Grace and Grit

I had the privilege of working Christmas Eve and Christmas morning at the shelter last week. Rather than switch shifts out Sunday at 7am like we managers usually do, we decided to wait until 9am so that the early morning craziness would be over and the transition would be easier. I had mixed feelings at first when I saw my schedule would fall on Christmas eve and morning. Christmas is one of those holidays that is full of tradition. Christmas Eve was always (ALWAYS) spent with my mom's side of the family at my Grandma's house. It is my favorite gathering of the season. Singing carols, opening gifts, eating Mexican food...ahh the song "Tradition" from Fiddler on the Roof comes to mind. :-) My cousin Kim and I have a running tradition of filling an old pringle can with mementos and notes each year as a make-shift mini time capsule. It's a great opportunity to catch up on the extended family's lives and encourage each other. Not to be a part of that, among other...

Personally, Christmas is my favorite holiday and I love that the season seems to stretch from Thanksgiving to New Years. The longer the better! I'm always the last one to throw out the tree. :-) I've already spent weeks listening to Christmas songs and developing a strategy of how best to string up my lights. But for many of the women and children that enter The Sheepfold's doors Christmas has not been something they have looked forward to each year. Christmas has been just another day to feel alone, neglected, wounded, and broken. Last Saturday a group of 5 adults came to the shelter for a couple hours. That's not unusual as there are frequent volunteers and interns who sacrifice their time to invest in the lives of our moms and their children. But this group brought a little something extra with their hearts full of love. They brought our house a live Christmas tree, lights, a cake, carols, and the Christmas story. They spent their time jumping right in and ...

I have a story to share with you. My first Sunday as a house manager was a couple weeks ago. The plan was to go to church, stop at a park for lunch, go to a carnival hosted by the Anaheim Fire Dept (they gave us tickets), and then pick up pizza on the way home for dinner as a special treat. Quite an unusually busy day for the weekend, but one that everyone was looking forward to. In order to prepare for this long day we had to cancel a Sunday evening pick-up. Every Sunday without fail a local restaurant in Brea donates all their leftover food at the end of their Sunday brunch. This food is a wonderful gift that is usually worth hundreds of dollars and provides meals and partial meals throughout the week. It is such a blessing to receive this! Our fridges and freezers are usually filled to the brim by the time Monday rolls around. Every once in awhile we are unable to make our usual pick-up due to events or sickness. This was that kind of situation and we had no problem cancelling the ...

This blog is the beginning of my journey in Grace and Grit. Follow me as I begin this new chapter of my life! For  I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you  gave me drink,  I was a stranger and you welcomed me,  I was naked and you clothed me,  I was sick and you  visited me,  I was in prison and you came to me.'   Then the righteous will answer him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink?   And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you?   And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?'   And  the King will answer them,  'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these  my brothers and sisters you did it to me.' - Matthew 25:31-40 It's finally here! I am officially a shelter house manager and tomorrow begins my first day of full-time service with The Sheepfold. The keys to the house are in my p...