Above Rubies Daily Encouragement Blogs

I remember when Breeze (Serene’s daughter) was a baby. Her older sisters played with her all day, dressing her up in all kinds of clothes. She was their “live” baby doll. Wherever she went, they followed! Whatever she did, they laughed! Whatever facial expression she made, they’d say, “Oh, isn’t she so cute?”

Now Breeze is 10 years old and has three younger siblings. She now dotes on two-year-old “Solly” like she was doted on by her older brothers and sisters.

These children are the center of attention. No firstborn, or even second or third-born, could ever receive this constant attention? And the more children in the home, the more attention they receive. Even mother has more time to give attention to her baby because she has more helpers in the home.

What a blessing to be a baby in a big family! And what a joy for the mother!

Be blessed,

Nancy Campbell

Picture: Solly Allison

Connie wrote in her post yesterday, “Raise your banners high, dear mothers. You are the strength and backbone of the nation. “ I believe it is true.

Without a backbone and spinal cord we would suffocate very quickly and die.

Mother, you are needed in your home. Without the mother as the backbone the home soon fragments, breaks down, and dies. Without mothers strengthening and building up their homes the nation weakens. As we currently face anarchy in our nation and watch young people burn cars, destroy buildings and churches, throw rocks at policeman, steal and loot from shops until long standing businesses have nothing left, we wonder about their home lives. I doubt they come from homes where the mother in the home giving herself full time to raise children filled with the Holy Spirit and filled with God’s truth.

Godly mothers influence the nation powerfully for good. Absent mothers help weaken the nation.

How can we the backbone of our families and ultimately of the nation? Let’s look more closely at this word:

B BUILDING a little more every day into my marriage and children’s lives.
A ACKNOWLEDGING the power and authority of my eternal career of motherhood.
C CALLING out to God for His strength and anointing each new day.
K KEEPING the “home fires burning.” Daily igniting the fire, renewing each soul, and strengthening family ties.
B BEAUTIFYING the atmosphere of my home with “righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.”
O OVERCOMING all temptations to leave my high calling for a lesser career
N NURTURING AND NOURISHING my children both physically and spiritually.
E EMBRACING my God-mandated commission of wife and mother.

None of want to be spineless mothers, do we? Let’s become the strong backbones of our homes. Motherhood is not for weaklings. It takes strength and fortitude. It takes hard work and diligence. But we are ready for the challenge.

Be blessed in your home today,

Nancy Campbell

Painting by Maude Alice Cowles
BedUsed again June 2020

MOTHERS OF DESTINY
Encouragement to you today from a faithful and powerful grandmother, Connie Hultquist.

Good Morning sisters who keep the home fires burning, Makin’ do is our game. We’re content at home and we don’t want to leave, Mothers of Destiny, Freedom Fighters, and Pioneers of a new move of God on the earth. We have a message that includes and doesn’t exclude children. We love our husbands. The fruit of our wombs is precious. We hear the voice of Wisdom calling us deep in our souls to "Come Home.” Come home to a new revolution.

No weapon formed against us will prosper because JESUS is our banner lifted high, the Word of God is upon our lips, and prayer is our life. We whisper our prayers in the stormy night, "The Blood of Jesus over my husband and my children.”

We are Covenant Keepers. The blood of Jesus reminds Satan that he lost the war at the Cross of Calvary. “All of my children are taught of the LORD and great is their PEACE."

Raise your banners high, dear mothers. You are the strength and backbone of the nation.
Fight for your husbands and children. Hear the Spirit of God calling you to fight for your homes and your country. You are the true Freedom Fighters of our day!
~ Connie

Painting by Elizabeth Nourse - La Petite Soeur (1902)

BRING HIM HOME
You have been inspired by Connie’s words below. Now you will want to read her astounding marriage testimony. Connie has one of the most amazing testimonies of a marriage restoration I have ever read as she waited in faith for years for her husband to be saved and come back to her. It is a powerful testimony that you can share with women whose marriages are faltering or they wait for a husband to return.

PLEASE READ AND SHARE:
Go to http://tinyurl.com/Marriage-BringHimHome

www.aboverubies.org and click on Articles and Stories, then Marriage and then Bring Him Home.

No weapon formed against us will prosper because JESUS is our banner lifted high, the Word of God is upon our lips, and prayer is our life. We whisper our prayers in the stormy night, "The Blood of Jesus over my husband and my children.”

We are Covenant Keepers. The blood of Jesus reminds Satan that he lost the war at the Cross of Calvary. “All of my children are taught of the LORD and great is their PEACE."

