Day 26: Q & A Part 2

Q. What goes through your head when a family member or friend announces they are expecting?

I wouldn't be human if I said I never think "when me God", or"when will it be our turn?". I remember when we first started treatments last year and a friend had just found out she was expecting. We were in a group setting and she pulled me to the side, told me she was pregnant and was about to announce it to the group. She wanted me to know so that I wasn't blind sided. The way that situation was handled spoke volumes to me. My feelings were thought of. I felt loved and cared for. You never know what someone is going through. They could have just gotten the news that the
treatment they spent thousands on was unsuccessful, they could have just had a miscarriage, or they could have just started their period which means they are not pregnant!  I remember the day I made our consultation for our IVF, another pregnancy announcement was made. I ultimately was happy for this couple but I was emotional and scared for what our future held. I had a moment of selfishness and was a little angry with GOD. I didn't understand why this was happening to us. I now know that God is using us and our story for his glory!!

Q. What kind of tests and all did you have to do be diagnosed?

I don't even know where to start. I have had numerous tests, ultrasounds and medicines. Be your own advocate. Research and don't be afraid to get a second opinion.

Q. What determines whether or not you are IVF candidates.

A. Our OBGYN made a plan of action. After we did all that he could for us he referred us to a Fertility Specialist in Houston who did a series of tests. We left the decision up to the professional.

 Q. How have you and Mark stayed positive and focused?

I would say our Church is the main reason! We have an amazing support system and attend a life giving Church!

Day 25: Q & A Part 1

The reason I started this blog is to help others. Tonight I thought it would be wise to ask family and friends if they could ask me anything about infertility what would they ask! I got some awesome, thought provoking questions. So here we go........

Remember this my opinion and my feelings, not medical advice and please no judging;)

Q. Describe why your condition and/or Marks issues cause infertility.

A. The issues are mine:) Of course we are in this together but my body is the one not working properly.  I was diagnosed with PCOS in 2001.Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common hormonal disorder among women of reproductive age.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common female endocrine disorder, affecting approximately 5%-10% of all females. PCOS is a hormonal disorder that involves multiple organ systems within the body, and is believed to be fundamentally caused by insensitivity to the hormone insulin. It can be diagnosed in all phases of life - in girls as young as 8-9 years of age, up through post-menopause. Although PCOS is one of the leading causes of infertility, the reproductive aspects of the disorder are secondary. PCOS is not limited to women of reproductive age or potential.
Common symptoms of PCOS include:

• irregular or no menstrual periods (for women of reproductive age)
• irregular ovulation, with or without monthly bleeding
• acne
• excess hair growth on the face and body
• thinning scalp hair
• accumulation of unruptured follicles on the periphery of the ovaries (mislabeled as "cysts", often called polycystic ovaries)

It is not necessary to have all of these symptoms to have PCOS. In fact it is not necessary to have "polycystic ovaries" to have PCOS. PCOS manifests itself differently in each woman.
http://www.pcosupport.org

Q. What can we as your family/friends do to help? 

(Like not offer alcohol at Christmas party)

A. This one is kinda funny.....once you start the process of fertility treatments you are expected to treat your body as if you are pregnant. So, no drinking, only certain medicines you can take, limit your caffeine and don't eat certain foods. 
Mark and I were at a Christmas Party and was asked if we would like an alcoholic drink. We politely declined. It was a family member so I felt inclined to remind them that we are doing treatments and would pass. The whole party got to hear our conversation.
-Just be supportive
-Pray for us
-If we are sad, let us be sad
-Check on us periodically 
-Treat us normal, we aren't broken

Marks A. Be helpful and supportive. 

Q. What things have helped y'all most?

A. Our Faith, Each Other and You Guys!!! Also see the section "Staying Strong".
Marks A. Knowing that we aren't the only couple facing infertility. Remembering God is in control.

