Vera Doughty, RN has worked as a nurse for 63 years. She is doing what she does best; sharing her love with her extended family at the Children’s Center Rehabilitation Hospital.
by Vickie Jenkins
Staff Writer
It takes a special person to be a nurse. It also takes a special person to be a nurse for 63 years. One special person is Vera Doughty, RN. Her whole life has been dedicated to doing what she does best, loving and caring for others. For the last 28 years, Vera has spent her time at the Children’s Center Rehabilitation Hospital sharing her motherly love as she cares for the children.
Growing up in Crescent, Oklahoma, Vera moved to Oklahoma City to start Nursing School in 1952. “When I was a little girl, I didn’t always want to be a nurse; I wanted to be a Veterinarian. That was in the early 40’s and 50’s and I knew if that was the case, I would have to deliver cows and horses, and with my little, petite size body, I knew I wasn’t big enough to handle that, so I became a nurse,” she replied with a laugh. Can you image me trying to deliver a cow?” she asked.
“Yes, I have always loved animals. I remember when I was a little girl; I took care of a lot of animals; Cats, dogs, and chickens. When all of the other little girls were playing with their dolls, I was out playing with the animals. I guess you could say I was playing nurse and nursing them back to health,” she replied.
Vera went to Nursing School through Saint Anthony’s Hospital. “My first job as a nurse was at Saint Anthony’s Hospital and then I worked for 2 family practitioners. They were partners in the doctor’s office. Both of them were so good and they taught me a lot of what I know today. One of the doctors ended up passing away and the other doctor retired, so all of a sudden, I didn’t have a job. I found a job that I really liked and that was 28 years ago. They were such good doctors and I was the only nurse they had. After one doctor passed away and the other one retired, I had to find a job,” Vera said with a laugh. “I came here to the Children’s Center and I never left, so I must like it here,” she added.
In Vera’s opinion, it takes several qualities to make a good nurse. “A nurse has to be observant of what’s going on and they have to be interested in the patient. They have to be caring and have a real desire to take care of others,” she said.
It takes a mixture of love and determination, always following through and never giving up, being kind and considerate to others, always setting a goal and reaching for it, this is a mixture of Vera’s strongest assets.
Working in the yard and playing with her great-grandkids is what Vera does in her spare time. “I stay busy and enjoy every minute of it,” Vera said.
I asked Vera where she would travel to if she could travel anywhere in the world and she replied with a quick answer, “Oh, I would go to Switzerland. “My grandparents lived in Switzerland and I always thought it would be nice to go see where they lived. Plus, I have always been fond of the movie, Heidi. The green grass, the rolling hills… I always thought it would be a great place to visit. A beautiful place to go if I were to travel, but I don’t think I will be going there anytime soon,” she said with a smile.
“If I were to give advice to someone going into the medical field, I would tell them have a real desire for it, don’t do it for the money or the prestige, do it for the love that comes from within your heart,” she said. “They would need to have a real desire to take care of other, never expecting anything in return. Whatever they did, they shouldn’t do it for the money, not for the prestige, they need to do it from their love for others,” Vera said.
Words to live by: “Oh that’s an easy one. The Bible,” she replied.
Ms Oklahoma Senior America 2018 Kay Manning of Oklahoma City.
Left to right: Administrator Ladell Maxwell, 2nd Runner Up Marilynn Blackmon of Ada, OK, 3rd Runner Up Judy Jackson of Mead, OK, 1st Runner Up Kathryn Carroll Gordon of Newalla, OK, Ms Oklahoma Senior America 2018 Kay Manning of Oklahoma City, OK, Ms Oklahoma Senior America 2016 Dove Schmidt, Director Wynelle Record, Director Dorothy Lilies.
A very surprised and happy Kay Manning was crown Ms Oklahoma Senior America 2018 on Saturday, July 21.
When asked how she felt, Kay said, “I feel very blessed to have the opportunity to represent my State, tribe, community, and family as Ms Oklahoma Senior America 2018. This is such a rare happening in life to be given such an honor and I will absolutely do my best to make you all proud. I joined the pageant to get more comfortable on stage and with public speaking. I have always been a little shy and theater has been a way for me to get out of my shell. My philosophy of life is If you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day. If you teach a man to fish, you have fed him for life. As a teacher my goal is to show children what they need to know to go out into the world and succeed, as well as be independent. I have been teaching 23 years and plan to keep teaching many more.”
