Category: encouragement

Snow Day Lessons

Posted on by Susan Panzica
Bringing back a post from 4 years ago – evidently another snowy winter. 
Feb. 13, 2014 – and it ain’t over yet! 
Today’s post is just stating the obvious –
there are lessons to be learned in the storm, any storm.

God never wastes a hurt, a problem, a sorrow when yielded to Him. In every storm, there’s something to be learned, an attribute to be developed, an insight to be gleaned. And once again, today’s snowstorm provided more blog fodder.

I keep hearing the refrain, “This winter just won’t end. I’m ready for spring already.” Well, that makes for pleasant small talk. We can all commiserate, but the truth is that winter will end. It always does. Even if you live in Alaska or Antarctica, there are seasons. Winter will become less fierce in those regions. For us, don’t expect winter to end yet. It officially ends in March, not February, but it will end. In the summer, we’ll be saying, “This summer is so hot, it just won’t end.” But it will end. It always does.

Life has its seasons, too. When my son came back from one of his mission trips, he desperately wanted that spirit-filled mountaintop feeling to continue forever, but with each passing day, he slowly settled into the “ordinaries.” We shared that if all our time were spent on the mountaintop, it too would be come ordinary, not a unique, sacred, set apart time. Also, if all our time was spent on the mountaintop, we’d be useless to those who need us in the valley. We’d miss the lessons that He teaches us in the deep, dark seasons of our souls. Jesus can calm any storm. If He lets the storm rage, He will calm the child.

On the Mount of Transfiguration, Peter was eager to set up tents to remain there on the mountain. But the gospel writers all say that Peter didn’t know what he was talking about (Mt. 17, Mk. 9, Lk. 9). Jesus didn’t spend all His time on the mountaintop, but He did make it a point to have some time there. A season, if you will.

Years ago, when my husband and I honeymooned in Hawaii, we met a guy who told us that he had to fly to California once a month to get away from the sameness. Paradise – sameness? Are you kidding? But he wasn’t kidding.

Here in NJ, I do feel blessed to experience the variety of seasons.

And may it help me to remember that spiritually, there are seasons, too. The chill of winter will end – it always does. The scorch of summer will end – it always does.

And until it does, let’s remember and appreciate that there are lessons to be learned in the season that will make the next season easier to endure.

Some seasonal encouragement:

Be prepared in season and out of season… 2 Tim. 4:2

She is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Psalm 1:3

Have you experienced a storm that yielded a lesson learned?

ps – as I post this, I’m listening to the roar of the snowblower as my husband is outside hard at work in the midst of the storm. This is a lesson to me now – to not wait out our storms doing nothing but fearing or complaining or just being lazy. Let’s do what we can when we can even though it can be difficult at the time. Otherwise, when the snow stops or the issue calms down, the mess left behind will be much harder to deal with.

pps – here are 2 other posts from that snowy year.  Enjoy!

Ok I promise – that’s it from me for now ;D   How about you? What lessons is God teaching you through your storms?

When troubles strike…

Posted on by Susan Panzica


It was my first visit ever to the gynecologist. I never felt so awkward and uncomfortable. But nothing prepared me for the words I heard the doctor say to the nurse standing by the door taking notes.
“blah, blah, blah, a tumor, about 10 centimeters, blah, blah, blah, blah…..”

Woah! Hold on there! Did I hear that correctly?

But the doctor wasn’t speaking to me. I might as well have been a slab of beef he was inspecting before throwing on the grill.

Later in his office, he explained that, Yes I had a very large (“the size of a small cantaloupe”) tumor on my ovary. It was almost certainly benign, but would have to be taken out the old-fashioned way with a slice across my abdomen, hip to hip. Really, God?  

Through a series of events, misadventures, and clear leading by the Lord, I ended up switching doctors, hospitals, even cities (from NJ to NYC) just days before the surgery.  I clearly sensed God directly me every step of the way and was practically floating as I experienced His peace that passes understanding in a whole new way.  

While I was in the hospital for a week post-surgery, my new boyfriend (now my husband of 26 years) came to visit and shared a Scripture verse with me –

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God”. 2 Cor. 1:3-4

It was nice of him to mention it, but frankly I didn’t identify with it at all. In my hubris, I thought I knew all the Scriptures that would apply to my situation, and that one just wasn’t one of them. Or so I thought.