Q. How do you handle people who say "Cathy, I would just be lost if I couldn't have kids."

A.I think as women we like to feel needed and wanted. So of course having kids who are dependent on you makes us feel sufficient. Mark and I have really enjoyed our time alone getting to know each either and building a strong relationship. I find my identity in being a Godly women. If I do all that I can to fulfill the call God has put on my life I will feel complete.

Q. Is adoption an option for you and Mark? With all the kids in the world why not just adopt?

A. When Mark and I started opening up about infertility we were asked "why not just adopt" as easy as "just adopt" sounds it's not that simple. Take a look at some facts. 

There are two stages in the adoption process: pre-placement and post-placement. Placement is when the child enters your home, pre-placement describes the time before and post-placement the time after. There is a pre-placement waiting period for all adoptions. The time frame, like the cost, varies with the type of child being adopted. With a completed homestudy in hand, the wait is typically between two and seven years for a healthy infant.

Costs of adopting a healthy infant through a private agency or attorney in the United States range from several thousand dollars to $30,000 or more. 

Q. Do you ever get comfortable with doctor visits? I know I cry every time my mom tells me I need to go to the doctor and get checked. Have you gotten comfortable yet?

A. Unfortunately I have! After 12 years of having PCOS and now starting treatments it becomes second nature to go in for an exam or for an ultrasound. The worst part for me is in the waiting room!
Marks A. NO!!!!!

Q. If u met someone in the same situation as you what advice would u give or tell them to do different?

A. I would tell them to have faith God has a plan. Get a support group of friend who you can be vulnerable with and wont judge you. Find a Dr. who you are comfortable with. Follow your gut. If a treatment doesn't feel right don't do it.

Marks A: Be patient and understanding with your wife and her needs. Pray A LOT:) Be honest and vulnerable with each other. You are not alone. You are not the only couple experiencing this disappointment. 

Q. Through this whole journey, what is the most encouraging words someone has told you?

A. The one that stands out the most to me is: One of our sweet Moms came up to me one day at Church and said "Your story (of infertility) doesn't just speak to other women like you but to us Moms as well. It's a good reminder for us not to take our kids for granted but to love them".

The random texts: I'm praying for guys, You are an inspiration, You are so strong, I'm so proud of you, and you are a blessing. These always speak to Mark and I. Some of the have been received on our darkest days when no one but God knows what's happening in our lives.

Mark A. The moment that stands out the most to me is the day of our 2nd IUI. It was a Sunday. Some of the men of our Church gathered around and prayed over me and for Cathy. 

 Q. After all of the investment of money and time, do u ever get down and frustrated and just completely want to give up? If so what keeps your faith up? 

A. If I said that I don't get down in the dumps I would be lying. In October Mark and I found out that our 2nd IUI had failed. For some reason I took this one the hardest.  I was ready to quite. I was emotionally and physically drained. I was tired of taking medicine, of being on a schedule, of being sick,  and wanted a break. The Dr. had recommended 3 IUI's and that was our plan of action. Mark could see how everything was taking its toll on me and I made it very known that I was ready to give up. Mark reminded me that we had agreed on a plan and he wanted to continue. So we prayed that God would give us strength and He did!!  We continued on with on 3rd IUI that was also unsuccessful. When its hardest to read your Bible or pray is the time you need it the most. Some days I had to rely on God to help me make it through the day. That's where God wants us. Relying on him and not trying to rely on our own strength.

Day 24: Trust

Trust

We put our trust in (just to name a few):

GPS

Weather forecast
Hairdresser

Doctors 

Friends 

Family

Car

AC 

Heater

We believe we when go to use these things they will work? We can rely on them, right? 

What about trusting your Husband? 

We trust that he will:

Be faithful 

Provide 

Be a leader 

Love us

Be a great dad

Help around the house

Pay bills

Lift us up 

And many more.....

What about if you had to solely rely on him? 

What if you are a control freak, like me and you couldn't do the task? Only he could?

I trust Mark with my whole heart!! 

Tonight my trust for Mark was taken to a whole notha level!! 

Mark had to give me a shot for the very first time ever! I had to lay on my stomach! I couldn't see what he was doing, I couldn't coach him, help him or give him tips! 

