TULSA SALES OFFICE - Community Spirit Magazine

Contents
February 2008
10
Tulsa’s
Ethnic
Churches
FEATURES
6 Illegals Go Home!
18 God Directs Every Step - Cancer Treatment Center
20 The Perfect Valentine Gift - Woodhouse Spa
32
COMMUNITY KIDS
COMMUNITIES OF SPIRIT
14 Get Your Child on Track for Reading Success
40 Owasso’s Super Adoption Family
COLUMNS
PETS
22 Randy Cowell
24 HuddleUp - Fellowship of Christian Athletes
44 Pet Corner
46 Preacher’s Pets
LOVING HOME
38 The Dangers that Lurk Below Your Floor
PUBLISHER & EDITOR Tom McCloud
GRAPHIC DESIGNER Ben Allen
PHOTOGRAPHY & PHOTO EDITOR Don Kreutzweiser
SALES MANAGER Paul Aelmore
SALES Don Sands
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Paul of Tulsa, Randy Cowell, Anna D. Wright,
Paul Aelmore
www.mccloudmedia.com • www.communityspiritmagazine.com
4 14
C o m m u n i t y S p i r i t January 2008
43
COVER: A big thank you to our fantastic “Cover Kids” for this month.
From front to back, Brianna Deemy, Shawn Chen and Laurita Rodriguez.
You guys are wonderful!
TULSA SALES OFFICE
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8835 S. Memorial, Tulsa, OK 74133
phone: (918) 307-2323 fax: (918) 307-1221
DISTRIBUTION
Community Spirit is distributed to churches,
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Community Spirit is published monthly by McCloud Media.
Claims by advertisers and the opinions of writers within
this publication do not necessarily represent
the views of Community Spirit or its publisher,
Equipment Publications, Inc.
Copyright © 2008 by Equipment Publications, Inc.
All Rights Reserved. Reproduction without written
permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited.
Philippians 2:1-2
“If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if
any comfort from His love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any
tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being
like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and
purpose.”
Our Mission:
To glorify God by telling stories of individual Christians whose good
works testify to God’s active presence in Oklahoma. Through the telling
of these true stories, we pray Christians will be inspired to do more good
works, the Body of Christ will be unified and all will hear the Good News
– that God offers everyone an abundant new life in Jesus.
Illegals,
Go
Home!
Oklahoma
is in the head
lines. Recently
passing what is being
called the toughest
immigration
legislation in the
country, we are
leading the charge
in a protest
against a
seemingly
unstoppable
flow of illegal
aliens across the
Mexican border.
In the 80s and
90s, we needed
them. We said
we wanted them here
to do those jobs Ameri
cans didn’t want to
do, but our econo
my quickly got hooked on
the euphoria of cheap
labor.
From construction projects and
landscaping jobs, to restaurants
and janitorial services, giving
illegals “an opportunity”
to work here kept prices down
and raised the profitability of our
companies. For those reasons, we
turned our heads from the“illegal” part
of our description of them. But
as their numbers increased, so
6 C o m m u n i t y S p i r i t February 2008
A Tough Legal Stance
did their drain on our resources. We reached
for the spickett to turn down the flow, only
to find there was no shut off valve. Like
water spilling over a dike, there seemed to
be no way to stop it.
As our hospitals have become over whelmed
by uninsured Hispanic patients, public
schools are burdened with large numbers
of non-English speaking children, and parts
of our cities become largely Hispanic, citizens across the South have grown more and
more enraged. Enough so, that immigration
reform is proving to be a major issue in the
2008 Presidential campaign.
Fixing the mess is tougher than we anticipated. After 20 years of working here, many
of these workers have settled in. They have
made a life here, have raised or are raising a
family here. Their children, many whom are
US citizens, know no other life. Returning to
Mexico would be like moving to a foreign,
Third World country.
As tougher laws are enforced to get control
of the situation, the Church is placed in an
uncomfortable dilemma. Where does our
responsibility to follow the laws of our government stop and our calling to reach out
to aliens in Christian love begin? And, as
our society shows more and more prejudice
toward these people, how are we taught to
react?
Oklahoma has recently passed the Oklahoma
Taxpayer and Citizens Protection Act of 2007.
The new law
son to knowingly
aliens. It is punishless than one year
$1000.00. It restricts
as driver’s licenses
benefits to illemedical emergenand local police
eral immigration
gal immigrants
DWI charges.
makes it a felony for any perharbor or transport illegal
able by imprisonment for not
and a fine of not less than
access to identification such
and it denies government
gal immigrants except in
cies. It also expands state
authority to enforce fedlaw and to deny bail to illearrested on felony or
Author of the House Bill 1804, Representative
Randy Terrill said. “For too long, our nation
and our state have looked the other way and
ignored a growing illegal immigration crisis.
Oklahoma’s working families should not be
forced to subsidize illegal immigration.” He
believes passage of the bill “will end that burden on our citizens.”
The passage of the law has scared many of
Tulsa’s Hispanics into moving to other states.
Hispanic churches and businesses have seen
marked decreases and contractors are reporting long delays in work schedules as they find
it difficult to hire enough laborers. The Greater Tulsa Hispanic Chamber of Commerce estimates that between 15,000 and 25,000 Hispanic immigrants have left the city in the last
few months” and “Hispanic religious leaders
say they have seen their congregations reduced
roughly by half.”
The undocumented workers remaining in
Tulsa say they are genuinely scared, afraid the
police will knock at their door in the middle
of the night and deport them, with or without their families. Such enforcement does not
appear to be happening. Instead Sheriff Stanley Glanz explained they are only going after
“criminal” illegal aliens and that they are not
randomly stopping people to check documentation.
However, The Oklahoman did report that
“The Tulsa County sheriff’s office is the only
law enforcement agency in the state to have
officers trained to enforce federal immigration
laws” and that “it has detained and helped
to deport more than 1,000 illegal immigrants
since July. They say arrests made by Tulsa
County Sheriff’s deputies have resulted in a
decline in the jail population of about seven
percent, or 100 inmates.
F e b r u a r y 2 0 0 8 C o m m u n i t y S p i r i t 7
The Church’s Role in Immigration
“If a stranger lives with you in your land, do not molest
him. You must count him as one of your own countrymen
and love him as yourself—for you were once strangers
yourself in Egypt.” (Lev.19: 32-34).
Julian Rodriquez, Pastor of the Iglesias Eficaz Assembly of
God weeps as he talks about the other side of Oklahoma’s
new law. He feels abandoned by the Republican Party and worse, by the Church.
Overwhelmed by what he describes as
a sudden explosion of persecution and
prejudice, he explains that for years
Hispanics were “invisible.” “Now, we
are visibly not welcome.”
His comments uncover a painful thought. If
we are prejudiced, are we letting that prejudice
push us into supporting more stringent laws
or are the laws an excuse to be more prejudiced? Although we are taught to follow the
laws of the land, where does that responsibility end and love begin?
