Davalynn Spencer's Blog, page 5
September 15, 2024
The Lord is … the Lord Forever
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer
“The Lord is … the Lord forever.”
These six words are the first three and the last three of the 23rd Psalm. They declare a simple yet profound truth, and in between them, we discover the character of God.
This psalm is not just a telling or recounting, but a demonstration. In it, we see God through His actions.
Six short verses reveal the intimacy with which He cares for, provides for, and protects His own.
The author/narrator is David, the shepherd-king of Israel. He writes the first three verses of this psalm/song in the first-person, using the pronouns “I” and “me” as he speaks about the Lord.
My overseer is God.
I have everything I need:
Rest
Refreshment
Renewal
Direction
In verses 4, 5, and part of 6, David speaks to the Lord, as if addressing Him face to face.
When things get dark and difficult, I won’t be afraid if You are with me.
You set the table.
You single me out.
You give me more than enough.
Your goodness clings to me like a shadow.
Your mercy follows along.
The final line of verse 6 circles back to David’s original first-person declaration:
I will live in God’s house forever.
In this Shepherd’s Psalm, David shows us life and God’s participation in it:
The Lord prepares us for the journey.
The road is hard.
The destination is God’s house where
the table is set
and we are favored.
We have more than enough.
Goodness dogs us,
Love follows us.
And we never have to leave.
The journey is worth it.
Forever.
The Lord is … the Lord forever.
The Lord is ... the Lord forever.
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Dorrie paused a moment before addressing her again, an added depth of tone in her voice. “I see her fearlessness in you. The only thing different is your hair. You have more than your share, as did your grandmother, but hers was fiery red to match her spirit.”
Grace’s eyes welled, spilling first across her soul with the healing of home she’d not found when she returned to the ranch three weeks ago. Her brothers and their wives had welcomed her. So had Helen and the boys. But she didn’t fit there. Just like she hadn’t fit before she left with the Wild West Show.
But here? In her grandmother’s home with a woman who had known her so well?
Grace pressed her arm against her eyes, determined not to be a blithering twit. “I heard often of her remarkable romance with my grandfather, Caleb. I wanted a love like that of my own.”
Surprised by her unplanned admission, she hoped she hadn’t misjudged the widow. No one alive on this earth knew her secret.
Dorrie closed her eyes and sipped her tea, then looked at Grace from a place familiar yet not. “Perhaps the reason you left when you did?”
Grace blinked and more tears advanced. Such painful cleansing in truth’s wake. “Yes,” she whispered.
Dorrie laid a hand on Grace’s knee. “And did you find it?” ~Covering Grace
Inspirational Western Romance – where the hero is heroic.
#lovingthecowboy
(c) 2024 Davalynn Spencer, all rights reserved.
#WesternRomance #ChristianFiction #FreeBook #HistoricalRomance #CowboyRomance
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September 8, 2024
Suddenly September
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer
It’s suddenly September. Well, I guess it’s not exactly sudden, but it sure feels that way.
On August 8, a month ago, the sun rose at 6:07 a.m. on Colorado’s Front Range and set at 7:59 p.m.
Today, sunrise was at 6:34 a.m. and the sun set at 7:16 p.m.
That’s more than an hour difference in daylight this month compared to last. What happened?
Here in the northern hemisphere, we’ve been losing a little daylight ever since the summer solstice on June 21. But in August we lose daylight at a faster pace – roughly two minutes every day, more than an hour by the end of the month.
It’s similar to the “overnight” success of musicians, artists, and actors who skyrocket to fame after years of small steps and hard work.
Nothing sudden about it.
There is no way I’m going to try to explain Earth’s tilt, rotation, and orbit in relation to the change of daylight hours. If that sort of thing intrigues you, check out this Science and Technology page for Middle School designed by the Smithsonian Science Education Center.
My point is – sometimes things sneak up on us.
Or do they?
