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.

MORE LIKE CHRIST

LikeChristiansThe inspirational writer, A. W. Tozer writes: "How can God continually manifest His presence to the proud and the arrogant when He is so humble and low? To the lukewarm and the carless when He is so zealous? To the hard and the vengeful when He is so forgiving? To the harsh and severe when He is so kind? To the calculating when His love led Him to die? When we are so stained, how can we have fellowship with Him?"

And yet He makes a way for us through the death of His beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Not only did Jesus die and take our punishment for sin that we deserved, but He comes to dwell in our hearts. As we allow His Holy Spirit to work in our hearts, He changes us into His image and makes us more like Him.

But even though He longs to dwell with us and commune with us, He is grieved when we allow sin in our lives for He cannot fellowship with sin. We must keep short accounts with God (1 John 1:7, 9).

A. W. Tozer writes again: "I think that repentance is called for. We need to repent of unlikeness (to Him); of unholiness in the presence of the holy; of self-indulgence in the presence of the selfless Christ; of harshness in the presence of the kind Christ; of hardness in the presence of the forgiving Christ; of lukewarmness in the presence of the zealous Christ, burning like a fiery flame; of worldliness and earthliness in the presence of the heavenly Christ."

What a difference it makes in our homes and all our relationships as we allow the Holy Spirit to conform us to His image (Romans 8: 29).

May God pour out His blessings upon you in your home today, Nancy Campbell

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WHY WORRY?

WhyWorryWorry? Why worry? What can worry do?
It never keeps a trouble from overtaking you,
It gives you indigestion and sleepless hours at night,
And fills with gloom the days, however fair and bright.

It puts a frown upon the face and sharpness to the tone;
We’re unfit to live with others and unfit to live alone.
Worry? Why worry? What can worry do?
It never keeps a trouble from overtaking you.

Pray? Why pray? What can praying do?
Praying really changes things, arranges life anew,
It’s good for your digestion, gives peaceful sleep at night,
And fills the grayest, gloomiest day with rays of glowing light.

It puts a smile upon your face, the love note in your tone;
Makes you fit to live with others and fit to live alone.
Pray? Why pray? It brings God down from heaven
To live and work with you.

~Unknown

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LOGIC OR FAITH?

IsGodAbleAnother lady comments on my post, WHAT I WOULD HAVE MISSED which you can read below. "I am torn with allowing God to bless us with children and the call to be good stewards of our money. If we are struggling financially, I've been told it is the responsible thing to take a pill or use condoms or take some measure to make sure we don't have any more children we can't afford. I've been told if we use WIC, we shouldn't have children anymore. I've been told if we run out of money for groceries, allowing God to bless us with more children is irresponsible. So I'm torn. We are financially in dire need."

I wonder who gave this advice to this mother? It certainly does not come from God, or His Word. It is humanistic reasoning. Why do we who are God's people listen to man rather than God? Why do we think man's word is to be obeyed rather than God? I think it is because man uses human logic, whereas God's ways require faith. There is only one way we can please God and that is by faith. Hebrews 11:6 says: "Without faith it is IMPOSSIBLE to please God."

Of course it is true that every husband must be faithful to God's calling upon his life to be the provider of the home. He is to work hard to provide. And he always has a job. For if he currently doesn't have a job, he still has a full-time job of looking for a job. If he does his full time looking for a job, not just waiting for one to fall in his lap, he will soon have one.

However, if a husband is faithful to work, he can then trust God to provide far beyond what he is able to in his own ability and strength. God always provides for His children. Throughout our whole life we have lived beyond our lowly income and God has always miraculously provided. David said, "I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his children begging bread" (Psalm 37:25).

God's Word is filled with promises about providing for children. To check them out, go to this link: http://tinyurl.com/CanGodProvideforBaby

God bless you today,

Nancy Campbell

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WHEN SHOULD WE STOP BLESSINGS?

GreatestGiftOne of our readers posted a reply to the post below: WHAT I WOULD HAVE MISSED. I would like to make some comments.

