Above Rubies Daily Encouragement Blogs

Through the weekly and daily devotionals you can be constantly encouraged in your great role of parenting, the highest career in the nation. You can also stay updated on what's happening with the Above Rubies ministry.

Strengthening Families Across the World through the encouragement of women in their high calling from God as wives, mothers and homemakers.

INBORN INSTINCTIVENESS

InstinctivenessAwhile back we were given a little “outside” cat. We didn’t know she was already pregnant and soon we had four more kittens to care for! It was amazing to watch “Shadow” mother her kittens. She gave herself to them as they contentedly nursed from her day and night. She didn’t resent that she was “stuck” with these kittens and couldn’t go on her usual haunts and adventures.

She instinctively mothered. And she is only an animal. I think of some women (not animals, but precious human beings made in the IMAGE OF GOD) who give birth to a baby and yet soon leave it for someone else to feed and care for. An animal wouldn’t do this. How have we become so brainwashed?

Shadow continued to feed her babies for many months until they were as big as her, sleek and fat. And now she has had kittens again! Is she upset? No. Once again she contentedly and intently mothers four new kittens. We put her outside to go to the bathroom (although an outside cat, it’s winter time and we allow her in while she nurses her kittens) and she is back as quickly as possible to be with her kittens, letting them nurse as often and as much as they want.

The Bible also questions those who do not embrace their instinctive maternalness:
Lamentations 4:3: “Even the sea monsters draw out the breast, they give su.ck to their young ones: the daughter of my people is become cruel, like the ostriches in the wilderness.”

Job 39:13-16: “The ostrich . . . which leaveth her eggs in the earth, and warmeth them in dust, and forgetteth that the foot may crush them, or that the wild beast may break them. She is hardened against her young ones, as though they were not hers: her labor is vain without fear; because God hath deprived her of wisdom, neither hath he imparted to her understanding.”

Isaiah 49:15: “Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb?”

Surely we who are made in the image of God should embrace the inherent maternalness God has put within us.

Blessings to you today,

Nancy Campbell

P.S. A picture of Shadow with her first set of kittens. They are now bigger and can be outside.

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MOTHERHOOD IS NOT FOR WIMPS

NotForWimpsThere are those who would spurn the vocation of mothers
And say of careers, it’s inferior to others,
I'll have to admit that it's not easy work,
It's relentless and from it you cannot shirk.

It takes all of your energy being a mother and wife,
Requiring daily commitment and a disciplined life,
It demands all your resources of patience and love,
Long-suffering and wisdom from the Father above.

It takes self-control and continual endurance,
It needs constant faith and great perseverance,
It means total sacrifice, forgetting your self,
Sometimes you think that you’re left on the shelf!

And what about time? It’s no longer yours,
It belongs to all those who come in your doors.
Claim your own rights? No, they're all gone too,
Like your right to sleep the whole night through!

It's not so easy to crawl into bed with a book
Or go off and dream in some quiet little nook.
It seems like you're totally losing your life
To be a good mother and a submissive wife.

But oh, faithful mother, please do not despair,
In God's perfect plan you do have a share,
To fulfil your destiny planned from creation
Which is to nurture children and BUILD A NATION!

You’re walking in the footsteps of Jesus your Lord
Who sacrificed all, His life He out-poured,
He didn't cling to His rights with selfish futility
He didn’t claim any privilege but walked in humility.

He gave up His life to save millions of others,
This principle works in the lives of all mothers,
When you lose your own life you'll find it again,
A rewarding life, without guilt or shame.

So lift up your head, embrace your calling so high,
You're in God's perfect will, there’s no reason to sigh!
You may often feel worthless - don't listen to this lie,
Your influence goes higher than the clouds in the sky!

As you nurture and train your God-given seed,
As you sharpen these 'arrows' by word and by deed,
You shape the nation - you determine its course,
Your mothering’s not wasted, it’s a great mighty force!

