By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer Eight hundred years ago near Greccio, Italy, St. Francis of Assisi celebrated Christmas by assembling a living nativity or creche. He used live animals for a depiction of Christ’s birth, hoping to draw attention to the advent and away from secular materialism of the
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer The young Jewish woman we think of each Christmas must have been an equestrian of the highest order, riding full-term over rough ground on a donkey. Twenty miles a day for more than seventy miles she and her fiancé traveled so they could be
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer After commiserating over recent heartaches the other day, a friend said, “God obviously has different plans than what I had envisioned, and for you as well. And yet, His plans are always perfect.” The comment stopped me cold. This person had some seriously
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer From my journal, the evening of December 21, 2020 . . . “It wasn’t so much the bright star convergence. It was standing outside in the dark with my camera and tripod – watching, listening, feeling the glory of God – seeing the night
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 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 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
Three announcements: 1. I’m excited to announce a Goodreads give-away of six – yes, six! – print copies of The 12 Brides of Christmas novella collection. And the best part? The books are signed by all 12 novella authors. The give-away starts today and runs through Oct.
I had such fun writing The Snowbound Bride, imagining that I could really step back in time to a cold Colorado winter in 1885 … and wondering what I would do if I were the one traveling alone, stalked by a less-than-reputable character. And then I met