
Winters’ Day In
Conversations on life, faith, stories, and creativity from author Talena Winters.
Pour a cuppa and stay awhile.

Equilibrium: What a Rush!
Today, I had an epiphany. I realized that my idealized state of “balance” and true homeostasis are not the same thing. This is going to change everything…

Working with Impostor Syndrome
When it comes to self-makeovers, there is no louder voice about what "should be done" than the one coming from between our ears. And there is nothing wrong with self-reflection and a determination to do something better in the coming year. But there are certain things that we will never be “ready” for until we start doing them.

Mae Renfroe: Surrendered to God
Mae Renfroe lost her second-eldest son, Clayton, in a quadding accident in April of 2017 at the age of fourteen. Mae and I both hope you will be encouraged by her story.

Embrace It
No matter your age, it’s not too late to chase your dream. Maybe you’re already doing it, which is awesome. Or maybe we are closing out another year where you have still been making excuses about why you didn’t go for the longing of your heart.
Life is long, but it’s also short. Do you really want to spend a minute of it not living up to your potential?

7 Favourite Fall Things
Sweaters on Pinterest and other knitting geekery, books, writing, simple comforts, and other joys of autumn. Here’s what’s been inspiring me.

Work Afraid
Here’s a secret: We’re all afraid. Every person who succeeds at something has had to confront fear at some point to get to where they are. The trick is to start anyway.

Healing from Loss, One Bite at a Time
There is an old joke that goes, "How do you eat an elephant?"
"I don't know, how do you?"
"One bite at a time."
The not-so-hidden truth in here can be applied to so many things—projects, goals, ginormous meals. But today, I'm going to talk about how I have found this true when tackling emotional hardship.*
*No elephants were harmed in the making of this blog post.

Insanely Optimistic
Some days, writing fiction for a living feels like walking through sludge in a mudstorm. I'm going to be honest—I spend a little bit of every day wondering if I'm actually going to be able to pull this off. But no risk, no reward. Right?

7 Things: The Busy Writer’s Edition
Obligatory blog update. Mostly about writing. But also with a motivational Facebook Live video and guest post mention, in case you missed it. ;-)

When the Mirror Lies
Over and over again, I have seen how what we believe to be true about ourselves, we make true about ourselves. And there's nothing that anyone else can say to change that self-image unless we want to change it.

Melissa Keaster: Writing from the Ashes
"The Enemy came to steal, kill, and destroy my passion, but God flipped the switch on the devil’s own scheme. The thing that was meant to keep me down helped me to focus on the essentials." Read more of Melissa's amazing story in today's blog post.

Could Your Story Change the World?
You might think your story isn't that special, that you have nothing to give. But if you think about it, you'll probably realize that you have already learned some life lessons that others would benefit from. Have you ever wondered how your story might be a powerful blessing to others?

What Are You Known For?
This iconic building of our flag inspired some insight into being our best selves. The choice is up to us.

Photo Friday: The Wonder of Everything
When one travels, it is easy to look in wonder at the big buildings, the different customs, the strange food, and wonder, "What is that for? Who made that? Why do they do it that way?"
The truth is, wonderful things are all around us, no matter where we live.

Photo Friday: Become Vulnerable
By opening up your heart and showing others your weaknesses as well as your strengths, you become more of who you are, and give others permission to do the same. Isn't that the most loving thing to do?