"God does give us the wonderful blessing of children. But he also gave us the wonderful blessing of free will. And I think this includes being able to make a decision that you have had enough children . . . When you as a family decide that you want to focus on the children you have, on raising them up right, on listening to your body when it says 'enough,' on listening to your husband when he says 'enough,' I truly believe this is ok."

I will admit that these words sound logical and wise. But dear ladies, this is how the enemy tempts us. He does not tempt you with that which is blatantly evil for he knows you would take no notice. Instead, he tempts us with that which sounds wise and good. This was his first temptation to Eve in the Garden of Eden? How could the enemy tempt someone who personally walked and talked with God each day? He did it by sounding "good," "wise," and "pleasant" (Genesis 3:6). The above words sound so good and pleasant to our ears because they cater to how we feel. What we think is best. What fits in with our lifestyle. What fits our plans. This is humanism.

We don't know what is best for us. Only God who created us knows what is best. It is only right that we listen to Him. Job said, "For he is not a man, as I am, that I should answer him, and we should come together in judgment" (Job 9:32). Who are we to argue with God? He is the Creator, we are the created. He is the Planner; we are the planned. He is the Savior and Deliverer; we are the saved. He is Infinite; we are infinite. Isaiah 29:16 says: "Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter's clay: for shall the work say of him that made it, He made me not? or shall the thing framed say of him that framed It He had no understanding?"

And where in Scripture do we read that we are to listen to the dictates of the body? God does not speak to us through the dictates of our body, but through His eternal word. There are those who listen to their bodies and commit fornication! Of course I know that our bodies get tired. Motherhood is a powerful and all-engaging career. But anyone who is doing a great job gets tired. That's why God gives us the night to sleep and refresh our bodies (Psalm 127:2).

And dear ladies, God created our bodies for the purpose of childbearing. Childbearing does not wear out your body, it preserves your body. 1 Timothy 2:15 (NASB) says: "Women will be PRESERVED through the bearing of children." For scientific proof, go to: http://tinyurl.com/PreservedThroughMotherhood

This lady also commented: "I think He is far more interested in the quality of your children as opposed to the quantity." I think you could only make this statement if you haven't experienced the joys, plusses, interaction, input, and loaded blessings of a larger family.

Jesus Himself was part of a family of at least seven or maybe ten or more. In Matthew 13:55, 56 it tells about Jesus' five brothers "and his sisters." That means there had to be at least two sisters, but the inference is that there were more. What if there were five? That would have been ten in the family. Do you think that God, the Potentate of the universe, the Creator of all, and the Father of His Beloved Son would allow him to live in a large family if it was not going to allow quality? Of course not. This was normal family size in God's eyes.

We must all ask this question. When does quality stop? Is it after two children? Or perhaps after three? If you were to ask parents of six or more children if their youngest child receives less quality because they are part of a larger family, they would laugh out loud!

Children of smaller families have far less attention than those in larger families. A baby coming into a large family is overloaded with love, cuddles, and constant attention--more than parents could ever give. They receive unbounded love, teaching, and interaction from all different ages, often from eight, nine, or ten people each day. They receive far more stimulation than a first or second child could ever receive.

And this is how God plans family to work. Children learn and receive so much from one another. They also learn that they are not the only one in the family to expect attention, for all are receiving love and attention. They grow up secure, and yet without selfishness and the entitlement mentality of so many today.

Plus, if we should only have so-called "quality" rather than "quantity," does that mean that younger children born into a family are not fit to be born? Well, what about a few examples of hundreds that we could write about?

President George Washington was the 5th of ten children.
President William Harrison was the youngest of seven children.
President Benjamin Harrison was the 5th child of thirteen children.
President Benjamin Franklin was the youngest son of a youngest son for five generations, although he also had two younger sisters, and was actually the 15th of seventeen children.
By the way, seven of our presidents came from families of ten or more children. Did they not have quality in their family life?
Jonathan Edwards was the 11th child of eleven children (he had 10 older sisters doting on him).
Dwight L. Moody was the 6th child of eight children.
Nate Saint, one of the missionaries who was martyred as they sought to bring the Gospel to the Auca Indians was the 7th of eight children.
Composer Johann Sebastian Bach was the youngest child of eight children.
Composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (by the way, his full name is Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart!) was the youngest child of seven children.
King David, the great king of Israel, was the youngest of eight children.
King Solomon, David's son grow up with at least twenty brothers and one sister is mentioned, but there were most probably so many more.
And so we could go on.

