Monday, December 17, 2012

Plans Unknown

I am amazed by how our God works!  To say He works in mysterious ways...seems like an understatement when you can look back and actually see where and how He was working.  Ways that you never would have seen coming.  That you couldn't have planned.  I am amazed, in awe, and cannot wait to see what else the Lord has in store for us!

So, by now you know that I have longed to adopt, for years and years, but you might not know that the time for us to turn in our application...is just WEEKS away!  We started fundraising in November for our Application Fee, knowing that once we raised the money we would submit our application.  What we didn't realize is that it would only take 3 weeks to raise that money (and praise the Lord we are now on our way to raising money for our future Home Study, after Baby Seals #2 is born this May)!  Which put us in the busyness of Christmas, us packing to move, finalizing things for buying our first home...so we decided we will submit it in January.  Let's back track for just a moment:

Back in 2004, the ministry I was involved in on campus, The House, was sending out 7 mission trips during spring break.  One of those was to New York.  That is where I wanted to go.  I love the city and wanted to serve the homeless there.  My mom, however, after looking over the locations, told me she thought I should go to Romania to work in the orphanages and with street children (I would have kept my daughter IN the country and not shipped her across the ocean, but the Lord was quietly working in her heart without her even knowing it).  She told me, 'I bet God can teach you a lot through a trip like that.'  I bet she had no idea, nor could she imagine, what would happen while in Romania.  My first day in the baby orphanage, while holding a baby, I knew...I just knew...I was supposed to adopt.  God had called me to adopt.  No idea when, or where, but that seed was planted, one of His callings on my life was now known to me, and my heart has been exploding since.

Fast forward to 2011, I'm pregnant with my first child, and I want to buy EVERY. SINGLE. BEANIE that I see.  But that could get pretty expensive, fast!  I decided I'd learn how to crochet.  Make some beanies for other women in my life having children, make several for my unborn child, and then start selling some to bring in a little extra cash.  Only God knew that about 20+ months later, I would be crocheting beanies to raise money for our adoption.

I know the Lord has planned my days.  I know He knit me together in my mother's womb, and I know He knows me better than I will ever know myself.  Still, I stand amazed in His presence when I look back through my life and see how one thing leads to another through no direction of my own but by His gentle guiding, calling, and grace.  I look forward to see what He uses next from my past to bring hope to our family's future!

If you would like to order a beanie from us (visit me on my facebook page, Moments Sealed), or just make a donation towards the Seals' Adoption Fund, please click the donation button to the top right of this page :)

Monday, December 3, 2012

Busy Anticipation

I know, I know, I don't post on here enough!  While keeping up with my pregnancy blog, and Roman, this blog has been put on the back burner, which is ridiculous!  Whew, I have been busy lately!  Busy crocheting that is, because our fundraising for adoption is off to a great start via me crocheting beanies.  We will be submitting our application in January, and after such a long time desiring this, I am thrilled that the Lord has brought us to this moment.

Who knew that when I started crocheting beanies while pregnant with Roman (because I wanted every beanie that I saw, and lets face it....no one can afford that!  haha) that it would lead to not only keeping his head warm but raising money to bring our children home!  I will tell you Who knew!  The Lord.  God is sovereign over everything and His plans...they are to bring a hope and a future...and that little desire to crochet beanies for my unborn baby that He put in my heart nearly 2 1/2 years ago...is bringing a hope and a future to our family, in so many ways.  Praise God!  His ways are so perfect.

We are closing on a house the end of this month.  We are 16 weeks pregnant.  We are starting the adoption process.  We are busy, but not so busy to see where God is at work, to recognize our need for Him, and to rejoice through our tiredness and excitement.