Davalynn Spencer's Blog, page 51

Don’t Wait, Look Now

When I was a child, my parents drove around town on wintry Christmastime nights so we could ooh and aah at decorated houses glowing with lights and roof-top displays. How I loved the fantasy lands that appeared, twinkling through the foggy dark.

When I had children of my own, we did the same, and I thrilled to see delight spark in their eyes. Even as an adult, I still enjoy the intricate beauty and balance of illumination against the night.

But there’s a display on right now that far exceeds what man can craft – the autumn leaves. Parks and neighborhoods and hills are exploding with color. And against a bright blue sky, the golds and reds and yellows are piercingly brilliant.

This year, before it’s too late, take a little time off and drive through older neighborhoods where established trees are in full glory. Enjoy autumn – one of God’s most exquisite displays.

Instead of waiting to see what will happen, let’s look at what God is doing right now.

… then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice before the Lord, for He cometh …

Psalm 96:12, 13

 

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That Cold Shoulder Could Be a Trust Issue

Let me introduce you to Oakley, the hinder half of Annie and Oakley, my two teen-aged tabby mousers. Litter mates and identical in appearance, I can tell them apart only by their attitudes. On that point, they are as different as salt and pepper. Especially when it comes to the matter of trust.

Annie trusts me, Oakley does not. To say Oakley is skittish would be an understatement. I can’t get within ten feet of her.

When these pubescent, female felines arrived in their portable kennel, I was an unknown. Their eyes were dark and wide with fear. They hid behind anything they could find.

But I left them alone and left them food, and they left me a mouse one morning, right next to their dish. A fair trade.

Annie soon warmed to me, running her little ‘motorboat’ as my mother used to call a cat’s purr. Because of her trust, Annie sleeps in the garage at night, high atop stacked tubs in a soft kitty bed

Oakley sleeps outside beneath the low-spreading juniper bush, and dashes in each morning when I open the door. Wet if it rains, cold from the night, and always hungry, she scurries in and up to the dryer where the cat food dish sits beyond the reach of our dog, Blue.

I don’t shut Oakley out. I call her each night, just like I call Annie, but Oakley doesn’t come because she doesn’t trust me. If she did, she would sleep like Annie, dry and cushioned with a midnight snack always at the ready.

Oakley may start coming in when the weather forces her.

And isn’t that just like us? Running for shelter when we’re forced, rather than stepping into love via trust.

It reminds me of me and God. When I trust Him, circumstances always turn out better, and my needs are always met. But more than that, I have the peace of His presence. He loves me. I’ve learned to trust that.

Funny what we can learn from our animals.

Do you have a cold-shoulder pet with trust issues? How did you win it over?

 

 

#lovingthecowboy

Protection of the Path

I was off the path the other day, pulling weeds from the edge of my driveway where no one ever walks. At the time, I thought nothing of my attire, but since then I will be careful to dress appropriately for off-the-path work.

For there in the weeds, blending perfectly with its grassy surroundings was a rattlesnake. I froze.

In the minute I stared at it, I realized something was wrong—its position. Its lack of movement. Snakes see us before we see them, yet this one was not reacting.

Backing up to the wheel barrow where a pair of long shears lay, I picked them up and nudged the snake with the end. It was dead.

Regardless, I ended my weeding project. I’ve never heard of an only-child rattlesnake family, and I didn’t want to meet the siblings—or Mom and Dad!

The next time I work in the edges of the yard, I’ll wear boots and jeans in addition to my garden gloves. I’ll also be sure to keep our wide-open spaces mowed down. And no more cutting across the field when walking—I will stay to the path.

Why?

Because we live in snake country and snakes can’t hide out in the open.

 

 

 

Since finding that snake so close to my house, I’ve thought of a favorite verse in a different light:

You will show me the path of life. Psalm 16:11

Comfort lies in knowing the Lord will lead us in the path, in the way of His choosing. When I follow Him, He’s going before me, taking care of any threat in the way, and leading me in the safe way, not through the weeds and brush where danger hides.

#lovingthecowboy

 

Didn’t Have to Die to Go to Heaven.

