Mothers in Waiting

Crystal Bowman

Description

You Are Not AloneFrom the moment you cradled your first baby doll, you imagined yourself a mom. Now here you are, a member of the club no one wants to jointhe ten percent of women who struggle to fulfill their motherhood dreams because of infertility. Meghann Bowman knows what it's like to be part of that club. Along with best-selling author Crystal Bowman, Meghann has compiled 30 hope-filled stories of women who received the same diagnosis and experienced the heartache she did. Contributors include Valorie Burton, Katie Norris, Shay Shull, Stephanie Tait, Kathe Wunnenberg, and morewomen whose journeys through everything from infertility and miscarriage to adoption and miracle births will buoy your faith. Your story may not look the same, or have the same ending, but you don't have to suffer alone. You are surrounded by a club of Mothers in Waitingwomen willing to come alongside you to offer comfort and peace as you wait.

Informations

• Publié par: Harvest House Publishers
• Date de parution: 05 février 2019
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780736975377
• Langue: English

Extrait

Endorsements
I once heard a movie star mom share her exhilaration at adopting her infant son. When she saw him she announced, Oh, there you are! as if she d been reconciled with a part of her own being. The hole of infertility is like that: tearing a part of our very being from ourselves. So very often we are left alone with our pain. Until now. Here, in the pages of Mothers in Waiting , you ll find a part of yourself reconnecting in the stories of others who ve experienced this grief. Just like you and just like me. And as you do, you ll likely hear an echo reverberating as you rediscover that lost part of your being, Oh, there you are!
- Elisa Morgan , Speaker, Author: The Prayer Coin, The Beauty of Broken
President Emerita MOPS International Cohost, Discover the Word
Who am I if I m not a mother? was the heart cry of Karen Granger, one of 30 women who bravely share their stories of hope in these beautiful pages, a question deeply reflecting their common sorrow. There was a season when my heart was so broken by our infertility struggles that I would not have been receptive to these diverse stories. Having admitted my struggle, I want to encourage you that if you are currently in a place of wanting to see a few of the many ways God can bring good from the grief and anguish of your barrenness while gathering a few hard-earned tips on how these women learned to find strength in Jesus through the midst of their pain, this is the book for you! When given to God, infertility always, eventually, leads to joyful resolution, often through some method of motherhood-birth, foster care, various forms of adoption, step-or sometimes by learning how to embrace God s unique, personal plan for your life as His daughter without children in your home. As Amanda Hope Haley points out in chapter 9, God s personal path for you dramatically differs from His unchangeable will for all mankind-to know Him. Infertility is sometimes the plan God allows us to journey to achieve His will in drawing our hearts to Himself. That path can be agonizing and seem unending while being endured. As these stories, each written from the after perspective of resolution, point out, the good plan God has for you is written in great love and will ultimately lead to your good and His glory.
- Jennifer Saake , Author of Hannah s Hope ; founder/director emeritus, Hannah s Prayer Ministries.
JenniferSaake.com
HARVEST HOUSE PUBLISHERS
EUGENE , OREGON
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from the New King James Version . Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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Verses marked KJV are taken from the Holy Bible: King James Version. Public domain.
Cover by Faceout Studio
Cover photo united photo studio / Shutterstock
The authors are represented by the literary agency of Credo Communications, LLC, Grand Rapids, Michigan, www.credocommunications.net .
Mothers in Waiting
Copyright 2019 Crystal Bowman and Meghann Bowman
Published by Harvest House Publishers
Eugene, Oregon 97408
www.harvesthousepublishers.com
ISBN 978-0-7369-7536-0 (pbk.)
ISBN 978-0-7369-7537-7 (eBook)
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Bowman, Crystal, author.
Title: Mothers in waiting / Crystal Bowman and Meghann Bowman.
Description: Eugene: Harvest House Publishers, 2018.
Identifiers: LCCN 2018028309 (print) | LCCN 2018044054 (ebook) | ISBN 9780736975377 (ebook) | ISBN 9780736975360 (pbk.)
Subjects: LCSH: Christian women-Prayers and devotions. | Consolation. | Infertility-Religious aspects-Christianity.
Classification: LCC BV4527 (ebook) | LCC BV4527 .B68125 2018 (print) | DDC 248.8/43-dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018028309
