Above Rubies Daily Encouragement Blogs

It is an incredible thing for us as human beings to know that we were born to reveal the likeness of God. God says of His people Israel, "This people have I formed for myself; they shall show forth my praise" (Isaiah 43:21). Although this Scripture is primarily speaking of Israel, it also relates to us as God's redeemed people. God did not create us to for our own pleasure, but for His pleasure (Revelation 4:11). He created us to show forth His praise and His glory in the earth (Isaiah 43:7).

We go to the New Testament and receive the same message (Ephesians 1:6-7; 13-14). We were created to "show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light" (1 Peter 2:9). The NET translation says, "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own, so that you may proclaim the virtues (which is the correct word according to the Greek) of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light."

Each day when you wake up, your highest purpose is to reveal God's virtues (the excellencies of the life of Jesus Christ who lives in you) to your husband, your children, and the world around you. And you thought you had no purpose in life? What higher vision could you have?

And you can extend that vision? Seek to be a FAMILY that is a praise to God in the earth, in your neighborhood, and in your church fellowship. What a great vision!

Love from Nancy

Every mother loves her children, but not every mother loves motherhood! This is why many mothers feel frustrated and hemmed in. They spend years training for their career and now mothering is a threat to their plans. Of course they love their children, but they reject the career of motherhood!

Dear mother, can I share with you a secret? It's not enough to love your children; you have to love and embrace your career of mothering to enter into the fullness and anointing of all that God intends for you. It is your highest destiny. It is God's plan for you. Why not stop "kicking against the pricks" and enjoy it?

Start right now and say out loud, "I LOVE MY CAREER OF MOTHERHOOD!" Come on now, say it again! "I LOVE BEING A MOTHER!" The more you confess it the more it will become part of you. You are going to become a motherhood lover! You are going to start laughing instead of frowning.

Love from Nancy

Enoch was 65 years when he began Methuselah (Genesis 5:21-24). Something happened to him when Methuselah was born and he began to walk with God. He had such a walk with God that God took him home to himself without him dying.

How did he walk with God? He didn't go into a monastery. He didn't isolate himself from everyone around him. The Bible tells us that "he begat sons and daughters." He may have had hundreds of children over the next 300 years--children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and many more generations.

Enoch walked with God in his everyday life--feeding his chickens, tending to his livestock, fathering new babies and communicating and teaching his children and their generations. His life was full, but he didn't do it according to his own plans, but by listening to God and talking to Him about every detail of his life.

Dear mother, you can walk with God in your home, facing all the challenges of raising your little ones and teenagers. Oh I know that you thought you were perfect until you had children! Then you wondered what happened to your walk with God!

Don't despair. Constantly remember God is with you. Not only with you, but IN YOU! Talk to Him about everything. Talk to Him about your children all throughout the day. Walk with God in your kitchen and when you walk into your laundry and wherever you go. Walking with God is practical daily life.

You don't have to go to a mission field to walk with God. You are doing it right now in your home.

Love from Nancy

Did you know that all wisdom is not godly wisdom? The Bible talks about man's wisdom, vain wisdom, fleshly wisdom, wordy wisdom, foolish wisdom, worldly wisdom, perishing wisdom, crafty wisdom, conceited wisdom and Egyptian wisdom. This is an eye-opener! We can't trust all wisdom. We must seek God for discernment to cut through man's wisdom to understand God's wisdom. God's wisdom is revealed in His Word and therefore we must be filled with His Word to understand His wisdom. 

Egyptian wisdom is an interesting one. Acts 7:22 says that "Moses was learned (educated from a child) in all the wisdom of the Egyptians." Egyptian wisdom is humanistic wisdom. What did God do with Moses' Egyptian education? He took him out to the backside of the desert for 40 years to get rid of it! He couldn't use Moses to be a leader of His people when filled with Egyptian wisdom. And what did God do with the children of Israel when He brought them out of Egypt? He caused them to wander in the wilderness for 40 years to get rid of Egyptian wisdom out of their brains and hearts before He brought them into the promised land.

And yet what do many Christians do? They send their children to the public school each day to be educated in Egyptian wisdom (the vain wisdom of this world). Do they want their children to be used mightily by God? Well, God will have to allow their children to go through His dealings at some stage to get all that Egyptian wisdom out of their system before He can use them in His plan!

Why waste their time? Why waste years of our children's lives that will need to be eventually eliminated from their hearts?

Love from Nancy

Each morning at Family Devotions we read THE DAILY LIGHT ON THE DAILY PATH which is a compilation of Scriptures on a certain theme for morning and evening. Did anyone else read THE DAILY LIGHT this morning?

