. But tiny leaves and thin branches have another story to tell. They’re holding on.
Look closely. Each snowflake under a veil of uniformity is unique. And today’s snow fall won’t look the same tomorrow. In fact, each storm is new and will never come again. Winter is a perpetual pause, a forced interruption before the wild rush of spring. Winter wills us to wait in expectancy. A tender shoot. A fragile twig, the elusive bud. Winter demands….spring.
It’s broken, brittle and cracks. Lulled by this cyclical suspension, winter forces us inside. We crave shelter, a covering and protection from danger. We retreat to prepare for the hopeful promise of spring. But first we wait.
Winter is a season of waiting. Powdery hills and drifts camouflage life. And bare trees crush optimism. Winter covers or strips…either way, our view is obstructed and we find it hard to see.
Winter is hard not hopeless.
Winter tests our faith…because the promise of spring comes with this truth. Not every tree will bloom. Not every bud will blossom. But we’re born to believe and winter makes us wrestle. We long for a faith that’s whole. Desperate to believe, we settle in to let God do the work….mending the cracks in our fragmented faith. In winter, we swallow the word whole and simply, beautifully…TRUST.
That winter was different. That winter I embraced the quiet. I didn’t worry about the wait.
The stillness and silence of a world gone cold is perfect for restoration. Before the breakthrough we’d do well to replenish. It’s the ideal time to renew our faith…to prepare our hearts to again…BELIEVE.
Winter is for wisdom. Let’s use it wisely.
Lisha Epperson writes the stories of her life on the couch , in the car or at the kitchen table. She scratches out bits and pieces of joy and lessons learned while homeschooling 4 children she affectionately calls the Lovelies…..usually with a cold cup of coffee nearby. It isn’t easy to carve out a modern Christian lifestyle in NYC but that’s what she’s doing. Lisha is passionate about marriage, motherhood, nutrition and her Christian faith. She makes room for her journey through infertility and adoption and shares a warrior song about this experience as an encouragement to women at www.seespeakhearmama.com. In other travels Lisha was a ballet dancer and clothing designer. She is currently in the process of launching Epperson Design Studio featuring stationery, crafts and clothing.
Today’s post is from guest-blogger Kristi Scorza Sobieski. I met Kris at a local authors group meeting and was so encouraged by her. You can read more of her thoughts at her blog, Planted Oak. How will you wear HOPE?
M with open-handed offering tells me i am beautiful.
i smile pretend acceptance, hoping he can’t see a turning-against-and-into-myself cringe. in the way is weight gained from swallowing food’s false comfort and i cannot accept the gift of his truth.
because beauty surely requires whole. this body has been stretched to scarring and i cannot see past the parts of me that no longer match my past pictures-in-frame beauty. beauty worn with the ease of someone who has always been able to see something in the mirror i can be friends with. but now this body feels misspent and lacking in the letters to make up b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l.
i take his words and pretend to swallow. finding a door to close, tears come hot. i look at what is M’s to give and cannot believe it is mine to receive. i take his words and crumple them up in soft, accepting tissues. along with love for myself they are left thrown away.
but truth’s nudge is wet-nose-pet-me-insistent and two days later i am digging through the discard pile for M’s words. they don’t belong there. because his love has the same heart in better or worse. his seeing me beautiful is birthed from promises kept and love’s choosing.
promises made to me are mine to wear.
i slip you’re beautiful on and it is an awkward fit. i keep putting it on. i brush teeth and same remember daily how he sees me. who i am to him. it is beginning to feel like i am worth the wearing.
and hope? it is the same.
given by a god who keeps promises. who plans good.
open-handed hope, it is his to give. mine to daily slip on until i feel the truth fit of it.
for i know the plans that i have for you, declares the lord, plans for welfare and not for calamity, to give you a future and a hope.
jeremiah 29.11
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kris scorza-sobieski
people lover. writer. encourager. wife. mom. missionary kid from png. kris blogs at plantedoak.com sharing glimpses of god in the everyday…
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Today, I’m sharing an excerpt from my book, Infertility Sucks!How to Maintain Hope in Your Marriage During Infertility.
