Good morning!

Prayer requests:

For those of us cycling with TCM, acupuncture, and other natural remedies.

For those of us waiting for AF to start a new cycle.

Prayer of thanksgiving:

For our furbabies.

Good morning!

Prayer requests:

For those cycling with Metformin.

For those who POAS today.

Prayer of thanksgiving:

For new doors opening when all the doors had appeared closed.

Good morning!

Beginning today, we are trying a slightly different practice. One prayer request every morning will be for some specific type of cycle protocol--until we run out of ideas. Feel free to email or post comments with suggestions.

Prayer requests:

For those of us cycling with clomid.

For those of us undergoing a home study.

Prayer of thanksgiving:

For doctors' offices that return our phone calls promptly.

Good morning!

Just a friendly reminder to send along your cycle protocol prayer ideas. We'll start tomorrow morning.

--Kate

Prayer requests:

For those of us deciding whether to continue IF treatments.

For those of us working to communicate with parents about IF.

Prayer of thanksgiving:

For lazy Sundays ripe for rejuvenation.

Good morning!

This week will begin the fourth week of The IF Gathering Place. In honor of this milestone, I thought I would try something a little different. One of the prayer requests every day will be for a different type of cycle protocol: clomid, IVF, IUI with donor sperm, you get the idea. We'll go until we run out of ideas. I could use your help. Send me an email or post in the comments one (or two or three) ideas about what we should include.

And as always, if you or someone you know needs a special prayer request, let me know, and I'll add it the next day. Feel free to make the request specific or general.

On a personal note, I have to say thanks. Thanks for subscribing. And reading. And most importantly praying. When I started this blog, I had no idea if anyone would even notice it in the sea of IF blogs. Now I can see from my feedburner/Google analytics that we have a number of subscribers and people who check it regularly.

Thanks, friends--

Kate

Prayer requests:

For those of us dealing with a BFN this weekend.

That we may all find healthy ways of managing our stress and maintaining mental wellness during IF.

Prayer of thanksgiving:

For a weekend with happy distractions from IF.

Good Morning and Happy Friday!

Prayer requests:

For those of us with an egg retrieval today.

For those of us feeling alone in their infertility struggle.

Prayer of thanksgiving:

For the opportunity we have to educate others about infertility.

Good morning!

Prayer requests:

For those of us looking for a support group.

For those of us waiting for betas.

Prayer of thanksgiving:

For patient partners.

Good morning!

Prayer requests:

For those of us with pregnant family and friends and baby showers to attend.

For those of us working to communicate better with our partner.

Prayer of thanksgiving:

For those of us discovering that we are stronger than we knew.

Good morning!

Prayer requests:

For those just learning of their infertility.

For those anxious about upcoming procedures.

Prayer of thanksgiving:

For the staff who squeeze us in when we ask to be seen and make us feel welcome when we arrive at the doctor's office.

Good morning!

Prayer requests:

For those receiving difficult news today.

For the friends and family of infertiles who are striving to be supportive.

Prayer of thanksgiving:

For the people, projects, and activities that help us to forget the IF journey--at least for a little while.

Good morning!

Prayer requests:

For surrogates.

For the spouses and partners who walk this path with us.

Prayer of thanksgiving:

For communities of faith.

Good morning!

Prayer requests:

For those making difficult medical decisions.

For those frustrated with a canceled cycle.

Prayer of thanksgiving:

For the good surprises on this journey.

Happy Friday!

Prayer Requests:

For those feeling hopeless.

For those experiencing difficult side effects from their medications.

Prayer of Thanksgiving:

For the opportunity to pursue Assisted Reproductive Technology.

Good morning!

Prayer requests:

For those struggling with the financial burden of infertility care.

For those emotionally preparing for a new phase in their IF treatments.

Prayer of thanksgiving:

For hope.

Good morning!

Prayer requests:

For those pursuing adoption.

For those working to maintain a healthier lifestyle.

Prayer of thanksgiving:

For acupuncturists and other practitioners of complementary medicine who help us in our journey.

Good morning!

Prayer requests:

For those in the TWW.

For those struggling to balance work and infertility-related appointments.

Prayer of thanksgiving:

For nature's beauty and its ability to soothe troubled hearts.

Good morning!

Prayer requests:

For those in an IVF cycle.

For those working to communicate about their infertility with the people in their life.

Prayer of thanksgiving:

For a prescription costing less than expected.

Good morning!

Prayer requests:

For those waiting for lab and test results.

For those looking for a gifted, supportive doctor.

Prayer of thanksgiving:

For the comfort and power of prayer.

Good morning! Happy weekend!

Prayer requests:

For those who have suffered a miscarriage.

For those taking a TTC break.

Prayers of thanksgiving:

For the four-legged members of our families.

Good Morning and Happy Friday!

Prayer requests:

For those who are newly diagnosed.

For those who are facing a weekend filled with IF treatments/medications/side-effects rather than (in addition to?) relaxation and fun.

Prayers of thanksgiving:

For kind and compassionate nurses.

Good morning!

Prayer requests:

For those who are in cycle transition: ending and starting cycles.

For those who are figuring out how to do injections for themselves or their partners.

Prayers of thanksgiving:

For the wonderful bloggers and online friends who cheer us on and guide us and support us.

Good morning!

Prayer requests:

For IF women and men who have procedures scheduled for today.

For IF couples who are struggling to communicate about their IF path.

Prayers of thanksgiving:

For sisters who recognize that they do not understand what you are going through, but are willing to walk with you every step of the way.

Why aren't you doing a "regular" IF blog?

I am painfully shy. Really, just leaving a comment (after many months of following IF blogs I left my first one today--don't judge, let me explain) makes my heart pound and my body ache. What if I say the wrong thing and make someone hurt more? What if I misunderstand? What if I say something too personal about myself and regret it later? I'm shy in real life, but I'm twice as shy online and three times as shy about my infertility. I know I can't join the ranks of amazing, insightful women who share their stories online and so often bolster others in their quest for a successful pregnancy. But I can offer this place of prayer to the online IF community. I believe in prayer of all types; I believe it comforts the person praying and the person receiving prayer. I, also, am completely anal; I thrive on organizational tasks. I think they help me to feel in control. So start emailing, and I'll compile the first prayer list and post it Wednesday morning.

I am also going to try to comment more. Promise.

Kate

Let's Gather!

I will publish the first prayer list Wednesday morning, September 9, 2009. Please spread the word. There is no set format for the prayer request or prayer of thanksgiving:

be specific

be general

be anonymous

be personal

just be yourself.

What's The Gathering Place?

I have been a part of the online IF blog community as a viewer for a while now. Daily my RSS feeds update me on IF bloggers from all over the country (and even the world). I read about triumph and frustration, and so often I find myself responding to a request for thoughts and prayers. When I am on the boards, I hear the same thing, and I do my best to fulfill queries for "sticky" thoughts or prayers for strength.

I've also struggled with the fact that my husband and I have not shared our IF journey with our own faith community or most of our family. I can't turn to the people that I would usually ask to pray for me, and often I wish that I had the comfort of knowing that someone was praying with me in mind.

I am hopeful that daily five or fifteen or fifty of us--the number is unimportant--will ask for prayers through this blog and receive the comfort of knowing that we are in others' prayers. This is a nondenominational place for people of all religious, spiritual, or other reverential paths to share support and energy as each of us sees fit.

Kate