EDITOR’S LETTER

 “I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought; and that gratitude is

happiness doubled by wonder.” G.K. Chesterton The Sunday after Halloween, as I was eating leftover candy and putting away

my sculls and ravens for more acceptable general “fall” decor, I heard it: a

Christmas commercial. In fact, it was for Hallmark’s 55 Days of Christmas.

This, coupled with the fact that Christmas decorations are already on sale

everywhere I go, goes to show that Thanksgiving is quickly losing ground as

an American institution, and I won’t sit idly by and watch it happen.

Each year, people claim there’s a “war on Christmas,” but this year, I want us to fight the

war on Thanksgiving.

While the true origins of Thanksgiving may not be widely known, the thought behind it

is indeed sincere. President Abraham Lincoln declared a “national Day of Thanksgiving

and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens.” This was when it was

declared a federal and public holiday. However, earlier Americans were celebrating long

before that.

In 1777, while the Continental Congress was meeting in a temporary location in York,

Penn., due to the British occupation of our then-national capital at Philadelphia, a note

of thanks was issued. Samuel Adams (the person, not the beer) drafted the First National

Proclamation of Thanksgiving. Congress later adapted the final version, which, in part,

read

“…That it may please Him graciously to afford his Blessing on the Governments of

these States respectively, and prosper the public Council of the whole: To inspire our

Commanders, both by Land and Sea, and all under them, with that Wisdom and

Fortitude which may render them fit Instruments, under the Providence of Almighty

God, to secure for these United States, the greatest of all human Blessings, Independence

and Peace…”

Our first Thanksgiving wasn’t meant to imitate a festive coming together of the pilgrims

and Native Americans; it was to call upon a greater power while we were at war, trying

desperately to establish ourselves as an independent nation. If there is a holiday worth

celebrating in America, Thanksgiving is worth it. So, hold off on your Christmas trees

and carols and let the turkey have his time.

I hope you’ll join my War For Thanksgiving by expressing gratitude toward family, friends,

and others who have helped you this year. I’ll go first: while we will continue giving

thanks for all of our readers, community friends

and people who are able to keep our magazines

running, we’re also expressing sincere gratitude

for allowing us, artists, writers, photographers

& designers, to practice our crafts and remain

independent. Without you, we simply wouldn’t

have a job. So, thank you, thank you, thank you.

Best,

Meg McElhaney

Editor-in-Chief

Pub W Fundraiser

Deer Creek High School has recently teamed up

with Pub W for monthly fundraising events

and opportunities. Money raised during these

fundraising events will go toward the Deer

Creek High School’s general fund, to help

with the school’s educational and recreational needs.

During the month of October, Pub W contributed a $125

donation. The first fundraising night was held on Nov. 3 at

Pub W’s Oklahoma City location, at 3121 W. Memorial Rd.

in Oklahoma City. Deer Creek High School hopes to continue

their fundraising partnership with Pub W in the coming

months, in an effort to raise more money each month than

the month before.

For more information on Pub W, visit pubdub.com or call

(405) 608-2200. For more information about Deer Creek

High School’s fundraising opportunities, visit www.deercreekhs.

org or call (405) 348-5720.

Quail Creek Bank Launches App

Since the launch of the Apple Watch last spring,

brands from Nike to Bank of America and FitBit

have been cashing in on having their products

and apps merely fingertip length away from their

consumers.

Usually, app development is expensive in both time and

money investment, but in the right conditions these

investments can have great ROIs for the brand and greatly

benefit the consumer. This is what Duggan Roberts, vice

president of Quail Creek Bank, hoped for when he pitched

the idea to his boss.

“This isn’t an app just for young people,” Roberts said. “We’ve

found that people of all ages appreciate the convenience and

love using it.”