God is first, because without Him none of this would be possible and I would not have met so many great people along the way. I am the daughter of Patrick and Jeanette Manning, spirited Oklahomans, Citizens of Potawatomi Nation Native Americans, and in a family of Sooner fans. I have a daughter, Brooke and two grandsons, Peyton and Bivin that bring me a lot of joy and keep me young at heart. I am an active participant in the Catholic Church, reading at Mass, fulfilling my need to give back for all I have been given. Recently I joined another family, the Oklahoma Senior Follies. They are the most colorful and exciting group of people I have ever had the pleasure to be around. As a teacher I work with many active seniors and try to encourage my friends to attend or volunteer. I enjoy promoting senior programs.
Ms Oklahoma Senior America 2018
Kay Manning is a teacher for the Oklahoma City Public Schools. She attended the University of Oklahoma, Marymount College of Salina, Kansas and University of Central Oklahoma (UCO). Kay transferred from OU to Marymount College where she received her Bachelor of Arts degree and an Associate in science. She later attended UCO where she earned her Early Childhood Certification in teaching. Her experience in the theatre began in OKC at Bishop McGuinness High School where she played the role of the eldest daughter, Tzeitel, in “Fiddler on the Roof’. She attended Marymount College in Salina, Kansas, and performed in “Pippin”, “Camelot”, “Annie Get Your Gun”,” Next”, “Orpheus Descending”, “Waltz of the Toreadors”, “The Children’s Hour”, and “Lysistrata” to name a few. Kay also performed the role of Jocasta in “Oedipus Rex” at Marymount College and the Manhattan, Kansas Community Theatre. In 2004, Kay was selected from over 500 singers auditioning to sing in a competition for News Channel 9 called “Gimme the Mike”, Oklahoma.
First Runner Up is Kathryn Carroll Gordon was born in Midwest City. She became a member of the original Oklahoma Twisters Gymnastic Team in the 1950’s. She became 1st Place Jr. Olympic Tumbling Champion, 3rd Place National Tumbling Champion and a member of the United States Pan American Gymnastics Team to Winnipeg, Canada. Kathryn graduated from Milford High School in Connecticut, where she trained in gymnastics for the 1968 Olympics. She attended the 1968 Olympic trials in Long Beach, where she qualified for the finals. Kathryn graduated from the University of Central Oklahoma with a Bachelor of Science Degree and a teaching certificate. She was on the Honor Roll and received an Outstanding Gymnast award. Recently, Kathryn graduated from a Getting Ahead class and received a State of Oklahoma citation signed by Senator Ron Sharp and Representative Dell Kerbs. Kathryn’s past work history includes teaching in Mid-Del School system for 12 years; owning and operating the Edmond School of Gymnastics for 10 years and selling insurance for ten years, where she received many awards as a Million-Dollar Producer. Currently, she is working as a licensed cosmetologist. To satisfy her creative side, Kathryn has performed comedy at the Oklahoma City Joker’s Comedy Club where she opened for comedians, Mack & Jaimie, acted in many commercials and training videos, tap danced as a member of “A Class Act” at the 2017 fundraiser for the Ms. Oklahoma Senior America Pageant, the 2017 Senior Follies, the Veterans’ Center as well as at various nursing homes and assisted living centers. Kathryn is a member of Eastern Star where she donates her time to worthy causes. She has donated time to Project Gabriel in Shawnee, which helps pregnant girls with supplies for their babies as well as counseling. Kathryn currently attends Westminster Presbyterian Church. She is blessed with a daughter and a son who are successful as a Computer Engineer with Microsoft in Seattle and a Graphic Designer in Salt Lake City. She is proud, too, of her four grandsons and two granddaughters. She loves spending time with her family and friends.
