Baby Update #3...."My 'Almost' Birth Story"

This pregnancy has been an adventure so far, and when I do have this baby, I am going to have nothing left to write about :)
Yesterday morning I went in to my regularly scheduled non-stress test. I made sure to eat and drink right before so that it would come out good. Also, in my favor was the fact that I was officially 32 weeks, which is supposed to mean better results....anyways, I went in and was welcomed by all of the staff that have come to know, and I am sure love, me, lol=)) I was hooked up and in about 15 minutes my Dr came in very concerned and told me to go straight to labor & delivery...I wasn't worried since I had done this a couple of weeks ago, so I called my husband and told him I was going to go over and I would let him know if I needed him, but would probably be home soon.
When I got there they brought me to the triage and hooked me up. I drank some water and turned on the Food network. After about an hour the nurse came in and told me that the hospital's perinatologist was watching my NST and he did not like what he saw. I was sent downstairs for another biophysical profile ultrasound, but this time it took 30 minutes...she measured everything, and told me baby was 4 lbs. and everything looked perfect! That was so reassuring.
After I went back upstairs I was hooked up for another hour of monitoring and nothing really changed, but I wasn't really worried since this is what it has been doing for the last 3 weeks. The nurse came in and told me the perinatologist still wasn't liking the results and the that he ordered a drug test for me, also for me to have oxygen and IV fluids. I hate getting IV's so I wasn't very excited about that. After getting the IV, 3 nurses came in and started acting kind of funny. They were asking a bunch of questions, so I assumed I was being admitted for overnight monitoring. I got a little nervous when they were asking about the last thing I ate, etc, since those are the questions they usually ask when I am about to deliver.
They didn't really tell me anything, but then again I was too scared to ask. They were being extra nice though....anyways, then my Dr walked in and I smiled and she didn't smile back. This is when I got really nervous. She told me that her and the perinatologist had been monitoring me for the last 4 hours and it looked really bad. She said they both agreed that the best option for baby was an immediate C-section. I told her I wanted to get ahold of my husband so that I could have him call my mom to drive down to watch the kids, and she said that was fine and that they would continue to monitor while I did that. She told me to go ahead and make my phone calls and she left.
I called Matt and as soon as he answered, I lost it. I told him that I was pretty sure they were doing a C-section in the next hour or two and he prayed with me, which of course made me cry more. After I hung up with him, my Dr came back to see if I was ok. I had so many questions, especially about the chances of baby Joy being ok at 32 weeks. She said she would have the neonatal ICU nurse come in and talk to me. She left and I was there alone with my thoughts and my big, scary oxygen mask. I was very worried, and for those that know me, I don't get worried easily. I prayed and I sought peace from the Lord. I wanted so badly for it to just be over, but not the way it was about to be. A girl came in and took my blood, and then my nurse came back with all of the paperwork for me to sign my life away. I signed for the C-section, and for the anesthesia, and for all of the other "risk" forms I had to sign. It was awful. After she left, I just waited, it seemed like forever! Then Mat  finally came in! He hugged me and didn't say anything, which I needed. He's so great! He even packed me a hospital bag and had some little tiny baby clothes....did I mention that he is so great??
About 10 minutes after he got there my Dr walked in smiling and said the baby all of the sudden looked great! As she put it "the best that she has ever looked!" I was shocked! She said she was no longer planning on doing the C Section, and you have no idea the relief that I felt! It was such a huge, HUGE answered prayer!! I knew I had so many people praying, and that was such a comfort. She said I was once again severely dehydrated and that I needed to be getting more rest at home...
She left to deliver another baby and while she was gone stinker baby Joy decided to act up again! She decided to admit me overnight said I could *possibly* still have the c section in the morning...I moved to a real room and was finally allowed to eat! (they wouldn't feed me earlier because of the c section)
I hung out with Matt for a while and it was such a nice peaceful feeling=) When he left I went to sleep. I had a pretty good night and spent a little while googling 32 week baby survival stories....and just like I had thought, they have a great chance. The Lord filled me with peace and then I knew that if she decided  in the morning that a c section was necessary, I was ready.
In the morning the nurses said she did well overnight. They slowed the IV and had me eat breakfast. Then I went down for another BPP U/S which baby passed with flying colors...again!! (my little genius) When I went upstairs L& D was crazy. I guess they had a few scary emergency situations, and my heart went out to those mommies! My Dr came in and said baby looked "ok" but not as good as she looked the night before, BUT good enough that we could go home!! I was SO happy.
My orders were lots of rest and fluids and I go back tomorrow to be monitored again. I am so thankful for all of the prayers that went up for myself and Barbara Joy =) And, I am so thankful that the Lord had her "behaving" on the monitors at just the right time...He is so good to me!

Baby Update #2

I am just about 32 weeks! Today at 8:45 i went in for my 3rd non-stress test. After about 20 minutes the Dr came in and said it didn't look good...again=( So she had me have another bio-physical profile u/s and that looked great, which was wonderful! Baby got an 8 out of 8, and she said if it was anything less she was going to send me over to Labor and Delivery again for monitoring. So, we talked and she said that I am in fact pre-eclamptic, but it is still mild. (although the number did go up slightly from last time, which isn't too great.
Anyways, what she is hoping is that as the baby gets older the non-stress tests will be more reactive. As of now, baby has a nice steady heartrate, but when she moves (and she moves a lot!!) it does not accelerate like it should, which is why all of these non-stress tests. So for now, I will go in for the non-stress tests 2ce a week, the 24 hour urine test (gross!) once a week (hopefully less), and have the bio-physical profile u/s done 1-2 times a week until either the tests get better or until she decides to take the baby for her health....also, she informed me that she will induce at 39 weeks since I am mildly pre-eclampic (unless, of course, I go into labor earlier than that or the pre-eclampsia gets worse)....anyways, that's the main jist of it all....Thanks for your prayers! Love you all!

