Above Rubies Daily Encouragement Blogs

The world would lure her out the door,
Thinking that there must be more
Than dirty faces, grimy hands,
And constant things that home demands.
But nothing on the earth compares
With the awesome role she shares
Of being to her girls and boys
Their greatest source of earthly joy.

Other interests sure will keep
Until she rocks her babes to sleep.
Things can wait, the time will come
When she won't have these little ones.
As she seeks God's kingdom first,
He'll fill her plate and quench her thirst
For what it is she's looking for
Lives there with her, not out the door.

So, if you have a precious child
Cherish them this little while.
Shun the pressure that could make
Their longing for you to forsake.
That time to serve them fast will fly.
And then you'll wish for days gone by.

2017, Val Halloran * This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Painting: Jessie Willcox Smith

An important article to read from my daughters, Pearl and Serene at Trim Healthy Mama. They talk about the negatives of Canola oil compared to Coconut oil. However, I must remind you not to purchase any of the vegetable oils at the supermarket in the clear plastic bottles. Unless oil is in a dark bottle, it will be rancid so you are only using rancid oil.

In our family we only use coconut oil, red palm oil, or butter to cook with. We use olive oil from a tin or dark green bottle, but only raw in dressings. We don't use it for cooking. ~ Nancy

Actually we’re not too surprised, this is merely history repeating itself. About thirty years ago a brutal and long standing attack against coconut oil was waged as the soybean oil industry wrestled for domination. This battle had its own name… “The War of Oils.” Coconut oil was labeled “the oil from hell.” Newspapers and TV headlines slammed it repeatedly and warned it would lead to heart attack and early death. It was described by health gurus as one of the most evil and dangerous foods you could consume. Now here we are watching it all happen again in living color. So take a seat and hold on for the ride.

(Sorry in advance for the length of this post but we have to be thorough and we already shortened this by a long shot so you don’t nod off. Be thankful for that and read to the end… wink (okay... save and read for later then).

NOTHING NEW

First it is important to realize that this update by the American Heart Association did not come because of any new alarming data on coconut oil, they simply reviewed the existing data, and once again reiterated their claim that saturated fats are “bad.” Coconut oil is highly saturated, even more so than butter and beef fat so it must be the “baddest of the bad.” … well that is what the media got from the report anyway. The lead author on the report said he has no idea why people think coconut oil is healthy. “It's almost 100% fat.” he stated.

We think that statement should give you a fair clue as to where this mindset is coming from. The “fat is bad” mantra is surprisingly still entrenched in the medical community and despite tens of thousands of studies on the importance and benefits of fats (1500 studies on positive benefits of coconut oil alone… “no idea”… really?) this dogma continues to be pushed down our throats as though it is fact. Essentially the American Heart Association is just buckling down and sticking to their guns… if we consume fats they should be limited and only be in the unsaturated form, their darling still being canola oil.

It has never been the Trim Healthy Mama way to attack other diets or health associations. We THM-ers keep our heads down and simply encourage our way of eating then let the positive results speak for themselves. But in light of this new media campaign to unfairly smear coconut oil, we think it is time to shed some light on what is really going on here.

OUT-OF-DATE THINKING

This whole anti-saturated fat movement started being widely promoted in the seventies and eighties. That is when we were told insane stuff such as butter equals bad and margarine equals good. Since that time saturated fat intakes have dropped substantially yet bellies have gotten bigger and health has declined… kind of makes you go… hmmm. Now thankfully, most people have come to realize that margarine is far from good, it is actually toxic to the human body so most health advisers have given up promoting it. Strangely though, the promotion of canola oil (and other vegetable oils such as soybean and corn oil) by the American Heart Association continues in full strength. Why do they keep forcing this doctrine? Why is canola oil still their golden child when it has clearly shown to have serious health implications?

Okay… part of the “why’s” are obvious if you buy into their fat theories. Coconut oil is 82 percent saturated fat compared to canola oil which is just seven per cent saturated fat. They also cite certain studies as to why canola oil is heart healthy, but if there is one thing we have learned through our years of trying to find any sort of common sense in the diet industry, people find studies to back up anything they want to say. We hate to even come to this awful conclusion… but could another darker reason possibly be due in part to the fact that the Canola oil industry has been an ongoing financial donor to the AHA and actually funded their massive “Face the Fats” campaign? No… we are not making this stuff up, the following is a quote directly from the canola oil industry itself, very happy with themselves at the rising demand for their product due to partnering with the AHA… “Alignment with heart-health was reinforced through sponsorship of the American Heart Association’s Face the Fats PSA campaign, which generated 237 million impressions.”

