Tag: hope

Are You Strong Enough to Ask for Help?

Posted on by Evangeline

strong enough to ask for help

Can you relate to this scene? You’ve had too many hard days and you’re feeling lonely, misunderstood, and emotionally weak. You just want to make the pain stop.

Are you strong enough to ask for help? That may sound like an oxymoron, but it really does take strength to ask for help.

So many times, we can get stuck in that place of feeling weak. We believe the lie that we’ll appear even weaker if we make it known that we need assistance in making life better… or at least bearable.

In spite of what is going on in your life, it’s important to decide to go to the One who loves you through it all and has the power to change it all.

Here’s a prayer that I hope will encourage you to be strong enough to pray and ask for help so that you step into your place of strength, right in the midst of your weakness and pain.

Ask for Help

Lord, I need You. I’m hungry for You. I’m thirsting for You.

Help me to believe Your words are true, to trust You more, and to expect You to work in my life. Help me to say so.

Show me the power of Your Word.

Teach me how to use Your Word so that I can be strong in facing my challenges.

Give me wisdom. Encourage me. Strengthen me. Help me to hear You more through Your Word, so that my faith grows.

Open my eyes to see You. Help me to focus on Jesus.

Open my ears to hear You.

Soften my heart and adjust my desire so that match Your desires for my life.

Help me to always see Your love for me. Your love makes me strong.

Help me to always acknowledge my need for You… and to ask for Your help.

I want to always be open to receive Your guidance and assistance.

Thank You for loving me.

Thanks for being EVERYTHING I need.

Thank You that Your grace is always working on my behalf, especially in this moment.

In Jesus’ name, AMEN.

In spite of what may be going on in your life, it's important to decide to go to the One who loves you through it all and has the power to change it all. Share on X

Announcing A New Fertility Book That Will Help YOU!

Posted on by Evangeline

Have you ever heard the old saying that someone is “living on borrowed time”? Usually, it means that someone has survived against expectations.

If you’re struggling with infertility, you can live on “borrowed hope”. This means that when your hope seems to have dwindled down to its lowest point, you borrow it from others who have successfully navigated the same turbulent waters. Borrowed hope can help you survive against the expectations of childlessness that tend to infiltrate your thought life regarding getting pregnant and giving birth.

A New Fertility Book

I’m excited to announce that a fertility book which I have co-authored with Angela Williams will address that very thing!

fertility book

The title is Borrowed Hope: Sarah’s Story of Triumph Over Infertility. This book is the first in our Hope for the Waiting Womb series. The books will explore the lives of eight women whose infertility is mentioned in the Bible. Every one of these women overcame infertility and gave birth to a child who became a champion for their family, nation, or for the cause of God. These are eight stories of inCONCEIVABLE power amid the struggle of infertility.

The Borrowed Hope fertility book series explores the intimate conversations infertile women of the Bible could have had with their spouses, God, and themselves. Their stories of hope and victory will encourage those struggling to overcome infertility. The books in this series shine light on how everyday women overcame infertility by enlisting God’s help. They changed their doubt into hope and their fear into faith.

How Did God Bring Victory to Sarah?

Borrowed Hope: Sarah’s Story, is the first book in the series. It examines the life of Sarah, Abraham’s wife, who struggled for more than 70 years with infertility.

  • Peek into her world and hear her frustrations as she deals with seemingly impossible circumstances.
  • Walk with her through grief, anger, doubt, hope, and victory.
  • Listen to Sarah’s conversations with God as she longs to witness His faithfulness:

“Sarah paused, and hesitantly rubbed her stomach. Where does that leave me, Lord? What about me? Am I not a part of Your promise? I can’t stand to see Abram this way— I can’t handle not being able to give him a son. How long, Lord, will it be like this?”

Sarah’s victorious experience is living proof that God is true to His word and that He is the final authority in all circumstances. Borrowing hope from her story and ultimately, her victory, can make your struggle easier. Sarah found hope‪ and so can you‪.

Borrowed Hope will be released this summer! Come back here for additional details and giveaways. Also, check for updates in the Facebook Group, A Seed of Hope.

Every one of these women overcame infertility & gave birth to a child who became a champion for their family/nation or for the cause of God. Share on X

It’s National Infertility Awareness Week: Time to Flip the Script!

