Above Rubies Daily Encouragement Blogs

Have you noticed that before God gave His first commission to Adam and Eve "to be fruitful and multiply" that He first BLESSED them? The fruit of the womb is the blessing of God. Having children is all to do with God's blessing.  After the flood, God again BLESSED Noah and his sons and reminded them also "to be fruitful and multiply" (Genesis 1:28; 9:1-7). That's not all. There are over 25 more passages of Scripture that speak of God BLESSING a couple before giving them children.

We cannot conceive without the blessing of God. However, we know that Satan hates every purpose of God, and therefore deceives mankind to think that having children is a nuisance (or even a curse) rather than a blessing. He seems to be more intent in deceiving God's people to think like this than even the heathen. The reason is that he hates the godly seed and wants to eliminate them any way he can.

Do you agree with God? Of course you do. Therefore, embrace children as a blessing. This was the first blessing He gave to mankind and is still His greatest blessing to us today.

Love from Nancy

We hope that one day we may receive the reward of "Well done, thou good and faithful servant; thou has been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of the Lord" (Matthew 25:21).

Who gets the "Well done..." It is the good and faithful SERVANT! Oops! We don't always like being a servant, do we? The word really means to be a SLAVE. Ready, eager, and faithful to do whatever we have to do, no matter how insignificant or lowly.

I have to confess that I remember once getting tired of serving everyone and began to mumble, "I'm just a jolly slave around this place!" But, the Holy Spirit didn't like that attitude in me. I felt Him say to my heart, "But, didn't Jesus come to serve?" (Matthew 20:28). That put an end to that attitude!

As wives and mothers, we are in the perfect career for servanthood! Instead of groaning about all the mundane things you have to do each day, embrace them with joy. Be a faithful servant. A good servant. A joyful servant.

You are getting ready for the "Well done!" from the Lord Himself, King of kings and Lord of lords, and yet the greatest servant of all (Philippians 2:5-8).

Love from Nancy

The Number One priority of our lives should be to daily strengthen our marriage and family. Everything else is secondary. Everything else must surrender to the priority of our marriage, home, and family.

However, families are in such disarray today that we cannot hide our head in the sand and only think of ourselves. We must also think of hurting marriages and how we can help them. We are our brother's keeper. We can get so used to marriages breaking up that we think nothing of it. But, we cannot take it sitting down. Especially if it is someone close to us, we must do everything in our power to encourage them to stay together. We must speak up even if we are disliked for it. You are fighting, not only for their marriage, but for their precious children who will be affected forever, and for generations to come. Generations are at stake (Nehemiah 4:14)!

You can also strengthen families by sharing the Above Rubies magazine with friends. It is filled with testimonies to encourage marriages and families. You are on the Above Rubies Facebook, but perhaps you don't even receive the Above Rubies magazine! This is how Above Rubies began--a magazine to encourage and strengthen marriage, motherhood, and family life. I have been producing this magazine for over 35 years! And you don't have a copy yet? Help!

If you would like to receive this magazine, email me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with your name, email, and full mailing address and I'll be happy to send the magazine to you. For those who already receive the magazine, you are welcome to email for extra magazines to share with others.

Love from Nancy

The following link gives you some ideas for sharing Above Rubies: http://tinyurl.com/IdeasForSharingAR

Yesterday, we talked about how God is the restorer of broken lives. However, I think it would be even better if we could prevent so many brokenhearted and crushed lives. I believe the greatest way to do this is to strengthen our marriage, our family life, and to do everything we can to strengthen other marriages and families.

A child can be saved from much heartache and brokenness in later life when brought up in a family where the father and mother love one another, are committed to one another, and the families ties are strong.

Can I encourage you today to strengthen your marriage a little more today? It can never be too strong for the enemy is always lurking around to trip us up. Call your husband now to remind him that you love him. You don't feel very loving to him at the moment? Forget your feelings and do it by faith! And watch what will happen. Plan a delightful meal and have it ready for him as he walks in the door this evening. Write a love note to have waiting on his pillow as he goes to bed.

How many extra things are you doing outside the home this week? How many evenings are you going out? Why not cancel something and stay home with your husband and family instead? Think of a special thing you can do together as a family this evening. Turn off the TV and start reading a serial story together. Or, get each one to do a mime, read a poem, put on an act, or do something fun and you will be the audience.

