For this child we have prayed =)

Dear family and friends,

Thank you for your continued prayers and encouragement! We wanted to send you another update to keep you posted on what is going on in our lives and how you can best pray for us!

As you know Whitney began her first round of treatment with the medication called Clomid to help make her ovulate. She had a follow up appointment on the 2nd of November for an ultrasound to see how the medication was working and it seemed to be doing what the medication was designed for. Then early Thanksgiving morning she took a pregnancy test and the result was....pregnant!! Our (and your) prayers have been answered!! We have a little blessing and miracle on the way!!! He or she will be due around the end of July!! All the glory and praise go to God!!!

We wanted to tell you because you have kept us in your prayers as we have walked this journey and now are asking for prayers for a healthy baby! 

Please do NOT share this with anyone though as we are waiting until we get to at least 12 weeks along (and that won’t be until mid-January). The only people that know are our family and you (the friends we had praying for us on this journey). Thanks for keeping it a secret for now!

Blessings to you all!

Love,

~Andy & Whitney~

"I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him." ~1 Samuel 1:27~

A season for everything

A life that brings glory to God

Throughout this journey God has blessed me with my family and many friends that continually pray for us, and for that we are sooo thankful! One friend of our often posts on Facebook about God's word and our relationship with our heavenly Father and the posts are always encouraging (Thanks Tom!)! One that stood out to me in particular was the following:

"Zechariah 4:10 Do not despise these small beginnings, for the LORD rejoices to see the work begin, to see the plumb line in Zerubbabel's hand.

There is a principle in the Bible that dramatically effects how much heavenly power touches me and you on earth. Learning to walk in agreement with this principle will increase the amount of actual power I walk in. It is this: those who are faithful with a little are given much more.

The Bible is FULL of stories of broken men and women, just like me and you, experiencing God's very real power and changing impossible situations on earth. Moses holding his staff out over the water in faith to part the Red Sea and striking a rock to make water come out of it in the desert. Elijah striking the Jordan river with his jacket to make it part. Elisha raising a boy from the dead, Daniel knowing other peoples dreams and vision, not to mention knowing the meaning of them. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego surviving a fiery furnace that killed the soldiers that just got too close, Daniel in the lions den, David and Goliath, Paul's prison earthquake, Peter and Johns miraculous healing ministry....these stories are just the beginning! The Bible is filled with supernatural encounters for real men and women like us.

God's intention is for my testimony to be filled with power. He doesn't prevent me from, but rather longs to hear me, saying "why not me." Jesus responds to that question with "ask, seek, knock.". Paul would echo, "that kind of a question is a yes and amen in the realm of heaven."

If I am going to go after...contend for...a life of power to bring glory to God...to bring more fame to Jesus' name...then I have to remember the economy of heaven: God gives food to the hungry, and those faithful with a little will be given much more.

If I pray to hear God's voice, but then ignore the prompting to say a simple encouraging word to the lady in the checkout line, that is the opposite of being faithful. If I pray for the green beans to not run out before everyone at the big Thanksgiving dinner gets some, and they actually DO last through dinner, but then I laugh off the miracle as silly or small, then I am not being faithful.

BUT, if I pray on all occasions, even for the simple miracles, and thank God when He answers (and He is affirmatively answering small prayers ALL the time that we forget or write off as minor) even telling others about God breaking in with power over the green beans, or the sun breaking through the clouds when I needed it, or the checking account lasting through the month inexplicably...then I am being faithful with a little. When I begin to live like this, I better hold on to my seat, because that is being faithful with a little, and much more IS coming.

What am I contending for, and what do I do when it actually comes into my life in small doses? The answer to this question actually shaped every great man or woman of God's life to the point their lives became so powerful that we read about them today. I'm going for it!

Luke 16: 10 "If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won't be honest with greater responsibilities.

Luke 19: 17 "`Well done!' the king exclaimed. `You are a good servant. You have been faithful with the little I entrusted to you, so you will be governor of ten cities as your reward.'

John 14: 12 "I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me (Jesus) will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. 13 You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. 14 Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it!”    

Blessings to you all,
~Whitney~

Grace

You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ

Jesus, and what you have heard from me in the presence of

many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach

others also.   ~2 Timothy 2:1-2~

Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his 

love endures forever. ~Psalm 107:1~

Day 32 = I don't know what to think or feel!

Ahhh! I think I'm about to go crazy! Today is day 32 of this cycle and still no start of what Andy has dubbed "ladies week" of the month! I don't know if this is good or bad....I so want to hope that this is good news but it's so hard to let my hopes soar when they have been dashed to pieces time and time again leaving my heart in tiny broken pieces and me a sobbing heap on the floor or curled up in Andy's arms. I am so hoping that THIS is the month, and yet if it's not, that "ladies week" would hurry up and come so my hopes don't get any higher, because with each day that passes and no "ladies week" my hopes climb a bit higher. I want to take a pregnancy test and yet I'm scared to in case there isn't 2 lines. I've had a few possible symptoms, but they're what the medical world call "soft symptoms" meaning they could mean pregnancy but they could also mean "ladies week" is coming. One second I have my emotions together and am perfectly fine and the next I almost lose it. Thankfully I have an amazing husband who is the most patient man ever and loves me and helps me through my moments of craziness! I just love him! Lord please bless Andy and I with a miracle and please let my next pregnancy test positive!! I know YOU alone can do anything and I pray for this blessing! I know that if God chooses that another answer is better for us at this time, that HE knows best, but it will be oh soooo hard. Keep praying for us! Thank you so much!

Love,

~Whitney~

Some dream of big houses

Or shiny new cars,

Ours is to someday 

Hold a baby that's ours.

Some dream of more money

To hoard and to keep,

Mine is to someday

Rock my baby to sleep.

Some dream of careers

In buildings so tall,

His is to someday

Kick his kid a football.

Some dream of great power

To be strong and tough,

Ours is to someday

Have a child to love.

Some dream of things

Such as silver and gold

Ours is of the day

Our child we'll hold.

2 week waits = emotional roller coasters

Oh the 2+ week wait until the earliest time I can take a pregnancy test...sooo hard! Emotions are all over the place. One second I think that I have a early sign of pregnancy but then the next second I think that maybe it's just me reading into things. I want to keep my hopes up for good news soon, but I am also trying to be realistic and not get my hopes up too high since it has always been bad news in the past and however high I get my hopes up if the result is the same this time then I will come crashing down that much more in disappointment. Hopefully this will be our last 2 week wait! ;)

I don't know what I will do when I get results either way (so if I don't post an answer right away, know that it could be because the answer was not what we hoped for and need some time to grieve...or maybe we'll want to post as a way to process our feelings. or maybe if we get the results we are praying for it may be because we haven't had a chance to tell our families).

Please keep Andy and I in your prayers and thank you for your love and support! Continuing to hope and pray that THIS is the month that we will be blessed with a little miracle from God!! 

Knowing that God know what's best with whatever result,

~Whitney~

~ ~ ~

"As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy." 

~James 5:11~

"Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him." 

~James 1:12~