Davalynn Spencer's Blog, page 3
March 9, 2025
Making a Difference: Women’s History Month
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer
I have a black button-pin with white letters that say: “Well-behaved women rarely make history.” The round pin was left anonymously in my campus mailbox when I taught Creative Writing at Pueblo Community College. A reminder that March was Women’s History Month.
What a great story prompt it was. But the catchy phrase did more than what it was intended to do. It reminded me of women who didn’t make history but made a difference in the lives of those around them—in spite of being well-behaved.
Isn’t this what we want in our own lives? To have an impact on our family and see people change for the better because of our presence and our beliefs?
Scripture mentions one such woman simply as the mother of King Lemuel. She counseled her son on how to be a wise ruler, and he credited her for the advice found in Proverbs 31:1-9. Some scholars believe Lemuel may have been another name for King Solomon who wrote the book of Proverbs.
The remainder of Chapter 31 describes the character of a woman who makes a difference to those around her, and Christian women today still look to these words for guidance. Several blessings conclude the chapter, one of which is:
Her children rise up and called her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her.
Proverbs 31:28
Among biblical women who do not appear to be well-behaved is Job’s wife who encouraged him to “Curse God and die” (Job 2:9). Not exactly a phrase I want to be remembered for. Was she suffering from watching her husband’s suffering? Was she saying, “Enough is enough!”?
Then we have Lot’s wife. What kind of encouragement and instruction did she give her daughters? Had she demonstrated how to trust God? I wonder, since they took circumstances into their own hands in such an ungodly way. You can read about it in Genesis 19:15-38.
Whether we are making history or not, let’s remember that we have a purpose and God has a plan for our lives. Fame and recognition will never measure up to what the Creator has in mind for us. He sees us, and we are His precious daughters.
May we be women who make a difference in the lives of our families and others, not just this month, but every day.
“You are the God who sees me.”
Genesis 16:13
~
*For some interesting articles about women in history, check out this Library of Congress page.
Making a difference
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After clearing the supper dishes, Jessica sat close to Corra’s reading chair, clearly anticipating more from the story of Esther. Joe and Pop also waited expectantly, but Josiah went outside. Corra’s heart shrank with loss.
She cut her reading short, ending with, “And if I perish, I perish.” Closing her Bible, she took a chance. “Pop, would you mind saying an evening prayer for us, since Josiah is outdoors and. . .and. . .”
“Sure thing, Miss Corra.”
“Pa’s got his hackles up about something.” Joe uncrossed his long legs and stretched them out in front of him as he gave her a quick look. “Anything happen in town?”
Corra let out a deep sigh. “Not that I know of. Everything seemed just fine on the ride in, other than the passing stage I mentioned earlier. But after he picked me up at the boardinghouse, he didn’t say a word. And not a word all the way home.”
“Nor at the table, either.” Jessica pulled a braid over her shoulder and twirled the end in her fingers.
“That much more reason to pray.” Pop scooted to the edge of his rocker, folded his bent hands, and bowed his head. “Thank You, Lord, for this ranch and this family and this fine woman You sent to share with us from the Good Book. Jerk the slack out o’ Josiah or heal up the hole in his heart. Amen.”
Corra rolled her lips around an exclamation. In all her life she’d not heard such a pointed and heartfelt prayer. ~The Wrangler’s Woman
Inspirational Western Romance – where the hero is heroic.
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March 2, 2025
O Taste and See!
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer
I don’t even like donuts, but this enthusiastic eater of the doughy delights makes me want one.
Do food commercials affect you that way? What about a billboard with an image of someone chomping into a juicy burger or slurping a double-scoop ice cream cone?
Yeah, that.
No wonder advertisers use visual hooks to get us to buy their products.
We could learn something from these marketers because we “advertise” all the time to our families. People, especially children, often emulate what they see us doing or hear us saying.
What concepts are we touting? Which ideas are we discussing around the dinner table?
Do we even have a dinner table?
The idea that God loves us could be a radical concept to someone who doesn’t know Him. Have we shared that idea?
