Above Rubies Daily Encouragement Blogs

"Notice the mismatched corelle dishes and glasses! Soft lighting, a tablecloth, and a few candles change a regular meal into a feast!

"If we put dinner time at the top of the list of priorities for our families these fancier dinners are completely do-able! The key is to making meals part of a daily routine and to encourage proper table etiquette!”

By the way, Vera is joyfully expecting their 14th blessing in the spring. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

May you have a blessed Christmas Day as you remember our glorious Savior.

~ Nancy Campbell

P.S. Don't you love this painting of Simeon and Jesus? It's one of my favorites.

Isaiah prophesied that Jesus would be called Emmanuel—God with us. “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14).

What love! What purpose God has for us in the gift of His son, Yeshua. He gave him to be the Savior of the world—to save us from our sins, to deliver us from our selfishness and bondages, but also to be with us. He wants to be close to us. He wants to fellowship with us. He wants to be present in every detail of our lives. There is no greater gift we could receive than Emmanuel.

Because Jesus died to take the punishment of our sin, we have cleansing and forgiveness—and the infilling of the Holy Spirit—God with us.

This gets to the very nitty-gritty of our lives. Dear mother, God is with you in every moment of your mothering. He is with you when you feel overwhelmed and even when you feel you can’t cope any longer. He is with you in all your frustrations and challenges. He is with you as you tackle another mound of dishes. He is with you as you scrub and clean.

He is with you as you face all the extra activities you take on at this Christmas season. He is with you as you sort out squabbles and sibling rivalry. You are not doing all this on your own. Emmanuel is with you. Acknowledge that He is with you. Thank Him that He is with you. It makes all the difference.

All these moments, the good and the difficult, are sacred moments because of Emmanuel. He is with you as you curl up on your sofa and nurse your baby. He is with you as you read stories to your children, and He is with you in the daily disciplines of teaching and training your children. Your whole attitude, and the atmosphere of your home, changes when you understand that God is powerfully with you in every mothering moment.

He is with you in the dark times. He is with you when you do not feel Him and think that He is far away. Your feelings have nothing to do with it. Your feelings do not change Emmanuel!

You may feel you are drowning in the waters, but in the midst of the deep waters, God says “I am with you . . . they shall not overflow you.” The waters of adversity may be swirling around you. They look fearful and you wonder how you will survive. But remember, you cannot drown when God is with you. It is impossible. Read Isaiah 43:2 again. Instead of talking about all that you are going through, thank God that He is with you in your trial. When you understand that God is with you, you can rejoice.

Perhaps you are going through a fiery trial. The flames are engulfing your life and family. They feel as though they are consuming you. But, once again, please remember the promise of God—"You will not be burned!” The flames will not consume you. Why? Because God is with you! God is bigger than your fiery trial. Read again Isaiah 43:1-3.

The greatest gift we have in this earthly life is that God with us. We are not citizens of this world. We are only sojourners here, ambassadors for the King of kings on our way to eternity. He does not leave us here to grovel and exist on our own. He has sent Emmanuel to be with us—to teach us, guide us, and fill us with His wisdom and His glorious presence as we fulfill our destiny.

Make this be the glorious theme of your Christmas celebrations. Share this wonderful revelation with your family. As you thank God, encourage each one in the family to thank God that He is Emmanuel--God with us.

May you and your family be filled with joy at this Christmas season,

Nancy Campbell

Read the meaning again. Do you notice that God did not create us to be the same as our husband? He created us differently. He created us to complement our husband in things that he cannot do himself.

God’s divine and glorious plan is to bring two people together and make them one—a man and a woman. Not two males. Not two females. Each are different, so they can accomplish the ultimate purposes of God.

God has created us with a womb to conceive and nurture life in our womb. Our husbands cannot do this. He created us to nourish a babe at our breast. Our husbands cannot do this. He created us to love home and make a nest and a safe sanctuary for our husbands and family. Our husband cannot do this. Without a wife in the home it looks and feels like a “bachelor pad.” No ambiance. No feminine touches. No hominess

This is God’s glorious plan. But because it is God’s plan, the devil hates it. He hates everything that is of God. Therefore, he seeks to destroy marriages. He woos women out of the home. He deceives them to take on their husband’s role and vacate the role God ordained for them.

Dear wives and mothers, let’s not be betrayed by the devil who is a liar and a deceiver. He has already two-timed thousands of women. Don’t be another of his statistics. Let’s be who God created us to be.

