To be a wife is to serve. To be a mother is to serve. To be a woman is to serve. So why do we grumble and complain? Let’s serve with joy and extravagant love. This is the example of the Son of God, the glory of Heaven. He didn’t come to be served, but to serve and lay down his life. #servewithjoy #servewithlove #ilovetoserve #livejoyfully #liveextravagantly #aboverubies #nancycampbell
You will stay in bondage, ,misery, and bitterness until you forgive. Forgiveness sets you free.
Are you wilting in your home today? Perhaps you are barely making it through. You are just surviving.
What about flourishing? Is this possible? Yes, this is God’s purpose for you.
I love the New Living Translation of Psalm 128:3, 4: "Your wife will be like a fruitful vine, FLOURISHING WITHIN YOUR HOME. And look at all those children! There they sit around your table as vigorous and healthy as young olive trees. That is the Lord’s reward for those who fear him."
God wants you to flourish and bloom. Where does He want you to flourish? In your home.
Dear mother, get out of survival mode into thriving mode. It all hinges on your attitude. Dream of ways to flourish in your home and soon you will be flourishing on every hand.
Have a glorious day in your home today,
Nancy Campbell
God says: “Ye are the children of the Lord your God” (Deuteronomy 14:1). What does this mean? I am a redeemed, blood-bought child of the King of the universe. Not any king, but the King of kings.
I am royalty. You are royalty. Therefore, we should live like royalty. The Knox translation says: “Learn to carry yourselves as the children of the Lord your God.”
Do you speak like royalty--like a daughter of the King of kings? Do you walk like a daughter of royalty?
Do you dress like a daughter of the King of kings? That means modestly, but also beautifully. You won’t see a princess in drab, dreary clothes.
Do you live in every way like a daughter of the King? Are you teaching your daughters to carry themselves and walk as daughters of the King?
I think it’s time we acknowledge who we are and began living accordingly. Don’t you?
Blessings from Nancy Campbell
What can we Do? Dear ladies, we can trust our God. He is always faithful. Never failing. No matter what circumstance you are going through in your life right now, you can trust Him.
We can answer Yes to all the following statements:
Because my God is Omnificent (all-creating), the One who created the world and every intricate part of my body, can I not trust Him with every aspect of my physical body?
Because my God is Omnipotent (all-powerful), can I not trust Him to sovereignly rule my life rather than putting my trust in mere man?
Because my God is Omniscient (all-wise and all-knowing), can I not trust Him to teach me and lead me in His paths?
Because my God is Omnipresent (all-present God), can I not trust Him to be with me in my home and in all situations?
Because my God is Omnibenevolent (all-good and all-loving), can I not trust Him, knowing that even when I am going through difficult times, and everything looks impossible that He is working it out for good?
Yes, we can!
Blessings from Nancy Campbell
We are reminded in Ephesians 4:32 to: “Be kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another.” Did you know that this means to your husband and children first? And, it’s even more than what we say; it’s HOW we say it. An unknown writer encourages us . . .
It is not so much what you say,
As the manner in which you say it;
It is not so much the language you use
As the tones you use to convey it.
For words come from the mind
And grow by study and art;
But tones leap forth from the inner self
And reveal the state of the heart.
How are we speaking to our family today?
Love from Nancy Campbell
When Eve woke up to life, she was in her garden home. God had the home ready for her. This was to be her life. This is where she would bring life into the world and raise children to influence the world. This is where she would work and find fulfillment in all the gifts God had given her. It was not a place of restriction, but joy, freedom, and productivity.
And this is God’s plan for you, dear mother. This is your life, too.
You are a “keeper at home” (Titus 2:5). Oops! That’s not in the Bible, is it? Yes, it’s still there, unless you cut it out. But it is not restricting! Its vastness is as wide as the ocean and as high as the stars.
The home is a birthing center,
a mothering/nurturing center,
a training and education center,
a praise and worship center,
a prayer center,
an eating center,
a cultural development center,
a social and celebration center,
a hospitality center,
a counseling center,
a health center,
an industry center,
a garden center,
and a convalescent center!
And this is just the beginning. You will never have time be bored.
Blessings from Nancy Campbell
God’s purpose for us is to be conformed to the image of Christ (Romans 8:29 and 2 Corinthians 3:18). That is also His purpose for our children.
Are we revealing the character of Jesus in our lives? What is His character? The following are seven aspects of the spirit of Jesus to line up with our lives.
