Thursday, October 29, 2009

Are you Dangerous?

I AM DANGEROUS!

Exodus 1:12, "But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were grieved because of the children of Israel."

The first chapter of Exodus tells us about the children of Israel living down in Egypt. Verse 7 says, "And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them." They were fulfilling the first commandment that God gave to man. Something powerful always happens when we obey God's commandments. They are not ordinary words to be discarded; they are life-giving decrees.

What happened in Egypt? The children of Israel became "more and mightier" than the Egyptians. (v. 9). They became a threat to them. And the Egyptians were grieved. The word grieved is the Hebrew word qutsand it means "disgusted, abhorred, horrified, afraid--actually vomiting is the primary understanding of the word."

This same Hebrew word is used in another passage where the children of Israel became a threat. In Numbers 22:3 it tells us, "Moab was sore afraid of the people, because they were many and Moab was distressed (quts) because of the children of Israel." Why was Moab so very afraid? Because the Israelites were multiplying! When a people multiply, they become scary. When they multiply, they take dominion.

Now here's the question. Are we, the people of God, a threat to the enemy in our nation today? Sadly, we have to answer no. For the last seven or eight decades, instead of multiplying, God's people have been diminishing. They have turned away from the infallible, immutable Word of God and followed their own desires. They have limited their number of children to the worldly 1.6 average. They have sacrificed bringing God's children into the world on the altar of careerism and modern culture-ism. And now the humanists and socialists are taking over.

There are thousands and millions of precious godly offspring who are not here! God has been deprived of His intentions. The world has been deprived of the godly offspring who fill the nation with His love, righteousness. truth, salvation, wisdom and justice. And of course, although many do not realize it, the parents themselves have been deprived.

But all is not lost. There are a growing number of families who are listening to the heartbeat of God. They are hearing His desire for family and for children. They are turning from their deceptions and opening their hearts to the children that He has destined for them to have, whether it is one or ten! As they obey God's first commandment something amazing is happening. The liberalists are starting to get scared! They are so horrified, they want to vomit!

Very recently a book was published by a radical feminist and published by Beacon Press, which promotes homosexuality and anti-Christian dogma. She wrote this book to expose Biblical patriarchy and fruitfulmotherhood. In this book she states that the parents who embrace children are "a movement we ignore at our peril." In a message to Barack Obama, she writes, "Fearless Leader--forget the fundamentalists in Iraq; these prolific Christians are the real bad guys!" In other words, fruitful mothers, embracing the children God wants them to have are dangerous! They are scaring the feminists!

The enemy, who hates life, who comes "to rob, kill and destroy" is scared of the godly seed! Mothers who are not deceived by the delusions of Satan, the robber of life, and who still believe in God's very first mandate to mankind are dangerous people! Isn't that exciting? You may think you are insignificant as you care for your children in your home each day, but mother, lift up your eyes! You are doing a powerful work. You are doing God's work. You are dangerous to the enemy. He is scared of you, because he is scared of the godly seed coming into this world who will hate evil and love righteousness, who will destroy the works of the devil and lift up the name of Jesus. And those who walk in deception and follow the devil's ways are scared of you too!

Don't you love being dangerous? Look out! Here we come--holding on to the Word of Life, walking in God's commandments, embracing the Godly seed and training them to be mighty warriors for God who will impact this world and fill it with His glory. Never forget--the more children a godly mother brings into this world...

The more scared the liberalists will become!

The more evil will be defeated in the land!

The more the kingdom of God will be advanced!

The more the gospel will be spread across the earth!

The more the image of God will be revealed in the earth!

The more the economy will boom in the land!

The more righteousness and morality will pervade the land!

The more righteous leaders will arise in the nation!

The more justice, honesty and truth will flood the land!

The more God will be glorified in the earth!

The more the nation will prosper and be blessed!

The more dangerous she will be!

And the more the statists will fear and tremble!
Keep being dangerous!



Love from NANCY CAMPBELL, ABOVE RUBIES



PRAYER:

"Oh God, please help me to see clearly. Help me to realize the power of motherhood and the power of every child you give me to fulfill your plans in this world. Save me from holding back children whom you have destined to accomplish your mighty works. Amen."