The app, which was rolled out with their LINQ account suite

of services, is targeted at active people who don’t necessarily

have time to stop by the bank to deposit a check or transfer

funds. The mobile app, QCB, which is available for both

Android and Apple devices, allows users to deposit checks,

transfer funds, track finances, pay bills and pay other people

through the app. The Apple Watch app connects to the QCB

app and allows users to view funds available or make sure

transfers and deposits have gone through at the swipe of a

finger.

The app came to fruition when Roberts, who has an IT

background, saw an opening in the market for becoming

the first community bank in Oklahoma to offer tech-savvy

clients more options.

This level of convenience that usually comes with larger

chains of banks also means sacrificing the “relationship

banking” that was the norm for earlier generations. However,

with Quail Creek Bank’s newest suite of services, you don’t

have to pick between investing in a company that invests in

your community or having services that allow you to have

the most convenient banking experiences available.

Roberts, who has been with Quail Creek Bank for over a

decade, highlights the benefit of banking with a community

bank.

“We won’t be building other locations, so providing services

through technology is important,” he said. “Community

banks still offer relationship banking and we invest in and

care about our community.”

This level of technology adaptation is something that other

states (think California or New York) usually get to enjoy,

however, Quail Creek Bank is making sure that Oklahomans

can bank at the swipe of a finger.

Written by Meg McElhaney

Photographed by Jonathan Burkhart

DCHS Names WWF Partner

It’s a wonderful time to be an Antler! Deer Creek’s Wonderful Week of

Fundraising (WWF) selected Anna’s House Foundation as their 2016

WWF charity. The Anna’s House Foundation is dedicated to providing

a network of support families for foster children in the Oklahoma City

metro area. According to their website, The Anna’s House Foundation’s

mission “is to provide immediate, stable, loving homes to the youngest children

in state custody.”

The Foundation works toward giving

children the unique care they need

while incorporating a loving community

for foster parents through

training and valuable resources.

Deer Creek’s WWF is an annual

philanthropic week coordinated by

the Deer Creek Student Council.

WWF raises money for the year’s

chosen charity through food sales,

fundraising and outreach programs.

Written by Katy Fabrie

Giving Tuesday

The hustle and bustle of the holiday season often

leads to an overload of consumerism and stress.

It seems you can’t turn around without the urge

to buy this and purchase that. Though it’s all well

and good to buy fun gifts for your loved ones, the

meaning behind the holiday season sometimes gets pushed

aside with the Black Friday and Cyber Monday madness.

Giving Tuesday (#GivingTuesday), Dec. 1, 2015, is wholly dedicated

to taking time to think of others who truly need help.

The program is a global day centering around giving generously

to those who need it the most. The local Edmond, Oklahoma

City & Choctaw and Harrah communities are getting involved,

too. All it takes is a quick search on givingtuesday.org to locate

a charity that’s participating. A few nonprofits taking part are

HOPE Center of Edmond, Orphan Relief Effort Inc., Regional

Food Bank of Oklahoma, Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy

and the Foundation for Oklahoma City Public Schools. So

on Giving Tuesday, take the time to give back to your local community—

you’ll be happy you did.

Written by Katy Fabrie

HighFive’s Top 5

 It’s the best of times, it’s the worst of times, it’s holiday baking. We know the struggles of holiday cooking, and we’re here to help you out! Whatever

your holiday traditions are—conventional or unconventional—we have the perfect options to make your holiday eating more enjoyable

and less of a hassle. - Kennedy McAlister

Kitchen No. 324 (Downtown OKC)

Kitchen 324’s savory Chicken Pot Pie features all the holiday

goodness with a twist—a fried chicken leg in the middle

of it! Their dessert pies are freshly made in-house every

morning: coconut crème, pecan, and this fall you can enjoy

a pumpkin pie. Perfect for the family who goes out to eat for

the holidays.

Sherri’s Pies (704 SW 59th St., OKC)

Perfect for the hostess who has lots of food to make,

Sherri’s pink-lit interior matches the fun-loving, homey

style of their pies. Order in advance one of their

special holiday pies: pumpkin and caramel apple pecan.

