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.
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Strengthening Families Across the World through the encouragement of women in their high calling from God as wives, mothers and homemakers.

Nancy Campbell
Women's Daily Encouragement Blog

THE CORNERSTONE

TheCornerstone“May our daughters be like graceful pillars, carved to beautify a palace” (Psalm 144:12 NLT).
 
THE CORNERSTONE
“That our daughters may be as corner stones, polished after the similitude of a palace” (Psalm 144:12).
 
Daughters as pillars so fixed and grounded
With roots in a rock immovably founded,
An ancient faith and an ancient quarry
Has brought them forth to Heaven’s glory.
 
For Sarah’s daughters are pillars of life,
Not dead pillars of salt like Lot’s backslidden wife,
Look forward and not back with hearts ablaze
To see your house of God filled with praise.
 
Stand strong in faith and uphold the roof
That shields from storm and welcomes truth,
For pillars sculptured in palace style
Will stand the test of time and trial.
 
As one great pillar made of pearl
You stand a witness to the world,
That the worth of the kingdom far excels
The worth pursued on other trails.
 
With faith unbending and eyes on Him
Who redeemed you to Himself from sin,
Let fulfillment’s greatest goal be found
That on the cornerstone be placed the crown.
 
~ Brayden and Tali Waller
 
What is the cornerstone? The cornerstone is the foundation of the home. In building the home all other stones are set from this foundation stone, thus determining the entire structure. It is the crown. We as mothers are the cornerstones of our home and are training our daughters for this great task. Rejoice today in the great commission God has given you.
 
~ Nancy
 
Brayden and Tali are organizing the coming Above Rubies Family Retreat in Missouri THIS COMING WEEKEND! You can still come at the last minute! Would love to see you!
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Nancy Campbell
Women's Daily Encouragement Blog

WHAT ARE YOU DOING?

WhatRUDoingWhat is your heart doing at this time in our nation? Are you horrified? Are you grieving? Are you gathering your family to pray for this nation and the world each day? Are you gathering others to pray with you?
 
How can we carry on life as normal when we are facing oppression from an illegitimate government? They want to bring back lockdowns, masks, and make an experimental vacc-sin-ation mandatory. Our nation is guilty of mass murdering of the unborn, sex trafficking, homosexuality, and now transgender is even advocated in our schools. How do we get used to the fact that same-sex marriage is law in our nation? Do we really see sin like God sees it?
 
I think of how King Josiah responded after hearing the words of the “book of the law.” When he heard of God’s judgments upon the sin of the land, he wept and tore his clothes. God saw his repentance and humility and said to him: “Because your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before the LORD when you heard what I spoke against this place and against its inhabitants, that they would become a desolation and a curse, and because you have torn your clothes and wept before Me, I Myself have heard you” (2 Kings 22:19).
 
What about these Scriptures?
 
Psalm 119:53: “HORROR has taken hold upon me because of the wicked that forsake thy law.”
 
Psalm 119: 136: “RIVERS OF WATER run down mine eyes, because they keep not thy law.”
 
Psalm 119:158: “I beheld the transgressors, and was GREIEVED; because they kept not thy word.”
 
What did Ezra do when he found sin amongst the people of God? “When I heard this, I tore my cloak and my shirt, pulled my hair from my head and beard, and sat down utterly shocked” (Ezra 8
 
Ezekiel talks about those who “sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst” (Ezekiel 9:4) and the “sighers” and “criers” were the only ones who escaped God’s judgment.
 
Paul writes in Romans 12:9: “ABHOR that which is evil.” The word “abhor” in the Greek means to ‘SHUDDER WITH HORROR.” Do we shudder?
I have to confess that I haven’t been tearing my clothes, but I am burdened to pray. I don’t believe we can carry on life as per normal unless we don’t understand what is happening.
 
I am sorry this is not a nice, comforting post, but we’ve got to face the facts, dear friends. We are facing tyranny and total dominion of our bodies in what is supposed to be a free nation. Nehemiah cried out in his time: “Also they have dominion over our bodies . . . at their pleasure, and we are in great distress” (Nehemiah 9:37).
 
