Sweet tea. Sonic Drive-In. BBQ. Route 66. Pops. McDonald’s spanning over Will Rogers turnipike, the second largest in the world. Charlie’s Chicken. Frontier City. Lakes. Braum’s. Blue Bell Ice Cream. Country music. Home of Brad Pitt, Troy Aikman, Will Rogers, Chuck Norris, Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Carrie Underwood and most recently rising the fame, the Swon Brothers. Mesas, mountains and prairies. Native American culture and Pow Wows. 5 civilized tribes. Thunder Up! Drillers baseball and Oilers hockey. College Football! Sooner Pride and Cowboy Love. Cowboys and Indians. Jenks vs. Union high school football games. The 168. OKC Memorial Marathon. The Philbrook. Fried okra. White-tailed deer. Oooooooooooklahoma! Har Ber Village. Burnt Cabin Christian Camp. Woolaroc. Omniplex. Jenks Aquarium. Riverside. Bricktown. Hobby Lobby. Industry and energy. Fall’s Creek. Pioneer Days. Chili Cook-off. Azalea Festival. Garden of Lights. Oral Roberts University. Thunder storms. New Life Ranch. Harmony House. Pecan pie. The Rhema Lights. Wind. Farms. Jazz. Shakespeare in the Park. Tulsa State Fair. Bedlam. Red River Shootout. The Skirvin. Camping, hiking and cliff jumping. Bison. Tulsa PAC. Music Hall of Fame. Lightening bugs. Rodeos. Tulsa World. I-40. I-44 and I-35. Territories. Tom Coburn. Bible Belt. Storm chasers. Wild onions and strawberries. Economy Pharmacy. Gilcrease Museum. Cain’s Ballroom. BOK. 25 Native American languages. Land run. Eischen’s. Panhandle. Scissor-tailed flycatcher. Hot summers and cold winters. Love’s and QT. Bell’s Amusement Park. Heartland.
When I think of Home Sweet Oklahoma, I think of all of these things and so much more that I love, but then there’s that one thing that my home is ridiculously famous for that makes me cringe.
Tornado Alley.
All of the widest and fastest and strongest tornadoes in history have hit Oklahoma. They’ve caused billions upon billions of dollars in destruction of homes, businesses and road systems. More than that, tornadoes have cost LIFE, so much so that according to a recent article, Oklahoma’s I-44 Corridor (Tornado Alley) is the SEVENTH MOST DANGEROUS PLACE TO LIVE ON THE PLANET.
My heart breaks for Oklahoma. It breaks to see the storms on TV at a restaurant in Malaysia or the airport in Cambodia. It breaks for the people and the devastation they’re facing. It breaks for the loss of beautiful creation. However, amidst the breaking, it swells with joy. My heart delights in seeing Oklahomans rally around each other AGAIN. They embrace one another and fulfill one another’s needs through offering shelter, food, love and prayers. They work tirelessly to reunite children with their parents and pets with their owners. They race to donate blood and volunteer at shelters. Despite all of this, they need your help.
Our organization mobilized disaster relief teams to Moore, Oklahoma within 24 hours of the EF-5 storm. There are still openings for 8 of these teams between now and early August. The trips range from 4 to 8 days and are very affordable. Additionally, there are opportunities for providing funds for recovery. Please take just a few minutes to read and pray about these opportunities.
Jenn Dannelley
