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 Not long ago I had the honor of spending time with a couple of cowboys who had more than the love of rodeo and horses in common. Though one hailed from Louisiana and the other from Pennsylvania, their trails first crossed during an emergency
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer I knitted once. Many years ago, I needled my way through a scarf for my soon-to-be-husband, hoping to keep him warm in Colorado’s snowy clime while I wintered in temperate California. That scarf was the extent of my knitting career. When I started writing
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
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
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
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
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
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,
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