Posted on by Evangeline

April 22nd marked the beginning of National Infertility Awareness Week (NIAW). The theme is #FlipTheScript. In other words, change the conversation (or lack thereof) about infertility.

My way to flip the script is to add the power of God’s Word to the conversation.

Don’t Ignore This One Factor

So many women and men begin to struggle with hopelessness during this season. Infertility awareness is not only about learning more about the physical, emotional, and financial challenges. In my experience, addressing the spiritual aspect of infertility was a huge  factor.  Doing so was what helped me maintain a sense of hope. By looking at what God said about infertility, I was encouraged that my situation could change for the better. And it did! It was interesting to see how the spiritual caused improvements in the physical, emotional, and financial challenges.

By looking at what God said about infertility, I was encouraged that my situation could change for the better. Share on X

I gave some attention to the spiritual side of infertility. Prayer of course played a part. Also, I read the Bible to learn about God’s promises of fertility. Biblical accounts showed that there were at least eight women whose lives were impacted by infertility. Each one of those women overcame their infertile circumstances. Every one of them. ALL of them!

As a result, I grew stronger in trusting that God would change my circumstances. By addressing the spiritual aspect of infertility, I grew more hopeful.

And so can you.

infertility awareness - hope - #NIAW

Never give up

5 Scriptures for When You Feel Like You Want to Give Up On God’s Promises

Posted on by Evangeline

The enemy would like nothing better than for us to give up on God.

When we don’t see the results that we want to see…

When we don’t get what we asked for in a “reasonable” timeframe…

When we feel like giving up on what God said…

We need a plan. A plan that we can count on to pull us through the tears, the fears, and the dread that comes when we experience delay. I think the best plan for maintaining hope and for changing any circumstance in our lives always needs to include the power of God’s Word. The Word is what helps us remember that the God of the universe is on our side. It makes it clear that God loves us with a no-matter-what love. Incorporating His promises into our plan makes it an effective battle plan so that we don’t give up.

Don’t Give Up… Encourage Yourself

David encouraged himself when he was on the verge of giving up (1 Samuel 30:6). Couldn’t you do the same?

Here are 5 examples from Scripture that you can use as a part of your battle plan to ultimately live as the victor God created you to be. Use them to keep yourself encouraged about experiencing what God has promised:

  • “But as for you, be strong and do not give up.” – 2 Chronicles 15:7
  • “Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial.” – James 1:12
  • “Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.” – Mark 10:27

  • “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.” – Isaiah 40:29

  • “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then.” – Ephesians 6:12-14

What other scriptures would you add to this list? Please share one in the comments! 🙂 

The Word is what helps us remember that the God of the universe is on our side and loves us with a no-matter-what love. It makes our plan into an effective battle plan so that we don't give up. Share on X

Strike Out the Negative Thoughts So That You Live With More Hope and Power

Posted on by Evangeline

Kamilah Giraud - Thought StoppingIt’s my pleasure to provide a “rerun” of Kamilah Browning Giraud’s guest blog post from 2015. She shares with us how she used “thought stopping” to get through her mother’s illnesses as well as her own struggle with infertility/miscarriages. Kamilah made the decision that she could depend more on God’s Word than she did on the doctors’ diagnoses. I hope her words encourage you to use the “STRIKE” method to turn away your negative thoughts and live with the hope, positivity, and power that God’s Word brings!

Be sure to read the 2018 Update below! 🙂 

Strike ‘Em Out by Kamilah Giraud

How many times do you go through a day and have “random” thoughts that are completely unrelated to your job, or to the task at hand? I’m sure there are some statistics that give an average, but I can even share with you that in the few minutes it has taken me to sit down and share the first few sentences with you, I have already thought about; how cute my co-worker’s shirt is (as she walked by my door), whether or not I will eat the salad I brought to work, or go to the cafeteria (as my stomach growled), and I even thought about what color I should get my nails painted next (as I looked down at the keyboard while typing). Now as trivial and harmless as these “random” thoughts may be, they all still served the same purpose–taking my focus away from what it is I have set out to do.