Second Runner up Marilynn Blackmon is the mother of two children and has three grandchildren and three great grandchildren. She worked as a secretary in her 20s, and later went into sales and started her own interior design business “Interior Reflections.” Some years later she changed focus and started a new business, “Pen & Pencil” office supply. As she turned 60, she went back to college, joined Toastmasters and reinvented herself. She became certified in Workforce Training and Development, and she was an Adjunct Instructor at Eastfield College in Mesquite, Texas, for three years. Then she moved back to her hometown of Ada, Oklahoma, in 2008 to completely restart her life where it began. Since that time, she has been Adjunct Instructor/Trainer at Pontotoc Technology Center in Ada for 12 years. Her goal is to help others learn to feel good about themselves and reach their full potential, which she does in every class she leads. She has a business called Fly without Baggage, and is a certified Master Coach in self-esteem elevation for children and adults. She is a public speaker whose theme is to enlighten and encourage others. She is a member of Toastmasters, Owls’ Book Club and National Speakers Association. Her other interests include computer technology, singing, reading, fishing, jigsaw puzzles and her friends from Ada High School Class of 1960. She volunteers as associate Sunday School teacher at her church.
Third Runner Up Judy Jackson says she is greatly blessed, highly favored, and deeply loved by God through Jesus Christ. She is a Christian, a loving wife and a great mother. She has two sons, one lives nearby and the other is in Heaven waiting for her. She is a wonderful grandmother, a fabulous friend and an excellent teacher (retired now, from Middle School), but she still loves to teach any age group who is willing to learn. Judy is devoted to God, family, community and her Country. She believes in loving, living, laughing and spreading kindness everywhere she can. She believes we all have a purpose in life and hers is to spread encouragement in every way she can. Judy says we all need to learn something new every day until we take our last breath. She says she is like a goose, she wakes up in a new world every day. Judy says learning is living, and living is exciting. Trying to be the best person she can be helps her to be better at all the things that are important to her. It is her goal to get people excited about life and what they can do. Judy says getting someone to feel good about helping themselves to feel good about who and what they can be is an all-time high. Judy works as a volunteer so she can help someone else to have a better life. She feels doing so gives her a better life. She believes if she can teach, encourage and lift someone’s day then she is doing the job God has planned for that day. With Random acts of kindness and giving a smile or a compliment to someone, she can brighten their whole day. According to Judy, we all just need a kind, encouraging word, or even just a quick prayer. It lets the world know that you care. Someone must care, so why can’t it be me. In her small way she likes to believe she makes a difference. Her small part starts with her being the best person she can be, just being there when someone needs a smile, a hug or just a kind word. She feels this is her small corner of the world, and it’s her job to make it the best world she can create for that day. Judy affirms she is a very blessed woman, and it is her treasure to pass a blessing or act of kindness on to someone else. That is who she is.
Other Oklahoma contestants
Betty Bradley, Duncan; Rita Engel, Ada; Pamela Holtzberger, Oklahoma City; Barbara Ann Krantz, Shady Point; Gayle Orf , Claremore; Shirley Shroff, Broken Arrow; and Winnie Stanberry, Tulsa.
Patti Townsend of Milburn is being recognized as a Significant Woman in Oklahoma Agriculture. She is shown here with her husband Gayland and three sons Philip, Charles and Steven.
For Patti Townsend, her entire life could be described by these two words.
After enduring the drought of the Dust Bowl, Townsend’s father, an Oklahoma farmer and coal miner, decided to move his family west to California during World War II. There was a need for work in the shipyards because of the war, so he was certain a better life would await them there.
“My father just threw up his hands and said, ‘This farming is not worth it right now,’” she said.
Townsend grew up in San Francisco, a much different sight from the New Mexico cattle ranches she would soon call home.
After marrying Gayland Townsend, the two began ranching together in Albuquerque and then Roswell. They raised commercial cattle before incorporating Brangus into their herd, eventually owning nearly 800 head. The Townsends moved several times while in New Mexico, each time to a bigger ranch, before relocating to Oklahoma in 2004.
“I was chief cook and bottle washer,” Patti Townsend laughed, pointing out that she worked more than everyone else because she had two jobs: ranching and cooking.
She added, “They counted on me being out there helping them with cattle and then having dinner on the table too.”
“I wasn’t a hired hand,” she laughed. “I was a free hand. Let’s put it that way. I was out there working cattle and then having pot roast in the oven.”
She would have beans on the stove and cornbread in the oven while she worked cattle.
“They’d send me up there about 10 minutes before, and then I put everything on the table,” Townsend said. “They ate. I cleaned up. I was back out there in the corral.”
While the Townsends ranched in Roswell on the “home place,” Patti Townsend became heavily involved with the New Mexico Cowbelles. She served on the board, as secretary and as president.
