Above Rubies Daily Encouragement Blogs

This is another lovely idea we used to do with our children when they were growing up. I would put the names of everyone in the family in a bowl or hat. Each one pulls out a name and that person becomes their SECRET FRIEND for the week. They have to something special for that person every day without his or her knowing who is doing it, until they find out at the end of the week.

You can give your children ideas for when they first start, such as:

Write an encouraging or loving note and leave on or under their pillow.
Clean their shoes when not looking.
Put a chocolate or bar in a special place where they know they'll find it.
Make their bed.
Clean their bedroom for them when they are not around.

But, encourage them to use their imagination. Our children were so excited to think up different things to do.

I remember one time when our oldest son got his father's name for his secret friend. At that time Colin left very early each morning. One morning we heard noise in the kitchen as our son was up even earlier to cook his father's breakfast and a have cup of tea ready for him before he left for work.

This is a wonderful way to teach the children to care for one another and to think of others instead of themselves. We played SECRET FRIEND so many times.

Love from Nancy Campbell

I have been meditating on these words the last few days. You will remember these words written in Psalm 23:6, but we also read them in Proverbs 31:12 where it reminds us that the virtuous wife will do her husband good and not evil ALL THE DAYS OF HER LIFE!

That's not just the days that we feel like it, or when he's being nice, but it's also on the days we don't feel like it, and when maybe he's not being so nice! It's thinking of something GOOD to do to our husband each new day.

May this by our testimony all the days of our life.

Love from Nancy.

Apart from the official Hanukkah which we celebrate, we read about a number of Hanukkah celebrations in God's Word.

1) Dedicating the tabernacle for 12 days. Each prince of Israel dedicated the altar for a day each (Number 7:10-11, 84, 88). This was the first dedication we read about.

2) Dedicating a new house (Deuteronomy 20:5). It is biblical to dedicate a new house.

3) Dedicating Solomon's temple which he built for the Lord (1 Kings 8:62; 2 Chronicles 7:5, 9).

4) Dedicating the rebuilt temple when they came back from Babylon--Zerubbabel's temple (Ezra 6:16).

5) Dedicating the rebuilt walls of Jerusalem(Nehemiah 12:27).

And there is one more! You'll never guess!

It is Proverbs 22:6, "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." The word "train" is "hanuk," the verb of Hanukkah, meaning "to initiate, dedicate, consecrate." It is not enough to celebrate Hanukkah for eight days. As parents, we are in a FULLTIME HANUKKAH CELEBRATION!

When we understand that to train our children means to dedicate them to the Lord, it gives us new vision. Everything we do is now in the light of dedicating our children to the Lord and setting them apart for His service. It's not a one-time dedication. It is a verb which requires daily action.

When our children are disobedient or don't complete what we have asked them to, we can sometimes be lazy and let it go. But, not if we understand we are daily dedicating them to the Lord. How can we let things go when we consecrating them to God's holy service. We have the responsibility to train and prepare them for Him.

As children get older, they can become more worldly and want to do what other more worldly teens are doing. We could think, "Oh that is the stage they are going through." But, not if we understand that we are daily consecrating them to the Lord. We will pray up a storm. We will fight the devil. We will work with our children to keep them on the narrow road that leads to life. We will do everything to save them from the broad road that leads to destruction. WE ARE HANUKKAH PARENTS!

When we "hanuk" our children, it determines how we educate our children. It would be ludicrous to send our children into a an ungodly education system each day when we are daily consecrating them for God's purposes.

As we consecrate our children to the Lord, we recognize they totally belong to the Lord, for whatever time God has for them on this earth. Above everything else, we know that we are ultimately preparing them for eternity.

Blessings from NANCY CAMPBELL

Without God we live in darkness. He is the one who said, "Let there be light: and there was light" (Genesis 1:3). Jesus is the Light of the world. He is "THE TRUE LIGHT, WHICH LIGHTS EVERY MAN THAT COMES INTO THE WORLD" John 1:9).  Every person who is born into this world is without excuse regarding their relationship with God. Every new baby is born with a God consciousness, a light from God our Maker. We have a conscience that knows what is good and evil. This only comes from God.

