Tag: Infertility

Did You Know There’s a SPIRITUAL Aspect of Infertility? #NIAW

Posted on by Evangeline

It’s National Infertility Awareness Week. Are you aware that there’s a spiritual experience associated with infertility?

Many people ignore the spiritual aspect of infertility.

It is so easy to lose focus on the spiritual nature of infertility when the physical aspect consumes your thought life and begins to overtake your daily life. You and your spouse can become so obsessed with finding the cause and the cure for your 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.

Spiritual Unrest

Some studies have shown that the degree of severity of a physical disease is often related to the degree of emotional and spiritual unrest being experienced by the patient. That unrest must be addressed. This is why 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 because of what Jesus accomplished through His death and resurrection.

Infertility is not too hard for God to break or destroy. God said so when he defeated infertility in Sarah’s life:

“Is anything too hard for the Lord?” ~Genesis 18:14

The story of each woman in the Bible that struggled with infertility ended with her becoming an overcomer and giving birth, no matter her age, socio-economic status, or how long she had been infertile.

Stay WITH God

Luke 18:27 shows that Jesus said, “The things which are impossible with men are possible WITH God” (emphasis mine). That preposition, “with,” is an important word because it means “in close proximity to”.  You can come close and join yourself WITH Him by asking Him for help and for wisdom in the decisions you make, by reading His word, and by speaking and meditating His Word.

Even if you feel as if God has turned his back on you and no longer hears your prayers, look to Him. When is seems like God is ignoring you (He’s not), look to Him. Even though things haven’t changed after you’ve begged, cried, and pleaded in your prayers, look to Him. And yes, when you find yourself thinking, “I’ve had enough of this. Let’s just throw in the towel and give up,” look to Him. Why? Because the bottom line is, He has never left your side. He loves you immensely and wants His best to be demonstrated in your life. You have an enemy but it is not God, it’s Satan. Jesus is the One who has the power to eradicate this issue and He desires to do so. He needs you to know that He is there with you, standing with you in the face of this enemy. Then you can have faith that He always keeps His promises.

Make a Decision

Make a decision to consistently address the spiritual aspect of infertility.  It will make a positive difference! Trust that God’s Word is true for you. Keep your focus on His promises of fertility. Ask for a fresh revelation of His love for you. It will bring you guidance, comfort, and ultimately, greater peace.

“You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You: because he trusts in You.”
~ Isaiah 26:3

“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you: but not as the world gives… Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” ~ John 14:27

Find more direction about how to spiritually address infertility… check out my fertility devotional, A Seed of Hope: God’s Promises of Fertility.

spiritual aspect of infertility-A Seed of Hope

hope - a healthy habit

She Got Through It By Living On Borrowed Hope — You Can Too

Posted on by Evangeline

Have you ever borrowed anything from a friend because you had completely run out of that item? It’s nice to know that when you’re in a pinch, someone is kind enough to share what they have to make up for what you don’t.

Amazingly, if you feel like you have completely run out of hope, you can borrow some of it too! That’s what a friend did as she struggled with infertility. You can read a portion of her story of victory here.

What I’d like to share about her story that you won’t read in her blog is something she recently said to me while we attended an event. She told me that before she met me, she had been reading my Bible reading plan about fertility on YouVersion. It had been a source of hope for her during a dark time in her life. She considered it a source of “borrowed hope” because she had simply run out it. She didn’t want desperation and bitterness to overtake her. As a believer in Christ, she knew she had to keep hope alive within her… somehow. Borrowing hope from the Biblical accounts of those 8 women in my reading plan helped her maintain hope until she eventually experienced victory and gave birth to a son.

Seeing how others experience victory should prompt us to feel hopeful, not envious or pitiful. When we make a decision to celebrate the victory of others…when we remain determined to have a positive mindset…when we choose to believe that what God has done for others He will do for us… we can live life hope-filled.

Borrowed hope from the victorious experiences of others may be what you need in order to get through the struggle. Or maybe their experiences can serve to boost the hope you’ve forced yourself to maintain.

