Well, it's officially official.  I have a ring!

I wouldn't allow Ryan to officially propose until he'd gotten my dad's blessing.  The proposal wasn't anything I could have even vaguely saw coming!  We were headed out the door to take Ryan to work.  He was in his security uniform (Have Mercy!) and I was in my sweats and a tee shirt and just grunging for the day.  So when he got down on one knee to propose, I was completely caught off guard and I felt my face flushing!  But there he knelt, telling me how much he loves me and how he never dreamed God would give him the opportunity to do this again.  Then he said that he is so thankful that God brought me into his life and how thankful he is that God did.  And then he asked me if I would do him the honor of becoming his wife.

"Will you marry me?" he asked.

Ok, this is the moment in the story where I'd like to tell you that I made him wait forever and ever for an answer, but of course I didn't.  I nodded my head yes with tears in my eyes but he wouldn't take that for an answer.  He said I had to say yes.  So I said yes and then found out the news that made this special moment bittersweet.

Ryan has tried to honor my request and honor my father by asking his permission.  But my dad wouldn't talk to him and wouldn't call him back.  He's tried several times.  That news left me disappointed in my dad.  But knowing that this is the man God has called me to minister with, I can't let my dad's stubbornness have an effect on my life.  So Thanksgiving day we're letting my folks know that we're getting married and Ryan is then going to ask my dad to honor the both of us by walking me down the aisle on our wedding day.  But thinking that this possibly not might happen is what makes the tears well up in my eyes.  I mean, you have a dream when you're a little girl of what your wedding day is supposed to look like.  I didn't have a wedding at all the first time around.  But knowing this is my last time getting married because this is the man I've been waiting for as a helpmeet my entire 30 years of life, I want it to be special.  But, as is the norm for me, I'm telling my Heavenly Father about this hurt, and I trust that He'll work this out or bring another man into the picture that will do me this honor.

In the meantime, I'm watching my soon-to-be husband grow more and more every day in the Lord.  I'm amazed that he's become such a strong man of God!  I never thought I'd be marrying a Preacher, and yet here I am.  We started counseling last week, which at first felt like we were going to sit in the Principal's office at school.  I am so thankful for our Spiritual Father (our Pastor) who is taking the time to make certain our marriage will be based on a solid foundation. 

And ya know....when I met Ryan in February of this year, I had no idea of the love story God was going to write for us and how fast He would bring us together to further the work of the Kindom.  I'm still amazed.