If we as God’s people are not mightily affected by the sin in the land, if our hearts are not grieved to tears, if we don’t shudder with horror at evil, and if we are not concerned enough to cry out to God in repentance, we are not much different from the world (Jeremiah 10:25).
 
Are our hearts hardened because we get used to the sin and worldliness all around us? Or do we have soft, tender hearts. Oh, I want to walk in the in the fear of the Lord, don’t you? I want a weeping heart over sin (in my own life, in my family, in the church, and in the nation).
 
Let’s get to prayer,
 
Nancy Campbell
 
Scriptures to ponder: 2 Chronicles 7:14; Ezra 9:1-3; Isaiah 66:2; Jeremiah 9:17-21; Ezekiel 9:3-11; Amos 5:15; Joel 2:16-18; James 4:8-10; and 1 Peter 1:17.
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Nancy Campbell
Women's Daily Encouragement Blog

YOU CANNOT BE REPLACED

UCannotBReplacedThe humanistic worldview in our society makes mothers feel insignificant. They are told they should do something worthwhile with their lives. This is opposite to God’s plan. God designed women for the home—to raise His children in the home (yes, they are ultimately God’s children), to influence their children for God and His truth, and to make their home a sanctuary that is strong and secure against the storms of this life.
 
The words of Zechariah 13:7 also apply to motherhood: “Smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones.” Just as the shepherd is essential for the survival of his sheep and lambs, so mothers are indispensable for their children.
 
Satan’s plan is to smite motherhood and scatter the mother shepherds out of the home. When he lures mothers away from their home, he can then turn against “the little ones” and entice them to his thinking and ways.
 
It is sad that many have fallen for Satan’s trap. It is time for watchdog, protective, lion-like, standing strong, never-giving-into-deception mothers to arise. Mothers who will not be moved from their homes and who will guard their children and homes with all diligence.
 
Don’t be lured away, dear mother. No one, no matter how professional they are, can ever replace you! You are more important than you realize.
 
Blessings to you today,
 
Nancy Campbell
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Women's Daily Encouragement Blog

WHAT ABOUT VISITORS?

WhatAboutVisitorsI promised I would also share with you what we should do if visitors who come into our home with different standards than we do. I often wondered what to do about this until I discovered the Scriptures. Isn’t it wonderful? God gives us the answer on any situation we need to know about.
 
Sometimes people come into our home and allow their children to jump on the furniture. Children would ruj into rooms and touch things they shouldn’t. Some people are used to having TV going in the background all day! Help. The day is for work. Not for wasting time looking at junk. Some visitors come to the table with their iPhones as that’s what they do in their homes. They may even place them on their knee under the table where they keep looking down to check them. They can’t leave them unattended for a minute!
 
So, what should we do?
 
This is what the Scriptures say:
 
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."
 
The ESV makes it clearer: “One law shall be to him who is born at home, and to the stranger who lives as foreigner among you.”
 
Therefore, I will sweetly and gently tell the folks that this is the standard we have for our home and would they mind joining with us? If you ask people very nicely, they are usually happy to comply. If not, well, they’ll have to anyway!
Here are some more Scriptures:
 
Numbers 9:14: "Ye shall have one ordinance, both for the stranger, and for him that was born in the land."
 
Numbers 15:15, 16: "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 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."
 
Does this help you a little?
 
Be blessed,
 
Nancy Campbell
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Women's Daily Encouragement Blog

WHAT DO WE DO?

BoyPrayRegarding my recent posts about managing our homes, some have asked what we do for our family devotions each day. We gather together each morning and evening and we usually read THE DAILY LIGHT ON THE DAILY PATH. We use this devotional because it is only the Scriptures. It gives Scriptures on a certain theme for every morning and every evening of every day in the year. All you need to do is go to the date and the Scriptures are waiting for you to read! Isn’t that great? It’s so great, especially for husbands who may not know where to read in the Bible. It’s all waiting for them
 
When my husband reads, he asks lots of questions to get everyone involved. It’s important to make sure everyone is participating so they don’t fall into a dream and twiddle their thumbs with boredom. It’s easy for any of us to do this unless we are kept alert.
 
