30-Day Husband Encouragement Challenge for Wives: Day 11

It's been a few months since I posted an encouragement challenge, and I want to get right back on track. So now let's continue with day 11.

Day Eleven: "Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord." Eph. 5:22

Women who are constantly negative toward their husbands - especially by speaking evil of them to others - show great disrespect. Determine not to do that today (or ever!). This challenge to encourage is closely connected to submission.

Men respond to women who respect them. What do you respect about your husband? Part of that respect includes submission to his authority. Let your husband know how respecting him makes it easier to submit to his leadership. Show your respect in public by listening to him and smiling at him when he speaks. Place your hand in his as you walk together.

If you feel there is nothing to respect, search harder ...nearly every man has some core characteristic that can be nurtured and respected. In any case, you must still cultivate a submissive spirit to his position of leadership..."as to the Lord."

Oh, what an answered prayer this is for me. Praying about my attitude and submission to my husband. This task truly is a challenge for me because I've been deceived all my life thinking that I should not have to submit to my husband. But reading more about God's design for wives and husbands and families encourages me to submit to his authority and not try to do my own thing in my best interest. God had a much better idea in mind than I when He created us. I'm so grateful for his direction and guidance that He gives us in His Word.

Let's not let any unwholesome talk come out of our mouths, but only that which is edifying and encouraging to build one another up.

Time Flies!

Jonah is walking SO much more now! He just spent a week and a half with his grandpa and grandma Bayman. Greg's parents drove up from South Carolina to visit their kids and grandkids for their 40th anniversary and 4th of July. We were able to take some family portraits and get some video of the grandkids playing together.

Visiting with my-in-laws was a blessing and answered prayer. We enjoyed so much family time together with several events and trips and pictures, pictures and more pictures. I'm so glad that Greg's parents were able to make the trip. They enjoyed seeing all four of their grandkids playing together and I can't believe how quickly they're all growing up!

They arrived the evening of July 4th and Jonah started walking that day. He saw his first fireworks and the loud noises startled him and made him cry. Driving home late that night, we saw 10-12 shows just on the highway and then heard and saw more in our neighborhood. On Sunday, we visited Grace Community Church, where Greg's sister, Deb, and her family attend. Afterwards, we took family pictures outside. That afternoon, we went to Conner Prairie and Jonah pet a billy goat, we walked on stilts and visited with the Dr. in his home and sang patriotic songs while he played the piano.

Monday night, Grandma and Grandpa Bayman stayed at our house and Jonah and Chuy enjoyed the extra attention. Tuesday morning, Greg and his dad met for a nice coffee talk before work, and his mom and I took Jonah shoe shopping! That night we took them to The Melting Pot for their 40th anniversary. We had a nice 3 hour dinner, and Jonah did surprisingly well, considering I forgot his food, so he had to wait and wait for dinner. He filled up on bread, no cheese, and then didn't want any of the meat by the time we got it cooked. Between courses we took video of Jonah, Grandpa and Daddy laughing and giggling and playing. Then we all enjoyed the milk chocolate fondue for dessert, even Jonah. His favorite was the pound cake and cheesecake drizzled in chocolate. We drove home through drenching rains that night and got to bed quite late.

Then, early Wed. morning we all left for Indiana Beach (a Bayman family tradition). The Romero's (Greg's sister, Deb, brother-in-law, Dave, and their kids: Rebecca (10), David (5), and Isabella (2)) joined us too. Jonah and I had our first visit there and he enjoyed riding the ferris wheel, driving the antique cars with Daddy and Mommy, but driving the kiddie boats with his cousins and then the kiddie cars all by himself! We all rode the carousel and he loved going up and down on the horses. It was way past his nap time, so after that, Grandma watched Jonah and Isabella as they napped in their strollers and Greg and I got a mini date. We rode a roller coaster and the log ride. It was romantic, I must admit. :) Got in late that night and turned in as soon as possible. Jonah did so well considering his sleep schedule was suffering a bit. He enjoyed more exclusive time with Grandma and Grandpa.

Thursday morning we went to Lowe's for some yard equipment for Greg and picked out a beautiful, double pink, forever & ever hydrangea that Greg's mom and sister gave me in memory of my Amma. We planted it in a pot for now, and Greg and I will plant it in our yard soon. We were so grateful for Grandpa and Grandma for mowing our lawn and weeding and pruning and trimming. It helped immensely, since Greg had been working SO late for days before they came and while they were here and we barely had time to even think about the yard, let alone do something about it. Jonah enjoyed the yardwork too. He played in his sandbox while Grandma and I cleared out part of the front landscaping. After he got tired of eating sand, he crawled out to see what we were doing in the dirt. It'll be nice to work outside, as a family, in the yard now that Jonah's walking and getting more interested in helping.

Friday, Jonah met Daddy downtown for lunch and had delicious lasagna at Georgio's. Then we met his sister and the cousins and grandparents at The Children's Museum for the afternoon. Jonah loved sliding down Curious George's slide and playing in ScienceWorks. It had been about 2 months since we'd been to the museum and he almost forgot about the giant Tinker Toys and Legos and rubber mulch. We took great pics with his cousins and he can't wait to go back.

Saturday, due to the thunderstorms, we had an indoor picnic at our house. Our air conditioning wasn't working well. So it was 90 and muggy outside and 81 and humid inside, but the good food and company made up for it. We got changed into "matching" outfits for our family photo session at the IMA gardens (Indianapolis Museum of Art). Fortunately, we were able to take most of the pictures inside in the air conditioning and took some outside by a fountain while the kids were playing. It was fun to get some family pictures, especially with everyone for Greg's parents' 40th anniversary. Our friend Scott Wilder took some great photos.

Now, we're catching up on sleep and getting back on schedule. We got our air conditioning fixed today and just in time! It's supposed to be in the 90s this weekend. It's so nice to meet with family, and it's also nice to rest afterwards.

Jonah's Independence Day!

Jonah started walking on July 4th, Independence Day, of course! First he started taking about half a step last Sunday, shuffling his feet and then sitting down. But then he took 1 step on Mon. and on Friday, he took 2-4 steps together and kept trying it several times!

Today we went to Conner Prairie with Grandma and Grandpa Bayman and his cousins, the Romeros and he was having fun dancing and taking 4-6 steps again! He's just walking more and more! It's exciting for me. I wish I had some pics to post, but our camera broke in Taiwan, so we need to get one. But I do have some video. I'll try to post it on Facebook.

Jonah's doing so well. It's encouraging to see him obey so well as he's learning and developing more. We're enjoying our son. He's such a delight to us!

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

I miss Amma. Her funeral was yesterday, Sunday, and my mom has been there in Taiwan for it. I miss my mom too. I haven't talked to her since last Wed. when she called me at 04:45 in the morning to tell me she arrived safely. I miss not being able to talk to her and see how she's doing.

I thought I was fine, all happy and joyful. But yesterday at church, I was just down, kind of depressed. Thinking about dying and how that would be so great to be in heaven with God and with Jesus. Then I think how it's not up to me when I die. When my time has come, then the Lord will bring me home. Until then, my purpose and plan on earth isn't completed yet. I tell Greg that and he reminds me how much Jonah needs his Mommy and how he needs his wife. I guess it's nice to be missed, and it's good that I miss Amma. I'm glad that the Bible tells us to mourn with those who mourn and rejoice with those who rejoice. I guess that's what funerals are for. So that we can mourn the loss of our loved ones and rejoice that the pain is gone and that we'll see them again one day.

It's really a beautiful day today and we enjoyed this weekend spending time outdoors as a family. I'm back to 100% now physically, and keeping up with Jonah. He's got so much energy! It's nice to feel rested and energized. I think I need to give myself a chance to really grieve and it may take a while to be okay. I think about my mom and wonder how she's coping with the loss of her mother. I would be so sad if my mother were gone. I have to let her grieve and share with me about her sadness and loss instead of trying to say things to make it all okay.

