February.

If you've been reading here for any length of time, you likely know that February is a big deal 'round these parts.  Here in the United States, the entire month is designated as "American Heart Month" and the 7th through the 14th is set aside to focus on Congenital Heart Defects (CHDs).  If you are new to Signs of Life, I would encourage you to check out the sidebar links and learn about our family's journey with CHDs.

Personally, this February will be a bit different for me than in the past.  In just over two weeks, I will be on my way to India.  As I am preparing my heart and mind for what the last eight days of February will hold, I will be making an effort to scale back my time spent on social media sites.  I don't have any posts prepared for this space, but I will be participating in a daily photo challenge on Facebook and Instagram from the 7th through the 14th.  Feel free to follow along there, and even participate if you're up for the challenge!

via The Corbin Story

So, for my first (and likely only) post for the month, I'd like to ask two things of you:

1.  Pray.  Please be in prayer for our team as we head out to India in a couple of weeks.  A slow ache is creeping into my mama heart as I think about leaving my family for ten days.  Ethan is healthy, and I am immensely thankful for that, but all this awareness also has the tendency to spotlight the vulnerability of our kids' health.  Pray for us, please!

2.  Do.  Pick one thing to do this month in the name of Congenital Heart Defects, and tell someone why you're doing it.  Donate blood.  Wear red on Friday, February 7th.  Tell a pregnant friend about pulse oximetry screening.  A simple act can go a long way.

Happy February, friends.  Love each other well -- this month and the ten to follow.