Let’s be very clear… the studies the American Heart Association cite for last week’s announcement don’t link eating more coconut oil to heart disease. One study cited did link it to a rise in LDL cholesterol in rats. However if you dig further into the research on coconut oil and cholesterol it actually shows that it raises HDL cholesterol (considered “good”) more than LDL, and that ratio is considered a better heart health marker. There are multiple studies that reveal this including a study published in the June 2011 issue of "Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition” on humans, not rats. The researchers concluded coconut oil consumption is associated with higher HDL or "good" cholesterol, but neither raises nor lowers LDL cholesterol. Additional research published in "Clinical Biochemistry" in September 2004 suggests that coconut oil may protect LDL cholesterol from oxidation, reducing its tendency to accumulate on artery walls.

CHOLESTEROL BLAME GAME

And let’s also be very clear about this… LDL cholesterol as a “heart health baddie” really is an old fashioned view of it. For argument’s sake, let’s say their rat study does somehow cross over to humans and someone finds themselves with slightly higher LDL levels after heartily digging into coconut oil. Cutting edge heart doctors now realize it is far less about amounts of LDL as it is about particle size of cholesterol. Your body needs cholesterol for almost every bodily process. A large percentage of your brain is actually made from cholesterol. But size matters. Small dense cholesterol particles can squeeze between the cells of your arteries and get stuck. Once they’re stuck they become “plaque”, they oxidize, turn rancid and cause inflammation.

So, you don’t want small LDL molecules, you want larger, fluffier, healthier ones… well guess what? Research (including a study cited in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 67(5), 828-836 demonstrates that eating saturated fats increase the size of your small LDL molecules and thus reduces your overall risk of a cardiac event. It is a diet high in refined sugars and starches that contributes to smaller, more dangerous cholesterol particle size and raises triglycerides (a marker that measures circulating fat in your bloodstream).

More and more doctors (who are willing to be open minded and not entrenched in old fashioned dogma) are now realizing inflammation markers in the body are much more indicative of heart attack risk than mere cholesterol levels. A recent study published in Ind J Clin Biochem supports this concept. Blood samples were drawn from 100 people who had a heart attack. Blood samples were also drawn from 100 people who had not had a heart attack. Each sample was tested for levels of LDL cholesterol as well as a marker for inflammation known as HS-CRP. The results showed that there was no significant difference in LDL levels between the heart attack group and the non-heart attack group. They were about the same. There was however a significant difference in HS-CRP levels. Those who had a heart attack had about six times higher levels of this inflammation marker than those who did not.

How do we decrease inflammation in the body? As a Trim Healthy Mama, you know that beating the sugar monster does a fabulous job of this. Making out that coconut oil is the heart risk meanie… that it is basically a heart attack in a jar waiting to happen doesn’t make any sense at all in light of recent knowledge about inflammation. Coconut oil is an undisputed inflammation fighter for Pete’s sake!

DISTURBING BEGINNINGS

Coconut oil comes from coconuts, plain and simple. Why are we saying something so obvious and ridiculous when of course you know that? Well, in contrast, let’s look at the chief oil that the American heart association promotes. Canola oil is a made up name. Canola oil doesn’t come from a God created seed or nut. There is no such thing found in nature. Canola oil comes from the hybridization of the rape seed. The rape seed is a plant seed which is why it’s monounsaturated (the AHA very much likes monounsaturated oils) but it had to be modified as it is high in a toxin called erucic acid which is lethal to the human heart. Not fit for consumption but great for oiling machines.

In the late 1970's, when The War of Oils began and saturated fats started to be shunned, monounsaturated fats like olive oil began to be touted as healthier oils. A problem developed. There was not enough olive oil for world demand, not to mention that it was too expensive for producing cheap processed foods. Until that time most packaged foods were using palm or coconut oils but the new mantra “saturated fats are bad” was now in full force. The food industry needed a new cheap oil. Soybean oil did succeed in replacing much of the coconut and palm oils in processed foods but it didn’t seem quite “heart healthy” enough to push as an olive oil alternative for home use.

Researchers came to the rescue by engineering a new plant from the rapeseed which was lower in erucic acid. They reduced this acid to less than 2 % (there is still a lot of debate about how harmful it is in these smaller amounts but the powers that be let it slide) and canola oil was born. They didn’t want to call it Rape Oil, bad for business. So since it came from Canada and “ola” means oil… Canola oil stuck. Canola oil is highly refined and often partially hydrogenated to increase its stability and shelf life but it somehow became the new darling of the health industry. The American Heart Association encouraged all of us to use it in place of natural, God given saturated fats like butter and coconut oil. In 2006, the FDA allowed canola oil and products containing canola oil to be labeled with heart health claims. Labels could say that limited evidence suggests that eating 19 grams (about 1.5 tablespoons) of canola oil daily in place of saturated fat may reduce the risk of heart disease as long as you don't increase your total caloric intake.