My trust was fully in him to do this right (with minimal pain). 

How long did it take me to "train" him to fold the towels "my" way, was a thought that popped in my head! 

As my butt is propped in the air I had no doubt that he would be incredible! 

He was! I had no pain, no bleeding, no bruising! 

We under estimate our Husbands way to often!!! 

I'm so happy we shared this moment together, our vows were on display tonight and have been during this journey! I can fully trust him-For in sickness and in health! 

Love my guy and All he does for me!!! 

Day 23: Just my opinion on waiting

I was recently reading a blog about healing and the question was asked "Do you believe God only heals instantly?" And "if He didn't your faith just wasn't big enough."

Here's how I answered and how believe........

That is definitely hard to believe! I believe both ways. Sometimes God says "yes", and instantly heals you instantly , "no" and that's His final answer and not right now:) 

What about Sarah? Her healing wasn't instant. Noah's wasn't healing but he waited on God as well! There's numerous stories in the Bible about waiting on God! 

My husband and I have been trying for a baby for 13 yrs!! Faith of a mustard seed-oh we have much bigger faith than that!! 

Then why hasn't God given us the desires of our hearts? Because it's just not in His plan, yet or maybe ever. 

Because His word says He has a plan to prosper us and not to harm us. I have to believe that!! 

 It's not for the lack of trying on our part. We are in the middle of our 5th (and last) fertility treatment. 

Our job is not to question God but to be obedient!! I don't know why I'm not healed or if I will ever hold a precious baby that I have longed for but I do know that as long as God provides a way for us to try we should use it. 

We prayed, fasted and set a plan. 

During this journey I'm learning how to appreciate Gods love, grace, favor, faithfulness and joy more than I ever would have if I have been instantly healed 13 years ago!!!

Day 22: Ouch

Its my nature to be positive! I'm a natural encourger, to myself and others.

I've said it before, and I'm going to say it again this round of meds for our IVF is taking its toll on me.

I started this blog to help other couples going through IVF. So I'm going to be REAL even if it goes against my personality.


We are 5 days away from transfer of our embryos and I can't wait! That part I'm so excited for! I know it's easy!

I wrote about the side effects of the meds I am currently taking in a previous blog, but the worst part are the headaches that turn into migraines and throwing up follows! I had another migraine today!

On top of the migraine, today is scheduled to be my first injection. The first IVF round I was able to give the shot to myself, in my tummy. The new ones get injected in the bum muscle, so Mark has to administer them.

I've heard these Progesterone shots are awful!

Mark and I were SO nervous!

My shots are given . At 9:30 pm. So at 9:15 we start the process!

Clean the medicine bottle with alcohol.
Use the biggest needle to suck oil out of bottle.
Change to a smaller needle.
I chose to lay down on our bed-So off to the bedroom we head.
Next is the ice pack for 5 min to numb the area.
Then comes the shot!
Mark says "ok you ready"
I was ready as I was ever going to be.
In went the needle!
I worked myself up over that?!?!?
Getting my blood drawn yesterday hurt worse than that!!
Quickly after removing the needle Mark begins to massage the area for a few moments, then we applied a heating pad for 5 mins. During this time we Prayed together, thanking God for this awesome opportunity, even if it is challenging!!

Tonight wasn't so bad, let's see if I'm saying the same thing in 6 nights!

 I'm going to blog again tomorrow! Until then........

Day 21: Find The Good

Hello Friends!!

I'm am thankful for each of you who have decided to be on this journey with us!


Mark and I have been married for 13 years! In the last two years we have sought professional help to get pregnant. We have done IUI's, IVF and we are on are second IVF process.

We have one week left of meds and injections then we have the two week wait until we can test for pregnancy.

My favorite verse- And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. (‭Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭28‬ NKJV)

That doesn't mean that bad things will never happen, because they will! To me it means, that God will  make good things come out of the bad. I can name time after time that God has come through for us!

