Love, The Duffeys

Greetings Dear Friend: God has been so faithful to us, answering so many of our prayers just like we asked.  There is an army praying on our behalf, and we don't take it lightly that so many would petition the Father to bless our family.  For that, we are so grateful and find comfort through the love of our brothers and sisters all around us. It's so hard to believe that it's been three weeks since surgery.  God has worked wonders in just a short time, and I have been so blessed to have a front row seat to the work of the Great Physician.  Surgery day was so long.  We were at the hospital at 6:45am.  I remember being so overwhelmed as I passed Justin off to the neurosurgeon at 9am.  I had done my part.  I had kept the appointments, administered the meds, driven the car to new places, made the arrangements, answered the calls, waited in the rooms, planned for the family, answered the questions.  Now, it was time for the neurosurgeon to do his ...

 Greetings Dear Friend: "How are you doing?" This is a question we have been receiving a lot lately.  It's really hard to answer this question.  We are hanging in there.  We have had appointments and meetings every week since the tumor diagnosis.  We have been overrun with information. We have felt overwhelmed by blessings.  We have received so much love and support.  We have had no choice but to be humbled.  We are also going about business as usual.  Justin hasn't missed a day of work.  I continue to tend to the home while perfecting my new job of chauffeuring.  We have had to confront hard realities.  We have had tough conversations.  We have also had fun. We have laughed.  We have loved.  We have lived.  The interesting thing is that there are moments of pure bliss and then there are moments of fear.  We are human, but we are resilient.  We are weary, but we are hopeful. At 9am in the morn...

Greetings Dear Friend: We started our third official homeschooling year last Monday.  We welcomed a kindergartener and a second grader to the Duffey Schoolhouse this year.  Our home offers an education in life, not just academics.  Before our kids were born, God led Justin and I to cross paths with a homeschooling family that we just fell in love with.  Two sweet little girls captured our hearts, exuding the fruits of the spirit at such a young age.  I remember telling their mom after Barrett was about a year old that I couldn't teach my son.  I wasn't qualified.  She encouraged me that surely I could.  I had been teaching him all along...to eat, to walk, to pray, to be gentle.  In that instant, the seed was planted.  All these years later, I can't imagine spending my days any other way. Through the first few years of parenting, I did a lot of soul searching.  What did I want my kids' childhood to look like?  What did I want pa...