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.

Strengthening Families Across the World through the encouragement of women in their high calling from God as wives, mothers and homemakers.

A TURNING ATTITUDE

TurnYourEyesWhat’s your heart attitude today? Upset and brooding because things aren’t going your way? I believe it is important to cultivate a “turning attitude.” It’s not enough to turn once to God. It is a daily, hourly, and moment by moment turning our hearts to Him. Hosea 12:6 says: “Therefore turn thou to thy God: keep mercy and judgement, and wait on thy God continually.”

How do we turn to the Lord? It’s not enough to turn once to God. It is a daily, hourly, and moment by moment turning our hearts to Him. It’s a habit of continually turning to the Lord in every situation and every moment of the day. This should not only become our lifestyle, but the lifestyle we teach to our children.

• Turning to God in thankfulness for all the good things He does for us and the little blessings of each day. Noticing and acknowledging a kind word, smiles from our children, a hug from our husband, the provision of food, a beautiful bird we notice in a tree and all the delightful little blessings of life.
• Turning to God in repentance when we sin, have a wrong attitude, speak angrily, and so on. Keeping a soft heart to constantly turn back to the Lord is the same as repentance. Repentance is not only being sorry for our sin, but turning in the opposite direction to follow God’s ways.
• Turning to God’s Word. If our days are full and busy with children and responsibilities, we can place a copy of the Bible on the windowsill in the kitchen, in the bathroom, where you nurse the baby, etc.
• Turning to righteousness. Not sitting on the fence, but turning towards God’s way which is always holiness.

We not only turn to God, but turn away from that which displeases Him.

• Turning away from evil. But more than that. It’s turning away from that which is permissible to do only that which is profitable and will last for eternity.
• Turning from the negative to the positive.
• Turning from discouragement and despondency to thankfulness and gratefulness.
• Turning from walking in the flesh to walking in the Spirit.
• Turing from conforming to the pattern of this world and instead fixing our hearts on the real world which is the eternal world.
• Turning our attention to the needs of others instead of only thinking of ourselves.
• Turning from our puny thoughts and understanding to God’s thoughts and ways, which are higher than our ways.
• Turning our hearts to our home and children instead of the passing glory of careers and outside activities.

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace.

Blessings from Nancy Campbell

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I WILL NOT BOW

WillNotBowAmen. Let's be women of truth. Let's be women of strength. Let's not be intimidated by the lies of the enemy.

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NO GENERATION IS EXEMPT

NoGenerationDo you really believe what God says? Do I? God’s words are eternal. He doesn’t give us a different set of plans for each generation, but His plans work for all generations. Even in 2018! In fact, no generation is exempt from God’s plans and purposes. Every generation is without excuse.

Psalm 33:10, 11 says: “The LORD bringeth the counsel of the heathen to naught: he maketh the devices of the people of none effect. The counsel of the LORD STANDETH FOREVER, the thoughts of his heart to ALL GENERATIONS.”

God established His plan for the way He wants us to live in the eons of eternity--before the foundation of the world. He created male and female to bring them together in marriage. He wants us to be fruitful and fill the earth in order to take dominion for God. Together as families we advance God’s kingdom and bring light into the darkness all around us. God invests His power and authority in families. Marriage and family are the first institutions God gave and He has never changed His plans.

He makes His plans clear for the man to be the provider and protector of the home and for the female to be the nurturer and nourisher in the home and in society.

Let’s be encouraged to embrace God’s everlasting ways that have never changed. Man often thinks he knows best, but “The LORD bringeth the counsel of the heathen to naught.” The fruit of man’s ways are an epidemic of divorce and fragmented families. God’s ways result in strong marriages and family life.

God does not change His statutes. We have to change to fit in with His plans, for they are eternal and unchanging.

Did you notice something else? It’s the counsel and thoughts “OF HIS HEART.” They are not some unproved, fleeting idea, but come from God’s very own heart.

I’d rather take advice from God’s heart than man’s, wouldn’t you?

Be blessed today,

Nancy Campbell

Look up these Scriptures about God’s unchanging Word:
Psalm 12:6; 18:30; 19:7-11; 93:5; 111:7; 119:140, 144, 152, 160; Proverbs 19:20, 21; 21:30; 30:5; Isaiah 30:1-3; 14:27; 40:8; 46:10; 55:8,9; Acts 5:39; and 1 Peter 1:25.

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YOUR AMAZING JOB DESCRIPTION

AmazingJobA mother’s job description is enormous. I don’t think there is another career in the nation that imbibes so many profiles. In Chapter 15 in my book, “The Power of Motherhood,” I list just on 100 different profiles and I know I haven’t exhausted the list.

