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.

DO PEOPLE KNOW WHO YOU ARE?

LordIsNearHow did people know who were Christians in the early church? They were known as the people who called upon the name of the Lord.

In 1 Corinthians 1:2 Paul addressed the believers as those who “call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord." When writing to Timothy he spoke his message to him and “them that call on the Lord” (2 Timothy 2:22).

Before Paul was converted, his whole passion was to bind for prison and destroy all those who called on the name of the Lord (Acts 9:14, 21). He knew which ones he wanted to throw in prison because they called on God’s name.

Is your family known as a family who call upon the name of the Lord? Would your neighbors consider you people who call upon the Lord? Do your friends think of you as a family who daily calls upon the Lord?

This is how we are meant to be known. Or perhaps we can’t be identified as people of the Lord after all. Jeremiah 10:25 always challenges me every time I read it: “Pour out thy fury upon the heathen that know thee not, and upon the families that call not on thy name.” This Scripture reveals that the families who do not call upon the name of the Lord may as well be heathen families.

This reminds me of a powerful quote from James Russell Miller: “Christ must be our guest if our home is to be a fit place either for our children or for ourselves. If there is no sincere prayer in it, it is not a true home at all. It is only a heathen lodging-place!” It’s just as well this quote is not mine, or you might want to stone me! But if we are honest, we must admit it is true. How can we be known as God’s people if we don’t bother to call upon His name?

The early patriarchs all made altars as a place to call upon the name of the Lord. Check out Abram (Genesis 12:7, 8; 13:4, 18; and 21:33); Isaac (Genesis 26:25); and Jacob (Genesis 35:1-7).

Seek to make a time and place every morning and evening to gather your family together to call on God’s name. There is an unprecedented stirring of anger, hatred, and rebellion in this nation. It’s time for God’s people to pray--to really cry out to God. We are not fighting flesh and blood, but principalities and powers.

Will God’s people rise to be who they are meant to be? Will families arise to be “calling upon the Lord families”?

Will you be one of those families?

Blessings from Nancy Campbell

FURTHER EXHORTATIONS AND TESTIMONIES TO CALL UPON THE LORD
Genesis 4:26; Judges 16:28; 1 Samuel 12:17,18; 2 Samuel 22:4, 7; 1 Kings 18:24; 1 Chronicles 16:8; 2 Chronicles 7:14;
Psalm 4:1; 14:1 (53:4); 17:6; 18:3, 6; 27:7, 8; 28:1, 2; 31:17; 50:15; 55:16; 79:6; 80:18; 86:3-7; 88:9; 91:15, 16; 99:6; 105:1; 116:2-4, 13, 17; 118:5; 120:1; 145:18;
Isaiah 12:4; 43:22; 55:6; 58:8; 64:7; 65:24; Jeremiah 29:12; 33:3; Lamentations 3:55; Joel 3:32; Jonah 2:2; Zephaniah 3:9; Zechariah 13:9; Acts 2:21; 22:16; and Romans 10:13.

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CAREERS WILL DIE...

CareersWillDieYou are not only mothering for today. You are building a godly dynasty that will impact generations to come and eternity. You have the most influential career in the nation! Be encouraged. #powerofmotherhood #mothering #influenceofmotherhood #buildinganation #buildinggodlygenerations #aboverubies

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MOTHERS ARE...

MothersAreWe influence our children by our example more than any other way.#mothering #powerofmotherhood #influenceofmotherhood #aboverubies

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SEVEN NECESSARY QUESTIONS

7QuestionsAs I honestly seek to answer these questions, would you like to also?

Am I Nourishing my husband with love?
Am I Nurturing him and ministering to his needs—physically, emotionally, and spiritually?
Am I being Nice to him, or just plain grouchy?
Am I Noticing him and giving him time in my busy schedule?
Am I Nesting the home to provide him a place of solace?
Am I Nobly revealing a picture of Christ and His church through my marriage?
Am I Never giving up in my commitment to my marriage?

Love from Nancy Campbell

Painting by Puuung

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IT’S YOUR LIFE

ItsYourLife"I wish I had a life!" I sometimes hear mothers making this statement.

