Category: running

Finishing Well

Posted on by Susan Panzica

Freestyle skier Elizabeth Swaney has been both praised and maligned for competing in the S. Korean Olympics this week. She’s American by birth, is skiing for Hungary, and previously competed in skeleton for Venezuela. What makes her noteworthy?

She’s been called a terrible skier, certainly not Olympic caliber. No tricks in her programs. Viewers and commentators were dismayed as she sashayed back and forth through the half-pipe without a single jump, lift, or turn. How did she qualify for the Olympics?

Blame it on a lack of women freestyle skiers, and the fact that she didn’t fall. She paid her way. She showed up. And she finished. Not in first, second, or third place. But she finished without crashing.

eliz swaney-master

 

Elizabeth Swaney exploited the lack of female half-pipe skiers, but also hopes to inspire more women athletes in Hungary. Suddenly the public has a new hero who proved that anyone can achieve their dream if they are aware and follow the rules.

I’m always upset when someone says an Olympian because they scored a silver or bronze medal. Shouldn’t they be praised that they are the better than all but one or two people in the entire world?

I’m so glad that God isn’t concerned with how fast we go or what style we display as we run our race of life. He will say “Well done, good and faithful servant,” if we don’t bury our talent, but invest it into kingdom work.

We are called to continue in the race, pressing on for the prize. Crossing the finish line and being welcomed into the Kingdom is worth more than any medal.

Today, Billy Graham died. His son, Franklin Graham, said, “My father was once asked, ‘Where is heaven?’ He said, ‘Heaven is where Jesus is and I am going to Him soon!’”

God isn’t going to ask us if we led thousands to the Lord. He only wants us to be faithful to what He has called us to, small or large, first or last place.

Olympic athletes today and 2000 years ago serve as 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)

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?

Susan_signature

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:

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Finishing Well

Posted on by Susan Panzica
Many thanks to all for your prayers and good wishes for AJ. He finished well!  He experienced some knee and hamstring issues about 3/4 through, but pressed on. 


He finished in 3:22:19.62 (8 minutes ahead of his goal time) qualifying him for the Boston Marathon. He placed #114 out of 1856 runners and in the top ten of runners age 20 -24 (he’s 20). 


Here’s some pics (thanks to Lauren, Anita, and Phi Sigma Kappa):


bright and early – start of a great day




before the race – mental prep




crossing the mile 4 & 8 bridge
“AJ’s running a marathon, yet still takes great pictures” Dave M.




“gonna fly now” (Eye of the Tiger – Rocky theme)



greeting his Phi Sig brothers at mile 11




approaching mile 23 hydration station (leading the 2nd pack)




mile 23 – recharged!! 




heading home!
“cue Chariots of Fire music here” Lauren




roommate James running the last mile with him




FINISH LINE!!! 




“Run in such a way as to get the prize
…to get a crown that will last forever.”
1 Cor. 9:24-25



I’m so proud of this boy. He sure isn’t perfect that I know. I don’t want to be  one of those blind “can you top this” moms. But he accomplished what few do. 
And it wasn’t just completing the marathon. 

He had over 30 supporters there – family, school friends, church friends. These wonderful people to whom I am most grateful sacrificed time and money to be there at the crack of dawn and lend their support to this zany kid (“he’s the happiest runner” Dave M). I know others wanted to be there, but supported him in other ways. Why? One of his fraternity brothers summed it up in a text “AJ’s always there for us. Let’s be there for him.”  

We reap what we sow (Gal. 6:8). Sunday’s victory was not gained on that day. It was the months of preparation that allowed him to go the distance. And the support that he received was because of his daily investment in the lives of others, over months and years of relationship.

“whoever sows generously will also reap generously.” 2 Cor. 9:6


http://www.razoo.com/story/Ajpanzica

Who Would Have Thought???

Posted on by Susan Panzica
When he was just a kindergartener, he was the smartest player on the soccer field. As all the little players swarmed the ball like bees around a hive, AJ waited patiently outside the crush for the ball to emerge, then singlehandedly (or singlefootedly?) ran the ball down the field to the goal. The coaches and parents marveled, “He’s going to be a great soccer player!” 
Until he quit. 
“I don’t like soccer. You have to run all the way down the field, then run all the way back again.” From then on, baseball was his true love, playing year round. 



