It is sad that many mothers today don't enjoy motherhood? And yet God's plan is for mothers to be filled with joy. Psalm 113:9 HCSB says, "He gives the childless woman a household, making her the JOYFUL mother of children. Hallelujah!" Notice the Hallelujah with an exclamation mark!
The full understanding of the Hebrew word is that we will be glee-FULL, merry-FULL, cheer-FULL, and of course, joy-FULL! It doesn't mean half filled, but filled to the top! I forgot to mention happy-FULL! Most translations of Psalm 113:9 translate it "a HAPPY MOTHER."
Why are we not filled with joy? I believe it comes down to our attitude. Mothers are conditioned by society that their role is insignificant and inferior. They think they would be better off somewhere else than embracing their land of motherhood. But, dear mother, you are in the perfect will of God. You are in the greatest career in the nation. Embrace it with all your heart and begin to enjoy your baby and your children. Don't waste these precious years with self-pity and pining for something that is vain and empty.
Enjoy your mothering today. You have a FULL life that is impacting this world and eternity.
Love from Nancy Campbell
Above Rubies Daily Encouragement Blogs
"The babe is a marvel of POSSIBILITY! The man who will sway thousands to his will as the whirlwind sweeps the forest lies sleeping in that babe. The organizer of the world’s industries, or the leader of the world’s thought, or the changer of the world’s life, and of the map of the earth, is in that wee morsel of humanity lying in his mother’s arms.
That cooing voice may compel the whole world to listen. Those fat dainty fingers may pen words that a world will be eager to read. A Wesley or a Faraday may Be there, only waiting the coming of his day of action.
And, far more than these, the man who will re-live Jesus’ life, with all its simplicity and purity and fragrance, in some humble corner, that will touch and tinge deeply the life of the crowd, may lie there all open to the impress of father and mother.”
~ S. D. Gordon
To stop conception is pro choice. To be open to conception is pro life. And that means whether the newly conceived life lives for only a few weeks or months in the womb, or is born into this world and lives to 96 years of age! Life is life from God no matter what stage of life.
Every conceived life as an eternal soul and therefore will live eternally. This is the privilege and power of motherhood. We have the awesome blessing to populate eternity.
If we belong to God's kingdom we will be on the side of life, for God's kingdom is a kingdom of life. Satan's kingdom is a kingdom of death and he comes to "steal, kill, and to destroy" (John 10:10).
Love from Nancy Campbell
I read this little story which I am sure you will enjoy:
"An old man surprised everyone with his cheerfulness since he seemed to have an unusual amount of trouble and relatively few pleasures in life. When asked the secret of his cheery disposition, he replied, "Well you see, it's like this. The Bible says often, "And it came to pass," never, "It came to stay."
It reminds me of one of my affirmations, "Things come and things go." As you know, I love affirmations. I often say this when I am going through a difficulty. I also say it when I have a physical pain or problem. I get on with life, forget about it, and usually find that it is not too long before the problem disappears!
Love from Nancy Campbell
Never, once since the world began
Has the sun ever once stopped shining.
His face very often we could not see,
And we grumbled at his inconsistency;
But, the clouds were really to blame, not he,
For, behind them, he was shining.
And so, behind life's darkest clouds,
God's love is always shining.
We veil it at times with our faithless fear,
And darken our sight with our foolish fears,
But in time the atmosphere always clears,
For His love is always shining.
Horace Greely stated, "It is impossible to mentally or socially enslave a Bible reading people." And yet, we are being mentally and socially enslaved. More and more, the majority of this nation are becoming enslaved to humanism, feminism, socialism, and progressivism. And this is not only in the secular world, but in the church as well!
We are no longer a Bible reading people. Even church going people are not Bible reading people. Even "Christian" families are not Bible reading people. For the sake of our nation, this must change. But, it starts with families. It is what we do in our families that determines the course of the nation.
How much do you read God's Word in your home? Do you gather your family morning and evening to read the Bible to them? This should be the least we do each day. Unless we, and our children, know the truth of God's Word we will not have the ability to discern what is truth and what is deception. Deception can often look so good and wise, and yet it is deadly. Satan convinced Eve that the fruit was "pleasant, to be desired, to make one wise" and yet it resulted in death. Worldly wisdom can look wise, but if it is not the wisdom of God's Word it will lead us down a wrong path.
