Above Rubies Daily Encouragement Blogs

Weary and homesick and distressed,
They wander east, they wander west,
And are baffled and beaten and blown about
By the winds of the wilderness of doubt;
To stay at home is best.

Then stay at home, my heart, and rest;
The bird is safest in its nest;
O’er all that flutter their wings and fly
A hawk is hovering in the sky;
To stay at home is best.

~ Henry Wadswoth Longellow

Homeness is in every one of us. God put it there as He as designed us to love home which is also family. The words for home in the Hebrew and Greek are also used for family. We understand the power of homeness when we see the opposite, homeless. No one is meant to be homeless. God intends every person to live in a family. He sets the solitary in families.

When a child leaves their home to stay with friends it is common for them to be homesick. In fact, homesickness can be debilitating and can be painful for some children, even as they get older. We’ve all felt the sickening feeling of homesickness and understand that it is a vey real thing.

Sometimes we can feel homesick even when we are at home! I think that’s a homesickness for our eternal home. Home is very much tied to our lives.

Once again, because it is a God breathed thing, the devil hates it. The devil hates everything that is of God. He hates life, family, the home, the womb, and babies. The devil is having a heyday as he has successfully wooed thousands of women out of their homes, away from the God-ordained post, away from their children, and away from the nest where God wants to give them sanctuary and rest.

In Psalm 68:11, 12 God talks about the army of women in the home, but they have gone AWOL!

I believe it is time for women to come back to the home. It’s not coming back to nothingness. It’s coming back to the highest career in the nation.

It’s coming back to pour our lives into our children to teach and train them to be mighty for God. It is coming back to the home to have time to prepare meals where we can sit around the table together and fellowship as families. It’s coming back to the home to have time to establish a family meeting with God morning and evening. It’s coming back to the home where we have the opportunity to use all the gifts God has given to us to build godly families and create and make and sew and paint and write and accomplish all the artistic gifts God has put within us.

Creating a home is revealing the likeness of God. He already has a home, but He is still creating. Jesus told us He is preparing a place for us (John 14:1-3). His ultimate plan is to welcome us into His eternal home. When we turn away from home, thinking it is insignificant, we are turning away from God’s ultimate plan. Everything we do in this life is a type and a preparation for our eternal home.

It is time for mothers to make their homes a home, a place where everyone wants to be, and they are homesick when they are not there. He wants us to make delightful homes. The first home was called the Garden of Eden. Eden means “delight” which was the prototype for all homes to come.

The more time we spend away from home, the more we weaken the home. The more we build into our home and family, the more we strengthen it. In fact, it is a good idea when making decisions for your family to have this goal: whatever weakens the family, don’t do it; whatever strengthens the family, go for it.

Let’s get back to homeness, dear mothers. Strong homes make a strong nation.

Blessings from Nancy Campbell

Do we as older women have this quality about us? Are we showing it and teaching it to our daughters and the next generation? It is one of beautiful attributes of a Christlike character.

Perhaps we should ask ourselves some questions:

Am I clean in my mind? Chasteness begins in the mind. You will remember that Philippians 4:8 tells us to think on the things that are “pure.” That is the same word that is translated chaste.

Am I sexually pure and faithful to my marriage??

Am I chaste in my conduct and how I dress? Morally pure? Modest? It is sad that you could not describe much of the clothing in the Christian church today as “chasteness.”

1 John 3:2, 3: “We know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth (hagnizo – to keep clean and pure) himself, even as he is pure (hagnos).”

Let’s not take this lightly dear ladies but know that God has called us to chasteness and to reveal it to the next generation. Can we be true examples of this beautiful quality that God loves and longs to see in His daughters?

Love from Nancy Campbell

There are lots of “ness” words that belong to the home. We listed a load of them in the post, LOVELY WORDS TO ADD TO YOUR VOCAB (check below if you missed it). In this post we talked about homeness, wombness, and femaleness. In yesterday’s post we talked about softness.

What about kindness? Proverbs 31:26 gives a description of the mother in the home: “In her tongue is the law of kindness.” Kindness personifies a woman. That’s a challenge, isn’t it? For when we resort to our fleshly ways, we lose the anointing of kindness. The Hebrew word is “chesed” which is one of the most wonderful revelations of God in the entire Bible. It’s closely related to “grace” in the New Testament. It’s God’s unfailing love even when we don’t deserve it. It reveals His mercy, forgiveness, loyalty, goodness, and kindness.