Arbuckle Mountain Original Fried Pies (3721 N.W. 50th St., OKC)

The famous I-35 Davis, OK stop brings their fried goodies to Oklahoma City. It’s perfect

for the family who likes untraditional holiday desserts—you can order a variety of their

fried pies for your family dinner. Their special holiday pies include raisin, apple raisin

pecan, pumpkin and sweet potato.

Pie Junkie (1711 NW 16th St., OKC)

Featured in Buzzfeed.com’s article, “24 of the Most Delicious Pies in America”, Pie Junkie’s

Drunken Turtle pie reigns supreme. Order their Pumpkin Crumble with a maple bourbon

whip and sweet potato pies, and be on the lookout for their Orange Bourbon Pecan pie! They

consider themselves to be a Gluten-friendly bakery, and they can make truly gluten free pies

with 48 hours notice for customers with celiac disease.

That Pie Place (Food Truck)

A new food truck in the OKC Metro area, That Pie Place not only provides delicious

pies; it creates a fun outing for your family! Follow them on Twitter or Instagram (@

ThatPiePlaceOK) to find where they are from day to day, or visit their website (thatpieplaceok.

com) to find out how you can order whole pies.

Sherri’s Pies (704 SW 59th St., OKC)

Perfect

Heritage Village:

A Land Full of

Promise

If you ask elementary-aged children in the United

States about Thanksgiving’s origins, they will likely

relay a story about the pilgrims’ arrival to North

America and the ensuing feast, symbolizing the

budding unity between the pilgrims and the Native

Americans. Though this version is simple, it highlights an

important underlying sentiment. As the pilgrims’ arrived

on North American shores, they also arrived at a new

beginning, full of possibilities and full of promise.

Nearly 400 years later, this spirit of promise still carries on

in projects like Turning Point Ministries’ Heritage Village.

Turning Point Ministries began in 2008, and their goal as

a non-profit organization is to provide affordable housing

for hard-working families and individuals with moderate

incomes.

“If you research the average cost of a new home in Edmond,

it’s well over $200,000,” Josh Moore, president of Turning

Point Ministries, said. “We realized that there is a big gap

there for a lot of people that work and live in Edmond that

can’t afford that right now.”

In an effort to meet this need, Turning Point began building

houses for those who fell into the gap. However, the

ministry is not in the business of simply giving away homes.

“We have all types of demographics in Edmond, but we

don’t necessarily have a group of new homes that are part of

that demographic,” Moore said. “In our minds, it provides

a home for a large group of the population that lives and

works in Edmond and helps make up everything that

Edmond is. Our goal is not just to build homes and sell

them and hand over the keys and walk away. Our goal as an

organization is to try to wrap our hands around the entire

homeowner process.”

This vision is evident in the way that Turning Point interacts

with recipients of its homes. A family or individual is

chosen for a home after meeting eligibility requirements

and completing a comprehensive application process.

Eligibility requirements include demonstrating a need

to live in Edmond, having a stable and reliable income,

and providing a small down payment for the home.

Additionally, applicants must put in 300 hours of service

throughout the community, 200 of which can be completed

with the help of family and friends and 100 of which must

be through work on Turning Point projects. After the

application process and volunteer hours are completed,

homes are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.

Each family or individual chosen to receive a home is

assigned a mentor, attends classes, and volunteers their time

for the construction of their home and toward community

service. Turning Point focuses on teaching the recipients

the basics of homeownership, including budgeting, saving,

and participating as a good neighbor in their neighborhood

community. Turning Point then sells the home to the

recipient through a low-interest mortgage with affordable

monthly payments.

The ministry has already completed fifteen homes, all

of which are located in Turning Point’s Legacy Station

neighborhood. Now, Turning Point is preparing to break

ground in Heritage Village, a new neighborhood of homes,

located on Fretz Avenue between Second Street and

Danforth. Heritage Village has 37 lots in total, and Turning

Point’s goal is to build two to four houses at a time.

