Above Rubies Daily Encouragement Blogs

I can remember times during the days of our marriage when my husband would come home tired and ready for his evening meal, but I had planned to go out to a meeting or activity. What should I do? Place his dinner in front of him, say Bye, and leave him to all the children? Or should I stay with him and the children for the evening?

The modern viewpoint would say, “Well, you’ve been with the children all day long. It’s about time he had his turn!”

But what decision will build into the marriage and the home? I think you’ve guessed it. It is so easy to build into so many other things in this life and forget our greatest building project.

That doesn’t mean, of course, that you will never go out. There are always special occasions. But we need to be sensitive and listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit as to what is the best thing. Good things are often the enemy of the best!

Proverbs 14:1 says, “Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands.” The New Century Version says it very clearly, “A wise woman strengthens her family, but a foolish woman destroys hers by what she does.”

As wives and mothers, we constantly have to make decisions. Make your decision to BUILD AND STRENGTHEN.

Love from Nancy

Yesterday we talked of how God wants to be the God of our family. What are some of the ways we can make Him God in our home? How do we make Him preeminent? I will look forward to hearing your thoughts.

I believe that one of the ways we make God paramount in our family life is by taking time each morning and evening to read God’s Word and pray with our families. Is that too much to ask? I think it is the least that we can give God each day. If our lives are too busy and our schedule so tight that we can’t fit morning and evening devotions into our family life, then obviously other things are more important than God.

I know it takes reorganization. I know it takes effort on our part. In fact, I often say that making Family Devotions happen is 98% the wife’s part. It won’t happen if we don’t work to make it happen.

I believe we also have to watch going out too much in the evenings. It’s easy to get involved in many Christian activities, even good and worthwhile things, and yet they take away from building into our family and making God the Lord of our home. We are not to make the church the lord of our home. We are not to make “good” activities the lord of our Home. We are to make Him Lord IN OUR HOME!

Love from Nancy

P.S. I would encourage you to check out the following links:
http://bit.ly/TheWifesPart
http://bit.ly/MorningEveningPrinciple
http://bit.ly/HowWeUseDailyLight

I have always loved the Scripture in Jeremiah 31:1 where God says, “I will be the God of all the families of Israel.” God is the originator of families. He loves families. And He wants to be the God of each individual family.

God cannot be God of the nation unless He is God of the families. It all starts with families. That means it starts with us. The most powerful thing we can do to bless our nation is strengthen our individual marriage and family.

The devil wants to weaken families. He tempts us with things that look good to lure us away from the home. Yes, even homeschooling mothers can often be more involved out of the home than in the home. I want to encourage you that the greatest thing you can do is to build your home. Put an end to everything that fragments your family life. Cancel everything that weakens your marriage and family structure at home (Proverbs 14:1). Know your purpose and stick to it.

Are you running your home from the periphery of your home, or from the heart of your home? Is God the preeminent One in your home, or someone to be called upon when you need Him?

Love from Nancy

Are you currently facing an impossible situation? Can I encourage you to not look at the “impossible” situation, but to look to God? The word “impossible” means nothing to Him. It is not in His vocabulary.

What did Abraham do in the impossibly looking situation when God promised him a son? He was 100 years old and Sarah was ninety! It couldn’t happen naturally. Romans 4:20 ESV says, “No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God.”

I was challenged as I read this Scripture again. Abraham became strong in faith as he praised God. He would have become weak in faith if he had kept dwelling on the impossibility of the situation.

Praise God in your situation. Give glory to God that He is in control and He can do what man cannot do. Even when you feel full of doubt, keep giving glory to the Lord, and your faith will grow strong.

Love, Nancy

What kind of “way” do we live in our families? God has provided a “new and living way” to live (Hebrews 10:20). But, the question is, do we really live the “new and living way” that has been provided for us through God sending His beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to die for our sins and rise again?

Jesus’ death upon the cross was not only to save us from our sins, but to come into our lives by the power of His Holy Spirit and give us the power to live in victory, overcome evil, and the bondage of our self life (2 Corinthians 5:15; Galatians 1:4 and Colossians 1:27b).

You don’t have to live the old way any longer. You don’t have to let your flesh rule as you face all the interruptions, frustrations, and challenges of your mothering day. You have Christ living in you. You are a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). You have a new way of living.

Live the new way today. Teach your children how to live the new way. No Christian family should be bound to the old fleshly way of living. That is an indictment to the cross of Christ and gives the victory to Satan. Let Christ rule in your heart today and let Him have the victory in your home.