**Oh and I want to say also that I am so thankful for my Dr. She is great and very cautious which I love! I'd rather go in every day for a check-up than once every 2 weeks and something be missed=) So, praise the Lord for her!

Ministry Monday: From the Missionary's Wife, Mrs. Sarah LeClercq

Name- Sarah LeClercq

Husband’s Position- Missionary
How long have you been married? 8 years
How many children? How old are they? We have 3 children! Nathanael is7 today, Ethaen is 5, and Kathrynn is 2

1. What field are you and your husband going to? We are going to the island of Guam!
2. Did you feel the same call as your husband to that specific location, or did you just feel the call to follow your husband? I grew up wanting to be a missionary. When I met my husband in Bible college I knew he was called to Guam. I knew without a doubt he was the man I was to marry, so I knew without a doubt I was called to Guam. However, when we took our survey trip, I begged God to give me a heart for the island like my husband had. Through different situations God did just that for me. I can not wait to get there.
3. How long have you been traveling on deputation?3 and half years!
4. What is the hardest thing about being on deputation? For me it was learning to be flexible and just go with the flow. I love schedules and stability(what lady doesn’t) and deputation does not always follow a set schedule.
5. What do enjoy the most about being on deputation? We love getting to travel as a family and seeing our wonderful country. Deputation has been such a big blessing to our family, my kids have seen and done more in the 3 years on deputation than most people will do their entire lives.
6. How do you keep your children excited about being a “missionary” with constant travel and being in church all of the time? We are always telling them how special we are to get to be missionaries! When they would start to say the wished we were home we would start reminding them of all the things that they have gotten to do that their friends at home do not get to do! My kids have been spoiled by deputation, and I thank God for that!
7. Do you feel the burden of having well behaved children at all times? Yes, but let me say I put the pressure on me more than any one else ever did. We have never had a pastor tell us anything negative about our kids. I was the one who freaked out about their behavior. I had to learn that God was in control of our support. I was going to do the best I could and that is what I told the kids, do your best. I was also always ready to deal with any misbehavior and they knew it! If a situation arose and I needed to be excused the host Pastor was very understanding.
8. What is the most encouraging thing that a Pastor’s wife could do or say to you regarding your children? Let them know if their children are behaving. It would encourage me when I was told that I was doing a good job. Also, be understanding, those kids spend a lot of time in the car.
9. Do you always have the option of a Nursery in churches or do you sometimes have to take children who are not ready yet into services? And for those churches where there is no nursery, do you wish they would make a special exception for your family while you are there? No, we did not always have an option. When we started deputation my boys were 2 and 3 and we did not always have a class or nursery for them. I started training them early, but there were times I would just sit with them in a room. I would always send the nursery worker out if it was just my children. I wanted them to get the burden for our field and so I would do nursery. I never expected them to have nursery just for me. We were there to be a blessing and if my doing nursery accomplished that, that is what I did.
10. What is the best thing (other than prayer) that a church can do for your family u give to your family? Let them know you remember them. Send them cards, letters, and emails. Know their birthdays, anniversaries, and let them know you remember.
11. What are some things that churches do for you that may not be a help to you? I really do not know, I do not want to sound ungrateful in any way. I know for us the baskets were always a great encouragement, but they were hard to travel with!
12. Do you prefer to stay in a hotel, mission’s apartment, or the home of a church member? Personally, I prefer to stay in a hotel or missions apartment. I was always a nervous wreck when I knew we were staying with someone. Let me say, we have never stayed in a bad home or a place that we had a horrible experience. God was so good to us. Staying in our place gave us a little more freedom to be a family, and stick to our own schedule.
13. What is the best thing a Pastor’s Wife can do to make you feel comfortable in her church? Talk to me about my field, ask me what my responsibility is, show an interest in what I will be doing, not just my husband.
14. What is the best thing that the ladies of the church can do for you? Pretty much the same thing. Take a special interest in the ladies position on the field. Take time to come see our table!
15. Do you ever feel that you have to be “fake” at a new church to be accepted as a missionary? (For instance, do you feel the need to always smile, be social, and be positive about every aspect of your ministry and deputation) I learned early on that I wore my attitude on my face, I am not very good at pretending. I knew first impressions were important, so I would always try to smile. The hardest part for me was going up and talking with someone. I had to leave my comfort zone. Deputation is my ministry right now, so I am supposed to be positive and smile. When asked, I would tell someone about struggles on deputation, but it was in a joking, laughing kind of way. When I was young I remembered missionaries wives and some of them you would look at and be scared to talk too (they looked mean) Others would go out of their way to make me feel important. I remember one to this day, she was so sweet and she talked to just me and that is what I try to do. I just try to encourage those at the church.
16. What kind of church makes you “feel at home”? A friendly church!
17. Who are your best friends and what do they do that encourages you? I have 3 really close friends(aside from my husband) and we are all in the ministry somewhere. They help me to understand the “pastor's side” of missions, while I can give them the missionaries side. They send me emails, notes and just texts! We pray for each other and follow up with each other.
18. Any “horror “stories you’d like to share? No, God has been so good to us!
19. What has been the biggest blessing so far about being “on the road”? Seeing my children learn at an early age just how big our God is. They have seen more blessings and answer to prayers then most kids their age have.
20. Do you ever get worried that your children will resent the ministry and the fact that you took them from America, away from their family and friends? In the beginning I did. However, now that they are older and they understand what a missionary does it has gotten easier. Our children do not see it as leaving home, but rather going home. My husband and I have worked hard to teach them that Guam is home!
21. What are your biggest fears and challenges about raising your children in a different culture? Guam is an American territory so the culture is not too different. The people do have a different culture, but they speak English and use US currency. I worry about boundaries, I know I have to be careful who my kids are friends with, but I also know that I can not come across snobby or stuck up.
22. How do you plan on managing the lonely times (holidays, etc) without your family and friends in the States? Up until now, I really have not thought about it. With technology it is a lot easier. I guess I would handle it like I do now. Go to my quiet place, cry, eat chocolate, and tell God, and read some verses , and eat chocolate!
23. What do you do to encourage yourself in the Lord? I love waking up before my family and reading and praying, however during the day when feeling overwhelmed I turn on instrumental music, usually hymns and it helps calm everyone down.
24. Do you have a hard time sharing your burdens with your husband for fear of discouraging him? Sometimes, however he can usually tell when something is wrong, and he is real good at telling me how it is. He also gives good insight.
25. What do you do to encourage your husband? you just hold him and spend time with him. He does not need me to start rambling scripture and saying stuff he already knows, he just needs me. The time will come later to share my thoughts. I also need that time to think and know what to say to him. I do not want to react, to who or whatever is discouraging him, I want to make sure I have the right attitude when I speak. (I take it very personal when someone attacks my man!!)
26. What is your favorite Scripture? Psalms 37:4-5
27. What is your favorite song? Day by Day
28. How do you fit in your personal time with the Lord each day? I get up before my family. It is my favorite part of the day. It is quiet and the new day is before me and its not messed up....yet!!
29. What is the most important thing you have learned so far about being in the ministry? I can not do it on my own. Ps. 73:26 “My flesh and my heart faileth:but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion forever.”