CLOSER EXAMINATION… NOT SO PRETTY

Let’s examine this so called heart healthy oil more closely. Canola oil is processed at high heats. It is high in Omega 3 fatty acids, (the American Heart Association likes this) but these delicate omega 3 fatty acids oxidize and turn rancid and foul smelling very quickly from the high heats of processing. How do manufacturers get around this? They deodorize it, bleach it and degum it. The standard deodorization process removes a large portion of the omega 3 acids so bye bye to those. Sadly the American Heart Association is not sharing to the public that oxidized oils cause damage to your cells and tissues. Oxidation is not only a major contributor to most degenerative diseases, it also causes inflammation. You know now that it is excess inflammation, (not necessarily elevated cholesterol levels) that creates the biggest risk for heart event problems. Excess inflammation in the body can also give rise to anything from arthritis to more serious diseases such as Parkinson’s, bipolar moods, schizophrenia, and obsessive compulsive disorders.

What else do we know about Canola oil? Here’s a sobering fact. 90% of it is genetically modified. You can go on the internet and see that Monsanto is still one of the chief sponsors for the growers of canola oil. They don’t even try to hide it! For real, go look at their logo proudly displayed as a sponsor. In 1995 Monsanto created a genetically modified version of canola oil and this is the version that is chiefly used to this day.

There have been no long-term, viable studies done on GMO canola oil but there are reports that it has caused many kidney, liver and neurological health issues. Research at the Nutrition and Toxicology Research of Ottawa discovered that rats bred to have high blood pressure and susceptibility to stroke died earlier when fed Canola oil than rats fed a diet without canola oil. Another study published in 2000 in “Toxicology Letters” looked at the effect of Canola oil on blood clotting time in stroke prone animals. The study determined that there was a “canola oil-induced shortening of blood coagulation time and increased fragility in red blood cell membranes which may promote the concurrence of strokes… ”

In stark contrast, coconut oil has been a traditional food in tropical climates for thousands of years. Studies done on native diets high in coconut oil consumption show that these populations are in general good health and do not suffer nearly as much from the modern diseases of western nations where coconut oil use is far less. Asian and Pacific populations both use coconut oil not only in food but also in their traditional medical practices. Praised for its many healing properties, Coconut Oil is believed to be the cure of all illnesses in the Pacific Islands. It is so highly valued they refer to the coconut palm as “The Tree of Life.” The populations of two South Pacific islands were examined over a period of time starting in the 1960's. Coconuts were a staple in the diets, with up to 60% of their caloric intake coming from the saturated fat of coconut. That’s a heck of a lot! The study found very lean and healthy people who were relatively free from modern diseases. Their conclusion stated: “Vascular disease is uncommon in both populations and there is no evidence of the high saturated fat intake having a harmful effect in these populations.”

A SHORT LIST OF COCONUT OIL BENEFITS

We don’t have enough room now to go into the documented benefits of coconut oil on your health. As we mentioned earlier, there are literally thousands of studies you can dig into. But to hit a few highlights… it is anti-fungal, anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory and anti-weight gain. Yes… you heard us right… it trims you! It raises the thermogenic temperature of your body and this ignites your fat burning potential. If you’re skeptical about this try this little experiment. Next time you’re cold, go swallow a teaspoon or two of coconut oil. Notice how your body will start to warm up. It literally revs a sluggish thyroid which helps you burn fat!

We’ll let you go do your own research about all its other benefits but we want to leave you with this thought to ponder. Mother’s milk and coconut oil have eye opening similarities. If coconut oil really is the villain it is being made out to be why would God make it so similar to human breast milk? Both human milk and coconut oil have more saturated fat than the monounsaturated oils that the heart association promotes. Breast milk relies on these saturated fats to protect infants from pathogens and infections and other harmful organisms and these are the same middle chain fatty acids which make coconut oil so healing and protective. Out of the three middle chain fatty acids, lauric acid is highest both in breast milk and coconut oil alike… they match! Without these saturated lauric acids your baby would probably not survive long. Almost all formula companies add middle chain, saturated fatty acids to their mixes to ensure a baby is properly nourished. God created middle chain fatty acids, he knows their incredible healing power and he made sure that both Mother’s milk and coconut oil contain plentiful amounts in almost identical proportions.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Last week when this report came out and blasted the internet and the airwaves, it didn’t cause us to skip a beat or have an iota of doubt about the coconut oil in our cupboards. We have had too many years of saturating ourselves with this saturated fat and it continues to bless our lives, our health and our waistlines. In fact when we heard about the attack on coconut oil we called each other on the phone and Serene mentioned that instead of putting just 1 tablespoon of coconut oil in her smoothie like she usually does, she added another for good measure and put another one in her home made baby food. Take that you powers that be!