Dear mothers, you HAVE A LIFE! An amazing life! The most important career in the nation! You are training godly children to impact this nation for God. You couldn't spend your life in a more important vocation!

Deuteronomy 32:46-47 says: "Command your children to observe to do, all the words of this law. For it is not a vain thing for you; because IT IS YOUR LIFE." Did you get that? It’s your life. Stop thinking about another life you could have. This is the life God has given to you right now. Embrace it. Rejoice in it.

Your greatest vocation in life is to diligently mother and teach your children in the ways and commandments of the Lord. It's a full-time career! And not one minute with your children will be wasted. It is not a vain thing. It has eternal value. Every day you are not only preparing children to impact this world, but you are molding them for eternity.

Have a GREAT LIFE today with your children. It’s your attitude that will determine the outcome!

Be blessed,

Nancy Campbell

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GOD DOESN’T LEAVE US IN THE DARK

InTheDarkWe talked yesterday how God sees the mothering and home managing works we do in our home as GOOD THINGS. But He also tells us how to do them. God doesn’t leave us in the dark about anything!

How do you think we should do them? Grudgingly? Reluctantly? Complainingly? No, the word is DILIGENTLY! 1 Timothy 5:10 says we are to “DILIGENTLY FOLLOW” all these good works. No room for slovenliness! No room for half-heartedness! No room for sloppiness!

Ephesians 6:6,7 tells us even more specifically: “Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God FROM THE HEART; With good will doing service, AS TO THE LORD, and not to men.” God, the King of the universe is our Employer.

Remember who you are working for, dear mother. You are doing an eternal work and will receive an eternal reward.

That sets the tone for our attitude, doesn’t it?

Blessings from Nancy Campbell

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IT NEVER OCCURED TO ME...

NeverOccuredThis quote is both true and false. We do not train our children to think they can do whatever they want to do, because many choices can be selfish or unbiblical choice that would ruin their lives. However, we encourage them to dream and think outside the box and that God can enable them by the power and leading of His Spirit to do things that no one has ever done before. Things that will bless others and advance the kingdom of God in earth. #mothering #influenceofmotherhood #powerofmotherhood #discernment #aboverubies

 
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A DAY OF GOOD THINGS

DayGoodThingsWhat are the older women to teach the younger women? Titus 2:3 says that they are to "be teachers of GOOD THINGS.”

What are these GOOD THINGS? To love your husband, love your children, to be keepers at home, etc. (Titus 2:3-5). As you seek to manage your home efficiently, and nurture and train your children today, you are doing a GOOD THING! Not a boring thing. Not an insignificant thing. Not a frustrating thing. You are doing a GOOD THING!

Sometimes we go about . . .! Sometimes aimlessly. Sometimes fretfully. Instead, let’s go about doing GOOD THINGS. The Bible tells us how “Jesus went about . . .” How did He go about?

Matthew 9:35: “Jesus went about . . . teaching . . . and preaching the gospel of the kingdom and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.” This is a huge part of your mothering career—teaching your children, proclaiming the gospel of God’s kingdom into their lives, and healing—healing sore toes and scraped knees (and sometimes bigger things) and their emotions and souls and spirits. It’s a full-time job.

Acts 10:38: “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power who went about DOING GOOD, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.”

We also need the power of the Holy Spirit with us as we mother. We need God with us. As you begin each new mothering day, ask the Holy Spirit to fill you anew with His anointing power. Ask God to be with you and fill your home with His presence.

Enjoy a wonderful day of doing good things.

Love from Nancy Campbell

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RIGHT THINKING

RightthinkingWhat are you teaching your children? It's easy to get into the mode of packing information into your children's brains, the more the better! But "information" is not education. "Right thinking" is education. Unless your children know how to think correctly, information won't do them a lot of good.

Right thinking comes from God's Word—even though it is often contrary to how society thinks and usually the opposite of what is taught in the public education system.

I read this morning in Psalm 119:160 (TPT): “The sum total of all your words adds up to absolute truth, and every one of your righteous decrees is everlasting.” For ourselves and for our children, God‘s Word should be the blueprint and the plumbline for everything we believe. God’s Word always has the final say.

If Jesus said, I believe it,
His Word cannot lie.
If it’s written in the Bible,
I’ll believe it ‘till I die.
Though the mountains be removed,
And cast in to the sea,
God’s Word will last forever,
Throughout eternity.

