Above Rubies Daily Encouragement Blogs

It grieves my heart that there are still people willingly listening to the mandates of extreme leftist and socialist mayors and governors who want the demise of this nation. Of course, the devil always comes as an angel of light. He doesn’t make his ways look evil. He makes them look good and wise neighborly, just as he did when he first tempted Eve in the Garden (Genesis 3:6)..

They command us to wear masks “for our protection and to look after our neighbor.” But that’s a big laugh. The pore size of cloth face coverings range from 20 – 100 microns. However, the virus is 200 – 1000 times smaller than that, only 0.1 microns. Masks do not protect you, plus they are most unhealthy as you constantly breathe in your own carbon dioxide.

But far more seriously, what is happening in our nation, and the nations of the world, is totally antipathy to how God intends us to live. Of course, Satan loves to promote everything that is opposite to God’s ways.

God created us for communication with one another, not isolation. It is a healthy society that communicates with one another. Social distancing and masking promotes loneliness and loneliness begets depression. No wonder the Director or the CDC has now announced that there are far more deaths from suicides than the COVID-19.

It is also prepares the way for people to become suspicious of one another and therefore to more freely pimp and report on one another which governors in some of our liberals states are already encouraging their constituents to do. What a sad society.

Let’s wake up people. This is not how God wants us to live. We must break free. We still live in the “land of the free and the home of the brave” although not many are now acting free or brave. But why not?

We should be able to go to the supermarket and communicate and smile at people. To have a little chat. To pray for someone who is in need.

The First Amendment still gives us the rights to “the freedom of speech . . . and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” Are you writing to your governors, senators, and congressmen?

The Bible reminds us how God wants us to live. In Romans 1:12, 13 Paul told the Romans Christians of his longing to come and see them “that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established; That is, that I may be comforted together with you by the MUTUAL FAITH both of YOU AND ME.

The Christian faith is not only a “me” faith. It’s not all about me. It ‘s a “you and me” faith. Everywhere else in the New Testament, the words “mutual faith” are translated either “one another, one to another, one toward another, one with another, one of another, or one for another, etc.” It’s a “one another” faith.

I love the Passion translation: “I yearn to come and be FACE TO FACE with you and get to know you (you can’t do that unless you are face to face). For I long to impart some spiritual gift that will empower you to stand strong in your faith. Now this means that when we COME TOGETHER SIDE BY SIDE something wonderful will be released. We can expect to be encouraged and comforted by each other’s faith.”

Our faith is a FACE TO FACE and SIDE BY SIDE faith. We grow in our faith as we come together and build one another up. It’s like the coals glowing brightly in the fire. Take one of the coals out and leave it on its own and it soon goes cold. Put it back into the fire and it’s not long before it glows again along with the other coals.

The Holy Spirit is the Comfortor, the parakletos, the one who “comes along side of us to comfort and encourage us.” The Holy Spirit in us wants us to do this to one another.

Let’s live the way God wants us to live.

Love from Nancy Campbell

Picture by Inge Look * https://www.ingelook.com/ * Check out her art and products.

The devil is the accuser. He has gotten his troops deceived enough to guilt and shame anyone who isn’t a social justice warrior who’s hero cape is a mask. Who is the accuser? Who loves guilt and shaming people? The devil! Don’t be mistaken!

The devil crept in, he came with a voice that sounds similar to Gods voice, to fool the people, good people, he needed to tell them they needed to wear it because they love their neighbor. It sounds good. It feels righteous! It even looks good, like being a hero even.

But be careful lest you forget who you are. The masks already make us all look the same in a lot of ways. The virus is is real, but it’s also tiny, it’s way smaller than you think and it creeps out of most masks anyhow. Put on Jesus! God is bigger than a mask. Don’t forget that he is our protector, not a mask.

Only God has the keys to everlasting life. Only He knows the number of our days. Only he can deliver us. Be careful, in the last days, even the elect shall be deceived. Remember, the devil always packages up his agendas in pretty loving looking packages.

