“Nothing can compare in beauty, and wonder, and admirableness, and divinity itself, to the silent work in obscure dwellings of faithful women bringing their children to honor and virtue and piety.”
~ Henry Ward Beecher
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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.
Deuteronomy 15:4: “The Lord shall GREATLY BLESS thee in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it.” And you must read Deuteronomy 28:8; 30:16. The following are 15 specific blessings God pours out upon us in our land of motherhood. Take some time to look up these wonderful Scriptures.
Blessings of fruitfulness (Genesis 1:28; 22:17; 28:3; Deuteronomy 7:13-14; Psalm 107:38; 115:14).
Blessings of the breasts and of the womb (Genesis 49:25).
Blessings of weddings and celebrations (Jeremiah 33:10-11, cf. Jeremiah 7:34; 16:9; 25:10).
Blessings of bread and water (Exodus 23:25).
Blessings of God’s watchful care (Numbers 6:24-25).
Blessings of peace (Numbers 6:26; Psalm 29:11).
Blessings upon all that we do (Deuteronomy 2:7; 14:29; 15:10, 18; 16:15; 23:20; 24:19; 28:8, 12).
Blessings of health (Deuteronomy 7:15)
Blessings on our children (Psalm 115:14; 147:13b; Isaiah 44:3).
Blessings if we live in the city or the country (Deuteronomy 28:3).
Blessings on our cattle and produce (Deuteronomy 28:4-5, 11; Psalm 132:15; 107:36-38).
Blessings on our daily walk (Deuteronomy 28:6).
Blessings of reigning instead of servitude (Deuteronomy 15:16; 28:13).
Blessings of lending to others instead of borrowing (Deuteronomy 15:16; 28:12).
Blessings on our land and gardens (Deuteronomy 30:16; Psalm 107:37).
Thank you, Lord, for all your wondrous blessings to us.
~ Nancy Campbell
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This beautiful picture is of Vera Louden with her 12th baby, Samuel Matthew. Vera shares: “One of the greatest joys I have experienced in my life is the bonding time within the first few weeks after birth. The eye contact and snuggles and breastfeeding are just so amazing.”
What joy! There is nothing so special as the atmosphere in a home when a new baby arrives. I think it must be because they come to us pure and untainted from the hand of God. In those early weeks we experience something of the atmosphere of heaven. God Himself is so excited at the birth of a new life.
Vera is the mother of the teenage son delighting in his baby brother on the front cover of Above Rubies, #89.
Blessings from Nancy
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(Take time to read and feel the depth of the words of this poem).
The fair young earth hushed all her sounds of life,
As evening gathered in the western sky,
And calmed the sportive winds that she might hear
The world's first mother's first fond lullaby.
A rapture, such as mothers share with God
By sweet melodious cadences expressed:
"My child! Part of my heart in human form--
My living thought, plucked from my throbbing breast!"
How good was God to give such balm divine
To sinning Eve bereft of Paradise!
To grant her, mourning over Eden lost,
To find new Edens in her baby's eyes.
And every mother, crooning o'er her child,
Catches the same sweet rapture from the skies,
And, though shut out of earthly Edens, finds
In mother-love, a sinless Paradise.
Each height of bliss but measures depth of woe,
And mother-joy is matched by mother-pain.
Eve's gentle heart bled o'er her sinning child,
And Mary wept o'er hers who had no stain.
Mothers alone drink Sorrow's deepest dregs.
Did God need sympathy that He should deign
To grant to woman through her mother-love,
Some comprehension of His love and pain?
Mothers alone climb Joy's most rapturous heights;
Here, too, they touch the heart of love divine.
“O Father, God, how very good thou art
To grant us joys that else were only thine!”
A partnership with God is motherhood;
What strength, what purity, what self-control,
What love, what wisdom should belong to her
Who helps God fashion an immortal soul!
~ Mary Wood-Allen
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A wife wrote to me: "When we were getting life insurance, I was taken aback at my husband's view of my monetary value. He said if I died he would have to hire a maid, a gardener, a cook, umpteen babysitters, private tutors, a tailor, etc., and he would still be without his best friend."
No one can replace you, mother! You have the greatest career in the nation!
~ Nancy
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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 spank them all! But wait a minute. Before you scream, try an alternative. There are better options to calm them down.