Batten down the hatches! In other words, close your doors to the outside and shine the warmth of God's sunlight on the inside. Build up your family life rather than things outside your family.

Become a "repairer of the breach and the restorer of paths to dwell in" (Isaiah 58:12).

Love from Nancy

And yet God is waiting to heal. He is the healer of broken lives. When Jesus went into the synagogue at Nazareth, He picked up the Bible and read from Isaiah, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he that anointed me... to heal the brokenhearted" (Isaiah 61:1-3; Luke 4:16-19). This word," brokenhearted,"  really gets to the core. It means those who are completely crushed, those whose lives are shattered and broken to shivers.

Perhaps you are one is feeling utterly crushed. Your life is broken in little bits and you can't imagine how to get it back together again. Dear hurting one, God is waiting to heal and restore you. Lay your life before Him and let Him come in with His light, His love, His healing balm, and His restoring anointing. He will do it, little by little, if you let Him. Allow His living Word will heal you. Your circumstances may not change right away, but God will heal your soul.

You cannot cope unless your soul is whole. Let Him come in and flood your life. His love will enable you to forgive, to let go of hurt and bitterness, and to be healed and restored.

Love from Nancy

P.S. God's Word is a mighty healer. Here are a few Scriptures to take into your life. Read them and speak them out loud so they will go into your soul. The Holy Spirit will highlight the ones that are especially meant for you.

Genesis 28:15; Deuteronomy 31:6-8; Joshua 1:8-9; 21:45; 1 Kings 8:56; Job 1:20-22; 2:9-10; 13:15; Psalms 23; 27; 30:1-5; 31; 32; 37:3-9; 40:1-5; 69:14-18;  Proverbs 3:5-6, 11-12; Isaiah 26:3-4; 41:10, 14; 42:3; 43:1-2; 54:4-10; Jeremiah 17: 14; 30:17; 31:3, 20; Nahum 1:7.

Matthew 5:11-12; John 10:27-30;  14:15-18, 23, 26-27; 15:9-17; 16:33; Romans 8:18, 28-39; 1 Corinthians 15:53-58; 2 Corinthians 4:17-18; 12:9-10; Ephesians 3:16-21; Philippians 3:10-11; 4:6-7; 1 Thessalonians 5:18; 2 Timothy 2:12, 19; Hebrews 12:1-11; 13:5-6; James 1:2-4, 12; 5:10-11; 1 Peter 1:5-9; 2:19-25; 3:12-14; 4:12-19; 5:10; Revelation 7:17; 21:3-4.

In my last post, I talked about the importance of sitting down to eat. We noticed that even Jesus commanded the people to sit down before He fed them. Another thing Jesus was concerned about was not wasting food. After all the people were filled Jesus told his disciples to "Gather up the fragments that remain, that NOTHING BE LOST" John 6:12).

Most people live so affluently today that they don't seem to worry about wasting food. But, I have to confess that I hate to see wasted food. When we gather together for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Family Celebrations throughout the year, I usually give my little lecture to all the grandchildren before we begin the meal. "Now children, remember to only put on your plate what you can eat. You are welcome to come back for seconds, thirds, and even fourths if you are still hungry, but I don't want to see any food left on your plates! Look out if Nana sees any waste!" They are really learning and now, even with up to 50 of us at a gathering, I will hardly throw out any food.

We always encouraged this habit with our children when growing up. If they didn't eat what was on their plate, they kept it until the next meal. And yet, I see children today take whatever food they want from the table, and leave most of it! And they don't like this, and they don't like that--especially vegetables. Who is training them?

If Jesus didn't like waste, I don't think we should either.

Love from Nancy

I am a great believer in sitting down to eat! Is it my own idea? No, I get it from the Bible. In fact, I believe the Bible has the "last say" on anything we need to know.

On the whole, I don't believe we should stand up, or walk around while eating. We are not meant to do it "on the run." I believe that eating is far more than digesting food. It is a time to relax instead of work. It is communion and fellowship together. It is sitting around a table together.

