Forget it! Or Remember?

Happy New Year!

On Jan. 1st, I updated my facebook status to read:

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?" Is. 43:18-19

Seemed like the perfect verse to usher in the new year along with Paul’s words from Phil 3:13-14 “But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

Seems like starting a new year gives us opportunity to do a lot of forgetting.

Yet I also recall verses that tell me to do just the opposite – remember!

Repeatedly in Scripture the Lord urges His people to remember – His covenants with them, what He has done for them (and us), what they (and we) had been, how they (and we) angered God, how He forgave.

In fact, Isaiah himself who wrote “forget the former things” also wrote:

“Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me.” Isaiah 46:9

So what’s a girl to do? 

Forget or remember??

Well - a little of both.

Alas, I find myself remembering things that have little value, hurtful things, foolish things, things that should be long forgotten. These are the things that Isaiah says to forget – “do not dwell in the past.” In Paul’s description of the race of life, these things are weights that drag us down and keep us from pressing on toward the goal.

What we are to dwell on, to remember, is the God that is like no other. The One who redeemed us when we were unworthy, the One who sustained us when we couldn’t go on, the One who grants us peace beyond understanding, the One who helps us to love the unlovable and who loves us unconditionally, the One who made us and REmade us.

So in 2016, what will you remember? And what will you forget? 

New Year - new news!!! My website is all new! Please visit me at susanpanzica.com. To continue receiving these blogposts, visit the Eternity Cafe page and subscribe. Thank you so much for your support and encouragement over the years. I pray you will enjoy the new site and future posts for years to come. Let's talk! I welcome all comments and feedback. 

A Dream Fulfilled

And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” Luke 4:21

Jesus said these words to His followers, bringing their attention to the fulfillment of the vision, promise and prophecy of His coming. I share that verse now because yesterday a vision, promise, and prophecy about Lauren's future was fulfilled in your hearing (or reading ;D). 

Yesterday the Greenhouse Arts Center opened its doors to cultivate the dreams of the next generation and encourage these little dreamers to make a difference in their world.

How To Hear From God

In his 2^nd letter to the Thessalonians, Paul encouraged the church again to stand firm in the face of persecution. He urged them to “keep a strong grip on the teaching we passed on to you both in person and by letter.” The Thessalonians heard from Paul both in person and by letter.

Likewise, we hear from God both in person and by letter. <<Click to tweet>>

Supernaturally, by the Holy Spirit, we can experience the presence of God. We sense His leading. We feel His peace. We are strengthened by His power. We can hear from God in person.

We also hear from God through the Bible, His love letter to us, His children. The words in the Word are “living and active.” They are not merely ink on a page. They speak directly to our hearts in miraculous ways.

The danger is when our relationship with God is unbalanced, focused on one OR the other. 

What Is Faith?

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.

How Can I Know God's Will?

The question of the day – most every day – for those who desire to follow God. How can I know God’s will?  Choices are not always crystal clear no matter how strong our desire to follow God’s plan. The Apostle Paul provides a clue in two of the choices he made.  

On Being A Jewish Tax Collector and Meeting Jesus At The Beach

I grew up in a Jewish home, a mosh-pit of damaged emotions....

After college, I worked for the U.S. Customs Service in the World Trade Center in New York City. My job was the appraisement and classification of imported merchandise, determining the amount of tariffs and duties that importers would pay the government. I advanced quickly through the ranks and had friends with whom I socialized after work.

On the outside, life seemed good. Inside, the questions and insecurities kept growing. As Charles Dickens said, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”

2015 - Forget it! Or Remember?

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?" Is. 43:18-19

Isaiah's words from God seem like the perfect verse to usher in the new year along with Paul’s words from Phil 3:13-14 =

“But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

Seems like starting a new year gives us opportunity to do a lot of forgetting.

Yet I also recall verses that tell me to do just the opposite – remember!

Repeatedly in Scripture the Lord urges His people to remember – His covenants with them, what He has done for them (and us), what they (and we) had been, how they (and we) angered God, how He forgave.

In fact, Isaiah himself who wrote “forget the former things” also wrote “Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me.” Isaiah 46:9

So what’s a girl to do? 

Forget or remember??

Probably a little of both.
<<click to tweet>>

Chanukah Blessings!

photo: Jonathan Cahn of Beth Israel, Wayne NJ

Today is the first day of Chanukah which officially began last night at sundown. Chanukah was one of my favorite times growing up.

• Playing dreidel games!
• Eating potato latkes! 
• Eight nights of presents!
• Lighting the Chanukah candles! 