Another mother commented: "I thank God for every one of our nine children, 42 grandchildren, and 17 great-grands--many serving GOD FULLTIME ALREADY!" Did we read, "Many of them serving God FULL TIME? But they come from a large family where there is no "quality"! Don't you think we better re-evaluate?

God bless you today, Nancy Campbell

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HOW DID YOU BREAK THE NEWS?

TopSecretBelow you can read a story of how a couple shared the news they were pregnant with all their friends. I know many of you have thought of unique and ingenious ways to tell your husband, your children, and your friends that you are having a baby. I would love to hear these wonderful stories. If you would like to share your story, can you please send it to me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.? Thanks.

Write PREGGIE STORY in the Subject Heading. Make sure your email is at the end of your story. I will share some of them on Facebook, but ultimately I would like to gather some for printing in the next Above Rubies. I can't wait to hear of all the original and exciting ways you thought of to tell the great news.

~ Nancy

TOP SECRET EXPERIMENT

By Bridget Welch This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Before I found out we were pregnant, my husband and I had three beautiful children--Alyssa (9), Josiah (7), and Emma (6), and they were all about to have birthdays. We had been wanting another child since our littlest Emma was a baby, but the Lord had other plans.

During these infertile years, God brought a beautiful young mother with three young children to live us for a time while she transitioned out of an abusive relationship. She became integral part of our extended family. We watched her go from a hurting lost young lady to a Jesus-loving, homeschooling mom.

Shortly after we setup our young mom in a house of her own, a precious girl named Katherine came to live with us. She had left home under some very stressful conditions, and God opened doors for her to come live with us. Four years later, she is now a full time member of the Welch family. Even though we did not have a newborn child these last six years, God gave us others to nurture.

As the years went by, I began to cry out even more fervently to the Lord, "Please Lord, Emma will be seven soon. Could You please give us another child?" One night I was at a Above Rubies Bible study group with some of my closest friends and I began to cry. I poured my heart declaring how much I really wanted a little one to hold. We petitioned God for a miracle during that time of fellowship, and a few days later I noticed that I had not had my monthly cycle in a while. I had been late before, so I did not get my hopes up until a friend of mine gave me a unused pregnancy test she had lying around the house. I had taken many tests over the last six years, but I prayed that this test would be a positive one.

I waited until the next morning after my husband had gone to work to take the pregnancy test. After he left for work, I snuck downstairs before the children were awake to take the test. With my eyes firmly shut, I waited a minute for the results to materialize. I slowly opened one eye and peered at the result. It was positive! I fell on my knees and cried out, "Thank you! Thank you, Jesus!" I felt like Hannah who cried out and the Lord heard her cries.

When the children awoke from bed, I immediately told them the exciting news. The children began brainstorming on how we could break the news to Daddy. We stuffed the pregnancy test, a rock, and a bunch of tissue paper in a box we had just received recently in the mail. It still had all the postal markings on it, so it looked very official. I then called my husband and advised him that a surprise package had arrived for him, and he needed to come home at lunch time to open it because it looked important and the children were dying to look inside. Luckily my husband only works about eight minutes away, so he was more than game to come home for lunch.

When my husband, Byron, came in, the children gave him the box and he gave it a shake. Then he cut it open and pulled everything out of the box and finally saw the test. He had a happy look on his face, but not an overly surprised one. My husband has a gift for knowing when women are pregnant, so he probably already knew in the back of his mind. After loving on me for a moment, my husband asked, " So how are we going to break the news to everyone else? "

While he was thinking about how to break the news to our friends, he swore me to secrecy to not tell anyone else until the big reveal. Now I have a big personality and I am a social butterfly. This request of his was very hard to keep, but I did! I was even at a swap meet with a friend who I consider a close sister to me. She noticed I was purchasing baby clothes, and I would like to think I was able to make a generic enough reason that would not have her suspecting anything.

