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,
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
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,
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
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
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
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 Recently, I spent time with my youngest granddaughter watching a hummingbird through my office window. To her, the tiny bird was a marvelous, magical creature. She was fascinated by the movement of it’s tail. I understood how it worked, knew it functioned as a
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 Last Monday, on Memorial Day, we commemorated the men and women who have died in the service of our country. But they’re not the only people we remember because some people—deceased or still living—are hard to forget, for reasons both good and bad. Who do
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer It is fitting to remember the fallen this Memorial Day. Though they cannot hear our thanks, their families and descendants can. Acknowledging their sacrifice reminds us that none of what we possess or enjoy has been achieved on our own. Others have contributed. May
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’s looking. Even when no one knows. Even her children. I believe it’s the God-gene she carries – not in a biological sense, but
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer In the 1980s, during rodeo’s off-season, my husband worked with the Race Track Chaplaincy of America, serving as a chaplain five years at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Arkansas. He also spent one race meet at Aksarben (now dismantled) in Omaha, Nebraska, and one
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer “If God can make everything new again, in spite of the hard, painful parts, then we should let Him.” Sounds like an obviously simple concept, right? Simple, perhaps, but not easy. There’s a difference. The quote is from my latest book, An Unexpected Redemption,