Hello, everyone, and welcome to the Graceology with Gwen Smith podcast. I'm Gwen Smith, and I am so glad you've joined me today.

Around here, we have fun, faith-focused, grace-filled conversations, all to help you know and trust God more.

Our discussions are honest, often humorous, and always practical, and they're

going to encourage you in meaningful ways to live out and lean on the grace of Jesus in the midst

of cluttered messy days. You got any of those? I know I do, and I can't wait to get to today's

conversation, which is all about creating a space where

everyone belongs. There are definitely times when the Lord allows us to venture into unexpected

places on our own, but then there are times when he takes us by the hand and leads us down paths

that we never expected to walk, let alone never even knew we wanted.

That's the case with today's guest on the Graceology Show. Her name is Heather Avis, and she's got a

very popular Instagram community over at The Lucky Few. Heather's an author, speaker, podcaster,

wife, and mom to three very cool adopted kids. Two with Down syndrome and one

with a different ethnicity. And she joins me for an insightful and valuable conversation

about her new book, Scoot over and Make Some Room. In a world of divisions and margins, those

who act, look, and grow a little differently are all too often shoved aside.

In society, as well as in the church, we tend to stick with what we know and gravitate toward

people and conversations that are comfortable, similar, and familiar. Today's episode invites us

all into a bigger picture, one that reflects the full spectrum of humanity, echoes the great commission, and celebrates each life as valuable and designed by God in his image.

Because when you and I open our lives to the wild beauty of every unique individual, we'll discover our own colorful souls and the extraordinary abundant

heart of God.

Hello, Heather. Welcome to the Graceology podcast. Hi. Thank you for having me. So happy to be here.

I'm excited to have you. As you know, around here, we start off every conversation with what's called a fast fun favorites round because I love to get to know my guests in a just a fun girlfriendy casual kind of way. So you ready for this? I'm a little nervous, but yes, I'm ready. We'll be tame, I

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