However, there are a few basic things with which we equate motherhood.

* MOTHERHOOD IS SYNONYMOUS WITH HOME. Mother is the heart of the home. God created her for the home. A home is not a home without a mother.

* MOTHERHOOD IS SYNONYMOUS WITH PREGNANCY. I know there are some mothers who don’t like to hear this. They don’t want to be relegated to child-bearing. They believe they were ordained for much more than this. It is true, we will do a lot more than childbearing in our lives. Childbearing is only for a certain season--until we reach menopause. However, it is very much part of being a mother. True motherhood embraces childbearing (1 Timothy 2:15 and 5:14).

* MOTHERHOOD IS SYNONYMOUS WITH BREASTFEEDING. We were physically created for this beautiful role. Did you know that the word “female” in the Greek is a word that means a suckling mother?

* MOTHERHOOD IS SYNONYMOUS WITH THE KITCHEN AND COOKING. This is another area that many women would rather reject. They feel it is too insignificant. But we’ve got the wrong mindset. Nurturing, feeding, and pampering with food is all part of mothering. 1 Timothy 5:10 gives a description of a mother. The first description is that she has “brought up” children. It means “to fatten, feed, and nourish children.” It’s all about feeding. And feeding means cooking! And cooking means being in the kitchen! Dear precious mothers, can I encourage you to stop complaining about cooking and preparing meals? It’s part of your mothering role. A true mother loves to feed her husband, her family, and everyone who comes to her home. Nourishing food. Served with love. Served with joy. Bringing healing to body, soul, and spirit.

Embrace who you are as a mother. Embrace your nurturing anointing. Be a mother, not just in name only.

I know there are some mothers who have not been able to have children of their own. They are still mothers. God not only created us physically for the great task of mothering, but innately. When women embrace the beautiful instinct that God has divinely put within them and reach out to others with their compassionate hearts, they fulfill their great role of mothering.

We are the pourers forth of God’s maternal heart to our families and to the world. Let’s be who God created us to be.

Blessings to you,

Nancy Campbell

Painting by Elizabeth Nourse

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WHAT’S THE PROBLEM?

WhatsProblemIt is amazing that many blogging mothers share about how motherhood is “so hard.” They talk about how it’s necessary to get away from their children.

I will concede that we face challenges in motherhood. We must work hard. It takes laying down our lives and pouring out our souls. But isn’t that what the Christian life is all about? It’s not about “I deserve an easy life,” or “I shouldn’t have to face any problems.” That’s an entitlement philosophy.

Why do mothers want to run away from motherhood? Why do they have to escape? That’s running away from who we are. Who God created us to be. Why run from who you are? Shouldn’t we embrace who we are? It’s only when we embrace who we are that we live in the fullness and joy of it (Psalm 113:9). Many mothers find it hard because they haven’t embraced who they are. They think they could be doing something else. They have the wrong attitude.

What attitude did Jesus have when He to this earth? Not to be served but to serve (Matthew 26:26-28; Mark 8:34, 35; and 9:33-37). To lay down His life. And we are encouraged to have the same attitude (Philippians 2:5-8).

Let’s read Mark 8:35: “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it.” God’s kingdom life is opposite to the natural, but it’s the only way that works. We try to save our own lives and we lose. We lose our own life for our family and others and we save it! It’s an eternal principle.

We have a strange phenomenon today that many mothers call themselves mothers and yet do not want to embrace the role of motherhood. They love their children but don’t love motherhood. How sad to not LOVE what has created you to do and called you to do.

Be blessed in your home today,

Nancy Campbell

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BACK TO LIFE AGAIN

BackToLifeAgainHow is your soul today? Downcast? Reveling in self-pity? Or even dead? I have answer for you. It’s God’s living Word.

Psalm 19:7 says: “The law of the LORD is perfect converting the soul.” Other translations say either: “RESTORING the soul.” “REFRESHING the soul,” “REVIVING the soul,” or “RENEWING the soul.” I love Knox translation which says: “The Lord’s perfect law, how it brings the soul back to life.” Don’t you love that? Does your soul need coming back to life? Get back into God’s Word. You cannot expect to keep your soul alive when you don’t feed it.

“But I don’t seem to get time to read the Bible,” you answer. I know it is not easy when you have little ones around you. When my children were little I used to keep a Bible beside the toilet, one on my windowsill in the kitchen, and one in the place where I nursed the baby. There are many moments when you can receive life and sustenance if you make them happen. Open your Bible to the Psalms or Proverbs where it is easy to read a few verses in context.

