Above Rubies Daily Encouragement Blogs

It comes from 2 Peter 1:10: “Give DILIGENCE to make your calling and election sure.” The word “diligence” means “to use speed, to be prompt, to make an effort, to be earnest, labor, study.”

I think we could helpfully add this word to our family vocab, don’t you? This word teaches our children how to do their daily chores—not haphazardly, not complainingly, not dragging their feet, but instead as quickly as they can and putting their full effort into it.

Why not teach this word to your children? Get them saying the word aloud. Get them saying it all together at breakfast time as you start the day. It’s fun to say. When you ask them to do something, remind them to do it with SPOO-DAD-ZO!

If you as the mother, and each of the children embrace this word with everything you do throughout the day, can you imagine the fun? The change in attitude? The efficiency that will come to your home?

This word applies to our spiritual and practical lives.

Be blessed. Nancy Campbell

MORE SPOO-DAD-ZO SCRIPTURES:
Ephesians 4:3; 2 Timothy 2:15; Hebrews 4;11; and 2 Peter 3:14.

May you be blessed. Love from Nancy

FULLY FEMALE
http://tinyurl.com/FullFemale

Love from Nancy Campbell
Painting by Zula Kenyon (1873 – 1947, American)

I felt very saddened as I read and saw pictures of the Women’s march on Saturday. How grieving to see so many beautiful young women protesting, and yet deceived. Why were they marching? It began as an anti-Trump rally, but became a liberal, feminist rally to stand up for their female rights. And yet they stood against them. Madonna even disclosed that she considered blowing up the White House.

Instead of standing for all that is female and beautiful, they angrily held up banners picturing vaginas and private female parts, demanding abortion and gay rights. They are furious that Trump wants to defund Planned Parenthood that sells body parts of precious babies murdered in the womb.

Most of the signs are too vulgar to print, but a few milder ones:
“My body, my choice.”
“Fempire strikes back.”
“We are the granddaughters of the witches you could not burn.”

A beautiful little girl held up a placard “Trust Women” from the “Reproductive Freedom for All.” She is being deceived from childhood.

“My uterus is private property.” I beg your pardon? Why do they proclaim such a sign? Of course, it is private property within the protection of marriage. But they have turned from God’s original plan. If only I could tell them how God’s plan for His female creation brings joy, protection, and blessing. Instead they reject purity and reap heartache. They reject marriage and miss the glorious joys and fulfilment of a committed, faithful marriage. Many reject children and miss the greatest joys a woman can experience. They stand for womanhood and reject what womanhood is all about.

I know many have been hurt through unfaithful husbands and perhaps even abusive fathers. But many are just brainwashed. They don’t know that God is jealous for His female creation. That’s why He is so strong when he talks about widows and the fatherless. God wants to protect women. And when women and children do not have the protection of a godly man, look out. God is on their side and look out those who tamper with them. Psalm 68:5 says; “A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in His holy habitation.” Read more Scriptures at the end of this post and you’ll see how He feels.

But these women want their rights without men. They hate men. They protested against “stereotypes” (God’s eternal plan for a male and a female), “traditionalism” (committed marriage relationship), “sexism” (discrimination against women based on sex). This is the very root of deception. Because God created us female, this is who we are. To reject it and to be otherwise is to reject the destiny of our lives. To embrace our femaleness (which includes marriage and motherhood) is to walk in the destiny our Creator has designed for us.

They protest against “Marginalization” (to treat a group as inferior). God does not marginalize women. He lifts them up to the highest status. His plan protects women. It does not leave them vulnerable. This nation doesn’t marginalize women. They have every freedom they want. They even have the freedom to murder their babies and turn to the abominable lifestyle of homosexuality. What more do they want? What are they really protesting about? Do they really know. I don’t think so. I think they are confused.

God, our Creator loves these women. I pray that He will come in supernatural ways to show them His love and His truth and bring them into the fullness and liberty of true womanhood and femaleness. Will you pray too?

Love from Nancy Campbell

SCRIPTURES OF HOW GOD FEELS ABOUT THE WIDOWS AND FATHERLESS
Exodus 22:22-24; Deuteronomy 10:18; 14:29; 16:11, 14; 24:17, 19-21; 26:12, 13; 27:19; Job 22:9,10; 29:11-16; 31:16-22; Psalm 10:14, 17, 18; 68:5, 6; 82:3; 146:9; Proverbs 23:10, 11; Isaiah 1:17, 23-25; 10:1-3; Jeremiah 5:28, 29; 7:6, 7; 22:3-5; Ezekiel 22:7, 14; Zechariah 7:9, 10; Malachi 3:5; Matthew 23:14; 1 Timothy 5:3; 5:8, 16; and James 1:27

Painting by Polina Luchanova

What about your children? Do you teach them to be friends with the Bible?

