Are you reading Psalm 91 as a family each day? A little reminder! #psalm91 #psalm91protection #readpsalm91aloudeachday #godismyrefugeandstrength #godismysafety #godismysalvation #godismyhealer #aboverubies
1129 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.
How often does the name of Jesus fall from your lips during the day? How often do your children utter the name of Jesus?
The name of Jesus is salvation. His name is healing. His name is deliverance.
Acts 4:12 says: “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” That word “saved” does not only mean saved! It is “sozo” and means to be “delivered, protected, healed, preserved, and made whole!”
What about Proverbs 1818? “The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.”
You can not only speak the name of Jesus. You can run into His name. As you run into Him you are safe. As you run into His name, you run into His healing for His name is Jehovah Rapha, “I am the LORD that healeth thee” (Exodus 1;26).
I love the words of the old hymn by John Newton:
How sweet the Name of Jesus sounds
In a believer’s ear!
It soothes his sorrows, heals his wounds,
And drives away his fear.
It makes the wounded spirit whole,
And calms the troubled breast;
’Tis manna to the hungry soul,
And to the weary, rest.
Speak His name often today. Run into His name.
Love from Nancy Campbell
967 Hits
We are encouraged to be Sarah's daughters! And how do we do this? By not giving in to fear! Every time you are tempted to fear about the current situation of COVID-19 or anything that sparks fear in your life, speak these words out loud: SARAH'S DAUGHTERS DON'T PANIC! You don't have to fear when God is on your side!
~ Nancy Campbell
1127 Hits
I could write about many things today, but perhaps I should write my thoughts about COVID-19. Although, of course, if you are like me, you’d like to hear about something else. It seems we don’t here anything else from the media at the moment.
However, it’s the issue we are facing and therefore we must take it seriously. But even as we use wisdom and do everything we can to protect ourselves, our families, and all those around us, we should never panic. It seems that people are prone to fear, and fear leads to panic. But why do we do this when “God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a SOUND MIND” (2 Timothy 1:7).
Do you notice that? He has given us a sound mind. That means a mind that is self-controlled and doesn’t give way to panic. 1 Peter 3:6 exhorts us to be “Sarah’s daughters.” And how do we become her daughters? By not giving way to fear. The Moffat's translation says that “Sarah’s daughters do not yield to panic!”
When I discovered this Scripture years ago (still living in New Zealand and raising my family) I shared it with the mothers in my Bible Study. We took up this affirmation and whenever we faced a trauma or difficulty we would confess: “SARAH’S DAUGHTERS DON’T PANIC!” We would encourage each other with these words, and they helped us through many heartaches.
Therefore, while we live in a state of rest in Christ and do not fear or panic, what should we do? Here are a few things I’d love to share, and you may have others to add.
1. TRUST IN GOD. That certainly is No. 1., isn’t it? God is bigger than this plague. God is bigger than anything we face individually or as a nation. We can trust Him. The greatest way to eliminate fear is to TRUST IN GOD. One of my favorite Scriptures is Isaiah 26:3, 4: “”Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the LORD forever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength.”
2. CLAIM THE PROMISES OF GOD. Open Psalm 91 and read it daily. Read it together as a family, out loud, each day. Of course, as we embrace the wonderful promises, we must accept the command as well. The promises are to those who dwell in the secret place of the most High, who abide in Him. To those who confess that God is their refuge and fortress and that they trust in Him.
3. PRAY. Yes, we pray for our families, but we must pray for our nation, and for our president, and against this virus. We have authority in the powerful name of Jesus. The most powerful weapon against this whole scenario is PRAYER. Are you praying? Make time to pray with your families together every morning and evening. Many people are no longer at their jobs and have more time to pray!
4. LIVE IN DIVINE HEALTH. This is God’s perfect will for you. Confess it over your life and each member of your family. God is Jehovah Rapha, “I am the Lord that healeth thee.” That’s who He is! Nothing less. My daughter Pearl shared on Sunday Proverbs 18:10: “The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.”
The name of the Lord is also HEALER and we can run into Him. As we run into Him and abide in Him, we receive His healing.
5. ENJOY FAMILY TIME TOGETHER. Don’t waste the opportunity to enjoy more family time together. One of my daughters-in-law was sharing with me yesterday how her husband is no longer out on the road (he manages the Newsboys and there will be no more concerts until June) so she is enjoying him home with her. Her youngest son is home from his Christian school. Her older daughter is doing her college course on-line and her married daughter and son-in-law are both in fields where they cannot currently go to work. So they are all home enjoying life together.