“I did everything they asked me to,” she said.
Townsend worked beef cook-offs, helped the New Mexico Beef Council – where she also chaired the board – at the state fair, and helped put on the beef ambassador contest. She traveled to each region of the state giving workshops, ran booths at the state capitol, and visited schools to teach children about beef cattle. She also led farm tours to show the public more about the industry.
She recalls one lady being so excited – and scared – to give a cow a shot for the first time.
“She did it. She ended up giving that cow a shot, and then she raised her hands up and just thought that was the greatest thing in the world that she gave that cow a shot,” Townsend laughed.
It was the education and promotion of agriculture, specifically beef cattle, that drove Townsend.
She was involved on the local, state and national level. She was named the 1999 New Mexico Cowbelle of the Year and served as president. She also served as region director of the American National CattleWomen for six years and was president of ANCW in 2003.
Townsend, who “to this day still can’t believe it,” was named the 2011 ANCW Outstanding CattleWoman of the Year.
“It was the best honor I could have in my life,” she said.
The “home place” or “family ranch” as Patti Townsend calls it, is where the Townsends lived for about 21 years and raised three sons: Philip, Charles and Steven. It is also where Townsend started her sheep herd, which grew to nearly 600 head over a 20 year period.
“The boys had them [the sheep] for ag,” she said. “It was an ag project, and course they showed sheep too. The oldest one took off to college, and he had to sell his part of the sheep to the other two. And when the second one went off to college, he had to sell his part to the youngest one. And then when the youngest one when off to college, there was nobody to buy them but Momma. So I bought his share, and so those were Momma’s sheep now.”
“There was a herd of them by the time we finished with them because they can have triplets,” she laughed.
Her sons were all heavily involved in FFA, showing cattle, pigs and sheep. All three received their American FFA Degrees, and Charles was a state FFA officer.
All three also grew up to pursue agriculture. Charles is a veterinarian, Philip is a rancher and fishermen’s guide, and Steven runs the ranch, which is now located in Milburn, Okla.
“We started getting bigger on account of the youngest son [Steven] wanting to be a rancher, and so that’s the reason we sold the family ranch,” she said. “He’s always wanted to be a rancher since he was 3 years old.”
The Townsends moved to a bigger ranch outside of Roswell first before moving the cattle to Oklahoma.
Why would a successful ranching family decide to move 500 miles to begin the challenge of raising cattle in a completely new state?
The answer can be found in one word: drought.
After year five of what would be an eight-year intense drought, the Townsends were at a crossroads. Their time in New Mexico had set them up for success in Oklahoma.
“A man walked up to us and wanted to buy the ranch,” she said, “and my husband said, ‘Sold.’ So we bought a place here in Oklahoma, and that’s where we are now. We still have Brangus cattle. We raise about 600 head here.”
As the ranches got bigger and more help came in the form of her sons, Patti Townsend wasn’t needed as much. However, she never got too far away from the ranch.
“I stayed involved with the cattle, and when we culled cows and stuff like that my husband wanted me out there working to make sure I was satisfied with what they sent to the sale and what they kept for heifers. They didn’t sell my pets. Let me put it that way,” Townsend laughed.
She became very involved with the Oklahoma CattleWomen and was slated to become an officer here too, before deciding she was needed more at home to take care of her husband after his heart attack.
“I’m getting back involved with them again, but I am not moving up to be president so leave that off your list,” she laughed.
She has truly loved the ranching life – where she spent her entire career – and is hopeful that her grandchildren and great-grandchildren will pursue it.
“It is a beautiful life for a family, and I would suggest it for any young couple that wants to start living on the ranch to try it,” she said. “Get them out of the city. Put them on the ranch or the farm, and it’s a hard life. I’m not going to say it’s an easy life. We had some rough times. We had some big rough times, but we made it. We just stuck together and made it. I wouldn’t trade it for a billion dollars, or a trillion.”
It has been almost 50 years since the Townsends first started ranching together.
“It was fun days. I enjoyed it. I really did. It’s just something I did, and I was young enough to do it. Don’t ask me to now,” she laughed.
Patti Townsend, now nearly 78, reflects back on her days on the home place and says every memory was great – whether it was good or bad. She would certainly love to be working underneath the Oklahoma sky.
