If God is For Us...

We had another one of those days today that was just plain defeating, frustrating, and overwhelming.

Have you ever wanted something so badly that you would do just about anything to achieve it? We feel this way about parenthood.

The devil is continuing to try to get in our way and is doing his best to prevent us from becoming parents.

Well, devil, we have news for you...

What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered."No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

~Romans 8:31-39

On My Heart...

Several verses have been on my heart lately and I wanted to share a few of them with you...

"I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope."~ Psalm 130:5

"And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised." ~Heb 6:15

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."~ Matthew 11:28

"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."~Galatians 6:9

"You are a God who performs miracles, You display your power among the people."~Psalm 77:14

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid."~John 14:27

Have a GREAT Wednesday!

Thank Goodness for Silver-linings...

This post is a little TMI, so if you don't think you can handle a little infertility talk....please stop reading HERE!!!

I am in Houston visiting my family and friends for a long weekend. The weather here is NICE...a cold front blew in right before I got here, so we sat outside by the chimenea and admired my parent's yard. We had my all time favorite meal...GUMBO (dad-style) and we invited my grandparents and my great-grandfather over too. Here is my mom, sister, Mother , Pawpaw (my great-grandfather) and I enjoying the weather and each other...

This was only the FIRST night and I am sure we will have many more fun times while I'm here.

EXCEPT....

This is the TMI part if you want to turn back now!!!

I am ovulating AND my husband is back at home in Florida! Can you say FRUSTRATING!!!! I left for Fort Lauderdale on Tuesday, came to Houston on Friday, and will not be going back home until the following Tuesday. So it looks as if the month of October is a bust :(

On the bright side, I am so thankful that our Home Study will be coming up soon...November 13th!!! Thank goodness for silver-linings :)

Tomorrow WILL be Better!!

Check out this 35 second video...it will explain how I'm feeling today :(

Tomorrow WILL be better!!

Moving Forward...

Thank you so much for all your well-wishes with our journey to adopt. We are actually almost finished with all the paperwork and have scheduled the date for our Home Study. This is all so new for us and I have been trying my best to read as much information as I can about adoption. A friend of mine sent me this book...

...and it has given me a wealth of information on adoption. So if you have any other awesome books, articles, or sites that you think would help us, please recommend them in your comments!!

We have also decided to speak to another RE, for a third opinion, about what other options we may have for getting pregnant. His office offers several IVF's with a lower cost to the patients. We will be meeting with him next week and look foward to hearing what ideas, tests, and plans he recommends for us.

Please keep us in your prayers and ask God to continue to move us forward and into parenthood.

Taking a Turn...

We have been on the path of infertility for quite some time now and have decided to take a turn.

We recently got in touch with a social worker and decided to get information on how to go about adopting a baby. We had NO idea how much paperwork, information, and documentation that it takes to just get started. But we are trying our best to get prepared for the first step in adoption...the Home Study.

We are still looking into more fertility treatments and hope to one day have a biological baby, but ultimately we just want to be parents.

We can't wait to see what this turn in our journey will entail!!

Captivated...

Photo courtesy of Yahoo

I have been captivated by the Balloon Boy story. I know that you ALL saw the news...little boy climbs in balloon, balloon takes off, balloon lands, no little boy to be found anywhere?!?!?

The entire story literally made me sick to my stomach. I was so distraught thinking that this sweet little boy could have fallen out of the balloon, afterall, the balloon traveled for 50 miles in a two hour period!

I was sick, imagining what the boy's parents must be thinking, feeling, regretting.

I soon became overwhelmed with thankfulness as the world discovered that little Falcon was simply hiding in his attic, safe and sound.

The next day I hear that the entire saga could possibly be a HOAX...a publicity stunt. After an interview on CNN, the little boy replied "You guys said we did this for the show?", my heart broke, yet again.

It is so amazing to me that a child's life could be used this way...an attempt by two parents to gain publicity or recognition for a reality show. I would NEVER put my child's well-being at stake, mishap or hoax, for my benefit.

Photo courtesy of Sky News

It just infuriates me to watch how people take advantage of their ability to have children...some of them have NO idea how blessed they truly are.

Brighter Days...

I truly believe that brighter days are just ahead...

I couldn't agree more that infertility is a nightmare, the waiting is immeasurable, and the economy isn't any help either. But I took a moment and read this devotional by Victoria Osteen yesterday and it reminded me to stand strong, focus on what lies ahead, and continue to believe for brighter days.

"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. "~Psalm 23:4

Giveaway!!!

Please take a moment to visit my other blog, Be Thou a Knight. I have an awesome giveaway going on that will hopefully enable us to proceed with our next step in becoming parents.

Finally HOME!!!

Last night was the FIRST time in almost 3 weeks that I have seen my husband!!!