These goals are made possible through various avenues of

generosity. When the project first began to take shape, the

City of Edmond awarded Turning Point Ministries a grant

for $500,000 to provide funding for public infrastructure,

including paving for interior streets and the neighborhood’s

sidewalks, sanitary sewer lines, water lines, and storm sewer

systems. In addition, Bockus Payne Associates Architects

provided architectural design for the homes of Heritage

Village and St. John the Baptist Catholic Church donated

the neighborhood’s playground.

“We were very attracted to the vision they cast of creating

a neighborhood that had a strong sense of identity and

community,” Bruce Bockus, president of Bockus Payne

Associates Architects, said. “To use our gifts and talents as

architects to help others is always a blessing.”

As each new piece comes together, Heritage Village is one

step closer to providing families with new and affordable

homes.

“We’re planning on starting the first two homes in the next

60 days, so we’re getting geared up,” Moore said. Moore

and Turning Point Ministries are not alone in preparing

for progress in Heritage Village, however. On Thanksgiving

Day, downtown Edmond will host its annual Edmond

Turkey Trot, which is one of Turning Point’s biggest

fundraising efforts. As a deeply revered American tradition,

Thanksgiving often encompasses a spirit of giving, and

although the thought of beginning Thanksgiving with a 5K

run may not appeal to everyone, participants are running

for a good cause. All of the proceeds for the Edmond

Turkey Trot will benefit Turning Point Ministries, which

will in turn aid in the construction and development of

Heritage Village. With each step towards the finish line,

another brick can be laid into a wall that will transform into

a family’s new home.

“Last year, we passed the $30,000 mark, which is a huge

goal and a significant fundraiser for us. We would love to

grow that,” Moore said. Turning Point’s current community

partners include Edmond Electric and Citizens Bank of

Edmond, and there are a variety of ways that the Edmond

community, including you, can help Heritage Village grow.

For starters, you can register to participate in the Edmond

Turkey Trot. The event is open to all ages and includes a 5K

run and a one-mile wobble. Early registration for the trot

ends November 20 at 2:30 p.m. Registration prices for the

5K run are $26 with a T-shirt and $20 without a T-shirt.

The one-mile wobble is $20 with a shirt and $10 without a

shirt. The Turkey Trot is also looking for volunteers to help

prepare and work the event. For more information about

the trot, you can visit edmondturkeytrot.com.

Turning Point Ministries is also always in need of both

volunteer and monetary support. Volunteering with

Turning Point provides an opportunity to directly impact

a family by assisting in the construction of their home

or simply helping them to move in to their new home.

You can also contribute through a financial donation or

participate in Turning Point’s sponsorship program. All of

these are opportunities to serve and give back during the

Thanksgiving season.

Perhaps the most inspiring part of Heritage Village’s story is

its location. Though it’s near Edmond’s center, just west of

downtown, this area of Edmond is tucked away and often

overlooked. If you travel north on Fretz Avenue, toward

Danforth, you’ll encounter various twists and turns as the

road curves around the homes of old Edmond, and around

one of these bends, on your left, you’ll see a street sign,

spelling “Promise Road.” This is where you’ll find Heritage

Village – a wide-open expanse of land, sliced through by

two paved roads and sectioned off in places where houses

will sit. If you look closely enough, you can almost envision

a full neighborhood, where families both live and thrive.

The land holds the whisper of future life, and much like

the North American coastline in the age of the pilgrims,

this new development, though nearly empty, is full of

possibilities and full of promise.

For more information on Turning Point Ministries or

Heritage Village, visit turningpointoklahoma.org.

Written by Sarah Neese

Photographed by Jonathan Burkhart

Project 31: Healing

the Whole Family

Imagine you’re recently married and have just moved

to a new state. You have few friends, new jobs, and

you’ve just settled into married life. Then, one day,

you get the news that your wife has cancer.

