Author: Susan Panzica

Thin Places – Book Review

Posted on by Susan Panzica

Mary DeMuth uses words the way an artist uses paint, the black and white words on the page creating technicolor images in your mind and soul. Experiencing a childhood littered with neglect and sexual abuse, as a teenager, Mary was transformed by the the redemptive work of Jesus Christ.

Thin Places is Mary’s memoir, a pageturner that details brokeness and pain, yet it is more about hope through Jesus’ healing and restoration. This book is required reading for anyone who has suffered abuse, but it is equally valuable to any reader.

Mary describes thin places as “snatches of time, moments really, when we sense God intersecting with our world in tangible, unmistakable ways. They are aha moments, beautiful realizations, when the Son of God bursts through the hazy fog of our monotony and shines on us afresh.” Mary shares her thin places with us, and as she does, I have memories surface of my own thin places. Her honesty is brave, and the book is a challenge to be brave myself.

Because of Mary’s passion to see others set free from their family secrets, she established a blog for readers to anonymously post their experiences. http://blog.myfamilysecrets.org/.
Her own personal blog is http://marydemuth.com/ 

Thin Places releases today and can be purchased at Amazon by clicking here. I was provided a copy of this book from the publisher, Zondervan, and I was glad to review it. Mary DeMuth is not only a gifted writer, but she spends a great deal of time encouraging other up-and-coming writers. I have been blessed by her, and I know you will be too.

Susan

A list of other bloggers participating in this blog tour can be found here.
A Christian Writer’s World
A Godly Wife on Purpose
A Musing Mom
AP Free Writing 101
Audience of One
Audrey Hebbert
Beams of Light Ministries
Becoming God’s Woman
Best Days of My Life
Book Reviews
Calling All Aspiring Writers of Non-Fiction
Carla’s Writing Cafe
Carly Bird’s Home
Carma’s Window,
Character Counts
Chatting at the Sky
Declaring His Marvelous Work
Elisabeth K. Corcoran
Eternity Cafe
Fiction for the Restless Reader
Following My King
Ginger O’Neill Ministries
God Uses Broken Vessels
Gracefull Girl
GriefWalk
Heading Home
heartfeltwords4kids
His Reading List
Iron Makeover
Jean’s Encouraging Words for Writers
Jeanette Goes to Russia (again)
Joyful Scribe
Julie Ferwerda
Karen Ehman
Kathy Howard
Life on the Wild Side
Messy Cars and Muddy Shoes
Mocha with Linda
Musings of Edwina
My Song
New Horizon Reviews
One Desert Rose
Opening Eyes, Opening Hearts
Peace of Mind
Quivering Daughters
Reflections
Rose McCauley, Christian Author
Sage Girls Ministries
Scraps of Life
Set Free Today
Sharing Sharon
Sheila Deeth
Sherri Woodbridge
Sky-High View
Terra Garden
The Gospel Writer
The Hahn Hunting Lodge
The Heart of Writing
The Journey of Writer Danica Favorite
The Stubborn Servant
The Wellspring
Thoughts from a Treasured Wretch
Walls Down
Word Vessel
Writer’s Wanderings

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

Butterflies Are Free

Posted on by Susan Panzica


So if the Son sets you free,
you will be free indeed.
John 8:36





Butterflies populate our church. Not real ones, but images of butterflies adorn the walls representing the vision of our church – transformation. What else represents transformation better than a butterfly? What a picture of what God does in the life of the believer. He lifts us out of our miry existence and enables us to soar like eagles.


There’s a story about a little boy who spotted a cocoon squirming on the sidewalk. To be a good helper, the boy opened up a hole in the end. But when the butterfly emerged from the chrysalis, it was crippled, unable to fly. It needed the struggle to break out of the chrysalis to develop strength in its wings.


And it is the struggles we face that strengthen us and provide freedom. When we are in a dark place like a cocoon, we can trust that God is still working. He is transforming us into new creations, no longer to be trudging along, but giving us wings. As in exercise, no pain – no gain.