Proverbs 20:27 says "The spirit of man is the candle (light) of the Lord." Have you noticed that when a new baby is born into a family that there is a heavenly atmosphere about the home? There is an "awe" that we only experience with a new babe. I believe we are experiencing a new light from heaven. I think this is why little children are so open to God. Recently I watched my little three-year old grand-daughter sing all day about how Jesus is in her heart and how she loves God.

Why then do many walk in darkness? The answer is in John 3:19-21. We are all born with a light from God, but we can either push back the light or open up more and more to the light. It is a privilege for children to be born into a home where parents love God. These children have an opportunity to open up more and more to the light. In an ungodly home, the light with which they are born can be gradually extinguished.

I believe that every time we say Yes to God and obey the prompting of His Holy Spirit within our hearts, we experience more light in our lives. Every time we say No to God and are disobedient to the Word, we accept darkness. Teach your children this principle, dear mother. Teach them that saying Yes to you and Yes to God will bring them to more and more light (Proverbs 4:18). Teach them when they say No to you and No to God's ways, their minds and hearts will cloud with darkness.

Job 18:5-56 says, "Yes, the light of the wicked shall be put out, and the spark of his fire shall not shine. The light shall be dark in his tabernacle, and his candle shall be put out with him." I don't want it to be dark in my home. I'm sure you don't want it to be dark in yours either. Let's open our hearts and minds more and more to the light of God. Begin each day by praying, "Oh Lord God, please flood my mind, my heart, and my home with your light, today. Amen."

Love from Nancy Campbell

Judas Maccabee and his brothers were continually fighting battles to save Israel and every time they faced armies far larger and stronger than themselves, but their trust was in God.

Listen to Judas' confession on one occasion... "When all his followers saw the host coming against them, they said to Judas, 'How can so few of us fight against so many? Besides, we have had nothing to eat all day, and we are exhausted.' Judas replied: 'Many can easily be overpowered by a few; it makes no difference to Heaven to save by many or by few. Victory does not depend on numbers; strength comes from Heaven alone... Heaven will crush them before our eyes. You need not be afraid of them'" (1 Maccabees 3:17-21).

I know that you, too, often face dilemmas that loom much bigger than you can handle. Don't focus on your difficulty. Look to God. He is your Strength. He is your Source. He is your Sufficiency. He will always do what you cannot do. When we try to handle our problems we usually make a mess of the job. Put them in God's hands for He knows what is best to do.

Victory does not come by intelligence or fleshly strength. It only comes from God. Just as God delivered the Maccabees over and over again as they faced insurmountable armies, so God will deliver you as you trust in Him. Make sure you have the right confession. Don't confess your problems; confess your trust in God. It's the way to victory.

Love from Nancy Campbell

Hanukkah is also called the "Festival of Lights" because of the relighting of the Menorah. This was a huge thing that happened that day, because the Jews knew that God had commanded the lights in the Holy Place to BURN CONTINUALLY. They were to never to go out--and they had been out for a long time! God said it was a statute that must continue for all generations (Exodus 27:20-21 and Leviticus 24:1-4).

How did they keep the lamps burning day after day, year after year? God said they had to attend to the lamps every morning and every evening. They had to trim the wicks and pour more oil into the lamps, the oil speaking of the Holy Spirit. Once a day was not sufficient. It required attention two times a day to keep the light burning

This is a type for our lives today. When the Holy Spirit comes into our lives, He fills us with His light, but it is very easy for the light to go out. There are many temptations, deceptions, and evils around that dim our light. To keep the light burning, we must tend to them every morning and evening. We need to do this individually and as a family.

A powerful way to keep God's light burning in every member of our family is to have Family Devotions every morning and evening. Each time we come together as a family, read the Word, and spend time in prayer, we relight our lamps. If we fail to do this, our light will go out very quickly.

How big is the flame in your family? We are not meant to be a flickering light, but a great light. If your flame is only smoldering, get back to God's "morning and evening" principle. It's the only way that works. Let the light in "the holy place" of your temple and your home shine for all to see God's light.

