Iron Rose Sister Ministries

Special thanks to the Church of Christ Francisco Meza in Managua for their service as my hosts during my time in Nicaragua.

During the nine days I spent in Managua and San Marcos, I was blessed with the opportunity to teach five classes, present six conferences, and be interviewed on national Nicaraguan television. In addition to all of that, I conducted six private sessions with women that wanted to converse in greater depth, the personal trials they are facing. I was able to counsel, encourage, and pray with them.

Over 300 women were equipped, and only God knows how many were reached through the tv interview. Several called or texted during the program and a few have already called afterward asking for more information. (YouTube video of tv interview in Spanish, starting ~10:27.)

God blessed every aspect of the trip in spite of the extreme heat that greatly affected me physically and the minor complications that always arise with international travel.

What a blessing to serve our Lord in so many ways in so many places!

Greetings to the brothers and sisters in Francisco Meza, José Dolores, La Habana, Grenada, and Almendro (San Marcos).

Equipping Women

There were two women with whom I spent the most time during my visit to Nicaragua. Marjorie opened her home to me with her three boys and Eufemia accompanied me in every activity.

I would like to share a little of Marjorie and Eufemia’s stories and how God used me to encourage and equip them so that they could, in turn, encourage and equip others.

Eufemia

Since Eufemia accompanied me in every activity, she learned a lot in the classes and in our conversation between each of the events.

On Sunday, my last full day in the city, I left immediately after services to head to the airport in order to meet someone who was bringing down more books, given the great need and interest. When I left, I didn’t realize that there was a sister who had wanted to make an appointment to talk with me privately. She reached out to Eufemia to check on my availability and Eufemia explained where I was and offered to help in any way she could.

The ladies began to talk and Eufemia was able to encourage her and give her a copy of the handout from the Women’s Spiritual Health classes I had taught, which include many resources for deepening our relationship with God.

When Eufemia shared this story with me, I was thrilled—not just because Eufemia was able to help the sister after I left, but more because Eufemia felt more equipped and prepared to encourage her after all she had learned during the week.

Marjorie

The conference I gave in Francisco Meza was Victorious and Joyful in Battle. In that conference, I share about depression and discouragement as examples of distressing times that many women face. We then continue in Psalm 20 through the classes and in the development of the theme.

During the conference, I share some of my own personal stories, so afterward, Marjorie felt comfortable to share some of her own experience with depression. God is faithful and she can share with victory how God and her family helped her through that difficult time.

But the best part is when we can comfort others with the comfort we have received (2 Cor. 1:3-7).

Saturday, Marjorie accompanied us to San Marcos, a small town outside of the city, for a conference on the same topic: Victorious and Joyful in Battle. After what she had learned and been affirmed in the classes given in her home congregation, she was able to share in more in-depth ways with her small group in San Marcos.

Through her own experience and new understanding, she was able to encourage the sisters there and she got to be the one who answered their questions!

How awesome it is when God allows us to see the immediate fruits of our labor!

THANKS!

I am very grateful for the opportunity to share with so many women in Nicaragua, but I am joyful when I see women being equipped to encourage and equip other women—when I see them inspired in their own relationship with God and other sisters.

Thank you for your prayers that accompanied me every step of the way and I ask that you continue to keep me and IRSM in your prayers—that God will give us wisdom to continue to fulfill the calling He has given us to encourage and equip women in their relationships with God and one another.

It was 1999. I stood in my medium-sized closet stuffed with clothes and sighed. I had owned many of my clothes for 10 years. We didn’t really have money for new clothing very often and I was fortunate enough to have stayed the same weight for that length of time. “I am so tired of these clothes,” I said to myself.  “I wish I had a new white blouse, some new jeans, and some new dresses and skirts.” But I had been working on distinguishing between wants and needs and trying to be more thankful and content for what I already had.  So I said “Lord, I don’t needthose things though. I have a lot more clothes than most people in the world.  Help me be more content.”

A few weeks later, I got a call from a young mom I had just met.  

Thanks be to God and to each one of you for all you have done to make possible what God is doing through this ministry! Your support in prayer and your donations have made possible the following in 2016:
• More than 1700 women attending 32 conferences or classes in six countries and seven US states.
• The number of women encouraged, equipped, empowered, and inspired through
IRSM seminars and small group Bible studies.
• Women from 14 Spanish-speaking countries in attendance at the conferences, which implies a further reach than the event itself

Thanks be to God and to each one of you for all you have done to make possible what God is doing through this ministry. Your support in prayer and your donations have made possible the following in 2015:

• More than 1500 women attending 20 conferences or classes in five countries and seven US states.
• Women from 14 Spanish-speaking countries in attendance at the conferences, which implies a further reach than the event itself
• Women across the Americas being equipped to connect to God and one another more deeply.
• More than a dozen private counseling sessions (face-to-face or via Skype)
• The first IRSM Destination Retreat
• Consults with women’s ministry coordinators for activities, studies, and events for the women in their local area.
• The publication of the second book, In God’s Right Hand: Whom Shall I Fear?
• A student intern for seven weeks
• A personal and ministry move to Searcy, Arkansas.