Julian is a US citizen. He came to
America at the age of 13. The eldest
son of migrant workers, he has seen his
share of prejudice. But as tensions have
increased over the illegal immigration
issue, he feels more persecution than
ever before. “People, even people in the
Church, assume I am illegal.”
His church has lost over 25 percent of
its members since. So many, that Julian
now has to teach school to make ends
meet. But more than the loss of
members, he grieves for those who
have left, who may never go to
church again.
“These people have invested
their lives here. Many of
their children are citizens.
Now picture the scene.
Dad goes out to the
grocery one night and
never returns. He is
arrested and deported.
The family is stranded
here without any means
of support and he is
now in a place where
the wages are too low
to even think of sending
C o m m u n i t y S p i r i t February 2008
money to his family left alone in America.”
Victor Orta, Pastor at El Pueblo de Dios Baptist Church
explains that the new law strikes against the values we
hold dearly as Christians. “We believe in the family, but
the apprehension of the bread winner is causing the separation of families.”
In a heartfelt pastoral letter, Catholic Bishop
Edward J. Slattery addressed his belief that immigration is a moral issue. “Let me remind you that
for Christians, the question of immigration is not
simply a social, political or an economic issue; it
is also a moral issue because it impacts on the well
being of millions of our neighbors. And because it is a
moral issue, it must be examined in the light of our faith
in Jesus Christ, Who clearly commands us to “welcome
the stranger,” for what “you do to the least of my brothers, that you do unto Me.” (Matthew 25:40)
He calls our current national immigration policy “schizophrenic” and he hopes for its complete overhaul. “We
post a no-trespassing sign at the border, and spend $30
billion dollars (since 1993) to blockade those who would
cross, but then we erect a ‘Help Wanted’ sign at the factory entrance and eagerly accept the benefits that come
from the labor of these illegals.”
To his flock, he states unequivocally that he will not be
bound by this law. “Our faith calls us to serve those in
need with the same prompt response and the same generous love that we would show Christ Himself were He to
come before us sick or tired or in need. When it becomes
a crime to love the poor and serve their needs, then I will
be the first to go to jail for this crime and I pray that every
priest and every deacon in this diocese will have the courage to walk with me into that prison.”
He pledges continued equal accessibility to all Catholic
programs, legal resources to those who need help in establishing or maintaining their legal residence and establishing legal documentation, and foster care for the children
of deported parents. Finally, he promises to continue
incessant prayer for an end to the inhumane treatment of
immigrants and their families.
Final Publisher’s Note: This is a disturbing issue. We offer
no solutions, but do encourage you to consider the real
lives impacted by every decision on the matter. May we
examine our own hearts, loving and reaching out to all
with Christian love, no matter the color of their skin or
the origin of their birth.
Bridging Ethnic Divides
How can the church reach immigrants with the message of Jesus Christ?
T
The Apostle
Paul faced this
issue. He shared
the gospel with
people different
from his own,
different from
him. You might
even call them
foreign.
“To the Jews I
became like a
Jew, to win the
Jews…To the
weak I became
weak, to win
the weak. I have
become all things
to all men so that
by all possible
means I might
save some.” I
Corinthians 9:2022 (NIV)
to survive in this country.” The Russians
aren’t the only ethnic group struggling just
to communicate. Most Vietnamese immigrants, especially the older generation, cannot communicate well, if at all, in English,
said Senior Pastor Linh K. Le, Tulsa Vietnamese Baptist Church.
Immigrants are increasing in numbers.
From 2000 to 2006, the legal immigrant
population increased by 31.1 percent, compared to the trailing 3.6 percent increase
of native-born citizens. Immigrants from
Mexico, Vietnam, China, Iran, the Soviet
Union, and more, are making Tulsa home.
Sharing the gospel has never been easy. It has it’s own set
of obstacles – timing, willingness, opportunity – among a
few. Sometimes you don’t even speak the same language,
figuratively and literally.
10 C o m m u n i t y S p i r i t February 2008
The generational gap isn’t only a misunderstanding in
age, it is a misunderstanding between worlds. “Parents want to keep the Vietnamese culture,” agreed
Pastor Le, of the Vietnamese Baptist Church, who
grew up in Vietnam, immigrating to America in 1985.
“But the parents are so busy working, they are not
teaching the children to speak Vietnamese fluently.
We call that generation a banana because outside they
are yellow but inside white. They look Vietnamese on
the outside but are American inside.”
First, you must understand their core concerns, explained Pastor Mohammad Sepehr,
Iranian Pastor for the Victory Iranian Church.
Many immigrants are fighting the culture
clash war inside their own home. Parents are
holding to their native culture, their children
– many born in America – are absorbing the
culture around them.
According to the 2006 Census Bureau estimate, immigrants
now comprisie 5.2 percent of the Tulsa population. These
“different people,” those different from you, in fact, you
might even call them foreign, are choosing to move here.
“The majority do not speak any English at all,” said Irena
Cheveleva, program manager and accredited immigration counselor for the YWCA Tulsa Multicultural Center,
concerning Russian immigrants. “They must learn how
by Tara Lynn Thompson
Who are they exactly? What do the churches
need to know about them? And most importantly, how can the Christian community in Tulsa
reach them?
“We want to introduce their heart to each
other,” said Pastor Sepehr. “The Iranian
Church is trying to be a window to see what their children are, what they have, what they think. Also, we are
trying to be a window to the children to see the heart of
their parents.”
Reaching these families, however, won’t happen by
simply inviting them to church or exposing them to
ministry, a sermon, or a worship service. The language barrier isn’t the largest obstacle. “I talk with
their language,” said Pastor Sepehr, who heads a
church of approximately 500 Iranian families and
sends a television broadcast to 20 million viewers in
Iran. “It’s not just in words, but the heart language,
the Islamic heart language.”
Pastor Sepehr was raised Islamic, living in Mashhad,
the holy city of Iran. He converted to Christianity in
his late teen years and immigrated to America.
“For this reason, I know Islam. I know what they
think. I explain Christianity in an Islamic way,” he
F e b r u a r y 2 0 0 8 C o m m u n i t y S p i r i t 11
said. It is important for the church to understand
the culture of the ethnic group they are trying to
reach. Otherwise, much is lost in translation.
They respond to love, to friendship. “Become a
friend to them,” said Pastor Le, concerning the
approximate 3,000 Vietnamese population in
Tulsa. “Let them know they can trust you, know
you care for them. It is not just trying to convert
them. They must
see the love you
have for them.”
It is in behavior,
in action, in showing a concern for
them, that people
respond, people of
any ethnic group.
“Some Christians
know Jesus but
do not live like
Jesus,” said Father
Jose Briones, head
of the Hispanic
20/20 or it’s FREE!
ministry at St.
Thomas More
Catholic Church,
with a population of approximately 500 Hispanic families.
“Sometimes we
talk about the
Gospel but do
not practice the
Gospel…The
Catholic Church
is a universal
church and the body of Christ (the church) is
working hard to make the Hispanic Community
feel protected.”
