Written by Michelle J. Goff

I have a love/hate relationship with the expression “new normal.” I’m not sure I ever understood “old normal” either, but with a New Year and a strong desire to put many aspects of 2020 behind us, I offer this explanation and encouragement.

After a perfect storm in my gut back in 2009, I had to establish a new normal in the kitchen and make significant changes regarding my food consumption.

Friends are expecting a new baby, their first, and new normal will be in a constant state of flux for the next 18 years!

After the word “cancer” escapes the doctor’s lips, time stands still until the patient and her family can begin to process new normal.

Other friends got married in 2020 and think it was the best year ever! How about their new normal?

On the other hand, in 2020, while the world was reeling from a global pandemic, hurricanes ravaged Central America and the Gulf Coast. New normal will not be reestablished for months or years in some areas where bridges were washed out and roads need to be rebuilt.

Feelings of isolation, helplessness, anxiety, and depression have become a new normal for many who have struggled to deal with the constant blows dealt them, especially in the year 2020.

If there is one thing we can count on not to change, it is the fact that things will always change.
The more things change, the more they remain the same.

I do not know to whom we can attribute the two preceding quotes. However, they remind me of Solomon’s words in Ecclesiastes.
“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven” (Ecc. 3:1, ESV).

Solomon follows this introduction with a list of things that there is a time for… to be born and to die, to plant and to harvest, to seek and to lose (which may happen multiple times in a day). Everyone is in a constant navigation of “new normal.”

However, the expression that sticks out to me right now is from the second part of verse 5, “A time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing.” My love language is not physical touch, but I am really missing the hugs and the smiling faces on Sunday mornings.

New normal for Sunday morning church gatherings may be virtual, but it has allowed me to “gather” with Christians all across the world in Bible study, prayer meetings, and Sunday church services. I kinda like that version of new normal.

When Jesus came to earth and experienced a true new normal, starting out as a helpless, vulnerable baby, His life became the hope of a true new normal in His name.

The religious leaders didn’t know what to make of this teacher that taught as one who had authority. New normal for the demons was a grim prospect. And when we get to the moment of His crucifixion, there was everything new and nothing normal about His resurrection!

Oh, what a blessing to have the hope of a new life, a new normal, in Christ! What a joy to anticipate a new normal in heaven where there will be no more night, no more sadness, no more illness…

For everything there is a season… and I am thrilled to know that Christ walks with me during the challenges of any new normal season here on earth, until we can join with Him forever in heaven!

What has your new normal looked like recently?
How have you seen Christ walk with you in your new normal?
What does the reminder of a new normal awaiting you in heaven do for you?

Written by Michelle J. Goff, Founder and Executive Director of Iron Rose Sister Ministries

In preparation for the 2024 theme, “Committed to Christ, 24/7 in 2024,” I conducted a search of the uses of the word “commit.” Concordances provide a list of the occurrences of a word in the Bible. Sadly, I found the most frequent use of the word “commit” in the English Bible was in conjunction with the word, “adultery.” Ouch.

According to Merriam-Webster, “to commit” is 1. to carry into action deliberately (e.g. to commit a crime); 2. to obligate or bind (e.g. a committed relationship); 3. to put into charge or trust (e.g. committed by the court; commit to memory); 4. to obligate or pledge oneself (e.g. I commit my life to Christ.)

Returning to the Scriptures, references to committing adultery plague the Old and New Testaments. Instead of references to a commitment to God with a positive connotation, the pages of the Bible are riddled with stories of those who committed adultery and warnings to not commit adultery—personally or spiritually speaking.

Confronted by the harsh reality of the biblical references to the word, I was forced to analyze why adultery was the most frequent usage. A realization hit me: If we are not 100% committed to God, we commit spiritual adultery.

The 7th commandment is “You shall not commit adultery.” This command to “not commit” is the opposite of the first three commandments “to commit [to YHWH].” Those initial three are an admonition and invitation to commit ourselves wholly and completely to God—with our lives, our worship, our speech, and our actions.

