Welcome to February!

In January we had a theme--at least behind the scenes--of Beginnings. Was January a month of good beginnings for you? Beginning a healthy routine of self-care? Being reimagined? Or was it one of those struggle months, maybe one where you worked with faith and doubt? I know that with our different schedule of winter holidays in Slavic countries, plus sickness, plus a flu quarantine, plus a week away from home, I myself am just now starting to feel like sticking my head out of my shell and looking for a beginning. Oh, well. Like Liz reminded us, God's mercy is new every morning.

For the month ahead, many of our posts will focus on LOVE. Maybe it's a bit cliche: February, love, Valentine's Day, and such. But it's real, and love should be a foundation for all of us. Some may write about how they met their husbands, or what marriage looks like on the mission field, or any other aspect of love. I'm excited to see what comes up.

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I have a few links to share, before I leave you today:

• This older post is something I've been dwelling on lately: how does God really love me?
• And I saw that someone else had the same idea as we did; her collection of ideas is wonderful.
• This video series is speaking to my heart, as I slowly listen to it. (I had never heard of the author/speaker before just recently, and I really don't know anything about him, so my recommendation here is limited.)

So, how was your January? What are you looking forward to in February? What is God teaching you about His love these days?

*Drawing of our family, by our four-year-old son. The creature in the foreground is my pet duck.