Above Rubies Daily Encouragement Blogs

This morning we read 1 Corinthians 1:9 in our Family Devotions, "God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord." Can you imagine it? Called by God Himself. A Royal invitation. A divine invitation to walk in fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

How below par we live. We grovel around in defeat and misery when we have a divine invitation to walk in fellowship with Christ. Jesus Christ not only died to save us from our sins, but He rose again to dwell in our hearts and live His glorious, victorious, superabundant life through us, right in our home and in our kitchen (John 10:10, Galatians 2:20; Colossians 1:27).

Back in my home country of New Zealand, many years ago, my father and his brother gave a shearing demonstration to the Queen of England when she visited our country. This was because my father originally designed the fastest way to shear sheep and was the World Champion Sheep Shearer in his day. The Queen was so impressed that she issued a Royal Command for them to shear before her again. As a family we were away on holiday and no one knew where we were. We decided on our choice of vacation as we drove down the road! Announcements came over the radio all through the country find the whereabouts of Ivan Bowen.

When they tracked him down and he heard of this Royal Command from the Queen, did he say, "Sorry, I'm on vacation. I haven't got time to do that for her and the Duke." No, he immediately left us to our own devices and off he went to obey the command of the Queen.

How much more should we obey the calling and Royal Command of our God who is King of kings and Lord of lords.

Forget living in your little hut of misery and defeat and answer the call to live in the mansion of the fullness of your life in Christ.

Love from Nancy Campbell

In yesterday's post, we talked about whether we are wilting, surviving, or flourishing in our home. God's will for you is to flourish. Here's some ways to flourish in your home:

F FLAVOR your home with joy, sweetness, and happiness (what a nice flavor)!
L LOVE every moment of your mothering (rather than dreaming of when these days will be over).
O OFFER your life as a living sacrifice (knowing that you save your life by losing it--Mark 11:35 and Romans 12:1-2).
U UNIFY your home by speaking peace into every situation.
R REVEL in the joy of mothering and nurturing the precious gifts God has given to you (knowing that your Employer is God Himself).
I INTENTIONALLY make positive things happen in your home (don't let the day lead you around in circles, but instead purposefully direct your day by the leading of the Holy Spirit).
S SANCTIFY your home daily with prayer, praises, and the washing of God's Word (Ephesians 5: 26).
H HEAP hugs and kisses on your husband and children.

Which one speaks to you the most?

Love from Nancy Campbell

Did you know that God's plan for you is to FLOURISH? And where does He want you to flourish? In your home. Psalm 128:3-4 TLB says, "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."

But, perhaps today, you feel like a WILTING plant. You feel "half dead"! Or, maybe, like some plants, you are barely SURVIVING. You get through each day, but only just! This is not God's plan for you. He wants you to flourish and bloom. I believe we can only come into the flourishing mode when we embrace our mothering role with all our heart. We know that we are in God's perfect will. No matter what the hardships and challenges, we face them with joy. We are not dreaming of some day when we will be through these mothering days. Instead, we live every moment to the full. Every moment is an abounding moment because Christ lives in you and His life in you is not wilting, but full of life and power.

Embrace your powerful calling of motherhood and the joy of your home and make every moment a God moment. Think, of yourself as a flourishing plant--blossoming, flowering, blooming, growing luxuriantly, thriving, increasing, enlarging, expanding, abounding, and shooting out (Isaiah 54:2-3)! This is God's plan for you. It is not a stagnant boring life, but fruitful and flourishing.