Either way, today, make the choice to rest in knowing that God loves you and ALWAYS keep His promises.

It’ll make the struggle easier.

The Ways God’s Love Works in Your Life

Posted on by Evangeline

What do you do to tap into God’s love for you in the midst of seemingly hopeless circumstances? Find encouragement in my free handout, “Hope in Hard Places.” Request it today, using the blue arrow form to the right of this post.

God’s Love

Scripture assures us that God loves us in so many different ways. Here are a few of them to remind you that the Father loves you the same way He loves Jesus (John 17:23).

Scripture assures us that God loves us the same way He loves Jesus. (John 17:23) Share on X

God’s love is strong and He gladly protects us!

LOVE Psalm 5-12

God’s love brings joyful satisfaction! 

Background image by Vectorgirl |Fotolia

Background image by Vectorgirl |Fotolia

God IS love. Allow His love to be an ever-flowing river, with cascades of the highest level to bring joy in your life.

Background image by photointopainting
Background image by photointopainting

Nothing– no problem, no trouble, no struggle in your life — is too hard for God’s powerful love to solve or change.
Not even INFERTILITY!

Here’s What REAL LOVE Looks Like

Posted on by Evangeline

real love

Sometimes we need a reminder of what REAL love is.

How can you know what real love is? If you listen to popular music, no matter if it’s R&B, country, hip-hop, rock, or pop, you’re likely to hear lyrics about how love let someone down:

  • “thank you for the love, thank you for the heartaches, thank you for the tears I’ve cried, thank you for all those lies”
  • “can’t believe that love would hurt again”
  • “she’s my love gone wrong”
  • “love done gone”
  • “good lovin’ gone bad”

A lot of times, people will label something as being “love” when it’s really not. As we celebrate Valentine’s Day today, I want to give you a different perspective about love (this will be the theme of my posts over the next few days). Knowing what God’s love is really like is important in being able to see Him as willing to provide the healing, material supply, relationships, etc. that you may need. Make a decision today to gain a fresh revelation of His love for you.

“The Lord your God is with you. He is a hero, the Mighty Warrior who saves you. In his love, He will no longer punish you.He will take great delight in you. He happily rejoices over you, renews you with his love, and celebrates over you with shouts of joy.”
 ~Zephaniah 3:17 (NIRV and GW)

After all, if God is love (1 John 4:16), how can there be anything bad or hurtful about REAL love? 

Please spread the love! Share these images with others via social media.

Sometimes we need a reminder of what REAL love is. Share on X

Love is demonstrative and takes action on behalf of others.

Background by Stuart Miles| FreeDigitalPhotos

Love seeks to refresh and restore.

LOVE -PS 23

Love gives…always.

LOVE John 3-16

 

Certain images courtesy of David Castillo Dominici and Stuart Miles| FreeDigitalPhotos.net

HAPPY NEW YEAR- Expect to be Blessed in 2017

Posted on by Evangeline

Happy new year

As you celebrate the beginning of a new year, take a few moments to reflect and celebrate the good things you experienced in 2016. It’s important to make a decision to see the good, especially if 2016 was filled with disappointments.

If infertility was a factor in your 2016, what good came out of it? Are you closer to God? Closer to your spouse? Did you get better results by changing/removing some old habits?

If the death of a loved one infiltrated your life last year, what good came out of it? Did you learn that you are stronger than you thought as a result of that loss? Did love and support come from unexpected people?

No matter what your challenge may have been, there’s something good that came out of it…you just have to look for it.

Once you determine what those good things were, express gratitude for them. God always finds a way to show us His love in the midst of challenges and it’s a good practice to say, “Thanks” to Him.

A New Year of New Beginnings

And now as we begin a new year, let this year be the launching point of more good things experienced in your life–on an even higher level. Embrace what lies ahead and let go of 2016’s setbacks. Let your hope be reignited! Let what you say in 2017 reflect unwavering hope. Raise your expectancy for good things to come your way. Expect God to do wonderful, miraculous things in your life.