More and more people are learning of the benefits of coconut oil and you can bet it is scaring the vegetable oil industry. They tried last time around and succeeded in causing the world to shun coconut oil for a while but you can’t keep a good thing down. The truth always shines through. Coconut oil might get hammered but it won’t be defeated. We are all armed with too much information now. Perhaps thirty years ago all the scary headlines were believed. Now… we doubt they’ll have the same luck. Coconut oil is going to stay in our grocery carts and thanks but no thanks to the fake, fandangled, gmo, hydrogenated cocktail of trans-fat, bleached sludge canola oil, corn oil and soybean oil being pushed on us. We’ll stick to the good stuff. Now… off to make some Skinny Chocolate!

Love,
Serene and Pearl

(For further reading be sure to check out this awesome article from a renowned heart surgeon on how saturated fats are not to blame for heart disease but sugar is! https://dailyoccupation.com/…/world-renowned-heart-surgeon…/ )

Writing about parenthood, the great preacher and writer, J. R. Miller says: “Duties cannot be transferred.” I happen to agree with him, although many modern Christians would not.

Why do we think we know better than God? Why do we think that we have a better plan for our lives that the one who intricately, wonderfully, and marvelously created us?

God, in His perfect design, for “all His ways are perfect,” created a father and a mother to bring children into the world and to care for them in this world. He gave each one distinct roles to fulfil. Each brings their own strengths to the parenting career. Many want to change the roles because of convenience. The wife wants to take on the role of provider which means she must give her children to someone else to watch. And yet no guardian, no matter how loving, can ever be in tune to the innermost needs of her child like the mother.

Sometimes a mother can earn more money than her husband so she goes to work while her husband stays home with the children. This is a role reversal and not planned by the God who created us.

But you say, “I know fathers who are great stay-at-home-fathers to their children.” That may be so, but they cannot be a mother no matter how they try. God has put within women a maternal anointing that men don’t have. Yes, men love their children. They have a strong instinct to protect their children. They want to provide for their children, but they cannot mother their children, especially babies and little ones.

Babies and toddlers need the comfort of their mother’s breasts. Breastfeeding is tied up with motherhood. Scientific studies reveal that the more frequently a mother breastfeeds her baby the more motherly and nurturing she becomes. The hormones release the mothering hormones and a man does not have the abundance of these hormones that God gives to a mother to nurture.

God has also put within women a love for home, unless of course it is brainwashed out of her by our education system, the media, and the deception of our progressive society. A man is not cut out for the finer touches of the home and to making a home feel like a home. He was created to go out and to provide. To work hard for his family.

To get back to our original statement, I do concede that men and women can transfer their roles to a certain extent, but only at the expense of God’s ultimate blessing for the family. God intends fathers and mothers to fully embrace the way He created them and to reveal these strengths to their children so they pass them on from one generation to the next. Children who grow up in a family where the mother works and the husband stays home with the children will have a distorted understanding of God’s definitive plan. They will be confused and deceived. And what happens in the next generation? Will they think it normal to carry on this pattern until we have a society of men at home and women in the work force? God forbid.

Be blessed today in your God-given role of mothering,

Nancy Campbell

Painting: Elizabeth Nourse "A Mother (une Mère)" [American Painter, 1860-1938]

This petition, which will be given to the Supreme Court, is to “wake up the nation and galvanize the national conscience to end the scourge of abortion in America. It will declare that as a people, we do not accept the compromise that leads to the unnecessary death of millions of innocent babies.”

Dear mother, if Christ indwells you, God (the God of the universe) goes wherever you go. When you wake up in the morning and go into your kitchen God comes with you. He is with you in your kitchen as you prepare breakfast and get the household chores going for the day. He is with you as you homeschool your children. He is with you in whatever you must do today.

You cannot have a normal and boring day if God is with you. And you don’t need to get overwhelmed and anxious if God is with you. He is bigger than any problem or circumstance you face. Thank for Him for His presence with you today. Walk in the power of Who He is in you. Walk in all the fruit of the Holy Spirit.

Have a wonderful day,

Nancy Campbell

Painting: Ferdinand Georg Waldmuller ~ The Homecoming.

It takes all your energy to be a mother and wife,
It requires daily commitment and a disciplined life,
It demands all your resources of patience and love,
Long-suffering and wisdom from God above.

It takes self-control and continual endurance,
It needs constant and faithful perseverance,
It is total sacrifice and forgetting yourself,
You may sometimes think you are left on the shelf!

