Blog

• walk with God

A dear Cuban friend and Christian sister passed away over the weekend from cancer. Also, over the weekend, a 102-year-old faithful Venezuelan Christian sister completed her journey here on earth. Both women are at peace, with no more suffering.

And on Saturday, we celebrated the new birth of Micaela, a 94-year-old in El Salvador!

Each of these women is an excellent reflection of our theme this month: Walking with God.

Josefina was a faithful follower of God for many years. The adopted “abuela” of many in the San Cristobal Church of Christ in Venezuela, she was blessed to meet great grandchildren who are being raised in Christian families by servants of the Lord’s church (grandsons) and their wives. I had the blessing of meeting her and calling her a friend. Her legacy of faith continues, not just in her family, but with everyone whose lives she touched and encouraged. Nothing hindered her commitment to daily prayer and Bible reading. Her walk was long and exemplary.

Mercedes came to Christ less than two years ago, but her Christian walk was no less exemplary. A neighbor in her Cuban town invited her to church and Mercedes shared more of her story in a previous blog post. The joy and strength she found in the Lord were a testimony to many as she battled cancer. As a friend shared in a recent email, quoting Mercedes, “like Michelle said when she was here in August last year, “We can be joyful in trials!”” Christ gave her the strength to call her mom to forgive her from past hurts. Her constant prayer was for the salvation of her children and her family, and that many other women would come to know God’s saving grace.

Micaela’s walk is just beginning. Her daughter, Dilsia, who now stays home, caring for her mother, helped facilitate my invitation for the national women’s event in San Salvador, El Salvador, at the end of August. We rejoice with the angels in Micaela’s decision to walk with God the rest of her days.

Josefina’s walk was long and faithful, a constant encouragement to others.
Mercedes’ walk was short and inspiring, a light to those who knew her.
Micaela’s walk reminds us that it is never too late to choose to walk with God.

No matter where you are in your walk with God, may you be encouraged by these women and the hope of walking with God through all eternity.

#IronRoseSister #walkwithGod #legacies

• small groups

The Common Threads cannot even be considered outside the context of community—whether between two people or twenty, we need others to encourage us to bloom and grow, to gently and lovingly point out our thorns, and to serve as iron sharpening iron for each other.

Thank you to those who have been true Iron Rose Sisters in my life! You are the inspiration for all God has called me to through this ministry and that push me to continue to model those relationships to others across the Americas.

My closest Iron Rose Sisters are those with whom I have been in a small group. We have prayed together, studied the Bible together, learned from one another’s perspectives and shared in life and fellowship—often accompanied by some excellent food or at least a cup of coffee.

In the context of small groups, we have an opportunity to participate in authentic, genuine relationships that deepen our relationships with God and one another. IRSM prays that we can equip you in those relationships, especially in your local churches and small groups.

Many women have used our books for personal Bible study, but you will receive the greatest benefit from these resources in the context of small groups. At the end of each chapter, we include the Common Threads as a way of making each of the lessons very personal and practical, in addition to serving as a form of spiritual journaling when you add the date to your entry.

Don’t forget to share the Common Threads with a Christian sister today and thank her for being an Iron Rose Sister in your life.

Since the Common Threads are on the back of our new bookmarks, please let us know if we can provide you with a stack of bookmarks to use in your local small group!

We also love to get pictures of you with your small group!

May we each grow to be more authentic in our relationships with God and one another. May we remove the thorns of doubt that small groups are for us. And may we invite others to serve as iron sharpening iron in our lives, digging deeper into the Word together as the Holy Spirit guides us.

#IronRoseSister #smallgroups #commonthreads #ironsharpeningiron