The prophets often referred to Israel prostituting herself to foreign gods. God asked Hosea to marry Gomer as a testimony of how many times God forgave and took back Israel, His imperfect bride. Jeremiah specified the invitation of repentance to Israel by explaining that God would restore her to being “Virgin Israel,” as if the adultery had never happened (Jer 31:3-4). Clean slate. Committed to God, no longer committing adultery.

When I consider how I spend my time and energy or where I focus my thoughts and my money, I realize what I am or am not committed to. And if any of those things on the list come higher than God, I am committing adultery.

When God invites us, His church, to be the bride of Christ, the perfect Lamb, He highlights how He is 100% committed to His bride (Rev 19:7, 21:9). In return, He longs for us to remain committedly faithful to Him. Thankfully, His faithfulness is not dependent on ours (2Ti 2:11-13 NIV):

Here is a trustworthy saying:
If we died with him,


we will also live with him;


if we endure,


we will also reign with him.


If we disown him,


he will also disown us;


 if we are faithless,


he remains faithful,


for he cannot disown himself.

Committing to Christ, 24/7 in 2024, does not mean that we will do it 100% faithfully every minute of every day. If we think we can or will, we make ourselves out to be liars.

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (1Jn 1:8-9)

We should walk in the light as He is in the light (1Jn 1:8). God is Light and Christ was sent as the Light of the world (1Jn 1:5; Jn 8:12). He shines light on the way to live as faithful followers—those committed to Christ and not those who commit spiritual adultery.

Committing to God is committing to the eternal nature of ourselves, as designed by our divine Creator. It is truly the greatest blessing of our lives. And the reward for faithful, committed service? Eternal life with Him.

Share one way in which a faithful commitment to Christ has been a blessing in your life. Conversely, what is one way you are currently committing spiritual adultery?

Written byMichelle J. Goff, Founder and Executive Director of Iron Rose Sister Ministries

A smile, a seat on the bus, a cup of cold water… There are many ways we can be kind and generous toward others, which is the primary encouragement found in the third parable of Matthew chapter 25.

The King will reply, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” (Mt 25:40 NIV) 

The King welcomed those into His Kingdom who had put His words into practice, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” those who practiced love for Him by extending that lovingkindness to others.

The recipients of the King’s blessing were surprised at His words because they did not remember serving Him. He recognized the simple act of the mother who shared food with the hungry child who came over to play with her own children. He honored the consistent way in which the businesswoman brought an extra bottle of water for the homeless man who sat in front of her office building. He celebrated the women who donated new clothes to the battered women’s shelter, not just the forgotten items in the back of the closet.

The parable about the sheep and goats at the end of Matthew 25 follows two others that also emphasize the importance of good stewardship— the proper management of what God has provided. The five virgins who took sufficient oil were intentional about planning ahead. The first two men, with five and two talents respectively, administered well what they had been given, thus multiplying it for when the master returned. Finally, the sheep were blessed by the Father and given their inheritance (Mt 25:34) because they honored the Father and took care of “the least of these.”

For us to be wise women, we must be good stewards of what God has provided.  

1. Recognize that all that we have comes from God.The virgin’s oil, the men’s talents, and whatever the people used to bless others, everything comes from the Great Provider.
2. Be intentional about how we use what God has provided. The wise virgins didn’t share their oil with the foolish virgins, but the sheep were affirmed for sharing their food, drink, and clothing with others. Both practices have their place in the Kingdom.
3. Keep a Kingdom focus.Prepare for the Bridegroom, work for the Master, and honor the Father by fulfilling His commands to love.
4. Check our motivation. Are we falling into the trap of comparison? Are we doing things so that others will see us? Will someone recognize Christ through what we do or say?
5. Avoid selfishness. If we are going to love and care for others, there will be sacrifices. But remember, we serve a God of abundance who graciously provides beyond what we could ask or imagine.