Like today.......Our last IVF we decided to pay an extra $175 (I think) for an insurance policy that our clinic offered, that if our IVF didn't result in a live birth that we would get one cycle for free!! Woo Hoo!!! So today, as we were checking out at the clinic the receptionist said "today will be out of pocket. How would you like to pay". I replied "I'm taken care of. I spoke with accounting last week." She looked up my account. "That's correct Mrs. Mosley. This cycle is free".  It was such a relief!!
That $175 saved us thousands!!!

Fast foward to 45 minutes later. We were at the pharmacy picking up the last of the meds, injections and needles needed over the next week. They call my name, I walk up to the counter and tell them "I have a prescription discount card. Can I use it?"  She replied "it really won't help this time. I ran all ways to see what was the cheapest and using your insurance is the best way to go". I was so surprised most insurance companies don't pay anything toward infertlity meds!! Our meds that should have cost several hundred cost $50!!

The reality is infertlity sucks but with God creating good out of a bad situation is always a reminder that He will never leave us nor forsake us!

Could God pull is out of this situation? Of course!! I believe He has us here for a reason!

I believe it to share our story and how God has blessed us in our mess!!

Day 20: Feeling Blessed

It's been 13 days since I started this round of IVF. I started estrogen on Day 2 of my period. A few days later I started to have achy muscles in my legs at night. I didn't sleep more than 3 hours a night for a week. Finally my body adjusted to the increased hormones, just in time for my dose to be increased to two times a day rather than once a day. (Side Note: Our first IVF was a piece of cake, no side effects, injections were easy on me, it was an enjoyable process. With 7 days to go in this process it's just a little tougher on my body)

After a couple of days on increased dose of meds my side effects were in full swing:(



Wives going through IVF-I know you feel alone! You feel like no one can relate especially your husband. It's true he doesn't know what you are feeling, but be open and be honest it's the only way he can fully support you. I'm sure the hormones have an effect on my emotions but I feel like I'm doing this all alone, Mark's body doesn't have to endure any physical pain. I realized during this time that Mark has feelings as well, even though he's not as verbal as I am.

Husbands-Let her cry, scream, cuss or sleep. Our bodies are changing and we may not even be able to put into words how we feel. Just love us. If she's not feeling well go out of you way to see what you can do (if anything, just offering helps).

My hubby is the BEST!!! He's trying so hard to be apart of every step, from rubbing my aching legs (side effect: achy legs), to letting me sleep whenever I need to (side effect: exhaustion), to rubbing my head during headaches (side effect: headaches), cleaning up my throw up when I didn't make it to the bathroom (side effect: headaches cause me to throw up), to learning how to give me injections in my backside!

Tomorrow is an exciting day!! We have an appointment to check hormone levels and for Mark to be trained to give me my injections properly.

I will blog later this week on the first injection!!

Day 19: Hormonal

I honestly don't think the hormones effect my moods horribly. If you are close to me and I have a moody moment, when it's over, feel free to tell me!!!

 

 

 

 

The waiting game is almost over!!

Day 18: FAQ-Infertility

FAQ-Infertility

Q:What is Infertility?
A: Infertility is a disease of the reproductive system that impairs one of the body's most basic functions: the conception of children. Conception is a complicated process that depends upon many factors.

Q:What Causes Infertility?
A: No one can be blamed for infertility any more than anyone is to blame for diabetes or leukemia. In rough terms, about one-third of infertility cases can be attributed to male factors, and about one-third to factors that affect women. For the remaining one-third of infertile couples, infertility is caused by a combination of problems in both partners or, in about 20 percent of cases, is unexplained.

Q: How is Infertility Diagnosed?
A: Couples are generally advised to seek medical help if they are unable to achieve pregnancy after a year of unprotected intercourse. The doctor will conduct a physical examination of both partners to determine their general state of health and to evaluate physical disorders that may be causing infertility.

Q: What is In Vitro Fertilization?

A: (IVF) offers a chance at parenthood to couples who until recently would have had no hope of having a "biologically related" child.

