Davalynn Spencer's Blog, page 48
May 30, 2016
Change of Season or Change of Heart?
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer
Memorial Day signals the changing of the seasons and the beginning of summer for many Americans. Who wants to wait another four weeks? We’d rather start thinking about vacations, the end of school, and what to throw on the grill.
Here in Colorado it has something to do with dragging out the lawn chairs and not having to worry about the barbecue being canceled due to snow. If we’re lucky.
Of course *Memorial Day is about much more than the barbecue and how the weather will be.
Once known as Decoration Day, it was set aside to honor the fallen from our nation’s Civil War by decorating their graves with flowers and flags.
After WWI, honors were extended to include those who were casualties in any of America’s wars.
Battlefield casualties were obviously on the founders’ minds, but the fallen have given their lives in various venues.
During WWII, many women went to work outside their homes for the first time, picking up the slack left in the wake of their deploying husbands, fathers, and brothers, gladly joining the war effort.
One very young bride took to the Long Beach shipyards in southern California while her new husband served on the damp airfields of England.
But it was he who came home to a funeral, for her lungs could not withstand the ravages of tuberculosis, and she left a toddler in his arms when she died.
Every year on Memorial Day, my husband gives a nod to the woman who gave him life and ultimately her own for her country. And I think of others whose names we will never hear who gave all of what they had to give.
The giving goes on. May we who remain live our lives in ways that continue the example of hope and faith and selflessness.
This Memorial Day, let’s pause in our reveling and remember with gratitude the fallen upon whose sacrifices we stand.
Do you have a loved one who gave his or her life?
Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
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*A version of this post first appeared on May 25, 2015
May 24, 2016
Goodreads Giveaway
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer
My columbines are beginning to bloom—perfect timing for the June 1 release of Barbour’s complete print collection of The 12 Brides of Summer which contains my novella, “The Columbine Bride.” 
To celebrate, the authors are sponsoring a Goodreads giveaway of six copies, each one autographed by all twelve authors.
Enter here for the Goodreads giveaway, but be sure to enter before midnight on Wednesday, June 1, when the contest ends.
These stories released last summer in four e-book collections and three Walmart-exclusive collections. However, now they are all together under one cover for your summer reading pleasure. Take a copy to the mountains, the beach, the desert – wherever you go to get away. Each story can be read in an afternoon or evening.
Goodreads.com is a book-based social-media site where readers can find new books, visit with authors, and leave reviews. Stop by sometime!
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May 16, 2016
In the cool of the day …
… Adam and Eve heard God walking in the garden and they hid because guilt from their disobedience pressed them into hiding.
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer
God took care of their guilt and disobedience, and we also benefit from His plan through Christ.
However, today I want to look at the God-walking part. Different versions of the Bible express Genesis 3:8 in different ways, though the essence is the same.
I get the impression that God strolled through His marvelous creation to simply enjoy it. Maybe He did this every evening—we don’t know because scripture doesn’t say.
Maybe He often looked for Adam to just “hang out,” but we don’t know that either.
What we do know, is that something happens in the cool of the day. Something intentional.
Why didn’t God come looking for Adam at high noon? Is there something special about those few moments when day slips into night and the earth seems to exhale in preparation for rest?
I believe there is. I believe it can be a time of “unwinding,” letting go, breathing deeply. Instead, it is often the second most hectic time of our modern day-to-day lives. Commuter traffic. Homework. Rushed dinners, the six o’clock news (usually bad). Exhaustion.
Have we fallen into these societal traps and missed an important time of meeting with our Maker during a time when He longs to restore our souls?
Some people walk their dogs in the evenings, go for bike rides, or sit on the patio and enjoy the sunset. It depends on where we live, the time of year, and family responsibilities.
This topic has been foremost in my mind lately—along with other demands of authoring books like writing press releases and newsletters and preparing for book signings.
But as I juggled these demands and my increasing interest in “the cool of the day,” I remembered that I had included just such a moment in “The Columbine Bride” which releases June 1.
Actually, it’s a re-release of the story published last year in e-book form. Next month it comes out in print via Barbour’s complete collection of The 12 Brides of Summer.
I’ve included a portion of that scene below, and I pray that it encourages you to take a few moments in the evenings, set aside the demands and frustrations of your day, and breathe in the presence of the Lord.