As your children leave home and go into the world
The proof of your training will soon be unfurled
You’ll influence countries where you've never been,
And down the generations its effect will be seen.

Your work is so powerful, no wonder it's tough,
But God is behind you, He's the GOD WHO IS ENOUGH,
His strength and His wisdom He will give to you,
He stands by His promises which are totally true.

He'll always be with you right through to the end
As you follow His leading and deny the world's trend,
Each morning you wake, your strength He'll renew.
He'll fill your home with His presence and His blessed peace too.

Love from Nancy Campbell

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PAY THEM BACK

PayBackWhat do you do when someone hurts you or says something that cuts deep into you like a knife? How do you feel when it is someone very close to you, perhaps your husband? You either retreat into a shell with self-pity and bitterness. Or you shout and yell. You want to pay them back.

Yes, that’s our first reaction, to pay them back. And can you believe it? God agrees with us. But He has a different way of paying back than we do. He wants us to “pay them back with a blessing” (1 Peter 3:9). Another translation says: “Retaliate with a blessing.”

How can you bless someone back when you feel hurt and mad at them? Only by God’s grace. Only by the power of Christ’s love and forgiveness that is in you because Christ lives in you. God’s ways are opposite to the way we feel, but they always work.

Can I encourage you to try it? Is you husband cold and indifferent to you? He says things that hurt you? Think of ways to bless him. Take time to think of words blessing to say to him. Speak kind, sweet, and loving words to him, even in the face of his indifference. You don’t feel like doing this, but let me tell you, you will be amazed at the miracles that will take place when you do it God’s way.

Proverbs 12: 25 (TLB) says: “A word of encouragement does wonders.”

Love from Nancy Campbell

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WHY DO YOU CRY?

Dear sweet mother, why do you cry?
Don’t you know that your God is nigh?
He is closer to you than your very breath,
He will never forsake you, not even in death.

BrokenHeartedHe created you for His joy and pleasure
And has chosen you as a special treasure,
He has graven your name on His very own palm,
He’ll come to your aid with His mighty right arm.

He is your Source, He will fill your cup,
When you are down, He will lift you up.
You don’t have to stay sad, for He is your Joy,
He’ll help you conquer those things that annoy.

God has given you children, which are your glory
To enrich your life and help write your story.
You’re in God’s perfect will, this is your calling,
He’ll help you each day and keep you from falling.

You can’t do it alone, your strength is weak,
Trust in the Lord and things won’t seem so bleak.
Look to the Lord, not the problems you face,
And you’ll be amazed how He’ll give you His grace.

A joyful mother is what He wants you to be,
Filling your home with gladness and glee.
Counting your blessings and praising the Lord
For His daily mercies and love out-poured.

“The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart”
(Psalm 34:18).

“Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning” (Psalm 30:5).

Love from NANCY CAMPBELL

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WHO CAN RESIST A BABY?

ResistBaby2Who can resist a baby
Sent from God above?
An eternal gift to you
From His heart of love.

~ Nancy

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WHO IS BIGGER?

IsGodAbleAre you fearful that God cannot provide for you family, or even for another baby? Dear mother, what God do you believe in? Isaiah 40:25 asks the question: “To whom then will ye liken me?” Do you bring God down to a level with your own thinking and your own abilities to provide? Who is bigger in your life? Your fears, or God? Surely God is bigger than all your imaginary fears and worries.

He answers this question in verses:26-29: “Lift up your eyes on high, and behold, who hath created these things, that bringing out their host by number: he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power: not one faileth . . . Hast thou not known? has thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.” Even while you sleep, God watches over and cares for you

David confessed in Psalm 37:25: “I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his children begging bread.” It all comes down to which God you worship; either a god of your own imagination or the God of the Bible who is totally faithful and totally able to provide and will never let you down.

Check out the following article that is filled with God’s promises to you as parents:
http://tinyurl.com/CanGodProvideforBaby

Blessings from Nancy Campbell

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WHERE’S OUR LONGANIMITY?