All rights reserved. No part of this electronic publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means-electronic, mechanical, digital, photocopy, recording, or any other-without the prior written permission of the publisher. The authorized purchaser has been granted a nontransferable, nonexclusive, and noncommercial right to access and view this electronic publication, and purchaser agrees to do so only in accordance with the terms of use under which it was purchased or transmitted. Participation in or encouragement of piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of author s and publisher s rights is strictly prohibited.
Dedication
To our contributors-
Thank you for making our vision a reality by sharing your courageous and heartfelt stories.
Contents
Endorsements
Dedication
Glossary for Mothers in Waiting
You re Not Alone
1. Those Who Sow Tears- Katherine Alumbaugh
2. Plans for Good- Meghann Bowman
3. Reap in Joy- Jillian Burden
4. Desires of Your Heart- Valorie Burton
5. Keep Your Heart with All Diligence- Karen DeVries
6. Things Hoped For- Shelby Doll
7. For This Child I Prayed- Donna Fagerstrom
8. The Power That Works in Us- Karen Granger
9. Deeply Devoted to the Lord- Amanda Hope Haley
10. In Everything Give Thanks- Mary Hassinger
11. Trust in the Lord- MacKenzie Clark Howard
12. He Grants the Barren Woman a Home- Sara M. Howard
13. Your Mercy Will Hold Me Up- Darci Irwin
14. Yet I Will Rejoice- Wendi Kitsteiner
15. More than Conquerors- Ke-Jia Liu
16. My Portion Forever- Zena Dell Lowe
17. The God Who Sees Me- Kelly Miller
18. With God All Things Are Possible- Katie Norris
19. The Lord Goes Before You- Megan O Connell
20. Saved in This Hope- Grace O Connor
21. Do Not Lose Heart- Becky Schrotenboer
22. Something You Would Not Believe- Shay Shull
23. A Future and a Hope- Katie Cruice Smith
24. God Healed- Melissa Sodoma
25. My Grace Is Sufficient- Stephanie Tait
26. In Your Hand- LaShea Udoaka
27. He Shall Direct Your Path- Joan Van Wyck
28. A Good Work in You- Leslie B. Vorndran
29. Wait for It- Stefanie Vourron
30. Father of Compassion- Kathe Wunnenberg
Meet Our Contributors
Acknowledgments
About the Publisher
Glossary for Mothers in Waiting
IUI-intrauterine insemination: a procedure that involves placing sperm inside a woman s uterus to facilitate fertilization. By increasing the number of sperm that reach the fallopian tubes, it increases the chance of fertilization.
IVF-in vitro fertilization: a process that combines eggs and sperm outside the body in a laboratory. Once an embryo or embryos form, they are then placed in the uterus.
PCOS-polycystic ovarian syndrome: a hormone imbalance that can cause problems with a woman s ovaries, making it more difficult to conceive.
RE-reproductive endocrinologist: a fertility specialist who specializes in disorders of the female reproductive tract.
TTC-trying to conceive
You re Not Alone
M ichael and Kathy met in college, fell in love, got married, and made the decision to start a family together. Month after month of negative pregnancy tests turned into an unexpected journey of rigid schedules, invasive testing, expensive medical procedures, countless tears, and lost hope.
Does this sound familiar? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 10 percent of women in the United States ages 15-44 have difficulty getting pregnant or staying pregnant. That s about 6.1 million women whose bodies work a little differently when it comes to having a baby. When infertility rules your life, the downward emotional spiral begins. Everyday experiences become painful reminders. A trip to the grocery store can bring you to tears as your eyes turn toward women with swollen bellies or mothers with toddlers strapped in shopping carts. You stay home from church on Mother s Day, and you cringe when you receive another baby shower invitation. It also takes a toll on your marriage as making love turns into making babies.
It s not that you aren t happy for other women who have babies; it s just that your heart hurts, and your empty arms ache. Probably the worst thing is hearing thoughtless comments from friends and family who should know better- When are you guys going to have kids? How long have you been married? And no kids yet? I want to be a grandma. What s taking so long? -and then you hear stories of teen pregnancies, abortions, and neglected children that make your blood boil. You just want to be a mom, and you know you d be a good one.
If, sadly, the word infertile describes you, then you are a member of a club you didn t want to be in. It can be a lonely journey with little emotional support. It s a subject many don t want to talk about. That s why we created this book. Every woman who has experienced infertility has a story to tell, and every story is unique. This book shares the stories of 30 different women who have walked this road and who are here to come alongside you on your journey.
These stories are not just about women. They are also stories of husbands and families and children. They are stories of loss and redemption, of miracle babies and adopted children who will grow up to find God s purpose for their lives.
God puts children in our lives in a variety of ways. While only God knows how your story will be written, our hope is that these offerings will b