If you would like a helpful book to read this summer, try "The Ache for a Child" by Debra Bridwell. "To anyone living with the daily ache of infertility, Debra Bridwell offers encouragement and bibilical direction." She writes openly of struggling to have children and the ups and downs of hope, grief and sorrow. Bridwell also explains several medical options such as:

• Fertility drugs
• Artificial insemination
• Gamete intrafallopian transfer
• In vitro fertilization and embryo transfer
• Donor sperm, eggs and embryos
• Surrogacy

Debra examines all these from a biblical perspective. She talks frankly about emotions, physical experiences, dealing with doctors, how relationships are affected . . .in other words, it is a very thorough coverage of the subject. She also recommends sources for further reading and study.

Debra Bridwell has written articles for American Baby magazine and for the Stepping Stones and RESOLVE newsletters. She helped establish the WE CARE support group for Christian women dealing with infertility, miscarriage, and stillbirth.

Janet Malcolm, coeditor of Stepping Stones newsletter says of her "I know of no other book that covers the subject of infertility in such a thorough way - - - I am most thankful for the author's willingness to step out and address the ethical questions couples face in trying to decide, 'How far do we go in our desire to conceive a child?'"

The book is published by Victor Press (a division of Scripture Press Pub. Inc.)

So... buy the book and go find a cool spot in the shade, take a large glass of ice tea or lemonade and read away!