We always have our Bible reading at the end of the meal. I have found this such a blessing because you have the whole family together at the meal table. And the physical meal prepares us for the spiritual meal. In the Netherlands Christian families call their Bible reading time “Finishing up the Meal.” They wouldn’t leave the table until they had not only nurtured their physical bodies but fed their soul and spirit. The table is a place where we feed the whole man—body, soul, and spirit. If we allow our children to leave the table before we have fed them spiritually, we are letting the go half-fed!
 
We begin our reading before we have cleared the table. Truly? With all the dishes still on the table? Yes. I find that if everyone starts scraping plates, stacking dishes, and taking them to the counter, it breaks the whole atmosphere, and I can never get anyone back to the table again. So, I don’t let them leave! We don’t even notice the dishes on the table. This is an important secret.
 
After reading and sharing together, we all pray. Yes, everyone, right down to the littlest one who is just learning to talk. We learn to pray by praying. Prayer should be as familiar as breath to our children. They should grow up praying aloud. I also use Prayer Boxes on different issues which give ideas of subjects for the children to pray about. And then we sing a worship song or a hymn together.
 
I have two DAILY LIGHTS available through Above Rubies which you can purchase.
 
THE DAILY LIGHT ON THE DAILY PATH * PLUS CREATIVE WAYS TO READ GOD’S WORD TO YOUR CHILDREN (KJV)
 
This book has ideas at the beginning of each month on how you can keep your children “on their toes” and listening. You will find them most helpful.
Or
THE DAILY LIGHT ON THE DAILY PATH (NKJV)
This book has the same Scriptures but does not list the ideas.
 
May you be blessed and encouraged.
 
Nancy Campbell
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WHAT DO I DO IN MY HOUSE?

WhatIDoInMyHouseHere are a few more practical guidelines I found helpful in raising our children and which I still continue today. I know you may have different priorities, because we are all different, but here are some of mine.
 
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 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.
 
3. 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 hates.
 
4. 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.
 
5. I expect everyone to be at the dinner table on time! Not 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 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 for Bible reading and prayer as he wanted to pack his bag. It was only an excuse as he had done nothing all day and had plenty of time after devotions, I certainly didn’t let him off the hook!
 
7. I don’t allow the children to jump up and down during the mealtime but to stay seated until the end.
 
8. I don’t allow children to whisper to someone privately at the table or to have their own conversations while others are talking. That is rude. We all focus on the one conversation so we can enjoy “togetherness.”
 
9. 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. I’ve scraped it off too many times! 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?
 
10. 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.
 
Does this sound rather rigid? No, they are underlying guidelines so we can be free to enjoy life together in peace and happiness. I am sure you have many other ideas to share.
 
Be blessed,
 
Nancy Campbell
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A FEW GUIDELINES

GuidlinesLast week I wrote a couple of posts about keeping order in our homes. These fundamental guidelines change with times and seasons. I had different “rules” when the children were little than when they grew older.
 
Also, I don’t like to give plans for other households as I believe each one will manage their homes uniquely to their personality. Plus, as I shared last week, I believe the Holy Spirit is the greatest guide in showing us how He wants us to effectively run our homes.
 
However, I will give you a few tips that I have found helpful over the years. 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 visitors continually staying and 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. That means children need to be up by a certain time also. And that means getting to bed at a reasonable hour the night before.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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 little 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.
 
And tomorrow I will tell you a load of practical things—things I like and things I don’t like.
 
Blessings from Nancy Campbell
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WE CANNOT LIVE WITHOUT COOKS!

CannotLiveCooksDear mother, don’t despise cooking! It’s a very big pat of your mothering anointing and it’s never a waste of time. It is nurturing and blessing your family and everyone who comes into your home. Do it with joy. And be encouraged by this little poem.
 
We may live without poetry, music, and art;
We may live without conscience and live without heart;
We may live without friends, we may live without books;
But civilized man cannot live without cooks.
 
