Trust Like That
ALT="wine goblet with wine"

Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer Most moms have a way of knowing what their children are capable of, whether it’s good or ornery. They also usually know what’s going on. Especially at important gatherings. One day in a small Middle Eastern town roughly halfway between an inland sea and the Mediterranean,

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Better Than What the Well Offered
ALT="clay water pot"

Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer Do you ever get so busy that you ignore other people? In too big of a hurry to sense their need. So tied up in your own thoughts that you miss the obvious.  I do. Maybe that’s why I enjoy accounts of Jesus meeting people

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Expectancy Frees Us from Expectation
ALT="a road curving through grassland"

Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer When I was in elementary school, two of my classmates were identical twins. Even their names were nearly the same: Arlene and Darlene. I rarely knew who was who. As an adult, I’m learning the difference between two nearly identical words: expectation and expectancy. They

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How to Approach a New Year
ALT="Three horses in the snow"

Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer A new calendar faces us. New challenges, new goals, new opportunities. And honestly, a lot of the same-ol’ same-ol’ repetitions we could do without. Yet, in spite of all those things we have no control over, we can choose to control our responses to them.

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Deep Calls Unto Deep
ALT="waterfall on Snake River in Idaho"

Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer Iconic images of frozen Niagara Falls have hit the Internet as hard as a recent wintry storm hit North America. Amazing that the water’s thunderous, rushing journey can be stopped. I’ve never been to New York and the Niagara River, but I’ve heard the roar

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The Children We Were – and a giveaway
ALT="child and grammie at Christmas tree"

Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer Memories decorate more Christmases than all the world’s tree ornaments, lights, and trimmings combined. For some people, those memories aren’t so pleasant. For others, they are the core of the season. My adult son displays a lighted miniature village in his home–the same village he

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Who Could Refuse Such a Perfect Gift?
ALT="night scene of Mary and Joseph traveling"

Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer If you were God, how would you introduce yourself to your creation? I’d be 27 years old, a size 8 with flawless complexion, no white hair, and an IQ of 145. I would not show up as a baby, completely helpless and totally dependent upon

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What Would You Do With a Miracle?
ALT="star light at night"

Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer Have you ever prayed for something so long that when it finally showed up you didn’t believe it?   A Jewish priest in 1st-century Judea did. Zechariah prayed for years that he and his wife, Elizabeth, would have a child.   This man knew the

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Am I Heaven Scent?
ALT="pumpkin pie"

Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer Pumpkin pie, roasting turkey, and pine-scented candles perfume my home this time of year. The aromas please me, soothe me, and fill me with a sense of well-being and peace. Some people call that aromatherapy – an ancient concept. Asian and Middle Eastern cultures have

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Do Not Give Up – and a giveaway
ALT="harvest vegetables"

Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer When asked what advice I have for aspiring writers, I say, “Don’t quit.” Sometimes I say, “Never give up.” And often I add, “Keep writing.” My advice is boringly repetitive. However, that’s the kind of stick-to-itiveness required for most worthwhile endeavors. One of the easiest

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One Blessing After Another
ALT="pomegranate on table"

Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer About this time every year, an unusual looking fruit appears in the produce section of the supermarket, one that I first sampled at my grandparents’ farm in California: Pomegranates. The only attractive thing about a pomegranate is its exquisite garnet color. Beyond that, the round,

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Let the Silence In
ALT="sunrise against pine trees"

Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer Last week we looked at what it means to “be still.” Quite a challenge for busy lives that don’t have 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

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Be Still …
ALT="park bench in city"

Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer On a recent trip to Pennsylvania to visit my daughter, I toured the University of Pittsburgh where she works – right in the middle of the city. The campus is scattered among blocks of governmental buildings, high-rise apartments, and historical churches, and the sense of

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My Name Is Written
ALT="bronze horse figurine"

Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer A child’s perspective can open our eyes to things we’ve forgotten about as adults. Like the vintage carnival-prize horse that belonged to my husband’s mother. My granddaughter discovered her great-grandmother’s prize a few years ago and let me know that she placed high value upon

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Who Can Heal a Broken Heart?
ALT="Susan Mathis and book Rachel's Reunion"

Please welcome friend and fellow author, Susan Mathis, as she shares today about brokenness and healing. Who Can Heal a Broken Heart? By Susan G. Mathis So many of us just cannot find a way to forgive, whether it’s ourselves or others. We hunker down in our

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