LonganimityWe often think we will do great things by faith. That we will inherit the promises by faith. Yes, that’s true, but only half the picture. Hebrews 6:11, 12 exhorts us: “That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and PATIENCE inherit the promises.”

Sometimes we can give up on faith because things don’t happen immediately for us. We wait years for God to answer our cries. We wait and wait and it seems that nothing happens. But we must remember that it is not only faith, but patience! In our modern, hectic age, most of us have not learned to have patience. We don’t get any practice.

We don’t have to chop the kindling and then bring in the wood to light the fire (although that’s what we do each day); we just expect our heating system to keep us warm. We don’t have to boil the copper, scrub our clothes on the old scrubbing board, and then hang them out on the line; we just press a button on the washing machine and then the drier.

Many mothers simply cannot wait until their baby is born to find out if it will be a boy or girl. I’m not saying it’s wrong; just that we don’t have patience! Most children today have never experienced the longing and anticipation of waiting for something for months and months or even a year or more. And so we have lost the art of patience. I think it’s time we learned it, don’t you?

We forget that God lives in eternity. He is not in a hurry. He is not ruled by time, nor does He succumb to the timetables of our frenzied lives. But He always comes in the perfect time. He is Alpha and Omega.

The word Greek word “patience” in the above Scripture means longanimity. Have you have heard of that word before? It’s really another word for longsuffering and forbearance. It means that we often have to wait a LONG TIME, even though we are filled with faith, to receive the fulfillment and promise.

Take heart, dear ones. God has not forgotten you. He has you in the palm of His hand. He will deliver you in His perfect time. He will bring the answer at the right time. And as you wait, trusting in Him, He will fill you with joy and peace.

And remember, it’s not a patience of resignation. “Oh well, I guess I’ll just have to stick it out and wait.” No, it’s a patience of anticipation, always believing that God will come at the very perfect time.

Blessings to you today,

Nancy Campbell

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ALL THE DAY LONG?

AllDayLongDoes this Facebook post find you rejoicing? Actually, rejoicing ALL DAY LONG! Maybe I hear you responding, “What are you saying? You have no idea what I am putting up with here today. You’ve got no idea of the fiery trial I am enduring.”

Yes, I know. You can’t always rejoice in your circumstances. David went through many trying and difficult times, often nearly to the point of death. He couldn’t rejoice in His sufferings, but what did he do instead? He rejoiced in the name of the Lord. Psalm 89:16 says: “IN THY NAME shall they rejoice ALL THE DAY.” Can I encourage you to lift up your eyes from your problems and instead trust in the name of the Lord? You can’t trust in man. You can’t trust in all that’s happening around you. But you CAN trust and rejoice in the name of the Lord.

Proverbs 18:10 says: “The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.”

Rejoice in the name of the Lord. Your circumstances may not change but your attitude will. Instead of turmoil you’ll have peace. And the atmosphere of your home will change.

Psalm 71:8: “Let my mouth be filled with thy praise and with thy honor ALL THE DAY.”

Be blessed.

Nancy Campbell

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NORMAL OR ABNORMAL?

AbnormalDid you know that most modern women menstruate about 400 times during their childbearing years? Did you know that this is ABNORMAL? God intended the ovaries to have resting times through pregnancy and lactation. Did you know this is one of the reasons why there is such an epidemic of ovarian and endometrial cancer?

Did you know that a hundred years ago women only ovulated about 100 times in their entire lifetime? Did you know that this is NORMAL for the female body? Did you know that every time a woman gets pregnant and bears a child, her lifetime risk of ovarian cancer drops 10 percent?

Did you know that women in their childbearing years are meant to be predominantly "suckling mothers" rather than "menstruating mothers"? This is far kinder to their female body and how God intended it to function.