It’s about acceptance of who they are, said interim
Pastor Bobby Leonard, Tulsa International Baptist
Church, concerning the Chinese population in
Tulsa. “We need to love them as who they are and
not look at them as foreigners. They need Jesus
Christ also.”
12 C o m m u n i t y S p i r i t F ebruary 2008
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i t i t YOUR CHILD ON TRACK
FOR READING SUCCESS
GET
By Dr. Raymond J. Huntington
I
Is your child struggling to develop basic
reading skills? If so, you’re not alone. By the
latest estimates, as many as 40 percent of the
nation’s 4th graders aren’t reading
at grade level.
Fortunately, many schools are
now emphasizing phonemic
awareness in their reading
instruction, particularly for
young children. Yet parents should still be highly
alert for signs that their
children are struggling.
As noted in Why Kids
Can’t Read: Challenging
the Status Quo in Education, by Phyllis Blaunstein and Reid Lyon,
here are some signs
that a child may be
in trouble:
• Great difficulty in
understanding that
words are made up
of individual sounds
that can be pulled
apart and combined
to make words: for
example, that batboy
can be pulled apart
into bat and boy and
that the word bat can
be broken down still
further and sounded
out as: b aaaa t;
•
14 Struggling to read and
sound-out common,
C o m m u n i t y S p i rit February 2008
one-syllable words, such as dog, cat, hop,
nap.
• frequently mispronouncing complicated
words, leaving out parts of words or confusing the order of the parts of words,
saying amulium instead of aluminum, for
example;
• Stumbling when reading multi-syllable
words, without coming close when trying
to sound out the full word;
• Omitting parts of words when reading,
so that it sounds as if there’s a hole in the
word, reading convertible as conible, for
example;
• Poor performance on multiple choice
tests, and an inability to finish tests on
time;
• Disastrous spelling skills.
Signs of Effective Reading Instruction
If your child is experiencing these problems, it’s
important to look closely at the reading instruction he or she is receiving. Here are the qualities of sound, proven instruction for phonemic
awareness:
Center Director, Kristin Graves helps a student
set new goals of achievement.
• Children are being asked questions to
help them think about the meaning of what
Kristin says it very rewarding to see the improvements
they’re reading, and are learning the meanthe students make at Huntington. “Some parents often
ings of new words.
say that the program has given their kids new hope for
the future and in the process has profoundly and positively affected their family life.” “Finding Huntington
can be a monumental thing for many students. As one
Huntington parent exclaimed, ‘My son’s love for learning and his self esteem has been restored.”
• Children are learning the letters of the
alphabet, and can recognize the names and
shapes of letters.
• Children are learning the sounds of language,
and teachers are helping them practice with
sounds that make up words.
• Children’s teachers are reading to the class
and talking about what the students
are reading.
• Children are learning how to put sounds
together to make up words, and how to break
words apart into separate sounds.
• Children are learning phonics – how sounds
and letters are related – and practicing phonics by reading books that focus on the
letter-sound relationships they’re learning.
• Children are learning to expand their
vocabulary by using the dictionary, using
known words and word parts to figure out
words, and using clues from the rest of a
sentence to better understand the
meaning of words.
• Teachers are checking to see if students
understand what they’re reading by asking
questions about the story or the material.
Dr. Raymond J. Huntington is co-founder of
Huntington Learning Center, which has helped
children achieve success in school for 30 years.
For more information about how Huntington can
help your child, call 1 800 CAN LEARN.
F e b r u a r y 2 0 0 8 C o m m u n i t y S p i r i t 15
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F e b r u a r y 2 0 0 8 C o m m u n i t y S p i r i t 17
patient in a wheelchair and praying for her. I thought
to myself, ‘Where can you go to get that?’ When I
went back to work, I called my daughter and told her I
wanted to go to CTCA for my treatment.”
After working out the details in a matter of days, Sharon began scans and tests at CTCA.
“The hardest part of the entire experience for me was
the MRI, because I am claustrophobic,” said Sharon.
“During the scan I kept thinking ‘If Jesus died on the
cross for me, I can do this for 20 minutes.’ I felt His
closeness during the whole MRI and the whole treatment process. He was right there with me.”
Sharon continued to work during her treatment, which
included chemotherapy and five days of twice-a-day
TomoTherapy® HI-ART radiation treatment. She
only missed one day of work because her body ached
from the chemotherapy. To help with the ache and
other side effects of chemo, she met with one of the six
CTCA naturopathic practitioners, who recommended
certain supplements to help.
God Directs Every Step
Broken Arrow Woman
Experiences Many
Blessings During
Her Cancer Journey
S
Sharon Boren, from Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, knows God directs every step of her
walk. She especially experienced His leading
through her diagnosis and treatment of stage two
breast cancer.
It had been a rough year for the mother of four
and grandmother of two…in 2006 Sharon and
her husband of 39 years, Dwain, lost their family-owned business. To make ends meet, Sharon
returned to the corporate world. Through a tip
from a friend, she was able to land a temporary
position as an administrative assistant within
one day—the first of God’s many blessings laced
18 C o m m u n i t y S p i rit February 2008
throughout her cancer journey.
After six months she was offered a full-time position with
full health benefits. Just three months later, on Dec. 16,
2006, she felt a lump in her breast.
Since the birth of her second grandson was expected within
a few days, she decided not to tell her children about the
lump. But she did make an appointment with her primary
care physician that week; he confirmed what she had
feared.
“The birth of my grandson was another special blessing
during that time—he kept my mind off my cancer diagnosis,” Sharon confessed.
Sharon was soon scheduled for surgery at a Tulsa hospital,
but prior to the operation, she decided to purchase a wig
at the TLC Salon at Cancer Treatment Centers of America
(CTCA).
“When I walked into CTCA, everything felt just right,”
said Sharon. “It’s hard to explain, but it just felt wonderful.
While waiting for my wig, I noticed an employee wheeling a
In addition to God’s leading and the care she received
at CTCA, Sharon also credits her supportive husband,
faithful family and friends, encouraging church fam-
ily and attentive coworkers for strengthening her
throughout her cancer journey.
“I couldn’t have asked for a better place to work,”
added Sharon, who works at Exterran, a gas processing plant in Broken Arrow. “During my TomoTherapy, I would have the first treatment appointment of the morning, go back to work, and then
have my second treatment late in the afternoon.”
Currently, Sharon has follow-up appointments every
three months to check her blood counts. She has
become a big advocate of telling people to get their
yearly physicals.
“When Dwain and I lost our business, I put off my
mammogram appointment,” she said. “Looking
back, if I would have kept that appointment, my
cancer may have been detected a lot earlier. Now I
tell everyone I meet to go to the doctor on a regular
basis and listen to your body if something doesn’t
seem right.”
No case is typical. You should not expect to experience
these results.