Thank you so much for partnering with us in 2015! We hope that you will keep up or increase that support in 2016. God continues to open more doors and affirm that we are meeting a great need for to bless and equip women in the kingdom.

Thank you!

Thanksgiving day is always a special time to spend as a family. I will be with a portion of my physical family today. Yet I remember creating, with my Venezuelan family, our own version of a Thanksgiving meal while I lived in Venezuela.

I know that many have not had the same blessing that I have had of a family that supports and loves each other. We are far from perfect. But we strive to share in the loving support that is best found in the context of family.

I give thanks to God for my family—my parents, grandparents, sisters, brothers-in-law, nephew, niece, uncles, aunts, cousins, etc. And I give thanks to God for my family in Christ that spans the world.

Thanksgiving day is always a special time to spend as a family. A good portion of my family will be able to share in this holiday together tomorrow.

I know that many have not had the same blessing that I have had of a family that supports and loves each other. We are far from perfect. But we strive to share in the loving support that is best found in the context of family.

I give thanks to God for my family—my parents, grandparents, sisters, brothers-in-law, nephew, niece, uncles, aunts, cousins, etc. And I give thanks to God for my family in Christ that spans the world.

As Philip Yancey and Henri Nouwen put it…

“Family is the one human institution we have no choice over. We get in simply by being born, and as a result we are involuntarily thrown together with a menagerie of strange and unlike people. Church calls for another step: to voluntarily choose to band together with a strange menagerie because of a common bond in Jesus Christ. I have found that such a community more resembles a family than any other human institution. Henri Nouwen once defined a community as “a place where the person you least want to live with always lives.” His definition applies equally to the group that gathers each Thanksgiving and the group that congregates each Sunday morning. (p. 64-65, Church: Why Bother?)”

― Philip Yancey, Church: Why Bother?: My Personal Pilgrimage

And God said, “I will be with you.” Exodus 3:12a

*Written by Rachel Baker
On the rare days when my son is the only one at home with me, I know from the start of the day that we will be spending a lot of time in close proximity. It’s not that he always wants to do things with me, but he likes to know that I’m close by – just in case. If I’m being honest, I completely understand how he feels. There is comfort in knowing that the person who cares for you is right there with you, able to help when you need it.

There are many times in scripture when we see the I AM extending this same comfort to His people. When the Lord tells Moses he is being sent to Pharaoh to bring the Israelites out of Egypt, Moses responds with doubt and fear: “Who am I that I should go?” (Exod. 3:11). This sounds a lot like my kids when they are nervous and doubt their own abilities: “But, I can’t do it!” The I AM reassures Moses by saying, “I will be with you” (Exod. 3:12). In the book of Judges, we see where Gideon is told to go and save Israel from Midian. In a reaction similar to Moses, he questions the Lord’s command, asking how he can do such a huge task. The I AM is consistent in His response: “I will be with you” (Judges 6:16).

In this season of thanksgiving, I am especially grateful for the ultimate example of God’s presence among us:
“...an angel of the Lord appeared to [Joseph] in a dream and said, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.’ All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: ‘The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel’ – which means, ‘God with us.’” Matthew 1:20b-23

Not only did our Lord come down to live among us, He also promises to never leave us:

“And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matt. 28:20b)

Just like my son is comforted by my presence, we can take comfort in knowing that when we need Him most, we are able to rest in the I AM who is with us... always.

This weekend’s topic at the Remmel Church of Christ, in partnership with the John 3:17 ministry, is Sisters Connected in Christ. We will look at what it means to be an Iron Rose Sister—how to be like iron sharpening iron, encouraging each other to be as beautiful as a rose in spite a few thorns.
These relationships are impossible without Christ in the center. And God has designed us to not have to go it alone. The body of Christ, with all of its unique members, was created to work together, spur one another on, encourage, challenge, and lift up each other.

Tomorrow, we will conduct a Ladies’ Day at the Salamanca Church of Christ in Lima, Peru. We will be looking at Women’s Spiritual Health, for our theme.
I thank God for this opportunity, but even more so, I thank God for the blessing of His care for all aspects of our health.
When we consider spiritual health, what comes to mind?

Whenever I make a list of things I am thankful for, water is always top on my list.
Clean water to drink and hot water for a shower both became more appreciated after living and traveling overseas.
But my spiritual perspective on the blessings of water has grown. I know that water is what cleanses and saves us (1 Peter 3:20-22, Acts 2:38).

Whenever I make a list of things I am thankful for, water is always top on my list.

Clean water to drink and hot water for a shower both became more appreciated after living and traveling overseas.

But my spiritual perspective on the blessings of water has grown. I know that water is what cleanses and saves us (1 Peter 3:20-22, Acts 2:38).

However, we also see that water is personified as Living Water in Christ and through the Holy Spirit (John 4:13-14, John 7:37-39).