My mom came into town for about a week and half and I tried my best to spend every waking moment with her. Then my hubby's uncle went out of town, so he watched his grandmother for about a week. Needless to say, it was TIME for my husband to be home and I can't even begin to tell you how much I missed him.

A little time apart does wonders for a relationship.

I love you honey and missed you like CRAZY!

An AWESOME Mom...

I have a student at my school that I have taken under my wing for the past three years. He came to my school a little awkward, trying to find his place and himself. I made it a part of my daily routine to monitor his grades and discipline, communicate with his teachers, and to just have conversations with him on what is going on in his life. I have not only gotten close to him these past few years but also with his mother. He has really matured over the past three years and his mother and I have been looking forward to a successful and productive senior year. He has come a LONG way and I must say that I couldn't be more proud of him. This student is an excellent musician and I know that one day, his music will be heard all over the world.

Long story short, this student made a poor choice last week that resulted in him being suspended. I was so disappointed and literally in shock after hearing about the poor choice that he made and seriously thought I was going to burst into tears because I was so mad. I called his mom to deliver the news that he would be suspended and conferenced with the student to give him his punishment for his behavior. As expected, he apologized for his actions and I basically told him that I was disappointed in his poor choices and that we could talk more on Monday when he returned back to school.

This morning the student returned back to school and asked if he could come by and talk to me in private. After first period started, he stopped by my office to tell me that he intended to email me this weekend with a formal apology and then see me today to apologize again in person. Unfortunately, he could not find my email address, so he decided to google my name in the hopes of finding my email address. In doing so, he found this blog and decided to read it. He shared with me that he noticed that his poor decision was falling on the heels of yet another negative result in our journey to become parents. And in his words, he said the sweetest thing I have ever heard! He said "Ms. Knight, for what it's worth, I think you would make an AWESOME mom!"

Although I am not yet a mother, I am making a difference in the lives of children and this is one conversation that touched me more than I could ever put into words!

Laying Low and Listening...

I have gotten to the point in this journey of trying to have a baby where I am just plain tired.

Tired of medications, tired of waiting, tired of worrying, tired of trying, tired of hoping, tired of planning, and literally just TIRED!

I've decided to just lay low and listen.

I'm going to lay it all at His feet and listen to what He says.

I'll be back to blogland after I've had some time to process this plan He has set before me.

Expecting...

I know thatI have mentioned several times that I receive a daily devotional from Joel and Victoria Osteen. Well, yesterday's devotional was MEANT for me and all the other people dealing with infertility and in that WAITING stage. Just when I thought I couldn't push forward any longer, I received this...

"See how the farmer waits expectantly for the precious harvest from the land."~James 5:7

TODAY'S WORD from Joel and Victoria

Too often people passively sit around waiting for their dreams to come true. As time goes by they begin to think things will never change for them, and the longer the wait, the more frustrated they feel. It's important to keep moving toward your dreams in faith and hope. Expecting God's best and making preparations to succeed will help you stay in faith during times of waiting. "Joel," you might ask, "How do I do that?" Have expectant faith. Start talking and acting like your dreams are going to happen. People may think that sounds strange, but don't let it bother you. God has given you a dream, and you may see things they don't see. As you settle it in your heart and mind that God is faithful, you'll get excited about His promises for you.
If you feel like you're in a holding pattern, don't get discouraged; God is working on your behalf. Put your trust in Him. Start making preparations for the dreams God has planned for you so you will be ready when they arrive. Take your faith to a higher level — go from believing to expecting — and God will bring you the desires of your heart at just the right time.

Heavenly Father, thank You for what's to come. Help me go beyond believing to expecting my dreams to come to pass. Show me how to prepare for the things You have planned for me.

In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Back on Track...

I have really let myself go while taking these infertility medications. I have eaten like CRAZY and I can honestly say that I have NOT exercised in at least 6 weeks!!! Not good people, not good. I have NOT gotten on the scale either and I DON'T plan on it!!! I'm too afraid to see what number will come up :)

So I've decided to get back on track and start running again in the morning. I'm NOT looking forward to it, but I know it is what my body needs. I also think that I better get on my bike too...cycling is a lot more fun (in my opinion).

I have also been considering getting the Quick Trim Burn and Cleanse system from GNC. After all, have you SEEN what Kim and Khloe Kardashian look like lately???? They swear by it!

Hoping to get back on track and get my old body back...

He Who Promised...

I received this message from a friend of mine and felt compelled to share it with those of you in waiting...

Refuse to allow fear or worry to keep you from My blessings, says the Lord. Quiet your soul and be resolute in belief that I am bringing complete restoration to every area of your life. Do not doubt or be double-minded. Stand strong and unwavering in your faith, for I will do all that I have promised.

I have a small notecard in my wallet that reminds me of His promise...

"Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful."~Hebrews 10:23