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.

LET’S GET IT STRAIGHT

GetItStraightIn understanding Scripture, the “law of the first mention” is critical. When God states something the first time, He lays down a foundation for that particular truth. He adds to it and develops it throughout the rest of His Word, but He does not change from the establishing of the “first mention.”

The first mention of marriage in the Bible is in Genesis 2:24. In this Scripture God speaks of the man and his wife, and the father and mother. God puts male and female together-- His plan from the eternity. There is no mention of same sexes.

If we want something to work properly we have to read the manual from the one who designed it. God is the one who created our bodies and designed marriage and we better make sure we take notice of His manual.

One of the synonyms of marriage is matrimony, usually called “holy matrimony”--the union of a man and woman for life. It comes from the Latin word, “matrimonium,” from “mater,” from which come the words-- mother, maternal, matrimony, marriage. Therefore the full understanding of marriage is that the wife will become a mother. This cannot happen naturally in a homosexual relationship. It is totally unnatural and against God’s divine order of creation and His eternal plan for us.

We cannot bow to mortal man’s deception, distortion, and desecration of divine truth.

Blessings from Nancy Campbell

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WE WILL NOT BOW

WillNotBowI currently have this picture on my computer screen as a reminder to have the courage to stand for truth and righteousness.

May God help us to be those who will not bow down to that which is against God and His eternal Word (Daniel 3:16-18). We need this reminder at this time of great deception in our nation, don't we?

~ Nancy

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WHAT IS MARRIAGE?

WhatIsMarriage2--A Formidable Force

One man, one woman,
Fused into one.
God's plan! Is there a better?
There is none.

One body, one flesh--
Indescribable!
One purpose, one vision--
Unconquerable!
One soul, one spirit--
Invincible!

What is the foundation?
Praying together daily--
High priority!
Reading God's Word together daily--
Paramount for success.

What does it take?
Sacrificial love.
Yieldedness and submission.
No longer "me" but "you."
Laying down my life.
Delighting to serve.
Sticking together through thick and thin.

What is the fruit?
A union that cannot be broken.
A union that survives the storms of life.
A union that forges a path for God in this world.
A union that builds a godly generation
for now and generations to come.

What is the power?
A God-fearing family who are
formidable to the enemy!

~Nancy Campbell

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I CAN HARDLY LIFT UP MY HEAD

RejoiceInHopeAre you grieving as I am? Where is the great nation of our founding fathers? To think that we now live in a nation where the Supreme Court has ruled that in every state of the nation gay marriages have the same status as God-ordained marriages! What kind of a world will this be like for our grandchildren and great-grandchildren? Our first president, George Washington warned that the smiles of heaven can never be expected on a nation “that disregards the eternal rules of order and right which heaven itself hath ordained.”

How could this happen except in a climate of luke-warmness, tolerance, and even apostasy in the Christian church? God gave His eternal plan at the beginning of time for marriage: one man and one woman (Genesis 1:27, 28 and 2:21-24). God clearly makes the difference between male and female in His Word:

Male (zakar) / female (nqebah) Notice that the two Hebrew words are totally different (Genesis 1: 27).
Man / woman (Genesis 2:23).
Father / mother Genesis 2:24).
Husband / wife (Genesis 2:25; Proverbs 12:4; 31:11, 12, and 28).
Master / mistress (Genesis 16:4 and 24:9).
Bridegroom / bride (Psalm 19:5; Isaiah 49:18; 61:10; 62:5; and Jeremiah 33:11).
Mankind / womankind (Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13).
Young men / maidens (Isaiah 62:5).
Sons / daughters (Genesis 5:4).
Boys/ girls (Zechariah 8:5).

God called them Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve. Arthur W. Pink comments on God's creation of man: "Not both males or both females, but one male and one female; and to make the design of this unmistakably plain God says, "Be fruitful and multiply." For this reason marriage is called "matrimony," which signifies motherage because it results in virgins becoming mothers."

Jonathan Cahn, author of the New York Times bestseller “The Harbinger” has truly stated that: “If this court should overrule the word of God and strike down the eternal rules of order and right that heaven itself ordained, how then will God save it? . . . Justices, can you judge the ways of God? There is another court and there another judge, where all men and all judges will give account. . . . If a nation’s high court should pass judgment on the Almighty, should you then be surprised God will pass judgment on the court and that nation?”