The character of Jesus is the spirit of LOVE (John 13:34-35; 15:13; and Galatians 5:22).
The character of Jesus is the spirit of SERVING (John 13:13-17; Philippians 2:7; and Matthew 20:28).
The character of Jesus is the spirit of OBEDIENCE (Matthew 26:36-42; Philippians 2:8; and Hebrews 5:8).
The character of Jesus is the spirit of HUMILITY (Matthew 11:29; Philippians 2:8; and Colossians 3:12).
The character of Jesus is the spirit of FORGIVENESS (Luke 23:34 and Colossians 3:13).
The character of Jesus is the spirit of PATIENCE and LONGSUFFERING (Galatians 5:22-23 and Colossians 3:12-13).
The character of Jesus is the spirit of UNSELFISHNESS. (Philippians 2:4-8 and 1 Peter 2:21-24).
Will your husband and children see the character of Jesus in you today?
Love from Nancy Campbell
Such a good reminder for moms in the home. Each day as we mother and nurture our children and face
the challenges and hiccups of each day, we choose whether we’ll walk in the flesh or walk in the Spirit. When we choose the flesh we bring a negative and gloomy spirit over our home. When we choose to walk in the Spirit, we make a joyful atmosphere. Which will we choose? #walkinthespirit #joyandgladness #agodlyatmosphere #joyfulmotherhood #aboverubies #nancycampbell
I think you know that I love tablecloths. I loved being back in New Zealand where homemakers still use tablecloths, rather than eating from a naked table. This is at my sister-in-law’s home where every meal—breakfast, lunch, and supper were served on a lovely tablecloth. It adds that “special something” to the meal. These little extra things show our husbands and children that we care about them. #tablecloth #makeeverymealaloveaffair #tablefellowship #mealstogether #aboverubies #nancycampbell
I think you will have to agree with me that most of us live below the lifestyle that Jesus Christ accomplished for us on the cross of Calvary. His death, the shedding of His precious blood, and rising from dead, not only save us from our sins, but enable us to live lives of victory and continual overcoming.
Why? Because Christ lives in us by the power of his Holy Spirit. “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27).
This truth is for you in your home. In your kitchen. When everything is going crazy. When you feel overwhelmed. You don’t have to give into your feelings. You don’t have to be overpowered by your situation. Instead, acknowledge that Christ dwells in you. You are living in His rest, His peace, His patience, and His joy!
The greatest mystery in the entire universe,
Greater than loads of money in my purse,
Is that Christ, the Son of God, lives in me,
Making His abode and setting me free!
No longer living in defeat and despair
Because joy and hope in Christ I share,
Forgetting all worry and discontentment
In Christ I have joy and merriment.
Depression, anger, and hate are gone
Instead I’m singing the victory song!
Christ in me, the fullness of glory!
This is my testimony and my story!
Blessings to you today from Nancy Campbell
Your children constantly look at you during the course of the day. What kind of face to they see? Smiling and happy— or grouchy and frowning? Did you know that just as we are changed into the image of Jesus as we behold Him (2 Corinthians 3:18), our children are also changed into the image they see on our face! That’s scary, isn’t it? Isaiah 3:9 (HCSB) says: “The look on their faces testifies against them.”
Are your children whining and grumbling? Maybe they are learning it from you. If you want happy children, you need to have a happy attitude yourself.
Proverbs 15:13 says: “A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance.” Dear mother, did you know that you can change your countenance by the attitude of your heart? It’s your attitude, not your feelings. What a sad household when you live by your feelings. You are miserable, your children are miserable, and your husband doesn’t want to be around!
The MLB translation of Proverbs 15:13 says: “A happy heart makes the face look sunny.” What does a sunny face look like? It’s a smiling face! “But I don’t feel like smiling,” you complain. Once again, it’s nothing to do with how you feel. You must get out of this habit of living by your feelings. It is a depleting way to live.
One pioneer woman said, “Self pity is the lowest state to which a woman’s mind can fall.”
Come on now, lift up your head. God is on the throne. He is your strength and your joy. Against everything you feel, acknowledge His joy that dwells in you because He lives in you. Praise the Lord, count your blessings, confess the positive, and your countenance will change.
Forget your self-pity. Put on a smile. You can do it. Start smiling, and you’ll be amazed how different you feel. And, you’ll be amazed what happens in your home. Not only will your face be sunny, but your home will be filled with sunny faces.