I was reading a commentary by Matthew Henry the other morning. He describes the wife as a “companion to her husband, manager of domestic concerns, trusted to form the minds of children.” I thought of how many women would despise these words today, and yet they are biblical.

It’s time to stop joining the devil’s plan (while he laughs up his sleeve), and instead embrace God’s eternal purpose.

Loads of love to you in your home today,

Nancy Campbell

Painting by Johann Georg Meyer von Bremen

By Jackie Gunderson * 1993 in Legacies, vol 3. No.3.

This petition will be sent to the Israeli Parliament, United Nations, and the White House, and shared online to let the world know just how many people believe in free and open access to the site that once housed God’s palace.

https://www.israel365.com/prayer-temple-mount/…

SIGN THE PETITION TO UPHOLD THE SCIENTIFIC DEFINITION OF SEX IN FEDERAL LAW AND POLICY
Read the following excerpt from the petition, that shows that God creates the male or female from the beginning of conception. If you agree, sign.

“Human sex is a binary, biologically determined, and immutable trait from conception forward. The norm for human design is to be conceived either male or female. Human sexuality is binary by design for the obvious purpose of the reproduction of our species. This principle is self-evident. “XY” and “XX” are genetic markers of male and female, respectively, and are found in every cell of the human body including the brain. Sex is established at conception, declares itself in utero, and is acknowledged at birth.

“Sex differences are real and consequential. The Institute of Medicine recognized the singular importance of sex to health and the field of medicine nearly two decades ago. Sex chromosomes impart innate differences between men and women in literally every cell of our bodies.[i] There are over 6500 shared genes that are expressed differently in human males and females.[iii] These differences impact our brains, organ systems, propensity for developing certain diseases, differential responses to drugs, toxins and pain, differential cognitive and emotional processes, behavior and more.[i]”

"Petition to Uphold the Scientific Definition of Sex in Federal Law and Policy"
https://www.ipetitions.com/…/uphold-the-scientific-defintio…

1. He enjoys the fruit of his labor (verse 2). He is a hard-working man who takes responsibility to provide for his family. He provides sufficiently for his wife to be in the home. He knows that he can’t afford for her to leave the home. His children are too precious to be given to someone else to care for.
2. He enjoys the blessings of his wife being in the home (verse 3). He is at peace because he knows his children are nurtured, trained, and guarded by his wife at home. They are not left to the others who do not have the same principles to shape their lives.
3. He enjoys the blessings of coming home to a wife who is in the heart of her home (verse 3). He comes home to a lovely meal that his wife has ready and waiting for him. He enjoys the blessing of sitting around the table with his wife and children where they interact and talk together about the day’s happenings. He is happy that he not only blesses his children with food and fellowship but feeds their inner man and read God’s Word to them.
4. He enjoys watching his children growing up--healthy, vigorous, and full of life.
5. The Israeli man sees “the good of Jerusalem” all the days of his life (verse 5). If more and more families would embrace the lifestyle of this psalm, we will also see “the good of our nation.” We cannot expect God’s blessings unless we walk in His ways.
6. He embraces the promise that he will enjoy the blessings of grandchildren (verse 6).
7. And lastly, he enjoys peace in his home and in the land (verse 6).

God uses the word “esher” meaning “extra happy” three times in this psalm, plus He uses the word “blessed” two times. It’s filled with God blessings for families that walk in His ways.

The picture God paints in this psalm of the family that He wants to bless is different to the lifestyle in many homes today, even Christian homes. However, no matter how much we think we know better than God, our human wisdom is foolishness. It’s only God’s ways that bring His ultimate blessings.

Love from Nancy Campbell

To use or not to use.

I recently talked to a friend from a different state who was staying in our home. As I spread the tablecloth in readiness for supper, she said “I don’t know one other mother among my homeschooling group who uses tablecloths.”

“Do you like naked tables?” I asked.

Just as I clothe myself, I love to clothe my table when we sit to eat. Dear young mothers with little darlings all around you, please don’t turn off as you read this It is possible to use tablecloths even when your children are little. You can purchase a pretty tablecloth and a large piece of clear plastic. Place the plastic over the tablecloth and all you need to do is wipe it down at the end of the meal. You need to wipe down the table anyway, and it’s just as easy to wipe the plastic.

There are seasons in life. When my children were little, I used plastic over my tablecloth. Now the children have grown, I no longer need to do this. I am amazed that I don’t have to wash my tablecloth every time we sit for a meal. I find I can use it several times before I notice marks on it. Plus, I like to use different tablecloths throughout the week.

