Are you heartbroken? Fearful for this child whose path to life started out in such a backwards way? That’s how I felt when I first heard Trisha’s story, which you may remember from my recent letter.

Trisha was abused, abandoned and introduced to drugs at a very young age. From a worldly perspective she had no hope. She was destined to follow the same path as her mother. She was destined to be a drug addict and abandon her children.

But God doesn’t follow the world, and his plan transforms our culture’s view of “destiny.”  Trisha experienced God’s plan firsthand when she came to Shepherd’s Gate. By God’s grace, she was able to flee her past — the abandonment, the addiction, and several abusive boyfriends — and set her eyes on the future God intended for her: to be a loving, caring mother.

Transformations like this happen every day at Shepherd’s Gate. And it’s all thanks to the grace of our Lord and the support and prayers of caring people like you.

This Mother’s Day, Trisha is celebrating her new life — and the life she and her two sons are now living. She is free from her past and living God’s way. And today, you have the opportunity to celebrate with her and all the mothers and children here at Shepherd’s Gate.

When you make a special Mother’s Day gift to Shepherd’s Gate you are showing you know that there is hope. Life can be different for desperate women and their children, because with God all things are possible.

Thank you for all you do for the families here.

Steve McRee, Executive Director

Some women are separated from their children. Some children are missing the home they used to know. And others are just heartsick because they’ve been struggling for such a long time. Their bad experiences haven’t quite “let go” of their hearts yet.

But God is at work. God is always at work.

Please pray with me that women and children here would truly feel loved this Easter — that they would be reminded of their great worth in the eyes of God. For so many, it’s a new realization of how much God values them that begins their healing. Thank you for caring about the precious people, and for praying. May you have a blessed Easter!

But Easter still matters. Because the same Christ who conquered death and sin is alive and well and very present in our lives today!

I see it every day in the lives of the women and children here. Some of the women here come from situations that would make you and I shudder. They walk through our doors broken, ashamed and so deeply wounded . . . if you didn’t know what kind of change happens here, you’d think that maybe some of these women are beyond healing, or even beyond redemption.

It would have been easy to think about Marilyn* that way. After tremendous losses in her childhood, she was introduced to drugs as a young girl. She spent years under the oppression of drug addiction. Even she felt like she was doomed to live a life controlled by drugs.

But God doesn’t give up that easily, and neither do we. After decades of drug use, she has now been sober for over a year . . . it’s truly a miracle. And we know the miracles will continue to unfold as she trusts God for her future and for her healing.

If that doesn’t say “Easter resurrection” I don’t know what does! Praise God for His continued work in our lives today.

What about you? What examples do you see of Easter hope in your life today? I love hearing from our friends and supporters — please feel free to share in the comments section below.

When you add up all the paper products we go through, it’s quite astounding. Paper napkins, paper towels, office paper and, of course, toilet paper are all necessary items for day-to-day life for the women and children we care for.

Lately our stock of paper goods has been running low, so we’re putting on an “All Things Paper Drive” throughout the month of April.

The next time you are at the store, please pick up an extra package or two and drop them off at either one of our offices (605 Sycamore Ave. in Brentwood or 1660 Portola Ave. in Livermore).

We’ll be accepting all types of paper products Monday through Thursday, from 9:30am to 4:30pm. Please tell your family and friends, coworkers and church family that we need their help!

The paper drive runs from April 1 through April 30. Call us at 925-443-GATE (4283) for more information.

Mark your calendars —

While on the tour, you will:

—Connect with other people who are passionate about the mission of Shepherd’s Gate

—Learn how your support helps women and children build a new life

—Be able to ask questions

—See opportunities to get involved with your gifts and talents to make a difference!

Campus Tour Dates and Times:

Livermore: 3^rd Tuesday of every month at either 10:30 am or 6 pm

And while you’re marking your calendar to take a tour, mark another few dates for our Open Houses for 2012.

Brentwood: Open House and BBQ on May 20^th from 1pm – 3 pm

Livermore: Open House and BBQ on June 10^th from 1pm – 3 pm

We’ll see you there!

The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever.” — Isaiah 32:17 (New International Version)

What a powerful promise — and a timely one. We live in challenging days, and with so much chaos all around us, quietness and confidence can seem hard to come by.

But when we line up our priorities with God’s, our lives begin to fall in place like they should.

I see it all the time in the lives of women who are living at Shepherd’s Gate. When many of them first come to us, their lives are just a mess. Many of them have experienced severe trauma in their lives, and they’ve been frantically struggling just to make it through each day. There’s not much peace, and very little confidence.

But as God begins working in their hearts, an amazing transformation takes place. As they start to heal, they become comfortable in their own skin. Their self-esteem begins to be built back up as they understand — most of them for the first time — how God sees them and loves them.

It’s true in my own life as well — I’m so thankful that God is faithful to bring peace to our hearts as we live His way! Does this verse strike a chord with you? What are some ways you’ve found quietness and confidence in your life? Please share in the comments section below — I love hearing from you!

Well it’s here- Monday, I am living in my sister’s van this week and I am wondering again why in the world I thought I could do this? I once told my teacher all I wanted in life was a big house and lots of clothes and to be a police officer/ballerina. Of course I grew out of that desire, but I still like shelter that you can’t drive and clothing that can hang in a closet, neither of which I will have this week. (And don’t even ask about the police officer/ballerina career I was planning, I was ahead of my time with the dancing law-enforcement, I think criminals would be a lot more cooperative and less violent if they were apprehended by dancing cops.)

During the daytime I completely forgot that I am doing this and cannot go home, but reality set in as one by one my co-workers said “Goodnight” and now it’s just me here in the office. Again, I am trying to be in a mind-set of someone who does not have the choice to live this way and who doesn’t have a deadline of when it will end, like I do.

Well keep me in your thoughts tonight as you curl up in your bed and maybe watch some tv and fall asleep.