Whether Senator Obama or Senator McCain becomes our next president, it is my prayer that everyone will vote for the candidate of their choice, that our great country will enjoy strong capable leadership for the next four years, and that our nation will be blessed with peace and prosperity.
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?
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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.
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