Month: June 2009

Birds-Eye View

Posted on by Susan Panzica

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Matthew 6:25-27


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While Momma Bird may have made a foolish choice of location for her nest (see previous post), we are blessed because she did. Through the glass pane on our front door, we have a “birds-eye view” of the fascinating circle of life. Over the past week, we have witnessed the behaviors of Momma and her brand new babies. And, of course, I have a few observations!
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First, let’s take a look at Momma-
She is a provider for her children. She feeds them, protects them, nurtures them and ultimately will enable them to fly for themselves. We have seen the delightful (not really) assortment of worms and bugs she provides. She sits on top of her fuzzy babies sheltering them from the storm and the elements.

Throughout Scripture, we see how the Lord has provided for His children. Woven through the Word from Genesis to Revelation, He has provided land, shelter, food, wool and flax for clothing, comfort, even a way of escape from temptation (1 Cor. 10:13). He provided the ram for the sacrifice saving Isaac, and He provided Jesus, the supreme sacrifice saving you and me: “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.” Hebrews 1:3
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God also provides the very strength we need: “If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 4:11
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Now, what about those babies:
There are 3 growing babies in the nest. They are all different. One squirms and scratches himself all the time. One often appears to be despondent – crying, hanging his head over the side of the nest with beak wide open. And one just seems to be mellow, waiting to be served. But all of them have some things in common, too.
When Momma shows up at mealtime, they all clamor to be fed. Even when she isn’t there, they often extend their scrawny necks reaching as high as they can with gaping mouths. They are unable to fly, but have grown from downy little balls to fidgeting masses of tufts, feathers and beaks. Their strength is increasing, and one day they will fly away, soaring to heights previously unknown.


We also are all different, uniquely created. Whether we are active, or melancholy or peaceful, we all need the nurture that our heavenly Father provides. The babies remind me of when I was a young Christian, devouring the Bible, my spiritual food. As I feasted on the Word, I matured and grew in my faith. Witnessing the birds straining their heads upwards with beaks wide open, convicts me that I ought to still yearn for the Word, straining to be nourished by it.
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Right now, the babies remain huddled in their nest, waiting, growing and gaining the strength they will need for their future.
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Right now, you may be waiting, hoping for a change in your circumstances. Rest assured, the time of waiting is not time wasted. It is a time of preparation. It is a time to be renewed, a time to strengthen your hope in the Lord, a time to develop what is needed to soar.
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Do you not know? Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.
He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.
Isaiah 40:28-31

Susan

A Bird in the WHAT?

Posted on by Susan Panzica

There she sits, Momma Bird, who built her nest atop my front door wreath. Not too smart, Momma!

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The front door is a busy place in our house. Outside, my husband and son worked for weeks building the front walkway (an awesome job they did, by the way!). On the inside, a bustling family, complete with dog and a staircase just a few feet from the front door. Every time we are near the door, Momma senses danger and flies away to a nearby tree. Now you and I know that she is not really in danger, but from her point of view, there is grave danger. So, my question is – why, with the safe haven of a giant oak nearby, did she pick such a potentially dangerous place to build her nest?

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Reminds me of someone we read about in the book of Genesis – Abraham’s nephew, Lot. When Abraham and his nephew moved to Canaan, Lot “moved his tents near Sodom. The people of Sodom were wicked and were sinning greatly against the Lord.” More than once, Uncle Abraham had to come to his rescue. Yet Lot remained camped at the edge of sin.

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In our lives today, we can behave like Lot. Listening to music or watching movies or TV shows that chip away at our sense of moral conduct. We engage in conversations that steer towards gossip rather than honest caring sharing. We purchase items with money we don’t have. It may not seem like the outrageous sin of Sodom, but when we are camped near the boundary of unrighteous behavior, our consciences become dulled. When we are entertained by the things of this world, we diminish our sensitivity to things of God. And that is a dangerous situation to be in!
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Our Momma bird has become less fearful of danger. Where she used to fly away at the slightest whisper, she now remains perched even when we come close to the door, acclimated to her environment.
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The moral of the story: While we are to be in the world, we are not be of it. Be loving, but not compromising. Life in the spirit is a battle, and as any good soldier will tell you, don’t camp near the enemy!
“Sin is crouching at your door and you must master it.” (Gen. 4:7)
“Let us be alert and self-controlled.” (1 Thess.5:6)
Susan

Graduation Day!

