strength Archives - Susan Panzica

When God Turns Up The Heat

Posted on January 17, 2018January 17, 2018 by Susan Panzica

It’s a sad promise that we WILL go through the overwhelming waters and the burning fire. The verse above doesn’t say “if,” it says “when.” Jesus said, “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you WILL have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

Fortunately, when we pass through the waters and the fire, the Lord promises to be with us and we will not be swept away or burned or in any way destroyed by the trials we experience.

Years ago at a Women of Faith conference, I heard Thelma Wells share a story. Her arm was severely burned, and at the hospital, she discovered that all her costume jewelry melted and was ruined, but her good jewelry was not. Her diamonds and gold were completely intact. Thelma stated it was because the “good jewelry was pure.”

Never one to leave a perfectly good illustration alone, I took it a step further and asked: WHY and HOW was the good jewelry pure?

Diamonds
Chemically, scientifically, a diamond is carbon – charcoal – a soft substance so easily destroyed in fire it is used for fuel. It’s black, dirty, and full of impurities. How does it become one of the clearest, and hardest substances on earth? Years and years and years of intense pressure. The pressure forces the impurities out of the carbon and makes the diamond into one of the most formidable and durable substances on earth.

Gold
When gold is mined from the earth, it looks nothing like the shiny jewelry we love. The process of refining gold requires heat, lots of it. The gold is melted into liquid, and the refiner skims away the impurities – the dross – that rises to the surface.

Malachi tells us, “He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver.” Malachi 3:3

An old story goes ~ There were some passers-by watching the refiner sitting by his pot of gold hanging over the fire. They wondered how much heat the gold could endure without being destroyed, and so they asked the refiner. He responded,

“See how I sit by the fire?”

“Yes, of course, we see you.”

“Well, see how I bend over the pot, looking into it?”

“Yes, but how do you know how much heat that will allow the refining without destroying the gold?”

“I’ll know – when I see my own reflection.”

Our Refiner is always with us through whatever fiery trials we endure. We’re never alone. The flames did not set Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego ablaze. The Lord was with them in the fiery furnace. And He is close by watching carefully all that’s going on. Nothing surprises Him or occurs without His permission.

My Bible note on Isaiah 43:2 says, “Going through rivers of difficulty will either cause you to drown or force you to grow stronger. If you go in your own strength, you are more likely to drown. If you invite the Lord to go with you, He will protect you.”

But it’s more than that.

Yes, He is with us. And yes, He protects us as we go in His strength. But these fiery trials also can serve a purpose. He is producing His reflection in us as we patiently endure. Endurance produces maturity and Christ-likeness.

J.B. Phillips translates James 1:2-5 this way:

“When all kinds of trials and temptations crowd into your lives my brothers, don’t resent them as intruders, but welcome them as friends! Realize that they come to test your faith and to produce in you the quality of endurance. But let the process go on until that endurance is fully developed, and you will find you have become men of mature character with the right sort of independence…”

It may seem impossible to welcome trials as friends. And to be honest, it probably is. But we can welcome the God who allowed them and be open to the mighty transforming work He will do in us and through us because of these difficulties.

Are you going through a fiery trial? How can I best pray for you, beloved?

The 6 Most Valuable Words

Posted on August 2, 2017August 2, 2017 by Susan Panzica

For years, I longed to ride a motorcycle. Finally last autumn, I signed up for the Motorcycle Riding Academy.

The first part of the first day was spent in the classroom with video and personal instruction. The rest of the time we put that instruction into practice out on “the range.” Our teachers shared many important pieces of advice, but perhaps the most essential six words of advice were: “Look where you want to go.”

There is a unique connection between vehicle and driver. You can experience this connection to a much lesser degree when driving a car. But on two motorized wheels, there is no margin for error. This skill honestly can be a factor of life and death. You will drive exactly where you are looking. If you look at a tree hoping to miss it, you will inadvertently drive right toward it.