6. SPEAK POSITIVELY. Just because we are facing a few challenges, don’t speak negative words. They only bring destruction. Positive words heal. Proverbs 16:24 says: “Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, AND HEALTH TO THE BONES.” My dear husband, who will be 80 years in a couple of weeks, says with a huge smile on his face, “The worse this thing gets, the better I feel!” He loves making positive statements!
7. UPGRADE YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM. In fact, we need to supercharge it! Eat healthily and eliminate all sugar and every food product with sugar in it as it weakens your immune system and makes you more susceptible to colds at any time, let alone now. Take extra vitamins. Take big doses of Vitamin C. Some may also like to add Olive Leaf Extract, elderberry tincture, L-Lysine, etc. Others suggest mullein for lung health.
8. WASH YOUR HANDS FREQUENTLY. That’s what we are reminded to do, and it is common sense. One person told me that he is washing his hands frequently with chlorine! Ouch! I would hate to do that to my hands. We are encouraged to use hand sanitizers and I am sure most of you will do this. However, I don’t even like chemical hand sanitizers. I am making my own home-made sanitizer with handmade soap which I grate and simmer to the right consistency and add coconut oil and lots of drops of Thieves. It’s gentle and healing on my hands.
9. KEEP YOUR HANDS FROM YOUR FACE. Isn’t this the hardest thing to do? We do it subconsciously. Ooops! I just put my elbow up to my chin and then over my mouth as I was re-reading this sentence! I didn’t even realize I was doing it. We must make new habits!
10. KEEP YOUR MOUTH AND THROAT MOIST. A good idea is to sip water or a supercharged drink all throughout the day (about every 15 minutes). Trim Healthy Mama ladies will enjoy their Singing Canary or Good Girl Moonshine and other THM healthy drinks. I am currently making hibiscus tea and adding Baobab, ginger, cayenne, and loads of other goodies! Scrumptious and healing.
You can order Baobab from Trim Healthy Mama. As it says on their packet, “Baobab has five times the fiber of oats, more antioxidants than any other food on the planet, more than twice the calcium of milk, double the magnesium and iron of spinach, six times more potassium than bananas, and the best way to boost your vitamin C levels:”
A Japanese doctor who is treating this virus says that if the virus gets into your mouth, drinking water or other liquids will wash it down through your throat and into the stomach. Once there, your stomach acid will kill all the virus. If you don't drink regularly, the virus can enter your windpipe and into the lungs.
11. KEEP SURFACES AND DOOR HANDLES SPRAYED WITH DISINFECTANT. It’s a good idea to do this every few days.
12. WHAT ABOUT BUYING UP EXTRA FOOD AND PRODUCTS? I think it is a good idea to get basic foodstuffs that you know you will definitely use. But I think many people panic. Some people must have purchased toilet paper for a year! By the time we got to the store, we couldn’t find any! Can’t even find any on-line. But I am sure more will come in soon. Although my husband says we always have the grass! Just joking!
There is still plenty of food on the shelves. My main storage foods are my rye and spelt grains to make my sour dough bread. And plenty of dried beans, etc. Most people don’t have the funds to purchase loads of extra food. Even if you can get some extra, that’s good. Springtime is coming and we’ll plants gardens.
The above are a few thoughts for you. Hopefully this shut down will finish soon. But remember, the most important thing we can do, especially as mothers who are the heart of the family, is to put our trust in the Lord, and DON’T PANIC. Just keep praying and praising the Lord.
Many blessings,
Nancy Campbell
1316 Hits
We all know that God looks upon the heart and it is our heart attitude that counts. However, I do believe that we reveal outwardly what is in our hearts. I believe that when we come to worship the Lord with God’s people that we should dress appropriately. What does this Scripture say? “In holy attire.” We should dress in a way that is glorifying to God and that is aligned with holiness. God wanted the priests to be clothed in ”holy garments” and “for glory and for beauty” (Exodus 28:2). And guess what? You have been made a king and priest into God! #worshipthelord #modesty #beauty #glory #dressappropriately #dressforworship #aboverubies #nancycampbell
1111 Hits
Mother, never underestimate the power and influence of your high calling of motherhood. The world may disdain your role but God holds it in high esteem. Even the devil knows the power of motherhood. That’s why he tries to woo mothers out of the home. He wants the mothers out of the way so he can get his hands upon the children. Don’t ever be intimidated by the world or the devil! #powerofmotherhood #influenceofmotherhood #mothering #motherhood #joyfulmothering #happymothering #generationalmothering #aintnohoodlikemotherhood #aboverubies #nancycampbell
1019 Hits
Someone asked me recently, “How do I respond to folk who think large families are a drain on the environment?”