Sometimes, we see others in the struggle. We want to rush in to save the day for our children, but they’ll never develop their wings if we do. Maybe we have a friend or family member that needs to be accountable, not just assisted. Though we want to be a helper like the little boy, we may need to step back and allow our fellow butterfly to experience their struggle so they can be strengthened for their journey. That can be harder than going through the struggle ourself, can’t it?


I just saw an amazing movie called “The Butterfly Circus.”


It’s 20 minutes, so when you have the time, I urge you to watch it. It will move you beyond words. Click here to watch it. And have tissues handy. 

After you watch the movie, here are some links to clips you’ll want to watch about one of the actors in the film. I can’t tell you more without spoiling the impact of the movie, but be sure to take the time to click on the YouTube videos below. You will be inspired, I promise.



Nick Vujicic – Greg Laurie Interview (21 minutes)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8Cwx2UbTJA


No arms, No legs, No worries (9 minutes)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3LFBqvvW-M
Shows Nick swimming, cooking, grooming, daily activities


I Love Living Life. I Am Happy. (7 minutes)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8ZuKF3dxCY
Motivational clip of Nick speaking to youth


Nick Vujicic’ s Official Website
http://www.lifewithoutlimbs.org/
.
What impact did this have on you?
Have you ever felt like a caterpillar? How about a butterfly?
Have you ever felt like an oddity, suitable only for a circus sideshow?
How has God transformed you? Used you in someone else’s life?


Susan

Lurkers and Influencers

Posted on by Susan Panzica

I know that majority of you reading this post are subscribers who read Eternity Cafe in your email inbox. You’ve never seen a blog other than the time you went to mine to subscribe and haven’t been back to one since. I know – I was exactly the same before I started writing it.

So my blogger friends, please be patient with me for a moment while I provide definitions for two words you and I have come to know.

Lurker –
Webster’s defines a lurker as:
1 : to lie in wait in a place of concealment …
2 : to be concealed but capable of being discovered; to lie hidden

Bloggers define a lurker as someone who reads your blogpost, visits your blog, maybe smiles or sheds a tear, and then moves on without ever leaving a comment or reply. On rare occasion, a lurker may tell you in person how much your blogpost meant to them. But never leaves a written comment.

Do bloggers like lurkers? Of course! We love ALL our readers, and to be honest, I’m a reformed lurker myself. Would I like more comments? Vell, of course, dahling, who vouldn’t?
But that’s not really what this post is about as you’ll see.

Influencer –
Webster’s defines an influencer as
1 : One who, or that which, influences.
    Influence: Verb
1 : Have and exert influence or effect;
2 : Shape or influence; give direction to;
3 : Induce into action

Most bloggers are writers (duh!), and in publishing, an influencer simply is one who tells others about a book. An author will often provide tips to be an influencer for his/her book, like writing a post or newspaper article, twitter or facebook, contacting local bookstore, etc. In fact, I’ll be posting a review next week for one author who asked me (and hundreds of others) to be an influencer for her book. Her book is something I believe will be valuable to many so why wouldn’t I want to use my little corner of the internet to share it with others? And someday, maybe you will be an influencer for my book (if it ever gets finished!)
But again that’s not what this post is about.

So get to the point already! You may be lurking but I can hear you!
Okay, here’s what I’m getting to.

In God’s kingdom, there are lurkers and influencers, too.

Lurkers may go to church, listen to Christian radio, participate in fellowship, but rarely share the gospel with someone. They drink in, but seldom give out. They receive a word from God, but don’t encourage anyone else. They may even keep their faith completely concealed from the outside world.

Influencers are like Andrew who upon meeting Jesus immediately fetched his brother, Peter, to meet Jesus too. Or like the woman at the well who after speaking with Jesus ran to the town to tell everyone about the Man who knew all about her. They’re like the band members I met in a bar 30 years ago who had met Jesus the month before and were so excited to communicate their great news. Christ’s influencers know they have something valuable that will be more valuable the more it’s shared. And they look for opportunities to influence others to join God’s family or to grow in His family.