Love from Nancy Campbell

Did you read Michelle's post with this title? If not, scroll down a little to read it again. It reminds me of Serene and Pearl's song, BRAVE ENOUGH from their album, THIS IS OUR ROAD which can be purchased as a CD or downloaded from the website. However, I thought I would bless you today and give you a FREE DOWNLOAD of their song, BRAVE ENOUGH. I'll give you the words in this post, and the link in the next post. I know you will be inspired and challenged by the words:

BRAVE ENOUGH
I know how to give a piece of my mind,
Practice makes perfect, I don’t have to try,
It comes easy for me,
But I’ll admit it’s not working that well,
I think I’ve come to the end of myself,
So I’m finally listening to that still small voice
Urging me to make the choice to be…

CHORUS:
BRAVE ENOUGH TO BE MEEK
BOLD ENOUGH TO BE STILL,
WISE ENOUGH TO LEARN TO HOLD MY TONGUE
WHEN MY WORDS JUST WANT TO SPILL
BIG ENOUGH TO FORGIVE
STRONG ENOUGH TO SUBMIT
YEAH, BRAVE ENOUGH TO LET THESE HARDENED PARTS
TURN TO GENTLENESS
BRAVE ENOUGH!

I know God’s ways are higher than mine,
The wisdom of man is foolishly blind,
Now I see clearly.
I know I’ve got some hew habits to learn,
I need to build back the bridges I’ve burned
For I very nearly lost the one that I love,
So here I am asking for help from above to be…

CHORUS:
BRAVE ENOUGH TO BE MEEK
BOLD ENOUGH TO BE STILL,
WISE ENOUGH TO LEARN TO HOLD MY TONGUE
WHEN MY WORDS JUST WANT TO SPILL
BIG ENOUGH TO FORGIVE
STRONG ENOUGH TO SUBMIT
YEAH, BRAVE ENOUGH TO LET THESE HARDENED PARTS
TURN TO GENTLENESS
BRAVE ENOUGH!

So turn me around,
Turn me upside down,
Mold the core of me
Into what you are naturally.

FREE DOWNLOAD FOR YOUR BLESSING TODAY.
Serene and Pearl's song, BRAVE ENOUGH.
http://tinyurl.com/BraveEnoughMp3

Did you know that you don't have to teach false doctrine to pass it on to your children? You teach it by the way you live. Our children learn more from observing our lives than from what we tell them. Do your children see the image of God in you? Do they see you as a feminine nurturing mother, the picture God wants you to reveal as a female?

Do they see you reveling in the heart of your home and gathering your family to sit together around the table for your meals? This is the picture God paints of a blessed family (Psalm 128:3).

Do they see your sweet spirit of submission toward your husband who is the head and covering of your home? Do they see you delighting to serve? Marriage is a picture of Christ and the church and we certainly wouldn't expect to see the church ordering Christ around, would we?

What kind of doctrine are you revealing to your family today?

Love from Nancy Campbell

Dear wives and mothers, we have the great privilege and power to reveal God to the world. God has created us female to reveal a certain image of His character. He has chosen us to reveal His mothering and nurturing anointing to our families and to the world. He created us to be bear children. He created us to be mothers. As we embrace who we are, we not only fulfill our destiny but bring glory to our Creator.

On the other hand, we can mar the image of God in the world. We make our choice. Read the self-confessed words of one who chooses to dishonor the image of God. Naomi Goldenberg writes, "All feminists are making the world less and less like the one described in the Bible and are thus helping to lessen the influence of Christ and Yahweh on humanity. We women are going to bring and end to God. As we take positions in government, in medicine, in law, in business, in the arts and finally, in religion, we will be the end of Him. We will change the world so much that He won't fit any more."

May God save us from compromising and being sucked into society's image of womanhood which is the opposite to God's plan. Let's joyfully embrace our motherhood and femininity and bring more and more of God into this world.

Love from Nancy Campbell

We have now lived in USA for 22 years and are USA citizens. However, when I fly back to New Zealand (the land of my birth) and touch down on the tarmac, I exclaim, "I'm home." When I fly back to Australia where we lived for 10 years and still have family there, I exclaim, "I'm home." But, when I fly back to USA, I also exclaim, "I'm home!" And yet, none are my real home. My real and lasting home is the eternal realm.

David confessed in Psalm 119:54, "Thy statutes have been my songs in the house of my pilgrimage." Whether you have lived in the same home all your life, or in many different homes, you are still a sojourner.

