Category: thanksgiving

What, me worry??

Posted on by Susan Panzica
Matt 6-34
Normally, I love to hear the sweet tweets of the birds, but today outside the window of our office their joyful clamor tells me that they are very busy. Each summer, against our wishes, they attempt to build their nest under the eaves. Twig by twig, on and on, they flutter to and fro.
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Do you think they are worried about the economic crisis? the war overseas? the racial divide? what to make for dinner? if they look fat in their outfit? Nope! They’re like Alfred E. Newman from MAD magazine. Remember him? His signature line is “What, me worry?” That was Jesus’ line, too!!
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“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”Matt. 6:25-34

Take note that Jesus compares worrying about these things to being like a pagan! When He says, “Do not worry,” it’s not a suggestion. It’s an instruction. When we choose to worry, we are being disobedient, we are choosing to sin which can have dire consequences. “Rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft, and stubbornness as bad as worshiping idols. So because you have rejected the command of the Lord, he has rejected you as king.” 1 Sam. 15:23..

After hearing the birds yesterday, it was my husband who suggested today’s post. Now he is a natural-born worrier, descended from a long line of worriers. Yet, God has shown him the futility of worry. He told his mom once, “Worry is like a rocking chair. You spend a lot of energy, but don’t get anywhere!”..

I think it’s important to note that freedom from worry does not mean sitting back, resting, doing nothing, hoping for God to provide. The birds don’t expect their nest to materialize on its own. They spend countless hours searching and building. It’s just that they don’t fret about it. We can, no we must, take our stand for important issues and work to make them right. But in the end, we must trust God to do the heavy lifting. Trust Him for the outcome, knowing there’s an eternity to look forward to and everything here is temporary. “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” 2 Cor. 4:18  So seek first His kingdom – the eternal things, and trust God for the temporal. 

I think it’s time we all became “birdbrains!” What, me worry?
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“Worry is believing God won’t get it right.” -Todd Wagner
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Black Friday

Posted on by Susan Panzica


We keep hearing the term “Black Friday” screaming from the TV and newspapers.  The day after Thanksgiving begins the unofficial “holiday shopping season,” the time of year when retailers move from operating “in the red” (at a loss) to operating “in the black” (making a profit).  Stores offer crazy low prices to lure customers in, hoping that they will in turn spend a lot of money for gifts. The debt accumulated all year is finally paid.
I can’t help but think of another “Black Friday”, a day when the greatest price was paid for the greatest gift ever given.  2000 years ago, an innocent man gave His life so that others might live.  Jesus, God the Son, left His heavenly home, to be born into an ordinary family and live an ordinary life in an ordinary town, until He began His extra-ordinary ministry on earth.  For 3 years, He healed the hurting, taught those who would listen, and preached the truth to all.  The conclusion of His time on earth was paying the price for the sins of the entire world, past, present and future, and providing the gift of eternal life to any who receive it. In a word, He paid the debt that we owe, a debt we were powerless to pay.  
Now that Thanksgiving Day is over, let’s continue to live with thanksgiving in our hearts. 
Thank You Lord for paying the debt we owe.  Thank You for rising from the dead in victory, giving us the opportunity to live in victory.  May we keep You as our focus in the days and weeks to come, and be ever ready to share the real reason for the season.  


How Do You Measure Your Life?

Posted on by Susan Panzica

I had another post in mind to share with you today, but a quick check on facebook this morning sent me in a whole new direction.
First I saw – and shared – this picture:
Then I scrolled down and saw my daughter Lauren’s – totally unrelated – status update:
“stop thinking about what you don’t have and start thinking about what you do have.
well that’s my convicting moment of today. thank you Jesus.”
Seems a theme is going on today, yes?
When Lauren was on a mission trip in Uganda, she spent time teaching at an orphanage. The children there owned nothing but what could fit in a cigar box. And yet they eagerly shared their most prized possessions with the Americans. One young girl gave Lauren her baby picture so she would remember her. Another girl unraveled the end of the sleeve of her sweater to give Lauren a piece of yarn for a bracelet. She literally shared the clothes off her back.
Lauren didn’t want to take these treasures, but to refuse would crush these children’s hearts, as they’d mistakenly think she didn’t want to remember them.
It was a powerful lesson to appreciate what we have rather than longing for what we don’t have. Yet sadly, she – and we – have to learn this lesson over and over again.
And it’s not just “things” that we yearn for. With my mother-in-law and my dad experiencing devastating effects of aging, it’s easy to see how much they no longer have. It requires devoted effort to look past the infirmities and be thankful for the abilities that they still possess. Doing a crossword puzzle would be sheer joy to someone who lost their eyesight or mental acumen. Walking across the living room with a walker would be a thrill to one who is wheelchair-bound.
From prison, Paul wrote to his beloved friends in Phillipi, “Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him!

“Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.

“Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.” (Phil. 4:4-9 MSG)

If I measure my life by what I have, my measuring cup overflows – with Jesus, my loving family and friends. When I find myself contemplating what I don’t have, I make the choice to follow Paul’s advice to meditate on what’s true and gracious, best not worst, beautiful not ugly… for that’s the secret to peace. 
How do you measure your life? 

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Shhhh! It’s coming!

Posted on by Susan Panzica

Shhhh! It’s coming…..
But we have to shhhh  or we’ll miss it.

The “coming.”

Advent.

Looking ahead over the next four weeks, the so-called Advent season, what do you see coming? It’s so easy to get swept up in the “what” – the seemingly endless tornado of cooking, decorating, shopping, wrapping, partying – that we miss the “Who”.



To continue reading, click here . Join me over at Laced With Grace today: 
http://lacedwithgrace.com/?p=8673

Black Friday

Posted on by Susan Panzica

The term “Black Friday” screams from the TV, newspapers, radio and online. The day after Thanksgiving begins the unofficial “holiday shopping season,” the time of year when retailers move from operating “in the red” (at a loss) to “in the black” (at a profit). Stores are now opening at midnight, even 10 pm the night before, offering crazy low prices to lure customers in hoping they’ll spend lots of money. 


I can’t help but think of another “Black Friday,” a day when the greatest price was paid for the greatest gift ever given. 2000 years ago, an innocent man gave His life so that others might live. Jesus, God the Son, left His heavenly home, to be born into an ordinary family and live an ordinary life in an ordinary town, until He began His extra-ordinary ministry on earth. For 3 years, He healed the hurting, taught those who would listen, and preached the truth to all. The conclusion of His time on earth was paying the price for the sins of the entire world, past, present, and future, and providing the gift of eternal life to any who receive it. 


Now that Thanksgiving Day is over, let’s continue to live with thanksgiving in our hearts. 


Thank you Lord for paying the debt we owe. Thank you for rising from the dead in victory, giving us the opportunity to live in victory. May we keep You as our focus in the days and weeks to come, and be ever ready to share the real reason for the season. 

Thank YOU dear friend!

Posted on by Susan Panzica
Dear friends,
Thanksgiving is a time where we stop and do what we should be doing all year – recognizing the blessings that God has shared with us despite our unworthiness.


In addition to my deep gratitude to the Lord, my beloved family, my home and provisions, I’m thankful for YOU. You inspire me to keep going when I don’t feel like it. I picture you as I type my posts, and I hope you feel like I’m speaking from the heart. I thank you for signing up by following or subscribing to Eternity Cafe and look forward to sharing with you in the future. As always, I welcome hearing back from you too!


Today, over at Laced With Grace where I am a contributing writer, Laurie has compiled thanks from the team. Stop by and say “hi!”
http://lacedwithgrace.com/holiday/thanksgiving-team/


Blessed Thanksgiving to all! May the good will and thanks felt today carry you through the next month as we enter the whirlwind that the “season” has become.


Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His love endures forever. 
Ps. 107:1 

Black Friday

Posted on by Susan Panzica

The term “Black Friday” screams from the TV, newspapers, radio and online. The day after Thanksgiving begins the unofficial “holiday shopping season”, the time of year when retailers move from operating “in the red” (at a loss) to operating “in the black” (making a profit). Stores open at 4 or 5 or 6 a.m. offering crazy low prices to lure customers in, hoping that they will in turn spend tons of money for gifts.

I can’t help but think of another “Black Friday”, a day when the greatest price was paid for the greatest gift ever given. 2000 years ago, an innocent man gave His life so that others might live. Jesus, God the Son, left His heavenly home, to be born into an ordinary family and live an ordinary life in an ordinary town, until He began His extra-ordinary ministry on earth. For 3 years, He healed the hurting, taught those who would listen, and preached the truth to all. The conclusion of His time on earth was paying the price for the sins of the entire world, past, present and future, and providing the gift of eternal life to any who receive it.

Now that Thanksgiving Day is over, let’s continue to live with thanksgiving in our hearts.

