Above Rubies Daily Encouragement Blogs

"For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth" (Psalm 139:13-15).

There are so many hurting people, not only poor people who are struggling, but those who are affluent, and yet their lives are broken and crushed. Their marriages are tearing apart. And again, some of these are in the church, and sometimes even in leadership.

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 scroll 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 and Luke 4:16-19). The word “brokenhearted” is talking about those whose lives are shattered and broken to shivers.

You may be 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 to 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. He only is the “restorer of your soul.”

Blessings to you from Nancy

God says to us in Jeremiah 15:20: "I am with you to save you and deliver you, declares the Lord."

Why is God with us? To deliver us--to deliver us from evil, from temptation, and whenever we cry out to Him. Thank Him that He is with you today. Thank Him that He is your Deliverer.

Love, Nancy

This morning at our Family Devotions we sang the hymn, "A Mighty Fortress is Our God" written by Martin Luther. It was so great to be reminded of the powerful words in this hymn. Check out all the words in your hymn book or on the Internet, but here's the third verse:

And though this world, with devils filled,
Should threaten to undo us,
We will not fear, for God hath willed
His truth to triumph through us:
The Prince of Darkness grim,
We tremble not for him;
His rage we can endure,
For lo, his doom is sure,
One little word shall fell him.

1 John 5:19 ESV reminds us that "The whole world lies in the power of the evil one." We cannot relax in the sun on our raft while the current takes us down stream. We are in a fight against evil. We fight every inch of the way. We fight against the enemy who seeks to come into the very sanctuary of our home! Oh the audacity! We mothers have to be fighters.

But we are not fighting in our own strength. We don't have fleshly weapons but powerful spiritual weapons (2 Corinthians 10:4-5). We have the Word of God. We have the powerful name of Jesus and His precious blood.

Praise God, one little word, the name of Jesus, shall fell him! Triumph in the name of Jesus today.

Blessings from Nancy Campbell

Did you smile at your husband this morning? Are you smiling at your children today?

It's difficult to accomplish anything very powerful when you are apathetic about it, isn't it? Many things can only be accomplished by the "zeal of the Lord." Isaiah 9:7 tells us that "Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end." How is this going to be accomplished? The rest of the Scripture says, "The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this." It is the passion and zeal of God that will perform this wonderful promise.

When Jesus beheld what was happening in the temple which was called "The House of Prayer" he didn't stand by indifferently. He rose up in righteous indignation and drove the sheep, oxen, and money changers from the temple, kicking over all their tables. When the disciples saw it they remembered the Scripture, "The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up" (John 2:17 and Psalm 69:9).

I believe we also need the zeal of the Lord as we tackle the greatest career in the nation, that of mothering and training the next generation who will detriment the course of the nation. WE CAN'T DO IT HAPHAZARDLY. WE CAN'T DO IT APATHETICALLY. WE CAN'T DO IT HALF-HEARTEDLY. WE CAN'T DO IT PART TIME!

We must rise up in the zeal of the Lord, knowing the power and destiny of our calling and the urgency of this hour. Titus 2:14 exhorts us to be "zealous of good works" and the greatest work you are doing is raising your family. Do it with zeal.

Blessings from Nancy Campbell

"It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes" (Psalm 118:0-10).

Why do we put our trust in mere man when we can trust God?

I read this morning in Ecclesiastes 3:13 "That everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil--this is God's gift to man." I know you've got lots of work to do today. I have to.

Maybe you have a big pile of laundry that must get done. Instead of sighing about it, take pleasure in it! Sing while you organize it. Gather some of the children and teach them how you do it.

You've got to clean a certain room. Enjoy doing it. Praise the Lord for the joy of accomplishing another task. This is the joy of work. God gives work to us as a gift. When we work hard physically, we enjoy a good night's rest. As we work, we get creative ideas on how to do things better or create something new altogether. New inventions and creations always come out of work. We revel in the joy of completing a task.

Your mothering is your greatest work. What a blessed work. It is a good work. It is the work the Lord has given you. Rejoice and take pleasure in it today.