It is time for us to stand for truth in the midst of deception, to be a light in the midst of the darkness. We praise God for leaders such as Franklin Graham, James Dobson, Alan Keyes, and many others who state in a full-page ad in the Washington Post, USA Today, and other papers: “We affirm that marriage, as existing solely between one man and one woman, precedes civil government. Though affirmed, fulfilled, and elevated by faith, the truth that marriage can exist only between one man and one woman is not based solely on religion but on the Natural Law, written on the human heart.”

And they conclude: “We will not honor any decision by the Supreme Court which will force us to violate a clear biblical understanding of marriage as solely the union of one man and one woman.”

Isaiah 59:14-16 (ESV) states: “Justice is turned back, and righteousness stands far away; for truth has stumbled in the public squares, and uprightness cannot enter. Truth is lacking, and he who departs from evil makes himself a prey. The Lord saw it, and it displeased him that there was no justice. He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no one to intercede.”

It is time to stand for truth and intercede for righteousness in the land. It is time to imprint upon our children’s hearts God’s laws and ways lest they be deceived in a society like Sodom and Gomorrah.

Standing for God’s truth,

 

 

Nancy Campbell

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A LOVELY PERFUME

LovelyPurfumeThere is nothing like the aroma of a delicate and delightful-smelling perfume. It gives beautiful memories. It gives pleasure to our sense of smell, although I must admit that I don’t like chemical perfumes and prefer essential oils.

Most husbands love the fragrance of a lovely perfume on their wives. God Himself loves sweet aromas (Exodus 30:23-25, 34, 35). It’s not hard to put on some perfume, but often it is a lot harder to wear the sweet perfume of Christ. This means saying No to the flesh and allowing the beautiful life of Jesus Christ who dwells within us to shine through us. This brings delight to our husbands even more than a perfume from a bottle. This fills our home with love, peace, and happiness.

The Bible talks about a lovely perfume. 2 Corinthians 2:14-16 (PHILLIPS) says: “Thanks be to God who leads us, wherever we are, on his own triumphant way and makes our knowledge of him spread throughout the world like a lovely perfume! We Christians have the unmistakeable “scent” of Christ, discernible alike to those who are being saved and to those who are heading for death. To the latter it seems like the very smell of doom, to the former it has the fresh fragrance of life itself.”

Do you carry around that “unmistakeable scent” of Christ? Is the life of Jesus spreading out from you like a lovely perfume? Notice that the Scriptures says this should happen “wherever we are.” The KJV says, “in every place.” This doesn’t only mean when you are all dressed up to go out to a function with all the children left behind. This means right in your home, in the midst of everything that is happening--housework piled up, laundry waiting to be completed, homeschooling to organize, and challenges that seem to arise each new day.

No matter what is happening or where you are, Christ is in you. He doesn’t change with circumstances. Draw on His life, His strength, His peace, His patience, His joy, and His love. And as you do, you will spread forth the lovely perfume of His presence in your home--to your husband and to your children.

Have a wonderful day in your home today,

Nancy Campbell

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WHO WILL STAND IN THE GAP?

ElisabethElliotTen days ago, on the 14 June, Elisabeth Elliot went to be with her Savior and Lord. It is most fitting on this Above Rubies page to honor one of the greatest “older women” in our nation. She originally became known world-wide because of her husband Jim Elliot’s martyrdom (along with the five American missionaries) who gave their lives to bring the gospel to the Auca Indians, and the writing of her powerful books. I read “The Shadow of the Almighty”as a young woman, before I was married, and it totally revolutionized my life. Jim was the one who wrote the lines: “He is not fool who gives what he cannot keep in order to gain what he cannot lose.”

However, Elisabeth also became a faithful teacher of God’s truth to the wives and mothers of the nation (Titus 2:3-5). Who will now stand in the gap? May God raise up many more older women to walk in her steps.

Here is a quote from Elisabeth to encourage you today. It is taken from her book, The Shaping of a Christian Family:

“There is no nobler career than that of motherhood at its best. There are no possibilities greater, and in no other sphere does failure bring more serious penalties. With what diligence then should she prepare herself for such a task? If the mechanic who is to work with “things” must study at technical school, if the doctor into whose skilled hands will be entrusted human lives, must go through medical school . . . how much more should the mother who is fashioning the souls of the men and women of tomorrow, learn at the highest of all schools and from the Master-Sculptor Himself, God.