Diagnostic Services at Cancer Treatment Centers of America:
The team of doctors and technologists at CTCA utilize the latest in diagnostic innovations to locate and eradicate cancer. The Diagnostic Imaging Services department
provides a complete array of diagnostic and treatment resources 24-hour, 7-day-a-week
all under one roof. These services include screening and diagnostic tools such as:
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
Mammography
MRI
Virtual colonoscopy
Bone densitometry (Dual Engery X-ray Absorptiometry)
Computed Tomography (CT)
PET/CT (Positron Emission Tomography with CT)
Nuclear Medicine
TheraSphere® (Interal Radiation Liver Tumor Ablation)
Ultrasound Guided Interventional Procedure
Intraoperative Ultrasound
Radiofrequency Ablation – liver, bone, renal, lung
To learn more about Cancer Treatment Centers of America, visit
www.cancercenter.com/communityspirit
F e b r u a r y 2 0 0 8 C o m m u n i t y S p i r i t 19
It’s Time to Relax
w
we have the perfect Valentine’s idea for you.
If Christmas, the ice storm, and the hustle of the
New Year have put a stressful wedge between you
and your Valentine, Woodhouse Day Spa is a perfect
solution.
A trip to The Woodhouse is like taking a luxurious
mini-vacation without even having to pack a
suitcase. Put away any preconceived notions of
this being inappropriate or embarrassing. In fact,
this just may be the most relaxing time you could
spend together. The Woodhouse is an experience
you both will talk about for a long time.
From the moment you step
into the beautifully decorated entrance, the soft light
and soothing music begin
to melt away months of
stress. You will be immediately greeted by professionally trained staff members,
people you will like and
they are healing.
The Woodhouse staff can even serve meals for
you and your guests.
The Woodhouse Day
Spa is located
in The Consortium
at 3509 S.
Peoria and
is owned by
Caroline and
Lamar Garrett. Their
daughter-inlaw started
the first
Woodhouse
Spa in Victoria, Texas. Now, 27 franchises have
opened mainly across the southern
and northeastern states. Though
many people come by themselves,
the spa is a fun place for
friends or couples to go
together. After enjoying a
soothing massage or other
treatment, clients often
enjoy spending time talking in one of the private
quiet areas.
It is the perfect Valentine gift. A printable gift
certificate is available online at www.tulsa.
woodhousespas.com or you may come by the
spa to purchase a gift card.
It is the perfect Valentine gift.
who will set you at ease. No
matter which of the long list
of treatments you are there
to enjoy, you can be assured
you will be treated like royalty. As soon as you slip into
one of the ultra-soft, fluffy
robes and sit back to be
pampered by the renowned
Woodhouse hospitality, you
will understand why Woodhouse Day Spa was recently
voted the #1 Day Spa by the
national Day Spa Magazine.
Highly trained technicians
follow detailed procedures
to ensure even the most
modest client always feels
comfortable. State-of-the-art
therapies are as relaxing as
20 Co m m u n i t y S p i rit February 2008
A 60-minute couple’s Swedish massage is available for as little as $140. When you come, plan
on staying for a while. Once you are settled in at
The Woodhouse, you won’t want to leave.
woodhouse Day Spa
is located at
3509 S. Peoria,
Suite 250.
Their hours are
Mon, wed, fri, Sat
9:00 am - 6:00 pm
Tue, Thu
9:00 am - 8:00 pm
918.749.8882
their new home. “It is a beautiful city. We love it here and we
love our staff as well. We have
a great, young staff and having
the right team makes it a pleasure to come to work everyday,”
Caroline explained.
After enjoying spas all across the
country, the Garrett’s are enjoying
implementing the best ideas into their own spa. Lamar
emphasizes that spas aren’t for sissies. “I hunt and I fish,
but I also have facials. I am hooked on feeling good and
taking care of myself. We choose wellness. We have decided we are worth that,” Lamar said.
Caroline and Lamar Garrett are the owners of Tulsa’s
Woodhouse Spa. After selling franchises for Woodhouse
Spas Corporation, they happened to come to Tulsa and
immediately fell in love with the people and the town.
After praying about it, they packed up and made Tulsa
Obviously, the Garretts aren’t the only ones hooked on
spas. Spas are one of the nation’s fastest growing industries and new locations are springing up all across the
country.
F e b r u a r y 2 0 0 8 C o m m u n i t y S p i r i t 21
Take Five Giant Steps Toward Retirement
rand y co w ell , ms , lutc f , c f p , csa
Research on retirement planning tells us that most Americans spend more time planning their week-long vacation
than they spend planning what could amount to a decade or
longer retirement. For a week in November Americans celebrated National Retirement Planning week. If you happen
to have misplaced that post-it note that had the memo “Plan
my retirement,” here are five steps that you should take
sooner rather than later.
Step 1: Set a retirement date and a retirement
income goal. It is amazing to me how many of my financial-planning clients at our first planning session have no
definite retirement age in mind. Even more disturbing, they
have no idea what retirement income they will receive when
they retire. Whether your idea of retirement is continued
part-time employment, cutting back to just a few hours, or
complete retirement, setting a goal will be your first step
toward achieving a satisfactory result.
Once you have determined your projected retirement age,
then you must determine the amount of income you would
like to have when that fateful day finally arrives. Compare your estimated need with the amount of your anticipated income. This number will be derived from all sources
such as Social Security, Government, Railroad, and private
pension(s). Included in the income will be interest and dividends from all investments.
Be careful not to get carried away here. Use a modest interest rate such as 4 to 5 percent. Remember, you do have the
luxury of changing your mind.
Step 2: Take an inventory and know your assets and
liabilities. Simply stated, you need to know what you own
and what you owe. The formula to determine this is: Assets
minus liabilities equals your net worth, (assets-liabilities=net
worth.) For some, this will be an alarming number, especially if you are still carrying a mortgage.
Step 3: Understand your health and medical benefits
prior to retirement. This topic is best illustrated by a story
about one of my dearest clients. Let’s call him Fred. One
day Fred phoned my office with some exciting news. He was
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22 going to take early retirement! I normally don’t like raining
on someone’s parade but in this case I had no choice.
You see, Fred was 62 years old and his company health
insurance would allow him to extend his medical benefits
for an additional 18 months. This would result in him and
his wife Ethel having no insurance coverage for 18 months.
After confirming these facts with his employer, Fred decided to work another 18 months. Now Fred and Ethel are
happily retired and on Medicare. The lesson to be learned
here is to always ask questions and then verify the answers
you get with a third party.
Step 4: Consider the effects of a long-term illness
in your planning scenarios. As I put the final touches on
this article I am sitting in the Memphis International Airport
waiting for my flight back to Tulsa. My wife’s mom became
ill and had to be admitted to the hospital there. While we
don’t know her future plans, what her health prognosis is
or what her future living arrangements will be, we can look
forward to the future with confidence knowing there is a
long-term care policy ready to provide the necessary funding.
