Do something purposeful to strengthen your family life today.
537 Hits
Above Rubies Daily Encouragement Blogs
Through the weekly and daily devotionals you can be constantly encouraged in your great role of parenting, the highest career in the nation. You can also stay updated on what's happening with the Above Rubies ministry.
They have a powerful work to do as they raise their children for God.
492 Hits
We are all familiar with the above picture. Wherever we go in the world we know which restroom to enter by the picture. It is amazing that even in this deceived culture every restroom represents the man’s room with the picture of the pants and the women’s restroom with the picture of a skirt.
And it as it should be. God created male and female, and it is His intention that we reveal the distinction between the sexes. The sad part is that we as women haven’t kept our part of the deal. When the first woman began wearing pants it was met with outrage. But it didn’t take long before more began to follow and then gradually more and more until we now live in a culture where many of our young people wouldn’t hardly know that dresses belong to women.
We know there are crossdressers but imagine if all our young godly men began wearing skirts! Mothers would be horrified. And yet they are so conditioned by our worldly and deceived society that don’t turn a hair to see their daughters in man’s clothing!
We have become so entrenched in a culture of lies that even this post will make many people crazy!
However, if you are really interested in searching for truth, I’d recommend that you read the following article which is a full and doctrinal exegesis on Deuteronomy 22:5.
Deuteronomy 22:5, Gender Distinct Clothing, Pants, Dresses (faithsaves.net)
By the way, don’t scream at me until you have read the article through.
Love and blessings from Nancy Campbell
571 Hits
I was talking to my husband in the car tonight as we are traveling and he said these words: “Women are exalted in their femininity but degraded when they take on masculinity.” Yes, it is true.
God created male and female and women live in their glory when they embrace their womanhood and men live in their glory when they live in their masculinity.
This is how God intends is to live.
538 Hits
This is happening right now. We are living in a world of lies and deception. Our young people are being educated against all truth. But truth is more powerful than lies. We must begin educating our young people with the truth, boldly proclaim the truth, and live the truth more passionately than we ever have before. Who is with me?
504 Hits
The kitchen is where we do a lot of taste testing, isn’t it? We have to taste the meals we create to make sure they are palatable and have a great flavor.However, the kitchen is also a place where we test who we really are! It's easy to live a patient and sweet life when we fellowship with friends or when everything is quiet and peaceful. But what about when everything is in a turmoil? What about when the baby needs you, the toddler is crying, you are trying to get breakfast for everyone, the phone is ringing, and your husband needs last minute help as he leaves the house. You hardly know where to turn first? What about when the children are cranky, whining, or bouncing off the walls? How do you react then?
2 Corinthians 13:5 challenges us with these words: "Examine yourselves whether ye be in the faith, prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that JESUS CHRIST IS IN YOU, except ye be reprobates." We need to examine our faith in the midst of trials and difficulties. This is the true testing.
However, we need not despair that we cannot live up to God's holy standard. We can't! Do you notice the words "JESUS CHRIST IS IN YOU"? It's not you trying to be perfect in your little world of mothering your children. It is allowing the life of Jesus Christ who lives within you to live His life through you.
Get into this habit. Say No to the flesh. Say No to anger and frustration. Say No to self-pity and gloom. Instead, thank Jesus Christ for His patience and love that IS IN YOU BECAUSE HE LIVES IN YOU!
Your greatest test in your kitchen is not trying to be more perfect but yielding to the life of Christ in you!
Be encouraged today,
Nancy Campbell
Painting by Helge Artelius
572 Hits
Each new baby is created in the image of God. Each new baby is unique and there will never be another baby like them in the whole world. Each new baby is exquisitely beautiful. The most beautiful gift you could ever receive.In this society where so many women voted for the right to abortion, even up to birth, we must become more pro-life than ever. Satan wants to eliminate babies and close down the wombs of women. He wants to deceive women as to who they really are. But God loves babies. He looks for the “godly offspring” to come forth. Let’s be on God’s side.