Posted on by Susan Panzica
Congratulations, AJ!
You have made your Dad and I so proud in so many ways.

I love this picture that my sister took at AJ’s graduation last week. His confident cheerful swagger as he entered the graduation ceremony testifies to his confident cheerful demeanor.

Graduations are reminders of the changing seasons of our lives. While this is the end of AJ’s high school days, it is the beginning of an exciting new chapter of his life. What he learned and experienced in high school contributes to the person he will be tomorrow.
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Not surprising that I see this as a metaphor for our lives in Christ. The experiences that we have while here on earth serve to mold us into the person that God wants us to be, both here and in the hereafter. As the Apostle Paul said, “our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” Our life on earth is preparation for the job that God has planned for us for eternity.
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My prayer is that you and I will face eternity with a confident cheerful swagger knowing that the best is yet to come, that we have been prepared to face the future, a future that is superior to anything that we have ever known. May we view our passage as a graduation filled with hopeful expectation.
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“For you have been my hope, O Sovereign LORD, my confidence since my youth.” Psalm 71:5
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“I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.” Philippians 1:20

Susan

When Faith Struggles

Posted on by Susan Panzica
If you were at the tea, you heard me share my testimony about “Don’t bury your talent.” With her permission, today’s post comes from the speaker who shared those words. I pray that it blesses you as it did me.
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“Because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” James 1:3-4
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My faith struggles. It occurs most often when something happens in life that is beyond my understanding. My faith plunges to below sea level depth when I witness a natural disaster, a family tragedy, or another Christian’s failure. In my humanness, I cannot comprehend the “Why?”
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Regardless of my stinkin’ thinkin,’ God is faithful. Scripture states the following three truths explicitly throughout the Bible.
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God is faithful.
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“He is the Rock; his deeds are perfect. Everything he does is just and fair. He is a faithful God who does no wrong; how just and upright he is!” (Deuteronomy 32:4)
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God always works in our best interests.
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For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome. (Jeremiah 29:11)AMP)
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God’s ways are beyond our understanding.
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“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8-9, NIV).
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So what do I do when my faith plummets? I need to look to the truth that is deeper than my human reality. I need to acknowledge this fact – my faith can only grow when I have to trust God without the benefit of understanding every aspect of His divine will. I also need to realize that faith fluctuates and I am not the only one that struggles with the issue of doubt.
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A biblical example of a person who struggled with his faith is the disciple Thomas. Thomas spent three years with Jesus. He watched the Lord perform miracles. But still his faith floundered. Jesus never gave up on Thomas but kept encouraging him to believe and to trust.
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So when my faith struggles to stay afloat in a sea of doubt, I will look to Jesus for support. I will readily admit that I do not understand the why of the situation. And I will accept that it is part of the process of growing my faith. I will hold onto our Key Verse as a faith preserver. “Because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” (James 1:3-4).
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If your faith is struggling today, join me in the journey of faith. We can walk in encouragement together knowing we are persevering and maturing and that one day our faith will be complete, not lacking in any area.
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Dear Lord, at times my faith struggles. Help me to hold onto the truth of your Word. Allow me to remember my faith is in a state of growth in every circumstance. Grant me strength in my faith so that it may persevere and mature. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
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Application Steps:
Copy onto note cards the following verses: Deuteronomy 32:4, Jeremiah 29:11, Isaiah 55:8-9, and James 1:3-4. The next time your faith feels shaky, read these verses to strengthen you. Ask God to reveal the truth of His faithfulness.
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Reflections:
Are there certain areas where my faith quakes? .Do I feel guilty about my lack of faith at times?
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Power Verses:
Romans 10:17, “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.” (NIV)
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1 Peter 1:7, “Pure gold put in the fire comes out of it proved pure; genuine faith put through this suffering comes out proved genuine. When Jesus wraps this all up, it’s your faith, not your gold, that God will have on display as evidence of his victory.” (MSG)
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© 2009 by Susanne Scheppmann. All rights reserved.