Now at every corner, I force myself to look past the curve down the road to where I want to be. If I stare at the road ahead of my front tire, it is exponentially more difficult to make the turn correctly and end up in the proper place in the lane. I know – I’ve ended up making turns much more dangerous than they needed to be just because I wasn’t looking ahead to where I wanted to go.

This advice, so critical for motorcycle safety, is also crucial for life. Where and what we focus on determines where we are going. <<click to tweet>>

When we’ve been let down in life, we can focus on the disappointments as if they’d change by our replaying them in our minds. We can look at the inequities we or others face in life and grow bitter that there appears to be no justice. We can concentrate on the irregular people in our lives and wish them harm or at least what we think they deserve.

But is that where we want to go? Do we want to become like those who have hurt us? Do we want to develop resentment or bitterness?

Or do we want to develop Christ-likeness? Do we want to respond as Jesus would? Do we want to be free from the burden of worldly attitudes which drag us down?

Life will hand you curves in the road. That’s guaranteed. Jesus said,

“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

His promise of tribulation is sandwiched between His offer of peace and His assurance of overcoming the world. When we focus on the tribulation, we miss His peace and are overcome BY the world.

The key is those six words: Look where you want to be. Stop focusing on what is right in front of you; enlarge your perspective to the bigger eternal picture; and focus on what Jesus is doing in you through these difficult situations.

“… 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

Are you struggling with circumstances that test your faith? Know that these trials can be tools God uses to bring you to completeness and maturity when you keep your focus on Him. And keep looking at your goal – where and who you want to be.

Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls! Heb. 12:2 MSG

I’ll close with a quote from an article from Revzilla, a motorcycle accessory shop:

“Look where you want to go” means keeping your gaze on the real prize, the big goals you want to achieve during your finite time on this sphere. Staring at the spot just ahead of your front tire, either literally or metaphorically, ensures you won’t be ready for the next curve life throws at you.

Start or Stop?

Posted on January 18, 2017January 18, 2017 by Susan Panzica

Our patient, Angelo, is a super athlete, a long distance bike racer, who has accomplished what many never dreamed of. He had an appointment scheduled at our chiropractic office one day, but left a message that he wouldn’t be able to make it. It seems that while on a practice run with 20+other bikers, he was hit and dragged by a bus, severely injured. Remarkably, he had called us from his hospital bed, but he has no memory of calling. After extensive surgery, he needed to learn how to walk again. It seemed that bike riding was out of his future.

But not for Angelo.

That was over a year ago, and he is back in training. At his visit to our office yesterday, he expressed his concerns with getting back in the race. Then I overheard him say, “But I have the gear.” Yes, but he also had the fear. As his muted conversation continued, I overhead him again. “It’s the start that stops most people.”*

I’m not one for eavesdropping, especially on patient’s care. These were after-adjustment conversations with open doors. And I’m so glad his words drifted my way. I was so inspired by his outlook that I asked if I could write about and quote him.

He gave credit to Dr. Rob Gilbert for the start-stop quote*, and shared his favorite Gilbert quote: “The ten most powerful two letter words – If it is to be, it is up to me.”* And he added one more quote for good measure:

Continue reading “Start or Stop?”

What Is Faith?

Posted on May 7, 2015October 14, 2015 by Susan Panzica

So often we are living in the aftermath of an event that left us full of tears. Now we’re in a dark time, experiencing the pain of suffering, despair, heartache.

Much like the disciples must have felt on the Saturday after the crucifixion.

They waited in their despondency, unaware of what was to happen the next morning; the joy of new life, resurrection, rising from the ashes of pain.

And that’s where faith grows.

In the dark, when we can’t see. The very definition of faith is “…the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Heb. 11:1

Faith isn’t wishful thinking, or hope without a solid foundation. It is comprised of two elements: truth and experience. And it must have both, or it isn’t true faith.

There are people who know Scripture well, but have no experience or relationship with its Author. Years ago, I worked with a brilliant guy, a certified Mensa genius. While he was in seminary, he memorized the entire Bible. Sadly, he also decided that he didn’t believe in God and so quit the seminary.