In eighth grade, his homeroom teacher, Mr. Allen, was also the cross-country coach. When AJ told us he was going to run cross country, my husband and I fell over laughing, literally. But when he started finishing in first place, we stopped laughing. Turns out that it was “useless” running that AJ didn’t like. All that down the field and back again with no scoring was boring. But running through the countryside or down streets toward a finish line – in increasingly faster time – was an achievement. 



His high school coach, Mr. Apol, a model of what coaches should be, challenged and encouraged each student to better themselves according to their own ability. Cross country taught me so much about running the race of life, my early blogposts were peppered with XC stories. (Stay tuned for more on this next week!)



Now AJ, college student, is running the NJ Marathon! On Sunday May 1st, he will run 26 miles through several NJ shore towns. Once again, family and friends will be there cheering along the sidelines and at the finish line. 


This time, he’s raising money for a summer mission trip to Uganda. 


Now for the mom-pitch! Would you consider supporting AJ in this endeavor? 
First, please keep him in prayer:
– that he would run well and finish well 
– with no injury! (He’s been having some knee trouble during training.)
– that the weather would be favorable.


And second, if you feel so led, financial donations toward his mission trip go to Touch The World and can be made at: 

Donations can be made in any amount large or small, flat or per mile.


He, and we, thank you in advance for your prayer and/or financial support. 


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, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith… Consider Him …, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. Heb. 12:1, 3


ps – couldn’t resist adding this poem that AJ wrote and posted on facebook this morning:



‎’Twas the night before race day
and everyone knew
That twenty-six mile was
a whole lot to do.
My bones are all aching
my muscles all sore
Nervous cause no Panzica
has tried this before.
But I have a secret that
I want all to see
And that is my God
that lives inside me.
Cause when I cannot do it
and am falling apart
He holds me together
From my feet to my heart.










You Can Be a Scholar Athlete !

Posted on by Susan Panzica

On Sunday, we attended a banquet honoring the scholar athletes in NJ. Each high school selects one student who has excelled in academics and sports to receive the Scholar Athlete award, and AJ received it for his high school. (btw – i’m so proud!!)

At the dinner, several speakers mentioned not only the achievements of the students but the sacrifices made by parents and the influence of coaches and teachers as well.

I couldn’t help but see the parallels to the Christian life.

SCHOLAR:
Study to show thyself approved. 1 Tim. 2:15

We are called to be students of the Word. The Bereans were commended because they examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true Act. 17:11

We may not be the most intellectual, the most brilliant, the most studious student of the Word. We don’t have to be. But with our humble understanding, we need to go to the Word, and not just for its teaching (although that is how we grow and learn), but to hear from its Author. When you speak, you use words. When He speaks, He uses His Word.

ATHLETE:

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. Heb. 12:1

Let us run with perseverance: The Christian life is a race. We are to run the race in such a way that we win the prize (1 Cor. 12:9). We are to press on … forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize. (Phil. 3:12-14) Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore, do not run like a man running aimlessly. Do not fight like a man beating the air. (1 Cor. 9:26)

We are running a marathon, not a sprint. My son is a long-distance runner, so he rarely competes in any sprints. He’s got endurance, but just isn’t speedy. In the Olympics, they call the 100m winner the “fastest man alive”. Maybe that’s true in the short run, but how fast will he finish in the long run? And in what condition will he be when a long race is over? We are called to persevere for the long run.

Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles: My son badly sprained his ankle a few weeks ago. It was his first injury ever to prevent him from participating in a sport. And Mr. Goofball sustained this injury while fooling around trying pole-vaulting (NOT his sport!!) How can someone so smart do something so stupid? Ooops, how often do I do something I know I shouldn’t! Or not do something I know I should! We ought to stick to the race that God has planned for us and not yield to the temptations that distract us from His purpose.

Yesterday, AJ ran in his first track meet since his injury. He hadn’t been training as usual, so the coach just put him in the short 100m race. Amazingly, he won! Which illustrates that when we need an extra burst of power in a difficult situation, He provides!

We are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses: At the banquet were parents, siblings, teachers and coaches, all of whom had logged countless hours cheering on the sidelines, providing taxi services to practices, purchasing equipment & uniforms, investing themselves in the lives of their young athletes. As we run our race, we are encouraged by those around us and by those who have gone before us setting an example for us to follow. And we are called to be encouragers to others on their journey as well. Comfort others with the comfort we ourselves have received from God (2 Cor. 1:4)

So now – Congratualtions to you on your Scholar Athlete Award!

