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.

THE MISSING INGREDIENT: ZEAL

ZealIt's difficult to accomplish anything very powerful when you are apathetic about it, isn't it? Many things can only be accomplished by the "zeal of the Lord." Isaiah 9:7 tells us that "Of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end." How is this going to be accomplished? The rest of the Scripture says: "The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this." It is the passion and zeal of God that will perform this wonderful promise.

When Jesus beheld what was happening in the temple which was called "The House of Prayer" He didn't stand by indifferently. He rose up in righteous indignation and drove the sheep, oxen, and money changers from the temple, kicking over all their tables. When the disciples saw it, they remembered the Scripture: "The zeal of Thine house hath eaten me up" (John 2:17 and Psalm 69:9).

Isaiah 59:17 gives a picture of God preparing to take action: “For he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and an helmet of salvation upon his head; and he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloke.” He wrapped His coat of zeal around Him.

I believe we also need the zeal of the Lord as we tackle the greatest career in the nation, that of mothering and training the next generation who will detriment the course of the nation. WE CAN'T DO IT HAPHAZARDLY. WE CAN'T DO IT APATHETICALLY. WE CAN'T DO IT HALF-HEARTEDLY. WE CAN'T DO IT PART TIME!

We must rise up in the zeal of the Lord, knowing the power and destiny of our calling and the urgency of this hour. It should consume us. Titus 2:14 exhorts us to be "zealous of good works" and the greatest work you are doing is raising your family. Do it with zeal.

May you have a wonderful day,

Nancy Campbell


Picture: Dianne Dengel photo: “Bathtime for Children.”

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FILL MY HOME...

FillMyHome

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COME TO THE TABLE

ComeTableFrom Psalm 128

“Come to the table, supper’s ready to eat!”
All the children come running to find their seat,
At the head of the table father takes his place
And with all gathered round he says the grace.

He’s made an effort to be home from work,
From his place at the table he will not shirk,
He affirms his commitment to his family and wife
And his presence at the table eliminates strife.

Mother has taken time to prepare a nice meal,
Full of nutrition, not a pre-packaged deal,
She delights to cook for her growing brood,
Knowing it’s a sacred task to prepare their food.

The table’s inviting – a clean tablecloth too,
The plates nicely set, perhaps a candle or two.
The children all help and do their part
To make the table look great and very smart.

What joy to be together at the end of the day,
To laugh, communicate, and each have a say,
To share the day’s happenings with one another
And tell what they’ve learned to father and mother.

The plates are now empty, they’re full to the top!
Is it time to leave the table? No! Stop, stop!
We’ve fed only the body and the soul so far,
The best part’s to come, and it’s not out of a jar.

It’s time for devotions; we must feed the spirit,
Of the blessing from this, there is no limit.
Father opens the Bible and to his family he reads
Sowing into their hearts God’s eternal seeds.

Now it’s time to pray, each one takes a turn,
They pray for needs as God’s will they discern,
They give thanks for blessings with a grateful heart
And develop a spirit of gratitude right from the start.

God’s blessing is on this family we know
As around the table their “olive plants” grow,
God’s smile is upon them as they follow His way
And establish this principle for now and always.

Nancy Campbell
www.aboverubies.org

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KEEP THEM ON THEIR TOES

KeepOnToesTen of our grandchildren sat around our supper table the other evening. And as usual, we end our meal with family devotions—reading God’s Word and praying together. It was such an exciting time. Family Devotions do not need to be boring.

My husband loves to ask questions as he reads the Bible. It helps to keep them on their toes. Interested. Interactive. If he only reads, the children can soon get into dreamland! Even I can get into dreamland.

And the great thing is that children love to answer questions. The biggest problem is getting them to put up their hand rather than them all calling out at once as they are so eager to be involved.

I’ll give you a little sample as he read from THE DAILY LIGHT ON THE DAILY PATH which we use each day. We love this book as it is only the pure Word of God with Scriptures put together on a certain theme. My husband read about 10 Scriptures, but this is just a few of the questions:

“Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD; though your sins be as . . .” “What’s the word?” “Scarlet” one of them remembered. “They shall be as . . .” “White as snow” answered another. “Though they be red like . . .” “Crimson” yelled another. Oops! They were meant to put up their hand! “They shall be as . . . “ Something starting with ‘w.’” Yes, one of them got it – “Wool.” (Isaiah 1:18).