Because He Lives....!!!

Happy Resurrection Day!!!! I am so very thankful for the day that Jesus suffered and died for my sins and yours, BUT even more than that I am eternally grateful that He did not remain in the grave, but He rose again, just as He said He would! And because He lives, we can have hope in Him. We no longer have to be slaves to our sin, but we can become a forever child of God!! How about you? Do you have that hope in Jesus? Do you believe that He died FOR YOU!!?? He was buried and He rose again FOR YOU so that you might live eternally with Him in Heaven....How can you know for sure that when you die you will go to Heaven??

The first step to salvation is to realize that we are all sinners:

Romans 3:10 (KJV)

As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:

Romans 3:23 (KJV)

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

Next, you must know that because of sin there must be a price paid:

Romans 6:23 (KJV)

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

This price can be paid by you with an eternity in Hell, or you can accept the price that Jesus paid for your sin:

Romans 5:8 (KJV)

But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

To accept Jesus’ payment for your sin simply call on His name and ask Him to forgive your sins and save you:

Romans 10:9-13 (KJV)

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. [10] For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. [11] For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. [12] For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. [13] For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

If you are ready to accept Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour, take time right now to pray, confessing your sin and asking Him to save you.

When you accept Jesus, He is faithful to do what He said He would - He forgives you and saves you.  This an eternal life that cannot be lost:

1 John 5:13 (KJV)

These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

Today, you can be sure of your eternal destiny!! Do not wait....you never know what will happen tomorrow. And as long as Jesus lives, you can have that hope in Him!!

Update on Mommy & Barbara Joy!

Well, I haven't updated on "us" in a while, so here we go...
    Last you heard I was told I had mild preeclampsia. We have been feeling pretty good. My blood pressure has remained at the mild mark and is not getting worse, so that is great news for me! Yesterday began my weekly non-stress tests (where they put monitors on my big belly to watch for baby's heartrate, movement, and to see if I have any contractions)....
So, I got to the Dr. office. I knew what to expect since I also had to have these tests when I was pregnant with Sam. However, I was pleasantly surprised when they brought me back to a small quiet room with a big comfy recliner and a Tv! The hooked me up and I laid back and enjoyed the quiet! It was the most relaxed I have been in a while. Anyways, the nurse came in to check on my after about 20 minutes and said the doctor would be right in. When she came in she looked at my "strip" (the paper recording all of the accellerations), and said that the baby's heartrate was "flat"...It freaked me out a little because I always associate the word flat with someone flatlining, or dying....I told her I felt the baby moving a lot and she said that was why she was so worried. I guess each time baby moves the heartrate should increase a lot, but it didn't increase at all. So, I asked her what that meant and she said it meant I had to go to labor and delivery to be monitored furthur and have an ultrasound and some blood work. I drove over there a little nervous and checked myself in.
They hooked me up again and took my blood pressure, which was super low, which I thought was funny since it is always so high at the Dr, office!! My first reading was 105/56! I thought it was broken, but I continued to get similar readings...the nurse was impressed;) The nurse acted like it was no big deal and probably that way since I had not eaten or drank yet so she forced (lol) me to order lunch off the yummy menu. So I ordered a grilled chicken sandwhich and chocolate milk. After that nothing changed and I could tell the nurse was getting a little worried. She had me drink a liter of caffiene free pepsi and a liter of water....still no change. I had an ultrasound and blood work, which all had great results, but still no change. So the Dr. decided that I was very dehydrated and I had an IV put in and was given 2 bags of fluid. After all that there still was no change...so they had me drink a liter of Cranberry juice cause I guess my blood sugar was low and they thought that would help....and it did, sort of. Not much, but enough to let me go home. I go back Friday for another non stress test and hopefully baby has "perked" (Doctor's words) up more.
The good news is that I might not have the preeclampsia after all! Apparently when you are dehydrated it can elevate your protien levels and your blood pressure, so maybe that was the problem? I will find out tomorrow after the rest of the tests come back....So until Friday I will be drinking, drinking, and drinking some more. If the heartrate is still "flat" I don't know what they will do. So I am still a tad nervous, but my precious baby is doing her dance, so that is my reassurance that she is still enjoying her time nice and close to mommy....right where she belongs=)) Thank you, friends, for your prayers!