Step 5: Reevaluate your risk tolerances. With many
Americans still feeling the effects of the last bear market,
take steps to reduce your exposure to the market. There are
proven strategies and new financial products available that
can insulate you from market volatility.
When discussing retirement planning, there is no more
appropriate scripture than the one found in Mark 14:28.
It offers an interesting perspective on retirement planning.
“Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he first sit
down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to
complete it? For if he lays the foundation and is not able to
finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, saying that
this fellow began to build and was not able to finish.”
Will you be able to finish your retirement with style or
will you be dependent upon someone else?
As a child we played a game called Simon Says. Now as
adults we are no longer getting instructions from Simon to
“take five steps forward.” Retirement planning is certainly
no laughing matter. Make a decision today to “take five
GIANT steps” to ensure a secure and prosperous retirement.
C o m m u n i t y S p i rit February 2008
Randy C. Cowell is a columnist, author and President of ACT Financial
Services, Inc. in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He recently published his first book
“God Good-Debt Bad,” and welcomes your thoughts and prayers. He
can be reached at 918-664-0081 or by e-mail at rcowell@htk.com.
“Randy C. Cowell is a registered Representative of and Securities and
Advisory services offered through Hornor, Townsend and Kent, Inc.
Member of NADS/SIPC. HTK does not offer tax, legal and credit
service advice. The views expressed are not necessarily those of HTK.
ACT Financial Services, Inc. is not affiliated with HTK.”
F e b r u a r y 2 0 0 8 C o m m u n i t y S p i r i t 23
sisters and me. He showed us how to work hard, sacrifice and live a Christian life. I made a personal decision to follow Christ when I was 14 and since then,
God has always been faithful to me. But a few years
ago, I felt convicted that I was not teaching others
about Jesus. Soon afterward, God opened the door
for me to help with FCA and to teach Sunday school
at my church,” he explained.
The Coweta Huddle meets every week. The Junior
High boys meet on Wednesdays and the Senior High
boys meet each Thursday. They have a short devotional and often have a guest speaker. “FCA has a list
of various speakers we can draw from and also, we
have many mature Christian teachers in our school
who are great to help out. We normally have an “ice
breaker” to get started. The kids love to play games.
But what the kids seem to like best is just to have the
chance to talk about real life issues. We have a question and answer time and especially the older kids
love to share practical ways to avoid some of the typical high school problems,” Darron explained.
If you ever get a chance to meet with these great kids,
be prepared. It is quite an experience to huddle up
with Tigers.
HUDDLING UP WITH TIGERS
T
There’s something exciting going on at Coweta High School. They just came off a successful
football season, making it to the playoffs and finishing 3rd in their division. Its fun to win, but there
is another, bigger reason for the excitement.
Like something from the script of the movie “Facing the Giants,” the team came together in a
unique way this year, mainly around a common
faith in Jesus. During a special “Fields of Faith”
event in October, over 20 athletes committed their
lives to serving Christ. In doing so, they learned
that “It’s the last big game you don’t want to lose,”
explained the Offensive Line Coach and Offensive
Coordinator, Darron Hummingbird.
growing in their faith and are seeing what it is like to
live a life for Christ. Many of them also attend a special
team Chapel before each game.
Sponsored by:
The group has continually grown since Darron started
the FCA Huddle 4 years ago. Though he was not
involved in FCA during his high school and college
playing days, he saw the need for Coweta to have a program and he met with Chris Kaiser (Area Director) to
find out how to get started.
Working with his wife, Toby (Coweta’s Junior High
Track and High School Cross Country Coach) and
his cousin, Brian Hummingbird (Boys Track and High
School Assistant Football Coach), Darron has watched
“It’s the last big game you don’t want to lose.”
Throughout the season, a growing number of the
boys began attending the Fellowship of Christian
Athletes Huddle. Through hearing speakers and
discussing real life problems and issues, they are
24
C o m m u n i t y S p i rit
February 2008
the group grow from only a handful to many mornings of over 50 kids. Darron sees working with FCA
as a calling on his life. “I grew up in a Christian home.
My father is a minister and was a great example for my
February 2008 Community Spirit
25
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30 Community Spirit
February 2008
February 2008 Community Spirit
31
W
We Christians are advised in the scriptures to be
as well as popular movies. But becoming a trend
commonly ask her what they can do at home to help
remains rather low-key about these accomplishments.
the salt of the earth. Like salt we are to add God’s
means it must also be appealing to an open inter-
their children become better dancers. Daphne says,
Cindy emphasized, the most important thing to them
good flavor to the earth and to preserve His ways dur-
est in the people. What are Christians doing in this
“The best thing a parent can do is move the furniture
as parents, as well as to their daughter, Madison, is
ing our days here. For centuries Christian influence was
area? How is it affecting the way they live at home?
out of the way and give the child space to dance free-
connecting dance with worship to enrich her spiritual
felt in the fine arts. Today, we still enjoy and feel some
This month, and next month, I will be presenting
ly. Letting them become comfortable using their body
walk, and using her gifts to glorify the Lord. What a
impact from the refined music, paintings, literature,
to you some delightful Christians who are making
to express themselves. Not worrying about form—
special way to open the gates for the Lord to pour His
presence into your worship time at home!
dances, and more, that came
rooms for the
technique will come with time and practice. Give them
out of that Christian influence
dancers at home. First,
freedom to connect their spirit with dance when they
decades—even centuries—ago.
let me introduce you to
are little—to love and feel it spiritually.” One of my
dance freely before the Lord? Don’t you love the idea
I have a sweet, joyful passion
Daphne Tardibono who
main themes as an interior decorator is, creating inte-
of not worrying about form or technique, but just
for the fine arts. Do you? If
owns Dove Dance, and
riors to enrich our lives—actually that is the motto for
flowing with your spirit in worship before the Lord?
so, I think you will enjoy hear-
to one of her students,
my design firm. So, I had to ask, “Daphne, how have
Here are a few tips to help you get started. Not
ing about some Christians in
Madison Pride.
some of your students set up practice areas at home.”
everyone can set aside an entire room for dancing, so
Her answer led me to a delightful discovery. She told
think in terms of creating a multi-purpose space. Use
our area who are shaking their
Last September at
How can you set aside some space to sing and
Christian salt into the arts, and
Victory Christian Cen-
me about John and Cindy Pride and their daughter,
baskets creatively. Put magazines in baskets, and dis-
who are letting God pour his
ter, I attended the ballet
Madison Pride. At age three, Madison started danc-
play other accessories in ways that make them
presence into their creative wor-
“Hiding Place” about
ing. As her interest in dance grew, her parents have
easier to put into those baskets if you need to move a
ship time with Him at home
Corrie Ten Boom’s life.
been totally supportive. Madison’s mom, Cindy,
coffee table aside. Look for alternate ways to arrange
through the arts. They are also
That was my first expo-
helped design a special small room in their home for
lamp cords. Sometimes a simple extension cord can
using their homes in unique ways
sure to Dove Dance.
her dancing. This room has become a special space
practically work miracles. Try creating a tighter
to perfect their creative skills.
