Above Rubies Daily Encouragement Blogs

I was an insecure wife. I had the most affectionate and loving husband who adored me, but that did not cure my insecurity. This was because my identity was in the wrong place. No matter how much my husband assured me, I kept buying the lie that many women believe these days that I will never "be enough.”

This past year, God has been showing me where my true identity lies. Even though it's wonderful that my husband finds me beautiful and loves me, my value does not come from what my husband or others think of me. It comes from what God says about me, and who He created me to be.

Now that I don't have to look to my husband to find my value and worth, I can just love him, truly love him. Insecurity is so selfish. Sometimes we think it's humility, but it's really keeping our eyes on ourselves, instead of becoming love.

A few months ago, I told my husband, "I'm so sorry I've been insecure for so long. That wasn't loving to you."

Marriage isn't about having your needs fulfilled by someone else. It isn't about finding your value. Marriage isn't even 50/50. Marriage is "I love you." It isn't "I love you; do you love me too?"

My husband is such a blessing to me. I'm still amazed that I got to marry him. I think about how much God must love me to give me such a wonderful gift as him, but that's exactly what he is for me. He's my gift. But I am only fulfilled by Christ. And when two people are fulfilled by Christ, there are no more false expectations you put on your spouse.

I'm so thankful God is showing me how to love Kendall more. I know I have more to learn, but He is creating a work in me.

MEADOW HALL
Facebook: Meadow Hall
Instagram: _m_e_a_d_o_w_
Photo: Celebrating their wedding anniversary at the New York Grill in Tokyo.

He scuffed his shoes into the grass;
He even found a caterpillar.
He found a fluffy milkweed pod,
And blew out all the 'filler.'

A bird's nest in a tree overhead,
So wisely placed up so high,
Was just another wonder,
That caught his eager eye.

A neighbor watched his zigzag course,
And hailed him from the lawn;
Asked him where he'd been that day
And what was going on.

‘'I've been to Bible School,” he said
And turned a piece of sod.
He picked up a wiggly worm replying,
‘I've learned a lot about God.’

“M'mm, very fine way,” the neighbor said,
“For a boy to spend his time.
If you'll tell me where God is,
I'll give you a brand new dime.”

Quick as a flash the answer came!
Nor were his accents faint.
“I'll give you a dollar, Mister,
If you can tell me where God ain't.”

~ Unknown

We breathe without thinking; it is completely natural to us. It should also become natural to us 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 be richly filling 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 opened her mouth, she breathed out godly wisdom (Proverbs 31:26). Constantly dropping seeds of truth throughout the day.

Be blessed today, Nancy Campbell

Before I was a Mom
I slept as late as I wanted
And never worried about how late I got into bed.
I brushed my hair and my teeth every day.

Before I was Mom
I never tripped over toys or forgot words to lullabies.

Before I was a Mom
I didn't worry whether or not my plants were poisonous.
I never thought about immunizations.

Before I was a Mom
I had never been puked on,
Pooped on, spit on, chewed on, peed on,
Or pinched by tiny fingers.

Before I was a Mom
I had complete control of . . .
My thoughts, my body, and my mind.
I slept all night.

Before I was a Mom
I never held down a screaming child so that doctors could
do tests.
I never looked into teary eyes and cried.
I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.
I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.

Before I was a Mom
I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't
want to put it down.
I never felt my heart break into a million pieces; when I
couldn't stop the hurt.
I never knew that something so small could affect my
life so much.
I never knew that I could love someone so much.
I never knew I would love being a Mom.

Before I was a Mom
I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside
my body.
I didn't know how special it could feel to
feed a hungry baby.
I didn't know that bond between a mother and her child.
I didn't know that something so small could make me
feel so important.

Before I was a Mom
I had never gotten up in the middle of the night every
10 minutes to make sure all was okay.
I had never known the warmth, the joy, the love,
the heartache, the wonderment, or the
satisfaction of being a mom.
I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much before I was a Mom.

~ Unknown.

Painting by George Moreau de Tours (1848 – 1901) French.

Who softly croons a cradle song?
A Mother!
Or soothes her babe the whole night long?
A Mother!
Who tends with such unwearied care,
Her household, and her children, fair?
Who bears them up to God in prayer?
A Mother!

~ Anon

Painting by Michael Malm

Oh, I’ve grown as shiftless as Little Boy Blue,
(Lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo)
Dishes are waiting and bills are past due,
(Pat-a-cake, darling, and peek, peek-a-boo)
The shopping’s not done and there’s nothing for
stew,
And out in the yard there’s a hullabaloo,
But I’m playing Kanga and this is my Roo.
Look! Aren’t her eyes the most wonderful hue?
(Lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo).

Oh, cleaning and scrubbing will wait ‘till
tomorrow,
But children grow up, as I’ve learned to my
sorrow,
So quiet down, cobwebs. Dust, go to sleep.
I’m rocking my baby and babies don’t keep!

~ Ruth Hulburt Hamilton

PAINTING BY MICHAEL GARMASH

(II Corinthians 2:14 (HCSB) says: “But thanks be to God, who always puts us on display in Christ and through us spreads the aroma of the knowledge of Him in EVERY PLACE.” God wants us to be a “sweet” aroma in “EVERY PLACE.”

Every place includes our home! It means in the midst of what we are doing--when children are making us crazy, when our husband is rubbing us the wrong way, and when we are doing the mundane chores like changing dirty diapers!

Keep sweet.

Love from Nancy Campbell

Painting: The Swing Art by Morgan Frederick

As you wait for the miracle of finance for the new magazine, I want to remind you that you can continue to be blessed in so many ways through the ministry of Above Rubies.

