Tag: hopeless

It’s National Infertility Awareness Week: Time to Flip the Script!

Posted on by Evangeline

April 22nd marked the beginning of National Infertility Awareness Week (NIAW). The theme is #FlipTheScript. In other words, change the conversation (or lack thereof) about infertility.

My way to flip the script is to add the power of God’s Word to the conversation.

Don’t Ignore This One Factor

So many women and men begin to struggle with hopelessness during this season. Infertility awareness is not only about learning more about the physical, emotional, and financial challenges. In my experience, addressing the spiritual aspect of infertility was a huge  factor.  Doing so was what helped me maintain a sense of hope. By looking at what God said about infertility, I was encouraged that my situation could change for the better. And it did! It was interesting to see how the spiritual caused improvements in the physical, emotional, and financial challenges.

By looking at what God said about infertility, I was encouraged that my situation could change for the better. Click To Tweet

I gave some attention to the spiritual side of infertility. Prayer of course played a part. Also, I read the Bible to learn about God’s promises of fertility. Biblical accounts showed that there were at least eight women whose lives were impacted by infertility. Each one of those women overcame their infertile circumstances. Every one of them. ALL of them!

As a result, I grew stronger in trusting that God would change my circumstances. By addressing the spiritual aspect of infertility, I grew more hopeful.

And so can you.

infertility awareness - hope - #NIAW

Why Feeling Hopeless is NOT Where You Want to Stay – INFOGRAPHIC

Posted on by Evangeline

Feeling hopeless

The Ways God’s Love Works in Your Life

Posted on by Evangeline

What do you do to tap into God’s love for you in the midst of seemingly hopeless circumstances? Find encouragement in my free handout, “Hope in Hard Places.” Request it today, using the blue arrow form to the right of this post.

God’s Love

Scripture assures us that God loves us in so many different ways. Here are a few of them to remind you that the Father loves you the same way He loves Jesus (John 17:23).

Scripture assures us that God loves us the same way He loves Jesus. (John 17:23) Click To Tweet

God’s love is strong and He gladly protects us!

LOVE Psalm 5-12

God’s love brings joyful satisfaction! 

Background image by Vectorgirl |Fotolia

Background image by Vectorgirl |Fotolia

God IS love. Allow His love to be an ever-flowing river, with cascades of the highest level to bring joy in your life.

Background image by photointopainting
Background image by photointopainting

Nothing– no problem, no trouble, no struggle in your life — is too hard for God’s powerful love to solve or change.
Not even INFERTILITY!

shut up satan

Sticky Note Thought #10 – SHUT UP Satan!!!

Posted on by Evangeline

Just tell your enemy, “NO… Shut up Satan!”

So many times, we battle with thoughts that resound in our head that make us fearful and hopeless. But we have not been left without a battle plan. The Bible gives us instructions about what to do. In James 4:7, we’re told:

“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (NIV)

God would have you to keep your vision fixed on Jesus and not be distracted by your problems. He wants you be humble, looking to Him to meet all your needs. He desires that you stand up against the enemy’s tactics and deceptions.

One very practical and effective way to do so is to verbally say to the devil, “Shut up!”

I’m not kidding!

Use your mouth as a weapon, making it clear to your enemy that you won’t put up with the fear-inducing thoughts he puts inside your head. Tell him “NO” and then follow that up with something that has come from the mouth of God that applies to your circumstances and gives you a sense of victory.

No matter what the problem is that you’re facing today, you have been given a powerful weapon and an effective tool– your mouth and God’s Word. Use them daily!

 

Darkness vs. Light in Your Life

Posted on by Evangeline

Darkness vs Light

A friend of mine has lost a friend to suicide. How dark life must have appeared to that person. She couldn’t see past the darkness even though the light was always shining.

Have you ever felt that hopeless about situations in your life? Ever felt overwhelmed by the darkness?

I pray that at this very moment, you’ll have eyes to see the light that Jesus is  lovingly making available to you. I pray that through His Word, you’ll be able to experience the hope it brings to your situation.

Jesus’ light shines on, even in the midst of darkness; it cannot be extinguished. Darkness cannot overpower the light His Word brings nor can it take authority over it.  Even in the natural realm, darkness cannot absorb light. Actually, light sends darkness fleeing! Just think about what happens when you flip a light switch or turn on a flashlight. Darkness immediately leaves. You’re able to see!

Light always wins.

Today, allow God’s Word to shine brightly and penetrate your darkest thoughts and your toughest situations.  Here’s how: read it, ponder it, speak it out loud to yourself. Repeat. Repeat again. Repeat until that Word gets rooted inside you and you begin to feel the darkness flee. Renew your partnership with God’s promises that address your situation. It’s your means to see His light.

Flip the switch.

 

 

5 Secrets for Maintaining Hope When You Feel Like Giving Up

Posted on by Evangeline

Evangeline Colbert - Hope in Hard Places

Here are some thoughts about hope that I shared over a year ago at In Due Time. If you’re about to give up because you’re feeling stuck in a difficult situation, I think this will help:

I know what the pressure of infertility feels like. It’s as if it completely surrounds you, pressuring you to give up, to not see any advantage in continuing to hope. In the midst of infertility, life can feel like you’re always stuck between a rock and a hard place. It seems like not much is working out in your favor. Every day seems as if infertility colors how you view life. It looms over every aspect of your life, clouding your vision so it’s hard to see anything good that’s on the horizon.

But I’m glad to share with you that in that place of feeling stuck, hope can shake things up, freeing you to enjoy life!

Here are 5 secrets that I’ve found to be powerful in nurturing and maintaining hope as you look to come out of this struggle with infertility.

  1. Believe God loves you. His love is a “no matter what” kind of love. No matter what you’ve done/thought/said, He loves you with an unfailing and unending love.
  2. Decide to not give up. Don’t underestimate the power of a decision!
  3. Remember the previous times, big or small, when God has come through for you. Encourage yourself.Think about those successes and the joy you experienced.
  4. On a daily basis, affirm the promise of God that relates to your situation by speaking the Word out loud. Instead of focusing on medical facts, allow God’s Word to be your point of focus and become your truth.
  5. Greet each morning with gratitude for the gift of a new day. This helps set a positive tone for the day ahead of you. Thankfulness has a way of shifting our attitude, choices, and behavior.

Hope established upon Jesus’ love never disappoints.

Hope is one of the three things that 1 Corinthians 13:13 tells us will always remain as a resource that allows us to tap into God’s grace. We are to always have hope—the joyful and confident expectation of God coming through for us!

Allow hope to shake things up in your life so that you experience the freedom to confidently expect good things from a very good Father.

An Affirmation for You: God loves me and desires for me to experience only His goodness. I rest in His love for me. I choose to allow His desires for my life to be my desires. I maintain my hope in God!

When you’re feeling stuck in a situation at work, how do you bring yourself out of that? How can you apply that same strategy to infertility or some other personal struggle?

 

Don’t Give Up — What If What You Want Is Just Around the Corner?

Posted on by Evangeline

Just a quick, friendly reminder today — DON’T GIVE UP!

Find your hope in the comforting, steadfast, and powerful promises of God (Romans 15:4).

Don't Give Up

Image courtesy of Infertility Inspirations