Ministry Monday...Mrs. Terri Cannon....Wife of the Week

Name- Terri Cannon

Husband’s Position- Pastor

How long have you been married? 30 years on June 5th

How many children/grandchildren do you have? How old are they? We have ten children in heaven. We also have six adopted children. Five were adopted older out of foster care and one was adopted at birth. They are 27, 26, 25, 24, 24, & 20. We have four grandchildren: 7, 3, 2, & 1 and two more on the way.

1.      How long have you been in the ministry? 30+ years

2.      What “positions” has your husband had since being in the ministry? Bus Captain, Sunday School Teacher, Children’s Church Teacher, Youth Pastor, Assistant Pastor, Assistant Youth Pastor, Choir director, Song leader, Trustee, Deacon, Church Planter, & Pastor (I’m sure I missed something in there.)

3.      How did you know the Lord wanted you in the ministry? Was it hard for you to submit to that or did you know 100% sure right away that this is what God wanted for your life? When I was 8, I surrendered to full-time service at youth camp. I had some severe family struggles for a while in between and rededicated my life to the Lord when I was 13. When I was 15, I knew the Lord was going to have me marry someone in the ministry. Both times, I knew 100% that this is what God wanted for my life. The hard part was my dad (who was backslidden) arguing with me all the time about how I was going to fall in love with someone who wasn’t going into the ministry. I guarded my heart very carefully.

4.      How old were you when you your husband first held a position of leadership?  20

5.      And if you were young, did you have a hard time adjusting because of your age? Did you feel “ready” to be in that position? Did you feel you had a harder time being respected or taken seriously because of your age? His first position of leadership was as youth pastor/assistant pastor. I don’t think that I really even thought about my age. For both of us, we were doing what we were supposed to be doing. I never felt like anyone in the church treated us as “youngsters” either. He took his first pastorate when I was 27, and again, I didn’t feel like my age was a factor.

6.      Once you had children did you find you did less in the ministry and was that hard for you? I don’t think that any of my children limited how much I did in the ministry. My situation is a little different in that only one of my children came to me as an infant. The others came in groups: one group came at 10, 11 & 12; and one group came at 9 & almost 14. My husband has always tried to keep the church schedule limited so that families have several nights a week at home. That always helped. The biggest thing was just keeping my home organized enough that I had the time to do the things my husband wanted me to do. My husband has also always insisted that if one of the kids were sick, I stayed home with them as my role as a mother was/is more important than my duties at church.

7.      What are some ways you included and involved your children in the ministry?

a.      Baby… Our baby went to church every time we did. The first time she was at church, she was 4 days old. My husband was an assistant youth pastor at a large church at that time and there was usually a nursery for most activities. The baby went with me to choir practice though and she loved the attention of being passed around while we sang.

b.      Toddler… Again, she went every where with us. When she got up to 3 or 4 we left her with her grandparents when we went to youth camp, but other than that, she was with us. We started a church when she was 4. We had to set up the meeting room every week and she could line up hymn books and pass out offering envelopes like a pro.

c.       School age… Our school age children accompanied us soul winning and on church visits when appropriate. As pastor, my husband made sure there were age appropriate activities for all of the children in the church including our own. As the children learned new musical skills, he allowed them to play instrumental specials and sing but we were always careful not to place our children in the “spotlight.” We wanted their service to be toward the Lord and not as a “performance.”

d.      Teen… As teens, we gave the kids more responsibilities. They had a regular rotation cleaning the church. Our girls took regular turns in the nursery and even taught the preschool Sunday School classes when appropriate. They continued on in their musical involvement in the choir and special singing groups. Two of our girls played clarinet and flute and enjoyed playing offeratories.

8.      Did you ever worry that your children would resent the ministry and what are some ways you tried to make it fun for them? I did worry at times that they would resent the ministry, but not for the reasons you might expect. We worked hard to be their parents when it was time to be parents. We took vacations and had regular family time every week. Again, with our children, it was a little different because they had emotional baggage that most kids in the ministry don’t come with. All of our children hit late adolescence and early adulthood and struggled spiritually. All of them have made decisions that have grieved us. And yet, all of them call and ask Bible questions and all of them acknowledge God and His working in their lives. (There was a time when I wondered if they ever would.) In many respects, we did not raise OUR children in the ministry, we raised “bus kids” in the preacher’s house. We did try to point out all of the blessings of the ministry. We were blessed to meet many great men and have them in our home. We were able to take many trips that, outside of the ministry, would not have been possible. We were able to view many nations and cultures up close through missionaries who visited in our home. We always allowed the children to interact with guests and they enjoyed that.

I think the one thing the kids resented were the expectations of church members. We often told the children that God’s expectations were no different because of their father. If they were the pastor’s kids or the milkman’s kids, God still expected the same: fear God, love Him and love their neighbor. However, people can often be unthinking when speaking to kids and that was a harder part of raising kids while we are in the ministry.

9.      What would be the best thing you would tell a mom who is raising her children in the ministry? As their mother, you are first and foremost the mother. (This is assuming that you are in your rightful place as a Christian and as a wife.) If your child is sick or even just having a hard time, your duties at church should not take precedent over those kids. I now have the empty nest and am free to do whatever church things the Lord and my husband desire of me whenever. When my children were younger, though, I wanted them to KNOW they had a mother who cared for them and would drop everything else when they had a true need. God can and will do His work without you. Those children only have one childhood and you need to nurture and raise them while you can. Aside from that, RELAX. Don’t be so uptight about what other people think that your kids feel like they can’t be kids. We would think it was silly if the physician’s wife panicked every time her child caught a cold because “what will my husband’s patients think?” But we panic every time our child stumbles in their walk with the Lord because of what the deacons or the church ladies will think. Train them. Training implies that there is still much to be learned. By all means, never make your child feel like a failure because they aren’t perfect little Christians. I’m not. Are you?

