It’s Out Of My Hands And Into Yours

          11:00 pm-     A huge disappointment
          12:00 am-     “why? really, why?”
           1:06 am –     “It’s out of my hands and into Yours”

It’s out of my hands and into Yours
I’m beaten down and don’t feel secure
The heart of the matter is, it’s broken in two
But I know it’s not me that can make it brand new

Expectations shattered 
My mind is battered
The loss of something
The loss of someone
The loss that I am completely undone

I wanted something I couldn’t have
Then why did I want it, I wanted so bad
I am centered around me and not around You
I know this is wrong and it just won’t do
You’re in my life, all around, everywhere
But I just want to feel you right next to me and stay there

You’re all I need
You’re in between
You’re every good thing in my life
You’re love never fails
Even when others bail
You’re love it compels my life

Why do I want unnecessary things
And focus on the short-lived things?

You’re everlasting
All encompassing
And took on pain that I will never receive
You gave ME new life
And endured the strife
How ungrateful and selfish I have been

It’s out of my hands and into Yours
It’s out of my hands and into Yours

Who ever said Your will means pleasure?
I may have gotten hurt, but now I am stronger
If strength is Your will, then God I’m getting it
I’m letting it
I’m not regretting it

It’s out of my hands, God help me endure
It’s out of my hands and into Yours

          by Lauren Panzica
          Thursday, September 30, 2010 at 1:06am


When we hold tightly to our broken dreams, He can’t mend them. But when we release our disappointments to God, we give Him permission to work in our lives. 

The editor in me spotted two beautiful little typos in Lauren’s poem:
          “You’re love never fails…” 
          “You’re love it compels my life…”  
Technically, she meant to writeYour love…” but I also like it this way, telling GodYou Are Love You never fail… You compel my life.” 
When we fix our gaze on Him, we shift our focus in life from the temporal to the eternal.  It’s a choice, an action, to redirect our attentions and put things in proper perspective.

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 2 Cor. 4:18  

btw- the Greek word for poem “poema” is translated “masterpiece.” Bravo, Lauren!

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Happy Birthdays!!

I’m a neglectful mother. I thought about it, but I just didn’t do it. I didn’t write special birthday posts for my darling children who celebrated their special days on the 22nd and 27th. But fortunately, their creativity and love for each other provided just the material for you to catch a glimpse into our crazy family. On an ordinary day, I am the proudest mama going, but after seeing their greetings to each other, I’m not quite sure about that anymore! 


Here is the poem that Lauren wrote for her beloved brother:



yo bro

its your birfday and im here to give you a rhyme
i know it wont be long so im sure you got the time
living with you all my life has been kinda crazy
you sweat, eat a lot and sometimes you get lazy

but youre way too cool and smart and really funny
so ill never kick you out even though you like chubby bunnies
the way you sing, smile and fart 
is only just the start
youre more than a brother
youre my best friend
i just freakin love you
THE END



And his greeting to her is the following YouTube video. 
Out of necessity, I’m posting the words first! 

you wrote me a rhyme that was truly sublime
but it will not stand the test of time
because im back with a whole new swagger
my lyrics and moves are makin e’erbody stagger
i got the flow of the century and im here to let you know
it got the biggest baddest happy birthday rap fo sho

you see im singin to the the most beautiful head of curls
whose life of BEIN LOVE inspires so many girls
paper pages in her pocket are the deepest root
because the bible is the key to life’s eternal fruit
if you ask her bout the truth she is compelled to say
that jesus christ is all the love and life and the way
god has blessed her with lifesong always on her lips
lives a life of dance god’s glory moves her hips
the proclamation of salvation grips her tongue
showin love to e’erbody big and small old and young

twenty two years of her life is written on this day
to my sister
how i’ve missed her
HAPPY BIRTH-A-DAY!!

So do you wanna laugh or cry? I’m doing both! 

Thank You!!


Thank you, dear friends, for your prayers and generous donations benefiting this year’s Walk For Life to raise funds and awareness for pancreatic cancer research. It was a beautiful day, much appreciated since we’ve had rain the past 2 years.  

Over $160,000 was raised, and more will be coming in over the next few weeks, likely bringing the total to over $200,000. Since 100% of the money raised goes directly to research, this means that a study will be fully funded to help find a cause and/or cure for this insidious disease. 

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Dear friends,

Within the past few years, our family has lost 3 very dear cousins and friends to pancreatic cancer. The loss of Ron, Allen and Jerry has affected us deeply.

The five-year survival rate for pancreatic cancer is less than five percent – a fact that has not changed in 30 years despite significantly improved survival rates for many other cancers. Although pancreatic cancer is the fourth-leading cause of cancer deaths, only 1% of federal research funds are focused on this deadly disease. The Lustgarten Foundation is working to change this unfortunate situation. Their mission is to fund the scientific and medical research needed for diagnosis, treatment, cure and prevention of this disease. 100% of all donations go directly to research.

