THANKS for doing that

In this bonus episode, Heather Winchell reconnects with prior guest Vince Black of Blackcone in his newly constructed studio to discuss what has changed since their last conversation and why Blackcone is “re-turning.” Vince recounts the December 19, 2025 fire that burned his wood shop to the dirt, destroying his inventory along with all his tools, and shares the challenges of rebuilding. He explains how support from his wife and friends helped him rebuild and reframe - trading what was once a backyard shed for the vision and dream of a studio.  
 

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In this special season finale, the tables are turned as Heather Winchell—the host and Chief Enthusiast behind Thanks for Doing That—takes the guest seat.

Interviewed by her friend Robin Elgard, Heather reflects on her 5+ years of podcasting, the joy of celebrating ordinary faithfulness, the people and ideas that have shaped her, and the surprising friendships formed along the way. She shares about family life, creativity, calling, bees, books, simple delights, and why paying attention to the good still feels like a meaningful act in a divided and difficult world.

This episode also marks the second birthday of Thanks for Doing That—a celebration of the conversations, guests, and listeners who have helped make this little corner of the podcast world what it is.

We talked about a lot of books on this episode! Here they are:

• Adorning the Dark — Andrew Peterson
• Every Moment Holy (liturgy series) — Doug McKelvey
• The Art of Living in Season — Sylvie Vanhooser
• Rocket Fuel — Gino Wickman & Mark C. Winters
• A Gentleman in Moscow — Amor Towles
• To Kill a Mockingbird — Harper Lee

Special thanks to Robin Elgard for stepping into the host chair for this special season finale and second anniversary episode of Thanks for Doing That. It was a joy to turn the tables for a conversation reflecting on the journey so far.

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In this very special tribute episode, Heather honors the life and legacy of Cherie Johnson: devoted wife and mother, intentional friend, gifted host, lover of Scripture, radiant encourager, and bright light to all who knew her.

Released near the one-year anniversary of Cherie’s passing, this episode weaves together an interview Cherie gave during her cancer journey with reflections and stories from friends and family who loved her deeply. Together, these voices paint a picture of a woman who showed up with courage, loved with intention, welcomed people to the table, and pointed others toward Jesus with beauty, warmth, and joy.

Whether you knew Cherie personally or are meeting her through this episode, may her life encourage you to show up, love well, ask meaningful questions, receive community, and let your own light shine.

In this episode:

• Cherie reflects on encountering “the God who sees” in unwanted seasons
• The Scriptures that sustained her through postpartum anxiety, disappointment, transition, and cancer
• The courage and vulnerability required to receive love from community
• Friends and family remember Cherie’s hospitality, humor, deep care, faith, and radiant presence
• A borrowed “Thanks for Saying That” from Cherie’s previous Book Club episode
• A closing haiku written in Cherie’s honor by her friend Candace

Scriptures mentioned:

• Genesis 16
• Isaiah 42:3
• Isaiah 40:11
• Romans 8:35–39
• Matthew 11:28–30
• Exodus 14:14

Resources mentioned:

• Imagine Heaven by John Burke
• Resilience, Redemption, and Really Good Books: Winter 2025 Book Club Edition

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In this episode, Heather sits down with author, spoken word poet, recording artist, and founder of Write Speak Inspire, Sharlene Provilus. Sharlene shares how writing became a place of honesty and healing, how spoken word helped bring her back to faith, and why she believes our stories can create space for others to find freedom. Together, they talk about foster care, restoration, creative calling, the weight and power of words, and the invitation to start with ordinary faithfulness right where we are.

Together, They Discuss

• Writing as a place of honesty, healing, and reprieve
• How spoken word became part of Sharlene’s faith journey
• The power of words to comfort, inspire, and bring life
• Sharlene’s childhood, foster care experience, and family restoration
• The both/and of honoring imperfect people who still left a meaningful legacy
• Why honest storytelling can create space for others to tell the truth
• The invisible realities facing children in foster care
• Write Speak Inspire and Sharlene’s desire to empower students
• The Guild Conference and the importance of craft, character, and creative community
• Why saying “thank you” can help people keep going
• Starting with ordinary faithfulness right where you are

Resources Mentioned

• Sharlene's website
• Write Speak Inspire
• The Guild Conference
• The Rabbit Room
• The Garden Within by Dr. Anita Phillips
• Making Ideas Happen by Scott Belsky
• Sharlene's Substack

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“Be encouraged and be brave. Don’t be afraid of the learning curve.”