And what about time? It’s no longer yours,
It belongs to everyone else who comes in
your doors.
Can you claim your own rights? No, they're gone too,
Like your right to sleep the whole night through!

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

But oh, dear mother, please do not despair,
In God's great vision you have a share,
Fulfilling your destiny planned before creation,
To nurture children and BUILD A NATION!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Love from Nancy Campbell

Even the Bible reminds us of this truth. When writing to the Thessalonian Christians Paul said to them: “Remembering without ceasing your WORK OF FAITH, and LABOR OF LOVE, and PATIENCE OF HOPE in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father” (1 Thessalonians 1:3).

God spells it out to us here. Faith is proved by our works. Love is proved by our hard work. And hope is proved by our patience endurance. It’s not airy-fairy stuff!

I love the J. B. Phillips’ translation: “We never forget that your faith has meant solid achievement, your love has meant hard work, and the hope that you have in our Lord Jesus Christ means sheer dogged endurance in the life that you live before God, the Father of us all.”

That’s it, lovely ladies. Love means hard work. Love is not only a feeling. It is action. Because we love our husbands, we work hard to serve them, bless them, and please them. Because we love our children, we don’t complain that we no longer live to ourselves, but delight to give our lives to mothering. Because we love our homes, we rejoice in efficiently maintaining them. We don’t let it go to chaos. It takes diligence and hard work, but this proves our love.

Be encouraged today. You prove your love by hard work. Forget all the grumbling and groaning. Rejoice in it. Work is wonderful. God gave it as a principle before the fall. It is a God-given blessing. Hard work never kills anyone. When you embrace it with joy because your heart is filled with love, you’ll enjoy every minute of it. And you’ll sleep well at night because your body will be ready to sleep.

Love to you from Nancy Campbell

Deuteronomy 5:29: “O that there was 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!” Do you notice that this Scripture has an exclamation after it? It must be important in God’s eyes.

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 FOREVER, when thou doest that which is good and right in the sight of the LORD thy God.”

Psalm 112:1, 2 (ESV): “Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who greatly delights in his commandments! HIS OFFSPRING WILL BE MIGHTY IN THE LAND; the generation of the upright will be blessed.” Do you notice another exclamation mark in this Scripture?

What a responsibility we have as parents. Even our attitudes, negative or positive, ugly or godly, pass on to our children and future children. Parenting is not just for today. We are building dynasties—for good or for bad, for God and His kingdom or for the enemy.

May we pour out lives into building godly dynasties.

Blessings from Nancy Campbell

P.S. FOR THE BEREANS:
For those who would like to check out further Scriptures, here are some more Scriptures for you:
Read also Deuteronomy 5:16; 6:2, 3; 12:23-25; 28:1014; 30:1-20; Psalm 25:12,13; 37:25, 26; and 102:28.

God blesses the future generations of righteous parents:
Genesis 9:9, 22:15-18; 26:1-5; 35:11, 12; Exodus 33:1; 34:6, 7; Numbers 14:24; 25:10-13;
Deuteronomy 1:8; 4:37, 40; 5:10, 29; 6:2, 3; 7:7-10; 10:15; 11:19-21; 12:23-25, 28; 28:1-14; 29:29; 30:19; 2 Samuel 22:51; 1 Kings 2:33; 2 Kings 10:30; 15:12; 1 Chronicles 28:8; Ezra 9:12;
Psalm 14:5; 25:12,13; 37:25, 26; 102:28; 103:17, 18; 106:30, 31; 112:1, 2; 128:1-6; 132:11, 12;
Proverbs 20:7; Isaiah 44:1-3; 61:9; Jeremiah 32:39; 35:18, 19;
Luke 1:50; Acts 2:38, 39; 3:25; and 2 Timothy 1:5.

The sins of the fathers are passed on to the third and fourth generation:
Exodus 20:4-6 (Exodus 34:6,7; Numbers 14:18; Deuteronomy 5:9 and Jeremiah 32:18);
Numbers 14:33; Deuteronomy 28:15, 18, 41, 45, 46, 58, 59;
1 Samuel 3:11-14; 1 Kings 2:33; 2 Kings 5:25-27; 17:41; Job 21:17-19; 27:13, 14;
Isaiah 14:20, 21; Jeremiah 9:13-16; 16:10-13; 29:31, 32; 32:18; 36:29-31;
Lamentations 1:5; Hosea 4:6; 9:9-17; Amos 2:4; and Matthew 27:25.

Yes, they hear a lot of stuff. They hear big doses of the garbage of this world system which is all around them-- the media, their iPhones, school, and just living in this warped society.

