Category: Uncategorized

Cope or Hope?

Posted on by Susan Panzica
A year after 9/11, my friend Ann VanHine – who lost her firefighter husband Bruce in the World Trade Center – first shared her story at our Ladies Tea. I was most impressed by Ann’s message of hope. She received many letters from the City of NY informing her of ways to cope. So she looked up the word “cope” in the Bible to see what God had to say about coping. And she didn’t find the word “cope” anywhere in God’s Word. What she did find was the word “hope.” Over and over, through trials and tribulations, God’s people are urged to hope. Hope in God. Hope in the LORD. Hope in His Word. 


Bruce was an avid outdoorsman and often hiked the Appalachian Trail, leaving Bibles in the shelters along the route from Maine to Georgia. Both Ann and Bruce quietly and faithfully shared their message of hope. 


Ten years later, Ann was featured in a story on the Today show. She is volunteer at the WTC Tribute Center and led a group of children born on 9/11/2001. Her message is the same now as it was 10 years ago – “You can’t lose sight of the good.” 


Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. Hebrews 10:23


Here is the clip from the Today show:






And an added bonus:
Here is a clip from a friend of some friends of mine. His song commemorating the 10th anniversary of 9/11/01 is exceptional, and is a perfect complement to Ann’s message of hope. Enjoy!


 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLlJj9Aynq8

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The Aftermath

Posted on by Susan Panzica
Tiffs Restaurant – where we had Easter dinner this year
Hess Station on Rt 23 where I regularly get gas

A&P, TJ Maxx, Home Goods, Moe’s – great little shopping plaza





For days, the media hype streamed its warnings. But in less than 24 hours, Hurricane Irene blew in and blew out, leaving floods, power outages, downed trees, and overall destruction in her wake. 


It is a week later. The skies are sunny and much of the water has receded, but the major clean-up is just beginning. Mud covers the parking lots. Mold grows in basements. Houses and their contents are ruined. 


Though the powerful storm was short-lived, its aftermath will continue for years. 


And what about the aftermath of our actions? 
Sometimes, one mis-spoken word alters relationships. 
An indiscretion creates havoc.
A foolish prank triggers repercussions. 
A quick decision brings consequences.
The choices we make today will reap an aftermath tomorrow.


There is a natural law that Paul sums up in Galatians 6:7-10 –
“Don’t be misled – you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature.”


Of course the opposite is also true:
“But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit.” 


Hillsong United named their latest album Aftermath because “instead of living in the aftermath of our mistakes and sin, we can live in the aftermath of what Jesus has done for us.” 


After natural or man-made disasters, there are the expected devastating consequences. 


After the cross, there was and is the unexpected consequence – what appeared to be total destruction and loss one tragic Friday 2000 years ago was complete victory the following Sunday. A victory that is ours today.



“So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At the right time, we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone – especially to those in the family of faith.” 

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Sharing the Power

Posted on by Susan Panzica

Last night, we attended a wedding – amazing, beautiful, and a bit fearful with Hurricane Irene barreling down upon us. During the evening, Tony texted his cousin who lives a block away from the event: 

“How about us and 50 of our closest friends spending the night by you ;D LOL” 
To which cousin Dean graciously replied, “NO problem. Come on over.” 
Well, we and our friends braved it home in the downpour, arriving safe and sound. The next morning, checking facebook, I saw Dean’s post: 


“Anyone have a generator I can use? Powers been out since 3AM. Basement is a pond, I saw a Carp down there… NJ has been sold out of generators for a week.”

He had no power and a flooded basement. We had plenty of power, a dry basement, AND a working generator. So Dean came over to our place and borrowed the generator to pump out his basement. 

You might say – he shared our power. 

Kinda like how the Lord shares His power with us…
And how we can share His power with others.