We never have to be without that water—the only water that will truly quench our thirst and make us clean.

Today, take a moment to give thanks for water, in all its forms, and for all its blessings.

5 What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. 6 I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. 7 So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. 8 The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor. 9 For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.
1 Corinthians 3:5-9

Iron Rose Sister Ministries, through the very image of our logo, and the application of the Common Threads, uses roses or plants to illustrate a point. Jesus Himself relied on many agricultural analogies, making His teaching personal and practical to His hearers. In 1 Corinthians 3, Paul reminds the church members in Corinth that while one plants and another waters, it is always God who brings the growth.

I would like to borrow from another image in order to highlight and celebrate the parts that we, as a ministry, and each of you individually play in the big picture that the I AM has designed. We are participants as His handiwork (Eph. 2:10) as each one does its part (Eph. 4:16). We may never see the ripple effect of our impact (Heb. 11:39-40), but we can trust that God uses our piece in the puzzle to create a vivid tapestry, narrating and weaving a story of redemption and love.

As a ministry, and as Christian women, the I AM has invited us into other women’s lives to equip them to connect to Him and to one another more deeply. The equipping tools and encouragement that women receive through our resources empowers them in their own spiritual walks, but then, is later multiplied as they share those resources with others, who in turn share them with others... multiplying our efforts in ways that we will never fully know. And I love that!

When we lose track of the multiplied effect our piece of the puzzle has made, the I AM, who designed the big picture and brings about the growth, gets all the glory! It is no longer about what we have done, but rather about how He has taken our small part and done His thing, as only He can. And for that, I am grateful.

We are humbly grateful to be one piece of the puzzle. And when we cannot see the big picture, we trust the I AM to use and multiply our efforts for the larger impact in the kingdom.

In 2020, we will continue to explore what it means to obediently serve as one piece of the puzzle and to be part of the whole.

In the meantime, we invite you to be one piece of the puzzle through our end-of-year fundraising efforts, specifically through Giving 2x2 Tuesday, December 3, in which matching donations will multiply our financial efforts. Details on our Facebook page.

A two-year old who doesn’t get her way may throw a temper tantrum. A teenager may give you the silent treatment. What do you do when you don’t get your way?
The two-year-old’s temper tantrum is not going to change mom’s decision to not let her take the hot pan of cookies out of the oven. Mom knows her daughter’s tender skin will get burned and wants to protect her.
The teenager’s silent treatment is an ineffective strategy to soften dad’s reaction to her request for a new car.How do you react when God doesn’t answer your requests?

One of the most challenging aspects of prayer is trusting God’s answer.

We must depend on Him to answer our prayers in His way and in His timing.
When God responds to our prayers, He sometimes replies “yes,” “no,” or “wait.” However the way in which God always answers our petitions is with spiritual growth.
So, no matter what the answer, our best response is to give thanks:

Thanks for knowing what’s best.
Thanks for protecting me.
Thanks for providing for what I need, even if it isn’t what I want.
Thanks for increasing my faith.
Thanks for staying in control, even when I want to take control of things.
Thanks for being God!

#IronRoseSister #thankful #MichelleJGoff #IRSM

I want. I need. I wish. I hope. I. I. I.

We may think we know what’s best. We make our petitions known and in crying out to God, it is easy to become more consumed with our needs than our blessings. By focusing on what we lack instead of what we have, our perspective is skewed.

Paul spelled out the necessary balance when we present our requests to God in Philippians 4:6.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, WITH THANKSGIVING, present your requests to God.

What happens when I start my prayers with thanksgiving?

• Blessings outweigh needs.
• Focus changes.
• Perspective is clarified.
• God’s faithfulness endures.
• Trust in God is restored.

Yes, you read the title of today’s blog post correctly. But, why give thanks to God for the challenges?
In the moment, no one appreciates suffering as an instrument of growth. Romans 5:1-8 describes the process toward spiritual maturity—and it is definitely a process. One that starts with suffering.
Yet there is another reason to be grateful for the challenges.

Yes, you read the title of today’s blog post correctly. But, why give thanks to God for the challenges?

In the moment, no one appreciates suffering as an instrument of growth. Romans 5:1-8 describes the process toward spiritual maturity—and it is definitely a process. One that starts with suffering.

Yet there is another reason to be grateful for the challenges. Because they unite us with Christ and transform us more and more into His image—not to mention uniting us with Him in the resurrection.

I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.(Phil. 3:10-11)

For what challenge can you give thanks today?

My favorite holiday is Thanksgiving. Family and friends gather around a big table of food and, often, we go around the circle and each share something we are thankful for—a way in which God has blessed or guided us in the past year.
One of the best practices and attitudes we can have is one of thanksgiving.

“A nail is driven out by another nail; habit is overcome by habit.” Erasmus said that, contemporary and admirer of Martin Luther. When I read this thought, I am surprised because I had never known and I am sad for all that would have changed if only I had.