Prayer for 2017

What are some of the things you’re praying will happen in 2017? Please share them below.

My prayer for you in 2017 is that you will:

  • Gain a new and fresh revelation of God’s no-matter-what kind of love for you.
  • Ask boldly for what He has promised in His Word.
  • Expect to receive more than ever before.
  • Experience new-found freedom in Him, not settling for less than what He promised.
  • Look ahead with confidence, letting your words reflect what God has said about you.
  • Walk by faith and not by sight, knowing that it’s what you trust in but don’t yet see that keeps you moving ahead.
  • Be greatly blessed as you stand with daily gratitude.

May your 2017 be filled with abundance in every way!

Need help with clearing out old mindsets so that 2017 is filled with better results and more breakthroughs? I am here to help! Check out the scripture-based coaching services that I offer at iHope Coaching.

You crown the year with Your good blessings, and You leave abundance in Your wake.
~ Psalm 65:11 NET

The Spirit of God whets our appetite by giving us a taste of what’s ahead. He puts a little of heaven in our hearts so that we’ll never settle for less.
~ 2 Corinthians 5:5 MSG

His favor lasts a lifetime! ~ Psalm 30:5 NIV

tools for health

5 of God’s Tools You Need to Use to Improve Your Health (Part 1)

Posted on by Evangeline

When I woke up this morning, one of my first thoughts was about the tools God has given us to use for improving our health.

A handyman, who’s able to fix so many things, has a variety of tools to use to make repairs. He or she has a hammer, a wrench, a screw driver, and a few other common tools of the trade they keep within easy reach by carrying them in their tool belt. Each tool has a specific purpose and the handyman knows how best to use each one. A hammer wouldn’t be ideal to use for turning a screw nor would a saw be useful in grasping a pipe like a wrench could.

God’s “tools of the trade” are for our well-being. He gave them to us to use so that we can improve our health and finances, increase our confidence in His love, and to take advantage of all that the finished work of Christ provided.

Here are 5 of His tools that can bring restoration to our health:

  1. His Word (The Bible)
  2. Communion
  3. Meditation
  4. Scriptural Affirmations
  5. Praying in Tongues

Just as God’s armor has many pieces that serve different functions in protecting us (Ephesians 6), His tools of the trade also serve different functions in our lives, especially when it comes to our health.  Here are some thoughts about how scripture impacts our health.

How can His Word bring healing?

Proverbs 4:22 (NLT) clearly states, God’s words “bring life to those who find them, and healing to their whole body.” Search God’s Word to find the healing promises and then ask Him how to understand and use their inherent power.

Scripture has a divine purpose. God sent His Word to heal us and save us from destruction (Psalm 107:20).

The Bible shows us how God fulfilled His Old Testament prophecies through the finished work of Christ in the New Testament. What the prophet Isaiah spoke has come to pass–Jesus Himself took away our infirmities and bore our sickness (Matthew 8:17).

God’s Word also builds our confidence in His love for us. This confidence is hugely important if we are to take advantage of all that His promises have to offer us (1 John 5:14,15).

What about Communion and the other tools?

In the upcoming weeks, I’ll share about the advantages and usefulness of the other instruments in my list of God’s tools. In next week’s post, you’ll see how communion plays a powerful, relevant role in our health…even in 2016 and beyond.

Need help with finding healing scriptures? Click the link below below to request my free pamphlet, Speak the Word Over Your Physical and Mental Health.

YES! Please send me the healing scriptures pamphlet.

 

Feeling Like You’re Stuck Between A Rock and A Hard Place

Posted on by Evangeline

Stuck between a rock and a hard place

The pressures of infertility can make you feel like you’re stuck between a rock and a hard place. It’s as if it completely surrounds you, pressuring you to give up, to not see any advantage in continuing to hope. In the midst of infertility, life can feel like you’re always stuck between a rock and a hard place. It seems like not much of anything is working out in your favor. Every day seems as if infertility colors how you view life. It looms over every aspect of your life, clouding your vision so it’s hard to see anything good that’s on the horizon.