In IVF, eggs are surgically removed from the ovary and mixed with sperm outside the body in a Petri dish. After about 40 hours, the eggs are examined to see if they have become fertilized by the sperm and are dividing into cells. These fertilized eggs (embryos) are then placed in the women's uterus.

 

Q: Is In Vitro Fertilization Expensive?

A: The average cost of an IVF cycle in the United States is $12,400. Like other extremely delicate medical procedures, IVF involves highly trained professionals with sophisticated laboratories and equipment, and the cycle may need to be repeated to be successful. While IVF and other assisted reproductive technologies are not inexpensive, they account for only three hundredths of one percent (0.03%) of U.S. health care costs. Most fertility treatments are not covered by insurance.

Day 17: FAQ-Adoption

FAQ-Adoption

When Mark and I started opening up about infertility we were asked "why not just adopt" as easy as "just adopt" sounds it's not that simple. Take a look at some facts.

 

Q. How Can I Begin the Adoption Process?

A.Visit our online course in family preparation. Contact us for an information packet, sent by e-mail, including a list of adoption agencies in you  state. Or go to AdoptMatch, an online matching service. 

Call several agencies on the list and ask them to give you information about their programs.  Select an adoption agency to provide you with a homestudy. Connect with a parent support group in your area.Visit libraries or search online for read books and magazines on adoption. In addition to the adoption agency you will be working with, you may contact other adoption resources to learn about available children.

 

Q. How Long Will it Take to Adopt?

A. There are two stages in the adoption process: pre-placement and post-placement. Placement is when the child enters your home, pre-placement describes the time before and post-placement the time after. There is a pre-placement waiting period for all adoptions. The time frame, like the cost, varies with the type of child being adopted. With a completed homestudy in hand, the wait is typically between two and seven years for a healthy infant.

 

 

Q. What Will it Cost to Adopt?

A. Costs of adopting a healthy infant through a private agency or attorney in the United States range from several thousand dollars to $30,000 or more.

Day 16: Funny "Rated R"

Infertility is all about waiting!! Sometimes when it gets hard you just have to laugh.......

 

 

 

"Trying" is the fun part........Shots and meds are not when "trying" alone doesn't work

Day 15: Waiting for your miracle

 

 

Day 14: Prayer

Day 13: One day at a time

Today was a tough day! It's been a very busy week. My side effects, headaches, exhaustion and muscle aches are in full force.

Not every day is a tough day. Most days are good days.

I keep reminding my self, this is my journey. I am right where I am suppose to be. God will use my story for His glory.

Just a reminder if you are going through infertility or any medical condition and are believing for a miracle, DON'T give up!! God is fighting for you!!

Day 12: IVF

For those of you following the blog and supporting us through our infertility journey we have an update!! After taking several months off we are doing one more cycle.

We have started the process!! One week down and 4 to go!!

I will be on an oral medication (that's causing me very uncomfortable muscle aches) for two weeks. On the last week I will add in injections. These injections have to be in my backside, so Mark has to administer them. I think he is so nervous! To admit, so I am!!!

After doing that for a week we go in for the embryo transfer!!! The transfer part is very easy no sedation medication required. Bed rest the day of transfer and taking it easy!! Then it's the most horrible part of the IVF..... THE WAITING.......until it's time to go back in for a pregnancy test!!


Please continue to pray for us! We appreciate them so much!!

I will continue to blog about our journey, giving updated so you can follow along!



Love,
The Mosley's

Day 11: Thank You

 

It has been so much fun participating in the 31 day challenge! I can say my blog is world wide!! It has been read in 9 countries!!! Thank You four putting up with daily posts!!

 

 

 

 

Day 10: The Beach

I LOVE the beach. There's something so peaceful about having your toes in the sand and a book in your hand.

 

Mark and I took a trip to Destin recently. We went with NO plans but to sit on the beach all week!

2014 has been a tough year! If you know me personally, follow my blog or my facebook page you know some of what we have been through. Needless to say we needed this vacation badly.