My husband decided to inform all of our friends and loved ones at the upcoming Saturday House fellowship gathering. From the dollar store he purchased 20 pregnancy tests, and a large white poster board which he emblazoned with the title, "TOP SECRET EXPERIMENT.".

He asked me to take 18 pregnancy tests over the period of two days and asked Katherine, our adopted adult daughter to take the two remaining tests. He then pasted all my tests on the poster board in labeled chronological order. He labeled a small portion in the bottom corner of the board, "OTHER TEST SUBJECT" where he pasted Katherine's two negative pregnancy tests.

Saturday came around, and my husband brought out the board and told everyone he had been doing a "Top Secret Experiment" for the last few days. He explained it all to them and explained it in big words so it sounded official. The funny thing was that tests which were purchased from the dollar store were just small little sticks and no one could really make out what they really were. So everyone was squinting trying to see what he had done, because he was being very serious. After a number of perplexed looks at the board, the whole gang clued into what we announcing.

Today Jeremiah is eight months old and he has changed our lives so much! He is truly a blessing from the Lord. God has given us four blood children, one adopted child, and four very close spiritual children, and we love all of them as our own.

~ Bridget * This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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WHAT I WOULD HAVE MISSED!

SamSereneLast night we popped over to Serene's to see the baby. What a joy to bask in the delight of this little newborn, although he is now three weeks already. Babies grow too quickly. But there was more than a baby. Around the room were eleven of Serene and Sam's thirteen children, plus two of her grandchildren. As we talked together it came upon us again the power of a baby. If we had decided stop another baby coming into the world at the time of Serene's conception, we would not have had our youngest biological daughter, Serene. But more than that, not one of the amazing people, each with their different personalities would be in this world or sitting in that room.

But more than that. There are still so many more to come from this one baby we gave birth to 38 years ago. As her children grow they will marry and have children and their children will have grandchildren. There are so many more godly children yet to come from this one birth many years ago.

We would be deprived. The world would be deprived. God would be deprived. Eternity would be deprived. We often forget that when we say No to one baby, we actually say No to many more people who God wants to come to earth to bless this world. We say No to a whole dynasty.

And I'm only talking about one of our children. The same applies to all of them. I don't think we truly realize the enormity of our deception about refusing the children God wants us to have. Just think of the godly dynasties that have been lost to this world because even God's people have been educated to limit their family size.

God bless you today, Nancy Campbell
P.S. The picture is of Sam and Serene with their new baby and Haven (3).

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THE SIMPLE THINGS

SimpleThingsYour day is made up of little things, but all those little things add up to big things. When you do all the little, simple, even mundane and boring things with joy, it makes your family life great. Enjoy the poem:

THE SIMPLE THINGS

Oh it's just the little homely things
The unobtrusive, friendly things,
The "won't-you-let-me-help-you" things
That make our pathway light.
And it's just the jolly, joking things,
The "laugh-with-me-it's-funny" things,
The "never-mind-the-trouble" things
That make the world seem bright.

For all the countless, famous things,
The wondrous, record-breaking things,
Those "never-can-be-equaled" things
That all the papers cite
Can match the little human things,
The "just-because-I-like-you" things,
Those "Oh-it's-simply nothing" things
That make us happy quite.

So here's to all the simple things,
The everyday encountered things,
The "smile-and-face-your-troubles" things
"Trust God to put them right,"
The "done-and-then-forgotten" things,
The "can't-you-see-I-love-you" things,
The hearty "I-am-with-you" things
That make life worth the fight.

~ Grace Haines

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"MARVELOUS ARE THY WORKS"

MarvelousWorksPsalm 139:14 says: "I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: MARVELOUS ARE THY WORKS; and that my soul knoweth right well."

The word "marvelous" in the Hebrew is "pala" and means "extraordinary, wonderful, miraculous." This is how God describes the way He creates the baby in the womb. Every pregnancy and birth is miraculous. It is extraordinary.