621 Hits
I read this beautiful promise the other day in Psalm 47:13: “For he strengthened the bars of thy gates; he hath blessed thy children within thee.”God’s blessing is on our young children when they are protected within our walls. He wants our children protected. I was amazed to realize what the word “within” truly means. It is “qereb” meaning “the nearest part, in the center, the inward part, the inward thought.” David used the same word when he said: “I will walk WITHIN my house with a perfect heart” (Psalm 101:7). He used it again when he exclaimed: “O Bless the Lord, O my soul and all that is WITHIN me.”
It is a picture of having our children near us, in the center of the home. They are not pushed away into daycare or even the public school system to be taught by teachers we don’t even know! What is their character? What are they teaching? We are now aware that they are adamantly encouraging the mutilation of children’s bodies to the opposite sex. In this time of history, we must be more protective than we have ever been.
Keep your precious children NEAR to your heart and NEAR to your side.
Love from Nancy Campbell
Painting by Joe Bowler
522 Hits
Your table in your home is not only a place to eat some food and run.
It's a place to also feed the soul and spirit.
It’s a place for interaction.
It's a place for stimulating conversation and learning new things.
It's a place to challenge our thinking.
In the Gospels we read that when Jesus came to a meal, He always taught something new.
He exposed deceptions.
He challenged thought patterns.
He uncovered hypocrisy.
He healed people.
You can read some examples in Matthew 8:14-17; Luke 7:36-50; 11:37-54; 14:1-14; 14:15-24; 24:30-32 and John 21:9-19.
Invite Jesus to your table. It will no longer be boring.
Talk about life and what is happening in each other's life.
Ask questions.
Bring subjects to the table to discuss--theological, spiritual, geographical, or political.
At our table we laugh a lot. We discuss (and sometimes debate). We don't always agree, but this makes for stimulating conversation. My husband says, "We don't have to agree with one another as long as we love one another."
Ask God for a new vision for your table.
Don't only think about what you will eat, but what you will talk about.
Come prepared with a subject to discuss.
Challenge each other's thinking.
Invite Jesus to steer your conversation, teach you new things, and lead you in His truth.
But make sure you don’t all talk at once. One person at a time. And don’t allow people to whisper together and have their own side conversation (which is very rude).. Include everyone in the same conversation.
Blessings from Nancy Campbell
(I am always looking for pictures with families sitting around the table together. It is so hard to find them. Anyone have one they can send me?)
529 Hits
Yesterday we talked about mothering with zeal. However, I must mention that this kind of mothering attitude will get you into trouble. Are you ready for this? The description of Jesus in John 2:17 is taken directly from the prophetic words in Psalm 69:9 (ESV): "Zeal for your house has consumed me, and the reproaches of those who reproach you have fallen on me.”When you become passionate for mothering, when you embrace it with all your heart, when you are homeschooling and not living according to the status quo of our society you will receive insults. Most people don't like zealous mothers. They don't like mothers who keep having the children God has planned for them from eternity as they are subconsciously convicted of their own attitude.
But that's nothing compared to how Satan hates zealous mothers. They are his biggest threat! They are dangerous to his kingdom. Mothers who embrace the mandate God has given them to receive His children and raise them to be mighty men and women of God who know how to destroy the works of the Satan get in the road of his plans. He is scared of these kinds of mothers.
Instead, he wants to eliminate children, and the ones who are born, he wants to get hold of and indoctrinate them in his deceptive ways. But he has to get these zealous mothers out of the way of his plans.
Therefore, dear mothers, don’t worry about the insults and the reproaches. You can expect them when you are zealous for building a family for God. And how did Jesus combat the insults that were thrown at Him? "He answered him never a word" (Matthew 27:13, 14). You are doing a GREAT WORK. You haven't got time to come down to your adversaries or insulters. Just get on with your great job.
Nehemiah 6:3: "I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you?"
Be encouraged today,
Nancy Campbell
680 Hits
Dear mother, you are in the greatest career that God has given to women. There is no greater way to influence the righteous destiny of the nation than raising godly sons and daughters. Don’t weaken your power and influence by leaving your home. You will not only influence this nation for good but determine the outcome of future generations.
477 Hits
I usually do early voting but this year I decided to vote ON THE DAY. And I wish that I could vote with a paper ballot. We know that the dems will be doing everything they can to steal this election as they did last time, and machines cannot be trusted.Even here in the mostly conservative state of Tennessee they have already had a problem with the machines in Davidson county with votes going into different counties. They have now sorted out the problem but could not fix the original problem so those illegal votes will still be counted!
