We are excited to introduce the newest member of the Trinity Woods Sales Team, Alec Davis. He is originally from Bixby, OK. He is a graduate of Northeastern State University in Tahlequah with a degree in
business administration. While he is new to senior living, Alec has over 18 years of experience with his last employer where he was in sales for eight years, then promoted to acquisitions. Alec is married to his wife, Jenny, and they have two sons, who attend Union Public Schools. He spends most of his spare time getting the boys to their music lessons and lacrosse events. Alec enjoys his family time and loves to run, bike, remodel his home, and work on his 1977 Datsun (his first car). Please feel free to reach out to
Alec and welcome him to the Trinity Woods neighborhood.

Favorite Sport: Lacrosse
First Job: Chuck E. Cheese
One Meal Forever: Pizza
Friends Describe: Enthusiastic, dynamic and loud
Favorite Holiday: Easter
Collects: Bison
Favorite Quote: “Be curious, not judgmental” Walt Whitman (via Ted Lasso)
Fun Fact: He was a background actor in Killers of the Flower Moon.

We are excited to showcase the newly replaced putting green located southwest of the Spann
Wellness Center. We worked with Celebrity Greens to completely redesign the area. The slope of
the green has been adjusted for a more enjoyable putting experience. Additionally, the entire area has
been relandscaped and a sitting area has been added. We are also looking forward to the addition of
the indoor golf simulator that has been ordered and will be installed in the coming months. The golfers on
campus are sure to enjoy hitting the links all year long.

By Rev. Weldon Tisdale, Chaplain

” When opportunity comes, it’s too late to prepare.” John Wooden

John Wooden was one of the most successful NCAA Division 1 basketball coaches the sport has ever seen. He worked not just to win games, but to develop young men into personhood. He was
relentless in his practices, emphasizing the basics of basketball, all the while developing the character of his players.

Coach Wooden knew a 60 second time-out was not enough time to teach, practice, and implement a new play or strategy to take advantage of an opportunity in the game. He knew that it was the daily, dedicated practices that honed his players into individuals that could adjust, adapt and take advantage of a game situation and work it for their benefit.

Preparation must be done before the opportunity comes…thorough preparation.

Are you prepared? Your response is probably, “For what?” Good point. If we don’t know for what we are preparing, we will not know how to prepare.

So, for what are we preparing? As Believers, God told us in Ephesians 2:10: “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” God, by His grace, brought you into His family to do the good works He has prepared in advance for us to do. Do I know what opportunities He’s going to give you and I to do today?

I don’t. But I know He wants us to be prepared for every good work opportunity He puts before us. Will it be a person in distress that needs someone to listen? A child that will challenge me as a parent? A spouse who needs extra love? A job that challenges our patience and/or abilities? Or is it simply being prepared to deal with life’s challenges? So how will we be prepared?

In 2 Timothy 3:16-17 it says, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

So how will we be prepared, or should I say, “thoroughly equipped”? By connecting daily with the God-breathed words of Scripture. Through them God will prepare us…for every good work. So, when opportunity comes, we will be prepared!

Adapted from CrossPoint Church

By Jacob Will, VP of Health Services

The concept of the Trinity Woods CNA Student Internship Program began back in 2019, just when COVID-19 had just started to create interruptions. And while the program has faced obstacles, we are proud to say that after more than two years it is going strong and changing lives. Initially when Trinity
Woods collaborated with Nathan Hale High the objective was to provide an experience that would certify students as Nursing Aides (CNA) and provide a paid internship in our Healthcare Households during a semester.

We now work with two different schools – Nathan Hale and Union High Schools. This year we plan to offer four students (per semester) this internship opportunity but there is always space to expand if needed. The internship is divided into two parts, the certification class and then the onsite training here at Trinity Woods. Over the 10-12 week period the students work side by side with their mentors in the Health Center.

The immediate goal of the program is to introduce the students to the person centered care model at Trinity Woods and inspire a career path that will encourage them to advance their clinical education from CNA to Certified Medication Aide and ultimately to Licensed Practical Nurse and Registered Nurse. The long-term goal of the program is the development of a dedicated workforce committed to improving the quality of care of elders. We hope to empower students to explore their passions through individualized
educational opportunities supported by meaningful relationships. The strategy enables students to work outside the school walls and to guide students to develop self advocacy and self-reliance.

Since the beginning of the program Trinity Woods has hosted 19 students into the program. Of those 19, 10 students completed the program and were offered positions at Trinity Woods. Seven of those elected to accept positions at Trinity Woods.