LET'S NEVER LOSE THE WONDER!

~ Nancy

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SIGNS AND WONDERS

SignsWondersYou are an extraordinary "work of the Lord." Each one of your children are an original and only one-of-its-kind "work of the Lord." Even more. God planned you before the foundation of the world. You were in His heart and His mind from the beginning. God is eternal, omnipotent, and omniscient. He knows everything from the beginning to the end. He knows everything you will think and say today and in the days to come. God wrote your whole life in His book before you were ever conceived.

Acts 15:18 says: "Known unto God are ALL his works from the beginning of the world." You are one of His divine works. Your children are His creation. Colossians 1:16 says: "ALL things were created BY HIM and FOR HIM."

This poses a question we must face. What about children whom God planned to come into this world and fulfill a certain destiny, but we have said No to them coming? How many children have been denied existence whom God intended to be born into this world and for eternity?

"Behold, I and the children whom the LORD hath given me are for signs and for wonders" (Isaiah 8:18).

We who are finite and earthly must beware that we do not hinder the plans our infinite and sovereign God.

God bless you today, Nancy Campbell

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THE TRYING DAYS

slow downThe trying days, the sighing days, the days when things go wrong,
The hurry days, the worry days, the days when you’re off song,
The busy days, the dizzy days that you go rushing madly through –
Trying to catch up on all the jobs you have to do.

The trying days, the flying days– the clock goes twice its pace,
But when you start to feel you are competing in a race–
Slow down for a moment, let your tangled thoughts unwind.
You’ll get through in half the time if you’ve a quiet mind.

~ Patience Strong

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GOD DOES NOT CHANGE HIS ETERNAL PLANS

childrenContinuing the discussion from yesterday's post, TWELVE BIBLICAL REASONS WHY GOD GIVES US CHILDREN, one writer commented that most of the Scriptures mentioned were from the Old Testament and that in the New Testament we are not obligated to bring forth natural children, but only spiritual children.

Because we must be faithful to the truth, I will make comment. There are many doctrines and truths that were established in the Old Testament that are not repeated in the New Testament because they were already accepted as truth by those living in the New Testament. They did not have to be established or repeated again. One of these is having children. God's very first words to Adam and Eve after He created them and blessed them were: "Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth" (Genesis 1:28). God didn't change His plan for mankind in the New Testament. God's design from eternity is revealed from the beginning to the end of the Bible. He is the God of eternity. He established His plans before the ages of the world ever began. He is the unchangeable God.

Where is the Scripture that says that we should no longer bring forth children, but only spiritual children? Of course, it is nowhere to be found. We cannot make up our own doctrines. We must keep to God's infallible and eternal Word. And yes, He wants us to be witnesses, proclaiming God's truth of salvation and leading as many people as we can to Jesus, but this is not instead of having children. We do this as we continue God's first commandment of having children. In fact, we accomplish it more by having children. And we bring into the world more people to be revealers of God's image in the earth.

If we were to only birth spiritual children, we would soon have no spiritual children to birth, as we can only bring spiritual birth to children who have first been naturally born. The more children born into the world, the more can receive spiritual birth. And the more children God's people embrace from Him (for He only is the Giver of life), the more witnesses, preachers, and proclaimers of the truth we raise to bring people to Jesus in this world.

At this moment, we are destitute of the godly seed, so much so that we don't even have enough godly people to vote in righteous politicians and a godly president. This would not be our experience in this country if Christians had not stopped having the children God wanted them to have. Instead of filling the land with godly children, we have purposely limited them. This is far from God plan.

Love from Nancy

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BABIES ARE LOVE MULTIPLIERS

LoveMultipliersI want to share Rachael Stokes' testimony which she wrote in response to yesterday's post, especially because it is her little grandson, Jackson who is pictured. She shares:

"Jackson is my first grandson. Everybody has told me that you love your grandchildren more than your children. This is not so. Grandchildren make love MULTIPLY A THOUSAND TIMES. This little baby caused me to love my daughter, Renee, and son-in-love more than I ever thought possible. I never knew that you could love a child that was not your own this much. He has multiplied my love for Jake's family because they are a part of this little man. When Jake fell into love with Renee I had no idea I could love so many people so much. Grandchildren are the love multipliers. Be thankful for the person your child marries because the union will bring blessing beyond what you can imagine."