My first thought is: Who are they listening to? Humanistic garbage or the God who created the earth?
We hear plenty from our deceived society around us. Let’s hear from God for a change: "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" (Isaiah 45:18).
Did you read those words? God formed this earth to be inhabited and it is still nowhere near fully inhabited. Maybe, like me, you have driven from the west to the east of USA. You drive for miles and miles and miles with no inhabitants, pass through a city, and then drive for miles and miles again without seeing a house or a soul.
I have driven through Asian countries, driving for miles through jungle or acres and acres of palm trees, only seeing a few mipa huts here and there. Of course, the cities are filled but there is still so much room.
Why don’t we listen to God? He has everything in His control and every person in the palm of His hand.
Be blessed today,
Nancy Campbell
Photo: Allison and Daniel Hartman. Allison is just about to give birth to their 11th baby! Allison and Daniel organize the great annual Above Rubies Family Retreat Florida each year. I think it’s nearly booked out for April but check it out This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
1084 Hits
Who or what gets the most attention in your home?
Our God is the MOST HIGH GOD. But do we really put Him in this position of who He is? Sometimes He is so low on our agenda. He receives such little time in our homes. How many minutes of the day do we give to Him? Did I say “minutes”? Shouldn’t we give Him so much more than a few minutes?
The youth of our current age (and adults too) are besotted with the fascination of media and technology. Wherever you look, people sit behind a laptop or their eyes are glued to their iPhone or iPad. Even mothers are constantly checking their iPhones. We give so much time to these things but God, the One who gave us life is left out.
I think these gadgets also take away our wonder and awe of our MOST HIGH GOD? Psalm 47:2 says: “The LORD MOST HIGH is terrible; he is a great King over all the earth.” He is Potentate, Ruler, Sovereign and the Supreme Being of the universe. He should capture our attention and the amazement and awe of our children.
Do you think we could give Him more time each day? Shouldn’t He rule in every decision and situation? Do we function as a family with the awareness that He is Ruler over all?
Many “Christian” families don’t even have time to sit together around the table and end the meal with Bible reading and prayer. They don’t have time to feed their souls and spirits. They don’t have time in their busy schedule for the MOST HIGH GOD.
The bible pattern is to meet with God every morning and every evening. This should be our family habit. If we don’t make time for this, we show by our actions that God is low on our list. Are the things that make us so busy more important than Him?
May God save us from acknowledging Him with our lips and yet our hearts are far from Him. We show where our heats are by the time we give Him each day.
Isaiah 29;13 (NLT): “These people say they are mine. They honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.” (Repeated in Matthew 15:8, 9 and Mark 7:6, 7).
Be encouraged today,
Nancy Campbell
1070 Hits
What are you breathing today? Of course you breathe to keep alive, but what else are you breathing? Threatenings to your children? Or love and kindness and truth?
Proverbs 12:17 (AMP) states: “He who breathes out truth shows forth righteousness.” Isn’t that interesting? I checked it in the Strong’s Concordance, and yes, it is absolutely correct! The Hebrew, “puach” means “to breathe, to puff.”
We breathe without thinking; it is completely natural to us. It should also become natural to breathe out truth. Truth breathing mothers are powerful mothers. Of course, before we can naturally breathe it out, we must be filled with truth. Richly filled. And then we’ll richly fill our children’s hearts ( Colossians 3:16).
May we become so filled with truth that we breathe it out unconsciously.
This is the picture of the virtuous women. Every time she opens her mouth, she breaths out godly wisdom (Proverbs 31:26).
Let’s become truth-breathing mothers.
Be blessed today,
Nancy Campbell
1024 Hits
Do you, like me, long for the “restoration of all things,” the time when God will subdue all wickedness and bring everything, everyone, and all nations into subjection to Christ? Or perhaps you are longing for restoration of situations that are nearer to hand. You have relationships in your family and extended family that need restoring. You need marriage restoration.
The final restoration is coming, but God is also restoring NOW. He is the God of restoration and wants to heal estranged relationships.
Don’t ever give up. Keep praying. Ask God to show you how you can break down barriers and walls. Ask Him to give you a soft heart and forgiving spirit. God is the ultimate Restorer, but He wants you to be involved too.