It’s the same message for our children. We would not dream of starving their bodies. We faithfully feed them three meals a day, and often in-between. And yet we let their souls and spirits starve! Make sure you gather together as a family morning and evening to read God’s Word together. You’ve got to keep their souls and spirits alive too.

Blessings to you home today,

Nancy Campbell

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SONG FOR A FIFTH CHILD

cleaningandscrubbingHERE IS THE FULL POEM Would you like to read the full poem that I mentioned in my post below?

SONG FOR A FIFTH CHILD

Mother, oh Mother, come shake out your cloth,
Empty the dustpan, poison the moth,
Hang out the washing and butter the bread,
Sew on a button and make up a bed.
Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?
She's up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.

Oh, I've grown shiftless as Little Boy Blue
(Lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo).
Dishes are waiting and bills are past due
(Pat-a-cake, darling, and peek, peekaboo).
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).

The cleaning and scrubbing will wait till tomorrow,
For 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

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MAKE YOUR HOME HAPPY

HomeHappyToday I received an email from a dear friend who works as a missionary up in the mountains with the native people of Panama. She lives alone and his given her life to these people. She doesn't even come home on furlough.

Patricia shares: "A friend from years ago used to say that when life got "heavy" it was time to bake cookies. Well, my version of baking cookies is decorating my house. I began by hanging some "primitives" (wood cuts) on the wall in my kitchen and a small grouping of birds--a rooster, a duck, a goose, and a something else. I put up some small ceramic figures from when my children were small. Then an angel apron "dancing" on one wall. Another apron, "Our Mom's the Greatest" on another wall. I then put a skirt-type apron (belonging to my grandmother) on my refrigerator so now my little fridge "wears" an apron!

"I put Christmas lights up everywhere I can get them. They're the little tiny lights, but they're old. Everything I own is old. I leave them on throughout the night and no other lights are needed. The place looks so cheery. They're beautiful and make me happy to look at them.

"I also put up a cloth angel on the kitchen wall. A friend gave me this years ago because it has red hair and reminded her of me. She "flies" next to the angel apron. I got inspired and created a small, white cloud that is dropping pennies from heaven in my kitchen.

"I sprayed a package of Christmas cookies (Christmas bells, stars, wreaths, and trees) with hairspray (to seal them) and created an arc of stars over my bird collection. Found (yet another) apron at the Chinese store and it now hangs on the wall next to the primitives.

"My house is SO happy!"

What a lovely idea. Now you may not (or may) like to decorate your home with aprons! I'd rather wear mine. But when things are getting a little dreary, why not try some creative decorating? You don't have to buy things. Find things around your home and things you haven't used for a long time. Get the children to help.

I love to change the decoration on the sideboard by our family table. It gets boring to see the same thing all the time. Sometimes I decorate with family photographs. Other times with greenery, flowers, ornaments, interesting things I can find around my home, or whatever ideas come to mind (see picture).

Be creative.

Love from Nancy Campbell

Picture: Currently I have a "motherhood" theme on my sideboard. You'll see it begins with a mother praying for a baby. Then she's pregnant, then her baby comes, and the child grows. In the middle is a beautiful ornament of a mother and baby.

I also have wild flowers, which I love-yellow and white on the left and lovely red ones too. On the right is a picture of the lovely poem:

Cleaning and scrubbing will wait till tomorrow,
For 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.

And what's that little bird on the left? That's a kiwi reminding me of my original country, New Zealand. I am sure you know that New Zealanders are called "kiwis" because it is our native bird. It is a nocturnal bird and it doesn't have wings!

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THE INNER AND OUTER MAN

InnerMan

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OBEDIENCE TO GOD

obediencewoman

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DO YOU LOVE YOUR CHILDREN?


DOULUV ChildrenIf you love your children, you will want the best for them. You will want things to go well with them.
 
How can you make this happen? God tells us how. Deuteronomy 5:29 states: "O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and WITH THEIR CHILDREN FOREVER."
 
1. TO FEAR THE LORD
 
God promises that things will go well with our children if we walk in the fear of the Lord. Psalm 25:12, 13 tells us that when we fear the Lord our children will "inherit the earth."
 
The fear of God is not a light thing. It means to reverence God and be in awe of Him (1 Peter 1:17) To tremble before Him. Do we fear Him in the way that we do not want to displease Him or disobey Him? We want to walk before Him in holiness, for without holiness no man will see the Lord (Hebrew 12:14).
 
Can we say that our lifestyle is one that fears the Lord? Are we a family that fears the Lord? We fear God rather than man. We fear God rather than submit to the vain and deceptive philosophies of this world.
 