Malcolm Gladwell quotes Drs. Coutinho and Segal when citing an anthropological work by scientist, Beverly Strassman in Mali, Africa: "Incessant ovulation serves no purpose except to increase the occurrence of abdominal pain, mood shifts, migraines, endometriosis, fibroids, and anemia." And again, "Ovarian and endometrial cancer are characteristically modern diseases, consequences, in part, of a century in which women have come to menstruate 400 times in a lifetime."

Romans 9:20: “Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?”

Blessings from Nancy Campbell

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JESUS WANTS TO BE OUR FRIEND

jesusfriend“When a man becomes a Christian, a new act of creation happens to him. His old life is gone for ever; a new life has come into being. And the whole process is due to the action of God, who through Christ turned our enmity to himself into FRIENDSHIP. The fact is that God was acting in Christ to turn the world’s enmity to himself into FRIENDSHIP . . . As the representatives of Christ we appeal to you to accept the offer of FRIENDSHIP that God is making to you” (2 Corinthians 5:17-20 Barclay).

Jesus died upon the cross for our sins in order to make us His friends. He wants to fellowship with us. He wants us to live in His presence.

Jesus said: “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth; but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I made known unto you” (John 15:13-15).

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THE HIGHEST CAREER

HighestCareerMany times I hear mothers saying they gave up their career to come home and care for their children. I believe this is a wrong conception. What they are really doing is giving up an inferior job for the greatest career in the nation. Most careers outside the home are not building for eternity. However, when you come home to mother your children--to train and nurture them body, soul, and spirit you build for eternity. Your children are eternal souls and all you pour into them will count for eternity.

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary says a career is “a profession for which one trains and which is undertaken as a permanent calling.” Motherhood is not a part-time job. It is a permanent calling, a calling for life.

The Free Dictionary says that a career is:
a) A chosen pursuit; a profession or occupation.
b) The general course or progression of one's working life or one's professional achievements.

Motherhood is even more than a chosen pursuit. It is a calling and commission from God. He created us for this very task. This is His divine plan for our lives. When we embrace our career of motherhood, we know that we walk in the perfect will of God.

In Ezekiel 19:10, 11 God gives us a beautiful allegory about motherhood. He speaks about Judah and likens her to a mother. He says that “her stature was exalted.” The word “exalted” in the Hebrew means “to soar, to mount up, to lift up, to raise up to great height.” One translation says that she is higher than all the other trees around. There are many careers for women, but motherhood is the highest one of all. We don’t “come down” to come home to our children, we “COME UP” to the highest career of all.

Love from Nancy Campbell

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LIVING IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD

PresenceGodGod wants us to live in His presence. He gave His beloved Son to die for us in order to restore us to fellowship with Himself and to live in His presence. But do we really live in His presence in our daily lives?

What does it look like to live in God’s presence? If know we live in His presence we will live in . . .

LIGHT for He is the light and in Him is no darkness at all (1 John 1:5-9). This Scripture reminds us that if we live in the light we will have fellowship with one another. We live in harmony with our husband and our family. We do not hold grudges, bitterness, or unforgiveness. To live this way we must constantly confess any sin or any thing that grieves the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives. And praise the Lord, God promises that the blood of Jesus Christ, His Son cleanses us from all sin.

LOVE for God is love. If He dwells in us and we dwell n Him we will live in love which will manifest through our eyes, our countenance, our hands, and our feet. It will fill our home.

TRUTH for God is truth (John 8:32). Let’s open our hearts and minds to the presence of God for in His presence all deception is exposed.

REST for God lives in rest (Matthew 11:29-30). What a beautiful revelation. If we live in God’s presence we live in rest. Nothing takes God by surprise. Nothing gets him tied up in knots. When you live in Him you live above the difficulties that try to pull you down.

JOY for God is our exceeding joy (Exodus 33:14-16; Psalm 16:1l; 43:4 and Jude 1:24). Worry and self-pity do not live in God’s presence.

HOLINESS without which no man will see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14). We cannot enjoy God’s presence if we allow sin in our lives. We must keep short accounts with God, allowing His Holy Spirit to search our hearts each day.

