Talena Winters 7/9/15 Talena Winters 7/9/15

Brave

One word we would often use to describe Munchkin was "fearless." He had no fear of anything. But since losing him, I’ve been dealing with fear and anxiety a lot.

Talena Winters 6/18/15 Talena Winters 6/18/15

Boulders and Balloons: When Sharing Isn’t Caring

Being human is hard. There is so much pain involved in this thing called "life." But it is also joyful. What makes life easier is walking this road with other humans, and sharing those experiences of joy and pain with each other.

But there is a time and place for everything.

Talena Winters 6/15/15 Talena Winters 6/15/15

My Greatest Fears

When your worst fear comes true, there’s no such thing as “getting over it” anytime soon. You discover who you really are, and what you really believe. Written less than two weeks after losing our youngest son.

Talena Winters 5/25/15 Talena Winters 5/25/15

Keep the Strawberries, Kick the Cinquefoil

We all have "cinquefoil" in our lives. Eventually, though, we have to stop and examine the things we fill our lives with and ask, "Is this still of value to me? Is this something I want to nurture right now?"

Talena Winters 5/7/15 Talena Winters 5/7/15

The High Cost of Inspiration

What makes someone inspiring? And why would I want to be that, too?

Talena Winters 4/30/15 Talena Winters 4/30/15

An Open Letter to Matt Walsh and My Fellow "Christians"

Let's re-imagine a key scene from the gospels together, shall we?

The gathered crowd shouted in a frenzy of righteous indignation. Shouts of "stone her" and "kill the b__" rose into a cacophonic haze of hatred that all centred on the one young woman, barely clothed, who trembled in terror on the rough ground at their centre.

The Teacher started making his way through the crowd, and when men and women saw the look on his face, they fell back from his path in silence, wondering what he was going to do.

The woman squinted up at him, too, wondering what new terror was upon her.

Talena Winters 4/23/15 Talena Winters 4/23/15

Do I Care Too Much?

How do you care without bleeding out? How do you protect yourself without becoming callous? How do you draw the line between "making a difference in the world" and "being healthy and whole for me and my family" when your heart breaks every time you hear about the damage done to one of the least of these?

Talena Winters 4/14/15 Talena Winters 4/14/15

Dear Beautiful, You’re Captivating as You Are

We all have days when we don't feel beautiful. On those days, we need to know that we are precious, we are amazing, and we are loved. We are the apple of our Father's eye.

Talena Winters 3/16/15 Talena Winters 3/16/15

Something Beautiful

Crisis is hard. Grief hurts. But I would much rather be a strong, tall sunflower, or an intricate and complex bonsai, each a masterpiece of beauty, than a poor, coddled sprout that dies young in the luxury of inadversity.

Talena Winters 10/24/14 Talena Winters 10/24/14

In a Hurting World, Choose Love

The senseless death of a Canadian soldier has caused me to question why people make such selfish and destructive choices, and what the solution might be. (Hint: It’s choosing love.)