Above Rubies Daily Encouragement Blogs

Actually, our flesh is meant to be dead! The Bible tells us that when Christ died, we died with Him. When He rose, we rose with Him. When we come to Christ, we die to our flesh and instead yield to the life of Jesus Christ who dwells in us.

Galatians 2:20 says: “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loves me, and gave himself or me.”

A dead person doesn’t react! When we react with anger or get into a mood, we show to everyone around us that our flesh is still very much alive.

The problem is that one rotten potato doesn’t stay to itself. Because it is part of a bag of potatoes it begins to pollute all the potatoes around it. It’s the same with us. We live in a family. When we react negatively, live in self-pity, “fly off the handle,” or put on a miserable attitude, we affect everyone around us. We make them miserable too. They have to smell the stink of the rottenness.

Are you giving off bad smells or the beautiful aroma of Christ?

Love from Nancy Campbell

Read Romans chapter 6, Galatians 2:20; 5:24; 6:14; Ephesians 4:22-27; and Colossians 3:5-9.

Psalm 126:5, 6 says: “They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubles come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.” This is true in the natural, and also the spiritual.

You have “precious” truth that’s worth sharing and the principle is true that you will reap what you sow. As you are faithful to continually drop seeds of truth, there will be those who humble themselves and receive the truth.

Keep faithfully sowing the seed into your children’s lives and the people you meet each day. God does the watering.

Have a wonderful day, Nancy Campbell

And what about wonderful? I love this word. It is “pala” in the Hebrew and means “distinguished, extraordinary, miraculous, astonishing, marvelous.” Wow, what a word! God’s Word is extravagant. It not only uses adjectives, but when we look up the Hebrew or Greek, we find even more adjectives to help us understand the word.
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The first time "pala" is used is in Genesis 18:14 when God says: “Is (pala) anything too hard (pala) for the LORD?” Nothing is too hard for God. It was nothing for Him to give conception to Sarah when she was past the years of childbearing. Pala speaks of when God goes beyond the bounds of human powers or expectations (Exodus 3:20).

It is the same word used to describe the way God wonderfully and marvelously creates the baby in the secret place of the womb: “I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: MARVELOUS are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well” (Psalm 139:14).

Psalm 111:4: “He hath made his WONDERFUL works to be remembered.” God’s works are wonderful in creation. They are miraculous in performing miracles. But His most marvelous works are the children He creates in His image.

Psalm 96:3: “Declare his glory among the heathen, his WONDERS among all people.” And so many more wonderful Scriptures.

The greatest wonders the world waits to see are harmonious marriages and happy, unified, strong families. When marriages and families are strong and stable, the nation is strong and stable. When marriages and family life are weakened the nation weakens.

Aim to build a WONDERFUL marriage. You’ll have to work at it. You’ll have to go beyond your feelings. You’ll have to press through into miracles. But with the power of God and the anointing of the Holy Spirit you can see marvelous and extraordinary things happen. Proverbs 12:25 (TLB) says: “A word of encouragement does WONDERS.”

Aim to build a WONDERFUL family life. Don’t settle for the ordinary. Seek to make something marvelous happen in your home each day. Realize that often the little things are marvelous things—a hug, a smile, a forgiving spirit (even when you’ve been hurt) or making a “family togetherness” happen.

And remember, each one of your children reveal God’s "pala"—His marvelous, wonderful, and miraculous works. Your home is filled with the extraordinary wonders of the Lord.

Have a wonderful day in your home,

Nancy Campbell

PHOTO: Brooke Schultz | Portra 400 | Mamiya 645 AF

We must change gears in our brain from building a home that is like every other home around us. Instead, let’s build homes that are ABOVE the normal, above the mediocre, and above the status quo. Let’s build homes that not only subsist from day to day, but overflow in every area of our family lives. This is the lifestyle God intends for us (John 10:10). Let’s get out of the rut. Let’s get away from the boring and normal.

Sadly, in the average home today, members like to do their own thing. Each one going here and there, glued to their iPhones, or shut out from each another as they listen to other things on their earphones. But in the “above the norm” home, family members give time to one another—working, interreacting, and sharing together. They are a family unit, not fragmented from one another.

In the average home, there are more TVs in the home than children. The "above the norm" home has more children than TVs.

In the average home, most families don’t sit together at the family meal table very often. In the “above the norm” home, they delight to meet at the family table each day—to eat and communicate together. They understand that true fellowship is eye to eye and face to face.