Love from Nancy

Paul asked the question in 1 Corinthians 4:7, “What do you have that you were not given? And if it was given to you, how can you brag?” (CEV). How we need to be reminded of this question. Truly, everything we have and everything we are as a person has been given to us by God. We cannot lay claim to one thing! We have no room for boasting.

What a difference this truth makes to our lives. We are cast upon God for our every breath. He is our Source, our Life, our Hope, and our Salvation. Every gift and talent we have has been given to us by God and therefore we are responsible to Him to use it for His glory (Matthew 25:14-30).

What about our children? We cannot claim them as our own, either. They are gifts from God, and therefore, once again, we are responsible to God for the way we train them and prepare their hearts to receive God’s direction for their lives. We cannot plan their path, or even bend them in a certain way, apart from God’s way. God has already put His chosen gifts and talents in them and planned their destiny before the foundation of the world. We can’t take any credit for their gifts. They are all given by God.

I look at my grown children (and some of them already have grown children of their own) and I see more than ever that God created each one uniquely. I cannot boast of their gifts and talents because they were indelibly placed within them by the hand of God.

You can trust God for your children because He has planned their lives.

Love from Nancy

It’s our attitude that counts, isn’t it? What kind of an attitude do you wake up with this morning?

Don’t let your feelings control your attitude. Determine your attitude and your feelings will follow! That’s the victorious way to live!

I was challenged today by the attitude of Jesus. When He came from the glory of heaven to this earth to accomplish the Father’s will, He didn’t do it grudgingly, but He delighted to do the Father’s will, even though it meant giving His life. Psalm 40: 8 says, “I DELIGHT to do thy will, O my God.” His was the ultimate sacrifice, and yet He DELIGHTED to do His Father’s will.

You are in the Father’s will as you create a godly home and tenderly nurture the children God has given you. He is the One who has given you this task. What’s your attitude? Do you complain and groan? Or do you DELIGHT to do His will?

Change your attitude to DELIGHT today. Check out Deuteronomy 28:46-47 which tells us that God takes His blessing from us when we do not serve Him with “joyfulness, and with gladness of heart.”

Love from Nancy

I mentioned yesterday that God always blesses before giving conception. So you know I am telling you the truth, here is just one of many Scriptures. Deuteronomy 7:13 says, “And He will love thee, and bless thee.” How does God show His love and blessing to us? The next words of this Scripture say, “And multiply thee: He will also bless the fruit of thy womb.”

The blessing that God delights to give more than anything else is the blessing of the fruit of the womb, and even multiplication.

Imagine a young couple receiving this blessing on their wedding day? Genesis 24:60, “And they blessed Rebekah, and said unto her… Be thou the mother of thousands of millions, and let thy seed possess the gate of those which hate them.”

Isn’t it amazing how we are so far removed from the Scriptures and the heart of God that this generation of Christians believe the opposite to God’s plan? How can it be that the majority of Christians are trying to stop the blessing of God?

Do you think it is time for us to return to God’s heart and His plan for us?

Love, Nancy

In my last post, we talked about the first thing God did after creating man—He blessed them.

Do you remember what He did next? I’ll give you a minute to think about it.

Yes, I’m sure you got it right. He spoke. What did He say? Genesis 1:28 says, “And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it.” The very first words that man ever heard from the mouth of God were to be fruitful and fill the earth. These words followed His blessing.

It is interesting that when God talks about being fruitful, or children coming, that He first blesses the couple. Blessing always comes before fruitfulness. You can’t even have a child without the blessing of God. Isn’t it amazing that God’s blessing is always fruitfulness, and yet so many don’t want to receive it?

Let’s keep under the fount of God’s blessing.

Love, Nancy

P.S. I have given a whole chapter of my book, BE FRUITFUL AND MULTIPLY to the Scriptures that speak of God’s blessing before He sends fruitfulness. You can check them out by ordering the book from www.aboverubies.org

What was the first thing God did after He created man? I'll give you a little moment to think about it?

He blessed them. Did you get the right answer?

God is a BLESSER. He wants to bless you. He wants to bless your family.

And because we are created in His image, we should be blessers, too. It should be second nature to us. More correctly, it is God's nature in us.

Did you bless your husband this morning? Have you blessed your children today? If not, there's still more time in the day.

Let's make it a habitual part of life to speak life, blessing, and encouragement to each one in our family each day, and to all we meet.

Love from Nancy

God told His people of old, and I am sure we need to be constantly reminded today, “Do not learn the way of the nations… for the customs of the peoples are delusion” (Jeremiah 10:1-3). Read also Leviticus 18:3 and 20:23). And yet, we assimilate. When we look into the mirror of God’s Word we can be surprised at how much we are like the world rather than the standard of God’s Word.

