Wow.
This weekend I am planning on meeting some potential IP's. I am a little nervous. With my last journey the timing didn't mean a lot to me other than I did not want to be pregnant through the summer so I could have some time with my kids while they were out of school. This time around I must think about my son's 18th birthday(January), a company convention I have been told I must attend(February), my son's graduation and summer vacation with the kids before my son goes off to college.
Looking at the dates from baby center, to get a better idea of timing..., it looks like the same time frame/schedule as the last journey would work best. I wold like to get started sooner rather than later. OF course I know that this is all in God's timing and His hands.
Fertile days Resulting due date
May 2, 2011 - May 7, 2011 January 26, 2012
May 30, 2011 - June 4, 2011 February 23, 2012
June 27, 2011 - July 2, 2011 March 22, 2012
July 25, 2011 - July 30, 2011 April 19, 2012
Aug 22, 2011 - Aug 27, 2011 May 17, 2012
Sept 19, 2011 - Sept 24, 2011 June 14, 2012
I am so excited. I can't wait to see what God has in store for this new journey.
Precious Heavenly Father, You and only You know what is ahead in this journey, who will be touched and when. Holy Spirit I ask that you give me the guidance and sight to see where it is that I am to go. Praise Your holy name. Thank you for the blessing that you bestow upon me every moment of every day. I ask for your forgiveness when I fail and the knowledge to always do it Your way. God be with the Intended Parents as they get ready for this meeting. Help us all to take the "us" out of the journey and make it about You and Your will. In Jeseus' name. Amen
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Friday, March 11, 2011
Reassurance
God is so GOOD!
I have been searching myself, my purpose, my direction, my motives... We have been looking for a new church family after much prayer. My biggest loss was; where will I serve if we go somewhere new? Will they need me? Will I have a place? I leave behind a high school girls' Bible study, a quarterly worship service and VBS song leader/Bible area teacher positions. The couple I helped attend this previous church. Will the next church family understand my surrogacy service?
We have been attending services and going to a few classes to "find out" about this new church family, doctrine, areas to serve and areas to be served . In one of the classes I asked, "what so you think about surrogacy?" Their faces lit up. One of the staff members daughter had completed a journey and they are so supportive. They asked me if I was ready to serve and where I was interested in "plugging" in. They felt my hurt over leaving service behind and were ready to support me in getting me serving again. They are so excited about my wanting to do another journey. God is GOOD.
The doctrine is let's go to the Bible and see what God says, let's pray. God is GOOD.
Today we got our tax refund, and went to pay off a planned trip to Disney, we noticed that a payment we believed we had made, that didn't show up last time we checked, was in fact there so we owed less than we thought. God is GOOD.
I have reached out to another local family in hopes of starting a friendship with someone on a surrogacy journey and maybe be the one to be honored with babysitting their most precious embryo/baby (ies). I heard back from this family today. We are still in the very begginings of "talks", but it is so encouraging that God has a place for me. Why doubt my purpose when I know that God has my purpose under His control?
Jeremiah 29:11For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Praise God for His marvelous plans.
I have been searching myself, my purpose, my direction, my motives... We have been looking for a new church family after much prayer. My biggest loss was; where will I serve if we go somewhere new? Will they need me? Will I have a place? I leave behind a high school girls' Bible study, a quarterly worship service and VBS song leader/Bible area teacher positions. The couple I helped attend this previous church. Will the next church family understand my surrogacy service?
We have been attending services and going to a few classes to "find out" about this new church family, doctrine, areas to serve and areas to be served . In one of the classes I asked, "what so you think about surrogacy?" Their faces lit up. One of the staff members daughter had completed a journey and they are so supportive. They asked me if I was ready to serve and where I was interested in "plugging" in. They felt my hurt over leaving service behind and were ready to support me in getting me serving again. They are so excited about my wanting to do another journey. God is GOOD.
The doctrine is let's go to the Bible and see what God says, let's pray. God is GOOD.
Today we got our tax refund, and went to pay off a planned trip to Disney, we noticed that a payment we believed we had made, that didn't show up last time we checked, was in fact there so we owed less than we thought. God is GOOD.
I have reached out to another local family in hopes of starting a friendship with someone on a surrogacy journey and maybe be the one to be honored with babysitting their most precious embryo/baby (ies). I heard back from this family today. We are still in the very begginings of "talks", but it is so encouraging that God has a place for me. Why doubt my purpose when I know that God has my purpose under His control?
Jeremiah 29:11For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Praise God for His marvelous plans.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Rejection, dissapointment, failure
How do we deal with this as children of God? We KNOW that He will never be ..., reject us, in our pain He is there, in our doubting He reassures, He gave His all, His everything, His only Son for us even when we were the reason a sacrifice needed to be made.