In-laws come in. You, the husband, aren’t of much concern

because all of the focus is rightfully on their daughter,

fighting a battle that she was supposedly too young to worry

about fighting. This was the case for Steve McClean, husband

to Sarah

McClean, Development

Director

for Project 31

and former Deer

Creek Baseball

coach.

“They were focused

on Sarah,”

Steve said. “That

was really hard

for me. Yes,

there’s a lot of

services for the

survivors, but

we concentrate

on the family

and we want the

entire family to

use our services,

experiences,

stories and mentoring. We will walk through everything

with you as long as we need too. It effects everything, not

just one person. No one really thought about that side. The

first question that everyone asks is, ‘Hey, how is your wife?’

It’s what anyone who calls will ask you. Not one person ever

asks ‘How are you?’ It’s the most alone, deep dark place

I’ve ever been. A lot of men that I’ve talked to have been

through similar things.”

Steve is more than honest about his struggle with depression

and feelings of inadequacies throughout Sarah’s multiple

battles with breast cancer.

“Men fall into two camps, we either want to control everything

or we want to fix it,” Steve said. “If we can’t do

anything we don’t want anything to do with it. With cancer,

you can’t do these things. The feeling you have of emptiness,

of just sitting there idly by while your spouse goes through

surgery and treatments. I’d trade places with her in a

heartbeat, but I can’t. We want to take care of our wives and

families and we [husbands] can’t. That was the worst. No

one understands that part of it. None of the doctors, friends,

medical community,

so you really

keep it in because

you can’t share it

with anyone, you

can’t explain it

because it brings

up emotions…you

almost feel weak

as a man sometimes

because we

aren’t supposed to

be vulnerable.”

It was this realization

- that

vulnerability is

inevitable, even

natural, in such

a circumstance

- that helped

heal Steve and

his relationship with his wife. Steve started seeking out a

counselor, and after finding one who was a breast cancer

survivor, things started to click. He could tell her about his

frustrations and his fear—and how these feelings were overwhelming

and often paralyzing. The counselor helped him

understand what Sarah was going through emotionally, and

eventually translated her feelings and experiences in a way

that Steve could understand. Finally, he felt he had a grasp

on the situation.

There is a significantly higher rate of divorce among breast

cancer survivors and their spouses than there is in the

general population, according to Steve. And, Steve credits

the stability of his marriage to the counseling that took him

nine months to find.

“Counseling isn’t like [it is portrayed in] Hollywood,” Steve

said. “What it’s been for us is this continuing education;

we’ve gone to a professional who has experience. It made all

the difference in the world. Sarah and I meet with people,

I meet with husbands and fathers and I give them all the

resources I can and sometimes I just listen.”

Steve equates it to being a “car guy.” If you’re working on

your car and don’t know how to fix something, most men

would go to someone else who did, and usually learn a

thing or two they can use down the road. However, American

culture creates strict, unwritten rules for men expressing

emotions and vulnerability. In Steve’s case, these societal

confines made it hard for a young husband to learn to

communicate with his wife as she fought through a double

mastectomy.

“Honestly, the top three the biggest things I’d want them

[husbands] to know is that your spouse just needs you,”

Steve said. “They don’t need you to fix it, to try and take

control of it, they just need you. They need to know you’re

going to be there no matter what. You’re going to love them

no matter how disfigured they are. You care about them first

and foremost. The second thing is no matter how scared you

are, because you’re going to be scared, you won’t tell anyone.

It’s OK to tell people that you’re scared and be honest with

your feelings. There’s a potential that you could loose your

wife, I don’t care who you are, it’s scary. Be willing to share

your feelings of how much you love her, how scared you are.

The more open and honest you can be, the better off. There

is a community of other men who have been just as scared,

who have been down this road, who understand completely

what goes on and we’re willing to help because we know

how hard it is.”