To attempt this task, unprepared and untrained is tragic and its results affect generations to come. On the other hand there is no higher height to which humanity can attain than that occupied by a converted, heaven-inspired, praying mother.”

Be encouraged today,

Nancy Campbell

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KITCHEN TESTING

KitchenTestingThe kitchen is where we do a lot of taste testing, isn’t it? We have to taste the meals we create to make sure they are palatable and have a great flavor.

However, the kitchen is also a place where we test who we really are! It's easy to live a patient and sweet life when we fellowship with friends or when everything is quiet and peaceful. But what about when everything is in a turmoil? What about when the baby needs you, your toddler is crying, you are trying to get breakfast for everyone, the phone is ringing, and your husband needs last minute help as he leaves the house. You hardly know where to turn first? What about when the children are cranky and whining or bouncing off the walls? How do you react then?

2 Corinthians 13:5 challenges us with these words: "Examine yourselves whether ye be in the faith, prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that JESUS CHRIST IS IN YOU, except ye be reprobates." We need to examine our faith in the midst of trials and difficulties. This is the true testing.

However, we need not despair that we cannot live up to God's holy standard. We can't! Do you notice the words "JESUS CHRIST IS IN YOU"? It's not your trying to be perfect in your little world of mothering your children. It is allowing the life of Jesus Christ who lives within you to live His life through you.

Get into this habit. Say No to the flesh. Say No to anger and frustration. Say No to self-pity and gloom. Instead, thank Christ for His patience and love that IS IN YOU BECAUSE HE LIVES IN YOU!

Your greatest test in your kitchen is not trying to be more perfect, but yielding to the life of Christ in you!

Be encouraged today,

Nancy Campbell

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WHAT A WONDERFUL PLACE

WonderfulPlaceHome is a place of . . .
Admonition
Beauty (a lovely atmosphere for everyone to enjoy)
Caring
Direction
Encouragement
Fun
Giving (each treating the other better than themselves)
Hospitality
Inspiration
Joy
Keeping children safe
Love
Making Memories
Nurturing
Opportunity
Prayer
Quietude (sometimes)!
Responsibility (each one pulling their weight)
Serving one another
Teaching
Understanding
Valuing each child
Wisdom
eXample
Yeanling love (a yeanling is a little lamb and a home is where we love babies)
Zoe (the Greek word for LIFE--Home should be filled with life and happiness, not legality!

It would be enough to take one of these and work on them for a few weeks, wouldn’t it? And yet we have 26 of them!

Love from Nancy Campbell

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HOW TO INCREASE YOUR CHILD’S VOCAB

ChildVocabDid you know that in 1945 the average elementary school student had a vocabulary of 10,000 words? Today, the average child has a vocabulary of only 2,500 words!

Start when they are young. Don’t wait until they are older.

 

Go to:http://tinyurl.com/NannysNurseryRhymes

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TEN REASONS TO READ NURSERY RHYMES

10NurseryDID YOU KNOW THAT NURSERY RHYMES HELP YOUR CHILD'S BRAIN?

I notice that more and more young people do not know the traditional nursery rhymes. As a child, and when I raised our children, it was expected that every child could recite all the nursery rhymes by heart. We knew them from toddler age.

I encourage you to read nursery rhymes to your children. I know you may think it a little ridiculous to teach your little ones some of the traditional nursery rhymes. They do not contain a lot of positivity. However, it is still important to recite rhyme to your children. That's why I have written a new nursery rhyme book for this new generation--NANNY'S NURSERY RHYMES.

Here are 10 REASONS to read nursery rhymes to your children, from babyhood onwards:

1. Nursery rhymes give your children a delight for listening.
Listening is one of the most important skills to teach your children. Their ability to listen affects their future. We all know that "listening comprehension precedes reading comprehension." The rhythm and beat of nursery rhymes give pleasure to the ear and therefore encourages them in this wonderful art from the beginning.

2. Nursery rhymes are good for their brain.
The repetition of rhymes builds memory capabilities that can be applied to all areas of life.

3. Nursery rhymes prepare your children for reading.
They are the "springboard to literacy." They give your child a head start in their education.

