Keep a smile on your face and a song in your heart today.
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Above Rubies Daily Encouragement Blogs
Through the weekly and daily devotionals you can be constantly encouraged in your great role of parenting, the highest career in the nation. You can also stay updated on what's happening with the Above Rubies ministry.
Mother, you have the power to make you home what you want to be. Make it a happy and joyful home, filled with wonderful memories.
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Dear mother, you are not only mothering for today, but generations ahead. You are a generational builder.
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The nation is only as strong as its godly homes.
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God’s description of the mother is in the heart of her home. The Hebrew word literally means “in the recesses of the home.” She is not on the periphery of her home, running here and there, but in the heart. Dear mother, you may feel you are hidden away and not accomplishing much. I want to remind you that you are doing a powerful work that impacts the nation. You are training and raising godly children who will go out into this world to reveal the image and glory of God and bring God’s righteousness and justice to the land. Mothers determine the destiny of the nation. You are doing the greatest work as you nurture and train your children and manage your home.
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Don’t give in to the pressures around you to leave your great calling in your home for a lesser career. Remember what Nehemiah said when all his adversaries came against him and tried to stop him building. He said: “I am doing a great work: I cannot come down.” And he kept building. Keep building dear mother. You will face challenges and hardships but never give up. God is with you and your reward is coming.
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This is an interesting principle, isn’t it? I read the other morning in Numbers 33:54: “And ye shall divide the land by inheritance among your families; and to the more ye shall give the more inheritance, and to the fewer ye shall give the less inheritance.”The Complete Jewish Bible translates it clearly: “You are to give more land to the larger families and less to the smaller ones.”
The humanistic mindset of our society thinks that if we have too many children, we will stay poor. We will be deprived of many things. But this Scripture promises that those who have more children will get more land! Those who have less will receive less.
God does not provide for children that we don’t yet have. He is a faithful God. He provides when a new baby comes along. Therefore, the more babies God gives you the more provision will come your way. It’s just the way it works.
Deuteronomy 28:4–13 tells us that the first blessing God gives is the fruit of the womb. But when He gives the fruit of the womb, He adds many more blessings to enable you to provide for the fruit of the womb.
You don’t get the provision first; you get the baby first.
And then comes the blessing of provision!
Deuteronomy 28:4 (BSB) tells us: “The fruit of your womb will blessed, AS WELL as the produce of your land and the offspring of your livestock—the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks.” Look it up and keep reading up until verse 13 to read all the rest of the blessings.
I know some big families live in small homes, but it may not be forever. God will enlarge you as your family enlarges.
God’s ways are the best ways.
Blessings from Nancy Campbell
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The birthrates of the world are lowering each year. It takes 2.1 children per family to sustain a population, more to increase. And yet The World Population Review states that the USA, UK, and Australia are now down to 1.7! Canada is 1.5! When a nation gets down to 1.6 it is impossible for them to recover and that nation will eventually die out.I wonder why we are shooting ourselves in the feet. The increase of a nation is the blessing of God. Decrease is curse. A growing population is necessary for a successful economy. The Bible links these factors together in Isaiah 29:22, 23 (TLB): “My people will no longer be ashamed. For when they see the surging birth rate and the expanding economy, then they will fear and rejoice in my name.”
God is glorified with an increasing birthrate in the nation. Isaiah 26:15 says: “Thou hast increased the nation O Lord, Thou hast increased the nation . . . Thou art GLORIFIED.”
We are living in a culture that is opposite to the Bible and the kingdom of God. Our culture imbibes contraception, sterilization, and abortion as a normal part of life. Limiting families to two is normal. The sad part about this is that so many “Christian” families have also imbibed this lifestyle.
They even believe the lies about population explosion. God is not in the slightest worried about such a thing. Isaiah 45:18 says: “For thus saith the Lord that created the heavens, God Himself that formed the earth and made it; He hath established it, He created it not in vain, He formed it to be INHABITED; I am the Lord and there is none else.”