Love from Nancy Campbell

No, I'm not talking about Ebenezer Scrooge! I'm talking about a monument stone that the prophet Samuel erected after God gave Israel victory over the Philistines. He called it "Ebenezer, saying, "Hitherto hath the Lord helped us" (1 Samuel 7:12).

What a wonderful affirmation. It's a phrase we need to remember, too. Often we face a new challenge or difficulty and wonder how we'll get through. But, then we remember, God has got me through before and He will do it again! Praise His holy name. As we acknowledge the goodness and faithfulness of the Lord, we are encouraged to  know that God will be with us in new trials and tribulations.

Don't forget your Ebenezers. Raise them up like the old hymn writer, Robert Robinson when he wrote, "Here I raise my Ebenezer." You can raise your Ebenezer by raising your hands and thanking God for His goodness and faithfulness. You can raise up something tangible to remind you, such as your Bible (filled with God's promises to you), a picture that reminds you of God's intervention, or some commemoration you have kept.

God has not failed you in the past and He will never fail you in the future. As Joshua proclaimed, "Ye know in all your hearts and in all your souls, that not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spake concerning you; all are come to pass unto you, and not one thing hath failed thereof" (Joshua 23:14).

Raise your Ebenezer!

Blessings from Nancy Campbell

What a beautiful thing to be a "blessing soul." Proverbs 11:25 says, "The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself." The margin in my Bible says the "liberal soul" is a "soul of blessing." Don't you love that?. It's talking about someone who can't stop blessing people. It's talking about a GENEROUS blesser. And it comes from out of their soul, not only their mouth.

And of course, they are revealing what God is like. He is a Blesser. The first thing God did when He created the man and woman was to BLESS them.

How do we pour out blessing to our husband, children, and those around us?

Bless them with smiles--not just when we feel like it, but smiling to bless them.
Bless them with kind and encouraging words.
Bless them with a listening ear.
Bless them by serving them.
Bless them by doing surprises for them.
Bless them with love and hugs.
Bless them with positivity which uplifts them. A downcast sour face is a wet blanket in the home.

May God help us to be generous blessing souls.

Blessings from Nancy Campbell

Genesis 49:25 talks about the "blessings of the breasts, and of the womb." Blessings? Yes, God says they are His blessings to us as women. But they are ultimately His blessings to the whole world for without them mankind would come to a screeching halt!

One of the meanings of womb is "a place where something originates and develops." The womb is the commencement of life, the beginning and continuing of generations, the origin of dynasties to come, and also the filling of eternity. Every precious life that is conceived in the womb is an eternal soul who will live forever. The power of the womb is eternal.

Woman is a compound of two words, womb and man. Every woman is a "womb man." Her womb differentiates her from man. Why, then do many women deny their womb? Close off their womb? Makes sure it cannot function? It is the deception of Satan who hates life.

But, not only is the womb a nesting place of life, it is also the source of our emotions and our compassion. It is amazing that the word womb in the Bible is interchangeable between the physical womb of a woman and God's compassion, tender love, and mercy. When we embrace our womb, we not only have the privilege of embracing children, but we have the honor of revealing God's compassion and love to the world.

Embrace the blessing of your womb. It is very much who you are as a woman. Ask your husband to pray God's protection over your womb.

Blessings from Nancy Campbell

Some time ago I asked if readers would like to share different words they use for a baby growing in the "womb" or meanings of the word "womb." Here are the ones that were sent to me:

“chalice”
“home of compassion” (The Arabic, Turkish, and Hebrew word for “womb” is the same word as mercy or compassion)
“knitting place”
"house of gold"
“garden of life”
“a safe little bubble”
“spaceship”
“heart of life”
"safe haven of love"
“house of life”
“nesting place”
“palace of a child” (This is the Chinese meaning of womb)
“baby’s sanctuary”
“the secret place” (This is what God calls the womb in Psalm 139:15)
“cradle of the unborn”
“God’s creative workshop”
“baby’s first home”
“God’s place to bless”
"hidden glory"
"birthplace of destiny"
"miracle haven"
"home of shelter"
"home of protection"
"sacred place"

“created trinity” Missy explains, We know the “Divine Trinity” as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The “created trinity” represents “created” meaning life is created by our Father in Heaven; and “trinity” meaning it takes a [father] and [mother] to help make [baby].

