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.

PROTECTED AND PRESERVED

Preserved1 Timothy 2:15 tells us that we will be “saved in childbearing.” Does this mean that we will be saved from having a painless childbirth experience? Some women experience this but it is not what the Scripture is saying.

The word “saved” is “sozo” and has a wonderful rich meaning. It comes from a root word, “saos” which means “safe.” That’s nice, isn’t it? But it also means “to be healed, preserved, protected, delivered, and made whole.” On a number of occasions Jesus said to people, “Thy faith hath made thee whole.” The word “whole” is “sozo,” the same word used in 1Timothy 2:15.

How blessed we are when we embrace the plan God has for us as women. We will be saved from deception, and we will be preserved and protected physically. Science is now catching up with God’s truth and more and more studies reveal that the more babies a mother births and nurses at her breast, the more physical blessing she receives. She is also protected from the epidemic of female cancers.

Thank you, Lord for your protection and care and for the perfect plan you have for your female creation.

Blessings from Nancy Campbell

To check out studies relating to my post below, go to:http://tinyurl.com/PreservedThroughMotherhood

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DON'T STOP BEFORE THE FINISHING LINE

FinishingLineSometimes you feel like fainting and giving up along the way. Zerubbabel felt like that too when he came back from Babylon to rebuild the house of God. The prophet continued to encourage him in Zechariah 4:9: “The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it.”

You have begun building a godly home and godly dynasty. Don’t give up until you finish. God is with you now and will be with you all the way through! His plan is for you to finish your task and He will not forsake you until you have finished--and finished in triumph!

Are you overwhelmed with homeschooling? You’re tempted to send them back to school? That’s the adversary tempting you! Cry out to God for His help and don’t give into the enemy. You are going to finish your task! Do you feel you can't have any more babies? Why stop before the finishing line? God may have one more special baby for you. Finish your race!

I love the Living Bible translation of this passage: “Therefore no mountain, however high, can stand before Zerubbabel! For it will flatten out before him! And Zerubbabel will finish building this Temple with mighty shouts of thanksgiving for God’s mercy, declaring that all was done by grace alone” Zechariah 4:7). You won’t finish your great project in your own strength; it will be all by the grace of God.

Blessings from Nancy Campbell

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WORDS ARE BUILDING TOOLS

BuildingToolsI have always been convicted by Proverbs 10:19: "In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise."

The New Living Translation is even more challenging: "Too much talk leads to sin. Be sensible and keep your mouth shut."

How true it is that the more we open our mouth, the more we tend to say the wrong thing. It pays to watch our words.

After all these years I am still trying to get into the habit of shutting my mouth. This is my plan: if I can't reply with something kind or positive, I shut my mouth and don't say anything at all.

Can you join with me in this habit of shutting your mouth? On the other hand, don't be silent all day. Open your mouth to say kind, positive, loving, and building up words to your husband and children.

Blessings from Nancy

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GOD IS CLOSE TO THE BROKENHEARTED

GodIsCloseDear sweet mother, why do you cry?
Don’t you know that your God is nigh?
He is closer to you than your very breath,
He will never forsake you, not even in death.

He created you for His joy and pleasure
And has chosen you as a special treasure,
He has graven your name on His very own palm,
He’ll come to your aid with His mighty right arm.

He is your Source, He will fill your cup,
When you are down, He will lift you up.
You don’t have to stay sad for He is your Joy,
He’ll help you conquer those things that annoy.

God has given you children, which are your glory
To enrich your life and help write your story.
You’re in God’s perfect will, this is your calling,
He’ll help you each day and keep you from falling.

You can’t do it alone, your strength is weak,
Trust in the Lord and things won’t seem so bleak.
Look to the Lord, not the problems you face,
And you’ll be amazed how He’ll give you His grace.

A joyful mother is what He wants you to be,
Filling your home with gladness and glee.
Counting your blessings and praising the Lord
For His daily mercies and love out-poured.

Love from NANCY CAMPBELL

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GOD HEALS BROKEN LIVES

GodHealsThere are so many hurting people, not only poor people who are struggling, but those who are affluent, and yet their lives are broken and crushed. Their marriages are tearing apart. And again, some of these are in the church, and sometimes even in leadership.

