Category: testimony

W O W – What an Outrageous Weekend!

Posted on by Susan Panzica
W O W – With Outstanding Women!
I’m so thankful for the wonderful time I spent with the women from the PVCA retreat this past weekend! They are a beautiful bunch, inside and out. And we were in a beautiful place, inside and out! Many thanks to Nancy, Pam and the committee who worked so hard all year long to put together such a blessed experience.
We strolled along the ocean.

And rested on the jetties.


We ate (mostly)
delicious meals.
And had lots of laughs.
(That’s Heather!)

Time was spent in small groups and large groups, dining, laughing, sharing, catching up with old friends and getting to know new ones. So many inspiring stories were shared with both humor and tears.

The small group leaders did a fabulous job helping me to present the message about who we are in Christ. They shared about what it means to be an ambassador, the bride, a servant, salt, a soldier, an heir, a sheep and a branch of the Vine, about what prevents us from living as we should and what can we do to get back on track.

On a side note – I noticed that many of the group leaders shared that fear was a factor, so I want to invite you to attend High Mountain Church’s Ladies Tea (June 6th) where I was asked to speak on what subject — fear! Fear is something that I have wrangled with all my life, and it seems that I’m not alone. Especially in these dark days, with the economy and spiritually, fear hits very close to home. But take heart – “perfect Love casts out fear!!” “God did not give us a spirit of fear, but one of power, love and self-discipline.”

Back to the retreat – One image that will stay with me was when little Alex (our very special male attendee) heard his aunt’s voice and turned his head, looking up at her with eyes brimming with adoration and a smile to match. It reminded me that His sheep know His voice, and when we hear His voice, we must turn toward His direction with joy.

Aunt Nettie, Alex and mom Amanda

At the very end, the entire group turned toward the wall of windows facing the bay (and the mainland in the distance) and sang “Shout to The Lord.” It was a holy moment, one which bridged the sacred to the secular.


As we leave the Spirit-filled weekend, may the lessons that God showed us strengthen us to know who we are because of who He is and to be His representatives back in our realities at home, work, church, school, wherever He’s placed us.

Susan

i am … still Excited

Posted on by Susan Panzica

Thank you so much for your prayers and encouragement regarding today’s speaking event. You are appreciated more than I can say!

As today approached, I was feeling somewhat less nervous than I expected, although my digestive track did get its usual workout (‘nuf said about that!). And then this morning was a complete comedy of errors!

First of all, (ooooh, my vanity…) last night, I decided I really needed to wash my hair! I’m sure no one would have noticed, but I would have been focused on it, so I figured I’d get one distraction out of the way. Not too smart! My thick head of hair cannot be washed at night with any reasonable expectation of attractiveness the next day. Not what I wanted to see 1st thing in the morning!

I tried on four outfits until I settled on the one that hid most of the major flaws. Then, I decided to bring a smaller handbag. After all, I didn’t need so much stuff for this event. When I transferred my wallet, I saw that I had way too much change making the small wallet fat and heavy. Taking my sister’s advice to put the extra change in the car, I threw the heavy load of coins into my blazer pocket to carry to the car. When I got to the car, I noticed that the change was jingling down around the hem of the blazer! It seems that there was a small hole in the pocket – just right for coins to slip through, too small for my hand to retrieve them! With no time to deal with this, I got into the car and headed for the school.

As I pulled up, I saw a huge banner announcing that today was the Open House! So, now not only did I have to worry about speaking to the students and staff – there would also be visitors making decisions about where to send their children for high school. If I messed up, I could be adversely affecting their entire futures! (Do you also put ridiculously unreasonable and unnecessary pressures upon yourself?) Aaauugghh!

As I scurried to the auditorium for a microphone check, I fumbled around the pocket, enlarging the hole and trying to gather up jingling coins that were now circling the hem, slapping my jacket back and forth against my thighs!

To make matters worse, yesterday I had slightly sprained my left ankle and right wrist. I already have a bad right knee, and I was wearing higher heels than I’m used to. Can you picture me trying to gracefully go up and down stairs with no banister while holding my Bible and papers. All the while with huge hair and a slapping jingling jacket. Lord, have mercy!!

