You choose how you want to live! Grumbling and complaining or joyful and praising!
651 Hits
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.
The greatest blessing, stability, and power of the nation are godly homes, homes where the husband and wife love one another and together raise godly children to influence the world. Satan also knows the power of the home and tries to woo women away from their greatest place of influence.However, he is not content with eliminating the mother from the home. He also comes to homes where mothers have come home to raise their children. He searches for ways to get his foot in the door, bringing in his deception and evil.
Mothers, we must be watchwomen, constantly on the alert for his crafty ways. 1 Peter 5:8, 9 says: “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: whom RESIST steadfast in the faith.”
When you notice the devil putting his toe in your door . . .
boot him out before he gets any further.
Speak the name of Jesus out loud.
Confess the Scriptures out loud.
Don’t allow the enemy to become entrenched in your home.
Raise up the stand of righteousness.
Cast out all worldly practices and entertainment, and “the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life” (1 John 2:15-17).
Deal strongly with negative and evil habits.
God spoke to His servant, David: “I have cut off all thine enemies OUT OF THY SIGHT” (1 Samuel 7:9). God reveals the way He wants us to also deal with Satan’s temptations.
We cast them OUT OF OUR SIGHT!
We don’t allow them to linger around.
We don’t tolerate them.
We send them kicking, OUT OF SIGHT AND OUT OF MIND.
James 4:7: “RESIST the devil, and he will flee from you.”
Blessings to you today from Nancy Campbell
676 Hits
The greatest temptation from the enemy of our souls is in our minds. Revelation 12:9 calls the devil “that old serpent.” The mind is where he seeks to attack us most, or should I say, even torment us. He brings to our minds thoughts of doubt, deception, despondency, rejection, anger, self-pity, and even despair. And yes, worry, worry, worry! If we are not aware of his tactics and do not resist them, they become bigger in our minds and he wins the victory.Daniel 7:25 speaks about the coming anti-Christ (although this same spirit is already in the world): "He shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High." The words "wear out" in the Hebrew mean "to afflict mentally." These words are only used in a mental sense. This is Satan's strategy. To wear us out in our minds with unbelieving and deceiving thoughts. If you are filled with worry, confused, and tormented in your mind, you can't function emotionally or physically.
Therefore, you must be on the alert. You don't have to let the enemy wear you out! This is not God's plan. You can't stop these thoughts coming to your mind, but you stop them embedding in your mind! You don't have to dwell on them for one minute! Resist them in the name of Jesus. Throw them out of your mind. They don't belong in your redeemed mind. My daughters call them “bucket thoughts” which they throw in the garbage!
1 Peter 1:13 says: "Gird up the loins of your mind." In Bible days the men wore long tunics and when doing physical exercise pulled up their tunic and tucked it in their belt so they would not be hindered. In the same way, we must eradicate of any thoughts in our minds that hinder us from walking in the victory which Jesus Christ died to give us.
Be encouraged again today with 2 Corinthians 5:4, 5:"For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds; casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity EVERY THOUGHT to the obedience of Christ."
May you have a victorious day triumphing over the wiles of the devil. You do not have to let him wear you out.
Blessings from Nancy Campbell
579 Hits
Life is not perfectly calm when you have little ones around you. Sometimes they get beside themselves and begin to act out very negatively. The worse they get, the more frustrated you get until you are ready to shout and yell or “fly off the handle.” But wait a minute. Before you scream, try an alternative. There are better options to calm them down.1. CHILDREN LOVE SURPRISES
Try this idea. My children loved it. "Children, Mommy is going to give you a surprise! I want you all to hide behind the sofa and wait. No one is allowed to look!" I then arrange a little plate for each one with perhaps cut apples, pieces of cheese, raisins, a wholesome cookie, or whatever you have on hand. Make them into the shape of a smiley face.
"Okay, children, come for your surprise!" Although it is only simple, a little surprise and a little food in their stomachs makes a huge difference and calms them all down.
