What are you saying to your husband today?
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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.
Being a king, emperor, or president is mighty small potatoes compared to being a mother. Commanding an army is little more than sweeping a street compared with training a boy or girl. The mother of Moses did more for the world than all the kinds that Egypt ever had. Oh, you wait until you reach the mountains of eternity, then read the mothers' names in God's Hall of Fame.
~ Billy Sunday
Painting: Ethel Pennewill Brown Leach (1878-1959).
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Are you giving your children daily doses of God’s word?
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Think of ways to bring happiness into your home.
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The following are some beautiful thoughts to encourage you from MIKAYLA KNADLE.Where are you dwelling, dear mother? We are always dwelling somewhere, on something. Are you dwelling in your frustration and weariness? Are you dwelling in the opinions of others? Perhaps you are dwelling on comparisons and your shortcomings. I was.
As I rocked in the dark with my sleepless little baby, I cried in exhaustion, frustrated by my inability. “I should have this figured out and be able to mother as well as ‘she’ does,” I thought. “There has to be a right way to do this, how do I know what is best?” I was bogged down by the weight of perfectionism and unrealistic expectations. Lines of contradictory mothering advice and mantras played over and over in my head, overwhelming and far from helping me in the middle of the night.
“God, what am I to do? Can’t you make this clear? Simple?”
How thankful I am that our Father God cares for us and hears the woes of our weary and immature hearts. He revealed Himself through His Word in Psalm 84 which begins: “How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord Almighty. My soul yearns, even faints for the courts of the Lord . . . Amen!
But the next verse I had somehow never taken note of before: “Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young, a place near your altar, Lord Almighty, my King and my God.” Incredible. This Psalm is for mothers! Through it, God was telling me: “Make your nest, love your young ones, and MOTHER IN MY PRESENCE. REST HERE, NEAR MY ALTAR. MAKE YOUR DWELLING IN ME.”
In Old Testament times, the altar was the place of sacrifice and atonement for sin. This certainly is representative of our need to lay ourselves down and submit our lives to God, and the ultimate sacrifice of Christ that covers our homes.
Motherhood is sacrificial love. Yet I think there is another significance to the altar. For the majority of Israelites in those days, the altar was the closest that they could get to God’s holy presence. Only the High Priest could be cleansed to go beyond into the Holy of Holies. The psalmist so desired God’s presence that he noted the humble little birds who also desired the presence of God, even to the point of making their very home at His altar. In that place they found safety, rest, peace, and provision.
Our hearts too can be so desirous of the Living God that we seek to center our entire existence on Him, seeking His presence. The amazing truth for us today is that we, unlike the early Israelites, are part of His royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:9)! We, by the atoning blood of Jesus Christ (Romans 3:25) and the washing of the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5-6) can enter his very presence daily. We can truly dwell in His holy presence and make our homes a dwelling place for Him. How do we do this? Psalm 84 and other scriptures describe how:
We dwell in him when we put Him first, recognizing that he is desirable before all else (Psalm 84:10).
We dwell in him when we behold his unveiled glory (2 Corinthians 3:16-18).
We dwell in him by continually praising him, and praise is a natural response to our awareness of his presence (Psalm 84:4).
We dwell in Him and he in us when we draw on his strength (Psalm 84:5; 2 Corinthians 12:9) and put our total trust in him (Psalm 84:12).
We dwell in him when we pray throughout our day (Ps 84:8-9).
This mothering journey is about Him. It always has been, just like every aspect of life. Meditating on this Scripture has changed the way that I approach my days, taking the focus off of myself and the details and putting it on our worthy God.
Has mothering become easier? Certainly not, but he is teaching me to rest in him, just like those little birds, as a Psalm 84 mother. He is showing me the glory of his presence in my home as I dwell in him and share his Spirit with my children and my husband.
Often, I must evaluate, as I encourage you also to do, asking “Where will I dwell today?” or rather, “On whom will I dwell?” May it always be Him, and His dwelling always be mine.
MIKAYLA DEWING
Picture: Garrett and Mikayla with their children: Conrad (18 months) and Daisy Jane (4 months).
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We cannot escape duty. It is part of life. But we can make duty a delight when we do it as unto the Lord. Delight in your mothering duties today.
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Keep up the great work, mother. Your influence can touch nations.
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Dear mother, did you know that you are dangerous to the devil?The devil hates life, he hates the home, and he hates mothering. He is intent in wooing mothers out of the home so he has more power to influence their children.
He is scared of mothers who know who they are and who God created them to be, the mothers who embrace the children God has planned for them and who are raising them to be godly children in this “crooked and perverse society.”
Don’t you love being dangerous?
Never forget! The more children a godly mother brings into this world, fills them with God’s truth, and prepares them to be God-loving, truth-filled, holy, upstanding, devil-defeating, and overcoming sons and daughters . . .