When Jesus multiplied the food and fed the multitudes, He made sure things were done in an orderly manner. Matthew 14:19 says, "He COMMANDED the multitude to SIT DOWN on the grass..." In John's account it says that Jesus "distributed to the disciples and the disciples to those WHO WERE SITTING DOWN" (John 6:10-11). In Mark's Gospel he says that Jesus told them to "all sit down by groups" (Mark 6:39-42). I am sure this would have aided in the distribution of food, but also enabled them to fellowship together as they ate.

I don't believe that children should be allowed to eat whenever they like, or wherever they like in the home. I believe that we as mothers should order the home. We should make each meal time special where we all sit down together.

I love the picture God paints of a family that is blessed of the Lord, "Your wife will be like a fruitful grapevine, flourishing within your home. Your children will be like vigorous young live trees as they SIT AROUND YOUR TABLE" (Psalm 128:3 NLT).

Love from Nancy

Proverbs 19:22 says, "What is desirable in a man (or woman) is his kindness, and it is better to be a poor man than a liar."

God who is kind, looks for kindness in His people. In fact, everyone is looking for kindness. Our husband longs for kindness from us. Our children want us to be kind to them. A hurting world is looking for kindness.

This word "kindness" is actually one of the most powerful words in the Bible. It is "chesed" in the Hebrew and describes God's unchanging and relentless love to His people, even when they rebel against Him. It is that "love that will not let me go." It is loyalty, benevolence, and mercy, even to those who are unkind to us.

Proverbs 31:26 describes the virtuous woman, "In her tongue is the law of kindness." It's the word "chesed" again.

I am not into New Year's resolutions. They are so easy to break. But, I would love to have a goal of saying or doing something kind to someone every day. Wouldn't that make such a difference in our homes? Such a difference in society around us?

Our daughter, Mercy came home from the work the other day with a happy smile on her face. All because a customer took time to speak kind words to her. It made her day.

We can make someone's day every day. Will you be part of spreading God's kindness?

Remember, it starts in the home first!

Love from Nancy

Before the world began he was in God's mind,
A God who loves to create and is very kind,
He's the author of life and of destiny
And He already knows what He wants him to be.

What an amazing miracle--the birth of a child!
We stand in awe--and God has a smile!
He's created a life that's never lived before,
A life that is special, unique, with gift's galore.

He's a gift to his parents and a gift to the world
As we wait for his destiny to be unfurled.
He's a budding life that will come to full bloom,
And of course his parents are "over the moon."

But the greatest wonder of all that we see
Is to comprehend he was born for eternity!
He's not just a life, but an eternal soul,
Born to embrace a heavenly goal.

Oh the wonder, the privilege we have as a wife
To bring into this world an everlasting life!
Praise God for this privilege and praise
God for this babe Whom He has lovingly and intricately made.

Nancy Campbell

I was reading Titus 2:3-5 this morning where it gives specific instructions to wives and mothers. This seems a lot different to the lifestyle of many women in Christendom today. We obviously now have a new modern and humanistic version...

"The older women must teach the younger women to decide their own values, to demean their husbands and love their careers, to adapt to the ways of society around them, learn to juggle their careers with motherhood, be tolerant of others' lifestyles, and disregard submission to their husband. In this way they will effectively blaspheme the Word of God."

Don't you think it would be a good idea to frequently check what God's Word really has to say?

Love from Nancy

Don't you love to sit in a rocking chair and rock when you are nursing or holding your baby?

I think every mother and grandmother should have a rocking chair. Rocking is part of mothering, isn't it? Even if I'm not sitting in a rocking chair, I still automatically rock when holding a baby or little one. In fact, even when I'm standing I rock. And I even find myself rocking from side to side when I don't have a baby in my arms, it has become so part of me.

I found this little poem when I was a young mother and loved it...

A Swinging' Mom

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~!

Love from Nancy

In what is our trust? The arm of our flesh or the arm of God?

We so often resort to our own flesh, or our own arm, don't we?

In Job 40:9 God asks the question, "Hast thou an arm like God?" Why trust in our own flesh when God has promised to be our arm every morning (Isaiah 2:22)?

Isaiah 33:2 ESV says, "O Lord, be gracious to us, we wait for you. Be our ARM EVERY MORNING, our salvation in the time of trouble." God's arm speaks of His strength and might. How wonderful to wake up each morning and know that God is ready with His mighty right arm to watch over us and protect us.

With His mighty right arm He has promised to...