It’s true that some people are natural born influencers, and some natural born lurkers. But with the desire to become an influencer for Christ, comes the ability.

If you knew that a bomb was on an airplane, would you warn the passengers lining up to board the plane? That’s the attitude to have to be an influencer.

But being an influencer doesn’t always require speaking. An old adage says “Preach the gospel at all times, and sometimes use words.” It is our daily lives, decisions, behavior that is the biggest influence to those around us.

But if you’re anything like me, there are times that you wanted to speak, to encourage, to share, to influence, and you kept silent. Would you allow me to influence you now 🙂
Here’s what I did:

Step out with baby steps.

A comment here.
An “I’ll pray for you” there.
Seize a moment.
Then build from there.

They share freely and give generously to those in need.Their good deeds will be remembered forever.They will have influence and honor. Psalm 112:9

Susan

ps – and just in case you thought I was kidding with the blogger lurker definition, when I went to the dictionary I found it it’s for real. Here it is, from Websters, lurker definition #3:
3 :to read messages on an Internet discussion forum (as a newsgroup or chat room) without contributing

pps – and if you’ve been lurking around Eternity Cafe, I’d much prefer this blog to be a dialog than a monologue. I’d love to hear/read your comments – and respond to them. So please pull up a chair, grab a cup of coffee, and let’s chat! And feel free to influence your friends to join in!












No Regrets

Posted on by Susan Panzica

Today’s post is stolen from “Stuff Christians Like” by Jon Acuff. Jon writes hysterical Christian satire. Except on Wednesdays which is reserved for more serious issues.  Last Wednesday, he wrote the following story about a conversation with his coworker, Brian. At the end, I’ll add my two cents. To read his post in its entirety, click here.
————-

REGRET:
While at the gym the day before, Brian had seen a man have a heart attack on one of the machines. A crowd quickly formed, but confusion reigned. The gym employees were slow to act and 911 was not called immediately. Brian prayed with a handful of other people and comforted the man the best he knew how, but by the time the ambulance showed up, it was too late. With his wife standing in the crowd of exercisers, a stranger at the gym passed away.


So on an otherwise uneventful morning in an otherwise ordinary conference room, Brian was replaying the whole situation. With the laser focus we all seem to inherit when feeling guilty, he was watching the film of the day before looking for something he could have done differently. There must have been something. Anything that would have saved that man.

That’s a horrible moment that maybe you’re familiar with too. Perhaps the circumstances were different, but somewhere in your life, there’s been a moment you wish happened differently. You lost your job. You lost your marriage. You were too slow to act in a car crash. Your son, the one who used to laugh so hard when you’d build towers of wooden blocks for him to knock over is running away from you and you’re left wondering what you could have done differently.


I don’t know. I don’t know the specifics of your situation. There are some circumstances where we are called to act and have the chance to do something and we don’t. But I think far more often we make the same mistake Brian made. We look back on yesterday or last year or ten years ago and we think we could have done something differently. And if I could tell you the same thing I told Brian, it would be pretty simple.


“God didn’t ask you to be God that day.”


God didn’t turn the reins over to you that day. Just like he didn’t ask Brian to handle a stranger’s aorta tear in the gym, he didn’t ask you to be the God of any particular situation. He is still God. He is still in control. He is still on the throne. And when we act otherwise, it must pain him so.


Because it hurt me to watch Brian that day. It hurt to see him running through scenarios and CPR techniques and a thousand other “what ifs” that morning in the conference room. He had a limitless supply of things that a good person should have done.

Maybe you do too. About your marriage and your job and your childhood and your family. And while I’d never encourage you to shirk the responsibility and accountability God gives each of us, I can promise you one thing, he didn’t ask you to be God that day. He’ll never do that. You get to just be Brian. Or Pam or Sue or Felix. That’s enough. That’s how he planned it. For yesterday and today and tomorrow.

—————
Too often, I pull out thethe “if only’s,” the coulda, shoulda, woulda” wistful thinking, and then my mind parks there filled with regrets or frustrations.


