Iron Rose Sister Ministries

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Published: 09 August 2013

In the process of launching Iron Rose Sister Ministries (IRSM), I have avoided taking the step to blog.  Not because I don’t think I’ll have something witty to say each and every day, but out of fear that what I say will not be well-received, that it won’t strike a chord, or that the reader, you, would not continue reading so as to catch the entries that are really worth reading.

But here I am… taking things one step at a time as I have encouraged so many others to do in the past and starting the official Iron Rose Sister Ministries blog.

The goal is that you will not always hear my voice sharing testimonies, encouragement, devotional thoughts and God-stories.  There will be others that will guest write to share other Iron Rose Sister stories and inspiration.

Please forgive any grammatical errors you may come across.  The blog is not like the books and Bible studies being published for IRSM that have been and will be reviewed by others who are more expertly equipped in the English language.  Here, I will write from the heart to share news about the ministry and ways in which God is working, among other things.

For those of you that also speak Spanish, a version of each day’s blog will be available on the parallel blog page as well :)

There will be days in which we will deviate from the norm and something will need to be shared that trumps the original plan – God works that way, you know ;)  However, in an effort to generate interest and create a pattern of blogging, the following will be the standard organizational structure that each week will follow:

Sabbath Sunday - a verse to reflect on (just a verse or a photo; rest for me as writer)
Makeover Monday - attitude, worldview, etc.
Transformational Tuesday - Spirit's leading
Wake-up Wednesday - an encouraging word / challenge
Throwback Thursday - a story from back in the day
Food and Family on Fridays - sometimes a recipe
Story-time Saturdays - God stories

There will also be Iron Rose Sister Ministries updates, as needed, at the end of each post.

Thanks for joining us on this journey and I can’t wait to share with you all God is doing through me and through Iron Rose Sister Ministries!

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Published: 08 August 2013

Being sick is a strange thing, especially if it’s a chronic condition.  I recently realized a play on words that emphasizes part of the mental and emotional battle I face when I am physically weak or sick.  When I am an invalid, I feel invalid.  Be sure to get the emPHAsis on the right syllABLe ;)  As an INvalid, I feel inVALid.  Allow me to explain:

You feel like a watered-down version of yourself and then a doctor doubts your description of the pain, unable to get to the root of your condition.  An inVALid INvalid?

Your energy and motivation are gone.  You can’t even remember all of what you were supposed to do anyway.  An inVALid INvalid?

You finally take the time to rest – recover from recent events and physically prepare for what’s to come.  Satan puts messages of laziness, guilt and inadequacy in your mind.  An inVALid INvalid?

You have discerned God’s calling and long to serve as He leads, but your physical strength and ability inhibit your capacity to fulfill that calling.  Doubt creeps in.  An inVALid INvalid?

Your physical pain accentuates and exaggerates all other negative thoughts and emotional pain.  Healing on any level seems unattainable.  An inVALid INvalid?

Usually the one to cheer others up and be a source of strength, you have nothing left to give.  An inVALid INvalid?

As someone who used to take pride in her ability to multi-task, be there for others and “do it all,” you find yourself in a new place of dependence on others.  An inVALid INvalid?

The things that shaped your identity before are undermined or inhibited by physical limitations.  An inVALid INvalid?

Thoughts like these have pervaded my mind for the past few days and weeks.  I have forced myself to recall that “greater is He that is in me than He that is in the world” (I John 4:4) and that my identity as a child of God really is enough.  God is honored to call me His child and does not measure my worth on my ability to perform.

“Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
II Corinthians 12:7b – 10

#rest #strength