Agenda 21, a United Nations program to depopulate 95 percent of the world by 2030. Does that sound ridiculous? Unfortunately, it is a documented plan. All these things are masterminded by the devil, our enemy, who hates life. While God is the author of life, loves life, gives life, and wants us to always choose life, the devil seeks to eliminate life in every way he can.
Let’s be encouraged, dear folks, to make sure we are on the side of God and that we belong to His kingdom. If we side against life, we promote the devil’s kingdom.
Blessings from Nancy Campbell
Painting: Liz Lemon Swindle
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A —ATTENTIVE, as one should always be so that others may have your attention.
B —BEHAVIOUR, benign and beautiful.
C —CUSHION each cup of tea (or coffee) with courtesy.
D —DELIGHT everyone with your presence.
E —EFFORT, which must appear effortless.
F —FORFEIT selfishness.
G—GENERATE love and understanding.
H—HEARTACHE, avoid it with diplomacy.
I—INCLUDE a good sense of humor.
J —Just be nice.
K—KEEP on the good side of things.
L —LISTEN and look a person in the eye.
M—MANNERS MAKETH MAN, a motto worth remembering.
N —NEVER be negative.
O —OFFER to help.
P —“PLEASE” gives pleasure .
Q —QUARELLING is out of the question.
R —RESPECT the opinions and feelings of others.
S — SHAKE hands with a firm grip as you say, “How do you do?”
T — TALK, never out of turn.
U —UNDERSTAND what is acceptable.
V —VICTORY is yours if you play by the rules.
W—WECOME them with a doormat bearing such an inscription.
X —X-it with a “God bless you.”
Y —YAWNING must be stifled with a hand.
Z —ZAP them with a smile.
Printed from Above Rubies, 1984.
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There are little feet that followIn my footsteps every day,
Their little voices echo
So much of what I say.
Sometimes I’m not too happy
With all the things I see,
Then I began to realize
That they’re imitating me.
My patience seems to falter
And I speak with too much haste –
‘Til I hear the Savior speaking
When I look into each face.
Oh God, please grant me wisdom
As I train each little one,
Help me set a good example
As You yourself have done.
I would not ask for riches
Or that they famous be,
But may each find Christ as Savior
And live each day for Thee.
Amen!
Painting by Jessica Zemsky
Printed from Above Rubies, September 1986.
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Did you know that feeding is more than food? Yes, that’s huge, but there’s even more. Do you remember when Jesus went down to Lake Galilee to find His disciples after He had risen from the dead? Yes, He knew where He’d find them. They were out fishing again. He cooked a lovely breakfast for them on the shore and then called them eat. Hang on a minute? Who was cooking breakfast? Jesus! The One who had risen from the dead, conquered death and hell! And what is He doing?You’ve got it right. He’s cooking! And you thought cooking was a little too insignificant for you? But Jesus knew that cooking precedes important things. He wanted to give a special word to Peter and so He prepared him a meal first. “When they had dined” He spoke to him (John 21:15).
Three times Jesus asked Peter to feed His lambs and His sheep. Two times He used a word that means “to feed.” But one time He used are far more encompassing word. It’s the word “poimaino” and means to feed and tend as a shepherd (John 21:15-17). What is involved in a shepherd feeding and caring for his sheep?
Let’s look at the fulness of the word: Apart from feeding, it means to bind up the hurting and broken, to carry close to your heart, to comfort, to encourage, to defuse fears, to gather in your arms, to guide, to keep safe, to nourish, to lead to green and lush pastures, to prepare a table, to provide (renewing, reviving, and refreshing), to sacrifice and lay down your life for your little flock, to strengthen, and to tenderly fold your flock.
Jesus wanted His newborn lambs and sheep in the flock to be fully tended and fed. It is part of His nature. We see this picture in Isaiah 40:11: “He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.”
This is also the motherhood anointing. Shepherding is not a part time job. It is a lifestyle. We sacrifice our lives to tend to our little lambs and our big sheep. In fact, we never stop feeding. It should be our continual lifestyle even as our children grow and begin their own families.
