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
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
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
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
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
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
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
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer As an author, I tend to fall in love with some of my characters, including the animal characters. For my inspirational-Western-romance books, this means I’m collecting horses and dogs, metaphorically speaking. However, I may be collecting a real-life hound companion for Blue the Cowdog
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer I don’t like New Year’s resolutions. The distaste has to do with the word “resolution.” It reminds me of my days as a reporter covering government meetings where resolutions were merely formal declarations of opinions and intentions without any formal action. In other words,
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer A couple thousand years ago, God told a young Jewish girl named Mary that she would give birth to His son, the Messiah, conceived by the Holy Spirit. That’s quite a life-changing announcement. But do you think He told her that she’d have the
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer ‘Tis the season of giving, right? Or is it the season of getting? “Six o’ one, half dozen of the other,” Mama used to say. But always she added, “We give at Christmas because God gave us Jesus.” I grew up hearing that and
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer Tomorrow is National Cookie Day. I am certain the day of national recognition was determined with me in mind. As far as I’m concerned, Cookie Day is right up there with Mother’s Day and birthdays. I can easily turn down pie or cake. Doughnuts
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer Other than his ma, he’d never given a woman anything but a hard time. –Wil Bergman, Snow Angel Christmas-gift shopping is often a man’s least-favorite activity. I speak from the experience of living with a husband and son. To be completely transparent, I speak
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer Thanksgiving Day is fast approaching. Many people are busy cooking, cleaning, and preparing for a big family feed. Others are wondering who they’ll spend the day with, or they’re missing lost loved ones. Some are dreading the pending presence of a certain relative or
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer When asked what advice I have for aspiring writers, I say, “Don’t quit.” Sometimes I say, “Never give up.” And often I add, “Keep writing.” I know; my advice is boringly repetitive. However, that’s the kind of stick-to-it-iveness required for most worthwhile endeavors. It’s