Month: August 2013

Overcoming the Overwhelming

Posted on by Susan Panzica

“When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. “Oh no, my lord! What shall we do?” the servant asked. “Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are morethan those who are with them.” And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.” 2 Kings 6:15-17
Did you ever feel like that servant?
“Oh no, my Lord! What shall I do?”
Did you ever feel like the odds were against you? That you faced an impossible task with insufficient resources? That the mountain ahead was insurmountable?
I did.


Click here to join me over at Laced With Grace today where sharing my thoughts on overcoming our overwhelming obstacles. 

Make A Difference From Here

Posted on by Susan Panzica

I was on the plane home after leaving my daughter in Australia (where she’d study dance ministry for a year) when I watched the movie, Taken. A bad choice. Really bad timing. I love a thriller, but this one hit too close to home. It’s a story of two American girls traveling in Europe who are abducted and sold into human trafficking. The ex-spy dad violently came to his daughter’s rescue. But not until after the slave auction scene burned into my brain.
The picture of modern day slavery haunts me. It’s not just a movie. It’s reality. And it’s not just in some far off countries but in the US as well.
Here are 5 facts about human trafficking: 
1. There are an estimated 27 million slaves in the world today. That’s the highest recorded number of slaves in history! An estimated 13 million children are enslaved around the world today, accounting for nearly half of trafficking victims in the world.
2. The average cost of a slave around the world is $90. According to estimates, approximately 80 percent of trafficking involves sexual exploitation, and 19 percent involves labor exploitation.
3. Human trafficking is the second largest criminal enterprise in the world, after drug smuggling and arms dealing.
4. The average age of a young woman being trafficked is 12–14 years old.
5. The United States is one of the top three destination points for trafficked victims. California, New York, Texas and Nevada are the top destination states within the country. Immigration agents estimate that 10,000 women are being held in Los Angeles’ underground brothels; this does not include the thousands of victims in domestic work, sweatshops or other informal industries.
  
Don’t let these troubling facts and grim human trafficking statistics overwhelm you.
How you can help
Let this quote by Elie Wiesel inspire you to take action: “I swore never to be silent whenever and wherever human beings endure suffering and humiliation. We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim.” Refuse to be neutral. Educate yourself on human trafficking issues. Spread the word. Stand for freedom. 
An organization that is making a difference is Children’s HopeChest. I got to spend some time with Laura Fisher, VP of Operations, while at the She Speaks conference two weeks ago. Children’s HopeChest was founded in 1994 to meet the needs of orphans in Russia. Children who “graduate” from Russian orphanages find themselves on the street with little or no life skills and often fall into the waiting hands of human traffickers. To help these and orphans in 9 other countries, Children’s HopeChest partners with churches, businesses, and Christian communities by meeting basic needs and providing training and discipleship. To find out more about Children’s HopeChest, visit their website, watch videos, or like them on facebook. 
There are many other worthy organizations making a difference. In the months to come, I’ll be highlighting some others and ways that we can make a difference from here.
Some people are “go-ers.” They travel to places around the world, investing their lives into the lives of others. Some people are “senders” providing a way for the “go-ers,” both financially and prayerfully. We can all be “do-ers.”
A new group, Justice Network, is growing in northern NJ. We are supporting the organizations on the front lines of this issue. Our next meeting is Aug. 20. If you want to be a “do-er,” let me know! 

I WILL!

Posted on by Susan Panzica
Driving to the airport following the She Speaks conference, I had the distinct pleasure of sitting next to our driver, Bug. Among other things, we talked about the men’s group he leads at his church in NC.

The whole time we talked, I couldn’t help but stare at his bracelet.

/========== I WILL ==========

Bug shared that the bracelet is from his men’s group study on the book Courageous. The men are encouraged to “man up!” and take responsibility to be the godly husband and dad they’re called to be. The other side of the bracelet says I RESOLVE.

But for me the I WILL was huge.

I usually fall into the I WANT TO camp, often falling short of completing what I set out to do.

  • I want to send a note or make a call to let a friend know I’m thinking of her. 
  • I want to ‘ship’ some writing pieces but I keep “perfecting” them which is in reality just procrastination. 
  • I want to finish projects around the house but I keep finding some other “priority” to do instead. 
  • I want to be faithful in reading the Word, but sometimes my eyes just glaze over the words on the page, that is if I even take out my Bible in the first place. 

My “want to’s” are pretty well established.

But if I’m honest, I’ll call it what it is – sin. That’s what Paul called it:

The moment I decide to do good, sin is there to trip me up. I truly delight in God’s commands, but it’s pretty obvious that not all of me joins in that delight. Parts of me covertly rebel, and just when I least expect it, they take charge.I’ve tried everything and nothing helps. I’m at the end of my rope. Is there no one who can do anything for me? Isn’t that the real question?           Rom. 7:21-24 MSG



Thankfully, Paul doesn’t stop there. He answers that question with this:

The answer, thank God, is that Jesus Christ can and does. He acted to set things right in this life of contradictions where I want to serve God with all my heart and mind, but am pulled by the influence of sin to do something totally different. With the arrival of Jesus, the Messiah, that fateful dilemma is resolved. Those who enter into Christ’s being-here-for-us no longer have to live under a continuous, low-lying black cloud. A new power is in operation. The Spirit of life in Christ, like a strong wind, has magnificently cleared the air, freeing you from a fated lifetime of brutal tyranny at the hands of sin and death. Rom. 7:25-8:2 MSG

I’m painfully aware that there is an enemy who doesn’t want me to do kingdom work. Since I’m easily distracted, he’ll dangle some bright shiny thing to divert my attention whenever I start about my task. If you’re a task-oriented person, he’ll use some other tactic. 
But let’s also be aware that he is a defeated foe. We stand in victory, already bought and paid for! 
My action steps following this conference are bullet-points on the back page of my workbook. I want to do them, but will I DO them? 
      Yes. 
      Yes, /===I WILL===
When tempted with distraction, I will remember that bracelet and I WILL do what’s He’s called me to. 

There has never been the slightest doubt in my mind that the God who started this great work in you would keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish on the very day Christ Jesus appears. Phil 1:6 MSG 


The One Who calls you is faithful and He will do it. 1 Thess. 5:24 NIV 

What do you struggle with wanting to do, but not actually doing it? Let’s be accountability partners! Leave a comment below. Together, let’s say I WILL, and then let’s DO IT!