God says in Hosea 8:12: “I have written to him the great things of my law, but they were counted as a STRANGE THING.” God has written great things to us. Beautiful things. All we need to live this life at every moment and in every situation. And yet we are often very unfamiliar with what He says. We don’t live in the fullness of our salvation because we don’t know all that God has provided for us.

I remember a fellow New Zealand friend of mine telling me about her brother in New Zealand. He purchased some land that he thought would enable him to provide for his family. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to provide and so he just used it for a hobby farm. After about ten years he decided to sell. At this time he discovered he owned more land than he thought—land that was fertile and lush and would have provided totally for his family. He missed out because he didn’t know he owned it!

My heart is often grieved when I find so many Christian young people are not familiar with God’s Word. They know more about sports and movie stars than they know of God’s Word. They have been brought up in the church, even home-schooled, but they are not BEST FRIENDS with God’s Word.

Dear mother, we pave the way. Is God’s Word your best friend? You can’t go without it. You’ve just got to get it into your soul. It’s your life and sustenance. You love spending time in it. It’s only when God’s Word is your best friend that you can introduce this best friend to your children—a best friend they can have for life.

Blessings today from Nancy Campbell

And of course, don’t forget each of your precious children. Each one is a very special blessing. I notice that when I receive Christmas cards from friends and family that many send them with pictures of their family. They don’t send Christmas cards with pictures of their home, their car, or any of their material possessions. They proudly display the children God has given them. They are our GREATEST BLESSINGS!

Thank God for every blessing today.

Love from Nancy

Did you know that Jerusalem is mentioned over 800 times in Bible, but not once in Koran?

Jews pray facing Jerusalem, but did you know that Muslims pray with their backs toward Jerusalem?

King David founded the city of Jerusalem, but did you know that Mohammed never came to Jerusalem? And what does the Bible say about King David’s reign in Jerusalem which is the forerunner of Jesus’ reign forever and ever? Look up: Psalm 89:4, 29, 34-37; Isaiah 9:6, 7; 24:23; Jeremiah 33:14-22; Micah 4:7; Luke 1:32, 33; and Hebrews 1:8.

Here’s a link for more information: http://www.targetofopportunity.com/palestinian_truth.htm

We know of course that Sarah was past the time of childbearing. She didn’t believe that such a thing could happen and so God speaks again the second time! Verse 14 says: “Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son” (verse 14).

I believe that God restored Sarah’s cycle so that she could ovulate again and therefore God was able to come and visit her during her “time of life.”

Our “time of life” is also a time of “visitation” from God. We read again about Sarah’s conceiving in Genesis 21:1, 2: “And the Lord VISITED Sarah as he had said and the LORD did unto Sarah AS HE HAD SPOKEN (in Genesis 18:10, 14). For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him.”

We read also of God visiting Hannah and giving her children. After Hannah had taken Samuel to live at the temple because she had dedicated him to the Lord, 1 Samuel 2:21 says: “And the LORD VISITED Hannah, so that she conceived, and bare three sons and two daughters.” She was blessed with five more visitations of God. You can also read another story about the “time of life” in 2 Kings 4:16,17.

What a privilege to be visited by God. A responsibility too. Understanding this truth makes clear what we are actually doing when we choose a plan to stop life during the time of ovulation. We refuse a visitation of God. We thwart the sovereign plans of Almighty God. We say No to life instead of Yes. And when we stop one conception, it is not only one baby, but a dynasty to come!

Love and blessings to you today,

Nancy Campbell

The painting: “The Wait and the Reward” by Anna Rose Bain

Therefore, it is not enough to build. We must be on the lookout. We must guard our home on every front.

When Nehemiah came back to build up the walls of Jerusalem and the gates that were burned down, the enemy tried every way to thwart his plans. He didn’t want the walls of Jerusalem to be built up. Nor does he want you to build a godly family and train children who know how to destroy his works (1 John 3:8). He doesn’t want your walls to be strong to guard against his intrusions. He constantly lurks around waiting to attack with his deceptions and temptations.

What did Nehemiah do when their enemies surrounded them? He encouraged the Jews to keep building with one hand and have their weapon ready to use with the other hand. Nehemiah 4:16-18 (ESV) says: “Half of my servants worked on construction, and half held the spears, shields, bows, and coats of mail . . . Those who carried burdens were loaded in such a way that each labored on the work with one hand and held his weapon with the other. And each of the builders had his sword strapped at his side while he built.”