Most of us have heard about watching paint dry and grass grow. Neither activity appears to be identifiable to the human eye, but both are measurable and, given enough time, noticeable.
It’s the same way with the musician who practices for hours everyday, improving incrementally as he does so.
It’s the same way with our eating habits. What we feed on becomes apparent over time.
And it’s the same way with our spiritual growth.
What we fill ourselves with eventually produces a type of fruit, whether fretful or peaceful.
Over the last several months, our world has seen nations, states, and communities stirred, and the ripples are unsettling. But unsettling times have come and gone before our own days in the sunlight. And the thing to remember is that none of them caught God off guard.
We may not understand the mystery of what He allows, but we can count on the mastery of His power.
In the midst of chaos, grab hold of Him and cling to His peace. He’s there, so close that you can hear His whisper.
Feed on His promises. Read the comfort He gives us in His word. The books of Psalms and Isaiah are two of my favorites.
And pray.
Pray for your families and loved ones, community leaders, and governmental representatives – whether you voted for them or not.
Remember, God has seen the world spin and tilt before.
He’s got this. The closer you are to Him, the more His peace permeates.
~
From the rising of the sun to its going down
The Lord’s name is to be praised.
Psalm 113:3
Grab hold of Him.
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Grace turned to find Dan leaning against the buggy, arms folded and one boot cocked up behind him on a wheel spoke. No impatience about him, but an easy, peaceful smile. “You’ll make a great mother.”
Her face warmed and she ducked her head as he handed her up to the seat.
Light fell fast on their way home, and Grace bundled herself in the quilts and blankets and scooted as close as possible to Dan. “Do you think your father and Dorrie are doing all right without us?”
He chuckled deep in his chest and the vibration worked through his arm and into hers. “They’re probably glad to be by themselves for a change.”
The mare’s easy gate set a rhythmic pace that had Grace close to dozing in the dusk. “Hmm.”
Dan raised his arm and pulled her close against him, kissing the top of her head. “Why didn’t you stay at the ranch when you returned? Move in with your family rather than coming to town?”
“There wasn’t enough room.” She snuggled against him, aware only of his warmth and the rocking of the buggy. “But there was plenty of history, and I needed a new story. Not a rehashing of the old one.”
For a long moment he said nothing, then made a sweeping left turn that she knew took them off the ranch road and onto the road to Cañon City.
His voice came soft and low, as comforting as the quilts around her. “I’m glad the Lord brought you back to town. I can’t imagine my own story without you in it.” ~Covering Grace
Inspirational Western Romance – where the hero is heroic.
#lovingthecowboy
(c) 2024 Davalynn Spencer, all rights reserved.
#WesternRomance #ChristianFiction #FreeBook #HistoricalRomance #CowboyRomance
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September 1, 2024
Come and Drink
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer
Look closely at the deer. He’s a loner. Imperfect.
In the world of nature, those imperfections put him at a disadvantage. He would lose in a battle with another buck, so he stays to himself.
Alone he forages at the back of our property and startles us when we walk up on him unawares. But he still holds himself with dignity in spite of his deformities.
And he still needs water.
“As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God,” says the psalmist.
Are we like the deer? Do we pant for the Life-Giver? Do we pursue Him in spite of our imperfections and failures? Our unworthiness.
May we always!
There is no other source than Creator God.
He doesn’t tell us to go away and come back when we’re more together. He doesn’t tell us we’re not quite ready. He tells us what we need so desperately to hear …
“Is anyone thirsty? Come and drink – ” (Isaiah 55:1)
Be like the deer.
~
To all who are thirsty
I will give freely from the
springs of the water of life.
Revelation 21:6
Be like the deer.
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Grace Hutton’s gaze wavered, but only a moment, then her hands clamped onto her waist. “I need someone to watch Mrs. Berkshire while I ride home and tell my family that I’ll be staying in town for a few days. It will take a while to get there and back, and I don’t want to leave her alone that long. You know her story—you were there. Can’t you please come and sit with her? Or have you never cared for the infirm? Anyone other than yourself.”