AFFIRMATION:

I am a dangerous woman!

Friday, September 25, 2009

Mother's Meditation

I remember my early days of motherhood , when everything was so new and scary at times... is the baby OK? why isn't she moving so much today? ,should I take her to the hospital? ,maybe she's not getting enough milk, is that a fever or is she just warm? ... I think I did that up to my second child and then I was more relaxed, too relaxed I'd say! My family members would change my babies diapers and the diaper would be soaked to the point of no return ,oops!; Don't get me wrong, I did care, but things that didn't require immediate, life and death attention, didn't ring a sense of urgency in me. There was always another emergency at hand like:"watch out for the baby putting a toy inside the VCR and half her arm too", or " I think there's a smell of smoke coming from the kitchen.... yep the kids toasting something that should not be toasted", or "did we get everybody out the mall?...oops we're missing one", or when my son broke his arm in a park and I was alone with three more children, no cell phone, no car and no way to get to the house. yikes!


Life for busy mommies is full of emergencies and mishaps, falls, boo-boos and all sorts of panicking moments... There are also times to comfort a crying child with an earache, pray for another with a high fever or just be there for another with a sad face or a heavy heart.

Whatever the need, mom will always be there to kiss the troubles away. I'm glad I get to be there when the bumps of life hit my little ones, I'm glad I get to be the one to kiss them and make them feel better and safe.

I thank God everyday for the blessing of being able to stay home and take in every moment I have with them. I know of many that for one reason or another don't have this opportunity and I feel for them and their children, at the same time I pray that I can truly take advantage of every chance I have to demonstrate the love of Christ to my children and that they could see Jesus in me... pass my imperfections .

Titus 2 tells the older women to teach the younger ones to "love their husbands and their children" I always wondered why a mother needed to be taught to love her children, "doesn't every woman have a natural love for them?" and lately I realized that there are times when my children are not so lovable or I'm not as loving. I need to die to my own self daily in order to love my children the way God wants me to love them, through training, discipline and encouragement.

If you, like me ,enjoy the privilege to be home with your children, be encouraged, strive to make every day count, teaching the Word to them when you get up and when you lay down, when you go by the road and in every moment of the day, walking with them in the realization that these times whatever long or short they may be, are precious moments to make eternal memories. We mothers are not perfect beings, but to our children we are the closest they have to taste and see the love of their heavenly Father.

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Not too busy to fall on my knees...


Yes, I've been busy... as I heard someone say B.U.S.Y stands for Being under Satan's yoke, school year is here and my mind is twirling with information from the curriculum plus the weight of the responsibilities attach to it, grading ,etc. At the end of the day I'm so exhausted that coming to The king's presence seems to be a weary task but I know that if I don't go to the source for strength , I will crumble . I bow the knee to The King of all the ages! My redeemer who lives forever. I need to praise His name!
Yes, lunch needs to be prepared, lessons should be planned,
boo- boos need to be kissed, diapers need to be changed, noses MUST be wiped... but above all staring at my Lord, seeking His face, Praising His name, Crying out for Help to make it through the day... This I LONG to do!!!

Saturday, July 25, 2009

To Leave and to Cleave..


I've been off commission from writing for about a week now and I have important reasons: We are in the process of bringing my mother to live with us all the way from Colombia, South America. This process has not been without obstacles, between documents that need to be resubmitted to Express mail that needs to be delivered the road has been anything but smooth. But we are convinced that it's God's time for this to happen and it will come to pass when He wants it.


In the meantime, the wait is long and full of impatience, I can't stop daydreaming of what is ahead. For eleven years now, I have lived away from my mother, raising my family, giving birth to my children all without her, I guess that when I pledged to leave and to cleave on my wedding day, God took me upon it and send me on this journey of life with my new family, stripping me off every possible hint of dependency.


You see, growing up I was the oldest of my siblings, I was the child that was always very attached to mom; I used to sleep in my mom's bed (when I could) all the way to high school, we would have this long conversations and laugh till we dropped, I use to comply with her wishes better than my sisters did and she was so loving to us I never imagine to live away from her ever in a hundred years. Then I met my husband who lived in the states, we married and moved here.