 

The LORD said to Moses: “… I will come down and speak with you there, and I will take some of the power of the Spirit that is on you and put it on them. They will share the burden of the people with you so that you will not have to carry it alone.” Numbers 11:17

When the Israelites’ grumbling caused Moses to cry out to God, “I cannot carry all these people by myself; the burden is too heavy for me” (v. 14), God ordered Moses to convene 70 of Israel’s elders to share Moses’ burden, and to share the power of the Spirit. 

God shares His power of the Spirit with us. And when our burden is too heavy for us, He spreads the power around so that we don’t have to carry the burden alone. When we let our need be known, God provides trusted friends with power to help bear that burden with us. God’s power is perfected in our weakness (2 Cor. 12:9). And when someone we know is carrying a heavy burden, we receive power to help them bear their load. 

In taking some of the power and putting it on others, we don’t lose power any more than a candle loses its light when sharing its flame with another candle. The light just increases as it’s shared. Just like love. And just like the power of the Spirit. 

Later on, we heard from Dean that driving back from our place, he stopped at Home Depot for a plug — just as a shipment of generators arrived! Planning for the future, he bought one. Once home, Dean learned his neighbor needed a generator and so he shared ours with him. Way to share the power!! 




Taking It Back

Posted on by Susan Panzica

The prayer jar in our church is filling up! Each time that God answers a prayer, members of our church take a small glass stone out of the small bowl and put it in the tall jar. It’s a lovely visual reminder of God at work.                                        
Sometimes someone (myself included) will accidentally reverse the process and take a stone from the large jar and put it in the small bowl. Ooops!



Sometimes in life, we do the same thing. We give our situation to God and think we leave it in His able hands, but we tie an invisible tether to it. God answers a prayer, provides a victory, frees us from a worry. Then we tug on that tether and bring that sin back into our lives or that worry back into our hearts. 


This reminds me of a quote from Corrie ten Boom and a poem I read on a bookmark:


The quote: 
“When God buries your sins in the deepest sea, He posts a sign that says ‘No fishing allowed.'” 


The bookmark: 
Broken Dreams
As children bring their broken toys 
with tears for us to mend,
I brought my broken dreams to God 
because He was my Friend.
But then instead of leaving Him
in peace to work alone,
I hung around and tried to help
With ways that that were my own.
At last I snatched them back and cried,
“How can You be so slow?”
“My child,” He said,
“What could I do? You never did let go.”

Whether it is sin given over to God or dream in need of repair, when we give it to God, we need to GIVE it to God and LEAVE it with Him, trusting Him because He is trustworthy. Forgive me the cliche, but it’s just so true: Let go, and let God. 








ps – Thank you for your prayers! Still waiting for final test results, but AJ’s back to his old self. And my dad’s out of ICU. He still has a long road ahead so please continue to pray. Thank you so much. 

Truth or Dare… You don’t have what it takes….

Posted on by Susan Panzica


The blank screen and empty pages stare at me, daring me, accusing me with the truth: 