2. CHILDREN LOVE STORIES
"Come children, let's read a story." Gather the children all around you, cuddle them up tight, and read some nursery rhymes or stories to them. found story time never failed to calm my children. Can you guess that we had story time frequently throughout the day? Have you purchased “Nanny’s Nursery Rhymes”? You’ll love to read these to your children: http://tinyurl.com/NannysNurseryRhymes
3. CHILDREN LOVE TO GET OUTSIDE
"Children, let's go outside for a little walk." Take them out to look at the birds, the butterflies, or any insects, lizards, or salamanders you can find. Ten to fifteen minutes or more outside enables them to let off steam, changes their behavior, and they'll come inside with refreshed spirits.
4. CHILDREN NEED SLEEP
Sometimes when a child, or all the children, are bouncing off the walls, we forget that they may be tired and no longer know how to control themselves. Perhaps they just need a nap!
With most of these little alternatives, you have to stop what you are doing! That's the secret. Children become more difficult to handle when you are engrossed in what you are doing. Stop and spend a little time with them. It makes all the difference.
Have a great day.
Nancy Campbell
Painting by Jessie Wilcox Smith
611 Hits
Dear mother, God gives you strength for TODAY! You do not need tomorrow’s strength yet. In fact, God is the God of the NOW! 2 Corinthians 6:2 says: “Behold, NOW is the day of salvation.” As you look to Him, He comes NOW to help, save, deliver, and heal you.
558 Hits
I remember seeing a cartoon many years ago. It was a picture of a mother looking at the adverts in the newspaper. Her children were bouncing off the walls around her and her house was in utter chaos. The caption read: “I’m looking for a job, I need a rest!”Maybe you feel like this sometimes. Dear mother, I want to remind you today that you already have the greatest career in the nation. I know it’s not easy. It has the longest hours. It’s full of challenges. Sometimes you feel so tired you can hardly see straight. But no job that is nation-changing, generation-influencing, and eternity-investing is easy.
And to top it all off, God is with you all the way through. He does not give up on you halfway through your commission. He is with you to the end. David reminded his son, Solomon that “God will be with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee, UNTIL THOU HAST FINISHED all the work for the service of the house of the LORD” (1 Chronicles 28:20).
God is also with you as you build your “house of the LORD” and daily serve Him as you mother and train your children. And did you get the message? He will be with you UNTIL YOU FINISH THE WORK! Not halfway through, but all the way through. You may feel exhausted along the way, but because God is with you, and giving you His strength each new day, you will make it to the finishing line!
God’s promise to you in Hebrews 13:5, 6 says: “Be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” Wuest’s Word Studies from the Greek New Testament reveal the full meaning of this Scripture: “I WILL NOT, I WILL NOT, I WILL NOT let thee down, leave thee in the lurch, leave thee destitute, leave thee in straits and helpless, abandon thee.”
Lift up your head today. You are not doing this on your own. GOD IS WITH YOU UNTIL THE FINSIHING LINE!
Be encouraged.
Nancy Campbell
693 Hits
Dear mother, you are involved in the BEST and most influential career in the nation.
555 Hits
It’s so easy to get burdened down with negative thoughts, isn’t it? If we don’t discipline our thoughts they can tend toward self-pity, “poor me” attitude, selfishness, and even thoughts of God that are not worthy of Him.We must bring our thoughts into captivity for we live as we think.
We mother according to how we think. The whole atmosphere of our home depends on how we think! We speak and act according to how we think. That’s why God wants us to think correctly. That’s why He wants us to be transformed by the daily renewing of His living Word (Romans 12:1 ,2).
2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (HCSB) says: “For though we live in the body, we do not wage war in an unspiritual way, since the weapons of our warfare are not worldly, but are powerful through God for the demolition of strongholds. We demolish arguments (reasonings) and every high-minded thing that is raised up against the knowledge of God, taking every thought captive to obey Christ.”
Are you ready for some warfare? We can’t hope our negative and unbelieving thoughts will disappear. We must make war against them. Demolish them! That’s right. The word literally means “to demolish, destroy, overthrow, and make extinct.”
We belong to the “Resistance Movement.” We RESIST the devil when he comes with his deceiving and demoralizing thoughts. James 4:7: “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
Speak out: “I refuse these high-minded, deceiving, destructive thoughts in the name of Jesus. They don’t belong to me. I demolish them through the power of the blood of Jesus.”