Dan’s teeth clenched, and his grip tightened on the door. He’d never lit into a woman and he wasn’t about to start now. But Miss Hutton was worrying her luck and his patience. ~Covering Grace
Inspirational Western Romance – where the hero is heroic.
#lovingthecowboy
(c) 2024 Davalynn Spencer, all rights reserved.
#WesternRomance #ChristianFiction #FreeBook #HistoricalRomance #CowboyRomance
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August 25, 2024
How Much of You?
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer
“How much of you goes into your books?”
As a novelist, I’ve often been asked that question, and it’s tricky to answer. I may scatter pieces of myself among characters, but I’ve never embodied one completely. I can’t say of any book’s cast, “Oh, that character is me.”
Sometimes, though, a character may do something I long to do or respond in a way I’d like to respond. They’re always wittier and braver than I.
My most recent release, Covering Grace, doesn’t have much of me in it, but there is a character I actually met a couple of years ago. I fancied him up a little for the book and gave him skills that I’m sure others like him wish they had.
He’s a handsome fellow—strong, faithful, true. My friend, Cindy Richardson, introduced him to me on a trail ride.
“Harley the Wonder Horse,” she said. A bona fide member of the Rocky Mountain breed. “Everybody loves him.”
I sure did after a day of riding up around Brush Hollow in the hills not far from my home.
For me, it’s a very short trip via horseback to the fictional world of characters in my Western novels. At the time, I was working on Covering Grace, and I knew the gaited, chocolate-colored gelding was just what the story needed.
The main character, Grace Hutton, had been hanging around in my head for three years—ever since I wrote about her twin brothers, Cale and Hugh in books 4 and 5. They brag on their little sister who can out-ride any of the cast in the Selig-Polyscope flickers being filmed in and around Cañon City, Colorado, in the early 1900s.
How could they not brag, with her never-say-die approach to life, and stick-like-flypaper perseverance. When they were all growing up, she was never far behind the boys, proving she was just as good as they were.
Trouble is, she was better, and her skills earned her a place in Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show. That’s where she meets Harley, and when she comes home in Book 6, he comes with her.
Now understand, real-life Harley is not a fancy trick-riding horse, but I have a real-life friend, Linda Scholtz, who owns a string of them. I’ve watched her do some mighty fine stunts, so fine that she teaches wanna-be trick riders how to be real trick riders.
A few other things from my life play into the book, like the setting. Is there anywhere more beautiful than the Rocky Mountains as a storm blows in quicker than your breath? Or aspens shivering in the slightest breeze, pouring gold down mountain gullies and ravines in autumn?
And what of huddling before a crackling fire in the woodstove as fall runs in ahead of winter, warning of colder weather on the way?
I’m always surprised by what shows up in my books, as if I’m watching a movie in my head while I write, observing characters do and say things that lead them to do and say other things. And so it goes.
Join me for a ride in the final book of The Cañon City Chronicles series, Covering Grace. Come meet Harley the Wonder Horse, and imagine that you are one of the characters, doing and saying things you’d love to do and say.
And don’t be surprised if Harley turns out to be more than you expected.
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.
Isaiah 55:8-9
~
How much of you goes into your books?
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*Photo credit: Cindy Richardson
“Covering Grace is a must-read for those who love an adventurous story filled with faith, courage, and romance. Five stars for this inspiring, action-filled journey that highlights the beauty of God’s grace.” -Amazon reviewer
Inspirational Western Romance – where the hero is heroic.
#lovingthecowboy
(c) 2024 Davalynn Spencer, all rights reserved.
#WesternRomance #ChristianFiction #FreeBook #HistoricalRomance #CowboyRomance
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August 18, 2024
The Good Way
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer
Storm clouds hung like a heavy curtain ahead of us, and we anticipated rain at our destination. Torrential rain.
