Caleb's Corner

While walking the Ocean Beach this morning I was rejoicing in the Beauty of this place and the wonderful World in which I live:&nbsp; Life is such a rich experience . I occupy space and breathe such wonderful air.&nbsp; The Sense of Stewardship overwhelmed me.&nbsp; In the light of my recent reading I felt I'd like to share my thoughts (just Scroll and Delete) and Thank 
 
Dear former Associates and American Baptist Friends; and classmates(at Wesley-Palms) 
I have been tremendously stimulated by this successor( John Shelby Spong) to 
John Robinson, the Britisher who shook us up years ago with his  '“Honest To God";”in the “Death of god Days of the 50-60's 
I hope you’ll read him for he does cut through a lot of “baggage some of us have carried too long. 
"Here I Stand' was the first book of his I read. 
.; Like the "Jesus"” theologians he has a passion and devotion to Jesus of Nazareth.  "Jesusism" but is on a crusade against “Theism & a Church refusing to change. 
Over and over again; he affirms that Christianity is a  pathway to God on which; he journeys but it cannot be an exclusive pathway for it is”only a "tribal religion’. To me I feel that Jesus the Christ is 
the “Unspeakable Gift”..; Higher has Human thought not yet reached. Yet with Gandhi , I say "All Religions are True"”; I have come to see the Cosmic Christ in other Religions. I do believe that; the Living Christ in you 
and me through love can 
relate to Christ in others who are faithful to their Religion 
Spong quotes Matthew Fox’s likening God to Ground Water that comes up; through the land as Rivers, Lakes,Oceans & Wells etc; Truly God is the Ground of our Being; 
As I live in the 
“December” of my earthly life I am discovering a God who is no longer “small” but much,much larger and more inclusive than I ever imagined. 
In these ‘Terror’ days I often think of Thomas Jeffferson who said:”Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is Just”...I don’t think that God is Neutral ,but in the philosophizing today of 
how many of Earth’s Peoples will die; if Atomic Bombs & Viruses   are released; I feel we are toying with World disaster. Rodger Harrison and I were; in Helsinki the morning of the Chernobel Disaster; Oregon’s milk was 
affected! 
I know there is little we can do.; But in our spheres of Christian influence the weight of our lives can count in waging peace and changing the Church as it touches people.  I rejoice in the Church(Particularly our American Baptist Family).I love 'Jesus" more and More...but with Spong I plead for a church which must reform it's Faith& Practice or die. 
Thinking and Praying for each of you...caleb elroy shikles 
( 
My name is “Theodore’. I was born in Indonesia in  1998. When Carol Shikles died  Reverend Curt Fuller, Pastor  of the University City Congregational Church, brought me 
to Wesley-Palms to live with  Caleb Shikles. I am a big brown Teddy Bear.  There are two of us.  Edna already was present in the room 416 when I arrived.  She had been with the Shikles since last January when  Carol 
was in the Scripps Memorial Hospital for 37 days with Acute Leukemia.  I immediately noticed that  Edna was sitting on top of the Computer acting like she owned the place ,and giving directions to Caleb.  She talks 
all the time . While she was at the Hospital  with Carol she had lot’s of attention, since scores of doctors. nurses and the Shikles Family came to see my mistress; Carol; it seemed like every 15 minutes day after day. 
I was quickly told by Edna, that  Carol was a good sufferer.  She said that Carol,   had  wonderful care  at the hospital, and her four children and  seven grandchilden  attended her beautifully  during 
that period.  She told me, the first day I came into Caleb’s room about Carol  losing  her hair;  and how Carol had a wonderful ministry to all of  the people who came to see her before her death at 86 years of age.  They 
must have been very happy couple because I see and hear Caleb crying often at night. 
Sometimes he talks to her just like she was present in the room. 
When he turns on his computer there is a full size picture  on the screen  of them  at them  at La Jolla Beach ; Christmas day 1999. I hear him saying to her how much he misses her love 
and her good common sense;  help with his health, good diet, matching clothes to wear and reminding him to stand up straight so he won’t be hunchback.  She trimmed his toenails & massaged his  neck & back .He 
misses her kisses at the end of the day and loving words on the telephone from adjoining rooms. .In  his loniliness, he thinks about their 68 years together since  college days at the University of Redlands where they met. 
The Family have established a Scholaship in her memory at the University to help 2nd year students having difficulty staying in school. 
For the most part Caleb is a very happy guy.  He ignores me in his busyness and attendance at classes. He likes the  wonderful place where he and Carol came to live  five and a half years ago.. 
It’s a 40  acre mountainside Senior Residence  built by the Methodist denomination , in 1964  as a “state of the Art”, earthquake proof Facility. From the Lanai’s on each floor  You can see the Ocean; 
La Jolla, Pacific Beach, Sea World ,downtown San Diego and the Mountains of Mexico’s Tiajuana on  a clear da.y..and there’s are lots of them.  A breeze from the  Ocean comes up the hillside most afternoons and it is 
a very pleasant place to live all of the year. 
There are 320 residents in the 5 story Hotel and 40 cottages. Caleb says ‘there’s no place on earth he’d rather be than right where he is; with a his daughter Susan,Son’in law Judge Styn and John& Jim 
; grandsons only 10 minutes away in University City. 
 
