Davalynn Spencer's Blog, page 27
June 1, 2020
Love Heals Old Wounds
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer
Several sticky notes edge the bottom of my computer monitor and serve as personal reminders while I write. They are glimpses of character-development devices that I have found to be true in fiction as well as in life. I’ll share a few with you here.
Battles result in scars; no one gets out unscathed.
True character is revealed in crisis.
Love heals old wounds.
Sounds a little brutal, doesn’t it? But as author Leif Enger declares through the main character of his novel, Peace Like a River,
“We and the world, my children, will always be at war.
Retreat is impossible. Arm yourselves.”
Many people would consider my collection of quotes cliché, which doesn’t bother me in the least. A cliché becomes one because it is repeatedly found to be true. I incorporate the statements above into nearly all my books on one level or another.
But never has the quote about love come into play as much as it did in the writing of my newest book, An Impossible Price.
Wounded characters are nothing new in the fiction world, for they are everywhere in the real world. Everyone has a wound of some kind – whether emotional, psychological, or physical. And that wound often dictates how we respond to situations and people in our lives.
However, scars are easier to carry than wounds. The healing process from wound to scar can be slow and lengthy or relatively quick. Time often heals, as does the attention of professionals and others near to us. But no one heals a wound like our good and loving God, and if we let Him close enough, we’ll see the healing imprint of His scarred hands in our lives.
I’d love for you to read my story about Sophie Price and Clay Ferguson, but more than that, I pray you’ll trust your own wounds to the greatest Healer of all.
He heals the brokenhearted
And binds up their wounds.
Psalm 147:3
Love heals old wounds.
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Clay had never backed down from an honest fight or allowed some fool to beat an animal. He’d never turned away those who couldn’t pay for his services or refused to make the most difficult call of an animal’s merciful death. But he couldn’t face the pulsing wound within himself. And the one thing he feared more than any other was Sophie’s likelihood of making him do just that. ~An Impossible Price
An Impossible Price, Book 3 in the Front Range Brides series, releases June 4, 2020. Order your copy today!
Inspirational Western Romance – where the hero is heroic.
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May 25, 2020
Every Time I Remember You
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer
If you’ve been to an American rodeo, you know the only moment of absolute silence follows a downed rider who fails to rise under his own power.
Apprehension sucks the collective breath of the crowd as they wait to see the cowboy push to his hands and knees.
When he does, the grandstands explode with cheers and applause.
When he doesn’t, the air is still as death.
Today at 3 p.m., Americans across this nation will hopefully pause for one minute of silence to remember men and women who have fallen on battlefields and did not rise.
This official Moment of Remembrance on Memorial Day seems like a very small “thank you” for those who have died serving our country.
In many homes, such moments occur every time a parent, child, or spouse walks by a vacant room or a cherished photograph. They don’t need a congressional act or national holiday. They can’t help but remember.
More recent warriors who survived when their companions fell may die a piece at a time over years of fighting enemies called Nightmare and Flashback. They may pray not to remember.
But the rest of us can at least take a minute to convey the grace of gratitude as we pause and say, “I thank my God every time I remember you.” Phil. 1:3
For those who would like to take a longer moment to honor the fallen, you can listen here to Taps.
And for those of you like me – who desperately need to remember the One who rescued them – enjoy this recording of “Holy Water” by We the Kingdom.
~
Pause for one minute of silence.
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A small fence bordered two cedar crosses, and a pink rose flourished between them—all new additions since she had last climbed the hill. She stepped over the low pickets and knelt between the graves. Weathered and gray, each cross bore hand-carved names. Deacon’s doing, no doubt.
“I miss you, Mama.” Tears welled and she let them fall unchecked as she leaned to trace the letters of her mother’s name. “I was foolish. I went against everything you taught me. I’m so sorry…”
Her voice blew away on the rising wind, and with a wrenching sob, she hugged her waist and doubled over the grave. ~An Unexpected Redemption
*A variation of this column first appeared May 29, 2017.
Inspirational Western Romance – where the hero is heroic.