Doesn’t it seem strange to anyone else that all the secular media, stars and people who are not even believers, who deny him by their evil works are the very ones teaching us how to love our neighbors right now? It is strange to me. But it doesn’t surprise me either. We live in crazy times and the global take over is just that much easier when we blindly obey.

Erin Harrison

We have been sharing how in the Scriptures “fervent” love means “to extend the hand, to reach out, to be intense.” We have been discussing about reaching out our hands in love to others, but God also wants us to reach out our hands to love Him in worship and prayer.

Somehow, it is inherent that we want to reach out our hands to God when worshipping Him. It is the response of our grateful and worshipping hearts. Look at the trees. Even their branches stretch upwards in worship to God.

We inherently lift our hands when crying out to God in prayer. It’s a reaching out to the heart of God. In fact, we are commanded in 1 Timothy 2:8 to “Lift up holy hands” in prayer.”

David cried to God in Psalm 28:2 (NLT): “Listen to my prayer for mercy as I cry out to you for help, as I LIFT UP MY HANDS toward your holy sanctuary.” Again he cried out in Psalm 143:6: “I STRETCH FORTH my hands unto thee” and in many other Scriptures.

I find I do this automatically, but I feel committed to specifically do it when praying for President Trump. The Holy Spirit put this on my heart when he became president. I remembered the story in Exodus 17:8-16 where the Israelites were battling against the Amalekites. Whenever Moses held up his hands to the Lord, Israel prevailed!

But it’s hard to keep your hands up for very long and when Moses let them down the Amalekites prevailed against the Israelites. So his brothers, Aaron and Hur, came and held up his hands and the children of Israel defeated their enemies.

President Trump has enemies all around him and fights a huge battle every day. There’s something about doing something tangible and as I raise by hands in prayer for him, symbolically, I feel as though I am holding him up. I think he needs all of us believers holding him up in prayer, don’t you?

There’s another great concern in our nation for which we should lift up our hands in prayer. It’s for the young children of our nation. If we are truly burdened, we’ll lift up our hands in desperation to God as we cry out against the evils of abortion and child trafficking. These two evils are destroying thousands of precious lives. How can we mumble a little prayer about these issues? We must lift up our hands to God. We need to cry out.

Lamentations 2:19 (NKJV) says: “Pour out your heart like water before the face of the Lord. Lift your hands toward Him for the life of your young children.”

Be blessed today,

Nancy Campbell

More Scriptures:
Lifting up our hands to God inn worship and prayer:
1 Kings 8:22, 23; 38, 39, 54, 55 (2 Chronicles 6:12, 13, 29, 30); Ezra 9:5, 6; Job 11:13-15; Psalm 28:2; 63:4; 88:9; 134:2; 141:2; 143:6; Lamentations 2:19; and 3:40, 41.

Lifting up our hands to honor God’s Word:
Nehemiah 8:5, 6 and Psalm 119:48.

Lifting up our hands to commit to an action:
Genesis 14:22-24.

P.S. I have discovered 50 prayers in the Bible where David prayed against his enemies. Because they are biblical prayers, I like to use them, and speak them out as I pray for President Trump. If you would like to receive a copy of these prayers, email me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

“Love ever gives, forgives, outlives, and while it lives, it gives! For this is love’s prerogative, to give and give, and give.” We don’t belong to the “give me/entitlement society. We belong to the king of God givers.

We reach out our hands in fervent love when we pray for the sick. The word is used in Matthew 8:3 when Jesus touched the leper: “And Jesus put forth (ekteino) his hand and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.” Yes, Jesus was willing to touch the leper.

We should always be ready to touch or lay our hands on those who are sick and pray for them, beginning in the home with our families of course. God loves to “stretches forth His hand to heal (Acts 4:30).

God is always stretching out His hand to us, even when we are indifferent. Proverbs 1:24 says: “Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded.” Read also Isaiah 9:12, 17, 21; and 10:4.

We reach forth our hands to bless our children. We don’t want to forget to do this. Jesus loved to do it. Mark 10:16 says: “And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.” There is something about putting our hands on our children or even other people when we want to bless them. That’s a little difficult if you are six feet apart though, isn’t it? Read also Genesis 48:13-16; Leviticus 9:22 and Luke 24:50.

