Tulsa evangelist and faith healer Oral Roberts raised a great deal of money from the contributions to his radio and television ministry. He built a school here in Tulsa in the late 1960's which he modestly named Oral Roberts University.
In 1977 Oral Roberts claimed to have received a vision telling him to build the City of Faith Medical and Research Center, which would become a great center of both spiritual and medical healing. Although advised that such a large hospital could not be financially sustainable, Roberts claimed to have more visions of Jesus who encouraged him to continue the project. He believed that Evangelical Christians would come from great distances to receive treatment at the City of Faith.
The hospital accepted its first patient in November 1981. By 1986 the City of Faith was losing over $10 million dollars a year. In 1987, with costs spiraling out of control, the medical center went largely vacant. Roberts told a television audience unless he raised $8 million by March, God would "call him home" (a euphemism for death).
The donations goal was reached but Roberts soon began looking for buyers or people to manage the facility. Unfortunately, many of the sick who came from great distances did so expecting to be treated at no cost, creating a difficult situation. In 1989, only eight years after it opened, the City of Faith was $25 million in debt and Roberts closed the hospital. Most of the complex was converted to office space and leased out as CityPlex Towers.
Much of the interior space was left uncompleted since the initial construction. In 2007 the facility was about 50% occupied. The university whose campus is adjacent continues as a successful Christian Liberal Arts School.
It's a beautiful day, I have a new grandbaby, Susan is coming home tomorrow, and I just got a candy apple and a hug. What could be nicer?
-765285.jpg)
I am sharing river pictures because Sue has not managed to email her photos of the new grandbaby. She says he has pink cheeks, blond hair, and grey eyes; and of course he is beautiful. I will share photos as soon as I get them.
Grass lies dark under gray skies heavy with rain.
The hot dry days of summer
have given way to that break in the weather
that signals the beginning of Autumn.
There may be a few more hot days
but the season has changed.
to fill the ponds and refresh the gardens.
Then it will clear and begin
what in
Day after day of bright warm days and cool crisp nights.
Days that call for football, and long quiet walks,
and cookouts under the Oak trees.
I borrowed this photo from the PSO website. Click on it to see it better. The red letters read "Electricity", the white letters "PUBLIC SERVICE CO. OF OKLA."
Here is the same view at night. The plant has been in PSO's generation fleet since 1922. The illuminated sign has been a Tulsa landmark since the early 1950s. It has more than 3,200 red and clear light bulbs. I have to admit that my iPhone camera is not quite adequate for this lighting situation.
Beginning last February a handsome male Cardinal moved in and decided that our back garden was his private sanctuary. He doesn't bother the other birds but he allows no other male cardinal into his territory. He and his sweetheart have nested in one of our maple trees and raised a nice family.
None of this is particularly noteworthy except that he regards his own reflection in our many windows as a rival and attacks the glass. He does this every day from dawn to dusk. We assumed that he would get over it eventually but here it is in mid October and he is still at it. If he had any brains he would have bashed them out by now. We really don't notice the constant pecking noise anymore. He doesn't seem to mind our coming and going but I do hesitate to go out in the back garden wearing red.
To my surprise they emerged again in the spring so I dug a hole and gave them a spot. Over the years I have spread them out and let them take over the bed.
They coexist nicely with the day lilies, dwarf crepe myrtle, and climbing roses on the porch posts. The idea is that something is blooming all the time with practically no effort on my part.
Susan left very early this morning to fly to Eastern Maryland to visit her daughter-in-law Beth. Sue will look after Beth's 3 year old daughter Autumn while Beth gives birth to our new grandson. Beth can deal with the newborn, it is the fractious Autumn who requires the services of her grandmother.
Sue's son Paul is a Navy officer and has recently been shipped to a new assignment in South Korea, leaving Beth temporarily without her helper.
At the present time sue and I have 8 grandchildren between us, 7 girls and 1 boy. This new one is expected to be a boy which makes him even more special, if possible. Susan is very excited. I will miss her company, but it is for a good cause.