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May 18, 2020
A Place to Belong
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer
I read across genres, enjoying contemporary suspense, historical romance, adventure, fantasy, and others. Recently, an early title by American author Louis L’Amour took me back to the days of the Old West – Hondo, a classic Western, published in 1953.
Regardless of the genre you prefer to read, if you pick up a copy of Hondo, you’ll find L’Amour a skilled word-wrangler, painting a picture of lands and times and people long gone.
Well, the land is still there, and that fact is an author’s device I like to employ myself – the setting as a character in the story with its attending climate, challenges, and threats.
In this book, I learned two things from my L’Amour-guided evening jaunts into the American southwest. The first concept was the tendency of those who are cowardly to try to destroy those who are not. An interesting idea to ponder.
But the more important observation I picked up was the desire of most people – men and women alike – to belong.
A note in my journal reads:
What I learned from Hondo Lane:
A man and a woman want a place to belong and a person to belong to.
The note continues:
“I go to prepare a place for you … that where I am, there you may be also.” -Jesus
The old-West tale shed new light on a familiar scripture, allowing me to see it from the other side of the mirror if you will.
Jesus said He was preparing a place specifically for us, a place we can belong. And a place where He will be.
He could have left off that last part, “…that where I am, there you may be also” (John 14:3). But He didn’t.
Just as there are no superfluous, unnecessary words in a good story, I believe there are no superfluous, unnecessary words in God’s book. Each one is there on purpose.
God loves us enough to know what we need – a place to belong and a Person to belong to.
I’m so glad.
~
*By the way, if you’re interested in the story, Hondo, don’t settle for the movie version with John Wayne as Hondo Lane. No comparison at all. Get the book.
A place to belong and a person to belong to.
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As Sophie took down the bread bowl, her thoughts fell on her mother and brother. Praying while she stirred up a batch of biscuits was becoming a regular habit. She lifted her family by name, asking that they be kept safe, as well as Mae Ann and the baby. Cade and Deacon. The Eisners.
And the mare—that she’d made it home. Poor thing, her world was not right unless she was in her own barn with its familiar sounds and smells.
Oddly enough, Sophie didn’t feel that way about the farm any longer. In spite of loving her family, the place wasn’t quite home, for a certain someone with whom she’d like to make a home of her own wasn’t there. ~An Impossible Price
Inspirational Western Romance – where the hero is heroic.
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May 11, 2020
My Sheep Hear My Voice
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer
Have you ever re-discovered something you previously saw or heard, catching it with fresh eyes and ears the second time around?
I did that last week. I read a familiar Bible verse that jumped off the page, though I’m quite familiar with these words of Jesus:
My sheep hear My voice,
And I know them,
And they follow Me.
John 10:27
Maybe it was the quietness of my heart that allowed me to see the “power of three” in the passage – a device authors often employ.
This time, each of the three individual concepts connected to the others and formed a triangular shape in my mind. An ongoing relationship that flowed from one point to the next unceasingly.
The first point assured me that I really do hear my Savior’s voice. Sometimes I’ve wondered if a particular leading was “just me” – just my imagination, or influences from other people in my life. But this first point encouraged me that I am equipped to hear His voice and expected to hear His voice – if I’m actively listening.
Active listening involves spending time in His word so I better recognize His voice.
The second point also encouraged me by reminding me that He knows me. Really knows me, better than I know myself. He notices if I’m “missing in action,” off track, or bogged down somewhere.
The third point connected the first two when it said I follow him. I follow Him because I hear Him leading and I know that He loves me.
As an author, I also noticed the lack of visual cues in this passage. The emphasis is on hearing, and this idea was reinforced by two unrelated things that happened in my life.
First, a recent article I wrote for the blog Heroes, Heroines & History was about the advent of the telegraph and Morse code. When this communication system was in its infancy, a paper tape was employed into which the code was punched. Operators quickly learned that the paper was unnecessary because the system was auditory, not visual. Those trained in receiving and transmitting Morse code didn’t need to see what was being said. They heard it and understood it.