To further complicate things, I’ve had a cold for 2 days (it figures!), and my mouth has been as dry as dust. In my Tuesday night class, as I was speaking, I actually spit my cough drop right out of my mouth. So embarassing! Fortunately, I was among mature understanding women (who still went hysterical!) What if this happened in front of 400 highschoolers? So I put the cough drop in my mouth with plans to remove it when it was time to go up to speak. Good plan. Or so I thought until it came time to remove it, place it in a tissue, and now where to leave the tissue? Dangling out of my pocket? Oh yeah – that looks professional!!

And then, as I was waiting to go up to speak, Mr. Kim (the tech guy) replaced the microphone pack that Justin (the other tech guy) had given me. As I stood up to go to the podium, the mike pack fell to the floor pulling the lapel mike down with it. I clumsily picked up the snakelike contraption and held it up for Justin or Mr. Kim to come and save me. Hello??? Could use a little help here! Just a little technically challenged with this stuff! They stared (nicely) back at me, but I could read their minds – “Go ahead, lady, just clip it back on!” I somehow attached the lapel mike to my blazer, but I didn’t put the pack in my pocket. I wasn’t too inclinded to lift up the bottom of my shirt, and if it fell again while I was speaking, I’d be sunk. So now I carried my Bible, my papers, my tissue pack (couldn’t let my nose run while speaking, now could I), and the mike pack and tried to fit them all on the tiny 1 inch ledge of the music stand I was using for a podium.

Finally, God brought me to my senses as I was waiting to speak. I thought – do I believe that God is who says who He is? That’s a yes – so then do I believe that I am who He says I am? Well, I guess I believe that, too. After all, that is the very essence of the message that I was just about to share. How could I convey to these students who God says they are and hope that they will embrace it and live like as His child, His ambassador, His soldier… if I couldn’t do it myself? So I asked God to be glorified and to use me as His instrument, to speak through me to reach one who needed to know how special he or she is in His eyes.

And God did not disappoint! The feedback I received both from students and faculty was so positive. I coincidentally (really?) ran into the woman who is in charge of the Ladies Tea that I am speaking at in April. Barbara was a guide for the Open House and shared with me that, during my message, one student in the family she was escorting started to feel ill. When Barbara asked the mom if they should leave, the mom said “no” – she wanted to hear the end of the message! That also served as a confirmation to Barbara that she had hired the right person!

One of my favorite reactions came from a student who told me that I kept the students attention which, she declared, is not easy to do! Other students’ comments involved some statements I had made that had spilled out of my mouth which were not even in my notes. O… God is so good, is He not?

I’ll keep you posted as this series progresses. The students have been developing some great ideas including terrific speakers, music, art and media to create some dynamic chapels for the weeks to come.

Thanks again for your prayers and your encouraging words!
Susan

i am … Excited!

Posted on by Susan Panzica
As many of you know, I have been writing a book that is tentatively titled,
“i know You are . . . but what am i?”
It’s about what I call the “little i am’s”. God is the “Great I Am”, so we are the “little i am’s”. Each chapter will explore the concept of who God says we are – for example, i am . . . an ambassador, an athlete, a soldier, the bride, salt, light, and so on.
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After a whirlwind year last year, my progress on the book itself has been SLOW. I put it aside for a while to learn more about how to write and about the publishing industry. But now, I’m back! I had some outside influence to bring this front and center once again. My son!
*
In his Bible & Worship class at school, he and his classmates are assigned the task of putting together the chapels for the entire school. As they were brainstorming a theme, he suggested the “little i am’s”. The students chose it, and I am now “consulting” with the class to present this material to the entire school. It is a thrill for me that they expressed interest in this subject, and I am taking it as a confirmation that God wants me to continue with the vision I have for this book project.
*
I attended the class this morning, and they are such a great group! I offered some advice, but mostly I wanted to hear what their ideas were. A schedule was developed for which topics will be on which day, and they are lining up speakers for each presentation – 6 in all (an athlete, a soldier, etc.). My son, AJ, will be sharing the message about what it means to be clay in the hands of the Potter. (Can I say I’m more than a little proud?)
*
I will be sharing the introductory message this Thursday 3/5/09 at 9:40 am, and while I am so excited, I must be honest – I covet your prayers. I so want to be relevant to the student body (and staff). And while I love teaching and sharing in small group settings, being on stage is just never a comfortable spot for me.
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And while I’m at it, can I be so bold as to also ask for prayers for the book I am writing? My sole desire is that discovering our true identity in Christ will be encouraging and empowering to the reader. Please pray that I will be focused on the task and that my writing skills improve to present a worthy product. I also am exploring publication in magazine articles. Thanks so much in advance!!
Isaiah 62:2 “The nations will see your righteousness, and all kings your glory; you will be called by a new name that the mouth of the LORD will bestow.”

