here i start....

so this is the beginning. of something i hope that will prove to help me get going.
Get going on what, you ask? Well, I will tell you, since you asked.

Recently I took a class at church about Spiritual gifts. Spiritual gifts are things that a person is talented at and that they use to help others. (Usually used for others benefits and not themselves.) This is really important, because Spiritual gifts are different than natural talents.

Well, ultimately what we realized, as I went through the course, is that I have a heart for hurting people, and I desire to care for them. This would generally consist of doing things to help people with physical, spiritual, and emotional needs.
This seems so very much a wide and huge category-- but i realized that the person group I really cared about... had a burden for... where the homeless of the Rochester area.
Apparently, the Rochester subway system (now defunct) is where many homeless people reside and live in the winter. This would explain why I never see them in the streets of downtown. (It is also possible that I don't go into the city often enough to see them.)
It hurts my heart to think of these people, the pain they must experience -- the horror, the difficulty.... It makes me weep in my heart.

I am also an avid knitter. I love the feeling of yarn in my fingers, and needles clamped in my hands. My strongest Spiritual gift came up as Craftsmanship.
So, in talking to others, and thinking myself, I wondered and began dreaming about a ministry that would knit things for the homeless people. Things like scarves, hats, mittens, gloves, and sweaters. I would like to expand the ministry to go further, but I think that knitting intended to give the homeless warmth, will be the easiest (and most readily acessible) way for the time being. Additionally, I think all the items made need to be out of wool. Simply because it is an incredibly warm item. I know that there may be allergies, but I am not sure that that is really a concern for the homeless people. I will definately do some investigation before I make that a rule, however.
I am thinking about a lot of things we can do...
I want to start a shawl ministry too.
I am excited.

On Wednesday night I meet with Kathy, my coach. She is