Dusk dropped down with a sigh, and shadows tucked themselves beneath rocks and roots as she surveyed the small meadow. Crickets took up their chorus, doves joined with their melancholy song, and Mr. Wellington’s words rolled over the grass. The Lord surely had taken care of her and the children through the long winter. And it had taken most of those months to loosen her grip on resentment.
God had not chosen to keep William alive—a fact with which Lucy was weary of wrestling. Death was not an uncommon visitor in this rugged land, but she’d not expected its sudden and brutal call at her home. Hugging her waist, she closed her eyes and let the evening breeze tug loosened hair and familiar words across her shoulders. Thou wilt shew me the path of life. William had often repeated those words in their evening prayers, and for nine long months she had clung to them in his absence. Had he uttered them with his last breath—perhaps not for himself, but for her and the children? Was it his dying prayer she felt cooling her cheek?
Her job was to live, and to do so, she must accept that God knew what He was doing. She did not have to like it or agree with it. She just had to trust His love. If her children learned nothing else from her, they must learn that.
“Oh Lord, I am willing, but I need Your help.” The breeze freshened and she turned at the familiar caress. William had often touched her just as gently, and habit pulled her heart into her throat. She clenched her jaw. Too easily she could melt into a pool of self-pity. But such indulgence drained her strength and left her weak, and she dare not risk weakness if she and the children were to survive.
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May 9, 2016
An Interconnected Root System
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer
I love aspen trees. They are beautiful all through the year, regardless of the season.
Winter: Raising bare white limbs against deep pine-green forests
Spring: Bursting with fuzzy catkins reminiscent of pussy willows
Summer: Quaking their full, leafy branches in the slightest breeze
Autumn: Lifting gold-coin leaves against a cerulean sky
Last month I planted an aspen in the back yard—or rather, I planted a cluster of aspen, three
trees to be exact.
Aspens don’t grow alone, but thrive via an underground, interconnected root system.
Talk about networking!
One of the largest living single organisms on Earth is said to be an aspen grove or clonal colony in Utah. I would love to see it, but for now, I’ll relish the beauty of my new cluster growing stronger each day as the Colorado weather warms.
In six of the eight stories I’ve written, aspens appear in one of their seasonal forms. I guess I can say they are my favorite tree.
Like aspens, individual Christians are distinctly unique from one another, but we are referred to as a body because we are interconnected by God’s Holy Spirit. We support each other, draw upon each other for strength and encouragement, and thrive in each other’s company.
Today, “may your roots go down deep into the soil of God’s marvelous love” – and His family.
What is your favorite tree?
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“Dawn spilled over the hills as they climbed toward the higher ranges, and it warmed Lucy’s back once they reached the little valley. A lacy green ribbon of bright aspen rimmed the meadow at the forest’s edge, and knee-high grass skirted the barn and cabin, a silent invitation to snakes and other unwelcome guests. She shuddered.”
May 2, 2016
Perspective
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer
An out-of-state friend messaged me during last week’s deadly tornadoes in Oklahoma, Texas, and elsewhere.
“Storms again tonight, with tornado warnings.”
The message continued, mentioning rolling thunder and how the sky was lighting up.
And then the most surprising statement came:
“God’s plan for rain is magnificent.”
Not one drop of fear soaked through the words that night. Only amazement at “God’s plan.”
Oh, how I want to remember that lesson of perspective!
Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace
whose mind is stayed on thee:
because he trusteth in thee.
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April 25, 2016
Prayer like incense
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer
I stopped by the spring flower display at the local grocery store and breathed deeply. Such perfume! How could I resist?
Living bulbs would bloom year after year in my yard, right? But for the next several days, I could enjoy them on my dining table.
The following morning when I sat down with my coffee and Bible, a most delicious fragrance greeted me. At first, I thought it came from the jonquils, tiny daffodil-like blooms, but the yellow-and-orange flowers had hardly any scent at all.
So what was emitting that luscious perfume?
I leaned toward the hyacinth, not fully opened, and found the breath-taking source.
For several days after, I caught the flower’s perfume each time I walked by the dining table—and I delighted in it.
Scripture tells me prayer is like incense before the Lord. Is that how it is when I sit down with God? Does He delight in the fragrance of my praise?