4. Nursery rhymes "boost language development."
They lay the foundation for understanding words and even help with spelling. A study by Bryant, MacLean and Crosland (1990) revealed that children who were familiar with nursery rhymes from an early age became much more advanced in their spelling and reading abilities. Did you know that in 1945 the average elementary school student had a vocabulary of 10,000 words? Today, the average child has a vocabulary of only 2,500 words!

Although the rhymes in NANNY'S NURSERY RHYMES are simple, they also introduce words and content with which your children may not be familiar. This is good--another opportunity to teach a new word. Teach them what it means. Get them to say it out loud after you.

5. Nursery rhymes help with memorization.
They are easy to learn because of the rhythm and rhyme, and also the repetition of the words. Little babies are drawn to listen to rhythm--the first sound they hear is the beating rhythm of their mother's heart. Research also shows that the more beat in the words, the more they love to listen and the easier they memorize. Read them with a beat.

As you read and recite the rhymes over and over they remember them for life. My children grew up reciting all the traditional nursery rhymes (I wish I had thought of writing NANNY'S NURSERY RHYMES when they were young!).

They loved rhyming books and I loved reading them. One of our favorite children's authors was Bill Peet (who has now passed away). Look for his books (available on Amazon). You will love them. One of the children's favorite was "Huge Harold." Today, even in their late forties they still like to quote a phrase from the book and even say it to their children:

“Doggone and Dagnabit,
That's what I call a whoppin' big rabbit."

There was something about the rhythm and rhyme of those words that appealed to them.

6. Nursery Rhymes help expand your child's imagination.

7. Nursery rhymes help children with math skills.
Many nursery rhymes use patterns and sequence which help children to learn simple math skills. Other nursery rhymes help children to count.

8. Nursery Rhymes create memories of the warmth and safety of mother's love.
Because you read to them while they are nursing, sitting on your knee, or cuddled by your side, they not only learn rhymes, but associate them with love, security, and happiness.

9. Nursery Rhymes are portable.
After you have read the rhymes to your children many times, they will know them by heart. You can then say them together when driving in the car or wherever you are together.

10. Best of all, Nursery Rhymes are fun. They are fun to read to your children. They are fun for them to listen to and fun for them to recite.

You will love this brightly-colored, delightfully illustrated NANNY'S NURSERY RHYMES.

 

To order, go to:
http://tinyurl.com/NannysNurseryRhymes

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FULFILLING GOD'S PLAN

Psalm127 3 5“Each child will in the process of time be a defense, support and propagation of the eternal reproduction of man and fulfillment of the plan of God for man. The more arrows one has, the more enemies he will slay, the more powerful will he be in the earth. The more children born and saved to help God administer the affairs of the eternal plan for man, the more reward God will have.”

Dake’s comments on Psalm 127:3-5 from the Dakes’s Annotated Reference Bible.

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WAYS TO LOVE MY HUSBAND

WaysToLoveSome time ago I asked our readers to share the little things they do to show their husbands they love them. The following are the replies I received. Each one of us are different personalities and therefore we show our love in different ways. You may not do everything written in this list, but take time to read it through. Add some extras to the list of what you already do. Never be content with a boring marriage. Always be thinking of new and exciting ways to love your husband. Surprise him with something you’ve never done before. And do it today.

If I love my husband I will...
Love to serve him.
Love to cook his meals.
Love to have a wholesome meal prepared for him when he arrives home in the evening.
Love to make and serve him breakfast.
Love to make his lunch to take to work.
Love him to come home to a clean and fresh smelling house.
Love to keep an orderly home for him.
Love to make sure he always has clean laundry.
Love to make him coffee.
Love to encourage him and affirm him.
Love to purchase special goodies for him that he loves.
Love to buy him his favorite dark chocolate.
Love to do extra nice things for him.
Love to smile at him.
Love to ravish him and satisfy him sexually.
Love to follow him even though I may not agree with him.
Love to praise him instead of criticize him.
Love to wake up and cuddle with him.
Love to greet him passionately when he comes home from work.
Love to run a bath for him.
Love to encourage and compliment him with my words.
Love to make him smile and laugh.
Love to tell him that he is the best.
Love to text him during the day to remind him how much I love and appreciate him.
Love to speak well of him to my friends and to praise him in front of others.
Love to be his BEST and closest friend.
Love to be his only confidante.
Love to pray with him.
Love to respect him and his decisions.
Love to pay attention to him when he talks to me.
Love to look at him adoringly.
Love to help the children do special things for him.
Love to give him massages.
Love to softly tickle him.
Love to rub his back, shoulders, legs, and feet.
Love to be with him while he works.
Love to do what he asks me with a smile and cheerful attitude.
Love to listen to his dreams and ideas and support them.
Love to raise the children in the way that pleases him.
Love to take an interest in his passions.
Love to do everything I can to keep him healthy.
Love to kiss him when he comes near me during the day.
Love to blow him kisses.
Love to give him surprises.
Love to appreciate him for working hard so I can stay home with our children.
Love to hold hands with him at every opportunity.
Love to admire and adore him.
Love to be faithful to him until death or we meet the Lord face to face.

