By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer Rejection. We all know what it tastes like—bitter, regardless of how well-preserved our self-esteem. As a child, I often played the piano for school talent shows, winning awards in some and going unnoticed in others. On those losing occasions, my mother would say, “You
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer One summer evening when our children were little, a thunderstorm crashed up against the Front Range and knocked out the power. Colorado is famous for its sudden storms and lightning shows but, newcomer that I was, I was proudly prepared. “Let’s be pioneers,” I
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer As an author of historical fiction, I’m often asked how much time I spend researching. That’s a hard question to answer because it depends upon the topic researched and the type of research required. However, I must admit that my most enjoyable research venture
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer What would you take if you had five minutes to evacuate your home? When I was a newspaper reporter, I covered a lot of bad news. This photo is of one event I showed up for, arriving moments before flames roared through the front
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer One morning last week as I read Matthew 14, I was struck by the approachableness and positivity of Jesus. Loosely paraphrased, here’s what I saw: Setting: Small inland sea at night, high wind, boat full of weary men sent ahead of their leader to
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer The first time my California Cowboy visited Greeley, Colorado, his nose told him he’d never live there. Lots of feed lots in that part of the country. “That’s the smell of money,” an old timer said. “You’ll get used to it.” He did. So
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer My granddaughter helped me bring in firewood one evening, using a cloth shopping bag to carry her load. “I can’t carry the big pieces like you,” she said. “That’s okay,” I told her. “It’s the little pieces that heat up the fire.” Those little
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer Each morning, my radio comes on at 5:25, set to a Christian music station, and I catch the last five minutes of an inspirational program before the day’s music begins. Sometimes I crawl out of bed immediately. Sometimes I lie there and listen to
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer We hear it a lot: “Be grateful.” Other renditions suggest, “Things could be worse.” “You have it better than most.” The Christian-ese phrase I’ve known since childhood says, “In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” (I
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer From where I sit by the wood stove on cold mornings, I can see through the kitchen and out the window to the ash trees bordering my neighbor’s property. Stripped by autumn winds, they stand bereft of their fall finery, boney branches scratching the
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer Have you ever discovered a pathway that looks like the road home? Even if you never walked it and never lived there? It invites you. That’s how I felt when I first saw this path through an autumn wood. Unknown to me, it beckoned,
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer Horses are gregarious by nature. They’d rather be with other horses than be alone. Regardless of their height, coloring, and disposition, they want to be part of the herd. So do most people. A couple of Sundays ago, our pastor challenged us with a
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer We all face storms. Hurricanes. Wildfires. Sick children. Disinterested spouses. Cutbacks at work. Yet in their song “Just Be Held,” contemporary Christian band, Casting Crowns, sings, “In the storm is where you’ll find Me.” Whoa – how can they say that? “They’ve never been
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer Authors are often asked how much of themselves they write into their characters. I’ve never been quite sure how much of an answer to give. A person typically writes from his or her heart, so naturally, pieces of that heart are floating around in
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer Millions of people across North America eagerly anticipated witnessing the great solar eclipse on August 21. Hopefully, they didn’t truly witness it – gazing in an unprotected manner and permanently damaging their eyes. Solar eclipses have fascinated people for thousands of years, creating fear