As I was writing my last post, I knew I would need to clarify something in the next post.

The underlying message of my last post was not that people going through infertility need to stop all treatments and let God fight their infertility battles for them.

It's not that anyone took it that way, I just think it might be easy to assume that was what I was saying.

But that is far from what I was saying. And it opens the door for me to write about something I've wanted to for a while now.

I've been going through this devotional book about prayer and one of the chapters was about journaling prayers. I'm a journaler. I've kept an ongoing journal from the time I was 15 years old. I started the journal for the purpose of journaling my love story of meeting and marrying the man God had chosen for me. Through the years, I've come to see that my journals are far more than what I set out for them to be. As the devotional book was saying, my journals have become a written record of my walk with the Lord and His faithfulness to me.

Beginning in August, I started keeping a separate "Infertility Journal". Even after only 4 months, it is amazing to go back and read what I have written.

I read something just this morning that I am going to use to help me explain what I clarified above about my last post.

I've called this infertility journey my "Walk of Faith". And it truly is a "Walk of Faith". Think about normal everyday walking. How do we walk? One step at a time. And because God has called us to have child-like faith, we walk holding the hand of our Heavenly Father as He leads the way.

Because of this, there is no possible way I could have set out on this journey with the mindset of, "I am going to do three IUIs. If they fail, then I will have surgery. After surgery I am going to do no fertility treatments for a cycle to see if God will allow it to happen naturally. If He chooses not to, I will go back to do another IUI."

My journey through infertility has been a step-by-step, walk of faith with God, my husband and all the faithful prayer warriors He has placed in my life.

On August 10th I wrote, "God, today I pray for obedience. I want to listen and obey. You are going with us on this journey. God told Jess and her husband to stop treatments - they did. It was hard but they obeyed. At this point in our journey, I don't feel God is saying stop treatments. But the fact of the matter is I want to listen to God and obey whatever He says. That is what I am called to DO. God, give me the ears to listen and the heart to obey."

That has been my prayer through every crossroad, every decision we have had to make concerning treatments.

After that first failed IUI, I really struggled with whether or not that was God saying, "Do no more." or "Move on to Cycle 2." Before that awful day was even over, God dropped the funds for Cycle 2 right into our lap.

After cycle two failed God said, "Rest." and I enjoyed possibly one of the bests months so far in this journey. God spoke so much and I soaked it all in.

Then cycle three came and went and God said, "Surgery." and low and behold, Dr. L found Stage 2 endometriosis and now it is gone and no longer a factor in my fertility!

And then God said, "No treatments. Let me fight for you this month. You need only to be still."

God is not limited in what He can do. His purpose is to receive glory through us - His Creation. I firmly believe that whatever path to conception God has chosen for me--naturally or through an infertility treatment--He will receive the glory and honor either way.

The underlying message in yesterday's post was that the important thing on our journey down the road of infertility is that we must walk step-by-step, hand-in-hand, with God, allowing Him to speak and guide us every step of the way. And then, our response must always be a response of obedience. I believe the only thing that does limit God is a disobedient heart. Disobedience opens the door for us to miss the blessings of God.

And missing out on the blessings of God is like missing out on your most memorable Christmas morning - times a million!

- Elaine