Isaiah 43:1, “But now, O Israel, the Lord who created you says: ‘Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine.’”

Susan

Fear Not!

Posted on by Susan Panzica

I recently joined an online writer’s group where the moderators ask a question, and members email their responses to each other. I read and I learn, but I don’t usually share anything because I am so new to this writing “gig” that I feel I don’t have something worthy to share. This week’s question, though, was one in which I (unfortunately) have a great deal of experience: “What are you afraid of?” The question, of course, related to the field of writing, but I felt led to share what I will now share with you as well.

Since I will be speaking at a Ladies Tea in June on the subject of fear, I have had this on my mind. If you are coming to the Tea and want to be surprised, stop reading here. But this is a preview of what I’ll be sharing.

****

Fear has been a constant companion all my life. One of my biggest fears has always been the fear of public speaking. I’ve heard that the fear of public speaking is the #1 fear in this country. The #2 fear is death. That means that at a funeral, the average person would rather be in the casket than delivering the eulogy! Jerry Seinfeld said that, and it’s the only punchline I can ever remember, probably because it hits so close to home.

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

Despite my fears, I have been a speaker for years, but writing is a new endeavor for me. I struggle with whether I am good enough and how much there is to learn about this craft and this industry, but I do not want to be like the servant who buried his talent. We have to give an account someday of what we’ve been entrusted with, and I want to be found faithful.

To me, fear is like the threshold found in a doorway. It prevents me from going further. When I was little, I remember being afraid of participating in a pillow fight my dad was having with my sister. I stood silently at the entrance to the room, even after they invited me to join them. I still find that fear prevents me from moving forward. BUT, as the bride of Christ, I daily choose to allow my Bridegroom to carry me over that threshold, past that fear, leave it behind and enter into a place of peace, free of fear.

These verses have ministered greatly to me:
“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.” Isaiah 26:3
“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” 1 John 4:18
“In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?” Psalm 56:4
Susan

God is my Pilot – and Donna’s too!

Posted on by Susan Panzica

My friend, Donna, had a traumatic experience the other day, and shared this testimony. Be sure to read to the end!
Susan


Brothers and sisters,
I want to share something. I had a harrowing experience this morning — a near crash that could have been disastrous. The only explanation I can give for the many factors that came together to save me was that Jesus was in that car with me.


I was coming down a short stretch of Route 23 South that I take most mornings. I am only on the highway for less than 1/4 mile. I get on Route 23 at the West Belt service road just before the interchange with Routes 46 and 80, and I immediately exit for Route 46 West/Route 23 South. The exit ramp merges down from two lanes into one. I was in the left, merging into the right. I was conscious of there being unusually little traffic.


Suddenly, to my left, I saw a gray pick-up truck crossing the median and coming toward me. It was one of those low medians — all cement and about 6-7 inches high, but about 15 feet wide. He was crossing from the right lane on the other side of the median that would have taken him to Route 46 East, and he was coming straight for me on my driver’s side. Since I knew he was crossing the median, and he was aiming right for me, I assumed he had lost control of his vehicle. I hardly had anywhere to go. To my right was another cement median, about the width of a sidewalk and also about 6-7 inches high. On the other side of that median, traffic merges onto the same ramp that I was on, and I didn’t even have time to look to see whether any cars were coming.


The truck was running me to my right. I could see him so close — I kept waiting for the impact. He was coming, coming…I had no choice…my right tires went up on the median. Before I knew it, I was straddling the median with my tires on either side of it. I kept waiting for the impact, but then the pick-up driver finally saw me and got back in his lane. Fortunately, my median ended there, and there was no one in the lane to the right of me, so I was back on solid ground in the right lane. However, I had heard that horrible scraping sound of the metal under my car as I had coasted over the median.