That’s why it is so important to daily fill our minds and hearts with God’s truths and impart these truths to our children. Otherwise, we have no standard, except what we see around us, and often it is contrary to God’s way.

Why is it that Christian parents limit their families, and sometimes even scoff at having more children? Why do Christian parents want to send their children to state schools where the Bible and prayer (which are foundations of our nation) have been banned? What do Christian parents run their children around to every sport and extracurricular activity? Isn’t it because they have assimilated?

In many cases, the Christian’s standard of dress, movies, literature, and divorce, etc. lines up more with the world than God’s Word. And they think it’s normal!

Isn’t it time for a turning back? Isn’t it time for “normal” to be God’s normal, rather than the world’s normal?

What’s your “normal”?

Love from Nancy

Some extra Scriptures to check out if you have time!
Isaiah 60:1-2; Jeremiah 6:16; 18:15; Matthew 5:13-16; James 4:4; 1 John 2:19-21.

Jeremiah 10:7 asks “Who would not fear You, O King of the nations? Indeed it is your due!” What comfort to know that our God is King of the nations. No matter how much the nations rant and rave and turn away from God, God will have the last say. He is King of kings and Lord of lords.

Not only is He King of the nations, but He wants to be King in our lives and in our homes. If He is King, we are His subjects. We are to serve Him and honor Him for it is our due! If this is true in our family life, it will be surely the least we can do to come before our King as a family morning and evening to hear from Him, to worship Him and to pray to Him.

It is sad that many Christian families are too busy to take time for the Family Altar twice a day. Sports and other extracurricular activities take precedence. Is this making Jesus King in our home? What example are we teaching our children?

Who or what reigns as King in your home?

Love from Nancy

“She always made home happy.” This was an epitaph a husband inscribed on his wife’s grave after 60 years of marriage. What a powerful life. Imagine 60 years of making a home happy. As she put aside her own interests and sought to make her husband, her children, and all her came into her home happy, she must have influenced thousands—and generations to come.

Could this be written over my grave, or yours? Are we consciously seeking to make our husband happy? Are we intentionally blessing and encouraging our children each day? Are we seeking to make our home a delight? Or, are we too busy taken up with our own problems, self interest, and self pity.

Can I tell you a secret? The best way to get out of the doldrums and depression is to forget about you and try to make someone else happy. “How can I make someone happy when I feel so lousy?” you ask. Forget your feelings. Just do it. You will be amazed at what happens.

When you make others happy, you become happy yourself. As you become happy yourself, you’ll make others even happier. Your husband will be happier. Your children will be happier.

This is the way to go, mother! Start making someone happy right now. If your husband is around, sneak up on him and give a big kiss and cuddle. Or give him a call at work and tell him you love him. Do something special for one of your children.

Have a fun day making your home happy.

Love from Nancy

We read yesterday how Jesus wants to be where He is. He wants our company. He wants us to be His friend.

In John 15:14-15, Jesus says, "Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants, for the servant knoweth now what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you." How wonderful.

I want to cultivate His friendship, don't you? Get into the habit of listening to Him throughout the day, even in the midst of caring for your little children. You constantly need wisdom. You need His counsel, and He is waiting to give it to you. He says, "Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom" (Proverbs 8:14). He is with you to speak into your heart and guide your way. Be His friend. Let Him talk to you.

Love from Nancy

One of the Scriptures we read in The Daily Light at Family Devotions this morning was John 12:26, “If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be.”

How often we ask God to bless our plans and what we are doing. We want God to come on board with everything we are doing, don’t we? But, do we stop to think about being where God wants us to be? To listen to what He is saying? To walk in obedience to His truth, rather than our own plan?

“Father, I want to be on board with you. Please save me from bringing you down to my level. I want to follow hard after you. Amen.”

Love from Nancy

You know the following Scripture back to front, I know. Proverbs 18:21 GNB SAYS, “Death and life is in the power of the tongue. You will have to live with the consequences of everything you say. What you say can preserve life or destroy it; so you must accept the consequences of your words.”

Our mouth can be a “well of life” (Proverbs 10:1) to all we speak to, or it can minister death. Dear mother, can I encourage you to take on a challenge for this day? I’m seeking to do it, too. Let’s see if we can be only a “well of life” today. No discouraging words. No negative words. No complaining and griping words. No nagging words. No angry words.

Instead, only life-giving words. Only encouraging words. Only kind words.

Just for today. Can you do it?

Love from Nancy

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY to you today, mother. You are doing a great job. You are employed in the greatest career of the universe as you nurture and train your children to walk in God's ways and to reveal His character in this world. You may not always feel victorious, but I want you to know you are doing a great job. God is with you and behind you all the way. He will nor forsake you, even when you feel faint and weary.