“mother’s room” Naomi shares, When my son was little, he misunderstood Psalm 139:13 NIV, “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb” and thought it was “Mother’s Room.”

“greenhouse”

“my holy place” Tausha (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) writes about her “holy place.”

“I am a mother of six precious arrows in our quiver and I always felt when I had my sonograms that I was looking into one of the most holy places. Just to get a glimpse of what the Creator of the world was creating inside of me always put me in total adoration.

"Every time I would go into have my ultrasounds, I would have to catch my breath at the beauty of my baby, and the rapidly changing development. It always put me in awe. I felt it was like, there was a secret window into to God's holiest of places... my womb where God was creating my baby.

"I believe motherhood and pregnancy is a total GIFT for women. We are so blessed to have our own half dozen and are leaving it up to God on how many arrows he will add to our quiver. I have a dear friend who has nine arrows in her quiver and has total baby fever! They are trying to conceive their 10th!”

“a swimming pool” A mother shares that her little three-year-old thinks his new baby is in a swimming pool!

Marla says, “My daughter would say, "Mama's got a nest in her tummy with an eggie in it and when it hatches, we get a baby!" (Wish it were that simple and easy!)”

“prayer shawl” Nicole Yingling says, “I don't call my womb this, but I do a teaching on the womb as the first tallit, or prayer shawl. If you fold a tallit in half, with the tzit-tzit or tassels hanging down it creates a basic diagram of the womb. The blue stripes around the bottom remind us of the muscles around the cervix which open and close the womb and the tzit-tzit are like the four round ligaments which attach to the sacrum and pelvis to keep the uterus in place. Is it just a coincidence that Abba wants to meet with us under our prayer shawls? Or did He meet with us for ten months in our mother's tallit and being under the cloth tallit takes us back to our secret place with Him?”

Which name do you love?

Compiled by Nancy Campbell

P.S. If you have any other names that you use or have heard of, please email them to me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

I know you don't always have time to read all the threads on a post. However, I loved the responses from some of our lovely ladies to this post and want to repost some of them for your blessing.

Wendy Young reminds us of Psalm 39:1 NET, "I will watch what I say and make sure I do not sin with my tongue. I WILL PUT A MUZZLE OVER MY MOUTH." That's what we have to do many times, isn't it? MUZZLE OUR MOUTH! Wendy also reminds us of James 3:2 where it tell us that when we are able to BRIDLE OUR TONGUE, we are able to bridle the whole body and have come to maturity. Controlling our tongues is such a mature thing to do.

Shannon Gunther reminds us that we all have "Two ears and one mouth." Thanks, Shannon. I like that reminder. James 1:19 says, "Let every man be swift to hear, SLOW TO SPEAK."

Kendra Cardwell shared that she had one of her children "copy Ephesians 4:29 10x's yesterday for not using nice words to their sibling." Good idea.

Anna jean McDaniel reminds us of the saying, "Dear Lord, keep your arm around my shoulder and your hand over my mouth!" I love this. Pray it today.

Cynthia Hollis shares, "It's not only what we say but how we say it. Certain things need to be said, but they need to be said in a way that does not degrade or intentionally shame the person we are speaking to. We should shift our words (responses) through God's Word before speaking."

Yes, it is true, that there are times when we have to speak correction and guidance. We can't avoid these times because of wanting to be nice. We have to be faithful to the training of our children, but God can enable us to do it in grace and love.

Cassy Brackett comments, "This seems nice, but hard to even respond with something nice if hubby isn't when in front of the children." Dear ladies, this is the very time we put this principle into practice. It's easy to be nice when people are nice to us. It's easy to be loving to your husband when he is nice to you. But, the crunch comes when he is being nasty.

