Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer Park rangers may have set the flat stones in a stairstep pattern that curved up the small rise, but whoever it was, I appreciated their efforts. The path led to a lonely juniper standing boldly against a piercingly blue sky. A picturesque pose just asking
Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer I have a friend who often says, “Words matter.” I couldn’t agree more. Words started this whole thing – divine words, when God said, “Let there be light.” And there it was. Words also perverted perfection when the tempter whispered to Eve, “Did God really
Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer Grief breaks into our lives whether we are ready or not. Usually, we are not. But with God’s help, the broken pieces can be fit back together and made stronger. For Part 1 and Part 2 of this series on grief, see July 17, 2022,
Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer We all meet grief at some point in our lives. There is no right, better, or perfect way to grieve, but sharing our experiences with others can help us in our own journey. For Part 1 of this 3-part series, click here. Part 2 During
Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer Everyone faces grief at some point in their life. There is no right, better, or perfect way to deal with it. We just deal with it. In our own way. But there are many little broken bits we have in common with others, and we
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer What is it about a mother that makes her do things for her children all the time? Even when no one knows—especially her children. I believe it’s the God-gene in her—not in a scientific, physiological sense, but in a spiritual sense. God’s fingerprint is
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer When my youngest granddaughter was a toddler, I watched her one day each week. She slowed me down, thank God. She drew my focus to tiny hands, the floor I thought was clean, the lower shelves of my bookcase. She forced me to look
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer The psalmist wrote: “I have set the Lord always before me; because He is at my right hand, I will not be moved” (Psalm 16:8). With God as his focus and companion, the psalm-singer knew he would not be shaken off his path. This
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer In recent months, I’ve had a few requests for copies of my out-of-print devotional book for women, Always Before Me. So remodeling has begun. Additions are framed in, and an open house is set for this spring. The original book had 30 daily devotional
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer New beginnings. Technically, that’s a redundant phrase – like tuna fish. If something is a beginning, then it’s new. And if it’s new, then it’s the beginning of something different. However, our ears seem to like the sound of “new beginnings.” It rings with
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer No, you didn’t misread that title, nor did I use the wrong word—except rather than accept. People frequently confuse these homophones (they sound alike). “Accept” means to receive; “except” means to exclude, make an exception. Everything except this or that. An *Old Testament
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer It had been several months—a season, in fact—since I’d bought coffee at our church’s in-house coffee shop, and I needed a cup of pumpkin-spice latte. NEVER had I received an anti-splash sticker in the past. Maybe it was a new thing they’d started.
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer Last week my son posted a video of his drive to work in Cripple Creek, Colorado, along what is known as Shelf Road. (I shared it on my Facebook page.) There is a very good reason this byway is called Shelf Road, or
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer In 2016 I read several new-to-me authors along with my standby favorites. Not all their books were new releases; several were older. Today I want to share twelve authors with you that I enjoyed last year. The list is a mix of contemporary
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer Help—my plate runneth over! Anyone else feel the same way? I don’t need One. More. Thing. To. Do. But neither do I need resolutions. I need a revolution—a change. A way to declutter, delete, and delegate some of the activities and obligations in