Make room in your heart.

Happy Valentine's Day!! I've never been a great big fan of the day - I feel like we should be celebrating our love all the time everyday in real ways that matter...flowers and chocolates are beautiful and yummy, but they don't really define LOVE...the kind of love that gets you through the day, or a year in Australia, or an emotional time in life, a deployment, the birth of a child, a trip to the ER, digging playdoh out of a nose....REAL LOVE!!

The special places in my heart seem to grow every year, filled with new people, new stories, new joys and sorrows, new burdens and new victories. There are days when I feel overwhelmed by all this heart growth - I am not sure I can stand it to be any bigger. Then I think back to something that my Mentor Mom challenged me with last year. She said, "get ready to make room in your heart for the lives and challenges that await you in El Paso."

Make room in my heart??? Really??? I'll need a new chest cavity I think......

I love my Mentor Mom. She speaks to me with the kind of love and wisdom I need, the kind of honesty that helps me in so many areas of my life, the kind of tone that loves and hugs me even over the phone. She's not my real mom, but I've made room for her in my heart and I'm so glad my heart stretched in a way that she fits so perfectly. I'm so glad that I made the choice to make room for her.

I didn't want to go to Australia at first, and yet, making room in my heart for my Aussie friends has forever changed me. It's given our whole family a taste of eternity, fellowshipping with those who love you simply because you belong to the family of God. They new we would leave and they loved us anyway....what a precious gift!! That place in my heart hurts a bit at the moment, but is filling over with a love that brings us all joy.

With every move, we all have to make room in our hearts - and I'm finding that with time, and forethought (and an extra dose of God's Grace) we are doing that here in El Paso. Finding a spot in our hearts for our new home is easy with friends here waiting.























After two months here, we are moving in, unpacking, reorganizing, find new places for old things and new places for new things. We are starting new routines, We are learning new things, we are working hard....and we are tired. But this time, purposefully, we are carving out an empty space and we are getting ready to fill it with El Paso! Thank You Lord for wisdom that comes with time and experience. There was wasted time in Australia because we hadn't made room in our hearts to be there...well, we won't make that mistake twice. So, we've dusted out a new space, some room in our hearts for what is waiting for us here.

Here's Lily making room for learning!!



















Emma is making room for Kindergarten and new friends.

John and I are making room for new volunteer opportunities and service opportunities in our great big Army!! We are making room for the Christian friends and family that God has ready for us to love and serve with. We are making more room for each other and for our marriage!!

It's a squeeze and it'll take some growing, but we've made room in our heart.
Happy Valentine's Day!!