Living By Faith

FMF October Challenge 2017 – Day 1

| Sandra Pavloff Conner

Ooooops. I accidentally linked my Day 1 page to the main site for the challenge. To find my Home Page and the links to all 31 posts, click HERE. Thanks.

 

Today’s prompt is “Worship.”

SMILING WHALE - WHITE ON AQUAWorship: it’s the door to peace, power, and pleasures for evermore. Jonah found worship to be his most powerful help in getting back into God’s grace. When he’d deliberately disobeyed the Lord and ended up in the belly of a big fish at the bottom of the sea, he came to his senses and realized how foolish he’d been. When he looked around, everything he saw told him there was no hope for rescue– or any kind of future. But he knew that there was still a God who wanted to save him. So he turned his attention away from his circumstances and away from his own disobedience. Instead, he focused on his God and began worshiping Him. Shortly thereafter, he was cast out of the fish onto dry land, and he got a second chance to live the successful life God has always wanted for him.

Habakkuk found that worship was his most power friend when he looked all around and found that the trees weren’t bearing fruit, the flock weren’t bearing offspring, and everything looked like there was no hope for the land of Israel. But, knowing that salvation from all that looked hopeless lay in His God – and that what God’s Word said was more real and more reliable than what he saw in the natural – He worshiped God and called for the rest of the nation to do the same – knowing that as they worshiped, they were releasing God’s hand to bring life and productiveness back into their situation.

And talk about power in worship: let’s not forget Paul and Silas, in the depths of a Philistine prison, who decided that nothing in their circumstances could outweigh the loveliness and the faithfulness of their God. As they chose to worship Him, rather than bemoan their current, temporary physical situation, the power of God moved with such force that it broke up the earth and the building where they were being held captive. And not only were they set free – but the jailer and his family were liberated from their hell-bound lives into a blessed relationship with God for eternity.

Eternity is what it’s really all about. God wants us to have blessed lives while we’re on this earth, but He’s even more concerned that we have the blessing of living and creating with Him for all of eternity – enjoying the priceless, indescribable pleasures that we find in His presence. Psalm 16:11 tells us, “ … in Thy presence is fullness of joy. At Thy right hand there are pleasures forevermore.” Worship heads us in the right direction for eternity. But while we’re here on the earth preparing for that eternity, as we worship Him, God says (Psalm 22:3) that He will literally inhabit our praises. And were He is, we’ll experience peace, power, and pleasures forevermore.

 

 

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I Am My Beloved’s

| Sandra Pavloff Conner

HEART RIVER TRQUS BRIGHT“I am my Beloved’s, and His desire is toward me”  

(Song of Solomon 7:10)

Jesus loves you, and His desire is toward you. That word toward is very significant here, because most people who love someone have a desire for them — rather than toward them. And, in truth, Jesus does desire to have you for His own, but that’s only so that He can give you everything He is and everything He’s accomplished for you. He wants you to have everything He has. And He’s already paid the price for you to possess it. You don’t have to do anything to earn all that He has for you. The only requirement on your part is that you receive Him into your own spirit (your own heart) and make Him Lord of your life. Once He’s in that position, He can begin pouring into you all that you need and all that will make your life blessed and successful now — and throughout eternity.

In Ephesians, chapter 1, the Word of God tells us that God accomplished total victory over every force of evil through Jesus’ work of redemption, and when He raised Jesus from the grave, He gave Him absolute, eternal power and authority over every person and thing in the entire universe. Then the Word says that when God did that, He was exercising the “greatness of His power toward us.”  It was all done for us. You see, God’s power is always moving and working to bring us good. It’s always toward us. The truth is that if you become a child of God — by accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord — you just can’t get away from God’s power working good for you.

Men and women for generations have sought high and low for some kind of religion that would satisfy them. They’ve studied one religious system after another and experimented with their various tenets and practices. But not one — not one single religion on the face of the earth — can offer man a total deliverance from his own base nature and from the evil that exudes from that nature. Not one of those religions can offer a fresh start, free of charge, and a nature purified and changed into the nature of the God who created us in the first place. Every religion out there tells us that we, somehow, have to do something, to earn a better life and a better eternity. We have to work at it, and then may not obtain our goal in the end after all.