Love from Nancy Campbell

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BRASS INSTEAD OF GOLD

BrassGoldDid you know that your home is meant to be a treasure house, filled with the good things of God? Proverbs 15:6 says: “In the house of the righteous is MUCH treasure.” The word “treasure” in this Scripture also means “riches, strength.”

God wants our homes filled with all the riches that are in Christ Jesus--His wisdom, knowledge, , mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering, forbearance, forgiveness, love, righteousness, peace, and joy in theHoly Ghost (Romans 14:17; Colossians 2:2, 3; 3:12-17; and James 3:17, 18). What amazing treasures. These are the riches that fill our homes with strength!

But we know that Satan is the robber. He comes to steal, kill, and destroy and he wants to rob you and your home of all these beautiful treasures. In 2 Chronicles 12:9 we read how the king of Egypt came against Jerusalem and “took away ALL the treasures of the house of the Lord; he took all.” This included the shields which were all made of gold.

What did king Rehoboam of Jerusalem do? He made brass shields. Instead of gold, he now had brass! Dear wives and mothers, be on the alert against the robber of your home. Sometimes we can be so apathetic that we don’t even notice we are being robbed. The treasures of love, kindness, peace and joy creep out the door and we settle for the inferior. We get used to the status quo of how we are living.

We can become so deceived that we are satisfied with counterfeits. We put up with the brass instead of the gold. Instead of pursuing a loving, serving, and intimate relationship with our husband, we settle for “just living together.” Instead of seeking forgiveness and peace, we settle for arguments, bickerings, and moods amongst family members. Instead of embracing and nurturing our children in our home, we take the enemy’s counterfeit of daycares. And so it goes on.

Let’s go for the treasures of gold, not the counterfeit of brass.

Don’t settle for the status quo.

Nancy Campbell.

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GET READY FOR THE DARK TIMES

DarkTimesThe other night, my two Above Rubies helpers, Eliza and Stephanie, came home through the woods from Evangeline’s place when it was dark. They had flashlights with them but still lost their way (even though it is only a few minutes from our home). As they had newly arrived to our place, they realized they should have become more familiar with the path during the day time. They certainly know their way now.

We also get into dark times in our lives and we need the light of God to shine on our way. Sometimes we can have a little bit of light, but it’s not enough to show us the way out. We need to become familiar with God’s Word in the “day time,” when things are going fine. In fact, it should be the habit of our lives to get God’s Word into our hearts and into the hearts of our children every day. As we fill up with the Word, which is God’s light and guide to show us the way, we’ll be able to see our way through the dark times.

Get ready now. Get your family ready now. Seek after God’s ways and His truths now and you will have light to go through the hard times and the dark times when they come.

Isaiah 50:10 (ESV): “Who among you fears the LORD and obeys the voice of his servant? Let him who walks in darkness and has no light trust in the name of the LORD and rely on his God.”

God bless you today, Nancy Campbell

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A NEVER FORGOTTEN LESSON

life purpose“During my second month of nursing school, our professor gave us a pop quiz. I was a conscientious student and had breezed through the questions, until I read the last one: "What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?" Surely this was some kind of joke. I had seen the cleaning woman
several times. She was tall, dark-haired and in her 50s, but how would I know her name? I handed in my paper, leaving the last question blank.

Before class ended, one student asked if the last question would count toward our quiz grade. "Absolutely," said the professor."In your careers you will meet many people. All are significant. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say 'hello'."

