By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer My first year as a sixth-grade teacher, I sprinkled my classroom walls with quotes, pinning them around the room at student-eye level. One of my favorites was taken from a desktop calendar: “Some people find fault like there is a reward for it.”
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer No, you didn’t misread that title, nor did I use the wrong word—except rather than accept. People frequently confuse these homophones (they sound alike). “Accept” means to receive; “except” means to exclude, make an exception. Everything except this or that. An *Old Testament
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer It had been several months—a season, in fact—since I’d bought coffee at our church’s in-house coffee shop, and I needed a cup of pumpkin-spice latte. NEVER had I received an anti-splash sticker in the past. Maybe it was a new thing they’d started.
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer Last week my son posted a video of his drive to work in Cripple Creek, Colorado, along what is known as Shelf Road. (I shared it on my Facebook page.) There is a very good reason this byway is called Shelf Road, or
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer In 2016 I read several new-to-me authors along with my standby favorites. Not all their books were new releases; several were older. Today I want to share twelve authors with you that I enjoyed last year. The list is a mix of contemporary
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer Help—my plate runneth over! Anyone else feel the same way? I don’t need One. More. Thing. To. Do. But neither do I need resolutions. I need a revolution—a change. A way to declutter, delete, and delegate some of the activities and obligations in
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer Did Mary think, “O God—not here, not now”? Yet it was perfect. The perfect place. The perfect time. When we cry out, “O God—not here, not now” may we remember that a less than perfect place, a less than perfect time
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer On cold mornings, I build a fire in our woodstove and sit in front of it with a hot cup of coffee. It’s become my wintertime place to meet with Jesus, the place where I share my heart, read His words, listen for
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer Did you notice the flour on the kitchen flour, the wrapping-paper scraps on the dining table, the crowds at the mall? Yes, Christmas is messy. Preparation for any important event is usually messy. And complicated. And stressful. And if we allow it –
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer When I first met Caleb Hutton, he was riding into Cañon City. The year was 1860 and the whole scenario took place in my head, then on my computer, and finally in my first historical novel, The Cowboy Takes a Wife. Caleb’s journey
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer Ever feel like you’re living in the shadows? Like you’re not getting a clear picture—that things could be better, clearer, more focused? You’re right. Somehow we know. I think it’s in our DNA. An ancient teacher named Paul told early Christians not to
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer In the busy days approaching, as families gather … or not, as tables are spread … or not, let’s pause in the clamor … or the lonely quiet and thank God for His great love.
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer Our busy lives don’t give us much quiet time to reflect, listen, or simply breathe. Things always press in, demanding our attention, whether they are as fleeting as the news and social media, or as important as a spouse or child. But being
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer There’s a lot of clamoring right now. A lot of noise. A lot of posturing and pointing, criticism and chaos. And none of it is new. It’s all happened before, many times, in fact. And God’s antidote is also the same: Be still
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer Some people like to be frightened, and they enjoy watching horror movies or reading scary stories. Maybe it’s because they know the scenarios are not real and they feel safe and relieved after the faux fright. Halloween is our most traditional fright night