HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT … and a giveaway
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I’m happy to introduce guest-blogger, author, and dancer Laura Padgett today. Expression is her forte! Can you relate with her take on masks? Be sure to comment below for entry into a drawing for Laura’s devotional book, Jesus in Shorts – a great play on words! Masked

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May All That You Read Be Uplifting
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By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer “May all that you read be uplifting.” Have you seen that line? I use it at the bottom of my email and quarterly newsletters, and I include it at the end of most of my novels. However, it’s more than a poetic parting. Life

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Is It Personal?
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By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer “Automation is on the horizon,” said the checker at my favorite grocery store as he rang up my weekly purchases. “Everything will be done electronically via camera and scanners.” I was stunned. No more friendly conversations, smiles, and small talk during my marketing experience?

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Jesus Paid What We Owed
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By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer This is an interesting week. Today is the deadline for government taxes due in the United States, and this Friday is the day Christians commemorate Jesus’ death on the cross.   These events seem as far apart on the spectrum as possible, yet in

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Try Again
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By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer I ask why a lot. Do you? Why did mother die? Why did that guy cut me off in traffic? Why did I lose my job?   Why has life not gone as I planned? Maybe I’m asking the wrong why. Maybe I should

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The Fool Says…There Is No God.
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By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer Today is April Fool’s day, observed in many Western nations as an opportune time to play jokes on the gullible and unsuspecting. I’ve played tricks on employers, family members, and students and have had plenty of tricks played on me. It’s a fun day

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Are We Living Too Fast?
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By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer One morning as I hurried around the house, fretting over my ever-growing to-do list, I muttered, “Did time go this fast for the Hebrews who wandered in the wilderness? How about when David was a shepherd boy, giant-killer, and king? Or when Jesus walked

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Guest Post by Author Susan G. Mathis and a Giveaway!
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“Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!” Many of us struggle with gossip, frivolous chatter, and unwholesome talk – all caused by what the book of James calls “a small part of the body…that makes great boasts,” the tongue. James goes on to compare the

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Marigolds or Miracles?
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By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer When my daughter was a small child, she referred to the marigolds in our garden as “miracles.” I didn’t correct her. My young son once pointed to shafts of sunlight breaking through a cloud bank and said, “Maybe heaven’s having a tour.” What a

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Family Ties
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By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer Laura Jameson Bell was born in the 1870s. She buried two husbands, all her children, and was 104 when she died. Toward the end of her life, she lived with my family since we were the only living relatives she had. My mother was

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Are You a Troublemaker?
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By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer Are you a troublemaker? Before you answer that question, let’s talk about what a troublemaker is and why sometimes it’s a good thing. Usually when we think of a troublemaker, we think of that kid in school who was always in the principal’s office.

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Dinosaur Footprints & More
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By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer Some of you may know that I blog regularly for Heroes, Heroines, & History on the 17th of every month. Yesterday was my day, and I’m sharing the link with you today. I hope you find this little tidbit about Canon City another rich

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Books I Read & Loved in 2018, plus a Giveaway!
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By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer I read a lot. No surprise, right? Today I’m sharing some of my favorite reads from 2018. All are what I consider to be uplifting. That doesn’t mean character lives are trouble-free. Far from it! But the end results are redemptive. That’s important to

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Who’s Your Wagon Master?
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By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer “The Wagon Master,” a 1909 oil by CM Russell, is one of my favorite paintings. A print of it hangs in my living room, and every time I consider the story Charles Russell is portraying, I’m reminded of two important choices we make in

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Do You Have Nightlights?
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By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer Do you have nightlights in your home? I have several throughout the house. Some are always on, faintly visible, and others pop on automatically when daylight diminishes. These unobtrusive illuminators serve as guides for adult feet making emergency calls in the night, or as

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