One of the Scriptures we read was Ephesians 3:10-11 telling us of God's amazing plan "that at the present time, by means of the church, the angelic rulers and powers in the heavenly world might learn of his wisdom in all its different forms. God did this according to his eternal purpose, which he achieved through Christ Jesus our Lord" (GNT).

How mind-boggling! God's plan for us as His redeemed people is to not only show forth His salvation and power in our daily lives, but to reveal God's wisdom and power to angelic rulers and powers! Such is the awesomeness of "CHRIST IN YOU, the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27).

Remember today, dear mother, that as you yield to the anointed life of Christ in you, that you are not only revealing Jesus to your children as you nurture and train them in your home, you are not only influencing those you meet each day, but you are also ministering to principalities and powers in heavenly places! Are you awestruck too?

Let's live today in the breathtaking fullness of all that God intends for us.

Love from Nancy

Who is the originator of abortion? And yes, even the Birth Control Pill which has the possibility of aborting a newly conceived baby? We know that Margaret Sanger was the instigator of publicizing birth control and the originator of Planned Parenthood, but the desperation to eliminate life goes back Satan himself! Jesus stated, "He was a MURDERER FROM THE BEGINNING" (John 8:44) and he comes "to steal, and to kill, and to destroy" (John 10:10).

Of course, he couches his plans with niceties and makes it look "good, pleasant, and wise" just as he deceived Eve in the beginning (Genesis 3:6). But, he is also called the Deceiver and Jesus went on to say, "There is no truth in him, When he speaks a lie, he speaks of his own, for HE IS A LIAR, AND THE FATHER OF IT."

Why do Christians side with the Murderer and the Liar?

Love from Nancy

I have been thinking lately of how easily we succumb to society around us. How easily we give in to what is put upon us without really thinking about it. We are told to immunize our children, so that's what we do. Everywhere we go we read posters reminding us to get the flu shot NOW! So off we go and do it. But, do we ever check out the implications first?

It is the same with education. Why is that some self-proclaimed educators decide what subjects, what textbooks, and what is written in the textbooks be the criteria for all the children of our nation to learn? Someone who we don't even know dictates the education of our children's brains! And we all say, Yes Sir!  How narrow and inhibiting.

And although homeschooling parents do not use the same humanistic textbooks as public schools, they are often still victims. They think their children must learn what everyone else is learning. They subject their children to making sure they finish every curriculum they purchase, whether it relates to the child or not. Children don't remember a thing they are not interested in.

Can you imagine what could happen if we thoroughly taught our children how to read well, write well, speak well and do basic math--and after that, let them go for it?

Every child is unique. Every child has some genius in him. And the world of knowledge is at his feet to explore. God is the one who teaches man knowledge (Psalm 94:10) and He intends the gifts He has divinely put in our children to make room fort them in life (Proverbs 18:16). Can you imagine children being able to research, investigate, dream, and think about the things that God has put in their mind and heart? We would produce geniuses, which God intends, but which the enemy does not want and curbs through our controlling and humanistic education.

Our children would never lose the wonder for learning which is one of the greatest joys of life. There is nothing more joyous to the soul to discover something new and learn more of what God is putting on your heart. This is God's gift to all our children.

Let's get out of the box and excited about the wonder of learning.

Love from Nancy

The Christian life is a MORE AND MORE life--a life that spills over into our daily life, our wifehood and motherhood.

Proverbs 45:18 says, "The path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth MORE AND MORE unto the perfect day."

Forget the survival mentality as you mother today. Put MORE joy into your mothering. Pour MORE love and encouragement into your children. Seek MORE creative ways to inspire and teach your children in the ways of God. Put MORE zeal into your homemaking. Never submit to the status quo.

What about your marriage? Is it a MORE AND MORE experience every day? Put MORE thought into loving and encouraging your husband. Smile MORE at your husband. Show MORE kindness to your husband. Think of MORE ways to bless and help your husband. Love and kiss your husband MORE passionately.

Enjoy a MORE AND MORE day today  in your home. Get out of the rut of endurance into exuberance. There is a higher realm God wants you to enjoy. Don't live sub-level.

Love from Nancy

What is my favorite marriage Scripture? We have no doubt as to how God wants us to live as wives, as God has made it plain to us in the Scriptures. However, I often say that if we had no other Scripture, the following one would be all we need for a successful marriage. It constantly challenges me.