MySpace (part 2) MY TREASURES

Posted on by Susan Panzica

In yesterday’s post, I mentioned the “treasures” I have displayed in MySpace. And I’d like to share a few with you.
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Two are items that we had given to our beloved Aunt Anna when she was going in and out of the hospital and rehab during her last year before she went home to glory. One is a cross that bears the verse “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Phil. 4:13. When I am certain that I cannot write another word, I am reminded that it is not I who is doing the writing. The other is a “promise box” containing Scripture verses to daily remind me of His faithful promises to His children.
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Around my desk, I have my books on one side and family photos on the other side, and the sweet journal that my daughter gave me in between.
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But the most prominent item is the rock collection atop my desk. Why rocks??
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My husband and I have a tradition that when God performs a mighty act in our lives, we save a rock from the event. When we started this, we didn’t even realize that this was a biblical tradition! Back in Old Testament days, the patriarchs and prophets lived nomadic lives. There were long periods of time in which they did not hear from God. So when they did hear from Him, they often built a pile of rocks, called an altar, as a tangible reminder of His work in their lives before they moved on to their next location.
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So what are some stories my rocks tell?
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-Our home/office was threatened to be taken from us by the state to build a new road. We were firmly told that there was absolutely nothing that could be done to change this action, so we prayed and asked many others to pray as well. Several months later, miraculously the decision was reversed with no reason given!
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-My husband was apprehensive about surgery that he was having in Canada. We made a family trip out of it, and throughout the entire journey, God repeatedly went before us in the most amazing ways.
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-We have a rock with 3 stripes, symbolizing the scars that I have from my knee surgeries and my daughter’s stitches on her knee, representing the stripes by which we are healed.
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-On my daughter’s first mission trip, she was unfairly given a disciplinary action. Called a “special blessing”, she was required to do some manual labor. As she was working, she had a spiritual awareness of how Jesus was unfairly treated, and during this time, she found a heart shaped rock.
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-There is a fish-shaped rock from Charlotte, NC, site of my first writer’s conference where God clearly spoke to me about my future in Him.
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-One of our rocks is not a rock at all. It is a piece of gas pipe. My husband discovered that in our boiler room was a gas pipe that the plumber had not connected. It was a complete miracle that it hadn’t moved, or spewed gas into a room with a constant flame, or blew the house up. My husband says that there was an angel with hands raised holding this pipe together for 2 years!
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-2 decorative rocks were gifts to me, each bearing a Scripture verse:
“The Lord is my Rock, my Fortress and My Deliverer.” Ps. 18:2
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Phil 4:13
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-1 small rock (a gift from my son) imprinted with – “He that is without sin among you, let him cast the first stone.” Jesus Christ
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Epilogue:
When we got our dog 5 years ago, we were brainstorming to find a name for her. My daughter suggested “Roxie.” My first thought was of the character Roxie Hart from the movie “Chicago” that had been released shortly before:
“Name my dog after a murdering adulteress?? I don’t think so!”
But then Lauren explained her reasoning:
She said she was thinking of things about her family that are unique, and she remembered our rock collection.
“Name my dog after the great works of God? Oh, yeah, that works!”
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Susan

MySpace (part 1) REDEEMED!

Posted on by Susan Panzica

When our family room was being built, my husband prophesied that the living room would be rendered useless. And he was right. For a few years, the living room served as a rather large foyer. We, and our guests, walked right through it to get to the kitchen and family room, the hub of the house. Truthfully, the living room had become a giant dust collector.
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Then, in January, my husband’s aunt moved. In her downsizing, we purchased an old, slightly dilapidated piece of furniture from her that I had long admired. After applying some elbow grease, her tall secretary was placed in our family room, and our smaller desk was moved to a corner in the living room. As I rearranged the furniture in that abandoned room, I started to get excited. I had a space of my own…MySpace!
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My newfound space in the front of the house is somewhat removed from the noise in the back of the house. I assembled my treasures in clear view (more on that tomorrow). The desk stores my “new” (well, new to me) laptop computer. And thanks to the miracle of wireless technology, I can surf the world wide web from my little corner of the world and even print out documents on our printer in the next room!
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I needed a seat for the desk and found a stool the perfect height for $25, reduced from $129.99 due to a minor flaw that I covered with a fashionable throw! Oh, isn’t God good!!