Never give up building, Mother. But also beware of the devil’s devices. Put on your armor (Ephesians 6:10-18). Build with one hand and hold your weapons in your other hand. Make sure your sword is strapped to your side. Keep God’s Word in your heart and mouth, ready to resist the enemy and send him kicking. Jesus pushed back the enemy with the Word of the Lord which is the sword of the Spirit. Every time the devil came to tempt him, He said, “It is written” (Matthew 4:1-11). You can push back the enemy the same way Jesus did.

Be encouraged today,

Nancy Campbell

• Turning to God in thankfulness for all the good things He does for us and the little blessings of each day. Noticing and acknowledging God for a kind word, smiles from our children, a hug from our husband, the provision of food, a beautiful bird we notice in a tree and so on.
• Turning in repentance when we sin, have a wrong attitude, speak angrily, or whatever. Keeping a soft heart to constantly turn back to the Lord is the same as repentance. Repentance is not only being sorry for our sin, but turning in the opposite direction to follow God’s ways.
• Turning to God’s Word. If our days are full and busy with children and responsibilities, we can place a copy of the Bible on the windowsill in the kitchen, in the bathroom, where you nurse the baby, etc.
• Turning to righteousness. Not sitting on the fence, but turning towards God’s way which is always holiness.
• Turning away from evil, but more than that. Turning away from that which may be permissible, but which is not profitable, and turning to that which is profitable and will last for eternity.
• Turning from the negative to the positive.
• Turning from discouragement and despondency to thankfulness and gratefulness.
• Turning from walking in the flesh to walking in the Spirit.
• Turing from conforming to the pattern of this world and instead fixing our hearts on the real world which is the eternal world.
• Turning our attention to the needs of others instead of only thinking of ourselves.
• Turning from our puny thoughts and understanding to God’s thoughts and ways, which are higher than our ways.
• Turning our hearts to our home and children instead of the passing glory of careers and outside activities.

You may like to print this out and pin it up in your kitchen.

Blessings from Nancy Campbell

TURN YOUR EYES UPON JESUS
LOOK FULL IN HIS WONDERFUL FACE
AND THE THINGS OF EARTH WILL GROW STRANGELY DIM
IN THE LIGHT OF HIS GLORY AND GRACE.

Apart from our main Above Rubies base in USA, we have 15 other bases for Above Rubies around the world. Our previous Director for Above Rubies in South Africa, lovely Linnie Lues has now retired. Therefore I'd love to introduce to you our new Director in South Africa, Chamonix Boland. Chamonix writes:

Dear Above Rubies readers and precious mothers,
It is a true honor and great excitement that I sit down to write to you.

As a teenage girl and young adult I would wait with great expectation and anticipation for the next issue of Above Rubies due in the mail any day. The first thing I would do was to read Linnie’s newsletter. How I admired her family. And then I would read each story in the magazine with such longing for my motherhood journey to begin.

I have always wanted to be a mommy. From a very young age that is all I can remember ever wanting--to have sweet babies. It is such a joy, such a blessing, and oh what a privilege. But it is also a great responsibility and is challenging at times. That’s why I treasure Above Rubies even more than ever. Each encouraging word and article breathes new life, hope, and enthusiasm into my motherhood journey.

I feel honored to be a part of this ministry to the mothers and families in South Africa and surrounds.

I am a homeschooled girl. My dear mother is Martie du Plessis from “Dymanis.” For those of you that don’t know, Dynamis is a ministry that empowers families and helps parents that would like to home educate their children. My mom and I began this journey many years ago, and we traveled through South Africa on a regular basis. I continued my home schooling, learning, serving, and growing while my mom assisted families. God is always at work, connecting people for His purposes! This is how we met Linnie Lues and her family.

I am a passionate lover of horses and am blessed with 16 beautiful four-legged babies and married to a cattle farmer, my strong and steady Justin Boland. We live in the beautiful highland mountains bordering Lesotho in the Eastern Free State, just outside Clarens.

I married young at 21 in 2008 and God blessed us with babies soon after--Nicholas-Christion (7), Evangeline-Faythe (6), Caleb-Eathen (4), Maia-Hope (2) and Benjamin-Fergus (1). And hoping for more! I have had beautiful births, the first three in hospital and the last two were home water births with my dear midwife Sue King, although our Benjamin was unplanned unassisted.

I am passionate about Child Birth, Labour, and Breast Feeding and passionate about assisting mothers emotionally with their birth and nursing journey, either as a doula or with Lamaze breathing, focus, and relaxation techniques. I follow Le Leche League breast feeding guidelines when assisting lactating mothers. This is a passion I choose to share with other mommies because it is such a blessing to birth powerfully and nurse well. It marks the first on your journey as mother, to submit your body as a sacrifice to God through carrying, birthing, and nursing His children with joy and gladness!