Isaiah 55:8-9 says: "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts."

To truly educate your children, you must give them the right foundation, which is GOD-THINKING!

Northrup Frye said, "The Bible . . . should be taught so early and so thoroughly that it sinks straight to the bottom of the mind, where everything that comes along later can settle on it." How early is early? From the womb. As a nursing baby. As a child. Throughout life.

Make sure your children have the right foundation. And lay the foundation strongly.

Love from Nancy Campbell

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MY MISSION

MyMissionMost Christian organizations have a Mission Statement. Yes, we do have one for Above Rubies and I am happy to send it to you if you are interested.

However, I believe that our family unit is even more important than any organization. Therefore, I think it’s a good idea to have a Mission Statement for motherhood too, don’t you think? Perhaps you may have sat with your husband and written a Mission Statement for how you want to build your family. That’s great.

If you haven’t, here is a simple acrostic about mothering that you could use for your Mission Statement. Pit it up in your kitchen to remind you.

M Mothering with passion!
I Inviting God into every situation I face today!
S Serving with joy, even in the routine and mundane!
S Saturating my husband and children with love and
encouragement!
I Intercepting the devil's attacks with prayer and praise!
O Overflowing with joy and thankfulness!
N Nurturing my children with God's anointing!

“Thank you, Lord, for the privilege of being part of the greatest mission on earth. Amen.”

Love to you today,

Nancy Campbell


Painting: The Family Album by Charles Edouard Frere

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WHENCE CAME THIS CHILD?

WenceCameBefore the world began she was in God’s mind,
A God who loves to create and is very kind,
He’s the author of life and destiny
And He already knows what He wants her to be.

What an amazing miracle–the birth of a child!
We stand in awe--and God has a smile!
He’s created a life that’s never lived before,
A life that is special, unique, with gifts galore,

She’s a gift to her parents and a gift to the world
As we wait for her destiny to be unfurled.
She’s a budding life that will come to full bloom,
And of course, her parents are “over the moon.”

But the greatest wonder of all we see
Is to know she was born for eternity!
She’s not just a life, but an eternal soul,
Born to embrace a heavenly goal.

Oh, the wonder and joy we have as a wife
To bring into this world an eternal life.
Praise God for this privilege, and for this babe
Whom He has lovingly and intricately made.

~ Nancy Campbell

If your little one is a boy, replace “he” for “she.”

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RESTFULLY BUSY

RESTFULLYBUSYDid you know that God has a resting place for you? Our 21st century lives are so frantically busy that often we live in a state of turmoil instead of a state of rest. God says in Jeremiah 50:6: “My people . . . have forgotten their resting place.”

Your Savior, Jesus Christ, wants you to live and abide in Him, which is a place of rest because He lives in rest. Nothing takes Him by surprise. Nothing gets Him upset. He doesn’t get into a stew and worry Himself sick. He is in control of all things and every detail of your life. And He dwells in you by the power of His Holy Spirit.

In the midst of the whirlwind of life all around you, your soul can live in rest. They hymn says,

There is a place of quiet rest,
Near to the heart of God,
A place where sin cannot molest,
Near to the heart of God.

He calls your home a resting place. Proverbs 24:15 says: “Lay not wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous; spoil not his resting place.” God doesn’t want anything or anyone to spoil your resting place, your home. Guard against it happening.

I read about a man of God who used to sign his letters, “Restfully busy.”

Facing all we have to accomplish today, do you think we could live a restfully busy life instead of a frantically busy life?

Be blessed,

Nancy Campbell

Painting: “Mother and baby” by Gertrude Käsebier, 1900

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WHAT'S YOUR VIEW OF MARRIAGE

ViewOfMarriage"There never has been a generation whose view of marriage is high enough."
~ John Piper

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THE TRUE ESSENCE OF MOTHERHOOD...

TrueEssenceAs women we have the privilege of showing to the world what God’s maternal heart is like. By the way we embrace our mothering anointing we reveal or dampen the image of God. Dear mother, you are the manifestation of God’s motherly heart in this world. #mothering #powerofmotherhood #influenceofmotherhood #aboverubies

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YOUR REWARD IS COMING

RewardComingDo you feel as though you are overworked and underpaid? Sometimes you can feel like this as a mother. But don’t despair, you will receive your pay.