They hosted the perfor-
where Madison practices—and spends quality time
seating arrangement at one end of a room to free up
Couples are building up loving
mance by the visiting
worshiping and dancing before the Lord as well.
flexible dancing space at the other end of the room.
relationships by sharing activities
Ballet Magnificat dance
Twelve-year-old Madison calls it her “groovy room”
Then put easy to move, or fold-up types of furnish-
and enjoys taking friends there for girl-talk, girl-
ings in that flexible space. Next month you will meet
time, and of course, dancing. Madison’s dedication
some folks who are using interior spaces and dance to
owner, Daphne Tardibono, her love for both classi-
to dance and excellence have already begun to flow
build loving relationships at home, and some sprightly
cal dance forms, as well as being a Godly influence
beautifully back into her life. She performed in Dino’s
seniors who are dancing to bring joy to shut-ins.
in them, generated a warm inner glow in her voice.
Christmas show in Branson last year, and in the Nut-
There are many ways for us to flavor the earth for our
cracker this December in Tulsa. However, the family
Lord. There are times and places for bold chili-pep-
like practicing ballroom dancing together at home. Do
you know any folks like that? I’d love to hear about
them.
Nationally, interest in structured formal dance
as an art form is on the rise. In part that is probably
due to recent television shows featuring dance contests,
32
C o m m u n i t y S p i rit
February 2008
troupe, and performed at the pre-show.
A few days ago when I spoke to Dove Dance
Daphne said, as a dance teacher, parents
February 2008 Community Spirit
33
per evangelism. There are times and places for
being that gentle salt-like influence through the
fine arts. It is all worthwhile, it is all good for
God. I’m exploring the idea of starting a group
interested in promoting Godly influence in the
fine arts, and in attending those events. I’m very
interested in your feedback, so please feel free to
write, phone or send email with your thoughts or
useful information. You can create living spaces
that give you places to enjoy worshiping freely in
song, dance, prayer, and sweet fellowship with
your Lord that build you up and enrich your
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relationships. Then you can flavor the world
around you with the sweetness of Christ in a
variety of ways. I hope this month and next
month to encourage you to explore fresh new
ways to do so.
Community
Spirit
®
Anna D. Wright is an IDS Associate with Genesis Design Group,
LLC. She specializes in home and community interior design, construction and remodel plan and management, and Genesis-Style
Design Seminars. She can be reached at 918-585-2662, anna_d_
wright@yahoo.com, or by fax 918-524-0386.
34 C o m m u n i t y S p i rit
February 2008
February 2008 Community Spirit
35
Stop Feeding the Cat…
It’s Mice Season!
Scientists call them “Mus Muscaulus Linnaeus,” but we
just call them nasty! They can squeeze through an
opening no bigger than a pencil lead, yet do damage
like a varmint ten times their size. If you see one in
your house, you no doubt have many more. Here’s
why…
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C o m m u n i t y S p i rit February 2008
TULS A
781,250 Mice??
The rate of growth is given by: Nt=RtN0
T = time (generation in this case)
Nt = population at time t
R = rate of growth (5 in this example)
N0 = size of original population
k
At the eight generation, the two mice and all their offspring will total
N8 = 58*2 = 390625*2=781250 mice.
A special THANK YOU
to Huntington Learning
Center for helping us do
the math.
Your defense?
1. Keep ‘em out by eliminating all possible entrance from outside.
2. Set traps or bait them with poison.
3. Borrow a very hungry cat.
4. Call Arrow Exterminating. They are experts at
winning this battle.
They mature sexually in only 35 days. Pregnancy lasts
only 19 days and the litter size is 5 to 8. They have
about 8 litters per year. So one pair can pump out
over 60 a year. That means, uncontrolled and given
enough food and water, one pair could exponentially
turn into approximately 781,250 Mice in one year!
They usually only live a year, but can live up to 6
years. They have keen senses except for sight (Three
Blind Mice). They are colorblind, can only see about
6 feet and are blind at birth.
They will nest in dark out of the way areas, but they
prefer nesting within 5 feet of their food source. They
will feed 2 times a day, usually on grains or seeds, but
will eat almost anything.
F e b r u a r y 2 0 0 8 C o m m u n i t y S p i r i t 37
I
The Dangers That Lurk Below Your Floor
It can be downright nasty down there…
damp, musty, dark and the perfect place for
spiders, snakes and many other varmints you
don’t want to think about. If your house is on a
concrete slab, you don’t have to worry about this
article. But if you have a “crawl space,” that airspace between your floors and the soil, read further. We need to alert you about the dirtiest, if not
the most dangerous part of your house.
The crawl space is there to provide access for you
to work on
the plumbing
or wiring. It
is also supposed to act
as a buffer of
air keeping the
wood part of
the floor away
from directly
touching the
soil. But the reality is, it does a poor job of
protecting the wood from moisture. Secondly,
since this space is vented, cold, hot and damp
air is pulled into the crawl space and eventually
rises up through your flooring, increasing your
heating and cooling bills and potentially bringing mold spores and other allergens right into
your living room.
Before
Now you may be thinking, “What’s the problem?
Haven’t people been living in this house for 50
years or more?” Well, they have, but the house
wasn’t 50 years old when they were living there.
Now, the house can have 50 year-old problems
and you are the one living above them. We live in
the 21st century and you don’t have to put up with
yesterday’s problems even if you are living in a
older home.
homes. Armed with some new technology, they
can turn that musty crawl space into a clean,
dry area you can even use for storage.
The product they use is called the CleanSpace®
System. It has been developed by Basement
Systems, the world leader in dry basement
technology. With CleanSpace®, you no longer
have to worry about the critters, condensation and mold. By isolating your home from
the earth underneath it, ESPO can reduce or,
in most cases, eliminate mold growth, rot and
critters from your crawl space and make your
whole house healthier.
A specialized liner is carefully cut and installed
to cover the soil and walls, cleanly separating
your floor from the soil. Often they will install
drainage systems and a dehumidifier to keep
the space free
from moisture.
After
The area ends
up being so
clean, the ESPO
technicians
install the liner
in their sock
feet.
ESPO Construction Company, Inc. is Tulsa’s oldest building restoration company. Since 1983, they have responded to help people and
businesses rebuild from disasters such as those resulting in fire and
water damage. John Esposito, the company’s founder and president
explains that what they provide is more than products and services.
They are able to truly minister to people who have nearly reached
their emotional breaking point. “We are the first step toward rebuilding their lives and we do everything we can to help them get through
the problems,” he said. John is excited about being able to offer the
CleanSpace® product. “We are experts at helping people get through
disasters, but this product allows us to help them avoid a disaster.
Whether we are responding to a disaster or installing a CleanSpace
System, we treat our customers like family. They become our friends,”
John explained.