Raise your banners high, dear mothers. You are the strength and backbone of our nation. Fight for your husbands and children. Hear the Spirit of God calling you to fight for your homes and your country. You are the true Freedom Fighters of our day!
~ Connie

Painting by Elizabeth Nourse - La Petite Soeur (1902)

We live in a culture where sin is tolerated. Even if the Bible states that it is sin, or even an abomination, we are still expected to tolerate it. Obviously, this generation does not know the Bible. They don’t know what God says. They don’t know that He is a holy God. And they don’t know that “Without holiness, no man shall see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14).

If we do not walk in reverential fear of our Holy God, we do not know the God of the Bible. God does not tolerate sin. Yes, He has patience toward the sinner as He waits for them to come to repentance. Yes, He forgives and cleanses sin. No sin is too great for Him to pardon. But because He is holy, he has no fellowship with sin. If we believe in a God who tolerates sin, it is a god of our own imagination.

However, as with everything, it starts in the home. We as parents have a responsibility to show what sin is to our children. If we tolerate sin in our children and allow them to get away with disobedience, deceit, rebellion, lying, and so on, we could be keeping them from salvation and the promise of eternal life with God forever. Unless they are convicted of sin, they will not realize their need of a Savior. The understanding of sin comes first!

Let’s raise our children to understand the true nature of God—that He is a HOLY God who hates sin. That why He sent His Beloved Son to die and shed His blood to save us from our sin. Let’s lead our children in the way of holiness. Isaiah 35:8 says: “And a highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called THE WAY OF HOLINESS; the unclean shall not pass over it.”

On which road are you leading your children? The way of holiness? Or the worldly way?

Be blessed today,

Nancy Campbell

That although these cares;
Washing clothes, brushing hair,
Though they be many
Will not always be there.

So now as I wipe
round cheeks and pudgy hands
Sticky with syrup or covered in sand . . .

My heart fills with joy,
It’s all part of Gods plan!
That we sit side by side,
That we play hand in hand.

These days will soon pass,
These cares will not last,
And looking behind,
They fly by too fast

So I’ll cherish each moment,
Though hard it may be,
Thank you, for the children
You have you’ve given to me!

~ BETHANY RICHARDSON
Bethany’s children are Sawyer James (6), Anna Gleece (4), Lydia Dawn (2), and Evelyn Rose (7 months).
Here is Sawyer and Anna.
Isn’t this what children love to do?

Dear lovely ladies, A further note to the Podcast below, SHOULD CHURCHES BE MEETING TOGETHER? I hope you can take time to listen and to share it with others. This is Part 1, but I have a lot more to share with you next week.

By the way, you wouldn’t believe how difficult it has been to get this podcast to you. We had technical difficulties and so it was late coming. And then when we eventually got it to my webmaster the file crashed, and he had to start all over again! Is the devil scared of God’s people getting back to church en masse?

After the President’s proclamation, “Churches are Essential,” I wonder how many were back at church last weekend.

My dream is that all the churches would open together, and believers would FLOCK BACK TO CHURCH—filling their churches, overflowing their churches. Millions of believers back worshipping God together. What a testimony. What power. What a threat to the devil. The gates of hell will not prevail!

The power of the body of Christ on earth is when we do it together, not hiding away in our homes! Not fearing the lies of the devil, the fake media, or liberal democratic governors. We are not meant to be a weak church, hiding away because of fear mongering, but “an EXCEEDING GREAT ARMY’ (Ezekiel 37:10). We are not an army individually. A soldier belongs to the army, but he doesn’t fight until he comes together with fellow soldiers and they fight the battle together.

We can belong to Jesus and enjoy a lovely relationship with Him, but we only become a mighty force as we come together. When we come together, “bone to bone,” we become an exceeding great army.

I notice in many comments below that folk share how they are enjoying their online church meetings. Yes, I know that many are being blessed. They are great, they are good, but they are not the best. The good is often the enemy of the best. They are not what God told us to do. He told us to ASSEMBLE TOGETHER! That word is “episunagoge” and means “a complete collection, especially a Christian meeting for worship, gathering together.” It is from the root word, “sunago” meaning “to collect in the same place.”

Others share that they are staying away because they don’t want to affect anyone. Well, of course, sick or medically compromised people do not have to attend church. But healthy people have no excuse. And once again, we have been victimized by lies and wrong projections that have not been true. The latest statistics are that this virus has now mutated into 30 sub-types. This is what viruses do. This is the fourth pandemic in the last 100 years (1918-19, 1957, 1968-70 and this one). Never before have churches shut down!

And there may be more? Are we going to cave in every time there is a flu pandemic?

