Above Rubies Daily Encouragement Blogs

Are you wondering how you will get through today? You didn't get much sleep last night. You feel as though you have no energy. Dear mother, don't trust in yourself, but trust in God. HE IS YOUR STRENGTH.

It's amazing how we can be worn out and tired at the end of the day and feel our strength has finished. But, GOD COMES EACH NEW DAY TO MAKE US STRONG. He doesn't give us strength for tomorrow, for the next week, or even the next month. He gives us strength FOR TODAY!

Isaiah 33:2 says, "Lord, show us favor; we hope in you. BE OUR STRENGTH EVERY MORNING." Can you say, Amen?

That's another reason why it is important to have Morning and Evening Devotions each day as a family. We are strengthened as we come to Him in the morning, and we give praise for His strength, faithfulness, protection, and provision each evening. A Sunday service is not enough to last you through the week. You have to come to Him to receive your strength EACH NEW MORNING!

Love from Nancy

"And tho' this world, with devils filled,

   Should threaten to undo us;

We will not fear, for God hath willed

   His truth to triumph through us."

~ Martin Luther

Has someone insulted you? Ridiculed you for having more than 1.8 children per family? Sneered at you for homeschooling? Or hurt you to the core by the words they have spoken?

What do you do? Get mad? Feel sorry for yourself? Want to retaliate? Yes, that's how we often feel. But what did Jesus do? 1 Peter 2:23 NASB says that "When He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously."

The NLT says, "He did not retaliate when he was insulted, nor threaten revenge when he suffered. He left his case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly."

This is what we have to do. Leave our case in the hands of God. Don't let any insulting words disturb your spirit. Bless the people who hurt you and commit it God. You can leave in HIs hands. He will work in their hearts in His time. Our role is to keep a sweet spirit.

Love from Nancy

Childhood prepares for adulthood, and for eternity. Therefore, what a great responsibility we have as parents. We play a big part in not only preparing our children's future lives but what kind of marriage they will endure or enjoy. The parent/child relationship also prepares them for a relationship with their heavenly Father. It is often more difficult for those who have not known true love and justice from an earthly father, to understand the nature of our Heavenly Father.

I think too, that if a child does not learn to obey his or her earthly parents, they will find it more difficult to obey their Heavenly Father. Jesus said in Matthew 7:21, "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven."

When children learn to do the will of their earthly parents (as long as it is not ungodly admonition), they practice and learn how to do will of their heavenly Father. We are not teaching our children to obey only for our benefit, but how to obey their heavenly Father. We realize how important this is for our children when we understand that it's not those who say the right words, but those who actually do the will of the Father who will enter the heavenly kingdom. And we want our children to enter God's eternal kingdom, don't we?

Love from Nancy

"He that is of God heareth God's words" (John 8:47). Are our ears tuned into the voice of our humanistic society or are they tuned into God's ways?

We may as well face it. God's ways and thoughts are higher than our ways and thoughts (Isaiah 55:7-9). They are different to the ways of man.

Let's be on guard that we do not assimilate to society around us. We don't have to escape from living in this world, but we must not be influenced by the spirit of this world.

Love from Nancy

One mother asked yesterday, "Any practical advice on fighting/antagonizing? My 3 and 5 year old boys drive me nuts some days!"

It's easy to get frustrated and start yelling, isn't it? But, have you ever tried prayer? Take your authority as a mother which God has given to you. Go up to your children who are fighting. Separate them, taking hold of both their hands firmly and PRAY!

"In the name of Jesus, I command this fighting to stop! Dear Father, I ask that you will come to my children now and fill them with your love and your peace. Take away this angry spirit, in Jesus' name. Amen."

There is nothing like the power of prayer. After you have prayed, ask them to say sorry to one another and forgive on another. If your children know you are going to PRAY every time they fight, I think they will think first!

Love from Nancy

I have been posting about training our children to have obedient ears. Another important area of child training is training our children out of bad attitudes. It is the fleshly nature to respond with a negative attitude when things are not going just the way we like them. However, if we let our children get away with pouting, putting on a glum look, "packing a sad," maintaining a bad attitude and mood, we set them up for problems in adulthood, and especially in their future marriage. The basis of these attitudes is selfishness and it is selfish attitudes that cause many marriages to fail.

I think of Ahab in 1 Kings 21 who got into a mood because he couldn't get his own way. Because Naboth would not sell his vineyard to him, he went into his house "vexed and sullen," lay down on his bed, turned his face to the wall and wouldn't eat! What a wimp! He obviously was not trained by his parents and so was still acting like a three year old in adulthood.

