Christ enter here….hear our cries….make us whole!

If there was ever a time we needed to hear the message of comfort and rescue….the Christmas message…..it is now that our country is experiencing a loss as a greater community in the aftermath of the senseless killings of innocents in Newtown, Connecticut.

I am not surprised that a message prepared before we had ever heard about Sandy Hook, is so perfect and needed at this Christmas time.  That is because the message of transcendent love found in the person of Jesus is timeless and relevant in all times and in all circumstances to all people of all ages.  Today and always…we need to hear the Word that saves and is near.

Come on Christmas eve to hear about how there is a space in us…an emptiness that needs to be filled by Jesus for us to be truly whole.  Especially in times when we have experienced loss as we have experienced in these days.  I would dare to wonder who among us was spared the deep pain and probably most, if not all of us, have shed real tears of loss as we heard about the tragedy in Newtown.

Jesus has something to say about that loss or emptiness this Christmas.  Come hear. Come find out what the message of Christ offers.  Come and experience a love that heals and is present in all of our struggles and pain.

There is joy.  It is real.  It has a name and is called Jesus! We all approach Jesus as a child and Him as a Father.  In his embrace, our questions are replaced by His comforting presence.  It is enough.

Christmas Eve at 4pm and 6pm(candlelight) here at Concordia. Join us.

Still enjoying a milestone…..

Andres is 25.  We still have the birthday celebration to enjoy. Just this week I met a new friend who works with a community foundation and we were talking about the joys of raising children especially as they become young adults.  I was mentioning sharing a vision … really a prayer … that you have with your children.  I talked about this little book I put together for Andres when he hit the first “no longer a child” milestone…..18!  It is entitled:  The Man I Hope You Become.  I have also shared some things recently with a friend who is raising three little boys.  I hadn’t remembered that I had written about this little book on my blog until I looked back and here it was.  In the original post I included some photos using RockYou which no longer exists so I just shot a short video to accompany the post.  Enjoy it HERE:

https://melissasalomon.wordpress.com/2007/10/29/here-it-is-amy/

Such a blessing….

Today my sweet son turns 25. What a joy to see him become a man who seeks God’s heart. It has been my continuous prayer. I look back to what a blessing it has been to be his mother and i look forward w great expectation to how he will bless

 his generation through his giftedness yielded to God’s purposes. I love you my sweet baby boy! (Photo at his senior recital/worship concert on oct 19–such a great night seeing his hard work come to fruition and seeing him so enjoy and get lost in the experience of singing and playing to honor God.)

Love.Serve.Bless.Be Blessed.

I was so glad to run into my friend, my community coordinator counterpart at our local ChickfilA. She invited me to be part of a special blessing to homeless in San Diego in a partnership with Concordia/ChickfilA/UPS.  We gathered at the Chickfila to load up about 100 donated box lunches and pray together as a team of about 10.  Our volunteers were mostly from the new EDGE service.

We headed downtown.  It was raining.

We stopped where we saw people huddled or under their makeshift plastic tarp “tents”  Some blessed us.  Others asked us where we came from and when we said Concordia church, one man said, “I won’t forget Concordia! Thank you”  We served people in tents, people in plastic sleeping bags already tucked away on the sidewalk ready to rest, timid children, people young and old alike.  Most were delighted for a hot ChickfilA meal.  A very few greetings weren’t friendly. One woman screamed at one of our volunteers named Jesus to “stay away, church boy.”  We blessed her anyway.

In the rain, one shivering gentleman asked if we had a long sleeved sweater.  He was wet and cold.  Our volunteer Jesus without missing a beat, got his jacket out of the car and gifted the man with it.

We served. We blessed.  But the greater blessing came to us as we saw how small offerings of love created a divine moment of grace.

It was a privilege.