The Heavens Declare the Glory of God
ALT="the glory of God"

By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer Most people in the U.S. are aware of the total solar eclipse occurring in North America on April 8, 2024. NASA Eclipse Explorer website states: “The total solar eclipse will be visible along a narrow track stretching from Texas to Maine on April 8,

Read More »
 
A Quiet Miracle
ALT TEXT "Sunrise-He Lives!"

By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer I imagine Jesus’ resurrection from the garden tomb was a quiet miracle—aside from the earthquake and fainting guards that Matthew records in his gospel. The other three Gospel writers—Mark, Luke, and John—tell us, like Matthew, that women arrived early at the site to care

Read More »
 
Hosanna!
ALT TEXT = "palm branches hosanna"

By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer The mob can turn. One day you’re the favorite, the next day you’re not. It happened a couple thousand years ago as Jerusalem was getting ready for a big event called Passover. Everyone was busy preparing, anticipating, and rushing around when a man rode

Read More »
 
All Things New
ALT="yellow daffodil"

By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer As spring approaches, I’m inclined to envy the vibrant, living metaphors of renewal sprouting in the bulb garden and singing from the trees. Oh for a fresh start, a do-over, new growth. Is it possible? Can we rejuvenate like the flowers and trees in

Read More »
 
From the Rising of the Sun
ALT="sunset"

By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer It happened again. I’m sure you noticed when you had to get up earlier. Due to Daylight Saving Time, we “lost” an hour of sleep Saturday night so it could be saved. How are we saving daylight? Where is it being stored? Is there

Read More »
 
God Sees You
ALT="woman raising her arms wide"

By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer March is Women’s History Month. Several national sponsors have added their support in “commemorating and encouraging the study, observance, and celebration of the vital role of women in American history.” It’s an interesting topic, and more can be learned about it at the Women’s

Read More »
 
Out of Control
ALT="broken string of beads"

By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer A small natural disaster created a major inconvenience here a few years ago. On national radar it was a blip. Locally it was a rockslide. Literally. Seven thousand tons of rock slipped off the mountain and across U.S. Highway 50 like a broken string

Read More »
 
On the Road to …
ALT="two men walk in pastoral setting"

By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer A friend of mine shared plans to participate in a spiritual retreat called Walk to Emmaus. As we visited about the weekend event, I prayed it would be one of personal revelation. Personal revelation is exactly what happened in the gospel account of two

Read More »
 
Wait
ALT="black mailbox"

By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer “No waiting on checkout aisle number three.” I squeezed the red plastic handle of my shopping cart and held my ground. The frenzy around me resembled the Indy 500 at the drop of a green flag as shoppers rushed to be first in the

Read More »
 
Hearts to You
ALT="quilted heart"

By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer Do you have a Valentine? I believe we all do, whether we realize it or not. I’m not talking about someone to whom we’ve given our hearts in the romantic sense, but someone who epitomizes Christian love in our life. Tradition says Valentine’s Day

Read More »
 
Can I Hide From God?
ALT="child hiding behind curtain"

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.”

Read More »
 
Not One of Them Is Forgotten
ALT="sparrows on a pine branch"

By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer Sometimes we feel forgotten. Unappreciated. Overlooked. Abandoned. Unloved. Alone. But we’re not. “Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear, therefore;

Read More »
 
Circle of Service
ALT="circles with scattered hearts"

By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer I prefer to shop for groceries early in the morning. That doesn’t mean I always make it. I just prefer it. There are fewer people and more available shopping carts. Shelves are recently stocked, and the nerves of checkers and staff are not yet

Read More »
 
Power and Authority
ALT="two football players and official"

By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer My husband and I watch a lot of football and I enjoy it. I think it’s because I am goal-oriented (no pun intended). I like to see an objective and make plans to reach it, giving attention to process and detail along the way.

Read More »
 
Hard Times & Good Advice
ALT="Jeep trail over mountain"

By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer An empty calendar and the first page of a blank journal mark my juncture of Known and Unknown. Behind me lie personal mountains of success and failure, as well as the mistakes, warnings, and recommendations of others along the way. But ahead of me?

Read More »