Love to you today,
Nancy Campbell
Three times the Bible calls the brazen altar where the priests conducted the daily sacrifices “the table of the Lord.” It is interesting that God calls it a table.
However, I think that if the altar is called a table, then our table is also an altar.
I think it is a beautiful thing to see our family table as an altar. It brings greater meaning to the table. I think we look upon our tables too lightly. We don’t understand the power and significance of a family table. God is very interested in tables. In fact, God had a table in His heavenly kingdom before He ever introduced them on earth. They are a heavenly thing. They come from God.
When God describes the family that is blessed of the Lord, He pictures them all sitting together around a table (Psalm 128:3). This is God’s heart for families.
The altar in the tabernacle, and later the temple, was a place for sacrifices. I think our table is also a place of sacrifice. It takes thought, effort, and sacrifice of time to prepare a meal for our family. To prepare, eat together, and have family devotions at our evening meal often takes three hours out of my day! I must put aside other things that I could do, things that I might think are more important, but in God’s eyes they are of much lesser importance.
God sees our sacrifices to serve and bless our husbands and families with a lovely meal. It does not go unnoticed by our Heavenly Father who loves the meal table. I am sure that just as the aroma of the burnt offering upon the altar went up before the Lord as a sweet-smelling savor, so our sacrificial love comes up before the Lord as a sweet savor to Him.
He loves to come and join us at our table. He loves tables. He loves the discourse at the table. Jesus showed us this when He was on earth. So much of His ministry took place on the way to a meal, during a meal, or after a meal.
The altar was where the people brought their offerings to the Lord. The people brought five different offerings which the priests offered upon the brazen altar.
As we prepare the daily meals for our families, they are also offerings unto the Lord. Yes, they are an offering to our families (hopefully not too many burnt offerings!), but ultimately to the Lord. Therefore, we don’t prepare meals with resignation and grumblings and groanings, but with joy and happiness, knowing that we are serving the Lord Christ and making an offering up to Him.
The altar was also sacred. The Bible says that the altar was “before the Lord” (Exodus 27:21; 29:11; Leviticus 1:5; 4:6-24 and loads of other Scriptures. It means “in the presence of the Lord.” Ezekiel 41:22 says: “This is the able that stands in the LORD’S presence.”
Your table in your home is sacred. When you sit around your table for each meal, God longs to come and sit with you. He wants to bring His presence. Everything you do—all your conversation and interactions are in the presence of the Lord. That doesn’t mean it has to be like church. No, I am sure God loves to see us enjoying His food and enjoying one another. Laughing, talking, and discussing together, and then of course, ready to listen to God at the end of our meal. For the table is not only a place to feed the physical man, but the emotional, and spiritual too.
We never leave our table without my husband opening God’s Word and reading it to us. We then pray together. Everyone prays, from the oldest to the youngest! Our table becomes an altar as we connect with God to hear from Him and call upon His name.
Oh, what blessedness.
I pray that you will see your able in a new light.
In His love,
Nancy Campbell
God’s Word is true when it says: “You turn things upside down!” (Isaiah 29:16 (ESV). So much in our society today is the opposite to God’s original plan. It’s all turned upside down.
Let’s begin with the first institution God ordained—marriage. The average age for a first marriage for women is currently 27.4 years and 29.5 years for men. This is the longest Americans have waited to get married. And yet their desires for the opposite sex are awakened years before this.
I know so many beautiful girls in their mid-twenties, late-twenties, and even their thirties who long to be married. They truly are beautiful, inside and out, and long to have children and be the queen of their home. This is what God ordained.
But as I asked in a previous post, where are the men? Or perhaps I should ask, where are the men who are ready for marriage? Most young people today are not even psychologically geared for marriage. They are sent to college to train for their careers, but no one inspires them about the most basic of all careers, the career of parenting. It is rare to hear a pastor give a message about getting married and preparing yourself for marriage.
Because fewer couples are marrying at an earlier age, it becomes the vogue. Couples hang out together but don’t take the responsibility of getting married. Many are not truly ready as they are not ready to take on the responsibility of children. And if a couple are not ready for children, they are not mature enough to get married!
It’s not so much the age but the preparation of mind, hard work, saving (rather than flitting their money away on their entertaining lifestyle), and openness to the responsibility of providing for a wife and children that makes a man ready for marriage. I know many couples who have married young. They are so happy, providing well, embracing children, and more mature than many in their late twenties who are still too immature to even take on a wife!