Have you ever wanted to turn down the volume on your world? Go where there is no noise, no distraction, no demand on your attention?

I do. All the time.

Last week that blessed opportunity arrived and I headed to Music Meadows Ranch in the Wet Mountain Valley near Westcliffe, Colorado.

Paradise in the pines.

Rustic beauty.

Peace in the absence of clamor and crowds (though high-speed internet was available if I wanted it).

Quiet – other than the breeze whispering through the aspens, a nearby trickling creek, and the distant bugle of a bull elk.

Heaven. On. Earth. At least for a cowboy-loving writer like me.

I made coffee on a gas stove the old-fashioned way. Ate the best chili I’ve ever had that was left by the proprietor for my dining enjoyment.

Rode horseback into the aspen-draped hills.

Slept like a contented, new-born calf.

Because of this special blessing, I returned home a little more complete, where earlier I had been lacking.

If Jesus – without e-mail, cellphones, or computers – retreated to a quiet place, how much more do you suppose we need solitude?

Getting completely away is an infrequent luxury. So when we can’t, how do we find a quiet moment or a quiet place?

Where – or when – do you go to find solitude? How do you catch the quiet time to refill and refresh your spirit in our noisy world?

“Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”

Mark 6:31

#lovingthecowboy

Available now where books are sold – the complete print collection of last year’s 12 e-book novellas!

 

Enter to Win the Goodreads Give-away!

Three announcements:

1. I’m excited to announce a Goodreads give-away of six – yes, six! – print copies of The 12 Brides of Christmas novella collection.

And the best part? The books are signed by all 12 novella authors. The give-away starts today and runs through Oct. 12 – a little more than two weeks. Enter by clicking here on GOODREADS.

This print collection is a compilation of last year’s individually released e-book novellas. Mine was No. 11, The Snowbound Bride.

In three months, Christmas will be over. (Gasp – I can’t believe it!) But until then, plan ahead and enter the give-away for free!

2. I was recently interviewed by Christian fiction author/blogger Rebekah Millet, and what fun it was. Here’s a link to the interview. Enjoy!

3. And most important, here are a few words of wisdom shared with me by author Karen Whiting who is a great encourager. I pray they are as much a blessing to you as they were to me.

Rest in the Lord … Psalm 37:7

#lovingthecowboy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Did You Mean What You Said?

“Have a god start to your day.”

Oops. That wasn’t what I meant to say, but it was too late. No taking back the words once you hit “send.”

My thumbs are fatter than the virtual keys on my smartphone. That’s why the text I sent my friend had a typo that changed the message.

I meant to say “Have a good start to your day.” But as I watched the message box turn blue to an accompanying musical “whoop,” I realized the words winging away were better than my original intention.

Isn’t that just like God? What He has in mind is better than anything I come up with.

So here’s wishing you a God start to your day.

 

Take a moment. Begin with Him.

He’ll change everything.

The mind of man plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps.

Prov. 16:9

 

#lovingthecowboy

7 Reads for National Buy-a-Book Day

Today, September 7, is National Buy a Book Day. I’m not sure who comes up with these designations, but they’re fun to follow, and as an author, this is one of my favorites.

Therefore, I encourage you to go to your local book store and buy a book. A real book with paper pages. One you can hold and smell and flip through to create a little breeze against your face.

I also want to share seven of the many books I’ve recently read. They are not all new releases; some are a couple of years old. But a good book is a good book, regardless of when it was published.

 

 

Several of them are romances and all are fiction, because that’s what I write. In no particular order:

House of Mercy 2012 by Erin Healy – Contemporary

The Outlaw Takes a Bride 2015 by Susan Page Davis – Historical

The Journey of Josephine Cain 2013 by Nancy Moser – Historical

Somebody Like You 2014 by Beth K. Vogt – Contemporary

A Love Like Ours 2015 by Becky Wade – Contemporary

The Inn at Ocean’s Edge 2015 by Colleen Coble – Contemporary

A.D. 30 2015 by Ted Dekker – Historical/Biblical

However, fiction isn’t all I read. Devotional books help me develop fresh perspectives, and every morning I use one during my time of prayer and Bible reading. This combination gives me a great start to the day. My two favorite devotionals are:

My Utmost for His Highest

Jesus Calling

So celebrate. Buy a book!