The children love to fill in the blanks. And they remember the words far more than if you only read the words to them. And if your children know the words you know they are getting the Word into their hearts. If they don’t know the words, they need a lot more FILLING of the Word.

“I, even I, am he that . . . out thy transgressions.” “What does God do with our sins when we repent of them? It’s starts with B.” Yes, one of the older ones knew it. “Blotted.” (Isaiah 43:25). You could then ask the children what happens when God blots out our sins.

“Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the . . . (three words).” Yes, one of the older ones knew it. “Washing of regeneration.” And something else. “and . . .” “Another three words. It starts with ‘r.’” Yes, they were doing so well. One of them got it: “renewing of the Holy Ghost.” (Titus 3:5, 6).

“Bless the LORD, O my soul, who . . .” “What comes next?” It begins with “f.” Yes, Isaiah got it: “Forgiveth all thine iniquities.” (Psalm 103:2, 3).

I wish you could have been with us to see their excitement. They were all so eager and trying to be the winner. And they will remember so much more of the reading by participating than sitting like stuffed ducks!

Make your Family Devotions exciting.

Love from Nancy Campbell

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YOUR HIGHEST VOCATION!

HighestVocDear happy homemaker in word and deed,
God’s purpose for you is to raise godly seed,
Obedient children who are righteous and pure,
With mother at home, they’ll be happy and secure.

Secure in God’s love and protected from the world,
Guarded from evil and grounded in God’s Word
By a mother who has embraced her calling divine,
The mandate God gave from the beginning of time.

You’re now planted at home, you’ve found your “glory,"
Left career behind--that was another story!
You’ve now been promoted to a much higher career!
You’re in God’s perfect will so you don’t have to fear.

You’re nurturing, nourishing, and building your nest,
Under your husband’s covering, you’re totally blessed.
God has promised to provide, He is Jehovah Jireh,
He will always be faithful, He is not a liar.

You are an “arrow polisher," daily sharpening your arrows,
You’re not pecking on the ground like little sparrows,
But soaring like the eagle, your stature is high,
You’re changing the course of the nation as on God you rely!’

Dear mighty mother, stand up and be strong,
Don’t be fooled by the enemy and the worldly throng,
Don’t be deceived by the mindset of this society,
Embrace your motherhood, it’s your highest priority!

Don’t be conformed to the humanistic trend,
It only leads to heartache in the final end.
Be a non-conformist, stand against the tide,
You don’t have to be governed by this world’s pride.

Instead be transformed by God’s living Word,
He is restoring His truth, will you be stirred?
Will you be part of this end-time restoration
To train godly children and change the nation?

God is preparing a people for Jesus’ second appearing,
He wants an army of arrows, trained and unfearing,
Straight arrows to go forth from the parents’ bow,
The deceptions of Satan to overthrow.

May you experience God’s anointing and His daily renewing
As you become part of this revival which is all God’s doing.
You will be part of heralding the coming of the King
As you build God’s army–and His praises will ring.

~ Nancy Campbell
www.aboverubies.org

P.S. Will you be part of God’s end-time restoration? Read Malachi 4:4-6.

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TWO WAY STREET

2WayStrObedience is a proof of love. A child shows his love to his parents by obeying them. A wife shows her love to her husband by lovingly submitting to him. God says we show our love to Him when we obey His commandments (John 14:15, 21, 23; 1 John 2:5; 5:2, 3;

On the other hand, God says that when we obey Him that He will love us. He will also reveal Himself to us and be our friend (John 14:23 and 15:14). But there are more blessings yet. God loves to bless those who obey Him.

Let’s check all the blessings God says He will pour out upon you when you “obey his voice.” He will “have compassion on you . . . prosper you . . . multiply you . . . abundantly prosper the work of your hand . . . and the fruit of your womb . . . and the increase your livestock . . . and the fruit of your ground . . . you will live and multiply . . . and God will bless you (Deuteronomy 30:2-20).

Do you notice how God shows His love to us by blessing us with the fruit of the womb? We see this again in Deuteronomy 28, the blessing chapter. I am not sure why I call it the blessing chapter as there are 53 verses of cursings and only 14 verses of blessing. I don’t like reading the cursings as much as the blessings.

Two times in the few blessing verses, God says He will bless the fruit of our womb and then continues with all the blessings of provision to provide for the fruit of the womb. Check them out.