I do have clothes on:)

I recently had the privilege to speak on a panel with 5 other women to our Women's  Ministry at our Church. We talked about going "Deeper" with our relationship with God. I had to admit that I have been in the deep for years until this year. At the beginning of the year we lost our furry babies who were our kids. We had Buster for 13 years and Gizmo for 8 years. They passed away a month a part. The very next month our we did an IVF treatment and it was unsuccessful. I began feeling myself get closer to the shore rather than going deeper. In July, my amazing mom passed away. This year has thrown me for a loop. I can admit that I am in a hurting/grieving period. I'm on the sand letting the waves cover my feet, when they hit the shore. I talked about how it was ok to a time to recover. If you watch a surfer they go out deep, catch a wave and ride it to the shore. Then take a minute and head back out. That's where I currently am, on the shore to catch my breath, be refreshed in the Lord and regain my strength. Sometimes we feel defeated or discouraged when we take time to stand in the ankle deep water. God's word says "Be still and know that I am God". It's ok to take those moments to refresh, a surfer can't live in the deep nor can they catch a wave in the shallow! If you find yourself on the shore looking out at the beautiful ocean, know this is only for a season. Before you know it you will be right back on your surf board out in the deep.

If you have never been to Destin I highly recommend it!!!

We celebrated  our 13th wedding anniversary! I'm one blessed girl!!

Day 9: Learning during the wait

 

 

I think it's so important no matter what you are going through that find the good in every situation!

It's possible, digger a little deeper!!! 

 

 

 

 

Day 8:Good reminder

 My feelings about of infertility journey in a nutshell.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day 7: Don't ignore the dashboard lights

It had been a day! Our washer was leaking, clothes were piled up from vacation, Mark was out of uniforms for work and needed some washed. Laundromat time....the laundromat we use isn't just any ole laundromat, it's state of the art. We live in a college town so it's catered to be an enjoyable task instead of a daunting task, laundry normally is. Inside, there is a restaurant and a bar with a nifty little light board to notify you when your machines is done.  Does this count as a date night? Afraid so:) So off to the laundromat to spend our Friday evening! 

Our normal drive into town went a little different on this night. 

A quote from my Facebook page.  

"Today I lost my "Wife Of The Year" Award. I have been driving my car (for a few days) with the gas light on! I HATE getting gas. Mark and I headed to town.
Mark: Oh you need gas.
Me: You can make it to the Shell Station.
Next thing I know....
Mark: We are out of gas:(
My amazing hubby pushes me and my SUV a mile to the gas station!! He wins "Hubby Of The Century"!!"

Stopping to get gas takes 5-10 minutes right? We run out and are on the side of the road. My awesome hubby pushes us. 

The whole ordeal takes about an hour out of our already busy schedule. 

An hour wasted because I was too stubborn and had decided that waiting for gas to pump was a waste of time.  I was to busy to stop and pump gas for 5 minutes. In the long run I  inconvenienced my hubby and threw off our whole night. 

How many times do we do this to God? He wants 5 mins of our time to reveal a life changing answer that we had been praying for, to show us how to change our path, refresh us, give us peace or maybe just to comfort us. Sometimes we are to busy to stop for 5 mins and relish in God's presence. Then a life circumstance happens "like running out of gas" and we ask God "where were you?". God was there along trying to get our attention but we were ignoring the cool dashboard lights that had been signaling to us for 3 days now!! 

Don't ignore the dashboard lights God has placed before you! Take time each day, even if it's just 5 minutes! Put on a worship song in the car and just bask in his love! It may just be the answer to your prayers!! 

Day 6: Not all waiting is bad!!

Two weeks ago our washer broke. Mark and I decided it was time to get a new set. We have always had hande me downs. So we went shopping and found the perfect pair. We opted for delivery so we wouldn't have to worry about them. With delivery comes waiting on the delivery guys to show up. They give you a four hour window. The men who delivered our new "toys" we're so helpful and nice! I'm so glad we finally broke down and for a new set. They have fancy settings that we are not used to but will fall in love with quickly, I am sure! I've never been so excited to do laundry as I was when I got off work tonight! Not all waiting is bad! Sometimes waiting brings fun and exciting things into our lives!!

