Hope in the Changing Seasons
ALT="Fall leaves"

By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer In most places, fall arrives with a visual reminder that change is coming. Ordinary green trees don brilliant foliage and temperatures fluctuate drastically. I find hope in the changing seasons – hope that God in His mercy won’t leave me stuck in the same

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Face-to-Face Love
ALT="child looking through playground equipment window"

By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer You’ve probably watched a parent hold their child close and pour in their love. Eye to eye. Face to face. Maybe you’ve even done it yourself. Holding a little one close to our face is often symbolic of how we hold them close to

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Out of Reach for a Reason
ALT="wasp nest in tree"

By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer Do you see it—hanging like a papery ornament, just in front of a Colorado blue spruce? What you may not notice are its whirring, buzzing, stinging residents. That nest is best left alone. I shot this picture from the back of my horse on

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Surround Yourself with Joy!
ALT="sunflowers"

By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer I received a note from a friend the other day. Part of it said, “Surround yourself with what you love.” Sometimes I do this without thinking about it, haphazardly scattering colors or keepsakes that appeal to me. Without serious consideration, I simply like the

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Fear is a Liar
ALT="sunset"

Join me today as I welcome author Kathleen L. Maher, as she shares encouragement for the week as well as information about a giveaway.      -Davalynn Spencer  By Kathleen L. Maher @Mahereenie Fear is a liar. As the popular song goes, “It will rob your rest,

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Hide and Seek
ALT="tiny clown and big bull"

By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer Hide and seek – is it only a child’s game? Not necessarily. Adults like to figure things out, hunt for buried treasure, and make ground-breaking discoveries. It is in man’s DNA to investigate and unearth. Personally, I believe God intended it to be so,

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Down in the Dumps?
ALT="crying baby with cake"

By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer Have you ever heard the phrase “down in the dumps”? It’s been around about 500 years, according to people who look that stuff up. Though the idiom is nearly self-explanatory, some etymologists believe the word “dumps” may have come from a Dutch or German

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Perfectly Complete
ALT="bronze horse head sculpture"

By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer My friend Lynne Schricker creates magnificent bronze horses, and her years of experience as a seasoned horsewoman bring a sense of life to her sculptures. As a trainer, rider, and winning rodeo competitor, she knows the flick of an ear and a worthy eye,

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Prepared for the Day of Battle
ALT="horses"

By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer These beautiful horses are from a string of bucking stock owned by Miller Rodeo Company out of Colorado. Believe me, they are well-prepared for the day of battle – once or twice a week all summer long for eight seconds at a time. Their

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Come Away … and Rest
ALT="scenic hillsides"

By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer Is there a place you go to escape the crush and commotion of life? A place where it’s quiet enough to hear yourself think? Hear God whisper to your heart. For Laura Bell in The Miracle Tree, her quiet place was the front porch

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Finding Truth in Fiction
ALT="Tree by blue pond"

By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer Some people wonder what goes into the making of a novel, and with good reason. There’s so much more to writing fiction than lining up words on a page. For me, it’s about finding truth. August 23 is the release date for the repackaged

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Don’t Wait Until You’re Thirsty
ALT="Dog drinking from a bucket"

By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer In early June, I enjoyed a personal writer-research stay at Badger Creek Ranch, a working cattle ranch tucked into the high country of Colorado at 8,800 feet. While there, I was often reminded to drink water. “Don’t wait until you’re thirsty,” a staff member

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Don’t Let the Rigors of Rejection Turn to Rigor Mortis
ALT="Rejection may be one of your biggest blessings."

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

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