Next, my pastor pointed out in a sermon that God told Moses He was a God who is heard, not seen like the many visual gods of Egypt from where Moses had led the Hebrews. This related to the commandment against making carved images to represent Him.
Often in scripture, God’s spirit has been described as breath or wind – pneuma, the Greek word for breath, and ruwach, the Hebrew word for wind. Both are something we feel or hear. We don’t see them, though we may see what they carry.
When judging whether we have truly heard our Shepherd’s voice, if we are patient, confirmation will come from outside the situation. If no confirmation comes, then perhaps it is not His voice we hear, and we need to wait. God isn’t in a hurry.
In these quieter days of quarantine, sheltering in place, and social distancing, may we make a concerted effort to hear our shepherd’s voice, trust that He is leading us, and follow Him.
~
Check out these two modern-day demonstrations of sheep heeding their shepherd’s voice:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e45dVgWgV64
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Coq_grSFlNs
Make a concerted effort to hear your shepherd’s voice.
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Coming soon!Sophie took the pouch, found the short, pointed knife and bottle, and hesitated.
“The acid will purify the blade and reduce the risk of infection.” Clay paused, softened his voice. “Trust me.”
Had he learned this at veterinary school? She’d never heard of such a thing. Pain was not a factor in the procedure, but the precaution was new to her. Steeling herself, she unwrapped the babe, uncapped the bottle, and poured the sweet-smelling liquid over the scalpel.
Trust Me, another voice whispered in her heart. ~An Impossible Price
Inspirational Western Romance – where the hero is heroic.
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Background image from Pixabay
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May 4, 2020
Actions Are Weighed
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer
“For the Lord is the God of knowledge,
and by Him actions are weighed.”
The first time I saw this quote I wanted to know who made such an insightful observation.
Then I learned it was a SAHM who went from sad to glad because she had turned to the One who could make a difference in her life.
A woman named Hannah spoke these words, but they were not her first.
She initially said something like this:
Oh God, please help me. My heart is breaking. Please hear me. Only You can help me. Oh God, please, “out of the abundance of my complaint and grief” I am crying out to You.
She was so distraught that the pastor at her church thought she was drunk.
Yes, she was drunk. She was drunk on despair and desperation so she went to the only One who could help.
And He did.
This encouraging quote comes from a prayer of thanks that can be found in I Samuel 2:3. The entire chapter is an amazing passage, but I encourage you to read chapter 1 as well so you get the whole picture.
Hannah learned that God knew her and her heart—really knew her—and that He also saw her actions and considered them. This phrase was perhaps a precursor to “a tree is known by its fruits” and “you will reap what you sow.”
Do you think she shared this wisdom with her children?
For those of you who don’t know what a SAHM is, it’s a stay-at-home-mom. Hannah isn’t a mother in chapter 1 but she is in chapter 2.
Some of the best teaching in the world has come from mothers, whether they are SAHMs or women who also work jobs outside the home.
This week, prior to Mother’s Day, find yours or someone who represents that role in your life and thank her for what she’s given you.
~
Some of the best teaching in the world has come from mothers.
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Etta set her teacup and saucer aside and unfolded the thin paper. Uneven script, almost juvenile in its lack of refinement, covered the sheet. At her glance, Pastor Fillmore nodded, then rested against the chair back with his coffee in hand, prepared to wait for her perusal.
Lockton, Colorado, October 1879
Dere Pastor Fillmore,
I hope this letter finds you and your wife well since me and Gracie and Ruth left. Ruth went to heaven some three years past. Gracie fares well as does the small congrugation I serve temporary being the sherif and all but my heart grows weary to bear my burdens alone. Would there be a kind and helpful mother-type woman in your church willing to come to Colorado and help me? Like the mail order brides who join other men here at the Rocky Mountains.
God bless you for your help. Please write back to Gracie and send to the general store.
Sherif Bern Stidham
The pastor’s eyes clearly danced in anticipation of Etta’s opinion.
She accommodated him. “This does not read like a letter penned by any man, whether educated clergyman or desperate sheriff.” ~Mail-order Misfire
Inspirational Western Romance – where the hero is heroic.
