Category: faith

The Journey – Part 2 – Road Signs

Posted on by Susan Panzica
 “Set up road signs; put up guideposts.
Take note of the highway,
the road that you take.”
Jeremiah 31:21

Signs (and wonders) were common in the early church. Is it appropriate to expect signs from God today? I think God provides signs everywhere. Sometimes, we overlook them, make a wrong turn, head down a wrong path. But He provides guidance (a real GPS!) through the Spirit, through His Word, through the counsel of others, occasionally through circumstances, to lead us in the path He wants us to follow.

Your word is a lamp to my feet
and a light for my path.
Psalm 119:105

Adorning the walls of the retreat conference room were road signs (and an amazing map) all with Scripture references that guide us on the path of life. Because the theme was to Reflect, Rejoice and Renew on the Journey, the signs were the perfect complement to the spoken messages.

I took pictures of the signs to share with you to encourage you on your journey. Many thanks to Marie Beemish, graphic artist extraordinaire!

Welcome … 1 Thess 5:16
Be joyful always…

 

Under Construction … Heb. 13:20-1
May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.




Wait for Green … Ps. 27:14
Wait for the LORD;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the LORD.


Prov. 3:6
In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight.

RR Crossing … 1 Cor. 1:18
For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing,
but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
Scenic Overlook … Psalm 23
 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.

 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
 he restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness
for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
forever.

Slow … Psalm 145:8
The LORD is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and rich in love.
John 3:16
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Retreat Theme Verse … 1 John 3:2
Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears,we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.
The Map … Heb. 12:-12
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 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.

Teach me your way, O LORD, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name. Psalm 86:11

He is faithful. He will lead. He will guide. He will prompt us to follow. He wants us to do His will even more than we do. Too often, we seek a sign before we move. What He desires is for us to seek His way, to seek to be taught, to be sensitive to His leading and obedient to His call.
 
Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it. Isaiah 30:21
 
There are things that are crystal clear – activities and attitudes to avoid, and those to pursue. That’s where our focus should be. For what is not clear, we walk by faith, not by sight (2 Cor. 5:7). We walk according to what is clear and trust Him to reveal the rest in His timing.
 
The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It’s our handle on what we can’t see. Heb. 11:1 (The Message)
 
How to make it through the journey?
Follow the signs for what you can see, and trust God for what you can’t see!
 
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.


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

Susan

Elementary, my dear….

Posted on by Susan Panzica
For my birthday, the family and I went to see the new mystery movie, “Sherlock Holmes.” I won’t critique it for you nor will I spoil it for you by giving away any info. But there is one observation that I do want to share with you.
Several times in the movie, we are allowed a vision of what Sherlock Holmes is planning. The director reveals what is about to happen, and then it does happen.
Other times, however, we see Sherlock making observations, but have absolutely no idea what the clue might mean, if it is relevant, or how they will all fit together.
Life with God can be like that, too.
And He made known to us the mystery of His will according to His good pleasure, which He purposed in Christ, … Ephesians 1:9
Sometimes, His strategy is clear. He reveals to us just what He wants us to do, His perfect plan apparent to our lowly eyes. The Word provides confirmation, and we can take action with the confidence that comes from knowing we are following His will.
But in the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet, the mystery of God will be accomplished, just as He announced to His servants the prophets. Revelation 10:7

But there are times when it is all just a complete mystery, and we won’t know the reason for His plan until much later, if in this lifetime at all.

Perhaps we need to mature some more before we are ready to understand:
When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.
Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
1 Corinthians 13:11-12 

Or perhaps, He just wants us to trust Him. It is at those times that we walk by faith, and not by sight (2 Cor. 5:7) like a child holding hands with her Father. [See my post on that here.]

If you’re like me, you want to know it all – all the “who, what, where, why and  how’s” of  life. But “faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” (Heb. 11:1), so by its very nature, the life of faith must contain the unknown.

It’s a wonderful mystery, the greatest story ever told. And we are part of it!

Susan

 

Focus → Refocus

Posted on by Susan Panzica

A little while ago, I shared about focus and how it is so easy to focus on the 1% negative instead of the 99% positive. Last week in Bible study, one of the women made a sweet comment that Ashley’s hair was so beautiful and my nails were so nice. She didn’t say anything about anyone else in the room. Don’t you know my first thought was “What’s wrong with my hair?” Why, oh why, do we women do this to ourselves?