The more scared the liberalists will become!
The more will evil be defeated in the land!
The more the kingdom of God will be advanced!
The more the gospel will be spread across the earth!
The more the image of God will be revealed in the earth!
The more righteousness and morality will pervade the land!
The more righteous leaders will arise in the nation!
The more justice, honesty, and truth will flood the land!
The more God will be glorified in the earth!
The more the economy will boom in the land!
The more the nation will prosper and be blessed!
And the more the statists will fear and tremble!
Rise up into your anointing today, dear Mother.
Love from Nancy Campbell
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We are constantly making decisions for our families. Here’s a secret. In every decision you make use this question as a deciding a point:Will this fragment our family or will it strengthen our family and keep us together?
If it will fragment the family, forget it.
If it will strengthen the family, go for it!
Here is a poem to encourage you today:
T Traveling through life is no good on your own,
To do it with family is the best way known.
O Old and young, the toddlers and teens,
All add to the mix with their family genes.
G Gathering together as much as we can,
Putting aside time to be with the clan.
E Enjoying suppers, parties and feasts
Where we all bring food and special treats.
T Talking and laughing, shouting, debating,
It’s a great lot of fun, certainly not sedating!
H Helping one another in times of need,
Going the extra mile to do the deed.
E Embracing the children, the more the merrier,
Enlarging our homes to all fit in one area.
R Remembering each other, even those far away,
Cementing the bonds by praying each day.
N Never holding a grudge--for hurt or lies,
Forgiving freely when offences arise.
E Expect perfection? We all fall on our face,
We’re sinners redeemed, needing God’s grace.
S Strengthened by unity--we must guard it well,
And watch “little foxes” don’t come in to dwell.
S Serving each other with a humble mind
This is the way as a family we’ll bind.
Love from Nancy Campbell
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The following is a challenge if you are up for it!THE COMMON DUTIES OF LIFE
By Charles Haddon Spurgeon
It is sinful to neglect the common duties of life under the idea that we shall do something more, by-and-by.
You do not obey your parents, young man, and yet you are going to be a minister, are you? A pretty minister will you make! As an apprentice you are very dilatory and neglectful — and your master would be glad to see the back of you! He wishes that he could burn your indentures and yet you have an idea you are going to be a missionary, I believe. A pretty missionary you would be!
There is a mother at home and her children are neglected while she talks to her neighbors. But when her children are off her hands, she is going to be a true mother in Israel and look after the souls of others. Such conduct is sin! Mind your children! Darn the stockings and attend to your other home duties! And when you have done that, talk about doing something in other places. If present duties are neglected, you cannot make up for the omission by some future piece of quixotic endeavor to do what you were never called to do!
If we could all be quiet enough to hear that clock tick, we should hear it say, “Now! Now! Now! Now!” The clock resembles the call of God in the DAILY DUTIES of the hour. “To him that knows to do good, and does it not, to him it is sin,” even though he may dream of how he will, in years to come, make up for his present neglect!"
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Mother, you are doing a great job as you build a godly family. You are helping to build a godly nation. Keep up the great work.
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Did you know that God wants your home to be holy? Wow, that’s a huge undertaking isn’t it? Especially when our homes are filled with sinners. We are sinners and our children are sinners. And even though we are sinners saved by grace, we are still prone to sin. But as we invite God to come and dwell in our lives and our homes, He woos us to holiness.I love Hebrews 9:1: “Then verily the first covenant had also ordinances of divine service, and a worldly sanctuary.” What is this Scripture talking about? It is King James language. Let’s read it in the J. B. Phillips’ translation: “. . . and it had a sanctuary, A HOLY PLACE IN THIS WORLD FOR THE ETERNAL GOD.” Don’t you love those words?
Back in those days, God dwelt in the midst of His people, Israel. God dwelt in His Shekinah glory in the Holy of Holies in the tabernacle, and later the temple. Today, God does not live in a temple but He still wants a dwelling place on earth. Now He comes to dwell in our hearts and He also wants to dwell in our homes (2 Corinthians 6:19, 20).
On this bit of earth, in the neighborhood where you live, you have a great commission to make your home a holy place for the eternal God! What could be more powerful? Can you seek to make your home a holy place for Him?
But there’s more. God not only wants our homes to be holy, but all the area around our homes. Talking about Ezekiel’s temple in Ezekiel 43:12 it says: “This is the law of the house; Upon the top of the mountain the whole limit thereof round about shall be MOST HOLY. Behold, this is the law of the house.” You may only have a little backyard, or you may own many acres. Whatever God has given to you, He wants it all to be holy.
We not only guard what goes on in our homes, but what goes on around our homes. Who hangs out with our children? What is happening on the inside? What is happening on the outside?
God wants every material thing in our homes to be anointed with His presence. Yes, even our pots and pans (Zechariah 14:20, 21). Fill your home with everything that promotes holiness and cast out every evil thing.
