“By Your Side” by Jamie Slocum

Sorry it’s been so long since I’ve updated!  I have Camp APAC next week and have been a busy bee getting ready for that.  Alabama Pre/Post Adoption Connections (where I work) offers this camp for adopted children (and their siblings) ages 8-18 in Alabama.  It’s a week long camp and let me tell you…it’s exhausting!!  And I am soooo not an outdoorsy kind of girl.  But the kids LOVE it and that makes it worth it all.  An 8 year old told us one year that camp was the one place he felt like he fit in and didn’t have to explain himself or his story.  Totally worth it!  Anyway, I just wanted to share this song I heard on the radio today….

“By Your Side”

And I know there's a plan for you
Your life has a purpose
There's hope beyond your broken road
Jesus set a place for you
At the front of the table with the weary and the wounded
And He's showing the way, the truth,
the life for every day
So when you lose your way

CHORUS:
Don't give up, don't give in
This is a race that you can win
Every time you get passed by
There is a reason why
God loves and believes in you
He knows the pain that you're going through
He's with you every step of the way
And He's by your side

When your life comes crashing in
You're a ship without a sail
Everything you've tried has failed you
Never thought you'd feel so sad
It's a nightmare without end
It's getting harder to defend it
God will send his heavenly host to fight
for you and help you walk on through it

You can hear the song here. 

I mean, was it written for those of us who face infertility?? I have heard it before but finally listened to the words today.  The “every time you get passed by, there is a reason why” really gets me.  How often do we feel that way…when another cycle has come and gone and we feel passed by?  But there is a reason why and God knows our pain!  Oh it gives me chills…

Back to getting ready for camp…I am going to make some home made trail mix, zucchini muffins and fruit leathers!  Fun times!  :)

Bible verse of the day

I know I have used these Bible verse many a times on here but they were on my heart so I thought I would reshare.  :)

 

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7

“Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?” Matthew 6:27

 

Good lessons for every one of us!!  Whether we are struggling with infertility or or something else!!

Rambling thoughts…

I have some thoughts on my mind so I thought I would express them…not sure if I am making a point here, just expressing what’s going on in my head…

I believe that bad things happen (infertility, death, natural disasters, etc.) because we live in a fallen world. This was not the way that God designed things to be, but because every single one of us is sinful, bad things do happen.  If the sin, sickness, death and natural disasters sadden us - just imagine how the CREATOR feels!  Seeing His creation hurting saddens Him too!!  However, I believe that EVERYTHING that happens to us passes through God's hands first.  We may not understand WHY He allows things to pass through His hands, but the point is is that He does.  I believe that He can work in and through my life during the good times AND the bad times. I believe that through my infertility He is forming me to look more like Him, He is giving me a platform to reach out to others, He is strengthening my relationship with Him and on and on I could go. I don't believe He CAUSED the infertility in my life, but I DO believe that there is a reason that he ALLOWED it to come into my life.

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." (Rom. 8:28) This doesn't mean that only good things will happen in my life, but that God will work through those things for HIS good and for HIS glory.  It’s because of this truth that I can get through each day on this journey.

Lately I have just felt…saddened at how many people are going through this life without the belief that God’s hand is on their life.  I can’t imagine fighting this infertility battle without the complete confidence that God is 100% in control.  Life is not easy even with that belief, but that is why I can be at peace with where I am.  I am at peace because God is here with me.  He is making this infertility have a PURPOSE.  As I was driving thinking about all of this the following song came on…

“God of This City” by Chris Tomlin

You're the God of this City
You're the King of these people
You're the Lord of this nation
You are

You're the Light in this darkness
You're the Hope to the hopeless
You're the Peace to the restless
You are
There is no one like our God
There is no one like our God

For greater things have yet to come
And greater things are still to be done in this City
Greater thing have yet to come
And greater things are still to be done in this City

 

It made me think 2 things…

1) He is THE LIGHT, THE HOPE, and THE PEACE!!!  There is no one and nothing else that can bring those things to your life.  ONLY THE LORD!!!  He is here to rescue us from the darkness, to give us hope and to bring us peace!!  What amazing truths!!