Kind and wise words from a kind a wise woman. In this imagery-rich conversation, Heather sits down with master gardener and writer Sarah Nadvornik to explore prairie restoration, gardening, grief, limitation, motherhood, and the surprising ways God cultivates growth in our lives.

Sarah shares how a season of exhaustion, loss, and feeling uprooted led her to begin restoring native prairie land on her Kansas property—and how tending the earth slowly taught her about resilience, purpose, suffering, and belonging. Together, Heather and Sarah discuss monarch butterflies, deep prairie roots, the wisdom of limits, learning to work with creation instead of against it, and the sacred work of cultivating beauty in difficult places.

Together, they discuss:

• Prairie restoration and native ecosystems
• Gardening as a pathway to spiritual growth
• The connection between grief, suffering, and beauty
• Why limitation can actually lead to flourishing
• Monarch butterflies, milkweed, and interconnected creation
• Lessons motherhood and gardening teach about resilience
• Practical encouragement for beginner gardeners
• Learning to work with creation rather than against it
• Deep roots, belonging, and finding home in unexpected places
• The sacred work of tending beauty in everyday life

Here are the key resources, people, and organizations mentioned in the episode, along with links for listeners who want to explore further:

• Every Little Seed Magazine — The faith-centered publication where Heather first encountered Sarah’s writing, including the “Rooted” issue.
• Monarch Watch — The conservation and education program at the University of Kansas where Sarah volunteers in the Waystation garden.
• Missouri Botanical Garden — Mentioned as an excellent resource for learning about native plants and regional gardening.
• Grow Native! — A helpful native plant education resource connected to Missouri native gardening and demonstration gardens.  
• Alpine Echo — The ethically sourced art and goods company founded by Sarah Anderson, whom Sarah thanks at the end of the episode.
• George Washington Carver National Monument — Learn more about the scientist, educator, and agricultural innovator discussed in the episode.
• Master Gardener Extension Programs (Find Your Local Office) — Sarah recommends local extension offices and demo gardens as one of the best resources for beginner gardeners.
• Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Native Plant Database — A searchable native plant database similar to the type of resource Sarah references for finding plants suited to your region.
• USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map — Helpful for understanding your gardening zone, which Sarah emphasizes throughout the conversation.

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What if what you already have… is enough?

In this episode, Heather sits down with Christina Gerstner, the collector and curator behind @whitepeppervintage, to explore a radically refreshing perspective on home, consumption, and contentment.

Christina shares her journey from teacher to vintage seller, her love of thrifting and collecting, and how years immersed in secondhand culture—and social media—have reshaped her convictions about what we truly need.

Together, they unpack:

• The hidden cost of constant consumption
• Why “good enough” might actually be the goal
• How social media quietly shapes dissatisfaction
• The beauty (and practicality) of secondhand living
• Simple ways to create a home you love—without starting over

This conversation is both grounding and gently disruptive—an invitation to step out of the cycle of more and into a deeper appreciation for what already is.

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What does it look like to examine your life without becoming consumed by it?

In this episode, Heather sits down with Scott Hubbard—Managing Editor at Desiring God and lay pastor at All Peoples Church—to explore the tension between self-reflection and self-forgetfulness. Drawing from his upcoming book Examine Yourself, Forget Yourself, Scott shares his personal journey through a season of intense introspection and the slow, grace-filled path toward freedom.

Together, they discuss:

• The difference between healthy self-examination and inward spiraling
• Why Scripture calls us both to look within and look beyond ourselves
• How to move from “being stuck in the room” to walking a road that leads somewhere
• The role of community, clarity, and Christ-centered focus in understanding ourselves rightly
• Practical rhythms for writers, thinkers, and anyone seeking a more grounded inner life

This conversation is both deeply theological and refreshingly practical—offering language and vision for anyone who has ever felt trapped in their own thoughts.

• Crime and Punishment
• The Writer’s Diet
• The Book of the Dun Cow
• The Whole Christ
• Examine Yourself, Forget Yourself (Scott Hubbard’s upcoming book)

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What if the very thing you’ve walked through—the pain, the loss, the questions—is the lifeline to someone else’s hope?

