Sermon We Listened to Today: Francis Chan

Starting at 34 minutes in, Chan has some interesting thoughts on church.  Most of us have been raised thinking of "church" as meaning a building with a sermon and singing.  But he urges believers to really look in the Bible and see what was core to "the church" in the Word of God.

Saying Goodbye

Our last day in Lincoln City with the family began with a scramble to get ready and pack . . . there was the divvying up of leftovers, perhaps some gorging in order to reduce waste?

No, this isn't my cousin sending anyone a kiss.  I caught him with his mouth full of ice cream.  An aunt and cousin are in the background, probably discussing the pros and cons of trying to take frozen fish on the airplane.  ;-)  Even those of us who drove were not keen to haul a ton of food home.  We left some and were told it would be put to good use, which provided some degree of comfort.

An impromptu game not long before driving out.

We agreed to meet in Hawaii in three years.  Whether it happens or not, it made going our separate ways a whole lot easier.  Then, it was final goodbyes, a bite to eat at an Indian restaurant, and we were on our way south to Newport for the second leg of our trip.

The man who started it all: Uncle Kenny had the idea to meet a year after Grandma's passing.

Lincoln City: Then & Now

In the house we were staying, Greg noticed an old photograph of a street in Lincoln City.  He thought it would be neat if we could take a "today" shot from the same perspective.  It took a bit of driving around, but we found a spot with a similar view.  This is Anchor Street then and now:

I'm standing at the top of the steps from where Greg took the shot.

Monet's Garden

There was a charming little flower garden in front of the glass place.  Such an unlikely spot with cars driving by, and not a particularly attractive building.  But the flowers caught my eye.  The combination of colors reminded me of a painting.  I liked how the red poppies stood out among the smaller varieties.  So lovely.

Making a Glass Float

Ever since I visited the Museum of Glass in Seattle and saw how glass sculptures are created, I've wanted to experience it firsthand.  So I was very excited when I found out Lincoln City had lessons.  In a half hour, your instructor walks you through the process of creating your own piece of art to take home.  All three of us chose the glass float, and we all had different instructors.  Mine was a colorful character with dreadlocks.  I found out he likes to play pool and make his own beer.  We couldn't be more different!  But I could tell he really knew his craft.  He was an excellent teacher and helped me turn out a beautiful float I'm proud to display in our home.

First, Gloves

Preparing the Stick

Getting the Color On.  Thanks to Holly for taking pictures of the steps for me!

Andrew (Instructor) and Me

Cooling the Rod In Water

Into the Fiery Furnace

Stretching the Blob Out

I didn't get pictures after this point, but the instructor had me blow air into a tube that forced it inside the glass, expanding it into a sphere.  The sphere was then broken off with a tap and stamped on the bottom with "Oregon Coast 2014."  We had to leave them overnight to bake.

Holly picked them up next morning.  Mine's the blue.  Cool keepsake, huh?

A couple pics I got from inside the work area.  I'm thinking they made the handles on these lights.

Someone had fun experimenting on an old classroom desk!



Pics from inside their gift shop.  I purchased one of those metal stands for displaying my float at home.

Bowl of Pretty Glass Stones

Painting with Glass

Ocean Pics

Neat Beach

This beach kept calling our names as we drove past, and we finally answered!  Turned out to be the boys' favorite spot and a treasure trove of perfect tiny pink shells I've never seen anywhere else on the coast.  I enjoyed picking some up while they climbed on the "little islands."

There is a stream that flows under a bridge and into the area (see below).  Greg and Kylen had a blast wading up it.  They noticed it rising as the tide came in, maybe four inches deeper by the time they left.  Most of this beach gets covered with water at high tide.  Amazing how the landscape on the coast transforms every single day.

There was a hotel with balconies just behind us.  We'd noticed a large piece of driftwood was smoldering (near the middle of pic below).  Eventually, a woman on one of the balconies called out to Greg, imploring that he put the fire out.  She told him she couldn't get hold of anyone at the hotel.  Being the hero that he is, Greg bolted for our car, grabbed a large bucket from the trunk, and rushed back and forth between water and log . . . maybe a hundred times?  OK, not that many, but it felt like it when I was anxious to move on.  Turned out it was burning under the sand.  Not only did he not get the thing out, but he came away with a burned toe!  So much for being a hero!  I entertained myself by taking pictures of them through the grass.