But let’s talk about one thing at a time. Firstly, the work! Yes, mothering is work. Hard work. Sleepless nights. Never letting up. Always available. It’s real labor. The word the Bible uses for labor in the New Testament is “kopos” and it means “toil which reduces the strength, labor, trouble, weariness.” Do you relate? I know you sometimes feel so weary at the end of the day. Praise God, He gives His beloved sleep. He gives us the night to be refreshed.

Can I encourage you not to complain about work? Work is good for the body and good for the soul. We accomplish things when we work. We become creative when we work. We think of new ways of doing things. We get new ideas.

Get a good attitude about work. Confess, “I love work.” When you work with a positive attitude or sing while you work, you are healed and uplifted. If you do it with a despondent and complaining attitude, you’ll feel week. Everything hinges on our attitude. And your children will learn the right attitude to work. One of the important things we do as mother is teach our children the value of work. How to work hard. How to work efficiently. How to love work.

It saddens my heart to see the lazy attitude in many young people today. They don’t know how to get “stuck in.” When they work, they do a shoddy job. They only do what they must. They don’t go the second mile. They don’t do the extra. We must prepare our children to face the real world. We teach them to arrive at their work before the allotted time and never leave on the dot of 5.00 pm! Always give that extra!

You see, we show our love by our work. 1 Thessalonians 1:3 calls it a “labor of love.” And God never forgets our “labor of love” (Hebrews 6:10).

The most important thing to remember is that each one of us will be rewarded according to our labor. God notices our labor.

1 Corinthians 3:8: “Every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labor.”

As you toil and labor with the joy of the Lord in your heart, not one tiny bit of your labor will be wasted. God is watching it all. 1 Corinthians 15:58 encourages us to be “ALWAYS ABOUNDING in the work of the Lord (which is our mothering mandate God has given to us), forasmuch as ye know that your labor IS NOT IN VAIN in the Lord.” The NLT says: “for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.” You are not useless, dear mother.

You are not receiving a weekly paycheck for your powerful work in the home. That would be just too shameful. You are not working for wages as a hired laborer. You are doing something far greater. You are working for an eternal reward. Far greater than monetary value. And it’s going to be big. You better believe it.

If you are still feeling sorry for yourself, read how Paul worked for the Lord. In 2 Corinthians 112: 23-28 he mentions 30 different areas he suffered and labored for the Lord including “weariness and painfulness.” And he gloried in them all.

Be encouraged. Much love from Nancy Campbell

Painting: “Spring Wash Day” by Trisha Romance.

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PRAISING GOD TOGETHER

PaintingI love this picture Evangeline painted for her wall of her and Howard and their ten children. They were at the ocean, all praising God together. The children now now range from 25 - 8 years. They had longed for more, but no more came. Although at nearly 53 years she still keeps believing! And chides me if I don’t keep believing with her! Fertility is a very special gift from God. We should always be open to God for His gifts in the time of our visitation. We never know how long it will last. #be fruitfulandmultiply #fertility #fertilityisprecious #visitation #godsblessing #aboverubies

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THE NEW PODCAST

NancyGirlsHave you got on to the new podcast yet? At last I am doing a podcast for you. It’s called FROM OUR HOME TO YOURS. Each week I share with you treasures from God’s Word that will encourage you in your high calling of being a wife and mother. From time to time I will introduce you to members of our family and other special guests.

Today, my webmaster posted the THIRD episode which I know you will enjoy:

DO YOU WANT TO HEAR SOME GREAT STORIES? WELCOME TO OUR LADIES LUNCHEON!
https://www.buzzsprout.com/…/727994-episode-3-welcome-to-ou…

Recently I enjoyed a lovely Ladies Luncheon with my daughters, daughters-in-law, sister, and sister-in-law. At our table, we always discuss and share stories. You’ll listen to an amazing story today. It’s something I don’t think would happen in hospitals today.

You can also catch up on the last two episodes and enjoy all future episodes. They are sent out each Tuesday morning at 6.00 am CST.