It’s more than kindness. Lovingkindness is a better word. It’s a kindness which involves two parties. It speaks of God’s covenant with Israel which is an everlasting covenant. His dealings with Israel show how He deals with us. Because of their waywardness and rebellion, God had to continually judge and punish His people. Because He is God, He cannot let go His justice and righteousness, and must execute judgment on sin. Eventually, He could not tolerate the evil of the Israelites any longer and scattered them to the four corners of the earth.

Nevertheless, God had made a covenant. He is lovingkindness (chesed). His lovingkindness will not let go. He will not wash His hands of Israel, nor of us. He judges, but never gives up. Rebellion cannot destroy His love. It is the essence of that lovely old hymn, “O love that will not let me go.”

After vomiting the Israelites out of the land because of their sin, God sent hundreds of promises through His prophets to tell them that He will one day bring them back to the land again. These prophecies are being fulfilled before our eyes. We saw the miracle of Israel become a nation again on 14 May 1948 and now Jews are pouring back to the land from all over the world. This is God revealing Himself as chesed.

It is also related to the old English word “troth.” Have you heard this word before? At the end of their vows, the bridal couple says: “And thereto I give thee my troth." Our children used these original wedding vows on their wedding days. I was pleased that our eldest granddaughter also used the same vows. It was quite fun to hear her practicing to say "troth" on their wedding rehearsal night. It’s not an easy word to pronounce! It means that the couple confesses publicly that they will be faithful to their marriage covenant.

Because God is a God of lovingkindness and we are created in His image, He desires us to show forth this grace too.

Let’s practice being kind. Kind to our husband. Kind to our children. Kind to the people around us. Do you notice this Scriptures says that the virtuous woman reveals kindness through her tongue? Are your words kind? Did you speak kind and loving words to your husband today? Did you speak kind words to your children?

Let’s establish kindness in our homes today.

Love from Nancy Campbell

But although we need to be strong, we must not lose our softness. It is one of the beautiful characteristics of being female. I love the way the Hebrew uses organs of the body to express emotions and affection. There are four different Hebrew words for “womb“ in the Bible. Let me share the meaning of just two of them.

“Racham” comes from the root word “to fondle.” It means “to cherish a babe in the womb, to love deeply, to be compassionate, to show tender mercy and pity.” This word is used interchangeably in the Bible for the womb of a woman and also to describe God’s compassion and mercy.

“Meah” comes from a root word meaning “to be soft.” It refers to the internal organs including the reproductive organs. It speaks of man’s emotions and also of God’s emotions.

The womb is more than a literal place to conceive and nurture a babe. It is the seat of our compassion and tenderness. As we embrace our womb and childbearing, we return again to a soft and tender spirit. Little babies keep our hearts soft and at the same time we reveal the compassionate and tender heart of God.

God has chosen His female creation to reveal His mercy and tenderness to the world--firstly to our children and then to a hurting world. No wonder 1 Timothy 2:15 says that we will be preserved through embracing childbearing. We are saved from becoming tough and hard. Motherhood keeps us soft, tender, and beautiful in our femaleness.

Be encouraged today,

Nancy

You filled my life with purpose,
With hope for what lay ahead.
My greatest wish was for you to go
Wherever your Savior led.
He gave me you as an arrow
To send where He would call.
Though so many times I faltered,
I longed to give you my all.

I'm so thankful for the privilege
That too short a time was mine.
I didn't know then as the years flew by,
Just how fast would pass the time.
But I was blessed to savor
The best life that God can give-
To be a wife and mother,
There was no better way to live.

And if you have some little ones
At home, but just on loan,
Cherish every moment left
For all too soon they're grown.

2019, Val Halloran
www.valhalloran.com

Painting by Sheri Dinardi

Ho, my comrades! see the signal waving in the sky.
Reinforcements now appearing; victory is nigh!
"Hold the fort, for I am coming," Jesus signals still.
Wave the answer back to Heaven, "By Thy grace, we will!"

Fierce and long the battle rages but our help is near.
Onward comes our Great Commander. Cheer, my comrades, cheer!
"Hold the fort, for I am coming," Jesus signals still.
Wave the answer back to Heaven, "By Thy grace, we will!"

