By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer I read a lot of books last year. It’s what I do besides write. I won’t share them all with you today, but I want to mention five that stood out and stayed with me. Four are fiction, one is a biography. They’re not
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer The New Year rises ahead of us like an imposing mountain range. A few of us actually want to scale the high peaks. We’re unable to resist the compelling call of adventure and challenge. Others don’t mind the winding roads that interlace the mountains,
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer Rejoice, whether you celebrate the western interpretation of Christmas or not. Rejoice, for Christ – Messiah – the Word – our Savior became flesh and dwelt among man. Rejoice with those who sing His praises! The link below will take you to one of
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer Last week I visited a local nursing home and overheard an elderly resident making his way out of the television room after a Christmas celebration. “They forgot about Jesus,” he told a passing CNA. “It’s all Santa Claus.” The white-haired fellow shuffled down the hallway
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 We hear it a lot: “Be grateful.” Other renditions suggest, “Things could be worse.” “You have it better than most.” The Christian-ese phrase I’ve known since childhood says, “In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” (I
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer From where I sit by the wood stove on cold mornings, I can see through the kitchen and out the window to the ash trees bordering my neighbor’s property. Stripped by autumn winds, they stand bereft of their fall finery, boney branches scratching the
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 Nine years ago at my first writers’ conference, I met with a well-known (and probably exhausted) novelist for what industry folk call a “one-on-one.” It was the equivalent of a first-grader sitting down with a Ph.D. professor for a career pep-talk. “What do you
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
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer Horses are gregarious by nature. They’d rather be with other horses than be alone. Regardless of their height, coloring, and disposition, they want to be part of the herd. So do most people. A couple of Sundays ago, our pastor challenged us with a