I have a great supply of tablecloths and look for them at Goodwill. I have pretty pieces of material I use as tablecloths. I have some that have been given as gifts, but I’ve never spent a lot of money on them.

I am writing this in reply to some of the comments to the picture of table below. One person wrote: “I don't have the means to set a beautiful table. My plates are all mismatched. Tablecloths are all stained, and candles are a luxury.”

Do you know that it is possible to set a beautiful table even when you don’t have much? Get your children involved. They love to make things beautiful and they are very creative. It may not look professional, but it will be special. Get them to go outside and find some flowers or greenery to put in a vase for the table. Teach them how to set the table correctly. Give each child a turn and encourage them to make the table as creative as they can. It will become a competition with the children to see who can make it the best.

Children should see that the table is the heart of the home. The more effort we put into making it beautiful, the more these memories will be implanted into their hearts.

I think we have placed a low status upon the table in our society today. Let’s lift the standard. I remember reading in John McCain’s book, “Faith of my Fathers” about how his parents came to each evening meal dressed for the occasion, his father in an evening suit and his mother in a long evening gown. I’m not saying we should do this, but it showed the importance they place on the family meal table back in those days.

My husband always comes to the table dressed appropriately. Never in work clothes. He always changes and dresses suitably. Usually in his suit coat.

Another lady writes about the picture below: “I think it’s lovely! However, I don’t have money, or space to buy or store all those beautiful dishes!” Nor do I. I don’t own beautiful heirloom china like my dear friend in the picture below. Most of my dishes come from Goodwill. You can gradually gather sets of the same color. Sometimes I use a different dish for each person for the evening supper. You don’t do the same thing every evening. But you can always make it special.

Another mother says: “I want things simple, so I can focus on my friends and family.” Good statement. People are always more important than things. The children are far more important than the tablecloth and plates. But don’t negate these things, dear mothers. Even if you can’t do it in your most busy seasons (maybe a new baby in the home), do it as you can.

My goal for every meal is to “Make every meal a love affair.”

Love from Nancy Campbell

Picture: http://everydayliving.me/…/tablescape-tuesday-english-coun…/

I think it’s inherent within us to protect our families and our homes, don’t you? I was reminded of this again when I typed the Scripture we discussed yesterday. Psalm 144:14 says: “Our enemies will not invade our land, and there’ll be no breach in our walls.” This is one of the blessings of a nation that follows the ways of God.

But this is what I can’t understand. We have certain senators and congressmen and women who don’t want to protect our nation. They openly want terrorists to come freely into our land. They welcome anyone, even those who can’t support themselves. “Don’t worry. We’ll feed you, house you, and pay your medical bills,” they say. But who pays? Us taxpayers. They want to establish more Sanctuary Cities to house terrorists. This thinking is so unnatural to normal instinct. Normality wants to protect.

We currently have approximately 11.2 million undocumented immigrants living in USA. Some say 12.5 million. In 2017 FAIR (Federation for American Immigration Reform) reported the total cost of illegal immigration at $135 billion a year. Some reports say more and some less.

Interestingly, many of these politicians have fences around their own homes, and some even have guards. We would not be against them doing this. It’s normal. We all desire protection and privacy. But with this mindset, why don’t they want to guard the nation they are paid by us to protect?

God blesses a nation that walks in His ways. "Righteousness exalts a nation” Proverbs 14:34 states. One of the blessings is that we will have no invaders and no breaks in our walls. We will be secure. Sadly, we have thousands of people trying to invade our land, expecting to walk in freely while carrying the flags of their own countries! I watched one young man on the news from the caravan proudly state: “Not even God will stop me coming in!”

If we have any normal instinct within us, we’ll stand for protecting our borders.

Of course, we should welcome those who come legally. We are legal immigrants ourselves. We came to this wonderful country 27 years ago. We then applied for Green cards and became “resident aliens.” We later applied for citizenship and are very proud to be American citizens.

What does God say? The nation that has no invaders will be happy! The last verse of Psalm 144 says: “HAPPY is that people, that is in such a case: yea, HAPPY is that people, whose God is the LORD.”

Be blessed,

Nancy Campbell

Psalm 144 ends with the wonderful words: “Blessed are the people to whom such blessings fall!” (Psalm 144:15 (ESV).

Who are these blessed people? And what are the blessings that fall upon them?