I’m not talking about preaching or dictating.
I’m talking about sharing and listening. Making others hungry.
Let’s try it this week. Hopefully, our family and friends will want to “taste and see that the Lord is good.”
~
Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good;
Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!
Psalm 34:8 NKJV
Taste and See!
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“Please thank your mother for the milk, Todd.” Mae Ann laid a healthy slice of chocolate cake on the neighbor boy’s plate, keenly aware of the foreman’s jealous glare from across the table.
Todd dug in and rolled his eyes. “This is even better than what Sophie makes.”
Deacon huffed.
“More coffee?” Mae Ann held the pot above Deacon’s cup and gave him her warmest smile. She also filled Cade’s and caught his enjoyment of their foreman’s cake-grudging discomfort.
“How far is it to your farm, Todd? I’d love to ride over for a visit.”
“About three miles if you cut across the pasture.” He washed down his last bite with coffee and laid his fork and napkin across his plate. Manners.
Mae Ann nodded approvingly.
“But don’t tell Sophie what I said about your cake or she’ll get her feathers all ruffled and quit baking.”
Mae Ann laughed. “We can’t have that, can we?” She reached for the plates.
He scooted back from the table. “I best get a wiggle on. Ma’ll be lookin’ for me. Thanks for dinner and the cake.”
Deacon mumbled in his mustache, and Mae Ann squelched a laugh. “You are most welcome, Todd. ~An ImproperProposal
Inspirational Western Romance – where the hero is heroic.
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February 23, 2025
Of Rocks and Words
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer
I remember the day a dump truck backed up my driveway, extended its hydraulic arms, and spilled a stream of crushed rock down the center of the muddy lane—just exactly as I’d ordered. Someone had been carrying off my gravel one chipped rock at a time. Either that, or the clay soil was swallowing it.
Grateful, I watched from the sidelines as one little rock slipped out of the truck’s belly. Then another. Then a flood.
A ¾-inch piece of aggregate doesn’t weigh much. Dig into a pile of it with a rake, and they weigh a lot.
Words are like that too. The right words can lay a strong and firm foundation. But the wrong words can pile up and be nearly impossible to remove.
As a college writing instructor at the time of the driveway delivery, I often began each course with a demonstration of how weighty words could be. An introductory survey helped me get to know the students while reading a sample of their writing.
Some of my questions focused on the course:
“What career are you pursuing?”
“What’s your greatest weakness when it comes to writing?”
Other questions were just for fun:
“If you could travel back in time to witness a historical event, which one would you choose?”
Of the twelve questions on the survey, the last was my favorite:
“If you could take back one sentence you’ve spoken, what would it be?”
By that point, students were comfortable with answering non-threatening questions and were prone to honesty.
Their answers were weighty.
“I quit.”
“I wish you were dead.”
“I’ll buy it.”
“Will you marry me?”
“I will never amount to anything.”
“You’ve ruined my life.”
“I don’t love you.”
“I can visit grandma tomorrow. She will still be there.”
Turned out, she wasn’t.
Of all the answers to this question over my years of teaching, the most often repeated answer was, “I hate you.”
Those three words were frequently directed toward a spouse. Sometimes a parent. But regardless of their target, they left a wound in the speaker that festered to the surface the first day of my class.
Somewhere deep inside us, we regret hateful, misspoken words uttered in the proverbial heat-of-the-moment. We instinctively know they carry the weight that can break a spirit.
We know that the old adage should really say, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can crush my soul.”
Back in the driveway, I knew the rain and snow had contributed to my vanishing layer of rock, helping the mud absorb it the same way we absorb words that build us up and make us feel appreciated, or bury us beneath an unwieldly weight of insignificance.
Innocuous little things, rocks and words.
Choose wisely.
The words of the reckless pierce like swords,
but the tongue of the wise brings healing.