I am passing it along to you as an encouragement and an instruction. God has not forgotten us, even when the world situation (and our own) may see hopeless. Be strong and of good courage, dear friends: Jesus will at the appointed time.

PATRICIA HOLMES
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And in the face of all obstacles and trials, keep holding the fort in your homes, ladies.
~ Nancy

You were so much more than a “product,”
Even though you were very small.
Why does size determine terms?
That shouldn’t matter at all!

“Yes, you were so wanted,”
I hated that the question was routine.
You were cherished from the first thought,
You were a hope, a LIFE, a dream.

This world has become a hostile place for life,
They don’t understand why we love being a
mother and wife.
Little ones are quickly tossed aside
by the thousands every day.
“Don’t be sad ma’am, carry on, your product is
gone away.”

They think it’s so simple and freeing, to choose
a path of loss,
It’s called self-care in our culture, without even
counting the cost.
Scientists have discovered that when you’re gone.
Some of your DNA can be found in my brain,
That brings me comfort and helps ease my sadness
and pain.

We chose to name you Faithful, when we learned
you were in Heaven that night.
Reminding us that God is faithful,
And how everything He does is right.

Your tiny life made a difference, Little One.
We will always remember you.
I can’t wait to meet you in Heaven
And tell you that “Mommy loved you.

LAUREN BECK
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Lauren miscarried after five children.

I love to discover new words, don’t you? Here’s some new words you may have not used before, but I think they are beautiful words to add to our vocabulary.

Recently I read the book, “A Severe Mercy” by Sheldon Vanauken which also includes 18 unpublished letters by C. S. Lewis. It is the true story of Sheldon and Davy’s romance and life together. They lifted love to a new plane and called their love relationship “INLOVENESS.” To them it was “the greatest glory ever known.” Isn’t this a lovely word to aspire to in our own marriage relationships?

Awhile back I read another new word in one of George McDonald’s books. He talked about “HOMENESS,” picturing the warmth, love, and joy of home. I love this word too. It takes thought, time, love, and prayer to make our home a place of “homeness,” doesn’t it? It’s never wasted time. It’s a beautiful thing. Can we experientially add this word to our vocab?

Let’s keep going. What about “WOMBNESS”? Yes, there’s such a word. It’s not some imaginative word. It’s a reality. It’s very much part of who we are as women. In fact, you would not be a woman if you did not have a womb!

However, did you know that that wombness also applies to God? The Hebrew word “racham” is used in the Bible to describe the literal womb of woman and to also reveal God’s compassion and tender mercy. It is translated “mercy” 32 times. When we embrace our wombness, we reveal the compassion and mercy of God.

The meaning of “feminine” in the 1828 Webster’s Dictionary is as follows: “The first syllable is probably from womb . . . The last part of the word is probably from man, quasi, “femman,” womb-man. To be feminine is to be ‘a womb man.’”

And what about all the other beautiful “ness” words which should fill our home? Don’t gloss over these words, but think about which ones you need to incorporate more into your home life.

Amiableness, availableness,
chasteness, cheerfulness, cleanliness, courteousness,
faithfulness, femaleness, forgiveness, fruitfulness,
generousness, gentleness, godliness, goodness, graciousness, greatheartedness,
heavenliness, helpfulness, holiness, humbleness,
joyfulness,
kindness,
loveliness,
meekness, mercifulness, motherliness,
nestingness,
peacefulness, positiveness, prayerfulness, pureness,
respectfulness, restfulness, righteousness,
selflessness, steadfastness, submissiveness, sweetness,
teachableness, tenderheartedness, thankfulness, thoughtfulness, truthfulness,
uprightness, usefulness,
virtuousness,
wifeliness, willingness, and you’ll think of more. (And if you, do please let me know)!

Why not write out in BIG LETTERS the words that speak to you and pin them up in your kitchen and other appropriate places in the home. Change to different words each week. They will inspire you and your children!

We’ll talk more about some of these words in the next few days.

Love from Nancy Campbell

Picture: mike savad art | ... Chair Photograph - Porch - Garwood Nj - Granpas Chair Fine Art Print

When you are going through trouble and everything seems dark, bleak, and even impossible, remember that God brings His deliverance in the morning! Don't take your worries to bed with you. Give them to the Lord. While you sleep, God will work on your behalf. He will give you His help in the morning. Yes, this is true, because it’s God’s infallible word!