Since being married, we have lived in 11 different homes in four different countries (apart from lots of temporary residences along the way). You may have lived in more. But, don't worry if you don't have a permanent home, for you have God's permanent Word.

In whatever home you live, large or small, humble or mansion, make God's Word the delight and song of your home. It is your durability in the homes of your pilgrimage. Sing hymns or Scripture songs at your Family Devotions morning and evening. Sing with your children throughout the day. Play worshipful music and fill your home with the songs of the Lord. No matter what we are facing in your earthly temporary homes, God's eternal Word will see you through. It is always your strength, home, and comfort.

Matthew 24:35, "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away."

Love from Nancy Campbell

We constantly need reminders don't we? It is so easy to forget.

Psalm 119:164 says, "Seven times a day do I praise thee because of thy righteous judgments." How can we remember to praise God seven times a day? I think a kitchen timer is a great idea, which reminds me that I must purchase two or three more. In my house they disappear or break.

To respond to this Scripture I have worked out a plan (although I'll need my kitchen timer or I'll forget)! We start the day with Family Devotions after breakfast as so I'll wait until 10.00 am to set my first timer. Then 11.00 am and 12.00 pm. After lunch I'll set it again 2.00 pm, 3.00 pm, 4.00 pm and 5.00 pm. That's seven times throughout the day. And then we'll have Family Devotions after supper in the evening.

You may have to work it differently in your home as everyone has a different schedule. But, unless you work out your times, it won't happen! I love the way The Message paraphrases this verse, "Seven times each day I STOP and SHOUT PRAISES." We have to stop what we are doing to do it! But, remember, you are not stopping for more than a minute. Just enough time to praise the Lord for His goodness, and on with what you are doing. Include your children in this wonderful plan.

Psalm 107:8 says, "Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children o men!" Repeated three more times in this Psalm.

Love from Nancy Campbell

Above Rubies is now on Pinterest with beautiful pictures of mothers, babies, and family life. I know you will be encouraged.

There are currently 46 boards, so you won't be able to look at them all at once. Treasure a board in the evening when you have a moment to relax. As you get through them, I'd love to hear which is your favorite board.

Love from Nancy

Go to: http://www.pinterest.com/aboverubiesmag/

My grand-daughter, Chalice, loves to read George McDonald books. Today she asked me to read a quote from him: "No man ever did the best work who copied another. Let every man work out the thing that is in him! Who, according to the means he has, great or small, does the work given him to do, stands by the side of the Savior, is a fellow-worker with Him. Be a brother (or a sister) after thy own fashion, only see it be a brother (or sister) thou art."

What true words. God is an amazing Creator and He doesn't make clones. Every individual He has created since the beginning of time is a new and fresh revelation from the hand of God.

YOU also are new creation, never before or never again to be created. God has given you a personality and differing gifts to use. You will never be like someone else. You don't have to mother like someone else. You have to mother your children according to who you are. My three daughters who are married, Evangeline, Pearl, and Serene are all wonderful mothers, but each one mothers differently. The homeschool differently. They discipline differently. And neither is influenced by the other. They embrace who God created them to be.

Everyone of your children are unique individuals. They have different gifts. They will learn differently. They are not meant to be put in a box!

The government wants all the children in the state system to be put in a box. They want to brainwash with their humanist and progressive agenda so they will think like them.

But, God wants your children to think like Him. And He has a special purpose for each one of your children. Give them freedom to be who God created them to be. Let them fulfill their giftings. You may find that as they begin to do this that will start home businesses in their young years that could eventually be their life's work.

We glorify God when we embrace who He created us to be.

Love from Nancy Campbell

What a great privilege God has given to us to bring forth children in His image and to fill the world with His glory.

Do you sometimes feel foolish? Or, at least people around think you are foolish for staying at home with your children, homeschooling, and embracing beautiful babies into your family. I know you sometimes feel week, tired, and depleted of strength. You may feel unimportant and worthless when you see others making money and out in their careers. Yes, you even feel despised.