For the rest of the story, click here to Laced With Grace. 
Susan_signature
 ps – As many of you know, I’m the co-founder of Justice Network, an organization dedicated to raising awareness of human trafficking and showing ways to make a difference from here. Our current initiative is a social media campaign using this Sunday’s Super Bowl as a way to raise awareness of the issue. We call it the #HTchallenge. We’re asking people to go to our website  [www.htchallenge.net] and share our images, quotes, and stats on facebook, twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, your favorite social media using the hashtag #HTchallenge. All the information, talking points, etc. are on the website. 

Part of the challenge is also to “donate” a tweet/post that will be published simultaneously with hundreds of others during the halftime show. To register:

1. Click here: http://bit.ly/1eFBIAI
2. Click the button for Twitter and/or Facebook
3. Click “add my support”

Thank you for helping in this worthy cause!

How Can We Know God’s Will?

Posted on by Susan Panzica

The question of the day – most every day – for those who desire to follow God. How can I know God’s will?  Choices are not always crystal clear no matter how strong our desire to follow God’s plan. The Apostle Paul provides a clue in two of the choices he made.  
In Acts 16, Paul planned to go east to Asia but “the Holy Spirit told them not to go into the province of Asia at that time.” So he and his companions “headed for the province of Bithynia” (in the north), “but again the Spirit of Jesus did not let them go.” Then that night, Paul had a vision of a man in Macedonia in Greece (due west), “pleading with him, ‘Come over here and help us.’ So we decided to leave for Macedonia at once, for we could only conclude that God was calling us to preach the Good News there.”
Making those choices eventually landed Paul and Silas in jail where they sang worship songs and prayed, survived an earthquake, led the jailer and his family to faith in Jesus, and founded the church at Philippi and others on their second missionary journey.  
Later, on his third journey, Paul planned to go to Rome. He was arrested and appeared before the Roman rulers and would have been set free except for his appeal to go to Rome. After several years, he finally set sail, still a prisoner in chains. A storm arose so fierce that the sailors were terrified, but Paul the prisoner reassured them, “But take courage! None of you will lose your lives, even though the ship will go down. For last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me, and he said, ‘Don’t be afraid, Paul, for you will surely stand trial before Caesar! What’s more, God in his goodness has granted safety to everyone sailing with you.’ So take courage! For I believe God. It will be just as he said. But we will be shipwrecked on an island.”
After the shipwreck, Paul was on the island of Malta where he was bitten by a deadly snake which he shook off into the fire. So deadly was this snake, when he didn’t die, the islanders thought he was a god.
On his second journey, Paul did an about-face twice changing the directions of his travels, but on his third journey, he was resolute to reach his destination of Rome despite storm, shipwreck, snakebite and being a prisoner.
So here’s the question – how did he know? How did Paul know to give up his plans for Asia and Bithynia, while never giving up on Rome despite serious setbacks?
What would I do?
Would I have been willing to quickly abandon my plans because a dream indicated to go another way or would I stubbornly set my jaw and press on against God’s will for what I think I want?
Would I be resolute to journey forth despite storm and hardship or would I give up under the strain thinking something so difficult couldn’t be of God?
Honestly, I can’t say.
What I can conclude is this. Paul didn’t make these decisions according to the emotions he felt on any given day.
He didn’t make a list of pros and cons reasoning out the best plan to follow.
He based his decisions on a lifelong sensitivity to God’s leading.
In prison, he worshipped and prayed. He didn’t decide to develop a prayer life when hardship hit. This godly behavior in tough times came from a life of prayer and worship in the ordinary times.
Want to know God’s will in the difficult times? Get to know His will each day, whether there are big decisions to make or not. Spending time with Him in prayer and praise will increase sensitivity to the Spirit’s leading.  There’s simply no shortcut or substitute.
  

Give thanks in all circumstances;  for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thess. 5:12 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is His good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:2

http://pastorerickson.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/apostlepaul.jpg

Do you struggle to know God’s will sometimes? How can I best pray for you beloved? .

Oklahoma Hope

Posted on by Susan Panzica

“So after you have suffered a little while, He will restore, support, and strengthen you, and He will place you on a firm foundation.” 1 Peter 5:10
This verse above was how I ended my last post – a post about rubbish being restored. Who knew? Who knew what devastation was to occur within 36 hours of that post? Only God. 
It’s hard, no it’s impossible, for me to hold it together seeing the images and hearing the stories from Oklahoma. The children. The destruction. The seemingly randomness of it all. Why were some spared while others were obliterated? 

To read the rest, please click over to Circles of Faith where I am a contributing writer. 