As we look ahead, we are filled with gratitude for the donors who funded the internships. This program has been fully funded by the generosity of others. If you are interested in sponsoring an intern for the Fall semester, the cost is $2,800 and the results are priceless. For more information on helping
these amazing young people contact Bonnie Polak at 918.346.6639 or bpolak@trinitywoodstulsa.com. Truly, the best is yet to come!

New Faces at Trinity Woods!
Jerome Steele has joined the finance team of Trinity Woods as the Director of Finance. Originally from
Alabama, Jerome came to Tulsa in 1983 to attend Oral Roberts University where he received an undergraduate degree in Theology as well as an MBA in Business.

Previously Jerome served as Vice President of Finance and CFO of Bacone College in Muskogee where he was responsible for the business office, which included developing and implementing financial and accounting policies. His previous leadership experience includes serving as Chief Executive Officer of a Tulsa company that manufactured a medical device that treated diabetic neuropathy.

“We are so excited for Jerome to join the team. He brings 34 years of experience that will benefit the
mission of Trinity Woods,” said Jim Ginther, Senior VP of Finance. Jerome Steele Joins the Finance Team.

Jerome is married with four children. He and his wife, Yourlunda, founded Amazing Grace
Christian Center, a multi-cultural congregation located in west Tulsa.

By Don Hertzler, Trinity Woods resident and Tulsa Master Gardner

Our campus abounds with the summer blooms of the Crepe Myrtle. Most modern crepe myrtles are Lagerstroemia indica which is a native plant in Asia, south China, and parts of Japan. These plants love heat and sun but need regular water. Oklahoma’s own Dr. Carl Whitcomb is a major breeder of the highly popular modern crepe myrtles varieties that rebloom all summer and are mildew resistant. He developed plants with small, medium and tall mature heights so that drastic pruning was no longer necessary each year to contain 25-foot-tall shrubs. Dr. Whitcomb started his breeding program while a professor at Oklahoma State University but then went into private business to introduce new varieties into the market. Most recently, he has developed crepe myrtles that rebloom on the same seed panicle, eliminating the need to remove the dead panicles during the summer. If only Dr. Whitcomb could develop a fragrant crepe myrtle!

By Weldon Tisdale, Chaplain
Who has not heard of Sarah? She was Abraham’s wife, and her faith is recorded in Hebrews 11:11. “By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised.”

Who has not heard of Ruth? She was a Moabite woman who showed loyalty to her mother-in-law, Naomi, and her God. Her character and faith in God brought her many blessings, including being listed in the genealogy of Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:5).

There are many other amazing women recorded in the Bible who were blessed by God because of their faith. It’s important to remember and learn from these faithful women as well.

WHAT IS FAITH?
Faith is “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” Hebrews 11:1. Sarah was well beyond the childbearing years, yet she bore Isaac just as God had said. She judged God to
be faithful in what He had promised, and she was blessed because of her faith. The Bible chronicles many such women of faith— women who believed and trusted in God. Their stories are found
throughout the scriptures.

For example, the story of Rahab is found in Joshua 2. She was a Gentile, and is mentioned again in Hebrews 11:31 as having faith, “By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not
believe, when she had received the spies with peace.”

One of the most fascinating statements of faith is found in Hebrews 11:35, “Women received their dead raised to life again.” Examples abound of both Israelite and Gentile women having faith. Who were those women?

We may not often read their brief stories, but in each case, the faith of those women and those around them were increased and reading of their experiences helps us also increase our faith in God. Article is adapted from “Life Hope & Truth” website.

by Jennifer Rawlings, VP of Wellness

Where has the last year gone? I still remember the anticipation, and all the planning that went into opening the Community Life center like it was yesterday. When I reflect on all that we have provided in the Community Life Center, I can’t believe we didn’t always have this space.

Over the last year this space has bridge our community and provided Trinity Woods with so many new and enhanced opportunities and partnerships. The Community Life Center has exceeded our vision of being the “central hub” or “student union: of our campus. Our dream of organic member-driven programs has truly flourished. Our vision of the Community Life Center being a place where everyone on campus could gather for events and not have a waitlist for concerts and dinners in now a reality.

Even after a year the astonishment on peoples faces when they see the stage, the Steinway piano, the lights, the acoustics, and all the finishes is still invigorating. I love to watch relationships evolve through interactions that happen in the different sitting areas of the Community Life Center. These spaces have created opportunities for residents who live in all areas of the community to gather and read the newspaper, play pool and games, have fireside chats, and enjoy coffee together.

The Community Life Center has provided us with a place where people from across the campus can come together. A place where everyone is welcomed. A place that promotes enjoyment of life. A place whew new hobbies, skills and educational experiences can happen.