I know there are many who don’t want to be blessed with the fruit of the womb. We are so far removed from the truth of God’s Word and the reality of His heart for us, aren’t we? And yet this is how God wants to pour out His love upon us.

It is only the deception of Satan in our hearts that makes us think that children are not a blessing. And yet what material blessings can even compare with one life created in the image of God, let along many? I felt so blessed at our table the other night. Ten of our lovely grandchildren sat around our table and at the end of our family devotions we got out our hymn sheets to sing a hymn. But they wouldn’t stop at one. They wanted to keep singing. And oh, what a beautiful choir as they sang with all their hearts. What joy.

May you be blessed with all the blessings of God,

Nancy Campbell

Painting by Johann Georg Meyer von Bremen (1813 – 1886).

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IT’S RIGHT NOW!

RightNowAll the good things that are in Jesus Christ are available to you right now. Not some day in the future, but for whatever is happening in your life now. I know that life is not always perfect when you are mothering your children. You don’t have enough fingers to count how many things go wrong throughout the day. But don’t despair. Jesus Christ is with you. He lives in you. You don’t have to react to these things in your flesh. Instead, allow Jesus to live His life through you.

Let’s look at some Scriptures that remind us that God is working in your right now.

1 Timothy 4:8: “For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the LIFE THAT NOW IS, and of that which is to come.” Most modern versions say: “For this present life.” Godliness does not only work in us for eternity, but for right NOW! Yes, right now.

Are you feeling upset and you really want to let everyone know? Instead of giving into the flesh and hurting everyone around you, allow the life of Jesus to work through you. He is filled with patience and longsuffering and HE LIVES IN YOU! That means you are patient and longsuffering too!

Romans 5:17: “For if by one man’s offense death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness shall REIGN IN LIFE by one Christ Jesus.” We will not only reign in eternity. This Scripture tells us that we can REIGN IN LIFE RIGHT NOW. We can reign over the power of the flesh through the life of Christ who dwells in us.

Are you down in the dumps and depressed? You don’t have to stay there. You can reign over your depression in the power of the name of Jesus. He lives within you and He is Joy. Joy that is not dependent upon circumstances, but on who He is!

We need to learn each moment to appropriate by faith the loving, joyful, longsuffering, victorious, and overcoming life of Jesus Christ, who lives within us.

I love 2 Peter 1:3: “According as his divine power hath given unto us ALL THINGS that pertain unto LIFE and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue.” Dear precious mother, you have EVERYTHING YOU NEED IN CHRIST to live a reigning and godly life in your home. No matter what the chaos. No matter the disappointment. No matter the challenge. Christ, the hope of glory, lives in you (Colossians 1:27). And He is with you right now.

2 Corinthians 6:2: “Behold, NOW is the accepted time, behold NOW is the day of salvation.” The Greek word for salvation is “soteria” and means “safety, deliverance, health, salvation.” Jesus Christ is health and salvation for us right now.

On Friday, I fell and broke three ribs. It’s painful. I can’t get out of bed without my husband helping me, although once I am up I can walk. This morning my grandson, Zadok, came over to pray with me. He loves to pray for people to be healed and literally saw six or seven miraculous healings over the weekend. And these were not people at church meetings, but at restaurants and on the streets! As he prayed, we believed for my healing NOW. I know I am still healing, but in faith I got down on my knees and we weeded the garden together! That’s miraculous!

Be blessed today,

Nancy Campbell

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I’M IN AWE

ImInAweMy dear friend, Val Halloran wrote the following poem after a new grandbaby was born.

I’M IN AWE
Why is it that a baby's eyes
Can fix my gaze and paralyze,
Keeping me in awe for hours
With their mesmerizing powers?

Is it that I see a trace
Of God, the Great Creator's face,
And wonder how it is that He
Could bring this precious life to be?

Those ruby lips and button nose,
Ten little fingers, tiny toes
How is it that such perfectness
Has come into my life to bless?

I don't know but I'll stay awhile
To see if in a yawn or smile
I'll know just why I want to stay
And gaze in wonder all the day.

2017 Val Halloran

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NORMAL CHRISTIANITY

NormalI believe that converting to Christ should radically turn our lives around. Too many think they are Christians because they have recited the “sinner’s prayer,” but their lives don’t change.