And yet God is waiting to heal. He is the healer of broken lives. When Jesus went into the synagogue at Nazareth, He picked up the scroll and read from Isaiah: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he that anointed me . . . to heal the brokenhearted” (Isaiah 61:1-3 and Luke 4:16-19). The word “brokenhearted” talks about those whose lives are shattered and broken to shivers.

You may be feeling utterly crushed. Your life is broken in little bits and you can’t imagine how to get it back together again. Dear hurting one, God is waiting to heal and restore you. Lay your life before Him and let Him come in with His light, His love, His healing balm, and His restoring anointing. He will do it, little by little, if you let Him. Allow His living Word to heal you. Your circumstances may not change right away, but God will heal your soul.

You cannot cope unless your soul is whole. Let Him come in and flood your life. His love will enable you to forgive, to let go of hurt and bitterness, and to be healed and restored. He only is the “restorer of your soul.”

Blessings from Nancy Campbell

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GOD-ORDAINED DESTINY

GodOrdainedDestinyIsaiah 49:1 is a prophecy concerning Jesus Christ, the Messiah: "Listen, O isles, unto me, and hearken, ye people, from far; The Lord hath called me from the womb, from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name." What a beautiful thing that a Messianic prophecy uses the words WOMB, BOWELS, and MOTHER. God is not ashamed to declare that He called His beloved Son from the WOMB of a MOTHER.

Just as Christ Himself was called and spoken by name from the womb of his mother, so God continues to call sons and daughters from the womb. From the womb they are created and called to a life of fellowship with God and service to Him. Life and destiny begin in the womb.

God has a plan and destiny for each one of your children, including one you may now be carrying inside you. What a privilege to carry God-ordained destiny in your womb. Isn't it sad when some mothers deny a life to come to being for whom God pre-ordained plans and purposes (Ephesians 2:10)?

Blessings from Nancy Campbell
This beautiful painting "Let Live" is by Krystal Dixon

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THE BLESSING OF YOUR WOMB

BlessingWombGenesis 49:25 talks about the "blessings of the breasts, and of the womb." Blessings? Yes, God says they are His blessings to us as women. But they are ultimately His blessings to the whole world for without them mankind would come to a screeching halt!

One of the meanings of womb is "a place where something originates and develops." The womb is the commencement of life, the beginning and continuing of generations, the origin of dynasties to come, and also the filling of eternity. Every precious life that is conceived in the womb is an eternal soul who will live forever. The power of the womb is eternal.

Woman is a compound of two words, womb and man. Every woman is a "womb man." Her womb differentiates her from man. Why, then do many women deny their womb? Close off their womb? Makes sure it cannot function? It is the deception of Satan who hates life.

Not only is the womb a nesting place of life, it is also the source of our emotions and our compassion. It is amazing that the word womb in the Bible is interchangeable between the physical womb of a woman and God's compassion, tender love, and mercy. When we embrace our womb, we not only have the privilege of embracing children, but the honor of revealing God's compassion and love to the world.

Embrace the blessing of your womb. It is very much who you are as a woman. Ask your husband to pray for God's protection over your womb.

Blessings from Nancy Campbell

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OUTDO ONE ANOTHER

OutdoIsn't it the most boring thing in the world to get into a rut? You're stuck. You're going nowhere. This often happens in our marriage relationship. We go from day to day in the same old fashion. We are quite happy with one another and there are no problems. But there's no spice.

Sometimes we have to be stirred out of this rut. We don't even realize we are in it. The great thing is that you don't have to stay in the same old routine. Nothing ever happens without making it happen, but you can start making it happen. Hebrews 10:24 (NIV) says: “SPUR ONE ANOTHER ON toward love and good deeds.” THE LIVING BIBLE says: “LET US OUTDO each other in being helpful and kind to each other.”

I am sure you tell your husband every day that you love him. Even this can be a rut. Think of more exciting ways to remind him that you love him. Don't say it once a day--perhaps ten times a day and in all different ways. Prepare his favorite meals. Do and say loving and kind things to him that you never have before.

OUTDO ONE ANOTHER. If he is especially loving to you, find a way to be even more loving back to him.

