Davalynn Spencer's Blog, page 49
February 15, 2016
Love … the heart of the matter
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer
Valentine’s Day is over.
Roses are half-off.
Chocolate hearts have been replaced with chocolate bunnies.
But each day
the Lord pours
His unfailing love
upon me.
And through each night
I sing His songs.
Psalm 42:8
God’s love never runs out, dries up, or goes stale.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Coming March 1 – “The Wrangler’s Woman” in
Barbour’s The Cowboy’s Bride collection.
Nine novellas all about love in the Old West.
Preorder today!
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Original mixed-media artwork by Nan Sullivan
Photo: davalynnspencer.com
February 8, 2016
Perfect plus Perfect does not equal Happy
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer
February is the love month and romance is in the air – especially if you watch the Hallmark channel, and I do. Frequently. I enjoy happy endings.
That is a big part of why I write romance, both historical and contemporary. Happy endings are always a good thing, right? A happy ending is what qualifies romance as romance and not simply a love story like Romeo and Juliet and, well, Love Story.
Today, many people think they have the happy-ending equation figured out, and they spend their lives (and several broken relationships) trying to make their equation work:
Perfect + Perfect = Happy
This is so not accurate.
In a good romance, the hero and heroine are flawed because real people are flawed. They love each other in spite of their flaws.
As a romance author, I had a re-revelation the other day. God does that for me a lot – tells me again something He’s already told me. (I’m so glad.)
From a woman’s perspective, here’s what I got:
There is not a man anywhere who is not flawed. Husband, boyfriend, son, father, brother—every single one of them is wounded.
Men, just reverse the gender and you’ll get the same message about us gals.
People waste a lot of time and heartbreak looking for Mr./Ms. Perfect.
There is only one Perfect Person, and He walked out of unapproachable light with His arms opened wide, headed straight for us. Jesus loves us beyond what we can imagine.
So here’s my Valentine’s Day advice: If you are looking for a perfect someone, or already have a someone who is anything but perfect, focus on Jesus. He will help you find the flawed person who is perfect for you and your flaws, and help you love the flawed one already in your life.
Remember, that’s what makes a good romance.
God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever.
Psalm 73:26
Coming March 1 – “The Wrangler’s Woman” – the story of two imperfect people who discover they are a perfect match. Preorder today!
Barbour’s The Cowboy’s Bride is a collection of nine novellas all about love in the Old West.
I’d love to connect with you through:
Newsletter | Facebook | Pinterest
#lovingthecowboy
February 1, 2016
Feel Forgotten?
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer
Sometimes we feel forgotten.
Overlooked.
Unappreciated.
Lost.
But we’re not.
“Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? Yet not one of them has [ever] been forgotten in the presence of God. … Do not be afraid; you are far more valuable than many sparrows” (Luke 12:6, 7 AMP)
His eye is on the sparrow. It’s on us, too.
Take Him at His word.
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January 25, 2016
Are Power and Authority the Same Thing?
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer
If you tuned in Sunday afternoon for the NFL playoff game between the Denver Broncos and the New England Patriots, toward the end of the game you saw a perfect example of the difference between POWER and AUTHORITY.
After a Bronco missed catching the ball in the end zone, a Patriots’ player ranted in the face of the referee who—according to the Patriot—missed calling some sort of infraction.
The giant of a man bounced up and down and back and forth, dwarfing the calm black-and-white-stripe shirted official who merely walked away.
The big guy had all the power in the world to flatten the much smaller official.
But the official had all the authority.
I love that.
It reminds me of what Jesus told His disciples when he sent them out on a faith test-drive and they came back stoked.
“I give you the authority … over all the power of the enemy” (Luke 10:19).
In another place, Jesus says, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.” Matthew 28:18
So to mix metaphors here, who’s in our corner: Power or Authority?
I hope it’s the guy with all the authority—Jesus.
But wait, there’s more.
He has all the power, too. (Lots of verses for this, but an easy one to remember is Matthew 6:13).
Is the enemy ranting and raving at you?
Tell Jesus.
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January 18, 2016
In the Picture
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer
I’ve always liked the story of Jesus talking to the Samaritan woman in Sychar, because it shows how important individuals are to Him.
He’d stopped to rest by a well in the middle of a hot, dry day on his way north, and this woman showed up.