Love from Nancy Campbell

A brave mother watched her son being killed. No, not just killed but cruelly tortured. They cut out his tongue, scalped him, cut off his hands and feet, and then maimed and helpless, fried him alive! But, in the same manner they tortured and killed her second and third sons. The third son cried out, "I have received these limbs from heaven, and I give them up for the sake of God's laws." Another cried out, "We are prepared to die rather than sin against our ancestral laws" (2 Maccabees 7:2, 11).

Because they would not bend and turn from God's laws this dear mother watched as Antiochus tortured her fourth, fifth, and sixth sons the same way. The mother had only one son left, her beloved youngest. Antiochus tried to influence the mother to save his life. He promised he would make him rich and prosperous and even a political advisor. She obliged by turning to her youngest son saying, "Son, pity me who carried you in the womb nine months, nursed you for three years, nurtured you, and brought you into this stage of life with care. I beg you, child... Don't fear this killer but prove worthy of your brothers. Accept death so that in God's mercy I should recover you with your brothers" (2 Maccabees 7:27-29). She watched her last son die before she was put to death herself.

This mother was a nurturing and caring mother. But, she had a vision for her children beyond this earth. She raised her sons to fear God rather than man. She raised them to stand for truth, no matter what the consequences. She raised them to see beyond this earth to the endless life of the heavenly.

May God help us to be courageous mothers. May He save us from raising wimpy, mediocre children who are seduced by the humanist trend of an ungodly society. May He anoint us with the mighty power of God to raise children who will have the courage to stand for God and for truth, no matter what persecution they face.

(You can read the whole of this amazing story in 2 Maccabees chapter seven).

Love from Nancy Campbell

Why do we call this celebration "Hanukkah"? The reason is that "Hanukkah" is the Hebrew word for "dedication." When Judas Maccabee (the hammer) and his army eventually crushed their enemies, Judas and his brothers said, "Let's go up to cleanse and rededicate the sanctuary" (1 Maccabees 4:36). The temple was desolate and the gates burned. But they restored the sanctuary, built a new altar with unpolished stones (because the altar had been desecrated by Antiochus Epiphanes), brought in the Lampstand, the Altar of Incense, and the Table of Showbread, and offered sacrifices. "So they celebrated the rededication of the altar for eight days" (1 Maccabees 4:56).

How does this affect our lives? God no longer lives in the Holy of Holies in the temple, but in our bodies, which are the temple of His Holy Spirit. In fact, we are not just the temple of the Holy Spirit, but the "naos" which is the Holy of Holies (1 Corinthians 6:19 and 2 Corinthians 6:16). What an indescribable truth!

Our "naos" may not be desolate, but it is very easy for us to allow things to come into our lives which grieve the Holy Spirit and spoil and dirty our temple.

It is a lovely idea to have a rededication of our temples one night during Hanukah. Choose which morning or evening you would like to do this together as a family. Explain to your children about it, and then ask each one of them to confess to the Lord anything in their lives that grieves the Holy Spirit and to rededicate their "body temple" to the Lord. This includes mom and dad too, of course.

When we have all dedicated ourselves individually, then the father can rededicate the whole family to be living sacrifice to the Lord and to be set apart for His purposes (Romans 12:1-2). I pray that the Spirit of the Lord will come upon you mightily as you experience this dedication service in your home.

Love from Nancy Campbell

(Forgive me! Sorry this is a little late. I forgot to send it this morning.)
Jesus Christ, the Son of God was never reticent to speak the truth, even in the face of death. When he came to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Dedication, he was walking in Solomon's Porch (on the eastern side of the temple) and people gathered around him.

Jesus knew the Jews would be remembering more than the rededication of the temple and the lighting of the Menorah again. They were remembering the great victory over Antiochus Epiphanes, but also how he lifted himself to be god over them. It was Antiochus himself who added "Epiphanes" to his name, which means "God manifest" which was utter blasphemy to the Jews.