Having a conversation about holistic healing - help and

support for the entire familyof a cancer patient - isn’t easy.

We’re quick to label spouses of cancer patients selfish if they

speak up about their fears, frustrations, and needs. Project

31 acknowledges that the entire family is deeply impacted

by a cancer diagnosis and is deserving of care and support

just like the woman battling breast cancer.

Project 31 does this by approaching families of women who

are currently battling, or are survivors of, breast cancer.

Unlike larger nonprofits like Susan G. Komen or the American

Cancer Society, Project 31 has programs and support

groups for husbands and their effected wives. It all starts

with one-on-one meetings. Sarah - now a cancer survivor

(is she?) - meets with the wives to to talk through the

mental and emotional stresses that follow the diagnosis,

treatment, and the hopeful, eventual road to recovery from

cancer. Steve meets with husbands and fathers, and offers

the advice that he desperately needed to hear when he was

the scared and worried husband of a woman who had been

diagnosed with cancer.

When nurses and other staff members at Sarah’s treatment

facilities noticed that she and Steve were handling the

awful situation a bit better than others facing breast cancer,

they asked them to talk to other women or couples going

through the same things. Through all of the treatments and

surgeries the coached couples through, Sarah and Steve

realized that there was a huge need in Oklahoma City for a

whole-family approach to healing from breast cancer. Thus,

Project 31 was born.

Today, Project 31 offers an array of programs. Through

Handbags of Hope, they make kits full of things other survivors

found helpful or comforting throughout their journey.

They also offer a variety of support groups for husbands

and survivors, one-on-one meetings and scholarships for

counseling to help with the cost of seeking treatment from

a licensed therapist. To help fund these programs, Project

31 recently held it’s inaugural Pink Gala near the end of

October.

Written by Meg McElhaney

Photographed by Jonathan Burkhart/Photo Provided

A New Home

This holiday season,

give the gift of love by

adopting an animal from

a local shelter. There’s no

greater gift than a home for

the holidays.

for the

Holidays

Edmond Animal Shelter:

(405) 216-7615

www.edmondok.com/

animalservices

Central Oklahoma

Humane Society:

(405) 286-1229

www.okhumane.org

Blue

Christmas

GRIEF & THE HOLIDAYS I am far from an expert in this realm. In fact,

everything I am about to share I can almost

guarantee was advice I picked up along the way,

as the journey through the grief process does

not exactly come naturally. I can say that getting

through the holidays without your loved ones is…

tough, to say the least. From being too far away on the

map to see them, to losing them to the inevitable, not

having the option to share this season with the ones

you love can be dang near unbearable. For me, this will

be the first holiday season without my mother. Only

time will tell how well I can actually brave the next

couple of months. However, I do have a pretty good

idea of what it will take to keep myself healthy and do

a little more than just go through the motions.

As this season continues to slowly creep up, I cannot

help but almost obsess over the fact that I will not

wake up on Christmas morning to a stocking filled

by “Santa” and seeing the satisfaction she got out of

spoiling me with awesome trinkets. I literally woke up

every single Christmas morning to date to her smile.

It is pretty wild that this tradition not only lost all of

its joy, but it has ended completely. An article I read

from my mother’s hospice team mentioned that there

is always a possibility to start a new tradition, a new

normal. My first thought was that they are crazy for

saying that I can simply replace this tradition with a

new one and be content with it. However, the more I

think about it, the more it makes sense. And the more

I get excited about what it is exactly that I am going to

do in her memory that she will absolutely love and be

proud of. The possibilities are endless.

My boss mentioned in passing that a good way to spin

a situation like this into something constructive and

fulfilling is to do something for someone else. It really

got me thinking… I need to do what she would want

me to do with my time. She would absolutely hate for

me to feel sorry for myself

and hide out for a couple of

months (which in all honesty,

seems ideal). Instead, I

am determined to funnel

my energy and emotions into

something that positively impacts

someone else, in turn, positively

impacting myself.