Begin this fun stimulating one another to love and good deeds amongst your whole family. Encourage the children to be competitive in showing love and doing nice things to their brothers and sisters.

Can you imagine the change of attitude in your marriage and family life?

Blessings from Nancy Campbell

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GOD MEASURES YOUR LIFE

MeasuresLifeGod measures every inch of your life. Not one tiny thing is overlooked. Even every hair of your head is counted.

God is not haphazard. He is not forgetful. God is perfect in all His ways and He measures everything. He is a measuring God. We read how God "measured" over and over again in Ezekiel chapters 40 - 47. I love reading about our awesome God in Isaiah 40:12: "Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance?"

Dear mother, you can trust every tiny aspect of your life to God. Every little thing that happens in your kitchen or in the lives of you family. God has already got it all measured out. Nothing takes Him by surprise. It's all accounted for.

Forget worrying. You are wasting your time. God has it all in His hands.

Blessings from Nancy Campbell

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WHAT IS MARRIAGE?

WhatIsMarriageOne man and 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—
Highest priority!
Reading God’s Word together—
Paramount for success.

What does it take?
Sacrificial love.
Yielding and submission.
No longer “me” but “you.”
Laying down my life.
Delighting to serve.

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 that is
formidable to the adversary!

~ Nancy Campbell

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THE SOURCE

StrongTowerWhere do you go when you need help and support? Where do you go when you don't understand why you experience hardships and problems? We usually resort to people for help, but the Bible tells us the ultimate source--the SANCTUARY.

Psalm 20:2 (ESV) says: "May he send you help from the SANCTUARY and give you support from Zion." The sanctuary speaks of God's divine presence. In Old Testament days God dwelt in the Holy of Holies in the tabernacle. Today we have direct access into His presence through the blood of Jesus. Let's get into the habit of going directly to Him for our strength and support--spiritually, emotionally, mentally, and physically.

We must do this individually, but we must also do it corporately as a family. We must lead our children to the Sanctuary. We must lead our children to the family altar each morning and evening. This is where they also find God's strength to fight the battles in this life.

Sometimes you feel confused and even in despair at what is happening in your life. You can't understand why you have financial problems and difficulties and yet everything is dinky dory for those who don't walk with the Lord. The psalmist wondered about this too until he went into the SANCTUARY. It's in the sanctuary that we see the eternal picture.

Psalm 73:16, 17 says: "When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me; until I went into the SANCTUARY OF GOD; then understood I their end."

When you go into the Sanctuary you will find your answers for God's way is in the SANCTUARY (Psalm 77:13).

Blessings from Nancy Campbell

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ARE YOU BLESSING YOUR FAMILY TODAY?

BeABlessingWhat is the first thing God did to Adam and Eve after creating them? He blessed them Genesis 1:28). Our God is a blessing God. He loves to bless. And He wants to bless people through you and me. This was the task of the priests in the Old Testament, to "bless in his name" (Deuteronomy 10:8; 21:5; and Numbers 6:23-27). Through Christ's redemption, we are now holy and royal priests (1 Peter 2:5, 7) and we still have the same task. To bless.

Think of a special way you can bless your husband today. Think of ways to bless each one of your children. And if you have any more time after that (hopefully) think of someone else who needs blessing outside your home. Give them a call, write a beautiful card and send it to them, text an encouraging message, or make something special for them.

Make today a blessing day. And every day a blessing day in your home. Look for blessing moments.

Be a blesser.

Blessings to you from Nancy Campbell

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GET UP AGAIN

GetUpAgainDid you fall yesterday? Perhaps you yelled at the children or got angry with your husband. You may have blown it already this morning. You feel terrible. You didn't want to do it.

Dear friend, don't stay in the doldrums of self-pity. God is with you to lift you up again. He knows you are frail. He is a loving Father. In fact, our parenting instincts come from God. What do you do when your little ones are learning to walk? You stretch out your arms and encourage them to walk to you. But they fall. Are you disappointed? No, you pick them up and encourage them again, until eventually they run into your arms.

This is the attitude God has to you. Psalm 37:23, 24 says: "The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delights in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholds him with his hand."