In the midst of this thinking Jesus boldly and publically declared, "I and my Father are one" (John 10:30). In other words, He confessed that He was God, which of course, He was! This was too much for the Jews who, remembering Antiochus Epiphanes the evil blasphemer, took up stones to stone him (John 10:22-33).

It was no coincidence that Jesus chose this timing to speak these words. Everything about Hanukkah speaks of standing up for truth even in the face of danger.

May we never cringe to speak the truth, no matter what the consequences.

Love from Nancy Campbell

Good morning! Praise the Lord, it is a beautiful day here in Tennessee. The sky is blue and the sun is shining. This is an added blessing. It means that all the loads of children will be able to go outside after our big meal and enjoy the fun.

Our big Above Rubies packaging room next to my office (Above Rubies is downstairs and we live upstairs) is filled with tables for a sit-down Thanksgiving meal for 83 people! It looks so inviting and we are ready for a great day--a GREAT feast (we have four turkeys, three pieces of lamb, brisket, and chicken, besides the side dishes, and so I think we have enough to feed the tribe! We then have GREAT toasts to people we love and the memory of those who have gone on and GREAT sharing of God's goodness to us throughout the year.

After dinner we go outside to have our GREAT annual Tug of War between all the adults and the children and GREAT fun and games (egg throwing competition, running races, sack races, three-legged races etc!).

We then come inside when it is dark for GREAT dessert, more sharing and items, and goodness knows what until everyone is too tired to last any longer!

Have a GREAT Thanksgiving.

Love from Nancy Campbell

This evening is the first day of Hanukkah, or the Feast of Dedication as it is called in the New Testament (John 10:22-23). It is a festival of lighting candles for eight days to remember the dedication of the temple and the relighting of the lampstand which God commanded should never go out (Exodus 27:20-21).

It all happened because of a very brave family. At this time in history Antiochus Epiphanes ruled over Israel and commanded all Jews to renounce their way of life, practice pagan observances, and live like the Greeks. He erected the "abomination of desolation" in the temple. Many Jews assimilated to avoid persecution and being killed. BUT NOT THIS FAMILY!

Mattathias was a godly older man with five brave sons--John, Simon, Judas (known as Maccabeus), Eleazar, and Jonathan. When the officials came to their town of Modein, they tried to get Mattathias to influence the people of his town to turn away from God. Listen to his reply, "Mattathias answered in a LOUD VOICE: What do I care if everyone in the king's entire kingdom turns from their own religion and starts obeying his laws? MY FAMILY AND I WILL ALWAYS KEEP THE PROMISES OUR ANCESTERS MADE TO GOD. WE WILL NEVER GIVE UP OUR FAITH OR DISOBEY EVEN ONE OF GOD'S LAWS. WE WILL NOT OBEY ANTIOCHUS!" (1 Maccabees 2:19-20).

When a cowardly Jew stepped forward to obey the king by offering a sacrifice, Mattathias was so furious that he rushed over, killed the man, destroyed the altar, and killed the official who ordered the sacrifice. He and his sons then ran to the hills leaving everything they owned behind. Thus began the bravery of the Maccabee family who conducted continual battles against the enemy and eventually delivered Israel and Jerusalem and the temple of God.

We don't face being killed for our faith today. But, we do face subtle indoctrination to succumb to the Satan's plans and give in to humanist, progressive ideology. Will we be those who give in or will we have courage, individually and as families to stand for God, even if no one else is standing? The Scripture says, "Let God be true, but every man a liar" (Romans 3:4).

Love from Nancy Campbell

In Isaiah 60:13 God says, "I will make the place of my feet glorious." Originally, the place of God's footstool on earth was the ark in the Holy of Holies of the tabernacle where He dwelt. Later, He dwelt in the Holy of Holies in the temple made by Solomon. Now we are living in the New Covenant where God now dwells, not in a physical ark or temple, but in our hearts! Both 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 and 2 Corinthians 6:16 tell us that we are now the "temple" where God dwells. The word is actually "naos" which means you have now become the Holy of Holies for His dwelling. This is amazing!