Thank You, Lord, that you comfort those who mourn and you bless them.

Amma is in heaven.

Amma is in heaven. I am confident of this. At first I was worried that I would not be able to pray with her, then I realized, it's not up to my power, God is bigger than all this and He can do amazing things! He can change hearts, not I. And I may never know until the day Christ comes, or until I die, that Amma is living with Jesus in heaven.

Yesterday morning, my mom called me to tell me that Amma passed away just after midnight our time, or 12:25pm June 11, 2008, Taiwan time. She was peaceful, and now the pain is gone. My mom said she talked with Amma and asked if she's still holding on because she wants to be a Christian? and her sister kept taking the phone away from Amma saying to my mom, "speak Taiwanese, she can't understand you." My mom was trying, but she can't remember. It's been so many years since she spoke the Taiwanese dialect, so she was speaking Mandarin. My mom was trying to tell Amma thank you for letting her go to college. [My mom was the only person in her family to leave the Buddhist religion and go to a Christian college.] My mom was in tears as she was telling me this. And she thinks Amma heard her because she kept saying "uh." trying to respond because she tried to talk but had no voice. She could only shake her head and nod, but my mom heard her responses.

I said, "mom, we can assume that Amma is in heaven because she was holding on, not that she just wanted to talk to you, but because she had something in her mind. And she wanted to let you know that she accepted Jesus." My mom said Amma's pulse slowed down after talking with her and she was calm. I said, "wow! That's amazing, because her pulse was 120 for 2 days!" Then they washed her and changed her clothes, since they knew the time was coming soon, and her body changed to a beautiful pink color, and she looked like a doll. She had a smile on her face and she left smoothly and peacefully.

I'm in awe at the amazing work God did in our lives! I told my mom that it's amazing that she shared the gospel with Amma when she was in high school and Amma wanted to be a Christian, but there was cultural pressure. Then I learned two Bible verses in Mandarin about 10 yrs. ago and continued praying for Amma's salvation. Then we went to Taiwan as a family with our husbands and Amma's great-grandson Jonah, and shared these verses with her and prayed with her and loved her and showed the peace we have in Jesus in our family. Then I was praying constantly and all night when I heard that she was back in the hospital and something was on her mind that she's holding on, and they can't figure out what it is, but they hoped my mom would call her. I prayed that someone would tell her the prayer, be it my mom or someone in the hospital, or God would just speak directly to her heart so that she would know that He can save her from death if she believes in her heart that Jesus is Lord and she can live with Him forever in heaven.

I would have been happy waiting until That Day to know if Amma is in heaven, but I told my mom, how amazing that God wanted to let us know that Amma accepted Jesus before she died. She said she's going to write a letter and said I can write a letter too so my mom can take it and burn it with her body. I said, "okay, I'll write a letter. The letters are more for us, not for Amma, but I will be praising God in that letter, and we can pray directly to Jesus and he can hear our prayers and answer us. And Amma is smiling down on us from heaven."

My mom is now dealing with the stress of preparing to travel back for the funeral and with her siblings preparing for the funeral. She was worried about dishonesty that could happen, and I told her to just pray that the person would not be dishonest and would do things the way Amma would have wanted, with integrity and honesty. I said, "Mom, we have to pray for our family because they have no hope. You could see the look on their faces. We have to continue praying because their hope is only in this life and how much money and material things they can have. Obviously, you can't take any of that with you."

I'm SO amazed at God's amazing works! The way He works things out for our good and His glory! The more people I tell, the more I hear that we were obedient and shared the gospel with her, but the more I know that God has honored our request for her salvation! I know it's not up to me, it's between Amma and God, but I'm glad I was able to know for certain that she did indeed accept the forgiveness of Christ. Now, we have to continue living our life for Him and sharing the good news with others and continuing to pray for those we love who are rejecting Christ right now. I did before, but then I turned to Him and cried out for Him to save me, and he did! He saved me from my sin and continues to teach me how to be like Him more everyday. I've surrendered my life to Him, and it took me a while to relinquish that power completely over to Him in every area of my life, but I did. And I still struggle with taking back some control, thinking "I can do it, Daddy, I can handle it by myself. Watch me." But in reality, I can't. And it's my pride that wants to do it on my own. He's bigger and He can carry me when I'm weak and I can't go on any further. When I stumble and fall, he picks me up, brushes me off, and shows me that I just need to trust Him to handle it.

Thank You, Lord, for loving us the way You do!

James, my mom, Greg, me, Jonah, cousins Yen-Ray (back), Wei-Jen, 2nd Cousin Sun Wei, and his dad, Dr. Sun Wu after a dinner in Kaohsiung. 5/16/08

My aunt and her grandson, Sun Wei, Jonah, me, and Amma at Amma's house after the dinner.

Sun-Wei and Jonah playing with Amma's beads.

Sun Wei, his mommy and my cousin Sun Mei-Huei, me, Jonah, Amma, cousins Wei-wei, and Wei-Jen.

Jonah and Mommy clapping with Amma.

Greg, Jonah and me at a Buddhist temple park in Tainan. 5/17/08.

About Amma

Amma is back in the hospital after she was home, after hearing about her condition (lung cancer) because there's no air conditioning and she was very hot and uncomfortable. Dr. Sun said that she was getting much worse and her dr. said maybe only a few hours more. Then Dr. Sun asked my cousins to sing to her the songs she used to sing to them in Japanese and she was happy and her condition improved a little. My uncle told my mom this too. Amma doesn't want us to rush to go back to Taiwan, but she wants us to take care of our own health first and take care of Jonah. Dr. Sun hopes that my mom will call because Amma can still hear. He said she is so strong and is still holding on because of something in her mind. They're having trouble figuring out what is in her mind because she can only nod and shake her head. I'm praying that she will open her heart and believe that Jesus Christ is Lord and that he can save her from death and give her eternal life with Him in heaven. I e-mailed that to him and asked them to please tell her that for me.

I called my mom and asked her to call and pray with Amma that if she believes in her heart and confesses with her mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord, she will be saved. I also prayed that she would be able to share that with her, because I don't know if she's spiritually prepared to do that right now. She's at my sister's house playing with Calvin. I asked her to talk with Dolly about praying with Amma and to call even now. Dolly was in Crusade and went to China in college. I just keep praying, but I'm praying also that someone would share that with her, or that Jesus would speak directly to her heart through our cries. I'm thankful that He can change hearts, even in the very end.

Health Updates

Since we've been back, Jonah has contracted pneumonia. Amma also has pneumonia. They both got it around the same time, about last Monday. I'll first update you on Jonah and then tell you what I know about Amma.

Jonah started coughing last Mon. and on Tues. had a fever all day with rapid breathing (tachypnea) and coughing and congestion and Wed. I took him to his dr. He had a 104.6 fever. They ordered a breathing treatment immediately and didn't hear fluid in his lungs but ordered a chest x-ray. As we were awaiting the results of the chest x-ray, I thought about Amma. Dr. Sun (my cousin's husband, a pediatrician) had been keeping me updated on Amma's condition and she was diagnosed with tachypnea (rapid breathing) and then pneumonia and was admitted to the hospital on Sunday or Monday. I was hoping Jonah didn't have pneumonia too. When I described Jonah's coughing and trouble breathing, Dr. Sun suggested I listed with my ear to his back and if I hear fluid in his lungs, I could do percussion on his back for 2-3 min. to help him cough out the secretions. He thought he could have bronchiolitis. I researched bronchiolitis, and it's a viral condition with fluid in the lungs, sometimes confused with pneumonia, which is bacterial.