Take a moment to reflect on these five points. During a week in which many are focused on the birth of Christ, how did Jesus embody and inspire us to do whatever we can for the least of these”?

Finally, using the Common Threads, let’s make it very personal and practical.

From Matthew 25, name an area in which you want to grow or bloom.

What is a thorn that needs to be removed, possibly something that is hindering you from loving “the least of these”? 

Is there an area in which you want to dig deeper or need someone to hold you accountable (iron sharpening iron, Pr 27:17)? 

One way to dig deeper is to read the entire 25^th chapter of Matthew and pray over these three parables, asking God to reveal the application for your life. 

Amidst the holiday season, let’s extend God’s lovingkindness to others and give thanks when others do the same for us. We would love to hear your stories or see pictures of how God has provided opportunities for this to happen!

“You mean you would take time every week to meet with me and study the Bible? Are you sure that isn’t going to be a burden? I just have so many questions,” Fernanda timidly asked Michelle the first time they sat down to chat over coffee. Michelle’s grin turned into a full-toothed smile as she responded, “There is nothing I would rather do than take the time to study the Bible with you! And, you know Mackenzie who first introduced us when you came to my house for an arepa night? She interned with me this past summer and I would love for the three of us to sit down and study together. I’m sure we can find a time that works for all three of us.” Fernanda continued to shake her head in disbelief that there were people willing to take the time to answer her questions about God, baptism, and the Bible.

Fast forward through weeks of Bible studies with Mackenzie and Michelle alternating the teaching. “Fer” took notes, came with questions about the verses we were to study next, and her passion to learn more continued to grow. Her hunger for God’s Word did not stop with her baptism on February 14, 2018. Valentine’s Day was a perfect day to declare the true meaning of love. By pronouncing her love and commitment to God through uniting herself with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection, her demonstration of love for God on that day became infectious to others.

One month later, Fernanda’s friend María, who was there as a witness to Fer’s baptism, was baptized. Michelle, Fer, María, Mackenzie, and others continued to study the Bible and develop deeper mentoring relationships.

Fernanda graduated and returned to Nicaragua. While she and Michelle continued to stay in touch, the communication was sporadic, but no less deep in Biblical discussion. In October 2020, Michelle received the following WhatsApp message from Fer…

Hello Ms. Michelle!
I have faith that you’re seeing how great God is always.
I am writing to you because I was reflecting on my Christian path and the day of my baptism came to my mind, and I went to watch the video. Guess what? I saw you as that first person who came to hug me after I gave myself to God.
And I thought... wooooow. God used you to instruct me in the faith, to walk His beautiful way, to not give up on me and spend your time reading His good news, to answer many questions I had had for years, to encourage me to make the best decision of my entire life. I remember I told you I wanted to get to a point where I felt like I knew enough to get baptized, and then how the Spirit put that feeling of “it’s time” on me. You never said, “Wait more.” Instead, you rejoiced the night before my baptism. February 14, 2018. A date to never forget.
I love you!!!

Michelle’s tearful and grateful response invited Fer to find a time to catch up via video chat. After filling each other in on life, Fernanda’s passion for learning more about the truths from God’s Word became evident. She was reading a “Christian” book and was unsure how to discern whether or not there was truth in what they were proclaiming. Michelle thanked her again for asking the right questions and, instead of answering her questions, Michelle equipped Fernanda with the tools to answer them for herself from 1 John 4, Matthew 7, and several other passages. Fer took notes and immediately applied the verses to her initial question. The best part was when she shared that she can’t wait to share these tools and these truths with her family and with others.

Two by two by two. 2 Timothy 2:2. Teaching to teach. From interns to baby Christians, growing in their passion and knowledge to be shared with others, we rejoice in the way God has used these Iron Rose Sisters to expand the kingdom, beyond borders.

