Above Rubies Daily Encouragement Blogs

Like a shepherd of sheep, we as mothers are shepherding the little flock God has given to us. A shepherd must be both tough and tender. He must brave and courageous as he protects his sheep from wild animals and enemies, but also tender as he personally cares for them.

As mothers, we must also walk in these two different roles. We equate motherhood with tenderness. A tender and nurturing mother is a beautiful testimony of God's loving and nurturing heart. Every emotion and intuition of mothering comes from God Himself.

However, we must also be strong and brave to rescue our children from all attacks of the enemy.  I think of David, who when a bear or a lion would grab one of his little lambs, he would strike down the animal and rescue the lamb out of its mouth! And if the lion or bear reared its head against him, he'd grab it by the throat and beat it to death! (1 Samuel 17:34-37). That's bravery! Nothing would get one of his little lambs!

What about us? The devil is intent on seducing and infiltrating the minds of our precious young children with humanism, feminism, socialism, and every other "ism" (and now the influence of the homosexual agenda) in our state schools. Are we happy for our children to be ravished in the mouth of the lion? Or are we fearless and daring enough to rescue our lambs out of their deceiving and destructive mouth?

Let's be tender mothers, but also strong and brave to protect our children from the enemy's tactics.

Blessings to you today,

Nancy Campbell

If you can’t say something sweet or kind, it’s best to keep your mouth shut!

Gathering your family together daily to read God's Word, Pray and worship God.

Why Is it important? Because.

1. It brings the presence of God into your home (Exodus 20:24).

2. It strengthens your marriage and family ties (Joshua 1:8 and Isaiah 59:21).

3. It is the greatest way to make sure your children are daily filled with God's Word (Colossians 3:6). It is only the truth of God's Word that fortifies them and saves them from the deceptions of our humanistic society.

4. It gives opportunity to discuss the Scriptures and divine truth together. It is an opportunity for the children to ask questions and for we as parents to ask our children questions.

5. It is the best way to make sure we pray together as a family- for one another, for our nation, for Israel, for the nations of the world, and for all those in need (2 Chronicles 7:14; 1 Timothy 2:1-3; and Hebrews 3:3).

6. It is imperative for beginning each new day by honoring and worshipping God as a family and to sit and listen to Him speak to us. We should gather as a family morning and evening (Psalm (92:1-2). It shows our children that God is the preeminent One in our home.

7. It is essential for the blessing of the nation! When families no longer take time to pray and read God's Word together, the family weakens. And when the family weakens, the nation weakens (Psalm 1:1-3 and Jeremiah 10:25).

Blessings from Nancy Campbell
www.aboverubies.org

I have often shared the following truth with mothers over the years. I believe that it is not enough to love our children; we must also love motherhood. Of course, all mothers love their children, but not every mother loves her career of motherhood. Perhaps the majority don’t. Especially in our humanistic society young women have been brainwashed negatively about the career of motherhood and have been programmed instead for careers outside of the home.

However, it is not until we get the revelation that motherhood is the most powerful career in the nation and the career for which God has created us (physically and innately) and we embrace it with all our hearts that we will live in the joy of it—and walk in the fullness of it.

Lately I have been thinking that this same principle applies to marriage. Yes, we may love our husband, but if we don’t love marriage itself, we will not enjoy the fulness of marriage as God intends. I believe it is important to embrace and love marriage as God as designed it.

Many couples marry because they are in love, but they have no intention of living marriage according to God’s design. They believe they know best. Is this why so many marriages are falling apart today, even in the Christian church.

God is the One who designed marriage and therefore He knows the way it works. Both husband and wife are equal in creation but created with different and very unique roles which enhance and bless the union. He designed the husband to be the provider, protector, and leader of the home. We see this even in creation when God created the male first. He did not even create the woman until there was a home ready for her and God had also given Adam a job (Genesis 2:7, 8). He created the wife with a very special, physical body and a nurturing instinct in the likeness of God, enabling her to bring forth children and to nurture and nourish them.

Of course, there is so much more in God’s word, plus the glorious revelation that our marriage relationship is to reveal the picture of Christ and His church. However, my main point today is that it’s not enough to just love your husband. To walk in the fullness and glory of married life, you must also love marriage. Meditate on this more. You’ll be amazed what a difference this will make.

Be blessed,

Nancy Campbell

It’s a serious thing when we despise what God gives to us, don’t you think?

I read Jeremiah 2:7 the other day: “I brought you into a bountiful country, to eat its fruit and its goodness. But when you entered, you defiled my land and made my heritage an abomination.”

This is talking about the children of Israel coming into the Promised Land, the land of milk and honey. Alas, they did not appreciate what God had given them and defiled the land. I believe we can do the same with the land of motherhood God has given to us. When God blesses us with children, He bring us into the glorious land of motherhood that He intends for us.

Sadly many mothers do not like this land of motherhood. They think it is inferior to what they could be doing and give their children to others to care for while they pursue the land of their career. They do not get to eat of the “fruit and the goodness,” the joy and the glory of this land. Many grumble and groan and speak negatively about motherhood. What are you confessing each day?

But we dare not do this lightly. God has given to us this gift of motherhood. He planned it. He designed it. He created our female bodies for the specific purpose of motherhood. It is ultimately God’s land. Did you notice God calls it “My land” and “My heritage”? When we despise and spurn it, we defile this beautiful gift. We even turn it into an “abomination.” Yes, that is the word God uses.

Motherhood is the glory of women. Isn’t it amazing that many “change their glory for that which doth not profit” (Jeremiah 2:1). Many do this in ignorance because the devil, who knows the power of motherhood, has instituted a big campaign to brainwash women against God’s ultimate plan for them.

Let’s not be deceived but live in the fulness of all that God has planned for us.

Have a blessed day,

Nancy Campbell

Painting by Polina Luchanova, Russia

Dear mother, you are the greatest teacher and influencer your children will ever have. Use your God-given anointing to teach your children the ways and statutes of God.

The other day my sister and I were reminiscing of growing up together. We remembered how all the children on our street would converge on to our front lawn and play together. After a big conflab about their next venture, they'd soar into action.

My father possessed a large box of boxing gloves, and the neighborhood boys loved to have boxing matches (or wrestling matches). This often culminated with boys going home with black eyes and bleeding noses! Did anyone worry about it? No. Did concerned parents call up and complain? No. The boys were back the next day for another round!

Now we live in a different world. Many parents today would be calling the CPS to complain about these parents allowing their boys to be so rough, coming home with torn clothes and bleeding faces! But these boys loved every minute of it. They were boys! And the parents thought nothing of it! They wanted their boys to be boys. To grow up to be men who could face the struggles of life and know how to take a blow!

What a life these children had. On our back paddock they'd set up racing tracks. They wrecked every bicycle in the neighborhood. Each time my parents bought me a bicycle it would be in pieces in two weeks by the time my brother had finished with it. Our brother ended up riding a 14' one wheel bike! They built underground tunnels that went for hundreds and hundreds of yards.

Psalm 144:12 speaks of our "sons as plants, becoming great in their youth." We don't keep them like little boys. We train them to become mature and grow into manhood even in their youth.

Of course, they won't be playing all the time. They are also learning how to work hard, how to finish a job, and take responsibility.

Make opportunities for your boys to be boys.

Blessings from Nancy Campbell