Anyway, it is still most important to vote and trust that God will protect our votes. To not vote is to vote for evil.
It is amazing that 13 million evangelicals did not vote in the last election. That’s not 13,000 but 13 million! All these voices for righteousness stayed silent in their homes! No wonder we have lived under tyranny and continuing destruction of our economy and the godly values of our constitution for the last two years.
I believe God’s people have a responsibility to vote. We must be the light in the midst of the darkness (Matthew 14-16).
We must wave the banner of truth in the midst of deception (Psalm 60:4).
Don’t miss your opportunity today to stand up for truth and righteousness.
Every vote for the democratic party is a vote for abortion (even up to birth), continuing to advocate same-sex marriage, promoting transgenderism and the mutilating of young children’s bodies (even to making them eunuchs if that is their wish), the depopulating of the world down to 500 million, dictatorship instead of freedom, the shutting down of churches (as they tried to do during the plandemic), to silence the voice of truth and of the Christian population and so much more.
If you are happy for your children to grow up in this kind of world you will stay home, but if you want your children to live in a society of freedom of speech and religion on which this country was founded, you will make sure you vote for righteousness today.
Let’s rise and be the voice God wants us to be in the nation.
Many blessings,
Nancy Campbell
492 Hits
Dear wives and mothers, you are doing a wonderful work as you build your home and family for the Lord. In fact, we should daily keep in our minds what we are doing--building a house to God. We should have no other motive. I am sure you think of your home as "the house of the Lord" for God longs to dwell in your home and fill it with His presence.What kind of an attitude should we have as we build our home to the Lord? I am sure it should be the same attitude Jesus had for His house. John 2:17 (ESV): "Zeal for Your house will consume me." Some other translations say "devour me" (NET) and "burns in me like a fire" (GNB).
How are we going about raising our family and mothering from day to day? Are we doing it out of duty? Or just because there is no one else to do it? Are we doing it with groaning, complaining, and sighing? Or are we filled with zeal that burns in us like a fire? If this is not your attitude, ask God to give it to you. Ask Him to give you His vision for building your home which is ultimately helping to build a nation and godly generations.
As you get up each morning ask God for His zeal for the mothering mandate He has given to you. Is there a big pile of dishes waiting for you to do? Go at it with zeal. And there's all that laundry stacked up-- approach it with joy.
Are you homeschooling? Do it with excitement. Tackle each task you have to do with all your heart—aboundingly, diligently, fervently, faithfully, heartily, joyfully, mightily, thankfully, and willingly. Did I make these up? No, every one of these attitudes toward work and our mothering are written in God's Word.
Can you imagine what would happen when mothers across the land embrace their great career with the zeal of the Lord? Look out world!
Blessings from Nancy Campbell
Looking for the artist of this painting.
472 Hits
The beautiful High Priest’s robes. They were made for glory and for beauty. Do you notice the shoulder pieces on each side of the ephod? Inside each pouch was an Onyx stone and on each stone were written the names of the children of Israel, the names of six tribes on one side and the other six on the other side, all in birth order.Do you also notice the beautiful glimmering stones on the breast plate? They were 12 precious stones and on each one was written, once again, the name of the 12 tribes of Israel. Exodus 28:12 says: “Aaron shall bear their names before the Lord upon his two shoulders for a memorial.” The shoulders speak of bearing the weight of responsibility.
In Exodus 28:29 regarding the breastplate it says: “And Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breastplate of judgment UPON HIS HEART when he goes in unto the holy place, for a memorial before the Lord continually. “
God wanted to see the names of His people on Aaron’s heart as He wanted Aaron to carry them upon his heart when he went into the presence of the Lord.
Jesus Christ is now our high priest and he sits at the right hand of the father to make intercession for us continually. Our names are upon His shoulders and upon His heart as He intercedes before the Father on our behalf.
We also as parents must take this responsibility for our children as we go into the presence of the Lord to pray for them. He wants us to take the names of our children upon our shoulders, to take that responsibility and bear the weight of our concerns for them into the presence of the Lord. He wants their names to be on our hearts as we go into His presence. Dear mother, are you and your husband taking your children upon your heart into the presence of the Lord each day? This is one of our paramount responsibilities as parents as we raise our children. More than anything else, Never forget to pray for them daily.