Jesus never stops feeding. Even in eternity He continues to feed us. Don’t you love these words? “For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall FEED them (poimaino – the same word that speaks of the fullness of shepherding), and shall lead them into living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.”
One more thought for today. Acts 20:11 tells us that “When Paul had broken bread, and eaten, and talked a long while, even till break of day, so he departed.” Do you notice how talking goes with eating? Feeding our families is eating and talking together, eating and teaching, eating and laughing, eating and fellowshipping, eating and opening up the Scriptures. It all happens at meal times.
What are you planning for your evening meal this evening? Not just the food. What are you planning to talk about? What vision do you have as you bring your family together this evening?
Love from Nancy Campbell
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Dear Nurturer, don’t despise the time you spend in the kitchen. I know you sometimes you feel as though you spend half your life in the kitchen cooking! Well, praise the Lord! You are doing what you are meant to be doing. You are cherishing and nourishing the children God gave to you. You are in His perfect will. You are being like God Himself.God loves to feed His people. God’s Word is filled with the subject of food and feeding. Acts 14:17 says: “Nevertheless He (God) left not himself without witness, in that he did GOOD, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, FILLING OUR HEARTS WITH FOOD AND GLADNESS.” The word food is “trophe” meaning nourishment. God loves to nourish us. He even nourishes the little sparrows and then reminds us how much more He will feed us (Matthew 6:26).
God not only loves to feed us physically but also our inner man. Do you notice that He wants to fill us with gladness too? Food and gladness couple together. Food and fellowship are twins. Eating is more than eating food. It is communicating with one another. We are not meant to eat food on our own. God wants us to gather our family (and others too) around our table to communicate and fellowship as we eat. This fills our hearts with gladness.
As we minister food to our family, let’s not only think of physical food, but food for their souls and spirits. Think of nourishing the whole man. Think of ways to nourish your children mentally, emotionally, and spiritually at your table. Enlarge your vision. Begin to see your table how God sees it.
Jesus came to this earth “eating and drinking.” He was always fellowshipping at a table with people. So often when we read of him sitting at the table, the Bible goes on to say, “And he said . . .” The table was where Jesus loved to tell parables, teach, and give understanding of the Scriptures.
Even after Jesus rose from the dead and suddenly stood in the midst of His disciples, He asked for something to eat. He still loved to eat in His resurrection body. “And they gave him a piece of broiled fish, and of a honey comb. And he took it, and did eat before them. And he said unto them . . .” Once again, we see Him talking with his disciples as they ate together and He “opened their understanding, that they might understand the Scriptures” (Luke 24:36-49).
I love the words of Luke 4:16: “And Jesus came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up.” The words “brought up” are translated “trepho” which means “to give su.ck, to nourish, to support, nurture.” Jesus came back to his home where he had been nourished—physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
What memories will your children have when they grow up? Will they have memories of a nourishing home? Where they were nourished with delectable, delicious, and wholesome food? Where they were nourished in their souls? Where their spirits were daily fed with the Word of God? Where they lived in an atmosphere of healing? Because to nourish is to heal! Body, soul, and spirit.
Make this your prayer for your children: “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your WHOLE SPIRIT AND SOUL AND BODY be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 5:23).
I send God’s blessings and healing to your home today,
Nancy Campbell
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Shine in your home. Shine when you go out with your children. Shine when you are in the supermarket.
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I recently talked to a friend from a different state who was staying in our home. As I spread the tablecloth in readiness for supper, she said “I don’t know one other mother amongst my homeschooling group who uses tablecloths.”“Do you like naked tables?” I asked.
Just as I clothe myself, I love to clothe my table when we sit to eat. Dear young mothers with little darlings all around you, please don’t turn off as you read this. It is possible to use tablecloths even when your children are little. You can purchase a pretty tablecloth and a large piece of clear plastic. Place the plastic over the tablecloth and all you need to do is wipe it down at the end of the meal. You need to wipe down the table anyway, and it’s just as easy to wipe the plastic. Even better, you can purchase heavy plastic in beautiful designs and have it cut to the size of your table.
