Susan Panzica, Author at Susan Panzica

In The Middle

Posted on April 11, 2009 by Susan Panzica

Today we are in the middle.

Yesterday was Good Friday –

the pain of suffering,

despair, heartache,

the event that left us full of tears

Tomorrow is Easter –

the joy of new life,

resurrection,

rising from the ashes of pain

Today we are just in the middle-

the preparing for tomorrow’s feast,

tomorrow’s worship,

tomorrow’s new garments

Do you ever feel – in the middle? Having survived tragedy or loss, but still waiting for the future hope and peace that is promised? We must wait, but not as those with no hope. It was while Jesus was waiting that He set the captives free.

When I was in Israel, one of the most powerful moments for me was at the Garden Tomb. I entered the empty tomb, and after my eyes adjusted to the darkness saw the white garments folded on the stone bench. When I turned to exit the tomb and enter the light, there was a sign that read:

“He is not here;

he has risen,

just as he said.”

Matt. 28:6

Seeing those words in that place was a powerful reminder that He has risen – JUST AS HE SAID! What else did He say?

We have been healed:
“He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.”-1 Peter 2:24

We have a future:
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” – Jeremiah 29:11

So we must:
“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.” – Titus 1:2
“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” Hebrews 12:2-3

Today, while still in the middle, this is my prayer for you:
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” – Romans 15:13

May you have a most blessed Resurrection Day! May you rejoice with Him who rose from the dead to give you eternal life, who endured the darkness to bring us with Him into the light. And may you be preparing for the ultimate feast, worship and garments yet to come!!

Susan

What’s So Good About Good Friday?

Posted on April 10, 2009 by Susan Panzica

The following passage from Isaiah 53 paints a picture of the “Suffering Savior.” Written 600 years before Jesus the Savior faced that ungrateful crowd and was condemned to die a criminal’s death, the prophet Isaiah penned these words:

1 Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4 Surely he took up our griefs and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted.
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.
6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.
8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away. And who can speak of his descendants? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was stricken.
9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.
10 Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.
11 After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

As Christians, we are aware that on the cross Jesus, who knew no sin, bore our sins (iniquities) allowing us to be forgiven and to have fellowship with God restored.

But have you noticed that He also bore our sorrows? In verse 4, we see that He bore our griefs and our sorrows. What a comfort to know that when we cannot bear our sorrows, He has borne them for us. We can surrender our pain, our suffering, our sadness, our despair to His loving presence. There is nothing too tough, too hard, too depressing, too painful for Him.

And in verse 11, we see that after His suffering, He was satisfied! Satisfied!! How amazing is that! He didn’t curse those who caused His pain. No, He came out the other side victorious, and that is what is so good about Good Friday. His victory becomes our victory when we trust in the One who bore our penalty and our sorrows.

Is there someone in your life causing you pain? Think of this – that person is giving you an opportunity to develop Christ-likeness that you would not have otherwise. Christ died for us while we were still sinners, long before we ever repented or asked for forgiveness. He died for those still screaming, “Crucify him!” and He prayed “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing.” But they did know what they were doing, didn’t they? They were calling for His death. What they did not know was WHO they were doing it to, and WHAT His death would accomplish for them. So if we can see the offensive person our life as He does, and forgive them, we will be freed from the bondage of resentment and bitterness and will become a little more like Jesus. And to think that painful person is giving us such a sweet opportunity!

To paraphrase Tony Campolo, we can endure Friday because Sunday’s coming! Praise the Lord!

Susan

For Such a Time as This

Posted on April 9, 2009 by Susan Panzica

My friend, Dawn, shared with me about her experiences working an office where the boss is heavily into Scientology. This is not always easy as her values often contrast with his. He talks about the importance of being legal and ethical, yet his actions don’t always follow his words. It is a delicate situation where she must abide by certain rules, yet not compromise her own values and standards.

I am reminded of the book of Esther. Growing up in the Jewish faith, I always loved this story and the holiday of Purim that we celebrated each March with many festivities. All the children would dress up as a character from the story, come to temple, march in a parade and eat such delicacies as “hamentashen cookies.” Boys come as King Ahashuarus (or Xerxes as the Gentiles say), Mordecai or the evil Haman. Girls would be Queen Esther or Queen Vashti, if you wanted to be a rebel. One year, my mom made my sister and I the best costumes ever. We were the “Hamentashen Twins.” Dressed in black leggings and turtlenecks with giant posterboard triangles sandwiched over our shoulders, we were an awesome sight to behold. We even won 1st prize – which was one crummy coloring book that had dots of dried paint in it. If you put a paintbrush in water and touched it to the page, you could paint the picture. Well, we tried it, but without removing the page from the book. One drop of water spread and expanded the entire book and ruined it completely! So much for the grand prize! Oh, well, at least we had the glory!! Anyway, I digress – –

And, check out the shortest bangs ever! Thanks, Mom!

