Above Rubies Daily Encouragement Blogs

How ridiculous to try and be someone you are not! To miss out on your purpose for life!

There were women who rejected their femaleness back in Roman times too. Romans 1:26 tells us that “God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women (a word which means a suckling mother) did change the natural function into that which is against nature.”

But we need to get back to the Scriptures and see what God says. He says it more powerfully than I can say.

1 Corinthians 6:19: “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and YE ARE NOT YOUR OWN? For ye are brought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.

Isaiah 29:16 (ESV): “YOU TURN THINGS UPSIDE DOWN! Shall the potter be regarded as the clay, that the thing made should say of its maker, ‘He did not make me’: or the thing formed say of him who formed it, ‘He has no understanding’?”

Isaiah 45:9 (ESV): “Woe to him who strives with him who formed him, a pot among earthen pots! Does the clay say to him who forms it, ‘What are you making?’ or ‘Your work has no handles’? Woe to him who says to a father, ‘What are you begetting?’ or to a woman, ‘With what are you in labor?’”

Isaiah 64:8: “But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.”

Jeremiah 18:6: “O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? Saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel.”

Romans 9:20 (CJB): “Who are you, a mere human being, to talk back to God? Will what is formed say to him who formed it, ‘Why did you make me this way?’”

Romans 12:1: “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”

Romans 14:7: “For none of us liveth to himself.”

Our Creator knows what He is doing.

Blessings from Nancy Campbell

Check out these Scriptures of our God marvelously creating us: Genesis 1:26, 27, 31; Deuteronomy 32:4; 2 Samuel 22;31; Psalm 11:1-6; 18:30; 139:14; and Revelation 15:3.

But we need more than healing for our land. We need healing and forgiveness from the sin which fills our land. Abortion, murdering precious life in the womb, continues. The Abortion Clock states that up today there have already been 261, 950 babies murdered. The COVID-19 is insignificant compared to this number, and yet most people are oblivious to it.

This is only the beginning of the sin that fills this nation. Let’s take hold of 2 Chronicles 7:14 which says that IF we . . .
Humble ourselves
Pray
Seek God’s face, and
Turn from our wicked ways . . .
THEN He will hear from Heaven, and forgive our sin, and heal our land.

God is faithful. He will heal us and heal our land too if we do our part.

Could we increase our prayers to three times a day? This was the habit of David’s life and yet he was a great king and with many responsibilities (Psalm 55:17). It was the habit of Daniels’s life and yet He was high up in the Babylonian kingdom with many responsibilities. (Daniel 6:5). e also have lots of things to do but we can do it too.

I guess it depends how much we want God to heal our land.

Love to you today from Nancy Campbell
Check out: http://www.numberofabortions.com/

Paul longed to come and see the believers in Spain, but he told them he couldn’t come until he FINISHED his current task which was to take contributions from the church to the poor believers in Jerusalem (Romans 15:28).

Paul asks the Galatians believers in Galatians 3:3 who were trying to gain their salvation by doing the works of the law? “Are you so foolish? Although you began with the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by human effort?”

We have to watch this too, don’t we? We can begin a project in the power of the Holy Spirit and gravitate to doing it by our own human effort. God wants us to finish in the anointing of the Holy Spirit too.

It was Paul’s habit to complete and finish his missions. He states in Acts 20:24: “But none of these things move me (the fact they he was going to face prison and afflictions), neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might FINISH my course with joy, and the ministry which I have received of the Lord Jesus.”

Toward the close of his life he confesses in 2 Timothy 4:7: “I have fought the good fight, I have FINISHED the race, I have kept the faith.”

JESUS also finished the work God gave Him to do.

John 4:34: “My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to FINISH His work.”
John 17:4: “I have FINISHED the work which thou gavest me to do.”
John 19:30: “Jesus said, It is FINISHED: and he bowed his and gave up the ghost.”

May we also be task finishers.

Blessings to you today,

Nancy Campbell

Peter encourages the believers to keep on adding godly attributes to their faith so they will have an ABUNDANT entrance into the everlasting kingdom (2 Peter 1:11). How do you want to go into the eternal kingdom? Abundantly? Triumphantly? Grandly? A flourishing finish? That’s what I want, don’t you?

Of course this will only happen as we CONTINUE on in the faith. Life on this earth is not always easy. We face challenges and difficulties. But we don’t give up. We continue plodding on because we look for a heavenly city. We live this life in preparation for the eternal kingdom which is the REAL world.

