Above Rubies Daily Encouragement Blogs

A brave mother watched her son being killed. No, not just killed but cruelly tortured. They cut out his tongue, scalped him, cut off his hands and feet, and then maimed and helpless, fried him alive! But, in the same manner they tortured and killed her second and third sons. The third son cried out, "I have received these limbs from heaven, and I give them up for the sake of God's laws." Another cried out, "We are prepared to die rather than sin against our ancestral laws" (2 Maccabees 7:2, 11).

Because they would not bend and turn from God's laws this dear mother watched as Antiochus tortured her fourth, fifth, and sixth sons the same way. The mother had only one son left, her beloved youngest. Antiochus tried to influence the mother to save his life. He promised he would make him rich and prosperous and even a political advisor. She obliged by turning to her youngest son saying, "Son, pity me who carried you in the womb nine months, nursed you for three years, nurtured you, and brought you into this stage of life with care. I beg you, child . . . Don't fear this killer but prove worthy of your brothers. Accept death so that in God's mercy I should recover you with your brothers" (2 Maccabees 7:27-29). She watched her last son die before she was put to death herself.

This mother was a nurturing and caring mother. But, she had a vision for her children beyond this earth. She raised her sons to fear God rather than man. She raised them to stand for truth, no matter what the consequences. She raised them to see beyond this earth to the endless life of the heavenly.

May God help us to be courageous mothers. May He save us from raising wimpy, mediocre children who are seduced by the humanist trend of an ungodly society. May He anoint us with the mighty power of God to raise children who will have the courage to stand for God and for truth, no matter what persecution they face.

(You can read the whole of this amazing story in 2 Maccabees chapter seven).

Blessings from Nancy Campbell

We read in our Light Scriptures last night how Jesus was a GREAT light (Isaiah 9:2 and Matthew 4:12-17). He wasn't a flickering little light. He came to shine a huge light into the darkness of this world. The word in the Greek is "megas." I wonder if this where we get the word, mega?

Jesus still wants to be a GREAT light in this world, but now His plan is to shine through you and me. Are we shining the great light of Jesus through our lives? Or is it such a tiny light that people hardly recognize it? Are we shining His light in our home? Are we a great light as we go out into society?

Let Jesus be BIG in your life today. Allow Him to expose all darkness in your own life. Repent of anything in ;your life that grieves the Holy Spirit. Ask Him to expose all darkness in your home. And then, filled with the LIGHT OF THE WORLD, shine big. When you go out with your children be conscious of SHINING A HUGE LIGHT for the glory of God in this dark world. Never be ashamed.

Be a light shiner and a darkness exposer wherever you go.

Blessings from Nancy Campbell

Why do we call this celebration "Hanukkah"? The reason is that "Hanukkah" is the Hebrew word for "dedication." When Judas Maccabee (the hammer) and his army eventually crushed their enemies, Judas and his brothers said, "Let's go up to cleanse and rededicate the sanctuary" (1 Maccabees 4:36). The temple was desolate, the gates burned, and even shrubs were crowing in the courts like a forest! But they restored the sanctuary, built a new altar with whole unpolished stones (because the altar had been desecrated by Antiochus Epiphanes), brought in the Lampstand, the Altar of Incense, and the Table of Showbread, and offered sacrifices. "So they celebrated the rededication of the altar for eight days" (1 Maccabees 4:56).

How does this affect our lives? God no longer lives in the Holy of Holies in the temple, but in our bodies, which are the temple of His Holy Spirit. In fact, we are not just the temple of the Holy Spirit, but the "naos" which is the Holy of Holies (1 Corinthians 6:19 and 2 Corinthians 6:16). What an indescribable truth!

Our "naos" may not be desolate, but it is very easy for us to allow things to come into our lives which grieve the Holy Spirit and spoil and dirty our temple.

It is a lovely idea to have a rededication of our temples one night during Hanukah. Choose which morning or evening you would like to do this together as a family. Explain to your children about it, and then ask each one of them to confess to the Lord anything in their lives that grieves the Holy Spirit and to rededicate their "body temple" to the Lord. This includes mom and dad too, of course.