“You don’t have what it takes.” 
     “I know I don’t.” 
“So why do you bother?”
     “I don’t know.”
“Who are you trying to kid?”
     Pause. “Myself, I guess.” 
Just a few years ago, it was open doors and easy sailing. But now, it’s uncertainty, fear, attraction to distraction. 
     “What was I thinking?” 
     “Who do I think I am?”
     “Why did I go down this road?”
     “I could stop any time.”
     “Who would care?”
“I WOULD.”
     “Who are You?”
“YOU KNOW WHO I AM.”
     “Are You who I think You are? I’m not hearing You very well.”
“YOU HAVEN’T BEEN LISTENING. I’VE BEEN HERE ALL ALONG.”
     “I’m sorry.”
“I KNOW THAT TOO.”
I’ve been in a sort-of self-imposed exile, and am now just emerging to see the light of day. It’s been a difficult 2 months with the “I don’t have what it takes” foolishness prevailing.
It started so silently. I wasn’t even aware it was happening. One day I sat down to write and there was nothing. Nothing in my head, nothing on the page, nothing in my heart. “I’ll try again tomorrow.” One day turned into two, which turned into four, and on it went. An abyss of nothingness. I was stuck in a subtle, slow, slippery, downward spiral. Finding all sorts of good things to do, but avoiding the best things to do. Even if you’re not a writer, chances are you’ve been stuck in some area of your life. Procrastinating, avoiding, distracting yourself. 
Have you heard the saying, “God loves you just the way you are, but He loves you too much to leave you that way.” I’m so thankful. He started nudging me the way I nudge my dog when I want her release something she’s fixed on.
My pastor shared an inspiring message on his 50th birthday about people who sailed the world at 51, swam the English Channelat 60, fostered needy teenagers at 84. I’d been thinking I was too old to start down this new road. How did Pastor Steve know? But then, of course, those people had what it takes. I don’t. Pity party. All invited.
Then a little booklet about Simon Peter arrived unannounced in the mail. I randomly opened to a page with this sidebar: “We need to continually make choices about whether we will allow distractions to seduce us and draw us away from what is most important.” The booklet described some of the distractions as fear, despair, disappointment, and stress. I can add a million other distractions to that list. It went on – “In the face of such challenges, we need to be people of purpose – people who look beyond the distractions that surround us, so that we can run the race of life… Peter’s brief encounter with water-walking was scuttled for a very human and understandable reason. He failed to focus on the Savior because he was distracted by his circumstance. His desperate, sinking cry for help, therefore, becomes a useful warning to us.”
I finally opened up to a few dear well-meaning loving friends who I adore (you know who you are) who gave me truthful advice – but all were excuses to me:
– “You’re so busy.” Yes I am, but so are others who are accomplishing what God wants them to do.
– “Lots of people go through what you’re going through.” I know, but how did they get out of it?
– “You do have what it takes.” I’m still not sure, but so what if I do – if I’m burying it????
But, but, but, but….
And then my friend Susan M. gave me a devotional book that she said made her think of me. It said in part – “Regardless of when or why you stumbled, God wants to pick you up and put you back on your feet. People who never experienced failure usually don’t accomplish much. There’s a certain security in playing it safe. Nothing’s lost, but nothing’s won. They never get out of the boat and walk on the water. Wouldn’t it be better to almost drown and have to be saved, than never to experience God’s power working through you?”
Chip, chip, chip, chip….
God was chipping away at my disobedience. When my kids were small, I’d often tell them, “Delayed obedience is dis-obedience.” And here I was, Miss Disobedience! Wanting to deal with my procrastination, I just kept putting it off! Until tonight. I believe it was Mark Twain who said, ““I write whenever the muse strikes. I just make sure it strikes every night at 9.” 

The truth – I really don’t have what it takes. And sorry, neither do you. But He does! And He’ll do it through us as we yield to Him. “…being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Phil 1:6


If you’re reading this, it’s because you signed up to follow my blog, subscribed to the blog, or are a facebook friend. So dear friend, would you hold me accountable? I have 17 posts in my draft folder waiting to be finished. I will share more about them tomorrow, but for now – let’s keep each other accountable. How can I pray for you? And will you pray for me? 



Spring has sprung – or did it?

Posted on by Susan Panzica

Aaaaah! The first day of spring!
Are the birds singing?
Are the trees budding?
Are the flowers blooming?
A glance out the window this morning reveals a shocking sight!
It’s snowing!
There’s snow covering the lawn, trees and shrubs!
So unexpected, so unwelcome!
And everyone coming into my office today is saying the same thing.

Oh, sure we loved the first snow back in December.
A winter wonderland!
The start of ski season!

March 20, 2009
So what’s changed?
The snow is still snow.
It’s just that we’ve had enough. We’re tired of it.
What was once endearing and beautiful has become tiresome and annoying.
Yet, it’s two sides of the same coin.

Reminds me of some relationships.