I see something different in Paul’s conversion. He was on his way to persecute the Christians when “suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: And he fell to the earth and head a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?”

When Jesus answered, Paul “trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?” (Acts 9:1-8).

I think it would be good to tell people that this is what it means to be converted, don’t you? When we turn to Jesus we say, “Lord Jesus, I now believe in You. I thank You for dying on the cross for my sins and taking my punishment. I turn from my old ways and want to live Your way. Lord Jesus, what do You want me to do now? Amen.”

This should be how we start our walk with God and this is how we continue it every day. “Dear Lord Jesus, what do You want me to do today?” This question means total abandonment to the sovereign will of God. This means yielding to Christ instead of the flesh. This means yielding my body to Him as a living sacrifice. This is normal Christianity.

It’s the same attitude Mary had when she said: “Be it unto me according to thy word” (Luke 1:38).

And above all, it’s the same attitude Jesus had as He faced the cross: “Nevertheless not my will, but thine be done” (Luke 22:42).

Love from Nancy Campbell

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ARE WE TOO BUSY?

RTooBusyEach day my husband reads God’s Word to us from THE DAILY LIGHT ON THE DAILY PATH. It is a devotional with Scriptures on a certain theme for every morning and evening. He commented this morning on Luke 12:37: “Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find WATCHING.”

“Jesus is coming for those who look for him,” he said. “Are we looking for his coming?” However, what he said next really got to me. “Dear family, did you know that Jesus comes to us every morning and evening? When we read God’s Word, He speaks directly to us. He comes to talk to us and show us His ways.”

This is the challenge to us all. Do we look for His coming to speak to us each day as a family? Is it our delight to meet with Him morning and evening? Do we plan our day around making this happen? Or are we too busy doing what we want to do?

I know myself that unless I make it happen, it doesn’t happen. Instead of hoping it will fit in, I plan each day around our morning and evening meeting with God. Everything else fits in with these appointments. And can I ask? What else could be more important?

If we don’t look for His coming to speak to us each day, are we really interested in His second coming? If He is coming for those who look for Him as the Bible states in Hebrews 9:28, surely, we will look for Him every day. Most translations of Hebrews 9:28 say “those who EAGERLY AWAIT for Him.”

How eager are we for Him?

God bless you today,

Nancy Campbell

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FAMILY PRAYER TIME

FamPrayTimeWhat did you do for your prayer time with your family this morning? After our Bible reading we always pray together. And yes, we use our Prayer Boxes. I find them such a blessing for our prayer times. I have eight prayer boxes on different subjects. Every morning and evening we use our Family Prayer Box (which includes all the names of our extended family) and we choose one other box. This morning we used Our Persecuted Christians Prayer Box.

We dare not neglect to pray for our precious persecuted brothers and sisters around the world. There are 60 different countries of the world that persecute Christians.

I am always challenged by Hebrews 13:3 (NCV): “Remember those who are in prison as if you were in prison with them. Remember those who are suffering as if you were suffering with them.”

The other week my daughter, Serene, was climbing down a tall ladder. Her long skirt caught the top of the ladder which caused it to fall. Bother the ladder and Serene fell to the ground with a thump. She could have broken her back and was in tremendous pain.

However, instead of suffering for herself I was really convicted when she said she was so glad to feel the pain. She said, “I know I am meant to pray for my persecuted brothers and sisters as though I feel their pain along with them, but because I feel great, I find it hard to really feel their pain. So, this time, as I suffered in great pain, I interceded for those being persecuted as never before!”

May God help us to remember them without having to go through so much pain!

Love from Nancy

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HOW WILLINGLY?

HowWillinglyEach Friday evening my husband, Colin reads Proverbs 31 at the dinner table. He often highlights specific verses. Recently, when he got to verse 13 about how the Above Rubies woman works willingly with her hands, he read “willingly, willingly, WILLINGLY.” That really caught my attention.

How do we work in our homes? Do we just work, or do we work willingly? Our attitude affects the atmosphere of our home. I was surprised to find that the word willingly, “chephets” in the Hebrew means “pleasure, delight, to like doing what you do.”

There may be many things we don’t like doing, but we don’t have to live by our feelings. We live by what’s right. Therefore, whether we like it or not, we decide to do it with pleasure and delight! The amazing thing is that when you tackle something with joy and delight, you soon feel happy doing it! Feelings catch up with action!