I've never forgotten that lesson. I also learned her name was Dorothy.”
~ Unknown

“Dear Father, please help me to remember to say a kind word to those who clean public places and toilets. They need to be encouraged in their work. Amen.”
~ Nancy

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PARENTING LIKE GOD

LordIsKeeperWe are the only creatures who have the privilege of bearing the image of God (Genesis 1:27). In so many aspects of our parenting we show what God is like. Some of them we take for granted, but if only we realized that we were being like God Himself, we would embrace them more eagerly.

As we nurture our babies and children we unveil to the world His nurturing and mothering heart toward us. God is a feeder and loves to feed His people, both physically and spiritually. In the same way it is inherently within us to feed. We want to nurse our baby. We love to feed our children healthy food. We love to feed visitors and people who come to our home. If we don't, it is because we have been conditioned in a wrong direction.

God is our Keeper. "Behold, he that keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep" (Psalm 121:4, 5). We are also keepers of our home and children. The word is "shamar" and means "to hedge about, protect, guard." The instructions God gave for the first home were to work hard in it and to guard it (Genesis 2:15). It is a beautiful thing to be a keeper, guarding and protecting our marriage, home, and children. But above all, we reveal what God is like to our children and the world.

We constantly have to exercise justice to teach our children the way to live and to keep a sane and safe home. Once again we are showing who God is to our children, a God of true justice and mercy. Oh to be more like Him. We often find it difficult to know when to show mercy and when to show justice. But God is always just and His justice is perfect. God is always merciful and His mercy is perfect. The more we allow Him to teach us the more we will parent the way He wants us to (Genesis 18:18, 29).

God bless you today,

Nancy Campbell

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FLOWING DOWN

AnointingOilIn Psalm 133 it talks about the anointing oil running down from the head of the high priest to the skirts of his garments. The anointing oil was poured upon Christ (the anointed One) who is the head, but it is not stay only on Him. He wants it to run down His body, His body that is upon earth. He wants it to flow down upon you, even to the bottom of your skirts.

The main description of the anointing is that it is HOLY and never to touch the flesh. It was also made of SWEET spics (Exodus 30:22-33). It was an oil of JOY (Hebrews 1:9). It was a HEALING and RESTORING anointing (Acts 10:38). It was a DELIVERING anointing (Isaiah 61:1).

It's this anointing God wants to flow down from you, right to where you meet life, right in your kitchen, dealing with your little ones and all the challenges of your day as a mother. I remember how my little ones used to love to hang on to my skirts. Where I walked, they walked. They played in my skirts. They hid in my skirts, especially when a stranger came.

The skirts speak of the getting down to the nitty-gritty. To the lowest. The menial day to day tasks of life. Dear mother, please don't seek to accomplish these in your own strength, but let God's anointing flow down to where you are at this moment! Whatever is happening now! Ask God to pour down His anointing to the bottom of your skirts. There is where He wants to come--to the very reality of your life (Psalm 113:4-8).

God bless you in your home today,

Nancy Campbell

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WIN THE BATTLE AT THE GATE

WinBattleWhere should we fight our battles? Preferably at the gate--before they come into the home! This is why we are gatekeepers. When the enemy comes to our gates, we contend with him there. We resist him and send him bouncing.

Isaiah 28:6 (ESV) says that the LORD of hosts gives "strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate." Dear mothers, seek to turn back your battles at the gate. Don't let them come into your home!

I love Proverbs 14:19 which says: "The evil bow before the good; and the wicked at the gates of the righteous." Let's keep up the standard of righteousness in our own lives and in our homes. This Scripture tells us that when evil seeks to enter our homes, it comes to a screeching halt at the gates of the righteous! Evil and deception cannot get any further than the gates, because we are guarding and holing up the standard of righteousness! The Amplified Version says "at the gates of the UNCOMPROMISINGLY righteous."

We read the same theme in Psalm 127 were God describes the blessed family who raises a quiver full of arrows and trains them to contend and speak with their enemies in the gates. Not only do we push back the enemy at the gates, but we train our children to do the same!

Be encouraged today.

Nancy Campbell

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GATEKEEPERS CANNOT BE WEAKLINGS

Resist2King David appointed 4,000 gatekeepers to watch over the treasures and entrances to the temple, each doing their duty in their courses. I was amazed to notice when reading 1 Chronicles 26 about the caliber of these men. They weren't wimps. Here's some of the descriptions in verses 6-8.