In the average home, most families are so busy that they don’t get time to have family Bible reading and worship together. In the “above the norm” home, they make everything else fit around their morning and evening times to pray and read God's Word together.

In the average home, there is often bickering and fighting. In the "above average" home, the siblings are friends rather than fighting with one another.

In the average home, most families live to themselves. In the "above average" home, they love to open their home in hospitality. They love to invite others to share their meals. They enjoy food, gladness, and laughter as they share with others.

In the average home, they spend much of their time running here and there to sports and extra-curricular activities. In the “above the norm” home they spend more productive time at home. They continually think of ways to strengthen their family unit rather than weaken it.

It’s so normal to be average. Are you ready to go a step further and build an “ABOVE THE AVERAGE” home?

Blessings to you today from Nancy Campbell

What vision do you have for building your home for the Lord? I’m not talking about building a mansion with elaborate and expensive décor. There are far more important things to build in your home than materialistic things.

The word "magnificent" is “gadal” in the Hebrew and means, "to make large, advance, exceed, grow up, increase, lift up, magnify, and promote." Our family life should never become stagnant. We should always be advancing and thinking of better ways to intensify the manifestation of the presence of God in our family lives. Always increasing and strengthening the quality of our family life. Always open to the increase of children. This is what makes a home magnificent—not the adding of things, but babies and growing children. They are the true riches of our home.

Every day we seek to grow our marriage relationship. Doing something to make it more magnificent and amazing each new day. Of course, this won't just happen. David worked hard to make preparation to build God's home. The Bible says he prepared abundantly (1 Chronicles 22:3-5).

Do you think you could aim to build a home that is . . .
EXCEEDINGLY MAGNIFICENT in godliness,
EXCEEDINGLY MAGNIFICENT in the beauty of order and simplicity,
EXCEEDINGLY MAGNIFICENT in family togetherness,
EXCEEDINGLY MAGNIFICENT in the disciplines of prayer and love for God's Word,
EXCEEDINGLY MAGNIFICENT in peace and harmony,
EXCEEDINGLY MAGNIFICENT in joy, gladness, happiness, and laughter,
EXCEEDINGLY MAGNIFICENT in the manifestation of the presence of God?

Are you building an ordinary marriage or a magnificent marriage?

Are you building an ordinary family life or an amazing family life?

Blessings from Nancy Campbell

A 2015 survey by AVG Technologies reorted hat one third of children said that they felt unimportant when their parents looked at their smartphones during meals or when playing together. Even replying to a quick text message sends your child the message that your phone is less important than he or she is.

NO IPHONES AT YOUR FAMILY MEAL TABLE

I trust that you never allow digital devices at your family meal table. I think it is sacrilegious. Family meals times are some of the most important times in our homes. They are our “together” times when we all gather around the able to share and fellowship together. To allow our children to use their iPhones and communicate with others outside the home when they should be dialoguing with their parents and siblings is very disrespectful. I will not allow iPhones at our family table.

Many secular articles advocate lessening time on digital devices. Amy Morin from verywellfamily suggests:

1. No digital devices during family meals
2. No screens allowed in bedrooms
3. No electronics use during family fun nights

WHAT ABOUT A DIGITAL DETOX?

She suggests that families consider a digital detox for the whole family—perhaps a screen free night once a week, or even unplugging one weekend a month!

I think this can be a very good idea (for parents and children). It helps to save them becoming totally addicted. And remember, everyone survived quite well before iPhones. For generations! And they actually survived better—physically, and mentally. You don’t have to answer every text or message. You don’t have to check every ding on your device! You can use it to serve you, but never becomes its victim!

CHILDREN UNDER TWO SHOULD HAVE NO SCREEN TIME

The Center for Parenting Education states:
1. Children under two years should have NO SCREEN TIME! That means any time in front of a digital screen, TV, video game players, household digital devices and computers.
2. Children 2 – 10 should have only one hour of supervised time.
3. Tweens and Teens should have no more than two hours each day, after all homework is completed.
4.
Dr. Nicole Beurkens proves that screen time can be dangerous for our children’s mental and physical health. You can read her article by going to this link:
https://www.drbeurkens.com/dangers-overexposure-electronic…/

I’d love to hear what you do in your home.

Love from Nancy Campbell

DO THAT WHICH IS GOOD AND RIGHT

Deuteronomy 12:28: “Observe and hear all these words which I command thee, that it may go well with thee, and WITH THY CHILDREN AFTER THEE FOR EVER, when thou doest that which is good and right in the sight of the LORD thy God. (12:25; 30:2).

