KNOWING AND UNDERSTANDING GOD (Jeremiah 9:23-24). We were created to fellowship with God. If we do not know Him we miss out on what we were born for. We are poor and foolish.

A HAPPY MARRIAGE (Proverbs 12:4). A couple can live in the richest home and have money to burn, but if they don’t live in harmony and happiness together, they are poor. I think that one of the greatest riches of this life is to enjoy the bliss of marriage which is God’s beautiful plan and intention for us on this earth.

CONTENTMENT (1Timothy 6:6). If you are content and happy with what you have, even if it is only a little, you are rich.

CHILDREN (Deuteronomy 7:13 and Psalm 127:3-5). Our children are truly our greatest riches in this life (and praise God, we can take them into eternity with us, too)! If a fire came through your home, what would you try to save? You'd forget about all your material possessions; you'd only want to save your children. And yet, isn't it amazing how many people would rather have fleeting possessions than children?

GOOD WORKS (2 Corinthians 6:10 and 1 Timothy 5:10; 6:18). When we self-serve and do everything for ourselves, we are very poor. When we forget about our own life and serve others, always thinking of how we can bless those around us, we live a rich life.

WISDOM (Proverbs 3:13-15 and 8:11). God says that wisdom is better than fine gold or precious rubies.

FAITH (James 2:5). Faith is so rich because it trusts God rather than what we can see. We don't hold back having children because of unbelief. We know that God is able to provide. We know we can trust Him in whatever situation we face. What richness! We may not have much materially, but we've all we need.

GOD'S WORD (Psalm 19:10 and Colossians 3:16). God's Word is more to be desired than fine gold! If God's word dwells in us RICHLY, our spirit will be strong and steadfast. If God's Word is shallow in our hearts, our spirit will starve and we will be weak and impotent to live this life.

PEACE which passes all understanding (Philippians 4:6). What riches to have peace even during the storm.

I love Paul's confession in 2 Corinthians 6:10: "As poor, YET MAKING MANY RICH; as having nothing, AND YET POSSESSING ALL THINGS." One translation says, "Penniless, we own the world!" What a great confession!

Enjoy your rich life today,

Nancy Campbell

Picture: Heather Bryant and her husband and wonderful family. What riches! Heather has organized the Above Rubies retreat in Washington state for many years now.

God is an affirming God. He is always encouraging us through His Word. Psalm 27:14 says: “Wait on the LORD: BE OF GOOD COURAGE, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.” Perhaps you feel weak and inadequate. Not only physically, but emotionally and spiritually? Look up to the Lord. Wait on Him. He will bring courage and strength to your heart. Not just courage, but GOOD COURAGE!

BE OF GOOD COMFORT

2 Corinthians 13:11 states: “BE OF GOOD COMFORT.”

And please read 2 Thessalonians 2:16, 17: “Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts, and establish you in every good word and work.”

Are you sorrowing or grieving? Have you lost a loved one? Have you suffered a miscarriage? Who can comfort the ache in your heart except God? He will comfort your sorrowing heart if you will let him.

You don’t have to stay in the doldrums today. God wants to cheer your heart.

Love from Nancy Campbell

1 Corinthians 6:19, 20 says: "What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and YE ARE NOT YOUR OWN. For ye are bought with a price: therefore, glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”

Do we really believe these words? I’m not sure. It seems that many women do not believe their bodies belong to God. They believe they own their own bodies and should do with them as they like. However, the Scripture tells us that God our Creator owns our bodies. He owns them by creation and by redemption. Revelation 4:11 says: “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.”

God created everything for His pleasure and glory, which includes our bodies. Therefore, this means every part of our body—our ears to be dedicated to hearing His voice, our mouth to proclaim His truths, our eyes to turn from evil and behold His face, our hands, and feet to reach out with love, nurture, and serving. And of course, our wombs, which God also created for His glory. How can we say, “Dear God, I yield my life totally to You and Your service? Except my womb. That’s mine and mine alone to determine how it is used.”

I think it is good to be reminded of what God says in His Word, don’t you? Take time to read the Scriptures. They are so much more powerful and important than anything I say. Let’s read:

Psalm 100:3: “Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.”

Psalm 119:73: “Thy hands have made me and fashioned me.”

Psalm 139:14: “I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.”

Isaiah 29:16: “Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter’s clay: for shall the work say of him that made it, He made me not? or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, He had no understanding?” Many translations say it clearer: “You turn things upside down.” In other words, you’ve got it all wrong.