Let's become families who make God's Word the priority in our home, the criterion for everything we believe, and the foundation of our lives.
Love from Nancy Campbell
Reading through the Old Testament I often notice the phrase "MANY SONS." For example, 1 Chronicles 8:40 says, "And the sons of Ulam had MANY SONS, and sons' sons, 150." Again, in 1 Chronicles 28:5 David says, "The Lord has given me MANY SONS." We find reference to 19 sons of David in the Bible, although some Bible scholars say there could be 20 or more. Every theme of the Old Testament is reiterated in the New, and so we come to Hebrews 2:10 and read, "For it became him, for him are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing MANY SONS unto glory, to make the captain (the Leader-in-Chief) of their salvation perfect through sufferings."
We see the heart of God from Genesis to Revelation. God begins with His vision to fill the earth to overflowing with many sons and daughters (Genesis 1:28) and then we go to the end of the Bible and read John's vision, "I beheld, and, lo, a GREAT MULTITUDE, WHICH NO MAN COULD NUMBER, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; and cried with a loud voice, say, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb" (Revelation 7:9-10).
Why does God want us to bring forth many sons and daughters? Just for the sake of doing it? No. It is all for God. It is to fill eternity to overflowing with sons and daughters who are redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. Every child you bring forth and lead to salvation, will be part of that innumerable company and live forever and ever. You are in an eternity impacting and eternity filling career.
Love from Nancy Campbell
You know the old saying, “The grass is greener on the other side of the fence.” This applies to marriage, too.
Satan would like to destroy your marriage. He loves to bring deceiving and dissatisfying thoughts to your mind. Don’t listen to his lies!
Instead, water, feed, and fertilize your marriage. It will grow so luscious and green that you’ll never want to take another look anywhere else.
~ Nancy Campbell
(One of my favorite little poems)
She rocked me as a little tyke
I happily recall,
In winter, summer, autumn, spring,
And never let me fall.
I've gotten where I am (and here's
A psychiatric shocker)
Because I had a mother who
Was seldom off her rocker!
Sometimes, dear Lord, it seems as tho'
the children never stop!
They ask and ask, and ask again,
until my ears near pop!
"Mum, fix my shoe," "Help brush my hair."
"I want another drink."
"Come quickly, Mum, I think the cat
has fallen in the sink!"
Demands, demands, and more demands,
Help, Lord, it's getting tough.
I know that mothers should be kind,
but this one's had enough!
What's that, dear God? You mean to say
These children are in Your plan?
To help me learn to grow into
A more mature woman?
Dear Lord, I know You gave and gave,
Had so much patience too,
.Help me to see a mother's job
Can make me more like You.
By Jenny Hodgkinson
Printed in Above Rubies, #11.
Mother, you are in the most important career in the nation!
Without you the nation will cease to function!
I often hear women sharing, "I am going through a real battle." Or, "We are facing a real battle in our family at this time." In stating this, they own the battle as theirs. My, that's tough when you have to battle through on your own, isn't it? Sometimes it's almost impossible.
However, did you know that God will take up the battle on your behalf? God is a battle fighter. And He knows how to win!
In 1 Chronicles 5:18-22 it tell us about some of the tribes of Israel who went to war with the Hagarites (descended from Ishmael). Even though they were mighty warriors "skilled in combat and armed with shields, swords, and bows" (v. 18 NLT), the battle was too much for them. In their distress, they screamed out to God for help. Verse 20 tells us that because "they put their trust in Him" God helped them. They wiped out the enemy. Why? Because verse 22 tells us, "the battle was God's." God fought on their behalf.
Are you going to keep fighting your battle in your own strength? Or, will you give it to God? Will you let it become His battle? I think we can trust Him to win the victory better than we can, don't you?
Love from Nancy Campbell
Here's one more poem our children learned when they were young and now many of the grandchildren are memorizing it. I think it's a great poem for all children to learn. Perhaps you would like to get your children to learn it, too. It's another one by Edgar Guest, called "It Couldn't be Done." However, I prefer to call it, "IT CAN BE DONE." Love from Nancy
IT CAN BE DONE
Somebody said that it couldn’t be done
But he with a chuckle replied
That “maybe it couldn’t,” but he would be one
Who wouldn’t say so till he’d tried.
