By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer With spring on its way into summer next month, I want to ask: Do you have a favorite tree? Aspens are mine, beautiful all through the year, regardless of the season. In winter they stand bare and white against evergreen forests. In spring they
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer When my youngest granddaughter plays hide-and-seek with her daddy, she sees things only from her perspective. She has no idea she’s giving away her whereabouts. Perhaps in her innocence she reasons like the cartoon ostrich: “If I can’t see them, they can’t see me.”
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
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer Have you ever wanted something so simple that it crosses all barriers of time and culture? I have. Fire. The warmth of a wood stove on a cold spring morning. The campfire of a cowboy who rolls out
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer I don’t like New Year’s resolutions. The distaste has to do with the word “resolution.” It reminds me of my days as a reporter covering government meetings where resolutions were merely formal declarations of opinions and intentions without any formal action. In other words,
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer I think the flagship song of religious Christmas celebration should be retitled: “O Horrifying Night.” (Before you stop reading to write me a scathing email, think about it.) The whole Nativity scenario is the perfect setup for stress: essential homelessness for a young expectant mother—no
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer “Where is my daddy?” asked my four-year-old granddaughter Sunday morning. “I want to run to him.” This little bundle of energy had bee-line vision for her father, but I gripped her hand tightly. We stood at the edge of the road, about to cross
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer Abram was a wealthy and powerful man in his day—wealthy and powerful enough that when his nephew Lot was taken captive by the armies of four marauding kings, Abram raised a force from among his own people, chased down the kings, and rescued Lot.
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer About this time every year, an unusual looking fruit appears in the produce section of the super market—one that I first sampled at my grandparents’ farm in California. Pomegranates. The only attractive thing about the appearance of a pomegranate is its exquisite garnet color.
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer Years ago I heard a preacher explain his take on three segments of our waking hours: morning, afternoon, and evening. “Work two of them,” he said. “Not three.” He didn’t tout one segment over the others as the one to take off, he simply
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer Autumn is my favorite season. It’s as if God turns on a hidden light somewhere, and everything starts glowing from the inside out. Trees. Flowers. Mountains. Sky. I can almost hear the colors – because of the light. Without light, there would be no
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer My friend took this picture because she had to. Not because she likes spiders (she doesn’t), but because of the amazingly, intricate design patiently created by a small, faithful spinner – an orb-weaver. I’m not a spider fan either, but as part of God’s