This is where we MUZZLE OUR MOUTH. This is when we SHUT OUR MOUTH and don't say anything if we can't say anything nice back. And the greatest testimony to your children is to say something nice back to your husband and give him a hug, even in the midst of his ugliness. What a wonderful way to demonstrate the love of God to your children. God's ways are always opposite to how we feel in the flesh. We can either give into the flesh and mouth off, or yield to the power of the Holy Spirit who lives within us and respond with love and blessing--or say nothing at all if you can't yet say nice things.

Be blessed.

Love from Nancy Campbell

I have always been convicted by Proverbs 10:19: "In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise." How true it is that the more we open our mouth, the more we are prone to say the wrong thing. It pays to watch our words.

After all these years I am still trying to get into the habit of shutting my mouth. This is my plan: if I can't reply with something kind or positive, I shut my mouth and don't say anything at all.

Can you join with me in this habit of shutting your mouth? On the other hand, don't be silent all day. Open your mouth to say kind, positive, loving, and building up words to your husband and children.

The New Living Translation of this Scripture says, "Too much talk leads to sin. Be sensible and keep your mouth shut."

Blessings from Nancy Campbell

Are you weary? Overburdened? Feel you can't cope? Jesus invites you to come to Him. He promises to give you rest. It's a refreshing rest. The word "rest" Jesus uses is translated "refresh" in other passages.

But Jesus doesn't give you rest by taking away your burdens and all the work you have to do. Instead He asks you to take on another yoke. Really? Yes, but this time it is His yoke. He yokes Himself to you and amazingly takes most of the burden upon Himself. I read about an old farmer using oxen to plough his fields. However, this pair of oxen were most unusual--one was big and one small. How could they possibly function when the yoke was so uneven? It was all to do with how the traces were hooked to the yoke in order for the large bullock to pull the weight for the little bullock who was being trained. In fact, the little one hardly pulled any weight at all as the big bullock took the strain.

This is what happens when we take Jesus' yoke. We still have to face our challenges and difficulties but He takes the burden. He refreshes us even in the midst of all our overwhelmingness. He knows you can't pull the weight yourself. When two oxen are yoked together, they can do what is impossible for one ox to do.

Of course, you'll have to give up your pride and self-sufficiency. When you take Jesus' yoke, you are yoked to One who is "gentle and humble in heart." You won't fit too well if you are proud and stubborn and pull off in your own direction.

And when you take His yoke, He will teach you at the same time. He will show you how to do it His way, rather than your way. He not only invites you to come, but to come and LEARN. He will change you to be more and more like Him as you submit to Him. He will lead you into a deeper rest, a rest in the very depths of your soul.

Dear mother, you don't have to stay in your stressed state. Jesus waits for you to COME. His yoke is easy and His burden is light. "And his commandments are not burdensome" (1 John 5:3).

Blessings to you today from Nancy Campbell

Recently I read this quote from St. Francis de Sales, "Every Christian needs a half an hour of prayer each day, except when he is busy, then he needs an hour." Immediately I was convicted and wrote beside it, "This is for me." My life is exceedingly busy each day (as I am sure yours is, too). It's easy to crowd out prayer when there is so much to do in our day and our list is so long. But what's the use of all our activities unless they are bathed in prayer? They are like hay and stubble which will be burned up (1 Corinthians 3:12-15).

It's the same with reading the Bible. The more activities we pack into our lives the less time we have to read God's Word. However, the busier we are, the more we need the sustenance of His Word, don't we? We'll soon get off the beaten track if we don't have daily doses to keep us in the right direction.

It affects our family life, too. When the schedule is full and everyone is going their various ways, it's easy for the family to become fragmented. Once again, the busier the family, the more need to prioritize gathering together as a family. Nothing is more important as gathering around the family meal table each day to connect, fellowship, pray, and worship together. Other things may seem necessary, but they are often detours from the enemy to keep us from God's best.

Blessings from Nancy Campbell

A hospitable home is like God's home. A welcome home. A "let him take the water of life freely" home (Revelation 22:17). A "come to the waters" home (Isaiah 55:1).

          God is an hospitable God and He wants His heavenly home filled. He sent His only beloved Son to die and shed His blood in order to "bring many sons to glory"

(Hebrew 2:10). Because He dwells in us, He wants to reveal His hospitality through us.