Are we training them to see spiritual things and to hear God speak to their hearts through His living Word? I have just finished reading a wonderful book, “Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus” by Nabeel Qureshi, a devout Muslim who came to Christ. He didn’t come easily or quickly. It was a long and painful process because he was so ingrained in the Quran and the Hadith from the time of his birth.

He mentions in this book how Muslim children are infiltrated with Islamic doctrines at “family devotions.” Yes, he used the word family devotions. And yet most Christian families don’t take time in their day for family devotions. He talked about how their faith is forged into their very beings around the family meal table. Help, so many Christian families don’t even sit around the family meal table. If they do, it’s just to eat a meal, with no thought to speak God’s truths into the ears and hearts of their children.

I was also challenged when he said that Muslim children are schooled in Muslim apologetics from young children. He was trained in all the answers against Christianity and was surprised when he talked to Christians that they didn’t know the answers to the questions he asked. They had no depth of understanding.

Are you consistently and daily filling your children with the word of truth (Colossians 3:16)? Are you teaching them to have eyes to see and ears to hear? Or are they dull and glazed to spiritual things?

For what reason do you raise your children? Do you allow them to be slowly propagandized by the spirit of this world or are you constantly, daily, diligently, passionately, and thoroughly teaching them God’s truths? The Amplified version of Deuteronomy 6:6-9 says: “You shall teach them diligently to your children (impressing God’s precepts on their minds and penetrating their hearts with His truths).”

Above all pray over your children. Don’t allow the enemy of their souls to blunt and deceive them. Don’t allow them to grow up with insipid eyes and ears to God’s truths.

Amen and amen.

Love from Nancy Campbell

Isaiah 59:17 gives a picture of God preparing to take action: “For he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and an helmet of salvation upon his head; and he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloke.” He wrapped His coat of zeal around Him.

I believe we also need the zeal of the Lord as we tackle the greatest career in the nation, that of mothering and training the next generation who will detriment the course of the nation. WE CAN'T DO IT HAPHAZARDLY. WE CAN'T DO IT APATHETICALLY. WE CAN'T DO IT HALF-HEARTEDLY. WE CAN'T DO IT PART TIME!

We must rise up in the zeal of the Lord, knowing the power and destiny of our calling and the urgency of this hour. It should consume us. Titus 2:14 exhorts us to be "zealous of good works" and the greatest work you are doing is raising your family. Do it with zeal.

May you have a wonderful day,

Nancy Campbell

Picture: Dianne Dengel photo: “Bathtime for Children.”

He’s made an effort to be home from work,
From his place at the table he will not shirk,
He affirms his commitment to his family and wife
And his presence at the table eliminates strife.

Mother has taken time to prepare a nice meal,
Full of nutrition, not a pre-packaged deal,
She delights to cook for her growing brood,
Knowing it’s a sacred task to prepare their food.

The table’s inviting – a clean tablecloth too,
The plates nicely set, perhaps a candle or two.
The children all help and do their part
To make the table look great and very smart.

What joy to be together at the end of the day,
To laugh, communicate, and each have a say,
To share the day’s happenings with one another
And tell what they’ve learned to father and mother.

The plates are now empty, they’re full to the top!
Is it time to leave the table? No! Stop, stop!
We’ve fed only the body and the soul so far,
The best part’s to come, and it’s not out of a jar.

It’s time for devotions; we must feed the spirit,
Of the blessing from this, there is no limit.
Father opens the Bible and to his family he reads
Sowing into their hearts God’s eternal seeds.

Now it’s time to pray, each one takes a turn,
They pray for needs as God’s will they discern,
They give thanks for blessings with a grateful heart
And develop a spirit of gratitude right from the start.

God’s blessing is on this family we know
As around the table their “olive plants” grow,
God’s smile is upon them as they follow His way
And establish this principle for now and always.

Nancy Campbell
www.aboverubies.org

And the great thing is that children love to answer questions. The biggest problem is getting them to put up their hand rather than them all calling out at once as they are so eager to be involved.

I’ll give you a little sample as he read from THE DAILY LIGHT ON THE DAILY PATH which we use each day. We love this book as it is only the pure Word of God with Scriptures put together on a certain theme. My husband read about 10 Scriptures, but this is just a few of the questions:

“Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD; though your sins be as . . .” “What’s the word?” “Scarlet” one of them remembered. “They shall be as . . .” “White as snow” answered another. “Though they be red like . . .” “Crimson” yelled another. Oops! They were meant to put up their hand! “They shall be as . . . “ Something starting with ‘w.’” Yes, one of them got it – “Wool.” (Isaiah 1:18).