Although Above Rubies began as a magazine and it has always been my main thrust to get out God’s truth for families through this magazine, I continue to share the truth in many other ways. I hope you can make the most of these ways to be encouraged and inspired (and even challenged) each new day.

WEEKLY PODCAST:
FROM MY HOME TO YOURS W/ NANCY CAMPBELL
I know you will be so blessed by this podcast to encourage you as a wife and mother. It comes out each Tuesday morning.
You can go to the home page of Above Rubies to click on it.
You can go to http://ARPoddy.buzzsprout.com
You can listen on Google and Apple Podcasts on or your favorite pod app.

Oh yes, we also do TRANSCRIPTS for the podcasts. Go to the front page of the web page, www.aboverubies.org to pick them up.

WEEKLY LIVE TALK SHOW:
TEA TIME AND TALK SHOW WITH ERIN AND NANCY
This is a live Talk Show where Erin Harrison (Keeper of the Homestead Blog) and I talk with you about all the different aspects of marriage, motherhood, homemaking, and the joys and challenges of womanhood.

We are currently going through Proverbs 31. You can pick up the link each week from my Facebook.

WEEKLY EMAIL DEVOTION
These devotions are a little longer and meatier than the ones I send to you each day on Facebook. They are filled with God’s truths and will help you grow in God’s ways for womanhood. They come straight to your email box.

I am currently doing a series called ARE YOU IN A WILDERNESS? You will be amazed to find many surprises even while going through a wilderness experience.To receive them go to:
http://aboverubies.org/magaz…/subscribe-to-womens-devotional

SPORADIC ABOVE RUBIES NEWSLETTER
From time to time, I prepare a mini online Above Rubies to catch you up with news and encouraging stories and articles. If you subscribe to this, you will also hear when we have a sale and you can make the most of discounted books, etc.
http://aboverubies.org/magaz…/subscribe-to-womens-devotional

ABOVE RUBIES FACEBOOK
I seek to post an encouraging word to you EACH NEW DAY to motivate you as wives and mothers on this Facebook. I know you will be blessed. Check it out each day.
https://www.facebook.com/AboveRubiesUS/

ABOVE RUBIES INSTAGRAM
_above_rubies_
https://www.instagram.com/_above_rubies_/

TWITTER
https://twitter.com/aboverubiesusa

ABOVE RUBIES WEB SITE
www.aboverubies.org
Make the most of this website for ordering books and DVDs to inspire you in your high calling of mothering and parenting.
http://aboverubiesbookstore.mybigcommerce.com/

Also loads of articles and testimonies to read on about 40 different subjects regarding family life. You are sure to find great articles and testimonies on any issue you need encouragement.
http://aboverubies.org/index.php/articles-stories

I trust that all this is enough to keep you filled up each day and each week. Share these links with friends so they can also be blessed and encouraged in their great calling.

Much love to you,

Nancy Campbell

In Exodus chapter 30:22-33 God tells Moses how to make the anointing oil and what to do with it. They had to use a gallon of olive and oil and four different spices—pure myrrh, sweet cinnamon, sweet calamus, and cassia. It was well-balanced—two sweet spices along with myrrh which is bitter tasting. Myrrh and Cassia speaking of the fragrance of Christ through His suffering.

But most importantly, this oil was to be holy! It was called the HOLY ANOINTING OIL. Verse 32 states: “It is holy, and it shall be holy unto you.” And God commanded him to anoint every piece of furniture and every vessel in the whole place—and the high priest and his sons.

One of the pieces of furniture in the tabernacle was the table of shewbread. This table had to be anointed with this holy anointing oil too.

Everything in the tabernacle was a type for us today. God has now made us “priests and kings unto God” (Revelation 1:6 and 5:10) and therefore He wants us to be anointed with this sweet and holy anointing oil which is presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives. He also wants every material thing in our homes to be anointed with His presence. He wants our tables to be anointed with His sweet and holy anointing.

You most probably feel that your dinner table is the opposite to sweet and holy! You are in throes of raising and training children who are not robots. They don’t like their food. They complain. Some may argue. They cry. Sometimes its bedlam!

Please don’t despair dear mother. Keep training. Keep praying and asking God to pour out His sweet anointing on your family meal times. Pray for His holy anointing to come to you. You will reap what you sow. As you little by little train your children and they grow older, you will move into such blessed and holy times together.

Without a vision nothing happens. But when we have a vision and we understand that God wants to come to our tables and manifest His sweet and holy anointing, we will press toward this vision in our family lives.

Be blessed in Jesus’ name.

Love from Nancy Campbell

We either experience the dealings of God one way or the other. We can live in the “gentle flowing stream” anointing as we respond to God speaking to our hearts. But if we let our hearts become cold and resistance to His voice, He may have to send a “raging river” upon us to get our attention.

Which would you prefer?

Let’s keep soft and tender hearts towards the Lord.

Love from Nancy Campbell

Contentment is an anti-stress attribute. When we stop worrying about what we can’t have and accept what we have, we no longer stress.

I read this morning in Jeremiah 31;14: ”My people shall be SATISFIED with my goodness, saith the LORD.” Oh we are so blessed. We are overwhelmed with the goodness of the Lord. So much of the world lives in poverty and we live so well in America. Millions are being persecuted and we live in peace. We have a roof over our heads, food on our tables, and more clothing than we need to wear. What are we worrying about? Instead, we should be basking in God’s goodness.

I think of the children of Israel who lived in the wilderness in tents. They had no supermarkets to buy food, no entertainment centers, no mod-cons such as washing machines and dishwashers and so on. But God said in Nehemiah 9:21: “Yea, forty years didst thou sustain them in the wilderness, so that THEY LACKED NOTHING.”

Can we learn to be truly satisfied with God’s goodness to us? It’s a beautiful way to live.

Love and blessings,

Nancy Campbell