1. CHILDREN LOVE SURPRISES "Children, Mommy is going to give you a surprise! I want you all to hide beh...ind the sofa and wait. No one is allowed to look!" Then arrange a little plate for each one with perhaps cut apples, pieces of cheese, raisins, a cookie you have made, or whatever they like. 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 will make a huge difference.
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. I found story time never failed to calm my children. Can you guess that we had story time quite 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 outside lets them 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 sleep!
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. To stop and spend a little time with them makes all the difference.
Have a great day.
Nancy Campbell
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“I’m pregnant!” No, not me, although that would be amazing! But these are usually the words a mother will say when she sees the pink line! Actually, It’s not a very nice-sounding word, isn’t it? For something so wonderful I am sure we could think of a better word.
What about “I’m gestating!” That sounds even worse.
...I love the sound of “I’m wombing!” It reveals what is really happening. Of course, I don’t expect you have to use this word. It’s a little old-fashioned, but I love it--and it is Scriptural.
What a beautiful thing to be wombing. When else does a mother have an excuse to have a nap in the afternoon? It is time to dream of what her baby will be like.
It is a time of wonder and apprehension for a first-time mother. But is it any less wonder for the mother of five, or even six, or more? I think she understands even more the awe and miracle of the little life growing inside her--a brand new person who has never lived before and will never come to this earth again. She may have other children, but this is a new creation of God. What will he or she be like?
She may be waiting in anticipation for the surprise of whether it will be a boy or girl. Many don’t wait for this surprise today, but it is one of the surprises God loves to give us, just as all parents love to give surprises to their children (Psalm 139: 15).
It is so exciting for a new mother to feel the first movement of life within her womb. Nor will an older mother ever get tired of the wonder of feeling life in her womb. What could be more amazing.
Are you blessed to be pregnant? Enjoy your wombing? It is a powerful time of your life. It is more important that all the other things you could be rushing about doing. When you are asked to be involved in this and that, you can say, “I’m so sorry, but I am not available at this time. I am wombing!”
It’s time to enjoy the wonder. It’s time to “cozy in” and prepare your “home nest” again for your coming baby. First time mothers, you will never be able to comprehend until the moment of birth the overwhelming love you will feel for your baby.
Second time mothers, you love your present child so much, you wonder if you could ever have enough love for another child. This is also the wonder. You will have even more love for this precious child. And each baby that comes into the family causes the mother to love her husband and her other children even more. The mother who has many children overloads with more and more love for each individual in her family when a new baby is born.
Oh the wonder!
Love from Nancy Campbell P.S.
The picture is of a five month old baby in the womb.
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I am amazed at how people who say they believe the Bible actually take little notice of it. They say we should tolerate homosexuality in the name of loving every one. That sounds so good, and of course we should love each person, but we should not tolerate the actions as it mocks God’s eternal plan.
God said: “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him” (Genesis 2:18 ESV). Who was this helper? Was it another man? No,we all know that God created the one who would be the perfect fit for Adam, She was called a “woman,” a “wife,” and a “mother” so the man and wife could be fruitful and take dominion (Genesis 2:22-24 and 3:20). Any deviation from this plan is a smack in God’s face, the One who intricately designed and created us.
But THERE IS MORE yet! After God brought the woman to the man He stated that “the man and the wife,” the two opposite sexes, were to become “one flesh” (Genesis 2:24). This Scripture is quoted again in Ephesians 5:31, 32 and it goes on to say: “This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.”
God lifts marriage to a very high place, far higher and more sacred than we understand with our human minds. He chose marriage to portray the oneness of Christ and His bride, the church. Notice that she is called His bride (Revelation 21:2, 9). The marriage relationship is to reveal this picture to the world. There is coming a day when those who are called will sit down at “the marriage supper of the Lamb” with “the Lamb’s wife” (Revelation 19:6-9 and 21:9). Christ is the fulfillment of the sacrificial lamb which had to be a male lamb (Exodus 12:5) and the church for which He sacrificed His life is His bride.
To distort this picture is sacrilege.
Blessings from Nancy Campbell
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There are ultimately only two kingdoms in this world--the kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan. The big question we have to ask is: what kingdom are we building for? As we daily build our homes and families we are building for one kingdom or the other.
Hebrews 1:8 says: “Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever: a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of thy kingdom.” In other words, the hallmark of God’s kingdom is RIGHTESOUSNESS. Talking of Jesus Christ, the next verse (v. 9) says: “Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity, therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.”