He had more knowledge of the truth than I ever hope to. Yet he had no experience or relationship with God, and so all his knowledge was in vain.

Then there are people who trust only in their experiences, but have no anchor of truth in the Word. Consequently they are tossed about with every wave of life. Their faith rests in their emotions and so they’re happy and trusting God when things are going well, but lose all hope when trouble strikes.

In the first episode of the TV series A.D., there is an excellent exchange between Mary, Jesus’ mother, and Mary Magdelene. After Mary tells Peter and the disciples, “Have you forgotten His prophecy? He promises to rise from death. Have you forgotten so quickly? CAN YOU NOT WAIT?,” she then left the room, and Mary Magdelene followed and asked her, “Are you sure He’s coming?”

“I know He is,” Mary replied.

“How can you be so sure?”

“He raised others from death. This is what was prophesied, what He promised. Then why not Himself?”

Mary’s reply contains all the elements of faith:

Truth: “what was prophesied, what He promised.”

Experience: “He raised others from death.”

Faith: He’ll raise Himself.

Our faith grows and deepens in the dark when we stand on the truth of God’s Word lived out in our life experiences.

Hang In There!

Posted on April 9, 2015October 14, 2015 by Susan Panzica

Easter Sunday morning, there was still a little pile of snow tucked into the garden beside my driveway. The recent rain, wind and warmer weather washed away much of the snow; yet there still remained piles of graying white. For months they sat like giant beached whales. Mounds of snow, at the edges of fences, by the sides of highways, in corners of parking lots. For the entire winter, our lawns were cloaked in white.

Each of those snowflakes that fell en masse last January were so delicate, it’s amazing that they are still present in April. What can we learn from these fragile flakes that have such staying power?

1. They stick together.

Despite the fact that one person can make a difference – which I absolutely believe – it is also true that there is power in numbers.

We simply were not made to go it alone. God made us to be part of a body, His body. He made us for fellowship. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another. Heb 10:25

God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness..” Gen 1:26 He is one God, but He is a plural God (like one family or one class or one snowstorm are singular, yet are plural.) He is in fellowship with Himself. We are made in His image, and therefore, we need to be in the fellowship of believers. We are made that way for a reason. We are stronger together than we are alone.

Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. Eccl. 4:12

2. They were pushed out of their comfort zone.

Oh, it’s so much easier to stay within our comfort zone, isn’t it? But those flakes that remained so comfortable out on the open lawn were the first ones to melt away. It was the plowed flakes, the ones that got pushed and shoved around that remained. If the snowflakes could speak, they would say that it sure didn’t feel good at the time. To the snowflake, the plow seemed brutal, a real bully. But it was precisely because it yielded to the plow that it survived.

When we don’t understand our circumstances or we have to change our status quo, we need to recognize that there is Someone greater than ourselves in control, Someone who has our best interests at heart.

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

If you’ve been trying to go it alone or if you’ve been facing a difficult struggle, hang in there and be encouraged by remembering that frail snowflake that first arrived in January and is still hanging around in April.

How to Keep the Sabbath in a World That Never Rests

Posted on May 21, 2014 by Susan Panzica

At a Leadership Conference I recently attended, I was challenged to consider observing Sabbath. It’s the fourth Commandment, and the one with by far the most instruction (Deut. 5:6-21) but unlike the other nine, for some reason, our present society considers it optional.

The word “Sabbath” simply means “rest.” In our overscheduled, workaholic culture, taking time to rest seems counter-productive. But in reality, the opposite is true. The conference leader, Pete Scazzaro said, “BEING with God precedes DOING for God.” And the purpose of Sabbath is to rest and BE with God.

To read more about Sabbath and join me in the discussion, click on over to Circles Of Faith.

Hang In There!!

Posted on January 15, 2014 by Susan Panzica

There they sit, like giant beached whales. Mounds of snow, at the edges of fences, by the sides of highways, in corners of parking lots, our lawns still cloaked in white. The recent rain, wind and warmer weather washed away much of the snow; yet there still remain piles of graying white.