When we have all dedicated ourselves individually, then the father can rededicate the whole family to be a living sacrifice to the Lord and to be set apart for His purposes (Romans 12:1-2). I pray that the Spirit of the Lord will come upon you mightily as you experience this dedication service in your home.

Love from Nancy Campbell

Jesus Christ, the Son of God was never reticent to speak the truth, even in the face of death. When he came to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Dedication, he was walking in Solomon's Porch (on the eastern side of the temple) and people gathered around him.

Jesus knew the Jews would be remembering more than the rededication of the temple and the lighting of the Menorah again. They were remembering the great victory over Antiochus Epiphanes, but also how he lifted himself to be god over them. It was Antiochus himself who added "Epiphanes" to his name, which means "God manifest" which was utter blasphemy to the Jews.

In the midst of this thinking Jesus boldly and publically declared, "I and my Father are one" (John 10:30). In other words, He confessed that He was God, which of course, He was! This was too much for the Jews who, remembering Antiochus Epiphanes the evil blasphemer, took up stones to stone him (John 10:22-33).

It was no coincidence that Jesus chose this timing to speak these words. Everything about Hanukkah speaks of standing up for truth even in the face of danger.

May we never cringe to speak the truth, no matter what the consequences. "The righteous are bold as a lion" (Proverbs 28:1).

Love from Nancy Campbell

Did you start reading the wonderful Scriptures last night about God being the source of light? When God told the priests to light the Menorah in the Holy Place, He told them that they had to attend to it every morning and evening so that it would never go out. He said it was to "BURN ALWAYS" (Exodus 27:20). What a challenge to us today.

When Jesus was on earth He stated, "I am the Light of the world." Now that He has returned to glory, He comes to dwell in our hearts to light up the world through us. And He does not want the light to go out.

May God help us to keep His light burning in our hearts continually. May He help us to keep the light of God burning brightly in our homes. May He anoint us by the power of the Holy Spirit to keep the light burning in the hearts of our children.

The more we shine the light of Jesus, the more the darkness and evil of this world is exposed.

Love from Nancy Campbell

This evening is the first day of Hanukkah, or the Feast of Dedication as it is called in the New Testament (John 10:22-23). It is a festival of lighting candles for eight days to remember the dedication of the temple and the relighting of the lampstand which God commanded should never go out (Exodus 27:20-21).

It all happened because of a very brave family. At this time in history Antiochus Epiphanes ruled over Israel and commanded all Jews to renounce their way of life, practice pagan observances, and live like the Greeks. He erected the "abomination of desolation" in the temple. Many Jews assimilated to avoid persecution and being killed. BUT NOT THIS FAMILY!

Mattathias was a godly older man with five brave sons--John, Simon, Judas (known as Maccabeus), Eleazar, and Jonathan. When the officials came to their town of Modein, they tried to get Mattathias to influence the people of his town to turn away from God. Listen to his reply, "Mattathias answered in a LOUD VOICE: What do I care if everyone in the king's entire kingdom turns from their own religion and starts obeying his laws? MY FAMILY AND I WILL ALWAYS KEEP THE PROMISES OUR ANCESTERS MADE TO GOD. WE WILL NEVER GIVE UP OUR FAITH OR DISOBEY EVEN ONE OF GOD'S LAWS. WE WILL NOT OBEY ANTIOCHUS!" (1 Maccabees 2:19-20).

When a cowardly Jew stepped forward to obey the king by offering a sacrifice, Mattathias was so furious that he rushed over, killed the man, destroyed the altar, and killed the official who ordered the sacrifice. He and his sons then ran to the hills leaving everything they owned behind. Thus began the bravery of the Maccabee family who conducted continual battles against the enemy and eventually delivered Israel and Jerusalem and the temple of God.