You are employed by God. What an honor! You have a God-given career. Satan hates it, but God loves it. Mothers who have a vision to embrace children and raise them to be mighty for God are the biggest threat to the enemy.

Lift up you head. Put a smile on your face and rejoice. You are advancing the kingdom of God and pushing back the kingdom of Satan.

Have a wonderful Mother's Day as you bask in the joy and blessing of your children.

Much love from Nancy

Are you wrestling against the devil and his evil works, or nestling in his camp? Ephesians 6:12 says that we are to wrestle against the rulers of the darkness of this world. We have evil and deception all around us. What are we doing about it? Are we acquiescing or fighting? To wrestle means to fight hard to win.

We cannot be neutral. We cannot be tolerant towards evil. We must stand against it. We must fight and wrestle. If we don’t, we eventually succumb to the evil itself. Why are the evils of materialism, worldliness, feminism, socialism, progressivism, abortion, homosexuality encroaching on our nation? Is it because God's people are not fighting against these powers of darkness?

Ephesians 6:13-14 says, “Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, too stand. Stand therefore…” The words “withstand” means more than stand. It means to “stand against, to oppose, to resist.”

Let’s fight, and teach our children to fight. Stand up and speak out at every opportunity. Pray together daily as families and fight these principalities and powers in prayer. If we don’t, the next generation will be assimilated more and more into the ways of the enemy.

Love from Nancy

I think we sometimes forget that God's Word is for all generations, and that includes our 21st century. God, who created mankind, designed and planned the way for us to live. And what was His plan? Marriage and family life. Because God planned it, it is the healthiest and happiest way to live. Sadly, we don't always see the evidence of this today, do we?

Why? Because people are too modern for God, even though He is the same, yesterday, today and forever! They think the "ancient paths," the principles God established in the very beginning, are too old fashioned for them.

We live in a humanist and deceived age. There are bypaths everywhere and many of them look wise and good, but if they veer off the highway of God's plan, they'll eventually take us down a road of destruction.

Jeremiah 18:15 MLB says, "My people have forgotten Me... they have stumbled in their ways, in the ancient roads, and have walked in bypaths, not the highway." This is the way it is translated in most versions, but the ESV says they "walk into side roads, not the highway." The NLT says they "walk in muddy paths." Moffat's translation says that they "take to bypaths of their own."

The Hebrew for "walk in bypaths" is translated in other places in the Old Testament as "desolation, astonishment, or waste."

Are you on THE highway, or walking a bypath? Make sure you and your family are filling your minds and hearts with the Word daily. This is the only map to keep us on the highway, and unless we constantly refer to it, we often don't realize we are on a bypath.

Jeremiah 6:16 says, "Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls."

Love from Nancy

After my post, Why Don’t we Like Obedience?, it seems that many are desperate to establish order in them home again. What can you do? Here are a few thoughts.

1. Take some time (????) to sit down and think about your home and how you want it to run (maybe this evening when the children are in bed). Write down your vision. Write down your plan for how you can make it happen. Think of a schedule for the day. You don't have to be too rigid, but you do have to have a plan of action. If you don't, nothing will happen and you'll keep going the way you are. My constant affirmation is: Nothing just happens, you have to make it happen!

2. Some things you need to think about. All children need to be up and dressed (and if old enough), beds made by breakfast time (and hopefully you will have devotions together after breakfast). Appoint jobs for each member of the family so the kitchen can be cleaned up and laundry on the way for the day. All children need to be involved from the youngest to the oldest. Make sure everything is cleaned up before you start homeschooling. I am just getting you started. You can think about the rest of your day. But, make sure you also think about how you will prepare your evening meal and when you will start.

3. Share the plan with your husband and ask him for any changes or better ideas and pray over it together.

4. Gather the family together at a suitable time. Share with the family that you can't keep going the way you are. A family must run smoothly and so you have got a great plan to make it happen and you are all going to be involved. Then share the plan with the family and tell them their appointed tasks. You can also print it out for the fridge so they can all see it.

5. Be excited about it and let the children catch the vision. When you start your tasks in the morning, aim for a time to get them finished. No dawdling about! Teach your children to work hard and fast. Isn't this how you are training them? You are training them for the future! They must know how to work hard, fast and joyfully! If tasks are done by a certain time, put a star on the fridge. At the end of the week, if there are a certain number of stars, plan a celebration. Go out for ice-cream. Have a special meal, or purchase a little gift for each of the children who played their part. Incentive is great. There is nothing wrong with giving incentives.

The above are a few thoughts to get you started.

Love, Nancy