TOXIC THOUGHTS

While some may perceive these “mental vacations” as healthy breaks, others might find them as nuisances. I tend to ignore them most of the time because if I gave those thoughts much thought, then I would not have time for anything else. This scenario can be a little entertaining, but what about more disturbing thoughts that sound like, “Why bother running, you’ll always be fat”, or “It’s too hard to save money and pay my bills, so I’m probably never going to buy a house.” And what about the thought that comes up that sounds like, “Why keep trying? It hasn’t happened yet. I am fooling myself.”?

These  less trivial, less mundane, and certainly less entertaining thoughts can so easily surface throughout the course of the day and yes… they too serve the same purpose of taking your focus off that which you have set out to do. So then what type of recourse do we have against these thoughts? Well a good friend of mine name Paul, (whom I have actually never met) was imprisoned and wrote some most amazing letters that reflected how in spite of being in a place of true suffering, we can still choose joy. Even though I never met my friend Paul, and although his letters might originally been written in about 62 A.D, you cannot tell me that he didn’t address me directly in his letters too!

Philippians 4:8  says, “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.”  Paul understood how these “random” thoughts can come to steal your peace. I can bet while he was imprisoned he had more than a few thoughts that popped up serving the sole purpose of stealing his focus off of spreading the gospel.

Paul said to fix your thoughts, which to me implies the need to replace “broken” thoughts. Broken thoughts are the ones that shatter your dreams, and distort your promises. Broken thoughts are lies from the enemy, and broken thoughts are contrary to the truth. So let’s do what my friend Paul urges. Let’s fix those broken thoughts by using thought-stopping, or what I call the STRIKE method.

S.T.R.I.K.E. Method

Stop the Thought
Replace it with God’s Word
Imagine what it looks like
Keep seeing it
Embrace the truth

As the broken thoughts begin to surface you can stop the thought. Many times that is an internal stop, but I have had to audibly say “Stop” in order to refrain from repeating the broken thought in my head.

As soon as you “stop the thought”, you need to replace it with God’s Word. Replace it with the truth–those thoughts that are honorable, right and pure. Replace it by thinking of things that are excellent and worthy of praise.

As you think on those things, imagine it and see yourself in the manifestation of it.

Keep visualizing the thoughts and keep seeing it. This is a faith walk, and we cannot be moved by what we see in the natural, so allow yourself to keep seeing through the eyes of Christ, and know that He sees His promises.

Embrace the truth! God’s word is true. As believers, we are not exempt from the suffering that’s inherent to human existence, but the good news is our faith gives us a different and hopeful perspective that is based on the truth. God is forever faithful and the truth is that He has plans for you to prosper and not to harm you. He has plans to give you hope and a future. That is the truth and you can embrace it.

S.T.R.I.K.E. out your negative thoughts: Stop the Thought. Replace it with God’s Word. Imagine what it looks like. Keep seeing it. Embrace the truth. Share on X

Our thoughts may or may not respond to 3 STRIKES and be “out”, but if the negative thought comes to bat again, just as sure as a pitcher’s form and speed improves with practice, yours can too. All you need to do is throw another STRIKE.

Thought Stopping - Philippians 4:8

 

2018 UPDATE:

Kamilah is an overcomer! She consistently replaced the negative thoughts with Word-based positive thoughts. She meditated on the best, not the worst. Knowing that the power of life and death were in the words she spoke, she made her conversations align with God’s promises (Proverbs 18:21). Kamilah acknowledged that her miracle was in God’s hands AND her mouth!

She is now the mother of a beautiful baby girl! 

How Your Thought Life Could Be Affecting Your Fertility

Posted on by Evangeline

It’s important to know the factors  that affect fertility, isn’t it? Have you ever considered that your thought life could be one of the factors? Proverbs 23:7 NKJV enlightens us about this:

For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.

Here’s a graphic that I shared in my book, Live to Win.  It may help you see how our thoughts can actually become the seeds of our destiny.

Thought Life - Live to Win

From that graphic, it’s easier to see that our thought life is important, isn’t it? The thoughts we repeatedly think tend to eventually become the words we speak. Since our words shape our actions and future, we really need to pay attention to what we’re thinking. In other words, think about what you’re thinking about.