And when we do everything in our home with joy and delight, we teach this attitude to our children.

Challenge: whatever you face today, do it with an eager, willing, and delightful attitude.

Love from Nancy Campbell

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ONE LAW

In my post below, A FEW GUIDELINES, I said I would tell you my thoughts of what rules we should expect for people who come into our home. Here we go:

BeautyOrderWhen people come into your home to stay, how should they fit in? Should you allow them to make their own rules and do what they usually do? Or should you expect them to fit into your lifestyle and the way you run your home? What about when children come into your home and are disrespectful to your home?

No matter what the subject, my philosophy is to find out what God says in His Word. I find the answer to all my questions in God’s Word.

The children of Israel had many strangers living amongst them. Egyptians came with them out of Egypt. So how did they work things out? Did the strangers live according to their own laws or did they fit in with the laws God gave to the children of Israel? God makes it very clear in His Word that the strangers were to have the same laws as the "homeborn.” Let’s look at some of the Scriptures:

Exodus 12:49, 50: "One law shall be to him that is homeborn, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among you. Thus did all the children of Israel; as the Lord commanded Moses and Aaron, so did they."

Numbers 9:14: "Ye shall have one ordinance, both for the stranger, and for him that was born in the land."

Numbers 15:14-16: "AS YE DO, SO HE SHALL DO. One ordinance shall be both for you of the congregation, and also for the stranger that sojourneth with you, an ordinance forever in your generations: AS YE ARE, SO SHALL THE STRANGER BE before the Lord. One law and one manner shall be for you, and for the stranger that sojourneth with you."

Numbers 15:29: "Ye shall have one law for him that sinneth through ignorance, both for him that is born among the children of Israel, and for the stranger that sojourneth among them."

Therefore I use this biblical principle in my home. Of course, I have grace and mercy, but there are times when I need to lovingly, but firmly, state the rules of our home. If parents do not have the decency to stop their children jumping on my sofas, I will tell the children to stop. I have often seen them jumping on beds and had to curtail them.

We like to sit up at the table when we eat. I don’t allow eating throughout the house, except in the kitchen and dining room. It’s not easy to keep a home clean when crumbs are dropped throughout the house and drinks are spilt on carpets.

We expect people who stay or live with us (and because we open our home continually in hospitality, we have many people coming and going) to join with us for Family Devotions morning and evening. This is part of the lifestyle of our homeborn family, and therefore we expect “strangers,” although usually friends, to partake with us. Now if we have non-Christians sitting at our table, we won’t expect them to pray personally around the table as we usually do. However, we don’t forgo reading the Word, but my husband will pray instead.

I think this God-give law should apply in our nation too, don’t you? Strangers who come into our nation should learn our language and keep to the same laws of our country. They should not expect to make up their own rules. This is a God-givem principle.

In His love,

Nancy Campbell

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HOLD ON TIGHT

HoldOnTightOne mother commented on my post about establishing an order for the home: “Most families in Christian homes in New Zealand were raised like this. The life led now is very different and many are working wives and divorce is prevalent.”

I think this is a true statement of all our western countries. But why? Why do we now live different lives? God’s plan from the beginning has never changed. He created women to be able to birth babies, nurse babies, nurture children, and manage the home.

Sadly, women have listened to a lie. A lie that tells them that motherhood and homemaking is insignificant and that going to work outside the home or establishing a career is more important. And so, women have left the home. They have left their most important career for lesser careers. They have left that which lasts for eternity for that which passes away.

Revelation 3:11 (ESV) says: “I am coming soon. HOLD FAST what you have, so that no one may seize your crown.” Motherhood is the crown of womanhood. It is God-mandated. Because it is God’s plan, the devil wants to steal it from women. In fact, he wants to seize it from them, but we must HOLD IT FAST and not let it go! When we let it go, we do so to the detriment of the family and society.

Be blessed today,

Nancy Campbell

Painting by Leon Emile Caille (1836-1907).

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BY THE LEADING OF THE SPIRIT

ByLeadingSpiritWe have been talking about making ordinances for home to make it run smoothly. How do we do this? Do we copy what other mothers do? Do we get ideas out of a book? No, we get it by the leading of the Holy Spirit.