Infertility is stressful. No doubt about that! When you look for articles with helpful information, most articles about the impact of infertility on marriage are full of doom and gloom. They tell you to expect breakdown in communication, permanent loss of joy in sex, etc. As predictors of what can happen, they fall short of supplying any hope for a loving, long-lasting, and strong marriage after this struggle has “run its course.”
BUT, THERE IS HOPE!!!
Here are three of the 7 tips I share in Infertility Sucks! that will help you manage the stress of infertility:
Of course you’ll find lots of other tips, activities, practical examples, and encouragement in Infertility Sucks!
I’m honored to give you another opportunity to hear some words of encouragement tonight (1/23/14). Sonja Sells will interview me on Blog Talk Radio’s Breath Inspired broadcast. You can listen on your computer or mobile device. Here’s the link:
Join us tonight at 8pm EST.
Thanks for your support!
“In Your strength I can crush an army; with my God I can scale any wall. God is my strength and power, and He makes my way perfect.” 2 Samuel 22:30, 33
Happy New Year!! We’ve made it to 2014! Let’s celebrate by believing BIG this year!
Do you believe those verses of scripture are true for you?
Will that take some “big believing” on your part in 2014?
I encourage you to adopt this viewpoint–of God being with you, accompanying you in all that you do, loving you every minute of each day. Then you will see how, through His strength, you’ll be able to overcome challenges. Through His love, you’ll be able to love the unloveable.Through His guidance, your path will be secure. Through His power, you’ll experience more good than you could ask or think.
I pray that you’ll choose to wrap yourself in Jesus’ love and believe big in 2014 so that you’ll crush the opposition, jump over any obstacle, experience peace along your way, and enjoy the miraculous!
No, this post is not about the New Orleans Saints and the Who Dat Nation. It’s about deciding where your focus will be in 2014.
If Jesus appeared in your living room today, would you recognize Him or would you have to say, “Who dat?” If He showed up at your place of employment, would you have to say, “Who dat?”
Make a decision today, 12/31/2013, that no matter what challenges lie ahead, your focus will be on Jesus and all His goodness, strength, and unconditional love for you. Then, when He appears, you won’t have to say, “Who dat?” You’ll know Him for sure and you’ll enjoy the favor, wisdom, and peace that only His presence can give you.
Focus on the presence of the Champion. That will be the best decision you’ll ever make as you plan for advancement in 2014 and beyond!
“We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. ”
Hebrews 12:2 (NLT)
I’m pleased to announce that my ebook, “Infertility Sucks! How to Maintain Hope in Your Marriage During Infertility,” is done! This book encourages couples whose lives are affected by infertility. It gives practical tips on how to manage stress in the midst of infertility, how to address the spiritual aspect of infertility, and how to make sure their marriage not only survives but thrive.
“Infertility Sucks!” will hit the virtual bookshelves on 12/1/13.
And, because you have been great about supporting me, you get to take advantage of a discounted price on Smashwords.com. Just go to https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/379472, enter the coupon code PR93P on your order, and you’ll receive a 30% discount!
Please help me get the word out: “SHARE” this post (using the buttons below) so that others on Facebook , Twitter, Google+, etc., are made aware.
You never know who in your sphere of influence is silently suffering through infertility or who may know someone else who is. This book could be just what they need.
Thanks for your support!
Focus on the following scripture throughout the day. It’s God’s Word and it’s what He desires us to believe. Believe it is true for you because God’s Word is Truth. Speak this Word to yourself throughout the day. Personalize it by putting your name in it!
“He gives the barren woman a home, making her the joyous mother of children. Praise the Lord!” Psalm 113:9 (ESV)