Jonah's chest x-ray showed the beginning stages of pneumonia in the lower lungs. The dr. prescribed Omnicef, a stronger antibiotic, for the pneumonia, and Motrin every 6 hours to take down his fever and breathing treatment (a nebulizer, humidified oxygen) 4 x a day. He recommended I continue to nurse him, so I do, 7x a day. I asked if he could tell from the x-ray if it's bronchiolitis or pneumonia, and he said they can't tell, but they want to treat it with antibiotics as a precaution. I thought this would be okay, since he's never had antibiotics in his life. This is the 3rd fever he's had in his life, and the second one was when we got on the plane to Taiwan.

I was exhausted, still coughing and weak, not fully recovered from whatever illness Greg and I contracted, so we prayed that the Lord would provide nutrition and asked for help with meals. What a blessing and outpouring of love! Our church organized meals through our Sunday school class and Flock Group and we still have meals in the fridge and more offers for meals. Praise the Lord! Greg, Jonah, and I were able to eat dinner together on Fri. and Sat. and lunch and dinner on Sunday. On Thursday, when I was overwhelmed with Jonah's diagnosis and treatment schedule and sleep deprived, our flock group leader, Theresa Fronius, came to our house and cooked dinner and took care of Chuy and played with Jonah while I took a 30 min. nap. I was able to focus on taking care of Jonah and do his breathing treatments and give him meds while she handled the dog and the food. Her selfless time and gracious efforts encouraged me and made me thank God even more! He provided the nutrition that we prayed for. Jonah's been eating well, 2 meals on Sat., 3 meals on Sunday and a big breakfast today so far!

His fever came down on Friday and I thought he was responding well to the meds because he had good energy and appetite. Sat. morning he woke up at 5:30 just restless so I checked for fever. He felt normal, so I nursed him. Turned on the light at 7:30 and saw a rash all over his face and then saw it was all over his body. I read on the prescription that this was a sign of an allergic reaction to Omnicef, so I immediately called the dr.'s office. The nurse suggested I bring him in to be looked at. Thank goodness that Northpoint Pediatrics has Sat. morning clinic hours from 8-10am. Good thing he had no fever and his breathing sounded good. The rash could be accompanied with trouble breathing and swelling, but he didn't have any of that. Praise the Lord! So they prescribed a new antibiotic that we have to take for another 10 days. The pharmacist said that since Augmentin ES is in the same "family" as Omnicef, that he may be allergic to this one too, but we won't know until his rash clears up, in about 48 hours. So they suggested giving him Benedryl every 6 hours to help with his rash and Augmentin every 12 hours. I was concerned to give him Benedryl too, since he's never had medicine in his life and then when I gave him Omnicef, it caused a rash and an allergic reaction. I've never taken Benedryl, because I have asthma so I can't take it, and I was tired and exhausted and emotionally drained. I had just read an e-mail that Amma was doing worse with her pneumonia in the hospital, just after she was doing better for 2 days, and Dr. Sun thought it could be 1-2 days, it's hard to predict. He wrote that he hopes she has a good "final journey." So I was sad about that too, since I love my Amma and I will miss her so much!

Thankfully, just then there was a knock at the door, Mirriel Chandler, from our Sunday School class was bringing a meal over for lunch on Sat. and I talked with her and she prayed with me too. She prayed that the new medicine would help his body get rid of the pneumonia and that he would not get worse. She prayed for Amma's salvation and that even when she is lying there on her bed that she would open her heart to God and ask for Him to save her. We appreciated her prayers and continued prayers and her delicious meal. She even offered to help me this week if I needed help at home. Praise the Lord the way He provides relief!

Greg and I thought about Benedryl, and I asked others about it, and all said it's very mild and there's usually not a reaction. I thought it could help his rash get better, because we don't want him to have breathing troubles from it, but it could clear on its own in 48 hours. So then we thought, we'll give it to him at 2 and 8pm and then not until the next day when he wakes up. He slept 12 hours Sat. night and we continued to give him the Benedryl. His breathing treatments went well, and his rash seemed to be more blotchy, but not itchy or bothersome. After giving his last breathing treatment of the day, last Benedryl and final dose of the Augmentin, nursing him and putting him to bed by 8:30, I was exhausted. I hoped he'd sleep through the night.

I checked my e-mail and found out that Amma kept encouraging everyone to hold it together and to take care of each other. They were all "tearing", Dr. Sun said. They finally told her that she has lung cancer and she wanted to go home. She's more comfortable at home, so she has her oxygen still but they signed the "no resuscitation" agreement so it could be any day now. I called my mom and told her this, and she didn't know that Amma had pneumonia. I thought she knew that Jonah and Amma had it, and I hoped he didn't because I knew Amma did. The good thing is that Amma does not have tuberculosis, though she thought she did, and I was concerned that we would have to get him tested (in a month, Dr. Laurel Couts suggested).

Dr. Laurel is such a great friend. She and her husband Ryan (Greg's friend from HS) were at Jonah's birthday party, and she was so helpful with him and helped me so much, with cutting the cake and things. I was grateful to be able to talk with her through all of the questions I had for Jonah's dr, that I didn't get a chance to ask him, since he didn't see Jonah, but only the nurse practitioner did. The nurse practitioner added more concern on Wed. when she thought he had hand foot and mouth disease which has nothing to do with respiratory, so it threw me all off, and added more stress, because I knew that this was unnecessary and I just wanted to see his dr. On Sat. when we went in, another nurse practitioner thought the rash could have been viral, and that he could have caught it anywhere. I said, "he's just been at home with me." She said, "you haven't taken him anywhere in a week?" Unbelieving, I said, "no, just here, to the dr. on Wed." I guess she didn't realize that he has pneumonia, and we've been sick. Of course I'm not taking him anywhere. When the dr. at the clinic saw his rash, she thought it was an allergic reaction to Omnicef too, and prescribed Augmentin ES. I love nurses and dr.s and health care professionals, but I'm going to request not to see the nurse practitioners anymore because in these 2 encounters, I've had wasted time and energy and undue stress on Jonah because of their far out misdiagnoses!

Praise the Lord for insight and good medicine and drs. and nurses who take time to listen and think before jumping to conclusions. We're thankful that Jonah is strong and though he's weak during this illness, he's smiling and playful and takes the time to laugh that "woody woodpecker" laugh. It sounds raspy and low and congested, but he still smiles and shows off his 4 teeth!

Back to the present. Jonah's napping now. He slept well last night, woke up at 6:00 to nurse, and his rash was looking better. It's almost gone, not really on his face anymore, hardly on his torso, and just on his legs and arms. It's as if it's leaving his body. Who knows, he may develop a rash tomorrow from the meds, but if he does, we'll know what to look for. I almost forgot to do his first breathing treatment this morning, before his nap, so I did, and then put him in the crib and he sat up and talked to me and stood up, and I looked at the time, and realized it was 10:00 and he probably wanted to nurse. So I did, and now he's resting. I'm so glad he had a good breakfast and some play time this morning. He had diarrhea this morning on the toilet, but it's a side effect of the meds. At least he's getting rid of the pneumonia through his waste. Oh, and that's another thing, in Taiwan he used the toilet, and would hold it until we went to the toilet as best as he could, so we saved a lot of diapers, using 1 or 2 a day. When we came back and he was jet lagged, however, he started using his diaper as a toilet. I knew he'd get back on track when he was back on schedule, and I thought maybe after the pneumonia, but these past 3 days, he's been using the toilet well and is more hydrated.

