Author: Susan Panzica

Life is hard. But it is harder if you don’t know the One who created us, and re-creates us day by day.

In his book, “Encourage Me”, Chuck Swindoll related the story of “The Hammer, The File and The Furnace”. Here is part of that story that has ministered to me greatly over the years.

The hammer is a useful and handy instrument. It is an essential and helpful tool, if nails are ever to be driven into place. Each blow forces them to bite deeper as the hammer’s head pounds and pounds. But if the nail had feelings and intelligence, it would give us another side of the story. To the nail, the hammer is a brutal, relentless master – an enemy who loves to beat it into submission. That is the nail’s view of the hammer. It is correct. Except for one thing. The nail tends to forget that both it and the hammer are held by the same workman. The workman decides whose “head” will be pounded out of sight…and which hammer will be used to do the job. This decision is the sovereign right of the carpenter. Let the nail but remember that it and the hammer are held by the same workman…and its resentments will fade as it yields to the carpenter without complaint.


The same analogy holds true for the metal that endures the rasp of the file and the blast of the furnace. If the metal forgets that it and the tolls are objects of the same craftsman’s care, it will build up hatred and resentment. The metal must keep in mind that the craftsman knows what he’s doing … and is doing what is best.


Heartaches and disappointments are like the hammer, the file and the furnace. … As difficult as it may be for you to believe this today, the Master knows what He’s doing. Your Savior knows your breaking point. That bruising and crushing and melting process is designed to reshape you, not ruin you. Your value is increasing the longer He lingers over you.

Today we say goodbye to our dear friend Pat who went home to Lord on Sunday morning. The loss we feel is palpable, a huge black hole, a separation. Yet the Scripture that I sense God speaking to me is:

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? … No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:35, 38-39


As a child, my daughter and some of her little classmates suffered from separation anxiety. Leaving their moms at the door to preschool became a test of patience and grace. The moms knew they weren’t leaving their children, but the children’s perspective was one of separation.


As God’s children, we can be comforted to know that He will never leave us or forsake us. He has assured us of that repeatedly (Deut. 31:6, Deut. 31:8, Joshua 1:5, 1 Kings 8:57 and Hebrews 13:5). Nothing can separate us from His love (Rom. 8)


Jesus left His home in heaven to dwell among us. Did He experience separation anxiety? No, Jesus said that He and the Father are one. Though wrapped in flesh and living as a man, He was one with His Father. And He said that we are one with Him.

So if He feels distant, the question is: Who moved?


As far as we might feel from God sometimes, it is only ever one step back into experiencing His presence. Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord. Acts 3:19

Next week is Thanksgiving. We are given the opportunity to contemplate what we have to be thankful for. When we list our blessings, the fact that God desires to be in our presence should be at the top of our lists. Over these 40 days, may we rejoice in His presence.


You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of Your presence and the pleasures of living with You forever. Psalm 16:11

Many thanks to Clare Cartagena for today’s post. Clare is a member and a mentor of my writing group and a gifted, multipublished writer with her first novel in the works.

Luke 10: 38-40 NIV “As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”

We anticipate Christmas from a distance differently than as the time draws near. Nothing changes about what the celebration is except our frame of mind. Some would say we lose our minds.

What happens is the “Mary/Martha” syndrome. Martha invited Jesus into her home. What a special day! Everything had to be just right. Of course the meal should show honor befitting the guest. The plans she had, the pressure, the work, everything important, no detail could be overlooked. How quickly a joyous occasion became overwhelming until she not only missed the guest, she fought with her family! Sound familiar?

Mary on the other hand sat at Jesus’ feet drinking up His words, knowing that a meal of some kind would come together when everyone was hungry.

Right now, we can have “Mary” plans. The holiday season is just beginning. Christmas is still far enough away to waken dreams of colored lights, special gifts, baking cookies and spreading joy among friends and family. In not so many weeks, we may wake to a nightmarish Martha feeling that we don’t have enough time to do what absolutely must be done or some loved one will be disappointed. We will struggle with memories not so sweet of family and friends not always dear, of pounds added from too many cookies and wallets depleted from too many gifts.

Say is isn’t so! Can’t we stay at this moment and time; a week before Thanksgiving with its traditional menu, no thinking involved? Stress has not entered the picture yet but maybe, just maybe we can do something today that will guard our tomorrow.