Romans 14:17 says: “For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but RIGHTEOUSNESS, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.”
And we all know Matthew 6:33: “ Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his RIGHTEOUSNESS; and all these things shall be added unto you.”
As we build our little kingdom home, which we want to be part of God’s kingdom, we must lift up righteousness in our home. We must cast out all that is foreign to righteousness. Anything that is unrighteous or unclean allows Satan’s kingdom to get a foothold in our home.
Become a builder for God’s kingdom of righteousness. It’s worth it. It’s an everlasting kingdom that has no end.
Be encouraged.
Nancy Campbell
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In response to some of my posts of the last few days, many have replied with the same old mantra of “Judge not that ye be not judged.” Whenever the homosexual agenda is mentioned, out comes this Scripture from the woodwork. However, the doctrine of any subject is not what God says in one verse, but what He says throughout the whole Bible. We must get the whole picture. Therefore, can I humbly ask that those who pull out this Scripture from their hat will be honest enough to sincerely study what God says throughout His Holy Word?
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Some have mentioned that the New Testament does not talk against homosexuality. Let’s have another look. When Jesus was asked a question about marriage, He reiterated what God spoke in the very beginning at the first marriage ceremony: "Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, and said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife; and the two shall be one flesh?" (Matthew 19:5-6). Jesus confirmed God's plan from the beginning that marriage is between a man and a woman. In this one Scripture, He states "father and mother,” and "man and wife." No mention of the same sexes.
There are other references in the New Testament and Jesus Christ, who is God, testifies to everything written in His holy Word. Read the following Scriptures: Romans 1:18-32; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11; Galatians 5:19; Ephesians 5:3-7; and Colossians 3:5-7. Both Titus 1:16 and Revelation 21:27 mention that which is "abominable" which is what God calls homosexuality, plus all sexual sins (Leviticus 18:22; 20:13; and Deuteronomy 23:17). God is a holy God and wants us to be holy in mind and body.
Let’s be honest. We all know that God doesn't change his mind from the Old Testament to the New Testament. He is the God of both testaments.
Always after truth,
Nancy Campbell
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In understanding Scripture, the “law of the first mention” is critical. When God states something the first time, He lays down a foundation for that particular truth. He adds to it and develops it throughout the rest of His Word, but He does not change from the establishing of the “first mention.”
The first mention of marriage in the Bible is in Genesis 2:24. In this Scripture God speaks of the man and his wife, and the father and mother. God puts male and female together-- His plan from the eternity. There is no mention of same sexes.
If we want something to work properly we have to read the manual from the one who designed it. God is the one who created our bodies and designed marriage and we better make sure we take notice of His manual.
One of the synonyms of marriage is matrimony, usually called “holy matrimony”--the union of a man and woman for life. It comes from the Latin word, “matrimonium,” from “mater,” from which come the words-- mother, maternal, matrimony, marriage. Therefore the full understanding of marriage is that the wife will become a mother. This cannot happen naturally in a homosexual relationship. It is totally unnatural and against God’s divine order of creation and His eternal plan for us.
We cannot bow to mortal man’s deception, distortion, and desecration of divine truth.
Blessings from Nancy Campbell
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I currently have this picture on my computer screen as a reminder to have the courage to stand for truth and righteousness.
May God help us to be those who will not bow down to that which is against God and His eternal Word (Daniel 3:16-18). We need this reminder at this time of great deception in our nation, don't we?
~ Nancy
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--A Formidable Force
One man, one woman,
Fused into one.
God's plan! Is there a better?
There is none.
One body, one flesh--
Indescribable!
One purpose, one vision--
Unconquerable!
One soul, one spirit--
Invincible!
What is the foundation?
Praying together daily--
High priority!
Reading God's Word together daily--
Paramount for success.
What does it take?
Sacrificial love.
Yieldedness and submission.
No longer "me" but "you."
Laying down my life.
Delighting to serve.
Sticking together through thick and thin.
What is the fruit?
A union that cannot be broken.
A union that survives the storms of life.
A union that forges a path for God in this world.
A union that builds a godly generation
for now and generations to come.
What is the power?
A God-fearing family who are
formidable to the enemy!