It is not enough for us to live daily in God’s presence. God wants our children to live in His presence. He wants our continuing generations to live in His presence. Claim Psalm 102: 28 (NEB) for your children: “Thy servants’ children shall continue, and their posterity shall be established IN THY PRESENCE.”

May your home be filled with the presence of God today.

~ Nancy Campbell

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ONE LAW

OneLawWhen people come into your home to stay, how should they fit in? Should you allow them to make their own rules and do what they usually do? Or should you expect them to fit into your lifestyle and the way you run your home? What about when children come into your home and are disrespectful to your home?

No matter what the subject, my philosophy is to find out what God says about it. I am always amazed that I find the answer to all my questions in God’s Word.

The children of Israel had many strangers living amongst them. Egyptians came with them out of Egypt. So how did they work things out? Did the strangers live according to their own laws or did they have to fit in with the laws God gave to the children of Israel? God makes it very clear in His Word that the strangers were to have the same laws as the "homeborn.” Let’s look at some of the Scriptures:

Exodus 12:49, 50: "One law shall be to him that is homeborn, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among you. Thus did all the children of Israel; as the Lord commanded Moses and Aaron, so did they."

Numbers 9:14: "Ye shall have one ordinance, both for the stranger, and for him that was born in the land."

Numbers 15:15, 16: "One ordinance shall be both for you of the congregation, and also for the stranger that sojourneth with you, an ordinance forever in your generations: as ye are, so shall the stranger before the Lord. One law and one manner shall be for you, and for the stranger that sojourneth with you."

Numbers 15:29: "Ye shall have one law for him that sinneth through ignorance, both for him that is born among the children of Israel, and for the stranger that sojourneth among them."

Therefore I use this biblical principle in my home. Of course, I do have grace and mercy, but there are times when I have to lovingly, but firmly, state the rules of our home. If parents do not have the decency to stop their children jumping on my sofas, I will have to tell the children to stop. I have often seen them jumping on beds and had to curtail them.

We like to sit up at the table when we eat. And I don’t allow eating throughout the house, expect in the kitchen and dining room. It’s not easy to keep a home clean when crumbs are dropped through the house and drinks spilt on carpets.

We expect people who stay or live with us (and because we open our home continually in hospitality, we have many people coming and going) to join with us for Family Devotions morning and evening. This is part of the lifestyle of our homeborn family, and therefore we expect “strangers,” although usually friends, to partake with us. Now if we have non-Christians sitting at our table, we won’t expect them to pray personally around the table as we usually do. However, we don’t forgo reading the Word, but my husband will pray instead.

I could go on talking about many issues and you will have lots of questions too. We need to be sitting around together in a circle to discuss this question. However, I hope these Scriptures will give you a guideline as you face situations like this in your home.

In His love,

Nancy Campbell

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YOU CAN GET UP AGAIN

GetUpAgain2Have you blown it? You've fallen again! You feel as though you have failed! Don't despair. God has put a principle in the universe that when we fall we will get up again. Isn't that great? Jeremiah 8:4 says: "Do men fall and not get up again? Does one turn away and not repent?"

If you've fallen, just get up again! That's the way! Isn't that how we encourage our little ones when they are learning to walk or when they are learning anything new as they grow older? This is the same way God treats us. He knows that we are weak and frail, but He encourages us to get up again. If you have sinned, repent and receive God's forgiveness which flows freely to you through His blood that He shed for you.

Psalm 37: 23-24 says: “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in His way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with His hand."

Even if you fall seven times in one day, you can get up again each time. Proverbs 24:16 says: “A just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again.”

Micah 7:8 says: “Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise when I sit in darkness, the LORD shall be a light unto me.” Read also Psalm 145:14.

Be blessed today.