The following places are where you can pick up the podcast, so far.
Above Rubies website:
www.aboverubies.org

uzzsprout:
http://ARPoddy.buzzsprout.com

iTunes:
https://itunes.apple.com/…/from-our-home-to-yo…/id1397648388

Googleplay:
https://play.google.com/music/listen

Advanced users looking for your RSS feed . . . your quest is over:
https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/183665.rss

Be encouraged by the practical advice and rich revelation from God’s Word about your great role as wife, mother, homemaker, and nation changer.

Love from Nancy Campbell

PICTURE: With my daughters, Pearl and Serene. This is not at the Luncheon I am talking about in the Podcast. We were too busy talking and listening, laughing and crying to take pictures that day. Here we are making a luncheon for a THM YouTube. I am sure you know that Pearl and Serene of TRIM HEALTHY MAMA are my daughters. How blessed I am. I am sure you already listen to their Poddy.

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NO LONGER ME

NoLongerMeThe message of the cross is not a popular message, is it? When we are faced with the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the Son of God on the cross, it challenges us to give up our own lives. The great missionary, C. T. Studd wrote: “If Jesus Christ be God and died for me, then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for Him.”

To speak or write about the cross doesn’t grab people’s attention. It was conspicuous how few people looked at Friday’s post about the cross, “What is the Predominant Theme in Your Home?” And yet without the truth of the cross and learning to lay down our lives, we will not learn how to truly live.

On Saturday we hosted a lovely wedding at our home. Colin married the young couple and spoke about the power of the cross working in our marriages. It is the message of the cross that teaches us how to build a marriage that lasts.

I often think that if we only had one Scripture in the whole of the Bible to teach us how to live as married couples, we would find blessing and success from Philippians 2:5-8 (NASB): “Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death.”

What an attitude! And we are to have the same attitude. Not hanging on to our own rights but laying them down for others.

2 Corinthians 5:15 always challenges me: “And he (Jesus Christ) died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.” Jesus showed us the way in laying down His life for us. We no longer live to ourselves, but to Him. And we show that we live to Him when we lay down our life to live for others. This works out in the one who is closest to us--our husband.

We have the answer. Now, it’s just putting it into practice, not in our own strength, but through the power of the Holy Spirit who dwells in us.

Blessings to you today,

Nancy Campbell

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WHERE DO WE FIND OUR STRENGTH?

WhereFindStrengthVicki Goldby, an Above Rubies mother in England posted this in response to my post below, WHAT’S THE PREDOMINANT THEME IN YOUR HOME? I have met Vicki and her lovely family on many occasions when ministering in England. I can’t count how many Above Rubies retreats she has attended. I loved what she wrote and want to share it with you here:

“It’s at the cross that we find the strength for each new day. As we mother our children we struggle because of our sinful nature and that of our children. But the cross changes everything. It impacts every aspect of our lives and eternity.

It’s not us that finds the patience to endlessly cook, clean, and care, but Christ in us. It’s not us that finds the strength to get up after another broken night, but Christ in us. It is not us that finds the joy in every moment, but Christ in us.

When I struggle, when I fail, I look to the cross and know that I am not alone. My burdens are carried in the body of Christ and, because of His death and resurrection, He has given us His Holy Spirit to enable us to do all that He has called us to. Whatever place we are in on our mothering journey we can call on the One who saves and He will be faithful to show us the way.

When we model this for our children and they see Christ in us, they will be more likely to desire Him. When they see us broken, but seeking Christ, this will be their “go to” response in adult life. The message of the cross is lived out in the daily lives of Christians, who despite the difficulties of their circumstances, desire Christ beyond everything, and here we find our strength.”

Thanks, Vicki. Did you get her underlying message? THE CROSS CHANGES EVERYTHING!

~ Nancy

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GOD LOVES FRUITFULNESS

FertilityGod loves fruitfulness. His first words to mankind were “Be fruitful.” Sadly. We don’t live in a perfect world and there are those who cannot at this time conceive (never give up hope). Our God is a God of miracles. The important thing is to have the right heart and attitude and always be open to fruitfulness. Intended sterility is the opposite of God’s way. #befruitful #godlovesfruitfulness #godsfirstcommand #godlovesbabies #aboverubies

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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