Proverbs 4:18; “The path of the just is as the shining light that shineth MORE AND MORE unto the perfect day.”

Philippians 1:6 is not only a wonderful promise for yourself, but you can pray it over your husband and your children too.

Be encouraged and blessed, today,

Nancy Campbell

You don’t have to live in the doldrums. Why live below par when you have the resurrected Christ living in you? Jesus Christ now sits at the right hand of the Father in the heavenly realm. And Ephesians 2:6 tells us that He has also “raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.”

Therefore we live above our problems, not below them. We live by faith, not fear. We live with hope, not despair. We confess healing, not sickness. We are joyful in our tribulations.

Paul penned the truth: “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27). Because He lived these words he was imprisoned, tortured, persecuted, beaten, stoned, and suffered hunger. And yet what was his confession: “As sorrowful, yet always rejoicing, as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things” (2 Corinthians 6:10).

Are you facing financial hardship? I love the translation that says: “Penniless, we own the world.”

Live in resurrection power today,

Blessings from Nancy Campbell

The dying thief rejoiced to see
That fountain in his day;
And there may I, though vile as he,
Wash all my sins away.

Dear dying Lamb, Thy precious blood
Shall never lose its power,
Till all the ransomed ones of God
Be saved, to sin no more.

E’er since by faith I saw the stream
Thy flowing wounds supply,
Redeeming love has been my theme,
And shall be till I die.

Dear folks, please forgive me asking all these questions. I am asking them myself today as I pace the floor? I have been asking them for days and am now voicing them to you. Please forgive me if I tread on toes. I’m just asking.

Yes, I just have to ask. Why does the media intentionally fill the nation with fear? Why has a whole nation, the greatest and freest nation on earth bowed to a lockdown of life? This is far scarier to me than this virus. It shows the nation is ruled by fear.

I love to imagine that the churches did not bow to silence and instead gathered, not for normal services perhaps, but to pray and intercede and storm the gates of Heaven for this virus to halt. Can you imagine millions of Christians praying in groups together (Matthew 18:18-20)? This would be far more powerful than hiding ourselves away.

Imagine the sick coming to God’s people to be healed!

There is power in corporate prayer, Instead, we are isolated. Instead many are locked down with fear. It’s hard to believe how fearful people have become. I know many families are praying in their homes, but I know that there are many who are not. Sadly, it is not the usual habit for even Christian families to all pray together every day. I pray they have begun to do this since this lockdown, but are they? Is their less prayer because we are not meeting together?

Could I humbly ask this question? Did you gather your family to pray together for this nation this morning? And will you be doing it again this evening with your family?

Oh I know some would say that we would be a threat to others by passing on the virus, but I believe in the power of God. I believe that when God’s interceding saints get together to come against a virus, that the virus could not touch them! God is much bigger.

And does not Christ dwell in us? His powerful healing life that dwells in us is greater than any virus. As one of my daughters says, “I do not fear. Because Christ lives in me, any virus just falls off me.”

Romans 8:11 (ESV): “If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.”

I believe that God’s people should be available for the sick to come to us to pray for their healing. My grandson who loves to pray for people was sharing how he was convicted of Jesus’ words, “Go, cleanse the lepers” (Matthew 10:8). He reminded us how Jesus didn’t hide from the lepers. He touched them and healed them. He was likening the lepers to this virus. But although he goes looking every day, he hasn’t found any yet. He’s ready to pray for anyone. But one good thing, he said that although he hasn’t found any corona victims to pray for, that people are about 40 percent more open to hear the gospel.

My dearest readers, I don’t write this casually. According to the statistics, my husband and I are in the most “vulnerable category” according to our ages, but we do not fear. How can we fear, when our trust is in God?

Isaiah 8:11-13 states: “For this is what the LORD has spoken to me with a strong hand, instructing me not to walk in the way of this people: ‘Do not call conspiracy everything these people regard as conspiracy. Do not fear what they fear; do not live in dread. The LORD of Hosts is the One you shall regard as holy. Only He should be feared; only He should be dreaded’” (Isaiah 8:11-13 BSB).

I think back to when the government took prayer and then the Bible out of schools What did the Christians do then? Nothing. Imagine if every Christian family had taken their children our of our public schools? They would soon have put prayer back again!