Our goal for the Community Life Center is to continue to provide a place for inclusion and where the whole-person wellness can continue to flourish.

We’ll be celebrating our first anniversary on August 11.

By Jennifer Rawlings, Your Better Health Choosing Guru

Like everything in life, health and wellness are made up of the hundreds of small decisions we make every day. Whether you choose to spend 20-30 minutes a day working out or spend most of
your time sticking to healthier food choices, every choice makes an impact on you, your mood, and your interactions with others. Here are some simple, yet effective, ways to make your health a priority!

• Make smart healthy food choices – more fruits and vegetables
• Physical activity for 25-30 minutes each day
• Drink plenty of water
• Get 7-8 hours of sleep nightly
• De-stress daily
• And REPEAT

It’s not about cutting everything out that you love to eat or about going to the gym for an hour plus a day. And it’s not about saying yes to everything that comes your way. It is about BALANCE!

Balance means taking care of your physical, mental, and emotional health. Living a balanced life allows you to have an understanding of yourself and your needs as well as knowing how to show yourself
compassion like you do for others.

“WHEATHER YOU THINK YOU CAN, OR YOU THINK YOU CAN’T–YOU’RE RIGHT.” HENRY FORD

Living a healthy life is not a destination, it’s a journey! Don’t compare your journey to someone else’s. Comparison can be the thief of joy. Next time you start to feel like you are lacking joy, look to see if you
are comparing yourself to someone else. And remember this is your journey. Your chapter. Your goal. Your life. Your valley. Your peak. Your race. Your pace.

By Weldon Tisdale, Chaplain

July 4, 1776 was the greatest and most important date for the United States of America. It is the day the original 13 colonies declared their independence from the British Empire and became independent states. It is the date we celebrate, annually, as “July 4th – Independence Day.” For enslaved Africans there was no such celebration until the final slaves were freed in Texas on June 19, 1865, more than two-and-a-half years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. A day we now know and celebrate as “Juneteenth.”

As we celebrate our independence and freedom, we must also remember that more than 2000 years ago believers were set free from sin by the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus the Christ. Given these facts, we all have great reason to celebrate our varied freedoms. However, freedom has its limits. We are limited by the laws of the land, the laws of nature, the laws of morality and the Word of God.

Paul records in Galatians 5:1, “Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.” (NKJV) It was for freedom that Christ set us
free, but… Paul also tells us in 1 Corinthians 6:12, “I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial.’ I have the right to do anything”—but I will not be mastered by anything.” (NIV)

In other words, though I have the right, freedom, and independence to do anything, not everything I choose to do is beneficial, safe, moral or good for me. While Paul is dealing primarily with the
types of food being eaten and sexual immorality, the overarching theme covers our entire existence.
Though our lives can be lived independently, we each should follow the guidelines outlined in the Word of God to manage our lives for His glory. Each of us should also erect guardrails to limit our access to unlawful and harmful thoughts, actions, activities, and behaviors.

In the final analysis, our independent existence is totally dependent on a loving and all-powerful God. We must recognize as we celebrate Independence Day that independence and freedom has its limits. And though Jesus secured our freedom more than 2000 years ago, I believe that He desires us to live Independently, Dependent – upon Him.

By Bonnie Polak, VP of Philanthropy and Community Engagement

Benjamin Franklin once said, “Tell me and I forget; teach me and I may remember; involve me and I
learn.” This is the perfect description of the Trinity Woods philosophy on lifelong learning. We know
our community members bring rich stories, experiences, and expertise to this community. Lifelong
learning has become a part of the culture and community members have really embraced sharing
their knowledge and their expertise.

Whether pursuing personal interests and passions or chasing professional ambitions, lifelong learning
can help us achieve personal fulfillment and satisfaction. It feeds our natural drive to explore, learn
and grow. It even encourages us to improve our own quality of life and sense of self-worth by paying
attention to the ideas and goals that inspire us.

As a way to give structure to the sharing of knowlege and expertise, the Trinity Woods Summer School
program began. Each year, since 2017, we have offered a variety of classes that allow community
members to expand their education and their passions.

“I am really excited about the classes for this year,” said Irene Brown, Life Enrichment Coordinator.
“This year’s classes, we hope, will offer something that piques an interest for everyone. We want
community members to embrace these lifelong learning opportunities.”