2. TO OBEY GOD'S COMMANDS
 
God promises to bless our children when we delight in His Word and obey it (Psalm 112:1-3). How much do you delight in God's Word? Do your children see it is your life and sustenance? That you love it? That you seek to obey it? Do you love it enough to gather your children daily to read it to them each day?
 
Hosea 4:6: "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge . . . seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children."
 
Let's ask ourselves the question again. How much do we love our children? We prove our love by living the above lifestyle.
 
Blessings from Nancy Campbell
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ARE YOU INDIGNANT?


IndignantAre we allowed to be indignant? Or is that not Christlike? Well, we read an instance where Jesus was very indignant.
 
It was the time when parents brought their young children to Jesus to touch them and bless them. The disciples thought that children were too insignificant to intrude in Jesus' time, so they rebuked the parents.
 
But what did Jesus do? When he saw it, he was "much displeased?" This is a strong word in the Greek. It means "to be grieved, greatly afflicted, indignant." Most Bibles translate it with the word "indignant."
 
Why? Because Jesus said the kingdom of God belongs to children. "Let the children come to me, he said, do not keep them back; the kingdom of God belongs to such as these" (Mark 210:14 Knox).
 
We are allowed to be indignant against the rejection of children in our society. We can be indignant when people DON'T WANT children. We should be highly indignant at the millions of precious children aborted in the womb. And what about the millions beyond that who are aborted through many forms of contraception? Does it get to our hearts? Or are our consciences seared?
 
Conversely, to embrace children to our hearts and lives is to have the heart of Jesus. After rebuking his disciples, Jesus gathered the children, put His arms around them, placed His hands on them, and blessed them.
 
Jesus told us to receive children in the same way we receive Him (Matthew 18:5). The word "receive" is "dechomai" and means "to accept deliberately and readily, to welcome, to accept with open arms, minds, and hearts."
 
Let's be indignant about the way much of society looks at children. Let's be those who have the same heart that Jesus has.
 
Be blessed today,
Nancy Campbell
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IT MAKES ME SAD

schoolbusColin and I were out walking this morning. The school bus passed us on the road. But it was only 6.30 am. Because it's now spring, it was light, but in the winter time it is pitch dark at this time. And often they don't return until 4.30 pm or later when it is dark again. My heart grieved.

Children are not meant to be sent off from the home for the whole day, and especially to be indoctrinated in a liberal agenda. Against God. Against family. And now we face the intrusion of the gay agenda. Children are taught that Islam is good and yet not allowed to pray or bring their Bibles to school.

It reminds me of the Scripture in Micah 2:9: "The women of my people have ye cast out from their pleasant houses; from their children have ye taken away my GLORY for ever." It is the glory of children to be raised in the home.

The Amplified version says: "From her children you take away My splendor and blessing forever (by putting them among pagans, away from Me)." The homes of God's people should be filled with His presence. Why would we take our children away from God's holy and beautiful presence to put them with those who don't walk in God's ways? To learn the opposite of God's ways?

Have our minds become so indoctrinated? So brainwashed by society?

Let's seek to know God's heart and His thoughts, rather than live by the agenda of our humanistic society.

Be blessed today,

Nancy Campbell

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LET’S GET THE JOY

GetJoyCan you believe it? When I studied the Greek words for food, mealtimes, and tables in the New Testament, I found 31 different words! God certainly loves the subject of eating. Many of these words give the picture of eating together with others. Jesus loved to eat with others.

Our first ministry is to our family of course. But do you also like to invite “others” to your table who are not part of your family? Hospitality is not an optional ministry, but the lifestyle of the kingdom of God. It is an extension of our mothering anointing. We have big hearts. We want to invite people. We want to feed people. We can’t stop saying, “Come.”

We read about the lifestyle of the early believers in Acts 2:45: “So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people.”

Breaking bread was not specifically speaking about communion, but sharing meals with one another. They didn’t cook elaborate meals. How could they do that if they were sharing meals with others every day? They ate simple meals and shared them. Hospitality is not trying to cook a three-course meal to impress visitors. It’s sharing our homes, hearts, lives, food, thoughts, and revelations with others.

Do you notice that they ate with “simplicity” of heart? They kept it simple. When you keep it simple you can do it? You cook what you prepare for your own family, except add more to the pot!

I remember one day some folks arrived at our home at lunchtime. All we had in the house was potatoes! I was most embarrassed to invite them in for potatoes only, so nearly refused to offer hospitality. However, I managed to subdue my pride and invited them in. What great fellowship we enjoyed together. This couple always remember our lunchtime of potatoes. In fact, I don’t think they remember the times when I prepared a beautiful menu for them.

And do you notice something else? They ate their food with glad hearts. Food always makes us cheerful, especially if we fellowship together at the same time. Do you have a small family? Do you get bored at mealtimes? Invite in another family to join you. At least once a week. It adds spice to your life. And gladness. And joy.