Are we the people of God? Do we not embrace the truth that the Spirit of God that raised Jesus Christ from dead dwells in us? Read Romans 8:11. Do we believe God’s Word or do we not? How can sickness spread to one another when God’s people are filled with the life-giving power of God?

And if we truly are the mighty army of God, we’ll act like it. Read the picture of the war horse in Job 39:19 – 25. It is a picture of the church. He does not hide at home. He is not afraid. He mocks at fear. He doesn’t turn back from the sword. He paws in the valley because he can’t wait to get into the battle.

Enough thoughts for today. Oh I’d love you to pray with me that God will stir His church and that every believer would come back to their churches! The enormous power of millions of believers ASSEMBLING TOGETHER would shake the enemy’s camp! It’s time to shake the enemy’s camp.

Please listen to the podcast, and especially next week too.

Love from Nancy Campbell

Why? Because they are preparing their children for life--to one day be the best employee in the company, to have good attitudes, to be a vessel ready to be used by God, and also to enjoy a happy and successful marriage. If we allow our children to grow up with negative habits, those habits will one day destroy their marriage.

Dear wife and mother, in the same way God diligently works in our lives. His wants to conform us into the image of His Son (Romans 8:29). This certainly doesn’t happen without some serious working of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Paul said to the Corinthians: “Our one prayer is for the complete correction of your lives” (2 Corinthians 13:9 Barclay). The KJV uses “perfection” for the word “correction.” I checked my Lexicon and it says the word “denotes a process in the progress.” This can only happen through correction of what is wrong in our lives.

We must always be open to God’s gentle correction. He uses many ways to do this. He speaks to us as we read His Word and shows us what grieves the Holy Spirit in our lives (Ephesians 4:27, 30). He uses other people to correct us (sometimes our husbands). We don’t usually like it, do we? But we must remember that it is ultimately God who wants to correct us and conform us into His image.

If we don’t listen to God speaking to us through His Word, or we don’t have a soft heart to receive correction from our husbands or other people, He often allows difficulties and trials to come our way to wake us up, refine us, and bring us into line with His will.

Let’s keep soft hearts, always open to correction. If our children are stubborn and do not receive our correction, they become willful and rebellious. It’s just the same with us. We either have soft and tender hearts to God’s correction in our lives or we become stubborn and rebellious.

The Amplified version talks about the “all-round strengthening and perfecting of the soul.” I want this, don’t you? It only comes through CORRECTION. For ourselves personally and in the training of our children.

Love from Nancy Campbell

It all starts with us. First, we choose what we do with our emotions. We choose how we handle our trials. We know that life isn’t perfect. Many things don’t go the way we want them to. Life often hits us whammies we never imagined.

Whatever we face today, we can choose to trust God. He is bigger than any situation we face. We can choose to praise Him in the midst of the storm. We can choose to rejoice in every situation. We can choose to see things in the light of the eternal, instead of the here and now (2 Corinthians 4:16-18).

We can choose to fill our home with God’s presence. We do this by choosing to praise God instead of complaining, moaning, griping, and falling into self-pity. Psalm 22:3 says that God dwells in our praises! That means that when we choose to praise instead of complain, God dwells in us. His presence comes to us and fills our home. The word is “yashab” and even means to “sit down.” He sits down and rests in our praises. Some translations say that He is “enthroned” in our praises.

1 Peter 4:12-14 inspires us to rejoice even in the midst of fiery trials. Not only rejoice, but “exceedingly rejoice.” And when we rejoice instead of grumbling, “the spirit of glory and of God rests upon” us (v. 14). Isn’t that incredible? That sure brings a wonderful atmosphere to our homes.

What rests upon you and your home today? The morbid mud of self-pity, or the glory of God?

Love to you today,

Nancy Campbell

I think that most of the time we are not aware of the spiritual battle we are fighting.

We read this morning in our daily Family Devotions Ephesians 6:11, 12: “Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”

Who are the “rulers of darkness of this world”? We checked it out. The word is “kosmokrator” and means “a world-ruler, an epithet of Satan.” Wow, these powerful demonic spirits are seeking to rule the world. We are aware of this in what we are facing right now. They want world domination and control of our lives.

The Passion translation says: “For they are a powerful class of demon-gods and evil spirits that hold this dark world in bondage.”

The AMPC says: “For we are not wrestling with flesh and blood (contending only with physical opponents), but against the despotisms, against the powers, against (the master spirits who are) the world rulers of this present darkness . . . “

The New English Translation says that we struggle “against the world rulers of this darkness” and then gives the commentary: “The phrase world-rulers of this darkness does not refer to human rulers but the evil spirits that rule over the world.”