We don't face being killed for our faith today here in our Western countries, although this is currently happening in many countries of the world. ISIS has beheaded many Christians in Iraq, and not only adults, but children. In fact, only the other day we received the report that ISIS threatened four children: "You say the words that you will follow Mohammed." How did these children (under the ages of 15) answer? "No, we love Yeshua [Jesus], we have always loved Yeshua." They immediately chopped off their heads.

However, we daily face subtle indoctrination to succumb to Satan's plans and give in to humanist, progressive ideology. Will we be those who give in or will we have courage, individually, and as families to stand true to God, even if no one else is standing? The Scripture says, "Let God be true, but every man a liar" (Romans 3:4).

May God give us the strength and anointing to raise families who will have courage and boldness to stand up for truth and never give up their faith.

Blessings from Nancy Campbell

There are two ways believers can get into the eternal kingdom. We will either have an ABUNDANT entrance, or we'll just make it by the skin of our teeth! We feel the tragic loss when someone loses everything they own because of a fire, but we are grateful they come forth alive.

1 Corinthians 3:15 says: "If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire." This is the picture God gives of those who put all their thought, time, and energy into this transient "passing away" world which God says is just like a vapor. They take nothing of it into eternity, although they just get in the door themselves.

1 Peter 1:3-11 tells us about another group of believers who are ushered into eternity with an ABUNDANT entrance. These are the ones who are not content to keep in step with the world. They hate evil and seek after righteousness. They are diligently INCREASING in faith, godliness, virtue, the knowledge of God, self control, patience, kindness, and love.

How do you want to get in? How do you want your children to get in? I know my answer.

It takes effort. We have to get out of the groove of the carnal, in-step-with-the-world, compromising, mediocre, half-hearted, middle-of-the road Christianity. But be encouraged, dear mother. Even though you often feel frustrated and overwhelmed, let me tell you that as you mother your precious children today, you are doing an eternal work. You are building for eternity. Other careers will be left behind, but you are mothering eternal souls that will live forever. As you lead your precious children to Jesus, you will take them into the eternal kingdom with you forever. Mothering hours are never wasted.

Seek with all your heart to make sure that you, and each one of your children, have an abundant entrance where "God will open wide to you the gates of the eternal kingdom."

Blessings from Nancy Campbell

Day 1
God is the Source of Light and gives Light
Genesis 1:3-5
Exodus 27:20-21; 40:24-25; cf. Leviticus 24:1-4; Numbers 8:1-3
Exodus 13:21; Nehemiah 9:12,19
Psalm 36:9
Psalm 104:1-2
Matthew 17:2 (You can read the whole story in Matthew 17:1-8; Mark 9:2-13; and Luke 9:28-36).
1 Timothy 6:16
James 1:17

Day 2
Jesus is the Light of the World
Isaiah 9:2, cf. Matthew 4:12-17
Luke 1:76-79; 2:27-32
John 1:4-9,cf. Job 18:5-6; Proverbs 27:20
John 3:19-21
John 8:12
John 9:5
John 12:44-46
Acts 26:22-23

Day 3
Shine the Light of Jesus to the world
Proverbs 4:18
Isaiah 58:6-8, 10
Isaiah 60:1-2
Matthew 5:14-16
Luke 12:35
John 5:35
Acts 13:47
2 Corinthians 4:4-6
Philippians 2:14-15

Day 4
God's Word is our Light
Ezra 9:8
Psalm 19:7-11
Psalm 119:18, 105, 130
Proverbs 6:20-24
Ephesians 1:17-18
2 Peter 1:1-21

Day 5
Walk in the Light
Psalm 89:15
Isaiah 2:5
Romans 13:12-14
2 Corinthians 4:4-7
1 John 1:6-9
1 John 2:8-11
Ephesians 5:8-20

Day 6
Out of Darkness into Light
2 Samuel 22:29 (Psalm 18:28)
Isaiah 42:16
Isaiah 50:10
Acts 26:17-18
1 Corinthians 4:5
1 Thessalonians 5:5
1 Peter 2:9

Day 7
Living in God is to live in Light
Psalm 4:6
Psalm 27:1
Psalm 37:3-6
Psalm 43:3-4
Psalm 112:4
Micah 7:8

Day 8
God is the Light of Heaven
Isaiah 24:23; 30:26
Isaiah 60:19-20
Revelation 21:22-25
Revelation 22:3-5

May you be blessed. Nancy

The HANUKKAH celebration begins tomorrow evening, Tuesday 16th. We enjoy celebrating Hanukkah each year. Why?