As the road curved, it lined up with a bright spot on the horizon, door-like in its invitation to escape the storm and go beyond.
I was reminded of the prophet Jeremiah as he told the people of Israel:
This is what the LORD says:
“Stand at the crossroads and look;
ask for the ancient paths,
ask where the good way is,
and walk in it, and
you will find rest for your souls…”
Jeremiah 6:16 NIV
Who doesn’t want rest?
Who doesn’t want to make it to their destination?
Who doesn’t want to know for certain that they are on the right road?
Often, other ways look easier. Short cuts are tempting, and detours can offer a seemingly smoother path. But if they are not God’s chosen path for us, they won’t be easier. They won’t get us there quicker, and they will likely lead to danger.
So how do we know if we’re on the good way?
Notice in Jeremiah’s declaration he says, “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths.”
He doesn’t say, “You’re on your own, figure it out.” He says look around and then ask. Don’t ask for the quickest way, ask for the ancient path.
The ancient path is still there, faithfully leading people to the place they need to be. Not leading them into danger and death.
That doesn’t mean the way will be easy or carefree. But if we’re on the right path, we know we’re not alone. We can be confident that we’ll make it.
When it comes to life, new and improved isn’t always better.
Ask the original Road Builder, the One who blazed the ancient paths. He knows the best way.
And He’ll show us.
To walk out of His will
Is to walk into nowhere.
~C.S. Lewis, Perelandra
~
Choose the good way.
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The blacksmith’s thick mustache spread nearly to his ears. “You’re gonna watch Grace rescue that runaway stage.”
“Yeah.” It wasn’t any of the fella’s business, but a good horse was. “See if the rumors are true.”
“That she can ride, rope, and shoot better than her brothers and every other fella in Fremont County?” Smitty shook his head and wiped his blackened hands on a dirty rag from his back pocket. “She’s been doin’ that since before she was growed up. Then she went off and made a living at it with that Buffalo Bill outfit. You know, that’s what took her away to begin with. That Wild West show stopped here about four years ago, and she was hooked. Her brothers didn’t think much of the idea, but that didn’t stop her.”
Dan huffed. No surprise there. “I’ll be leaving near sunup.”
Smitty stepped out from the hitch rails and looked up Main Street. “Take this road here all the way out of town.” Pointing, as if he could see to the end, he added, “When you get to Soda Point, follow the curve on around the hill and keep goin’ past the turnoff that takes you up to Skyline Drive. About a mile after that, there’ll be a road that cuts off to the north, just before another big turn to the left. Take that road five or six miles up, and the main ranch road will be on your right. Big gate entrance with a high crossbeam, though you’ll already be on Hutton land. All that good cow country up there belongs to them.”
Dan paid the blacksmith. “Thank you. I’ll be here early.”
He didn’t know what time the movie crew would get to the ranch, but he’d just as soon get there first, which meant he had work to do. ~Covering Grace
~
Don’t forget to enter the Covering Grace book tour for a chance to win a $50 Amazon gift card. Click on the image below then scroll down to Covering Grace.
Inspirational Western Romance – where the hero is heroic.
#lovingthecowboy
(c) 2024 Davalynn Spencer, all rights reserved.
#WesternRomance #ChristianFiction #FreeBook #HistoricalRomance #CowboyRomance
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August 11, 2024
On My Own – or not
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer
Two are better than one,
because they have a good reward for their labor.
Ecclesiastes 4:9
*The first morning I saw the white-haired couple on the Riverwalk, I nearly stared. Not because of their age, but because of their unified presence.
The woman wore a thin clear tube around her head that delivered oxygen to her nose from a portable canister. Her male companion wore the canister.
He also held the woman’s hand, walking in step with her so the hose was never stretched or crimped.
In his other hand he held a red-tipped white cane.
He was blind.
They strode along the trail together as if they were forty years younger and in perfect health.