Last question: Why don’t we the people of God stand up for what we really believe?

Blessings from Nancy Campbell

I personally heard of two cases that did not die of corona, but the following day their death certificates were changed to corona virus being the cause of death. Why?

A couple of other examples. They found the corona virus in the blood of a man who had a serious accident and therefore attributed his death to corona, not his accident. They found traces of corona virus in a baby who was suffocated by the mother and instead of suffocation the cause of death was noted as corona. Why?

Interesting information is also coming from Italy where they have had the most deaths. Professor Walter Ricciardi, scientific adviser to Italy’s minister of health writes: “On re-evaluation by the National Institute of Health, only 12 per cent of death certificates have shown a direct causality from coronavirus, while 88 per cent of patients who have died have at least one pre-morbidity - many had two or three.”

But there are other factors that may have contributed to Italy’s fatality rates, experts say. This includes a high rate of smoking and pollution - the majority of deaths have been in the northern region Lombardy region, which is notorious for poor air quality.

Another study says: “Rome-based institute has examined medical records of about 18% of the country’s coronavirus fatalities, finding that just three victims, or 0.8% of the total, had no previous pathology. Almost half of the victims suffered from at least three prior illnesses and about a fourth had either one or two previous conditions. More than 75% had high blood pressure, about 35% had diabetes and a third suffered from heart disease.

Yes, we know there is suffering and death and our hearts grieve. But at the same time, we want to know the truth, don’t we?

~ Nancy Campbell

O let us rejoice in the Lord evermore,
Though all things around us be trying,
Though floods of affliction like sea billows roar,
It’s better to sing than be sighing.

Then rejoice evermore, rejoice evermore,
It is better to sing than be sighing:
It is better to live than be dying;
So let us rejoice evermore.

O let us rejoice in the Lord evermore,
When the darts of the tempter are flying,
For Satan still dreads, as he oft did of yore,
Our singing much more than our sighing.

O let us rejoice in the Lord evermore,
When sickness upon us is stealing,
No cordial like gladness our strength can restore,
For joy is the fountain of healing.

Have a joy-filled day. Get your entire family singing.

~ Nancy Campbell

We are also saved from the judgment of our sins when we acknowledge the blood of Jesus upon our lives. 1 Corinthians 5:7 says: “Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us.” Jesus Christ is our Passover. What a glorious and wonderful redemption we have.

I love this picture which a dear friend of mine sent to me. She flies her red scarf at her doorway representing the power of the blood of Jesus as she remembers this Passover time. She also flies it to acknowledge the protection and power of God over her home as we face this “c” virus.

We do not have to fear any plague as we abide under the Shadow of the Almighty and plead our protection through the power of the blood of Jesus Christ.

Many blessings,

Nancy Campbell

It teaches your children how to work. We all want our children to have a good work ethic. Let’s show them how. They learn more by our “showing” than our telling them what to do.

Have a great smiling day,

Nancy Campbell

This virus is going out to the ends of the earth, but God is bigger! This thing is under His feet. He doesn’t want you looking at all the projections (which are only “might be’s). He wants you to look to Him.

I can understand those who don’t know God becoming fearful because they are not looking to a Savior. But we have a Savior! Yes, a Savior!

If you are saved by the blood of Jesus, you will put your trust in your Savior. This word “yasha” is used twice in the above passage and 105 times in the Old Testament. It not only means that God is your Savior, but He is your Preserver, your Deliverer, your Defender, your Rescuer, Your Succorer, and your Avenger. It also means you will be made free.

Our trust in not in government, in hospitals, or vaccines! Our trust is in God.

Look to Him. Encourage your children to look to Hm. Encourage the people around you to Look to Him. As we look to our Savior, we have hope. When when we have hope, we live in joy and peace and divine health.

Be filled with joy and peace today,

Nancy Campbell

P.S. A few weeks ago I did two podcasts about looking for the coming of the Lord, not only for His second coming, but for Him to come into every department of our lives now. I believe that as we look for His coming, we also look for Him in every aspect of our lives. We look to Him in this current crisis and as we LOOK TO HIM we are set free from all fear.

You can listen to these podcasts again:
86: https://www.buzzsprout.com/…/2655406-episode-no-86-even-so-…
87: https://www.buzzsprout.com/183665/2705560

P.P.S. If you really want to be encouraged and blessed out of your socks, go to your concordance and look up the 105 Scriptures which include the Hebrews word “yasha (2467). Read them over personally and share them with your family.

