Above Rubies Daily Encouragement Blogs

Dear mother, God wants you to walk in close fellowship with Him as you mother your children. You are not doing this great job on your own. God is with you. Every moment. When you are doing the most mundane tasks. When you are doing the same tasks repeatedly each day. Not one chore is insignificant. Each one is sacred because He is with you and abides in you.

But sometimes you forget. Remember the truth, no matter how you feel. God is with you. He is Emmanuel, GOD WITH US! Your feelings are not facts. They come and go and change with the wind, or whatever is happening in your life. But the real truth is that whatever is happening, good or bad, GOD IS WITH YOU!

Acknowledge His presence with you. Thank Him that He is with you. Thank Him that you are in His perfect will as you mother your children. Rejoice that He is with you. Thank Him for every little blessing that happens—a smile from one of your children, the adoring look of your baby as you nurse him at the breast, food to prepare for lunch and supper, your husband who provides for you, and on and on. Bring every little sigh to Him. Don’t take one burden on yourself because He is with you to carry your burdens and He is so much better at it that you. He is bigger than every problem you face.

And He delights to be with you in your home. He created you for the home. He created you for motherhood. And He delights in you when you embrace the way He created you. This is how you bring glory to your Creator and Redeemer.

Every son and daughter God gives you is a gift from Him. You didn’t plan each child. God did. And He is with you to help you raise them for His glory. He wants to walk with you and He wants you to walk with Him in close relationship just like Enoch did, all the time begetting and raising sons and daughters.

Be encouraged today,

Nancy Campbell

This beautiful painting is by William Sergeant Kendall.

Last week we talked about nesting in the home. But we must look at something more in Psalm 113:9 which describes the mother as JOYFUL. Did you know that God equates motherhood with joy? And it’s not an average kind of joy. It’s exceeding joy.

The Hebrew word is “sameach.” It means “to be blithe and gleeful, to be merry-hearted.” It’s the same word used in Proverbs 14:13: “A MERRY HEART maketh a cheerful countenance.” And again, in Proverbs 17:22: “A MERRY HEART doeth good like a medicine.”

But there’s more. It’s the same word that is used when people drink wine and get happy (Isaiah 14:7). When you are “eating and drinking, and making merry” (1 Kings 4:20). It’s the same word that was used when Solomon was made king and the people “rejoiced with GREAT JOY, so that the earth rent with the sound of them" (1 Kings 1:40). Did you get that? The HCSB makes it clearer: “rejoicing with such a great joy that the earth split open from the sound.”

This the joy of motherhood! “This is a bit over-the-top” you exclaim! Dear mothers, it’s meant to be over-the-top! God is not average or ordinary in any way. He doesn’t only give us life, He gives us ABUNDANT life. He not only gives us joy, but EXCEEDING joy and “JOY UNSPEAKABLE and FULL OF GLORY” (1 Peter 1:8).

So, why aren’t mothers joyful? Unfortunately, most women are brainwashed against motherhood by in-laws, out-laws, the media, and the education system. They are told that motherhood is an insignificant career and they should be doing something more beneficial. Because of this they have the wrong attitude about motherhood, and if you have the wrong attitude, you’re not going to be very happy.

The truth is that God created you for motherhood. Your body is created for this purpose. When God gives you children to raise in your home you are in the very perfect will of God. God does not see motherhood as insignificant. He exalts motherhood (Ezekiel 19:10,11), He glorifies motherhood (Hosea 9:11), and He enthrones motherhood (Psalm 113:9 Sugden).

How do we get into the joy?
1. Embrace the truth. When you know the truth, it sets you free to be who you are!
2. Acknowledge that you are in His perfect will.
3. Confess the truth. It’s not enough to know the truth, you must confess the truth. Your words determine your life. What you speak is what you become. Therefore, Therefore, thank God for the joy of being a mother. Speak out loud: “I am a joyful mother,” “I love being a mother,” or “Motherhood is my greatest career.”
4. Change your attitude. Your words and your attitude affect your life. The wrong attitude makes you miserable. The right attitude fills you with joy.
5. Purpose to be joyful. Joy has nothing to do with feelings or circumstances. Anyone can be happy when everything is going according to plan. But life isn’t like that. It’s full of challenges and difficulties which must be overcome. But this is how we mature in life. This is how we become one of the overcomers! Jesus Christ is filled with joy and He dwells in you if you have embraced Him into your life. Therefore, you can live His life of joy, no matter what circumstances you face or what your lying feelings are telling you. Come to the place of living by the truth rather than by your feelings or the lies that society tells you.