It will be awesome reaping the benefits of helping

others. However, it is definitely just as important

to help my own self… mentally, physically, and

emotionally. It is okay to feel bad, but it is also okay to

feel good, which is something that I have to give myself

constant reminders about. I have found that talking

about her and sharing the memories of our traditions

with those people in my life that love her like I do is

definitely one thing that makes me feel good. Another

thing that has kept me going this whole time, is

knowing that I am not alone. Everyone is fighting their

own battle. It is up to you to figure out how you will

conquer yours.

Erika Raschke is Director of ATI (all things important) at

High Five Media Group and is a living example that positivity

and vulnerability, along with time, can heal people.

OK Runner Legacy

What does it mean to be a runner?

People run for fun, for exercise or for

therapy. People gear up at ungodly

morning hours just to go outside and

pound pavement. People run with their pets, they run with

their iPods, they run with their ever-moving thoughts and

they do so systematically or occasionally or erratically.

A History of Greatness

The OK Runner in Norman knows the myriad reasons

people run. They understand the different types of runners

and the different types of gear each of those runners require.

Opened in 1995 the Norman location of OK Runner has not

only survived for 20 years of business, but they have thrived.

A family-owned business, the original owners of the store

tracked their ancestors’ business back to the 1900s. Such

deep roots was one reason the owners decided to plant their

first store in the heart of Cleveland County.

“We chose running because we knew something about

it and we loved the people who we ran with,” said Gus

Thompson, Partner of OK Runner. “We wanted to figure

out a way to serve them.”

OK Runner expanded its reach in 2006, opening a location

in Edmond in the Spring Creek Village. The mission of OK

Runner is simple: “Give all guests a friendly experience

and provide them with excellent customer service, products

and expert knowledge they need.” It is that mission that

has guided the successful business and the reason it is

celebrating its 20 year anniversary this year.

A Different Kind of Shoe Store

Indeed, local runners remain loyal to a brand in the same

way a runner remains loyal to his or her reliable running

trail. OK Runner has remained successful despite the push

for online shopping. Alive before the almighty internet,

OK Runner has carved out a niche that has been able to

weather the online shopping storm so many other shoe

stores have fallen victim to. Thompson believes its the

customer service that produces such loyalty. Another

edge the business has is its hands-on approach to helping

customers. OK Runner provides foot assessments, personal

analyses and evaluations as well as coaching, injury advice,

clinics, running camps and training programs for its clients,

allowing it a crucial edge over the Amazons of the world.

All of OK Runner’s attributes can’t simply be added to an

online shopping bag—they’re tangible and impactful. OK

Runner also participates in too many yearly, local events to

count, showing its support to the community and people in

it.

“I think there are three reasons the Norman and Edmond

communities have responded so positively to us,” said

Thompson. “First, we’re a locally owned company. We’re not

a national chain. I think a lot of people like doing business

with a small, locally owned-business, especially a familyowned

business. Another reason is we are part of the local

community. We serve with our churches, with our local

government and the Edmond and Norman communities.

Finally, we participate in events. Whenever there’s a local

event like local races, walks or charity events, OK Runner is

there.”

A Stellar Support System

With 20 years of experience comes many ups and downs;

however, it’s the people that keep the employees of the

running shop coming back day after day. A simple scroll

through OK Runner’s website and social media accounts

reveals that the employees value their customers above

everything else. Photos of young, happy, sweaty runners,

elite athletes and middle aged running groups pepper

the pages. The support is tangible. It is this attitude of

acceptance, no matter the skill level or running ability,

that seems to set the OK Runner apart from other cultlike

establishments. Thompson noted OK Runner’s

demographic is diverse and inclusive and one of the reasons

the store has been so successful. Support and an established

support system are two more positive attributes that OK

Runner has. Thompson attributed much of the business’

success to his family’s constant support and involvement

in the business. He also noted the things OK Runner’s

customers appreciate most about the established business.