On a walk in the arboretum near my house, I again spotted my rainbow in the spray. I wanted to get a better look, so I moved past the tree to my right, and the rainbow disappeared!

A step back to my previous position and the rainbow returned. In order to see the rainbow, I had to be in the right place and to be looking in the right direction.
And to see the promises of God, I also need spiritually to be in the right place and to be looking in the right direction. When Paul says, “Think on these things…” (Phil 4:8), it is an instruction to us – “Do this… Think this…” God would not instruct us to do something if we would not be able to do it.
Years ago, my friend Ashley, the one with the great hair, went through a difficult time. Tests revealed that the baby she was carrying was very sick, a chromosome anomoly. It was uncertain how long her baby would live. Ashley was faced with worries most of us could never imagine. To combat her fears, she put Paul’s words to the test. She decided to make a list of “whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely,  admirable, excellent or praiseworthy.” As she wrote, she realized that she didn’t even have to go past “true.” With Ashley’s permission, here is her list:

Whatever is true:

1. The Lord gives strength to His people
2. The Lord blesses His people with peace Ps. 29:11
3. For You created my inmost being. You knit me together in my mother’s womb Ps.139:13
4. For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, “Do not fear. I will help you.” Isaiah 41:13
5. He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted. Job5:9
6. Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.” Matthew 16:23

Whatever is noble:
1. This is what God the Lord says-
     He who created the heavens and stretches them out
     Who spread out the earth and all that comes out of it
     Who gives breath to its people and life to those who walk on it:
     I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness
     I will take hold of your hand. Isaiah 42:5-6
2. For God is the King of all the earth
    Sing to Him a psalm of praise
    God reigns over the nations
    God is seated on His holy throne. Psalm 47:7,8
For the remainder of her pregnancy and baby Laura’s short life, Ashley’s list kept her thoughts from racing in a downward spiral. Throughout her trial, Ashley and her husband were beacons of light to those around them. At the funeral, the pastor said that baby Laura was like a shooting star that he and his family saw while star-gazing on a recent camping trip. For a brief moment, all attention was given to this shooting star. And for a brief while, with all attention on Laura and her family, God’s light in them shone in the darkness. In their grief, they were able to comfort others with the comfort they received from the Lord. 2 Cor. 1:3-4
Be in the right place and be looking in the right direction, and the promises of God will be all you can see!

Susan

Don’t need to see it to believe it

Posted on by Susan Panzica


The other day, my husband and I drove through two torrential downpours. The deluge of rain was so intense that we could not see the hood of our own car, much less the car in front or the roadway we were driving on.
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As we inched along, squinting out the windshield, the chorus of the song on the radio filled the car:
“… I don’t need to see it to believe it…”
My husband quipped, “I don’t need to see the road to know it’s there.”
The song, “Tear Down the Walls” by Hillsong United, was speaking about faith.
The very definition of faith is found in Hebrews 11:1 which says, “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” If we can see it, it isn’t faith. It’s knowledge.
I know people who say that if they could see God, they might believe in Him.
But Jesus said “If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.'” Luke 16:31
And Paul said, “From the time the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky and all that God made. They can clearly see His invisible qualities – His eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse whatsoever for not knowing God.” Romans 1:20-21
The evidence is all around us, but we need to open our eyes to see it.
I know people who do know God who wish they could see all the future holds for them.
But, the psalmist said, “Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” Psalm 119:105 In essence, he is saying God provides a flashlight, not a floodlight. He provides enough light to take the next step on the path, but does not illuminate the entire area. If He did reveal our future, we might turn and run the other way!!
Jeremiah said, “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 We can trust God with our future. His plans are better than anything we can imagine. He is “able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine.” Eph. 3:20
God wants us to trust in Him without having to see it for ourselves. Missouri is proud to call itself the “Show-Me state.” God wants us to live in the “Trust Me” state.
We already have faith we don’t even realize:
I have faith that if I release a stone from my hand, it will fall to the ground. I have never seen gravity, but I have experienced it, so I believe it.
I have faith that when I drive, the cars on the other side of the roadway will remain on their side of the painted line. If I didn’t, I’d never drive anywhere.
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I have faith that if I plant a seed in the ground, it will take root and grow. I can’t see it underground, but nevertheless, I believe that the seed is growing and transforming.
I have faith that if I fly in an airplane, the pilot is in control. The pilot may not be able to see anything if it is nighttime or cloudy, but he trusts his instrument panel to inform him of where he is, where he is going and what his current condition is.
Our control panel when we cannot see: God’s Word.
It is our light to guide our way.
It provides a method to assess our current condition.
And it contains the very words of God Himself that He breathes life into and speaks to us.
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Jesus used wind to describe life in the spirit (John 3:8). We can’t see wind. One might say that they can see the wind blowing the trees. I would counter – no, we can’t see the wind. We can see only the leaves. They are moving because of the effect the wind has on them. We can feel the wind. We can see the effect the wind has on other things, but we cannot see the wind itself. So it is with the spirit. We can feel the spirit. We can see the effect the spirit has on other people, but we cannot see the spirit itself.
Do we believe the wind exists?
So can we believe the God does too?
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Jesus told Thomas, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” John 20:28