When it just doesn’t make sense…

Posted on by Susan Panzica

Who can explain it?
The suicide of a godly young man after years of battling mental illness.
The cancer that relentlessly ravages a child’s body.
The loss of a job leaving a family destitute.
The car accident brutally killing a vibrant 20 year old girl.
The addiction rendering a boy’s brilliant mind vacant and dashing high hopes for his future.
And that’s just this week.
As I sit at my computer right now, my son and his friends are in the basement practicing a song their band will perform in Friday’s talent show. It’s hard to tell if more singing or laughing is taking place. And I think… how fortunate we are, but what about tomorrow? Are there any guarantees?
Well, yes and no. There’s no guarantee of a blissful Beaver Cleaver life. God didn’t promise us an easy life. In fact, He promised just the opposite (John 16:33). But He did guarantee that He’d be with us (Heb. 13:5). If God didn’t spare His own Son, is it right for us to expect that He should spare ours?
We ask “Why?” We want to understand. But our understanding is limited. We are finite created beings who wish to make sense of God’s infinite mind. My dog tilts her head with a puzzled look on her face when I change one of the usual patterns she’s accustomed to. If she could, she’d demand to know why – what’s going on, where are we, why are you feeding me that, what’s that Gentle Leader thing on my face??????? Could I explain my actions to her in a way that she could fully comprehend? Not in a million years. She simply lacks the ability to reason as I do.
Although God sometimes is gracious enough to allow us to understand, to learn and grow through our pain, much of the time He doesn’t let us in on His reasoning.  “‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the Lord. ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts'” (Is.  55:8-9).
Yet sometimes we feel if we could just make sense of it all, if we had a reason, we could make it through. The truth is – if we always understood, we’d be tempted to rely on ourselves rather than seeking God. The very essence of faith is that we CAN’T see what’s going on, and yet we trust. (Heb. 11:1)  Frankly, if little ol’ me could fully understand God, He’d be way too small a God for me.
On this journey we’re traveling, God’s Word is a “lamp to our feet and a light to our paths.” (Ps. 139:105) It is not like a stadium floodlight that makes the night as bright as day. It’s more like a flashlight in the dark allowing us to see one step at a time. Perhaps if we could see more, we’d run the other way. But God takes hold of our hand providing the peace and the strength to continue forward with trust that someday we will know. “Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely” 1 Cor. 13:12

My reading this week took me to a hard passage of Scripture “…if you suffer for doing good and endure it patiently, God is pleased with you. For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in His steps.” 1 Pet. 2:20-21

The choice is ours. We can either be like the soft egg which hardens in boiling water or like the hard carrot which is softened by the same boiling water. But we could also be like the coffee which when immersed in yet that same boiling water is transformed into another being, still made of coffee and water but so intertwined, so inseparable that it has a new identity.


When Jesus was on the cross, He not only bore our sins – He bore our sorrows too (Is. 53:3) By His wounds and suffering, we are healed of ours. (Is. 53:5) 


If I don’t understand anything else but this – that my suffering is producing Christlikeness in me – then I have not suffered in vain. If I can avoid resentment and bitterness, if I can say “Father, forgive them” while still in my suffering, I will be transforming into His image.

“For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!  So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.” 2 Cor. 4:17-18

Father, our prayers are with the Warren family, but also with all those others who are suffering through their losses. May their pain be lessened by Your presence.
Susan_signature

In The Middle

Posted on 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. Turning to exit the tomb and enter the light, I saw a rough, wooden 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!!

.

Getting Rid of the Rubbish

Posted on by Susan Panzica

I was so proud of myself.

Spent a day digging, sorting, and clearing out stuff.

Stuff that I don’t wear.
Stuff that the kids have outgrown.
Stuff that has outlasted its usefulness.
Stuff that’s just collecting dust.


I bagged it, washed it, and carted it to the car to be donated to Ditto, the thrift shop that raises funds for my kids’ school.

Felt like a real accomplishment.

The problem is Ditto’s hours of operation aren’t in sync with my hours of operation ;D  I can’t seem to get there before their closing time.

And so I have been driving around with my discarded stuff for a week. I went through it – did the inventory. I identified and separated it. I even moved it. But I haven’t really gotten rid of it. I plan to, but it’s still there hanging around. Moving around. I stopped short yesterday and heard a symphony of shuffles as the stuff shifted around.

In order for me to actually get rid of this stuff, I have to make real change. I need to change my habits, to rearrange my schedule, to move out of my comfort zone.

And so it is in life. Just like the challenge of getting rid of physical clutter, it can be difficult to get rid of spiritual and emotional clutter. There are changes I think about, but never actually get around to making. Behavioral changes like exercising more or getting up earlier for quiet time or writing that encouraging note. Heart changes like forgiving or becoming less judgmental or being quicker to listen, slower to speak.
I’ve taken inventory, considered what I need to dispose of, even recorded it in my journal. But identifying what needs changing doesn’t actually create change. It may be a first step, but if I fail to take the next necessary steps, these wishes remain just that – wishes.