Then go the New Testament and read the 119 Scriptures for “sozo” (4982) which also means to be “saved, healed, protected, preserved, delivered, and made whole.”

Today’s attitude about hope is rather amazing. Romans 15:13 reminds us that . . .

IT IS AN ABOUNDING HOPE
God does not intend us to live an ordinary life. God gives adjectives for every attribute He wants us to enjoy and experience. When He talks about hope, He wants us to ABOUND in hope.

Now get ready to understand this word. It is “perisseuo” and means “to superabound, to be excessive, to excel, abundant, enough and to spare, over and above.”

The hope God gives is far more than “I hope this might happen.”

• It is exuberant hopefulness,
• It is speaking words of confident expectation when everyone else is negative,
• It is an overflowing spirit of optimism,
• It is believing God will do good things when everything looks bleak.

To everyone else you will seem “over the top” and crazy. But it is normal Christian living. We all live so abnormally according to the biblical way of life.

We are all facing a world-wide dilemma as we face this corona virus. We read or watch on TV all the different projections of how many are going to die and how long it is going to continue. Dearest ladies, these are only projections. They are what MIGHT happen. They are not fact! And yet we say, “Yes, Sir,” and give into fear.

I know you are praying, but what could happen if we REALLY took time out to intercede and take authority over this virus in the realms of prayer? Prayer is powerful. But not little prayer. It is MUCH prayer (Revelation 8:3). It is the “effectual fervent prayer” of the righteous (James 5:16).

Psalm 53:5 says: “There were they in great fear, where no fear was.” I believe that we can see a BREAKTHROUGH as we pray and release words of HOPE to our families and everyone we are in contact with. Oh yes, you’ll be met with “doom and gloom,” but answer back with faith and hope. We must spread faith and hope, not fear.

We hang on to hope even when we don’t currently see any results. Paul writes in Romans 8:24, 25: “Hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.”

I recently read the wonderful little book, “MAKE YOUR BED – LITTLE THINGS THAT CAN CHANGE YOUR LIFE . . AND MAYBE THE WORLD!” by Admiral William H. McRaven. He states in this book:

“Hope is the most powerful force in the universe. With hope you can inspire nations to greatness. With hope you can raise up the downtrodden. With hope you can ease the pain of unbearable loss. Sometimes all it takes is one person to make a difference.”

IT IS A PATIENT HOPE
1 Thessalonians 1:3 talks about out being “patient in hope.” The word “patient” means cheerful and hopeful endurance. It means to keep joyfully hoping as you endure troubles. It does not surrender to circumstances or succumb under trial.

IT IS A HANGING ON TO THE END HOPE
Hebrews 6:11, 12 says: “And we desire that every one of you do show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end: That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.”

Hebrews 10:23 (NET): “And let us HOLD UNWAVERINGLY to the hope that we confess.”

Be blessed today and keep spreading hope,

NANCY CAMPBELL

Attitudes are contagious. When people speak words of fear it affects everyone around them. But when we rejoice and speak positive words, they affect everyone around us for good. Even in the midst of this virus, rejoice. Let your rejoicing be contagious.

I passed my neighbor in the car the other day. As we wound down our windows to greet one another, he said to me, “When people are full of fear, I ask them, ‘Do you know anyone who has this virus?’” He continued. “No one has yet told me they know anyone who as it.

I know many people, not only around where I live, but across the nation and the world, and I personally don’t know of one person who has this virus. Of course I know there are many who do (and statistics now reveal that anyone who needs to be hospitalized or may even die, are those whose immune systems are compromised or they have existing medical problems), but I personally don’t know of one yet.

I have shared before how fear is powerful. What we fear comes upon us (Job 3:25). I think fear is spreading more than this virus. It’s time we got out of fear and into hope. It’s time we began to spread messages of cheer and hope.

Dear ladies, I’m not being unthoughtfull (I grieve for those who contract serious cases of this virus, and we are in daily prayer) but I know the power of words. To spread words of health, positivity, and cheer brings salvation and healing. Words of fear bring death.

Romans 12:12 tells us to “REJOICE in hope.” This same Scripture reminds us to “endure in suffering.” The New English Translation says: “Rejoice in hope, endure in suffering, persist in prayer.” We keep hoping in the midst of stress and tribulation.

