Home.

There is a difference between having a house, and having a home.  A house is a building that is purchased and occupied.  A home is a sanctuary of love, family, fellowship, and peace.  I've been thinking a lot about the idea of what "home" really is lately.  Mostly because ours is currently up for sale, which is causing me to look around more and appreciate the familiarity and comfort of the home we have created the last three years.  The feeling of "home" is something that will elude me for this next season of my life.  When our house sells, we'll be living in a transitional apartment, and after that moving to another country.  How long will it take for either of those places to feel like home for me? Will they ever?  Do I really believe and live by what I've always said, "Josh's arms are my home, wherever we are together, is home."  Oh I hope that it will be that simple!  This is something I've been pondering, and in that pondering I find myself clinging to the home-y-ness of the nest we have built together.

Home is: where our cute puppy lives.

Home is: owning every inch of a place, and doing what we want with it.  For example, Josh rollerblading in the unfinished basement and letting Buddy chase him.

Home is: Putting on comfy clothes and cuddling all night with Buddy, being refreshed and resting.

Home is: decorating our temporary mini-bedroom with balloons that each have different reasons why I love Josh on them, and red lights to make the room glow.

 Home is: taping a handmade poster on the bedroom closet. Shmily stands for "See How Much I Love You". I hung this poster on the back wall of Impact (under the tech booth) on a Sunday morning for Josh to see while he was speaking. He enjoyed the surprise (even if it almost made him lose his train of thought) and we kept it to remember that moment.

Home is: 'Shmily' sticky notes all over the house. 

What is your idea of home?  What is it about the place that you live that makes it feel like home?