Meet Pup!

We are happy to announce that today we have a new addition to our soon to be family!  His name is Milo and he is a 10 1/2 week old toy Yorkie!  My dad got him as a birthday gift for me (which is next Saturday).  He is sweet, timid and a little pup of joy! I can't wait for everyone to meet him! Here are some pictures from the busy and exciting day:

First time holding him!

riding home!

(after a fresh haircut, nails done, and some new clothes!)

playing at home!

tired after a long day of exciting new things!

~soon-to-be Mrs. Duffy

For anyone interested: Here is who we went to for Milo.  She is a single woman and all she does is breed Yorkies and shows them.  It is truly a great place to get a pup from! [http://www.yorkiesyorkiesyorkies.com/]

Two More Weeks

It is a blessing to be able to wake up early and study the Scriptures. I opened the Scriptures to Psalm 37 and read it several times during this quiet Saturday morning.  It was like a breathe of fresh air. God knew just what I needed during this whirlwind of wedding planning.  Psalm 37 is filled with so many little reminds that are all too often forgotten.  Here are some of those reminders:

"Trust in the LORD, and do good." 

verse 3

"Delight yourself in the LORD,

and he will give you the desires of your heart."

verse 4

"Commit yourself to the LORD;

trust in him, and he will act."

verse 5

"Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him."

verse 7

"The steps of a man are established by the LORD,

when he delights in his way;

though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong,

for the LORD upholds his hand."

verses 23-24

"The salvation of the righteous is from the LORD;

he is their stronghold in the time of trouble.

The LORD helps them and delivers them;

he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,

because they take refuge in him."

verses 39-40

What we are doing now: Ryan returned to Cleveland yesterday after spending the week in Chicago at Moody's Pastor's Conference with Pastor Green.  He jumped right back into working on carpentry for the final week.  He will be heading out here on Sunday, June 2nd for the final home stretch of the wedding planning!  I will be going out with my dad to pick out a puppy for Ryan and I.  The two pups that I previously posted about did not work out, so we were back to square one.  With a little patience, my dad was able to find the dog of my dreams and we are finally getting him today!! I will post about him later if I can pull myself away from him for a few moments!

~ soon-to-be Mrs. Duffy

Graduation Weekend!

Well, we finally did it!  Ryan and I had the privilege of graduating on Saturday, May 11, 2013 from Baptist Bible College.  I managed to cry several times throughout graduation day, most of which was being reminded of how faithful God has been throughout my 4 years at BBC.  Right in the middle of my schooling I went through a whirlwind of change in my course in life.  I was 98 percent sure that I was not going to go back to BBC to complete my Junior year after these circumstances.  But my dad texted me this verse on morning:

Psalm 138:8

"The LORD will fulfill His purpose for me;

Your steadfast love, O LORD, endures forever.

Do not forsake the work of your hands."

It was that day that I knew God had a plan for my life and that being at BBC would best equip me for this plan.  If I hadn't stayed, I wouldn't have met Ryan, or gone to Africa, or been Biblically grounded.  This is the verse that I had tattooed onto my back as a reminder.  I also decorated my graduation cap with that verse as well as a little bit from the movie UP.  We are beyond grateful for the impact that BBC, it's students and staff have made on our lives.

What we are doing now: I have settled in back home and have begun planning for the wedding (seriously this time).  Ryan is out in Cleveland working for his brother doing carpentry which I am extremely grateful for.  These next 22 days of being apart are going to be the toughest of our relationship thus far.  We haven't been apart for this long since last summer.  I am hoping that the busyness of planning the wedding and playing with the pup (which I still need to pick up) will help distract me.  It won't be long until we are together once again.

~ soon-to-be Mrs. Duffy

A Whirlwind Weekend

This past weekend Ryan and I took a short-notice trip out to Cleveland.  The things that had been questions to us where answered during this weekend.  One of the questions was whether or not I would have a job.  In the earlier post I has informed you all that I was told about a Kindergarten and First Grade teaching position in a Christian School in Cleveland.  I had no plans on getting a job right out of college, especially in a place where no one knew me.  But God knew otherwise.

I was called on April 25th to come out for an interview before we got married.  That meant that this past weekend was the only time I was available.  So on Thursday night we made our way to Cleveland.  I had my meeting of the staff and students followed by my interview that I had never wanted to end.  The school administrator asked me on the spot at the end of the interview if I could come back and meet the board. Although I was aiming for the Kindergarten position, I am happy to say that I will be teaching First Grade! We are both blessed with jobs that will help us start off financially on the right foot.

After the interview Friday and on Saturday we went apartment hunting.  We found two that we loved, but are still deciding what will be best for our budget, the first year, driving, and so on.  Ryan will be going home next week to check out some more and we will decide then.  Please continue to pray that God would allow us to find our first home.

One of the factors that is also postponing our housing decision is the choice to have or not have dogs.  If you know me, you would know that I have always had a pet, my first job was at a zoo, and my dream job since I was 7 was to be a Zoologist.  Well, with Ryan working 6 days a week and me being home all summer in a town that I do not know, I set out on a quest to find puppies.  And with great success, I am proud to show you the pictures of our puppies, Milo and Cocoa!  I will be picking them up next Monday when I am finally home from college.

On Saturday, Ryan and I will be walking across the stage and will be graduates from Baptist Bible College.  The big changes are beginning to come.  Please continue to pray for God's guidance in our lives.

~ soon-to-be Mrs. Duffy