10.  What do you do to encourage your husband when he is discouraged with the work? This is a hard question for me. My husband has often said “there is no tenderness beneath my honesty” and usually when he gets discouraged, I tell him to suck it up. That’s probably not very “submissive” sounding but sometimes that’s what he needs to hear. I do work to point out the good things God is doing that maybe he has lost sight of. Sometimes the victories we have seen get lost in the daily-ness of the ministry and so I keep little lists of things to remind him of when he struggles.

11.  How do deal with any criticism toward your husband from others? First, most people in all of our ministries have known not to complain about him to me. I am very vocal about the fact that he is my hero and my best friend. Second, how I deal with it depends on the source. Often times, criticism comes from a lack of understanding. If someone criticizes in an honest fashion, I will attempt to redirect the person, either to understanding or to talking to my husband directly. If someone criticizes in a destructive way, I want to scratch their eyes out, but instead I walk away and pray for them. After 30 years in the ministry, I know that reacting can cause far more damage than the criticism. Some people are just going to criticize and honestly, those who are critical are generally known for being so. There are always going to be the “simple” who believe every word they hear and the best you can do is hope that time and experience teach them otherwise. Some criticism is good. It causes you to re-evaluate and rethink how others view your actions, but ultimately you have to “walk in your own integrity” and leave the rest to the Lord.

12.  Have you/ Do you set aside date nights/days with your husband? We have always tried to set aside date times. When the kids were young, it might just be a special treat we shared together after the kids were in bed. Now, we are once again trying to start a church and we both work secular jobs while we get the church off the ground. Our schedules are pretty hectic but we go out to eat every Friday night. We are empty-nesters but that has not made us strangers. We are more in love than we have ever been and have loved the time we have alone.

13.  What is the biggest thing you have learned about being married to a man in the ministry? The biggest thing? Ministry or not, he is a man. He leaves the toilet seat up sometimes and he leaves his socks in the floor, but he is MY man! Second, he is not a pastor because of what he does. He is a pastor because of who he is by God’s calling. Some ministry wives wonder what it would be like to live “normal” lives where the husband worked eight hours and came home and left the office at the office. First, there are very few jobs like that. Second, that is not who you are married to. He would be miserable and in your heart you know that. I love the ministry because my man loves the ministry and I love him.

14.   What are some ways you protect your husband from “those” women in the church? I scratch their eyes out. No, not really, but I might…. From very early in our marriage, my husband has trusted my “gut” when it came to other women. There are some women that I just tell him to avoid. He never counsels a woman more than once without bringing me or her husband/father/boyfriend into the counseling. He has a big window in his office door and if he is counseling a woman at the church when it is not before/after a service I go to the building and sit in the auditorium just so he is not alone in the building with her. When the kids were still at home, he would take one or two of them to the building with him for the same purpose.

15.  Do you and your husband have devotion or prayer time together daily? We try to pray together every night at bedtime. Occasionally one of us falls asleep, but we try. We don’t really have a regular time of devotion but we talk all the time about what he is studying or what I am studying in the Bible. We just read through Pilgrim’s Progress together and had great conversations about that.

16.  Do you have a hard time sharing your burdens with your husband in fear that it will discourage him? If my burdens are ministry related things that my husband can do nothing about, for instance, we are a struggling new work and there aren’t a lot of ladies for me to fellowship with, then I usually don’t share those kinds of things with him. He wants to “fix” things for me and I don’t necessarily need to rely on him to fix everything. Some things are just better left with the Lord. Other than that, we share almost everything.

17.  What do you do to encourage yourself in the Lord? There are several things that I do to encourage myself in the Lord. I count my blessings regularly. It’s hard to be discouraged when you recall all that the Lord has done for you. Just the knowledge that I deserve Hell and instead will enjoy eternal life in Heaven is unimaginable. I listen to good uplifting music. I have several good Godly radio stations bookmarked on my iPhone radio app and I play those through my car radio while driving. I have chosen for myself a marker to remind me that God loves me and that marker is a lady bug. (There’s a story behind this but I’m already running long.) Every time I see a lady bug, I am reminded that God loves me and my house and even my desk at work are filled with lady bugs.

18.  What is your favorite Scripture? Psalm 27:14 “Wait on the LORD, be of good courage and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.”

19.  Do you have a favorite song? Up Calv’ry’s Mountain

20.  Do you have find that you are not able to have close lady friends in your church? I have had close lady friends in the church and it has never been a problem. I try to make every lady I meet at church feel like she has my undivided attention while I am talking to her. Church really isn’t the time that I buddy up to my friends.

21.  Do you have other lady ministry friends that you go to for counsel and “venting” purposes? I do have three close friends who have been married to men in the ministry for many years that I go to for counsel. I don’t vent a lot because they have enough of their own frustrations without me adding mine, but I do talk to them and joke with them and find it nice to be able to “be myself” more.

22.  Other than praying, what is the most encouraging thing ladies in the church can do for you? Show up and get involved. Nothing encourages me more than to see the ladies growing and ministering.

23.  What is your favorite way to serve the Lord in your church? I love almost every part of the ministry. I love teaching Sunday School—all ages. I love working in the nursery. I love singing. I love planning and serving at fellowships. I used to hate speaking to ladies but I even enjoy that now. I don’t know what would really be my favorite. If I had to choose, I think it would be participating in congregational singing.

24.  In all of your business, how do you fit your personal time in with the Lord each day? Those troubles in my family when I was a kid that I spoke of earlier, during those times, I learned what it meant to “pray without ceasing.” For my Bible reading, it varies. I try to read some everyday but I really enjoy searching out a subject in the Scriptures and do that regularly. I don’t have a set time that I read my Bible and pray but I do some every day.

25.  Out of all that you have learned being in the full time ministry, what is the most important thing you have learned? The most important thing I have learned is that it’s all about God’s plan for a given people in a given place at a given time. You can’t compare any two ministries or men or even two different churches you have been in. Four years ago, I spent 39 days in the hospital and almost died. I had five surgeries and I was even on life support, though conscious, for several days. You know what? God’s work went on without me. I just have to do today what God wants me to do today. He takes care of all the rest.