Over the past few months I have been "dealing" with things said, to me, about me. I have been told that what I believed I was, as a christian, wife and employee was wrong. I have failed and am failing. I don't know where to go from here, other than to God. I have spent many a moment, at night, in the morning, car rides; moments in the bathroom seeking (I Love my Bible app.). I go to Him I ask what I need to change. I ask where I can be more like Him. I take my hurting heart to Him. I ask how can I talk to others to get Him to them.
I believe this is on me, it is three different men, their opinions and me, three different aspects of my life. How can they all be wrong? I am the only common factor. "How can I be letting God down?" That question reminds me of a drama "The Chisel" by the Skit Guys, How can we let God down when we are not holding Him up: He is holding us up. So I go to Him and I ask Him to hold me.
I do not give up. I continue to "Love them like Jesus". Not like I would, I would walk away if that were the case, I would quit my job, I would not have finished Fuel, and I would ...
I heard a sermon along time ago on the topic of how do we know we love Jesus more than how much we love those around us... the answer was because we have not killed them yet. If we loved people at the capacity that we, as humans, have for love we would give up much more quickly, walk away, or "kill" them, but because we love Jesus more we hang in there. We (try to) follow His example of love: unconditional, unending, sacrificial, merciful, gracious, undeserved, overflowing, unmeasurable... I know I have yet to master this kind of love, but I also know that I am NOT GIVING UP!
I AM NOT GIVING UP!
In my searching I have found several verses that I am holding onto.
Passage Psalm 39:4:
4 “Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be.
Remind me that my days are numbered—
how fleeting my life is.
Passage Psalm 69:13:
13 But I keep praying to you, Lord,
hoping this time You will show me favor.
In Your unfailing love, O God,
answer my prayer with Your sure salvation.
Passage Psalm 68:34:
34 Tell everyone about God’s power.
His majesty shines down on Israel;
His strength is mighty in the heavens.
Passage Psalm 63:7:
7 Because You are my helper,
I sing for joy in the shadow of Your wings.
Passage Psalm 65:3:
3 Though we are overwhelmed by our sins,
You forgive them all.
Passage Psalm 61:8:
8 Then I will sing praises to Your name forever
as I fulfill my vows each day.
Passage Psalm 42:5:
5 Why am I discouraged?
Why is my heart so sad?
I will put my hope in God!
I will praise Him again—
my Savior and
Passage Psalm 48:14:
14 For that is what God is like
He is our God forever and ever,
and He will guide us until we die.
I also have this drama found in the Youth Specialties Ideas Library, I have changed it some, but the idea is still there.
For God So Loved
“For God loved the world so much that He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16) NLT
Alternative translation
{For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life. (Amp)}
For God…
No one is holy like the Lord! There is no one besides You; there is no Rock like our God (1 Samuel 2:2)
So loved…
Long ago the Lord said to Israel: “I have loved you, My people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you to Myself (Jeremiah 31:3)
That He gave…
Thank God for this gift too wonderful for words! (2 Corinthians 9:15)
His only begotten Son…
For God made Christ, Who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin so that we could be made right with God through Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:21)
That whosoever…
God isn't late with His promise as some measure lateness. He is restraining Himself on account of you, holding back the End because He doesn't want anyone lost. He's giving everyone space and time to change (2 Peter 3:9)
Believeth in Him…
The word that saves is right here, as near as the tongue in your mouth,
as close as the heart in your chest. It's the word of faith that welcomes God to go to work and set things right for us. This is the core of our preaching. Say the welcoming word to God—"Jesus is my Master"—embracing, body and soul, God's work of doing in us what He did in raising Jesus from the dead. That's it. You're not "doing" anything; you're simply calling out to God, trusting Him to do it for you. That's salvation. With your whole being you embrace God setting things right, and then you say it, right out loud: "God has set everything right between Him and me!" (Romans 10:9-10)
Should not perish…
And if anyone's [name] was not found recorded in the Book of Life, he was hurled into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:15)
But have everlasting life…
"You don't have to wait for the End. I am, right now, Resurrection and Life. The one who believes in Me, even though he or she dies, will live. And everyone who lives believing in Me does not ultimately die at all. Do you believe this?" (John 11:25-26)
So, what do you think? With God on our side like this, how can we lose? If God didn't hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our condition and exposing Himself to the worst by sending His own Son, is there anything else He wouldn't gladly and freely do for us? And who would dare tangle with God by messing with one of God's chosen? Who would dare even to point a finger? The One who died for us—who was raised to life for us!—is in the presence of God at this very moment sticking up for us. Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ's love for us? There is no way! Not trouble, not hard times, not hatred, not hunger, not homelessness, not bullying threats, not backstabbing, not even the worst sins listed in Scripture: They kill us in cold blood because they hate you. We're sitting ducks; they pick us off one by one. None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us. I'm absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God's love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us. (Romans 8:31-39)
Over the past few months I have been "dealing" with things said, to me, about me. I have been told that what I believed I was, as a christian, wife and employee was wrong. I have failed and am failing. I don't know where to go from here, other than to God. I have spent many a moment, at night, in the morning, car rides; moments in the bathroom seeking (I Love my Bible app.). I go to Him I ask what I need to change. I ask where I can be more like Him. I take my hurting heart to Him. I ask how can I talk to others to get Him to them.