Jon’s statement “God didn’t ask you to be God that day” is what really pierced me. Maybe you too. Why is it so hard to relinquish control sometimes? Why is feeling helpless so difficult?

 
Jon titled his post “Regret”, but I titled mine “No Regrets.” On one of my son’s mission trips a few years ago, he chose a personal theme for training camp and the trip = “No Regrets.” AJ didn’t want to look back on the trip [or on his life] and have regrets. He purposed to make choices, to go places, to say and do things that would leave him satisfied, fulfilled, with no regrets. Hearing his wisdom, I purposed to learn something from my young son.

For those things that are in our control, let’s take the action, say what should be said, avoid what we know to avoid, so we won’t have regrets.
And for those things that are out of our control, let’s let God be God and rest in His divine wisdom.

What do you think?

Susan

Climate Change

Posted on by Susan Panzica

Yesterday, a patient entered our office declaring, “It’s so hot outside.” Hmmmm… It’s January in New Jersey, how can it be considered “hot”?? Well, at 55 degrees, it was sweltering and came close to setting a record.    

But the same 55 degrees in August would be considered frigid.

Now today it’s down to 35 degrees, a cold snap compared to yesterday, but compared to the 10 degree temperatures we suffered in December, today’s 35 degrees would be considered downright balmy.
This thing is – 55 degrees is 55 degrees.
Period.
If it’s been cold, 55 feels like a heat wave, but if it’s been warm, 55 feels chilly.

It only seems to be cold or warm because of our feelings. The temperature is what it is, but we respond to it differently based upon how we feel at any given moment.

And our feelings are subjective. They are influenced by people around us, circumstances that we can or cannot control, health issues, the slow driver in front of us, the pants that no longer zipper up, the song that reminds us of something we want to forget, hormones (or as Beth Moore says “haaar-mones, ladies”).

How we feel about something doesn’t necessarily reveal the truth of a matter.

One day, my husband can ask, “Are you ready?” and I’ll say, “Just a minute, hon, gotta grab my bag.”

And another day, same question, same 3 words, but I’ll bite his head off. “What do you mean – am I ready? Who do you think you are anyway, the time-dictator? You’re always criticizing how long it takes me to do things. You don’t always have to wait for me. Sometimes, I’m ready on time. Do you think I try to make you wait? This is how long it takes me to get ready, so just hold your horses. Now I gotta grab my tissues and makeup. You made me cry. Thanks a lot.”

Same question. Two different responses depending on how I was feeling.

Our feelings change like the weather, up and down. (Sometimes even because of the weather, right?) And how we feel changes how we perceive things.

But there is something that never changes.

Jesus.

He is who He is – unchanging, fixed, the same yesterday, today and forever. Our temperature may change, but His truth remains the same.

When we are upset or depressed, we must evaluate our feelings against the barometer of God’s Word. What is really the truth? How I feel? Or what God says?

True peace is not found in positive thinking, in absence of conflict, or in good feelings. In fact, true peace is found in spite of them. (Philippians 4:6,7)

And speaking of personal climate change, Ron Hutchcraft wrote a wonderful story about how our temperature affects those around us.

http://www.hutchcraft.com/a-word-with-you/your-personal-power/changing-the-climate-6010

His conclusion:
It’s easy to complain about how things are in your family, or how they are at work or how they are at church or at school. But complaining won’t change a thing. Neither will condemning or criticizing or preaching. What is needed where you are is someone who will be what they wish others would be – to lead by contagious example. To step out from a climate that is negative or nasty or stressed or prideful or selfish, and to challenge it, not by their words, but by their actions. Decide how you wish everyone would be in your situation, and then start being it yourself!


Over time, one person can have amazing power to change the atmosphere and to improve the climate. In the places God has put you, why don’t you be the one who quietly leads everyone else to something better? Don’t wait for someone else to change. You have the power to start changing the climate in your personal world.


————




How can you be a climate-changer? What would it take? 