But Christianity is NOT a religion. True Christianity is simply the Father God loving His own children, and being loved by them. It’s a family, pure and simple. Every parent who is worthy to be called a parent is constantly aware that he loves his child more than his own life, and his constant desire is toward his child — to meet his needs, heal his wounds, and bless him with gifts. And God is no different. That’s His desire as well. And through Jesus, the first Son, He calls all of us into His loving arms, desiring us to receive His love and become sons and daughter as well, so that He can exert His power toward us for good.

If you know this wonderful Father, you know what I’m talking about. But if you do not yet know Him, today can be your day. He already loves you, His desire is already toward you. Call out to Jesus and let His exceeding great power work a total regeneration in you today — and for eternity.

 

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Share Your World – July 24.2017

| Sandra Pavloff Conner

Cee’s ‘Share Your World’ challenge is a great way for bloggers to get to know one another better. If you’d like to participate, you can get the details HERE.

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Question # 1: List some of your favorite types of teas.

My very favorite tea of all is English Breakfast Tea. I also enjoy Irish Breakfast Tea, and Chamomile Tea. I especially like Chamomile if I’m super stressed because it is a very soothing, calming drink.

Question # 2: If you had to describe your day as a traffic sign, what would it be?

I’m assuming this question means what kind of traffic sign would best represent what my day is like. That being the case, I’d have to say a “Yield” sign. That’s mainly because I’ve had several very stressful, problem-filled days this past week, and I know from past experience — and am being reminded again today — that the best way to deal with those days is to “yield” to the Lord and His promises. His Word says that we should cast all of our care on Him because He “cares for us affectionately and cares about us watchfully.” (1 Peter 5:6-7.) He has promised to deliver us from every evil and to heal us of every ill. So my job is to believe those promises and speak them over my life, yielding up my problems to Him so that He can solve them — and yielding myself to Him, knowing I’m coming out in victory.

Question # 3: What are a couple things people could do for you on a really bad day that would really help? 

Well, no matter what’s causing the bad day, prayer from friends who believe strongly in the Lord and His Word will always help. And, of course, in the same way that a mother’s kiss and a few of her home-baked cookies will help us when we are children — so a friend’s warm hug and a sweet treat prepared or purchased “just for me” always seems to help as well.

I’m reminded as I’m writing this of the first Christmas I faced after my mother’s death. I was in my early 30’s, but I felt some of the “little girl” coming to the surface during that first year without her. We had always been very close, and I missed her horribly. (I still miss her very much even 30 years later.) I was not actively grieving because I knew she was with the Lord Jesus and rejoicing in His presence. So I rejoiced in that truth. But my life had a very empty and lonely place nevertheless.

One day, just a few days before Christmas, a really good friend of mine came to my door unannounced with a gift — a plate piled absolutely full of all kinds of homemade Christmas cookies and candies. I was so surprised and delighted I didn’t have words. The specialness of the gift was not in the treats themselves, but in the fact that it brought a particular kind of comfort and love to me at that crucial time.

You see, all of my life, my mother had made loads of Christmas goodies every single year, and my sister and I found that one of our favorite Christmas experiences was working with her in the kitchen at those times — and then indulging in all those goodies for the next couple of weeks. In my sadness, I had not tried to bake or plan special menus during the holidays that year. I missed our special Christmas indulgences, but trying to make them myself just wasn’t the same. I think it was the love my mother put into making all of those things that had been the real blessing after all.

But when my friend handed me that plate, I felt the power of that same love. She had put together that gift as a special act of love for me personally, and that gift did more than anything else the whole year to make me feel less bereft and less hurt. It was almost as if my mother had sent her to me with those particular treats.

So even though it may sound a little trite to some people, the truth is that yes, in the midst of a really bad day or bad experience, sometimes just a little homemade cookie or fudge can change the whole atmosphere and direction of that day. It’s all about letting people know they are loved.

Question # 4: Regardless of your physical fitness, coordination, or agility, if you could be an athlete, what would you do?

Well, I have to admit that I am not big on athletics. I’m a person who walks briskly to help myself stay fit, but I rarely engage in athletic games. I like word games. However, I do enjoy playing tennis occasionally, and I really enjoyed archery when I was involved in it during my school years. I also loved dancing, and took several dance classes in college. But to say that I’d devote myself to any one of those things with the commitment and rigor required to be considered an “athlete” in that field would be stretching it a good deal.  So — I guess I’d just have to say I’d prefer to be a Scrabble or Bananagrams champion.