P.S. The picture: Rachael's daughter, Renee with newborn baby Jackson. What a beautiful picture of contented motherhood.

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THE PAIN OF INFERTILITY

HopeAliveAfter reading my post yesterday of TWELVE BIBLICAL REASONS WHY GOD GIVES US CHILDREN a number of mothers shared that it was hard for them to read because they struggle with the pain of infertility. Dear precious ladies in this situation, I want you to know that I agonize with you. The ache and longing for children can be unbearable. After many years of barrenness, Rachel, Jacob's wife, cried out in despair, "Give me children, or else I die" (Genesis 30:1).

Please don't despair, dear mothers. Can I encourage you to trust in God's ultimate sovereignty? You cannot understand the pain and heartache you endure. You cannot understand why you cannot conceive. "Why is God not blessing me?" you cry out. There is so much we go through that we will never understand this side of eternity. We do not live in a perfect world. But one day we will see the big picture. 2 Corinthians 4:18 says: "For your light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a FAR MORE EXCEEDING AND ETERNAL WEIGHT OF GLORY; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal." The Knox translation says: "This light momentary affliction brings with it a reward multiplied every way, LOADING US WITH EVERLASTING GLORY."

God is in control of every situation of our lives. He is God. He is the I AM THAT I AM., He is not the God we want Him to be. That is a false God. He is not a God we can put in a little box to toe the line to our desires. That is a false God. He is the sovereign God of the universe. He is the sovereign God of eternity.

Please trust Him, dear precious hurting ones. Yes, the blessing of children is one of God's very precious blessings, and the first blessing He gave to mankind (Genesis 1: 28). But God continually blesses us. He blesses you moment by moment. God's blessings are myriad. Look for His blessings in your life. Count them one by one. Never give up thanking Him for the blessings He gives you. God understands your heart and He will comfort you and minister to you and show you His will for your life.

He blesses you with His divine Presence. He blesses you with His sustaining, life-giving Word. He blesses you with your husband and a home to live in. He blesses you with family and friends. He blesses you with the gift of a new day to live for Him and glorify Him, for isn't this our ultimate goal? The shorter catechism says: "Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever."

And above all, He blesses you with the gift of salvation. To have the blessing of forgiveness of sins and the promise of eternal life is beyond anything we ever deserve. Every other blessing is only icing on the cake.

Although to conceive a baby is the longing of every woman, our ultimate joy is found only in God. Press into Him, dear sweet mother. Draw close to Him. He is your Sufficiency. He is your Source. He is your Refuge. He is your Joy. He is your Savior. He is your Comforter. He is El Shaddai, the God who is Enough, the only One who is able to satisfy the longing of your heart. Nothing can take His place.

And never give up hope. I know mothers who have conceived after waiting ten and even more years. God has His perfect timing. Keep trusting Him and as you wait for His blessing of a baby. I just heard this morning of another couple who have suffered the pain of infertility, but now, after ten years of waiting they are having a baby! Praise God. Do you remember that Rebecca, Isaac's wife was infertile for twenty years before she conceived?

Trust Him when dark doubts assail thee,
Trust Him when thy strength is small,
Trust Him when to simply trust Him
Is the hardest thing of all.

I loved reading Rachael Stokes' comment to yesterday's post. Rachael is the grandmother of the beautiful new baby Jackson pictured in the post. She says: "I suffered and struggled with infertility for quite a number of years and it was indeed very painful. I waited nine years for Seth and then another eight years for your youngest, Ruby. I came to the point where if someone made a pregnancy announcement in church I would fall apart. I could not attend baby showers --they were too painful.

Finally, God convicted me that I was bitter. If I couldn't feel joy for someone else, I was selfish. With God's divine help I surrendered to Him and found joy whether or not I had a baby. My joy and peace comes from the Lord. Then God did bless us with a baby. He doesn't always do this, but it was our testimony and I have also heard it many times from others. God is good, whether or not he gives us exactly what we believe we want and need. Surrendering our fertility is just that--surrendering to His sovereign will, whatever the results."

