Miscarriage

We Continue to Strive to be TRUE Friends of the Cross ~ Thanksgiving & An Update

June 24, 2014 by Lena {JOYfilledfamily} Filed Under: 2014 Journey, Friends of the Cross 2014, Miscarriage, Prayers, Pregnancy, St. Louis De Monfort, Thanksgiving 8 Comments

My dear brothers and sisters, have faith in the word of God, for the Holy Spirit tells us that when we suffer cheerfully for God, the cross is the source of every kind of joy for all kinds of people. The joy that comes from the cross is greater than that of a poor man who suddenly comes into a fortune, or of a peasant who is raised to the throne; greater than the joy of a trader who becomes a millionaire; than of a military leader over the victories he has won; than of prisoners released from their chains. In short, imagine the greatest joy that can be experienced on earth, and then realise that the happiness of the one who bears his sufferings in the right way contains, and even surpasses, all of them.

~ St. Louis Marie de Montfort, Letter to the Friends of the Cross

~~~

My family has been showered with countless blessings during our recent trials. The greatest blessing has been the life that continues to grow within – I am still pregnant. Deo gratias! I continue to rely on His grace.

I have not miscarried as indicated with my earlier diagnosis. We were able to see our little blessing along with a heart beat at 7 weeks 5 days.

I’ve attempted, on several occasions, to give an update and share my family’s sincerest thanks for all the charity. Here is my heart that I shared with my dear friend seeking to console me several weeks ago.

I have been so taken by everyone’s generosity. I feel completely unworthy and not entirely in need. I realize that my family’s needs are real but they seem so insignificant when I look around. I’m left speechless but filled with emotions. It is humility like I’ve never known. I’m praying hard to remain joyful in the present moment, fighting seeds of resentment (scattered by the Evil One) for the wrongs done to us, and running from glimpses of despair as I begin to manifest what may lie ahead. I’m left praying with every step and breath I take. His love sustains me and his grace keeps me from becoming paralyzed. I see clearly just how small I am. Truly, I don’t want to leave this place. There is peace that transcends all worldly understanding.

There has been much change in my spiritual progress but not much by way of the physical. My attempts to extend a full update and offer words of thanksgiving continue to seem so inadequate. So little in comparison to the generosity that has been extended to us – words are not enough at this time. The only real thanks I can offer is to continue to pray for all our spiritual and physical benefactors.

My family will continue to pray for you in our daily rosary and family devotions. We will also be offering Masses for you.

MAY THE PERFECT LOVE OF GOD REIGN IN OUR HEARTS!

Storming Heaven

May 24, 2014 by Lena {JOYfilledfamily} Filed Under: 2014 Journey, Miscarriage, Prayers, Pregnancy 10 Comments

Thank you all for the continued prayers and generous offerings. Thank you to my dear friend, Melody, for sharing my story when I could not. She respectfully left out a special detail…I am pregnant. Gary and I found out this blessed news on Monday morning, the same day that my family was hit with the devastating blow. My husband and I immediately said a prayer of thanksgiving and consecrated our precious new life to Jesus, through Mary.

I was told yesterday that I have/will be miscarrying. Please, if you could, spare another prayer for our precious gift and us. My family is praying for a miracle and hoping that the diagnosis was wrong, only time will tell.

Trust that you remain in our prayers. We will continue to unite our sufferings to His Most Holy Cross for your intentions.

AD JESUM PER MARIAM

In His JOY,

Day 9: Pregnancy Loss ~ 31Days of reflections from a pregnant mama

October 15, 2012 by Lena {JOYfilledfamily} Filed Under: 31 Days, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, pro, Pro-Life Leave a Comment

There is plenty that I could write on this topic but nothing more powerful than the healing received through prayer.

My soul is deprived of peace,
I have forgotten what happiness is;
I tell myself my future is lost,
all that I hoped for from the Lord.

But I will call this to mind,
as my reason to have hope:
The favors of the Lord are not exhausted,
his mercies are not spent;
They are renewed each morning,
so great is his faithfulness.
My portion is the Lord, says my soul;
therefore I will hope in him.
~ Lamentations 3:17-18, 21-24

I’m passing along a tradition that I just became aware of, Wave of Light: Pregnancy & Infant Loss Remembrance Day.

A tradition on this day is that at 7:00 pm in each time zone a Wave of Light will move across the country, and the world. All families who have lost a baby either by pregnancy or infant death should light a candle and leave it burning for at least one hour. The wave of light will serve as a reminder that there are those of us who still remember – and those who have not suffered a loss pause to surround us in love.

My family will be lighting five candles this evening in honor of our blessings in heaven.

May my beloved children and saints; Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, Teresa Agnes, and Maria Luisa ~ pray for us!

I was directed to this tradition via FB friends and Catholic Sistas.