Holiness begins with us wives and mothers. We are the heart of the home and it is our responsibility to make it holy. Let’s make holiness our vision.
Hebrews 13:14: “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.”
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Dear ladies, here are a few thoughts on a comment from yesterday’s post: “How do you correct children’s bad attitudes? ‘Stop having a bad attitude’ does not seem very helpful or guiding on the HOW TO.”I am sure many of you would like to discuss this point.
1. We must begin with having a positive and happy attitude ourselves. If we don’t know how to do it, how will our children? Of course, we don’t always feel happy and joyful and in good spirits. But feelings are not the point. We don’t live by feelings; we live by the truth. And the real truth is that if Christ dwells in us, we can live in joy because HE IS JOY! Dear mother, your attitude sparks the attitude for the rest of the home.
2. If your child has already received Christ into His heart and life remind him that Jesus lives in Him. Teach Him how to yield to Jesus rather than yield to his feelings and the flesh. You can start teaching your children this habit from when they are young.
3. Sing with them. “Come on, Johnny, let’s sing together.” And them get them singing a joyful song with you. Do you know “I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, down in my heart, down in my heart”? That’s a good one with actions too. Don’t let him off the hook. Get all the children singing to help him along if necessary.
4. You can also inspire good and positive attitudes by doing something like a weekly competition. Pin up on the fridge the names of your children with columns for each day of the week. As you notice good attitudes give them stickers. When they have a good or bad attitude, put a black mark. The one who gets the most stickers for the week receives a prize. Make it something special.
5. Don’t allow your children to get away with bad attitudes and moods. This habit must be broken. If they come to the table with a sour and glum face, encourage them to put on a smile. If they are stubborn and refuse, they should go to their room until they are ready to come to the table with a happy face.
I am sure you have other ideas that have worked for you. Please share them.
Blessings from Nancy
P.S. Do you know the song?
Joy is the flag flown high
From the castle of my heart
From the castle of my heart
From the castle of my heart
Joy is the flag flown high
From the castle of my heart
When the King is in residence there
(So) let it fly in the sky
Let the whole world know
Let the whole world know
Let the whole world know
(So) let it fly in the sky
Let the whole world know
That the King is in residence there.
Our young grandchildren love to sing this song. We remind them that when the queen or king is in his castle, they fly the flag so everyone knows they are in residence. Jesus, who is King of king’s lives in our hearts. We must fly the flag of joy to let everyone in the family and around us know that He is there! Look up the tune on the Internet if you don’t know it.
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Why do we correct and discipline our children? Because we want them to grow up to be successful in life. Some parents scream at their children and lash our when their children irritate them and get on their nerves. This is opposite to training children. Responsible parents diligently and lovingly discipline bad behavior. They correct their children and bring them into line when they are rebellious, out of order, disobedient, tell lies, talk back, pout, and have moods. They will not tolerate these negative habits.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.
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
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It’s easy to say that we love God but we prove our love by how eager we are to read His words. How often do we run to His Word? How diligently do we teach it to our children?
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After the busyness of Thanksgiving week I am back to talk about problems at the meal table.Some mothers tell me that their children have conversations with one another at the table and they as parents tune out. Dear mothers, can I remind you that you and your husband decide what happens at your table. Not the children! We as parents create the world we want in our home. We create the atmosphere. We determine what happens at the family meal table.
When I prepare the food for our evening meal, I not only think about food for the body, but food for the soul. I find it is as important to think about what we will speak about at the table as what we will eat. If my husband and I do not bring a question or a subject to discuss to the table, the conversation goes nowhere. It’s usually about nothing. Or small talk that is a waste of time. Is that what you find at your table?
You can change that! Come to the table prepared with a subject to talk about. Of course, this will depend on the season and ages of your children. If you have little children, bring a very simple question such as “What was the best thing you did today?” Encourage each child to share and then Daddy and Mommy must also talk about the best thing that happened to them. It’s for the whole family.
As your children get older you can bring subjects to the table to discuss—fun topics, political, geographical, spiritual, or biblical. Here’s one that our children loved when growing up. We often asked this question as they never tired of it: “If you were given a million dollars, what would you do with it?”
Get every child to have their turn, including mother and father. No one is exempt. No one is left out. Even in the midst of a large family, each child receives their own personal attention. When each child has their turn, they are the center of attention from their mother and father and the rest of the family. They hold the floor!
I have to confess that our children were rather loud and very opinionated who became more opinionated the older they got older! However, we didn’t allow them to take over. We allowed them to freely express their opinions, which we loved them to do, but they had to take turns! My husband was always the umpire!