Psalm 30:5: Weeping may endure for a night, but JOY COMES IN THE MORNING.”

Psalm 49:14 promises that you will have dominion “in the morning."

And you know that God’s mercies and compassion are “new every morning” (Lamentations 3:22, 23).

Now we must also remember that God does everything in His perfect timing. It may not be tomorrow morning that you receive your deliverance but know with all your heart that God is working, and your morning of deliverance and joy will come! Amen and Amen!

Psalm 127:2: “It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep.”

And you can also be practical and take some “Natural Calm” (The Anti-stress Drink) before you go to bed. Order it from the Internet.

Blessings to you today from Nancy Campbell

We all know about the virtuous woman of Proverbs 31. But the word virtuous means more than what we usually think. The Hebrew is “chayil” meaning “virtue, valor, military strength.”

This woman is not a wimp. She is someone to be reckoned with. She has the strength of a soldier in battle. She has physical strength but her inward strength is even greater. I love the picture of the bride given in Song of Songs 6:10: “Who is she that looketh forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun and terrible (awesome) as an army with banners?”

She is not strong in independence but strong in the precious qualities that God has given to His female creation. And God pours out His praises upon her. Let’s read Proverbs 31:10 in the Amplified version: “A capable, intelligent and virtuous woman, who is he who can find her? She is FAR MORE PRECIOUS THAN JEWELS and her value is FAR ABOVE RUBIES OR PEARLS.”

Her strength of character enables her to submit to her husband instead of jumping up and down and demanding her own way.

Her strength of character guards her mouth instead of spitting out harsh and hurtful words.

Her strength of character enables her to stand strong against temptations of lust. She is strong in morality and purity. She will be true to her husband as long as she lives. She lives “only unto him” as she vowed on her wedding day. She stands true to her marriage vows in the good times and the difficult times. for better, for worse, in sickness and in health . . .”

Her strength of character enables her to trust God even when life is overwhelming and full of trials. She keeps calm no matter what is happening around her.

Her strength of character causes her to purposely do good to her husband every day of her life (Proverbs 31:12).

Her strength of character saves her from getting sucked into the humanistic mindset of this world. She is not swayed by the crowd and what everyone does. Instead, she searches God’s Word to see what God says. She lives by the eternal principles of God’s Word rather than the mindset of current society. She is prepared to do it God’s way even if no one else follows!

Her strength of character keeps her from lowering herself to gossip and worthless words. When she speaks, she opens her mouth in kindness. Proverbs 31:26 says: “She opens her mouth with wisdom, and in her tongue is the law of kindness.”

Her strength of character saves her from being taken up with herself and thinking only of her own needs. Her heart is big and open to the needs of others. Proverbs 31:20 says: “She stretches out her hand to the poor; yes, she reaches forth her hands to the needy.” Read also 1 Peter 5:10 for a description of a woman who lives the way God intends.

Her strength of character enables her to work hard and make sure her family is fed and clothed. She “looks well to the ways of her household, and eats not the bread of idleness” (Proverbs 31:14, 15,21, 27).

Her strength of character causes her to fear the Lord rather than man (Proverbs 31:30).

This woman is very precious. But dear mothers, don’t despair if you don’t feel that you have arrived. You cannot wave a wand and become a virtuous woman. You grow into it as you go through your trials and your battles which make you stronger and more “valiant in the fight” (Hebrews 11:34). You grow into it as you seek God, seek His precious Word, and His wisdom.

Be blessed and encouraged today,

Nancy Campbell

Painting by Daniel Gerhartz

Tonight thousands of witches from all over the country and the world are gathering together TONIGHT, 25 November, at 11.59 pm to put a binding spell upon President Trump (and all those who stand with him) to stop “his malignant works.” They want freedom for their “reproductive rights, and fascism, and protection of the earth” and so on. Mr. Hughes wrote. "It is ripping the bullhorn from his hands, smashing his phone so he can't tweet, tying him up, and throwing him in a dark basement where he can't hurt anyone."

We as Christians must unify and pray against this attack of the enemy. They are putting a binding spell upon Trump, but Jesus gave us the authority to bind, and He is greater than the devil.

Matthew 18:18-20: “Verily I say unto you, whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Again I say unto you, that IF TWO OF YOU SHALL AGREE on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.
For where TWO OR THREE are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”

Most families reading this post have more than two or three. Gather your family together today or this evening and pray together in agreement that all their words and spells and bindings will by bound by a power which is much greater, the power of Jesus Christ, who is King of kings and Lord of lords and who defeated the devil.