Others commented how they have adopted and how God has blessed them through receiving children this way. One mother shared: "Just because you did not birth your child does not mean God does not love you. He loves you enough to know that you can take a child born to someone else and raise that child as your own. God blessed us with our daughter whom we adopted and we wouldn't have it any other way. She truly was meant to be our daughter and we feel so blessed each and every day."

May you nestle in God's comfort and love and His divine plan for you.

~ Nancy Campbell

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TWELVE BIBLICAL REASONS WHY GOD WANTS TO GIVE US CHILDREN:

12Reasons1. BECAUSE HE WANTS TO BLESS YOU (Genesis 1:27-28; 9:1, 2, 7; Psalm 128:3-4 and loads of others). There is a whole chapter on these blessing Scriptures in the book, Be Fruitful and Multiply.

2. BECAUSE HIS FACE AND FAVOR IS TURNED TOWARD YOU (Leviticus 26:9).

3. BECAUSE HE LOVES YOU (Deuteronomy 7:13).

4. BECAUSE OF HIS MERCY AND COMPASSION TOWARD YOU (Deuteronomy 13:17).

5. BECAUSE HE REJOICES OVER YOU (Deuteronomy 28:63).

6. BECAUSE HE WANTS TO DO YOU GOOD (Genesis 32:12; Deuteronomy 28:6; and 30:5).

7. BECAUSE HE WANTS TO HONOR YOU (1 Chronicles 25:4-5 and Psalm 127:5).

8. BECAUSE HE WANTS TO ABUNDANTLY PROSPER YOU (Deuteronomy 28:11).

9. BECAUSE HE WANTS TO REWARD YOU (Psalm 127:3).

10. BECAUSE OF HIS LOVINGKINDNESS TOWARD YOU (Psalm 107:41-43).

11. BECAUSE HE WANTS TO GIVE YOU JOY AND GLADNESS (Psalm 113:9; 127:5; and Luke 1:13-14).

12. BECAUSE HE WANTS TO FILL THE EARTH WITH HIS IMAGE--AND FILL ETERNITY (Genesis 1:28; Malachi 2:15 and loads of others).

How many more reasons do you need?

Love from Nancy Campbell

P.S. This gorgeous picture is of newborn Jackson Lingo, firstborn son of Jake and Renee Lingo, friends of ours. Isn't he so chubby, cuddly, and gorgeous? What could be more wonderful and miraculous than a newborn baby?

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WHICH IS THE LOUDEST VOICE?

LoudestVoiceAll about us we have voices vying for our attention. Voices that fill our mind, program our minds, and even propagandize us. What is the loudest voice in your mind?

Jesus, our great Shepherd says: "My sheep HEAR my voice, and I know them, and they follow me" (John 10:27). He also says that His sheep "KNOW His voice." If we are walking close to the Shepherd, we will hear His voice more than all the other voices. We will discern His voice from all the other voices in the world.

In this hour of deception, it is so important for us to hear and know the Shepherd's voice. We have to be in His Word. We have to say No to all the other voices.

And dear mothers, we must teach our children how to hear the Shepherd's voice. We must teach them to listen to Him through His precious Word. We must encourage them to make this a daily habit of their lives. If they don't learn to hear the Shepherd's voice, they will be deceived and led astray by all the deceptive voices that seek to lure them away from the fold.

Stay close to your Shepherd today. Cry out to Him and tell Him you long to hear His voice.

Love to you today, Nancy Campbell

P.S. Do you notice how the sheep's ears are pricked up and listening? We should also prick up our ears to listen to our Shepherd.

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PUT ON YOUR APRON

ApronDo you like to wear an apron? I'm one of those people who need to wear an apron when I'm preparing food or I soon stain my clothes. I love pretty aprons but mine don't stay pretty for very long as they soon become stained and look well-used.