Each of those snowflakes that fell en masse last December were so delicate, it’s amazing that they are still present a month later. What can we learn from these fragile flakes that have such staying power?

1. They stick together.
Despite the fact that one person can make a difference – which I absolutely believe – it is also true that there is power in numbers.

We simply were not made to go it alone. God made us to be part of a body, His body. He made us for fellowship. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another. Heb 10:25

God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness…” Gen 1:26 He is one God, but He is a plural God (like one family or one class or one snowstorm are singular, yet plural.) He is in fellowship with Himself. We are made in His image, and therefore, we need to be in the fellowship of believers. We are made that way for a reason. We are stronger together than we are alone.

Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. Eccl. 4:12

2. They were pushed out of their comfort zone.
Oh, it’s so much easier to stay within our comfort zone, isn’t it? But those flakes that remained so comfortable out on the open lawn were the first ones to melt away. It was the plowed flakes, the ones that got pushed and shoved around that remained. If the snowflakes could speak, they would say that it sure didn’t feel good at the time. To the snowflake, the plow seemed brutal, a real bully. But it was precisely because it yielded to the plow that it survived.

When we don’t understand our circumstances or we have to change our status quo, we have to recognize that there is Someone greater than ourselves in control, Someone who has our best interests at heart.

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

Recently, a friend shared this excellent quote with me:

“Comfort is the breeding ground for mediocrity. Hardship makes you find your greatness.”

If you’ve been trying to go it alone or if you’ve been facing a difficult struggle, hang in there. Remember the frail snowflake that first arrived a month ago and is still hanging around; and recognize that you are on the road to greatness!

January is Human Trafficking Awareness month. Tonight January 15, the NJ Coalition is hosting a Human Trafficking Awareness Event:

New Jersey’s Annual Human Trafficking Awareness Day Observance will feature performances including the premier of “A Day In the Life,” singer/songwriter Courtney Wong, and the Justice Movement Dancers among other influentials. January 15, 7:00 pm, Bergen Performing Arts Center (PAC), Englewood. Click Here for more info and to RSVP >>

Profiles in Courage

Posted on May 6, 2013 by Susan Panzica

Last night, I saw the movie “42.” It was excellent on so many levels, but mostly because it told the story of the faith and courage of two great men , Branch Rickey and Jackie Robinson of the Brooklyn Dodgers.

Jackie Robinson’s story is well known in history, the first black man to play in major league baseball. His number “42” is retired on every team in baseball. Not because he had the courage to fight, but because he had the courage not to. He endured humiliation and persecution and he did not speak up against his accusers. He modeled the behavior of our Savior.

Branch Rickey‘s story was as powerful as Robinson’s. The team’s general manager was intentional in his search for a black player to integrate his team. When Jackie asked him why, Rickey told the story of a time when he was a young player and didn’t stand up for a black man. As a man of deep faith, it bothered him all his life. He was finally in a position to right a wrong he had committed.

2000 years ago, another young man persecuted followers of Jesus Christ. Paul went from town to town looking for Christians to jail and kill. On one road to Damascus, he encountered Jesus Himself. Paul’s life was transformed and he spent the rest of his life fighting FOR Christianity instead of against it.

Two years ago, a high school friend found me. We had a falling out in our senior year. She seriously hurt me and we stopped talking. I can’t remember what she did, only that I never wanted to see her again. Years later, she searched for and found me on facebook. We began to correspond and then reunited when she made a trip back to NJ. The first thing she wanted to do was right the wrong she had committed and asked for forgiveness. We’re now close friends and because she was so good at keeping in touch with people, I’ve had the joy of reconnecting with several of my long lost friends. Most importantly, we’ve discovered we’re both believers now which doubled our joy.

It’s never too late to right a wrong we have committed. In righting his wrong, Branch Rickey changed history, and not just in baseball. He was a catalyst for the entire civil rights movement.