529 Hits
Alexander Maclaren writes: "Unless religion is communion, it is nothing." True Christianity is a relationship with a person, Jesus Christ, but it is also relationship with one another.Paul wrote in Romans 1:12: “That I may be comforted TOGETHER with you by the MUTUAL faith both of YOU AND ME.” Ou faith weakens on our own but as we share and communicate together, our faith grows stronger.
Family life is togetherness. It is relationships. They take time to build. If we don't make an effort to keep the family relating together, it is easy for everyone to start going their own ways. The family becomes fragmented instead of being built together.
Of all the animals God created, He chose to call us His sheep. Sheep have a flock mentality. They cannot survive on their own. They are only content when in the flock. Psalm 107:41 tells us that God makes "families like a flock." He wants us to be together.
A wonderful way to fellowship together is at the family meal table where we encourage discussion and heart and soul dialogue together.
I hope you have the same rule that we do at our family table that no one is allowed to bring iPhones or iPads to the table. I cannot think of anything ruder than people texting or checking their messages while sitting with the family. It's bad enough seeing families do this at a restaurant, let alone in the family home.
We sit around a table for the purpose of being able to look at one another in the eyes as we share together. The table is not only a place to eat but “face to face table fellowship.” Direct the conversation at the table. Ask the children questions. Think of a subject to talk about.
Think of something special to do at your family meal table tonight.
Blessings from Nancy Campbell
P.S. If you need some ideas for topics to talk about at your dinner table go to the Above Rubies website for DINNER TIME CONVERSATIONS.
Family Meal Table | Dinner Time Conversations
This is under the FAMILY MEAL TABLE heading where there are so many articles about the family meal table. You’ll love to gradually read through them all. You’ll be very inspired.
PICTURE: Yes, they are one family, The Cameron family.
548 Hits
What makes does a door swing open? It's the insignificant hinges that we hardly ever notice. And yet without the hinges the door cannot open or close. And so it is with our daily life. It cannot function without the seemingly common and insignificant things of life.Making beds, sweeping, vacuuming, and cleaning up the house seem so commonplace. But they bring order to the home which is Godlike. Plus, it makes the home function. Washing dishes and doing laundry can also seem humdrum but they reveal cleanliness which is Godlike.
Smiles, hugs, and kisses and courteous attitudes may seem inconsequential, but they change the whole atmosphere of the home and because they change the home to one of love, peace and joy, they are part of changing the world.
Preparing a meal seems a commonplace thing but is not unimportant. It reveals servanthood which is also Godlike. And it prepares the way for greater things--family togetherness, fun, and fellowship, feeding the soul and the spirit. It also establishes a pattern for the next generation. The gathering around the family table for meals is declining in USA. Some apartments today don't even have stoves. If children do not grow up with family meals, how much more will they digress in the next generation? Will tables be eliminated?
Some think it is a lowly thing to stay at home and nurse a baby, change diapers, care for little ones, and guide and teach their growing children. But this so-called lowly thing in the eyes of society is HUGE in the eyes of God. It is the highest career He has given to women. It is God's ultimate plan for you if you are blessed to be married and have children. And without mothers embracing their role the world would come to a halt! We may be involved in what one writer calls it, "the dust of the small duties" but we make the world function!
Have a great day, dear mother. You are making the world go round!
Love from Nancy Campbell
Painting: Soosh Art at Fine Art America
557 Hits
Only one week to go to determine the course of this great nation. Oh, dear families, I trust you are praying. I trust you are meeting daily as a family to pray for this nation and for these coming elections.We are living in an unprecedented time in our history where we who believe God, in His Word, in His ultimate truth, and in righteousness are facing an enemy that is so huge. We have never faced such evil as we face now in this nation.
The current president (although illegitimate) and all his party, stand on the side of abortion (even if the baby is born alive), for same sex marriage (which is an abomination in the eyes of God), and now the advocating of transgender and the mutilation of young children’s bodies to the opposite sex. Joe Biden wants to make it a federal law that not even states cannot go against the choice of a young child to change gender!