Prov. 12:18 NIV
~
Choose wisely
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The Bible was still open atop the desk as Grace had left it before. Settling into the old leather chair, she felt a sense of passage, as if entering a hall of wisdom visited by successive generations through the years. She smoothed the pages on either side, the same pages in Jeremiah that had greeted her before, but this time she saw the inked notation in the margin: Isaiah 55:8–9.
Her skin prickled at the handwritten reference, as if her grandfather was sending her a personal message. Quickly she flipped the pages back to the book of the prophet Isaiah and read the verses:
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Disappointment sank into her middle. That was no answer. What did these words even mean? What had her grandfather found in them that was so important he would connect them to Jeremiah’s promise that God thought about them?
She flipped ahead to Jeremiah. “Thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”
As soft as a whisper the directive came, simple and clear. Trust Me.
The words dropped like tiny pebbles in the pool of her soul, spreading ever wider to secret wounds of inadequacy, hinting that she was noticed. Understood. Loved. ~Covering Grace
Inspirational Western Romance – where the hero is heroic.
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(c) 2025 Davalynn Spencer, all rights reserved.
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February 16, 2025
Give and Take
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer
Life is full of give and take—sharing. It’s a back-and-forth effort like a swing at the playground.
But, as is often the case in the English language, there can be a play on these two words. What, exactly, are we giving and taking?
Are we giving people a piece of our mind and taking offense?
My first year as a sixth-grade teacher, I sprinkled the classroom walls with quotes, pinning them around the room at the students’ eye level.
One of my favorites was from a desktop calendar:
“Some people find fault like there is a reward for it.”
Zig Ziglar is credited with this witty play on the word “find.” I wanted my students to know that I wasn’t there to find fault with them, but to help them find improvement. There is a difference.
Remember the old adage, “Finders keepers, losers weepers”? That catchy phrase has a rhyming rhythm to it, making it hard to forget. Advertisers charge big bucks for such pithy phrases because they stick in the brain, making consumers more likely to buy the advertised product.
Some words are like that—they stick. Have you noticed? Sometimes they stick like lint or a kiss.
Sometimes like Velcro.
Sometimes like a dart.
Pointed words usually have a barb on the end that keeps us from brushing them off.
Maybe that’s why it’s so easy to take offense when we’re in a conversation that makes us feel like a pin cushion.
I am intrigued by phrases like “find fault” and “take offense.” Our language constructs them in the active voice, making them something that a person does.
Is it possible to abstain from those two activities?
I believe it is but not doing something is like going on a diet or giving up a bad habit—it creates a vacuum that wants to suck in everything in sight. This is why it is often easier to not do one thing if we can do something else in its place.
God gave us a great escape from the vacuum of not taking offense.
The New Testament teacher, Paul, told believers to “Let your conversation be always full of grace …” (Colossians 4:6 NIV). The Message version says, “be gracious in your speech.”
So I guess we have a choice in our give-and-take world. We can give graciousness – grace – and rather than take offense, take a minute to consider the heart behind a harshly spoken word.
When the darts fly, we can diffuse them with for-give-ness.
It may be more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20:35), but let’s not make it easier to take offense.
~
Give and take
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Dan’s eyes warmed into a tease as he turned to Grace. “Let me know if you don’t need my help with anything else.”
Grace opened her mouth, but only the closing of the front door sounded. He had completely squelched her apology with mockery.
Her fingers clenched into fists.
“Don’t let him get your dander up, dear,” Dorrie said. “He can’t help himself—he’s a man.”
Grace snorted and quickly covered her mouth. The elderly woman’s sassy humor drained the offense right out of her.
“It’s dinner time.” Dorrie drew aside the lace curtain behind the settee. “I imagine you’re hungry, what with riding out to the ranch and driving back. That’s two trips you’ve made in two days.”
Grace lifted one shoulder and then the other, a relaxation habit from countless trick-riding expositions. “I’ll fix something for us both. You shouldn’t be taking that medicine on an empty stomach.”
“Hmph.” The widow adjusted the quilt on her feet. “I shouldn’t be taking that snake oil at all.” ~Covering Grace
Inspirational Western Romance – where the hero is heroic.