Blessings from Nancy Campbell
Picture: A family from the 1930’s. You know ladies, it’s so sad. It’s hard to find up-to-date pictures of families sitting together around the meal table today. I wonder if that is because not so many families are sitting together for their meals now. If you have any good pictures, I’d love to receive them from you at nThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Motherhood and home are synonymous. Home and children are tantamount. God created the home for children to be raised. The home should be a sanctuary and safe place from the evil lurking around.
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I LOVE BEING YOUR MOMMYBy Lauren Beck
I love being your mommy! It really is the best!
I feel like the most blessed woman in the entire Southwest!
I love watching your joy when you learn something new,
Or when you want to play Go Fish all afternoon.
I love the flowers and leaves you all pick for me,
And when you call my name wanting me to see.
I love days filled with chatter, hugs, and questions,
Teaching, training, and discipline lessons.
I love teaching you to read and write,
Each one of you are so very bright!
I love your grand imaginations when you play,
Each of you dreaming of who you’ll be one day.
When I’m grouchy and tired, thank you for forgiving me,
A kinder, more patient mommy is who I pray to be.
Being your mommy has stretched me to see,
That life is no longer just all about me.
Some people say I’m crazy for having all of you,
We laugh on the way home because we know it’s not true!
My erratic sleeping patterns some may not desire,
But cuddling little babes in the night, of that I’ll never tire.
I don’t mind the time cooking you healthy food,
I’m learning to find joy in cooking for my little brood.
You see, nothing I’ve ever done or seen in my life,
Compares to being your mother and your daddy’s wife.
I’m understanding the blessings that you all truly are,
Being your mommy is THE BEST CAREER by far!
Lauren writes: “This poem was written at the 10 year mark of leaving my career in the United States Air Force and becoming a full time wife and mother in my home. It's been 15 years now since I have been home with my children. I remember well- meaning friends being concerned that I'd regret my decision to leave the military service which I had loved. What could have been more impactful than serving your country! None of us realized I was being called by God to even more impactful work—the career of Motherhood. This career would break down my pride, daily strip away my selfishness, and reveal a love that I had never dreamed of. Motherhood has made me very aware of my need for Christ and His redeeming work to save me from my sinful heart. By His grace, I now Mother the children He has given me, for His glory, with all my heart.
LAUREN BECK * This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Fayetteville, Georgia, USA
God has blessed my dear husband, Daniel and I with Eden (15), Micah (13), Joy (10), Matthew (
, Harbor (6), Serene (3) and Melody (3 months).
, Harbor (6), Serene (3) and Melody (3 months).
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Dear ladies, I began talking about the family meal table last week. I plan to continue this week as I answer different questions women often ask me. Maybe you have the same questions. One mother wrote: “I spend most of my meal correcting and giving reminders of appropriate manners/behavior.” Yes, I agree that this is part of training at the meal table. Necessary training. However, when we engage them in conversation and discuss topics together, the children become more involved and forget about doing all their antics at the table.Another mother of teenagers down to a two-year-old wrote to me: “Getting everyone to help with the meal and cleaning up is hard and frustrating.” This shouldn’t be the case when you have older children. They should be trained by now! The teenagers should know how to run the home, including cooking the meal and cleaning up. If they are not capable of doing this, what have we been doing all their lives? Even little children can learn how to help with the meal, set the table, clean up, and help with dishes. Each one should have their own job.
Begin training them when they are little. Expect obedience. Don’t allow them to get away with doing their own thing when there is a job to be done. If you let them get away with it when they are little, they will never get in the habit.
It’s a good idea to work out a timetable for the evening meal and other jobs in the home each week. Decide the task of each child and put it up on the fridge or somewhere and each child is responsible for their chore. Their task is to do it. Your job is to make sure they do it. But it shouldn’t have to be cajoling and reminding. No. Get excited. Do your part and encourage everyone to be excited about doing their part as you all work together! Work is fun! Work is great. It’s family time! You are all doing it together. Yippee. Inspire this atmosphere.
I remember when our granddaughter, Rashida was younger. She is now a mother of four children and Trim Healthy Mama ladies will know her book, “Trim Healthy Future.” Every year my father came to visit us from New Zealand when he was alive. Each year Rashida would a cook a special meal for her beloved greatgranddad.
She was only seven years old when she prepared this feast—roast turkey with coos coos stuffing (including sundried tomatoes, cashews, pine nuts, figs, and raisins); marinated grape leaves stuffed with lebani, placed in a bowl with figs, dates, and black and green olives; mashed potatoes and gravy; salad with homemade dressings (almondaise and Green Greek dressing) and tamarind date chutney. Yes, she made dessert too--ginger steamed pudding and raw nut balls! Yes, I wrote it all down (all those years ago) knowing I would want to remember it. No wonder she could put such a great cookbook together. It’s a gourmet feast every time you go to Rashida’s home!
From that age Rashida was in charge of the kitchen for their family. I think your seven-year-old can at least help with dishes!
Love to you today,
Nancy Campbell
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