Does this not want to bring you to your knees? This coming week, could you gather your family to pray together morning and evening for God to move mightily and to spread forth His holy arm to rain down righteousness upon us? Get all your children praying. God hears the prayers of children.
If we are not praying in our homes, we won’t be praying in our churches? And if we are not praying, how can we expect God’s blessing.
God has promised to answer those who humble themselves, pray, seek His face, and turn from their wicked ways (2 Chronicles 7:14). When we do this, He promises He will heal our land. But is this happening? How many Christian families are praying together daily? Do we rally want our land to be healed?
And we must not only pray but vote. To not cast a vote is to align ourselves with all this evil which can only bring the judgment of God. We must stand on God’s side. We must vote for righteousness. We must vote against all this evil, deception, tyranny, and ultimately the New World Order which is a complete takeover of our families and our lives.
We have a dear friend from Venezuela who has come into our lives. He had to escape. Even though he has escaped he is still under the surveillance of this communist government. He grieves daily as he sees that everything that was happening in Venezuela to lead to the communist takeover is happening in our nation right now. He pleads with people to vote.
If we do nothing, it means we are happy to come under servitude. If we care for our families and future generations, we will forget everything else on our agenda this coming week and will pray and make sure we vote.
Let’s join together as God’s people to stand for truth and righteousness,
Nancy Campbell
590 Hits
My last post to you was from Way’s translation of Titus 2:3-5. Here is something else I noticed. I was struck by how Way's translation exhorts wives "to be amiable and submissive to their own husbands."The dictionary meaning of amiable is "good-natured and friendly." This is a good translation of the Greek word that is used in this Scripture which is the word "philandros." It means "to be affectionate and friendly." To be amiable makes for a happy and loving atmosphere.
What’s your disposition toward your husband?
This is the attitude God wants us to have as wives. Then why do we get so prickly, irritated, and impatient with our husbands?
Ask God to take away your prickliness. Ask Him to fill you with His amiableness. Get into the habit of reacting with an amiable spirit rather than an impatient spirit. We can get into the habit of doing it one way or the other.
The psalmist rejoiced in Psalm 84:1: "How amiable are thy tabernacles (dwelling places), O LORD of hosts." Fill your home with an amiable spirit. Toward your husband and your children.
Think of ways to be good-natured, friendly, and affectionate to your husband. That means taking time to stop what you are doing to look at him, smile at him, touch him, hug him, and kiss him.
Can anyone say Amen?
Have a wonderful day,
Nancy Campbell
Picture: Grandson, Noble Barrett and his wife Megan, and little Isla.
521 Hits
Jean Marie writes:
“I am a mother of two young boys, three years and five months. I was encouraged by an article I read in one of the Above Rubies magazines to pray for other countries. I wanted to implement learning the locations of other places while simultaneously praying for them as well. At the Dollar Tree I picked up an inflatable globe and now we try to make it a daily practice to pray with our globe.
We start with spinning the globe and then I have my boys point on the globe and say STOP and where it stops spinning, we look at the location and pray for the country, the salvation of the people, and whatever else the Holy Spirit leads me to pray. Afterwards my boys play catch with the globe.
This is a picture of my five-month-old baby after we prayed for Sudan and South Africa.
JEAN MARIE
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
512 Hits
I love the Arthur S. Way's translation of Titus 2:3-5 where it tells the older women their responsibilities: "They should be teachers of virtue, qualified to school in self-control the young women, to teach them to love their husbands and their children, to be discreet and chaste, to recognize that their sphere is home, to be amiable and submissive to their own husbands, so that no slander may assail the Word of God."I also love the phrase, "to recognize that their sphere is home." God has given a special sphere to us as mothers.
It is the place where He wants us to rule and reign as queens.
It is the place where He planned for us to nurture and raise our children.
It is the place where we teach and train children to come forth into the world to bring God's love, truth, and the revelation of who He is.
It is where we build a sanctuary for Him.
This place is our home.
Thank the Lord for the gift of your home today. Thank Him for this special sphere He has given to you where you are free to fulfill your destiny—to be the greatest wife to your husband and the greatest mother to your children. Thank Him for this powerful sphere from which you can change the world.
May God inspire and bless you today.
Nancy Campbell
1013 Hits