When we first start dating, for example, we value the strength we see in our new guy.
But after years of marriage, that same trait may make him seem bossy.
We loved the peaceful calm of our new beau.
That now may seem like laziness.
They say opposites attract, so we may be drawn to someone different that us – someone that’s a strong tower or a calming influence. But the very same quality that attracted us can bother us after the honeymoon period is over.

As Jesus instructed the Ephesian church in Rev. 2:5, we need to remember our first love. When we drift away from that first love, we must repent and do the things we did at first. Of course, He’s referring to our relationship with Himself, but the same principles apply to our other relationships.
Remember how you felt at the beginning of your relationship? We need to flip the coin back and begin to appreciate those qualities that had seemed so attractive that really are still there. We need to peel away the years of subtly built up annoyance.

When 4 year old Hailey came in today, her mom said that she was thrilled to see the snow. She just appreciated it for what it was. She wasn’t bothered by it, tired of it or worried about it. In her childlike manner, it wasn’t complicated. It was just snow.

Maybe that’s why Jesus instructed us to “change and become like little children”.

Quick! Build a snowman before the snow melts!
Susan

Hello Love – Part 2

Posted on by Susan Panzica

Okay, let me say I’m sorry. I don’t want to go on and on about Friday night’s Chris Tomlin concert, but I have just a couple more things to share, and then I’ll be done with this topic! I promise!

For the first time EVER that I know of, an artist did a callout to those in the audience who canNOT sing!! Halleluia! Raise the roof! We bad singers are never appreciated! I’ve actually been told to sing tenor – ten or twenty feet away. Yes, it’s true. And I was really asked to sing solo once – so low you can’t hear me. I love to sing, and I do sing my heart out – in the shower – in the car. I sing all day long (as long as no one is around to hear me). Should my husband walk in the room, he’ll say softly out of the corner of his mouth, “Don’t sing.” Having the rest of my family be so talented musically makes me even more aware of my lack of singing abilities. But let me say this – nowhere in the Bible does it speak about singing on key. Singing is not included in any of the lists of spiritual gifts. In fact, musical talent is barely referred to at all. What the Bible does say is “Make a joyful noise unto the Lord.” Now, those who have the misfortune of standing next to me in church may not be joyful hearing my “noise”, but my heart is filled with joy when I praise the Lord, and I think He appreciates that! So, let’s all make a joyful noise!! Can I hear an “Amen”?

The other thing I wanted to mention is this. I was seated in front of a “old” friend of mine. Not that she’s old, just that our friendship has lasted nearly 30 years. We don’t see each other much, but when we do, it’s just like no time has passed. I love that! Anyway, she was at the concert with her daughter, her son-in-law and his mother, who I met for the first time. She was from Kentucky and said that she was amazed to see so many Christians at the concert. She didn’t think there were that many Christians in all of New Jersey. Sure not like Kentucky! I responded that there are just so many more people in this area in general. Because there are so few Christians compared to the population, it is all the more important to let our light shine. In my last post, I shared about the single light bulb and how it illuminated the darkness. The very nature of light extinguishes the darkness. So just think if more and more and more light bulbs were added to that one. What an impact it would make. Friends, let us let our lights shine brightly. Let our good works glorify our Father in heaven. Let us make known His name among the people. Let us not hide our light under a bushel. When light is present, darkness cannot exist. So let us shine His light in us for the world to see.

Susan

Getting Sick?

Posted on by Susan Panzica

My blessed friend, Joanne, posted this on her blog, and I just had to share it with you.

Are you getting sick?
For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Hebrews 4:12

Cold and flu season is just getting started and already I feel a sinus infection coming on. Once I feel the symptoms of an achy head, burning throat, or stuffed sinuses, I get my armor on, ready for battle. With a few years under my belt, thankfully, I have gained a little bit of wisdom. I work quickly to try and stop any ailment in its tracks. Taking vitamin C, Airborne, and Zicam, I arm myself to beat it down before it starts. I know just how miserable it is to be sick and I will do everything in my power to not let my enemy advance.