Some other translations use the word “perverse” or “perversity.” The NET (New English Translation) says: “YOUR THINKING IS PERVERSE!” Should the potter be regarded as the clay? Should the thing made say about its maker, ‘He didn’t make me’? Or should the pottery say about the potter, ‘He doesn’t understand’?”

Two other very literal translations also use “perverse,” The Scriptures and the Young’s Literal Translation. I always like to check things out to see who is correct. Therefore, I went to the original Hebrew. The phrase in the King James Bible “surely your turning” is used only once in the Bible and the Hebrew word is “hophek,” meaning “perverse.” The exact word!

Some dictionary meanings of “perverse” are “contrary and willful, stubborn, obstinate, wayward, turned away from what is right and good.” It’s a strong word, isn’t it? We don’t want to be labeled with such a word, do we?

Isaiah 45;9: “Woe unto him that serveth with his Maker! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth; Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands? Woe unto him that saith unto his father, What begettest thou? Or to the woman, What hast thou brought forth?”

Isaiah 674:8: “O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.”

Romans 9:20: “O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?”

The Scripture need no more comment.

Have a wonderful day,

Nancy Campbell

Picture: milyshares.blogspot.com/2011/02/maternity-photos.html

“There is only one thing that breaks the continuity of that blessedness, and that is our own sin. We carry our own weather with us, whether we will or no, and we can bring winter into the middle of summer by flinging God away from us, and summer into the midst of winter by grappling Him to our hearts.

“There is only one thing that necessarily breaks our sense of His Presence, and that is that our hearts should turn away from His face. A man can work hard and yet feel that God is with him. A man can be weighed upon by many distresses and yet feel that God is with him and loves him; but a man cannot commit the least tiny sin and love it, and feel at the same time that God is with him.

“The heart is like a sensitive photographic plate, it registers the variations in the sunshine; and the one hindrance that makes it impossible for God’s light to fall upon my soul with the assurance of friendship and the sense of sweetness, is that I should be hugging some evil to my heart. It is not the dusty highway of life nor the dark vales of weeping and of the shadow of death through which we sometimes have to pass that make it impossible for this sunlight to pour down upon us, but it is our gathering round ourselves of the poisonous mists of sin through which that light cannot pierce.”

Your home is also God’s house if you have dedicated it to the Lord, which I am sure you have. Therefore, we should have the same zeal Jesus had to protect our homes and families. We are faithful watchwomen who drive evil out of our home. Even if we upset everyone! I’m sure we won’t be tipping over tables and throwing money everywhere, but we’ll be strong enough to take a stand against any evil that seeks to bring darkness into our homes. We’ll have a passion to keep our homes holy.

We’ll have the zeal of the Lord about making our home a House of Prayer! In fact, if our homes are not homes of prayer, can we call them God’s homes? We’ll plan our schedules around our daily prayer times with our family. We won’t just hope it fits in. We’ll make it happen!

We won’t be apathetic about building holy homes and homes of prayer. We’ll be zealous about it. We’ll be consumed with it.

Jesus Christ redeemed us to be “zealous of good works” (Titus 2:14). Building your home and family for God is a good work. Do it with zeal. Don’t do it half-heartedly, allowing other things to consume your mind and time. Embrace the great commission God has given to you and pour your heart into it.

May the blessings of God fall upon you, dear anointed, zealous, passionate mother,

~ Nancy Campbell

We see a warning to us in this Scripture. God has given to women a sphere where we have the privilege to rule and to reign. We admit that we love to rule over something, don’t we? Yes, it is inherent. I believe it comes from the very beginning where God told Adam and Eve to “be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth,” but also to “subdue and take dominion.”

We go to the New Testament 1 Timothy 5:14 and read that God’s plan for the younger women is to “marry, bear children, guide the house, give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully.” The words “guide the house” literally mean to manage (to rule and reign in the home). The Greek word is “oikodespoteo.”

Now that doesn’t mean we rule our husbands. It means that we have a sphere to manage and rule well. It is in this realm that we live in the glory God intends for us. We also must keep the right attitude and embrace the realm God has given to us. It is not significant. It is not subservient. It is a place of managership and productivity. It is our glory.

Satan comes to tempt us with the same attitude that resulted in his downfall. He makes us discontent. He wants us to grasp after other areas of rulership that God does not intend for us.

Let’s read some different translations to get more understanding.