Be blessed today,

Nancy Campbell

Scriptures about Jesus touching when He healed:
Matthew 8:2, 3 (Mark 1:40-42 and Luke 5:12, 13); Matthew 9:27-29; Mark 8:22-25; Luke 7:12-14; 15:14-17; and 22:50, 51.

Scriptures about God stretching forth His hand to redeem and deliver us:
Exodus 6:6; Deuteronomy 4:34, 37; 5:15; 7:19; 9:29; 11:2, 3; 26:8; 1 Kings 8:42 (2 Chronicles 6:32); 2 Kings 17:36; Psalm 136:11, 12; Isaiah 14:24-27; Jeremiah 32:21; and Ezekiel 20:33, 34.

Normal Rockwell painting.

Love is more than a feeling. Love is action. If we have fervent love, we’ll be stretching out our hands. Of course, we do this all day long as mothers, don’t we? We are always reaching out for babies. We nurse them, hold them to us, or wear them in a baby carrier more than we leave them lying on their own. We continually reach out our arms to touch, caress, and hug our children. We cook for them and sere them food. We clean the house. Yes, even this is love in action. Who wants to live in a grimy and unorganized home? That’s not love.

We extend hands in hospitality. Immediately after reading “fervent love,” we read the admonition to “Use hospitality one to another without grudging.” Hospitality doesn’t just happen. You have to cook. You have to prepare a table. Yes, you have to extend your hand. But this is fervent love. It is biblical Christianity. It is the lifestyle of the kind of God. It is part of our “one anothering faith (Romans 1:12).

After reading my last post about contentment, an older mother asked how she could be content in her home with all her children grown. Dear older mothers, you have even more time to reach out in love to people through hospitality. It is the most beautiful way to show you care for people when you invite them to your home and to your table. Thee are so many lonely and needy people around all waiting to feel God’s love and comfort. The loveliest way you can do this is through hospitality. You’ll never be bored for a moment. Not only will you bless others, you’ll be blessed beyond measure yourself (Isaiah 58:5-12).

Our God is an hospitable God. He loves to reach forth His hands to bless people, but He must do it through His people.

The virtuous woman “STRETCHES out her hand to the poor; yea she REACHES forth her hands to the needy” (v. 20).

When God reveals the picture of the lifestyle of the godly woman, we read that she reaches out her hands to embrace children, practice hospitality, wash the saints’ feet, relieve the afflicted and help those in distress, and continually stretches out her hands to all kinds of good works (1 Timothy 5;10). Nothing happens without reaching out our hands

We’ll talk about more ways tomorrow.

Blessings from Nancy Campbell

Painting by Mary Cassatt 1896. “Maternal Caress”

I believe everything begins with our will. I notice in Exodus 2:21 that “Moses was CONTENT TO DWELL with the man.” This man was Reuel, the priest of Midian who lived out in the desert. Wow, this was the opposite of the life he had known--one of luxury, servants waiting upon him, and the best this world could offer.

The word “content” in this Scripture is “ya’al” and means “to be willing, to make up one’s mind, to be determined, to resolve.” Now, that’s interesting, isn’t it? His contentment was not because it was a beautiful situation, one of ease and comfort, and just what he had been looking for years!

Instead, Moses had to determine in his heart that he would be content in this situation. He had to make up his mind to do it.

I believe we must apply the same resolve in our lives. It is God’s plan to give us a home to dwell in and to raise the children He gives us in a home. It is God’s plan to make a dwelling place, firstly for God, and then for our husband and children.

Many times, mothers are not content because they think of other things they could be doing outside the home. They spent years educating themselves for a certain degree and life vocation and wonder why they are stuck at home with children.

We must come to that place in our mind where we know we are in the will of God. We know that this is God’s plan for our lives, and therefore, because it is His plan, we forget feelings. We forget imagining another life outside the home. We cast aside all self-pity, grumbling, and groaning.