BANANAGRAMS GAME - PUB DOMAIN

 

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Weekly Smile 78

| Sandra Pavloff Conner

This week on “Weekly Smile” Trent sparked my memory about a post I did a little over a year ago concerning smiling. So I decided it would be a good time to dig it out of my archives and give it another run. I need to follow the advice in my own post more often. Hope it’s an encouragement to everyone else out there.

 

COW WITH SMILEY EYES

When your smile is sincere, it will always show in your eyes.

Would you like to try a happiness experiment?  Some of you may have tried it when I posted about it previously. But it never hurts to repeat something that has positive results. You can carry out this experiment on any day you choose, but if you start early, you’ll have more time to accumulate results.

Here are the steps:

  1. Make it a point to smile all day long – at every person, at every animal, and at yourself every time you look in the mirror.
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  2. Every time you talk to someone (no matter what the topic) make it a point to say something positive to that individual.
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  3. Deliberately stop 7 separate times and thank God out loud for some blessing in your life.
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  4. At the end of the day, take stock of how you feel and record the results of the experiment.

 

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Look Out for the Arrows!

| Sandra Pavloff Conner

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QUIVER COVER FOR AMAZON - front

YAY!!!!! Finally!
A QUIVER FULL OF ARROWS is finally available in paperback at Amazon.

An author is by her books the way a mother is by her children: she never really has favorites. However, if I were forced to choose only one of my 12 novels as a favorite, I think it would have to be A QUIVER FULL OF ARROWS. It isn’t the most important novel I’ve written, and it hasn’t sold as well as the “Smoky Mountain Series” books, but it has a charm that no other book has.

Even though I wrote the story — and have read it multiple times to edit, correct, and tweak it — I can honestly say I still enjoy it immensely every time I read it. I laugh; I cry; I feel happy; I feel poignant. And I always come to the words “The End” with a huge grin on my face. I hope all my readers do as well.

You can have that experience too. Check out the synopsis and purchase your copy of A QUIVER FULL OF ARROWS for $7.99 at Amazon now.

 

 

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‘Smoky Mountain Series’ has come to Amazon in Paperback

| Sandra Pavloff Conner

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SET FREE AMAZON FRONT COVERThis week Book 1 of the Smoky Mountain Series took it’s place in the Paperback Inspirational Novel section of the Amazon book store.  I’m really happy to report that this first book of the series —Set Free To Love —  is now available at a new lower price — only $8.99.

It’s only a story — but when Private Detective Maddison Holt, Uncle Matt, Beth Hanover, and her young brother Lex get hold of your heart, you won’t feel like it’s just a story —– and you won’t want to miss picking up Book 2 of the series as soon as possible. The Smoky Mountain Series brings you stories where strong, loving, courageous characters meet the challenges of life with the power of God’s Word, and where true romance wins out over all.

Set Free To Love

As his vision suddenly blurred, Maddison realized he’d let it happen again. He swiped at his eyes with a thumb and forefinger, trying at the same time to pinch back more tears. He’d have to pull off the highway if he didn’t get better control of himself. The next moment, he could feel the anger boiling up from deep inside, needing an outlet. He’d swung back and forth like this relentlessly, between tears and anger for … how many weeks had it been now? Way too many … but then not really enough … not enough to dull the pain or answer any of the questions.

This first book in the Smoky Mountain Series follows private detective Maddison Holt’s journey from grief, guilt, and self-incrimination to a place where he is released from all of those burdens and able to freely give himself to loving and being loved. Order it here.

 

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‘SLATE’ now in Paperback on Amazon

| Sandra Pavloff Conner

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Okay, all you folks out there who — like me — want to read a “real” book instead of a digital device, I have good news. The wait is over. Amazon now has my newest inspirational novel, SLATE, in paperback. I do a lot of reading online for hours every day. But when I want to relax and forget the whole rest of the world, I like to curl up in a comfortable place and hold an honest-to-goodness “book” in my hands while I read. Most all of my books come out in paperback and digital both, but until this past year, the paperbacks were not available on Amazon. Now all of them will be available there very soon.

