Above Rubies Daily Encouragement Blogs

Where can you communicate while you eat?

Where can you enjoy real fellowship sweet?
Where can you laugh with friends who are neat?
At the table.

Yesterday we talked about the first question God asks in the Bible, “Where are you?” God didn’t come to Adam and Eve the moment they sinned. He came at the end of the day. The heat and toil of the day is over and a gentle breeze is now blowing. It’s the time to rest. It’s the time for fellowship.

Genesis 3:8 says: “And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.”

Like me, do you love to stand up for life, truth, and justice? Proverbs 31:8, 9 says: “Open thy mouth for the dumb in the cause of all such as are appointed to destruction. Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy.” Here is a petition you may like to sign to stand up for life. (I’ll send you two more inn separate emails).

Tragically, over 4,000 babies are aborted every day in our nation. That's over 1.6 million every year!

God loves to ask questions. We notice that when Jesus came to earth that He loved to ask questions too. Of course, God always know the answer, but He wants to hear a personal answer from us.

The first question God asks in the Bible is “Where are you?” After Adam and Eve took of the forbidden fruit, they realized they had sinned. When they heard the LORD God walking in the garden they freaked out and hid themselves among the trees. Genesis 2:9 says: “The LORD God called to the man and said to him, ‘Where are you?’" God knew where they were, but He wanted to hear from Adam and Eve.

A 15-year old schoolboy in Minnesota wrote this prayer:

For this great nation under God
Finds mention of Him very odd.

My father was one of five boys who have now all passed away. I remember my Uncle Eion, the eldest son. He faced many challenged in his life. At one time, he owned the biggest house and biggest car in the small New Zealand town in which we lived. One day, this home burned to the ground. Later he became bankrupt. He also got diabetes, which resulted in the amputation of first one leg and then the other leg. During all these trials, along with many others, and no legs, he continually confessed with a smile on his face, “I’m the luckiest man alive!”

What’s happening in your home today? Is everything piling on top of you--laundry, dishes, and teaching the children all waiting to be accomplished? Don’t despair, dear mother. Don’t look at everything waiting to be done. Just tackle one job at a time. Priorities first. But do each task with ALL YOUR MIGHT. Not half-heartedly, grumblingly, or lazily.  And teach your children to do their chores with all their might, too. Inspire this attitude in them as they see the way you begin each responsibility.

The Bible always shows us the way:

Ecclesiastes 9:10: “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy MIGHT.”

Colossians 3:23, 24: “And whatsoever ye do, do it HEARTILY, as to the Lord, and not unto men; knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance; for ye serve the Lord Christ.”

Colossians 3:17: “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all IN THE NAME OF THE LORD JESUS, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.”

1 Corinthians 10:31: “Whatsoever ye do, do all to the GLORY OF GOD.”

Philippians 2:14: “Do all things WITHOUT MURMURING.”

Matthew 25:21, 23; Luke 16:10: “He that is faithful in that which is least, is faithful also in much.”

What a great day you will have in your home today as each one does everything with all their might.

Blessings from Nancy Campbell

It’s so easy to get burdened down with negative thoughts, isn’t it? I find that if I don’t discipline my thoughts they tend toward self-pity, “poor me, why do I have to put up with all of this?,” selfishness, and even my own pitiful thoughts about God which are not worthy of Him.

We must bring our thoughts into captivity for we live as we think. We mother according to how we think. The whole atmosphere of our home depends on how we think! That’s why God wants us to think correctly. That’s why He wants us to be transformed by the daily renewing of His living Word (Romans 12:1 ,2).

I remember seeing a cartoon many years ago. It was a picture of a mother looking at the adverts in the newspaper. Around her were children out of control and the house in utter chaos. The caption read: “I’m looking for a job, I need a rest!”

This may be just how you feel sometimes. Dear mother, I want to remind you today that you already have the greatest career in the nation. I know it’s not easy. It has the longest hours. It’s full of challenges. Sometimes you feel so tired you can hardly see straight. But no job that is nation-changing, generation-influencing, and eternity-investing is easy.

And to top it all off, God is with you all the way through. He does not give up on you half way through your commission. He is with you to the end. David reminded his son, Solomon that “God will be with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee, until thou hast finished all the work for the service of the house of the LORD” (1 Chronicles 28:20).

God is also with you as you build your “house of the LORD” and daily serve Him as you mother and train your children. And did you get the message? He will be with you UNTIL YOU FINISH THE WORK! Yes, in all the serving in your home. Not half way through, but all the way through. You may feel exhausted along the way, but because God is with you. You will make it to the finishing line!

God’s promise to you in Hebrews 13:5, 6 says: “Be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” Wuest’s Word Studies from the Greek New Testament reveal the full meaning of this Scripture: “I WILL NOT, I WILL NOT, I WILL NOT let thee down, leave thee in the lurch, leave thee destitute, leave thee in straits and helpless, abandon thee.”

Lift up your head today. You are not doing this on your own. GOD IS WITH YOU UNTIL THE FINSIHING LINE!