Deal with bad attitudes in your children immediately. Nip them in the bud! Don't allow them in your home. Of course, you will be showing a good example in your own life. They won't see you putting on "the silent treatment" of getting into a bad attitude where you can cut the atmosphere with a knife!

When raising our children, we never allowed a bad attitude or response. We dealt with it immediately and severely. Today, our children don't know how to get into a bad attitude because they were trained to have a good attitude. This blesses their marriage and therefore they all have the "best of marriages."

Love from Nancy

My brother and sister-in-law are staying with us from New Zealand. What a joy to have them with us after not seeing them for three years. I was talking to them at breakfast about ideas to train obedient ears. Judy suggested a great idea. Whisper a little secret into the ear of one of your children, such as, "Would you like an ice-cream treat at morning break?"

A little later ask, "Did you hear what I told you?" If they didn't hear, tell them they have missed out on a special treat and will have to listen better next time. You can ask a different question next time. This gets them into the habit of having a listening ear.

Love from Nancy

After reading my post yesterday about how we as parents are EAR TRAINERS, many mothers asked for practical suggestions on how they can actually train their children to have obedient ears.

My first encouragement to you is to ask the Lord to show you. The children God has given you belong to Him and He is the One who has all the answers on how to train them. Always be seeking Him for the answers. However, here are a few suggestions, especially for when you first start training and the earlier the better.

1. Look at your child face to face when you speak to them. Make sure you have eye contact. You can't expect your child to obey you when you haven't really connected with them. This applies to older children, too. Don't call out a command from another room and expect them to obey. They may not hear you, they may be preoccupied, or in a dream. Speak face to face. Another important tip for older children is to give a clear command. Don't say, "Perhaps it would be a good idea to start doing the dishes," or "I think you should tidy your bedroom." Instead say, "Right now, I want you to begin doing the dishes." Your child needs to know you are not talking for the sake of talking!

2. After you have told your child what to do, ask her to repeat the command. For example, "Susie, I want you to pick up your toys. Now, what did Mommy say?" Ask your child to repeat.

3. Get a response. "Now, Susie, what are you going to do?" Answer: "I'm going to pick up my toys." A  response is very important. Now she has told you what she is going to do, she is going to be motivated do it. You are much more motivated to act on what you confess. When they are very young, you may have to do the command with your child, such as lead them to the toys and show them how to do it. But, remember, you are training your child to obey immediately and respond to the command you made. This trains your child how to respond to God. We fail our children when we do not teach them to respond to a command.

Now, what about older children? You didn't start training them to obey. They have disobedient ears and are out of control. Is there hope? Yes, there is always hope. I believe you should gather your children together for a family meeting and have a heart to heart talk with them. Tell them what is on your heart, but here is a suggestion to get you thinking, "Children, we've got something important to talk to you about. We want to be the very best parents for you. However, we realize that we have been failing you. God has commanded us to teach you to obey us, your parents, because this is how you learn to obey God. We haven't been faithful in helping you to do this, but we want to do things right. Can you help us? Can we all work on this together?

"This is what we'll need to do. When we ask you to do something, we will expect you to do it immediately (and you will use the same way as mentioned above). If you do not, there will have to be consequences." You can then talk together with your children about what consequences you choose and discuss it with them together so they understand and know that you are doing this for their blessing and for their walk with God.

You can also do positive things and have competitions and prizes. I enjoyed doing this with our children. When the children are learning a new way to live, you could give a star for every time they obey and have appropriate prizes at the end of the week. You can also give stars for each time your child does their chores immediately--with a cheerful heart and without complaining. Once again they receive a prize at the end of the week. And you will have many more ideas I know.

May God give you great wisdom today as you seek to train the ears of your children so they will not only be "quick" to hear and obey you, but quick to hear and obey God.

Love from Nancy

All parents are ear trainers. Our parenting determines whether our children will have obedient ears—or, disobedient ears, lazy ears, dull ears, defiant ears, resistant ears, gullible ears, or even forgetful ears.

When you ask them to do something but they take no notice of you, you are training them to have defiant ears. When you ask them to do something and they delay doing it, they have dull ears. When you ask them to do something, but they don’t bother doing it until you have asked for the sixth time (and by now you are shouting), you are training them that they do not have to obey until the sixth time! That's producing lazy ears.

What kind of ears are you training your children to have? The ears we train them to have will be what they take into adult life. The ears we train them to have is how they will listen to God.

Love from Nancy

Hebrews 11 tells us about the great men of faith. I am always inspired by Hebrews 11:34 where it says that "out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in the fight." Even the great warriors of faith didn't start out strong. They began in weakness, but they became stronger with each battle they fought.