The first year was really hard for me, but I adapted, however the absence of mom was always a sad reminder of what was left behind. Not being able to share the happiest moments of my life with her was unbearable to me, many times I questioned the reasoning behind our separation and it wasn't until many years later that it came to me that God had a purpose for it all.

I needed to be on my own, I needed to experience life for myself and taste my own tears. Mom is a born servant, she would have taken over my duties in an instant, she would have probably helped me in every way she could and I would not have developed the tough skin of motherhood that I was able to acquire without her presence. I would have continued to be a child, I would not be the woman that I am today.
I believe though, that this is the time God has selected for us to be reunited, for her to enjoy her six grandchildren. As I anticipate her coming here, many memories come to my mind, how she as a single mom was an example of courage, hard work and service to others for my sisters and I. My favorite memory is the fact that my mother always believed in me, she encouraged me to reach the sky, I never heard a negative remark or criticism from her, she gave me wings to fly, she delighted in me and I knew it. I guess that's what good mothers do. I'll be pleased if I could be half the woman she is... a true warrior.


Thursday, July 9, 2009

Fear Not

This week's session in my bible study was very personal to me, it touched the core of my being because it unveiled my enemy number one. Fear can be one of the most paralyzing, clenching, gripping and suffocating emotions you can ever experience; fear, when given reign, dominates your way of living, the things you think , say and decide to do.

It will take you to places where you feel abandoned, suspended, immobilized like a cork in a whirlpool, with no where to go or hide. It will not let you enjoy today but loom over you to dread tomorrow. It will take over every area of your life like a virus, like a weed, growing without control, spreading its infectious branches and choking up every shred of hope.

Fear will be fed and fueled by doubt,hopelessness, unbelief and will birth a sense of despair where once lived safety and comfort. To walk in fear will impare your judgement of the future, reality and everything that is factual and true will blur to the point of becoming all you can see. Fear is also a magnet that attracts every negative emotion around you.

Fear is to some, enemy number one, it lurks in the darkness of our souls where no one can see, in the hidden parts where we don't allow anyone. To others, it becomes a faithful companion that puts a sour taste on everything that resembles joy and happiness. We all fall captive, we are all victims at some point or another, fear takes no prisoners. It makes you a coward. It renders you helpless and incapable to act in defense of yourself or those around you. It leads you to selfishness , seeking self preservation at all cost. It turns you into a person that you don't even recognize. We are so many times reminded not to fear in Scripture and yet so many times we are deaf to that voice and let the noise of our "what ifs " silence it. Worst case scenarios become the only scenario.
I want to live free of the impending fear of death, illness, loss of a loved one, tragedy, disappointment, betrayal... Imagine a life without fear! I think the most damaging effect of fear is that it leaves you dangling on the thread of uncertainty and doubt , saying that God in heaven is NOT sovereign and is NOT in control of your life.
In my journey to overcome fear , I don't consider I have arrived, but I'm on my way there , I'm not fear free at the moment , however, I'm seeing my enemy for what it is, I don't deny it anymore and I'm getting ready to face it, grabbing the courage that's being offered. I want to only fear the Lord and never be just afraid.
God is always there to save us when we fall prey to fear and give us the victory to live in freedom.
I want to encourage you to watch this video by Beth Moore on the Esther: "It's tough being a woman "Bible Study that my friend Jasmine is moderating on her blog. It opened my eyes and shed so much light on this subject. She explains it better than I could ever do.
"To look at the face of fear head on and not retreat requires courage, a courage that is not found in our own human strength but is offered" - Beth Moore
"Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name, you are mine..."
Isaiah 43 :1-3
"There is no fear in love. But perfect love cast out fear...The one who fears is not made perfect in love." 1 John 4:18

Monday, June 29, 2009

Created to be ... a handywoman?


