We love building relationships. Subscribe to our blog to receive weekly encouragement in your email inbox.
Visit Our Store
Donate
You can also mail checks, made out to IRSM, to:
Iron Rose Sister Ministries
PO Box 1351
Searcy, AR 72145
IRSM is a 501(c)(3), so donations are tax-deductible.
Blog
More blog entries below
I apologize in advance for the scary nature of the attached picture. It was taken at the Hilltop Arboretum in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, several years ago when my sister, Chrystal, came for a visit. I don’t know what we were doing or what inspired the pose, but it has most definitely inspired today’s blog post.
I returned from a two and a half week trip in South America with a cold. It’s winter in Buenos Aires and the conditions were great for me to bring back a southern bug. It is never a good time to get a cold, but when you’ve been traveling for the better part of three months and are behind on the writing of the 2nd book and many other tasks, a cold can easily slow you down.

So, I’m on the attack. I’m attacking this cold with rest, fluids, vitamin C, and whatever other home remedies I can invent. I’m attacking my summer to-do list for the ministry with renewed vigor, trusting that God is the one that will give me strength and will guide me in aligning priorities, increasing productivity, and providing volunteers to assist.
May this Throwback Thursday picture provide inspiration for you to attack whatever you have at hand, but first, by taking it to the Father in prayer.
P.S. I ended up going to the doctor yesterday and affirming that my cold had turned into a sinus infection. We are now attacking said infection with an antibiotic.
I have a friend whose daughter is suffering through some painful and unknown health issues. As I lift them up in prayer and offer words of understanding and encouragement, I am taken back to the time when my family and I were in the same boat.
We were looking for answers and didn’t even know how bad things had gotten until we found a few answers and I started to feel better. I continue with strict diet restrictions and a need for good rest in order to keep my health in check, but I am grateful for the health that has been restored to my body and am even grateful for the sympathy and hope I can offer to others who face similar challenges.
My question for you on this Wake-up Wednesday is: What is a challenge or difficult time you have faced in your past that now offers an opportunity for you to encourage others and offer hope? Let’s wake up with thankfulness to God for bringing us through those tough times and also gratitude for the opportunity to comfort others with the comfort we have also received (II Corinthians 1:3-7).