I just talked to my mom about Jonah and Amma, and she had talked to her sister this morning at 5:30 am. She told my mom that Amma is doing worse and is in the hospital. I thought that she wanted to go home and that she was at home, but maybe it was confusing talking on the phone, and my mom might have heard that Amma was doing worse and was in the hospital. So, my mom is preparing to go back to Taiwan. She's not doing well, and is on medication. She needs to have surgery in Houston soon for her thyroid, but doesn't want to worry about it right now. She may go before the funeral, but otherwise it would be 2 weeks after the death, so she's not sure what to do now. We're praying for her and James since they have a lot going on now and a lot of decisions to make and they're not fully recovered from all the travel.

We're so grateful for our God, the great Physician, he gives us strength to get through each day. We're praying that Amma will be comforted and that she will ask for Jesus to save her. I know that I may not know until Christ comes, but I have a peace that He's in control, not me, and that it's between Him and her now. Praying that my mom will have a clear mind and guidance as to what to do concerning her own health and with traveling to Taiwan again to see Amma either before she dies or for her funeral. Praying that Jonah will continue to get stronger and breath easier and that the meds would help his body to rid itself of the pneumonia. Praying that Greg will feel better today (he woke up feeling sore and like he was run over by a truck or that he did heavy yard work), so he can have a good, full, productive work week.

God is good. All the time. His strength is made perfect in our weakness. Praise the Lord for He is good. It is good to sing praises to our God!

Praying in Taiwan

Thank you SO much for your prayers and encouragement before and during our trip to Taiwan. We are still adjusting to the time change and fighting off some cold bugs right now. But all in all, we're thrilled to have had such a wonderful trip!

I am so grateful for the opportunity that we had as a family to visit my unsaved family overseas and share the love of Christ with them. Some verses that Jonah and I are memorizing from his My ABC Bible Verses book helped us witness to my family.

"Even a child is known by his deeds." Prov. 20:11
"For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16
"Go unto all the world and preach the gospel to every creature." Mark 16:15
"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Phil. 4:13
"Jesus said to him, I am the way, the truth and the life. . . ." John 14:6
"Keep your tongue from evil." Psalm 34:13
"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." Matt. 5:16
"My little children, let us not love only in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth." 1 John 3:18

My aunts noticed Jonah's good behavior and asked us when we started training him. I said, "since 5 months." I told my mom to tell her sister that we discipline him according to the Bible and we ask God for wisdom and guidance on how to train and discipline him, because it's not always easy and we don't always do the right thing. We discipline him out of love and with the rod of correction because the Bible tells us that is how we are to discipline. She said that I should e-mail and tell them so they won't think it's my mother saying those things and not me. Who knows how much they understood. They know more English than they can speak, so they may have understood us.

An example of lack of discipline was apparent in my 2nd cousin, Sun Wei, who's 5 yrs. old. He would not obey his parents or his grandparents or much of anyone. He did however see that he couldn't get away with that misbehavior with Greg and me, so he shaped up and didn't try things with us after he saw how we reacted. He was jealous of Jonah at times because Jonah was getting all the attention for his cute giggle and his happy behavior. But he knew that he better not hurt Jonah, because everyone loved Jonah and he'd be in big trouble if he even acted like he would hurt him. They played well together, and Jonah appreciated it when Sun Wei fed him his fried rice in the car. They were riding with my mom and her sister (their grandmothers, respectively) while Greg and I were riding in another car getting a little rest during the drive. Jonah didn't want the adults to feed him, only Sun Wei. So I made a point to thank him in Chinese (in the language he would understand) for feeding Jonah his fried rice and doing something good, since I ignored his annoying behavior. He smiled and said, "How!" Which means, "Good!" or like he understood that I was thanking him.

The trip had so many opportunities to show Christ's love in our actions, not just our words. We were definitely not perfect, though. At times we snapped at each other or argued about packing or what we were doing or whatever, but we apologized and stopped and took time to pray. When I saw myself stressing and arguing and complaining, I knew I needed to pray. I knew I wasn't focused on Christ, but on myself or on the things in front of me. He helped me to get the focus back on things above and not on things below.

Here's an excerpt from an e-mail I wrote to my friend, Celena Schnake, the night before we flew back from Taiwan.

"We've had a wonderful trip, and I was even able to share the Bible verses with Amma and pray over her. She didn't hear me pray, since I was whispering, but I know that she saw and felt me praying. Before I shared w/ her, I was sad and crying when we visited, but afterward, I had a peace and joy in my heart. The next day and each time later when I saw her, she was happy and I was always happy and not crying. It's good b/c she doesn't want to see us cry. We were praying for you and your family and I know you and others were praying for us, b/c I could feel it. when I didn't have time to read my Bible, I was stressed and worried, but when I took the time to have my QT and pray alone or w/ Jonah or w/ Greg, I could feel the prayers of everyone. "

After sharing with Amma, I knew that even though I didn't hear her speak the words aloud that she confesses Jesus Christ as Lord and believes it in her heart, I knew that the Holy Spirit would intercede where I fell short. At first we were sitting on the couch and everyone was around talking and it was distracting. I kept holding her hand and whispering to her. "San Dei ai ni." ("God loves you.") she smiled and said, "Wo ai ni." ("I love you.") to me, because she probably thought I said "I love you" to her. I knew that was not the time to share the Bible verses with her. I kept praying for the right opportunity, and I didn't know if it would be that day.

Later, Amma wanted to take a nap because she was very weak and coughing up blood, so some of my cousins and I were with her in her room just a few feet away from the couches where others were talking and playing, and we had a chance to just sit with her. I kept gently, very lightly, caressing her legs to comfort her and just prayed in my heart. I prayed for peace for her and that the pain would go away and that God would comfort her. Later I prayed over her in a whisper, and she saw me and heard me, but didn't say anything to me. Just smiled at me. My cousins were up and down giving her "holy water" from Buddha for her lips and medicine, since her mouth was dry and bleeding, and they would translate things for me at times. I asked if my eldest cousin told Amma what it was that I tried to tell her for 2 days, but it was translated wrong. I said, "I'm so glad that Jonah is able to meet Amma because she is my favorite Amma." My aunt translated to Amma something that wasn't quite right and Amma said, "It's okay." and looked sad. Later I found out from my cousin's husband that my aunt told her that I'm sorry that we can't stay because Jonah has to take a nap." It was completely different, so I was concerned about translating the verses I wanted to share with her.

I just kept sitting with her and being with her, and Amma asked me if I wanted to go sit and talk with the others out in the living room, but I said, "no, I want to be with you, I came here to see you and spend time with you." So my cousin translated. She said, "oh." and nodded and held my hand. They keep telling me that Amma is happy to see us and that everybody is here to see her. But she knows that this is the last time that she will see me. I thought, well, not necessarily, but then, agreed as more tears fell from my eyes. I asked my eldest cousin if she told Amma what I said about Jonah, that I'm so happy that Jonah can meet Amma because she is my favorite Amma and she said, "yes, I told her." and it's as if Amma understood, because she smiled and said something like she was so glad to meet Jonah too.

Then, I had the Holy Spirit's prompting, and I asked my eldest cousin if she would translate for me to Amma. I told her I want to speak to her in Mandarin, so could she please translate in Taiwanese. My two other younger cousins were there listening (they're both in college and have very good English, but don't speak it as much). I began in Mandarin, and the words, were in my voice, but they were clearer and more powerful than I've ever recited these verses before. It was definitely the Holy Spirit speaking through me. I'll write in English, here what I said in Mandarin to Amma.

"Amma, God loves the people of the world so much that he gave his only son to us that if we believe in Him, we will not die, but have life that never ends. We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him and who have been called according to His purpose."

Amma listened as she laid back and sighed and said, "Ahh..." My eldest cousin said to her in Taiwanese, "Do you understand?" and Amma said, "Yes, I do." And all three cousins had tears in their eyes and just paused and looked at Amma.