          Some people think that hospitality is for certain people who have that particular "ministry." No, hospitality is the lifestyle of the kingdom of God. It is a biblical doctrine that starts in Genesis and weaves through the pages of the Bible to Revelation. And mothers, hospitality is an extension of your mothering and homemaking ministry (1 Timothy 5:10).

          Your home is your greatest place to serve God. As you open your home to the ones God lays upon your heart, you will never have another boring moment, Your home is the greatest place for people to feel the presence of God. It is the perfect place for lonely and broken-hearted people to experience God's love. It is where you encourage the saints in God and keep each other from going astray. And it is where you can serve God will you continue ministering to your family at the same time.

          As Peter exhorts us how to live as we get closer to the coming of the Lord, he says, "The end of all things is at hand . . . Be hospitable to one another without grumbling" (1 Peter 4:7-10).

          If God lives in your home, it will be an hospitable home.

Blessings from Nancy Campbell

It's time to cook supper. "Not again," you sigh. "Why can't I have a break from cooking night after night?" Can I remind you that preparing a meal for your family is not insignificant. It's not a waste of time. It is very much part of your mothering anointing. We see a beautiful description of a godly woman in 1 Timothy 5:10 NASB. The description of her "good works" are, "If she has brought up children, if she has shown hospitality to strangers, if she was washed the satins' feet, if she has assisted those in distress, and if she has devoted herself to every good work."

          The word "brought up" is teknotropheo and means “to cherish, nourish, and give food to children.” This is all about food! This means spending a lot of time in the kitchen! It's all part of the plan. And the bigger they get, the more they want to eat.

            Don't do it with resignation, but with revelation. You have the privilege of feeding your children nourishing food. You are gathering them together around your table again. You are preparing the way to also feed them food that will nourish their soul and spirit. You are teaching them about life and passing on values to the next generation.

            There is too much fast-food eating in our nation already! If you don't lovingly cook meals at home and pass on this tradition, what will the next generation do?

            Make every meal a "love affair."

Blessings from Nancy Campbell  

Why are we so scared to trust God? Why are we so scared to trust Him with our lives when He is the God of the universe? Why do we think we can make better decisions than God when He is Omniscient (all-wise and all-knowing)? I'm not condemning you; I am guilty, too.

I wonder why many couples think that God could not provide for another baby in their family? Is it because we trust in our selves rather than our Omnipotent (all-powerful) God?

How many times have we prayed these lines in the Lord's Prayer? "Give us this day our daily bread" (Matthew 6:11). Do you notice that Jesus didn't teach us to pray, "Give us this day our monthly bread," or even our "weekly bread"? God wants us to learn to trust Him for today, knowing that He will be faithful again tomorrow.

God only sent enough manna for one day to the Israelites in the wilderness. If they couldn't trust God would provide for the next day and gathered extra just in case, it "bred worms, and stank" (Exodus 16:20)! That's what God thinks about our lack of trust in Him.

Let's pray with the hymnwriter, "Oh for grace to trust Him more."

Blessings from Nancy Campbell

Do you remember when the disciples asked Jesus who would be the greatest in the kingdom of Heaven? Jesus responded by bringing a little child into their midst and said to them, "Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me" (Matthew 18:1-6). Read also Mark 9:36-37 and Luke 9:48.

These words from the mouth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ tell us that our attitude toward receiving children reveals our attitude to Jesus. We are to receive them in His name. Therefore, shouldn't we receive each new baby as though we were receiving Jesus Himself?

It seems strange, doesn't it, that many couples want to receive Jesus and yet don't want to receive a baby from Him. We are not meant to receive children with the attitude, "Well, I guess we'll survive somehow if God gives us another baby."

The Greek word for "receive" is dechomai and actually means, "to accept a gift deliberately and readily, to welcome, to embrace, make one's own, not to reject." This word is used 55 times in the New Testament. One of the occasions is about receiving Christ into the heavens after He left this earth (Acts 3:21). With what joy and fanfare He must have been welcomed back into His heavenly home. This is the same way God wants us to receive children in His name.

Blessings to you today from Nancy Campbell