The children love to fill in the blanks. And they remember the words far more than if you only read the words to them. And if your children know the words you know they are getting the Word into their hearts. If they don’t know the words, they need a lot more FILLING of the Word.

“I, even I, am he that . . . out thy transgressions.” “What does God do with our sins when we repent of them? It’s starts with B.” Yes, one of the older ones knew it. “Blotted.” (Isaiah 43:25). You could then ask the children what happens when God blots out our sins.

“Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the . . . (three words).” Yes, one of the older ones knew it. “Washing of regeneration.” And something else. “and . . .” “Another three words. It starts with ‘r.’” Yes, they were doing so well. One of them got it: “renewing of the Holy Ghost.” (Titus 3:5, 6).

“Bless the LORD, O my soul, who . . .” “What comes next?” It begins with “f.” Yes, Isaiah got it: “Forgiveth all thine iniquities.” (Psalm 103:2, 3).

I wish you could have been with us to see their excitement. They were all so eager and trying to be the winner. And they will remember so much more of the reading by participating than sitting like stuffed ducks!

Make your Family Devotions exciting.

Love from Nancy Campbell

Secure in God’s love and protected from the world,
Guarded from evil and grounded in God’s Word
By a mother who has embraced her calling divine,
The mandate God gave from the beginning of time.

You’re now planted at home, you’ve found your “glory,"
Left career behind--that was another story!
You’ve now been promoted to a much higher career!
You’re in God’s perfect will so you don’t have to fear.

You’re nurturing, nourishing, and building your nest,
Under your husband’s covering, you’re totally blessed.
God has promised to provide, He is Jehovah Jireh,
He will always be faithful, He is not a liar.

You are an “arrow polisher," daily sharpening your arrows,
You’re not pecking on the ground like little sparrows,
But soaring like the eagle, your stature is high,
You’re changing the course of the nation as on God you rely!’

Dear mighty mother, stand up and be strong,
Don’t be fooled by the enemy and the worldly throng,
Don’t be deceived by the mindset of this society,
Embrace your motherhood, it’s your highest priority!

Don’t be conformed to the humanistic trend,
It only leads to heartache in the final end.
Be a non-conformist, stand against the tide,
You don’t have to be governed by this world’s pride.

Instead be transformed by God’s living Word,
He is restoring His truth, will you be stirred?
Will you be part of this end-time restoration
To train godly children and change the nation?

God is preparing a people for Jesus’ second appearing,
He wants an army of arrows, trained and unfearing,
Straight arrows to go forth from the parents’ bow,
The deceptions of Satan to overthrow.

May you experience God’s anointing and His daily renewing
As you become part of this revival which is all God’s doing.
You will be part of heralding the coming of the King
As you build God’s army–and His praises will ring.

~ Nancy Campbell
www.aboverubies.org

P.S. Will you be part of God’s end-time restoration? Read Malachi 4:4-6.

Let’s check all the blessings God says He will pour out upon you when you “obey his voice.” He will “have compassion on you . . . prosper you . . . multiply you . . . abundantly prosper the work of your hand . . . and the fruit of your womb . . . and the increase your livestock . . . and the fruit of your ground . . . you will live and multiply . . . and God will bless you (Deuteronomy 30:2-20).

Do you notice how God shows His love to us by blessing us with the fruit of the womb? We see this again in Deuteronomy 28, the blessing chapter. I am not sure why I call it the blessing chapter as there are 53 verses of cursings and only 14 verses of blessing. I don’t like reading the cursings as much as the blessings.

Two times in the few blessing verses, God says He will bless the fruit of our womb and then continues with all the blessings of provision to provide for the fruit of the womb. Check them out.

I know there are many who don’t want to be blessed with the fruit of the womb. We are so far removed from the truth of God’s Word and the reality of His heart for us, aren’t we? And yet this is how God wants to pour out His love upon us.

It is only the deception of Satan in our hearts that makes us think that children are not a blessing. And yet what material blessings can even compare with one life created in the image of God, let along many? I felt so blessed at our table the other night. Ten of our lovely grandchildren sat around our table and at the end of our family devotions we got out our hymn sheets to sing a hymn. But they wouldn’t stop at one. They wanted to keep singing. And oh, what a beautiful choir as they sang with all their hearts. What joy.

May you be blessed with all the blessings of God,

Nancy Campbell

Painting by Johann Georg Meyer von Bremen (1813 – 1886).

All the good things that are in Jesus Christ are available to you right now. Not some day in the future, but for whatever is happening in your life now. I know that life is not always perfect when you are mothering your children. You don’t have enough fingers to count how many things go wrong throughout the day. But don’t despair. Jesus Christ is with you. He lives in you. You don’t have to react to these things in your flesh. Instead, allow Jesus to live His life through you.