• Sustain me (Psalm 37:24; Isaiah 41:10)
• Strengthen me (Psalm 89:21)
• Lead me (Palm 139:10; Jeremiah 31:32)
• Hold me securely (Psalm 139:10)
• Hold my right hand (Isaiah 41: 13; 42:6)

What more do we want?

Love from Nancy

We wonder what awaits us in this New Year. I know there will be many joys, and yet many challenges--personally, nationally, and world-wide. How wonderful, that no matter what each one of face, we have a God in whom we can trust.

I was encouraged to read this morning in Jeremiah 31:11, "For the Lord has ransomed Jacob and redeemed him from the hand of him who was stronger than he." What a great promise for Israel who are surrounded by enemies from Tunisian to Turkey who would like to wipe them off the face of the map.

But, God is able to deliver them from all the enemies that are stronger than them.

We too, may face situations that are bigger and stronger than we are! Be encouraged. God is stronger than your enemies. He is bigger than your difficulties. You can trust Him.

Let's go into this New Year trusting in our faithful God, rather than in our own answers and resources.

Love from Nancy

Did you notice the quote I posted from Daren Jonescu in my Saturday post? I find it very challenging myself. I'll type it again in case you missed it...

"Why do parents willingly (or reluctantly, for that matter) send their own children--their own future--to socialist reeducation camps? "From my cold, dead hands," they proudly say of their guns. Are not their children worthy of at least so strong a grip?" ... "A soul is a terrible thing to waste. A hundred million souls--now we are talking about the difference between desolation and hope."

If they take our guns, we are slaves. But, do we realize that the progressive agenda is stealing the souls and minds of our children as we ignorantly send them into indoctrination schools each day?

What kind of a grip do you have upon your children? Or, are you yielding their minds to the enemy of their souls?

Love from Nancy

My last two or three posts may sound quite harsh, But, oh they come from a heart that cries for our nation, for the youth of our nation, and for the generations to come. I am not speaking personally. I am seeing beyond this to national consequences. If we want to turn the tide, we have to be prepared for courage and sacrifice.

Some dear mothers say they don't have a choice but to send their children into an ungodly system. But, currently, we do have a choice (we may not have this choice forever!). We have to look at it either of two ways. What is best for my lifestyle? Or, what can I do to help save my children and my nation? In other words, am I going to do what is easiest for me? Or, am I truly aware of the current status of our nation?

Do I realize that there will never come any change in this nation while we send our children to be educated in progressive socialism that rejects God, prayer, and the Bible. A change of government will not change this nation. A new president will not change this nation. Nothing can change until the education changes. The nation becomes how it is educated.

Every God-fearing parent has to face this fact. Do we have a nation of courageous God-fearing parents who are prepared to turn their lives around? For that's what it will take. Parents who are ready for sacrifice and courage. Parents who are ready to forgo their pursuits to save a nation. Parents who are ready to take their nose out the sand and find out what is really happening. Do we have what it takes?

We had pioneers who were prepared for this. We had brave men who fought for our freedoms. What are we prepared to do to keep our freedom?

Perhaps we should not even be where we are today? Why did not every God-fearing parent take their children out of school when prayer was taken out of schools? Did they not care?

Why didn't every Christian parent take their children out of public school when the Bible was taken out of schools? Did it not concern them?

But, now there is nothing left of God in our state education. Does that affect us at all? Or, will we have the courage to rise up and take action?

If every freedom-loving, God-loving, Bible loving, prayer-loving parent took their children out of state education to either homeschool, church school, or private school, the whole system would be turned upside down. That would be the greatest thing that could ever happen to turn this nation around. And perhaps the only thing. Can we do it?

Love from Nancy

We know Jesus' words by heart, "And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:32). But, it is not just truth that gives us freedom. It is KNOWING the truth. And this truth of freedom is divinely ingrained in us. Our souls cry for it. They burst open for it.

Because this inherent desire for freedom is God-given, it is another sinister ploy of the enemy to take it from us. Satan hates everything that comes from God. That's why we must guard it with all our hearts. God made each one of us sovereignly, uniquely, and individually. There has never been another person in the universe that is quite like you, and there will never ever be another to come! Each one of your children are also individually unique. God gives each one differing gifts in order to glorify Him. How amazing is our Creator.