Isaiah 58: 12 says that you will be called: “The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.”
Do some restoration work today. I love the line that you will read in the coming Above Rubies magazine which is in the Post Office now. It says:
“Win the marriage, not the argument.” It’s such a good line to remember. What do you gain by winning an argument and losing the precious communion and relationship in your marriage? You don’t gain anything; you lose! So aim to win by building, repairing, and restoring.
Love from Nancy Campbell
1175 Hits
We constantly hear about de-cluttering our homes, but have you thought about de-cluttering your shopping cart? It's amazing how much we can eliminate and save money at the same time.
Next time you go shopping, can I suggest that you read all labels. When you read sugar, corn syrup, red color (and all the other colors which are cancer forming), and all words that are too difficult to pronounce, put it back on the shelf! These foods are not worth eating and are not going to nourish you or your children’s bodies.
Throw back all packaged and de-vitalized products.
Keep mainly to the produce aisle and basic whole ingredients. I refuse to purchase packaged cereals. You may as well eat the cardboard. Eat the original food. Cook up some rolled oats, steel cut oats (my favorite), quinoa, or millet, etc., for your children’s breakfast.
Be blessed today,
Nancy Campbell
1126 Hits
Dear mother, God has commissioned you to be part of a great building program, the building and strengthening of your family. There is no greater building program in the nation. Building each individual family builds the nation and continuing generations.
However, you can’t effectively build if there is trash in the way. Physically and spiritually. When they were building the wall in Nehemiah’s day, the workers complained that they couldn’t continue building the wall because there was so much rubble to be moved. Nehemiah 4:10 (HCSB) says: “The strength of the laborer fails, since there is so much rubble.”
Do you have rubbish in your home (not just literal trash, but sin and hindrances that grieve the Holy Spirit) that are piling up? Stop. Don’t continue living this way any longer. It’s impossible to build with trash all around you.
Ask God to help you deal with the trash. Talk to your family about it and encourage everyone in the family to get involved in the clean up!
Throw out anything and everything that hinders your great building program.
Hebrews 12:1 (NLT) applies to us individually and as families: “Let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.”
Blessings to you today from Nancy Campbell
1189 Hits
Isn’t it nice when everything is peaceful and lovely? We would rather not be in a battle, would we? But did you know that God leads us into battles? If you are facing a battle right now, maybe it is God who has you the battle.
Exodus 23:20 says: “For mine Angel shall go before thee, and bring thee in unto the Amorites, and the Hittites, and the Perizites, and the Canaanites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites: and I will cut them off.” That’s not one battle, but many! And who is leading them into battle? God!
But God does not send you into battles on your own. He is with you in the battle. He is with you to win. His promise to you is: “I will cut them off.”
But we also must remember that although God fights for us, He also expects us to fight in the battle too. God gives us many examples of this in His Word. Here are a few for you:
God’s part: “When the LORD your God delivers them over to you . . .
Your part: “and you defeat them, you must completely destroy them. Make no treaty with them and show them no mercy” (Deuteronomy 7:2 HCSB).
God’s part: “The LORD your God will give them over to you and throw them into great confusion until they are destroyed. He will hand their kings over to you . . .
Your part: “and you will wipe out their names under heaven. . . . you will annihilate them” (Deuteronomy 7:23, 24 HCSB).
God’s part: “The LORD your God will cross over ahead of you as a consuming fire; He will devastate and subdue them before you . . .
Your part: “You will drive them out and destroy them swiftly, as the LORD has told you” (Deuteronomy 9:3 HCSB).
Deuteronomy 33:27: “He shall thrust out the enemy from before thee . . .
Your part:” and shall say, Destroy them” (Deuteronomy 33:27).
Are you fighting a battle and feeling discouraged? Thank God that He is with you. Acknowledge that with His help you will win and cut off the enemy who is seeking to destroy your family.
Blessings from Nancy Campbell
1057 Hits
Mother, you are a life-giver to the world.
How blessed we are as mothers to have the privilege of bringing life into the world, not only life for this earth, but for the eternal realm.
We were created to be life-givers. Eve, who was the prototype of all women, was given the name of “chavah” meaning “life-giver.” To cooperate with God to bring life into this world, an eternal soul who will live forever, is a privilege beyond any other.
Life-giving is our glory. We teach our children the wonder of life. We teach them the preciousness and value of life from conception to the grave. We teach them how to enjoy life.
We speak life-giving words to our husbands, children, and everyone we meet.