Day 5: Encouragement

Wait for the Lord. Be strong and don't lose hope. Wait for the Lord. (‭Psalm‬ ‭27‬:‭14‬ NIRV)

I needed to hear this verse today! During my 31 Days of writing I encourage comments! I would love to hear from you!!

When you are going through a trying season in your life that causes you to wait upon God what are your go to scriptures?

Day 4: 13yrs and still waiting.....

Here's a little background for those of you who don't know our story! For those of you who follow my blog thanks for your loyalty! I hope you enjoy the 31 days of blogging!!

My name is Cathy. My hubby is Mark. My nickname for him is babycakes. Hence how the name "Waiting on our baby cake" came about. Mark and I have been married for 13yrs! Shortly after we married I was diagnosed with PCOS. We started on clomid right away. It made me crazy and I stopped after one round. We haven't been hardcore TTC but we haven't been trying to prevent it either. Earlier last year (2013) we decided to move forward on our journey to starting a family. I have had the same OBGYN for 12 years. In April we decided to get a second opinion. We loved the new Doctor the moment we met him. Within three weeks I had started femera and our first IUI was scheduled. You can read  about our first IUI experience In a previous blog:) We have had three unsuccessful IUI's. We had an IVF in March on 2014, it was unsuccessful as well! We have not lost hope! We are still waiting for our miracle! We still believe God will provide!

Day 3 Stop.....

I hate to wait!! We wait at the Dr. Office, grocery store, bank line, school line, red lights, trains, and much more. Have I mentioned I don't like to wait?!?! I really don't like to wait when I'm running late. What if we looked at waiting from a different perspective. Think about this...when we are waiting what if used our time to work for us instead of feeling like its wasted. What if we prayed over our Dr., store clerk, teller, our child's school/teacher, our city and country leaders. What would happen to our attitudes if we used our waiting time more productive? It's only a few minutes that we spend waiting in a line but in short time a simple prayer can change the world!! Be a world changer!!!

Day 2: A Little Longer

On average everyday we spend 60 minutes waiting. Today I painted my finger nails and I had to WAIT for them to dry. I realized how impatient I was. I wanted them to instantly be dry and beautiful. Sometimes I think we are like that with God. He wants us to take a little time to "dry" and we want  immediate gratification. We want our situation to be quickly resolved. 

 While I'm waiting for my nails to dry my phone rings it's a call I've been waiting for. I grab the phone with fingers spread apart so I don't scuff them. But guess what?!?! No matter how careful I was, I scuffed them. 

I didn't give them enough time to finish processing, to completely dry! We are like that with God. He didn't answer our prayers fast enough so we take matters into our own hands. I didn't have time to redo them so I'm wearing them with scuff marks. Like my nails, we all have imperfections and flaws. 

After a week of having polish on my nails the polish begins to chips and peel off. When we going through stormy seasons of life if we are patient with God and WAIT on him He can eventually chip away and peel back each of our layers. With each layer peeled away the closer we are to being the person God created us to be. When we spend quiet time with Him and in the word it lets God work on us from the inside out. God can then develop our character and strengthen us. The next time we go through a tough situation we will be a little bit stronger and we have a little more endurance to stay the course. 

Waiting isn't the greatest thing we do but it is a necessity. 

Day 1: Intro

Sweet Friends,

Please join me as I write for the next 31 days! Topics will vary but they will remain inspirational and uplifting! I'm sure we will share some laughs and some tears! I hope you enjoy our time together in the next weeks! 

I will give you a short intro...I'm Cathy. I'm a simple christian girl who has been married for 13years. I just turned 33. Mark and I married when I was 20. We have been trying for a family our entire marriage. So waiting isn't anything new to us. I will share some more about our journey and infertility in the coming days. If you have any  questions or are on the same path and need encouragement, I'm your girl! 

See you all tomorrow!! 

Cathy