I will be joining our family in participating in the Ron Weber Walk for Life on Sunday, Sept. 26 at Bergen County College in Paramus, NJ which raises money to support the Lustgarten Foundation.


If you’re not busy that weekend, come join the walk that honors our cousin Ron’s legacy. Come alone or bring a friend or other family member – together we can make a difference! All donations are tax-deductible. If you would like to walk with us, feel free to join us by signing up online at http://paramuswalk.kintera.org/ : click on the logo for “Register.”

If you cannot participate, please make a financial contribution, for which I would be very grateful. You can donate directly on my personal webpage at http://paramuswalk.kintera.org/panzica

Please help us to ensure that patients and their families have a fighting chance so that we can provide them with the kind of hope Ron, Allen and Jerry never knew.


I cannot thank you enough for your friendship and support.

True Hospitality

Today, I am once again thankful to be a guest over at Lynn Mosher’s blog, Heading Home. Please be sure to check out Lynn’s blog and her series on “How To Behave Like A Christian.” My post is based upon Romans 12:13b “…given to hospitality.”

“…given to hospitality.” Romans 12:13b NKJV 




Three large tables were set as I walked into the women’s meeting:


* The first table was Martha Stewart perfect with fine china, starched linens, gleaming glassware, sparkling silverware.


* The second was comfy casual with paper plates and plastic utensils.


* The third table merely had a large paper grocery sack with a bag of chips in it.

As the women filed into the room, they filled up the paper sack table first. The paper plate table ended up half-filled. Not one woman sat at the Martha Stewart table.


Such was the speaker’s intention. Her topic that day was hospitality. And it was wildly apparent that comfort trumped perfection.


For a long time, I was disobedient to God’s call to hospitality. I refused to welcome friends to my home unless it was straightened up, perfectly decorated, a showplace. But I’ve since learned that people feel much more comfortable when a home appears lived-in.

As much as I love to learn new recipes and crafts, I believe Martha Stewart has done a grave disservice to women everywhere.


Hospitality isn’t about the home. It’s about the people in it.

Perhaps the Scripture passage most often used to discuss hospitality is the familiar story of Mary and Martha. (Luke 10:38-42)


Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.” And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”

Mary and Martha, and their brother Lazarus, often hosted Jesus and His followers when they were in Bethany. I’m sure the arrival of these frequent guests, though welcome, required much work for their hosts.


Mary is usually pictured sitting at Jesus’ feet, but Martha said that Mary “left me to serve alone.” That tells me that Mary was serving before she sat down to listen to His words. Both sisters were serving when Martha and Mary each made a choice. Mary chose the “good part.” She stopped serving to pay attention to her Guest; Martha continued “distracted…, worried and troubled.”

I don’t believe the main issue here is busyness vs. resting as is often suggested. I believe it is hospitality.

While we shouldn’t be distracted, worried or troubled about it, we do need to be busy serving. Jesus came as a servant and declared that He was the example to follow (John 13:13-15). His mission statement was that He came not to be served but to serve (Mark 10:45).


Later, at another dinner in Jesus’ honor, the day before His triumphal entry to Jerusalem, we see Martha busy serving again, yet this time without complaint (John 12:2). This time her sister anointed Jesus for His burial. This time Martha understood hospitality. Her focus was on her Guest.


I am not “given to hospitality” if I am fluttering around the kitchen, if I am distracted by my preparations, if I am more concerned with how my home looks or my food tastes than with how my comfortable my guests feel. I am “given to hospitality” if I pay attention to my guests and what they have to say.

Hospitality is about esteeming your guest, not putting on a presentation. The only presentation we are asked to give is to present our “bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God.” (Rom. 12:1)

And hospitality isn’t limited to guests in our homes. It’s about our lives. We practice hospitality whenever we take a genuine interest in the people around us – friends, family, acquaintances, strangers; people in church, at our jobs, the supermarket, the mall, or the park; people on the phone, online, or in person.

The NIV and NLT translations of Romans 12:13b state, “Practice hospitality.” And we all know, “practice makes perfect.”

Touched By An Angel

… some people have entertained angels without knowing it. Hebrews 13:2

Last night, we celebrated the birthday of our dear friend, Mark. Friends and family gathered together with lots of food, music, and laughter as we shared memories of the funny and poignant times spent with Mark.