I believe this is on me, it is three different men, their opinions and me, three different aspects of my life. How can they all be wrong? I am the only common factor. "How can I be letting God down?" That question reminds me of a drama "The Chisel" by the Skit Guys, How can we let God down when we are not holding Him up: He is holding us up. So I go to Him and I ask Him to hold me.
I do not give up. I continue to "Love them like Jesus". Not like I would, I would walk away if that were the case, I would quit my job, I would not have finished Fuel, and I would ...
I heard a sermon along time ago on the topic of how do we know we love Jesus more than how much we love those around us... the answer was because we have not killed them yet. If we loved people at the capacity that we, as humans, have for love we would give up much more quickly, walk away, or "kill" them, but because we love Jesus more we hang in there. We (try to) follow His example of love: unconditional, unending, sacrificial, merciful, gracious, undeserved, overflowing, unmeasurable... I know I have yet to master this kind of love, but I also know that I am NOT GIVING UP!
I AM NOT GIVING UP!
In my searching I have found several verses that I am holding onto.
Passage Psalm 39:4:
4 “Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be.
Remind me that my days are numbered—
how fleeting my life is.
Passage Psalm 69:13:
13 But I keep praying to you, Lord,
hoping this time You will show me favor.
In Your unfailing love, O God,
answer my prayer with Your sure salvation.
Passage Psalm 68:34:
34 Tell everyone about God’s power.
His majesty shines down on Israel;
His strength is mighty in the heavens.
Passage Psalm 63:7:
7 Because You are my helper,
I sing for joy in the shadow of Your wings.
Passage Psalm 65:3:
3 Though we are overwhelmed by our sins,
You forgive them all.
Passage Psalm 61:8:
8 Then I will sing praises to Your name forever
as I fulfill my vows each day.
Passage Psalm 42:5:
5 Why am I discouraged?
Why is my heart so sad?
I will put my hope in God!
I will praise Him again—
my Savior and
Passage Psalm 48:14:
14 For that is what God is like
He is our God forever and ever,
and He will guide us until we die.
I also have this drama found in the Youth Specialties Ideas Library, I have changed it some, but the idea is still there.
For God So Loved
“For God loved the world so much that He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16) NLT
Alternative translation
{For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life. (Amp)}
For God…
No one is holy like the Lord! There is no one besides You; there is no Rock like our God (1 Samuel 2:2)
So loved…
Long ago the Lord said to Israel: “I have loved you, My people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you to Myself (Jeremiah 31:3)
That He gave…
Thank God for this gift too wonderful for words! (2 Corinthians 9:15)
His only begotten Son…
For God made Christ, Who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin so that we could be made right with God through Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:21)
That whosoever…
God isn't late with His promise as some measure lateness. He is restraining Himself on account of you, holding back the End because He doesn't want anyone lost. He's giving everyone space and time to change (2 Peter 3:9)
Believeth in Him…
The word that saves is right here, as near as the tongue in your mouth,
as close as the heart in your chest. It's the word of faith that welcomes God to go to work and set things right for us. This is the core of our preaching. Say the welcoming word to God—"Jesus is my Master"—embracing, body and soul, God's work of doing in us what He did in raising Jesus from the dead. That's it. You're not "doing" anything; you're simply calling out to God, trusting Him to do it for you. That's salvation. With your whole being you embrace God setting things right, and then you say it, right out loud: "God has set everything right between Him and me!" (Romans 10:9-10)
Should not perish…
And if anyone's [name] was not found recorded in the Book of Life, he was hurled into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:15)
But have everlasting life…
"You don't have to wait for the End. I am, right now, Resurrection and Life. The one who believes in Me, even though he or she dies, will live. And everyone who lives believing in Me does not ultimately die at all. Do you believe this?" (John 11:25-26)
So, what do you think? With God on our side like this, how can we lose? If God didn't hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our condition and exposing Himself to the worst by sending His own Son, is there anything else He wouldn't gladly and freely do for us? And who would dare tangle with God by messing with one of God's chosen? Who would dare even to point a finger? The One who died for us—who was raised to life for us!—is in the presence of God at this very moment sticking up for us. Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ's love for us? There is no way! Not trouble, not hard times, not hatred, not hunger, not homelessness, not bullying threats, not backstabbing, not even the worst sins listed in Scripture: They kill us in cold blood because they hate you. We're sitting ducks; they pick us off one by one. None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us. I'm absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God's love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us. (Romans 8:31-39)
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