We make up our mind and determine to be content. We resolve to be content. And as we do, we find contentment. Everything in life is how you think in your mind and your attitude to your situation.

May you be blessed with a contented spirit today. There’s nothing like contentment to bring peace and calm to your soul. It’s great for your health. It’s great for the atmosphere of your home. It’s great for the blessing of everyone around you.

Be blessed,

Nancy Campbell

“I identified with the article that you wrote in this latest one about setting the table. From when we were first married, and through the years of bringing up our family, we always sat down to a nicely and properly set table. To me, to meet around a table set nicely makes it a lovely meeting place to come together.

“Not long ago I invited my lovely 30-year-old granddaughter and her fiance in for an evening meal. When they came in the door and saw the table all set, I heard her say quietly, “Wow,” and she looked at me with a big smile. It set the evening off to be a lovely time.

“I had friends in not long ago for lunch and I had the table nicely set for them and the time together went really well. A nicely-set table shows we care about those who will be at the table with us.

“When the children were home, we never sat at the TV at mealtimes. He liked the table being set well for the meal. He insisted the butter knife was with the butter dish and a spoon was in the jam dish as he was bought up having meals around a set table too.

“I am a widow now but still set my meal place at the table. For us older women, it is a place and time we can use our nice things and also welcome people to our tables.

NathalieNorris * This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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 your husband cold and indifferent to you? Does he say things that hurt you? Think of ways to bless him. Take time to think of blessing words to say to him. Speak kind, sweet, and loving words to him, even in the face of his indifference. You won’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): “A word of encouragement does wonders.” Try it. It works.

Proverbs 15:1: “A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.”

Proverbs 15;15: “A soft tongue breaketh the bone.” Soft and submissive words can break the hardest heart.

Love from Nancy Campbell

Picture: Sunny-side-up eggs. Art by Soosh.

I recently wrote you a post called YOU CAN CHANGE PEOPLE’S LIVES. Scroll down to read it. It’s all about how we should greet people and how our words can change lives. I loved reading some of the testimonies on the thread and, in case you missed seeing them, I would like to share them with you so you can be blessed too.

THE BEST FAMILY IN THE WORLD
“Our children are grown, and we are all going different directions everyday, but my husband started a family text to greet each other every morning or say goodnight. He always says something like "Good Morning, you wonderful people. I have the best family in the world!" We feel "washed" every time! So now we all express those kind of things to one another in the morning or randomly through the day.”

THE POWER OF NAME MEANINGS
Another lovely testimony: “I love this! I have wonderful story I'd like to share. One time I led worship at a women's retreat and one of the things we brought into the teaching time was the meaning of each other's names. Mine, Katherine, means “pure one.“ Before my flight from TN back to AZ, I called my husband to let him know I was on the plane, but when he answered the phone, he, NOT KNOWING how we were greeting each other at the retreat with our name meanings, said to me, "Well good morning, Pure One!"

“It was such a God designed moment and so on point that I thought my retreat coordinator friend had called him and told him to greet me that way, but she had not. He had been teaching our children that morning about names and what they meant, and I happened to call during the teaching time; hence, his greeting me as he did.”

FROM BICKERING TO LOVING
Another reader wrote: “When I was in third grade my wise teacher had all the children in her classroom write down something we liked about each other, and then made a list of the compliments for each student. It still makes me smile to remember those compliments. Today, after seeing this, I asked my small children what they loved and appreciated about each other, and this conversation turned their attitudes from squabbling and bickering to gratefulness and care for each other. Amazing! Thank you for this timely reminder, Nancy!
“
“I love this! I greet my twins many mornings by saying, “Good morning, mommy’s love and joy”!”

“I always call my children "my lovelies "

I love this last one, because I often call my husband Lovely. It may seem strange to you, but I never call him by his name of Colin unless I am speaking about him. When talking to him directly I call him Darling or My Lovely etc. Because he is closer to me than anyone else and is my dearest husband, it seems too common to call him the name everyone else calls him. In over 57 years I have always used an endearing name for him.