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(c) 2025 Davalynn Spencer, all rights reserved.
#WesternRomance #ChristianFiction #FreeBook #HistoricalRomance #CowboyRomance
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February 9, 2025
Happily Ever After
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer
Chocolate and flowers abound in February because it’s the love month. Romance is in the air, and greeting-card companies, candy manufacturers, and florists attribute much of their sales to Valentine’s Day.
I certainly don’t begrudge their success, but I’m not a fan of what Valentine’s Day has become – an obligatory day of expensive expectation. Who wants expressions of love if they are required?
As an inspirational Western romance writer, I should be hat-over-boots in love with anything remotely connected to matters of the heart, right? Well, I am. That’s the whole point.
I enjoy writing inspirational romance because of the specific, literary definitions of those two words:
Inspirational (or Christian) is used in a genre’s description to assure readers that God’s principles of fidelity and purity permeate the story. That doesn’t mean every character is a sinless specimen of the human race. We had only one of those.
Romance promises a happily-ever-after ending. It separates itself from a simple love story such as the classic Romeo and Juliet and 1970’s Love Story because neither of those tales have a happy ending.
Believe it or not, the highest selling fiction genre is romance because readers want:
EscapeEntertainmentEncouragementReaders of inspirational romance end up with all of these plus Inspiration
For me, inspirational romance puts a face on Romans 8:28 that tells us all things work together for good for those who love God. Even the bad stuff. It foreshadows what awaits us as believers, which is a great big Happily Ever After with our Lord.
However, many people think they have the happy-ending equation figured out in their interpersonal relationships, and they spend their lives (and several trial runs) trying to make their equation work:
Perfect + Perfect = Happy
Even Cupid’s arrow wouldn’t hit the mark with this philosophy.
In a good romance, the hero and heroine are not perfect people. They are flawed and they spend the majority of the story discovering that they love each other in spite of those flaws.
There is no “perfect” man anywhere who is not flawed. Husband, boyfriend, son, father, brother—every single one of them carries wounds.
Women fall in the same category, regardless of how much makeup is applied.
All of us are all wounded, scarred, or limping.
A couple thousand years ago, the only Perfect Person to walk the planet stepped out of unapproachable light with His arms opened wide and headed straight for us. Jesus loves us beyond what we can imagine, and He knows we couldn’t make it without Him.
That is sacrificial love.
If you are looking for a perfect someone, focus on Jesus. He will help you find the flawed person who is perfect for you and your flaws.
If you already have a special someone who is anything but perfect, Jesus will help you love that person in spite of his or her flaws—and yours.
Because it’s the flaws and how we deal with them that make a good romance.
“Love is the way back into Eden. It is the way back to life.”
― Francine Rivers, author of Redeeming Love
For God so loved the world that He gave …
John 3:16
Happily ever after
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No paper beau could match the tenderness of Josiah’s touch. No fanciful dream could outshine the light of his love. And no thunder of heaven or hoof could outpace the beating of her overflowing heart—strong and hard and free. ~The Wrangler’s Woman
Inspirational Western Romance – where the hero is heroic.
#lovingthecowboy
(c) 2025 Davalynn Spencer, all rights reserved.
#WesternRomance #ChristianFiction #FreeBook #HistoricalRomance #CowboyRomance
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February 2, 2025
Was the Message From God?
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer
A couple of weeks ago, a stomach bug, the flu, or whatever the latest identifier is stopped by for a visit. During its stay, more than my body was affected.
The weakness – or its agent of delivery – made impressions on my groggy mind and dreams.
Those days were dark, and too many times my thoughts circled back to a 15-month-old offense I thought I’d let go of.
Recurring impressions stirred through me of how unjustified the offense was. How wrong and unfair the lie was that had besmirched someone close to me.
I knew both sides of the story and had dealt with “letting go,” trusting Him whose vengeance is greater than mine to handle the situation.
I just hadn’t seen that happen yet.