The woman did the seeing, the man did the breathing, in a sense. I suppose she could have carried her own oxygen supply and he could have tapped his cane from side to side, but their cooperative effort in helping one another was a beautiful thing to behold.
Rare.
They had chosen to be dependent upon each other and were, therefore, more confident—a picture of what dependence can mean. How two can be stronger than one.
When Jesus sent out his disciples, He sent them by twos (see Mark 6:7). Could this have been reflective of His Father’s decree that it wasn’t good for man to be alone?
I doubt the man and woman on the Riverwalk would argue that principle. They chose to not walk alone and had perfected their coupled pace.
Independence, in the personal sense, often leaves much to be desired.
**Often I am by myself, but I’m never alone. I’d hate to be walking this road of life on my own.
Oh Lord, thank You for telling us that You will never leave us or forsake us. Thank You for never leaving us alone. Amen.
For if they fall, one will lift up his companion.
But woe to him who is alone when he falls,
for he has no one to help him up.
Ecclesiastes 4:10
*Excerpted from Always Before Me: 90 story devotions for women – “Going It Alone—Or Not”
**Author’s note: By God’s grace, since the publishing of this devotional book, I am no longer by myself, for I walk with my husband, George. Together, we walk with Jesus.
On my own - or not.
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Be sure to check out my book tour for Covering Grace, August 8-21. Follow along and you can enter to win a signed copy of the book and a $50 Amazon gift card! Click on the image below then scroll down to learn more.
Inspirational Western Romance – where the hero is heroic.
#lovingthecowboy
(c) 2024 Davalynn Spencer, all rights reserved.
#WesternRomance #ChristianFiction #FreeBook #HistoricalRomance #CowboyRomance
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August 4, 2024
Beware the Swinging Chicken
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer
The farmer’s market brimmed with vendors’ booths of homemade breads, jellies, candles, and stained glass. Home-grown vegetables covered tables in patches of silk-topped corn, golden peaches, and squash of green and yellow—a fresh-air market spread beneath sunshine and shade, populated by the young and old alike. Some came to sell their wares, others to visit, or to let their children play.
I came to redeem the time.
I had a couple of hours to wait for someone, so I chose the farmers market as a restful place to sit and read with no interruption, no internet, and no news.
After a few minutes into my book, a familiar background noise penetrated my consciousness, and I vaguely wondered why anyone would bring a chicken to a farmer’s market. Was it a gimmick to draw shoppers to fresh eggs?
Finally, I stopped reading and looked around more closely at my setting.
No chicken.
Hearing the drawn-out cluck again, I turned toward the sound. And there it was—not a rogue chicken on the loose, but a girl on the swing.
Every time she swung forward, the metal brackets groaned around the old beam, squawking like a brooding hen.
I had been certain the sound I heard was a chicken, but clearly it was not.
How quickly we can be misled if we’re not paying attention.
Our world is a noisy place full of false sounds and artificial intelligence. Lots of people are telling us what truth is and whom to believe. They insist that their perspective of what we may see or hear is the way things really are.
Beware the swinging chicken.
We must look into the facts ourselves. Check more than one source. And most importantly, check God’s word. Find out what He says. Learn His ways and follow them
There’s a lot of squawking going on out there these days. Check it out before you believe it.
Don’t let anyone capture you
with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense
that come from human thinking and
from the spiritual powers of this world,
rather than from Christ.
Colossians 2:8
Beware the swinging chicken.
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Gathering Harley, Grace walked to the livery, her plans to find a job completely dashed. The town felt smaller than she remembered, despite some of the new storefronts she’d passed on her way in earlier that morning. Old favorites remained, like Reide’s Bakery and the Ceylon Tea Store. The Cañon City Record held its own, as did the grocery, hardware, and paint stores. But she doubted any of those businesses would hire her.
