Above Rubies Daily Encouragement Blogs

Let’s keep a good attitude. Cast aside all negativity, anger, hurt, bitterness, unforgiveness and let’s fill our lies with the beauty of forgiveness, love, joy, and unselfishness.

2 Corinthians 3:18 tells us how that when we behold the face of Jesus, we are changed into His likeness. This also happens with us and our children. Our children behold our face all day long. What do they see? An expression of contentment and joy? Or frustration and anger? A smile or a frown?

Dear mother, your children will change into the same image they see on your face. Do you want happy, smiling children? Let them see this expression on your face.

I love the words of the hymn:

Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in me,
All his wonderful passion and purity,
O thou Spirit divine, all my nature refine,
Till the beauty of Jesus be seen in me.

May the expression on our faces make us look beautiful to our husbands and children.

Love from Nancy Campbell

Let’s forget about what we don’t have and give what we do have—the power of God dwelling in us to bless those around us. Give love and joyful service to your husband. Give to your children—hugs, kisses, encouraging words, godly teaching, and a home atmosphere that’s filled with God’s love, joy, and peace.

It’s good to remember that we don’t always have to give our children monetary things. It’s not things that they’ll remember, but the love and happiness in our homes.

Don’t allow your children to get into the habit of expecting to get something every time you go to the shops. Your children won’t be deprived if you can’t take them to all the entertainment that requires money! And there are loads of wonderful adventures and outdoor things you can take your children to that don’t require finance. And you can make it far more exciting and creative.

Of course, if you have the money, you can bless them in this way too. But it’s not necessary. Pour out your life for your family and for those who are needy around you. If you don’t have money to bless others, you can certainly do it in so many other ways.

Be a giver of your life, your smiles, your joy, your prayers, your time, and your practical love.

Be encouraged today,

Nancy Campbell

When we have a desire to bring forth children, we reveal the heart of our God. To desire to be a father and a mother is God-like. God gives to every man unique and differing gifts. However, no matter what gifts or career a man has, his greatest calling is fatherhood. He is made in the image of God who is a Father. Everything else in life serves this highest purpose.

It is the same for us as women. Each one of us have different gifts and abilities which we use for the blessing of others in this life. But we are essentially mothers. Or I should say quintessentially, for we were created for this purpose. When we embrace mothering and our nurturing anointing, we reveal God’s heart. The core of His heart.

Embrace your beautiful calling, mother. You are in God’s perfect will. You are revealing His likeness to the world.

To reject mothering is to reject the likeness of God. (And precious mothers who are unable to have children of your own, please don’t despair. You are also great mothers as you release your nurturing anointing to those God brings into your life).

We see such a hatred today to God’s ultimate plan for families. It comes from the pit of hell. The rising star of the Democratic Party, Ocasio-Cortez, now states that it may not be ethical to have children, given the difficulties that climate change will likely cause in the years to come. Her thinking is the opposite of God’s ways.

We are either on God’s side or the devil’s side. There is no in-between.

Be blessed,

Nancy Campbell

J. Omado Phorography

I wrote this poem after three girls in a row! We have our second little boy now.

I want to raise a man! Here is a picture of our little guy, Ryle.”
Ashley.lynn.obrien-at-gmail.com

Oh Lioness, who cuddles her child close,
How queenly you are with strength and beauty untouchable,
You fawn at the tiny cub at your breast,
You stare at the details of eyes, hair, and nose,
You are raising a king,
Royalty in his blood undeniable!

A mother love, foundational,
Praises erupt from your parting lips
As you bend to kiss the wisps of his hair,
God designed this child, every last detail
Down to the talents that lie dormant inside
And used you, oh Queen, as a vessel to carry him
And a vessel still as you nourish him.

You will teach him, discipline him,
Encourage him, guide him, equip him
As he grows from baby to boy to man.
Oh, how queenly you are as your raise a gentleman
To serve our sovereign God,
To love one woman until death,
To father with humble adoration,
To provide with honesty and integrity.

Oh mother, hold your child close,
Stare into his eyes and sense his spirit,
When he cries, go to him and whisper I-love-yous,
When he is scared, remind him he is brave,
When he is dejected, remind him of eternal joy,
When he is suffering, remind him he is not alone,
When the questions of life aren’t unanswered, remind him God works in mysteries,
When life gives hardships, remind him of God’s strength.