The need for justification became as oppressive as my stomach ailment. In the sickness, I formulated a perfect case as though I were a prosecuting attorney. The original lie was not only perpetrated by a family member, but it was believed by others even closer who should have known better.
With such a perfect argument, was God talking to me, telling me to approach the person who had wounded me the deepest and lay out the facts? Was He directing me to take action steps, to go after the closest offending party and point out their failure to ferret out the truth?
I justified my argument and myself. After all, someone had been unfairly lied about, and it was my duty to defend them. Right?
But how was I to know who was filling me with this impulse and giving me such perfect points to make? Was the message from God?
Did I have such clarity over the misdeed because God sent the impression? Was this the voice of the Lord giving me direction?
What was God’s will?
How could I tell?
How would I know?
The answer came clearly and simply.
Go to His Word. God’s personal directive will never contradict His written Word.
Scriptures flooded my groggy brain.
~forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us (Luke 11:4)
~If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also (Matthew 5:38-40)
~But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins (Matthew 6:15)
Those recorded words of Jesus carried healing. I could rest on them, step back and take them to heart, or I could press on in what I believed to be righteous indignation.
The choice was mine.
I desperately wanted to attack.
I didn’t want to submit to the Lord’s clear command. But when I did, a weight lifted and my spirit lightened.
It was very simple, actually. Not easy, but simple.
And as I recovered, my thinking cleared.
I do not credit the physical illness as either the cause or effect of my spiritual struggle during those dark days. But it plowed up ground for a second sowing of whatever thoughts I allowed.
Bitterness, resentment, and unforgiveness have the ability to poison us if we let them. They can shackle us and tie us up in knots.
I choose freedom. I choose forgiveness.
And that is the kicker. Forgiveness is a choice, not a feeling.
The Lord gives righteousness and justice
to all who are treated unfairly.
Psalm 103:6
~
“People have been very kind to me since I returned, more so than I imagined possible.” Betsy set down her coffee cup and tucked her hands in her lap. “Though I believe my brother is still quietly angry with my independent streak, as he would call it. In that way, I am much like our father.” She frowned at mention of her pa.
“Forgiveness is healing medicine, ” Garrett said. “For both sides.”
She cut a glance across the table, taking in his words. “A couple of people have shown their disapproval, but it seems most have forgiven me,” she said. “I didn’t expect that.”
He could change the subject. Talk about the arsonist. Maggie. The weather, but he didn’t. “Someone hasn’t.”
The idea sent her on a frantic mental search, as clear on her face as if she were lining people up, hunting for that one person until realization hit. “My parents can’t forgive me. They’re gone.”
He shook his head, testing the waters.
“Who?”
“You ran off the last time I mentioned it.”
“I did not.” She drew up. “When?”
“Echo Valley.”
“I did not run off.”
“Well, what do you call getting up and riding away?”
“I call it work. We had things to do.” Another pointed look. “What are you suggesting?”
“I’m suggesting that you haven’t forgiven yourself because you don’t believe you deserve it.” He let the words settle, then lowered his voice. “None of us deserve it, Betsy. It’s a gift.” ~An Unexpected Redemption
Inspirational Western Romance – where the hero is heroic.
#lovingthecowboy
(c) 2025 Davalynn Spencer, all rights reserved.
#WesternRomance #ChristianFiction #FreeBook #HistoricalRomance #ContemporaryCowboyRomance
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January 26, 2025
The Swirling Tempest of Challenge
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer
Today I welcome fellow award-winning author, Susan G. Mathis, a regular guest on this blog. Her excerpt from Emma’s Engagement, Book 3 of her lighthouse series, shares some important aspects of forgiveness—often a difficult concept to deal with. But first, let’s take a behind-the-scenes look at the story. This is one I highly recommend for a cozy winter read.