Do you sometimes feel weak as you face your battles in life? Don't give up. And don't  spurn the battles, for each battle is going to make you stronger as you learn to trust the Lord to fight for you.

J. B. Phillip's says, "From being weaklings they became strong men and mighty warriors."

The Amplified version says, "Out of frailty and weakness won strength and became stalwart, even mighty and resistless in battle, routing alien hosts."

Be encouraged. Your battles will make you stronger.

Love from Nancy

When in Belgium I talked with a Dutch lady about what they call Family Devotions in Dutch. She said that growing up in her home in The Netherlands they called it "FINISHING UP THE MEAL." I had never heard that expression before. However, as I thought about, it I realized that it was actually a very good name. We have not finished our meal if we only feed the body. We have to feed the inner man, too. If we leave the table before feeding the spirits of our children with God's living Word, we leave the table only half finished!

Do you finish up the meal at your table?

Love from Nancy

Isaiah 2:22 says, "Cease from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of?"

Isn't it strange how we as mere man seem to trust in man, the created, rather than in God, the Creator and Sovereign Lord of the universe. May God help us to be women who know how to trust God.

Love from Nancy

I am sure that everyone on the mailing list in USA should now have their magazines. If your magazine hasn't arrived yet, email me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with your mailing address.

I know you will love this new issue of Above Rubies. Many have written and said it the best they have ever read. It has so many powerful testimonies that you will want to share with others.

The marriage restoration testimony, BRING HIM HOME by Connie Hultquist is one of the most incredible testimonies I have ever read. Share it with those whose marriages are struggling.

There are two very powerful testimonies about abortion, that I pray will be used to stop many babies from being aborted. And I love the feature about Serving the Lord as a FAMILY, don't you? And of course every other story.

If you need extra magazines to share with friends and family and anyone you meet, don't hesitate to email me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with your mailing address and state how many you need.

And if you are new to Above Rubies and don't yet receive the Above Rubies Magazine, you can subscribe by going to this link: Above Rubies Magazine subscription. You will be mightily blessed and encouraged.

Love from Nancy

In all my life I never been so aware of the battle between the forces of darkness and light. It's hard to believe that even little babies are a target! Yes, sweet innocent beautiful babies, created in the image of God! It seems there are now more "Christians" that are AGAINST babies than FOR babies! How can this be? It is against all natural instinct!

I have just come back from three weeks speaking in Europe and UK and I faced this spirit head on, even inside the walls of the church! I only have to speak or write the words, "Children are a blessing" and there is immediate negative reaction! This reaction does not come from God, so where does it come from?

There are only two kingdoms in this world, the kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan. Satan's kingdom is a kingdom of deception for he is the father of lies (John 8:44). Satan's kingdom hates life. He comes to "steal, kill, and destroy" (John 10:10). But, God's kingdom is a kingdom of truth and life. God is the creator and lover of babies.

And now we face further distortion of God's creation and truth with the pushing for gay marriage. They even want to fool us with the words, "Marriage Equality"! May God save us. We cringe at the sins of Sodom of Gomorrah and now confront them head on in our western modern western society.

It is time to raise the banner of God's truth. It is time to speak out, for there may come a time when our mouths will be silenced. We dare not give in to deception, compromise, mediocrity, lukewarmness, and tolerance to sin. We must decide to which kingdom we belong--God's kingdom of truth and life, or the kingdom of darkness that hates life and seeks to eliminate it in whatever way possible.

"Who will rise up for me against the evildoers? or who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity?" (Psalm 94:16).

Love from Nancy

"Respect and honor your husband. Let him be the leader. Look at him and give him attention when he speaks to you. He will thrive when you respect him."

"The more children God gives to you, the more blessings come to your home. You are blessed, grandparents are blessed, the nation is blessed, future generations are blessed, and eternity is blessed."

"You are a nation builder. You build and strengthen the nation as you embrace motherhood. It is mothers who determine the destiny of the nation.

When mothers vacate the home and childbearing the nation weakens. When mothers come back to the home with a vision to raise godly children the nation strengthens again."

"Release your husband to fulfill his role. He is ultimately responsible to protect you and provide for you. God didn't create two Adams. He created an Adam and an Eve."

“Husbands are desperate for love and encouragement. Maybe your husband did not receive all the encouragement he needed as a child and his confidence tank is not yet filled up. You can fill up that lack in your husband."

Proverbs 12:25 TLB says, “A word of encouragement does wonders.”

"Look out! When you start encouraging your husband, wonders will happen!”