So, why don’t I react the same way when my spiritual health is at risk? Spiritual illnesses such as anger, discontentment, pride,and fear, just like a cold or flu to our physical bodies, cause our spiritual bodies to come to a stop for awhile-holding us back from whatever service the Lord has purposed us for. Just like my achy head and burning throat, there are symptoms to warn us of their coming visit. The infection of anger usually begins with small irritations and annoyances. Discontentment begins with an ungrateful heart. Pride’s symptoms are selfishness, while the symptoms of worry and anxiety can become a full blown illness called fear.

Just like the treatment of vitamin C helps my body to defeat my oncoming infection, the greatest elixir for any spiritual illness is the Word of God It never ceases to amaze me that when I am suffering from a spiritual illness, how fast these symptoms flee in the face of His word. When I feel symptoms coming on, I fight them by looking up all that God’s word says about that specific ailment. If I am suffering from anxiety I will looking up all that God has to say about them. If I am worrying or anxious, scriptures about anxiety, worry and fear speak straight to my heart, Phil. 4:6a “Do not be anxious for anything…” Isaiah 41:10 “Fear not, for I am with you…” Joshua 1:9 “Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Friends, are you suffering from anything today? Do you feel an illness coming on? Protect yourselves with the battle gear that God has given you. His Word is alive and active, sharper than any two-edged sword to defend ourselves from anything that gets in our way. Check your heart for symptoms before they become full blown illnesses.
Remember friends, when we get into God’s Word, God’s Word gets into us!

Believing God!
Joanne

Are you a flirt?

Posted on by Susan Panzica

Saturday, I went to my first writers group and was so blessed. The meeting opened with a teaching by the leader Louise DuMont titled: “Are you a flirt?” referring to people who are flirting with writing, who start and don’t finish, who talk about it but don’t pursue publication, etc. Here’s what she said:

“People who flirt don’t mean any real harm. But the truth is that flirters often lead others to believe they want a serious relationship when, in truth, all a flirt wants is a little fun. Flirting is fun for the one doing the flirting. It’s like eating all the cake you want with none of the calories. No work, no commitment, all fun. Unfortunately, it eventually leaves the flirter feeling less than fulfilled and causes others to look on the flirter with less respect.”

This got me thinking about our relationship with God. Are we flirting with Him? Do we want all the benefits without any of the responsibilities that an honest relationship requires? So often, we go to church, enjoy the music and fellowship, but miss the depth of intimacy that God desires to have with us. There’s a saying that goes, “Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than standing in your garage makes you a car.” So what does make us a Christian? It’s the relationship that we have with our Savior. He wants to abide with us – to dwell with us – to set up house and live with us permanently, 24/7. This is not a casual relationship. This is a lifetime commitment.

When a couple gets married, they stop flirting with each other and have serious conversations, make important decisions together, view their lives as a partnership. The married couple will need to make sacrifices and compromises and surrender selfish desires because that is what will be better for the relationship. It’s no longer about doing it “my way” or obtaining what “I want”. It’s “WE” now, hopefully forever.

When we become a Christian, we say “I do” to God. We must make the commitment that involves sacrifice, compromise and surrender. But whatever we relinquish for our relationship with God is for our own good. When we don’t get “our way”, it’s because our way is not the best way. Our commitment with God is a two-way agreement, a covenant between the two of us. It is a lifetime vow of dedication, devotion, and loyalty.

Does this mean the fun is gone from the relationship? Not at all. Life with Jesus is more joyful than any relationship we can imagine. He provides peace, laughter, confidence, and more. The deeper the relationship the more rewarding it is. No matter how wonderful your husband may be, he is still just a person with all the faults that accompany being human. On the other hand, Jesus will never let you down, will never leave you, will always supply all your needs (maybe not your wants, but definitely all your needs).

With a mate like that, why settle for anything less?

Susan