GOODSPEED: “the angels who NEGLECTED THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES and ABANDONED THEIR HOMES.”
ESV: “the angels who did not stay within their OWN POSITION OF AUTHORITY, but left their proper dwelling.”
Berean: “the angels who did not STAY WITHIN THEIR OWN DOMAIN, but ABANDONED their proper dwelling.”
HCSB: “the angels who did not KEEP THEIR OWN POSITION but DESERTED their proper dwelling.”
KNOX: “The angels, too, who LEFT THE PLACE ASSIGNED TO THEM, instead of keeping their due order.”

Embrace your God-anointed sphere. It is your queendom.

Blessings to you today,

Nancy Campbell

Painting by Robert Coombs. Isn’t this the most beautiful painting?

This a description of the mind of Christ and we are exhorted to have the same mind. Do we have anything like this attitude? What a difference it would make in our marriages. What a different to the atmosphere of our homes. I often think that if we had no other Scripture, apart from this one, to show us how to live as married couples, it’s all we’d need.

On the other hand, we see the attitude of Satan is the opposite of Christ. Although Jesus was God, He did not grasp at holding on to His Godhead. Satan was not God. He was a created being, although one of the most beautiful creatures God created (Ezekiel 28:12-19). But rather than having a humble attitude, he was not satisfied or content with the glorious sphere God gave to him (Jude 1:6). Instead he rose up with pride and independence.

The Bible tells us in Isaiah 14:12-15: “For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Highest.” Do you notice his favorite words, “I will, I will, and I will” again and again”?

What is my attitude? What is yours? Do we have the attitude of Jesus which is submission, humility, and laying down our life? Or is it the attitude of Satan which is pride, independence, and demanding our own way? The attitude of Jesus is beautiful and brings harmony, peace, joy, and delight into our marriages and homes. Satan’s way may seem good in getting your own way, but it always ends in destruction.

I believe we must all encourage ourselves, including myself, to have the attitude of Jesus. Just remember that Satan is out do get you to go his way. He has been very successful. He managed to lure Eve to his way, even though she walked with God in the garden every day. He drew to himself one third of the angels of Heaven against God. Revelation 3:13 tells us that the whole world will follow him and few will be saved.

Don’t be one of the deceived. Go after the attitude of Jesus now.

Blessings from Nancy Campbell

When a mother leaves her home and the family members scatter each day, the home is fragmented. The home is meant to be the strength of the nation where the family learns together, works together, and grows stronger together.

If your home doesn’t have enough people, open your doors of hospitality and invite others in to fill your home and show them God’s love. God loves to say, “Come.” Do you?

Have a great day,

Nancy Campbell

Don't compromise with evil and the worldly spirit. Don’t let it hang around the door of your home! Kick it FAR AWAY.

Blessings to you today from Nancy Campbell

Wow, they all give the same message. I wonder why such strong words are used? I believe the reason is that the lifestyle God reveals in this passage is God’s purpose for us as wives and mothers. God created us for more than existence. He created us for purpose. To function according to how He created us. When we embrace childbearing, mothering, and homemaking along with faith, love, godliness, and self-control we bring glory to God. We can only glorify God when we function as He intended.

When we spurn the purpose for which God created us we bring dishonor to God and blaspheme His Word.

However, if you don’t like these words, you may prefer J. B, Phillips’ translation. He turns it around to a positive note and states that if we embrace this lifestyle it will be “a good advertisement for the Christian faith.”

Are we revealing the glory of God as we embrace who He created us to be? Are we being a good advertisement?

Love from Nancy Campbell

Illustrator: Chiaki Okada

1. HUSBAND LOVERS. Every couple is in love with one another on their wedding day. However, marriage is all about keeping on loving one another, even when we face all the habits, idiosyncrasies, and annoyances we didn’t know about them before. We don’t love because we feel like loving. We love because that’s what we’re meant to do. We love through the hard times. We love through the unlovely times. And amazingly, the more we love the more we fall in love. We are proactive about loving. We speak words of love. We write words of love. We show our love by our actions. We are purposeful in loving.

2. CHILDREN LOVERS. Somehow, it’s easy to love our children, isn’t it? Or most of the time! The Greek words for husband-loving and children-loving in this passage show the aspect of being friendly and affectionate. It’s love we express with our hands by touching and caressing. However, I think we need to realize that there’s something greater than loving our children. It’s loving motherhood. Every mother loves her children, but not all mothers love motherhood. When we finally embrace motherhood—accept it and love it, knowing that we are in the perfect will of God, even loving our children becomes greater.