Before I answer, let’s look at some other translations to see how they describe “esher,” the double happy word.

“O THE HAPPINESS of the people that is thus” (Young’s Literal Translation)

“HOW BLESSED are the people who experience these things!” (New English Translation).

“WHAT BLISS we experience when these blessings fall!” (The Passion Translation)

Now let’s discover the blessings. We find the first blessings in verse 12. All about our children. God always puts first things first. It describes our sons as well-nurtured plants, flourishing in their youth. We do not keep them like little boys but instead raise them to maturity. The Young’s translation says they are “BECOMING GREAT in their youth.” Did you notice those words? In their youth. Not when they are older.

How sad to see young men today, already in their twenties, and yet still immature. Not ready to take on the responsibility of marriage and family. Sometimes still relying on their families when they should be establishing a new godly family themselves.

Let’s raise our boys to become men who know how to take responsibility. That means gradually giving them responsibility in their youth. To see this happening in your sons is bliss!

Verse 12 then speaks about our daughters growing up strong and beautiful like pillars in a palace. They are preparing to be queens of their own domains. They are fit for royalty. They do not succumb to the worldly and fleshly spirit that woos so many young girls. To watch our daughters grow up pure and godly, prepared, and ready to raise families is also great bliss.

But we must go back further. For these wonderful blessings to happen we must pray the prayer David prayed and to take a stand against deception and evil like David did. David prayed two times in this psalm: “Deliver me and save me from these dark powers who speak nothing but lies. Their words are pure deceit and you can’t trust anything they say. Deliver us!” (Psalm 144:11 (TPT).

In other words, we must keep our children from deception and evil. That means their education. Sadly, today, our public education is being taken over by socialist, liberal mindset. The transgender mandate is now promoted in our schools. Muslim teaching is included in our textbooks, but not Christianity. We won’t grow children described in this psalm while we allow them to be duped and deceived by these evils.

When we raise godly children other blessings automatically follow. Let’s read all the blessings that make the people of a nation happy from The Passion Translation:

“Then our homes will be happy. Our sons will grow up as strong, sturdy men and our daughters with graceful beauty, royally fashioned as for a palace. Our barns will be filled to the brim, overflowing with the fruits of our harvest. Our fields will be full of sheep and cattle, too many to count, and our livestock will not miscarry their young. Our enemies will not invade our land, and there’ll be no breach in our walls. Whet bliss we experience when these blessings fall! The people who love and serve our God will be happy indeed!”

Amen and Amen!

Nancy Campbell

We need to daily invoke God’s protection. Every morning at our Family Devotions we pray for God‘s protection over each one in our family. Do you take time to do this too? Our safety is not of ourselves, but of the Lord (Deuteronomy 33:12 and Proverbs 21:31). Read also Psalm 115:11

GOD IS YOUR TRIUMPHANT SWORD
Another blessing of Deuteronomy 33;29. God’s Word is a sword that is more powerful than any two-edged sword (Hebrews 4:12). But God is also a Sword. Only God can cut down the enemy. We cannot do it in our name. Only in His powerful name. God will fight for us as we make our stand for truth and righteousness.

God will not fight for us unless we rise with him. He will not fight for us if we sit back and do not take a stand. We can’t sit on the sideline. We must also get into the battle. We read repeated promises in God’s Word how God fights for us, but He expects us to fight too.

Here are a few examples:
Deuteronomy 7:2, 3:
God’s promise: “When the LORD thy God shall deliver them before thee.”
Your part: “Thou shalt smite them, and utterly destroy them.”

Deuteronomy 9:3:
God’s promise: “The Lord thy God is he which goeth over before thee; as a consuming fire he shall destroy them (nations greater and mightier . . . cities great and fenced up to heaven. . . a people great and tall . . . giants), and he shall bring them down before thy face.”
Your part: “Thou shalt drive them out, and destroy them quickly, as the LORD hath said unto thee.”

Deuteronomy 33:27:
God’s promise: “He shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say . . .“
Your Part: “Destroy them.”

GOD ENABLES YOU TO TRAMPLE DOWN YOUR ENEMIES
Deuteronomy 33:29 (NET) says: “May your enemies cringe before you; may you trample on their backs.” We can experience this promise when we allow God to deliver and protect us. When we trust in our own thinking and own devices, we fail. When we trust in our great God and stand on His side, He fights for us.

And you will have joy!

Be blessed,

Nancy Campbell