Susan

Impossible is Nothing!

Posted on by Susan Panzica

Breezing past the Athletic Department today, a pink t-shirt splashed with Dating Game style letters caught my eye. The groovy letters stated “Impossible is Nothing”.
It put a new spin on Luke 1:37 “For nothing is impossible with God.” When I say those words, I say NOTHING is impossible with God. My focus is on the problem which is huge to me, but is nothing for God.
But with this switch of words, I picture God looking at the problem saying, “Impossible?? Ha! It’s nuthin’!” The focus is on Him, not the problem.
I found that this is the new slogan for Adidas. Soon, there’ll be ads and commercials galore. When you see them, remember God in heaven for whom all things really are possible!
Susan

Cinderella Man

Posted on by Susan Panzica

As I’ve shared before, although I have grown to love it, there usually isn’t too much excitement in my son’s best sport, cross-country running. That is, until this year’s league championship race. With only one loss each, our team was tied with another team entering the race. There was much tension in the air to see who would end up as the League Champs. The gun sounded, the runners took off into woods, around the lake, back to the woods, and to thefinish line. One by one they came in, sweating, panting, exhausted. Which school would win the title? Unbelievable! The most unusual finish possible! It was a tie!

Now this sport has a unique method of scoring. Only a team’s first 5 runners to cross the finish line are counted for the team score. These are the runners whose names are recorded in the scorebooks and listed in the newspapers. But there are other runners on the teams who run just to finish (which is it’s own accomplishment!). Some aspire to break into the top 5, but often, their goal is just to improve their performance time. These runners rarely, if ever, are counted in the team score. That is, unless there is a tie!! Then the judges look to see where the 6th man on each team placed.

So the league championship title depended upon our 6th man, Jon. As usual, he finished near the end of the entire race. But he finished just ahead of our rival team’s 6th man!! A senior, Jon never received any public acclaim throughout his running career, but today, he was the hero!

As captain and 1st runner, my son, AJ, has had his name listed in the papers before. Today, he was quoted and had a whole paragraph, not for his own accomplishment but for the purpose of giving Jon the praise. This young man trained daily with his team. He ran a race to the best of his ability. He did it not for praise, but simply because it was what he was called to do. He never expected any reward other than the satisfaction of a job well done.

You and I run through our day, without any recognition most of the time. Yet if we are not distracted, if we keep our eye on the prize set before us, for a crown that will last forever, that is all the reward we need. One day, we will stand before the Judge who will say “Well done!”

1 Cor. 9:25-27 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.

Susan

RUNNING THE RACE!

Posted on by Susan Panzica

Wow! To all who signed on, commented and emailed me, a huge thanks for all your encouragement! I’m so excited I can’t wait until tomorrow! I’m doing another blog today!!

It’s autumn here in Jersey. My favorite season. I love the colors, the coolness, the apples… and cross-country season! My son is an excellent cross country runner, and I have come to love this sport. It’s not because it’s exciting to watch. After all, the runners take off, and you don’t see a thing until 16 – 20 minutes later when the runners return to cross the finish line. I love the sport because although there is the team element, you can be a winner even if your team doesn’t come in first. Just improve your time from your last race, and you’re a winner. In fact, just crossing the finish line makes you a winner. How many of us can run those 3.1 miles?

At my son’s last race, as I was waiting for our guys to start coming back, the previous race was concluding. It was a girls’ race, and many girls had come in already when my eye caught one girl who was struggling with the last ¼ mile. She was bent over, and it was clearly an effort for her to put one foot in front of the other. And it was uphill besides! Then I saw 5 girls run over and begin running beside her. They had already crossed the finish line, some wearing medals indicating that they had been in the top 10. But now they ran beside their teammate shouting encouragement along the way. “You can do it, Jen!” “Keep it up, Jen!” “You’re almost there, Jen!” “We’re with you, Jen!” Jen still struggled, but her head lifted higher. She found new energy to keep going. (It was all I could do to not start bawling out loud.) I had just witnessed teamwork at its best.

And that is what we are called to do as well. We are all part of the same team, and we must continually encourage one another as long as it is called today. Solomon tells us that two are better than one because if one falls down, the other can pick her up. He goes on to say, “A cord of three is not quickly broken.” You, me and God –now that’s a team!!

Susan