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April 27, 2020
Transformed
Davalynn Spencer here, and I’m pleased to welcome guest author Susan G. Mathis with insights shared from her newest historical release, Devyn’s Dilemma.
Transformed from Caterpillar to Butterfly
By Susan G. Mathis
Nature has its unique way of drawing you close to the Creator. Whether the fragrance of a blooming rose or the metamorphosis of a butterfly, one cannot deny the amazing work of an Almighty God.
Butterflies have always fascinated me, so I included their created wonder in my latest novel, Devyn’s Dilemma. Here’s a short excerpt:
“Don’t you just love this spot on the island?” Marjorie’s return made Devyn whirl around. “Smell this. It’s scrumptious.” She extended the pink rose she held for Devyn to whiff. “Only God could create such a heavenly scent, don’t you think? Perfumers cannot recreate it, no matter how hard they try.”
Devyn closed her eyes and took in the fragrance. “It’s heavenly, all right.” When she opened them, she noticed several cocoons in the corner of the pergola roof. “Look!” She pointed as Miss Marjorie took a seat on one of the chaise lounges and followed Devyn’s finger with her gaze.
Marjorie planted a finger on her chin. “They are monarchs, I believe, since the chrysalis is that bright green. Last month, I noticed dozens of caterpillars around here but thought little of it.” She paused and stared up for a few moments. “Do you know that the pupa sheds its skin and hangs upside down, changing from an ugly caterpillar to a beautiful butterfly in less than a month? Then they fly free before migrating to their southern home. Some say all the way to Mexico!”
Devyn looked up from picking a few fading blossoms off the vine. “Really? Can tiny creatures truly fly that far?”
Marjorie nodded. “Scientists are still studying them, but yes, that’s what I’ve read. I suppose they ride on the breeze a good bit of their trip, stopping to eat lots of milkweed along the way.”
Devyn stepped closer to the cocoons and counted them. “Six. I hope to see them hatch one day. They are magnificent creatures, to be sure.”
Marjorie stared at Devyn until she grew uncomfortable. Then Miss Marjorie smiled. “I think you’re rather like that pupa, ready to emerge as a beautiful butterfly.” She paused before continuing. “You’ve lived a caterpillar’s life, crawling on your belly as it were and appearing to be something to be crushed rather than who you truly are. You’ve lived in the shadows—in a cocoon—for far too long. And now you can go through the metamorphosis of becoming a beautiful butterfly who can catch the wind and bring beauty to the world.”
What about you? How is God transforming your life? Are you a caterpillar, crawling on your belly? A pupa in a cocoon? Or a butterfly flying free? Whatever stage you might be in, God knows. And God’s got a plan!
~
Check out Devyn’s Dilemma, Book 2 of the Thousand Islands Gilded Age series!
Devyn McKenna is forced to work in the Towers on Dark Island, one of the enchanting Thousand Islands. But when Devyn finds herself in service to the wealthy Frederick Bourne family, her life takes an unexpected turn.
Brice McBride is Mr. Bourne’s valet as well as the occasional tour guide and under butler. Brice tries to help the mysterious Devyn find peace and love in her new world, but she can’t seem to stay out of trouble—especially when she’s accused of stealing Bourne’s money for Vanderbilt’s NYC subway expansion.
About Susan:
Susan G Mathis is an award-winning, multi-published author of stories set in the beautiful Thousand Islands, her childhood stomping ground in upstate NY. Her first two books of The Thousand Islands Gilded Age series, Devyn’s Dilemma and Katelyn’s Choice are available now, and she’s working on book three. The Fabric of Hope: An Irish Family Legacy, Christmas Charity, and Sara’s Surprise are also available. Visit www.SusanGMathis.com for more.
Susan is also the author of two premarital books with her husband, Dale, two children’s picture books, stories in a dozen compilations, and hundreds of published articles. Susan makes her home in Colorado Springs, enjoys traveling globally with her wonderful husband, Dale, and relishes each time she gets to see or Skype with her four granddaughters.
Learn more about Susan at her website, www.SusanGMathis.com or connect with her on the following social media sites:
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Butterfly image public domain, Pixabay.