Now, go to God’s Word and speak His living words out loud. This is how Jesus overcame the enemy (Matthew 4: 3-11). Every time the devil put his thoughts into Jesus’ mind, He demolished them by saying, “IT IS WRITTEN.”
Through the Word of God and the power of the name of Jesus you can have victory over your thought life.
Be blessed today.
Nancy Campbell
P.S. Currently on my podcast, LIFE TO THE FULL w/ Nancy Campbell I am doing a series called THE LAND OF MTHERHOOD. I am taking you on a journey of every description of the land. It will take you into new thought patterns and a new vocabulary. We either speak Bible language or the language of the world. Join the podcast and discover how God wants you to think and speak in this land of motherhood.
558 Hits
Do you remember Jael in the Bible? God called her “blessed above all women who lived in tents.” The Kenites lived in tents in those days. Why was she given such honor? Because she destroyed the enemy who came to her home. You can read the whole story in Judges 4:17-23 and 5:24-31.God gave the Israelites victory over the Canaanites who had held them in slavery for 20 years. Captain Sisera ran for his life and came to the home of Jael. Jael took him in, gave him milk, and a bed to sleep. But once he was asleep, she took a tent peg, silently crept up to him and nailed it through his head, crushing his head with a shattering blow. Why would Jael be honored for such a gruesome deed?
This story reveals a spiritual principle. Jael did not give the enemy a foothold in her home. She dealt him a death blow. This is the same spirit God wants us to have. The enemy of our souls and the souls of our children, lurks around trying to gain a foothold in our home. We must be on the watch. And when he makes an appearance. we will not sit idly by. We will not be tolerant.
We take action.
Pray up a storm.
Intercede.
Speak the Scriptures out loud
Lift up the name of Jesus.
Plead the blood of Jesus. Deal him a death blow.
He’s not taking my children on my watch!
Jael didn't even have to go out to war. She won the final victory for the nation of Israel right in her home. As a mother, you are also a warrior for God in your home. Don't give the devil who comes "to steal, kill, and destroy" one inch of comfort in your home. In the powerful name of Jesus Christ, throw him out.
Rise up in the powerful name of Jesus and be a devil-defeating mother.
God’s blessing to your home today,
Nancy Campbell
Painting by Ottavio Vannini. Jael and Sisera, 1640
829 Hits
WITH ALL OF YOUR MIGHTWhen you wonder what purpose
The Lord has for you,
Just look in your hand
At the things given you.
Don't look far ahead,
To the left or the right.
What's yours to do now,
Do with all of your might.
Are there little hands
That tug at your skirt?
Do they run to your arms
Whenever they're hurt?
Cherish these moments,
Give them your time.
There's no greater purpose
Than building a life.
Yesterday's gone,
Tomorrow's not given,
There's only this moment
To love and be living.
Daylight is short,
Too soon comes the night.
Whatever your task,
Do with all of your might.
With all of your might,
In darkness or light.
Be strong and courageous
To stand for what's right.
Love Justice and mercy,
From evil take flight.
Live for God's glory
With all of your might.
Live in the moment,
One day at a time.
Don't let fear or worry
Steal joy from your mind.
God will be faithful,
Whatever your plight.
Just keep pressing onward
With all of your might.
With all of your might,
in darkness or light,
Be strong and courageous
To fight the good fight.
For Jesus be faithful,
in Him take delight.
Live for God's glory
With all of your might.
Live joy, He is with you,
His Word is your light.
776 Hits
Tuesday night Colin and I went to the theater to watch THE MATTER OF LIFE. You would think we were constant movie goers having just talked to you about 2000 MULES. Yet we rarely go to the movies unless it is something that is promoting the truth. We don’t even watch TV. Colin used to watch a little of Fox News, but the night Fox News stood on the side of the stolen election, we turned it off and have never turned it on again!This movie is another documentary movie that exposes the horrors of abortion, the arguments the pro-abortionists constantly bring up, and the glory and wonder of life. It is very powerful, and I wish every person could see it. Sadly, although it was only the second and last night in the theaters, the theater was only about one-third full.