FEAR THE LORD

Deuteronomy 5:29: “O that there were such a heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and WITH THEIR CHILDREN FOREVER.”

The words “may go well” is the Hebrew word “yatav” and means “to do good, beautiful, pleasant, lovely, blessed.” We want our children to have a lovely life, don’t we? God promises this to them if we as parents walk in the fear of the Lord and obey His voice.

Psalm 112:1,2 is a wonderful promise to fathers who fear the Lord: “Blessed is the man that feareth the LORD, that delighteth greatly in his commandments. His seed (his children) shall be mighty on the earth: the generation of the upright shall be blessed.”

Acts 2:39: “For the promise is unto you, and TO YOUR CHILDREN, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.”

OUR LIVES IMPACT OUR CHILDREN FOR GOOD OR EVIL

Dear mothers, read the following Scriptures in the fear of the Lord. How wonderful that all our sin are forgiven and forgotten through the power of the blood of Jesus when we repent. But if we harbor sin in our lives and do not walk in the fear of God, if we harbor bitterness, rejection, jealousy, and hate etc. it doesn’t only hurt us, it hurts the following generations.

Exodus 20:5: “Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; And showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.” These words are repeated in the following Scriptures: Exodus 34:6, 7; Numbers 14:18; and Jeremiah 32:17-19.

Let’s give God the preeminence in our lives, in our marriages, and in our homes that we will bring blessings on our children and children’s children.

Love from Nancy Campbell

Let’s go back to the beginning. The very first words God spoke to mankind were: “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth.” But before He says those words the Bible says: “AND GOD BLESSED THEM, and God said unto them . . . “

Here’s some more interesting Scriptures.

Genesis 32: 9: “I will deal well with thee.” The Hebrew word for “deal well” is “yatav” and means “to do good, beautiful, pleasant, lovely, blessed.”

God continues talking to Jacob and in verse 12 says: “I will surely do thee good (it’s the same word, yatav).” And how does God do us good and give us a beautiful life? Let’s find out. The verse continues: “And make thy seed (children, descendants, progeny) as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.” This is how He wants to give us a beautiful and blessed life.

Deuteronomy 6:3: “Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe to do it; that it may be well (yatav) with thee, and that ye may INCREASE MIGHTILY.”

Deuteronomy 30:5, 9: “And the LORD thy God . . . will do thee good (yatav), and multiply thee above thy fathers . . . And the LORD thy God will make thee plenteous in every work of thine hand, in the fruit of thy womb . . . for the LORD will again rejoice over thee for good, as he rejoiced over thy fathers.”

Are you getting the picture? When God rejoices over us and wants to do us good, He blesses us with children! Now here comes the question. Is this the God you believe in? The God of the Bible? Or do you believe in someone different, the God you have made to fit your circumstances.

We also read it in a negative way when God speaks the curses over those who will not heed His commandments. Deuteronomy 28:63 says: “And it shall come to pass, that as the LORD rejoiced over you to do you good (yatav), and to multiply you; so the LORD will rejoice over you to destroy you . . .”

Let’s be Bible believers.

Blessings from Nancy Campbell

The words “may be well” are “yatab” in the Hebrew. This word means “beautiful, happy, successful, cheerful.” All they needed to do to enjoy a happy and beautiful life was to obey God’s voice and walk in all His ways. But what did they do instead? “They hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, but walked in the counsels and in the imaginations (stubbornness) of their evil heart, and went backward and not forward” (v. 24). It’s worth reading the whole chapter!

Psalm 81 is a lament again. Verses 11, 12 say: “But my people would not hearken to my voice: and Israel would none of me. So I gave them up unto their own hearts; lust: and they walked in their own counsels.”

And yet God longed to pour out his blessings upon them. He continues to share the longings of His heart in 13-16: “Oh that my people had hearkened unto me, and Israel had waked in my ways! I should soon have subdued their enemies, and turned my hand against their adversaries . . . He should have fed them also with the finest of wheat and with honey out of the rock should I have satisfied thee.”

THEY DIDN’T WANT THE GOOD LAND
Jeremiah 11:5-8 says: “Obey my voice . . . that I may perform the oath which I have sworn unto your fathers, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey . . . for I earnestly protested unto your fathers in the day that I brought them put out of the land of Egypt, even unto this day, rising early and protesting, saying, Obey my voice.”

Even with the promise of receiving a land flowing with milk and honey, what was their response? “Yet they obeyed not, nor inclined their ear . . .” (v. 8).