He may live without books, - what is knowledge but grieving?
He may live without hope, - what is hope but deceiving?
He may live without love, - what is passion but pining?
But where is the man that can live without dining?
 
By Owen Meredith
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HOW CAN YOU DO IT?

HowCanDoItWe talked yesterday about establishing order in the home in order 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 and Zechariah 14:20, 21). 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 on Him 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.
 
We are all going to manage our homes differently because each one of us is a unique personality. I think of my three daughters Evangeline, Pearl and Serene. Each one of them manages their home quite differently because they are all distinct personalities and none of them feel they have to copy the others.
 
God will guide you according to the personality that He gave to you.
 
Be blessed,
 
Nancy Campbell
 
Painting: Roy de Maistre, Interior with mother and child, Exeter, NSW, 1916.
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HOW DO YOU RUN YOUR HOME?

HowRunHmDo 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. 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 Ezekiel’s 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, I believe it is important to keep a basic plan.
 
How do you work things in your home?
 
Blessings from Nancy Campbell
 
Picture: Heart of the Home by John Sloane
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ENTERING A NEW WORLD

EnterNewWorldSome mothers have shared how they have faithfully stayed home to homeschool their children, but now the children have grown and left the nest. What do they do now? One mother mentioned that she feels scared about going back in the workforce after being home all these years.
 
Dear older mothers, why do you feel you now have to go back to the work force? Your career hasn't changed. You are just moving into a different gear. God doesn't take away your motherhood career just because your children have grown! You are entering into a greater realm of motherhood. There is a world of afflicted and hurting people waiting for your love and encouragement. Ask God who He wants you to reach out to. Ask Him who He wants you to gather into your home to love and nurture. Now that your children are grown, you have more time to reach the broken-hearted and to uplift and strengthen the downcast and disillusioned.
 
What about the young mothers? As older mothers, we are commanded to teach them and show them the way God wants them to live. We don't show them the way by going out of the home and going into the workforce. That gives them a false picture. You can't do one thing and say another. You must live what you speak. One of the greatest cries of mothers is that they have no one to encourage them. I hear it daily.
 
Rise up, older mothers. You haven't got time to waste your life earning a bit of extra pocket money. You have a world of young mothers who need encouraging and help; single mothers who need uplifting and strengthening; young singles who need inspiring in the ways of God instead of the ways of the world; older people who are lonely and have no one to care for them; those who sick and in prison; and all the hurting, troubled, and brokenhearted all around you (Matthew 25:31-46). Help, I can’t find the time to do one tenth of all I would like to do in ministering to those who need Jesus.
 
And dear older mothers, you have a home! Don't vacate it. Your home is the greatest place to serve God in the entire world. Ask God who He wants you to invite into your home for a meal. Ask a family over to supper who need encouraging. Ask a young mother with her children over to lunch to bless her and encourage her. Open your home in hospitality. Open your doors wide. You will never be bored again.
 
And look out. The grandchildren will soon be coming. How wonderful. Encourage your children to have children. That's what the Bible tells us to do (Jeremiah 29:6) and be ready and waiting for them.
 
God gives the picture of His plan for women in 1 Timothy 5:10 (ESV). It speaks of the young mother embracing motherhood, but as her children grow, we see her growing more and more powerful in her anointing of motherhood as she opens her home in hospitality and reaches out to the needy. She is described as "having a reputation for good works: if she has brought up children, has shown hospitality, has washed the feet of the saints, has cared for the afflicted, and has devoted herself to every good work."
 
Lift up your eyes. A wonderful world of ministry awaits you.
 
Have a great day,
 
Nancy Campbell
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ARE YOU A SHINING MOTHER?

ShiningMom“You are the LIGHT of the world. . . Let your SO SHINE before men, that they may SEE your GOOD WORKS, and GLORIFY your Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16).
 
Notice the words in caps.
 
LIGHT: Jesus is the light of the world. Therefore, when He comes into our lives we are filled with LIGHT. Light exposes the darkness and deception. Light brings forth life. Light brings forth revelation and understanding.
 