But I’m glad to share with you that in that place of feeling stuck, hope can shake things up, freeing you to enjoy life!

5 Secrets

Here are 5 secrets that I’ve found are powerful in nurturing and maintaining hope as you look to come out of this struggle with infertility.

  1. Believe God loves you. His love is a “no matter what” kind of love. No matter what you’ve done/thought/said, He loves you with an unfailing and unending love.
  2. Decide to not give up. Don’t underestimate the power of a decision!
  3. Remember the previous times, big or small, when God has come through for you. Encourage yourself. Think about those successes and the joy you experienced.
  4. On a daily basis, affirm the promises of God that relate to your situation by speaking them out loud. Instead of focusing on medical facts, allow God’s healing Word to be your point of focus and become your truth.
  5. Greet each morning with gratitude for the gift of a new day. This helps set a positive tone for the day ahead of you. Thankfulness has a way of shifting our attitude, choices, and behavior.

There’s Always Hope

Hope is one of the three things that 1 Corinthians 13:13 tells us will always remain as a resource that allows us to tap into God’s grace. We are to always have hope—the joyful and confident expectation of God coming through for us!

Hope established upon Jesus’ love never disappoints.

When you’re feeling like you stuck between a rock and a hard place, hope is there to bring freedom! Hope is what provides an inner image of good things to come. Hope removes the shackles of despair, no matter what situation you’re facing. Allow hope to shake things up in your life so that you experience the freedom to confidently expect good things from a very good Father.

 

hope in depression

Hope Begins in the Midst of Darkness and Depression

Posted on by Evangeline

 

Sometimes, we are overwhelmed by the darkness and depression that consistently and continually seep into our lives. It is a downright insidious attack. But God said that hope never fails (1 Corinthians 13:13).  His Word and His love give us reason to never give up until the radiant light of His Word has broken through the darkness!

Hope begins in the midst of darkness and depression… 

Hope is defined as a joyful and confident expectation of good. [Source: Thayer’s Lexicon]

I like to think of hope as H.O.P.E.:

Having

Only

Positive

Expectations

In this acrostic, “positive” not only means the opposite of negative, it also means confident, fully assured. Therefore, each day you can choose to have a confident expectation of something good coming your way to bring you out of this season of infertility.

The prophet Jeremiah is a case study for how to maintain hope. Consistently recalling what his enemy had done to him caused Jeremiah to get deeply depressed. His mind and emotions were not at peace and he even became oblivious to anything good (Lamentations 3). But, when he chose to recall the good things God had done, he was filled with hope, confidence, and expectancy.

Practice H.O.P.E. daily!

Make the choice to recall the good that God has already done in your life. Remember that He loves you, is always with you, and enjoys making Himself available to do you good.

The account of Abraham & Sarah overcoming infertility is referenced in Romans 4 and tells of how he had a steadfast, firm hope in God’s promises. Verse 18 says that he “hoped against hope.” The phrase “hope against hope” means to continue to have hope even though the present circumstances and future outlook don’t warrant it. Abraham kept looking for the manifestation of God’s promise of a child. That’s how you have only positive expectations!

Remember, hope begins in the midst of darkness and never gives up until the light has broken through!

Give yourself permission to be like Abraham– keep your hope alive. Even though depression may be looming large, even though your natural circumstances may not warrant having hope, keep the light of hope burning bright in the midst of the darkness. When you get tired of waiting, God is still right there to help you continue on. Let Him know you’d like His help in maintaining your H.O.P.E.. As you trust in Him and His goodness, it becomes easier to maintain and overflow in hope.

“I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.”
~ Romans 15:13 (NLT)

Will you choose to refuse despair and move toward victory each day?

[This post includes an excerpt from my book, Infertility Sucks!]