She just inserted herself into the setting – a highly unusual occurrence because women didn’t draw water in the heat of the day. They went to the well in the morning and chatted with each other to catch up on the latest news.
But shunned people like this woman went when no one else was around.
Except Jesus was around that day.
“No worries, he’ll ignore me,” she may have thought. After all, men in that culture did not talk to women in public. Especially Jewish men to Samaritan women. And my guess is that Jesus knew exactly why she came to the well in the middle of the day.
But He didn’t brush her off.
He wasn’t at all like me when I squeeze into an airline seat and stare out the window hoping no one talks to me so I can zone out during the flight.
Or like me in the checkout line at the market, avoiding the eyes of others because I’m in a hurry or bothered about something that needs my uninterrupted thought processes.
Or like me in the post office wearing sunglasses. Easy in, easy out. No chit-chat. I have a lot on my mind.
No, He wasn’t like me at all. He spoke to her, struck up a conversation, admitted that he knew she was living with man number six, but showed no offense or judgement.
And He told her about Living Water and where to find it.
It’s a great story, and you can read it in the fourth chapter of John.
But there’s more.
While I was shooting the artwork for this blog post, my dog, Blue, did exactly what the Samaritan woman did. He inserted himself into the picture. He put himself where I wouldn’t miss him—right under my nose. He wanted my attention.
And he gave me a very pointed object lesson that Jesus is still in the business of meeting individuals where they live. In the middle of their need. Maybe in my checkout line at the market, or the seat next to me on the plane.
So now the choice is mine. Next time, will I make the most of what could be a God-ordained opportunity to show a little interest in someone else’s life? Or will I draw into myself and let the other person go away thirsty?
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January 11, 2016
The Quiet Miracle
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer
Mothers have a way of knowing what their children are capable of.
Mary did.
At that wedding dinner – you know, the one everybody attended – the host ran out of wine.
Not cool.
How do you toast the happy couple without wine or champagne or whatever the featured beverage is?
Water doesn’t cut it.
Mary – a simple woman, not one of the elite – must have been paying attention. She must have noticed that cups weren’t being refilled. She must have noticed that someone was embarrassed.
And so she whispered to her son, “They have no more wine.”
Her son, Jesus, said in essence, “It’s not my problem.”
Her reply?
She turned to the waitstaff, “Do whatever he tells you.”
Then Jesus also addressed the waiters. “Fill those containers with water and pour it out for the host.”
Oh to be a fly on the wall. Can you imagine? Serving water to the wedding planner?
Guaranteed way to lose either your job or your head.
But they did what he said and the host was impressed. Big time.
Guess who got kudos for the great wine. The groom.
Not Jesus.
Not the wedding planner.
No fanfare. No announcement of, “Watch this, he’s going to turn water into wine!”
It was just a simple, quiet miracle resulting from the servers’ obedience to do what they were told.
Only they knew what really happened.
Jesus’ companions figured it out later.
But Mary expected it.
I want faith like that.
Any quiet miracles in your life lately?
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January 4, 2016
Small Fix, Big Difference
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer
My front door wasn’t doing its job.
At first, I couldn’t get it open without a crow bar (slight exaggeration). A few weeks later, it wouldn’t lock. (No exaggeration.) I jammed a chair under the doorknob at night as an extra precaution.
One day my son said, “Let me take a look at it.”
He looked, said it needed a shim, and asked if I had a piece of cardboard.
Um, sure. As a former elementary school teacher, I have a piece of everything tucked away somewhere.
He sized down the cardboard—way down—and slid it behind one of the door hinges, replaced the screws and closed the door. Perfectly. The dead bolt slid home with a clunk, and the latch worked.
Not at all the fix I was fearing.
I didn’t know much about shims until I needed one. Originally I thought the problem called for a different solution—something major like a new door or a new lock. Something that was going to cost me a lot of money and time and frustration.
All I needed was a shim.
You see it coming, don’t you?
Small fix, big difference. The successful fixes in our lives are often simple adjustments.
Forgiveness.
A smile.
Kind words.
As we walk through the door marked 2016, let’s not overlook the small comment, gesture, or gift that could make all the difference in the world.
#lovingthecowboy
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December 28, 2015
Excuse me, God, but you’re interrupting.
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer
A couple thousand years ago, an innocent Jewish girl had expectations for her future—just like all her friends.
She’d met a nice guy, an honorable Jewish man who had plans. In fact, those plans were set in motion. Promises were made. Today we call it getting engaged.