“Our customer’s appreciate the face-to-face interaction

with our staff. They know they can get more than just a

pair of shoes when they come in. They like to talk about

their training program, their injury history and what’s new

in the market. They respect our opinions, advice, and our

knowledge of the products.”

The employees also make OK Runner unique. It is evident

that they are more like family than coworkers. Their

favorite running moments range from succeeding in their

college-level cross country meets to running in mountain

trails with their pups to becoming NCAA D1 All-American

to Turkey Trottin’ it up with their dads on Thanksgiving

morning. The wide range of interests allows each employee

to reach people in different ways. Those trying to break

their last marathon record are just as welcome as those

looking forward to completing their first ever 5K. In fact,

Thompson mentioned that the majority of OK Runner’s

customers are average, three-times-a-week runners. He

said the belief that all the customers are elite, marathon

runners, is inaccurate. Thompson said the elite runners

make up the smallest percentage of clients, with the second

largest being those individuals who rarely exercised and

were looking for supportive shoes for their everyday life.

The welcoming environment of OK Runner makes even the

most novice runner (or television enthusiast) feel welcomed

and encouraged.

Whether you’ve hit the trails in Edmond or Norman,

OK Runner has been there for local runners. The

business’ anniversary celebration serves as a reminder

of its contributions to the community and its important

placement in both Edmond and Norman. Through its many

outreach programs, running support systems and quality

products, it’s assured that the business will be here for many

more runs to come.

Written by Katy Fabrie

Photographed by Jonathan Burkhart

Conflict & Relationships

The thought of having to engage in some type of conflict is frequently accompanied by an impending

sense of doom. This is understandable as, unfortunately, conflict has received a bad rap over the

years—mainly because so often conflict is not handled very well. The product of poorly handled

conflict is frustration, hurt, and even isolation. However, conflict is a part of life, and it’s not going

anywhere no matter how hard we try to rid our lives of it. Does this mean we are destined to a hopeless

life full of useless conflict? Surely not!

Through working with individuals and couples in counseling, or even with groups of men in anger management

and other classes, I have noticed people wrestling with a common theme. Most, if not all, of them desire intimacy

in their relationships. They desire fulfilling and life-giving connection with those around them, but they identify

the main source of conflict in their lives happening in the context of relationships. Why is this an important observation?

First, our greatest joys and our deepest pains happen within the context of relationships. Relationships

are central to life and central to the Gospel. Second, these realities suggest we need a new perspective on conflict,

a new way to think about this ever-present correlation between conflict and relationships.

Well, here it is: INTIMACY is a BYPRODUCT of CONFLICT. To place a finer point on it, INTIMACY is a BYPRODUCT

of CONFLICT DONE WELL. This is really good news! It means the goal of working to connect in

relationships is not to get rid of conflict; rather it is to deal with conflict in healthier ways.

If we desire to experience peace and connection in relationships, we must take on the important task of not only

thinking differently about conflict but also acting differently in response to conflict. Ephesians 4:2-3 gives some

hints about how to get started, “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.

Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” The Apostle Paul writes this from

prison to the ever-familiar church in Ephesus, a church with quite a history of struggling to deal with conflict

within the congregation. It is important to note that Paul was not offering cheap platitudes about getting along

and being happy; he wrote out of a deep conviction that part of the call of the Gospel is to work towards unity

with those we are in relationship with—not in spite of our differences, but in the context of our differences.

Engaging conflict in healthy ways is hard work … it is important

work … it is necessary work. Engaging conflict in healthy ways is,

in fact, an opportunity for growth and intimacy.

Todd Poe, LPC/LMFT is Pastor of LifeCare Ministry & CareSeries

at Crossings Community Church. Through support and recovery

groups, CareSeries (offered at Crossings on Monday evenings)

provides opportunities for individuals to find hope by participating

with others who are facing similar life challenges. Find details and a

complete schedule at crossingsokc.org/careseries.