Out of the Storm
ALT="sunlight through stormy clouds"

Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer  Early afternoon light dims beneath the gray underbelly of an approaching storm and thunder rolls from one side of the river valley to the other. Twenty minutes later, “… the rains are over and gone….the cooing of doves is heard in our land” (Song of

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Like a Tree Planted … and a giveaway!
ALT="tree by a river"

Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer  Do you have a favorite tree? Countless varieties flourish on the earth, but Psalm 92 mentions three with a descriptive promise attached: The godly will flourish like palm trees, grow strong like the cedars of Lebanon, and still bear fruit in their old age (

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Remember the Fallen
ALT= "military presentation of folded flag to child"

Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer  For many people, Memorial Day signals the changing of the seasons. Those of us who can’t wait any longer for summer declare that it’s time to bring out the lawn chairs and barbecue. Who wants to wait another four weeks? We’d rather start thinking about

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Cords of Love
Alt="young girl holding baby goat"

Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer  Robert Fulghum’s 1988 New York Times bestseller, All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten was on that prestigious list for nearly two years. He made valid points and stirred most of us to consider the kindnesses and stress busters we were introduced

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Life wins!
ALT="pink peach blossoms"

Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer  One morning last week, an ethereal veil hung over our small orchard, shrouding the budding trees with mist. I wondered, could that be what it looked like in God’s garden that we read about in Genesis? “… but a mist went up from the earth

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Of Birthdays and Other Interuptions
ALT="toddler eating birthday cake"

Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer  My perspective of age has changed over the years. Perhaps that’s because I’m on a different side of it than I once was. I still look ahead in anticipation, but now I look back with more gratitude for where the Lord has brought me and

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We Run Out of Time
ALT="gold pocket watch"

Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer Time. We run out of time faster than we run out of money and milk. But we can always get more money and milk. We can’t go get more time. When I was growing up and my mother didn’t want to accept an invitation, she

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Everything Changed
ALT="sunrise through a tree"

Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer Everything changed at dawn. Light revealed the emptiness left behind when Life got up and walked out of the tomb. He does that, you know. Jesus does the unexpected. Even though He told His friends (and enemies) He wouldn’t stay dead, they were surprised. From

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Would He Ever Forget?
ALT="jar of perfume against rug"

Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer A.D. 33    Bethany, a village near Jerusalem Six days before Passover Asher pulled his cloak tighter, wishing he’d worn his heavier wool garment this evening. The short walk to his neighbor’s house warmed him some, but the air nipped around his ears. Much remained

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Go In Peace
ALT="worried man"

Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer Two weekends this month I have a small part in a play* about the life of Christ as well as the life of a wizened old judge whose dead friend pays him a visit. It is the second production I have participated in over the

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Not Without Horses and Women
ALT="woman riding a horse"

Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer It has been said that the American West was “hell on horses and women,” but without them, the Wild West may never have been. Fits right in with Women’s History Month, doesn’t it? Alice Marriott, author of a book with the same colorful title, Hell

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One Thing
ALT="black button women's history"

Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer If you haven’t already heard, March is Women’s History Month. The button pictured above was left in my box in the teacher’s lounge when I taught at the college. I laugh every time I notice it on my “inspiration” board at home. However, I can

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Someone to Devour
ALT="a roaring lion"

Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer Someone to Devour Sounds gruesome, doesn’t it? Like something out of a zombie or horror movie. However, there is more of that sort of thing going on than we realize. A friend of mine had her computer hacked the other day, and the culprit obtained

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In the Beginning Was the Word
ALT="In the beginning was the word"

Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer Did you choose a “word for the year” at the beginning of 2023? Many people did. It has become a friendlier variation on the New-Year’s-Resolution theme. Researchers say resolutions last between two weeks and one month. I was surprised they lasted that long. However, a

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Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled
ALT="tin scrolled heart on saddle horn"

Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer A lot is said in February about the heart. A lot of money is spent too. Advertisers market flowers, candy, cards, and jewelry all connected to the little red or pink ♥-shape denoting love, affection, fondness, and fidelity. And of course the ♥ looks nothing

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