Tag: Sarah

Exciting News! The Borrowed Hope Book Bundle is Available!

Posted on by Evangeline

Borrowed Hope bookToday…RIGHT NOW… it’s finally time to pre-order my new book, Borrowed Hope: Sarah’s Story of Triumph Over Infertility. 

Order it now so you can get some great bonuses bundled with the book. My co-author, Angela Williams, and I will personally sign your book and send it along with great bonuses to anyone who orders the book before it comes out at national book sellers.

What’s It About?

 

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

*Witness Sarah’s honest conversations with God as she longs to understand and experience His faithfulness.

*Peek into her world and hear her frustrations as she deals with seemingly impossible circumstances.

*Walk with her through fear, doubt, anger, hope, faith, and finally, to victory.

Sarah’s infertility experience is living proof that God is true to His word and that He is the final authority in all circumstances.

Sarah experienced victory over infertility.
Borrow hope from her victory so that you are empowered to hope again!

The book bundle is available for a limited time and only when you pre-order the book.

Here’s what you’ll receive when you order the
Borrowed Hope Book Bundle:

  • Your autographed copy of the book, signed by both authors.
  • A set of Borrowed Hope Scripture cards that gives you the “antidote” to negative thinking and helps you focus on God’s Promises.
  • A Borrowed Hope book mark that reminds you to not give up.
  • Membership within our new private Facebook Group so that you can build community with victory-minded women.
  • A FREE ebook– Infertility Sucks: How to Maintain Hope in Your Marriage (PDF format)
  • Regular encouragement in your inbox from Evangeline and Angela
  • FREE Shipping on your book, cards, and book marker!

⇒⇒ Order the Borrowed Hope Book Bundle NOW! ⇐⇐

Borrowed Hope book

Borrowed Hope – How Sarah’s Infertility Story Can Give You Hope

Posted on by Evangeline

Has hearing the story of someone else’s experience in overcoming a challenge you’ve faced ever given you hope? Has it strengthened your belief that you will overcome too?

That’s the purpose of my next book, Borrowed Hope: Sarah’s Story of Triumph Over Infertility, co-authored by Angela Williams.

Sarah’s Infertility Story

The story of Sarah’s season of waiting is well-known primarily because she waited for so long– 70+ years! The Bible’s account about Sarah shows that she was unable to get pregnant from the start of their marriage. Decades of their lives had been filled with monthly disappointments because Sarah was not pregnant. Imagine what her one-on-one conversations with her husband, Abraham, might have sounded like.

You’re invited to witness conversations that Sarah and Abraham likely had in their long season of infertility. Husbands and wives of today may have very similar conversations since the emotions of a fertility struggle remain the same as what Abraham and Sarah experienced. This is their story of how they had hope in the midst of their season of waiting.

In Sarah’s infertility story, you will see how Sarah experienced the same emotions that you are possibly feeling. You will see how she moves through a gamut of emotions… from fear to doubt and anger but then begins to hope and have faith. Eventually, she transitions into a place of victory!

Pre-order Borrowed Hope

If you’ve become hopeless about your fertility, Borrowed Hope: Sarah’s Story will encourage you and allow you to borrow hope from an overcomer.

Angela and I are so excited to release this book! If you’ve been looking for something that will increase your fertility hope, Borrowed Hope is what you need. Sarah’s Story is the first in a series of Borrowed Hope books that tell the stories of women in the Bible who suffered through infertility. The good news is that EVERY one of them overcame infertility and gave birth to a child.

ALERT: We’re offering a bundle of great bonuses when you pre-order the book! 🙂

The book won’t be available in bookstores until late October. BUT, you can pre-order the book, starting today. By pre-ordering, you can take advantage of getting bonus resources that you’ll absolutely love! Check them out HERE.

 

Borrowed Hope: Sarah’s Story will encourage you and allow you to borrow hope from an overcomer, especially if you’ve become hopeless about your fertility. 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
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!]

Sarah’s DUI

Posted on by Evangeline

Sarah's DUI

Did you know that Sarah had a DUI thousands of years ago?  Her DUI was, of course, not driving while intoxicated/under the influence; it was “Deciding Under the Influence” – of doubt. Sarah made some life-changing, not-so-good decisions under the influence of doubt. Her strong incredulity about God’s promise of a son came back to bite her. Because it was taking so long for her to see the manifestation of the son God had promised them, doubt started to cloud her judgment. She made a doubt-influenced decision to help God keep His promise.

The details of Sarah’s DUI and the consequences of it were not pretty. You can read her story in Genesis 16. Doubting God’s goodness and His faithfulness to keep His word influenced her to offer her Egyptian slave, Hagar, to Abraham. Sarah decided to have her husband to take Hagar as a wife and have sex with her so that the slave could produce the heir that Abraham so desperately wanted. And of course, Abraham gladly cooperated! He probably thought that he was winning all the way around—sex with a “pretty young thing” AND producing the son he always wanted. But that was not God’s plan. As a result of this DUI, Sarah did not experience God’s promised gift as quickly as she thought.

God’s plan was for Sarah to birth a son. A surrogate was not going to bring forth the child of promise that He had planned for Sarah and Abraham. Even though it looked impossible, even though it took a long time, God’s plan was still the best plan and He did not need Sarah to run interference and attempt to force His plan to come to fruition.

Have you ever had a DUI like Sarah’s? Are there times when you struggle because you’re making a decision under the influence of doubt?

Decide to rest in God’s promise. Decide to be still and know Him as God of your circumstances. Your best efforts can never measure up to what He can do to bring good things your way!

 

 

Image from Springfield News Sun

How to Have Ridiculous Hope Like Abraham

Posted on by Evangeline

Abraham firmly believed God’s promise. 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.”

I recently read how Jewish tradition promotes that Sarah actually had no womb:

Sarai was barren, she had no child.

[Why the double phrasing?] To teach that she did not even have a place for offspring – i.e. a womb. (Rashi, citing Talmud – Yevamot 64a)

[This is an interpretation of Genesis 11:30.]

Ridiculous hope
Photo courtesy of Michal Marcol/ FreeDigitalPhotos.net

But 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.  His ridiculous hope required having faith in what God had promised, 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 power and honoring Him by the words that Abraham spoke, helped to build up his faith.

Abraham 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 live each day having ridiculous hope?

14 Days of Love – Day 6

Posted on by Evangeline

Nothing– no problem, no trouble, no struggle in your life — is too hard for God’s powerful love to solve or change.

This is a video of Israel Houghton singing about taking the limits off of God. Advance this video to the 8:30 frame to see the encouraging exhortation from Tudor Bismarck about nothing being too hard for God.

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 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.

Thankful in the Midst of Infertility?

Posted on by Evangeline

When you’re facing the difficult struggle of infertility, what is there to be thankful for?

Photo courtesy of Dreamstime.com | Ctulu8

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 this Thanksgiving week, make a DECISION to look for the things in life you can 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 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 unconditionally, 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)!