Then God interrupted.
It wasn’t what the girl expected. Not what the guy planned. Things did not go well for them.
(The movie The Nativity Story does a great job of showing
just how well things did not go. View a clip here.)
God does that—interrupts our plans, our expectations.
Just like He interrupted the darkness and called it Light.
Evidently, this historic couple trusted Him enough to take him at his word.
What a concept.
What if we let God interrupt our lives in the New Year?
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Image courtesy Jill Maple-Thomas
December 21, 2015
Paula Moldenhauer’s Soul Scents: Awaken
Author Paula Moldenhauer is my guest today, sharing about the “Christmas miracle” release of her devotional book, Soul Scents: Awaken, the first in a four-part series.
Her book is free today on Amazon for Kindle and would make a lovely Christmas gift for someone looking to start the New Year on the right foot. A print version is expected to be available by Christmas.
In Paula’s words:
The fact is this book feels foundational to everything I want to share with the world. Birthed over more than a ten-year span, it shares insights the Lord gave as He freed me from a 
performance-based religion and deepened my understanding of the wonder of a genuine relationship with Him.
His love is deeper than I dared dream, and He desires that we walk in joy and freedom, not striving, tension, and self-deprecation. I know I will write more non-fiction books in the future which delve deeper into these concepts, but this series chronicles the incremental journey, the discovery, of the best part of my life—and what I believe Jesus offers all of us as the best part of any life.
Publishing is a very long process. Though the content of this book was written over a span of more than ten years, its birth from editing to publication happened in less than a month [Paula’s Christmas miracle!]. This is very unusual. I’ve published both traditionally and non-traditionally in the past and had good results with both, but this particular series is quite intimate, and I decided long ago I wanted to oversee the whole process myself. Originally I wanted it to release for 2016, but it looked impossible. Then in a 48-hour span God changed everything. And here we are today.
… and Paula is right.
God is still changing things. He’s still in the Christmas-miracle business.
May your Christmas this year be a clear reminder that His love is deeper, wider, longer, and bigger than anything that comes your way.
Have a Merry Blessed Christmas.
Author, speaker, and mom of four, Paula Moldenhauer encourages others to be released into full potential through freedom in Christ and the empowerment of God’s grace. Published over 300 times in non-fiction markets, her first devotional book series, Soul Scents, releases in four volumes beginning with Soul Scents: Awaken. Paula’s first two novels released in 2012. Sometime empty-nesters, Paula and her husband, Jerry, enjoy four adult children and a wonderful son-in-law. Paula loves peppermint ice cream, walking barefoot, and talking to her flowers. For inspirational articles, book information, and speaking topics visit: www.paulamoldenhauer.com
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December 14, 2015
Christmas: The Good, the Bad, and the Pretty
by Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer
We have St. Francis of Assisi to thank for our modern Christmas imagery. Nearly 800 years ago near Greccio, Francis staged a living nativity scene to draw attention to the birth of Christ and away from the secular materialism of the day.
He was on to something.
However, when I study my personal collection of manger scenes, I discover not a newborn child, but one with a head of wavy hair, arms lifted as if in blessing, and an angelic smile kissing his features.
Those of us who have seen newborns know this is not an accurate portrayal. Nor is it necessarily biblical.
Scripture tells us that Mary “wrapped him in swaddling clothes …” which means she wrapped her child tightly in cloths, a technique still used around the world today to comfort a newborn.
But we want beautiful imagery, not realism, right?
My jewelry collection contains several cross earrings and necklaces. The imagery reminds me of Jesus, but it certainly doesn’t portray his suffering or the ugliness of the death tree upon which he hung.
The picturesque crown of thorns I display at Easter brings to mind the twisted brambles shoved upon the Savior’s brow in mockery. But not one point is stained with blood.
This year, the imagery all came together for me.
Christmas is my favorite holiday because it flaunts the defeat of our enemy by the small, pudgy fist of a newborn. Jesus at His most vulnerable point could not be bested by Satan.
This fact reminds me that in spite of what the enemy or circumstances hurl at my life, God is still in control. He’s got this.
Let that tiny, pudgy fist that bore the nails bear your burdens as well.
Joy to you this Christmas!
If you enjoy Christmas music as much as I, check out this spectacular version of “Mary Did You Know” by Peter Hollens.
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