What do my prayers smell like? Am I always complaining, whining, grumbling? I know I’m invited to bring my needs and requests, my hurts and my pains. But do I bring my worship as well?
How often do I lift up the sweet scent of thanksgiving?
Joy?
Gratitude?
As spring blooms in my yard this year, may worship bloom from my heart and rise before the Flower-Creator like a sweet perfume.
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April 18, 2016
Life wins!
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer
Colorado weather is such a great life metaphor: Be ready for a surprise!
On Friday my apple and pear trees were in bountiful bloom and by Saturday they were drenched in snow.
However, the world didn’t stop spinning. Life doesn’t just “go on,” it does much more than that. Life wins!
This two-word phrase has become a mantra for me because I see it over and over in the beauties of nature around me.
I also know that our loving Father orchestrates those natural reminders to show us His great faithfulness.
If circumstances drop a heavy spring-like storm of discouragement on you this week, look around and remember His surging, supportive, and comforting presence.
Life wins!
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April 11, 2016
A Foundation on the Rock
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer
Winds along Colorado’s Front Range this spring have been stronger than ever. We’ve been pummeled by shuddering gusts that rattle windows and awnings and send wind chimes, lawn chairs, and trash cans flying. Yet in the most brutal moments, I’ve found comfort in my home’s sturdy construction.
Life does the same—it pummels us. Jesus knew this and He told us how to withstand the onslaught. He said if we’d put His words into practice, we’d survive the storms like a house built on a rock.
The picture above is one of my favorites. I took it atop an exposed hill not far from where I live, and I’m intrigued by the tree’s roots growing into the rock.
This image reminds me that if I’m rooted and anchored in Him, the Rock of my Salvation, together we can weather anything.
Anything.
Are there images or situations in your life that remind you of God’s staying power?
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April 4, 2016
The Real Deal
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer
I love my own homemade coffee. In fact, I love it so much that I get it as close to “cowboy coffee” as I can with an antique enamel pot that perks the brew atop my stove. It’s the real deal.
Add canned milk and honey, and I’m in heaven. Nearly. In the winter I add a splash of caramel. Ah, yes.
Okay – so that’s not real cowboy coffee. If it were, it’d be “horned and barefoot” which means strong and black. No sugar, no milk, and absolutely no caramel.
Coffee and writing go well together, especially when I’m working on a story set in the 1880s and the heroine buys several packages of Arbuckle’s Ariosa coffee beans at the local mercantile.
As a letter-loving word-wrangler, I noticed something interesting about the Arbuckle’s name. Somehow, it looked familiar.
And then it jumped right off the page:
Arbuck-le’s
St-arbuck-s
Do you see it?
Is this subliminal, generational advertising?
Is it in our genes? Our DNA?
After a little research, I learned that good ol’ Arbuckle’s had no influence on the moniker chosen by founders of the Seattle-based coffee house. But still, it’s fun.
Another thing I like about my stove-top coffee is how it holds the heat. When I pour that steaming brew right out of the enamel pot into my cup, it’s hotter than what I get from a coffee maker.
And coffee reheated in my microwave doesn’t compare. It stays warm for about five minutes. Coffee heated on the stove stays hot much longer. It holds the heat.
I believe this phenomenon has something to do with the heat source. True heat versus fake heat, or “microwave radiation in the electromagnetic spectrum … that produce(s) thermal energy in a process known as dielectric heating.” (Kinda kills the whole campfire mystique, doesn’t it?)
However, I’ve noticed the same principal at work in my heart.
Jesus is the real deal, and when I stay close to the true source of love and peace and joy, I hold it longer. A quick fix from anything other than Him fades even quicker.
We can take our coffee how we like it. But when it comes to our hearts, we shouldn’t settle for anything other than the real deal.
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March 28, 2016
Dawn Changed Everything
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer
Imagine -
the day after dawn changed everything.
Light revealed the emptiness left behind
when Life got up and walked out of the tomb.
He does that, Jesus. He does the unexpected.
Even though He told His friends (and enemies)
that He wouldn’t stay dead, they were surprised.
From this side of that morning
we scowl at their unbelief.
So why, when He tells us that He is with us,
do we stutter and doubt?
He keeps His word.
He loves us.
He lives.
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