When Balak hired Balaam to curse the children of Israel, he tried to curse them, but every time he opened his mouth, out came blessings. You can read all his prophetic blessings in Numbers, chapters 23 and 24. Numbers 23:19, 20 says: “Behold, I have received commandment to bless: and he that blessed; and I cannot reverse it.”

I believe that God has sovereignly chosen our president to sand for righteousness and the life of the unborn and the protection of our nation. Because of his stand, the enemies of God hate him. I don’t think there is another man who could have withstood the continual hate and threats against him. Take this Scripture before the Lord as you pray.

More promises to claim as you pray against these wicked spells. Isaiah 54;1;7: “No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.”

Psalm 149:6-9: “Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand;
To execute vengeance upon the heathen, and punishments upon the people;
To bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron;
To execute upon them the judgment written: this honor have all his saints. Praise ye the LORD.”

Please don’t forget to pray and remind others to pray.

Make time to PRAY WITH YOUR FAMILY TODDY OR THIS EVENING. You may like to gather others into your home with you to pray.

Yours in prayer and intercession,

Nancy Campbell

To read more go to: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-39090334

This lovely mother was doing the right thing. When God told Moses how to build the tabernacle in the wilderness, the first thing He told him to build was the ark of the covenant which was to reside in the Holy of Holies. He then began to show Moses what to do about the Holy Place where there were to be three pieces of furniture.

The first piece of furniture was the table! God began with the table, which was called “the Table of Shewbread.” God said it was to be placed on the north side in the Holy Place. The Scriptures tell us that Heaven is in the north, and God wanted the table to point toward Heaven where He already has a table.

Did you know that God had tables in His heavenly kingdom before we ever had them on earth? God is the originator of the table. And the table in your home is important to Him. He wants to come and dwell with you at your table.

Make your table a place of beauty, a table that draws the family together.

He also wants it to be in order. Did you know that God loves order? In Exodus 40:4, 22, 23 God said: “And thou shalt bring in the table, and SET IN ORDER the things that are to be set in order upon it . . . And he (Moses) put the table in the tent of the congregation, upon the side of the tabernacle northward . . . And he set the bread IN ORDER UPON IT before the LORD (in the presence of the Lord).”

Proverbs 9:2 tells us that the wise woman “furnishes her table.” She sets her table and makes it beautiful. There is something about preparing an orderly table. When you set and orderly table, it impacts those who come to the table. When your children see an orderly table, subconsciously they want to be orderly too.

We must care for every home in our home but remember to start with your table and dining room, because that’s were God starts. Make sure that this part of your home is lovely.

Blessings from Nancy Campbell

Picture: Jillian’s table.

She washed it clean and it was all ready to wear again!

She shared how this can be a little bit like motherhood. It’s certainly not all perfect. It can even get pretty dirty. And we as mothers are not perfect either. We can get angry and shout! Oh help! That’s spoiled our lovely mothering day.

But praise the Lord, we have an advocate (1 John 1:1, 2). We can repent and ask forgiveness and our Savior is always ready to forgive and wash us clean.

When you lose your temper and “blow it,” don’t give up. Come to Jesus. Ask His forgiveness and for His precious blood to wash you clean. 1 John 1:9 says: “if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Things may get dirty from time to time, but don’t stay dirty, dear mother. Keep washed and clean in the precious blood of Jesus.

Have a wonderful mothering day.

Love to you,

Nancy Campbell

There is no greater goal,
Or place of high esteem
Than to teach a child God's way
To become all they should be.

Yes, we each have gifts
To do all kinds of work,
But to nurture human souls
Should not be snubbed or shirked.

It seems as if today
"Just" to be a mom and wife
Is seen as low and boring,
As if missing out on life.

But stop and take a look
At what this view has wrought.
Do things keep getting better?
Are we prospering, or not?

The world is going crazy
As we value fame and wealth
More than faith and family,-
God's plan for life and health.

Let's seek the ancient paths
Where mothers are held high;
Where children aren't just burdens,
But the essence of blessed life.

There is no work that's higher;
God's word reveals it's true.
To love your spouse and children
Is His plan and will for you!

2019, Val Halloran
www.valhalliran.com