Ministry Monday!! Ms. Jeanette Baird *Wife of the Week*

Name- Jeanette Baird            

Husband’s Position- Pastor

How long have you been married? Will be 8 years in May

How many children/grandchildren do you have? How old are they? I have 3 children

Jessica – 6; Nathanael – 4 ½; and Samuel – 9 weeks 

1.      How long have you been in the ministry? Will be 5 years the first Sunday in May

2.      What “positions” has your husband had since being in the ministry.  Pastor

3.      How did you know the Lord wanted you in the ministry? Was it hard for you to submit to that or did you know 100% sure right away that this is what God wanted for your life? I knew I wanted to be in the ministry since I was a little girl, but as I got older I thought it was the thing I was suppose to do. The Lord worked  in my life and heart and I knew I was suppose to be in the ministry.

4.      How old were you when you your husband first held a position of leadership? 23

5.      And if you were young, did you have a hard time adjusting because of your age? Did you feel “ready” to be in that position? Did you feel you had a harder time being respected or taken seriously because of your age? I had a really hard time adjusting. I felt so inadequate, and I didn’t think I was ready, but my husband was. I felt I had a hard time with some people, but with others they accepted me and my age right away. I felt I had to prove myself, and there are times I still feel that way. I have some ladies who support me, and all that I do, and that is such a blessing.

6.      Once you had children did you find you did less in the ministry and was that hard for you? I do a lot of work from home, because I don’t want my kids at the church all the time. I want church to be special, not a place they are at all the time. There are some ministries that I am not involved in as much anymore because it interferes with school, but I am learning to allow others to be involved. I find it easier to give up ministries to allow others the opportunity to serve the Lord.

7.      What are some ways you included and involved your children in the ministry?

a.      Baby… visitation sometimes, take them to preacher’s meetings

b.      Toddler…visitation (people will take tracts from a child!) clean the church; preacher’s meetings

c.       School age…visitation, cleaning the church, preacher’s meetings, they love to sing at church

8.      Did you ever worry that your children would resent the ministry and what are some ways you tried to make it fun for them? I do sometimes because I have seen it happen. I want them to enjoy serving the Lord, and I want them to desire to serve the Lord. We have fun, and I believe our attitude is vital to the way our children will view the ministry. We are teaching them to love the Lord, and love serving Him. We don’t talk bad about the church or the people in the church to our children. We don’t act like serving the Lord is a burden, but a blessing. We also don’t make them do everything. There are times that daddy goes out and ministers and we stay home.

9.      What would be the best thing you would tell a mom who is raising her children in the ministry? Your children come first, and don’t let anyone make you feel bad for not being involved in every ministry at church.

10.  What do you do to encourage your husband when he is discouraged with the work? I pray for him, and remind him of his calling.

11.  How do deal with any criticism toward your husband from others? I have a hard time with this. I have to remember to love those people, because the Lord does. I have to remember that they are struggling with their relationship with the Lord, and so I need to specifically pray for them so I don’t get bitter feelings.

12.  Have you/ Do you set aside date nights/days with your husband? We don’t, but are working on it

13.  What is the biggest thing you have learned about being married to a man in the ministry? People use and abuse him. He can pour his heart and soul into them, just to have some of them hurt him. I have also learned to be more compassionate, because of his example.

14.   What are some ways you protect your husband from “those” women in the church? I tell him when any lady makes me feel uncomfortable. He knows that I am not out to get anyone so he listens and heeds to what I am saying. I watch them carefully, and I make sure I am around when they are around.

15.  Do you and your husband have devotion or prayer time together daily? We don’t daily

16.  Do you have a hard time sharing your burdens with your husband in fear that it will discourage him? I do sometimes, because he already has many burdens on his shoulder. He tells me to talk with him though, and he reminds me that he is my husband before he is their pastor. I still struggle, but am working on it.

17.  What do you do to encourage yourself in the Lord? Read my Bible and pray. I also listen to good music.

18.  What is your favorite Scripture? I love the book of Philippians, and Ps. 51

19.  Do you have a favorite song? Set my Soul Afire Lord

20.  Do you have find that you are not able to have close lady friends in your church? Yes, and I learned that the hard way.

21.  Do you have other lady ministry friends that you go to for counsel and “venting” purposes? I do, and am so thankful for them.

22.  Other than praying, what is the most encouraging thing ladies in the church can do for you? Tell me they are praying for me, and that they support me

23.  What is your favorite way to serve the Lord in your church? Ladies meetings and our ladies retreat.

24.  In all of your business, how do you fit your personal time in with the Lord each day? Right now I am struggling with a specific time during the day, so I do it when I can. Sometimes its morning, sometimes afternoon, sometimes evening.

25.  Out of all that you have learned being in the full time ministry, what is the most important thing you have learned? I have to continue to have a relationship with the Lord, because without that, I will struggle with the ministry, I won’t be able to help anyone, and I won’t be the wife and mother I need to be. I also have learned that it’s ok that I don’t do everything, and I can’t worry about what others think. I have to do what the Lord wants me to do, and not what people think I am suppose to do.

Wife of the Week!! "A Happy PW" *Anonymous...

Name- "A Happy PW" Anonymous
Husband’s Position- Pastor and currently youth pastor also
How long have you been married? It will be 7 years in May
How many children/grandchildren do you have? How old are they? I have four daughters. My oldest will be five in April. J The youngest was born in December. So as of this writing, 4, 3, 2 and 2 months.