“My son, give attention to [think about] my words.” Proverbs 4:20 (emphasis added)

God’s Thoughts

The Bible tells us in Jeremiah 29:11 that God said the thoughts He thinks about us are positive and good. They are thoughts of peace and not of evil. His thoughts about us, which are expressed in His Word, give us a future with a hope-filled outcome. Does His way of thinking indicate that God thinks you should be infertile and that you should forever remain that way? No—He’s thinking thoughts of fertility and abundance toward you!

God says that His thoughts are higher than our thoughts. This means there’s room for improvement when it comes to our thought life. Instead of dwelling on the fact that another monthly menstrual cycle has started, or that you have a referral to yet another fertility specialist, choose a higher thought, a God-given thought. God-given thoughts are always based on His Word. Take time to meditate on His promises of fertility and allow them to shape your thoughts throughout each day.

Your Thoughts

Instead of wondering if you’ll ever get pregnant, choose to think about something else. Fix your thoughts on God’s love for you. Think about things from God’s Word that are lovely, true, pure, and praiseworthy (Philippians 4:8). That’s thinking like Jesus thinks.

It just feels better when you think about good things, especially the things that God has said in His Word to bless you. It makes a significant difference in how you feel physically and emotionally. When you dwell on things that are good and uplifting rather than things that make you feel fearful, full of despair, and desperate, life is better!

Jesus has made a way for you to bring good things into your life and it starts with your thought life. Make the conscious effort to pay attention to what you’re thinking about today and enjoy thinking about the good things God has for you.

If you feel that you need help with improving your thought life, particularly about fertility, check out my Bible Reading Plan on YouVersion.

While You Endure the Storm Do You Ever Wonder “Where Is God?”

Posted on by Evangeline

It’s been a while between the last message from me and this one. Thank you for your patience.

In this season of infertility, you probably wonder to yourself, “Where is God? When is He going to show up and turn this thing around?”  I’ll admit that I did! Doubt and impatience sometimes got the best of me. But when it feels like Jesus is nowhere to be found, it’s important to recognize that it’s just a feeling and not the Truth. The truth is He is right there with you, promising to never leave you. He is ever-present and already well-proven to be able and willing to help.

Let Psalm 46:1-2 (The Passion Translation) encourage you:

God, you’re such a safe and powerful place to find refuge! You’re a proven help in time of trouble— more than enough and always available whenever I need you. So I will never fear.

Let Jesus be your Superhero!

There’s no need to fear… He’s the best ally and friend you could ever have. Recognize that He’s for you and not against you.

Call on the Lord; talk with Him from your heart. Invite His love into your situation. He cares about all the practical things in your life– your health, your marriage, your finances, EVERYTHING. He wants you to seek Him for wisdom on what your next step should be. He’ll never grow tired of your desire to have a heart-to-heart with Him.

Align your words with His promises. What comes out of your mouth is powerful. So much so that your words will either promote life/success/blessing or death/failure/affliction within your situation. Let what you say be based on what He has said.

All of these things are important. I think the BEST thing to do in this season of asking,”Where is God?”, is to consistently ask God for a fresh revelation of His love. When you know how much He loves you, that is a HUGE difference-maker in every circumstance of your life.

 

where is god
Photo courtesy of Microsoft Images

God Saw Fit to Send the World This Vocal Visionary

Posted on by Evangeline

God creates through His words (Genesis 1; Isaiah 46:10; Isaiah 55:11). And since He made mankind in His image, He uses us to speak into existence those things that align with His Word. Throughout the Bible, God has always used a vocal visionary to express what He wants to come to pass. He has had men and women declare the specific things that initiate or accelerate His plan.

In America, today is the holiday designated to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.. He was a vocal visionary. His words matched the vision God had given to him for America. His words gave people hope. God was able to use him to declare the end result that God ultimately wants to see us experience. Dr. King acknowledged and promoted the Dream.

But it wasn’t just Dr. King’s Dream, it was God’s dream for America.

Dr. King was not just an orator, he was a willing vessel– a vocal visionary– sent to speak life and love to the masses.

“Martin Luther King Jr. was the conscience of his generation. He gazed upon the great wall of segregation and saw that the power of love could bring it down. From the pain and exhaustion of his fight to fulfill the promises of our founding fathers for our humblest citizens, he wrung his eloquent statement of his dream for America. He made our nation stronger because he made it better. His dream sustains us yet.” ~Jimmy Carter, 39th President of the United States

It wasn't just Dr. King's Dream, it was God's dream for America. Share on X

Thoughts from the Visionary, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

“Rarely do we find men who willingly engage in hard, solid thinking. There is an almost universal quest for easy answers and half-baked solutions. Nothing pains some people more than having to think.”