How did David get the pattern for building the house of the Lord? God gave it to him by His Spirit. 1 Chronicles 28:11-13 tells us that he received “the pattern of all that he had by the Spirit . . . for all the work of the service of the house of the LORD, and for all the vessels of service in the house of the LORD.” Isn’t that wonderful?

God is interested in every detail of your home. Everything that is involved in the running of your home. Even the pots and the pans and how you should order your kitchen (1 Chronicles 9:32). God will show you how to set everything in order and how to order your days.

Ask God to show you and He will give you the plan by His Spirit. Wait for His plan. When He gives it to you, it will work. Sometimes you try to follow the ideas of others. It may work for them, but it doesn’t work for you. The way God shows you will work for you.

Be blessed today,

Nancy Campbell

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A FEW GUIDELINES

AFewGuidlinesAfter posting HOUSE RULES yesterday some ladies asked if I would share with them the rules for our house. I should never have used such a title, because I don’t have rules. What could I call them? They are more a basic, fundamental order for the home. And these fundamental guidelines change with times and seasons. I had different “rules” when the children were little than when they grew older.

Let me give you an overall picture of how I liked to run my home from when the children were little until now. My children are now all out of the home, married with their own children. But we still have young people living in our home (Above Rubies helpers and other staying at differing times). We often have up to four young people staying and visitors coming and going.

Do I have the same values for visitors? I’ll share that with you in another post.

I believe in getting up at a decent hour, not sleeping in! You can’t manage a home effectively if you sleep in. The best part of the day is gone before you even start. Wake up time will be a different time in every home and at the different seasons and ages of your children.

Currently I like to get into the kitchen about 7.30 am. I read and pray before this of course. I expect everyone living in the home to have breakfast before 8.00 am when we commence Family Devotions together. I revolve my day around PRIORITIES. Family Devotions, both morning and evening, are the highest priority in my day. Therefore, I plan the order of my day around them. That’s why everyone must be up in time. No sleeping in. I hate sleeping in myself but allow our young people to sleep in on the weekends.

After Family Devotions, we begin the day. Mothers with children will make sure basic chores are completed such as cleaning the kitchen and getting laundry going and then begin homeschooling. I’m not homeschooling now, but school grandchildren at different seasons.

Lunch time comes and we allow an hour for lunch and clean up. Larger families will most probably need longer to prepare, eat, and clean up. Some families like to read the Word at lunchtime too.

For me, after lunch, it’s back to the office to keep writing and keep Above Rubies going. Mothers may continue homeschooling, although usually they can all be finished by lunchtime. The afternoon is a wonderful time for projects, gardening, research, creative ideas, errands, visiting someone in need and so on. And rest time for littles ones.

I like to be in the kitchen again no later than 5.00 to prepare for the evening meal. This is a huge priority for me. I know that Family Devotions won’t work unless I prepare for it. It is such a blessing to have the evening meal ready for when your husband comes home so you can all eat together and at the end of the meal, enjoy time reading God’s Word and praying together. These things don’t happen unless you make them happen.

Here are a few other guidelines I find helpful in my home:

1. I don’t allow children to jump on the furniture and on their beds. This does not teach our children how to care for things or how to act in someone else’s home.

2. I don’t allow chewing gum in my home. Please understand that this is not a “thus saith the Lord.” It is my preference. I simply cannot stand finding chewing gum stuck to the floor or under chairs etc. Therefore, I don’t allow it in the home. Period. Personally, I don’t like to see people chewing gum anyway. I don’t think it equates with royalty, and aren’t we training our children to be princes and princesses in God’s royal kingdom?

3. I don’t allow children to eat food in their bedrooms or anywhere in the house except at the dining room table or in the kitchen. This only makes so much more work for you in cleaning house—crumbs around the house and marks on the carpet etc.

4. I expect ALL children and EVERYONE living in our home to join us for Family Devotions. One time, a young man was staying with us for a week or so. The night before he left he said he wouldn’t have time to come for Family Devotions as he wanted to pack his bag. It was only an excuse as he had done nothing all day! I certainly didn’t let him off the hook!

5. I expect everyone to be at the dinner table on time! No coming when they feel like it. They must be there the moment I call, although usually by this time the children are in the kitchen with you helping you with the meal and putting it on the table.

6. I allowed my children to be “children” and didn’t get at them for many of the stupid and childish things they did. However, I disciplined for disobedience, willfulness, rebellion, lying, and things that God detests in His Word.