Philippians 2:5-8 says, "Let his mind (or this attitude) be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

Who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

And being found in fashion as a man he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross."

How is it that we hang on to our stubborn attitude (which is usually quite ridiculous) when Jesus was prepared to give up Heaven and His Godhead to die for our sins? How is it that we can't even humble ourselves when Jesus, who was used to the glory of heaven, was willing to humble himself to become a man for us?

Le's seek to have the same attitude as Jesus. This attitude will not fail to bring blessing to your marriage.

Love from Nancy

Sitting at breakfast at a recent Above Rubies retreat a mother shared with me how they were counseled to avoid having children when they first married. In the counseling session, the couple asked, "What do you think about us just trusting God?" God had been convicting them that if God was truly Lord of their lives, they should trust Him for children too. The pastors laughed with scorn at such a preposterous idea!  Siding with the devil's plan to eliminate life, they continued to provide them with information regarding all methods of birth control.

In spite of their "advice" they knew they had to obey God. They later moved on from this church. Many years later they met these pastors again at an airport as they traveled with their seven children to a family wedding. They greeted one another cordially as they all boarded the same plane together, However, these two pastors were very embarrassed and did not know where to look. In front of their eyes were seven delightful and beautifully behaved children--children who would not be alive if they had taken their advice!

Their counsel would have deprived them of these blessings, not only for the parents, but for the blessing of this world, and for eternity to come.

Love from Nancy

P.S. This mother is now joyfully expecting their ninth blessing.

The life God gives us in His kingdom is an abounding life. It is above the normal status quo. He wants us to abound in everything in our lives (2 Corinthians 8:7). That means abounding and overflowing as we face the challenges of motherhood each day. Yes, right in your kitchen, when a child is annoying you, one is crying, and everyone seems to want you at once!

"Please get real," you say. "This is a bit over the top. And you don't understand what I am going through." Dear wife and mother, did you know that the word "abounding" is Bible language. It's repeated over and over again, along with other words such as "abundantly, exceeding, increasing, multiplying" in every area of our lives. And they are written to believers who were suffering and going through persecution.

One of the "aboundings" is to abound in thanksgiving (Colossians 2:7). The actual Greek word means "overflowing, over and above, enough and to spare, superabounding, excelling and exceeding." Now, that's not  normal is it? It's over the top! So let's get with it.

Do you start the day thanking God for all His goodness and His great salvation. Are you thanking Him in your heart all day long for every little thing that happens? This overflowing thankfulness spills over to everyone around us. Do you continually thank and show gratitude to your husband? When he does something for you do you take it for granted, or spill over in thanks? Why don't you stop and give him a call right now and thank him for the wonderful husband and provider that he is? Thank him for marrying you!

And don't forget your children. Thank them when they do a task. We give loads of commands, but often forget the thanks, don't we? Let's live the overflowing life.

Love from Nancy

What are the very first words we hear God speak in the Bible? Genesis 1:3 says, "And God said, Let there be light: and there was light."

God is light. He loves the light. He lights everything around Him. When He comes into our lives He fills them with light.

Because God has filled us with His light, this should also be our passion. Loving the light. Hating the darkness.

Is there a dark place in your life? Ask God to fill it with His light. Are their places of darkness in your home? Has darkness and evil subtly intruded through the media, computers, or literature? Ask God to expose all darkness and flood your home with His light. Don't let one corner go unnoticed. When you allow evil to hide in a little corner, it will soon encroach upon the rest of the home.

Be a darkness exposer and a light flooder!

"For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ" (2 Corinthians 4:6).

Love from Nancy

"Let's start at the very beginning, a very good place to start," sang Julie Andrews. It's a good place for us to start too, in every situation in life.

The first words of the Bible state, "In the beginning God." He is the "Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end." Everything began with God. Your life began with God, therefore everything in your life should begin with God. When you have a concern about something to whom do you turn? Do you call your friend? Do you call the doctor? Do you call a counselor? Or do you go to God first? That should always be the "beginning" thing that we do.

Psalm 119:160 tells us that God's word is "true from the beginning." To understand truth on any subject we must go back to the beginning. That means back to God and His Word.

We should begin our personal day with God. We should begin our family day with Family Devotions to acknowledge that He is preeminent in our home. 

Wouldn't this be a good habit to get into in our lives? To begin with God in every situation. That we we'll always be on the right track!

Love from Nancy

I was thinking this morning of the blessed life we have living here in the West.  However, did you know that while we live in comparative ease and comfort, that 200 million Christians across the world are currently suffering from some form of persecution? And did you know that over 100,000 Christians are murdered each year for their faith?