Let’s look at some things that happen when eat together with others:
Food results in gladness (Acts 2:46 and 17:17).
Food results in being merry (Luke 15:23).
Food results in laughter (Ecclesiastes 10:19).
Food results in comfort (Genesis 18:5 and Judges 19:5).
Food results in strengthening heart and body (1 Kings 19:4-8 and Psalm 104:14).
Food results in good cheer (Act 27: 36).
Food results in joy (Ecclesiastes 9:7).

And there’s one more amazing thing. As the early believers ate together DAILY, the Lord added to the church DAILY those who should be saved. I wonder if we would see more people coming to Jesus if we lived this biblical lifestyle.

Love and blessings,

Nancy Campbell

Painting by Harold Anderson

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THERE’S MUCH MORE

MuchMoreDid you know that feeding is more than food? Yes, that’s huge, but there’s even more. And yes, I’m still sharing a little more of God’s heart about this subject. And I certainly won’t exhaust it in this post either.

Do you remember when Jesus went down to Lake Galilee to find His disciples after He had risen from the dead? Yes, He knew where He’d find them. They were out fishing again. He cooked a lovely breakfast for them on the shore and them called them into eat. Hang on a minute? Who was cooking breakfast? Jesus! The One who had risen from the dead, conquered death and hell! And what is He doing?

You’ve got it right. He’s cooking! And you thought cooking was a little too insignificant for you? But Jesus knew that cooking precedes important things. He wanted to give a special word to Peter and so He prepared him a meal first. “When they had dined” He spoke to him (John 21:15).

Three times Jesus asked Peter to feed His lambs and His sheep. Two times He used a word that means “to feed.” But one time He used are far more encompassing word. It’s the word “poimaino” and means to feed and tend as a shepherd (John 21:15-17). What is involved in a shepherd feeding and caring for his sheep?

Let’s look at the fulness of the word: Apart from feeding, it means to bind up the hurting and broken, to carry close to your heart, to comfort, to encourage, to defuse fears, to gather in your arms, to guide, to keep safe, to nourish, to lead to green and lush pastures, to prepare a table, to provide, to (renewing, reviving, and refreshing), to sacrifice and lay down your life for your little flock, to strengthen, and to tenderly fold your flock.

Jesus wanted His newborn lambs and sheep in the flock to be fully tended and fed. It is part of His nature. We see this picture in Isaiah 40:11: “He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.”

This is also the motherhood anointing. Shepherding is not a part time job. It is a lifestyle. We sacrifice our lives to tend to our little lambs and our big sheep. In fact, we never stop feeding. It should be our continual lifestyle even as our children grow and begin their own families.

Jesus never stops feeding. Even in eternity He continues to feed us. Don’t you love these words? “For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall FEED them (poimaino – the same word that speaks of the fullness of shepherding), and shall lead them into living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.”

One more thought for today. Acts 20:11 tells us that “When Paul had broken bread, and eaten, and talked a long while, even till break of day, so he departed.” Do you notice how talking goes with eating? Feeding our families is eating and talking together, eating and teaching, eating and laughing, eating and fellowshipping, eating and opening up the Scriptures. It all happens at meal times.

What are you planning for your evening meal this evening? Not just the food. What are you planning to talk about? What vision do you have as you bring your family together this evening?

Love from Nancy Campbell

Painting: The Maternal Kiss by Mary Cassatt
You can enjoy more paintings by Mary Cassatt at this link: https://www.pinterest.com/ab…/i-love-mary-cassatt-paintings/

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LOVELY MEMORIES

LovelyMemoriesAre you enjoying your glorious role of child cherisher and nourisher? Dear Nurturer, don’t despise the time you spend in the kitchen. Sometimes you feel as though you spend half your life in the kitchen cooking! Well, praise the Lord! You are doing what you are meant to be doing. You are cherishing and nourishing the children God gave to you. You are in His perfect will. You are being like God Himself.

God loves to feed His people. God’s Word is filled with the subject of food and feeding. Acts 14:17 says: “Nevertheless He (God) left not himself without witness, in that he did GOOD, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, FILLING OUR HEARTS WITH FOOD AND GLADNESS.” The word food is “trophe” meaning nourishment. God loves to nourish us. He even nourishes the little sparrows, and then reminds us how much more He will feed us (Matthew 6:26).

God not only loves to feed us physically, but also our inner man. Do you notice that He wants to fill us with gladness too? Food and gladness couple together. Food and fellowship are twins. Eating is more than eating food. It is communicating with one another. We are not meant to eat food on our own. God wants us to gather our family (and others too) around our table to communicate and fellowship as we eat. This fills our hearts with gladness.