Nancy Campbell

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MY HUSBAND’S HELPER

helpmeet2Genesis 2:18 says that I am created to be a help-meet to my husband. I can be a helper to him by:

H Heaping love and kisses upon him.
E Excitedly preparing meals for him.
L Lovingly serving him rather than my own pursuits.
P Praying for him.
E Encouraging him daily.
R Reverencing him and submitting to him.

How often I fall short of God’s divine plan for me. May God help me, and each one of us, to be the helpers He wants us to be to our husbands.

~ Nancy Campbell

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BACK TO LIFE

BacktoLifeHow is your soul today? Downcast? Reveling in self-pity? Or even dead? I have answer for you. It’s God’s living Word.

Psalm 19:7 says: “The law of the LORD is perfect converting the soul.” Most other translations say either: “restoring the soul.” “refreshing the soul,” “reviving the soul,” and “renewing the soul.” I love Knox translation which says: “The Lord’s perfect law, how it brings the soul back to life.” Don’t you love that? Does your soul need coming back to life? Get back into God’s Word. You cannot expect to keep your soul alive when you don’t feed it.

“But I don’t seem to get time to read the Bible,” you answer. I know it is not easy when you have little ones around you. When my children were little I used to keep a Bible beside the toilet, one on my windowsill in the kitchen, and one in the place where I nursed the baby. There are many moments when you can receive life and sustenance if you make them happen. Open your Bible to the Psalms or Proverbs where it is easy to read a few verses in context.

And it is the same for your children. We would not dream of starving our children. We faithfully feed them three meals a day, and often in-between. And yet we let their souls and spirits starve! Make sure you gather together as a family morning and evening to read God’s Word together. You’ve got to keep their souls and spirits alive too.

Blessings to you home today,

Nancy Campbell

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GIFTS FROM GOD

GiftsFromGodWhat happens when we have a baby? We receive a child from the Lord. When Eve gave birth to Cain she exclaimed, “I have gotten a man FROM THE LORD” (Genesis 4:1). Some translations say “with the help of the Lord.” I love the Knox Version which says, “I have been ENRICHED by the Lord with a man-child.”

What an awesome privilege we have as women! Every child God gives you comes from Him. He is the giver of life. You cannot even conceive without God visiting you (Genesis 21:1, 2 and 1Samuel 2:21).

Let’s embrace the privilege and awesomeness of conception and birth--miraculous blessings from God. Because this is God’s beautiful plan, the devil hates it and tries to destroy life every way He can.

Let’s be life receivers rather than life stoppers.

Love from Nancy Campbell

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GENERATION BUILDER

GenerationBuilderDo your dreams and prayers include the generations to come?

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WHAT HAPPENS TO A WOMAN’S BRAIN WHEN SHE BECOMES A MOTHER

WomansBrainI am sure all mothers will enjoy reading this article. Here are a couple of lovely quotes:

“Becoming a parent looks—at least in the brain—a lot like falling in love.”

“The blueprint for mothering behavior exists in the brain even before a woman has children. Perhaps, then, motherhood really is like secret space in a woman's brain, waiting to be discovered.”

http://www.theatlantic.com/…/what-happens-to-a-woma…/384179/

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THE BEAUTY OF JESUS

BeautyJesusMy life touched yours for a very brief space,
And what, oh what did you see?
A hurried, a worried, an anxious face?
Or the beauty of Jesus in me?

Was I steeped so deep in the ways of the world
That you couldn't detect one thing
That would set me apart and show that my heart
Belonged to the heavenly king?

Did I carry no banner for Jesus my Lord?
Not one thing at all that could show
Whose side I am on in the glorious fight?
I am his. But you wouldn't know.

Forgive me! and if we should e'er meet again
Upon earth, oh I pray you will see
No mark of this world, but his banner unfurled,
And the beauty of Jesus in me!

~ A. H. Mortenson

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Above Rubies Address

AboveRubies
Email Nancy

PO Box 681687
Franklin, TN 37068-1687

Phone : 931-729-9861
Office Hrs 9am - 5pm, M - F, CTZ