If you didn’t see my promo for SLATE (the e-book) several months ago, you probably want to know what the book’s about. So I’ll give you a short trailer here to whet your appetite.  Then you can find the book in paperback at this link.  And don’t forget: if you do read it and like it, please leave me a review on the Amazon page. And if you don’t like it — just don’t say anything, okay?  Thank you.

 

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Daily Post Prompt: Heal — ‘Healing Is For You!’

| Sandra Pavloff Conner

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I have much to share about today’s Daily Post prompt: heal. And the best way I know to do that is to share two links. The first is a video reading of Chapter One of my book Healing Is For You! I hope it encourages and lifts all my readers. The second link is to the Amazon page where you can find the book in paperback or digital, in case you’d like your own copy.

Now, have a blessed and healthy day!

You can click on the book to go to the Amazon store and purchase a copy.

HEALING AMAZON BOOK COVER - FRONT ONLY w. shadow

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Daily Post Prompt: Purple – The Royal Color

| Sandra Pavloff Conner

PURPLE EQUATION 2

Christ’s blood seeped from the puncture wounds the thorns produced around his head. His blood ran freely from the scourging that tore apart his back and torso. It gushed from his side slashed open by the soldier’s spear. His bright red blood mingled with death’s morbid, black shroud that afternoon on Calvary’s infamous hill.

But during the somber three days following that seemingly fatal failure, that precious red blood inundated the black of death — mixed with it and overcame its fearful depths — and thus created the regal color of victory. And purple reigns forever, the color of royalty upon the throne of the universe. Salvation is complete.

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Those of you who visit both this site and my ‘Hangin’ Out With God’ site, will notice that today I’ve chosen to post the same response to the prompt on both. I hope you don’t mind.
To participate in the prompt visit Daily Post.

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Healing Book: New Edition, New Look, Lower Price

| Sandra Pavloff Conner

HEALING AMAZON BOOK COVER - FRONT ONLY w. shadowHey, I just want to let you all know that my book Healing Is For You! is now available in paperback from Amazon. It’s been on the market in paperback for years, selling in independent bookstores, at seminars, Bible schools, and through churches. And it went onto Amazon in digital format last year. But the only online retailer for the paperback was the publisher’s website, St. Ellen Press.

However, this week the book has come out in its fourth paperback edition, with a new look, new format, and lower price ($6.99) — and now it’s easy to order from Amazon.

It still offers a thorough study from God’s Word about healing for body and mind, and it still answers scores of the most troubling questions on the subject. Such as —-

Is it always God’s will to heal?

If it is God’s will to heal everyone, then why doesn’t everyone receive healing?

What part does medical science play in God’s healing plan?

Is it God who decides when each person dies?

How can I ever die if I keep getting healed?

If I don’t have faith for healing, can I get it somehow?

The book doesn’t promote any church doctrine. Rather it looks closely and carefully at God’s Word — especially the life and ministry of Jesus — who, according to the Word, is the only exact, perfect representation of God. It looks at God’s personal and perfectly-executed plan to get His people well and keep them well. It covers 9 separate means that God Himself has provided to get His healing power into us, and it looks carefully at 7 of the most common hindrances to our receiving that healing fully. It also offers a final chapter with more than 100 healing scriptures to use as medicine, just the way the Lord instructs us to do.

The Lord has graciously anointed and blessed Healing Is For You! to strengthen and encourage faith and help people receive healing from Jesus Christ. If you need healing, or you would like to better understand God’s healing plan so that you can help others get well, it will be a wonderful tool to help you move more fully into God’s loving, merciful plan to bless His people.

 

 

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69 and Feelin’ Fine

| Sandra Pavloff Conner

 

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Editor’s Note: Coffee & chocolate help keep you young.

I turned 69 on the very first day of this month. There, I’ve said it again without any pain. It’s been amazing to me how truly painless the experience has been.

Now, I’ve never been a person who was particularly concerned about my age. I’ve never tried to hide it or felt the need to lie. I did lose the opportunity to further a relationship with a man who, before finding out my age, was seriously interested in our friendship growing. However, when he discovered — to his shock I might add (what can I say: I look good for my age) — that I was 9 years older than he, his interest just switched off completely.

