National Infertility Awareness Week (NIAW)

As so many of us know, but for those that don't, April 24th through May 1st is National Infertility Awareness Week! NIAW is a movement to raise awareness about the disease of infertility which affects 7.3 million Americans. 1 in 8 people are dealing with or have dealt with infertility. It's a crisis not often understood or discussed, but has a huge impact on that person's life!

Most people still think that infertility is all in your head. That it isn't a real problem and that it certainly isn't something you go to the doctor about. They tend to think you should just relax and let it happen. For those of us who suffer or have suffered fertility challenges, we know that there is more to it than that.

National Infertility Awareness Week is a time for people to see that infertility is a prominent problem facing one out of every six American couples. It's not something whispered about by women anymore and it's definitely not just a woman's problem. The causes of infertility are split evenly over the male and female problem. As family and friends of a fertility-challenged person, it is important for you to show support! Please remember that the vast majority of infertile couples have minimal control of the diseases that causes their infertility. Giving them emotional support during this trying time is a wonderful way to assist them! During National Infertility Awareness Week (NIAW), please take a moment to learn a little more about this debilitating disease so many of us face!

Visit RESOLVE to connect with others and find out how you can make a difference!

This Is My Prayer

Dear Lord,

I thank You for this day.
I thank You for my being able to see and to hear this morning.
I'm blessed because You are a forgiving God and an understanding God.
You have done so much for me and You keep on blessing me.
Forgive me this day for everything I have done, said or thought that was not pleasing to You.
I ask now for Your forgiveness.
Please keep me safe from all danger and harm.
Help me to start this day with a new attitude and plenty of gratitude.
Let me make the best of each and every day; to clear my mind so that I can hear from You.
Please broaden my mind so that I can accept all things.
Let me not whine and whimper over things I have no control over.
Let me continue to see sin through God's eyes and acknowledge it as evil.
And when I sin, let me repent, and confess with my mouth my wrongdoing and receive the forgiveness of God.
And when this world closes in on me, let me remember Jesus' example - to slip away and find a quiet place to pray.
It's the best response when I'm pushed beyond my limits.
I know that when I can't pray, You listen to my heart.
Continue to use me to do Your will.
Continue to bless me so that I may be a blessing to others.
Keep me strong so that I may help the weak.
Keep me uplifted so that I may have words of encouragement for others.
I pray for those that are lost and can't find their way.
I pray for those that are misjudged and misunderstood.
I pray for those that don't know you intimately.
I pray for those that don't believe. But I thank You that I believe.
I believe that God changes people and God changes things.
I pray for all my sisters and brothers.
For each and every family member in their households.
I pray for peace, love and joy in their homes; that they are out of debt and all their needs are met.
I pray that every eye that reads this knows there is no problem, circumstance or situation greater than God.
Every battle is in Your hands for You to fight.
I pray that these words be received into the hearts of every eye that sees them, and every mouth that confesses them willingly.
This is my prayer.
In Jesus' name, Amen.

Keeping Hope alive in 2010...

Dear Friends,

Where does the time go? It literally passes in the blink of an eye, and I'm finding it hard to believe that it's been almost four months since my last post. Our journey these past three and a half years has certainly been one full of excitement and disappointment, prayers, anxiety, true despair and heartache. And while we've had our share of ups and downs, we know that it's also been a journey filled with love, hope and faith. So much has happened within these last four months, and we hope & pray that the choices we've made going forward are the one's that will allow us to reach our dreams of having a family.

I'll share more of what we've been up to in another post, but for now we just wanted to say thank you, dear friends for sticking it out with us during the rough times and celebrating the good ones as well. Thank you for your support, your hope and your prayers when we needed it the most. We are happy to leave 2009 behind. It was a challenging year (to say the least). We hope & pray that 2010 is a better one, and until our dreams are realized we continue to be grateful, blessed and thankful for all that we have TODAY!