By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer A friend reminded me last week of the day-to-day aspect of faith when she mentioned an Old Testament challenge from the great warrior Joshua: “Choose you this day whom you will serve” (Joshua 24:15 ). The reference was familiar to me, perhaps too much
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer “In everything give thanks.” Those ancient words are a tall order this year. Resentment tries to wedge in between them, dragging in excuses, arguments, and reasons for why we really don’t have to be thankful for everything. Maybe not anything. After all, this was
Today I have invited fellow author and friend, Susan Mathis, to give us a glimpse into her newest book, Reagan’s Reward, a Christmas novella from her “Thousand Islands Gilded Age” series – the American equivalent of Downton Abbey. By Susan G. Mathis Have you had the blessing
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer Tomorrow is November 3, election day in the United States of America. Most of us who are voting have already done so. But all of us are affected by the turmoil of this year’s political races. So may I encourage you this week, rather
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer I think there is a National Day for just about everything, but I could not pass up the day set aside for pumpkins – that lovable, roundish, grooved member of the gourd family. Pumpkins may have even made their way into the Old Testament.
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer Are we hearing from God? We often ask, “How do I know when God is speaking to my heart? How do I know if I’m hearing from Him?” This is a critical question when we’re seeking His will, and I admit, I’ve missed it.
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer Today is National Farmers Day. My dad was a farmer. So was his father before him. And so were many other people at that time. Today, not so much. In 1862, President Lincoln established the U.S. Department of Agriculture which he dubbed “the people’s
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer In my early twenties, I worked briefly for an insurance company in a small Northern Colorado farming community. On my lunch break, I often walked the length of a tree-lined street, past a beautifully maintained Victorian home at the corner. The house was surrounded
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer Perspective is key. With a change in perspective, we often see a difficult situation differently. Viewing something from another angle may show us that things aren’t as bad as we thought. We may recognize a pending answer and not just an overwhelming problem. We
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer Every time I pull up to the stoplight at the highway intersection pictured above, I exercise my free will by complying with what the sign says. The first vehicle to arrive at the light has room to stop on the other side of the
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer It’s suddenly September. Well, I guess it’s not exactly suddenly, but it sure feels that way. Four weeks ago it was light at 6 a.m. in Colorado and the sun set just after 8 p.m. Today, sunrise was at 6:34 a.m. and the sun
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer I believe few would argue that this metaphorical year of perfect “2020” vision has been anything but. Yet the Lord is still my Shepherd. In spite of all the misunderstanding, miscommunication, and misguidedness (Is that even a word?) going on around me, the stream
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer Just because we are believers doesn’t mean we won’t experience loss and pain. It doesn’t mean that sometimes we won’t have all the answers. But it does mean that we aren’t alone. Andy Squyres is a songwriter who grabbed my attention in an interview
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer When I was growing up, my mother used to tell me, “You are what you eat.” The phrase seemed silly to me at the time, but I learned that when I ate healthy foods, I became healthier and stronger. When I ate junk food,
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer In a recent Bible-study discussion on the inward change of a person’s nature, the participants were directed to 2 Corinthians 3:18 – “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same