“I wish I was 10 years younger,” she said. “I’d be out there hand in hand. I’d still be the chief cook and bottle washer.”
Edible cookie dough may be the next best dessert to hit the shelves.
Thanks to Dhea and Karla Hudson, owners of Okie Dough, this tasty treat is now available across Oklahoma.
The cookie dough is made without eggs or added milk and made with heat-treated flour, so it is completely safe to eat. Available in about 15 flavors, Okie Dough can be eaten straight from the freezer or refrigerator because it lasts up to 12 weeks in the freezer and up to eight weeks in the refrigerator.
The most challenging part of being in the business is making it clear to customers that the product is safe to eat, Dhea Hudson said.
“The nostalgia of eating cookie dough is unlike that of any other dessert,” Dhea Hudson said. “I hear all the time that there is an emotional connection that can’t be manufactured. It’s inherent in the product and unique to cookie dough.”
The idea behind Okie Dough started in school when Dhea was a high school counselor.
“I often would bring baked goods to my students,” she said. “When they asked for my cookie dough instead of the cookies, I was hesitant because of the raw eggs, and I didn’t want to make anyone sick. So I began experimenting with my original chocolate chip cookie dough recipe without eggs. I would bring a batch to school, and the kids would disapprove or approve. And finally on the fifth time, everyone really liked it. I had done my research on the heat-treating of the flour by then, so sharing at school was completely safe. And that is how Okie Dough was created.”
The business began in April 2017. In the first year, Okie Dough made it to 10 festivals, all home Oklahoma University football games, the Cox Convention Center, the Chesapeake Arena for all Thunder games and events, the Texas Motor Speedway, and many more.
Okie Dough also joined the Made in Oklahoma Program this year. The product is made using flour from Shawnee Mills in Shawnee, Okla., butter from the Hiland Dairy in Chandler, Okla., and Griffins Vanilla from Muskogee, Okla. For more information, visit madeinoklahoma.net/products/okie-dough, okiedoughlicious.com, or find Okie Dough on Facebook.
Yes, and……
The motto of improvisational comedy. A basic tenet of improv is to make your partner look good. The same holds true for making sure your loved one is listened to, respected and celebrated in their efforts to engage in life, whatever their current perspective.
Join the Alzheimer’s Association, in partnership with OKC Improv, for this workshop to help caregivers let go of the need to control (or even know what happens next) in order to discover the gifts in every experience. Learn to utilize basic improv skills to surrender to the reality of the moment and find the way to embrace the joy of our relationships!
DINNER PROVIDED. LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE. CALL TO RESERVE YOURS! 800.272.3900
WHEN: MONDAY, AUGUST 27 | 6 PM WHERE: ALZHEIMER’S ASSOCIATION, 6601 BROADWAY EXT., SUITE 120 OKC
Photography and Text by Terry “Travels with Terry” Zinn t4z@aol.com
When I visited Albany, New York, I just had to explore a little farther north to the Lake George area. There I found the small town “Festival of the Lake,” in progress next to the southern end of the expansive lake itself.
My home base was the Fort William Henry Hotel with an upper story lake view. It’s so nice to wake up and go to bed with the ever-changing view of water and distant mountains. The hotel offers several styles of accommodations, but staying in the main historic building was optimal, and the prime location for viewing the weekend fireworks over the lake from the room.
I had an unpleasant lunch at the little snack bar café on the waterfront where the manager was almost rude and not accommodating to this paying customer. But with that unpleasantness aside, the rest of my tourist visit to Lake George was very pleasant.
Up the lake side road is the legendary and historic Sagamore Hotel, where you must stop in for a tour or definitely a lunch. The Sagamore opened its doors in 1883 with luxurious Lake George accommodations that attracted a select, international clientele, and quickly became the social epicenter for the wealthy residents of Green Island and Millionaires’ Row. Twice damaged by fire in 1893 and 1914, The Sagamore was fully reconstructed in 1930 through the efforts of Dr. William G. Beckers of New York City, one of the hotel’s early stockholders, and William H. Bixby, a St. Louis industrialist. Together they financed the cost despite the period’s bleak economic climate and The Sagamore continued to thrive, hosting the National Governor’s Conference in 1954, which was presided over by Vice President Richard M. Nixon and Governor Thomas E. Dewey.