Filled-with-light mothers will expose any darkness or deception that comes into the home. It won’t be able to hide away secretly.
 
SHINE: Do you notice that we are not only to SHINE but to SO SHINE? The Passion translation says: “Let it SHINE BRIGHTLY before others.”
 
Filled-with-light mothers will not be a little dim light, but a bright shining light in their homes and wherever they go.
 
SEE: People must SEE the light of Jesus in our lives. Who will see it first? Our husbands and children. If we can’t shine the light in our homes, how can we do it outside the home? The GW translation says that we should shine our line “in front of people.”
 
Filled-with-light mothers will not hide their light, or be afraid to speak truth, but are always ready to spread light.
 
GOOD WORKS: We reveal the light of Jesus by our GOOD WORKS. We are not saved by good works, but when we are born again, we show it by our good works (Ephesians 2:10). Where will we show our good works first? In our homes.
 
Filled-with-light mothers delight to do good works. By the way, just to remind you, did you remember that God calls loving your husband, loving your children, and being a keeper of the home, etc., a “good” work? Read Titus 2:3-5 and 1 Timothy 5:10).
 
GLORIFY: We GLORIFY our Father in heaven when those around us see our good works.
 
Filled-with-light mothers glorify God as they mother and nurture their children and diligently manage their homes.
 
May your children exclaim, “Mommy, you are shining, today.”
 
“Mommy, I love your smile.”
 
“Mommy, thank you for being home with me.”
 
“Mommy, you look so happy and you make me happy.”
 
Love from Nancy Campbell
 
Painting by Mark Arian
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HAVE YOU CAUGHT THE VISION?

CaughtVisionTHREE MASONS
 
Once a man came upon three rock masons at work. "What are you doing?" he asked of them.
 
"I am carving these stones into the different sizes wanted," answered the first.
 
"I am earning six dollars a day," replied the second.
 
"I am helping to build a great cathedral," commented the last.
 
Only he had caught the vision of the great work that he was helping to do!
 
THREE MOTHERS
 
Once a woman came upon three mothers at work. "What are you doing?" she asked of them.
 
"I am doing the weekly washing," answered the first.
 
"I am doing a bit of household drudgery," replied the second.
 
"I am mothering three young children who someday will fill important and useful spheres in life, and wash-day is a part of my grand task in caring for these souls who shall live forever," replied the third.
 
Only she had caught the vision of the great work she was doing!
 
~ Unknown.
 
Have you caught the vision?
 
Love from Nancy Campbell
 
Painting: Laundry Day by Diane Leonard
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WHAT GOES ON IN YOUR HOME?

OnInHomeDo the people who come into your home feel the presence of God?
 
When Solomon dedicated the temple, he prayed a very heartfelt prayer. One of the things he prayed was "that all the people of the earth may know thy name, and fear thee . . . and may know that this house which I built is called by thy name" (2 Chronicles 6:33).
 
This house was the temple Solomon built for God. But dear ladies, you are also building a house for God. It is a sanctuary for His holy presence where you raise your children in the ways of God. Your home either belongs to the spirit of this world or it belongs to God. Do your children experience God's name in your home? Do they know that their home is called by the name of the Lord? What about your neighbors? Do they know?
 
I think that Solomon's prayer is a good prayer for us to pray too, don't you?
 
How will folks know your home is truly God's home?
. It will be a house of prayer. Jesus said, "My house will be called a house of prayer." Sadly, not much prayer happens in Christian homes today.
 
However, if our home is called by God's name, it will be filled with prayer.
. It will be filled with love.
. It will be filled with confessing the name of the Lord throughout the day.
. It will be filled with the riches of God's word.
. It will be filled with joy, singing, and God-inspired music.
. It will be filled with the glory of God (2 Chronicles 7:1-3).
. It will be filled with the inspiration of a mother who delights to be in her home, nurturing, feeding, and training her children to be God-seekers and God-lovers.
 
Everything comes back to the family and the home. We can get involved in all kinds of ministry but if God doesn't fill our homes, we miss the boat. There are mothers who serve the Lord in different organizations and yet their families are in disarray.
 