I was so sad. Every Christian and every God-fearing person should be standing up for life and against the cruel and horrific dismemberment and murdering of precious babies whom God is creating in the womb.
There was so much to take in on this movie. I will need to see it two or three times. But one quote really saddened me that less than 4 percent of churches are involved in pro-life. Every church should be involved in saving lives.
God’s kingdom is a kingdom of life and if we are on God’s side, we are on the side of life. Therefore we stand up for life, we fight for life, we speak for life, and do everything in our power to save life. The devil’s kingdom is a kingdom of death, and he comes to rob, kill, and destroy (John 10:10). No wonder he works the three life-stoppers—contraception, sterilization, and abortion.
Once again, we must get on the job. We must firstly pray and secondly fight for life. Did you know that there are one million abortions every year in this nation? And 400,000 of those are from churchgoers? What is wrong with the church today?
If you missed the theater showings, you can download this movie. Ask friends in to watch it with you and afterwards discuss together what you will do to bring change.
We must all call our senators and congressmen. Check the Internet and all information will come up for you. Also contact your Attorney General and Governor. Email and call.
Some of the organizations involved in saving babies:
Home | The Matter of Life
National Right to Life | The nation's oldest & largest pro-life organization (nrlc.org)r
Blessings from Nancy Campbell
809 Hits
On Monday evening we held another screen showing of the documentary movie, 2000 MULES at our home. It is the third time I have watched it. Have you seen it yet? If not, I would encourage you to do so. I believe every person in this nation needs to see it.Dinesh D’Souza’s 2000 Mules shows actual people, nicknamed mules, being paid to collect and drop off ballots at privately funded drop boxes for the 2020 election. Thousands of mules were involved in the key swing states, including Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. We see how it was observed through geotracking. The reliability of geotracking is as reliable as finger printing.
This movie was only in selected theaters for two nights. The good news is that by public request it is coming back to the theaters this coming week, 30 May. Check your nearest theaters as it helps the cause. If you can’t get to a theater, you can download the movie or pre-order the DVD at
2000 Mules - SalemNOW Store
Once you have seen the movie, you will want to do something. Did you know that there are an estimated 24 million voter registrations that are invalid or significantly inaccurate? We cannot go ahead with the mid-term elections as they are. It will be stolen again. We must fight the corruption. We must beg for ID ONLY VOTING.
Go to this website:
PLEASE CONTACT STATE AND FEDERAL LAWMAKERS.
State and Federal Senators and Congressman.
State Governors
State Attorney Generals
State Attorney General's need to step up and sue the key states to investigate and uphold the Constitution.
State Representatives need to demand the Governors take action.
State Prosecutors need to investigate, collect the cell phone IDs from True the Vote authorities. Then make arrests and charges.
The key states tracked so far are Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Texas.
To contact, go to the following websites:
You can call or email. To email just type the name of your representative in your search engine and an email form will come up.
FOR CONSIDERATION:
They will try and do it again in November by declaring another pandemic or something else to lock the country down, pushing citizens to use drop boxes and thus opening the door for them to steal the election again. WE THE PEOPLE must contact our lawmakers to stop this before it happens again.
Defending the Faith includes defending the truth.
909 Hits
How do you feel about your home? Do you feel like a prisoner? Are you longing for the day when you can get on to something different? Or do you delight in your home? Is it your favorite place to be? Dear mother, this is God’s plan for you.Psalm 106:24, 25 says: “Yea, they despised the pleasant land, they believed not his word: But murmured in their tents, and hearkened not unto the voice of the LORD.” The “pleasant land" was the home God chose for His people, but they despised it and murmured and complained.
God has chosen a “pleasant and delightful land” for you too. It is your home. God called the first home, which was the prototype of all homes to come, the Garden of Eden. Eden means “delight” and God wants you to make your home a delight too.
The word “pleasant” in Psalm 106:24 also means “delightful, desirable and precious.” When God spoke to Daniel in Daniel 10:11, 19 He called him “greatly beloved” which is the same Hebrew word.