About Emma’s Engagement:
Emma Row embarks on a journey that will test her resilience and love. She marries Michael Diepolder, the Rock Island Lightkeeper and widower, a man who seeks a companion for both himself and his eleven-year-old daughter, Ada. But as Emma steps into the role of lightkeeper’s wife with a heart full of hope, little does she know that the idyllic setting conceals challenges that will shake the foundation of her happiness. Isolation creeps in, compounded by Ada’s determination to keep her father all to herself. As a storm looms, Emma must grapple with the difficulties of being a stepmother and lightkeeper’s wife. Will she find her place, or will the tumultuous waves of doubt and isolation tear them apart?
For Michael, Emma is not just a wife but the hope for his future. But the lighthouse life and being a stepmother proves harder for Emma than he ever imagined, and Ada’s animosity only intensifies it. When the lighthouse inspector questions Emma’s place due to her Canadian heritage and Ada becomes deathly ill, the very foundation of their family is shaken. Can their family find solace and unity on this tiny island?
Amid the swirling tempest of challenges, Emma, Michael, and Ada must discover the strength within themselves and each other to weather the storm. Emma’s Engagement is a poignant tale of love, resilience, and the enduring bonds that can form in the most unexpected places. This fictional story is based on the actual lives of Michael and Emma Diepolder.
Excerpt from Emma’s Engagement, Book 3 of the “Love at a Lighthouse” series.
In the days that followed, Emma and Michael engaged Ada in conversations about God. Michael encouraged her to take the lead, for now. He listened attentively, casting supportive and loving glances.
They gathered in the parlor or on the porch—and occasionally strolled around the tiny island—and then they delved into the depths of faith. With passages of Scripture in hand, Emma read passages and offered words of encouragement and reassurance. The ensuing discussions often reached profound depths.
One morning, Emma opened her Bible to the Psalms. “Today, I’d like to share a passage that’s always brought me comfort. It says, ‘The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped; therefore, my heart greatly rejoiceth.’”
As she spoke these words, a sense of peace settled upon the room, embracing them all. Ada sighed. “That’s what the angel said, and this is how I felt when he came to me. I can feel the strength in my body.”
Michael cleared his throat, tears welling up in his eyes. “Faith in God can give us the courage and strength to face any challenge that comes our way. You can take that faith with you to school and into all of your life.”
As their conversations continued, they grew deeper and more poignant. When they explored the mysteries of God’s love and forgiveness, Ada burst into tears. “I’m sorry, Emma. I was so mean to you when you first came here. The ants. The cruel words. The disobedience. And Midnight. Please forgive me.”
Emma took her in her arms and hugged her. “Oh, my sweet girl, I’ve already forgiven you. For all of it. Now let’s put that in the past, okay?”
Ada took the lace handkerchief Emma offered her and blew her nose. “Okay.”
About Susan:
Susan G Mathis is an international award-winning, multi-published author of stories set in the beautiful Thousand Islands, her childhood stomping ground in upstate NY. Susan has been published more than thirty times in full-length novels, novellas, and non-fiction books. She has thirteen in her Thousand Islands fiction line including, The Fabric of Hope: An Irish Family Legacy, Christmas Charity, Katelyn’s Choice, Devyn’s Dilemma, Sara’s Surprise, Reagan’s Reward, Colleen’s Confession, Peyton’s Promise, Rachel’s Reunion, Mary’s Moment, A Summer at Thousand Island House, Libby’s Lighthouse, and Julia’s Joy, and Emma’s Engagement. Find out more at www.SusanGMathis.com/fiction.
Find Susan and her wonderful stories online at the following:
Susan’s website: https://www.susangmathis.com/fiction-books
Buy links: Amazon | Barnes&Nobles | Wild Heart Books
Social media links: Website |Author Central | Facebook | Twitter | Blog | Instagram| Goodreads l Book Bub| Pinterest |
~
Forgive us our sins,
as we forgive those
who sin against us.
Luke 11:4
Inspirational Western Romance – where the hero is heroic.
#lovingthecowboy
(c) 2025 Davalynn Spencer, all rights reserved.
#WesternRomance #ChristianFiction #FreeBook #HistoricalRomance #ContemporaryCowboyRomance
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January 19, 2025
Cultivate a Habit
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer
When you wake up in the early predawn, what do you do?