Our true testimony is what goes on in our home.
 
Blessings to you today from Nancy Campbell
 
Painting by Hermann von Kaulbach (Munich, Germany 1846 - 1909).
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Nancy Campbell
Women's Daily Encouragement Blog

GET UNDER THE CLOUD OF BLESSING

CloudBeautyIs your marriage in dire straits? Is your home filled with chaos and bedlam? Are you "put to the worse before the enemy"? God always shows us the way to get back to Him.
 
In 2 Chronicles 6:24 Solomon prayed for those who are "put to the worse" by the enemy of their souls. Throughout chapter 24 and also God's promise in 2 Chronicles 7:14 we read God's conditions to get back under the cloud of blessing again.
 
1. Humble ourselves (2 Chronicles 7:14).
2. Return to God with all our hearts and souls (verses 24, 37, 38).
3. Confess our sins, "saying, We have sinned, we have done amiss, and have dealt wickedly" (verse 38).
4. Turn from our sin (verse 26 and 2 Chronicles 7:14)).
5. Confess (acknowledge) the name of the Lord (verses 24, 26).
6. Pray (verses 24, 26, 29, 324, 35, 37, 38, 39, 40, and 2 Chronicles 7:14).
7. Make supplication (beseech) (verses 24, 29, 35, 39).
8. Seek God's face (2 Chronicles 7:14).
9. Spread forth our hands toward the Lord in our homes (verse 29).
10. Fear the Lord again (verse 31).
 
God always turns His heart toward us when we come before Him in humility and confess our sins. Each one of us fail, even as Solomon reminded God in his prayer, "for there is no man which sinneth not" (verse 36). But we have a forgiving heavenly Father. We have an advocate in Jesus Christ through His blood that flowed from His side upon the cross.
 
When we keep a soft and tender heart toward the Lord and toward one another, when we seek to have humble hearts instead of stubborn and proud hearts, and when we continually pray and seek the Lord in our homes He promises: "Mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually" (2 Chronicles 7:16). Oh, what a wonderful promise.
 
Don't you long for God's eyes and His heart to be continually upon your home?
 
Keep close accounts with God. Don't allow Satan to get a foothold in your home.
 
Amen from Nancy Campbell
 
Painting by Emily Schultz
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Nancy Campbell
Women's Daily Encouragement Blog

WHAT WILL YOU WEAR TODAY?

WhatWearTodayMost of us have more clothes in our wardrobe than we need. Did you know that you also have an amazing spiritual wardrobe? And it's free. It has been given to you by Jesus Christ, paid for by His death upon the cross and His precious blood which He poured out for you.
 
God doesn't want you to leave His beautiful clothes He gave you sitting in your wardrobe. He wants you to wear them. Did you wake up grumpy and irritable this morning? Take off that grumpy dress and put on your "garment of praise" (Isaiah 61:3). Oh yes, you've also got a dress called "Joy" too (Nehemiah 8:10).
 
You also have lovely dresses of love, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23). You have delightful garments of tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering, forbearance, and forgiveness. (Colossians 3:12-17).
 
Don't leave them hanging in your wardrobe. God gives them to you to wear!
 
Read Ephesians 4: 22-24 and Colossians 3:10.
 
The strange thing is that although we have this expensive wardrobe, we don't always bother to wear the clothes. We are so used to our old shabby clothes of the flesh. We feel more comfortable in them. They feel familiar, so we stick with them instead of wearing our new clothes. But these new clothes belong to you! They are yours!
 
The J. B. Phillip's translation of Ephesians 4:22-24 says: "Fling off the dirty clothes of the old way of living . And put on the CLEAN FRESH CLOTHES of the new life.
 
You can even change garments as you need to throughout the day. Are the children driving you crazy? Your anger is rising. Quick! Change into your garment of long-suffering or patience. Put it on by faith. Thank the Lord for His patience which is in you because He lives in you.
 
Are you starting to shout and yell because everything is getting on top of you? Put on the garment of gentleness. Thank the Lord for His gentle Spirit who lives in you.
 
Wear your beautiful clothes.
 
