The Beginning

I would like to begin here by letting everyone know the purpose of this new blog. I began quite a few years ago to craft to help babies in need. I'm a mother of ten children and a grandmother to many more. I love life and I love my family. Most of all, I love God. He is the one who created me and in that creation gifted me with the ability to crochet and to knit. I also sew.
  After a major crisis in my own life with my family, going back to college to get my A.A. degree in Liberal Arts, working as a Librarian technician, having transferred to a state college to complete a B.A. and go on for my teaching credential ; my body just gave out on me. I was in my late forties and I felt helpless. I had just spent eight days in a hospital. My family still depended on me to keep things going. I could not stand alone, I could not walk without the aid of a walker and I was on way too many medications. I knew I was not going to finish up my college work in that condition. I also knew that I needed to move and change the environment I was in. So I contacted one of my older sons and he and his wife helped me move my things and my youngest daughter up into Northern California near him. I remember in prayer before actually moving..I asked God, where am I going to move? Is there a place still for me? My frame of mind then was that I was useless. One day I was sort of daydreaming..resting my mind and I saw me rocking in my rocker in a white room with beautiful forest green carpet. It was peaceful and I knew I belonged there. Dream over I had to find a place to live through my son/wife. I could not go look at places to live.Then I got a phone call from my daughter in law. "Mom! We found your little house!," I was surprised to say the least.. Ok, my criteria was two bedrooms, living room, bathroom, and a kitchen..I did not want an apartment. I wanted a little house or cottage. To make it harder I needed a place to have two indoor kitties and I could not have more then one or two stairs..a ramp would have been perfect. My daughter in law said..Its exactly what you want..its the right rent and after talking with the landlord I was able to rent this..Not long after came our moving day.
 On moving day.I had to depend on my family to pack and move me and my youngest daughter. I had to lay almost flat traveling to my new home. When we arrived, with help I got out of the car and was helped inside so I could see my new home. I was amused that the ceiling in the kitchen was so low..it was like a little hobbit house..I kept thinking in the back of my mind, its His humor in this..After everything was moved in and I could relax I kept thinking wow! This was all TOO easy..Getting a place in California at the rent I needed, and with the particulars I had is NOT that easy..In fact, sometimes its nearly impossible. On the back of my mind I was thinking..this is nice but NOW what? Two weeks after I moved, I was able to walk slowly around the little house without the walker. I was able to wean myself off strong medications that made my mind slow and foggy..And then one afternoon I was sitting in my rocker and that daydream came back to me.. I was actually sitting in that very same rocker in my living room with white walls and....forest green carpet..Now if you have ever rented before..you know that is REALLY uncommon. I was astounded..only He knew my prayer and knew what I was thinking..and that daydream..oh my! 
 Then not even a month later I was talking to one of my son's still living in the area where I had just moved from. I teasingly said to him, " You should pack up your computer and bring it up here to I can communicate with you down there." I could hear how astonished his voice was..he said, "mom how did you know?" I said "what?" He said, I'm bringing it to you this weekend! wow! I didn't know.. I had although just asked God, "What use am I now?" I can't work..I can barely get a meal and walking is just really hard for me."  Right after my son brought up the computer and set it up, I got online for the first time. Two ladies found me and contacted through my yahoo email and asked me if I could crochet or knit..I had done a little of both but did not feel qualified to do anything...They invited me into a group that did charity crafting. It was sooo sudden, I was blown away.!  I started to make things for newborns and preemies..They taught me online and on the phone. The group members were like sisters I had never met..they encouraged me, and helped me learn. 
This was the beginning of how I came to craft for those in need. Let me tell you, if you ask Him something in prayer..He DOES answer! He usually did so in so many surprising ways.. Sometimes I would be talking to one of my new friends and in something they said to me, was the answer to what I asked Him in prayer. 

This has been a long beginning story, but I believe its important to have some background information to understand where I'm coming from. During that crisis in the beginning of this blog I had lived in East Oakland, California for 18 yrs. I learned what a ghetto was. I had moved into Berkeley and lived there 6 yrs coming out of my family crisis..I learned a lot of life's lessons in all of this..but God was about to show me soo much more. 
Tomorrow, I will tell you how I started an online crafting group of my own.. I would like to share with you my journey, my ministry, my love of crocheting and knitting, my family, patterns, and just life in general. I would love to have feedback and I would love it if you also shared your love and compassion to help others in need. 

Love in Christ, Leslee