As the eldest child in my family, I lit the menorah candles. First, we lit the tallest candle (the Shamash). Then the Shamash lit the other candles from right to left, lighting one the first night, two the next, and so on for eight nights. As I lit the candles, I said the following prayer:

Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu, melech ha'olam

asher, kidishanu b'mitz'votav, v'tzivanu

l'had'lik neir shel Chanukah. 

which means

Blessed are you, Lord our God, sovereign of the universe

Who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us

to light the lights of Chanukah. 

Little did I know that the menorah and its candles were a beautiful reflection of the Light of the world that was to bring me from darkness to light.

How Can This Be?

Has a phone call or conversation ever delivered incomprehensible news and you wondered, “How can this be?” You’re not alone…

Where Feet May Fail

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The first of the sun’s rays had yet to break the long exhausting night. What should have been an hour boat ride now stretched into a 6 hour nightmare.

Jesus had instructed His disciples to board the boat and meet Him on the other side of the lake. All night, a strong wind blowing against them caused the delay. From the mountaintop, Jesus saw them straining at the oars and walked out on the water to them.

Thinking they were looking at a ghost added terror to their exhaustion. But Jesus comforted them immediately, “Take courage. It is I. Do not be afraid.”*

And impulsive Peter replied, “Lord, if it is really You, then call me to meet You on the water.”*

Why, I wonder, did Peter say this?

The Hero Mom

Mohonk Mountain House, New Paltz, NY

One of the hundreds of gazebos along the trails 

She sat peacefully in a wooden gazebo by the water’s edge, half facing the water, head swiveled backward  keeping a watchful eye on her howling daughter standing on the rocks behind her about 10 feet away.

At Mohonk Mountain House, the breathtaking scenic vistas, rock climbs, miles of hiking trails, crystal clear mountain-top lake, can be best described as serene.

At least it was until the silence was broken by the little girl’s screaming tantrum.  

“M . O . M . M . Y...!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” The rest was unintelligible and unrelenting. Tears streaming, arms outstretched, begging Mommy to come and carry her to the gazebo.

And Mommy sat, not moving. But, gently repeating the same few words, over and over again. “You can do it. Just take one step at a time.”

It would have been so much easier to pick up her daughter, to comfort her, to coddle her, than to remain steadfast in the face of such despair. She could have worried what passersby thought of her, letting her daughter cry on like that. But she demonstrated a resolve to help her daughter overcome fear. One step at a time.

I wanted to go over to her and encourage Mommy and tell her what a great mom she was.  She probably didn’t feel like a great mom then. But I kept on walking. I rationalized that it would have spoiled the moment, but I still regret it. Maybe she’ll read this.

Dying to Defensiveness - How Silence Can Make Us More Like Jesus

Last Wednesday, I attended the Ash Wednesday contemplative service at my church. What a blessing to take an hour to simply rest and ponder the sacrifice Jesus made for us, for me. At various stations, we had the opportunity to read Psalms, take communion, remember Gethsemane, etc. When I read this verse, I was moved to tears despite its familiarity:

Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They clothed him in a purple robe and went up to him again and again, saying, “Hail, king of the Jews!” And they slapped him in the face. John 19:1-3

To continue reading, click over to Circles of Faith.

When troubles strike...

It was my first visit ever to the gynecologist. I never felt so awkward and uncomfortable. But nothing prepared me for the words I heard the doctor say to the nurse standing by the door taking notes.

“blah, blah, blah, a tumor, about 10 centimeters, blah, blah, blah, blah…..”

Woah! Hold on there! Did I hear that correctly?

But the doctor wasn’t speaking to me. I might as well have been a slab of beef he was inspecting before throwing on the grill.

Later in his office, he explained that, Yes I had a very large (“the size of a small cantaloupe”) tumor on my ovary. It was almost certainly benign, but would have to be taken out the old-fashioned way with a slice across my abdomen, hip to hip. Really, God?  

Through a series of events, misadventures, and clear leading by the Lord, I ended up switching doctors, hospitals, even cities (from NJ to NYC) just days before the surgery.  I clearly sensed God directly me every step of the way and was practically floating as I experienced His peace that passes understanding in a whole new way.  

While I was in the hospital for a week post-surgery, my new boyfriend (now my husband of 26 years) came to visit and shared a Scripture verse with me -

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God”. 2 Cor. 1:3-4

It was nice of him to mention it, but frankly I didn’t identify with it at all. In my hubris, I thought I knew all the Scriptures that would apply to my situation, and that one just wasn’t one of them. Or so I thought.