There are seasons in life. Now the children have grown, I no longer need to use plastic. I am amazed that I don’t have to wash my tablecloth every time we sit for a meal. I find I can use it several times before I notice marks on it. Plus, I like to use different tablecloths throughout the week.
I have a great supply of tablecloths and look for them at Goodwill. I have pretty pieces of material I use as tablecloths. I have some that have been given as gifts, but I’ve never spent a lot of money on them.
Do you know that it is possible to set a beautiful table even when you don’t have much? Get your children involved. They love to make things beautiful, and they are very creative. It may not look professional, but it will be special. Get them to go outside and find some flowers or greenery to put in a vase for the table. Teach them how to set the table correctly. Give each child a turn and encourage them to make the table as creative as they can. It will become a competition with the children to see who can make it the best.
Children should see that the table is the heart of the home. The more effort we put into making it beautiful, the more these memories will be implanted into their hearts.
I think we have placed a low status upon the table in our society today. Let’s lift the standard. I remember reading in John McCain’s book, “Faith of my Fathers” about how his parents came to each evening meal dressed for the occasion, his father in an evening suit and his mother in a long evening gown. I’m not saying we should do this, but it showed the importance they placed on the family meal table back in those days.
Of course, the children are far more important than the tablecloth and plates. But don’t negate these things, dear mothers. Even if you can’t do it in your most busy seasons (maybe a new baby in the home), do it as you can.
My goal for every meal is to “Make every meal a love affair.”
Love from Nancy Campbell
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Did you know that motherhood is synonymous with feeding and nourishing? If you are a mother, you are a child cherisher and child nourisher.1 Timothy 5:10 gives the description of God’s plan for women. The first description of her is that she has “brought up” children. The word is “teknotropheo.” The breakdown of the word is as follows:
teknon = child
trepho = to fatten, to cherish with food, to pamper, feed, nourish
A mother loves and cherishes her children. Therefore, because she cherishes them, she nourishes them.
The moment God gives a beautiful baby into the arms of another, she immediately puts the baby to her breast. She begins nourishing. I remember when Serene was mothering her last baby, Solly. I remember walking into their home one night and as usual, little Solace was nestled in Serene’s arms. She said to me, “Mother, I am IN LOVE.” Because she was in love with this baby, she nourished her baby.
Mothers love to make their babies fat. It’s part of nourishing. Isn’t it funny? This is the only time we drool about rolls and fat! When Serene’s little Remmywas born, he didn’t thrive. She couldn’t understand why he wasn’t fattening up. She eventually discovered that he had a very high palate and couldn’t feed adequately. Immediately she ordered a hospital pump and began pumping night and day, for a whole year, giving her milk from a Lact-aid as Remmy continued nursing from her breast. We called her Mrs. Pump! Serene was determined to fatten up her baby!
But we don’t stop nourishing when our babies wean. We continue nourishing. As our children grow, we continue to feed them nourishing foods. We do not cherish our children if we allow them to drink pop and serve them foods filled with sugar and devitalized foods such as white flour, white sugar, white pasta, and white rice, etc. It’s not enough to pacify the hunger in our children with packaged and conventional foods. We are nourishers! We only give them that which nourishes their bodies.
One of the words for food in the Bible is “trophe” and simply means, nourishment. If it doesn’t nourish, we can’t truly call it food. Food should strengthen the body (Acts 9:19).
And our nourishing goes beyond their bodies. We are nourishers of their souls and spirits too. The whole passion of cherishing our children is to nourish them in every part of their lives. This takes mothering to another dimension. We don’t have time to vacate the home for our own interests. We have such a huge and heavenly assignment.
Embrace your heavenly duty today.
Love from Nancy Campbell
Painting: "Maternity," 1959 -- by Jurandir Ubirajara Campos (Brasil, 1903-1972)
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As a mother, you have the privilege to reveal the nurturing heart of God.
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