1. It is a celebration that Jesus celebrated (John 10:22-23).

2. Hanukkah in the Hebrew means "dedication." God's temple had been desecrated by Antiochus Epiphanes in 167 BC but the Maccabees family led a revolt against the Seleucid armies and called the nation back to God. After they had driven them out of Judea and Jerusalem, the Maccabees consecrated and rededicated the temple. However, God no longer lives in a temple in Jerusalem, but lives in the temple of our hearts. We like to use Hanukkah as time to rededicate the temple of our lives to God.

3. It is also called the Feast of Dedication (John 10:22) and the Festival of Lights. It celebrates the re-lighting of the Menorah in the temple and how the light kept burning even when they didn't have enough oil. Because this celebration remembers the relighting of the menorah, we read about God who is the light and how He also wants us to be His light in this world. We do this at our Family Devotions each morning and evening. And each night we light a Hanukkah candle.

I will post the Scriptures about the light in a separate post for you to print out for the following week. Read and meditate on them in your personal devotional time. Then choose the ones you would like to use with your family. For each day, you may like to take half the Scriptures at Family Devotions in the morning and the other half in the evening, or whatever works out in your home. If you have older children, it's a lovely idea for each one to have their own Bible and give a Scripture for each one to read aloud--and to share what they feel God is saying through the Scriptures. If you have little ones, you may only want to take one, or one or two Scriptures from the list and talk about it.

And don't forget to ask your children questions as you read the Scriptures. This is how you learn together.

During the eight days of Hanukkah, I will also send out a post each day telling you a little story about Hanukkah that relates to us as mothers, or a revelation from the Scriptures about the meaning of Hanukkah. By the way, you may like to take time to read the history of the Maccabees in the Apocrypha. The books in the Apocrypha were not chosen to be part of the cannon of Scripture but the books of Maccabees, 1, 2, 3, and 4 are great historical reading and tell how the Jewish nation was saved from extinction at that time. I am sure God used these brave men to protect His people and also the coming Messiah. No wonder Jesus celebrated Hanukkah.

Blessings from Nancy

One writer says, "Children are said to be a trouble and expense, and men blasphemously treat the advent of children with humorous resignation, if not with positive chagrin, and feel that society requires that demeanor. What makes children trouble and expense but the indolence, hardheartedness, or extravagance of parents?"

How true it is that many laugh, sometimes derogatively or even cynically, about the blessing of children. They do this, as this quote says, because of the conditioning of society. But way down deep in their heart of hearts they love children, for God has put that love in our hearts. Who can turn away from a baby's smile? It melts the hardest heart.

God loves children. One of my favorite Scriptures in the Bible is found in 2 Samuel 24 where it tells us about the birth of Solomon and then it says, "And the Lord loved him." The Bible records that God loved this little baby, as He loves every baby He creates and brings into this world.

If we are walking in the likeness of God we will also love and embrace children. When we reject children, it is the opposite to God's character.

Blessings from Nancy Campbell

I was reading Psalm 113:9 again, this time in the CEB translation and was arrested by the words: "God NESTS the once barren woman at home--now a joyful mother with children! Praise the Lord!" Before God makes the barren woman a joyful mother, He first nests her in the home. Nesting is part of God's plan for us as women. We are to view our home as our nesting place, the place where we love to be.

The Hebrew word, "yashab" affirms this: it means "to abide, to sit down, dwell, inhabit, settle, continue." Home is not a place to just rest at night, but where we make it our life. And because we make it our nesting place, we are open and ready to embrace children into our nest to nurture and nourish them.

Is this your attitude toward your home? If not, perhaps you have been conditioned by our society and does not understand God's value on the home. Ask God to work in your life, for as this Scripture says, it is God who makes you to nest in your home. It is His working in our lives. It is yielding to His plan.