For the rest of the story, click here to Laced With Grace. 

 ps - As many of you know, I'm the co-founder of Justice Network, an organization dedicated to raising awareness of human trafficking and showing ways to make a difference from here. Our current initiative is a social media campaign using this Sunday's Super Bowl as a way to raise awareness of the issue. We call it the #HTchallenge. We're asking people to go to our website  [www.htchallenge.net] and share our images, quotes, and stats on facebook, twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, your favorite social media using the hashtag #HTchallenge. All the information, talking points, etc. are on the website. 

Part of the challenge is also to "donate" a tweet/post that will be published simultaneously with hundreds of others during the halftime show. To register:

1. Click here: http://bit.ly/1eFBIAI
2. Click the button for Twitter and/or Facebook
3. Click “add my support”

Thank you for helping in this worthy cause!

One Word for 2014

Last year, my friend Elise wrote a post that challenged me to come up with one word for 2013. I wrote about it here.

Now I'm thinking about a word for 2014. But before I do, here's a look back at how this "one word concept" impacted me in 2013.

My word was NOW.

I wanted to SAVOR the NOW - not miss the present because I was worried about the future.
   ~ and ~
I wanted to DO it NOW - stop procrastinating, take action, and avoid distraction. 

This vase above was a gift from my daughter. I kept it on my desk, its image on my phone home screen, and thought about "NOW" a lot!

In my contemplation, my mind initially went to all the things I procrastinated about and I felt like a failure. Yup. Thankfully, that's not the end of my story.

I thought some more about decisions that I did act upon - in the NOW. Yes, I may have put off some things, but not all things. And some of these decisions fulfilled lifelong aspirations.

One of them set me on a new trajectory in life. 

In June, I saw a friend's post on Facebook about human trafficking. Unknown to anyone, my interest in HT was growing. I harbored a desire to get involved in some way to rid the world of slavery, but had no idea how. I began collecting information, supporting friends who were serving with IJM in India, reading fiction and nonfiction on this issue.

When Tanya posted a story from her blog on facebook, I commented adding "I'm interested in this...." Another (totally unrelated) friend commented too, adding "If you do something, let me know." This comment sparked the question in me - "Am I going to do something? Or is this another time where I say I want to do something, but don't actually do anything?" 

NOW - my word for 2013.

So in that moment, I did something. I reached out to Tanya, and God took over.

From our meeting across her kitchen table a few months ago, we have grown into Justice Network, an group dedicated to raising awareness of human trafficking and supporting organizations on the front lines of the issue, both local and global.

I've learned more in the past few months than I have in the past few years. Our little group is growing in unimaginable ways (Eph. 3:20-21). There's LOT more I'll be sharing with you about this in January.  Look for it!!!

The purpose of today's post is to share my word for 2014 and to hopefully inspire you to consider adopting a word for your 2014.

For the past 2 weeks, I pondered what my word would be for the new year.

And today it hit me. Just flew into my brain matter, struck a chord in my heart, and lodged there.

"FAITHFULNESS"

I want to not only be a woman of faith, who fully loves God, though that would be enough.

I want to be faithful in the commitments I make, those He calls me to. I want my "yes" to mean "yes." I want to act faithfully, to learn more about this fruit of the Spirit, and to be transformed into the embodiment of faithfulness.

My favorite definition of faithfulness came from Wikipedia of all places!

Faithfulness is the concept of unfailingly remaining loyal to someone or something and putting that loyalty into consistent practice, regardless of extenuating circumstances. It may be applied to a husband or wife does not engage in sexual relationships outside of the marriage, a customer at a restaurant who regularly dines there, or even to God himself with regard to His perpetual love towards His children that is not dependent on their worthiness. Literally, it is the state of being full of faith in the somewhat archaic sense of steady devotion to a person, thing or concept. (emphasis mine)

 Is faithfulness "somewhat archaic" as Wikipedia implies?

I hope not. What do you think???

For more information and inspiration about One Word for One Year, click on over to Circles of Faith where Elise shares her word for 2014 as well as a list of resources to guide you. 

What's YOUR word for 2014?  Please let me know!

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At A Dead End?

Have you faced an impossible situation? I have. I'm sharing our story today over at Laced With Grace. Please hop over there, and leave me a comment. Let me know you stopped by and how I can pray for you. Together we'll see God do the impossible!
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A Rose Among Thorns

Hello friends! I'm still slightly jet-lagged and bleary-eyed from my week in Australia, but Lauren is all set up and excitedly starting classes. Please remember her in your prayers as this first week is "intensives" which means classes from morning to night. Thanks so much. 

Today I'm posting over at Laced With Grace about an unlikely lesson learned from my friend Rose. Please click here to meet me over there. And be sure to leave a comment!

Shhhh! It's coming!

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

Does this make sense?