Dear mother, please don't despair. Shout HALLELUJAH instead. You are in the very category for God to pick you up and use you mightily! Others may seem to be doing great things, but you are right where God wants you to be. You are in His perfect will as you mother and train His children, for they are firstly His children and He doesn't want you giving them to anyone else.

Read 1 Corinthians 1:26-29 NLT, "Few of you were wise in the world's eyes, or powerful, or wealthy when God called you. Instead, God deliberately chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose those who are powerless to shame those who are powerful. God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important, so that no one can ever boast in the presence of God."

Love from Nancy Campbell

Have you started praying as a family? Check the post, THE POWER OF PRAYING FAMILIES.

Leviticus 26:8 says, "Five of you shall chase an hundred, and a hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight; and your enemies shall fall before you by the sword." What is the greatest way to destroy our enemies? By prayer, of course. Do you have three children in your family? Three children and mom and dad makes five! God says that five of you can put 100 enemies to flight. Twenty families of five can cause 10,000 enemies to bite the dust.

What about families with six, seven, eight, nine and more children? Think about all these prayer warriors. Don't let the devil get you so busy and so involved in other things (yes, even GOOD things), that you don't have time to pray and cry out to God for our nation as a family. Don't let all your prayer warriors be wasted. Even little children can learn to intercede.

Praying together is the most powerful thing you can do together as a family.

Love from Nancy Campbell

It's hard to believe what is happening in our nation at the moment, isn't it? It's hard to believe that this nation that was founded on godly principles and FREEDOM is now being enslaved before our eyes. We cannot carry on as usual. We must go to prayer.

This means starting in our family. It's not much use talking about a church prayer meeting if we are not first praying at home. Can you just imagine what could happen if every God-fearing, Bible believing family began to gather their family together morning and evening and cry out to God for this nation. We can quote 2 Chronicles 7:14 by heart, but do we believe it or do anything about it?

Luke 18:7-8 says, "Shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry DAY AND NIGHT unto him, though he bear long with them? I tell you that he will avenge them speedily."

Can I encourage you, even if it means rearranging your daily schedule and all your plans, to get serious and pray together as a family daily?

Love from Nancy Campbell

I love to look at food, but I like to taste it more. I love to try different flavors and different tasting dishes. But, even more than tasting, I love to eat!

Psalm 34:8 says, "O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusts in him." We love to taste food, but do we love to taste of the Lord and His Words? We can't experience the flavor of something until we taste it. And when it's good we want to eat it, and feast on it! Years ago my husband wrote a worship song. The first stanza began, "I taste of You." The second stanza began, "I feed on You". But, the third stanza went on to say, "I FEAST on You, You are my Living Bread..."

We couldn't go through a day without eating. Let's not go through a day without tasting of the Lord and feeding on His Word. Make it a priority to gather your family morning and evening to taste and feed on Him. You will find His words GOOD to your soul. Assemble your children together to this bottomless well that never runs dry. Teach them daily of His ways. Give them such a taste of the power of God's Living Word that they will want to spit out all the vain allurements of this world.

Love from Nancy Campbell

I am so amazed when I read the wonder of the truth of God's Word and yet so ashamed how we rarely live in the experience of it. Colossians 2:9 says, "For in him (Christ Jesus) dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in him." Colossians 1:19 says that "It pleased the Father than in him all the fullness should dwell." We acknowledge this truth, but do we acknowledge that Christ lives in us (Colossians 1:27)? That means that every moment we can tap into all the fullness of God, for Christ DWELLS IN US!

This foundation, and yet revolutionary truth, changes our lives as mothers as we cook in our kitchen, tend to our little flock, and fulfill all the household tasks we have to accomplish each day. We don't do any of this on our own. We do it with the FULLNESS OF GOD DWELLINGIN US! Can you get a hold of this truth? Of course, we will only experience it as we acknowledge and confess it.