~Nancy Campbell
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Are you grieving as I am? Where is the great nation of our founding fathers? To think that we now live in a nation where the Supreme Court has ruled that in every state of the nation gay marriages have the same status as God-ordained marriages! What kind of a world will this be like for our grandchildren and great-grandchildren? Our first president, George Washington warned that the smiles of heaven can never be expected on a nation “that disregards the eternal rules of order and right which heaven itself hath ordained.”
How could this happen except in a climate of luke-warmness, tolerance, and even apostasy in the Christian church? God gave His eternal plan at the beginning of time for marriage: one man and one woman (Genesis 1:27, 28 and 2:21-24). God clearly makes the difference between male and female in His Word:
Male (zakar) / female (nqebah) Notice that the two Hebrew words are totally different (Genesis 1: 27).
Man / woman (Genesis 2:23).
Father / mother Genesis 2:24).
Husband / wife (Genesis 2:25; Proverbs 12:4; 31:11, 12, and 28).
Master / mistress (Genesis 16:4 and 24:9).
Bridegroom / bride (Psalm 19:5; Isaiah 49:18; 61:10; 62:5; and Jeremiah 33:11).
Mankind / womankind (Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13).
Young men / maidens (Isaiah 62:5).
Sons / daughters (Genesis 5:4).
Boys/ girls (Zechariah 8:5).
God called them Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve. Arthur W. Pink comments on God's creation of man: "Not both males or both females, but one male and one female; and to make the design of this unmistakably plain God says, "Be fruitful and multiply." For this reason marriage is called "matrimony," which signifies motherage because it results in virgins becoming mothers."
Jonathan Cahn, author of the New York Times bestseller “The Harbinger” has truly stated that: “If this court should overrule the word of God and strike down the eternal rules of order and right that heaven itself ordained, how then will God save it? . . . Justices, can you judge the ways of God? There is another court and there another judge, where all men and all judges will give account. . . . If a nation’s high court should pass judgment on the Almighty, should you then be surprised God will pass judgment on the court and that nation?”
It is time for us to stand for truth in the midst of deception, to be a light in the midst of the darkness. We praise God for leaders such as Franklin Graham, James Dobson, Alan Keyes, and many others who state in a full-page ad in the Washington Post, USA Today, and other papers: “We affirm that marriage, as existing solely between one man and one woman, precedes civil government. Though affirmed, fulfilled, and elevated by faith, the truth that marriage can exist only between one man and one woman is not based solely on religion but on the Natural Law, written on the human heart.”
And they conclude: “We will not honor any decision by the Supreme Court which will force us to violate a clear biblical understanding of marriage as solely the union of one man and one woman.”
Isaiah 59:14-16 (ESV) states: “Justice is turned back, and righteousness stands far away; for truth has stumbled in the public squares, and uprightness cannot enter. Truth is lacking, and he who departs from evil makes himself a prey. The Lord saw it, and it displeased him that there was no justice. He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no one to intercede.”
It is time to stand for truth and intercede for righteousness in the land. It is time to imprint upon our children’s hearts God’s laws and ways lest they be deceived in a society like Sodom and Gomorrah.
Standing for God’s truth,
Nancy Campbell
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There is nothing like the aroma of a delicate and delightful-smelling perfume. It gives beautiful memories. It gives pleasure to our sense of smell, although I must admit that I don’t like chemical perfumes and prefer essential oils.
Most husbands love the fragrance of a lovely perfume on their wives. God Himself loves sweet aromas (Exodus 30:23-25, 34, 35). It’s not hard to put on some perfume, but often it is a lot harder to wear the sweet perfume of Christ. This means saying No to the flesh and allowing the beautiful life of Jesus Christ who dwells within us to shine through us. This brings delight to our husbands even more than a perfume from a bottle. This fills our home with love, peace, and happiness.
The Bible talks about a lovely perfume. 2 Corinthians 2:14-16 (PHILLIPS) says: “Thanks be to God who leads us, wherever we are, on his own triumphant way and makes our knowledge of him spread throughout the world like a lovely perfume! We Christians have the unmistakeable “scent” of Christ, discernible alike to those who are being saved and to those who are heading for death. To the latter it seems like the very smell of doom, to the former it has the fresh fragrance of life itself.”