Jericho -

I've heard and read the story countless times. Therefore, I assumed that there'd be no new information for me here. I knew God could make anything meaningful of course, but I didn't count on learning any new factual information about Jericho. Well, never assume....

Maybe you already knew this, but I didn't.

In our Sunday service, Pastor Mike shared that Jericho had not one but two walls surrounding it - an inner wall and an outer wall. I never knew that. [More about the walls: http://www.israel-a-history-of.com/walls-of-jericho.html]

And it turns out that when the Israelites famously blew their trumpets and shouted their cries to tumble the wall, the inner wall crumbled onto the outer wall creating a ramp for the Israelites to enter. Their greatest obstacle became their stepping stone to victory. The greatest obstacle you face will become your stepping stone to victory.

Up until that point God provided for the Israelites. The day that they camped before Jericho was the last day that God provided manna for them (Joshua 5:12) Now God was requiring them to step out in faith. Faith requires us to do the unusual to bring about what God wants.

Before He gave them their marching instructions, He told them that He GAVE them "Jericho, its king, and all its mighty warriors." The enemy was already defeated! (Joshua 6:2) We also fight a defeated foe. They had to go through the battle, and we do too. But we fight from victory that is assured.

Why did God have such an unusual plan for the conquest of Jericho? Perhaps it was to prove to them that HE was their deliverer, not their weapons or military expertise, not their skills or talents. Or maybe it was a test to see if they would follow His strange instructions completely. Not that He needed to see if they would pass the test - they needed to know that they could be obedient.

Jericho was considered invincible and that was the first thing on God's agenda for Israel to conquer. Its defeat showed them (and us!) that it is God who is invincible.

Do you have an impossible obstacle? Take comfort from the words of Rahab - the prostitute and the only one (and her family) saved from Jericho because she was faithful to our Lord and sheltered the spies. "For the LORD your God is the supreme God of the heavens above and the earth below." (Joshua 2:11) 

Please let me know how I can pray for you.
"The One who calls you is faithful and He will do it." 1 Thess. 5:24

What is RELIGION anyway?

When my son was little, he found a crayfish in the nearby Glen. He and my husband set up a fish tank abode, and Sebastian lived with us for many years. Not exactly the most cuddly pet, but the very low maintenance was a plus!!

One day, I looked in the tank and darn near fainted. There were two Sebastians! Exactly the same 4 inch size! How on earth????

A closer look revealed that one was merely the shell of the other. It seems Sebastian molted – he shed one complete perfectly shaped “skin.” What looked like two identical living crayfish was in reality one living crayfish and one imposter, a mere specter of the real thing.

Today, my friend Marja’s blogpost, reminded me of this episode of our family history. She wrote about religion, and her aversion to using the word “religious.” That is until she looked up the word in her Penguin English dictionary.

• [Rilijon] n. belief in and worship of God or gods; specified system of theology ritual and morality based on this; outlook and way of life based on this…

Way of life → It’s not the system or the theory or the rituals that the key. It’s the way of life. Marja said, religion “is not a bad word if we allow it to jump off the page and become alive, if we choose it as a way of life.”  

James says “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” (Jms 1:27)

Marja noted the two principles here:

- benevolent love for people in need

- a holy life

How often do we mis-use that word religion? People who consider themselves religious often miss its true meaning if their ways of life are just ritual and no relationship with the One they purport to worship. They go through the motions and, like the empty shed Sebastian, they look like the real thing but are missing the life inside. Similar to the Pharisees whom Jesus called “white washed tombs” who look righteous and pure on the outside, but inside are filled with dead men’s bones.

As a reaction, you, like me, may be quick to say “It’s not about religion. It’s about relationship.” The truth is – if it’s about relationship, we will demonstrate our relationship with our pure religion. James talks about worthless religion (1:26) and faith without works being dead (2:14-26).

Paul tells us that we were made as His masterpiece and are saved by faith alone, but that we were made to do good works that he prepared in advance for us to do. (Eph. 2:8-10).

The conclusion – it’s not what we do that saves us. But it’s what we do and how we do it that demonstrates to others the love of the One who saved us. Our religion a byproduct of our “way of life.” An empty shell of a religion cannot impart life into another. Only the one who has received the Lifegiver can.

Marja wonders “how difficult we have made ‘our’ religion sometimes…”

Me too.  

How about you? 

BIG ANNOUNCEMENT!

Dear friends,


Today is my debut as a contributing writer at the devotional blog, Laced With Grace. 

www.lacedwithgrace.com

In New Jersey, we have been devastated by flooding. Today's post reflects on the how's and why's some people suffer yet some are spared. 


Please click the link to visit me over at Laced With Grace. And pretty please leave a comment! I'd love to hear from you, and will respond ;D


Blessings,
Susan