Be encouraged. Nancy Campbell

Do you remember the account of Jesus when he was only twelve years old? The family came to the Feast of Passover at Jerusalem. On the way home, along with all the other hundreds of families returning from Jerusalem, his parents noticed Jesus’ was missing. They immediately returned to Jerusalem but it was three days before they found Him.

Where was he? In the temple, sitting among the teachers and doctors, asking and answering questions about his Father. What did Jesus answer to his frantic parents? “Wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business?” (Luke 2:49).

What vision do you have for your children at this age--twelve years and moving into early teens? It saddens me that when they get to this age many children become less interested in the things of God. This breaks my heart. Statistics reveal that children who grow up in Sunday Schools rather than being in the main service with their parents are usually not interested in church by the time they are twelve years of age. They are influenced and conditioned by their peers to worldly things rather than pursuing after God.

Some translations of the Bible say that Jesus replied, “I must be in my Father’s house?” The Greek allows for either translation as it is only a definite article, not a specific word. I love the words “be about my Father’s business,” or “my Father’s affairs.” Even at this young age He wanted nothing else than God’s will. This was His consuming passion for life.

I also love the words, “My Father’s courts” or “my Father’s house.” He loved to be in the house of God. He loved to talk with and learn from older men of the deep things of the Word of God. This was his home. Do your children love to come to church, love to pray, and love to listen to adults sharing the deep truths of God?

What is the spiritual temperature of your twelve-year-olds and teens? Let’s pray intently for our children that they will become more passionate for God with every passing year, rather than less and less.

Bless you today,

Nancy Campbell

Ephesians 6:8 tells us: “Whatsoever GOOD thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive the Lord.” Dear mother, I want to remind you that you are doing a GOOD work. God tells us in Titus 2-5 that the “GOOD” things the older women must teach the younger women are all about the home--loving your husband, loving your children, and being a keeper at home. When you embrace this lifestyle God planned for you, you are doing a good work. When you nurse your baby, teach your children, prepare the meals, clean, and keep your house in order you are doing GOOD things.

1 Timothy 5:10 also describes the woman in the home--embracing and nurturing children, showing hospitality, and ministering to the needy. Once again it says these are “GOOD works.”

And what does God say when you do the good things He wants you to do? You receive your reward from the Lord. Be encouraged today. As you pour your life into building your marriage and your family, it is never wasted. God sees every effort. And you will not miss your eternal reward.

Live in the joy of knowing you are doing a good work,

Nancy Campbell

Are you rejoicing today? “Help, I don’t have anything to rejoice about,” you exclaim! Sometimes you can feel like that when everything goes wrong, insurmountable problems confront you, or you feel just plain lousy.

However, Psalm 89:16 inspires us: “IN THY NAME shall they rejoice all the day; and in thy righteousness shall they be exalted.” It is true that you can’t always rejoice in your circumstances or what is happening in your life, but you can rejoice in the name of the Lord. His name never changes. It is always constant. His name is holy. It is awesome. It is glorious. His name is Jehovah-Jireh--the Lord who provides, Jehovah-Rapha--the Lord my Healer. The name of the Lord is a strong tower into which you can run. And on and on.

And never forget that God has given Jesus “a name which is ABOVE EVERY NAME, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:9-112).  Every name bows to His name!

We never have an excuse to not rejoice in the name of the Lord. No matter what your difficulty, by faith, rejoice in His name. Praise Him for His glorious attributes Rejoice that you are called by His name.

“Rejoice in the LORD, and again I say, rejoice” (Philippians 4:4).

Encourage yourself in His name today,

Nancy Campbell

I believe it is important to feed the five Senses of your children at each meal time.

Sitting down to a meal is far more than eating food. Eating not only feeds a hungry tummy but includes all the five senses--sight, hearing, touch, smell and taste. Can I encourage you to think about this as you prepare meals for your family? It will bring such blessing to your children.

Sight

To dish up a meal on an un-set table is, I think, a sacrilege. It is even worse to prepare a meal and let everyone eat it at different times and wherever they want-- even in front of the TV. You can spend time preparing a lovely meal, but if it doesn't minister to the sight, it doesn't have a great appeal. On the other hand, you can sit down to a humble meal, placed on a table that is prepared with dignity and love and it can be a spiritual experience. Proverbs 9:1-2 tells us that the wise woman PREPARES her table.

Even young children feel the atmosphere when they sit up to a delightfully prepared table.

Perhaps you are a mother of young children and you can't imagine one more task during the busy supper time. It takes all your effort to cook a meal without the extra work of setting a table! However, obstacles are only in our mind. It doesn't take long and you can teach young children how to set a table properly. It is a basic task for them to learn and they will love to do it. You can make it a competition, as they each have their turn, to see who can set it the most attractively.

It adds a touch of class and delight to use a tablecloth. If you haven't time for washing tablecloths, purchase some clear plastic which you can place over a pretty tablecloth, or purchase some attractive plastic cloths you can wipe down after the meal. Add a candle, some flowers (even if they are wild flowers or weeds that your children find around), or a centerpiece to your table. Encourage your children to set the table beautifully, not haphazardly. It will make all the difference to your meal.