Romans 15:13 reminds us that when the God of hope dwells in us that He fills us with “ALL JOY AND PEACE in believing.” Did you get it? ALL joy! Not half joy and half fear, but ALL JOY. Not a little peace, but ALL PEACE. The Passion translation says: “Now may God, the inspiration and fountain of hope, fill you to overflowing with uncontainable joy and perfect peace as you trust in him.”

Romans 14:17 says: “For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and JOY in the Holy Ghost.”

May you live in the overwhelming blessings of joy and peace today,

Nancy Campbell

I woke up the other night with the follow Scripture pounding into my mind: “”Now the God hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost” (Romans 15:13).

This Scripture does not tell us to abound in hope only when everything is going well. It is an attitude we should have no matter what we face. At the moment, it seems that much of the current attitude is doom and gloom. And even worse, the spirit of fear. But this shouldn’t be the attitude of those who call themselves believers.

If God is truly our God, we will live in hope. Why? Because our God is a GOD OF HOPE! Yes, did you read those words? They are truth. God is a GOD OF HOPE! No matter what is happening in our individual lives or in the world, God is still in control, and when He dwells in us by the power of His Holy spirit, we dwell in hope.

Would you like to know the full meaning of the Greek word for hope? It is the word “elpis” and means:

• An energizing principle
• A spontaneous overflowing spirit of optimism
• A looking ever on the bright side of things
• A looking forward to only that which is good
• Believing that God is going to do something good
• Confident expectation
• Expecting continued blessing and joy
• Exuberant hopefulness, leaving us no room for worry
• To anticipate with pleasure

We can’t work this kind of attitude up. It comes through the power of the Holy Spirit who resides in our hearts. It’s is God’s attitude and therefore it becomes our attitude when He dwells in us.

And it is not a dead hope. It is a living hope. 1 Peter 1:3 tells us that we are born again unto “a living hope.” My grandson, Zadok, was talking to me about this hope yesterday. “Nana,” he said. “Because it is a living hope, we must feed it. If you don’t feed something that is alive, it soon dies.”

Are you feeding the spirit of hope that God has put within you? We feed it by . . .

• Living in the Word
• Standing on the truth of God’s Word
• Confessing God’s Word out loud
• Confessing our confidence and expectation in God
• Believing and confessing that God is doing good things! It is the opposite to doom and gloom and fear.

The other day I posted on my personal Facebook the fact that there is not one case of the corona virus in our country in Tennessee! Not one. Nor has our closest hospital had one hospitalization, and that’s a different county! What totally surprised me is that not one person acknowledged this good news with a positive comment. No one said: “Praise the Lord that you have none in your country. That’s wonderful.” Or “God is good. That’s great news.” Instead, even though this was good news, most of the comments were full of fear and doom and gloom.

Dear ladies, it concerns me that many are living in fear rather than hope.

Are we believers or are we nonbelievers? If we are truly believers, we will live in hope. Not a surviving hope, but a LIVING and ABOUNDING hope.

I’ve got more I want to share about hope, but you’ll have enough for one day. I’ll share more tomorrow.

In the meantime, let’s change gears from becoming victims of fear and a lot of information that is not true! Let’s be who we say we are. Let’s be believers who . . .

• Live in hope
• Speak words of hope to our family members
• Speak hope to a hurting and fearful world around us
• Release the spirit of hope instead of the spirit of fear
• Keep hoping when there is no reason to hope (Romans 4:18).

Overwhelming blessings to you and your family today,

Nancy Campbell

God reiterates the same theme in the New Testament in I Timothy 5:10 where He tells us that feeding and raising children is a “good work.” The Greek word is "ergon" and means, “work that is not accomplished by a single act but by accumulated labor and continued work.” That sounds like daily mothering, doesn’t it?

If you don’t already like work, can I suggest as I did yesterday, to start confessing that you love it. When you get up in the morning say aloud, “I love work.” “I’m looking forward to a day of work in my home today.”

Rejoice as you work. Sing while you work. You are in the perfect will of God.

Are you singing Hallelujah?

Blessings from Nancy Campbell

Don’t be asleep to the enemy’s tactics. Be on the offensive. Embrace your career of motherhood with all your heart. If you don’t love motherhood, begin confessing that you love it. You’ll be amazed at how you will change when you change your confession. Every morning when you get up, confess out loud, “I LOVE MOTHERHOOD!” Keep saying it until it is part of you.