Do you clench at the idea of power tools, nails ,screws and hard labor as being part of your lady duties?
Are you unacquainted with the tools in your garage? Do you think a stud finder is some lucky lady that has an eye for good looking guys? if your response is yes to all the above, we are in trouble my friend!
Growing up without a dad or brothers in the house, my sisters and I learned early in life that if you couldn't fix it nobody would. To make matters worse I didn't have the luxury of having "tools" per say,we were poor back in Colombia and couldn't afford even the basics of instruments: rocks or pieces of wood did the job for a hammer, anything with a point like knives served as screwdrivers both flat and Phillips.We never owned a power drill but yet in the middle of this cave-like environment I learned to take machines apart to see how they worked, I became a fan of owner's manuals( they are essential reading to me) and I got used to tackle jobs that normally girls wouldn't touch with a ten foot pole.
Personally I think guys like a woman who can fend for herself in some areas and is not afraid of getting dirty. As a matter of fact after I met my husband, he found me one day mixing concrete up on top of my roof in the process of installing a TV antenna. He jokes telling me that was one of the signs that I was THE ONE for him.


I'm all for feminine stuff, to be lady -like and know your way around the kitchen. Covering all the basics from cleaning to cooking, ironing to mending socks, knitting, scrapbooking, teaching, tending to children, I believe women are capable of amazing things! When it comes to home improvement though, I'm afraid many are in the dark.

After all why bother? I have my man to do that kind of job! But wait a minute: What if hubby is away at work and your house is flooding and you don't know where the main shut off valve is? or how about if there's a power outage and you don't know how to reset your utility box? or switch a power breaker back on? Will you spend the rest of the day without electricity until hubby comes home? How about those times when your honey -do list is soooo long ,your husband doesn't have time to hang that picture or repair that leaky faucet? Will you endure the wait?

I don't think a little knowledge of basic DIY would hurt any woman, if anything it would be of great benefit. I happen to have a husband that is very good at getting to my honey -do list very quickly, but there are times when he's at work and I get to do jobs I believe I can do on my own and this makes him very proud of me. I heard a very wise lady say: Don't complain to your husband about the leaky faucet, go ahead and fix it yourself! She goes a little further as to say that women need to know basic mechanics and how to change oil in a car and replace a tire. It's a matter of survival!

But how? you say. Well, when you go to the home improvement store grab a book of basic DIY. Ask questions, Watch a DIY show on TV, not just the ones about pretty designs but the one where they teach you how to replace a toilet ( my favorite shows are This Old house and Ask This old House). By the way, another way to learn is tackling a job with hubby, watch while he works or figure it out together and the best part: you save money doing it yourselves.

My husband and I have replaced a toilet, faucets, light fixtures, ceiling fans; installed a garage door opener and many more together, I read the manual and we brainstorm the plan together, he does most of the manual work but at the end we both have the satisfaction of a job well done.

I believe God has created us to be help meets for our husbands not just in the things that pertain to the "women's work" of the household but also to be partners in working along side of them to improve and beautify our homes. So , give it a try and get the power tools out! you are in for a treat!

Saturday, June 27, 2009

Love Letters from Abba Father...




You are my chosen one



My precious daughter,




Today I'll meet you, today I'll hear your voice. I almost can't bear the wait. How sweet is to embrace you, I long for the music of your voice, for the cool of the night when I come to talk to you; when your eyes light up at the sight of my presence. Nothing can spoil the moment, time is standing still , I run to our encounter...

My heart ached when I reached our meeting place and you were no longer there , you went away, your feet ran after men's approval and desire , you went through life thirsty and lonely , giving away pieces of your soul, wishing that someone would tell you how much they loved you and how beautiful you were to them, I'm the only one who can express genuine, unconditional love and care for you. I left a void inside of you that only I can fit into, I'm the only one who can satisfy you. I recognize your beauty because I created you and I look not to the outside but I look into your heart. How beautiful you are to me!

I clothed you with my love and my favor . I invited you to my table. Next to me is where you belong . I bask on your praise. Your worth is far above rubies.

As my daughter you have the key to my heart, I gave you thousands of clues in my Word on how to please me and countless rewards I have in store for you when you obey me.

I've given you my all, for you I left the heavens, for you I endured pain and shame, I hung unto that cross just to make you mine . Any day I would do it all over again. Give me your heart my precious one. I long to walk beside you , I already know everything about you but I want you to know me better. You are my chosen one, I chose you ...