May we believe and be blessed!!
Susan
Tear Down The Walls by Hillsong United
Tear down the walls
See the world
Is there something we have missed
Turn from ourselves
Look beyond
There is so much more than this
And I don’t need to see it to believe it
I don’t need to see it to believe it
Cause I can’t shake this
Fire deep inside my heart
Look to the skies hope arise
See His majesty revealed
More than this life there is love
There is hope and this is real
Cause I don’t need to see it to believe it
I don’t need to see it to believe it
Cause I can’t shake this fire burning
Deep inside my heart
This life is Yours and hope is rising
As Your glory floods our hearts
Let love tear down these walls
That all creation would
Come back to You
It’s all for You
Your Name is glorious
Glorious
Your love is changing us
Calling us
To worship in spirit and in truth
As all creation returns to You
Oh for all the sons and daughters
Who are walking in the darkness
You are calling us to lead them back to You
We will see
Your spirit rising
As the lost come out of hiding
Every heart will see this hope we have in You
Cause I don’t need to see it to believe it
I don’t need to see it to believe it
Cause I can’t shake this fire burning
Deep inside my heart
This life is Yours and hope is rising
As Your glory floods our hearts
Let love tear down these walls
That all creation would
Come back to You
It’s all for You
Your Name is glorious
Glorious
Your love is changing us
Calling us
To worship in spirit and in truth
As all creation returns to You

When Faith Struggles

Posted on by Susan Panzica
If you were at the tea, you heard me share my testimony about “Don’t bury your talent.” With her permission, today’s post comes from the speaker who shared those words. I pray that it blesses you as it did me.
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“Because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” James 1:3-4
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My faith struggles. It occurs most often when something happens in life that is beyond my understanding. My faith plunges to below sea level depth when I witness a natural disaster, a family tragedy, or another Christian’s failure. In my humanness, I cannot comprehend the “Why?”
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Regardless of my stinkin’ thinkin,’ God is faithful. Scripture states the following three truths explicitly throughout the Bible.
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God is faithful.
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“He is the Rock; his deeds are perfect. Everything he does is just and fair. He is a faithful God who does no wrong; how just and upright he is!” (Deuteronomy 32:4)
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God always works in our best interests.
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For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome. (Jeremiah 29:11)AMP)
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God’s ways are beyond our understanding.
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“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” (Isaiah 55:8-9, NIV).
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So what do I do when my faith plummets? I need to look to the truth that is deeper than my human reality. I need to acknowledge this fact – my faith can only grow when I have to trust God without the benefit of understanding every aspect of His divine will. I also need to realize that faith fluctuates and I am not the only one that struggles with the issue of doubt.
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A biblical example of a person who struggled with his faith is the disciple Thomas. Thomas spent three years with Jesus. He watched the Lord perform miracles. But still his faith floundered. Jesus never gave up on Thomas but kept encouraging him to believe and to trust.
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So when my faith struggles to stay afloat in a sea of doubt, I will look to Jesus for support. I will readily admit that I do not understand the why of the situation. And I will accept that it is part of the process of growing my faith. I will hold onto our Key Verse as a faith preserver. “Because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” (James 1:3-4).
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If your faith is struggling today, join me in the journey of faith. We can walk in encouragement together knowing we are persevering and maturing and that one day our faith will be complete, not lacking in any area.
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Dear Lord, at times my faith struggles. Help me to hold onto the truth of your Word. Allow me to remember my faith is in a state of growth in every circumstance. Grant me strength in my faith so that it may persevere and mature. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
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Application Steps:
Copy onto note cards the following verses: Deuteronomy 32:4, Jeremiah 29:11, Isaiah 55:8-9, and James 1:3-4. The next time your faith feels shaky, read these verses to strengthen you. Ask God to reveal the truth of His faithfulness.
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Reflections:
Are there certain areas where my faith quakes? .Do I feel guilty about my lack of faith at times?
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Power Verses:
Romans 10:17, “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.” (NIV)
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1 Peter 1:7, “Pure gold put in the fire comes out of it proved pure; genuine faith put through this suffering comes out proved genuine. When Jesus wraps this all up, it’s your faith, not your gold, that God will have on display as evidence of his victory.” (MSG)
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© 2009 by Susanne Scheppmann. All rights reserved.