Rise up in the power and anointing of motherhood. Build a strong marriage and home. Take up the challenge to raise godly sons and daughters who will not be influenced by this world system. In doing so, you will be part of reclaiming your nation for God.

Rise up today,

Nancy Campbell

Picture: Trisha Romance (1951, American).

Many young women today have no clue about cooking. Often it is because their mothers did not pass on this important art to them. Cooking nutritious and aroma-filled meals and sitting around the table together to enjoy them is a tradition that should continue down the generations!

And yes, cooking is an art. We learn it We hone it. I think that one of the reasons my daughters are doing TRIM HEALTHY MAMA today is that mealtimes were always the most special time of each day in our family life. We loved eating good food. We loved sitting around the table together and discussing, and yes, debating too. Our mealtimes were not quiet. They were filled with robust conversation and even loud voices!

That’s why cooking is so important. It’s not just cooking; it’s what it leads to. It paves the way for fellowship and interaction which is the spice of life. It’s one of the most important things to establish in your family home.

The art of cooking is being passed down the generations in our family. It’s already up to the fourth generation. My mother loved to cook healthy meals. She was famous for her nutritious soups, date scones, and bran muffins—apart from her dinner meals which were always delightful. It was a privilege for anyone to sit around her table.

Now my grand-daughter, Rashida, has the same anointing (among the other granddaughters), too, of course. Rashida is now married and expecting her third baby, but did you know that the next TRIM HEALTHY MAMA cookbook to come out (when it is ready) will be TRIM HEALTHY MAMA recipes by Rashida! Oh you will love them.

Rashida has always loved to cook. She started cooking for their family of twelve when she was a little child. The whole family missed her cooking when she married!

When my father was alive, he would come to visit us all from New Zealand each year. And each year Rashida would cook a special meal for her great-granddad. It was something special she loved to do for him. And he would go back to New Zealand and boast about it to everyone!

You’ll hardly believe what I’m going to tell you, but it’s true. I wrote it down all those years ago so I wouldn’t forget! She was only seven years old when she prepared this feast for her great-granddad—roast turkey with coos coos stuffing (including sundried tomatoes, cashews, pine nuts, figs and raisins) * marinated grape leaves stuffed with lebani, placed in a bowl with figs, dates, and black and green olives * mashed potatoes and gravy * salad with homemade dressings (almondaise and Green Greek dressing) and tamarind date chutney. Yes, there was dessert too—ginger steamed pudding and raw nut balls.

If a seven-year-old can do it, you can too. Hone the art so you can keep passing it on down the generations.

Blessings to you today from Nancy Campbell

P.S. You may like to read this article, MORE THAN TOAST AND POTS AND PANS, that Pearl (my daughter) wrote years ago (before she was married) about my mother. It brings me to tears every time I read it.
http://aboverubies.org/…/846-family-meal-table-more-than-to…

Picture: Rashida Simpson, Meadow Hall, and Kahoru Barrett. Rashida and Meadow, cousins who spent every day of their lives together until they were married. Rashida and Jack have two darling little girls, Ezra and Emory and are now expecting a little boy. Meadow and Kendall have a little boy named Warren and they are also expecting a little boy (they are currently living in Japan).

You will see Meadow and Rashida (and their little ones) and other granddaughters in the new magazine, #97, page 2.

Meadow (Pearl’s daughter) and Kahoru are sisters-in-law. Kahoru is married to Bowen, Pearl’s oldest son and they have a little boy named Finn. Kahoru also loves to cook. She makes amazing creations, and everyone loves her desserts! They are all passing on the wonderful art of cooking and the love of family meal times.

What do you honor most in your home—the cross of Jesus Christ or the things of this world?

I love to sing hymns about the cross, don’t you? The following are words from the hymn by Thomas Kelly:

The cross: it takes our guilt away;
It holds the fainting spirit up;
It cheers with hope the gloomy day,
And sweetens ev’ry bitter cup.

Do your children know the hymn, “Tell me the story of Jesus” by Fanny Crosby? Here’s one stanza:

Tell of the cross where they nailed Him,
Writhing in anguish and pain;
Tell of the grave where they laid Him,
Tell how He liveth again.
Love in that story so tender,
Clearer than ever I see;
Stay, let me weep while you whisper,
“Love paid the ransom for me.”

May the cross overshadow everything we do and say in our home today.

Love from Nancy Campbell