Old Home Week at Cannon Beach
August 17, 2009
L-R Joanne Hale, Rick Hale, Chris, Ellen, Emily and Jon Steele.
I am writing this note very late at night–at least it feels very late to me. Even though it’s only 11:21 PM here in Oregon, that feels like 1:21 AM because part of me is still on Tupelo time.
We’re having a wonderful time at Cannon Beach Conference Center this week. Soon after we arrived on Saturday afternoon, there was a knock on our door and in came Joanne Hale and Chris Steele. Shortly after I graduated from Dallas Seminary in 1978, we moved to Downey, California where I became the pastor of Redeemer Covenant Church. Rick Hale served as the Church Chairman, and he and Joanne became very close friends. Back then their daughter Chris was just a baby. Now she is grown up, married, and living in the Portland area with her husband Jon and their daughters Emily and Ellen. Rick and Joanne came to Oregon on vacation and the whole crew drove over to Cannon Beach to say hello.
Meanwhile we got a call from Kara Jones. She and her husband Chris are dear friends from Oak Park days. They were in the area visiting family and drove through Cannon Beach on Sunday. Kara called to say hello even though they weren’t able to stop.
I almost forgot to mention that even before we got here, we met Jim and Mary Kay Altizer in the Portland airport. They make up the the fantastic duo called Ivory and Brass. Last year they led worship during my week at Cannon Beach. This year they led worship last week so they were going as we were coming. We ate lunch in the airport before they left for Southern California and we departed for Cannon Beach.
I got rave reviews on Marlene’s talk at the women’s meeting this afternoon. Tonight the people listened intently as I spoke on “Dirty Feet” from John 13.
That’s the news from the West Coast. More later.