7. I trained the children to do their chores with a smile and a good attitude. They would be given another task until they showed the right attitude. Of course, they learn this mostly from YOUR OWN ATTITUDE TOWARD WORK. You show by your actions and attitude that you LOVE WORK and it is a God-given blessing.

8. When the children grew older and were still living at home, I expected them to be home for the evening meal and Family Devotions, unless they let me know in time and it was a valid excuse. I expected them (and still expect anyone living in our home) to tell me where they are going and what time they will be home. And I have certain time guidelines for them to be in at night.

There are loads of other things I could mention, but I think I have gone on long enough.

Be blessed,

Nancy Campbell

Painting: Tasha Tudor

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A STRONG FAMILY HAS...

AStrongFam

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HOUSE RULES

HouseRulesDo you have laws in your house? I do. I have rules to keep my home in order and running efficiently. If I let everyone do whatever they want or however they want, the home soon turns to chaos. At the same time, I hate legality and love to have a spirit of freedom and openness to spontaneity, fun, and laughter. However, when we have an underlying foundation and plan for our home, it’s easier for this to happen. Everything is in order so we are free to do unexpected things.

Let’s look at an example in the Bible. Ezekiel 43:12 says: “This is the law of the house; Upon the top of the mountain the whole limit thereof round about shall be MOST HOLY. Behold, this is the law of the house.” This is talking about the temple, the place of God’s dwelling.

God had laws for His house. He established many ordinances to make it run smoothly. In Ezekiel 44:5 it says: “Son of man, mark well, and behold with thine eyes, and hear with thine ears all that I say unto thee concerning ALL THE ORDINANCES OF THE HOUSE OF THE LORD, and ALL THE LAWS thereof: and mark well the entering in of the house with every going forth of the sanctuary.”

Because I am also building a house to the Lord, a sanctuary for the living God and for my husband and family, I believe I can’t do better than God’s plan. If it was important for God to have ordinances to run His house smoothly, I think I also need laws and ordinances to make my home function effectively.

God’s house had order and established daily times for certain functions. I need to make this happen in my home too. I believe in flexibility because every day of every year is different and we never know what is going to happen. However, we need to institute a basic plan to keep order.

And do you notice the ultimate vision? That God’s house will be MOST HOLY. Not only the house, but all around the house. This should be our ultimate passion and vision, to build a holy home for God’s glory. We seek God’s holiness on and in our home, but also on our land--the backyard, front yard, and all around our house. It is all to be holy to the Lord. We should pray this every day upon our home and allotment or acreage, whether it be large or small. We must guard what goes on in our home AND around our home!

“Holiness adorns your house, O LORD, forever” (Psalm 93:5). Does holiness adorn our homes?

Blessings to you today,

Nancy Campbell

Picture: The Charm of Home: Tasha Tudor

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WELL-TAUGHT

ReadMoreBibleHow well-taught are your children? In answering this question many mothers refer to the school or college to which they send their children, perhaps the best private school they can find in their area. Parents like their children to go to the most prestigious school possible.

God wants our children to be well-taught. But how does He want them to be taught? Isaiah 54:13 says: “All thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children.” The highest education our children can receive is to be “taught of the LORD.”

How can God teach them? He uses His servants on earth. The best teacher a child can have is a godly mother who teaches them God’s words and ways--a mother whose highest aim is to richly fill her children with the knowledge and wisdom of God.

God shows us in His Word the way He wants us to do this (Deuteronomy 6:6-9 and Isaiah 28:10).

The word “taught” in Isaiah 54:1`3 is “limmud” and means “learned, trained, skilled, and accustomed. It also means to be a disciple.” Are your children “accustomed” to God’s Word? I find so many children and teens from Christian homes are not familiar with God’s Word. They know more about the spirit of the world than the Spirit of God. Theyre more familiar with the worldly media than God’s Word.

A wonderful blessing is to teach your children how to hear the voice of God speak to them personally. When you read God’s Word to your children (or when they read it themselves) encourage them to not only read the words, but to listen for the Holy Spirit to speak to their hearts. When you read together, ask the children: “As we read, I want you to listen to what God is saying to your heart. When we have finished, I want you to tell us all what God said to you.”

You will be amazed at how God speaks to your children. And we need to get them into the habit of listening to the Holy Spirit. The greatest thing you can do is teach them to hear God speak to them personally from His precious Word. This way they will get to LOVE GOD’S WORD. It will become increasingly personal to them. It will become LIFE to them.