--Mandarin is their first language and I know that at least two of them have heard about Jesus before, because the eldest one studied for 2 years at the Christian college where my mom graduated in Texas and my other cousin attends a Catholic University now. But they never asked me about it, and knew that they could. I continue to pray for them and their families. I see the despair in their faces and they're so sad that Amma is dying. I'm sad too, because I'll miss her, but I'm happy that I've had the chance to know her and that Jonah has had the chance to meet her and spend good time with her laughing and clapping hands and hugging and doing the forehead to forehead kisses.--

Then, she took my hand and just held it. I had tears in my eyes, but a smile on my face, because they were tears of joy. A few minutes later she asked if I was hungry (in Taiwanese) and I said, "no, I'm okay, thank you." and then Jonah woke up from his nap and crawled up to her bed and stood there on the side and smiled and babbled to her, she asked if Jonah needed to sleep. I said, "no, he's fine. he slept already. now he's awake." My cousin came back to the bed and translated what we just said, and she was surprised that Amma and I understood each other, and my other cousin was telling me that the way Amma and I communicate is through hearts. She was always concerned about others, not herself. That's how she's been all her life. She has such a heart for others, and I pray that she has a humble heart to know that she needs a Savior.

I've prayed for Amma for years, since I was in college and I was so worried that she wouldn't hear the gospel and that she'd die before she'd be able to accept Jesus in her heart. But now I know that it's not only up to my strength or my power. It's between her and God. He knows her heart and He can open it up for her to receive him. I won't know until heaven if she's saved, but God has granted me the peace that transcends all understanding and guards our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus.

It's amazing how God used the 2 verses that I memorized in Chinese nearly 10 years ago to share the gospel with my Amma. One night when I was home from college, my mom and I stayed up late reading our Bibles, hers in Chinese and English and mine in English, both NIV, and she recorded John 3:16 and Romans 8:28 on my cell phone memo recording, so I could play it back and hear her inflection and pronunciation. Since Jonah's been born, I've told him those two verses in Chinese followed by the English for each and I hope that he'll later recognize and memorize those verses. My mom wanted to memorize Psalm 23 in Chinese so if ever she was on a plane that was about to crash, she could say it out loud so others could hear. So I read it to her in English, verse by verse and she recorded my English and her Chinese in between each verse. It was a special time reading my Bible with my mom. I'm so glad we had this opportunity to go to Taiwan together with our husbands and Jonah and spend time with her family and meet other relatives.

P.S. Jonah did so well on the flight. He had a fever the morning that we left for about 24 hours, but it helped him to sleep, though he was so hot and lethargic and didn't want anyone to hold him but his mother. It was exhausting for me at first, but later it was wonderful when everyone wanted to hold him and take pictures of him and wow, it was like the Taiwanese paparazzi. Everywhere we'd go, people were taking pictures and saying how cute he is (in Mandarin) and of course he's learned that phrase "hen ke ai" ("so cute") by now. Girls wanted to pose with him to take pictures on their cell phones and even stopped to give him a balloon in the mall, and we even saw the Taiwan President Elect, Ma Ying-jeou, on the High Speed Rail (HSR) on May 16. He and all his secret service. We were on the train first, and then these 20 men in suits with ear buds marched in and looked at us and sat down all around us. My aunt told me that that's her new president. Jonah was fussy and needed to go to the toilet, so my aunt and I went to take him, and one of the secret service men said to her, "please make your baby stop crying, the president is disturbed." She said, "He's not even the president yet, and he's already making demands." And then the man felt bad and my aunt asked me if I wanted to change his diaper there, in the seats, but I said, "No, he needs to use the toilet." I mean, the diaper was clean and dry. He held it until the toilet. So the man smiled at me and moved out of the way and kindly let us through. There was a crowd of people just outside of our car trying to catch a glimpse of the new president. It was a nice story to tell our relatives as we met them, and later when I saw him on TV on May 20 during his inaugural press conference, I recognized him. Even though I couldn't quite see his face at first, though he sat 2 rows directly in front of me. He probably wasn't bothered by Jonah's fussing at all, because he didn't say anything to the men about it. Probably that secret service man was trying to please his boss, though it was a terrible first impression on the new president of Taiwan for these Americans.

I'll try to post pictures in the days ahead. There are so many to wade through and our camera broke at the War and Peace Memorial in Kaohsiung when I dropped it on the concrete. So, I'll try to get the ones that I have online to share.

Praise God from whom ALL blessings flow. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights.

30-Day Husband Encouragement Challenge for Wives‏: Day 10

Day Ten:"Behold you are handsome, my beloved! Yes, pleasant!..." Song of Solomon 1:16a

We all crave appreciation. We want to know that we are valued and loved. Early love letters probably reflected our admiration, but if we're not careful, our spouse will forget why we were drawn to him. If you still have any of your old love letters, re-read them for clues to deepen your current level of appreciation for your spouse.

When we spend time criticizing our husbands, we lose time that could be spent admiring them. As you consider various ways to encourage your husband, ask, "How can I admire him?"
Does your husband know that you think he is attractive? What was one of the characteristics in your husband that first drew you to him? Was it a physical characteristic, or something else?

Was it his gentle, compassionate eyes? Kindness or concern for others? An easy-going confidence? A steadiness that comes from trusting in the Lord? Strength of character in a culture that lacks integrity? Do you see at least a glimpse of that characteristic in him today? Whatever it is, tell him!

How appropriate when my husband is home early from work today not feeling well. He just wanted to rest and I told him that I'm feeling great so I can take care of him. Isn't it amazing how God knows just what we need and when we need it? He needed Greg to slow down and me to comfort and love on him. Wow! That's an answered prayer we had about our marriage. God is SO good!

Cruising, crawling...I can't keep up!

Jonah at 10 months.

Jonah's been crawling for almost a month now, and today, I think he's doing double time! I mean, one second he's sitting down, playing with the truck, and the next 2 seconds, he's 10 ft. away standing up at the window looking outside. This time of his life is so fun for me, and for him too! He loves going where he wants to go, for the most part, and chasing Chuy (our dog) on his hands and one knee and one foot usually. He's like Curious George in all that he's discovering and learning and doing. He just won't sit still!

It's hard to get him to sit still for a picture.

Standing in his Easter suit.

Reading about what Jesus did.

Bowtie Eggs 1

Bowtie Eggs 2

Bowtie Pup

Bowtie Eggs 3

Bowtie Eggs 4

These were our attempt to take pics in his Easter suit (that he didn't wear to church because it was too cold outside). I think we'll have to go into a studio and get the free 8x10. Anyway, we're enjoying every minute of his new mobility! He's playing everything he can like a percussion instrument and loves to dance to the rhythm. Can't wait to see how he'll react to all their is to discover at the Children's Museum. We're planning to go tomorrow.

At least he's still napping twice a day. He doesn't want to nap, but he learns to obey Mommy. He's just about too big for the infant bathtub, but I didn't want to put him in the big tub yet. Greg just bought some tub gripper strips to help him from slipping and sliding in the tub. We may try the big tub tonight. I guess it's me who doesn't want to believe that he's growing that fast! Still nursing, but during the day he's running around so much that he doesn't want to stop for more than 2 min. to nurse. I guess that's good if I'm planning to wean him in a year. It's just hard for me realizing that he's growing up and doesn't need me as much anymore as his desire for independence is increasing with every "step" he takes.


I have a renewed sense of joy and confidence as I stay home with Jonah. I told Greg the other day, "Thank you for letting me stay home with Jonah." I know it's my calling and I'm so glad that it's part of God's design. I have a peace about it and working outside the home is the farthest thing from my mind. I'd miss watching him grow and learn and discover! Praise God for his design for mothers and fathers and families. He had such a perfect plan, and when we try to follow it, we can see the joy that was meant for us, without sin.