We talk about “draining the swamp” and exposing all the deception and evil that has been going on in the high places in Washington DC. But we must remember we are not dealing with people, but with demonic powers.

This surely should intensify our prayer lives and remind us to daily put on the armor of God. Dear precious ladies, we cannot continue as normal. We must become prayer warriors who also teach our children to pray and become prayer warriors. Our children learn to pray as they pray with us. Are you gathering your family together morning and evening to pray for this nation and the world? Not just pray, but “wrestle” in prayer as the Scripture says. We are warring against powerful forces.

We cannot do it in our own strength or our own name, but only in the powerful name of Jesus Christ, the name above all names, and through His precious blood.

Do you remember how Gabriel, the mighty archangel, was held up for 21 days fighting “the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia”? Michael, one of the archangels had to come to his rescue to help him (Daniel 10:12, 13, 20). He then told Daniel he had to get back to the fight and after that he would be fighting against the “spirit prince of the kingdom of Greece.” Wow, If these mighty angels needed help fighting these demonic rulers, how much more do we need to help one another in prayer.

That’s why collective prayer is so powerful. That’s why we need to pray as families. That’s why we need to get a prayer meeting going in our homes. That’s why the church needs to get back together to pray. It’s battling, wrestling prayer that wins the victory.

Everything begins in the home. Let’s not allow the oppression of the enemy to keep us down. Let’s rise up as families to do battle. Let’s become families on the offensive to fight these rulers of darkness in the spirit of wrestling prayer.

Blessings to you today,

Nancy Campbell

P.S. Awhile back I put together all the Scriptures (or many of them) that David prayed against his enemies. They are powerful prayers and they are biblical. We use them when praying for our president who desperately needs our prayers. He is attacked on every hand, it seems by people, but the real attack is coming from these “demonic spirits who seek to rule the world.” If you would like a copy of these prayers, email me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for PRAYING FOR PRESIDENT TRUMP.

It breaks my heart that the majority of “Christian” children today know more about their video games than they do of God’s Word.

Dearest mothers, what do you want your children to be filled with? Do you want them to be FILLED with the truth of God’s Word or are you happy for them to be captivated with Pokémon and social media that consume children today? What are the standards you have for your children? If you want children who are totally consumed with a passion for God, you can’t allow them to be consumed with the worldly games of today. I guess it comes down to the question: WHAT DO YOU WANT?

A Christian man recently wrote: “I personally have been in churches that were supposedly ‘filled with the anointing’ and watched the children in the seats in front of me playing Pokémon and dungeons and dragons while the parents ‘worshipped God’.” They must be consumed with it to be doing it in church. The sad thing is that many Christian parents are now consumed with social media themselves!

This won’t turn this nation around to God. How can this be happening in such an hour of desperation?

If we want our children to be radical for God, we better start being radical ourselves. If we want our children to grow up to turn this nation back to God, we better steer them to pursue God, not the occultist junk of this world.

I must confess that I am tired of status quo, average, sitting on the fence, half-hearted, lukewarm, compromising, and following the trends of the world Christianity. I’m tired of the continual lowering of godly standards among God’s people.

But it all comes back to us parents. What is our consuming passion for our lives? What is our consuming passion for our children’s lives?

~ Nancy Campbell

Other translations of the Bible translate the word “steadfast” or “faithful.” I love the New English Translation which says: “Renew a resolute spirit within me!”

Is your spirit resolute? You are not swayed by the “lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.” You are not torn this way and that way. You are not double-minded in all your ways. Your heart is fixed in God’s truth. You are obedient to His ways, even if the way is difficult, even if the going is hard, even if no one else agrees with you, and even when family members and friends despise you for walking in truth!

God is looking for women with resolute spirits. Women who do not live according to “situational ethics” but according to God’s Word.

We also train our children to have faithful, “standing up straight,” and resolute spirits. Children who will not be lured away by the temptations of this world, who will not be influenced by wrong friendships, and who will not be deceived by the humanistic philosophies of our society.

“Oh dear Father, please give me a resolute spirit to follow You and Your truth, no matter what the rest of the world says, no matter if I am in the minority. Amen.”

Blessings from Nancy Campbell

2. MOUNTAINS (Isaiah 49:11).

Does the situation you face seem like a mountain? How can you ever get over it or through it? It’s not too hard for God. He can make a way through for you.

I love the words of the song:
Got any rivers you think are uncrossable?
Got any mountains, you cannot tunnel through?
God specializes in things thought impossible
And He can do what no other power can do

3. THE SEA (Psalm 106:9; Isaiah 43:16; 51:10; and 63:13).

Do you feel you are drowning in despair? Don’t look at the “pounding waves.” Look to the Lord. Trust in Him. Believe in Him. He will not let you drown.