1. How long have you been in the ministry? I personally consider myself entering the ministry when I got saved in 1995. That is when I started teaching and singing in church and working nursery and other ministries. I entered full time ministry with my husband in August of 2008.
2. What “positions” has your husband had since being in the ministry. Just the pastorate (youth pastor also).
3. How did you know the Lord wanted you in the ministry? Was it hard for you to submit to that or did you know 100% sure right away that this is what God wanted for your life? During a youth camp when I was a teenager, all week long God was pricking my heart to serve Him. I didn’t know in what way but I knew no matter what I did with my life, I wanted it to be whatever He wanted. Therefore I surrendered to do whatever God wanted for my life never ever imagining that it would be what I am doing. I never thought that I would be a pastor’s wife. I knew that I was not good enough to be in that position. But I have hence learned, not all pastor’s wives are good. J They are just obedient. Having the mindset that no matter what God brings into my life, by way of service or a ministry position, that’s what I’m going to do, has really brought such peace to me.
4. How old were you when you your husband first held a position of leadership? His first leadership position was Bus Captain during Bible College. He wasn’t my husband when he first started so I was 20. He continued to be the captain after we were married.
5. And if you were young, did you have a hard time adjusting because of your age? Did you feel “ready” to be in that position? Did you feel you had a harder time being respected or taken seriously because of your age? When you look at this question in light of the bus captain position, not really. I was already working on the bus and I never got any special treatment or gifts or different respect because of his position. However, when you look at this question in light of being a pastor’s wife, totally different answer. Did I feel ready, absolutely not! Was it harder to be respected because of my age, amazingly enough the answer there is no also. And I say no only because of the amazing people we have at our church. We have some of the most wonderful grounded older people in our church and they have the mindset that whoever God puts in the leadership position, that is who is to be obeyed. The older generation has taught the younger so the younger generation also has this mindset. They wholeheartedly trust the Lord to work through my husband and I. We are truly blessed to be at the church we are at. However, I think that respect has two sides to it. There is the respect that leads a person to obey the leader, but there is a respect that must also be earned. That aspect of respect doesn’t come with age necessarily but with longevity (how long you’ve been at a place ministering).
6. Once you had children did you find you did less in the ministry and was that hard for you? There are few times that I don’t get involved with something. Being the pastor’s wife and youth pastor’s wife at the moment, and being at a small church, I still do a lot. Our people are so good to me though and if I need help or to miss something, they always fill in the gap.
7. What are some ways you included and involved your children in the ministry?
     a. Baby… If they were sick, they stayed home. But even if other siblings were sick and they weren’t, they went to church. Their presence blesses others and it is good for them to get into the routine of being at church, even when they are this small. Taking them on visitation is always nice because a baby almost always makes the heart of those visited softer and they still aren’t too much to handle while you are trying to talk and minister.
    b. Toddler… As soon as they can memorize songs, they are singing specials. We always listen to godly music so that they have a love for it and it’s not pulling teeth to get them to sing. They are embarrassed being alone in front of all those people though so whenever they sing, I always load them with compliments. Singing together is something we’ve enjoyed doing as well. I also think it’s important to get them to at least shake hands with visitors and regulars. They don’t have to hug people, but they have to shake hands when one is presented.
8. Did you ever worry that your children would resent the ministry and what are some ways you tried to make it fun for them? My children are still very young but I always have this in the back of my head. I pray that they will grow up loving the ministry. I am sure I can be proven wrong but I feel that if we as Mommy and Daddy will practice what we preach and truly live godly lives in front of our children, they won’t hate the ministry when they grow up. Now that they can understand what we are saying (and spelling doesn’t work) we try to not talk about the negative things in front of them. Also, children are always looking forward to things. When we look at the calendar during school and say, today is Tuesday and tomorrow is Wednesday and we get to go to church, it helps them to look forward to it. Almost like birthdays or holidays. Sometimes the girls get mad when I tell them it’s Friday and we aren’t going to church today but that they have to wait two more days. J
9. What would be the best thing you would tell a mom who is raising her children in the ministry? There are two things. I don’t think that anyone could ever give better advice than to encourage a mom to stay in her Bible and praying. These are the basic survival skills for any human being and especially moms in the ministry! You need the Lord to help you do all that you are required to do as a ministry wife. But the second is, remember your roles and in what order they come. You are first a Christian. Your relationship with the Lord is the MOST IMPORTANT THING! You then are a WIFE, a mother, and then the friend to the ladies of your church. Also, this kind of falls under the most important, like third important to me at least: you need to protect your babies. My girls don’t like to hug people, even people who they’ve known their whole lives that aren’t family. That’s why I don’t MAKE them hug people at church. But, they always have to be kind and shake hands. If they absolutely wont, I don’t punish them. When they get old enough to understand being kind, I always try to train them to at least shake hands.
10. What do you do to encourage your husband when he is discouraged with the work? This is the biggest struggle that he has, discouragement. First of all, I try to let him have time to just think or vent, which ever he needs at the time. Sometimes he just needs to mull things over in his brain without me prying to find out what’s wrong. And the worst thing I could do is try to fix it and “tell” him what he needs to do like quit being a baby and suck it up or stop thinking about it that way. I try to find some kind of positives to bring up to get him thinking about the good things going on and sometimes, he just needs to sleep on it, “…joy comes in the morning.” That’s what the cure is many times, a good night sleep. J
11. How do deal with any criticism toward your husband from others? So far, knock on wood and Praise the Lord, all the criticism I’ve had about him has been good. I really have an amazing husband. There is one example I can think of with someone being negative and the only thing I can do is pray for the family and always be kind to them when I see them.