A staff member of the Sagamore, suggested I travel, if time allowed to go a bit farther north, to the northern most part of Lake George and visit the Fort Ticonderoga area. I had always heard about this revolutionary war locale and it was enlightening to tour the reconstructed fort and see its importance for guarding the waterfront. Approaching the Park area I came across a fox hunt, complete with riders and hounds in progress, temporarily halting car traffic. It was as if I was transported back in time.
Another dining treat was the Algonquin Restaurant at Bolton Landing, near the Sagamore Hotel, where locals take their boats, docked them by the water front restaurant, enjoy a meal or cocktail, and then retreat to their lake homes via the water, before the sun completely sets. Boating to them is as casual as taking the family car out to dinner ~ so quaint and a hint at the local lake culture.
I enjoyed dining at the very popular Lake George’s Marios Italian Restaurant, and at the Lake George Dinner Theater, where the play was well done and my congenial extemporaneous senior citizen ladies table mates, was more entertainment. The Lake George man street plays host to a number of assorted shops and eateries, including the wine tastings at the Adirondack Winery.
They say you must get on the lake to experience Lake George and the Lake George Steamboat Company fills that order. With several specialty cruises or a casual noon time cruise, you get a different perspective of the Lake and the mountains. Establish in 1817, the Company has been operating on Lake George for over200 years. They offer a number of boats including the Minne Ha Ha, The MV Mohican or the flagship, Lac du Saint Sacrement.817, the Lake George Steamboat Company has been operating on Lake George for over 200
While I was at Lake George in late September, I found I was at the end of their season, so you may want to arrive earlier in the year, go now, or plan now for your spring/summer upstate New York getaway. America and upstate New York has so much to explore and enjoy.
Before you go check out: www.fortwilliamhenry.com www.adirondackwinery.com www.thesagamore.com www.lakegeorgedinnertheatre.com www.lakegeorgesteamboat.com www.thealgonquin.com
Kevin L. Lewis, MD, has recently been named Regional President of the SSM Health Medical Group.
Dr. Lewis returns to SSM Health Oklahoma to resume the role he held previously from April, 2016 to June, 2017 as Regional President of the SSM Health Medical Group. Dr. Lewis will be responsible for the growth and management of physician practices, as well as post-acute and ambulatory operations across the system.
Lewis comes to SSM Health St. Anthony from the multi-hospital Parkridge Health System based in Chattanooga, Tenn., where he was Chief Medical Officer. He received his medical degree from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
Kevin L. Lewis, MD, has recently been named Regional President of the SSM Health Medical Group.
Dr. Lewis returns to SSM Health Oklahoma to resume the role he held previously from April, 2016 to June, 2017 as Regional President of the SSM Health Medical Group. Dr. Lewis will be responsible for the growth and management of physician practices, as well as post-acute and ambulatory operations across the system.
Lewis comes to SSM Health St. Anthony from the multi-hospital Parkridge Health System based in Chattanooga, Tenn., where he was Chief Medical Officer. He received his medical degree from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
Darlene Franklin is both a resident of a nursing home in Moore, and a full-time writer.