Did you know that we taste with the eyes as well as the mouth?

Make your food look attractive, too. Arrange it appealingly on the table in serving dishes, or on individual plates if you do it this way.

Hearing

If you do happen to have TV in your home, make sure you turn it off during mealtime. Put on lovely peaceful music which you can have quietly playing in the background. Create a soothing atmosphere.

Touch

Hold hands together as you give thanks to God at the beginning of the meal. Create an atmosphere of togetherness and love.

Smell

This is a very important part of each meal. Use herbs and spices to enhance your food. It will not only taste better, but fill your home with tantalizing aromas. There is nothing like smelling the food that is cooking for supper. It really makes home feel like "Home, sweet home."

Did you know that God loves smells? The meat that burned upon the altar was a "sweet smelling savour" to God (e.g. Genesis 8:21; Exodus 29:18, 25, 41; Leviticus 8:21 and 2 Chronicles 13:11). I don't think there is any more wonderful smell than lamb cooking in the oven! God loves it too. I guess I say that because I am a New Zealander. It may not be the favorite smell of an American! However, you will have your favorite cooking aromas that you love to have in your home.

Taste

We wouldn't want to eat food if we couldn't delight in the flavor, would we? Make your food palatable and tasty. Be creative and make different kinds of tastes. Delight in the flavors of the foods God has created. We like to ooh and aah over the tastes of food in our family. I think God is happy about that. He likes us to appreciate what He has created.

You can also train your children's taste buds from a young age. Don't give them sweet foods when they are young and they won't clamor for them when they are older. Feed them healthy food, rather than junk food and that's the kind of food they'll enjoy. Don't even bring junk food into your home and you won't have trouble trying to stop your children eating it.

As you prepare your meal each evening, think about how you can impact the five senses of your husband and children. They will take these memories with them for life.

Enjoy making your meal table more special,

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 color 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

What are some ways you can draw your family around your table for meals?

1. Use herbs and flavors to spice up your meal so the aroma draws everyone to the kitchen.

2. Put a lovely tablecloth on the table. Change the colors of your plates and tablecloths from time to time so you don't get bored. Your table should look attractive. It may be difficult to have time to wash tablecloths when you have little children. But, you can purchase clear plastic to put over the tablecloth so you only have to wipe the plastic.

3. Set the table attractively and teach your children how to set a table properly.

4. Use candles, flowers, or a centerpiece. Create a lovely ambiance.

5. Holds hands together as you say grace at the beginning of the meal.

6. Turn off the TV and all other distractions. Talk and communicate together.

7. Seek to make every meal a LOVE AFFAIR.

Blessings from Nancy Campbell

Painting by Polina Luchanova, born in 1977, The artist having tea with her family.

In a day when many families eat on the run, around the TV, or at different times, why is it important to gather together as a family and SIT AT THE TABLE FOR FAMILY MEALTIMES? Because...

1. The table is a GATHERING PLACE. There is nothing like food to gather the family together. And when we gather together, we relate together. And when we relate together, it binds us closer together.

2. The table is a COMMUNICATING SPOT. It's where we interact with our children and talk heart to heart and soul to soul. Fellowship and food go together. God didn't intend us to eat on the run. When Jesus fed the 5,000 plus, He made them first sit down in groups before He fed them.

3. The table is an ENQUIRING PLACE. It's where the children can ask us questions and we can ask them questions. We become part of one another's lives.

4. The table is a DISCUSSION ASSEMBLY. I believe it is as important to prepare what you are going to talk about at the table as what you are going to eat. Think about topics you can discuss when you sit down for your evening meal --biblical, spiritual, geographical, or political, etc. Ask fun questions and get everyone involved. Or, you can ask each person to come to the table prepared to share about a book they have been reading recently. Or, share about a person who has impacted this world. Sometimes, we have a general knowledge quiz at the table. Use your imagination to make your family table fun and exciting.

5. The table is a RELAXING OASIS. Ooops. I know that it's not often like that when you are still training little ones. However, be diligent to keep training for you will eventually reap wonderful blessings. Food releases oxytocin which is a calming hormone. Therefore as you gather together as a family to eat and share together, you relax. Isn't that great?

6. The table is a SPIRIT-FEEDING PLACE. We have to get a new mindset. The table is not only a place to feed our children's hungry tummies, but a place to feed the whole man--body, soul, and spirit. If we let our children leave the table before we have fed their spirit, they leave half fed. The physical food fills us up, relaxes us, and prepares us for the most important feeding, the feeding of the spirit--Family Devotions. A friend in The Netherlands told me that when she grow up her family called Family Devotions, "Finishing up the Meal." They didn't leave the table only half fed, but finished up their meal by feeding their spirit. Don't starve your children.

Blessings from Nancy Campbell, www.aboverubies.org

For further encouragement about your family meal table go to:

http://aboverubies.org/index.php/2013-11-12-17-55-51/english-language/family-meal-table/2324-family-meal-table-make-memories-at-your-table

http://tinyurl.com/FamilyMealTable

http://tinyurl.com/FamilyMealTableDVD

http://bit.ly/DailyLightDailyPath