Dear sweet mother, I know life is not always easy in your home as you care for your little ones and face all the challenges of each day. But can I let you in on a secret? It is delightful or burdensome according to your attitude. Nothing influential or powerful in this life is easy. It demanding work and commitment. It’s the same with mothering.
Have you made your home “the grumbling land”? If so, change your attitude today. Embrace your home. You are in the perfect will of God. Delight in it. Purpose to make your home a delight—for your husband, your children, and even for yourself.
Love to you today,
Nancy Campbell
P.S. Are you listening to the current series on my weekly podcast, LIFE TO THE FULL w/ Nancy Campbell. I am currently speaking about THE LAND OF MOTHERHOOD. Today I posted Session 16 in this series. We are weekly taking a journey through the amazing land of motherhood. It took four sessions to talk about THE DELIGHTFUL LAND, sessions 5, 6, 7, and 8. You can hardly believe how often God uses the word “delight” in His Word. It’s part of God’s vocabulary. Don’t you think it is time we began to speak Bible language rather than our worldly language?
To check out these podcasts go to: http://ARPoddy.buzzsprout.com
645 Hits
Do the people who come into your home feel the presence of God? Are your neighbors and those around you aware that your home belongs to God?When Solomon dedicated the temple, he prayed a very heartfelt prayer. One of the things he prayed was “that all the people of the earth may know thy name, and fear thee . . . and may KNOW THAT THIS HOUSE WHICH I BUILD IS CALLED BY THY NAME” (2 Chronicles 6:33).
This house was the temple Solomon built for God. But dear ladies, you are also building a house for God. It is a sanctuary for His holy presence and where you raise your children in the ways of God. Your home either belongs to the spirit of this world, or it belongs to God. Do your children experience God’s name in your home? I think that Solomon’s prayer is a good prayer for us to pray too, don’t you?
How will folks know your home is truly God’s home? It will be a house of prayer. Jesus said, “My house will be called a house of prayer.” Sadly, not much prayer happens in Christian homes today, but if our home is called by God’s name it will be filled with prayer. It will be filled with confessing the name of the Lord throughout the day. It will be filled with the riches of His Word. It will be filled with joy, singing, and God-inspired music. It will be filled with the inspiration of a mother who delights to be in her home—
nurturing, feeding, and training her children to be God-seekers and God-lovers.
How are people on the earth going to know the name of the Lord? When they see families who call upon the name of the Lord. When they see that He lives in our homes. Everything comes back to the family and the home. We can get involved in all kinds of ministry, but if God doesn’t fill our homes, we miss the boat. It grieves my heart to see many people serving the Lord in different organizations and yet their families are in disarray.
Our true testimony is what goes on in our home.
Blessings to you today from Nancy Campbell
Painting: Jessie Wilcox Smith (1863-1935).
763 Hits
Every day is training ground for eternity. In the midst of challenges and difficulties, keep your eyes upon the Lord.
767 Hits
God’s Word commands us to assemble TOGETHER but it should be our delight. It is also a powerful thing that we do together as families. We go together as a family to gather together with other families. Don’t deprive your children of this great heritage.
648 Hits
There’ll be no books on the floor, no papers, no bags,
No cushions, or shoes, or bread sack tags,
The chairs round the table will be neatly in place,
We’ll sit on a seat without first clearing a space.
The beds in each room will be perfectly made,
Everything on the dresser will be neatly displayed,
There’ll be nothing to quickly shove under the bed
So the room will look tidy before books can be read.
The bathroom will have a permanent sheen,
Every inch of it will be immaculately clean,
There won’t be a queue lining up at the door
And there’ll be no towels hung up on the floor.
The windows will all be spotlessly clean,
Not one fingerprint will be there to be seen,
There’ll be no food smeared over the glass,-
Even the curtains will look first class!
However . . .
The day could be a bit of a drag,
With no washing to do the time will lag,
The children all gone and no schooling to be done
May cause one to feel that life is no fun.
The vacuuming won’t need to be done for a week,
The ironing will be left with nary a peek,
The baking could remain in the tins for so long-
I’d wonder if I’d got the recipe wrong!