30-Day Husband Encouragement Challenge for Wives‏: Day 9

Christ is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!

We are so blessed to have a Savior who would choose to die for the sins of the world. He has overcome death in victory and we celebrate his resurrection on this Easter day. Praise God that we have eternal life in Jesus if we ask Him to come into our hearts and personally forgive our sins past, present, and future. When we do that, we can live with God in heaven for eternity because Jesus paid the cost!

Day Nine:"...be swift to hear, slow to speak..." James 1:19b

We are often so busy speaking that we don't take time to listen. We are so quick to offer a comment - negative or positive - that we don't really "hear" our husband's heart. Remember: we have two ears and only one mouth. We need to listen more!

As you continue in your 30-day challenge, not speaking negatively and focusing on positive encouragement, hear the Lord's admonition today: "Be swift to hear."

If listening is a real problem for you, play a game with yourself. See if you can listen to your husband for one whole day, only speaking when asked a question. If your husband notices the difference, explain that you are learning to listen more-not only to God, but also to him.

One easy way to express admiration for your husband is to ask a question about something he enjoys, and then listen to his response. If it's an area of personal familiarity, keep asking questions until you learn something you didn't know, then tell him, "Wow, I didn't know that!"

This is a timely lesson for me. Wow, this challenge has met me right where I need it most each day I post. How's that for the Lord's leading?! I'll see if I can swallow my pride, and close my mouth more often and open my ears. My husband is such a good listener, I should learn from scripture and give my husband the courtesy he gives me.

30-Day Husband Encouragement Challenge for Wives‏: Day 8

Day Eight: How are you doing with the "30-Day Encouragement Challenge"? In case you've forgotten, here's the challenge:

* You can't say anything negative about your husband ...to your husband...or to anyone else, about your husband.* Say something that you admire or appreciate about your husband...to your husband...and to someone else, about your husband!

"...but who can find a faithful man?" Prov. 20:6b

Faithfulness is a wonderful but rare quality today, especially in regard to marriage. Do you understand how important this quality is? Your challenge is to continue to root out all negative speaking, and plant seeds of encouragement instead. You may be amazed at what will grow.

Contemporary culture often entices men to be unfaithful to their wedding vows and spiritual commitments. Appreciate your husband's faithfulness - how he is loyal to you. Let him know that you are glad he has "stick-to-it-iveness" in your marriage. Appreciate his faithfulness to God. (If you have an unfaithful husband, this is a difficult area for you. Pray, speak the truth in love, remain faithful yourself, and discover ways to encourage faithfulness in your mate. The Bible says that husbands may "...be won by the conduct of their wives" [1 Pet. 3:1]. You may also want to seek counsel from a mature, godly individual or couple.)

Wow, what an answered prayer! How blessed I am to be married to such a wonderful man as my husband. He is so thoughtful that today, he stayed home doing taxes, so I could go shopping with Jonah. I'd been meaning to shop for a bathing suit (a Christmas present from Greg), and a dress and shoes for Easter (gifts from my mom), but have made several attempts and hadn't gotten into the dressing room to try these things on in weeks! So, after taking way too long to leave the house, leaving closer to Jonah's afternoon nap time, I was getting stressed that I won't even have time to shop for myself, so I should just go grocery shopping and forget about my clothes all together. Well, my wonderful, calm, patient, anchor-of-a-husband, helped me to calm down and just enjoy the time and not worry about Jonah's nap schedule, he needs to adapt.

Well, that was a great idea. But I tend to dottle, and by the time I got to the swimwear store (away from the mall, I thought I'd try out this store that my husband spotted and suggested I try), it was 3:05, and got Jonah in the stroller w/ diaper bag in hand and the store was closed...at 3:00 on Saturday. So I was discouraged, feeling like a failure when I try to accomplish so much and after running so many errands sometimes I feel like I didn't accomplish much of anything, but wasting gas and money since the prices are so high. So I drove toward the mall and realized that I needed to eat. I hadn't eaten enough today for the many times I had to nurse Jonah, so I stopped and got a steakburger. I really wanted a chocolate shake too, but I didn't think that would fare well in the dressing room trying on swimsuits and dresses. So I stuck to the essential nourishment. Then Jonah was so fussy, b/c we weren't going anywhere and he just had to get back in the car seat 3 min. after he thought he was going on an outing in his stroller. So I decided to take him back home so he could sleep in his crib for his nap, b/c he wasn't going to do well for me in the dressing rooms when he's already cranky and we haven't even gotten to the mall yet.

When I got home, my husband, who was doing taxes, was surprised to see me 30 min. later. So Jonah woke up from napping about 5 min. in the car and was not happy. When after putting him down, after trying to take him to the toilet and getting screams, and then in his crib, he almost turned purple from holding his breath from crying out of anger, I rocked him and he wanted to nurse again, 2 hours later! So I finally put him down for his nap, after taking him to the toilet. Poor guy, his schedule was all off. Greg came in and encouraged me, once again to go shopping and spend some time for myself. He said, "I'll stay home with the boy while he naps and I'll feed him a bottle when he wakes up, just go have a good time shopping." I was so thankful for my loving husband and for the time.

So, off to the mall I went. I was efficient, and had a great time, got a dress, shoes, bathing suit, and was going to head to Wal-Mart for some groceries. When I heard a message on the radio talking about "the crazy cycle...without love, she reacts without respect...without respect, he reacts without love...." and I realized how important it is for our husbands to hear how much we respect them, when we're probably telling them how much we love them, and they know it. They don't need to hear it several times a day, but we women need the reassurance of the love our husbands have for us. So I decided to get just bananas (we were out, and the other items on the list could wait until I go grocery shopping next week) at Kroger (on the way home), and come home. I called Greg 5 min. after telling him I was on my way to Wal-Mart and said, "don't make anything, I want to come home and make you a good dinner, because I love you so much for taking care of Jonah for me. I have this good fish I want to make you and veggies, so just let me come home and make it for you. I'm getting bananas and I'll be home soon." He said, "okay, I'll feed Jonah his dinner, but I'll wait for you."

When I got home, at 7:30, he and Jonah were at the table, he snacking on pretzels and cheese, and Jonah eating a great, Mommy-approved dinner. He rushed to the door to help me with my bags and I said, "Oh, thank you. Honey...I respect you." He smiled and said, "I love you." He said he got hungry, but he'd eat whatever I cooked for dinner. I rushed to put the Talapia in the oven and the broccoli and cheese and potatoes on the stove and decided to try on my new dress and do a fashion show for Greg and Jonah while the food was cooking. They loved the dress and shoes and as we were chatting and distracted, Jonah wanted me to stay there and not keep disappearing to the room to change, I realized that I didn't stir the broccoli and potatoes and they burned! I was so disappointed. I completely forgot to stir it after setting the timer for the fish. Greg was so encouraging and said, "Don't worry, Honey, I'll eat it. It's alright." The potatoes could be saved but the broccoli was definitely charred.

So I changed clothes fast and by then the fish was done and Jonah was fussing wondering where Mommy was. Greg took the fish out and calmed Jonah down, and when I came back in normal clothes, I noticed some perfect broccoli and cheese on the stove. He had made more for me while I changed. What a sweet guy! :)

My husband knows when I just can't handle it anymore and I need him to remind me that we're a team. I know God brought us into each other's lives to balance each other out and encourage one another. I need to remember to show him respect and love, by respecting his time, his hard work, his rest, his activities, his needs. I'm so grateful that I have a loving husband who wants to lead and love his wife, and Christ loves the church.

