Iron Rose Sister Ministries

An elder in Baton Rouge once told me, "Primary function and secondary function.  You have to remember which is which." His words of wisdom as an elder and an engineer have stuck with me and have become a helpful filter when I feel overwhelmed by my responsibilities with Iron Rose Sister Ministries or my personal life stresses.

I find peace when I remember the primary functions to which God has called me and not get bogged down in the secondary functions.

We cannot do it all! As much as we try—and I know I do!

Our primary and secondary functions go through different seasons. In the ministry, I go through seasons of more concentrated writing, speaking, study, fund-raising, travel, communication, administrative tasks… you get the picture.

In life, we go through seasons in which our primary function is that of wife, mother, sister, aunt, grandmother, friend… yet we cannot neglect our other functions.

So, how do we juggle it all? How can we find peace when we feel overwhelmed?

We remember that our primary function and identity is as daughter of the King—and, as such, our relationship with Him guides us to do and be what He calls us to at any given moment. We live in each moment and fulfill our primary function at that time, trusting that He will give us the wisdom and the strength to accomplish the other things in their time (Ecc. 3:1-8).

Venezuelans have a tradition that is still seen in the rural areas of the country. Each year, late in the month of December, they find a set of old clothes and stuff them with newspaper and other trash. Some families even put a pair of shoes and a hat on this scarecrow-like man. He is affectionately known as “The Old Year,” and, on December 31st, they burn him as a way of marking the end of the old year, and welcoming in the new one.
This tradition has come to mind for me this year in light of the difficult year it has been for many of my friends and loved ones. They continue to be in my prayers and much of my encouragement today is specifically for them.
It was a year of joy: births, adoptions, graduations...
It was also a year of sorrow: loss of a loved one, illness, stress at work/school...

The Bible is a love story, offering hope to a world without purpose or direction.
And this time of year, in the midst of the commercialism that surrounds the holiday, we are given the opportunity to remember and to share that message of love and hope with others.
Hope came in the form of a child, a babe wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger (Luke 2:12).
Love came down from heaven, became flesh and dwelt among us (1 John 4:8, John 1:14).
Emmanuel, God with us, was born as the Messiah, the fulfillment of prophecy and promise of hope.
Love from the Father, personified in the Son, reinforced through the Spirit.
May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word. (2 Thes. 2:16-17)
Take a moment today to share that love and hope with at least two people you know—a reminder to someone who already knows and an invitation to someone who doesn’t.

A group of women gathered for dinner, prayer, and a craft. One of the ladies instructed us on how to paint a watercolor wreath and had pre-cut letters so that we could put the word Joy or Noel in the center of the wreath.
Someone asked, “What does Noel mean?” And while the answers varied, none of us clearly remembered. Before confirming the true definition, the consensus was that maybe it meant “Peace.”

When the Son of Man came to earth, God in the flesh dwelt among us. The Prince of Peace humbled Himself and submitted Himself to all of the challenges and emotional frustrations of being human. And in the midst of the trouble and strife we all face, He offers a peace that surpasses all understanding—a peace that can only be found in Him.
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)
Take a moment today to thank God for His perfect gift of peace. And don’t forget that the best gifts are shared with others.

Early this morning, I departed for Guatemala. My final destination: the mountains of Quiche state, the town of Chichicastenango. A congregation there will host a three day-seminar on the book of Philippians, presented in partnership with Health Talents International.

I am honored to serve with this group for a week and share with the women of several local congregations about the joy and peace found in Paul’s letter to the Philippian church.

This will be the first time in more than a decade that I will be working with a translator (and the last time was into Russian!). I will be teaching in Spanish and it will be translated into the local Quiche language.

I have reminded myself of the same truths that I share with campaigners I have taken with me to Venezuela and other locations: God’s love is universal; language is only a barrier if you allow it to be; God works even more powerfully when we have to depend on Him to communicate.

Good reminders as we all strive to depend on the Spirit for all we do.

With that in mind, I ask for the following specific prayers for this trip:

• That God will speak His message through me with clarity.
• That the women will be equipped to connect more deeply with God and one another.
• That the women will be equipped, inspired, and empowered to take the message home to their families and local congregations.
• That God will bless my health (especially food issues) and travel.

Thank you! And I can’t wait to share the ways in which God answered those prayers when I return.

In His infinite love, God sent His Son to be born of a virgin. And while we celebrate Christ’s birth in December, it is His resurrection that transforms our hope into a living hope.
For if we are united with Him in His death, we will surely also be untied with Him in the resurrection (Romans 6:4).
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead (1 Peter 1:3).
And since we are offered new birth into a living hope, we can live in hope.
What does it look like to live in hope—to have a living hope?
Dead hope weighs us down.
Living hope uplifts.
False hope distorts.
True hope inspires.
Dead hope frustrates.
Living hope encourages.
False hope discourages.
True hope transforms.
Thank you, Father, for true living hope!

In Spanish and in Hebrew, there is a verb that can be translated three ways into English—wait, hope, or expect.
While each of those three words has their own nuances or unique connotations, let’s think about how much greater our hope would be if we wait, hope, and expect in the Lord.

The Israelites were a rebellious nation. They served other gods and followed a path of adulterous unfaithfulness.
In the book of Jeremiah, God speaks to His people through the prophet Jeremiah to remind them that He has not forgotten them. And in chapter 29, Jeremiah pens a letter to the people who had been taken in exile to Babylon. In the midst of this historical context, we see God’s often-quoted promise to give us hope and a future.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11)
While the time in Babylonian captivity was partially designed as discipline for Israel’s infidelity, it also served as an opportunity to share with other nations more directly about who God was and invite them into relationship with Him, the sovereign Lord.