~~~

This is day 9 of my pregnancy reflections. I realize that I am a few days behind. I’m trying to own it and fight the urge to account my absence to placenta brain our sleep deprivation.

You can find the other posts of my 31 Days here.

Guess What…

July 16, 2012 by Lena {JOYfilledfamily} Filed Under: Baby, GFG, Miscarriage, Pregnancy

I’ve been trying to come up with a clever way to share some blessed news but figured I’d let you find out the same way everyone else is finding out.

Take a look at the video.

Dad and I believe that this was a wonderful grace from our recent pilgrimage. This is my eleventh pregnancy, first since a series of two back to back miscarriages.

We’ve known I was pregnant since I was two weeks along. The days have been slowly passing as I anxiously waited for the the six-eight week mark, hoping, praying for the opportunity to carry this beloved blessing to full-term. The waiting has been a beautiful gift for me, uniting me closely to Our Lord and Blessed Mother.

I heard the baby’s heart beat at seven weeks. I’m nine weeks along, today – Deo gratias!

May God’s will be done!

Thy Will Be Done

March 20, 2012 by Lena {JOYfilledfamily} Filed Under: GFG, Miscarriage

It is with a sad but joyful heart (only His grace could make that possible) that I announce the following news. My beloved unborn baby, Maria Luisa has returned home.

I give thanks and praise to the good Lord for blessing my family with another saint in heaven. I pray that we will all be reunited with the five blessings that have gone before us. I have not shared this reality with the littles, yet I pray that they will find peace and joy knowing that their family is not bound to this earth.
I will continue to seek Holy Slavery and to joyfully conform to His holy will this Lenten season.

My beloved children and saints; Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, Teresa Agnes, and Maria Luisa ~ orate pro nobis

~~~

St. Louis De Montfort’s Prayer to Jesus

O most loving Jesus, deign to let me pour forth my gratitude before Thee, for the grace Thou hast bestowed upon me in giving me to Thy holy Mother through the devotion of Holy Bondage, that she may be my advocate in the presence of Thy majesty and my support in my extreme misery. Alas, O Lord! I am so wretched that without this dear Mother I should be certainly lost. Yes, Mary is necessary for me at Thy side and everywhere: that she may appease Thy just wrath, because I have so often offended Thee; that she may save me from the eternal punishment of Thy justice, which I deserve; that she may contemplate Thee, speak to Thee, pray to Thee, approach Thee and please Thee; that she may help me to save my soul and the souls of others; in short, Mary is necessary for me that I may always do Thy holy will and seek Thy greater glory in all things. Ah, would that I could proclaim throughout the whole world the mercy that Thou hast shown to me! Would that everyone might know I should be already damned, were it not for Mary! Would that I might offer worthy thanksgiving for so great a blessing! Mary is in me. Oh, what a treasure! Oh, what a consolation! And shall I not be entirely hers’? Oh, what ingratitude! My dear Saviour, send me death rather than such a calamity, for I would rather die than live without belonging entirely to Mary. With St. John the Evangelist at the foot of the Cross, I have taken her a thousand times for my own and as many times have given myself to her; but if I have not yet done it as Thou, dear Jesus, dost wish, I now renew this offering as Thou dost desire me to renew it. And if Thou seest in my soul or my body anything that does not belong to this august princess, I pray Thee to take it and cast it far from me, for whatever in me does not belong to Mary is unworthy of Thee. O Holy Spirit, grant me all these graces. Plant in my soul the Tree of true Life, which is Mary; cultivate it and tend it so that it may grow and blossom and bring forth the fruit of life in abundance. O Holy Spirit, give me great devotion to Mary, Thy faithful spouse; give me great confidence in her maternal heart and an abiding refuge in her mercy, so that by her Thou mayest truly form in me Jesus Christ, great and mighty, unto the fullness of His perfect age. Amen.

Moments of Grace – Suscipio

St. Louis De Montfort’s Prayer to Jesus

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