30-Day Husband Encouragement Challenge for Wives: Day 7

Day Seven:"Do not overwork to be rich; because of your own understanding, cease!...for riches certainly make themselves wings..." Prov. 23:4-5
"That I may cause those who love me to inherit wealth, that I may fill their treasuries." Proverbs 8:21

Money is the root of much marital discord. Ask yourself, "Am I being negative toward my husband in the area of finances?" Determine not to speak evil of your husband in this area. Discover ways to encourage and help him instead.

Does your husband handle finances wisely? Does he make good financial investments, based on biblical principles? Does he have a budget? Does he make wise decisions about purchases - checking many sources before he buys? Is he a good steward of his money before the Lord? Let him know how much you appreciate his strengths in financial matters.

If he is weak in this area, encourage any good decisions that he does make. Perhaps you can help him, if he's open to the idea, by organizing financial files or providing other practical assistance. Or, if he wants you to handle the finances, ask for his input before you make decisions that will affect him.

30-Day Husband Encouragement Challenge for Wives‏: Day 6

Day Six:"...whatever ye do, do all to the glory of God." 1 Cor. 10:31b

Do you recognize and appreciate your husband's creativity? Or do you criticize and demean his efforts? Instead of negativity, determine to be positive. Perhaps you can help your husband see that his efforts are an opportunity to glorify God.

Is your husband the "creative" type? Does he have any artistic gifts? What is that special "knack" he has? Affirm him for his handiwork - a hobby, music, gardening, tinkering with cars, working with wood, etc. Remember: Even if he doesn't measure up to your standards, praise his efforts.

If your budget allows, buy him a book or magazine that will continue to encourage his special skill or talent. If you have a hard time finding his "creative side," understand that men's creativity sometimes is related to their work. Find something he does to make his job run more smoothly or something he does that adds value to his work...and let him know that you have noticed. Make his day...Praise his accomplishments in public, while he is listening.

What an encouragement to me in today's challenge! I was feeling bad for not being perfect about not saying anything negative and holding my tongue, because I slipped a few times these last couple days. But today's challenge reminds me how important words of affirmation are to my husband, since it's probably his primary love language. He loves hearing praise about his work and his brilliant ideas. He's so creative with the computer and creating presentations and graphics that are pleasing to the eye and professional and convey the message at hand. He's been working so hard on his presentation for a meeting that he's facilitating today in Cincinnati. Last night when I saw the final product, I was so impressed and wowed by his work. I told him how much his boss and the company will appreciate it and they'll be looking to him for more ingenius ideas and quality creations like that.

I praise God for my husband for the way he works so hard to strive for perfection. Even when 80% is good enough for everyone else, he won't settle for less. I think that's something that God placed in his heart, because he's always been that way. We've been praying for him to get enough rest for the drive and for alertness on the roads and in the meetings. And this morning, he woke up refreshed and rejuvinated and ready to go. God is good and He answers prayers. He can give us the strength when we are weak and the wisdom and guidance when we don't know which direction to go. All we have to do is ask with a humble heart and listen to His voice. I pray that I will humbly go to Christ with my prayers and requests with thanksgiving, instead of trying to do it on my own, and in my own way. May I relinquish total control to Him daily in everything.

30-Day Husband Encouragement Challenge for Wives: Day 5

Day Five:"Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers." Eph. 4:29

Another way to describe the positive side of this "30-Day Encouragement Challenge" is by using the word "edify," which means, "to build up." Negative comments only discourage and tear down. Positive comments encourage and build.

Do you edify your husband before others, adding to his value in their eyes? This is especially important to other family members.

Do you praise your husband to his relatives, and yours? Does your husband's mother know how much you love him? How about your dad? Perhaps you can drop a word of praise into a conversation or letter. Be creative in letting your relatives know that you respect your husband, love him, and support him - in spite of whatever flaws and weaknesses he may have.

This was a great day to read today, after getting back from my trip to New York. It was hard for me and for Jonah to be away from his daddy for 6 days, but I enjoyed edifying my husband to my mother. I need to edify him more to his mother and to my dad though.

Greg was SO wonderful that he drove 1500 miles to pick us up. My mom and I had to drive through the snow storm a couple weeks ago, to get to her house in Bloomingburg, NY. It was hard on Jonah, but especially hard on us who had to stay alert and awake while driving. Jonah soon adapted to the new house, but didn't sleep through the night any night. He always woke up for whatever reason and wanted to nurse. Maybe because his play pen was in guest room where I was sleeping, and when he woke in the middle of the night, he smelled that his mommy was near and wanted me to comfort him.



We were planning to meet Greg halfway new Youngstown, OH last Sunday, but I just didn't see that plan working out. Since he's one man driving alone, he'll get there much faster than two women and a 9 month old who need to stop frequently for restroom and food breaks. So, after exhausting all the possibilities we could think of, Greg decided that he'd drive to NY on Saturday, possibly stay one night in my mom's house, and drive back to Indiana on Sunday, so he could return to work on Monday. We actually ended up driving 3 more hours back toward Indiana on Saturday night, and started out our trip with Jonah sleeping. That worked out well. However, as soon as we were in the hotel, Jonah was back to clinging to mommy and not sleeping. I must have nursed him three times that night (from 1 am until 7:30 am) and Greg ended up sleeping in the other bed (the one we made up for Jonah).

Thankfully, we got home on Sunday evening about 5:30 pm. Greg made great time on the road and our only delay was on I-70 when the highway was blocked in both directions because a plane, something like a Cessna, was trying to take off from the interstate. We knew it would be on the news, and it was. I didn't hear the whole story, but it took off from Eagle Creek and "ran out of options" so it landed on the highway. I wonder what the drivers of the vehicles thought when they were driving along and suddenly they saw an airplane land on the road in front of them. We got to see two helicopters circling about 3 miles ahead of us and finally the plane took off. Didn't get any photos, but we'll remember this one.

So we made great time and when we got home, I was SO thankful for my loving husband who drove all the way to New York for 1500 miles to bring Jonah and me home safely. We're still recovering from the travel and lack of sleep, and Jonah's back to sleeping through the night.

Edifying others and building each other up-- that's what I need to do more often. Not let any unwholesome talk come out of my mouth. That was the verse I kept thinking about when I was away from home and when it was easy to complain when I was sleep deprived. That verse, and Do everything without complaining or disputing. I know Jonah watches everything I do, and my mother too, she noticed how we train Jonah and pray with him and how we teach him. He needed constistent training and he needed his daddy too. I think he wondered why we only talked to Daddy on the phone, because he'd wake up every morning saying, "dadadada." So we'd call Daddy and say good morning. It's interesting, because he says "mamahh" to Greg all the time and to me when he's hungry, but it seems like what I hear all day long is "dadadada" or "bababababa" among other babblings. He's our precious boy and we're delighted to have him as our son.

30-Day Husband Encouragement Challenge for Wives‏: Day 4

Today's challenge is a great one for me. I need to remember how hard my husband works to provide for our family, because it is created in is core to be the provider. This challenge to not speak negatively to or about or to others about our husbands is a good one. I realize when I start to say something that could become negative, it's not edifying and not productive, and it becomes complaining. Philippians 2:14 says, "Do everything without complaining or arguing..." If I'm teaching my son this verse, I better learn it and practice it first!

He may be only 9 months old, but he notices everything and learns from what I do and how my husband and I talk with each other, interact, love each other. It's so vital that I am kind and respectful and admirable of my husband so that my children learn to do so as well. Even when my husband loves me and honors me and protects me, Jonah's learning to do that too. God gave us such a wonderful design in His Word. We have to keep looking there for the instruction and for the guidance and direction we ask for.

May our husbands feel encouraged by our words.