4. THE WILDERNESS (Deuteronomy 8:15, 16; Song of Songs Isaiah 35:6b; and 43:19).

Do you feel dry and thirsty? Do you feel as though you are wandering around and around in the
wilderness? Do not despair. God has promised to MAKE A WAY for you even in the wilderness. He will bring you forth from the wilderness triumphant! Believe His promises.

5. THE BIRTH OF A BABY (Psalm 22:9; 71:6; and Isaiah 46:3).

God also makes a way every time a little baby is born. It is a seemingly impossible situation for the baby's head to come through such a tiny opening. But God does it. He makes a way. It is God who brings the baby safely forth from the mother’s womb. Every birth is a mighty miracle. Put your trust in God, not man.

What a wonderful God we have. When we look to Him and trust Him, He ALWAYS MAKES A WAY!

Love and blessings blessings,

Nancy Campbell

P.S. Please take a moment to look up the Scriptures. They are the most important part of this post to read and will bless and encourage your heart.

“I beg your pardon,” I hear you saying! “You have no idea what I am putting up with here today. You’ve got no idea of the fiery trial I am enduring.”

Yes, I know. You can’t always rejoice in your circumstances. David went through myriads trying and difficult times, often nearly to the point of death. He faced war, treasury, and danger that we couldn’t even dream of facing. He couldn’t rejoice in His trials, but what did he do instead? He rejoiced in the name of the Lord.

Can I encourage you to lift up your eyes from your problems and trust in the name of the Lord? You can’t trust in man. You can’t trust in all that’s happening around you, especially at this confusing time. But you CAN trust and rejoice in the name of the Lord. Isn’t that wonderful?

How many times a day do you say, Praise the Lord?”

Proverbs 18:10 says: “The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.”

Rejoice in the name of the Lord. Your circumstances may not change but your attitude will change when you trust in the mighty, miraculous, powerful, healing delivering name of the Lord. Instead of turmoil you’ll have peace. Instead of fear, you’ll have home. Instead of confusion, you’ll know the truth. And the atmosphere of your home will change.

Psalm 71:8 says: “Let my mouth be filled with thy praise and with thy honor ALL THE DAY.” Can you make this your prayer too?

Not sometimes. Not when everything is perfect. But ALL THE DAY, no matter what happens!

Be blessed.

Nancy Campbell

“But what about ME?” you cry. Of course, we need to care for ourselves—spiritually, mentally, and physically. That’s basic. But we don’t tune all our thinking on ourselves.

I’ll never forgot a moment in my life years ago. My children were all little and I had just come home from purchasing the groceries. As I walked over the threshold of my home, I felt the voice of the Holy Spirit speaking strongly to my heart, “Nancy, how can I reveal to you the needs of others if you are always thinking of yourself?” I have never forgotten those words. From that time, I learned to give much more room in my mind and heart for others.

Will we be forgotten when we pour out our lives for others? No, the opposite. God makes sure that our “self” as George MacDonald puts it, will be blessed and comforted. God pours into those who pour out to other.

Proverbs 11:24, 25 says: “There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty. The liberal soul shall be made fat and he that watereth shall be watered also himself.”

The Passion translation states: “Those who live to bless others will have blessings heaped upon them, and the one who pours out his life to pour out blessings will be saturated with favor.”

2 Corinthians 9:6: “He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.”

Mothering is a liberating ministry into this eternal principle. Not on the odd occasion, but 24/7 we forget self as we pour out our hearts for our children—nurturing, teaching, training, caring, cooking, praying, sacrificing, and often agonizing over them.

Let’s embrace this eternal principle and we will live in the fullness of joy God intends for us.

J Jesus first
O Others second
Y Yourself last

Be blessed,

Nancy Campbell

Wait a minute! We have the life of Jesus Christ dwelling within us to speak positive words into our marriages and into the lives of each one of our children. Life-giving words. Loving words. Healing words. Encouraging words. Sweet words. Affirming words. Uplifting words. Oh yes, these make our marriage great. These are the words build up our homes and families.

Proverbs 10:11 says: ‘The mouth of the righteous is a WELL OF LIFE.” Most other translations say: “The mouth of the righteous is a FOUNTAIN OF LIFE.” Life-giving water pouring out on your husband and children.

I love Proverbs 10:32 (TPT): “Words that bring delight POUR from the lips of the godly.”

What power you have as a mother to fill your home with life and vitality. Light and joy. Laughter and happiness. Love and goodness. All through the words that come out of your mouth.

Be a life-giving fountain today.

Blessings from Nancy Campbell