For more information about the CleanSpace® System or about ESPO
Construction, you can visit their website at www.espo.cc or call them
at 918-664-3373.
The cost of this state-of-the-art system is a little
less than $10,000 for a typical 1500 square
foot crawlspace.
Goodbye nastiness. Say hello to a clean, dry,
healthy, and even practical… crawl space.
A respected local company is now offering a solution to this antique crawl space problem. ESPO
Construction, known for being the guys to call
when you have had fire or water damage is also
helping people clean up the crawl spaces of their
Photos provided by: Publishing Resources, Inc.
38 C o m m u n i t y S p i rit February 2008
F e b r u a r y 2 0 0 8 C o m m u n i t y S p i r i t 39
Owasso Couple Builds Christian Family
with Seven Adopted Children By Page Cole
“Who is like unto the LORD our God, who dwelleth on
high, Who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in
heaven, and in the earth! He raiseth up the poor out of the
dust, and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill; That he may
set him with princes, even with the princes of his people. He
maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful
mother of children. Praise ye the LORD.” Psalm 113:4-9
J
Jeanette Hudgeons is quick to tell you that this
is exactly what God has done for her. Turning
heartache into blessing, when Jeanette and her husband, Dean, found out they could not conceive their
own children, they decided to adopt.. and adopt…
and adopt some more. Seven children later, they have
built a remarkable family. Several of the Hudgeons
children came to their family through Crisis Pregnancy Outreach. Jeanette serves as one of the several
assistant directors of CPO. Jeanette shares, “We really are very much in need of families who are willing
to adopt children of color. We’ve found that many
families who want to adopt are worried that their
extended families won’t accept them, but we encourage them to let their choice be between husband, wife
and God.” The Hudgeons dealt with their own issues
of acceptance and rejection.
When they adopted Aunah, Dean’s grandfather
was so upset about them adopting her that he “dis40 C o m m u n i t y S p i rit February 2008
owned” Dean. But the love of God and the tender heart
of the child were able to slowly break through the walls
of prejudice. Before Dean’s grandfather passed away, not
only had he reconciled with the family, he absolutely loved
Aunah and the rest of his great grandchildren. Although
their family is rich in diversity, Dean and Jeanette work
hard to downplay differences. “We don’t want our children
to feel like they are in compartments. They are a part of the
whole. We are making our own heritage and it is whatever
God makes it. It is fun to explore Africa, Korea and everything else that is a part of our biological background, but
really our spiritual heritage is what is important and that is
what we try to highlight,” Dean explained.
Many children adopted through Crisis Pregnancy Outreach come out of situations of violence, abuse and addiction. CPO helps place children with loving families who
give these kids a better chance of having a blessed life, and
in turn are blessed themselves by being adoptive parents.
“Adoption wasn’t God’s ‘Plan B’ for us,” explains Jeanette. “Adoption was and is God’s BEST option for building our family. Not only did He build a family, He built a
ministry.”
If you would like more information concerning adoption, check out Crisis Pregnancy Outreach at www.crisispregnancyoutreach.org, or contact them at (888) 648-0869
or (918) 296-3377.
F e b r u a r y 2 0 0 8 C o m m u n i t y S p i r i t 41
The Right Seasoning.
J
Leapin’ Lizards!
A
America’s most beloved musical, ANNIE celebrates
its 30th anniversary tour, giving a whole new generation the chance to experience this classic musical
about never giving up hope. The timeless tale of Little
Orphan Annie will be coming to the Tulsa PAC for eight
performances, March 4-9.
“One of the best musicals ever,” proclaims the Chicago
Tribune, and the Chicago Sun-Times says, “Ageless Annie
is as engaging as ever.”
ANNIE, with music by Charles Strouse and book by
Thomas Meehan, is again directed by its lyricist, Martin
Charnin, who brought the original production of ANNIE
to Broadway in 1977. Tony® Award winning set designer,
Ming Cho Lee, has created a fresh look for this new production.
The original Broadway production of ANNIE won seven
1977 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Book and
Score. It ran for 2,377 performances, and has subsequently
been produced all over the world. The original production
is one of the top 20 longest running shows in Broadway
history, and ANNIE continues to be one of the most successful musicals ever.
Boasting one of Broadway’s most memorable scores,
including “It’s the Hard-Knock Life,” “Easy Street,”
“N.Y.C.” and the ever optimistic “Tomorrow,” you can
bet your bottom dollar that ANNIE will bring a smile to
your face.
In addition to Charnin, Meehan, Strouse and Lee,
ANNIE’s creative team includes original Broadway musical staging by Peter Gennaro, choreography by Liza Gennaro, lighting design by Ken Billington, costume design
by Theoni Aldridge and sound design by Peter Hylenski.
ANNIE is being produced by Networks Presentations,
LLC. For more information, visit annieontour.com.
42 C o m m u n i t y S p i rit February 2008
Welcomed by ONEOK, ANNIE will be at the Tulsa
PAC March 4th-9th for only eight performances. Tickets
may be purchased via phone 596-7111, (800) 3647111, in person at the Tulsa PAC ticket office, or via
the internet at www.MyTicketOffice.com. Discounts
are available for groups of 20 or more by calling Celebrity Attractions at 796-0220.
Tulsa’s engagement of ANNIE is part of the 2007-2008
Celebrity Attractions Broadway Season which concludes
with the longest running show in Broadway history,
seven time Tony® Award winner, THE PHANTOM OF
THE OPERA.
by: Paul of Tulsa
Jesus told the devil, “It is written: Man does
not live on bread alone, but on every word that
comes from the mouth of God.”
the Lord will bless their efforts. “It’s not all about just
the money – it’s about everybody having some fun,”
Zezima said.
Larry Zezima of Broken Arrow might argue the
bread point if it was served with some of his hot oil.
Zezima, along with his wife, Kim, owns Uncle Vinny’s
New York Style Pizzeria, Home of the Hot Oil in Broken Arrow and Tulsa, and they are not your typical
business owners.
“It’s almost like a biblical principle,” he added. He
treats his employees, his vendors and his customers,
the prevailing line of thought is based on his Christian
principles. One of those principles being, it is better
to give than receive. Many residents and community
leaders already know that in some cases, Zezima gives
more pizza away than he sells. It’s
not out of the question for Zezima to
give food away for a good cause and he enjoys giving,
regardless of who or what it is. “I don’t mind giving
to something,” Zezima said. When Zezima recently
opened his second
location in Tulsa
and has made his
son Ryan (Zezima)
O’Meara the manager. He opened the
Tulsa location the
same way he opened
his pizzeria in Broken Arrow. “You
know let everybody
come in and you get
to know the community,” Zezima
said. “You know
the way we are,
The Zezimas are led by the Spirit.
They feel compelled to run the family business, which
opened last year in Broken Arrow, more like the place
was their dining room and kitchen at home. People
who enter this establishment are treated like a member
of the family and few leave hungry. Kim said her spiritual walk has been made stronger since opening the
pizzeria. She’s able to share the good news of the Lord
more freely.
