I want to wish everyone a happy and blessed Fourth of July. It seems that Fourth of July is as much a celebration of family and friendship, as it is a celebration of independence. Gathering with friends and family to eat and watch the heavens light up with brilliant colors is a rare occasion in our lives. May your Fourth of July be filled with fond relations, Bar-B-Q’s and many brilliant, colorful lights bursting, displacing the darkness of night. When I was young, I remember driving with my family and neighbors to an empty lot overlooking much of the southern part of San Diego. This was back in the mid to early 1960’s. Below us, and about a mile and a half off, was a park. This park had a fireworks display and it seems that the fireworks they shot off, were aimed at us!! It was truly awesome!! But more than the closeness of exploding fireworks, was the feeling of belonging, being loved and being of value and worth. Those feelings were reinforced not just by my parents, but by their friends and the neighborhood parents. And these feelings weren’t reinforced for just me, but all the children present. There are times that I wish I could return to that spot and those days. Unfortunately, a developer placed houses on that lot a long time ago. And the neighbors, friends and parents are scattered or passed. But the security, peace and comfort that came from those gatherings remains today. I’m not sure the instilling of these gifts was intentional in those gatherings and in so, we can all learn something about grace. Intentional, or not, when we gather as church, I pray we are about instilling qualities and feelings of hope, value, love, belonging and worth not just in our youth, but in all people of all ages. When we gather as Christ’s family, in His Grace, we really don’t have a choice in the matter, do we? And again I say, “have a happy and blessed Fourth of July. In Christ’s Love and service Pastor Dan at we may find confidence in faith, knowing that because we have already been elected, we can live lives of faith. This is the good news… You have been elected. God wants you. And God wants your neighbor too. I hope your neighbor knows this and if they don’t, you CAN share this good news with them.

In Christ’s Love and Service, Pastor Dan
Pastor Dan Valasakos