So he buckled right in with the trace of a grin
On his face. If he worried he hid it.
He started to sing as he tackled the thing
That couldn’t be done, and he did it!
Somebody scoffed: “Oh, you’ll never do that;
At least no one ever has done it;”
But he took off his coat and he took off his hat
And the first thing we knew he’d begun it.
With a lift of his chin and a bit of a grin,
Without any doubting or quiddit,
He started to sing as he tackled the thing
That couldn’t be done, and he did it.
There are thousands to tell you it cannot be done,
There are thousands to prophesy failure,
There are thousands to point out to you one by one,
The dangers that wait to assail you.
But just buckle in with a bit of a grin,
Just take off your coat and go to it;
Just start in to sing as you tackle the thing
That “cannot be done,” and YOU'LL DO IT.
One of our readers shared her favorite poem. I think it is very powerful, and so am sharing it with you, too. Love, Nancy
I AM A WOMAN
by Christiana Moss
My willingness to carry life is a revenge -
the antidote,
the great rebuttal of every murder,
every abortion,
and every genocide.
I sustain humanity -
deep inside of me life grows;
I am death’s opposition.
I have pushed back the hand of darkness today
I have caused there to be a weakening tremor among the ranks
of those set on earth's destruction.
Today -
a vibration that calls angels to attention
echoed throughout time;
our laughter threatened hell today.
I dine with the greats of God’s army -
I make their meals,
I tie their shoes.
Today,
I walk with greatness,
and when they were tired,
I carried them.
I’ve poured myself out for the cause today.
It’s finally quiet,
but life stirs inside of me -
gaining strength.
The pulse of life
sends a constant reminder to both good and evil
that I’ve yielded myself to heaven
and now carry its dream.
No angel
has ever had such a privilege
nor any man.
I’m humbled by the honor;
I am great with destiny -
I birth the freedom fighters.
In the great war
I am the leader of the underground resistance.
I smile at the disguise of my troops,
surrounded by a host of warriors.
Destiny swirling - invisible yet tangible
and the anointing to alter history.
Our footsteps make our land for conquest,
we move undetected throughout the common places.
Today -
I was the barrier between evil and innocence.
I was a gatekeeper,
watching over the hope of mankind,
and no intruder trespassed.
There’s not an hour in the day or night
when I turn from my post.
The fierceness of my love is unmatched on the earth.
And because I smile instead of frown,
the world will know the power of grace.
Hope has feet -
it will run to the corners of the earth
because I stood up against destruction.
I am a woman
I am a mother.
I’m the keeper and sustainer of life
here on earth.
Heaven stands in honour of my mission.
No one else can carry my call.
I’m the daughter of Eve,
and Eve has been redeemed.
I am the opposition of death;
I am a woman.
We used to have Poem Nights when our children were young and now we continue to do it with all the grandchildren. We are having another Poem Night in about three weeks. All the children are now learning their poems (or, I hope they are learning them) in readiness to recite at our evening. Every child will have an opportunity to share a poem, right down to the little ones, even if they can only memorize two lines! It won't be a short night with about 30 of them to have a turn!
Anyway, here is another poem our children learned when they were young. It's one by Edgar Guest, one of my favorite poets.
THE THINGS THAT HAVEN'T BEEN DONE BEFORE
The things that haven't been done before,
Those are the things to try;
Columbus dreamed of an unknown shore
At the rim of the far-flung sky,
And his heart was bold and his faith was strong
As he ventured in dangers new,
And he paid no heed to the jeering throng
Or the fears of the doubting crew.
The many will follow the beaten track
With guideposts on the way.
They live and have lived for ages back
With a chart for every day.
Someone has told them it's safe to go
On the road he has traveled o'er,
And all that they ever strive to know
Are the things that were known before.
A few strike out without map or chart,
Where never a man has been,
From the beaten path they draw apart
To see what no man has seen.
There are deeds they hunger alone to do;
Though battered and bruised and sore,
They blaze the path for the many, who
Do nothing not done before.
The things that haven't been done before
Are the tasks worthwhile today;
Are you one of the flock that follows, or
Are you one that shall lead the way?
Are you one of the timid souls that quail
At the jeers of a doubting crew,
Or dare you, whether you win or fail,
Strike out for a goal that's new?