As we minister food to our family, let’s not only think of physical food, but food for their souls and spirits. Think of nourishing the whole man. Think of ways to nourish your children mentally, emotionally, and spiritually at your table. Enlarge your vision. Begin to see your table how God sees it.

Jesus came to this earth “eating and drinking.” He was always fellowshipping at a table with people. So often when we read of him sitting at the table, the Bible goes on to say, “And he said . . .” The table was where Jesus loved to tell parables, teach, and give understanding of the Scriptures.

Even after Jesus rose from the dead and suddenly stood in the midst of His disciples, He asked for something to eat. He still loved to eat in His resurrection body. “And they gave him a piece of broiled fish, and of a honey comb. And he took it, and did eat before them. And he said unto them . . .” Once again, we see Him talking with his disciples as they ate together and He “opened their understanding, that they might understand the Scriptures” (Luke 24:367-49).

I love the words of Luke 4:16: “And Jesus came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up.” The words “brought up” are translated “teknotropheo” which we talked about yesterday. Do you remember that it means to cherish and nourish a child with food? Jesus came back to his home where he had been nourished--physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

What memories will your children have when they grow up? Will they have memories of a nourishing home? Where they were nourished with delectable, delicious, and wholesome food? Where they were nourished in their soul? Where their spirits were daily fed with the Word of God? Where they lived in an atmosphere of healing? Because to nourish is to heal! Body, soul, and spirit.

Make this your prayer for your children: “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your WHOLE SPIRIT AND SOUL AND BODY be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 5:23).

I send God’s blessings and healing to your home today,

Nancy Campbell

Painting: Laurts Tuxen

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A CHILD NOURISHER

ChildNourisherDid you know that motherhood is synonymous with feeding and nourishing? If you are a mother, you are a child cherisher and child nourisher.

1 Timothy 5:10 gives the description of God’s plan for women. The first description of her is that she has “brought up” children. The word is “teknotropheo.” The breakdown of the word is as follows:
teknon = child
trepho = to fatten, to cherish with food, to pamper, feed, nourish

Here’s the full understanding. A mother loves and cherishes her children. Therefore, because she cherishes them, she nourishes them. Nourishing is the result of cherishing.

The moment God gives a beautiful baby into the arms of another, she immediately puts the baby to her breast. She begins nourishing. I love to see my daughter, Serene mothering her new baby, Solace. When Colin and I walked into their home last night, little Solace was nestled in Serene’s arms, as usual. She said to me, “Mother, I am IN LOVE.” Because she is in love with this baby, she nourishes her baby. She wants to fatten her.

There is something in mothers that wants to fatten their babies. That’s part of nourishing. Isn’t ‘it funny? This is the only time we drool about rolls and fat! When Serene’s last baby, Remmy, was born, he didn’t thrive. She couldn’t understand why he wasn’t fattening up. She eventually discovered that he had a very high palate and couldn’t feed adequately. Immediately she ordered a hospital pump and began pumping night and day, for a whole year, giving her milk from a Lact-aid as Remmy continued nursing from her breast. We called her Mrs. Pump! Serene was determined to fatten up her baby!

But we don’t stop nourishing when our babies wean. We continue nourishing. As our children grow, we continue to feed them nourishing foods. We do not cherish our children if we allow them to drink pop and serve them foods filled with sugar and devitalized foods such as white flour, white sugar, white pasta, and white rice, etc. It’s not enough to pacify the hunger in our children with packaged and conventional foods. We are nourishers! What only give them that which nourishes their bodies.

One of the words for food in the Bible is “trophe” and simply means, nourishment. If it doesn’t nourish, it can’t truly be called food. Food should strengthen the body (Acts 9:19).

And our nourishing goes beyond their bodies. We are nourishers of their souls and spirits too. The whole passion of cherishing our children is to nourish them in every part of their lives. This takes mothering to another dimension. We don’t have time to vacate the home for our own interests. We have such a huge and heavenly assignment.

Embrace your heavenly duty today.

Love from Nancy Campbell

Painting by Polina Luchanova, Russia.

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SHOULD ABORTION BE LEGAL IN THE CASE OF RAPE?

A thoughtful and well-written article by my granddaughter, Meadow Hall.

SHOULD ABORTION BE LEGAL IN THE CASE OF RAPE?
For many, the answer would be yes. Even those who say they don't agree with abortion (even some Christians) might let rape be the exception. If this is you, might I convince you to take a second look at this ideology?