~
Inspirational Western Romance – where the hero is heroic.
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April 20, 2020
Do it.
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer
A world-famous athletic clothing and equipment supplier copyrighted its check-mark logo and three words into an unforgettable identifier.
You probably know who I’m talking about.
But did you know that someone else used two of those three words and the emphasis behind them long before the multinational corporation?
Her name was Mary, and she lived in an obscure Middle-Eastern village, the wife of a carpenter. She also had a son whom she believed to be quite different than the rest of her children or the rest of the world, for that matter.
One day, she and that son were guests at a wedding, and it was there that she uttered what I believe to be some of the most important words recorded in scripture.
Other more famous phrases have been recently emphasized during the Easter season, words like “Father, forgive them,” “It is finished,” “He is risen.” Indeed, these are critical words, but Mary’s simplistic outlook offers us a key to living life successfully in a crazy world – even when that world is in quarantine.
She offered her perspective after the wedding coordinator ran out of beverages. Specifically, wine – not something you whip up quickly with a package mix and purified water. Neither were available in those days.
Quietly, off to the side and not drawing attention to herself, she referred those in charge of serving the wedding guests to her son:
“Whatever he says to you, do it” (John 2:5 NKJV)
Apparently, they listened. You can read the rest of the story here.
What would our lives be like if we heeded her directive?
“Whatever he says to you, do it.”
What do we have to lose other than panic, fear, stress, worry …
Now, in these not-quite-so-noisy days, might be a good time to try this approach to life. We might be more inclined to pause and listen. To seek His voice through His words and through His works around us.
We might be more inclined to listen with our hearts.
What is He saying to us?
~
Whatever he says to you, do it.
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Etta had never been more nervous in her life. Though he said he wouldn’t, Bern Stidham had the authority to send her packing. Or he could insist she marry him. Neither option appealed to her at the moment, though one might grow on her in time. In spite of his brusque manner, he leaned toward kindness. Compared to Clark Penneholder, he was saintlier than he might imagine.
However, he looked anything but kind as he scowled into the fire, arms crossed over his broad chest, feet spread in a wide stance.
Without warning, he threw her an ultimatum. “On one condition.” ~Mail-order Misfire
Inspirational Western Romance – where the hero is heroic.
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April 13, 2020
The Morning After
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer
Did you grow up like me, feeling like the day after Christmas was anticlimactic?
What about the day after your birthday? Downer, right?
I once heard a world champion bull rider say that after winning the fancy gold and silver, ruby-encrusted belt buckle at the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas, he tossed it on the bed realizing he was a has-been. The big push to “win the world” started all over again the very next day.
But the day after Easter is different because Jesus did the unexpected.
He didn’t only die on the cross to make us right with God. He got up out of the grave with resurrection life pulsing through Him. He got up so He could walk beside us the next morning, and the morning after that, and the morning after that.
People visit the graves and tombs of famous individuals all over the world. The Taj Mahal is a shrine to a man’s beloved wife. The pyramids mark the burial sites of ancient Egyptian pharaohs, and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, USA, honors deceased, unidentified U.S. military service members.
Tourists in Israel visit sites alleged to have entombed the crucified body of Jesus – but they’re empty. The actual tomb was empty on the third day after His crucifixion, not because treasure-seeking raiders robbed it, but because God did.
He robbed the grave and left behind the promise that life wins.
A couple thousand years ago, the followers of Jesus watched Him – and their hopes and dreams – die. Then they heard He was alive. He started showing up at different places, and nothing was ever the same again.
He’s still doing that. When Jesus shows up in our lives, we are no longer alone, isolated, cut off. He is with us and His resurrection life flows though us.
He’s still walking with us through life. He is life.
Thank God for the morning after.
~
On the first day of the week, very early in the morning,
the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb.
Luke 24:1 NIV
Thank God for the morning after.
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His personal storm had quieted, slid away untended, and with the morning came a peculiar trait that had carried him through life with something like hope. He didn’t know when it started, but he knew it was the reason he leaned toward daybreak. Maybe something his mother had told him early on, but he wouldn’t dredge through the memories to find it. ~An Impossible Price (See the Front Range Brides series)
Inspirational Western Romance – where the hero is heroic.