If you leave for work at that time of day/night, then I already know what you do and my heart goes out to you.
But if you typically rise at a more humane hour, what do you do if you pop awake at 2 or 3 or 4 a.m.? Do you rehash the day behind you, practice the day ahead, or mentally rearrange the furniture in your living room?
Do you get up and eat a bowl of oatmeal or half a package of cookies?
Or do you see what’s on television or scroll through social media on your phone?
Sleeplessness is an ancient and unwelcome nighttime visitor, but what do you do if it calls on you?
In the Old Testament we read the story of a young boy who keeps waking up thinking that his master, an old priest, is calling him.
Three times the boy goes to the priest saying, “Here I am, what do you want?”
Three times the old priest says, “I didn’t call you, go back to bed.” But the third time the man realizes that God is speaking to the boy, so he tells him, “If it happens again, say, ‘Speak Lord, your servant is listening’.”
It does happen again. The boy obeys, and God tells him troubling news about the old priest’s family. You can read the account in 1 Samuel 3:1-18.
I’ve heard it said that God does indeed sometimes wake us in the night or early morning because that’s when we can hear Him. The world isn’t accosting us with its distractions and noise. However, how many times do we toss and turn or fret and worry about circumstances in our life? What might happen if we simply listened—not to the worries and fear, but to Him?
What if we said, “Speak Lord, Your servant is listening”?
Do our children or grandchildren talk to us if they know we don’t really listen?
Does our spouse talk to us if they know we’re too preoccupied to hear what they have to say?
Would God speak to us if we’re not paying attention?
What if He has comfort or direction for us? What if He wants us to pray for someone else in those quiet hours before dawn? What it we waited for Him to whisper a name or give us an impression?
Scripture is full of the admonition to listen.
God the Father says, “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10).
Jesus says, “My sheep hear my voice …” (John 10:27).
James says, “Be swift to hear …” (James 1:19).
In this new year, let’s cultivate a habit of listening. We may be surprised by what we hear.
~
Speak Lord ...
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“Tell me, dear,” said Dorrie, “what do you think of Dan?”
Grace laid the brush on the dressing table and divided the woman’s hair into three sections, none too surprised that Dorrie had turned the tables on her again, as if she knew the inner workings of Grace’s mind.
“That’s hard to answer.”
Dorrie watched her in the mirror, seeing more than most, but wisely waiting, listening.
“I fear I’ve ridden a teeter-totter in that man’s presence,” Grace admitted. “One minute I don’t trust him, the next I want to know what he thinks and feels. He infuriates me too. Did you know he refused to tell me about the moving picture company looking for a woman stunt rider?”
Unsure how Dorrie would respond, Grace gave her a moment to comment while loosely braiding her hair.
Dorrie merely seamed her lips.
“How dare he not tell me,” Grace fumed, “as if he was in charge of my life!”
Dorrie pulled the finished braid over her shoulder. “How dare he care.” ~Covering Grace
Inspirational Western Romance – where the hero is heroic.
#lovingthecowboy
(c) 2025 Davalynn Spencer, all rights reserved.
#WesternRomance #ChristianFiction #FreeBook #HistoricalRomance #ContemporaryCowboyRomance
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January 12, 2025
Death … or New Direction?
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer
Death of the human body, a dream, or a goal is not necessarily painless, but it can be easy if one let’s go in faith — like the dying believer who knows His God awaits him. Because death is not the end, but the beginning of a new life, a new dream, or a new goal — a new direction that perhaps we didn’t see before.
But what if death does not come? What if transition tarries, and it’s hard, really hard? Then what? Do we believe God is with us still, in the rehab ward where progress is measured in centimeters? In the cold dark desert where ideas once flourished and only partial thoughts remain? In the bleak job market where no one seems to want our skills?
Will we take God at His word and believe that He is with us even there?
The dilemma is centuries old. We can choose to be Job or we can choose to be his wife.
Perhaps the road God asks us to walk is one of faithfulness in spite of pain, frustration, or defeat.