And hence this desire for freedom, this desire to be who God created us to be. This is who we are by creation, and also, the privilege we have in this great nation of USA (unless we allow this freedom to be taken from us). We know the words of the Declaration of Independence, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

Therefore, as Daren Jonescu writes, "The United States became the first nation founded on the premise that men are by nature free, and therefore that the purpose of government is, and must be, only the protection of that natural freedom... The law of the land, unlike the laws of all other lands, is first and foremost a set of clear moral restrictions on government, in favor of individual citizens. The American, then, is the only citizen on the planet who is...functionally superior in political status to his 'government.'"

How long will this last? Especially as we continue to allow our children to be duped by undermining biblical and constitutional fallacies. Once again, we cite John Dewey, the father of public education. He did not believe in the natural rights of individual human nature. He believed that the community precedes the individual. The only freedom the leftists promote is the freedom to use ones gifts to promote the growth of their progressive society.

I end this post today with two more quotes from Daren ;Jonescu, "Why do parents willingly (or reluctantly, for that matter) send their own children--their own future--to socialist reeducation camps? "From my cold, dead hands," they proudly say of their guns. Are not their children worthy of at least so strong a grip?"

"A soul is a terrible thing to waste. A hundred million souls--now we are talking about the difference between desolation and hope."

If they take our guns, we are slaves. What if they steal the minds and souls of our children? How strong is your grip?

Love from Nancy

To check quotes from Daren Jonescu, go to www.americanthinker.com and check out the following:

The Case Against Public Education

Ending Progressive Public Education

On Restoring American Individualism

Yesterday I talked about the "slavery of assimilation." I see it again in the words I read this morning in Isaiah 30:1-3 and 31:1 of how Israel wanted to go to Egypt for advice rather than seeking the Lord. They put their strength and trust in the "shadow of Egypt" rather than the Lord God.

We are also doing this as a nation. The majority of this nation are putting their trust in ObamaCare for the care of their bodies. We are coming into the heartrending state of the Jews which Nehemiah wrote about. They had become servants in their own land! And he anguishly called out that those who ruled over them "HAVE DOMINION OVER OUR BODIES... at their pleasure, and we are in great distress." (Nehemiah 9:36-37).

But even more than our bodies, the state already has dominion over the majority of the minds of the nation. And we have willingly handed them over.

The state education and the media programs the minds of the majority of our nation today. I can understand an ungodly people handing over their children's minds and souls to an ungodly education, but I cannot understand, for the life of me, how God-fearing parents can willingly hand over their children to an ungodly system.

John Dewey (1859-1952) is known as the father of our education system. He rejected the concept of God, holding that man has no soul, and denied the existence of God's unchangeable truth. He co-authored the original Humanist Manifesto in 1933 and was a promoter of global government. Consequently we have a public education system today that no longer accepts anything to do with God.

Due to U.S. Supreme Court rulings, in 1962 students were forbidden to publicly pray in school. In 1963 students were forbidden to recite the Lord's Prayer or Bible passages as part of devotional exercises. In 1980 the Ten Commandments were prohibited from being posted on public school classroom walls. In 1985 the observance of "daily moments of silence" were banned from public schools in case students would pray to the true God. In 1992 they banned prayers led by members of the clergy at public school graduation ceremonies. And in 2000, student-led pre-kickoff prayers at high school football games were outlawed!

There must be no vestige of God, prayer, or the Bible! And yet, Christian parents daily send their children to be gradually duped and programmed by this new "progressive" education system.

We have put our trust in Egypt! And what will be the result? "Therefore shall the strength of Pharaoh be your shame, and the trust in the shadow of Egypt your confusion" (Isaiah 30:3).

Love from Nancy

I have been recently reading a book by George McDonald and I was taken by a line, "James was one of the many bound up in the SLAVERY OF REVERENCING THE JUDGMENTS OF SOCIETY." I thought of how we can all be hooked in so easily to this state. We so easily assimilate. Unless we are constantly in God's Word to keep in line with His plumbline for living, we instead slide into fitting in with society around us, which is not a godly society, but a humanistic society.

Let's rise up from the slavery of assimilating. Let's stand for what we believe, no matter what persecution. For if not, the consequences are the eventual annihilation of a godly nation.