Then there are those who just live together! We think of this as a worldly lifestyle, but it is creeping into the church. There are currently 18 million singles living with their partners! Sickening. Opposite to God’s plan. And what does God’s word say? “Know ye not that that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fonicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind . . . shall inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Corinthians 6:9, 10).
I think its time to encourage marriage, don’t you? That’s thinking like God thinks! God loves to see a young couple coming together in a godly union, because He designed marriage, and designed it to be wonderful.
I love the Scripture in Jeremiah 33:10, 11 where God gives His promise of blessing upon His people. He says: “Thus saith the LORD; Again There shall be heard in this place . . . The voice of ojoy, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the voice of them that shall say, Praise the LORD of hosts: for the LORD is good.” The joy of weddings is God’s blessing on the land.
Other Scriptures tell us about God’s judgment that there will no more be heard the voice of the bride and the voice of the bridegroom!
Well, I’ve been rambling on. You know, I’d love to set up a site with some profiles of some these precious young ladies I know and some young men who are also looking for godly wives – and perhaps they could connect! What do you think? Wouldn’t it be a good idea?
This is one of the secret visions I have for our Above Rubies Family Retreats, that when families come with all their children (including their teens and older ones in their twenties) that it will be a wonderful opportunity for them to meet other young people with the same vision and kindred spirit. Colin and I met at a Christian camp and I’m sure glad about that!
Love from Nancy Campbell
Honor and respect are fading from society. It’s part of the socialist thinking where everyone must be on equal terms. Many children no longer give honor to parents. Or students to teachers. And most wives today reject the idea of reverencing their husbands. Egalitarian marriages are common amongst Christians.
The socialists, humanists, and feminists absolutely hate the word “patriarchy.“ I know. Because every time I have been interviewed on a TV program, they bring up this subject. The have the picture of this tyrannical man who lords it over his wife and children and who have no rights. And it is easy to find examples in this in the sinful world in which we live.
We know of course, that this is the opposite of biblical patriarchy. The dictionary calls a patriarch “the male head of a family or tribal line.” The Bible portrays a patriarch as a man who walks in his anointing to lead and govern his family. But how does he do it? Loving his wife as much as he loves his own body. Loving his wife as much as Christ loves the church and gave himself for it. But he also receives obedience, honor, and respect.
I read recently in Malachi 1:6 (NET): “A son naturally honors his father and a slave respects his master. If I am your father, where is my honor? If I am your master, where is my respect? The LORD who rules over all asks you this, you priests who make light of my name!”
It is inherent within children to honor their parents. Yes, they will often try to rebel because of their sinful nature, but we have within us a God-given tendency to honor. It comes from God. If children do not obey and honor their parents, they will not know how to honor God.
If we as wives do not learn to honor our husbands, how can we honor God?
When honor is taken away from society, we become a godless society. The Bible says: “First that which is natural and then that which is spiritual”. As we learn honor in our earthly relationships, we learn how to honor God.
God has ordained honor in every earthly relationship. It’s a prerequisite to knowing and honoring God.
Let’s keep honor in our society.
Love from Nancy Campbell
Painting by Alfredo Rodrequez
So challenging, but so true. Jesus said, “My house shall be called a house of prayer.” If we confess that our home belongs to God, it will be a house of prayer! Praying families are world-changing families. #houseofprayer #ilovetopray #prayingfamilies #aboverubies
Raise them for maturity. Prepare them for manhood and responsibility. Even while in their youth teach them to work hard and embrace responsibility. Teach them while they are young that they will one day be the providers of their homes and families. They haven’t got time to flit around and waste their teen years. Sadly today, there are too many beautiful young women who are longing to get married and have children. They know how to run a a home. They are ready for motherhood. But where are the young men? Many young men in their mid and late twenties are still not ready to take on the responsibility of marriage and children! What has happened to manhood? Let’s raise young men who are courageous, strong, know how to work hard, who can “play the man,” who are full of vision, who are on fire and committed to God, and who are ready for marriage and children! Amen. #grownupintheiryouth #youngmenofcourage #matureyou gmen #goodbyetowimps #readyformarriage #aboverubies
Do we allow our emotions and attitudes to be dictated by our circumstances? That’s so easy to let happen, isn’t it?
This morning I read Habakkuk 3:17, 18 (NLT) which is always such a challenge to me: “EVEN THOUGH the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are grapes on the vines; EVEN THOUGH the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; EVEN THOUGH the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation!”