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Sometimes, my husband even joins me, sprawled out on the couch with a magazine or his laptop. The room has been redeemed! So how wonderful it is for me to write in this redeemed space about our Redeemer!
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Redemption involves recovering something by paying the debt against it. A redeemer is one who buys back, or pays ransom, or makes amends. There are many passages of Scripture in the Old Testament (especially in Isaiah) that speak of God being the redeemer of his people, and the New Testament tell us that Jesus, the Son of God, is our redeemer.
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So what can I say about our Redeemer?
– He gives us a new name and purpose
– He redeems us, but we were never forgotten or abandoned
– He makes us useful
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And what does the Word say about our Redeemer?
– He redeemed my soul from going down to the pit, and I will live to enjoy the light. Job 33:28
– My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to you— I, whom you have redeemed. Psalm 71:23
– Let the redeemed of the LORD say so— those he redeemed from the hand of the foe. Psalm 107:2
– But now, this is what the LORD says— he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. Isaiah 43:1
– “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come and has redeemed his people. Galatians 3:14
– For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers. 1 Peter 1:18

Susan

What a night!

Posted on by Susan Panzica

On Saturday, the ladies (and men!) of High Mountain Church held their annual Ladies Tea. It was a beautiful night of music and ministry, food and fellowship, and of course, the drawing for beautiful baskets, gift certificates and other items!

The ladies on the left (at least to my left!)

The crowd in the middle

Ladies on the right
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along the wall:
the awesome men who served us
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Ladies,
Thank you for making our night so special.
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In particular:
Cherie – thank you for sharing such beautiful music, especially the song “Brave”. I know it was out of your comfort zone, and you were so brave! Those lyrics have long ministered to me, and I am so thankful that you were willing to share it. And somehow you worked your magic to transform that unattractive gym into a lovely environment (so mod & groovy!!).
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Nancy – you do an awesome job with the baskets, from creation to presentation. (Hmmm – He created us and will present us faultless before His throne! Sorry, I’m just too corny sometimes!)
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Susan – you have set a vision and so beautifully demonstrate the grace of God as you are the glue that holds it all together.
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I know that there were many others who worked so hard to make the evening so special for all who attended. It was an example of the body of Christ working effectively together. Some were the eyes, seeing the need and casting a vision. Some were the feet running to and fro, while others were the ears and heart listening and ministering comfort.
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The message I shared was about conquering fear, and I’ll be sharing bits and pieces here and there within the weeks to come. Until then, let me just say – I am a living testimony that God can bring us through those doors, past the thresholds of fear, enabling to walk in victory.
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Thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Cor. 15:57
Susan

An Invitation from the Speaker of the House!

Posted on by Susan Panzica

As I walked into church on Sunday, I was met by my beloved friend, Rose, who greets everyone with the hugest smile ever!
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As she handed me the bulletin, Rose noticed that I was to be the speaker at our annual Ladies Tea this year. She commented that I have been doing a lot of speaking lately! (Not a lot really – but more than she has!) Then she declared that I was the Speaker of the House! We roared with laughter!
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If only she knew (and she will after Saturday night) the journey that God has taken me on to bring me to the point where I can stand in front of people, much less speak. When I was a child, my mother’s motto was that children should be seen and not heard. She meant in front of company, of course, but I fit the bill perfectly. If being quiet was the standard of proper behavior, I was a model child. But, the truth is that I was very far from a model child, just a quiet one! I was painfully shy and riddled with fears. My fears morphed and grew over the years to monumentable proportions.
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So this Saturday, please join me as I share about the journey that God has brought me – to face these fears and bring me freedom. It will be a wonderful evening with extraordinary special music, delicious food and raffles of beautiful baskets, gift certificates and other items.
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Here’s the info:
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Saturday, June 6, 2009 . . . 5:30pm
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High Mountain Church of the Nazarene
681 High Mountain Rd., No. Haledon, NJ
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$15 per person
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Call the church office for tickets:
973-427-2575
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Hope to see you there!
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Susan