New Wedding Ring, Cycle Update, and Prayer **Updated**

How's that for a hodge-podge title? It's been a busy week since my snow day on Monday - hence me not updating since then! Although when things are busy (generally because of school) I don't seem to have much exciting to share. Here are a few random thoughts for today...

So I got a new engagement ring this week. Unfortunately I have had an ongoing saga with my ring ever since my hubby proposed. It's been so frustrating and maddening! (Is that a word?) It's made me so upset to have to deal with this! Long story short: I have lost the same small stone out of my ring four times. (It's a pave setting, so I have a lot of little stones in my bands.) Each time the jeweler has fixed my ring, but each time it saddens me to think that I have a "bad" ring that keeps falling apart. This ring which is the symbol of my marriage and love for my husband! It hasn't happened in a couple of years, but when I noticed last week that the stone had fallen out again I decided THAT WAS IT! I was going to demand a new band from the jeweler. I was tired of getting it fixed and when I examined it closely, I could tell where it had been fixed. The good news is that the jeweler agreed and I was able to find a comparable band.

I finally got it back on Wednesday and it's beautiful! I've been staring at it the same way I did when I was first engaged. It looks very similar - most people who have seen it probably won't notice the difference. But I love it! My poor hubby was so disappointed that we had to go through all this, but I think he's happy with the new ring too. All's well that ends well. :)

In terms of a cycle update I don't have much to report. Today is Cycle Day 10. I was supposed to have an appointment with Dr. L this morning but she decided that we didn't need to meet until next month. This month we are keeping with the same plan - I took Tamoxifen on days 3-7, I will begin taking Prometrium on peak+2 for 12 days and I will get blood work done on peak+7. I'll be curious to see those results. The numbers last month were great, so hopefully it continues. Dr. L wants to see me on Day 1, 2 or 3 of my next cycle. I think the nurse mentioned something about possibly changing my dosage levels, so I guess that's why she wants to see me on those days - in case I need to take a new level of Tamoxifen.

Lastly, on the topic of prayer. I have noticed how often I say to someone, "I will pray for you." I say it to everyone! Friends, family, co-workers, students, parents of my students, and mostly to my blog friends. I am very serious when I promise to pray for someone. And yet often times I don't follow through with my promise. Sometimes I will remember these intentions during my Rosary or during Mass, but not always. This week I started praying IMMEDIATELY for that person that I promised to pray for. Even if it's just a quick Hail Mary or Glory Be, I say it right away so that I am true to my words. Another idea I had is to write down all these intentions - whether they are big or small. I have a little notebook that I keep in my purse at all times (I use it to keep track of receipts and other random lists!) But at least I always have it with me.

Yesterday's Gospel reading included the passage, "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened... If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good things to those who ask him." This passage is often tough for me to meditate on, for obvious reasons. I am asking for the blessing of children, and I am not being given this gift. I am seeking to become a mother, and I am not finding it. I am knocking on the door, and it is not opening for me (despite the fact that I watch this door be opened for the rest of the world around me.)

And yet I know that I can't take these verses out of context. They must line up with everything else we believe about our faith. I also know that when Jesus speaks about our heavenly Father giving us "good things," it doesn't necessarily mean children. While children are indeed good gifts to be received, it is much more important to follow God's will; to desire His will above ours and to surrender to His plans. The gift of God's grace in our lives and the wisdom to follow His will is what we should be asking for in the first place.

**Here is a look at my new ring. (a VERY close-up look!) :)