Even the footstool of God is glorious. And now we are His footstool here on earth. 1 John 4:17 says, "As he is, so are we in this world."

Dear mother, you are the footstool of God to your children as you reveal God to them through your daily attitude and actions. I love the quote by William Makepeace Thackeray which says, "Mother is the name for God in the lips and hearts of little children."

God wants His footstool to be glorious because He is glorious. May God save us from living sub-zero! May we understand the revelation of God's plan for us to be His glorious representation on earth, first to our husband and children, and then to everyone we meet. As you get out of bed each morning, embrace your glorious commission to be a revelation of Christ in your home. You don't need any more motivation than that!

Love from Nancy Campbell

After writing the post this morning about how we should be Christ's "footstool" and the revelation of Who He is to our family and those around us, I thought of this lovely poem written by Annie Johnson Flint. I used to recite this poem many years ago.

Christ has no hands but our hands to do His work today;
He has no feet but our feet to lead men in His way;
He has no tongue but our tongues to tell men how He died;
He has no help but our help to bring them to His side.

We are the only Bible the careless world will read;
We are the sinner's gospel, we are the scoffer's creed;
We are the Lord's last message, given in deed and word;
What if the type is crooked? What if the print is blurred?

What if our hands are busy with other work than His?
What if our feet are walking where sin's allurement is?
What if our tongues are speaking of things His lips would spurn?
How can we hope to help Him and hasten His return?

~ Annie Johnson Flint

The HANUKKAH celebration begins tomorrow evening. Hanukkah is usually celebrated around Christmas, but for the first time in 125 years it coincides with Thanksgiving. As a family we love to celebrate Hanukkah each year. This is why we like to do it.

1. Hanukkah in the Hebrew means "dedication." God's temple had been desecrated by Antiochus Epiphanes in 167 BC but the Maccabees family led a revolt against the Seleucid armies and called the nation back to God. After they had driven them out of Judea and Jerusalem, the Maccabees consecrated and rededicated the temple. However, God no longer lives in a temple in Jerusalem, but lives in the temple of our hearts. We like to use Hanukkah as time to rededicate the temple of our lives to holiness and the service of the living God.

2. It is a celebration that Jesus celebrated (John 10:22-23).

3. It is also called the Feast of Dedication (John 10:22) and the Festival of Lights. It celebrates the re-lighting of the Menorah in the temple and how the light kept burning even when they didn't have enough oil. Because this celebration remembers the relighting of the menorah, we read Scriptures about God who is the light and how He also wants us to be His light in this world. We do this at our Family Devotions each morning and evening. We look forward to it every year.

If you would like to read these wonderful Scriptures with your family, I will post them below for you to print out. Feel free to use the Scriptures in the way that best fits your family. For each day, you may like to take half the Scriptures at Family Devotions in the morning and the other half in the evening. If you have older children, it's a lovely idea for each one to have their own Bible and give a Scripture for each one to read aloud--and to share what they feel God is saying through the Scripture. If you have little ones, you may only want to take one Scripture from the list and talk about it.

And don't forget to ask your children questions as you read the Scriptures. This is how you learn and receive enlightenment from the Scriptures together.

I will also send out a post each day telling you a little story or a revelation from the Scriptures about the meaning of Hanukkah. By the way, you may like to take time to read the history of the Maccabees in the Apocrypha. The books in the Apocrypha were not chosen to be part of the cannon of Scripture but the books of Maccabees, 1, 2, 3, and 4 are great historical reading and tell of how the Jewish nation was saved from extinction. I am sure God used these brave men to protect His people and also the coming Messiah. No wonder Jesus celebrated Hanukkah. I have some Bibles that contain the Apocrypha: King James Version with Apocrypha, The New English Bible, World English Bible, Knox Version, and The Jerusalem Bible. You can also get it from the Internet.

Usually Hanukkah is celebrated around Christmas time. This year Hanukkah starts tomorrow. Officially it begins at sundown, Wednesday 27th November, the day before Thanksgiving. The last time this happened was in 1888, before the date for Thanksgiving was changed to the day we celebrate now. And it won’t happen again for 77,000 years! Amazing!