Be encouraged today,

Nancy Campbell

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A MUST READ

http://www.healthfreedoms.org/vaccinated-vs-unvaccinated-c…/

Here is a little quote from this longer article:
“Something is wrong with America’s children. They are sick – allergic, asthmatic, anxious, autoimmune, autistic, hyperactive, distracted and learning disabled. Thirty-two million American children – a full 43% of them – suffer from at least one of 20 chronic illnesses not including obesity. Across the board, once rare pediatric disorders from autism and ADD to Type 1 diabetes and Tourette’s syndrome is soaring, though few studies pool the data. Compared to their parents, children today are four times more likely to have a chronic illness. And while their grandparents might never have swallowed a pill as children, the current generation of kids is a pharmaceutical sales rep’s dream come true: More than one million American children under five years old takes a psychiatric drug. More than 8.3 million kids under 17 have consumed psychiatric drugs, and in any given month one in four is taking at least one prescription drug for something.

A pilot study of 666 homeschooled six to 12-year-olds from four American states published on April 27th in the Journal of Translational Sciences, compared 261 unvaccinated children with 405 partially or fully vaccinated children, and assessed their overall health based on their mothers’ reports of vaccinations and physician-diagnosed illnesses. What it found about increases in immune-mediated diseases like allergies and neurodevelopmental diseases including autism, should make all parents think twice before they ever vaccinate again:

*Vaccinated children were more than three times as likely to be diagnosed on the Autism Spectrum (OR 4.3)
*Vaccinated children were 30-fold more likely to be diagnosed with allergic rhinitis (hay fever) than non-vaccinated children
* Vaccinated children were 22-fold more likely to require an allergy medication than unvaccinated children
*Vaccinated children had more than quadruple the risk of being diagnosed with a learning disability than unvaccinated children (OR 5.2)
*Vaccinated children were 300 percent more likely to be diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder than unvaccinated children (OR 4.3)
* Vaccinated children were 340 percent (OR 4.4) more likely to have been diagnosed with pneumonia than unvaccinated children
*Vaccinated children were 300 percent more likely to be diagnosed with an ear infection than unvaccinated children (OR 4.0)
*Vaccinated children were 700 percent more likely to have surgery to insert ear drainage tubes than unvaccinated children (OR 8.01)
* Vaccinated children were 2.5-fold more likely to be diagnosed with any chronic illness than unvaccinated children.

Worth thinking about.

~ Nancy

ANOTHER INTERESTING READ

The following is another article regarding vaccinations:
http://yournewswire.com/harvard-unvaccinated-children-risk/

Many mothers today are fearful of their children getting measles, mumps, chicken pox, whooping cough and so on. It was so different in my day. All children got these sicknesses at some stage in their childhood and we all survived! I got them all and my children got them. When an epidemic was going around, many mothers exposed their children to others with the sickness so they could catch the “wild disease.” The wild disease is much safer than a vaccine.

Studies now show that vaccinations don’t last a life time and older people who were vaccinated can get these sicknesses which are far more dangerous in babyhood or adulthood, rather than childhood when they naturally get them and then have lifelong immunity.

The following is a little quote from the full article which you can read:
“The majority of measles cases in recent US outbreaks (including the recent Disneyland outbreak) are adults and very young babies, whereas in the pre-vaccination era, measles occurred mainly between the ages 1 and 15. Natural exposure to measles was followed by lifelong immunity from re-infection, whereas vaccine immunity wanes over time, leaving adults unprotected by their childhood shots. Measles is more dangerous for infants and for adults than for school-aged children.

“Despite high chances of exposure in the pre-vaccination era, measles practically never happened in babies much younger than one year of age due to the robust maternal immunity transfer mechanism. The vulnerability of very young babies to measles today is the direct outcome of the prolonged mass vaccination campaign of the past, during which their mothers, themselves vaccinated in their childhood, were not able to experience measles naturally at a safe school age and establish the lifelong immunity that would also be transferred to their babies and protect them from measles for the first year of life.”

It's important to research rather than just follow the crowd, isn’t it?

~ Nancy

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Above Rubies Address

AboveRubies
Email Nancy

PO Box 681687
Franklin, TN 37068-1687

Phone : 931-729-9861
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