Esther had been chosen to be queen after the Queen Vashti was banished for disobeying the king’s wicked orders. The king’s advisor, Haman, hated the Jews and was plotting their destruction. Esther’s beloved relative, Mordecai, advised Esther that she must approach the king and plead for her people’s deliverance. When she told Mordecai that the king might kill her if she approached him uninvited, he responded “…And who knows but that you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” She heeded his advice, and with great wisdom and a little trickery, the nation of Israel is spared.

When we are faced with circumstances like my friend’s that are contrary to our beliefs, who knows if God has placed us there “for such a time as this?”

Perhaps we are there to shine our light in a dark place.
Maybe God will open opportunity for honest sharing.
Or we might be there just to pray for the people involved.
He might ask us to speak up (“Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone” Col. 4:6)
Or He might want us to keep silent (“Even a fool, when [s]he keeps silent, is considered wise.” Prov. 17:28) and make it a matter of prayer.
If He wants us to speak up, “do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.” Mt. 10:19-20
But we can be sure this one thing – that as we seek His will, He will guide us.

As the world around us gets darker each day, will you be ready “for such a time as this?”

Susan

Satan’s Convention

Posted on April 6, 2009 by Susan Panzica

This story has floated around the internet for years, but I still find it convicting when it passes my way again.

Satan’s Convention

Satan called a worldwide convention. In his opening address to his evil angels, he said, “We can’t keep the Christians from going to church. We can’t keep them from reading their Bibles and knowing the truth. We can’t even keep them from conservative values. But we can do something else.

“We can keep them from forming an intimate, abiding relationship experience in Christ. If they gain that connection with Jesus, our power over them is broken. So let them go to their churches; let them go to church and have their conservative lifestyles, but steal their time, so they can’t gain that experience with Jesus Christ. This is what I want you to do, angels. Distract them from gaining hold of their Savior and maintaining that vital connection throughout their day!

“How shall we do this?” shouted his angels.

“Keep them busy in the non essentials of life and invent innumerable schemes to occupy their minds. Tempt them to spend, spend, spend, then borrow, borrow, borrow. Persuade the wives and the husbands to work 6-7 days each week, 10-12 hours a day, so they can afford their empty lifestyles. Keep them from spending time with their children. As their family fragments, soon, their home will offer no escape from the pressures of work!

“Over-stimulate their minds so that they cannot hear that still, small voice. Entice them to play the radio or CD player whenever they drive, to keep the TV, VCR, CDs and their PCs going constantly in their home. And see to it that every store and restaurant in the world plays music constantly. This will jam their minds and break that union with Christ.

“Fill the coffee tables with magazines and newspapers. Pound their minds with the news 24 hours a day. Invade their driving moments with billboards. Flood their mailboxes with junk mail, mail order catalogs, sweepstakes, and every kind of newsletter and promotional offering free products, services and false hopes.

“Even in their recreation, let them be excessive. Have them return from their recreation exhausted, disquieted and unprepared for the coming week. Don’t let them go out in nature to reflect on God’s wonders. Send them to amusement parks, sporting events, concerts and movies instead. And when they meet for spiritual fellowship, involve them in gossip and small talk so that they leave with troubled consciences and unsettled emotions.

“Let them be involved in soul-winning. But crowd their lives with so many good causes they have no time to seek power from Christ. Soon they will be working in their own strength, sacrificing their health & family unity for the good of the cause.”

It was quite a convention in the end. The evil angels went eagerly to their assignments causing Christians everywhere to get busy, busy, busy and more rushed, going here and there.

Has Satan been successful? You be the judge.

Susan

Fear Is A Four Letter Word

Posted on April 2, 2009 by Susan Panzica

For as long as I can remember, fear has been a most unwelcome companion of mine, a curse you might say. I’ve tried to raise my children to be strong in the face of fear so that they would not have to deal with some of the stuff I’ve endured. But my dog? Well, she’s just a scaredy-dog!

She absolutely loves people, sometimes too much. My daughter says that Roxie has no concept of personal space. When visitors are over, she is right in their face, her tail wagging her whole body. But she does not like other dogs, no sir-ree. On our walk today, we came across the tiniest dog. Quaking with fear, she ran behind my legs and encircled the leash around them. I nearly fell over. It was not pretty!

Later, the plumber arrived. Roxie would have loved to be right under the sink with him, so I had to block her off. And what did I use? Something else she is afraid of – paper bags!

So here is Roxie trapped in the dining room behind four empty paper bags from my morning grocery shopping excursion. If she so much as sneezed, they’d blow over. But now, she is a prisoner of her own fears.