May you have the most wonderful and joyful day in your home,

Love from Nancy Campbell

I love the CEB translation of this Scripture: “God NESTS the once barren woman at home—now a joyful mother of children.” To nest in a home means to settle in. To make a snug abode, a sweet resting place. A nest is a place to rear young such as a bird with her nestlings. Why are baby birds called nestlings? Because the mother nurtures them in a nest where it is safe and secure.

Our babies and young children are also little nestlings. God intends them to be nurtured in the home, not in daycares. And therefore, we make our home a safe nest.

We cannot be a nester if we are not in the home. We work in our home. We mother in our home. We nurture in our home. We love our nest.

Did you notice that this Scripture ends with the exclamation, “Praise ye the Lord”? What is your response to nesting in the home? A sigh and a groan or the bold exclamation, “Praise ye the Lord”?

Can I hear you say it aloud? Come on, say it with me, “Praise ye the Lord.”

Have a blessed day in your home today,
Nancy Campbell

However, in this passage God had to use might to get the people back to their homes. Hosea 11:10, 11 says: “He will roar like a lion: when he roars his children shall come trembling from the west, they shall come trembling like birds from Egypt and like doves from the land of Assyria, and I will RETURN them to their homes, declares the LORD.” I hope God doesn’t have to ROAR to get our attention to draw us back!

We get a little more understanding how God feels about this when we read Micah 2:9: “The women of my people have ye cast out from their pleasant houses; from their children have ye taken away my glory forever.” God was angry because the women were forced from their homes. Is God angry at the voices of humanism and feminism which coerce and draw women out of their homes where God has placed them? God called them “pleasant” homes. The word means “delightful.”

However, God was not only angry that the mothers were taken from their homes. He was angry because the children were taken from their homes! God calls the inheritance of children being raised in the home “my glory.” We better tread carefully about what we do with what God calls His “glory.”

The HCSB translation says: “You take my blessing from their children forever.”

AMP: “You take away my splendor and blessing forever (by putting them among pagans, away from Me.)” Wow, those are powerful words. God says that when children are taken out of the home to be cared for by pagans who don’t love and worship Him that they are taken away from Him. He wants children to be raised in His presence, in His truth, in the sacred atmosphere in the home of godly parents. How much do we revere God’s Word? I feel the fear of God in my heart when I read these words.

NLT: “And forever stripped their children of all that God would give them.”

NET: “You defraud their children of their prized inheritance.” God says it is children’s inheritance to be raised in the home.

May you and your precious children be blessed with all the blessings of God in your home today.

More to come.

Love from Nancy Campbell

Painting: “The Family Album” by Charles Edouard Frere.

In Hosea 11:11 God uses the word “yashab” and says: “I will settle them in their own homes, declares the LORD.” Are you settled and nestled?

The KNOX translation says: “In in their own home, the Lord says, I will give them rest.” Are you feeling overwhelmed? Are you running ragged? Too much to do? God always has the answer. Stop running around so much. Come back home. In your own home God gives you rest.

It’s not only we who get tense and stressed out. Our children do too. When we hustle them around to go to this place and that they also get restless and upset. Did you notice one of the meanings of “yashab” is to “sit down.” Even in the home we can be so busy running around that we don’t take time to SIT DOWN with our children.

Children need mothers to SIT DOWN! When your little ones get out of control, instead of screaming and feeling you are going crazy, stop what you are doing and say, “Come, let’s sit on the sofa and have a story.” Grab your baby to nurse and gather your little ones all around you and read some stories to them until they are all relaxed and settled. They will then be ready to play happily again. I did this many times a day. There’s nothing like sitting down with your little ones to bring peace and calm. And you become calm in the process too.

Take time to sit with your older ones to talk to them too. You mother much better sitting down than running around the house doing all your own projects! Remember, you are a mother before everything else you do. This is your highest priority.

More to come tomorrow.

Love and blessings from Nancy Campbell

Photo: With my grandchildren, Shepherd, Breeze, and Haven Allison and Saber Johnson and Sargie the dog.