By this time, the truck had gotten ahead of me and was continuing toward Route 46 West, and it did not appear that he was going to stop. I kept following him and got close enough to memorize his license plate. When I realized he might not even be stopping, I began to flash my lights at him. I was actually successful in pulling him over! He pulled into a strip mall parking lot, and I stopped alongside him. I was shaking, but I got out of the car and looked at him and said, “What on earth happened?”


He said, “I’m running late for work. I looked and didn’t see anything coming. I thought it would be all right. I just didn’t even see you.” He had deliberately made that decision to cross the median to save time! Can you imagine???


He was shaken, too, and he kept apologizing profusely. He said the only reason we didn’t crash was because I did some amazingly good driving there. (Well, thanks a lot, buddy — but during the moments of crisis, I wasn’t exactly driving…I was just reacting.) He didn’t see me until the last minute — when I was already on the median.


Then he realized what he had done. I told him, “You know, the only reason we didn’t crash was because God was with us. It is only by the grace of God that you are going to get to work today at all, let alone late. It is a miracle we are both alive and uninjured, and that our cars never even touched.” He acknowledged that and kept apologizing. I told him that I wanted all his information in case the bottom of my car was damaged. He didn’t hesitate to give it to me. In fact, he crawled under my car and looked — said he didn’t see any damage, but I wouldn’t have counted on it. But he kept saying, “I have to get to work.” I finally suggested, “Can’t you call work and tell them what happened and that you’ll be late?” He said, “No. I can’t. I just can’t be late.” He was very anxious about it.


After I took all his info, and he was on his way, I called my boss and explained what happened. I told her that I was going straight to our son-in-law Mario’s shop (our mechanic) to have him look under the car and see if there was any damage. Mario put it up on the lift and could see the white marks on my tires where I had jumped the curb onto the median and the fresh scrapes underneath, but incredulously, all the scrapes were on the major support rails of the car. They were not serious, nothing was punctured or broken, no parts had been hit, no hoses ripped, the alignment looked good and my tires were fine. Even Mario said it was a miracle.


When I left Mario’s, I took the same route back to work to see exactly where all of this had transpired and what the conditions were. Just a few feet before the spot where that guy was coming at me fast, the median to my right had been a two-foot high concrete divider! It graduated down to a low curb-high type median almost exactly at the spot I jumped it. The place where the truck had crossed his wider median on the left came just before a two-foot high median began on the left side of the left lane. If he had hit me and bounced back, he’d have hit that median. Or if he’d have hit the median and bounced back, he might have hit me. So many things could have happened. There could have been a car in the right lane where I ended up. I could have flipped over when I went up the median. I could have lost control of my car. I shudder to think.


But I am absolutely fine, and so is the other driver. In the end, I have the perfect peace of God, KNOWING that He was there with me. There is NO WAY we didn’t crash except for God’s intervention. Jesus was driving my car today.


Now why did this happen to me today? I prayed this morning for God to give me an opportunity to witness to someone today. [Don’t you love God’s faithfulness?] Well, since I arrived at the office this morning, I have already had more than ample opportunites to share the miracle of God’s delivera nce with my coworkers. But there’s more to it, I think. There was something about this young man in the truck. He was desperate about being late for work. Obviously, his job is at risk if he is late. Here is a man who was driven by desperation to do something life-threatening. And God spared him from disaster as well. He could have been very badly hurt. He could have killed me. He could have incurred very expensive damage to both of our vehicles. He was definitely guilty of reckless endangerment. I think God wants me to write him a letter and let him know that, by God’s grace, he was saved from calamity today. I want to encourage him to thank God and walk with Him because his life can be much better and much easier. [Funny how God provided me with his address.]


I am praying for the right words to say.


And I will thank God all day long for his mercy and protection on me.


I have passed this sign on a church message board on Alps Road in Wayne more than once this week. It says, “If God is your co-pilot, swap seats.” Praise God, He is my pilot every day, and He proved it today.

Find rest my soul, in Christ alone; know His power, in quietness and trust.When the oceans rise and thunders roar, I will soar with You above the storm,Father, You are King over the flood; I will be still and know You are God.(“Still” by Reuben Morgan, Hillsong Publishing)