The evenings may seem a bit of a bore
With not much to do, not even a chore,
No stories to read, no games to play,
No chatting about the events of the day.
I think . . .
I should be content with what I have now,
Pack more love and happiness into each hour,
Be more pleasant, gentle, tender, and kind,
Make lots of good memories to leave behind.
It’s not till they’ve gone that you realize how fast
Twenty years can fly by, ever so fast,
I’m thankful I have another twenty or so
Before my last baby fledgling will have to go.
~ Margaret Hartnett
780 Hits
Choose to be thankful. To whine and grumble is such a miserable way to live!Count your blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord bath done!
613 Hits
DID YOU KNOW THAT NURSERY RHYMES HELP YOUR CHILD'S BRAIN?
I notice that more and more young people do not know the traditional nursery rhymes. As a child, and when I raised our children, it was expected that every child could recite all the nursery rhymes by heart. We knew them from toddler age.
I encourage you to read nursery rhymes to your children. I know you may think it a little ridiculous to teach your little ones some of the traditional nursery rhymes. They do not contain a lot of positivity. However, it is still important to recite rhyme to your children. That's why I have written a new nursery rhyme book for this new generation--NANNY'S NURSERY RHYMES.
Here are 10 REASONS to read nursery rhymes to your children, from babyhood onwards:
1. Nursery rhymes give your children a delight for listening.
Listening is one of the most important skills to teach your children. Their ability to listen affects their future. We all know that "listening comprehension precedes reading comprehension." The rhythm and beat of nursery rhymes give pleasure to the ear and therefore encourages them in this wonderful art from the beginning.
2. Nursery rhymes are good for their brain.
The repetition of rhymes builds memory capabilities that can be applied to all areas of life.
3. Nursery rhymes prepare your children for reading.
They are the "springboard to literacy." They give your child a head start in their education.
4. Nursery rhymes "boost language development."
They lay the foundation for understanding words and even help with spelling. A study by Bryant, MacLean and Crosland (1990) revealed that children who were familiar with nursery rhymes from an early age became much more advanced in their spelling and reading abilities. Did you know that in 1945 the average elementary school student had a vocabulary of 10,000 words? Today, the average child has a vocabulary of only 2,500 words!
Although the rhymes in NANNY'S NURSERY RHYMES are simple, they also introduce words and content with which your children may not be familiar. This is good--another opportunity to teach a new word. Teach them what it means. Get them to say it out loud after you.
5. Nursery rhymes help with memorization.
They are easy to learn because of the rhythm and rhyme, and also the repetition of the words. Little babies are drawn to listen to rhythm--the first sound they hear is the beating rhythm of their mother's heart. Research also shows that the more beat in the words, the more they love to listen and the easier they memorize. Read them with a beat.
As you read and recite the rhymes over and over, they remember them for life. My children grew up reciting all the traditional nursery rhymes (I wish I had thought of writing NANNY'S NURSERY RHYMES when they were young!).
They loved rhyming books and I loved reading them. One of our favorite children's authors was Bill Peet (who has now passed away). Look for his books (available on Amazon). You will love them. One of the children's favorite was "Huge Harold." Today, even in their late forties they still like to quote a phrase from the book and even say it to their children:
“Doggone and Dagnabit,
That's what I call a whoppin' big rabbit."
There was something about the rhythm and rhyme of those words that appealed to them.
6. Nursery Rhymes help expand your child's imagination.
7. Nursery rhymes help children with math skills.
Many nursery rhymes use patterns and sequence which help children to learn simple math skills. Other nursery rhymes help children to count.
8. Nursery Rhymes create memories of the warmth and safety of mother's love.
Because you read to them while they are nursing, sitting on your knee, or cuddled by your side, they not only learn rhymes, but associate them with love, security, and happiness.
9. Nursery Rhymes are portable.
After you have read the rhymes to your children many times, they will know them by heart. You can then say them together when driving in the car or wherever you are together.
10. Best of all, Nursery Rhymes are fun.
They are fun to read to your children. They are fun for them to listen to and fun for them to recite.
You will love this brightly colored, delightfully illustrated NANNY'S NURSERY RHYMES.
To order, go to:
635 Hits