Blessings to you,
 
Nancy Campbell
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Women's Daily Encouragement Blog

IT’S A TOGETHER FAITH

TogetherFaithDid you know that your faith in Christ is not only a personal faith, but a TOGETHER faith? Many people like to keep it personal, but that is NOT biblical.
 
When Paul wrote to the new believers in Rome he said: “That I may be comforted TOGETHER with you by the MUTUAL FAITH both of YOU AND ME” (Romans 1:12). Paul revealed three things in this Scripture:
 
1. Our Christianity is a “together” lifestyle.
2. Our faith is not only a personal faith, but a “mutual faith.”
3. Our faith is a “you and me” faith.
 
This is why God designed for us to live together as families. God doesn’t want people to live on their own. He sets the solitary in families (Psalm 68:6). This is why God commands that we meet together as believers and “do not forsake the assembling of ourselves together” (Hebrews 10:25).
 
You will love the Passion translation of Romans 1:11, 12: “I yearn to come and be FACE-TO FACE with you and get to know you. For I long to impart to you some spiritual gift that will empower you to stand strong in your faith. Now, this means that when we come together and are SIDE BY SIDE, something wonderful will be released. We can expect to be co-encouraged and co-comforted by each other’s faith!”
 
Our Christianity is a “face to face and side by side” experience. We cannot grow into full maturity in our walk with God without one another (Ephesians 2:19-22 and 4:15, 16).
 
The Bible also speaks of our “common faith” (Titus 1:4) and our “common salvation” (Jude 1:3). The word “common” is “koinos” and means “sharing by all.” The Passion translation says: “Titus, you are my true son in the FAITH WE SHARE.”
 
Share your faith together as a family. Never neglect meeting with other believers to encourage one another, inspire one another, teach one another, pray for one another, bless one another, bear one another’s burdens, fellowship with one another, help one another, serve one another, and show hospitality to one anoth3er. These are just a few of the 38 “one anothers” God give us to do to one another and they are all the same Greek word as “mutual faith.” And you can’t do these things hiding away on your own.
 
It is togethering.
 
I think of a fire of coals burning brightly. Take one of the coals from off the fire and put it on its own. It is not long before it becomes black and cold with no life in it. Put the coal back in the fire with the other coals and it soon burns brightly again.
 
Many blessings,
 
Nancy Campbell
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ARE YOU WALKING IN VICTORY?

RUWalkVictoryI have been reading through the book of Revelation recently. I believe we should read this book of the Bible often. We don’t always understand everything that is written but the closer we get to the end, the more we will understand the revelation John saw on the island of Patmos.
 
I was very challenged as I read Revelation 15:2, 3. John was looking into heaven and writes: “And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the
victory OVER the beast,
and OVER his image,
and OVER his mark,
and OVER the number of his name,
stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb saying, Great and marvelous are thy works, Lord God Almighty, just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.”
 
We need to confess this Scripture out loud repeatedly to get it into our being. God does not want us to give in but to have the victory OVER all evil and deception, and particularly the beast and the mark which we will face in the coming days.
 
We must also prepare our children for what is coming. We must prepare them to be strong and courageous. We must teach them to NEVER take the mark of the beast. I would encourage you to take this Scripture as a memory verse and memorize it together as a family. I have just memorized these verses myself.
 
You could say them together OUT LOUD each day when you sit at the table together. And put the emphasis on the word OVER or whatever word your translation gives you. Many translations use the word CONQUER. Doing this will prepare you to live in victory and never cave into Satan’s plans for your destruction.
 
The word “victory” means to subdue, to conquer, to overcome, to prevail.” It is the same word used in Revelation 12:11: “And they OVERCAME him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.”
It is the same word that speaks of Jesus going “forth CONQUERING and to CONQUER” (Revelation 6:2).
 
When God commanded Joshua to take the land God promised to the children of Israel, He not only encouraged him to be strong, but to be “Strong and VERY courageous” (Joshua 1:9). I believe we must learn to exercise courage NOW. Courage is far more than an attribute. It is a muscle that gets stronger with use. If we don’t exercise courage, we atrophy and stay weak and wimpy. It takes courage and effort to do something that is not easy. Even if we only have a little courage, if we exercise it, our muscle courage will grow stronger and we’ll find it easier to do difficult things, to stand up for truth, and to resist evil and tyranny.
 
