Grieving is messy. It is not pretty. It of ten takes over our lives with a vengeance. It can be a prolonged, painful, and profound time of suffer ing. It can also be a time of learning a lot about our family, our friends, and ourselves. Grief can make us feel like we are “going crazy!” For however long the time may be -- a short or long period of time --it can make the best of us become dysfunctional. Author Sandra Bertman says concisely, “Grief is crazy-making, implosive, explosive, arbitrary, unjust, but as basic to the human condition as love and joy.” Grief is like an “elephant in the living room.” No one wants to acknowledge it. When it is recognized, grief is often minimized, reduced, and sanitized. Acknowledgement would lead to understanding, and understanding helps us to realize that this feeling is what many call “normal craziness.” Would that be too easy to accept? This realization would help us to survive with our sanity intact, coping in healthy ways, and even flourishing in our comprehension of the pain we feel.

There was a pet store that had all kinds of animals for sale. There were fish, dogs, cats, ferrets, lizards and birds.

A big city school boy describes a cow something like this........ A cow is a completely automatic milk manufacturing machine.

Greetings! At the time of this writing, the final inspection for Carrus Lakeside Hospital – formerly known as Bristow Medical Center – is scheduled for August 3,2023. (That said, circumstances beyond the control of the City have forced that date to be changed twice within the past month.

Some people—even churchgoers truly suffer; either financially, relationally, emotionally, or physically. Others see no light at the end of the tunnel because hope was traded for a brief encounter with personal desire.

Today starts the tenth week since I was sworn in. So much has happened, and many good things are ready to start. Be on the lookout for a new City of Bristow website, which is in the works currently. Our City Council meetings are still held on the first and third Mondays of the month at 7pm and are always open to the public. They are also live streamed on the Bristow City Hall Facebook page. It is my intention to have a weekly corner in The Bristow News updating readers on City projects. As always, if you have questions or concerns, please call me!

ONHL Hospice Chaplain Drumright, Oklahoma A few words can change your life, but on August 20th, 2006, M. E.

”My husband was walking recently on a sidewalk near our home, when he saw a male who was denitely not in good humor, coming toward him. The dude was quite a bit smaller in size, weigheda lot less, and would be no match if they were to get into a physical ght. But his threatening demeanor and the anger spewing from his mouth let Andy know that a friendly conversa!on wasn’t on his mind. Puzzled, and wondering what his problem was, Andy just kept walking toward him. Which seemed to that young male even more hos!le.Then Andy no!ced that behind him, over to the side in the grass, was a young female. She was si'ng down, obviously protec!ng her newborn li(le ones. Then it clicked. That aggressive male was a daddy in a(ack mode, ready to threaten, bully, and do whatever it took to protect his wife and family.That gander was doing what his God-given daddy ins!ncts told him to do. Protect, provide, and defend his wife and kids at all costs. He was not taught by some other goose to do this. It was just him, ac!ng out on his pure God-ins!lled ins!nct. The next day we walked that same sidewalk. And we saw that li(le family out for a walk. Mr. DaddyGander was out in front, stru'ng condently and protec!vely a few yards in front of her and the kids. Mamma Goose was waddling toward the li(le pond, the six li(le babies running behind her. We stood and watched as she led them into the water, teaching them to swim. The en!re !me, that daddy stood at the edge of the pond warily watching us. We decided to take a curious step closer, just to see what he would do. He immediately came at us, hissing and threatening with every step.So. Here’s my ques!on. If the bird species will obey that ins!nc!ve male leading, to be present in the life of their family and protect and defend against all threats, what has happened to our human species? Why do we have so many husbands and daddies who are way too willing to cut and run when the going gets tough? Or he sees another cute female that has a(racted his a(en!on. According to the Bible, God has directed every human male to stay involved with his family. To provide, protect and defend them at any cost. No ma(er the size of the threat and problem. A man who seeks his own comfort above all else is 2aun!ng his rebellion in the face of his Creator. He was intended to be the head provider and defender of his family and home. To be a role model for his children to follow.That gander on the lookout? THAT was a true daddy and spouse. A lot of our human dads and husbands? Not so much. In my humble opinion, they could learn a lot from that gander.

ONHL Hospice Chaplain Drumright, Oklahoma We all have days when we miss someone so terribly that our heart just aches. We never fully get over losing someone— nor should we.

When you were a child there were possibly adults who lovingly gave you comfort and care. One day a boy in kindergarten was standing at the edge of a creek. It had carved out a deep bed in the soft dirt. There were steep embankments on both sides.