Whether you wear an apron for cooking and cleaning or not, we all need to put on a special apron each day. 1 Peter 5:5 in the William's translation says: "You must all put on the servant's apron of humility to another, because God opposes the haughty but bestows His unmerited favor on the humble."

We should make a conscious effort to put on this apron each morning. It’s not always easy to wear, is it? But this is the apron that will make you look the most beautiful – and it is precious in God’s sight too.

Be blessed today,

Nancy Campbell

P.S. The picture is of my granddaughter Meadow in an apron.

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A HAPPY AND HEALTHY HOME

HappyHealthyHomeNever give up. Keep faithfully building each new day to make your home a happy and healthy sanctuary for your husband and children.

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YOU DON'T HAVE TO WEAR OUT

ResistDevilThe greatest temptation from the enemy of our souls is in our minds. This is where he loves to attack us most, or should I say, even torment us. It is in our minds that he brings thoughts of doubt, deception, despondency, rejection, anger, self-pity, and even despair. If we are not aware of his tactics and do not resist them, they will become bigger in our minds and he wins the victory.

I noticed an interesting Scripture in Daniel 7:25. It speaks about the coming anti-Christ (but this same spirit is already in the world) and it says: "He shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High." The words "wear out" in the Hebrew mean "to afflict mentally." These words are only used in a mental sense. This is Satan's strategy. To wear us out in our minds with unbelieving and deceiving thoughts. If you are in confusion and overwhelmed in your mind, you can't function emotionally or physically.

Therefore, you must be on the alert. You don't have to let the enemy wear you out! This is not God's plan. You can't stop these thoughts coming to your mind, but you don't have to receive them! You don't have to dwell on them for one minute! Resist them in the name of Jesus. Throw them out of your mind. They don't belong in your redeemed mind.

1 Peter 1:13 says: "Gird up the loins of your mind." In Bible days the men wore long tunics and when doing physical exercise pulled up their tunic and tucked it in their belt so they would not be hindered. In the same way, we have to get rid of any thoughts in our minds that hinder us from walking in the victory which Jesus Christ paid the price on the cross to give us.

And be encouraged again today with 2 Corinthians 5:4, 5: "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds; casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity EVERY THOUGHT to the obedience of Christ."

May you have a victorious day triumphing over the wiles of the devil. You do not have to let him wear you out.

~ Nancy Campbell

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YOU ARE A GATEKEEPER

GatekeeperMy daughter, Serene's little boy, Shepherd, is the gatekeeper of their land. Because they have to keep their cows from getting to the neighbors, they have two gates to get to their home. One is about 500 feet from their home and the other about 100 feet.

Each time someone comes to the home Shepherd has to bike or run to the gates and open and shut them for the people coming in or going out. It is so great to be able to call up and give the message, "Tell the gatekeeper to be waiting at the gate." He has a very important job.

You also have a very important job as the gatekeeper of your home. Guard your gates carefully. Then enemy tries to sneak in when you are not watching. Open your gates to everything that is lovely and wholesome. Close your gates to all that is doubtful, dark, deceptive, and evil.

You are the one who determines what comes inside your home. Be a faithful gatekeeper today.

Blessings to you and your home,

Nancy Campbell

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HOW CAN YOU FLOURISH TODAY?

FlourishTodayGod's will for you is to flourish in your home. Here's some ways to flourish in your home:

F Flavor your home with joy, sweetness, and happiness (what a nice flavor)!
L Love every moment of your mothering (rather than dreaming of when these days will be over).
O Offer your life as a living sacrifice (knowing that you save your life by losing it (Mark 11:35 and Romans 12:1-2).
U Unify your home by speaking peace into every situation.
R Revel in the joy of mothering and nurturing the precious gifts God has given to you (knowing that your Employer is God
Himself).
I Intentionally make positive things happen in your home (don't let the day lead you around in circles, but instead purposefully direct your day by the leading of the Holy Spirit).
S Sanctify your home daily with prayer, praises, and the washing of God's Word (Ephesians 5: 26).
H Heap hugs and kisses on your husband and children daily.

God bless you in your home today.
Nancy Campbell

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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