SCRIPTURES FOR YOU TO READ EACH DAY TO YOUR FAMILY FOR THE FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS

Day 1
God is the Source of Light and gives Light
Genesis 1:3-5
Exodus 27:20-21; 40:24-25; cf. Leviticus 24:1-4; Numbers 8:1-3
Exodus 13:21; Nehemiah 9:12,19
Psalm 36:9
Psalm 104:1-2
1 Timothy 6:16
James 1:17

Day 2
Jesus is the Light of the World
Isaiah 9:2, cf. Matthew 4:12-17
Luke 1:76-79; 2:27-32
John 1:4-9,cf. Job 18:5-6; Proverbs 27:20
John 3:19-21
John 8:12
John 12:44-46
Acts 26:22-23

Day 3
Shine the Light of Jesus to the world
Proverbs 4:18
Isaiah 58:6-8, 10
Isaiah 60:1-2
Matthew 5:14-16
Luke 12:35
Philippians 2:14-15

Day 4
God's Word is our Light
Ezra 9:8
Psalm 19:7-11
Psalm 119:18, 105, 130
Proverbs 6:20-24
Ephesians 1:17-18

Day 5
Walk in the Light
Psalm 89:15
Isaiah 2:5
Romans 13:12-14
2 Corinthians 4:4-7
1 John 1:6-9
1 John 2:8-11
Ephesians 5:8-20

Day 6
Out of Darkness into Light
2 Samuel 22:29 (Psalm 18:28)
Isaiah 42:16
Isaiah 50:10
Acts 26:17-18
1 Corinthians 4:5
1 Thessalonians 5:5
1 Peter 2:9

Day 7
Living in God is to live in Light
Psalm 4:6
Psalm 27:1
Psalm 37:3-6
Psalm 43:3-4
Psalm 112:4
Micah 7:8

Day 8
God is the Light of Heaven
Isaiah 24:23; 30:26
Isaiah 60:19-20
Revelation 21:22-25
Revelation 22:3-5

Love from Nancy Campbell

We live in a hurting world with many bruised and broken people. You too, may have been bruised in your spirit by parents, your husband, or other people who have hurt you. I want to lift you up today. Jesus understands what it means to be bruised, because He was bruised for you (Isaiah 53:5). He is the One who heals the broken-hearted (Isaiah 61:1). If you are bruised and feel you cannot cope with life, remember that Christ wants to make you whole again.

Speaking of Jesus, Isaiah 43:3 says, "A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench." A reed is a weak and fragile plant at any time, especially a bruised reed. But, He will never crush you in your weakness. He will only heal you and make you strong. He will take you from being a crushed reed to be a sturdy "tree of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified" (Isaiah 61:3). He will make you as tall, strong, and enduring as the cedars of Lebanon.

What about the smoking flax? Is the fire that once shone brightly in your heart gone out? Or maybe it's barely smoldering. Will you let Him come into your life and stir up the smoldering flames again? He wants you to burn brightly for Him.

Because Christ lives within us by His Spirit, this should also be our attitude to others, too. Oh how easy it is to be a "bruiser." We can bruise our husband and our children with hurtful words. We can dampen the flame in their hearts by our careless and negative words. Oh may God help me. I do so want to be a healer and not a bruiser. I want to be an igniter of the flame and not an extinguisher. Don't you?

Love from Nancy Campbell

When raising our children, I would try to do something different at the meal table one night a week. One of the things the children loved was COLOR NIGHTS. For example, I would choose a colour and put up a notice:

“Tonight is RED Night
No admittance unless wearing something Red.
Supper at 6.00 p.m. Please knock before entering.”

I set the table with a red tablecloth, adding red candles, napkins, and centerpiece (red flowers if I could find them). I prepared red foods. There are plenty of foods from which to choose, e.g. beets, radishes, red beans, red hot dogs with tomato sauce, tomato soup, potatoes or rice colored with red food coloring, etc. For dessert you could have lovely red fruits such as pomegranates, blood oranges, cherries, strawberries, watermelon, or red grapes.