Consider the calm that is upon you now. Hold onto the worship in your heart that compels you to make Christmas special.

Make a commitment to sit at Jesus’ feet to listen to His words. Be willing to let the perfect meal, the perfect table and the perfect gift pass you by. Choose to keep your focus on the One who will bless you and your household as you draw and stay near Him.

Clare Cartagena

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Are you expecting?

Those words could be a thrill or they could strike fear in your heart.

It all depends upon what you are expecting.

2000 years ago, there was an expectation in the land of Israel that the Messiah would be coming (Luke 3:15). For 400 years (twice as long as the United States has existed!), there had been no spoken or written word from God. The prophecies pointed to this time in history as the time when their fulfillment would occur. The anticipation was palpable. How would the Messiah come? Who would He be? Would He meet their expectations?

Flash forward 2000 years. The church calendar recognizes the season before Christmas as Advent (from the Latin word, adventus, meaning “coming”). Traditionally, Advent commences on the fourth Sunday before Christmas Day. It is a season of expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of the Nativity of Jesus.

As Advent approaches, what are you expecting?

If you were you expecting a season of stress, perhaps this will be the year that those expectations will not be met!

Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. Colossians 3:2

As a photographer adjusts the lens of her camera, adjust the lens of your expectations. When the circumstances of your life, the things that are so close – the earthly things – are in crisp focus, everything else is out of focus. But by adjusting our lens, we can bring into crisp focus the things of God – the things above. Then the things of earth are not so defined. We can still see them; we know they are there, but they no longer are our focus. When we seek Him, we will find Him. We can find Him in the midst of our circumstances. We can find Him outside of our circumstances. He is never hard to find. If we are looking in the right places.

Lord, we are expecting…. We are expecting to sense Your presence over these 40 days. We expect to see You exalted among Your people. We expect to be at peace as we keep our focus on You. Thank you, Jesus!

Last night, I saw my first Christmas-lit house of the season. Another time, another year, I would have grumbled “It’s not even Thanksgiving yet! Too early for twinkling lights.”

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Last year, I well remember the day I uttered “Only 40 more days until Christmas!” It was a joke before it came out of my mouth. It was my mission after.

Throughout history, from Noah to Moses to Jonah to Jesus, God has used 40-day periods to accomplish His purposes. Even in this century, Pastor Rick Warren influenced millions with his 40-day plan, The Purpose Driven Life.
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Well, 40 days from today is….. Christmas Day! How will your next 40 days be spent? Blessed….. or stressed?
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We are approaching a period of time that each year is often filled with anxiety rather than peace. This may be a deliberate attempt of the enemy of our souls to distract us from the glorious truth that God came from heaven to earth so that God and sinner could be reconciled.
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So, believing that God can do amazing things in your life over the next 40 days, I am sharing a challenge with you – that together we can each have a revival in our personal lives and can influence those around us to draw close to God as well.

As you know, I don’t usually post more than 2 times per week because I don’t want to flood your inbox and because I don’t want to drive my family or myself crazy to write more than that. However, as part of my 2nd annual “40 Day Focus,” I will be posting every day for the next 40 days! Why and how will I do this?
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Why?
I want to partner together with you in this challenge to use these next 40 days as a time for renewal, restoration and revival. I will share devotions as well as practical tips to redeem this time as preparation for our coming King.
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How?
Each day I will share either:
– Something old – a previous post of mine
– Something new – a newly written post
– Something borrowed – shared from another writer
– Nothing blue – all posts will be uplifting, motivating, encouraging, useful!
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So far, 14 fellow writers have joined me to share their wit and wisdom for the next 40 days. I know you’ll be impacted by their gifted prose.
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Will you join me in the 40 day challenge?
Will you commit to redeeming this time?
Will you let me know so that I can pray for you during this time?
Will you share your insights with me and my readers by leaving a comment.
Will you encourage others to walk this 40 day journey with us?
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Lord, may those reading this today be encouraged to take this challenge with me and commit the next 40 days to draw closer to You, to not be influenced by the stresses in their world, to be blessed rather than stressed, to redeem this time, to glorify You with their words and their deeds.
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May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer. Psalm 19:14