By Darlene Franklin
I’ve never been to war. Aside from a few skirmishes, neither had anyone in Israel’s army. After being freed from Egypt and spending forty years wandering, the desert-hardened Israelite army prepared to fight for the land promised to them by God. How did they feel? Nervous, anxious for their first battle, wanting to get it over with, so they could get on with their new lives? I’ve never been to war. Aside from a few skirmishes, neither had anyone in Israel’s army. After being freed from Egypt and spending forty years wandering, the desert-hardened Israelite army prepared to fight for the land promised to them by God. How did they feel? Nervous, anxious for their first battle, wanting to get it over with, so they could get on with their new lives? They set up camp, all 600,000 of them, spreading out from Jericho’s front gates. Expecting war, imagine how they felt when all they did was to march around the walls one time every day each day for a week with trumpets sounding. You may know the story. At the end of the week, they marched seven times, the instruments blared, the men shouted—and the walls fell down. The battle ended before they threw a spear (Joshua 6).Centuries later, the judge Gideon led a small group of three hundred men to fight the Midianites, Amalekites, and others who’d oppressed the Jewish people. Again, God used the weapon of music—a blaring trumpet—to defeat the opposition (Judges 7).During Jesus’ final week on earth, the crowds sang hosanna when He rode into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey. A few days later, the disciples “sang a hymn and departed” after the Last Supper, beginning the countdown to Jesus’ death. Is it any wonder that Isaiah links strength and music?Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid; for the Lord JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; He also is become my salvation. (Isaiah 12:2 KJV)His words echo Moses’ song after crossing the Red Sea (Exodus 15:2,), as well as the psalmist’s words in Psalm 118:14. Music composed at the height of war has become national anthems (the United States’ Star Spangled Banner and France’s La Marseillaise). In the mid-twentieth century, songs like “We Shall Overcome” played a vital role in the civil rights movement. It’s easier to imagine the connection between music and patriotism than between music and war. There are narratives (probably not factual) of children marching to the Crusades while singing “Fairest Lord Jesus.” Many translations of Isaiah 12:2 plainly place music in war’s arsenal (the Lord is my strength and my song, see the KJV and many others.) Some changed the English word from “music” to “defense” instead. None of the commentaries or lexicons I consulted gave me a clue as two such different words have been used. Neither commentaries and Hebrew word meanings helped me understand how the same word means two such different things, or why the translators changed their work. Was it possible that music was defense?It is for me. When I’m tired, discouraged, unable to sleep, I hum “Abide with me.” If rejoicing in God’s good gifts? How about “Joy to the world, the Lord is come?”When I checked a website for hymns based on Isaiah 12:2, I found over over thirty songs. Here are a few of my favorite phrases: “Jesus! ’’Tis music in the sinner’s ears, ‘Tis life, and health, and peace”—Isaac Watts“I am trusting Thee for power, Thine can never fail”—Frances Ridley HarvergalAnyone who’s ever been moved by a song on the radio or at a concert can testify to the power of music. It slips into the heart, curls up next to the spirit and warms it even before we take in the words. Who doesn’t want to stand and shout when they hear “I’m Proud to be an American” on the 4th of July? Not to mention Katherine Lee Bates’ immortal words about “America the Beautiful.” Music has the capacity to bypass logic and doubt and stir our worship to God. If we wonder what to sing about, we can look at everything we learn about God in Isaiah 12:2. Our Creator’s creation calls for songs of praise. Yahweh, the great I AM, is the beginning of everything and the source of songs of praise. He was Salvation for those before Jesus took on human form, born of the virgin Mary. The love demonstrated at the cross “demands my soul, my life, my all.” (Isaac Watts) God my salvation and strength is also my defense. Let His praise be continually on my lips.
Darlene Franklin is both a resident of a nursing home in Moore, and a full-time writer.
Andy James ,assistant director and fire management chief for the Oklahoma Forestry Services.
Oklahoma Forestry Services announces the promotion of Andy James to assistant director and fire management chief. James will lead the state’s wildfire suppression and mitigation operations, as well as provide leadership for the division’s field operations based out of Tahlequah, Wilburton and Broken Bow.
“As the state’s lead agency for wildfire suppression, the role of fire chief is critical,” said Director of Oklahoma Forestry Services and State Forester Mark Goeller. “We are fortunate to have someone as knowledgeable and experienced as Andy ready to step into that role. He will do a phenomenal job.”
A 22-year veteran of Oklahoma Forestry Services, James previously served as the area forester for Community Fire Assistance programs, providing assistance to rural fire departments and communities. Prior to that he has served in a variety of positions including leading the Southeast Area operations located in Broken Bow, service forester in Wilburton and district forester in Jay. Wildland firefighting has been a big component of all of his positions with Oklahoma Forestry Services.
Throughout his forestry career James has focused on wildland fire suppression and management, not only in eastern Oklahoma, but across the state as a task force leader, division supervisor and operations chief for the OFS Interagency Type 2 Incident Management Team.
“I am excited about the opportunity to represent Oklahoma Forestry Services on a state and national level,” said Andy James. “We have made great strides as a wildfire agency over the last few years and I look forward to continuing those efforts.”
In addition to his duties with Oklahoma Forestry Services, Andy is a member of the Northern Rockies National Type 1 Incident Management Team, and is qualified as an operations section chief, type 2 and an operations section chief, type 1 (trainee). He is also a member of the Fuels Management Committee of the National Wildfire Coordinating Group and the Oklahoma Statewide Mutual Aid Working Group.