Let’s look at some Scriptures that remind us that God is working in your right now.

1 Timothy 4:8: “For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the LIFE THAT NOW IS, and of that which is to come.” Most modern versions say: “For this present life.” Godliness does not only work in us for eternity, but for right NOW! Yes, right now.

Are you feeling upset and you really want to let everyone know? Instead of giving into the flesh and hurting everyone around you, allow the life of Jesus to work through you. He is filled with patience and longsuffering and HE LIVES IN YOU! That means you are patient and longsuffering too!

Romans 5:17: “For if by one man’s offense death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness shall REIGN IN LIFE by one Christ Jesus.” We will not only reign in eternity. This Scripture tells us that we can REIGN IN LIFE RIGHT NOW. We can reign over the power of the flesh through the life of Christ who dwells in us.

Are you down in the dumps and depressed? You don’t have to stay there. You can reign over your depression in the power of the name of Jesus. He lives within you and He is Joy. Joy that is not dependent upon circumstances, but on who He is!

We need to learn each moment to appropriate by faith the loving, joyful, longsuffering, victorious, and overcoming life of Jesus Christ, who lives within us.

I love 2 Peter 1:3: “According as his divine power hath given unto us ALL THINGS that pertain unto LIFE and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue.” Dear precious mother, you have EVERYTHING YOU NEED IN CHRIST to live a reigning and godly life in your home. No matter what the chaos. No matter the disappointment. No matter the challenge. Christ, the hope of glory, lives in you (Colossians 1:27). And He is with you right now.

2 Corinthians 6:2: “Behold, NOW is the accepted time, behold NOW is the day of salvation.” The Greek word for salvation is “soteria” and means “safety, deliverance, health, salvation.” Jesus Christ is health and salvation for us right now.

On Friday, I fell and broke three ribs. It’s painful. I can’t get out of bed without my husband helping me, although once I am up I can walk. This morning my grandson, Zadok, came over to pray with me. He loves to pray for people to be healed and literally saw six or seven miraculous healings over the weekend. And these were not people at church meetings, but at restaurants and on the streets! As he prayed, we believed for my healing NOW. I know I am still healing, but in faith I got down on my knees and we weeded the garden together! That’s miraculous!

Be blessed today,

Nancy Campbell

When Jesus answered, Paul “trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?” (Acts 9:1-8).

I think it would be good to tell people that this is what it means to be converted, don’t you? When we turn to Jesus we say, “Lord Jesus, I now believe in You. I thank You for dying on the cross for my sins and taking my punishment. I turn from my old ways and want to live Your way. Lord Jesus, what do You want me to do now? Amen.”

This should be how we start our walk with God and this is how we continue it every day. “Dear Lord Jesus, what do You want me to do today?” This question means total abandonment to the sovereign will of God. This means yielding to Christ instead of the flesh. This means yielding my body to Him as a living sacrifice. This is normal Christianity.

It’s the same attitude Mary had when she said: “Be it unto me according to thy word” (Luke 1:38).

And above all, it’s the same attitude Jesus had as He faced the cross: “Nevertheless not my will, but thine be done” (Luke 22:42).

Love from Nancy Campbell

This is the challenge to us all. Do we look for His coming to speak to us each day as a family? Is it our delight to meet with Him morning and evening? Do we plan our day around making this happen? Or are we too busy doing what we want to do?

I know myself that unless I make it happen, it doesn’t happen. Instead of hoping it will fit in, I plan each day around our morning and evening meeting with God. Everything else fits in with these appointments. And can I ask? What else could be more important?

If we don’t look for His coming to speak to us each day, are we really interested in His second coming? If He is coming for those who look for Him as the Bible states in Hebrews 9:28, surely, we will look for Him every day. Most translations of Hebrews 9:28 say “those who EAGERLY AWAIT for Him.”

How eager are we for Him?

God bless you today,

Nancy Campbell

I am always challenged by Hebrews 13:3 (NCV): “Remember those who are in prison as if you were in prison with them. Remember those who are suffering as if you were suffering with them.”

The other week my daughter, Serene, was climbing down a tall ladder. Her long skirt caught the top of the ladder which caused it to fall. Bother the ladder and Serene fell to the ground with a thump. She could have broken her back and was in tremendous pain.

However, instead of suffering for herself I was really convicted when she said she was so glad to feel the pain. She said, “I know I am meant to pray for my persecuted brothers and sisters as though I feel their pain along with them, but because I feel great, I find it hard to really feel their pain. So, this time, as I suffered in great pain, I interceded for those being persecuted as never before!”

May God help us to remember them without having to go through so much pain!

Love from Nancy