Are we called to support and encourage yet see no measurable improvement?
Then encourage we must.
Are we called to pray yet see no answers to our prayers?
Then pray we must.
Are we called to sing, yet no one is around to hear our songs?
Then sing we must.
Christ is with us in the hard way of life. His presence abides. It is a matter of trust, and when we lean into Him through the fog that dims our sight, we feel His warmth, His strength.
He is there. He is faithful.
It is a lesson we learn in the living.
“I will never leave you nor forsake you.” –Jesus
Hebrews 13:5
Christ is with us in the hard way.
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Dan went out the back, locking the door. This was a fine setup for his sick father—living in the back of a store on Main Street. Dan refused to take a room and leave him all day in a hotel with no one to look in on him. He’d given Berkshire’s boarding house some thought, but after this morning’s incident, that option was off the table.
Good God, what am I supposed to do?
Smitty got the mare and buggy up in no time, and Dan drove around to the back of the shop. No wind or breeze to speak of, but he still bundled his father in blankets and a stocking cap as if it were snowing and carried him to the waiting buggy.
His heart bore a much heavier load than his arms as he lifted Pop to the seat. After securing blankets around his father’s ankles and adjusting the muffler at his neck, Dan propped a pillow between the arm rest and the man. The dearest, smartest, strongest man he’d ever known, now with less stamina than a child.
Since his wife’s death, Daniel Waite, Sr. had all but given up.
Dan had moved back into his parents’ Denver home, worked to salvage the hat shop and restore his father’s desire to live. He’d failed at both.
His last hope was Cañon City and the Hot Springs Hotel and bath house. Healing waters, he’d read. Good for all sorts of ailments and diseases. They’d come last year, and Dan bought the long, narrow shop, with living quarters above that they couldn’t use because of the stairs. At least there was a storeroom. ~Covering Grace
Inspirational Western Romance – where the hero is heroic.
#lovingthecowboy
(c) 2025 Davalynn Spencer, all rights reserved.
#WesternRomance #ChristianFiction #FreeBook #HistoricalRomance #ContemporaryCowboyRomance
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January 5, 2025
Seek His Will
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer
So many people in our society today are mesmerized by the video in their palms. They look down at their phones – not up. Like most of the people I’ve seen waiting in airports, they’re not paying attention to what’s going on around them.
I don’t want to be that person this year. But oh, how entertainingly addictive are those little “reels” on Facebook and other sites that show me clever tricks for the kitchen or with my hair or in my garden. A quick minute or two can slide into an hour before I realize it.
Are those social media posts where I’m going to find direction for my life?
God help me!
Paul writes to the Romans:
“Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey?” (Romans 6:16).
Did you catch that little word “slave”? Elsewhere Paul explains that it’s not always something bad that addicts us.
“All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me, but I will not be dominated by anything” (1 Corinthians 6:12).
I need an antidote that helps me recover from my addiction/slavery, and I believe it’s in what James wrote to early Christians:
“But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it” (James 1:22-25).
I want to look into His perfect law of liberty more than I look at the video in my palm. I want to hear the Speaker of the very first word. Life’s answers really are with Him.
That sounds simplistic because basically, it is. Maybe not easy, but simple.
If we seek God in this new year, we’ll find Him. If we read what He says, we’ll discover direction and help. The clincher is whether we will believe Him and do what He says.
The choice is ours.
~
Seek His will in all you do,
and He will show you which path to take.
Proverbs 3:6
The choice is yours.
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Davalynn’s devotions cut right to the heart and speak God’s truth into women’s lives. Be ready for some laughter in your tears.” -Linda Scholtz, pastor
“… each time I read her devotional, my heart sings and my spirit is at rest. -K Wenthur, reader
Inspirational Western Romance – where the hero is heroic.
#lovingthecowboy
(c) 2025 Davalynn Spencer, all rights reserved.
#WesternRomance #ChristianFiction #FreeBook #HistoricalRomance #ContemporaryCowboyRomance
The post Seek His Will appeared first on Davalynn Spencer.