We dare not forget about these persecuted believers. I believe we have a responsibility to pray for them each day. If we were being persecuted, we would certainly like to know others were praying for us, wouldn't we? 

As you gather your family together for Family Devotions each morning and evening, remind one another to pray for the persecuted church. Google "The Persecuted Believers" and find out true stories to share with your children to give them a heart to pray for families who are suffering.

Hebrews 13:3 says, "Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body." To understand it more simply the NLT translates it, "Remember those in prison, AS IF YOU WERE THERE YOURSELF. Remember also those being mistreated, AS IF YOU FELT THEIR PAIN IN YOUR OWN BODIES." That's pretty clear, isn't it?

In our home we use, Praying Through the 100 Gateway Cities of the 10/40 Window at our Family Devotions (you can order this through the Above Rubies website). It gives information of the most needy cities in the world and how to pray for them. It is most enlightening and we find it a wonderful help to us in praying. We pray for one city for a week before we go on to the next one. The children love praying for these cities too, and also learn about countries and cities they have never heard of.

Praying families shake the world.

Love from Nancy

COUNTRIES WHERE CHRISTIANS ARE PERSECUTED

Further to my post, FEEL THEIR PAIN, here are some of the countries where believers are being persecuted. Pray for them.

Afghanistan, Algeria, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belarus, Bhutan, Brunei, Burma (Myanmar), Chiapas, Mexico, China, Colombia, Comoros, Cuba, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gaza, and the West Bank, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Maldives, Mindanao, Philippines (Colin and I lived in Mindanao when we were first married doing missionary work--there are many Christians in Mindanao, but also Muslim areas where there is persecution), Mauritania (we have just been praying at Family Devotions for Nouakchott in Mauritania with a population of 99.0% Muslim, this poverty stricken desert country with only 0.4% Christian), Morocco, Nepal, Nigeria, North Korea, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Tajikistan, Tibet (China), Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, and Yemen.

Love from Nancy

I was inspired recently by reading again Psalm 104:24, ""O Lord, how manifold are thy works! in WISDOM hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches."

There are endless numbers of scientific books which tell us of the intricate wonders of God's creatures. We could go on and on, but what about the zebras? Did you know that no zebra has two stripes exactly alike? Everyone is different.

What about the Emperor Penguins? They live in the Antarctic, the coldest place on earth with winds as high as 100 mph. The female lays her egg at the beginning of winter and then the male cares for the baby-egg. He holds it on the top of his toes, keeping it off the ice so it won't freeze. Plus, God created a thick fold of skin on his belly which hangs down like a blanket to cover the egg to keep it warm in the freezing conditions. God thought of every tiny thing.

I can't resist reminding you about one more. Most caterpillars only live a few weeks before turning into moths. However, the Arctic woolly-bear caterpillar lives for 14 years as a caterpillar! Late in the summer the woolly-bear starts making antifreeze. As the temperature freezes, the caterpillar's gut freezes, then it completely freezes (not even a breath or beating heart) until it thaws out in the spring. God enables this little caterpillar to remember to make the antifreeze each year and then survive 13 winter freezes!

However, God's highest creation is the male and female. He also made us with His perfect wisdom. Every part of our body is planned by the Omnipotent, Omniscient, and Eternal Architect. It makes me wonder why we mortals think we know better than God. So many, even those who say they believe in God, reject the way God created them. They have tubal ligations and vasectomies to make sure God's perfect plan cannot work. If they don't have surgery, at least they'll use some form of birth control to make sure their fertility, designed by God, is ineffective. In doing so, they deny their Creator and His wisdom.

Love from Nancy

Scriptures to look up: Psalm 95:6; 100:3; 119:73; Isaiah 29:16; 45:9-10; 64:8; Romans 9:20-21; Romans 12:1-2; Ephesians 2:10.

“You may have tangible wealth untold;

Caskets of jewels and coffers of gold.

Richer than I you can never be—

I had a mother who read to me.”

(Strickland W. Gillilan, The Reading Mother.

FAVORITE STORY BOOKS    

I loved reading to my children when they were young. We read serial stories every night after supper. I'd find a great book and we'd read a chapter or two a night. No, that's not correct. They would always cry for more and so we usually read many chapters. One of our greatest favorites was "Children on the Oregon Trail" by Anna Rutgers van der Loeff--a most heart rendering story and I cried along with the children.