We can change our history. If we have offended someone, we must do what we can do to make things right. Paul says in his letter to the Romans:

“If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God,….Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” Rom. 12:18-20

“So far as it depends on you” – we must do what we can, but only what we can. Don’t fret about what others do or how they respond. They are responsible for their actions as we are responsible for ours.

Do you have a relationship in need of repair or a wrong that needs to be addressed? I encourage you to pray and seek what God would have you do to restore peace with all – men, women, and children.

And please leave a comment with how I can pray for you.

PS – Don’t forget to enter the contest for a $25 Amazon gift card giveaway! Click here for details. If you’re already a Blog subscriber, Twitter follower, or Facebook friend, just let me know. And if you have a wedding story to share, I’d love to hear it!

What are we to do???

Posted on April 16, 2013 by Susan Panzica

Media and social media alike are overflowing with images, rants, prayers, commentaries related to yesterday’s Boston bombing. Here are three things I read this morning:

I’m on Day 18 of a 30 day Early To Rise challenge and receive an automated email every day.This just so happened to be in paragraph 2:

“If it is true that one person can change the world with their evil acts, then we also know that one person can change the world through their kindness. One ignorant person can cause tremendous damage, and one wise person can alter the course of history.” – Andy Traub

Then in today’s Jesus Calling by Sarah Young:

I am calling you to a life of thankfulness. I want all your moments to be punctuated with thanksgiving. The basis for your gratitude is My sovereignty. I am the Creator and Controller of the universe. Heaven and earth are filled with My glorious Presence.

When you criticize or complain, you are acting as if you think you could run the world better than I do. From your limited perspective, it may look as if I’m mismanaging things. But you don’t know what I know or see what I see. If I pulled back the curtain to allow you to view heavenly realms, you would understand much more. However, I have designed you to live by faith, not by sight. I lovingly shield you from knowing the future or seeing into the spirit world. Acknowledge My sovereignty by giving thanks in all circumstances.

We live by faith, not by sight. 2 Cor. 5:7

Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thess. 5:18

And on facebook, I read Nate Dorka’s post to his HS youth group:

Some thoughts on the bombings in Boston today:
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.” – Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Devastation.

Doctors are working on some folks to patch them up, working on others who lost a limb and are struggling to stay alive… Others, including an eight year old boy, weren’t as “lucky”.
We call for justice. Built into us is a NEED for justice.

And people are going to be looking everywhere for someone/something to blame. There will probably be blame placed on the head of security or maybe even government officials.
We want to blame an enemy.

What should our view be as Christians? What should our response be? Aren’t we called to LOVE our enemy… even the enemy that killed that little boy? But can there be justice in that?

There is an enemy. He is a thief who “comes only to steal and kill and destroy.(Jn 10:10)” The bible calls him our advisory and tells us, “the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.(1 Pt 5:8)”

This thief, lion, devil is our enemy, and he’ll do all he can to keep people in the darkness.
“But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.(Jn 11:10)”
Jesus tell us “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

These folks that do unspeakable things are simply in the darkness. They don’t know the life that Jesus, in his mercy, gives.

Jesus tells us, “…I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.(John 10:10)”
“they” includes the killer of that little boy.

So… What should our response be towards the bombers from today?
Pray for them.

“(Jesus talking to Saul/Paul in Acts)…so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.”

Pray that God would be glorified by the transformation of their hearts, and that these people would become followers of Christ.

As far as justice goes, well.. We were all once in the darkness, and deserved death. It’s by God’s perfect mercy and grace, and by Jesus work on the cross and power over death, that we now live.

To Nate’s words, I would just add this. There are some that cannot rest until justice is “properly” served, even though they may forgive and pray for the offender. To them, I’d say that God says we reap what we sow (Gal 6:7). It is up to Him to provide the consequences to the offender. I can rest knowing that justice is in His hands, the same hands that provide grace serve justice meted as HE sees fit.

When it just doesn’t make sense…

Posted on April 8, 2013 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.