By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer When I first met Caleb Hutton, he was riding into Cañon City. The year was 1860 and the whole scenario took place in my head, then on my computer, and finally in my first historical novel, The Cowboy Takes a Wife. Caleb’s journey
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer Ever feel like you’re living in the shadows? Like you’re not getting a clear picture—that things could be better, clearer, more focused? You’re right. Somehow we know. I think it’s in our DNA. An ancient teacher named Paul told early Christians not to
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer In the busy days approaching, as families gather … or not, as tables are spread … or not, let’s pause in the clamor … or the lonely quiet and thank God for His great love.
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer Our busy lives don’t give us much quiet time to reflect, listen, or simply breathe. Things always press in, demanding our attention, whether they are as fleeting as the news and social media, or as important as a spouse or child. But being
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer There’s a lot of clamoring right now. A lot of noise. A lot of posturing and pointing, criticism and chaos. And none of it is new. It’s all happened before, many times, in fact. And God’s antidote is also the same: Be still
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer Some people like to be frightened, and they enjoy watching horror movies or reading scary stories. Maybe it’s because they know the scenarios are not real and they feel safe and relieved after the faux fright. Halloween is our most traditional fright night
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer Autumn in Colorado offers a visual feast, especially in the gold that trickles down pine-draped mountains in streams of yellow aspen. Even here, on the Arkansas River Valley floor, the simplest of trees dress in their fall finery, like my neighbor’s elm tree.
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer Last Monday, the post office was closed for the observance of Columbus Day. Tuesday morning, the line of postal patrons stretched out the door and into the lobby. It reminded me that I need to start mailing Christmas gifts. As I approached the
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer I recently finished a novel about a young woman considering her next step. Which way should she go? Which was the right path for her life? She had several options, but she wanted the one that would take her in the direction of
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer Last week I cut off the remaining leaf of bok choy for a salad and almost threw the end of the bunch in the trash. And then I thought, “What if?” What if I put the end in water? Would it grow? I’d
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer On freelance assignment for the local newspaper, I covered a craft show where several lapidarists displayed their work. One man showed not only his finished products but rough stones as well—so rough, that had I hiked by them on a mountain path, I
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer Staying connected today has never been easier, thanks to technology. And it’s never been harder. There’s too much going on. In fact there’s so much going on – so much technological noise – that we can miss the more important connections in our lives.
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer I’m learning an important lesson from the deer that frequent my yard, a lesson I seem to be re-learning a lot lately. “Wait and listen.” The young bucks in this picture show exactly how it works: stop what you’re doing and tune in
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer Yesterday morning this double rainbow appeared in the western sky, an unusual occurrence. Typically, the bows form in the east following an afternoon or early evening shower. But just enough rain sprinkled from scattered clouds to bring the colorful bow to life. Sometimes,
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer The prophet Jeremiah said the person who trusted God would flourish like a tree whose leaves never withered. But he didn’t mention anything about being eaten alive. In April I planted an aspen cluster in the back yard, watered it faithfully, and strategically