THEY DIDN’T WANT TO RETURN
God spoke to the people of Judah in Jeremiah 18:11-17 and said: “Return ye now every one from his evil way, and make your ways and your doings good.” Did they return? No. They said: “But we will walk after our own devices, and we will every one do the imagination of his evil heart.” They turned from God’s ancient, timeless, and everlasting ways to go their own ways.

THEY DIDN’T WANT GOD’S PROTECTION
Jesus cried and wept over Jerusalem: “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under where wings.” What was their response? “And ye would not!” (Matthew 23:37 and Luke 13:34).

Why are we so stubborn? Why do we go our own way and get stressed out when God invites us to His life of rest?

Don’t refuse God’s invitations. Embrace them with a great big “Thank You.”

Love from Nancy Campbell

Again in Jeremiah 6:16 God speaks about rest: “Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls." Another beautiful invitation to God’s rest. But did they receive His invitation? No. Instead they said: “We will not walk therein.” They would rather trust in their own ideas than go back to the old paths, even when it’s stressful.

Jeremiah 17:19-24 speaks about the literal Sabbath Day of rest and not violating it. But this same principle applies to us in our daily lives. God says: “If you diligently hearken unto me, saith the LORD, to bring in no burden through the gates of this city on the sabbath day, but hallow the sabbath day, to do no work therein, Then shall there enter into the gates of this city kings and princes sitting upon the throne of David . . . “

When we bring burdens into our lives through the gates of our minds, we lose our rest. We live in turmoil instead of God’s rest. We allow our burdens to become king in our hearts instead of Christ Himself. Either Jesus is King or our burdens and troubles. It’s our choice.

But did they listen? No. ”They obeyed not, neither inclined their ear, but made their neck stiff, that they might not hear, not receive instruction.” (v. 23).

Do we accept God’s way for rest or try to do it our own way?

Blessings from Nancy Campbell

What happens when we do it God’s way? God continues speaking: “To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing” (Isaiah 28:12). Did you get this dear, weary mother? It says: “This is the REST and this is the REFRESHING!” Let me repeat it again: “This is the rest!” God knows the best way for your children, and they learn a lot more this way.

He also knows the best way for YOU. You will enjoy rest instead of becoming a stressed-out, anxious mother.

Of course, you will be diligent. Deuteronomy 6:6-9 tells us to diligently teach our children. This is not a half-hearted word. It means: “To impress sharply by verbal repetition, to point, to show, to engrave, to make them penetrate, and to whet as in whetting the appetite with repetition and diligence.”

How do we do this? God tells us to do it as we live life—when you sit in your home, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. He doesn’t tell us we have to complete every curriculum we purchased (just because we spent the money on it). He doesn’t tell us we have to accomplish the set block of teaching we planned for the day. He wants us to faithfully teach, but little by little, line upon line. Isn’t that lovely?

However, we have a problem. Many don’t believe God’s way. They think they must teach like the school system, or like some other mother. Dear mother, don’t be like the people to whom God showed His way but the response to the “line upon line; here a little, there a little” was “yet they would not hear” (Isaiah 28:12).

Why are we so stubborn? Why do we go our own way and get stressed out when God invites us to His life of rest? Don’t refuse God’s invitation. Embrace them with a great big “Thank You.”

Blessings from Nancy Campbell

Painting by Pino Daeni (1939-2010, Italian artist).

A true marriage resists all evil. Hebrews 13:4 (NET) says: “Marriage must be honored among all and the marriage bed kept undefiled.” Refuse all flirtations with other men. Refuse all kinky sex. Keep the marriage bed pure and holy.

e) CEDARS ARE FRAGRANT
The cedar exudes a gum which gives off fragrance. Does your marriage exude fragrance like the cedar? I love the quote of John Piper: “There has never been a generation whose view of marriage is high enough.” Our marriages are sacred. Their purpose is to reveal the relationship of Christ and the church—of Christ who laid down His life for the church and the bride who submits to His Lordship. This is a “glorious” thing (Ephesians 5:27).

Can we allow God to work in us to make our marriages a glorious testimony to our families and to all around us?

Be blessed,

Nancy Campbell

Picture: From matrimonio.com.pe

We live in an unprecedented hour in history when divorce is as rampart in the church as it is in the world. How God’s heart must grieve as the beautiful institution of marriage, which He ordained, is attacked and torn apart by the devil. This is not the vision of “lovely homes” which God designed (Numbers 24:5.