Day Four:"...let him labor, working with his hands what is good..." Eph. 4:28

We are all accountable for the things we say, both negative and positive words. Have you embraced the challenge to speak only positive things to your husband and to others about him? Here's a suggestion that touches the core of your husband's world.

Some women take their husband's career for granted, and they show it in many ways. Do you "dump" on your husband at the end of the workday, or do you strengthen and encourage him with your words? A wise wife will make her husband feel that she values and appreciates his work. Let him know that you are glad he is a hard worker. Take opportunities to praise his diligence and resourcefulness to others.

If your husband is out of work, unable to work, or refuses to work, you'll need to be more creative. Praise him for a character quality that you see in him that would be a vital part of a successful career - such as persistence, decisiveness, strength, an analytical mind, organizational skills, good with people, good listener, determination, etc.

30-Day Husband Encouragement Challenge for Wives: Day 3

Happy Valentine's Day!

My mom drove in from New York today to visit us and babysit Jonah so Greg and I can have a date on Valentine's Day. I miss my mom SO much, since I didn't get to see her at Christmas. I'm so glad that she's here. Jonah and I are going to drive to New York with my mom next week and we'll be back the following weekend. We'll miss Daddy, but he's going to meet us halfway for the trip back.

How appropriate that today's challenge is about loving our husbands and letting them love us.
Hope you have a wonderful day in Christ's love.

Day Three:"...love suffers long, and is kind..." 1 Cor. 13:4

"And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus."
Phil. 4:19

Love indeed suffers long and is kind. As you consider your Encouragement Challenge, determine today that you will not say anything negative to or about your husband. Speak kindly to him with words of genuine encouragement.

If your husband is considerate of your needs, let him know that you have noticed. Thank him for his kindness and consideration. Thank the Lord that your husband knows how to be both tough and tender.

Sometimes it's difficult for a man to be gentle, kind or tender - especially if he hasn't had role models in these areas. If he's not a considerate person, appeal to him for help without complaining. Let him know that it's hard for you to handle some things alone. Then, when he moves in to help, don't insist that he do it your way. Be glad that he is responding, and express your gratitude.

Ultimately, you can't expect your husband to make you feel more secure, loved, etc. Remember that only God can meet the deepest needs of your heart.

30-Day Husband Encouragement Challenge for Wives: Day 2

Eventhough I'm already behind schedule for this 30 day challenge, I wanted to post it as I'm able to read it. I'm not online everyday, so when I am, I'll post that day's challenge. I have to admit that I already broke the goal of not saying anything negative to my husband, today. I just lost my temper when we were running late to a party, and got short with him. But I do remember the encouragement, that my friend told me in her e-mail, "you don't have to be perfect," so I'm going on that note and getting right back on track again. I try to apologize for my mistakes and add some encouraging words. Maybe I'll get used to the positives and hold my tongue before the negatives come out. It has been better for my heart to take those thoughts captive and make them obedient to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5). It's a daily lesson and a daily reminder, but I'm determined to do it!

Here goes for day 2. It's late and the day is about over, so I'll sleep on this one and try to practice it tomorrow. We have a busy day with Jonah's 9 month pictures after church and it's supposed to be subzero wind chill tomorrow, so we'll just have to bundle everyone up. This one will be a challenge for me, because when it's cold, I tend to complain. So I'll have to work really hard to be positive!

Day Two:"...through love serve one another." Gal. 5:13b
How did you do yesterday with your first day of blessing and encouraging your husband? Was it easy? Was it hard to hold your tongue when you wanted to say something negative? We hope you're off to a good start. (If you blew it, don't give up - start again today!) There are so many practical things you can praise, if you look for them.

Today, find some way that your husband is serving you or your family. Does he help around the house? Take care of the car? Fix things that are broken? If your budget allows, give him a new, small tool with a big bow attached. But make sure he doesn't think it's part of a "Honey Do" list!

Maybe your husband's not a handyman, but does he run errands for you? Let you go first? Take care of you when you are sick? Help you make decisions? Praise him for his willingness to serve others. Let him know that you see his unique service as a great strength.

30-Day Husband Encouragement Challenge for Wives: Day 1

A friend of mine e-mailed me this 30-day challenge for wives to encourage their husbands on January 1st, 2008. Since January was such a rough month in the Bayman household, I wasn't able to participate. Now that I'm able to read my messages, I asked her if she could send it all to me at once, and she did. So I'm going to try to post one each day for 30 days to remind myself and encourage anyone else who's reading this blog to be a blessing in their home as well.

How appropriate for reading day 1 today, since yesterday, I wasn't particularly encouraging to my husband. Who more should we encourage than the man we love who takes care of us and leads our home and provides for our family? Well, here it is, and I will try to remember day 1 for the rest of my days!

Day One:
"The heart of her husband safely trusts her; so he will have no lack of gain. She does him good and not evil all the days of her life." Prov. 31:11-12

To refresh your memory...here's the 30-Day Encouragement Challenge...for the next 30 days:* You can't say anything negative about your husband ...to your husband...or to anyone else, about your husband.* Say something that you admire or appreciate about your husband...to your husband...and to someone else, about your husband!

To help you get started, have you ever thanked your husband for "choosing you" above all other women? He found you attractive as a person, and appreciated you. Though many circumstances in your marriage may have changed, let your husband know that you are glad God led you together, and that you want to be a blessing to him for the rest of your marriage. Let him know that he can trust you to be in his corner.

One of the best opportunities to express your gratitude is first thing in the morning. How do you greet your husband each morning? Is he confident in your love? Give him a "wake up call" that he'll never forget-a big "I love you" and an "I'm so glad I'm your wife!"

Encouraging Words

Oh, how grateful I am for the women in my Bible study. Their words, prayers and advice are so encouraging to me. This spring, I'm in a weekly Bible study at our church called, The Mission of Motherhood by Sally Clarkson. Praying with these women that I haven't met before and hearing their stories about rearing their children reminds me that I'm not alone, and I'm doing a good thing, staying home and raising my son.

Occaisionally, we receive handouts that are quotes, stories, reminders, or just fun things to read and laugh about. This week, one in particular spoke to my heart. Whenever I have doubts in my mind or if I'm questioning the idea of a career over personally raising my children, I want to remember God's design for mothers and His intent for the role in which He has placed me.

Continue On

A woman once fretted over the usefulness of her life.

She feared she was easting her potential being a devoted wife

and mother: She wondered if the time and energy she invested in

her husband and children would make a difference.

At times she got discouraged because so much of what she did

seemed to go unnoticed and unappreciated.

"Is it worth it?" she often wondered.

"Is there something better that I could be doing with my time?"

It was during one of these moments of questioning that she heard

the still small voice of her heavenly Father speak to her heart.

"You are a wife and mother because that

is what I have called you to be.

Much of what you do is hidden from the public eye. But I notice.

Most of what you give is done without remuneration.

But I am your reward.

Your husband cannot be the man I have called him to be without

your support. Your influence upon him is greater than you think

and more powerful than you will ever know. I bless him

through your service and honor him through your love.

Your children are precious to Me.

Even more precious than they are to you.

I have entrusted them to your care to raise for Me.

What you invest in them is an offering to Me.

You may never be in the public spotlight.

But your obedience shines as a bright light before Me. Continue on.

Remember you are my servant. Do all to please Me."

-by Roy Lessin

In a world where nothing is good enough, fast enough, expensive enough, easy enough, I want to drown out all that is unedifying and degrading to the example of a marriage, a family, and parenthood. I won't settle for leaving my children behind to fend for themselves and to be raised by the media and the evils in this world. I will stand by my husband and support him, encourage him, and help him by nurturing my family and taking care of the little ones that our heavenly Father has entrusted to us.

He never said it would be easy, but I know where I can find my strength.

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

- Philippians 4:13