For years, my daughter and her friends honestly believed that Mark was an angel. Many other children believed that as well. It was easy to believe. In fact, I believe it myself 🙂

Mark was and is a prayer warrior. Years ago, before one of my first speaking engagements, I was terrified. Put me in a circle of friends, and I can jabber all day. But standing in front of people is another story. You’ve heard that public speaking is the #1 fear in this country, right? It’s a studied fact. The #2 fear in this country is death. That means that at a funeral the average person would rather be in the casket than delivering the eulogy! Ok, that last sentence was borrowed from Jerry Seinfeld, but it’s true, isn’t it! I still get butterflies when I have to speak, but I’ve learned that the fear keeps me on my knees and not relying in my own strength which is a good thing. But anyway…. Here I was, knees buckling, stomach churning, reviewing my notes endlessly. And Mark called to let me know he was praying for me. I hadn’t asked him to pray. He just knew the need, and his call letting me know that he was praying could not have been more welcome. Here was this man of God praying for a women’s event!

There’s so much more I could say about this faithful servant and friend, but let me ask you: do you have a Mark in your life? If you are as blessed as my friends and I, please be sure to thank your angel. And share a comment of how that special person has blessed your life.

Break my heart for what breaks Yours

A dear friend, Lynn Mosher, over at Heading Home has been doing a wonderful series, How To Behave Like a Christian, based on Romans 12:9-21. She graciously asked me (and other bloggers) to guest post. So today and next week, I’ll be sharing over there. Please check out today’s post on “sharing with God’s people who are in need” based on Romans 12:13a, and leave Lynn a comment.
distributing to the needs of the saints,” Rom 12:13a NKJV

My 2 children have traveled the world on various short term mission trips for the last 9 years. This year’s trips have had perhaps the most profound impact of all their trips. After seeing a school in Uganda without a blackboard, my daughter’s team decided rather than simply purchase one, they’d try to raise awareness in their community of friends. The goal was to raise $100. They raised over $1000. Another girl, after seeing the bleeding feet of barefoot children, is working with Tom’s shoe company to donate shoes to children in Haiti. My son wants start a ministry to raise support for impoverished children to attend school. These youth have been called to “distribute to the needs of the saints.”

Since their trips, I have found myself “accidentally meditating.” A lyric from a favorite worship song, Hosanna, is just stuck in my head. “Break my heart for what breaks Yours…” Over 60 years ago, Dr. Bob Pierce prayed similar words: “Let my heart be broken by the things that break the heart of God.” In 1947, as a war correspondent and evangelist, he traveled to China with Youth for Christ, and his heart was broken by the needs of one little girl. Pledging a monthly sponsorship for her, Dr. Bob Pierce began World Vision to help children orphaned in the Korean War. In the decades that followed, World Vision has fulfilled the calling of Romans 12:13a “Share with God’s people who are in need” by providing global relief using clean water as an entry point into communities, following with other activities that create change and ultimately bring transformation through the gospel.

Last Christmas, our family participated in the Advent Conspiracy and substituted gifts for each other with the purchase clean water, sewing machines, a stocked fishing pond and a flock of sheep for those in need overseas. And closer to home, we take part in our church’s homeless ministry that meets the needs of men from a local Christian shelter.

All these ministries seek to meet the needs of those in need. But there are many NON-Christians who also care for the poor, who sacrifice life and limb to live in impoverished nations, who serve in the Peace Corps, the military, the inner cities, Indian reservations, homeless shelters, safe houses for abused…

As my meditation continued on what breaks God’s heart, I began to realize some other things, some personal things that break His heart. I silently but loudly heard His question to me: You can love people around the world, but can you love the person sitting next to you?

What breaks God’s heart? Not just children dying in Africa. I realized that it breaks God’s heart when my attitudes and actions represent the enemy more than they represent Him. While we need to care for the “least of these,” we ought not to do it out of obligation and then have Him say, “I never knew you.” (Matt.25) It grieves God when His people act like they don’t know Him. He’s not as grieved by sinners who act like sinners as He is by Christians who act like sinners. If we meet the physical needs of the poor, but are judgmental, critical, envious, prideful, angry, or filled with false Pharisee holiness, we are not obeying His call to holy living.

If we truly want to love our neighbor as ourselves, that includes loving the unlovely. “If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Any sinner does that. … In a word, what I’m saying is, Grow up. You’re kingdom subjects. Now live like it. Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you.” (Matt. 5:48 MSG)

As Christians, we must “share with God’s people who are in need.” And we must do so with the assurance that as we do, we are ministering to Jesus Himself. “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to Me!’ Matt. 25:35-40 NLT

My prayer today is found in the surrounding lyrics of “Hosanna”:

Heal my heart and make it clean
Open up my eyes to the things unseen
Show me how to love like you have loved me

Break my heart for what breaks yours
Everything I am for your kingdoms cause
As I go from nothing to
Eternity

May it be your prayer too!