Susan

Stains and Devils

Posted on by Susan Panzica

There’s an unwritten (though oft spoken) rule in our house. My husband coined it, and my kids swear to it. The rule is this:

When something is spilled, it is either I who has spilled
or someone else has spilled on me.

I have learned to face the ugly truth:
I am a mess-magnet.


If you hear a crash in a restaurant, you can be sure that I am sitting nearby. When my dog hears me squeal “Oh no!” she makes a beeline for wherever I am, knowing that she might get a lucky mess to slurp off the floor.


This week, I exchanged an ill-fitting Christmas gift for a pretty new coat. I have always had black coats, yet for some reason, this pale pink faux shearling caught my eye. My daughter said it’s the ugliest thing she’s ever seen (she hates pink), and my husband thought it looks like pigskin, no not football pigskin leather, but a real pig’s skin. Despite their blistering fashion critique, I loved it.


I wore it the next day. As we were returning home, my husband asked me if I knew that there was blue ink all over the front of the brand new coat. The blood drained from my face when I saw the mass of squiggley road-map-blue lines staining the front of the coat. “That’s why you always have black coats,” said my astute husband.


So to deal with the crisis, I sought wise, experienced counsel.


Unfortunately, the trip to the dry cleaners confirmed my worst suspicions.


There was no hope.



But wait….

On my laundry room shelf was a product that had worked for me before (remember I am Stains ‘R Us).

Carbona Stain Devils
Good Christians everywhere avoid this product because of its name. Who wants a devil in their house?
But unlike that other devil, these devils remove stains.
Using #3 – the ink/crayon devil, I carefully followed the instructions, blotting out the ink and voila! No more stain!
Can you hear the Hallelujah chorus in the background as I jump around the laundry room?

And can you figure out where I’m going with this?

“God’s Stain Removal Guide”

After King David’s sin was exposed, he was filled with remorse. He cried out to the Lord asking for cleansing and renewal, asking for his stains to be removed. “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion, blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin…. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me” Psalm 51:1-2, 10


Though a murderer, David’s sins were no greater or worse than mine or yours. All sin separates us from God (Is. 59:2). But in His love and desire to be reunited with us, God got into the cleaning business.


He set up a sacrifice system under the law to cover sins, but then, Jesus came and paid the cleaning bill in full.


For our possessions, there are stain-devils to remove all kinds of stains, even blood.


But for His precious possession – us – He used His blood to remove our stains and to overcome the devil.


The stains on my pink coat rendered it useless, good only for the garbage heap, but with the cleansing, it is now a useful, functional asset to my wardrobe. When we’ve been cleansed and renewed, we become useful, functional assets to His kingdom.


“…Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to Himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. Eph. 5:26-27


(Ooooo, He removes our stains and our wrinkles! )


It’s a good thing for a mess-magnet like me that God is in the cleaning and renewal business. It may have appeared that there was no hope for me, but that wasn’t the truth. He longs for us to be restored to Him.
So, my friend, how has He restored and used you?

Susan



Prayer for Haiti

Posted on by Susan Panzica

This prayer was sent to me in an email. Please pray with me…

Lord, I just want to say THANK YOU, because this morning I woke up and knew where my children were. Because this morning my home was still standing, because this morning I am not crying because my husband, my child, my brother or sister needs to be buried out from underneath a pile of concrete, because this morning I was able to drink a glass of water, because this morning I was able to turn on the light, because this morning I was able to take a shower, because this morning I was not planning a funeral, but most of all I thank you this morning because I still have life and a voice to cry out for the people of Haiti.


Lord I cry out to you, the one that makes the impossible, possible, the one that turns darkness in to light, I cry out that you give those mothers strength, that you give them peace that surpasses all understanding, that you may open the streets so that help can come, that you may provide doctors, nurses, food, water, and all that they need in a blink of an eye. For all those that have lost family members, give them peace, give them hope, give them courage to continue to go on! Protect the children and shield them with your power. I pray all this in the name of Jesus.

To all my friends please continue to forward this so that we can pray together for the people in Haiti.