 If you can’t travel the world,

the next best way to experience it is

through the pages of a book.

Don’t forget about The 12 Brides of Summer! Three novellas in each of four collections.

 Book 1            Book 2           Book 3          Book 4

 

7 delights in The Columbine Bride

1. Relax with a quick summer romance before summer is over

2. Escape to a simpler time (Not easier, just simpler!)

3. Experience (vicariously) a Colorado summer storm

4. Stir up some strawberry lemonade (recipe in my newsletter)

5. Enjoy the fragile beauty of Colorado’s blue columbines

6. Fall in love with a cowboy

7. Trust God’s leading on an unexpected path

 

The heroine of the The Columbine Bride, Lucy Powell, asks the Lord to make very clear to her the “path of life” – which way she should go, what choices she should make. The trouble is it’s not always as clear as she’d like.

Ever been there?

 

#lovingthecowboy

Real-life inspiration for historical romance

A week from tomorrow is release day for the last book in The 12 Brides of Summer collection – and my novella “The Columbine Bride” is in it!

Today I’m sharing my inspiration for Buck and Lucy’s story. The tale includes many things I enjoy about Colorado: columbines, summer storms, rich high parks with good feed, and rugged Rocky Mountains. It also deals with the generous spirit of Colorado pioneers who drew the best from the land and gave back to it in their sweat and toil and love.

My inspiration spot for the story is a ranch in the hills above Cañon City. It’s not hard to mentally wander back 130 years to what it might have been like with the old hand pump, fenced-off garden, and wood pile. Add my hero and heroine and a couple of kids, and the story takes on a life of its own.

Sometimes I believe that heaven hangs just over the hills up there, where if I look close enough and listen with my heart, I’ll see and hear the same things that drew cowboys of old to this country.

If only the meadows and the streams could talk …

… I might hear them say Lucy Powell isn’t afraid of much other than summer lightning storms—and with good reason. The storm pictured here was ten minutes away when I took this photo. Sudden, swift-moving, and serious. There’s rain in them thar hills!

Buck Reiter sees a clump of columbines on his way to Lucy’s ranch and stops to dig them up for her. People can’t do that today—the blue columbine is the Colorado state flower. But if you keep reading, I’ll tell you how you can get a clump of your own.

Lush summer pastures offer feed for cattle and horses.

I imagine Lucy’s ranch house to look something like this.

Buck  nearly gets himself in a jackpot with the woodpile.

To celebrate the release of The Columbine Bride, I’m giving away two prize packages to two randomly selected newsletter subscribers next week, so be sure to sign up for my quarterly newsletter. You can do that here. The prize package includes an e-book, a packet of Colorado blue columbine seeds, a columbine key chain, and a plaque with the key verse from the story plus a few other goodies. Don’t miss out!

 

 

#lovingthecowboy

 

Five Reasons to Love Romance

1. Happy ending.

2. Dreams come true.

3. Hopefulness.

4. Bright future.

5. Love wins.

Okay, I admit it. All five reasons sound suspiciously alike. But I love romance and August is Romance Awareness Month. Did you even know there was such a thing?

It’s also National Catfish Month and Inventor’s Month, but I’m not much of a fisherman or inventor, so I’m sticking with romance.

In the literary world, romances differ from love stories because a happy ending is guaranteed regardless of the struggles and obstacles along the way.

To me that sounds a lot like God’s story. It’s definitely a romance because it’s all about how much He loves us and how He will love us forever. I’d call that a happy ending – or beginning, whichever way you want to look at it.

Life is full of enough unhappy circumstances, so I choose to read (and write) stories that leave me and others feeling good.

Do you have a favorite romance? Is it a book, a movie, your own marriage?

I’d love to hear which romance got your attention and made you smile. But remember, you can’t pick Romeo and Juliet, or the 1970 movie, Love Story. No happy endings there!

 

Four e-books with three stories each, available June 1, July 1, August 1, and September 1.

#lovingthecowboy