Written by Michelle J. Goff, Founder and Director of Iron Rose Sister Ministries 

My youngest sister used to decorate beautiful ceramic mugs for me, but she had to stop this practice because I broke every single one. The last one, she rescued before I could break it. I never broke them intentionally. I used them all the time until my clumsiness or a very hard floor caused them to break.

Thankfully, my relationship with my sister was not dependent on the lifespan of those ceramic mugs. After we have gone through a time of brokenness, our commitment to the relationship, the covenant we have made, has actually been strengthened through the brokenness. (See thevideo on Redefined Identity that we narrated together and that illustrates brokenness.)

Still, we cry when things break. Broken relationships are more painful and evoke many more tears than broken dishes.

When my ex called off the wedding and permanently ended our relationship two and a half months before we planned to walk down the aisle, I was devastated. Not only was the relationship broken, I was broken—shattered in a million pieces and disoriented beyond a simple state of confusion. Brokenness was my constant companion for more than three years.

When a relationship covenant is broken, there are a few things that inevitably happen.

1. We lose trust in people.
2. We lose trust in ourselves.
3. We doubt our trust in God.

Single-again women, especially the divorced or separated, I’m sorry for what you are going through and please know that no matter the stage of your healing process, you are not alone! Also, please hear that you are not going crazy! Broken covenants are messy! And they are not what God has designed.

If your spouse broke covenant with you, I grieve with you. Our God can redeem anything and bring about good, even in the midst of the bad (Rom. 8:28).

If you are the one who broke covenant, please know that God’s redemption and forgiveness are possible (Ps. 103:10-13; Eph. 1:7-8).

If the breaking of covenant was necessary for your safety or that of your children, I applaud your bravery and pray that there are others nearby who are able to walk with you and support you in tangible ways (Ps. 103:6; Is. 61:1-3, 7).

Relationships are at the core of who we are and what define us. We learn and teach through relationships—and not all the lessons are positive. Sometimes we are learning what not to do or attempting to teach something we are unfamiliar with because of our past.

Sisters, one thing that I learned is that no matter how much my trust wavers, God’s love for me does not.

Three key lessons I learned through my season of the broken covenant of relationship:

1. God is eternally faithful and unconditional in His covenant (Lam. 3:22-26; Heb. 13:20-21).
2. God allows people to have free will and I must accept that (Gen. 2:16-17; Rom. 7:15-24).
3. Redemption and healing are possible, but they do take time (1 Pet. 2:24; James 5:16).

As I mentioned, a broken promise in relationship is deeply painful and causes us to doubt whether we can trust the other person in the future. My deeper doubts were whether or not I could trust myself to know whether I was a good judge of character, since I chose to be with someone who later broke his promises.

On many levels, I still respected and loved my ex—to the point that when he made his decision clear, I didn’t fight him on it, nor try to convince him otherwise. In his free will, he had chosen to end the relationship. Thankfully for us, it was before we entered into the covenant of marriage. Yet the brokenness I felt was as if he had broken that level of relationship covenant.

In time, I forgave him, but it was not something I could forget. God accompanied me in my grief. He did so through supportive friends, their prayers, then later my own. God was patient with me while I had to sit in the balcony on the furthest row from the pulpit because my pain level was proportionate to my physical proximity during a Sunday morning service.

God loved me through my obedient worship, going through the motions and not yet “feeling it.” God spoke to me through Bible verses that would appear in my social feeds, in conversations, in Bible study, or in prayer.

Over time, God affirmed a quote a friend had shared early on: “Time doesn’t heal all wounds. Time reveals how God can heal all wounds.” Amen!

Part of my healing has been a deeper level of empathy for others who have faced similar pain. The comfort I have received, I have shared with others (2 Cor. 1:3-6).

It is my prayer that God reveal His eternal faithfulness to such a degree that it overshadows any broken covenant of relationship.

Do you believe? Lord, help us overcome our unbelief.