Be Our Guest! Wow – I’m a Guest!

Posted on by Susan Panzica

I'm a Blessed Guest!

One of the best things about blogging is the friendships you develop in the “blog-o-sphere.”  My friend, Joanne from California, is one of those friends. We met at the She Speaks conference when I had no idea what I was even doing there. It was a God thing, to be sure. It was part of my “Get Smart” year where God opened doors for me, like the opening credits of the TV show and movie where Maxwell Smart walked through doors he didn’t open. For the first time in my life, I (like Max) walked through doors rather than run the other direction. Joanne, a gifted writer, was there to meet me after walking through the doors, an accomplished Agent 99 to my bumbling Maxwell Smart.

After initially meeting over lunch, we sat in on a session that we thought would be helpful. Instead, as Joanne says, she received “some disappointing news from a woman who was an over-achiever in the discouragement department.” So later, when Joanne had to leave for her publisher interview, she was understandably anxious. Rather than say (as I usually would) “I’ll pray for you,” I felt strongly impressed by God to pray WITH her, not just FOR her, to pray OVER her, not just ABOUT her. So right there, in the front row of the conference room, we 3 had a little heavenly tête-à-tête, Joanne, me and God. Normally apprehensive about putting myself out there, Joanne helped me learn a little about walking in obedience. And though the verse Eccl. 4:12 is often used in weddings, Solomon is also talking about friendship, and that afternoon it was alive for me:
“Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”

Joanne is a gifted writer, often with side-splitting humor. This month, Joanne is using her newly renovated corner of the web to interview some blog-friends, including me! She’s such a good friend, I don’t even mind that she called me an “oxymoron.”

You can read her interview with me here.

Thanks Joanne. May God continue to use you abundantly.
Susan

11 thoughts on “Be Our Guest! Wow – I’m a Guest!”

  7. Thank you Susan for the comment you left for me today on my blog. You made my day with your sweet comments! Thank you so much and yes you can quote me for sure, if you decide to. (just change any spelling errors I might have made!)

    I will have to read your book once it is published. Sounds so wonderful. I love the idea of each chapter being about the names that God calls us!… So inspiring and heart warming.

    Thank you for wanting to follow my blog and I signed up to follow yours also.

    I'm so glad to meet you Susan!
    Lee Ann

    Reply

  8. Hi Susan –

    I loved how you described the doors opening before you and walking through them instead of running away. You painted a great word picture.

    May we all have the courage to walk through those God-ordained doors of opportunity.

    Blessings,
    Susan 🙂

    Reply

  10. Glad to "meet" you Susan. I was at that conference as well; funny how so many of us connected because of it. Perhaps, one of the main reasons God has us to be there… to be an encouragement for others on the road of grace. Joanne is a dear, and even though I didn't meet her face to face, I've come to love her via our e-mails, chats, blog posts.

    Keep to the pen and to Jesus, Susan. God is and will continue to use you for his kingdom gain in a way that is best suited to your unique giftings and personality.

    peace~elaine

    Reply

  11. Susan, I think you must have been writing this post as I was leaving you a comment at your last post. I came over from One Blessed Guest where I read your interview there. If you check your post "Butterflies Are Free", you will find my comment to you.

    You are a blessing,]
    Lee Ann

    Reply

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