Look at your baby, you are raising a king,
It’s costly to fail, oh mother.
Remind yourself daily of your call to motherhood
And to this child specifically,
Of your duty to God and the men of the next generation.

They will search for a leader—
A good man with morals,
With wisdom,
With the ability to see right from wrong,
With masculine strength and a bold spirit,
A humbled heart who gives honor where honor is due,
Who is crowned with blessings from Above,
Who is a voice to the voiceless,
Who stands when others cower,
Raise this man.

Oh mother, you are raising a king.

Ashley O’Brien * Ashley.lynn.obrien-at-gmail.com
Flowery Branch, Georgia, USA

I love the New Living Translation of Psalm 128:3, 4: "Your wife will be like a fruitful vine, FLOURISHING WITHIN YOUR HOME. And look at all those children! There they sit around your table as vigorous and healthy as young olive trees. That is the Lord’s reward for those who fear him."

God wants you to flourish and bloom. Where does He want you to flourish? In your home.

Dear mother, get out of survival mode into thriving mode. It all hinges on your attitude. Dream of ways to flourish in your home and soon you will be flourishing on every hand.

Have a glorious day in your home today,

Nancy Campbell

Do you speak like royalty--like a daughter of the King of kings? Do you walk like a daughter of royalty?

Do you dress like a daughter of the King of kings? That means modestly, but also beautifully. You won’t see a princess in drab, dreary clothes.

Do you live in every way like a daughter of the King? Are you teaching your daughters to carry themselves and walk as daughters of the King?

I think it’s time we acknowledge who we are and began living accordingly. Don’t you?

Blessings from Nancy Campbell

Because my God is Omnificent (all-creating), the One who created the world and every intricate part of my body, can I not trust Him with every aspect of my physical body?

Because my God is Omnipotent (all-powerful), can I not trust Him to sovereignly rule my life rather than putting my trust in mere man?

Because my God is Omniscient (all-wise and all-knowing), can I not trust Him to teach me and lead me in His paths?

Because my God is Omnipresent (all-present God), can I not trust Him to be with me in my home and in all situations?

Because my God is Omnibenevolent (all-good and all-loving), can I not trust Him, knowing that even when I am going through difficult times, and everything looks impossible that He is working it out for good?

Yes, we can!

Blessings from Nancy Campbell

For words come from the mind
And grow by study and art;
But tones leap forth from the inner self
And reveal the state of the heart.

How are we speaking to our family today?

Love from Nancy Campbell

You are a “keeper at home” (Titus 2:5). Oops! That’s not in the Bible, is it? Yes, it’s still there, unless you cut it out. But it is not restricting! Its vastness is as wide as the ocean and as high as the stars.

The home is a birthing center,
a mothering/nurturing center,
a training and education center,
a praise and worship center,
a prayer center,
an eating center,
a cultural development center,
a social and celebration center,
a hospitality center,
a counseling center,
a health center,
an industry center,
a garden center,
and a convalescent center!

And this is just the beginning. You will never have time be bored.

Blessings from Nancy Campbell

The character of Jesus is the spirit of LOVE (John 13:34-35; 15:13; and Galatians 5:22).

The character of Jesus is the spirit of SERVING (John 13:13-17; Philippians 2:7; and Matthew 20:28).

The character of Jesus is the spirit of OBEDIENCE (Matthew 26:36-42; Philippians 2:8; and Hebrews 5:8).

The character of Jesus is the spirit of HUMILITY (Matthew 11:29; Philippians 2:8; and Colossians 3:12).

The character of Jesus is the spirit of FORGIVENESS (Luke 23:34 and Colossians 3:13).

The character of Jesus is the spirit of PATIENCE and LONGSUFFERING (Galatians 5:22-23 and Colossians 3:12-13).

The character of Jesus is the spirit of UNSELFISHNESS. (Philippians 2:4-8 and 1 Peter 2:21-24).

Will your husband and children see the character of Jesus in you today?

Love from Nancy Campbell

This truth is for you in your home. In your kitchen. When everything is going crazy. When you feel overwhelmed. You don’t have to give into your feelings. You don’t have to be overpowered by your situation. Instead, acknowledge that Christ dwells in you. You are living in His rest, His peace, His patience, and His joy!

The greatest mystery in the entire universe,
Greater than loads of money in my purse,
Is that Christ, the Son of God, lives in me,
Making His abode and setting me free!