Too often, what we are afraid of is just substance of our own making. You have probably heard of the acronym F-E-A-R = False Evidence Appearing Real. It’s true that some fears are based on very real situations (a diagnosis from the doctor, a child or spouse in the military, job layoffs, economic disasters), but unfortunately, all too often, it’s just our emotions run amok.

While on the retreat a few weeks ago, the group leaders shared a common thread that was mentioned in each of the groups. When discussing what prevented the group members from fufilling God’s calling in their lives, most mentioned fear. Fear of speaking to someone, fear of taking a stand, fear of moving out of their comfort zone, fear of the unknown, fear of repercussions, fear of failure, and so on.

Over the years, I’ve learned that there is only one fear we ought to have – the fear of the Lord. There is nothing else to fear. I’ve heard that “fear not” appears 365 times in the Word. This means that there is a “fear not” for every single day! Fear has served a purpose in my life. It has kept me on my knees. I know God can supernaturally remove it, and He has done so on occasion. But, if He doesn’t, I understand that it causes me to go to Him.

When the entire nation of Israel was terrified of the giant Goliath, young David had another perspective. He utters one of my favorite verses in the Bible, “Who is this uncircumcized Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?” When I am facing a fearful situation, I now try to keep an eternal perspective, and not feel overpowered by it.

These verses have ministered greatly to me:
“Thou wilt keep (her) in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because (s)he trusteth in thee.” Isaiah 26:3
“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.”1 John 4:18
“In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?” Psalm 56:4
“For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind..” 2 Tim. 1:7

What is it that you are facing today? If you seriously think about it, is it just a paper bag? Or is it real? Can you see beyond the immediate situation to view this problem from an eternal viewpoint? Whether real or not, will you make it a matter of prayer today? Will you send me an email or a comment so that I can pray for and with you?

In those famous words of FDR, for most of us “there is nothing to fear, but fear itself.”
Susan

ps – On Saturday, June 6th, I will be speaking at High Mountain’s Ladies Tea on this subject of fear. Won’t you join us? It’s a great event. I’m sure you’ll be blessed.

Wisdom From Lauren, the Textmaster !

Posted on March 30, 2009 by Susan Panzica

My daughter’s response to my post about texting is worth a post of her own.

How thankful am I to have a daughter with such great wisdom and insight! I could joke about how the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree or how I did such a great job imparting my wisdom, but the truth is I have made my fair share of mistakes along the way, and I know many moms who have excelled at parenting only to see their child make poor choices or face many trials along the way. So I know that it is by the grace of God alone that I can be proud of my daughter’s wisdom and accomplishments.

Here’s her comment to yesterday’s post:

When you text someone, its easy to read their text with expressions because you know exactly how they meant it. When people don’t text as much, I feel like the texts are more on a factual basis. The same thing can be related to God. The more we text, or read the Bible, the easier it is to see the expression, and know what His will is. If we don’t read as much, we can still say we are Christians, but its more of a factual basis instead of a relationship in which we delve into expressing ourselves with the love we have for our Lord and Savior.

In today’s fast-paced society, we often hear that spending “quality time” with our kids is more important than “quantity time.” But the truth is that there is no adequate substitute for spending ample amounts of time together when it comes to developing real relationships. Having 2 aunts that I equally adore, one here in NJ, the other in Arizona, taught me that it is easier to recognize the voice on the phone when speaking with my local aunt who I spent more time with. The more time we spend in communication the easier it is to recognize the unseen voice. The same with God. The more time spent in prayer and Bible reading, the easier it is to recognize His voice.

Let’s all commit to spending both “quality time” and “quantity time” with the Lord and with our loved ones!! Thanks, Lauren, for the insight!!
Susan

The Trouble with Texting

Posted on March 29, 2009 by Susan Panzica

Last night, my husband sent a text message to my daughter, “What movie are you going to see?” She sent a reply, but my husband wasn’t quite sure of her response, so a little while later, he asked me to text her and ask her what movie she was seeing. When I sent her the same question, she replied i love u man. So I told him, “I Love You Man.” He looked at me quizzically and said “Huh? She said the same thing to me.” When I informed him that that was the name of the movie, we burst out laughing. He thought that instead of providing the name of the movie, she just told him she loved him, and he couldn’t understand why she had called him “man.”

And that’s the trouble with texting. And not just texting, but with all written forms of communication. One person expresses something in writing, and the reader can “hear” something entirely different. Once Stephanie from my office sent me a text asking if I needed her to come in for morning hours, I responded it’s okay. I was surprised when she didn’t show up. I meant “It’s okay, come in.” She thought I meant, “It’s okay. I can handle it alone.”