Do you carry around that “unmistakeable scent” of Christ? Is the life of Jesus spreading out from you like a lovely perfume? Notice that the Scriptures says this should happen “wherever we are.” The KJV says, “in every place.” This doesn’t only mean when you are all dressed up to go out to a function with all the children left behind. This means right in your home, in the midst of everything that is happening--housework piled up, laundry waiting to be completed, homeschooling to organize, and challenges that seem to arise each new day.
No matter what is happening or where you are, Christ is in you. He doesn’t change with circumstances. Draw on His life, His strength, His peace, His patience, His joy, and His love. And as you do, you will spread forth the lovely perfume of His presence in your home--to your husband and to your children.
Have a wonderful day in your home today,
Nancy Campbell
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Ten days ago, on the 14 June, Elisabeth Elliot went to be with her Savior and Lord. It is most fitting on this Above Rubies page to honor one of the greatest “older women” in our nation. She originally became known world-wide because of her husband Jim Elliot’s martyrdom (along with the five American missionaries) who gave their lives to bring the gospel to the Auca Indians, and the writing of her powerful books. I read “The Shadow of the Almighty”as a young woman, before I was married, and it totally revolutionized my life. Jim was the one who wrote the lines: “He is not fool who gives what he cannot keep in order to gain what he cannot lose.”
However, Elisabeth also became a faithful teacher of God’s truth to the wives and mothers of the nation (Titus 2:3-5). Who will now stand in the gap? May God raise up many more older women to walk in her steps.
Here is a quote from Elisabeth to encourage you today. It is taken from her book, The Shaping of a Christian Family:
“There is no nobler career than that of motherhood at its best. There are no possibilities greater, and in no other sphere does failure bring more serious penalties. With what diligence then should she prepare herself for such a task? If the mechanic who is to work with “things” must study at technical school, if the doctor into whose skilled hands will be entrusted human lives, must go through medical school . . . how much more should the mother who is fashioning the souls of the men and women of tomorrow, learn at the highest of all schools and from the Master-Sculptor Himself, God.
To attempt this task, unprepared and untrained is tragic and its results affect generations to come. On the other hand there is no higher height to which humanity can attain than that occupied by a converted, heaven-inspired, praying mother.”
Be encouraged today,
Nancy Campbell
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The kitchen is where we do a lot of taste testing, isn’t it? We have to taste the meals we create to make sure they are palatable and have a great flavor.
However, the kitchen is also a place where we test who we really are! It's easy to live a patient and sweet life when we fellowship with friends or when everything is quiet and peaceful. But what about when everything is in a turmoil? What about when the baby needs you, your toddler is crying, you are trying to get breakfast for everyone, the phone is ringing, and your husband needs last minute help as he leaves the house. You hardly know where to turn first? What about when the children are cranky and whining or bouncing off the walls? How do you react then?
2 Corinthians 13:5 challenges us with these words: "Examine yourselves whether ye be in the faith, prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that JESUS CHRIST IS IN YOU, except ye be reprobates." We need to examine our faith in the midst of trials and difficulties. This is the true testing.
However, we need not despair that we cannot live up to God's holy standard. We can't! Do you notice the words "JESUS CHRIST IS IN YOU"? It's not your trying to be perfect in your little world of mothering your children. It is allowing the life of Jesus Christ who lives within you to live His life through you.
Get into this habit. Say No to the flesh. Say No to anger and frustration. Say No to self-pity and gloom. Instead, thank Christ for His patience and love that IS IN YOU BECAUSE HE LIVES IN YOU!
Your greatest test in your kitchen is not trying to be more perfect, but yielding to the life of Christ in you!
Be encouraged today,
Nancy Campbell
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Home is a place of . . .
Admonition
Beauty (a lovely atmosphere for everyone to enjoy)
Caring
Direction
Encouragement
Fun
Giving (each treating the other better than themselves)
Hospitality
Inspiration
Joy
Keeping children safe
Love
Making Memories
Nurturing
Opportunity
Prayer
Quietude (sometimes)!
Responsibility (each one pulling their weight)
Serving one another
Teaching
Understanding
Valuing each child
Wisdom
eXample
Yeanling love (a yeanling is a little lamb and a home is where we love babies)
Zoe (the Greek word for LIFE--Home should be filled with life and happiness, not legality!
It would be enough to take one of these and work on them for a few weeks, wouldn’t it? And yet we have 26 of them!
Love from Nancy Campbell
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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!
Start when they are young. Don’t wait until they are older.
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