Thank you Father, for your daily blessings.
—-
Please continue to support those laboring to help the Haitians. I know several people who have been or will be going to aid in the relief effort. As you know, it is a very dangerous place right now, with crime and disease rampant.
 
Here are some ways to provide assistance:
Nazarene Compassionate Ministries – is partnering with the Haiti Project to ship urgently needed supplies to the earthquake crisis in Haiti. The custom store, at Amazon.com, only includes the specific items requested by NCM and the relief effort on the ground in Haiti.

To visit the NCM store, click here.

For financial donations:
Samaritans Purse
World Vision

Susan

Yellow Snow

Posted on by Susan Panzica
I must confess to you, my friends. I have had this post sitting in my draft folder for over a week. I have mixed feelings about posting it. Usually, my motto is “when in doubt, don’t.” However, I am conflicted here.
You see, my husband got an email with this 30 second video in it, and it is the video itself that is the inspiration for this post. But truth be told, the video is rather disgusting. Kinda funny disgusting, but gross nevertheless. Yet I find a kernel of truth in it worth sharing.
I included the warning notice, but still, I was in a quandry. Oh, what should I do? So, I consulted with my wise friend, Nancy, who, in essence, said “You’re on your own here, girlfriend.” Well, that’s not exactly her words, but then I thought I’ll share this complete disclaimer with you first, and let you decide whether to click on the link to see the video or not. If you take heed of the warning and choose not to view the video, scroll down first to the more palatable verbal description I provided at the end of the post, so you can still retrieve the kernel of truth. How’s that for a compromise!
Just please don’t judge me….
—————————————————————————

WARNING!

In the interest of full disclosure,
the following video is not for
– the squeamish
– the legalistic
or
– the mature.

If your email doesn’t have the video, click below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXtFGT6BKzQ

I warned you.

First, let it be said – I don’t drink beer. I think it tastes vile, and don’t want to waste my money, my time or my calories on such a product.


That being said, why would I share this video with you?


Well, it’s a funny way to bring up my point for today,
and as I said, it is the inspiration for this post:

Things are not always what they seem.

How many times have we looked back on something that, at the time, seemed to be horrible only to realize later that it was exactly the opposite.

But until that realization, we deal with disappointment, anger and frustration.
-Losing that “perfect” guy.
-Not getting that “perfect” job.
-Moving away from that “perfect” home.
–Even if things aren’t “perfect,” but they’re familiar, we have expectations that we’ve grown accustomed to. And disillusionment sets in when setbacks happen.

Sometimes, I wonder who first looked at a hard, hairy coconut and decided to crack it open for the sweet milk inside. Or who looked at a red, spiny lobster and thought, if I boil that ugly thing, the meat inside will be tasty.


Too often, in our discontent, we miss the blessing hidden inside.


The apostle Paul was imprisoned, yet he was able to see that God was using his chains as a platform to share the good news with the entire palace guard, and furthermore, “Because of my chains,” he said, “most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly.” Paul saw the blessing hidden inside.


My daughter, Lauren, had more struggles than most to pass her audition to the dance department at her college. Although at the time, it was a period of great disappointment, one of her ballet professors (the one we secretly call the “dance nazi”) later told Lauren that she was a much better dancer because of it.


The Lord gave Lauren this verse: “Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and the help given by the Spirit of Jesus Christ, what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance.” Phil 1:18-19


When our children are denied dessert until after they eat their broccoli, they’re displeased. My dog doesn’t understand why she needs a leash when we walk outside. They have neither the knowledge or maturity to see what we can.


Is there a hardship that you are facing today that may turn out for your deliverance tomorrow? The struggles we face can be either stumbling blocks or stepping stones to maturity. Perhaps your yellow snow, coconut, lobster, broccoli or leash may be a blessing in disguise.


Susan

ps – My daughter just came in and told me a story from one of her little dance students about what she learned in Hebrew school that week. To her dismay, she found out that “Sacagawea”, the Indian guide who led Lewis and Clark across the continent, was not Jewish after all. She always thought that “Sock-a-Jew-ae-ah” was a Jewish name. She was certain of it. But she found out: “things aren’t always what they seem.”