We prepare our families life-giving foods. We eliminate all dead foods and junk foods because we are life-giving mothers.
We delight in life because “Christ who is our life” dwells in us (Colossians 3:4).
Wow! What an amazing mandate we have as life-givers!
Embrace who you are as a life-giver.
Love from Nancy Campbell
1139 Hits
Are you an encourager or a nagger? #encourageyourhusband #loveyourhusband #buildyourmarriage #aboverubies
1311 Hits
Nehemiah faced persecution on every hand. His adversaries tried every way to stop him from building up the gates and wall of Jerusalem that were broken down. You are also in a building program and the adversary, the devil, does not want you to succeed in building either. He wants your marriage and family weakened.
What did Nehemiah do? Nehemiah 6:9 he says: “They all made us afraid, saying, Their hands shall be weakened from the work, that it be not done. Now therefore, O God, strengthen my hands.” Instead of caving into their plots against him, he cried out to God for strength to continue.
The Knox translation says: “I pressed on the harder.” The more his enemies came against him, the more he determined to finish the task.
Moffat’s translation says:, “I applied myself with greater energy.”
Don’t give up on your marriage. Don’t give up on motherhood. Don’t give up, even when everything looks hopeless. Press in harder. God will never forsake you. The battle may be hard, but He is with you in the battle.
Be blessed today,
Nancy Campbell
1073 Hits
For how long will God love you? Until the very end (Jeremiah 31:3 and John 31:1).
For how long will He guide you? Continually . . . until the very end (Isaiah 58:11 and Psalm 48:14).
For how long will He carry you? Until your hair is white with age (Isaiah 46:3, 4).
For how long will He be with you? Until the end of time; He will never abandon you for one day (Mathew 28:20 and Hebrews 13:5).
For how long will His goodness and mercy follow you? All the days of your life (Psalm 23:6; 52:1; 105:5 and 136:1-26).
So why are you filled with worry?
Blessings from Nancy Campbell
1101 Hits
How does your husband think of you? Sour like lemon juice or sweet like honey? What about your children?
Don’t you think we should be like honey in our homes? That’s a big challenge, isn’t it?
I have always been challenged by a little passage in the Song of Solomon. This book is a picture of the relationship of a husband and wife. In the Song of Songs 4:10, 11 (NET), the husband says: “ How delightful is your love, my sister, my bride! How much better is your love than wine . . . Your lips drip sweetness like the honeycomb, my bride, honey and milk are under your tongue.” Oh wow. Can our husbands say thse words about us?
What kind of words do we drip from our mouths? Complaints, arguments, resistance, or even bitterness? Or do we drip words of sweetness and love?
If we are not doing this, we can cultivate it. We can make a deliberate effort to speak sweetly. We’ll keep failing, but we don’t give up. We seek to make it a habit of our lives. As you know, you have to work on things. You may not feel like doing a certain thing, but you do it because you know it is the most powerful thing to do.
Think of yourself as a honeycomb in the midst of your home, dripping words of sweetness to your husband and to your children.
Proverbs 16:24 says: “Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul; and health to the bones.” The word pleasant in the Hebrew means to speak “agreeable words, delightful words, and beautiful words.” We’ve got a long way to go, haven’t we? But just imagine what would happen to the atmosphere of our homes when we speak agreeable, delightful, and beautiful words to our children and husbands. These words will change the atmosphere of our homes. The behavior of our children. And our own character!
Let’s be dripping honeycombs today.
Love from Nancy Campbell
1162 Hits
An Above rubies reader, Cathrine Rose from Canada, found this drawing of her seven-year-old describing how many children she would like to have! Children love to have another sibling, don’t they? We buy them materials gifts and they break or are lost shortly after. But when they get a new sister or brother, they have a friend for life.
~ Nancy
1093 Hits
Do you sometimes feel disheartened, weary, and unappreciated? Be encouraged. The word for good in this scripture is “kalos” and It means “beautiful, lovely, valuable, virtuous.” It is the same word that is used in Titus 2:3-5 about the good works we as wives and mothers do in the home. The world may look upon them as insignificant but God says they are BEAUTIFUL. Yes, they are beautiful in His sight. Even when you are discouraged, hang in there. Keep on plodding on. DON’T GIVE UP. Your reward is coming. #donotgiveup #beautifulworks #goodworks #mothering #powerofmotherhood #joyfulmotherhood #joyfulmothering #yourrewardiscoming #aboverubies #nancycampbell
1083 Hits