When you fall, He says to you: "Come on, get up again. I am with you. I am helping you. You are not doing this on your own." He waits with open arms for you to walk into His arms, into His strength and His enabling. He woos you to little by little change into the image of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 8:29).

Proverbs 14: 16 says: "The just man falls seven times, and rises up again."

Blessings to you in your home today, Nancy Campbell

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VALIANT FOR TRUTH IN THE DAY OF FALSEHOOD

TeachChildren"He who comes forth fresh form beholding the face of God will never fear the face of man. If we dwell with Him, we shall catch the heroic spirit, and to us a world of enemies will be but as the drop of a bucket. A countless array of men, or even of devils, will seem as little to us as the nations are to God, and He counts them only as grasshoppers. Oh, to be valiant for truth in this day of falsehood."

~ Spurgeon

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TRUTH-SPREADING FAMILIES

MySpiritGod established the family unit before anything else--before church and before government. God wants His Word to go forth into the world for it is only His truth that enables us to live in the full blessing of all the God has planned for us. How should this word go forth? The first way is through families.

How do we do this? Firstly by richly implanting it in the minds, hearts, and mouths of our children.
Secondly, by speaking it forth from our families into the world. In Isaiah 59:21 God tells us that He wants His word to not only be in our hearts, but in our mouths, and in the mouths of our children, and in the mouths of our children's children, and throughout all generations. This can't happen without speaking it out loud. We don't hide God's words to ourselves. God wants families to share His truth with the world--through the way the live as a family and through parents and children speaking God's truths wherever they go.

We are to be truth-spreading families. This is what we are training our children for. Paul wrote to the Thessalonians : "For from you SOUNDED OUT the word of the Lord . . . in every place" (1 Thessalonians 1:8). The NLT says, "The word of the Lord is RINGING OUT from you to people everywhere."

What do you talk about most in your family? Do God's words fill every mouth? Just imagine what could happen in the nation if Bible-believing families became living and speaking truth-spreading families?

Blessings from Nancy Campbell

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CAN YOU DO IT?

ByMYSpiritYes, you can. Not in your own strength but by the power of the Holy Spirit.

How do we raise godly children in the midst of an evil world? The Bible gives us many examples. We think of Moses who was brought up to worship the pagan gods of Egypt. For 40 years he lived in luxury and all the worldliness of Egypt. History tells us that he would have been raised in the royal harem along with other children of royal blood and trained to become one of the high ranking nobles of the land (or maybe even a Pharaoh). And yet the Bible tells that Moses "refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt" (Hebrews 11:24-27).

The early years he spent with his mother (three to five years), as she nursed him from her breast and daily instilled him with the knowledge of the God of Israel influenced his future life. Such is the power of a mother.

I think of Joseph who became next to the Pharaoh of Egypt in power. He married the daughter of the priest of On (one of the most influential and noble families in Egypt) who led the people in worshipping pagan gods. And yet, in the midst of idol worship, wealth, fame, and prosperity, he never forgot his family and his God--the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. His final destiny was not in Egypt, but with the people of God. When dying, Joseph took an oath saying, "God will surely visit you, and ye shall carry up my bones from hence" (Genesis 50:24, 25). He did not want to be left in Egypt but wanted his bones to be buried in the Promised Land with his people.

I think of Noah who in the midst of corruption and violence raised children who refused to succumb to the temptations of evil around them (Genesis 6:9-13 and Hebrews 11:7).

We are raising our precious children and grandchildren in the midst of widespread deception, evil, and corruption where abortion is considered normal and homosexuality is being promoted as a "normal" lifestyle. Judgment is turned backward and justice stands afar off (Isaiah 59:13-15). But as you seek God for the anointing of His Holy Spirit to mother and train your children, to daily fill them with God's Word, and to pray fervently for them, you can also raise righteous young men and women who will not be lured by the deceptions of the father of lies. You can train godly children who will not be tempted by the gods of this world, but will stand true to the God of the Bible.

Blessings from Nancy Campbell

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WHAT'S THE REASON?

WhatsTheReasonTraveling to Washington State this last weekend to speak at the Above Rubies Retreat, I sat by an older couple. We got talking about children and he shared with me that his father was from a family of 13, he was from a family of six, but he only had two children! They were rather astounded when I told them we had over 40 grandchildren.