I know WHY people argue in favor of this . . . Because "it's the rapist's child", "it's cruel to force the Mother to always be reminded of her rape if she keeps the child", and "you don't know what the Mother has been through . . . rape is a serious crime". None of these arguments should excuse abortion.

1. Yes, it is the rapist's child (and it is also the MOTHER'S child). But even if the Mother had no relation to the child she was carrying, is it right to punish the child for the sin of the Father? The Father should be punished for his crime, but his baby had nothing to do with it. Therefore, the child would become a second innocent victim as a result to murder.

2. There is something far more crueler than forcing a woman to keep her child . . . Convincing her to take the life of her own child. This goes against the very NATURE of a Mother and only brings more harm to her. Mothers are given the instinctive nature to love, protect and even give their lives up for their children . . . not take them.

According to HealthResearchFunding, women who have had abortions are three times more likely to commit suicide than women of childbearing age who have not had abortions. They are 81% more likely to have mental health issues than other women. Teens who have had abortions are ten times more likely to attempt suicide than teens who have not had an abortion. What does this prove? It is more cruel to allow a woman to abort her baby after being raped, because then it's as if she is being victimized TWICE.

I've met women who have had abortions and I know that it is a terrible thing to live with. Women can only be healed and broken free from their grief and pain by the grace of God and when they learn to properly grieve over their aborted child. Isn't it enough that she's already gone through the trauma of rape? Why on earth would we then encourage her to go through an abortion, which is an even worse thing to live with?

Those who say that women are more empowered when they are free to take the lives of their own children, do not understand what real womanhood is.

3. Yes, rape is a serious crime. But murder is also a serious crime. And no matter how much grief the Mother is going through from being raped, this should not permit her to commit the ultimate crime.
Abortion is murder. And it should not be sugar-coated to be called anything else. If you are a Christian, you should know that God considers life to begin in the womb, and one of God's commandments is to not take innocent life. If you are an American, you should honor the fact that the Declaration of

Independence says that everyone of us has a right to life. This moral principle in our country was based on the belief that a human being has the right to live and, in particular, should not be killed by another human being. And if you keep up with science, you should know that scientists keep discovering amazing facts about babies in the womb that further prove they are human beings, (and it's crazy that we'd ever not consider them being that in the first place). Even the definition of "fetus" does not mean "clump of cells", it means "young one." You and I are made up of clumps of cells . . . does that mean our lives have no value?
"Well, maybe I don't believe in abortion, but it's none of my business what others do" you might say. Is it none of your business when you see someone pointing a gun at a victim in a back alley, so you decide not to call the police? Is it none of your business if you see a man raping a woman, so you do nothing to stop him? Is it none of your business when you see an adult brutally beating a child, so you just turn the other way? Whenever there are innocent victims, it should be our business to try and help those who cannot help themselves. There are millions of innocent babies dying who need our help.

"It's not the government's job to tell us what not to do. Abortion may be wrong, but it takes away their freedom." If that's the case, then you should also believe that theft, rape and any other kind of murder should be legal, because, "Yeah, it's wrong, but that takes away freedom too." The purpose of laws is to keep us being a civilized society and to protect citizens so that people can't run around the streets stealing, raping, murdering and doing whatever it is they want. The purpose of making abortion illegal is to prevent us from becoming a barbaric society where parents are allowed to murder their own children . . . Oh wait, that already is our society. Are we really just going to live with it?

Many pro-choicers believe that pro-lifers do not care about women, they only care about the babies. Maybe those of us who are pro-life could do a better job of showing it, but we do care about women. I'm against abortion because I care about the baby and ALSO because I care about the Mother. I care about her not making the worst decision in her life that she would deeply regret. I care about her not being at higher risk for depression, mental illnesses and suicide. And I care about her eternal soul.

I am sorry for any women who has become a victim of rape. It is certainly a tragedy. But God is an expert of bringing good out of bad. And that sweet innocent baby that was conceived out of an act of evil, can be just the thing that God uses to heal the Mother and turns into a precious miracle and blessing for the Mother. Just read about the testimonies of Mothers who chose life for their babies when they were raped. The Bible says that children are a blessing. Babies are a gift from God, no matter how he or she are conceived. God knows that the baby might be exactly what the poor traumatized Mother needs.

Back to the original question . . . Should abortion be legal in cases of rape? Ask yourself this:

Is it right to punish the child for this sins of the father?
Does murdering her child really help a Mother to feel better?
Is abortion murder?
Do two wrongs make a right?

Then no . . . abortion should never be legal in cases of rape.

MEADOW HALL
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
https://www.facebook.com/meadow.barrett/posts/1701819789872663

Picture: Meadow with her little baby, Warren Charles.