3. HOME LOVERS. Too many mothers want to get away from the home. They would rather be in their careers, than at home. I’ve heard mothers say: “I can be a better mother if I have time away from my children.” That’s not “hands on” mothering. And that’s not being a home lover. God created the home for the woman and He wants us to be lovers of our homes. That’s not talking about our décor. It’s talking about making our home a place for the presence of God. A place where we love to be with our children and where we make it an exciting place for them. It’s where we manage and rule our home well with all efficiency and order. It’s hard to love living in a messy home. Therefore, we make it a place where we love to be.

Enjoy “the good life” today.

Love from Nancy Campbell
Artist: Stevie Lewis

This is how God describes you! And why are you so amazing? Not because of anything of yourself, but because you are God’s created handiwork.

All of God’s works are amazing. As I look out the window I see the green leaves appearing again on the trees and the dogwoods are blooming. It is beautiful. We look at the night sky and we are in awe. We behold the breathtaking mountains and we cannot help but praise God. Each animal, bird, or insect is an intricate and remarkable creation of God.

But the greatest glory of His creation is man. It is only man who God created in His image and likeness. We have been chosen to reveal the purposes of God and be His representatives. I think we need to be reminded of how God sees us, don’t you? On the sixth day of creation, after creating male and female, God beheld His creation and “behold, it was very good.” This word means “exceedingly good, very beautiful, excellent indeed.” The Amplified says “He approved it completely.”

This means the way God created our female bodies is perfect and for God’s intentional purpose. God did not create us only for existence, but for purpose. Therefore, our bodies should function according to God’s plan. He didn’t create a womb for the woman for her to stop the function of her womb. He didn’t give her breasts only for beauty, but to nourish life. And it is all glorious and wonderful.

However, Satan who hates God’s creation and who hates life seeks to distort God’s purpose for His creation. He has succeeded in deceiving women regarding their role and purpose in life. He has blinded them to the glory of who God created them to be.

Let’s remind ourselves again of the wonder of who we are as we read the descriptions of God’s works of creation in Psalm 111. The works of the Lord are . . .

GREAT (v.2).

HONORABLE (v. 3). The Hebrew is “howd” and means “beauty, excellency, glorious, majestic.”

GLORIOUS (v. 3). The Hebrew is “hadar” and means “magnificent, splendor, beauty, excellency, glory, honor, majesty, and dignity.” This is the same word that is used to describe women in Proverbs 31:25: “Strength and honor (hadar) are her clothing.” We are to be clothed with God’s anointing of glory and dignity.

WONDERFUL (v.4). The Hebrew word is “pala” and means “marvelous, miraculous, hard, extraordinary, astonishing, beyond the bounds of human powers or expectations.” It’s the same word that is used in Psalm 139:14: “I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully (palah) made: marvelous (pala) are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.” God’s amazing plan of the female body is extraordinary and miraculous. Why would we want to discount it?

POWERFUL (v. 6).

FAITHFUL AND JUST (v. 7) they are perfect and should never be changed. “The works of his hands are faithful and just; all his precepts are trustworthy; they are established forever and ever, to be performed with faithfulness and uprightness” (ESV).

Let’s live in the glory and purpose of who God created us to be.

Be blessed, Nancy Campbell

Where can you pour out your heart and soul?
Where can you explain what is taking its toll?
Where can you share your vision and goal?
At the table.

Where can you dialogue and sift through ideas?
Verbalize thoughts and yet still be at ease?
Discover new subjects to debate if you please?
At the table.

Where can your hearts be knitted as one?
Where can you yarn and old stories be spun?
And feel accepted so you don’t have to run?
At the table.

Where can your children learn to sit still?
Acquire eating habits that won’t make them ill?
Be taught good manners of which some have nil?
At the table.

Where to imbibe values and ethics for life?
Learn to eat correctly with fork and knife?
Observe how “to father” and be a good wife?
At the table.

Where can you reveal God’s ways to your kin?
Teach them His Word will keep them from sin?
And to follow God’s laws is the way to win?
At the table.

Where can you encourage your children each day?
And boost the confidence of these “jars of clay”?
Give counsel that will keep them from going astray?
At the table.

Where can you make your house feel a “home”?
With a lovely warm ambience and happy tone?
From where your children will not want to roam?
At the table.

Where can you show love to God’s special “flock”?
Feed those who come to your door and knock?
Even those who don’t know God can be their Rock?
At the table.

Where does God love His presence to fill?
Where does He want His blessings to spill?
Where does He want restless hearts to be still?
At the table.

Dear father and mother, look again at your table,
Family meals together will make your home stable!
Make it a priority--your God will enable!
Sit at your table!

~ Nancy Campbell
www.aboverubies.org