No longer living in defeat and despair
Because joy and hope in Christ I share,
Forgetting all worry and discontentment
In Christ I have joy and merriment.

Depression, anger, and hate are gone
Instead I’m singing the victory song!
Christ in me, the fullness of glory!
This is my testimony and my story!

Blessings to you today from Nancy Campbell

Proverbs 15:13 says: “A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance.” Dear mother, did you know that you can change your countenance by the attitude of your heart? It’s your attitude, not your feelings. What a sad household when you live by your feelings. You are miserable, your children are miserable, and your husband doesn’t want to be around!

The MLB translation of Proverbs 15:13 says: “A happy heart makes the face look sunny.” What does a sunny face look like? It’s a smiling face! “But I don’t feel like smiling,” you complain. Once again, it’s nothing to do with how you feel. You must get out of this habit of living by your feelings. It is a depleting way to live.

One pioneer woman said, “Self pity is the lowest state to which a woman’s mind can fall.”

Come on now, lift up your head. God is on the throne. He is your strength and your joy. Against everything you feel, acknowledge His joy that dwells in you because He lives in you. Praise the Lord, count your blessings, confess the positive, and your countenance will change.

Forget your self-pity. Put on a smile. You can do it. Start smiling, and you’ll be amazed how different you feel. And, you’ll be amazed what happens in your home. Not only will your face be sunny, but your home will be filled with sunny faces.

Love to you today,

Nancy Campbell

Three times the Bible calls the brazen altar where the priests conducted the daily sacrifices “the table of the Lord.” It is interesting that God calls it a table.

However, I think that if the altar is called a table, then our table is also an altar.

I think it is a beautiful thing to see our family table as an altar. It brings greater meaning to the table. I think we look upon our tables too lightly. We don’t understand the power and significance of a family table. God is very interested in tables. In fact, God had a table in His heavenly kingdom before He ever introduced them on earth. They are a heavenly thing. They come from God.

When God describes the family that is blessed of the Lord, He pictures them all sitting together around a table (Psalm 128:3). This is God’s heart for families.

The altar in the tabernacle, and later the temple, was a place for sacrifices. I think our table is also a place of sacrifice. It takes thought, effort, and sacrifice of time to prepare a meal for our family. To prepare, eat together, and have family devotions at our evening meal often takes three hours out of my day! I must put aside other things that I could do, things that I might think are more important, but in God’s eyes they are of much lesser importance.

God sees our sacrifices to serve and bless our husbands and families with a lovely meal. It does not go unnoticed by our Heavenly Father who loves the meal table. I am sure that just as the aroma of the burnt offering upon the altar went up before the Lord as a sweet-smelling savor, so our sacrificial love comes up before the Lord as a sweet savor to Him.

He loves to come and join us at our table. He loves tables. He loves the discourse at the table. Jesus showed us this when He was on earth. So much of His ministry took place on the way to a meal, during a meal, or after a meal.

The altar was where the people brought their offerings to the Lord. The people brought five different offerings which the priests offered upon the brazen altar.

As we prepare the daily meals for our families, they are also offerings unto the Lord. Yes, they are an offering to our families (hopefully not too many burnt offerings!), but ultimately to the Lord. Therefore, we don’t prepare meals with resignation and grumblings and groanings, but with joy and happiness, knowing that we are serving the Lord Christ and making an offering up to Him.

The altar was also sacred. The Bible says that the altar was “before the Lord” (Exodus 27:21; 29:11; Leviticus 1:5; 4:6-24 and loads of other Scriptures. It means “in the presence of the Lord.” Ezekiel 41:22 says: “This is the able that stands in the LORD’S presence.”

Your table in your home is sacred. When you sit around your table for each meal, God longs to come and sit with you. He wants to bring His presence. Everything you do—all your conversation and interactions are in the presence of the Lord. That doesn’t mean it has to be like church. No, I am sure God loves to see us enjoying His food and enjoying one another. Laughing, talking, and discussing together, and then of course, ready to listen to God at the end of our meal. For the table is not only a place to feed the physical man, but the emotional, and spiritual too.

We never leave our table without my husband opening God’s Word and reading it to us. We then pray together. Everyone prays, from the oldest to the youngest! Our table becomes an altar as we connect with God to hear from Him and call upon His name.

Oh, what blessedness.

I pray that you will see your able in a new light.

In His love,

Nancy Campbell