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SAVING YOUR LIFE

SavingURLifeGod’s ways are usually opposite to our way of thinking. To save our life we think we must cater to all our needs, pamper to our flesh, and have our own way. But God says we’ll save our life by losing it! That’s certainly the opposite to our way, isn’t it?

Jesus said in Mark 8:35: “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it.” This Scripture has always been the greatest challenge of my life. It was the greatest test in my mothering. But I learned over the years that God’s way is right. It’s the best way. The only way. When we try to save ourselves we lose. When we try to find out who we are by catering to our needs, we become confused.

The way to abundant life is losing your own life by pouring it out for others. Jesus takes the challenge even further when He said in John 12:24, 25: “Truly, truly, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.”

I love the lines from Elisabeth Elliot in her book “Love Has a Price Tag” where she writes: “The routines of housework and mothering may be seen as a kind of death, and it is appropriate that they should be, for they offer the chance, day after day, to lay down one’s life for others. Then they are no longer routines. By being done with love and offered up to God with praise, they are thereby hallowed as the vessels of the tabernacle were hallowed. A mother’s part in sustaining the life of her children and making it pleasant and comfortable is no triviality. It calls for self-sacrifice and humility, but it is the route, as was the humiliation of Jesus, to glory.”

In other words, it is the path to GLORY. Check out these Scriptures too: 2 Corinthians 4:16-18; Philippians 2:5-9; and 1 Peter 1:7.

We get another glimpse of the life in which God delights when we read the description of the older women God wants the church to provide for and to bless: “She must have been the faithful wife of one husband. She must have a reputation for good works. She can only be enrolled, if she has brought up children, if she has practiced hospitality, if she has been prepared to render the most menial service to God’s people, if she has been in the habit of helping people in trouble, if good works of every kind have been the aim and object of her life” (1 Timothy 5:9, 10 William Barclay trans.).

What kind of lifestyle do we live in our homes? Do we try to save ourselves or lay down our lives for others?

Blessings from Nancy Campbell

Painting: "Safe in Mother's Arms" by H. Anderson

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HOW DO YOU LOVE YOUR HUSBAND?

NoteJarSome time ago I asked our readers to share the little things they do to show their husbands they love them. The following are the replies I received. Each one of us are different personalities and therefore we show our love in different ways.

You may not do everything written in this list, but take time to read it through. Never be content with a boring marriage. Get out of your rut. Think of new and exciting way to love your husband. Surprise him with something you’ve never done before. And do it today.

If I love my husband I will . . .

Love to serve him.

Love to cook his meals.

Love to have a wholesome meal prepared for him when he arrives home in the evening.

Love to make and serve him breakfast.

Love to make his lunch to take to work.

Love to think of ways to romance him.

Love him to come home to a clean and fresh smelling house.

Love to keep an orderly home for him.

Love to make sure he always has clean laundry.

Love to make him coffee.

Love to encourage him and affirm him.

Love to purchase special goodies for him that he loves.

Love to buy him his favorite dark chocolate.

Love to do extra nice things for him.

Love to smile at him.

Love to ravish him and satisfy him sexually.

Love to follow him even though I may not agree with him.

Love to praise him instead of criticize him.

Love to wake up and cuddle with him.

Love to greet him passionately when he comes home from work.

Love to run a bath for him.

Love to encourage and compliment him with my words.

Love to make him smile and laugh.

Love to tell him that he is the best.

Love to text him during the day to remind him how much I love and appreciate him.

Love to speak well of him to my friends and to praise him in front of others.

Love to be his BEST and closest friend.

Love to be his only confidante.

Love to pray for him and with him.

Love to respect him and his decisions.

Love to pay attention to him when he talks to me.

Love to look at him adoringly.

Love to help the children do special things for him.

Love to give him massages.

Love to softly tickle him.

Love to rub his back, shoulders, legs, and feet.

Love to be with him while he works.

Love to do what he asks me with a smile and cheerful attitude.

Love to listen to his dreams and ideas and support them.

Love to raise the children in the way that pleases him.

Love to take an interest in his passions.

Love to do everything I can to keep him healthy.

Love to kiss him when he comes near me during the day.

Love to blow him kisses.

Love to give him surprises.

Love to appreciate him for working hard so I can stay home with our children.

Love to hold hands with him at every opportunity.

Love to admire and adore him.

Love to be faithful to him until death or we meet the Lord face to face.

Don’t forget to do something special for your husband today.

Love from Nancy Campbell

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Above Rubies Address

AboveRubies
Email Nancy

PO Box 681687
Franklin, TN 37068-1687

Phone : 931-729-9861
Office Hrs 9am - 5pm, M - F, CTZ