You can also purchase red paper plates and knives and forks, etc. I would often wrap a little gift (something inexpensive) in red paper and put it beside their plate. The children loved these nights and we tried every color of the rainbow!

Love from Nancy Campbell

Did you know that God wants your inner man to not only be strong, but MIGHTILY STRONG? The Greek word "might" is "dunamis" meaning "miraculous, abundant, powerful." It is the same word that is used when Jesus said, "But ye shall receive power (dunamis) after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you." This happens by feeding our spirit with God's Word, but also allowing the Holy Spirit freedom to work in our lives. Nothing of God happens without the moving of the Holy Spirit (Zechariah 4:6).

Invite the Holy Spirit to freely work in you, in your home, and in the lives of everyone in your family. He wants to work in you mightily. He wants to work in each of your children mightily. Paul prayed that the Ephesians believers would be "STRENGTHENED WITH MIGHT BY HIS SPIRIT IN THE INNER MAN" (Ephesians 3:16). The NLT says, "I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will give you mighty inner strength through his Holy Spirit."

Don't settle for a little strengthening, but be a family who are MIGHTILY STRONG in the inner man. Read also Colossians 3:10.

Love from Nancy Campbell

We are talking about building a strong inner man in our own life, and in the lives of our children. God never wants our inner man to lie stagnant or to die with starvation. He wants it to be RENEWED DAY BY DAY! That means it should GROW STRONGER EVERY DAY. What a great vision for our high calling of mothering. We are not only to think of caring physically for our children each day, but to minister God's life and food into them in order that their spirits will grow strong.

This is the need of this hour. Children growing up with strong spirits. Even though they may face hardship, difficulties, challenges, and even persecution, they will not be daunted. They will stand against all odds. They will not faint even in physical weakness.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 says, "For which we 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 are not seen are eternal."

More tomorrow. Love from Nancy Campbell

Tell me, what is half so sweet
As a baby's tiny feet,
Pink and dainty as can be,
Like a coral from the sea?
Talk of jewels strung in rows,
Gaze upon those little toes,
Fairer than a diadem,
With the mother kissing them!

It is morning and she lies
Uttering her happy cries,
While her little hands reach out
For the feet that fly about.
Then I go to her and blow
Laughter out of every toe;
Hold her high and let her place
Tiny footprints on my face.

Little feet that do not know
Where the winding roadways go,
Little feet that never tire,
Feel the stones or trudge the mire,
Still too pink and still too small
To do anything but crawl,
Thinking all their wanderings fair,
Filled with wonders everywhere.

Little feet, so rich with charm,
May you never come to harm.
As I bend and proudly blow
Laughter out of every toe,
This pray, that God above
Shall protect you with His love,
And shall guide those little feet
Safely down life's broader street.
~ Edgar Guest

Which do you think is the more important? The "inner man" or the "outer man"? Of course, we know the answer. Therefore, we must learn how to strengthen the "inner man." And teach our children how to have a strong "inner man."

We strengthen our physical body each day by eating three good meals a day, and often snacks in between! Wow, we sure look after our physical body, don't we? The outer man is forever saying, "Feed me... Feed me" and we give into its cravings too easily. But, did you know that your inner man cries out for food, too? Many times it is starving!

It takes work and preparation to feed the body, and it also takes EFFORT to feed the spirit, too. We have to put aside the laziness of the flesh and determine to take TIME to feed the "inner man."

As mothers we have a great responsibility to feed our children, not only physically, but spiritually. Just as we prepare physical meals, we must prepare spiritual meals. We must make time for Family Bible reading each day with our children, morning and evening. It reminds me of the confession of a great Chinese Christian who would say, "No Bible, No breakfast!" He wouldn't feed his outer man until he first fed his inner man.

Paul confessed, "I delight in the law of God man AFTER THE INWARD MAN" (Romans 7:22). His flesh didn't go after God's Word, but His spirit longed for it.

Is your inner man strong? Are you building strong "inner mans" in your children? Or, are they weak and starving?

More tomorrow. Love from Nancy Campbell