A special thank you to the Summer School instructors, all of whom live on the Trinity Woods campus,
for sharing and bringing excellent learning opportunities to this dynamic and curious community. “It
is truly wonderful to watch neighbors share their experience with each other to increase awareness
and personal growth,” said Irene. For more information about Summer School classes, please
contact Irene Brown at ibrown@trinitywoodstulsa.com or

By Bonnie Polak, VP of Philanthropy and Community Engagement

I have heard it said many times that this community would not be what is, if it weren’t for the kindness of others. We are surrounded by reminders of the “Good Samaritans” who have ensured that this community and its mission have thrived for over 65 years. We could not do what we are called to do without these good Samaritans. We all know the story of the Samaritan who came to the aid of a fellow traveler, someone truly in need. Currently there are residents living in our Health Center who have outlived their financial resources, through no fault of their own. They are reliant on support from the Good Samaritan Fund, formerly the Supplemental Aid Fund. The fund was recently renamed to fi t the donors of this very special cause.

Each year we ask our community and generous supporters to give to this Fund. Over the past few years this Fund has become one of the most urgent and critical areas of need for the people living at Trinity Woods.

This Fund helps Trinity Woods residents when they need it most. If you feel led to help a fellow neighbor through the Good Samaritan Fund, please use the remittance envelope provided to make a donation. All donations are 100% tax deductible. You can even make a gift as an honorarium or memorial in the name of a friend who is living or no longer with us.

This year, with a gift of $300 you will receive a commemorative “brick” that will be engraved in your honor and placed in front of the Community Life Center. Our goal is to raise $150,000 for the Good Samaritan Fund. I hope you will partner with us to support this very important cause.

To support this very special mission please visit: https://bit.ly/TrinityWoodsGiving

By Weldon Tisdale, Chaplain

“If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right. But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.” James 2: 8-9 NIV

The Apostle James provides his own version of loving thy neighbor, but first he emphasizes and clearly makes the distinction of class division. The book of James chapter 2 highlights for us the behaviors and parameters of who we deem as acceptable and who we consider as neighbors based upon worldly things: power and social status. I believe even today this is where we too struggle with loving our neighbors as God loves us. It is so easy for us to love those who look as we do, dress as we do and move in the same social circles as we do. But what becomes problematic is when we are asked to treat all those we encounter with love, respect, justice, and mercy.

It is easy to love those we self-define as worthy, but it is harder to love those who may be different than we are or those we prejudge and label. It is often difficult to widen the circle of life to include those we discriminate against, those whom we would rather not break bread with, those whom God has called us to include as sisters and brothers. James has much to contribute to our thinking about separatism and inclusion. He reminds and cautions us in chapter 2 verse 9 that in showing favoritism or disregard for the “other,” – we sin. What a sobering thought!

Who then is our neighbor? Our neighbor is anyone in our proximity with whom we can share God’s love. We love people by genuinely seeking what is best for them. Loving others does not mean agreeing with everything they say or do, nor does it mean acting in ways that always gain their approval. We love our neighbors when we have compassion for them and help meet their needs as we are able.

As we serve in the spirit of Christ, remember to always “love your neighbor as yourself.”

By Jennifer Rawlings, Your Wellness Celebrating Guru

As we celebrate the 10-year anniversary of Crestwood and the Spann Wellness Center, I can’t help but reflect on the evolution of wellness at Trinity Woods.

As ingrained as Wellness is into our culture now, it’s hard to imagine a time when there wasn’t a Spann Wellness Center or even a Wellness platform. Believe it or not, there was a time when the fitness center consisted of a treadmill and an exercise bike in the basement of the Felt House. Fitness classes were held in the Fleming Center. Charter Club members (Crestwood waiting list) participated in fitness classes held in the Marketing office which was a lakeside home, and each area of the continuum operated as
an individual area, planning their own activities and programs.

The opening of the Spann Wellness Center allowed us to truly bring everyone on campus together and to offer much more. It has expanded our recreational programs like ping pong and pickleball, our functional fitness programs like boxing and line dancing, and our self-directed programs like indoor walking and weight training. The Spann Wellness Center allows both residents and employees to be physically fit as well as have social connection. There is not a day that the Spann coffee bar area isn’t hopping with residents gathering before and after class to enjoy each other’s company.

Through the last 10 years wellness has become the lifestyle for people choosing to move to Trinity Woods. We encourage everyone to take advantage of all the wellness opportunities that are offered. The Seven Dimensions of Wellness are not just a saying for us; it is part of our core culture and beliefs. Through physical, social, emotional, spiritual, intellectual, vocational, and environmental wellness, we have added value and purpose to so many individuals.

I could give you so many examples of community members who moved here simply because of our wellness model and culture. I love it when residents share their personal stories and photos that were all made possible by engaging in our wellness programs.

As I look forward to the next 10 years our goal is that everyone at Trinity Woods will be involved and engaged in wellness programs and that wellness will continue to evolve with new and current residents’ needs and interests. I am excited to see where the next decade takes us.