When you feel miserable, acknowledge the joy of the Lord that dwells in you for He is filled with the "oil of gladness above thy fellows" (Hebrews 1:9). When you are frustrated and losing your patience, acknowledge His patience for He is filled with longsuffering and lives within you! When you are in a state of tension, acknowledge His rest for He lives in rest and He lives in you!

Let's not live in the flesh and below par, when Christ died and rose again to live His life in us. Let's walk in our home in the revelation of this truth.

Love from Nancy Campbell

There is always far more going on behind the scenes than we ever dream about, isn't there? Here's another thing we need to be aware of.

Did you know that public schools now have a new textbook called, World History, which promotes Islam and dumbs down Christianity? This book has a 36-page chapter devoted to teaching Islam as a peaceful religion and Muslim conquests as benign "occupations," but Christian conquests as "massacres." The book practically ignores Christianity, except to teach that Christians are the ones who kill, maim, and slaughter.

Can you believe this is happening in our country that was founded on Christian principles? And your tax dollars are paying for this brainwashing.

Informative Christian parents can no longer keep their children in public schools.

Let's wake up before it is too late.

Love from Nancy

God wants you to have REST and PEACE in your home.

Here's a lovely quote by Marianne Neifert, which an Above Rubies reader sent to me. She read it in the Reader's Digest. I'm sure you will identify with these same feelings......

"If I hadn't had children, I probably would have had more money and material things. I probably would have gone more places, gotten more sleep, pampered myself more. My life would have been much more boring and predictable. As a result of being a parent, I have laughed harder, cried more often. I have worried more and hurried more. I've had less sleep, but somehow I've had more fun. I've learned more, grown more. My heart has ached harder, and I've loved to a capacity beyond my imagination. I've given more of myself, but I've derived more meaning from life."

Isn't it true? We experience the delirious joys of motherhood and also the aches and pains of motherhood, but our lives are richer for them all. Oh how much we would have missed out on, if we hadn't had each child that God has given us.

Dear young mothers, forget sighing and grumbling about all your frustrations. These precious days with your little ones will go too quickly. My oldest son will soon be 50 years, and it still seems like one blink of my eye since the day he was born. As I look back on raising our children, do I regret that I didn't get involved in more activities outside the home or further my career? Oh no. I regret every moment I didn't spend with them. I never felt I had enough time to pour into them all I wanted to before they were gone and flown the nest.

Treasure every moment with the children God has given you, today.

Love from Nancy Campbell .

All the principles that God gives us in His Word are liberating principles. They set us free from bondage, depression, self-pity, bitterness, and destruction. And yet, God's ways are usually opposite of how we would naturally react. One of these kingdom principles is forgiveness. When someone hurts us wrongly or speaks false words against us, it is not easy to forgive. But, unless we do, we only end up hurting ourselves. God shows us in His Word how to do it.

1. We must be eager and ready to forgive.
God Himself is always "READY to forgive" (Psalm 86:5) and He wants us to have the same attitude. We don't hold out for months or years in bitterness, but forgive immediately.

2. We must forgive all, not only some things.
God never holds back His forgiveness. He forgives ALL our sins. There is nothing He won't forgive when we seek the cleansing of the blood of Jesus. Read Psalm 103:3 and Colossians 2:13.

3. We must forgive seventy time seven.
Yes, Matthew 18:21-22 tells us 490 times, but the inference is UNENDING forgiveness. How can you forgive over and over again, even for the same thing? Only by God's grace and forgiveness which we inherit when Christ comes to dwell in us (Romans 5:5 and Colossians 1:27).

4. We must forgive from the heart.
Matthew 18:35 NASB says, "My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother FROM YOUR HEART."

5. We must forgive others the same way Christ has forgiven us. This kind of attitude doesn't let us off the hook, does it? Ephesians 4:32 reads, "And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, EVEN AS GOD for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." Read also Luke 23:34 and Colossians 3:13.

There will always be someone we have to forgive. It may be every day, or more than once a day. Allow Christ to work His spirit of forgiveness in you, today.

Love from Nancy Campbell