Customers often notice a difference. It’s not out of the
question for patrons to call, not wanting a large pepperoni pizza or pasta dish, but rather to ask Kim for prayer
or how to be saved.
The children, including his own, are usually playing
with a ball of pizza dough as they wait to sample some
of the delicacies on the menu at Uncle Vinny’s. Zezima
personally sees to customers’ needs and in most cases
when you ask about a certain menu item, the usual
response is, “You wanna try some?” Zezima asks.
We use a concept here, that’s been pretty good.
“I heard so many times in the church, ‘Who’s the
church?” Zezima says the typical response to that question is “the people.”
Over the years as a restaurant owner, his thought
process has progressed to the point where he asks,
“Who owns the restaurant?” “I don’t, it’s in my name
and it’s on paper
but it’s the people,”
Zezima said. “We are
just here, we sign the
paperwork and checks
but (the restaurant)
is everybody else’s.”
He thinks if owners
of any business will
run with this attitude
and thought pattern,
we’re just very community oriented.”
Zezima probably knows a majority of the members of
the PTA as well as the men and women who serve the
community at the fire and police departments.
“We are pretty simple,” Zezima said.
“We are family oriented and I try to live by biblical
principles.” Although I am far from being perfect, its is
a philosophy seasoned with all the right stuff.
Uncle Vinny’s Pizza is located at 322 West Kenosha
and 6565 E. 71st Street.
F e b r u a r y 2 0 0 8 C o m m u n i t y S p i r i t 43
Baby Its Cold Outside
If your dog lives outside, you may need to help your
pooch stay warm. It helps to provide artificial heat by
hanging a trouble light with a100 watt bulb in their
shelter. However, be alert to the potential danger you
dog could chew into the cord’s 110 volts.
Please call us at Nicholson Animal Hospital and we will
give you a few ideas on how to weatherproof the average doghouse.
R. Scott Nicholson, DVM, is a respected Broken Arrow
veterinarian. Dr. Nicholson’s clinic is located at 816 S. Em
and he can be contacted at 806-6074.
W
We are heading into Oklahoma’s coldest weeks of
the year. It is indeed, cold outside… maybe too cold for
your dog. You need to realize most of our pets do not
know how to survive in the cold any better than you and
I do. They are depending on you to protect them from
winter’s three enemies… ice, temperature and wind.
ICE – Most of our domesticated, four-legged
friends do not know how to get water when it is frozen.
Solid ice is much more difficult for them to deal with
than snow. Snow melts easily when they eat it. Ice does
not. It is very easy for them to become dehydrated when
the weather is cold enough to freeze the water in their
bowls.
TEMPERATURE
– Obviously severely cold temperatures
rob the body of heat. Most of our domestic breeds do
not have coats which will properly insulate them from
the cold. Shelter is therefore vital for all outside dogs.
You want a shelter that is large enough to be comfortable, but not so big that it is hard to heat.
WIND
– The third enemy is a greater problem
than the first two combined. Even on a 40 degree day,
if the wind is over 15 mph it can cause hypothermia in
short and medium coated breeds.
44 C o m m u n i t y S p i rit February
January 2008
2008
F e b r u a r y 2 0 0 8 C o m m u n i t y S p i r i t 45
T
Tzu Tzu rarely misses
work. Though not
officially “on staff,” he
just may be one of the
church’s most regular
“employees.” The 4
year-old Shih Tzu is
owned by Michael Goldsmith, Pastor of Broken
Arrow Assembly of God.
“Tzu Tzu (pronounced Zu-Zu) was actually a gift for my
daughter Sarah, but it was my job to house-break him.
So, I started bringing him to work with me everyday,”
Goldsmith explained.
Four years later, Tzu Tzu is still coming to work and has
become a friendly member of the already friendly church
staff. It is obvious they like having him around. Though
Tzu Tzu did growl at our photographer, Goldsmith joked
that he is actually “a good little charismatic dog.”
Tzu Tzu does all the standard tricks: rollover, sit-up,
speak, etc. Thus far, he hasn’t gone to seminary or
learned to sing in the choir, but he does minister to the
staff and to anyone who will stop to give him a good
scratch. His daily presence in the church office “testifies”
to the good-hearted and friendly style Pastor Goldsmith
has brought to this thriving church.
Since Goldsmith’s arrival in 1998, the church has more
than doubled in size and now has an attendance of over
1600 in two services. The church recently moved into
their new worship center at 101st and Olive (129th E.
Ave.). Both this South campus and the Downtown campus are continually a beehive of activity as the church
reaches out to one of the fastest growing communities in
the Tulsa area.
Pastor Goldsmith is an ordained minister with the Assemblies of God. He has a degree in Biblical Studies from
Southwestern Assemblies of God University in Waxahachie, Texas and a Master’s Degree from Oral Roberts
University in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He has previously served
other Assembly of God congregations in North Little
Rock, Conway, Pine Bluff and Siloam Springs.
Writing is a passion with Goldsmith. In 2002 one of his
papers was selected to be included in the curriculum in
151 Bible schools in 7 countries; Ukraine, Russia, Romania, Moldova, Turkey, Israel, and China. He wrote a
chapter in “Living Like Jesus,” edited by Ken Horton and
James Davis, published by Onward Books. Goldsmith
has also published two books of his own. “Living at the
Speed of Blur” and “Trusting God” by Onward Books.
Pastor Goldsmith has ministered at the Los Angeles International Church (LA Dream Center) and appeared on
the Dream Center’s national television program (aired on
the Trinity Broadcasting Network). He serves as a guest
host for local TBN broadcasts, and as a guest lecturer
46 C o m m u n i t y S p i rit February 2008
Spotlight on Michael Goldsmith,
Pastor of Broken Arrow Assembly of God
for Oral Roberts University’s continuing education program.
In 2002 Michael Goldsmith received a bronze Telly Award
for his work as Executive Producer for the video production,
“Beyond Ourselves.” Pastor Goldsmith’s hobbies include
spending time with his family, reading everything he can get
his hands on, and golfing. Michael Goldsmith lives in Broken
Arrow with his wife Debbie. The couple has been married for
23 years and they have two daughters. Abby is a senior and
Sarah is sophomore at Summit Christian Academy.
Sponsored by:
Shih Tzu
The breed was developed by Chinese Emperors and recent DNA analysis confirms that this is one of the oldest
known breeds. Shih Tzu’s became the pampered darlings
of the palace. Now, they tend to continue the same personality in households all over the world.
The Shih Tzu is also known as the Chinese/Tibetan Lion
Dog or the Chrysanthemum Dog. It is called the chrysanthemum dog because its face resembles the flower. A
list of famous owners of Shih Tzu’s includes Beyonce
Knowles, Frank Sinatra, Former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell, Mariah Carey, Isaac, Taylor, & Zac Hanson, Anna
Nicole Smith, Nicole Richie and Lara Flynn Boyle.