Our children loved the lines of the last stanza, and especially the last two lines...
"Or dare you, whether you win or fail,
Strike out for the goal that's new!"
They have done and are still doing things that others have never done before. Did the words they learned as a child have something to do with it?
Love from Nancy
All this talk of poetry inspired me to quickly write one, but the baby is calling so I must run! Enjoy, love Michelle
Sure I'm 'pro-choice', what can I say?
I get to make my own choices every day.
I choose to live my life as a believer you see,
And that means the Bible reveals how I should be.
It means I respect life at every stage of the game.
From conception to the grave, it's all the same.
The Creator makes each one so individual,
And each life truly is such a miracle!
Why would I interfere with His creative power?
The very thought of trying to makes me want to cower!
HE knows best, I know this full well,
So resting in His will makes me feel just swell.
And being 'pro-choice', I get to choose each day
How to live my life in a way that'll really pay.
So each day I choose to submit to my role
As a wife and a mother, and I feel totally whole.
It is so fulfilling, and challenging too,
There is never a dull moment in our family "zoo".
Sometimes I even choose to bite my tongue
And that keeps my marriage much more fun.
I sometimes choose to serve selflessly
And those are the days that I really feel free.
I can also choose to praise instead of criticize
Following that advice is a good word to the wise.
I love all of the choices I get to make.
Nothing about them makes me feel fake.
I have chosen the good path, of this I am sure;
For there is no other workable cure.
To live this life full of sin and pain
I need God's grace to remove my stain.
I have always loved poems. And I love rhymes. I loved reading to my children when they were young and especially loved reading them books in rhyme. That's why Bill Peet was my favorite children's stories author. Have you ever read any of them? Wonderfully illustrated and fun to read.
I also encouraged the children to learn poems. I would pin Scripture verses and positive little poems up around the house, and even in the toilet--a great place for them to read and memorize! Here's one the children loved and learned when they were young and they can all still quote it today. You may like to share it with your children, too.
TWO LITTLE MEN
Two little men stood looking at a hill,
One was named, Can't and one was named, Will.
Can't said, "I never in the world can climb this hill."
So there he is at the bottom of it still!
Will said, "I'll get to the top because I will."
Two little men are living by the hill,
At the bottom is Can't, at the top is Will!
I'll share another one with you for your children, tomorrow.
Love from Nancy
It is so easy to become complacent, isn't it? We get into a groove and find it comfortable. We may love the Lord with all our heart, but if we in a rut, we are a sitting duck for the enemy. We cannot stand still. We must continually move forward. God is always leading us onwards to more and more of all that He has for us.
When we get into a rut, God sometimes needs to prick our nest. Or give us a push! One of the Hebrew words that is used for teaching our children God's ways is "lamad." It comes from a root word that means an ox goad which they used to prod the oxen to keep them working.
In Gary Inrig's book, "Hearts of Iron, Feet of Clay," he tells the story of an old man traveling on an ocean liner." A huge storm blew up without warning. One woman lost her balance and fell overboard. People stood frozen with horror. Suddenly, a man plunged into the wages, grabbed her, and held her until a rescue boat came. When they were pulled out, everyone was astonished and embarrassed to discover that the hero was the oldest man on the boat--a man in his eighties.
That evening they held a party to honor him. When they called on him to make a speech, the old man rose slowly. He looked around at the people, then said, "I would like to know just one thing." There was an embarrassed silence. "Who pushed me?"
To move forward in God's kingdom we often need a push. or perhaps lots of goading. Our children need goading. Making a set time to have Family Devotions with our children each day gives God an opportunity to gently push our children in His ways and lead them on to all that God has planned for them. There is nothing more powerful than the daily input of God's Word. Weekly church attendance (not just when we feel like it) is also important in the lives of our children. It gives another opportunity for God to push them into His ways.
Let's not get comfortable in our nest, but always be open to God's pricks. We don't like it when our nest is upset, but often this is the only way God can lead us on to new things He has for our lives. If God had not pricked our nest in New Zealand, we would never have moved on to Australia. After nearly 10 years in Australia, God upset our nest again. It was a very difficult time to go through, but if it hadn't happened, we would not be in USA today where we know we are God's perfect will. We need God's pricks and pushes.
Love from Nancy Campbell