The situation was total devastation and destruction. This guy had nothing left, but God Himself. And yet he is still rejoicing.
What about us?
Have you been up all night with the baby? And you’re feeing lousy. Can you still say, “Even though . . God is good. I will rejoice.”
You wonder how on earth you can pay the rent! “Even though . . . I will rejoice in the Lord. I know that God will not fail us.”
You are burdened about a sick parent or child. “Even though . . . I will rejoice. I will trust my God.”
I think it all comes back to putting our trust in God and knowing that He is a God who cannot fail. Let’s trust Him more.
Let’s confess the right confession. Let’s be those who can say “Even though . . . “
The Lord abundantly bless you today,
Nancy Campbell
I love to read Isaiah 41:10 in a special way. Did you realize there are seven promises in this Scripture, one for every day of the week? You can take one each day, and thank God for His constant presence with you, no matter what you are going through.
Fear not on Sunday,
I am with you on Monday,
Be not dismayed on Tuesday,
I am thy God on Wednesday,
I will strengthen you on Thursday,
I will help you on Friday,
I will uphold you with the right hand of my righteousness on Saturday.
Praise God for His daily faithfulness and His mercies which are new every morning.
Blessings,
Nancy Campbell
Sharing my husband's post with you today from his Facebook, MEAT FOR MEN. I believe it is a powerful word.
THE FUTURE OF OUR NATION
I am very grateful that God has given us president Donald Trump. He is doing an amazing job of turning this nation around for good, even in the midst of major resistance by the main stream media, the extreme Democrat party, and some Republicans who hate his style and personality.
I heartily enjoyed his State of the Union speech. However, I was concerned over one of his achievements. He stated: “No one has benefited more from our thriving economy than women, who have filled 58 percent of the new jobs created in the last year. All Americans can be proud that we have more women in the workforce than ever before.” And continued: “We also have more women serving in Congress than at any time before.”
We noticed that immediately all “the women in white” belonging to the extreme left of the Democratic party begin to rejoice, dance around, and high five one another.
I wonder if our president and his daughter, Ivanka, who is a very strong advocate for the working women, realize that getting women out of the home and placing the children in nurseries and day care centers is one of the major agendas of the communist/extreme socialists.
The actual fact is that 76.8 million women are employed in this nation. Many are mothers. Who is caring for their children? The extreme socialists want to breakdown all traditional home and family values. They want all women out of their homes. They want to take total control of the human race, from the cradle to the grave. Both Hitlerism and Communism had this ideology in common.
A few years ago, Germany teachers encouraged that this ideology should be adopted again because of what they observed as poor parenting in their country. These educators want the children from the cradle.
However, God gave children to parents, not governments or school teachers. He wants them to be nurtured by mothers in their homes, and not even fathers replacing mothers.
Extreme socialism seeks to destroy all godly, traditional roles by mixing them up. Without a doubt, young children need their mothers in the home—loving, teaching, and taking good care of them. Mothers are naturally and innately more qualified to accomplish this than fathers. It is mothers who create the best atmosphere in the family home.
What is a home without a mother in it? It is nothing more than a sterile, empty shell.
Homes are the best place for the ministration of motherhood, not the downtown office or the tough environment of a manufacturing warehouse.
Who told us that mothers at home were not working mothers? What a lie.
Who told us that motherhood was not a true bonified career? I’ll tell you who. The extreme socialists and feminists.
Women take away jobs from men and the traditional family home goes begging. It is vacant for most of the important hours of the day. Thousands of homes could have this placard on their door: “Unoccupied from 8.00 am – 5.00 pm.” Many are unoccupied for longer hours. The home, which is the hub of society if languishing.
Motherhood and fatherhood, from God’s perspective, should always be the foundational roles of every culture. When we forsake these roles or seek to destroy them, we do so to our own peril.
David asks the question in Psalm 11:3: “If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?” The answer is, of course, to rebuild the foundations again.
President Trump boldly stated in his State of the Union address and I want to agree with him: “We are born free, and we will stay free. Tonight, we renew our resolve that America will never be a socialist country.” However, the promotion of women to come out from their career of homemaking and replace it with secular careerism is the socialist agenda.
America will only be as great as its foundations. It will only be as great as its homes, marriages, and families.
Be encouraged.
Colin Campbell
Painting: “Knowledge is Power” by Seymour Joseph Guy
AboveRubies
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