When we recognize that spring and summer always lead to autumn and winter, in our own lives we will perhaps resist the times of releasing and resting that come to us. Winter invites me to rest and contemplation, to making time for quiet walks in the few hours of light.

The God of winter invites me into a healing rhythm of rest and renewal, of deep listening in the midst of stillness, of trusting the seeds sprouting deep within that have been planted. 

Christine Valters Paintner