Of course, the Denton Hotel and Raynold’s Bank maintained their dignified status on Main Street. If Clara was still cooking at the Denton, maybe she’d take Grace on as a helper, though cooking wasn’t exactly Grace’s strong suit.
The Selig Polyscope studio was a new development. She’d heard about Cañon City flickers but had no opportunity to see one. Her traveling and performance schedule had left little down time as well as little skill to be used elsewhere. There weren’t many calls for trick riding and fancy shooting.
As she approached the livery for the second time that morning, it seemed, well, shorter. Not as grand as it had been in her childhood, but as flat as the painted-tarp backdrops of buffalo herds and mountains stretched across arena floors.
In three and a half years, the atmosphere had changed.
She had changed.
Inspirational Western Romance – where the hero is heroic.
#lovingthecowboy
(c) 2024 Davalynn Spencer, all rights reserved.
#WesternRomance #ChristianFiction #FreeBook #HistoricalRomance #CowboyRomance
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July 28, 2024
God’s Surprising Voices
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer
Today, friend and fellow author Susan B. Mathis is here with inspiration from her recent release, Libby’s Lighthouse, about God’s surprising voices. Welcome, Susan!
Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers,
for by so doing some people have shown hospitality
to angels without knowing it.
Hebrews 13:2
Sometimes the Lord allows people to enter our lives to heal our heart, bring insight, reveal His plan for us, or unfold His purposes. So many of us long to hear from the Lord, and often God uses other people to unfold that. We need to be open to hear, sometimes from the most unusual sources of His truth, and let God be God.
In Libby’s Lighthouse, an unexpected visitor brings news—and gifts—that heal Libby’s heartache, bring clarity to her life, and unfold His purposes for her future.
Papa sucked in a deep breath, and his eyes flashed concern, but for several moments, they sat in silence while he measured his words before speaking. She’d seen it a hundred times and respected him for it. So, she waited until his wisdom of years broke the silence.
“Not everyone is who they seem to be. Life has a way of surprising us, showing us the unexpected. We need to be open to the wonder of a godsend that comes in an unusual package.”
What was he alluding to? Who could be the courier of such blessings?
Papa patted her hand. “There are people that may enter our lives as bearers of hope and light, though they may not appear to be so. That gift might be a shared moment or a kind word. Or it might be a revelation that changes the way we see the world. Listen for His voice and embrace those moments, Libby, for they can change your life.”
Papa’s wisdom flowed like a gentle river. His words lingered in the atmosphere, confusing her but also bringing hope. Libby laid her head on his chest and listened to his heartbeat.
“Mama once said, ‘appearances can be deceiving.’ Perhaps that applies here?”
Papa gurgled a chuckle, causing her cheek to bounce off his chest. “More than you know, my darling child.” His words held mischief.
Now he was teasing her. Like old times. Her papa was coming back from the shadows too. Perhaps the courier was the author of the missives?
At the thought, Libby jumped off his lap and fairly danced a jig. “Who’s the messenger, Papa? Is it my mother? Is she here? Oh, please say yes!”
~
God's surprising voices
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~
When a lighthouse keeper’s daughter finds a mysterious sailor with amnesia, the secrets she uncovers may change her life forever.
Elizabeth Montonna, daughter of the Tibbett’s Point Lighthouse keeper, thought she’d love the lighthouse life forever—until her mother, on her deathbed, reveals a long-buried secret. Now Elizabeth’s world has been turned upside down, making her question if she’ll ever truly belong and be loved. But when a dashing young sailor appears on her shore, wounded and disoriented, she finds purpose in helping him recover. Although the man knows nothing about his past or identity, his kindness and character steal a little more of her heart each day. If only she knew his full name.
When Owen awakes on the shore of Lake Ontario with no knowledge of who he is, or where he was headed when his ship wrecked, he has no choice but to accept the hospitality of the lighthouse keeper and his lovely daughter. But as Owen works to repay their kindness, and his relationship with Libby turns into something more, he knows their budding romance can go no further until he uncovers his past.