MySpace (part 2) MY TREASURES

Posted on by Susan Panzica

In yesterday’s post, I mentioned the “treasures” I have displayed in MySpace. And I’d like to share a few with you.
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Two are items that we had given to our beloved Aunt Anna when she was going in and out of the hospital and rehab during her last year before she went home to glory. One is a cross that bears the verse “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Phil. 4:13. When I am certain that I cannot write another word, I am reminded that it is not I who is doing the writing. The other is a “promise box” containing Scripture verses to daily remind me of His faithful promises to His children.
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Around my desk, I have my books on one side and family photos on the other side, and the sweet journal that my daughter gave me in between.
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But the most prominent item is the rock collection atop my desk. Why rocks??
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My husband and I have a tradition that when God performs a mighty act in our lives, we save a rock from the event. When we started this, we didn’t even realize that this was a biblical tradition! Back in Old Testament days, the patriarchs and prophets lived nomadic lives. There were long periods of time in which they did not hear from God. So when they did hear from Him, they often built a pile of rocks, called an altar, as a tangible reminder of His work in their lives before they moved on to their next location.
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So what are some stories my rocks tell?
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-Our home/office was threatened to be taken from us by the state to build a new road. We were firmly told that there was absolutely nothing that could be done to change this action, so we prayed and asked many others to pray as well. Several months later, miraculously the decision was reversed with no reason given!
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-My husband was apprehensive about surgery that he was having in Canada. We made a family trip out of it, and throughout the entire journey, God repeatedly went before us in the most amazing ways.
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-We have a rock with 3 stripes, symbolizing the scars that I have from my knee surgeries and my daughter’s stitches on her knee, representing the stripes by which we are healed.
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-On my daughter’s first mission trip, she was unfairly given a disciplinary action. Called a “special blessing”, she was required to do some manual labor. As she was working, she had a spiritual awareness of how Jesus was unfairly treated, and during this time, she found a heart shaped rock.
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-There is a fish-shaped rock from Charlotte, NC, site of my first writer’s conference where God clearly spoke to me about my future in Him.
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-One of our rocks is not a rock at all. It is a piece of gas pipe. My husband discovered that in our boiler room was a gas pipe that the plumber had not connected. It was a complete miracle that it hadn’t moved, or spewed gas into a room with a constant flame, or blew the house up. My husband says that there was an angel with hands raised holding this pipe together for 2 years!
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-2 decorative rocks were gifts to me, each bearing a Scripture verse:
“The Lord is my Rock, my Fortress and My Deliverer.” Ps. 18:2
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Phil 4:13
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-1 small rock (a gift from my son) imprinted with – “He that is without sin among you, let him cast the first stone.” Jesus Christ
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Epilogue:
When we got our dog 5 years ago, we were brainstorming to find a name for her. My daughter suggested “Roxie.” My first thought was of the character Roxie Hart from the movie “Chicago” that had been released shortly before:
“Name my dog after a murdering adulteress?? I don’t think so!”
But then Lauren explained her reasoning:
She said she was thinking of things about her family that are unique, and she remembered our rock collection.
“Name my dog after the great works of God? Oh, yeah, that works!”
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Susan