Personally, I think he is rather shallow — but I won’t say that out loud because it would sound like I was guilty of “sour grapes.” But I really do have a reason to consider him less than mature in that area because I know several very happily married couples with the hubby being the younger of the two. In fact, it’s quite a common thing in my experience, so, naturally, I figure anyone who doesn’t at least want to give the relationship a chance has to be a little shallow.

But I digress. Back to the subject at hand: When I was in my 20’s, I looked forward to being 30. In fact, I was eager to get there because I was just sure that I would be mature and stable and have my life well under control, with a positive future ahead. But, doggone it, when I got to 30, I discovered I was still the same not-very-organized, procrastination-oriented, speak-before-thinking, but fairly happy girl that I’d always been. Not to say that I didn’t have a sensible job or didn’t take responsibilities seriously. I did, but I wasn’t established in the career I had degrees for, nor did I have a husband and family. So much for being “settled.”

As the years rolled by, I realized that “being settled” wasn’t all it was made to look like, and I relaxed and decided to just be who I was and give it my best. That was a great decision, and since then, the Lord has led me into several avenues that have made my life very rich and fulfilling.

When I got to 40, I didn’t sweat it. I was married by then and was pursuing one career that gave me a lot of enjoyment. I was involved in a lot of Christian ministry, and that had always been one of my more important goals. So 50 came along with no sweat as well and rolled right on by. I lost my husband when I was 54, and I will admit that the prospect of facing going into my 60’s alone did seem a little daunting, but I knew the same Lord who had carried me through all the other years of my life was still there.

So, even though I can’t say that I was excited about turning 60, I am happy to say that it didn’t depress me, and I sailed right on through just fine, still basically enjoying life.

But for some reason — and I honestly don’t know why — the idea of turning 69 hit me very hard. When I thought about it, my stomach sort of knotted up, and I felt vaguely depressed. I prayed about it, and the sensible part of me lectured me about being silly. Nevertheless, I continued to feel “down” and found myself hesitant to accept the age transfer. If anyone asked me how old I would be on February 1st, I found myself feeling a little choked at saying the number out loud.

But then the big day came — and went — and I enjoyed every minute of it. And yes — if you think I sound surprised — you’re right. I was surprised. But it was like something broke loose inside of me — or got unlocked somehow. I was able to say the number without the slightest hesitation. I was able to, with a genuine smile, actually take ownership of 69 years of age.

From the moment I took that ownership, I realized that something very positive was going on. Now I suddenly feel as if I have a new beginning — sort of right out of nowhere. It’s as if I’ve got my ‘second wind,’ as athlete’s term the experience. Some kind of shadow has been lifted, the way ahead is clear, hurdles don’t even look as big as they used to, and I’ve decided I’m definitely going for the gold. So — 101, here I come!

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‘Everything’s Jake’ – Love at the Auto Repair Shop

| Sandra Pavloff Conner

everythings-jake-amazon-cover-2-for-e-bookIt all began with a dream. Yep, it’s another one of those stories. Two of my novels came from dreams that stayed with me long after I woke. I just knew I had to pick up from that point and finish those stories — one of which turned out to be EVERYTHING’S JAKE.

In fact, I can’t even take credit for the title because it was part of my dream as well.

It’s just a little love story. But, then again, it’s a whole lot more than a love story. It’s about finding out who you really are and learning to like that person – and discovering that liking who you are opens the door for the best relationships with other people. It’s about family – and friends who are just like family. It’s about letting God’s way of loving take control of your heart.

In this inspirational novella, you’ll meet Mariah Jacoby. She’s happiest working under the hood of a car, but she’s convinced that grimy hands and greasy smudges on her face aren’t exactly what guys are looking for in a girlfriend. Unfortunately, though, she’s having trouble holding down a job in any other field, despite college degrees and an upbeat personality. Desperate to change her unemployed status, she finally admits it’s time to face the fact that she’s really a “grease monkey” at heart. But dare she hope there’s a guy in her future who’s dreaming of a girl who smells like engine oil?

It’s a relaxing read, and it’s available from Amazon in print as well as in digital format.

Print Version is $4.99

Digital Version is $1.99

Check it out, and please don’t forget one other thing. If you like it, please go back to Amazon and leave a short review telling everyone how you enjoyed it. As most of you know, we authors are dependent on word of mouth from our readers to help us find more readers. So thanks in advance. (Oh, and if for some reason you don’t happen to like it — well — just don’t say anything, okay?) 🙂

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