“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?
“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.” Romans 7:21-25 MSG

Well at least I’m not alone! I’m so grateful for God’s Word, and these words penned by Paul which reveal his and our earthly weaknesses. If I stopped reading at Romans 7, I’d be “wretched” (v.7:24) but thankfully Paul continues on. In Romans 8, he states, “There’s no condemnation… The Spirit helps us in our weakness… In all things, God works for the good… Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?… Nothing!”

When our perspective shifts to the eternal, Jesus empowers us to do that which we in our own strength are powerless to accomplish. He frees us from our accumulated baggage that encumbers.

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” Matt. 11:28-30



.

How To Run The Race – p.s.

Posted on by Susan Panzica
Today over at Laced With Grace, I shared the following post. As I pondered it, another thought came to me and I’m sharing it with you today in my new last paragraph. Also, my LWG friend Debbie reminded me of another noteworthy athlete, Oscar Pistorius from South Africa, who ran Olympic speed with prosthetic legs. Check out the video below where he met and danced with a 7 year old English girl who wears the same prosthetic legs. I tried (and failed) to find the actual NBC Olympic coverage footage, but this YouTube video gets the point across as well. It’s simply an amazing story!
—-

Like so many others, I was captivated by the Olympics earlier this month. There were the major stories – gold medals for the fastest man alive, the most decorated Olympian, the first African-American all around gymnast. You know their names without my sharing them – Usain Bolt, Michael Phelps, Gabby Douglas. The media lavishly focused on the perfection of these performances.
But there were other noteworthy performances that received far less attention.
For me, some of the most compelling stories were those devoid of athletic perfection.
In the 2008 Bejing Olympics, during the women’s 400 meter relay, Lauryn Williams dropped the baton in the final leg of the relay. Facing certain defeat in the race, she picked up the baton and ran to the finish line, coming in dead last. When asked why, Lauryn responded that she “just had to do it.”
This year in London, Chinese hurdler Liu Xiang, a former world-record holder and Olympic champion, stumbled into the first hurdle in his race, his injured right leg unable to make the leap. He stayed down for a few moments before hopping on one leg the rest of the track to the finish line.
Two days later, in the first leg qualifying heat of the men’s 4×400 relay, American sprinter Manteo Mitchell heard a loud “pop” and felt his left leg snap. With 200 meters to go, he faced the decision to keep running or stop and lose the race. He finished his lap allowing his team to qualify before limping off the track. Doctors later confirmed that Mitchell had broken his fibula halfway through his race, his personal Olympic dreams ended.
These athletes and many others exhibit the perseverance and endurance that makes a true champion. They are living examples of what Paul said in his letter to the Philippians:
“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Phil 3:12-14

In the race of life, we will have setbacks and disappointments. These are God’s tools to produce in us perseverance, character, and hope; patience; maturity; and godliness. (Rom. 5:3-4, 2 Cor. 1:6, James 1:4, 2 Peter 1:6)
Last week, a beautiful young mother died of cancer. She finished her race and is now in glory. Her grieving husband and baby will need to press on for the prize for which God has called them.
Another friend is in the hospital on life support. His family and friends pray for a miracle and grow in endurance.
A single mother lost her job. A family faces foreclosure. A wayward teen breaks his parent’s hearts. A middle-school student is bullied. All people I know. All so hard to live through. But in each of these situations, their testimonies reflect the glory of God. He strengthened their faith as they pressed on through these setbacks and disappointments.
“The testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (James 1:3-4)
“We also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” (Romans 5:3-4)
“Let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.Consider Him who endured such opposition, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” Heb. 12:1b-3
How do we run the race with perseverance? By focusing on Jesus and the joy He sets before us just as He endured the cross by focusing on the joy set before Him. And as we consider Him, He strengthens us so we will not grow weary and lose heart.

Beloved, what will you be considering today?
Postscript:
It occurred to me that these friends and acquaintances of mine (and yours too) are our current day “great cloud of witnesses.” The OT faith heroes in Hebrews 11 had their victories and their struggles, yet the writer of Hebrews exhorts us that we can throw off anything that hinders us and run our race with perseverance because of their testimony.  Likewise, the people I mentioned above and so many others who are valiantly enduring through their struggles serve as encouragement to me to press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. May I be such an encourager. 

Here’s the video of Oscar Pistorius:

.