2) With all my being I want this infertility journey to end Friday morning when I get that blood work.  Oh how I do.  However, if that isn’t the Lord’s plan then “greater things are yet to come.”  I don’t completely know how He will use me but I want to be used.  You never know how something that you do or say can effect someone else.  In Sunday School we were talking about a man who had everything material but just wasn’t satisfied with life.  One day he looked out his window and say the mailman praying over his lunch of a sandwich and coke.  At that moment he knew there was more to life, He had everything but didn’t have anyone to be thankful TO.  He became saved and later became a missionary (preacher? I forget…).  My point, is that you never know how and when God is going to use you. That mailman never knew that praying over his lunch would lead a man to the Lord!!  If this infertility journey isn't over, then He isn’t done with me in this stage of my life yet.  He can and will still use me once we get pregnant (positive thinking) but if that isn’t now then He has a purpose for me that involves still being in this place.  I want to be where He wants me to be so hopefully He can use me to lead people to Him.  I want my infertility battle to be over with but more than I want that I want to see other’s come to know Him.  And if that means staying here awhile longer, then here I am Lord!  Use me!

Beach fun!

And in more non-infertility news…Two weekends ago we had some friends from Nashville in town and we drove down to the beach for the day!  It was Charles’ first time at a Gulf beach and it was Jacob’s first time at the beach ever!  It was so fun seeing his reaction!

Seeing the ocean for his first time!

He absolutely LOVED the sand!

The Edwards Family!

The Williams Family!

Digging holes is so fun :)

Boys are their video games…

I wish you guys lived closer!!!

Barbeque Galore!

I am FINALLY getting around to posting pictures from our weekend in Memphis at the Barbeque Festival!  It was only…3 weeks ago…We went with our friends, Anderson and Brittani.  Anderson’s dad competes in the Barbeque competition every year and has gotten in the top 10 several years.  It was fun having our own “team”!

Here are Brittani and I standing in front of part of the setup…look at all those trophies!Hanging out in our tent…They are preparing the hog here…it was so so so gross.  I had to twist Brittani’s arm to get this close to the icky thing.  He actually prepared 2 whole hogs for the competition!We walked about a mile to the Peabody hotel to see the ducks march and to walk around Beale Street. However…it rained on our way back…I mean really rained.  We were SO prepared and brought rain boots and rain coats but of course all of that was at the festival and we were a mile away.  Needless to say we got wet.  But after we got back and dried off a teeny bit we were happy in our rain clothes!We have the same boots…we are so cool.  :) Here are the hogs almost ready for the judges!  Note the hog on the right with his tongue all sticking out…Man, did it taste good though!  We just had to pretend we hadn’t just seen the whole process…

Brittani posted a bunch more pictures on her blog here if you are bored and want to check them out.  :)  Another fun weekend with friends!

IUI #4

Did you think I had forgotten how to blog?  :)  Not having a working computer kind of makes blogging (and commenting on blogs) more difficult. 

We had our 4th IUI this past Saturday!  Yay!  We were able to trigger on Thursday night, we drove to Mobile Friday afternoon, and were at the RE’s office bright and early Saturday morning! Man am I glad to be finished with daily injections (hopefully for forever)!

Barry’s little guys were very active and he had the highest count EVER out of the 10 or so semen analyses he’s had!  Before the wash the total count was 372.6 million!!  The highest before this was 168 million!  Awesome!  Look at all the little guys!!

 

The doctor was very happy with everything he saw and the procedure itself was quick and painless as always.  We took pictures AND video taped this time, both the little spermies and the ultrasound screen during the actual procedure.  I will post the spermies but I am not going to post the ultrasound pics.  Dr. Inge was trying to be helpful but went into a ton of detail in the video and I just don’t want to subject anyone to that.  :)  Here is the part you’ve all been waiting for… :)

I’m not so sure what YouTube’s rules are on posting sperm on their site…so watch while you can in case it gets pulled.  :)  The videography is not great, but it was through a microscope, so what can you expect?

We made a whole fun weekend out of the IUI trip though.  We stayed at a nice little hotel in downtown Mobile on the 22nd floor overlooking the bay.  There was a big storm on Saturday night and it was so fun sitting in front of the ceiling to floor windows just watching the lightning.  We are easily entertained.  We got to eat lots of great food in Mobile too…and got to take a nap after the IUI…ahhh!  We stayed there 2 nights and then went to Sandestin to spend some time with some friends.  We grilled out, laid out at the beach, ate more good seafood, walked around Baytowne Wharf (a really cute little village with shops, restaurants, etc.). My camera battery died so the few pictures I have are courtesy of my iPhone…and then I just forgot to take more.  Boo, Lisa, boo.

These are our friends Jarod and Courtney – the couple that introduced Barry and I to each other!  Awwww…

It turned out to be such a fun and relaxing weekend!!