"mighty men of valor"
"strong men"
"able men for strength for the service"

Each one of these descriptions uses the Hebrew word "chayil" which is the same word that was used to describe David's brave soldiers who were also mighty men of valor. Chayil is used in the context of an army going out to battle and means strong, courageous, and valiant. Doorkeepers also had to be strong. They had to examine every person that came into the temple and be able to resist anyone who tried to come in by force. They couldn't be weaklings. They had to have the power of a "bouncer" if the need arose (if we could use that word in a positive way).

I remember when we were pioneering a church on the Gold Coast of Australia, a place of many nightclubs. Our church was opposite the casino. One of the first converts who came into our church was a bouncer. He was a big black guy and one punch from him and the recipient would be knocked out flat! He didn't know any other work apart from being a "bouncer" and would come to us every night before he went to work and ask us to pray for him! I trust he did his job with a little more restraint! The wonderful thing is that God worked in this man and today, thirty years down the track, he is still preaching the gospel.

However, dear ladies, did you know that this same Hebrew word, "chayil" is also used about us women? It is the same word that is used in Proverbs 31:10: "Who can find a virtuous (chayil) woman: for her price is far above rubies." To be a mother and homemaker we also need to be strong and courageous--especially strong in truth, strong in our convictions, and strong to resist the enemy.

As gatekeepers of our home, we must daily put on the armor of God and "bounce" out of our home all deception, evil, and anything that rises up "against the knowledge of God" (2 Corinthians 5:10). We guard carefully over our gates and examine everyone and everything that could defile our home. Our home is a holy temple and we have the responsibility to keep it holy.

You cannot do it in your own strength, but call upon God. Use the power of the name of Jesus as you resist the enemy. Don't be a weakling, but stand strong against all insidious plans of the enemy to defile and destroy your home.

Blessings to you today,

Nancy Campbell

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YOU ARE CHOSEN

ChosenIsn't it amazing to think that Jesus chose His own mother? He was the Creator of His mother. The angel who came to her called Mary "highly favored" and three times she is referred to as "blessed art thou among women" (Luke 1:28, 42, and 48).

Catholics have canonized Mary, but protestants tend to ignore her. But although she was not divine and not a saint, but human just like us, she must have been very special. Let's face it, Jesus Christ who was God chose her. Some women are just born with a nicer temperament than others (some are more sweeter and others more prickly), but I am sure Marry was one with a beautiful disposition, especially to be THE chosen one. A. W. Tozer writes of Jesus, "Was there anything lovelier than to be the Creator of His own mother, to have made the very body that gave Him protection and bore Him at last into the world?"

There must have been times when she got angry, became frustrated, and gave into the flesh, but I am sure she had a more beautiful nature than I was ever born with. I am sure she was sweet-spirited and filled with compassion, patience, and longsuffering. We know she was humble and that is the most precious attribute God looks for (Luke 1:48 52, Psalm 34:18; 51:17; Isaiah 66:2; and 1 Peter 5:5).

She was a busy mother like us with many children. No, she was not a virgin all her life. She bore the weight of raising an average large family of at least seven children, could have been ten or more (Matthew 1:25 and Mark 6:3).

I cannot say "in exactly the same way" as Mary, but it is a truth that God has also chosen you to be the mother of your children. Our Omniscient God who knows the beginning from the end, who knows not only what you are thinking right now, but what you will be thinking this time next year, and who has known from eternity every child He has given you and will give you CHOSE YOU to be their mother. Yes, even the mother of that "difficult" one.

Because God chose YOU, you are blessed by God. Because God chose YOU, your children are blessed.

Mother your children today with the awesome understanding that you have chosen by God for this greatest of all works. And because you have been chosen, God is backing you all the way. He will never leave you or forsake you.

God bless you, "chosen one."

Nancy Campbell

 

A GIFT FOR YOU TODAY
After reading my post above, YOU ARE CHOSEN, I am sure you will love to listen to Serene and Pearl sing their song, CHOSEN. I know you will be blessed. For a free listen, go to:http://tinyurl.com/Chosenmp3

It comes from their album, PEACE ALL OVER ME. You can download the whole album by going to:http://tinyurl.com/PeaceAllOverMeMp3

Love from 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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