“I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant.”

“An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.”

“Never forget that everything Hitler did in Germany was legal.”

“Nonviolence means avoiding not only external physical violence but also internal violence of spirit. You not only refuse to shoot a man, but you refuse to hate him.”

Visionary - MLK

 

 

Sometimes You Feel Empty in the Season of Infertility

Posted on by Evangeline

Empty.

It’s hard to get through the day feeling empty. Especially when every day seems to be filled with emptiness.

Empty womb.

Empty arms.

Empty heart.

Feeling empty

Emptiness is HEAVY. But how can emptiness have weight–isn’t that an oxymoron? I’m not sure how it happens but I know the emotions of emptiness and hopelessness are so heavy and burdensome and yet we readily tote them around as if we have no alternative. What do you do when those feelings of emptiness tempt you to carry them with you throughout your day? What if there was someone who wanted to carry that weight for you? Would you give it to them?

Well, the someone who has made that very offer is Jesus. He wants you to see Him as your burden lifter and carrier; the One who stands at the ready to pick up and carry all the weight of barrenness so that you can be yoked with Him, filled with His Spirit, and experience the fullness of His rest, peace and joy.

Will you let Him?

“Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” ~Matthew 11:28

Bring Back Your Hope

If you’ve lost hope for something in your life, bring your hope back to life by finding a promise of God that relates to your situation. Believe that the promise is true for you. If you find it hard to believe, ask God to help you believe it (Mark 9:24).

empty - unbelief

Then speak that promise and expect it to manifest in your life. You’ll have to be persistent in speaking that promise…your enemy, the devil, will do all he can to distract you from believing and speaking it with confidence. Despite that, continue to thank God that His promise for you is sure and worthy of your trust. Rest assured, your hope will be renewed and your confidence increased as you fill the emptiness and renew your hope by taking a stand on the promises of God.

When emptiness, hopelessness, and other negative emotions overtake you and make you feel like something is missing from the very core of your being, Jesus’ love and grace are available everyday to comfort and guide you through the struggle.

Illustration Sources: https://www.betterhelp.com (empty) and http://www.joshuanhook.com (unbelief)

 

The Power of Gratitude

Posted on by Evangeline

Expressing gratitude is a powerful way to start your day every morning. Today I decided to share excerpts from posts as far back as 2012 that I hope will encourage you to always be on the lookout for something good and be thankful for it.

If you’re struggling with infertility, it’s so easy to get caught up in all that’s going wrong, the disappointment that comes month after month, the emotional drain of it all, the possible health scares, the financial toll, and the marital problems that tend to stealthily creep in. But today, make a DECISION to look for the things in life you’ll 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 and to always bless you with his unfailing grace. Continue to rest in knowing that God is for you and not against you (Romans 8:31). Be thankful that He has given so many examples of women who overcame infertility along with promises in the Bible that relate to your fertility. Thank Him that you can count on Him to make good on those promises (Isaiah 55:11).  Even during the moments when you doubt His ability, willingness, and timing, stand firm in being thankful that He still loves you. Believe that He loves you no-matter-what, just as much as He loves Jesus (John 17:23).

Be thankful that there is nothing too hard for God, not even infertility (Genesis 18:14)!

WHY should I be grateful?

  • What I have, I don’t deserve because of my goodness, rather, it’s all because of Jesus’ goodness.
  • Gratitude and Peace are interconnected; the more gratitude I express to God, the more of His peace I experience.
  • It’s a way to express my indebtedness to others and to God, thereby helping me to become a better servant-leader.
  • Gratitude is a choice; I can just as easily choose to complain about life instead of being grateful.

I choose to celebrate that God loves me and blesses me, even when circumstances around me are teeming with reasons to not be grateful!

KEEP AN ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE!

Choose to be grateful. Expect an abundance of good things to come your way that will reinforce and grow this attitude so you can constantly be grateful, even in the midst of difficult circumstances.

 

What thing(s) do you do to remind yourself that, in spite of your circumstances, you have much to be grateful for?

Gratitude by Ziglar