We also assist on Justin’s family Guest farm, “Sunnyside Guest Farm,” with everyday mundane running of the business tasks, maintenance, and reservations as well as help look after Justin’s Granny (86) who runs the guest farm and lives on the property.

We home school our little blessings, although they mostly just live life with us, sharing in our many daily tasks pertaining to farm and guest farm life, working alongside us, serving their family and others. Now they too will share in this marvelous Above Rubies journey that can encourage and bless others and impact future generations of mothers and fathers!

We look forward to this special journey with you, and as Linnie says, become partners with you in Above Rubies SA as we join hands to keep Above Rubies coming to South Africa!

CHAMONIX BOLAND
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
www.aboverubies.co.za

Cell: 083 740 3827 (signal on the farm such a problem so when trying to get hold of me, a text message or whatsapp may be a better option).

And now Chamonix has five happy children!

The early years he spent with his mother (three to five years), as she nursed him from her breast and daily instilled him with the knowledge of the God of Israel influenced his future life. Such is the power of a mother.

Joseph, who became next to the Pharaoh of Egypt in power, married the daughter of the priest of On (one of the most influential and noble families in Egypt) who led the people in worshipping pagan gods. And yet, in the midst of idol worship, wealth, fame, and prosperity, he never forgot his family and his God--the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

His final destiny was not in Egypt, but with the people of God. When dying, Joseph took an oath saying, "God will surely visit you, and ye shall carry up my bones from hence" (Genesis 50:24, 25). He did not want to be left in Egypt but wanted his bones to be buried in the Promised Land with his people.

With corruption and violence all around him, Noah raised children who refused to succumb to wickedness (Genesis 6:9-13 and Hebrews 11:7).

We are also raising children and grandchildren in the midst of deception, evil, and corruption where abortion is considered normal and homosexuality is promoted as a "normal" lifestyle. Judgment is turned backward and justice stands afar off (Isaiah 59:13-15). But as you seek God for the anointing of His Holy Spirit to mother and train your children, to daily fill them with God's Word, and to pray fervently for them, you can also raise righteous young men and women who will not be lured by the deceptions of the father of lies. You can train godly children who will not be tempted by the gods of this world, but will stand true to the God of the Bible.

Blessings to you today from Nancy Campbell

Be encouraged. Your rod of motherhood may seem insignificant, but it produces great miracles. The career of motherhood is full of miracles. Every child God gives to you is a divine miracle. There never has been another child like your child in the history of the world, and there will never be another one like him or her again. Your child is a unique miracle, divinely created by the hand of God for specific purpose that none other will ever do. Your children are “for signs and wonders . . . from the LORD of hosts” (Isaiah 8:18).

Every day God gives you miracles of His wisdom, guidance, and protection as you mother your children. You may not even be aware of all the times God compassionately sends His ministering angels to save your children from disaster. I acknowledge that my children and grandchildren are only alive by the miraculous protection of God.

You have not yet seen all the great things God is yet to do through your children to bring salvation to people and to reveal God's image in the earth. At the beginning of my motherhood I could not have even dreamed of how God is using our children today.

Sometimes we have to take our head out of the sand to see the miracles. Don't miss them. Thank God for them.

Take hold of your rod of motherhood--your humble, but miraculous rod! Don't run from it. Embrace it. Wield it for the glory of God as you impact this earth and the eternal world. Amen!

Blessings from Nancy Campbell

Daniel reminds us in Daniel 7:14 that God’s “dominion is an EVERLASTING DOMINION WHICH SHALL NOT PASS AWAY, AND HIS KINGDOM THAT WHICH SHALL NOT BE DESTROYED.”

Daniel 7:18 says: “But the saints of the Highest shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, EVEN FOREVER AND EVER.”

The angel told Mary that the Son who would be born form her would “reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of his kingdom THERE SHALL BE NO END” (Luke 1:33).

Not only do we belong to an everlasting and unshakeable kingdom, but every word of God is also eternal and will last forever. Jesus tells us in Matthew 24:25 states: “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words SHALL NOT PASS AWAY.”

Truly we are only sojourners here, looking “for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God” (Hebrews 11:10). Kingdoms on this earth come and go, but we belong to a kingdom that will never end. Let’s live our lives in the light of this truth. Let’s teach our children to live in the experience of this truth. We dare not let them become rooted in this world. We must teach them that they are only pilgrims here and that the real world is the eternal world.

Have a beautiful day,

Nancy Campbell