Love from Nancy

Giving is an attribute of God. "For God so loved the world that HE GAVE..." When I think of God's giving to us, I feel so stingy and tightfisted. God gave His best. Jesus gave His all. Yes, He pours out upon us spiritual gifts, but more than that, He gives us tangible gifts every new day. He just loves to give. Any little desire to give that we have in us comes from God Himself.

Matthew 7: 11 says, "If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?" We love because He first loved us. We give because He first gives to us.

Therefore, in my humble opinion, the more we can give the better. The more we give, the more we are like God. I think we should encourage the spirit of giving, not discourage it.

As parents, we give every day to our children. We give our time. We give love, encouragement, care, food, and clothing. And of course we give our children a godly home in which to grow in the Lord and seek to pour into their lives His Word of truth. But, there is more than the day to day. God loves celebrations and I think celebrations are time to give EXTRA, just because we want to give. As one person stated, "We can give without loving, but we can't love without giving.

Some love to give gifts at birthdays, some at Hanukkah, and some at Christmas and other occasions, but whenever it is, let's give, and let's get into the spirit of giving. Let's give liberally.

The anticipation of giving gifts at celebrations is one of the greatest memories for children.
When our children were growing up, we gave them everything they needed to live and thrive throughout the year. But, when it came to Christmas we loved giving them gifts, and they loved earning; money to give to one another. Now, these gifts were not useless gifts. They were often things they actually needed, or special things they longed for and waited with anticipation all through the year to hope they just might get it at Christmas.

Isn't anticipation the most wonderful thing? There are so many children who have no idea of what it even means today. We are so affluent and children are used to getting something every time they go to the shops. As a child, I can remember the actual pain of anticipation as I waited for a gift at Christmas!

I have never believed in telling our children a lie and so they always knew that Santa Claus was not the spirit of Christmas and he was never included in our celebrations. But, when they were little (as well as the gifts they opened on Christmas morning) we used to put a pillow case of little things at the end of their bed on Christmas night. They knew that these gifts came from us. We would often pop in a few packets of raisins and even an orange, along with some little toys. Later, when asked, "What did you get for Christmas?" they would answer "A packet of raisins!" They remembered that more than some special gift they received! It's not the price of the gift but the joy of receiving a gift.

And did I say "an orange"? Yes, back when I was a child it was an amazing treat to receive an orange at Christmas! Things have certainly changed!~

Now, here I am talking about giving liberally, and yet I am not able to give a lot this year. And yet what I am giving is so exciting. I have been wrapping presents just before I came to type this post. Annie Johnson Flint writes, "For out of His infinite riches in Jesus,He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again!" Sometimes I dream of having riches to be able to REALLY GIVE what I want to give. But, to give what we can is still exciting.

I love these words...
Love ever gives, forgives, outlives,
And while it lives, it gives!
For this is love's prerogative,
to give, and give, AND GIVE!

Love from Nancy

Back to our original question, should we give gifts to each other at Christmas or not? Every family has their own convictions, and I know there are many who refrain from doing this, and I respect their opinions. We are all led differently. However, I personally do not believe there is anything wrong in giving gifts. I think God delights in the spirit of giving. I think He loves watching families give gifts to one another. The spirit of giving comes from God.

I think it is sad to take away the excitement, enthusiasm, and anticipation of children giving to their parents and their siblings. Children love to give more than receive and why should we take this God-given instinct away from them?

When our children were growing, we didn't give them money to buy gifts. They had to earn every penny so that it was truly a sacrificial gift from themselves We didn't pay our children for basic household tasks during the year, but at Christmas time we paid them for extra tasks that were not usually on the weekly schedule. It was exciting to get my windows cleaned and other forgotten tasks accomplished. The children earned their money and I ended up with a spring-cleaned home! (My, I could do with them all back at home!). I notice Serene is doing the same thing this week with her children.

The excitement is in the air again this Christmas. Arden sold an old car that was lying around and spent it all on his family. In fact, that wasn't enough. He and some of the cousins found some old heavy machinary for scrap metal lying around the land (how they ever lifted it onto the trailer we can't imagine). They cajoled Granddad to take them off to sell it. It's great to see them earning money any way they can--all for the joy of giving to others. They don't keep one last cent to themselves.

Love from Nancy