With each passing day, Owen inches closer to discovering the secrets of his identity, but will the revelations bring him closer to Libby or tear them apart forever?
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 twelve in her 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 and Libby’s Lighthouse, the first in her three-book lighthouse series. Her book awards include three Illumination Book Awards, four American Fiction Awards, three Indie Excellence Book Awards, five Literary Titan Book Awards, a Golden Scroll Award, and a Selah Award. Susan is also a published author of two premarital books, two children’s picture books, stories in a dozen compilations, and hundreds of published articles. Susan makes her home in Northern Virginia and enjoys traveling around the world but returns each summer to enjoy the Thousand Islands. Visit www.SusanGMathis.com/fiction for more.
Connect with Susan online:
https://www.susangmathis.com/fiction-books
Buy links: Amazon | Barnes&Nobles | Wild Heart Books
Book trailer: Libby’s Lighthouse book trailer
Social media links: Website | Author Central | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Blog | Goodreads l Instagram | Book Bub |
~
Inspirational Western Romance – where the hero is heroic.
#lovingthecowboy
(c) 2024 Davalynn Spencer, all rights reserved.
#WesternRomance #ChristianFiction #FreeBook #HistoricalRomance #CowboyRomance
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July 21, 2024
Dandelion Cowboy
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer
Most of the characters in my books are people I’ve cooked up on my own. Others sneak up on me when I’m not looking, leaving me with the sense that I’ve met them before and just can’t remember when or where.
I have a character fitting the latter category who appears in Books 4, 5, and 6 of The Cañon City Chronicles—a little cowboy named Kip. He’s the youngest of three brothers, the tag-along. The one who gets left out more often than not.
Recently, I realized where I’d met Kip, though that wasn’t his real name. He was a student from my former life as a sixth-grade teacher—my Dandelion Cowboy.
Each morning he’d line up in front of my classroom with the rest of the first-period students. Except he wasn’t much like the rest of the students.
In his Wranglers and dusty cowboy boots, he didn’t dress like the others. A towhead among dark-haired children, he quietly stuck out in spite of how much he tried not to.
But in the spring when the dandelions sprouted, he was often at the front of the line with a short-stemmed bouquet and a shy smile.
I talked to him about cowboy things and noted the shiny buckle he wore one day—his trophy for winning an event at a weekend junior rodeo. Most of the other kids had no idea what it meant to rope a calf or ride a snorty steer or run a pole-pattern on horseback.
The little cowboy was a loner. A throwback perhaps, from a long line of those who prefer the company of their horse and a good view of the herd.
I saw that heritage in the father who came to parent-teacher conferences, a taller, stouter version of my Dandelion Cowboy in his good palm-leaf hat and square-toed boots.
Creases at his blue eyes were several shades lighter than the rest of his sunbaked face—the badge of a working man who spent his days in the saddle.
His words were few, but they showed his interest. He wanted his young man to tend to business. Hold up his end of the load. Be polite.
Cowboy morals.
Today when I see a patch of what most people call weeds, I smile and wonder about my Dandelion Cowboy, if he stuck to his ways in spite of the crowd. I hope he’s trailing a herd in the California foothills, going to summertime rodeos, and most of all, becoming the fine man I knew he could one day be.
Obviously, I’m not trying to win
the approval of people, but of God.
If pleasing people were my goal,
I would not be Christ’s servant.
Galatians 1:10 NLT
~
Others sneak up on me when I’m not looking.
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“Lord, will I ever fit anywhere?” Grace asked. “Am I supposed to fit in?”
Harley’s ears swiveled at the sound of her voice, and he bobbed his head empathetically.
“You’re right, old man.” She leaned forward and rubbed his neck, tugging the reins a bit so he wouldn’t take it as a sign to run. “We’re an odd pair. Two of a kind, unlike everyone else and no slot to fill.”