Love being in your home today. Blessings from Nancy Campbell

I am in awe of God as I read Psalm 113. It begins by proclaiming the greatness of God and that He is HIGH above all the nations of the earth. He is HIGH above all the heavens. Our God who dwells on HIGH has to humble Himself to even look upon the things that are in the heavens, let alone the earth!

But as we read on, the picture changes. It reveals a picture of what this HIGH AND LOFTY God is doing: "He raises up the poor out of the dust, and lifts the needy out of the dunghill . . . He makes the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the Lord."

Do you feel as though you are in the ash heap? Let God lift you up with His tender loving arms. Do you think that you are not doing anything very significant as you mother your children? Dear mother, it's YOU that God is concerned about. His focus is on the poor and needy and the mothers of this world. These are the ones He beholds. These are the ones He watches over.

As a mother, you are in the very heart of God. He wants to be with you in your mothering, every moment and in every situation of the day. He is more interested in you becoming a JOYFUL MOTHER OF CHILDREN than any career you could ever get into.

The wonderful revelation of this truth ends with PRAISE YE THE LORD! Is this your response?

Blessings from Nancy Campbell

We all know the amazing story of how God revealed Himself to Moses way out on the back side of the desert. God who is a consuming fire, and yet never consumed, revealed Himself to Moses in the burning bush that was not consumed and spoke these words: "I AM THAT I AM" (Exodus 3:14). God told Moses to tell the children of Israel that "I AM hath sent me unto you."

But in the very next verse, v.15, God said, "Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, the Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name forever, and this is my memorial unto all generations." How amazing! God first reveals His sovereignty, divinity, and majesty, but then He immediately reveals Himself as the God who relates to us in our humanity.

I am the God of your fathers and this is the name by which you will know Me forever. Although God's glory is higher than the heavens, He comes down to be our personal God. In this same passage, God says to Moses, "I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows; And I AM COME DOWN TO DELIVER THEM."

God also comes down to you dear mother. Although He is the high a lofty God He comes down to you in your home--with all your little children needing you at once. He comes down to you in your kitchen when you are trying to prepare the food, but at the same time the phone is ringing, the baby needs nursing, children can't find their clothing, and your husband is waiting for his kiss goodbye.

Don't panic. Relax. God is with you. He wants to reveal Himself to you in what you are facing right now.

Blessings from Nancy Campbell

We read another Messianic prophecy that speaks of the womb in Isaiah 49:5: "And now, saith the Lord that formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him."

THE WOMB IS A FORMING PLACE
How amazing to think that God formed His only Son in the womb of a woman, the same way that every child comes into the world. What high honor God places upon the womb. He could have brought His Son into the world in any manner of ways, but He chose the womb. He came down to our humanity (Isaiah 44:2, 24).

THE WOMB IS A CALLING PLACE
It is from the womb that God called His son to be His servant and it is from the womb that God calls each child He creates in His image. Every new creation is not conceived and formed for nothingness, but for a purpose and destiny. They are called from the womb to serve--to serve God in the particular way His has planned from the beginning of time. If Jesus Christ Himself was called to serve, rather than being served, how much more should we embrace a life of serving? And also teach our children that they are born to serve.

THE WOMB IS A PROPHETIC PLACE
The angel spoke the prophetic word about Jesus: "And, behold, thou shalt conceive IN THY WOMB, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS" (Luke 1:31). God knows from the womb His plan for each child.

THE WOMB IS A PLACE OF DESTINY
Jeremiah 1:5 says, "Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet to the nations." Here we read of four things about Jeremiah while he was in the womb.

1) He formed him.
2) He knew him (in fact, even before He formed him). How can someone abort a life whom God KNOWS and is forming and fashioning in the womb?
3 He sanctified him (the word is "qadash" and means "to be set apart as a holy vessel, purified, dedicated, consecrated." God sets us apart in the womb for the purpose of living a holy life. He creates us for holiness and to be created more and more into His image, not for uncleanness and sin.
4) He appointed his destiny as a prophet to the nations. God appoints the destiny of each child in the womb (although sadly, many may not walk in that destiny). Psalm 139:16 (HCSB) says, "Your eyes saw me when I was formless; all my days were written in Your book and PLANNED before a single one of them began."