However, when they were smaller, one of our favorite authors was Bill Peet. He wrote the most amazing children's stories, most of them in rhyme. I never tire of reading stories in rhyme. Bill Peet's books are incredibly illustrated, the stories are exciting and imaginative, and the language interesting. Our children still love to say, "Doggon and dagnabit, That's what I call a whopping big rabbit!" (From "Huge Harold.")

Some of our favorite titles are: HUGE HAROLD, KERMIT THE HERMIT, FAREWELL TO SHADY GROVE, RANDY'S DANDY LIONS, and BUFORD THE LITTLE BIGHORN. Google Bill Peet for a complete list. I really recommend these wonderful stories for your children. They were definitely our favorites.

And yes, another favorite was "Tikki Tikki Tembo" by Arlene Mosel about a little Chinese boy who nearly died because his name was so long. His full name is "Tikki Tikki Tembo-no Sa Rembo-chari Bari Ruchi-pip Peri Pembo." The name is fun to say and our adult children have never forgotten the name and can still recite it today. You'll love this one, too.

Have fun reading stories to your children today. Whenever my little ones would start bouncing off the walls, I would haul them all in for story time! There's nothing like gathering your children close in around you and on your knees and reading to them. it calms them down, and you'll most probably need to do it more than once a day!

Love from Nancy

Every day each one of us faces challenges. It's hard not to face them when raising a family is it? Each child has their own particular needs, quirks, and character that needs training. Sometimes we face a trauma that is too big for us to handle, or sickness, or even tragedy in the family. What should we do?

I have found the only thing I can do is LOOK UP. Look up to God and put my trust in Him. Sometimes, I may physically look up, but it is more a raising of the inward eyes to our faithful, limitless, and unchangeable God. Absolutely nothing takes Him by surprise. He can handle anything. He is bigger than the mountain that looms in front of us.

When you look at your circumstances, you crumble. When you brood over your problem it only becomes worse. When you try to fix it in your own strength you usually make a mess of it.

Get into the habit of looking up, dear mother. CONSTANTLY RAISE YOUR INWARD EYES to your God. As you do this in the little things you face each day, you will be in the habit when you face bigger mountains. Instead of going into stress and despair, you will have learned the secret of knowing God's calm in the midst of the storm and experiencing His rest in the midst of trauma.

Love from Nancy

After writing the post below, I thought of something my eldest son said to me when facing great difficulties and when he lost millions of dollars with a big project he was doing. I remember asking him at the time, "How are you getting on with all these problems?"

He looked at me and replied, "Mother, I don't have problems, only challenges!"

Love from Nancy

LOOK UP!

How can I do it? I have too much to do,

I’m overwhelmed and feeling real blue,

I’m stuck in this house like super glue.

            Don’t look around – LOOK UP!

The dishes and laundry are piled up high,

When I look ‘round the house I have to sigh,

And for supper my husband’s expecting a pie!

            Don’t look around – LOOK UP!

We can’t pay the mortgage; bills are overdue,

I’m tired and have headaches, not a few,

These children are driving me crazy too!

            Don’t look around – LOOK UP!

My husband comes home late; he doesn’t care,

He doesn’t help with the children; it’s not fair!

I don’t want to smile; I just want to glare!

            Don’t look around – LOOK UP!

Take your eyes off your problems, look up to Him,

God’s presence is with you, even in the din!

Confess your bad mood and He’ll cleanse your sin.

            He is your God – LOOK UP!

He will show you how to order your place,

He will give you direction as you seek His face,

He wants to pour upon you His anointing of grace.         

            He is your God – LOOK UP!

Keep your eyes fixed on Him; He is your Stay,

He is your Wisdom for problems each day,

He will bring His presence right into your fray.  

            He is your God – LOOK UP!

Each morning He comes as the refreshing Dew

To revive your body, and your spirit too,

He is your Deliverer and He’ll make you new,

            He is your God – LOOK UP!

Love from Nancy

Do you want to raise wise children? The Bible gives us the answer. Fill their hearts and minds with the Scriptures.

2 Timothy 3:15 says, "From a child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to MAKE THEE WISE unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus."

There is no wisdom on earth that is greater than God's Word. Guard against their minds being filled with humanistic wisdom. Establish Family Devotions with your family to DAILY fill them with God's Word.

How many Scriptures do your children know? Are they RICHLY FILLED with the Word (Colossians 3:16)?

Don't wait. You can start reading the Scriptures to your child while still in the womb.

Love from Nancy

P.S. Further Scriptures to read: Deuteronomy 4:5-6; Jeremiah 8:9; Psalm 19:7; 119:98; Proverbs 28:7; Matthew 7:24-27.