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April 6, 2020
Character is Revealed in Crisis
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer
The crowd gasped and held its collective breath—complete silence in and around the arena. Nothing but the imagined heartbeat of the bullfighter about to be trampled.
And then “The Grizz” turned away and trotted toward the out gate.
The bullfighter got up and walked to the fence.
Destruction, for some unknown reason, had passed him by.
It all happened so quickly that I had time for one photo with my manual Nikon camera. No auto focus, no auto anything, and I was shooting slide film. When we later viewed the slide on a projection screen, light pierced through that bull’s eye. It was looking right at the bullfighter.
In those days, I suspected Grizz caught a glimpse of an angel standing guard with its flaming sword.
Now, many years later, I still believe that.
Not everything can be explained. Nor is everything that happens expected. And some of it is just downright terrifying.
Jesus gave us a heads-up when he said, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).
Yet it’s what He said just before those words that inspires me most: “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.”
As an author, I write trouble into every story. It comes in the form of external conflict and internal conflict. That conflict, or crisis, is what reveals a story character’s true character.
The same can be said of our current #stayathome situation. Are we showing our families, neighbors, and friends how to walk through the fire? Do they see the peace of Jesus in our eyes – even when we face the big, bad ugly?
Someday our children will recall how their parents and grandparents handled these trying times. The boredom. The isolation. The frustration. They will face trouble as adults, and they will remember how we walked them through it. How we got creative. How we loved and prayed and trusted God.
May we take heart, and allow our character to be revealed not only in this unusual and unexpected crisis but in Christ and the peace He offers us.
~
Crisis reveals a story character's true character.
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A couple hundred feet and the cattle saw the opening in the fence. Eli revved the quad’s engine and hollered. The lead cow broke into a run. The others followed.
Low flames snaked along the hillside and into a stand of scrub oak. Embers rained down as Eli flew past, and the odor of burning straw filled his nostrils. A prick on his head announced the reason, and he yanked off his hat. A quarter-sized hole had burned through the crown. He flung it aside and scrubbed his hair.
Following the panicked herd through the gap, he heaved a sigh of relief. He’d made it.
The engine choked, sputtered, died. The quad jerked to a stop.
A great calm settled over him as he stepped off the machine and faced the fire. ~The Miracle Tree
Inspirational Western Romance – where the hero is heroic.
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March 30, 2020
Shelter in Place
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer
On the first morning of my state’s official stay-at-home mandate due to coronavirus, I walked to the end of my country lane and discovered a few other official things.
The sunrise pushed shadows out of the valley.
Deer meandered through the yard, unhurried and unworried.
Geese rose off the reservoir, honking out their flight plan.
God’s book of works (creation) confirmed His book of words: He was still God.
But this confirmation did not mean that I would blatantly ignore the authorities looking out for my welfare. It meant that I would “shelter in place” doing my part to end the health crisis in my county, state, and nation.
As I marked things off my calendar – women’s gatherings, church services, visits to loved ones, shopping, and weekly meetings, I took comfort in the fact that one very important thing would never be marked off:
Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
Psalm 91:1 NIV
God has often called us to shelter in Him. The peace of His presence is incomparable. His faithfulness is irreplaceable. This is why, as believers in His love and grace, we can respond in love and grace during these trying times rather than in fear and panic.
Others who don’t know Him are watching our responses. May they see obedience in our example and His peace in our eyes. May they want to know the God who is still God and loves us enough to offer us shelter.
~
May they see obedience in our example.
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She caught his hand. “Where are you going?” Surely not out in the storm.
“I won’t be long, but I have to check the barn, in case it was hit by lightning.”
Fear squeezed her voice into a whisper. “What if you’re hit?”
Her plea drew longing across his features, and again he fingered her hair back. “Stay here. Please—this time—do as I ask.”
How could she not? ~An Improper Proposal
Inspirational Western Romance – where the hero is heroic.
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