The womb is such an amazing and powerful place--a God-filled, God-working, God-fashioning, God-calling, AND God-ordaining.

Embrace your womb. Give thanks to God for your womb. Protect your womb.

Blessings from Nancy Campbell

P.S. This amazing picture is of an eight month old baby in the womb.

Isaiah 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 in a Messianic prophecy the words WOMB, BOWELS and MOTHER are stated. 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. The womb is where life and destiny begin.

God told Jeremiah: "Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations" (Jeremiah 1:5).

God has a plan and destiny for each one of your children, including the one you may now be carrying in your womb. 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 had pre-ordained plans and purposes (Ephesians 2:10)?

Blessings from Nancy Campbell

P.S. This picture is painted by Sarah Brown.

Increase and growth is a normal part of our lives. To be stagnate is slow death. Although we would like to keep our babies at their cute baby stage forever, we'd certainly grieve if they didn't continually grow and develop physically and mentally. God wants us, His children, to always be growing too. Colossians 1:10 says, "That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and INCREASING IN THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD."

We are usually increasing in some way, usually in what we are interested in most. But are we daily increasing in the knowledge of God? That's a good challenge, isn't it? What about our children? We are proud to see them grow and develop, but in what way are they are increasing? Sometimes we increase more and more activities into our lives and our children's lives. We are on the go from morning to night. But at the end of the day, have we increased in any way in the knowledge of God? How much has God entered into our lives? How much of His truth and revelation?

Are our children growing in stature, and yet starved in their spirits? I look at some of my teenage grandsons and they literally grow taller over night! How wonderful if we could see our children growing taller in the ways of God so quickly, too.

This doesn't just happen. As mothers, we have to make it happen. We must be faithful to set aside time each day, morning and evening if possible, to impart God's Word to them. There is no other way to increase in the knowledge of God.

Here is a good idea for you which I found a great blessing. When you are reading God's Word, look out for Scriptures which reveal the character of God--His faithfulness, longsuffering, love, mercy, justice and judgment, vengeance, holiness, goodness, wisdom, and so on. We often stay stuck on God's love and do not understand the full character of God. Make headings of these attributes and write the appropriate Scriptures under these Attributes as you read them. You will eventually have your own personal concordance of the character of God.

You can meditate on these Scriptures personally, but you can also take an attribute of God, one by one, and read the particular Scriptures at your Family Devotions and discuss them together. There is no greater or more important subject to teach your children than the character of God.

Can I give you a challenge today? Instead of growing busier in family activities, could you seek to grow more as a family in the knowledge of God?

Love from Nancy Campbell

Colossians 1:13 tells us that we have been delivered from the domain of darkness and translated into God's kingdom. This is the testimony of Satan's kingdom; it is a kingdom of darkness and he subtly tries to encroach us again with his darkness.

As individuals, and families, we must be constantly aware of the kingdom we now belong to -- A KINGDOM OF LIGHT. We must keep in prayer and in God's Word, which gives light and exposes the darkness. We must daily gather our children around us to pray together and richly fill them with God's Word so they are not overtaken with darkness -- the subtle temptations of the enemy of doubt, unbelief, blindness to the truth and toward sin, rebellion, and the pull of the spirit of this world which seems to be overtaking the church today.

Dear mothers, guard your home against the darkness. Safeguard your children's hearts and minds. Daily open up your home to the light. Ephesians 5:8 (ESV) says, "At one time you were darkness, but NOW YOU ARE LIGHT IN THE LORD. Walk as children of light."

The words of Jesus are very clear in John 8:12: "I am the light of the world: he that followeth me SHALL NOT WALK IN DARKNESS, but shall have the light of life."

In the power of the name of Jesus, take authority over any darkness in your home today. Ask God to come in and fill every heart and every room and every nook and cranny with His glorious light.