Real Love

5 Secrets to Help You Shake Things Up and Enjoy Life

Posted on by Evangeline

I know what the pressure of infertility feels like. It’s as if it completely surrounds you, pressuring you to give up, to not enjoy life or to see any advantage in continuing to hope. In the midst of infertility, life can feel like you’re always stuck between a rock and a hard place. It seems like not much is working out in your favor. Every day seems as if infertility colors how you view life in general. It looms over every aspect of your life, clouding your vision so it’s hard to see anything good that’s on the horizon.

But I’m glad to share with you that in that place of feeling stuck, HOPE can shake things up, freeing you to enjoy life!

Here are 5 secrets that I’ve found that are powerful in helping you enjoy life as you maintain hope for victory in this struggle with infertility:

  1. Believe God loves you. His love is a “no matter what” kind of love. No matter what you’ve done/thought/said, He loves you with an unfailing and unending love.
  2. Decide to not give up. Don’t underestimate the power of a decision!
  3. Remember the previous times, big or small, when God has come through for you. Encourage yourself. Think about those successes and the joy you experienced.
  4. On a daily basis, affirm the promise of God that relates to your situation by speaking the Word out loud. Instead of focusing on medical facts, let God’s Word be your point of focus and become your truth.
  5. Greet each morning with gratitude for the gift of a new day. This helps set a positive tone for the day ahead of you. Thankfulness has a way of shifting our attitude, choices, and behavior.

Hope is one of the three things that 1 Corinthians 13:13 tells us will always remain as a resource that allows us to tap into God’s grace. We are to always have hope—the joyful and confident expectation of God coming through for us!

Hope established upon Jesus’ love never disappoints.

Allow hope to shake things up in your life so that you experience the freedom to confidently expect good things from your very good Heavenly Father.

An Affirmation for You:

God loves me and desires for me to experience only His goodness so that I enjoy life. I rest in His love for me. I choose to allow His desires for my life to shape my desires. I maintain my hope in God.

What things are you currently doing to help you enjoy life during the struggle? Please share below.

victory over infertility

3 Reasons to Believe You Will Get Pregnant

Posted on by Evangeline

Has it been difficult to believe you will get pregnant because you’ve been trying for a while and nothing has happened?

It’s so easy to believe all the negative reports about infertility. We humans are trained through our normal, everyday situations to focus on and remember the negative circumstances of life. But what if there were powerful reasons to believe something radically different from the medical reports and the advice/counsel you get from friends and family? Would you believe?

Believe What God Said

Here are three reasons to believe that you’ll get pregnant and that you are already blessed and empowered to overcome infertility:

  1. God said none should be barren/infertile, not male or female [Deuteronomy 7:14].
  2. God said ALL things are possible with Him [Luke 1:37] and impossible without Him[John 15:5].
  3. God said He is always with you and His Spirit bears witness to the Truth (what God has said) because His Word is truth[ 1 John 5:6; John 17:17].

We’re told in 1 Kings 8:56 that “not one word has failed of all the wonderful promises He gave.” God is truly a promise keeper. Believe what He has said.

Questions

It’s time to be honest with yourself:

Do you believe that God loves you the same way He loves Jesus (John 17:23b)?

  • Yes or No

Are you making requests based on His promises and then expecting Him to do what He promised (1 John 5:14-15)?

  • Yes or No

Are you speaking His Word out loud because He said that it is medicine to your body (Proverbs 4:20-22)?

  • Yes or No

Will you continue to praise Him in advance of seeing your desire come to fruition, trusting that His answer is always YES to anything He has promised (1 Corinthians 1:20)?

  • Yes or No

I hope you answered YES to each of these questions. If not, it’s okay. That just means you’ve got some spiritual homework to do! 🙂

Take time to read all the Scriptures included in this post. Read them out loud to yourself more than once. Read them repeatedly and frequently over the next few days so that they begin to resonate within you. Look for other scriptures that speak specifically to your situation.

Then ask God to show you how to trust Him more. He’ll be sure to say YES.

To help you get started, download my special report, 12 Affirmations of Faith for Fertility. It’s available to you when you request to join our private Facebook group, A Seed of Hope.  It’s a support group of like-minded women, looking to walk this season of infertility with a perspective of faith and hope. I’d love to see you there!