It wasn’t being different that bothered Grace. It was being a burden, not able to pay her own way. Hers were not the skills of a homemaker. Maybe spending time with Dorrie Berkshire was exactly what she needed.
Two hours later, Harley ambled into the ranch yard where Kip was swinging in the cottonwood tree. Her youngest nephew reminded her of herself—more pluck than good sense and always left out of the fun his two older brothers concocted as often as their housekeeper made hot coffee.
“Where’ve you been?” Kip dragged his feet to stop the swing and ran her way.
Grace stepped down and caught him in her arms. “Hey there, cowboy. Who showed you that jump-hug trick.”
He squeezed her neck, then slid to the ground. “You did, Aunt Grace.”
The boy could smile the sun right out of the sky. ~Covering Grace, Book 6 of The Cañon City Chronicles
Inspirational Western Romance – where the hero is heroic.
#lovingthecowboy
(c) 2024 Davalynn Spencer, all rights reserved.
#WesternRomance #ChristianFiction #FreeBook #HistoricalRomance #CowboyRomance
The post Dandelion Cowboy appeared first on Davalynn Spencer.
July 14, 2024
My Way – and a Giveaway
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer
Things don’t always work out the way we hope they will.
Let me rephrase that:
Rarely do things work out the way we hope. Or expect. Or plan. Or even pray.
Could that be because we’re not listening?
I will not divulge how many times I’ve waved my arms at God and yelled, “Hey, God, I have this great idea. Let’s do it my way!”
Can you relate?
In my latest book release, Covering Grace, the main character, Grace Hutton wants to do things her way, but she bumps up against frustration and disappointment time after time.
Not only is she challenged by what she reads in her grandfather’s Bible, she must also deal with the unsought counsel of those closest to her.
Though Grace’s circumstances may be quite different from your own, the choices of how to respond can be similar. I hope you’ll enjoy this final installment in the beloved Cañon City Chronicles series and be encouraged through Grace’s adventures.
Giveaway:
Is there someone in your life, past or present, who was a voice of wisdom and encouragement to you? If so, share briefly below how they helped you stay on the right track or get off the wrong one. Commenters will be entered in a drawing for a signed print copy of Covering Grace.
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.
Isaiah 55:8-9
~
Grace didn’t have time to fume over the assistant director’s idea of humor. Harley was about to have the fastest grooming he’d ever known and a nice little jog down Main Street. It’d be a good warm-up for him.
She glanced at the boarding house and dipped her head—as if Dorrie wouldn’t recognize her, or Dan, if he was still there. But she didn’t have time for explanations and arguments. She had to look her best. Do her best.
She ran around to the corral and slipped through the poles, whistling to Harley.
His ears came up and he ambled toward her.
“Good boy, old man.” Leading him inside the barn, she could feel her excitement transfer through her touch as it always did. His head lifted and his eyes brightened.
“This could be our big chance, Harley. I need your best performance.”
A quick once-over—a lick and a promise, her mother would have called it—was all she had time for. Satisfied he was as shiny as possible, she checked his hooves and the leather strap modification she’d made to her saddle, then stepped up, thrilled to be atop her old friend again. Leaning down, she stroked and patted his neck, then walked him out of the barn into the bold light of day.
“You’re going, aren’t you.”
Surprised, she flinched, and Harley lunged forward, arching his neck and prancing.
She calmed him with a soothing word, then whirled toward Dan. “Sneaking up on a horse is not wise.”
“I wasn’t sneaking. You came out when I walked up.”
“I don’t have time to argue.”
Dan opened his mouth to say more, but Grace clicked her tongue and Harley sprang forward. ~ Covering Grace
Inspirational Western Romance – where the hero is heroic.
#lovingthecowboy
(c) 2024 Davalynn Spencer, all rights reserved.
#WesternRomance #ChristianFiction #FreeBook #HistoricalRomance #CowboyRomance
The post My Way – and a Giveaway appeared first on Davalynn Spencer.