But why the decline in the number of children? This is typical today. The number of children per family is smaller each generation. What do you think is the reason? I believe that perhaps the greatest reason is that our concept of God has changed. We live life according to how we think of God. Many people love God, but often it is a god of their own imagination, a god who fits into their lifestyle, and who goes along with the current thinking of the day. They do not worship the God of the Bible who is I AM THAT I AM. The God who does not change. The God who reveals Himself through His Word and who does not fit into our human understanding.

God challenges us in Psalm 50;21 "You thought that I was one like yourself. But now I rebuke you and lay the charge before you."

People today seem to think that God is like our societal thinking that limits children because they interfere with our plans. But this is not the God of the Bible. He loves children. He loves life. He created us and plans for us to have children. We see the heart of God in Deuteronomy 7:12-14: "The Lord thy God shall keep unto thee the covenant and the mercy which he sware unto thy fathers: And he will love thee, and bless thee, and multiply thee: he will also bless the fruit of thy womb, and the fruit of thy land . . . Thou shalt be blessed above all people: there shall not be male or female barren among you, or among your cattle."

Don't you think it's time we began to think like God thinks instead of bringing Him down to our level? Colin and I had to change our thinking. Can you believe that in the beginning of our marriage my husband only wanted one child? After our first child, God gave us twins, so he gave up after that! But why did he think like that? He didn't dislike children. He came from a wonderful family of nine children and wasn't put off by a big family. He was conditioned by society and the thinking around him and was therefore deceived. God had to change his thinking and his heart (and mine).

And how does He change our thinking? By His Word of truth. Make sure your God is the God of the Bible, not your own imagination.

Blessings from Nancy Campbell

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I'VE DONE BY SHARE

DoneByShareI nursed a baby 'till he slept,
I held a toddler while he wept,
I played a game of hide and seek,
I squeezed a toy so it would squeak,
I pulled a wagon, sang a song,
Taught a child right from wrong.

What DID I do this whole day through?
Not much that shows, I guess it's true
Unless you think that what I've done
Might be important to someone
With bright blue eyes and soft blond hair.
If that is true, I've done by share.

~ Unknown

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GO TO BED

SerenePearlIn yesterday's post I talked about going to bed instead of staying up late, forgetting your husband, and wasting time on media. Here's another reason to go to bed at a reasonable hour. This is from my daughters, Serene and Pearl of Trim Healthy Mama. It's worth reading!

SLOW DOWN YOUR AGING!
Psalm 127:2 says, “For so he giveth his beloved sleep.”

Our Nana always said, “The sleep hours before midnight are the best.” We heard it all our lives but now science proves this true. If you wait too many hours after the sun goes down to go to bed, you interrupt the natural wake-sleep pattern God designed for our bodies.

Adrenal fatigue is a modern epidemic and the biggest blame can be placed on too many late nights. In a state of adrenal fatigue, your body cannot make sufficient amounts of the hormone cortisol, because your adrenal glands have been overworked. In healthful amounts it helps energy levels, improves digestion, eases joint movement, eases inflammation, stimulates the brain and heart, and even fights certain cancers like lymphomas. But its main function is to enable us to respond to stress and then bounce back to a calm state again once the stressful situation is resolved.

Cortisol responds to light. Levels of this hormone naturally lower at night as the sun goes down and we settle in for rest. If you stay up past midnight too often using artificial light, your cortisol hormone will not turn down. Instead it cranks up and turns from a healing hormone into a catabolic hormone that breaks down the body. It ages the body more quickly and has a track record of redistributing weight to a person’s middle.

Adrenal supplements and herbs may be of some benefit but they can’t hold a candle to the best remedy for this condition. Go to bed!

~ Serene and Pearl (Trim Healthy Mama)

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STILL IN LOVE

StillInLoveDon't you love this picture? I love hanging my clothes on clotheslines, although I am aware that most housing divisions today do not allow clotheslines. Isn't that sad? However, if you are allowed a clothesline, what a great way to tell your neighbors that you and your husband are still in love!

~ Nancy

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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