12. Have you/ Do you set aside date nights/days with your husband? No, we simply don’t have the time. We do try to be very religious about taking Monday’s off and spending the day together as a family. I told him when we moved here, I don’t care if you work six days a week straight, I want one day together as a family. The Lord has been very good to us in this area. Things do come up, but usually we get the whole day together. Sometimes, just like last week J , we do get date nights together when we get us time. But those are MAYBE once every other month. I told him that’s probably why people have “empty nest syndrome” because they never took time during the child rearing years to keep close to each other and have just grown up time. While we were in labor with our last daughter, we had plenty of opportunities to have days with NO CHILDREN thanks to some wonderful friends and church members. You could really see why people could say after 30 years of marriage, “Who are you” because you become a team so much in raising your kids instead of being husband and wife: friends. When our kids get older, I definitely foresee more date nights together.
13. What is the biggest thing you have learned about being married to a man in the ministry? I already knew it coming into the ministry but the fact that I have to share him. When you have someone who is constantly wanting to talk to him for an hour after every service and wanting him to help them with their car and help them do something on the computer, you just have to remember that they are building a relationship with him too and they need his time too. Those times are when those Mondays together are even more precious.
14. What are some ways you protect your husband from “those” women in the church? I can remember two times that I’ve talked to him about the way a conversation was or the way a lady was looking at him, because he is pretty good looking. J I just told him, I don’t think you should say this that way or I think she’s looking at you like this and if I were her, this is what I’d be thinking with that kind of look. Never being accusing to him, but just to let him know things that I’ve noticed. He always tries to be on guard so usually after we talk, he is more attentive to those women or situations. Once I had a long talk with a teenager about her clothing and how it was inappropriate and that it was making my husband have thoughts towards her that were only supposed to be for me, because that was the way that he was created by God to think. She really started wearing better clothing to church after that. I think the most important thing is to be alert, open, honest and kind.
15. Do you and your husband have devotion or prayer time together daily? Nope, we have always wanted to but we are so busy with ministry and our kids, that we are just worn out by the time there is time. We quite often try to talk about the Lord in different situations during the day, we pray for our food, for people in the church, for our family and we sing so often. Usually during the day, if the girls are just playing and I’m working or cleaning we have godly music on but we don’t have scripture reading and prayer everyday. If I have a question or one of us sees something neat during our personal Bible reading we’ll usually tell each other about it before we go to bed.
16. Do you have a hard time sharing your burdens with your husband in fear that it will discourage him? Not usually. There have been a few times that I’ve waited to tell him about something that happened because he’s about to preach or he’s studying or something but we usually tell each other everything. One time a girl who had left our church posted on facebook about something wonderful at her new church and after I read it to him he asked me not to tell him things like that again because of how discouraging it was so I try to be mindful of that.
17. What do you do to encourage yourself in the Lord? Really the best thing is to get into the Bible. Usually, when I am discouraged, it’s because I’ve missed my Bible reading or I’m not having meaningful prayer time. Sometimes ranting to a far away friend helps but nothing is more satisfying than just taking about half an hour and praying and reading. I like to look over my journal too and see how the Lord has answered prayers and provided things for my family. That’s always encouraging and helps me to remember that this time will pass just as that time did.
18. What is your favorite Scripture? I have two. 1 Samuel 12:24, “Only fear the Lord, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you.” and Psalm 73:26, “My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” God has been SO GOOD to me and saved me from such a horrible lifestyle, I can’t imagine not serving Him after all He’s done for me. But, serving Him in my own strength will never work because my flesh is weak. How wonderful to know that God is the strength that I need and that He will freely give me the strength that I need to serve Him.
19. Do you have a favorite song? “Nearer to Thee” for a hymn and “What Sin?” as a special.
20. Do you have find that you are not able to have close lady friends in your church? It would be easy for me to have close friends in the church. It’s hard not to but I try really hard to treat all the ladies the same so that no one can say that I play favorites. I have a really good friend in another state who is a song leader’s wife and we go to monthly preacher’s meetings where we can fellowship with other ministry wives and those ladies are my close friends. In all reality, I think my husband is my best friend so that helps me not feel like I need someone in the church to be that close.
21. Do you have other lady ministry friends that you go to for counsel and “venting” purposes? I kind of answered this in the last question. If you are in the ministry and reading this, you need to go to fellowship meetings where you and your husband can fellowship with other ministry couples. They know what you are going through, have advice about it or care enough about you to pray for you as you are going through it.
22. Other than praying, what is the most encouraging thing ladies in the church can do for you? I can think of two things. Be willing to watch my children so that my husband and I can have some us time or if I am about to go crazy and just need some me time and to be willing to serve in the church. The more ladies that serve, the more that I can relax. And honestly, one of the biggest blessings to my soul is to see the ladies get involved, use their talents, and receive blessings for the work that they have done. I love it!
23. What is your favorite way to serve the Lord in your church? I really enjoy getting to go on visitation with my husband. We had such a great time this last Saturday talking to one of our teens who just got saved and her mom about baptism and our church. That’s when I really feel like I am a part of God’s work, when I get to tell others about what God is doing and what He’s said in His word. I do enjoy getting to sing and getting to work with my children for the specials they sing.
24. In all of your business, how do you fit your personal time in with the Lord each day? Since my fourth daughter was born, life is crazy with round the clock feedings, little sleep, lots of responsibility and sickness! We have been so sick since she’s been born. But this last week has been wonderful. She has slept for six hours and woke me up around 5:30-5:45 every morning. After feeding her, I get to read, pray and journal without any other distractions and it’s been wonderful. It’s also allowed me to get other things accomplished (sewing, cleaning, showering) before the other girls wake up so I have felt like I actually get things accomplished when I get to have my devotions first thing.
25. Out of all that you have learned being in the full time ministry, what is the most important thing you have learned? Hands down, it has been to let other people get involved. When we first came here, no one told us how they always did things. They wanted to follow us and follow they did, without giving us input (until we had messed things up trying to do everything ourselves). It’s so easy to just say, I’ll do it myself. But by doing that you leave people out, they don’t feel included and feelings get hurt. The bottom line is that this isn’t our church, it’s everybody’s and the more that we let others get involved, the less stressed we are but the more that the people want to get involved because they feel like they are actually a part.