We must prepare ourselves and our children NOW for that day when we cannot buy or sell if we do not take the mark. We don’t wait until then to be strong. We prepare NOW.
 
I think of the great heroes of the faith in Hebrews 11. Verse 34 tells of those “who out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of aliens.” They didn’t start out strong. They were weak in faith and courage. But as they exercised their courage, they became stronger. They “became strong out of weakness, became mighty in war . . .” (Darby).
 
As families, (father sand mothers and our children), let’s cultivate the right attitude now—overcoming, prevailing, conquering, and victorious as we stand strongly against all deception, all evil, and all tyranny.
 
We don’t want to experience what happened in Nehemiah’s time: “They have dominion over our bodies . . . at their pleasure, and we are in great distress” (Nehemiah 9:37).
 
Be encouraged today,
 
Nancy Campbell
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GOD IS WITH YOU IN THE BATTLE

WithYouInBattleI am sure I don't have to remind you that we are in a war. We are in a battle between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan, between light and darkness, truth and deception. Every day we wake up we go out to war against the enemy. Praise God, we don't go on our own. The Lord of hosts is with us to give us the victory.
 
The children of Israel had become servants in the land God had given to them because they gave up warring. After eight years of servitude, they cried out to the Lord, and in His mercy, He gave them a deliverer called Othniel (Caleb's younger brother), a man who loved to face challenges (Judges 1:12-13).
 
Judges 3:10 says: "And the Spirit of the Lord came upon him (Othniel), and he ... went out to war." The Holy Spirit who lives in you is ready to go to war and defeat the enemy!
 
When you face a battle in your home or in your life, call upon the Holy Spirit. In His power you will defeat the enemy. In the name of Jesus, you will have the victory. Through the power of the blood of Jesus you will send the enemy running. Don't despise battles. They are for conquering. Every battle you win is another defeat for the enemy of our souls.
 
1 John 3:8 says: “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.”
 
Revelation 6:2 describes Jesus going “forth conquering, and to conquer.” Jesus Christ lives in you to conquer the enemy. And because the conquering Christ lives in your Romans 8:37 reminds you that you are “MORE THAN A CONQUEROR through him that loved us.”
 
Be encouraged today,
 
Nancy Campbell
 
P.S. Look up these Scriptures to remind you that God is with you as you war in the battle (Deuteronomy 9:1-3; Zechariah 4Z:6; Ephesians 6:1; James 4:7; 1 Peter 5:8-9; and Revelation 12:11).
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THE NITTY GRITTY OF LIFE

NittyGrittyLifeThe reality of life is our day to day responsibility to manage our homes. Feed, nurture, and train our children. Attend to all the interruptions of our children. But there is another reality, a reality that has the power to affect our daily life in our home. It is the reality of the heavenly.
Jesus told us to pray: “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10).
 
Colossians 3:1-3 (NLT) states: “Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God.”
 
These words seem so far from our experience, don’t they? And yet this is normal Christianity. The realities of the heavenly realm are the TRUE REALITIES. The eternal realm is the real world. This world is passing away. It is like a vapor that appears for a moment and is gone.
 
When we focus our ordinary, daily life on the eternal, it takes us from the doldrums to delight, from misery to the miraculous, from pre-occupation with self to praising God. Instead of being overwhelmed about all our challenges and problems, we lift our eyes to Christ who sits at the right hand of the Father. We give our difficulties to Him. Nothing is too big for Him to handle.
 
Did you know that God never gets in a state of confusion or tension? And He dwells in your heart by His Spirit? Therefore, you don’t have to get all tied up in knots. Allow Christ to take control. He’ll do a much better job than you!
 
Be encouraged today as you read 2 Corinthians 4:1-18: “For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day For our 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 re not seen are eternal.”
 
Many blessings to you today,
 
Nancy Campbell
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