I’m always amazed when my daughter will read me some of the text message conversations she’s had. She’ll read them aloud with such expression, as if the person had actually spoken the words to her, and I’ll wonder how she knows what inflections the writer intended. The very same words can even mean different things depending upon how they are spoken.

I apply this same principle when I read the Bible. Sometimes it’s easy for our eyes to gloss over the words on the page, especially if they are familiar to us. So I will take a passage and read it aloud putting emphasis on each different word. It’s amazing how different the message can be with each new reading. Try it:

For GOD so loved the world, that He gave His only Son…

For God SO loved the world, that He gave His only Son…

For God so LOVED the world, that He gave His only Son…

For God so loved the WORLD, that He gave His only Son…

For God so loved the world, that HE gave His only Son…

For God so loved the world, that He GAVE His only Son…

For God so loved the world, that He gave His ONLY Son…

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only SON…

I left out the For, that and His, but you get the idea. You can see how the different emphasis conveys different shades of meaning. It’s a great way to liven up your Bible reading.

Here’s a few other verses to try.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jer. 29:11

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Phil. 4:13

“The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer.” Ps. 18:2

I LOVE YOU MAN, oops GIRLS!!

Susan

Happy Birthday, James!

Posted on March 27, 2009 by Susan Panzica

Today, I got the most wonderful phone call. James was a student in my Sunday School class when he was 5 years old. He called to remind me that it was his “spiritual birthday”. Nine years ago today, he prayed with me to receive Jesus Christ as his Savior.

He remembers many details of that day, including where we where and even what he ate that day – chocolate chip pancakes! But more importantly, he remembers what that day signifies. At 5 years old, he was born into God’s eternal kingdom. Each year, his parents honor that decision with a special gift. He is a godly young man, and the Lord has great plans for him, I’m sure.

At 24 years old, I made the same decision as James. My friends and I spent summer weekends at a beach house in the Hamptons. We slept on the beach by day and danced in the bars at night. One night, we met the members of a band. What we didn’t know was that the band members had come to Christ a few weeks before we met them. Well, it wasn’t long before we did know that! They freely shared the good news with us, and after several more meetings and reading the Bible, we also accepted Christ as our Savior. That was the beginning of a long, an unusual, but a glorious story of walking with my Lord.

Whether you have come to know Jesus as a child or as an adult, whether long ago or recently, the important thing is the coming to Him. We often lavishly celebrate our physical birthdays, but our earthly bodies will one day pass away. Our spiritual birthday marks the day we enter eternal life which will never pass away.

Today was a beautiful reminder to me of my spiritual birthday as well as James’. I am reminded of the best gift ever given. I am thankful to Tony A., Richie and the other band members for sharing Christ with me. I am thankful for the opportunites I’ve had to share Jesus with others, and to have had a part in James’ spiritual birthday, as well as other students, friends and family. We are forever linked!

Having received Christ as Savior, we have a mandate to share Him with others. It is the greatest privilege to participate in another’s salvation experience.

Do you have a story to tell? What is your testimony of coming to Christ? Have you had the opportunity to share in another’s coming to Him? Would you leave me a comment or send me an email! I’d love to hear about it!

Susan

The Wisdom in Hot Chocolate

Posted on March 25, 2009 by Susan Panzica

I received this email, and since we won’t be having hot chocolate much longer, thought I’d better share it soon! Enjoy!

A group of graduates, well established in their careers, were discussing their lives at a class reunion. They decided to go visit their old university professor, now retired, who was always an inspiration to them.

During their visit, the conversation turned to complaints about stress in their work, lives and relationships.

Offering his guests hot chocolate, the professor went into the kitchen and returned with a large pot of hot chocolate and an assortment of cups. Some cups were porcelain, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite. He invited each to help themselves to the hot chocolate.

When they all had a cup of hot chocolate in hand, the professor shared his thoughts.

“Notice that all the nice looking, expensive cups were taken, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress.

“The cup that you are drinking from adds nothing to the quality of the hot chocolate. In most cases, it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink.

“What each of you really wanted was hot chocolate. You did not want the cup… but you consciously went for the best cups.

“And soon, you began to eye one another’s cups. Now friends, please consider this…

“Life is the hot chocolate … your job, money and position in society are the cups.

“They are just tools to hold and contain life.

“The cup you have does not define, nor does it change, the quality of life you are living.

“Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the hot chocolate God has provided us.”

Always, remember this ……..

God brews the hot chocolate, He does not choose the cup.

The happiest people don’t have the best of everything.
They just make the best of everything they have!

Live simply.
Love generously.
Care deeply.
Speak kindly.

Leave the rest to God.

The richest person is not the one who has the most, but the one who needs the least.

Susan