One mother of eight children shared that her husband is disappointed in her because she finds it difficult to keep the house in order and he feels dishonored. I am sure many find this a problem.

It is important to train your children to help. When you have eight children, you have children who are getting older and quite capable of helping in the home. When I was raising our children, the house would often get in a real mess during the day. However, before my husband came home, we would always have a clean-up. I called it the ONE, TWO, THREE.

About half an hour before Daddy came home I would stop everything we were doing and say, "It's time to clean up. Let's have a ONE, TWO, THREE." I would get all the children excited and motivated and I'd say, "ONE, TWO, THREE, LET’S GO!” We would all rush around getting rid of everything in sight! There’s supposed to be a place for each item, but if there’s not time, have a place where everything can be thrown out of site! Then, when Daddy comes in, he can walk into the place! And everything looks clean and tidy. (Don’t tell him what is behind the scenes!)

And make sure the dinner is ready for him. It shows you honor him when you have the supper ready for him when he walks in the door. And he can smell the lovely aroma of the food cooking!

Love from Nancy

“Come here” I said,
And the child cowered and wept.
“Come here,” I said—
He looked and smiled
And straight to my lap he crept.

Words may be mild and fair
And the tone may pierce like a dart;
Words may be soft as the summer air
But the tone may break my heart.

For words come from my mind
Grow by study and art—
But tone leaps from the inner self
Revealing the state of the heart.

Whether you know it or not,
Whether you mean or care,
Gentleness, kindness, love, and hate,
Envy, anger, are there.

Then, would you quarrels avoid
And peace and love rejoice?
Keep anger not only out of your words—
Keep it out of your voice.

~ Unknown

Honor your husband with your words and the way you speak to him. Honor him with the way you look at him. Honor him for this is what you are meant to do.

Does your husband sit at the head of the table? Does he have his special chair? We show our honor in little practical things, too.

Be blessed in your home today,

Nancy Campbell

Will you stand against this tide when others are crumbling?
Will you stand on God’s Word when many are stumbling?
Will you stand against sin and the devil’s deceptions?
Making no excuses or subtle exceptions?

Never be intimidated, never be fooled…
Neutralized,
Fraternized,
Mediocre-ized
Or your fire be cooled!

When there’s no justice and only confusion,
And God’s people are hiding their light in seclusion,
Will you rise up and be counted, open wide your mouth,
And proclaim God’s truth to the north and the south?

Will you be strong in the Lord and the power of His might?
Always standing up for that which is right?
Rich in discernment, wisdom never ignored,
And walking daily in the fear of the Lord?

When you are tyrannized, never cower…
Patronized,
Victimized,
Or terrorized,
Before the enemy never bow!

Will you stand the test when you are wronged and hurt?
When you are persecuted and treated like dirt?
Will you have backbone when the pressure comes on?
Or be a spineless jellyfish with purpose all gone?

Will you keep on standing if you’re the only one?
Lifting up the name of Jesus, God’s only Son?
Will you stand true now, holding on to the end?
No matter what it costs, God’s truth to defend!

Never be wimpy or crumble at the knees…
Normalized,
Traumatized,
Luke-warmized,
And the devil never appease!

~ Nancy Campbell
www.aboverubies.org

In 1 Samuel 8:5 we read how the children of Israel wanted a king: "Make us a king to judge us LIKE ALL THE NATIONS" they cried out. Samuel pleaded with them to not give into this temptation, but they would not listen. Verses 19, 20 say: "Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, Nay; but we will have a king over us; that we also may BE LIKE ALL THE NATIONS."

I am astounded as I talk with church going people to find their lives are not very different from the world. They limit their families, put their children in day-care, and leave the home to go out into the corporate world. This is opposite to God's original plan.

Recently I talked with a feminist. She hotly disagreed with women embracing their role as mothers in the home. But I had to challenge her to look at the fruit of the feminist agenda. More and more divorce and fragmentation of family. She had no answer.

It's so easy to be sucked into the system of this world. We need to come continually to God's Word to be encouraged in the truth. I think it is a great idea for mothers to Read Psalm 127 and 128 about once a week. They are God's revelation for the family.

The question is: Is our family life closer to God's picture or the world's one?

Be encouraged,

Nancy Campbell