In this deeply meaningful conversation, Heather sits down with Kelly Olson, founder and executive director of The Baton Pass, a community helping women move from quiet desperation to connection, healing, and hope.

Kelly shares her personal story of trauma, healing, and the moment that changed everything: hearing someone else’s testimony and realizing her story didn’t have to end in brokenness. That experience became the seed of The Baton Pass—a growing movement centered on the power of sharing stories and passing hope from one woman to another.

Together, Heather and Kelly explore:

• What “quiet desperation” really looks like (and why so many women live there)
• The difference between surviving and becoming an overcomer
• How storytelling creates healing—not just for the listener, but the teller
• Why in-person connection matters in a disconnected world
• The beautiful impact of Glimmers of Hope, a handwritten card initiative reaching women in hard seasons

This episode is an invitation: to bring your story into the light, to receive hope, and—when you’re ready—to pass it on.

Kelly Olson is the founder and executive director of The Baton Pass, a growing community dedicated to helping women connect, share their stories, and experience healing and hope. Based in the Chicagoland area, Kelly leads events, initiatives, and programs that create safe spaces for women to move from isolation to empowerment.

Resources Mentioned:

The Baton Pass website

Glimmers of Hope Initiative

Engaging your Story Course

Warrior Chicks book

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In this episode, Heather sits down with author, podcaster, Master Naturalist, and homeschooling mom Eryn Lynum for a rich conversation about wonder, rest, intentional family life, and the ways God reveals himself through creation.

Eryn reflects on how her work has evolved from writing about intentional parenting to exploring the deep connections between Scripture and the natural world. Together, Heather and Eryn talk about the idea of vital activities — those core rhythms and practices that keep our hearts, minds, bodies, and relationships well — and how those priorities can shift and deepen across different seasons of life.

They also explore the beauty of natural theology, the role of curiosity in both children and adults, and the invitation to slow down and notice the world around us. 

Resources:

A Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopold

Listen to Nat Theo wherever you stream!

Follow along on IG @erynlynumauthor

Check out all the resources that Eryn has on her site!

Don't miss the free resources mentioned!

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In this episode of Thanks for Doing That, host Heather Winchell sits down with John Murray, pediatric occupational therapist and founder of Murray Therapy in Northern Colorado. From his newly remodeled, play-filled clinic space, John shares how his four decades in OT have shaped a deeply relational, strengths-based approach to helping kids and families.

John explains what pediatric occupational therapy really is—supporting the “occupations” of childhood: being a son or daughter, sibling, friend, learner, mover, and social explorer. 

They dive into practical signs a child might benefit from OT, how modern life and screens are shaping kids’ nervous systems, and simple, powerful habits—like reading, outdoor play, and relational presence—that help children thrive. John talks about how OT looks beneath “behavior” to what’s happening in the nervous system, and why early intervention can change the trajectory not only for a child, but for the whole family system.

Books & Frameworks

• Mona Delahooke – Brain-Body Parenting: How to Stop Managing Behavior and Start Raising Joyful, Resilient Kids
  Discussed as a key resource for understanding the connection between behavior, the nervous system, and sensory processing.
• Jonathan Haidt – The Anxious Generation
  Referenced in the context of how screens, social media, and modern culture impact kids’ mental health and nervous systems.
• Patrick Lencioni – The Working Genius Framework
  Mentioned as a model for understanding different “geniuses” at work (e.g., ideation, galvanizing, tenacity) and how people complement each other on teams.
• Dr. Seuss – Oh, the Places You’ll Go!
  A favorite read-aloud in the Murray home, especially the section on “The Waiting Place,” used as a parenting tool and shared reference point with his kids.
• Hank the Cowdog series (John R. Erickson)
  Cited as part of the Murray family’s shared reading life and the stories they still reference together.
• The Immortal Irishman: The Irish Revolutionary Who Became an American Hero (Timothy Egan)
  A favorite adult read of John’s, tied to his interest in Irish history and heritage.
• Children’s Books on Feelings & Behavior
  John references a general category of picture books such as The Way I Feel / The Way I Act–type titles that help kids understand emotions and choices.

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