Love from Nancy Campbell

Are you going through a trial? Are you wondering why you have to endure this affliction? Why me? Sometimes we think that we should enjoy picture-perfect lives. But life is not perfect, is it?

As Paul was writing to the Thessalonians and encouraging them in the afflictions they were facing he says, "For you yourselves know that WE ARE DESTINED for this" (1 Thessalonians 3:3 ESV). This is most probably not the Scripture you were hoping for today, but we may as well face the facts. When Paul was encouraging the new believers in Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch he exhorted them "to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God" (Acts 14:22). It is our appointed lot.

But, it is through our trials that our faith is refined and comes forth like gold (Job 23:10 and 1 Peter 1:7). .

It's not something strange that is happening to us, but something God is working out in our lives for His glory (Romans 8:17; 2 Timothy 2:12; 1 Peter 4:12-14; and 5:10).

Although we cannot understand it as we go through it, God is working it out for our good (Genesis 45:7, 8; 50:20; and Romans 8:28).

And it's not forever. Trials are only for a season (2 Corinthians 4:17; 1 Peter 1:6; and 5:10).

Be encouraged today, dear friend. Instead of complaining about your difficulties, praise God that He is carrying you through (Isaiah 43:2). Instead of wondering why you have to go through this trial, put your trust in God. He is in control of your life and is working it out for His glory.

Love from Nancy Campbell

A reader posted a question from my post, A MOTHER'S CREED, which you can read below. She asked, "If motherhood is the highest calling of women, what about women who are single or barren?" This is a very valid question.

When we give birth to a baby and gradually add to our family we are propelled into the realm of motherhood. However, this is not the beginning of motherhood. Every female is ordained at birth to be a mother. Little girls love mothering from the earliest age. Did you know that a baby girl has two million eggs in her ovaries when she is born?

Every woman is created to be a mother, whether she has many children, is barren, or single. God put within every female an innate desire and anointing to nurture. Even those who spurn motherhood, because of the brainwashing of our humanist society, still can't get away from it. If they don't want to nurture babies, they will nurture a pet. They have to have something on which to pour out their God-given mothering instinct.

Some of the greatest mothers who have lived were not married women and never gave birth to children. Of course, we immediately think of Mother Theresa, who although a single woman, poured out her life in sacrificial love to the poor and the needy. In doing so, she was a great mother and a totally fulfilled woman. A single woman, or a woman who is not able to conceive is still a mother. There is a drought of mothering in our needy and hurting society today. Mothers are the greatest need in society, whether married or single. There are hurting children, disturbed young people, and lonely and needy elderly who are all desperate for the loving touch of an anointed and nurturing woman, whether married or single.

Single women should ask God in what direction He wants them to pour out His loving nurture He has innately put within them. God will lead them to many broken and messed up lives. Often the barren woman ends up with more children than the married. Isaiah 54:1 says, "Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the Lord."

The most important thing is for each one of us, married and single, to generously embrace the lifestyle of mothering God intends for us. Mothers with children, embrace your wonderful high calling of motherhood. Don't hanker for another lifestyle; you are in the perfect will of God. Single women also, embrace the mothering anointing that God has given you and open your heart to mother all whom God brings into your life. There are so many waiting for you.

Love from Nancy Campbell

I am not languishing. I am not deceived. I have a vision. I know who I am and who God created me to be. I know my purpose. I am walking in the perfect will of God. I know it’s not easy, but I’ve counted the cost. My goal is set. How could my career be easy when I am influencing a nation for God, generations to come--and eternity?

How can it be easy when I am destroying the plans of the devil? Such is the power of my God-mandated career, the highest calling ever given to women—motherhood. I have embraced my calling. I am not intimidated by my antagonists. I will not be moved. My heart is fixed.

I may be hidden in my home, but look out world! I am sharpening my arrows. I am getting them ready to shoot forth and destroy the adversary. In the power and anointing of God, I am advancing God’s Kingdom.

Blessings from Nancy Campbell