Thank you Lord for paying the debt we owe. Thank you for rising from the dead in victory, giving us the opportunity to live in victory. May we keep you as our focus in the days and weeks to come, and be ever ready to share the real reason for the season.

It’s Not Always Picture Perfect

Posted on by Susan Panzica

The picture “Freedom From Want”, by beloved painter Norman Rockwell, is a wonderful depiction of the All-American holiday, Thanksgiving Day. This poignant painting seems so simple, yet it is actually very complex. For example, it has over 100 different shades of the color white in it. Sometimes, looking at the big picture, we miss the details.

For many across the country, their day will be as perfect as this picture, a festive day filled with family, friends, football and food, food, food. But for some, Thanksgiving Day will be a sad reminder of loss, pain, absence, hurt.

Through the “magic” of Facebook, I heard from a young single mother who was seeking the ex-wife of her baby’s father, a man who had abandoned her and their son. While I wasn’t the person she was looking for, I prayed for her and kept in touch with her. This Thanksgiving Day will be difficult for her and her little boy, and for so many others like her. It will be difficult for families with soldiers overseas, for single people longing for a family unit, for those with health issues, haunting memories or too many bills and not enough income.

When we face difficult times, is it possible to offer thanksgiving to God? Yesterday, I shared that Jesus gave thanks when He broke the bread representing His body broken at the hands of His betrayer and His crucifiers. How was He able to do so? The writer of Hebrews tells us that He endured the cross for the joy set before Him. He fixed His eyes on the joy of what He was accomplishing – the reconciliation of His people to Himself – and we are told to fix our eyes on Him. (Hebrews 12:2)

He was able to offer thanks, because He was filled with thanks. It is out of the abundance of our hearts that our mouths speak (Luke 6:45) So if we are filled with thanks, we will offer thanksgiving. We can’t give what we don’t have. So to give thanks, we must be thankful.

We don’t offer thanksgiving just because we are feeling thankful. We offer it because He deserves it. We offer it because we are His children with all the benefits that relationship provides. He is worthy of our praise and thanksgiving. Period. Circumstances change. We change. He never changes.

A pop-up ad for Oscar Mayer bacon streamed across my computer screen.

“Thanksgiving doesn’t have to end Thursday night
….for the love of bacon.”

Hmmm, I’d rather say it this way:
“Thanksgiving doesn’t have to end Thursday night
….for the love of Jesus.”

Lord, thank You for Your unfailing, unending love for us. May we all experience Your presence today. May we sense Your love and provision. And as we fill up with thankfulness, may we offer up thanksgiving as a testimony to You.

He Gave Thanks

Posted on by Susan Panzica



The Lord Jesus, on the night He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” 1 Cor. 11:23

Amazing! Jesus, knowing that He was betrayed, knowing that the bread represented His broken body, knowing what He was to suffer, gave thanks. So agonizing that He would later pray that His “cup” be taken from Him (Mt. 26:39), He still gave thanks to the Father.

And He set an example for us to follow (John 13:15).

Oh, but He was Jesus, God incarnate. We’re not. Surely, we can’t do what He can do… Can we?

Can we give thanks in the midst of suffering? Can we give thanks when there seems to be no hope?

James tells us to consider it joy whenever we face trials, not because of the trial itself, but because of what the trial produces: perseverance, maturity, completeness. (James 1:2-4) The New Living Translation puts it this way: Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.

We are not asked to give thanks FOR the trial, but for the opportunity it presents to us. We are asked to give thanks in spite of the trial, to look past it and see that God is working in it and through it for our benefit.

Thanksgiving is a decision. It’s a choice that the Pilgrims made, and a choice that we must make. I was taught in school that the Pilgrims were thankful to the Indians. That’s false. The truth is that the Pilgrims were thankful to God. Not because of their hardships, but in spite of them. It is unlikely that any of us will ever face the hardships the Pilgrims faced. We have different ones in our generation, to be sure, but the fact that they were thankful to God despite their hardships provides hope that we can be too.

And He empowers us to do what He asks us to do.

You, however, are controlled … by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. … The Spirit helps us in our weakness. (Romans 8:9, 26)

And not only does He give us His power, He provides benefits and blessings besides!

My friend shared a recent disappointment with me. During our discussion, she made a statement I will long remember:
“A grateful heart is rarely discontent.”



Lord, help us to be grateful, to see the purpose in difficulties and disappointments, to allow You to work to bring us to maturity.