Unattractive Brokenness
ALT="a blue-stone necklace"

By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer Several years ago I covered a local craft show for the newspaper and was captivated by the work of several lapidarists.  One man displayed not only his beautiful, finished products but also rough stones – common rocks I might have kicked out of

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Stay Connected
ALT="Grandma and child walking along path"

Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer Staying connected today has never been easier, thanks to technology. And it’s never been harder. There’s too much going on. In fact there’s so much going on – so much technological noise – that we can miss the more important connections in our lives. Like those with real people. Staying

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Perspective and Grandparents Day
ALT="grandmother and baby"

Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer I have lived long enough to grow perspective. It’s like looking back after a long walk or drive, and seeing your starting place from a completely different viewpoint. That kind of perspective comes only with distance, age, or experience. In my young-adult life, my prayers

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Give It a Rest!
ALT="computer screen and messy desk"

Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer Some of you will remember the not-too-distant past when Labor Day signaled the end of summer and the beginning of school. Okay, maybe that was longer ago than we care to admit. However, Labor Day still signals the end of summer (even though we technically

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God Made Us Porous
ALT="colorful sponges"

Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer On my flight to a writers’ conference in California, I tossed around the idea that God made us porous. Like sponges. We absorb and we leak. Everything we listen to, read, and watch soaks into us in some way and seeps out in another. As

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Those Who Wait
ALT="bird flying to next"

Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer Isaiah 40:31 is a favorite verse for many of us. It speaks of renewing our strength and it gives three metaphorical examples of what that looks like. Soar high on wings like eagles Run and not grow weary Walk and not faint However, all of

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Romance Awareness Month – and a Giveaway!
ALT="man and woman on horses"

Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer August is one of my favorite months, and not just because it’s the birth month of two grandsons and a son-in-law. August is Romance Awareness Month and I’m an author of inspirational romance. I’ve written 17 romances, both historical and contemporary, all with a cowboy

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Focus on the Promises – Not the Problem
ALT="sun shining through storm"

Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer Most of us are familiar with the story of David and Goliath, but I think we’ve titled it wrong. It should be called King Saul and a Shepherd Boy. Goliath is not a main character. He’s the main pain, but he’s a secondary character at

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Part 3 of 3 – Grief: The Healing Place
"Alt= sunrise morning"

Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer This post first appeared July 31, 2022. Due to the number of people who have contacted me privately regarding their own journey with grief, I offer these words again praying that they bring comfort and encouragement. Grief breaks into our lives whether we are ready

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Part 2 of 3 – Grief: Sorrow Shared
ALT="pelican on rock"

Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer This post first appeared July 24, 2022. Due to the number of people who have contacted me privately regarding their own journey with grief, I offer these words again praying that they bring comfort and encouragement. We all meet grief at some point in our lives.

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Are We There Yet?
ALT="long road through mountains"

Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer  Are we there yet? Have you ever heard that question roll out from the back seat of your car during a family vacation? Or have you asked it yourself in the middle of a long and tedious road trip? It’s just so hard to be patient when the

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Out of the Stump
ALT="sprouting tree stump"

Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer  Last month, a tree in our young orchard was snapped off accidentally about six inches above ground level. Distressing, to say the least, and costly as well. It had to be replaced. My husband dug up the stump and tossed it aside to make room

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It’s All About Trust
ALT="woman holding columbines"

Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer  People often ask how much of myself I put into my books. The question is straightforward, but most answers are ambiguous. The view we see of ourselves from the inside out is different from the view others see from the outside in. When I wrote

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Acceptance and Security
ALT="dad carrying daughter on shoulders"

Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer  “Daddy prays with me at night before I go to sleep. It makes me feel welcome and safe.” “Welcome” seems like an unusual word choice, but think about it. The child who said this feels welcome at home. How many do not? This child has a

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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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