My husband is also so wonderful at blessing everyone each morning. At the end of our Family Devotions, he will always say, “May you have the greatest day of your life.” Or “May this be the best day you have ever lived so far!”

One time he went through the alphabet and used a different adjective of the alphabet each day. For example, “May you all be ANOINTED of the Holy Spirit today.” Or at the end of the alphabet, “May you all be ZEALOUS for God today.”

Remember, every time you open your mouth, speak life. Speak hope. Speak encouragement. Speak positive affirmation. Speak wisdom. Speak health. Oh yes you can keep sickness out of your home by speaking health and wholeness.

Fill your home with encouraging and healing words.

Love from Nancy Campbell

I certainly agree so here is Elissa’s picture. I’d love you to send me your pictures too, either of your family already for church, or even a picture of folk worshipping in your church. I am sure we will all be encouraged as we, the people of God, seek to live in truth and not be silenced and dumbed down by liberal socialists who hate God and want to silence the people of God.

When Obama was president, he said: “Whatever we once were, we are no longer a Christian nation.” I don’t believe this at all. I believe there is a great silent church, but it’s time the church stopped being silent and stopped becoming victims to the rise of communism in our nation. It’s time to rise up.

It all starts with families. Families are the ones who decide they’ll go to church and take their families with them and who will not compromise and surrender to communist ideals. When the disciples were COMMANDED that they were not to teach in the name of Jesus, Peter answered: “We ought to obey God rather than men” (Acts 5;29).

Now I know there will be some who will say that are seeking to protect others from getting sick. Once again, are we trusting in the flesh or in God? Romans 8:11 says: “But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. “

Dear lovely ladies, when God’s people come together, the power of God is released. God in our midst (Matthew 18:20). When each believer has dwelling within them the Spirit of God that raised Jesus from the dead and that makes alive our mortal bodies, how can we be passing on sickness to one another?

If we don’t stand up now, the communists liberals will feel empowered to put more and more pressure upon us and we will soon face more persecution for our faith.

Email your pictures to me by attachment at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Thanks so much. I can’t wait to see your pictures.

Love from Nancy

Praise the Lord, there is now a petition you can sign to stand up for your freedom to worship God. I think we should all sign it, don’t you? Of course, we know that our greatest weapon is to pray. “If my people . . . “ Yes, God has promised that “IF MY PEOPLE, which are called by my name shall humble themselves and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will HEAL their land.”

Let’s humble ourselves and pray. Let’s seek God with all our heats. Let’s turn from every wicked and worldly way. And let’s stand up for truth—sign petitions, speak out the truth, and stand for our God-given freedoms.

We have God’s Word on our side, and we have the Constitution of this great nation on our side:
“The Frist Amendment (Amendment) to the United States Constitution PREVENTS (my capitals) the government for making laws which  regulate an establishment of religion, prohibit the free exercise of religion, or abridge the freedom of speech, the freedom of the press, the RIGHT TO PEACEABLY ASSEMBLE, or the right to petition the government for redress of grievances.”

We also need to be reminded of the ruling of the US Supreme Court shortly after the Civil War which still stands today: “Neither the legislature nor any executive or judicial officer may disregard the provisions of the constitution in case of emergency . . .

“Section 98 therefore, ANYONE who declares the suspension of CONSTITUTIONALLY GUARANTEED RIGHTS (to freely travel, PEACEFULLY ASSEMBLY,
earn a living, freely worship, etc.) and or attempts to enforce such suspension within 50 independent sovereign continental United States of America is making war against our constitution(s) and therefore, we the people. They violate their constitutional oath and, thus, immediately forfeit their office and authority and their proclamations may be disregarded with impunity and that means ANYONE, even the governor and President.

It’s time for the church to rise up with one voice and tell our government leaders and the rulers of big tech that we refuse to be silenced!

Do you want your freedom to sing in church? Click to sign:
https://www.letusworship.us/join/…

This is something we started when my mom's health began to go downhill. I would call her during our daily prayer/praise time in the morning. A few times a week we would sing one song, the children would say they loved her, and then we'd sign off.