How can our marriages last? Only by doing it God’s way. Our selfish flesh continually puts a wrench in the works! “Self” and “selfishness” are the root of all problems in marriage. We must lay down our own rights and embrace the same attitude of Jesus who did not cling to His rights as God. Instead, He made Himself of no reputation. He became a servant, humbled Himself, and was obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross (Philippians 2:6-8). The outworking of this truth in our lives is sufficient to keep a marriage to the end.

Too many people think that love is a feeling. When the feeling dies, they think love has finished. Love is a commitment. It goes beyond feeling. It goes beyond circumstances. Even when we have no vestige of love left within us, God’s inexhaustible love is still available to us. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (MLB) describes the kind of love we need to survive marriage. It is agape love, which starts with: “Love endures long” and ends with “love endures without limit.”

King Solomon used cedar timber to build God’s temple as well as his own palace because of the durability of the wood. God wants our marriages to be built of cedar too, not poplar or untreated pine that does not stand the tests of time.

Build something special into your lasting marriage today. It doesn’t happen without your DOING something.

Love from Nancy Campbell

Enjoy!

I’ll print the words for you too so you can enjoy them as you listen.
You can’t put much weight on one single vine
But you can pull yourself up when two are entwined,
We two became one and True Love grew stronger,
So strong we believed it couldn’t grow any longer.

CHORUS:
But watch our love grow like a body of water
From a fresh springtime rain in the form of our daughter,
Watch our love grow like a good deed we’ve done
That will be passed along with the name of our son,
Watch our love grow.

I’ve seen the mountains, the deserts and seas,
All the latest inventions and cures for diseases,
There’s so many wonders beneath God’s blue skies
But nothing compares to when love multiplies.

This love that we planted will live on and on,
It’ll grow even after we’re gone.

Picture: Pearl and Charlie with their grandson, Warren.

Ezekiel 31:3-7 (NET) is an allegory about Assyria, likening it to a cedar in Lebanon. Think of your marriage growing like the cedar as you read: “Assyria was a cedar in Lebanon, with beautiful branches and forest shade, and of towering height, its top among the clouds . . . the deep made it grow tall . . . it towered high above all the trees of the field.”

We can either stunt our marriage or make it grow. We stunt our marriage by curbing each other. We must release each other into God’s wondrous plan. We let our husbands be men. We don’t expect them to be like us or even think like us. They don’t think like us. Forget it! They are different.

Let your husband be who he is. Let him take the responsibility of his role seriously to provide, protect, and lead you in God’s ways. Don’t take that from him. Many women think they help their husbands by going out to work. That doesn’t help them. It weakens husband’s mandate from God to be the provider
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Let’s get it straight. When we embrace our high calling of motherhood and homemaking and release our husbands to their calling, our marriages can grow tall. Neither of us were created to do the job of the other. God made male and female with their own specific purpose. We accomplish far more for God and this world when we do it God’s way.

Grow your marriage today.

Blessings from Nancy Campbell

The Hebrew word for cedar is erez and means “from the tenacity of its roots.” I read that for every 10 feet of height above the ground, the roots of the cedar go down 30 feet under the ground. Amazingly, the tips of the roots have a substance that allows them to drill through the toughest rocks as they go down deep into the earth.

God wants our marriages to be rooted like this. He wants them to be strongly rooted in God’s principles and the covenant we made on our wedding day. He wants them to be strongly knitted together in commitment, faithfulness, morality, unity, and love. Nothing stopping them.

However, they don’t become strong automatically. We must proactively strengthen them. We must do something to build and strengthen our marriages each new day. With our words and our actions.

Are you doing something tangible to strengthen your marriage today?

More about our “cedar tree” marriages tomorrow.

Blessings from Nancy Campbell

Everything depends on our understanding of truth, on our attitude, and our thought patterns regarding what we do. Live in the truth rather than deception. And your life will change. You’ll enjoy your beautiful life.

And there’s more. God says that you will be rewarded for every good thing you do. You are doing GOOD things, and therefore your reward is coming. Be encouraged. Read these Scriptures:

Romans 2:6-11: “Who will render to every man according to his deeds: To them who by PATIENT CONTINUANCE IN WELL DOING seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life: . . . glory, honor, and peace, to every man that worketh GOOD . . . “

Ephesians 6:6-8: “Doing the will of God from the heart; With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men: Knowing that whatsoever GOOD THING any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord.”

Every little good thing you do today is not in vain. It has eternal value.

Be blessed, Nancy Campbell

MORE SCRIPTURES TO READ:
1 Corinthians 3:8, 14; 15:58; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Galatians 6:7-9; Colossians 3:23, 24; and Revelation 22:12.