Above Rubies News & Info Blogs

I woke up this morning to a really messy kitchen, and as I washed up the dishes, I actually felt really pleased instead of annoyed. We have a large family with many different schedules, so our kitchen is in constant motion. That means it gets messy outside of regular meal times. Some people start their day at 4am, 5:30am, 6am or later. Some finish work at 10 pm, or end class at 7pm and still need dinner. The important thing about this is that the whole family still lives here, sharing the same house, and sharing some meals together. The day will come soon enough when our family will change, as our adult children marry and move into homes of their own. I will enjoy this precious season of still being together with thankfulness. I will deal with the mess that all the different schedules bring with gladness. Each season passes so quickly, I want to enjoy them all without grumbling. Enjoy the season your family is in too, as just like spring or summer, it will pass before you know it! Love Michelle

M- many
O – opportunities
T -to
H -help
E -excel
R -responsibly

and

M -magnificent
O – occupation
T -that
H -holds
E -eternal
R-responsibility

What a privilege to be a mother! There is no greater career, no greater role, no greater calling, and no greater use of a woman’s time and energy. To be a mother is to be most blessed! Praise the Lord for all mothers (birth, adoptive, foster, “second”, mentoring) and the supreme gift that motherhood is. Love Michelle

How are you holding up today? Think of Col 1:11 which says, “Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, to all patience and long-suffering with joyfulness”. Imagine, long suffering with joyfulness! We are so prone to grumble in our suffering, just as the Israelites did. They were eye-witnesses to so many miracles in the desert, and yet they often grumbled and complained anyway. Likewise, we grumble and complain when we face hardship or discomfort. Yet, we are strengthened by His unfailing power to bear life’s hurdles full of JOY. Let us walk in that truth today, confessing it, believing it, and bearing all things joyfully through His available and glorious power. Everything and everyone will be so much better for it. Love Michelle

Do you hear plenty of complaining? As I did my chores this morning, I thought about how much complaining I hear in any given day. It seems that a disproportionately large portion of just basic daily communication is in the form of complaint. I thought how nice it would be if we all prayed as much as we complained! Is that not a most beautiful solution? If, every time we heard or spoke a complaint, we immediately prayed, we would solve two problems at once. And who doesn’t want to be an efficient multi-tasker? We would turn the complaints around, virtually stopping them in their tracks, and we would all be praying more, which is even better! It is the “complaint prayer chain”, which we could all use, and then just like in Jer 31:13, the Lord would “turn their (our) mourning into joy”. Love Michelle

This fallen world in which we live never ceases to amaze me. I thought I had heard all the criticisms against homeschooling that existed in my 16 years of teaching at home, but I now stand corrected. While in college, my daughter was ridiculed for missing sex ed, since she was home schooled. Seriously, we could hardly believe that!
The truth is, our children get plenty of real sex ed. They learn that sex outside of marriage is sinful and has a name – fornication. They learn that it was even punishable by death to not be a virgin at the time of marriage. Deut 22:21 states, “Then they shall bring out the damsel to the door of her father’s house, and the men of her city shall stone her with stones that she die: because she hath wrought folly in Israel, to play the whore in her father’s house: so shalt thou put evil away from among you.” Our children miss nothing by learning the real truth about sex through studying what God’s Word says about it.
We certainly are not able to control what the world thinks or does, or even what any given person thinks or does, but we sure can stand up for, teach, and promote biblical truth, even if it is unpopular.
May our children be so mighty in the land, able to stand up for biblical truth even when it flies in the face of all so called “common sense”. Love Michelle

“Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.” Eph 4:29. This is our challenge as wives and mothers. Our words have so much power! “Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof” Prov 18:21.
How are your words today? Take the time to think before speaking to ensure that your words are the ones you need to reach your goals of upbuilding and strengthening your family. What a wonderful way to honour the Lord in our homes. He will surely bless and multiply our efforts. Love Michelle

Are you ready for a challenge that will revolutionize your life? I hope so! It is the Eph 4:29 challenge! There is no complaining allowed, no negative words whatsoever. Only words that are positive and upbuilding. Can you handle it? Of course you can! Speak only the positive for 48 hours. Are you ready? Set? Go! Love Michellle