Video description:
Two men are walking along a snow covered path. They come upon a patch of yellow snow. Ed stoops down to eat it. Shocked, his friend starts to warn against it, but when he spies the source of the yellow, he bends down to partake of the spiked snow himself. The source? A man lugging a leaking keg of beer.

Once was lost….

Posted on by Susan Panzica

It was just a scarf. But it was one that I loved and that represented so much to me.

It was a gift from my mother-in-law. But it was one that I picked out myself.

It was one of the first things that I bought that my daughter said,
“Cool. Can I borrow it sometime?”


Oooooh… I have now morphed from classic (aka -“boring”) mom to funky (aka – “cool-er”, not yet totally cool) mom. I’ve been trying to move away from my typical traditional styling with some trendy fashion pieces. The scarf was one of my breakthrough items.

And it kept me warm – a practical bonus.

Now it was gone.

Driving home from dinner and a movie Saturday night, for no apparent reason, I got that heightened sense something was amiss. My nerves tingled. The hairs on my head prickled. It was that “spidey-sense” feeling. Where was my scarf? I knew, just knew for sure, that it was gone forever.

Arriving home, I called the restaurant, waited on hold for over 15 minutes while they searched, but alas, with no luck. Certain that I’d have worse luck at the mega-movie theater, I felt despair, but called their “Guest Services” anyway. No one ever answers that line. I know, I’ve tried before.


Ring, ring, ring, ring, ring, ring, ring, ring, ring, ring….


“AMC Garden State Plaza, Guest Services, May I help you?”


“Duh, Uh, … you’re really there??”


“Yes ma’am. How can I help you?”


“I lost a scarf there tonight. In Theater # 14. Any chance you have it?”


“Please describe it.”


(Are you kidding me? If you don’t have it, just say so. Why waste my time and yours?)


“Well, it sounds gross, but it’s sortof brown, red, orange and purple. And it’s not flat, it’s round.”


Pause.


(I know she’s thinking, Why would anyone want something like that back?)


“Hold on. Let me check.”


Tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick….


“Ma’am, there’s something here that might be it. You can come to Guest Services tonight.”


Elation…., could it be? “I can’t come back tonight. Can you hold it ’til Monday?”


“Uh, sure.”


“My name is Su…….”


“We can’t put your name on it. It might not be yours.”


“Oh, okay.”


Why wait until Monday? On Sunday afternoon, I stopped in at AMC Guest Services and shared my dilemma with the hip-hop fashionista clerk.


She disappeared into the lost-and-found black hole. When she returned, she held out my beloved scarf on both hands away from her torso as if she was holding roadkill.

With dismay, “Is this it????”        

“Oh, thank you so-o-o much. It may not mean much to you, but means the world to me.” I circled the scarf around my neck and headed back out into the cold.



What exactly does this all mean? Is there a message to be gleaned here?

Well, first of all, someone cared enough to bring my bedraggled scarf to a place where it could be redeemed. And 30 years ago, someone cared enough to share the gospel with me so that I could be redeemed. Who cared enough about you to share the gospel? Have you brought someone to your home or to church or out for coffee lately who needs to hear the good news?

My scarf clearly wasn’t the clerk’s style, and sometimes, people just don’t appeal to us. But they appeal to God and mean the world to Him, and because of that, they must mean the world to us, too. Is there someone unlovely that you need to see God’s way?

OK, this next one is a totally cheap illustration I know. When I was separated from my scarf, I sorely missed it. Being reunited with my scarf warmed my heart. Of course, this cannot begin to compare to the unfathomable love that God has for us, but you get the picture. Apart from Christ, we just are not complete. In Christ, we have joy, purpose, fulfillment, peace.
.
This scarf of mine was lost and now is found, so I began to celebrate –


“…For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.” Luke 15:24
.

Do you know Him? Celebrate!

Susan