After she died, we started calling their other three grandmothers this way. My dad's current wife asked if we would call a good friend of hers who has been self-quarantined for more than three months due to her health.

I wish I would have started this much sooner. It just takes a little more time, but the feedback that we have gotten has been very positive and we feel much more connected to our family far away. They don't expect us to be polished since we are not performing for them, but rather inviting them to sing with us, even if only in their hearts.

I think that sometimes we homeschooling mamas feel a strong desire to minister beyond our homes and I see this as a way to do this without neglecting our primary calling.

I just thought I'd share since there might be other families who want to try it. I know that there are so many lonely older people out there who would be greatly blessed.

Love from Paula Smith * This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

13 college presidents
65 professors
100 lawyers and a dean of an outstanding law school
30 judges
60 doctors and a dean of a medical school
80 holders of public office including:
3 United States Senators
3 Mayors of large cities
3 State governors
Third Vice President of the United States, Aaron Burr
Controller of the United States Treasury.

Members of the family wrote 135 books and edited 18 journals and periodicals. They entered the ministry in platoons and sent 100 missionaries overseas as well as stocking many mission boards with lay trustees. They directed banks, insurance companies, owned coalmines, iron plants and vast oil interests.

Winship states: “There is scarcely any great American industry that has not had one of this family among its chief promoters.”

Because of the responsibilities of Jonathan Edwards' ministry, Winship goes on to say: “Much of the capacity and talent, intensity and character of the Edwards family is due to Mrs. Sarah Edwards.” The influence of one godly mother has continued down through the generations to affect the destiny of the world.

In contrast to the Edwards family, 1200 of the Jukes' family were tracked down. They originated with one immigrant who settled in upstate New York in 1720 and produced a tribe of “idleness, ignorance, and vulgarity.” Only 20 of the 1200 Jukes' ever had any gainful employment and all the others were criminals or lived on state aid.

How are you influencing future generations?

Blessings from Nancy Campbell

P.S. Wouldn't it have been nice if they had smiled for pictures back in those days?

And what about your children? When you go out to the breakfast table, do you greet them with positive and loving words?
“Good morning, my most amazing and incredible children.”
“Good morning children. I love being your mother!”
“Good morning to my mighty world changers.”

And what about the people you meet? Paul wrote to the Colossian believers: “To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ. . . Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (Colossians 1:2). Do you notice that he called them “saints” and “faithful”? The word “saints” is “hagios” and means “holy, set apart, sanctified, consecrated, and pure.” He greeted them with the positive words: “holy and faithful.”

Why don’t we try to encourage people when we meet them? How lovely to greet friends in a way that will uplift their souls:
“So great to see you today, dear faithful friend. How are you?”
“What a joy to see your smiling face. You light up my day.”
“What a joy to see you. May you be blessed today.”
“I’m blessed every time I meet you.”

Change someone’s life every time you open your mouth.

Be encouraged and blessed,

Nancy Campbell

Therefore, as you nurse your sweet baby, love on your little one, and mother and train the other children God has given you, you are in the perfect will of God! You are doing what God intended you to do. And remember the wonderful promise in 1 John 2:17: “He that doeth the will of God abideth forever.”

What attitude should you have to fulfil the perfect will of God? We read the attitude of Jesus in Psalm 40:8: “I DELIGHT to do thy will, O my God.”

Are you delighting in your motherhood? We decide what attitude we will have each day. We can choose to delight in our mothering. To embrace it with all out hearts. To praise God even on the challenging and difficult days. Or we can give in to self-pity and complaining. What does that do? It changes everything into drudgery!

Does someone who serves God in a foreign country and suffers hardship for the name of Christ become disillusioned and grumble about their difficulties? No. They embrace it all with joy because they are serving God. They know they are walking in God’s will.

The perfect will of God is not always the easiest path, but it is the eternal one. The greatest one. The only one. And it brings into joy (Psalm 113:9 and Hebrews 12:2).

Which will you choose today?

Love from Nancy Campbell

Artist: John Fernandes, India, 1951 - 2007.