Caleb has cliches for nearly everything“The “Afternoon” of Life’. is the term Caleb uses most of the time.; though he is really in the Evening at 90 years of age!   he spoke yesterday at a Martin Luther 
King Celebration about his relationships with the King Family’; since his heart .after 7 bi-passes troubles him some lately as he walks up the hill ,and at the Beach 3 mornings a week.; where 12-15 residents  have a 
Walking club. 
To Caleb, Wesley-Palms is a “Learnin( 
My name is “Theodore’. I was born in Indonesia in  1998. When Carol Shikles died  Reverend Curt Fuller, Pastor  of the University City Congregational Church, brought me 
to Wesley-Palms to live with  Caleb Shikles. I am a big brown Teddy Bear.  There are two of us.  Edna already was present in the room 416 when I arrived.  She had been with the Shikles since last January when  Carol 
was in the Scripps Memorial Hospital for 37 days with Acute Leukemia.  I immediately noticed that  Edna was sitting on top of the Computer acting like she owned the place ,and giving directions to Caleb.  She talks 
all the time . While she was at the Hospital  with Carol she had lot’s of attention, since scores of doctors. nurses and the Shikles Family came to see my mistress; Carol; it seemed like every 15 minutes day after day. 
I was quickly told by Edna, that  Carol was a good sufferer.  She said that Carol,   had  wonderful care  at the hospital, and her four children and  seven grandchilden  attended her beautifully  during 
that period.  She told me, the first day I came into Caleb’s room about Carol  losing  her hair;  and how Carol had a wonderful ministry to all of  the people who came to see her before her death at 86 years of age.  They 
must have been very happy couple because I see and hear Caleb crying often at night. 
Sometimes he talks to her just like she was present in the room. 
When he turns on his computer there is a full size picture  on the screen  of them  at them  at La Jolla Beach ; Christmas day 1999. I hear him saying to her how much he misses her love 
and her good common sense;  help with his health, good diet, matching clothes to wear and reminding him to stand up straight so he won’t be hunchback.  She trimmed his toenails & massaged his  neck & back .He 
misses her kisses at the end of the day and loving words on the telephone from adjoining rooms. .In  his loniliness, he thinks about their 68 years together since  college days at the University of Redlands where they met. 
The Family have established a Scholaship in her memory at the University to help 2nd year students having difficulty staying in school. 
For the most part Caleb is a very happy guy.  He ignores me in his busyness and attendance at classes. He likes the  wonderful place where he and Carol came to live  five and a half years ago.. 
It’s a 40  acre mountainside Senior Residence  built by the Methodist denomination , in 1964  as a “state of the Art”, earthquake proof Facility. From the Lanai’s on each floor  You can see the Ocean; 
La Jolla, Pacific Beach, Sea World ,downtown San Diego and the Mountains of Mexico’s Tiajuana on  a clear da.y..and there’s are lots of them.  A breeze from the  Ocean comes up the hillside most afternoons and it is 
a very pleasant place to live all of the year. 
There are 320 residents in the 5 story Hotel and 40 cottages. Caleb says ‘there’s no place on earth he’d rather be than right where he is; with a his daughter Susan,Son’in law Judge Styn and John& Jim 
; grandsons only 10 minutes away in University City. 
 
Caleb has cliches for nearly everything“The “Afternoon” of Life’. is the term Caleb uses most of the time.; though he is really in the Evening at 90 years of age!   he spoke yesterday at a Martin Luther 
King Celebration about his relationships with the King Family’; since his heart .after 7 bi-passes troubles him some lately as he walks up the hill ,and at the Beach 3 mornings a week.; where 12-15 residents  have a 
Walking club. 
To Caleb, Wesley-Palms is a “Learning Center” “Laboratory on Aging”‘Cacoon’.”University of Life”  “God’s Waiting room”  The average age of his classmates  is 84 with less than 80 men on 
campus.  Often when Carol was alive he would come home to their cottage at the end of the day ,and Carol would ask him:  ‘How are you getting along with your Harem? 
Well I hear Edna motioning with her paw for me to come over so I must go,,,,Lancelot , the Teddy Bear. 
(Thanks for Scrolling)( 
My name is “Theodore’. I was born in Indonesia in  1998. When Carol Shikles died  Reverend Curt Fuller, Pastor  of the University City Congregational Church, brought me 
to Wesley-Palms to live with  Caleb Shikles. I am a big brown Teddy Bear.  There are two of us.  Edna already was present in the room 416 when I arrived.  She had been with the Shikles since last January when  Carol 
was in the Scripps Memorial Hospital for 37 days with Acute Leukemia.  I immediately noticed that  Edna was sitting on top of the Computer acting like she owned the place ,and giving directions to Caleb.  She talks 
all the time . While she was at the Hospital  with Carol she had lot’s of attention, since scores of doctors. nurses and the Shikles Family came to see my mistress; Carol; it seemed like every 15 minutes day after day. 
I was quickly told by Edna, that  Carol was a good sufferer.  She said that Carol,   had  wonderful care  at the hospital, and her four children and  seven grandchilden  attended her beautifully  during 
that period.  She told me, the first day I came into Caleb’s room about Carol  losing  her hair;  and how Carol had a wonderful ministry to all of  the people who came to see her before her death at 86 years of age.  They 
must have been very happy couple because I see and hear Caleb crying often at night. 
Sometimes he talks to her just like she was present in the room. 
When he turns on his computer there is a full size picture  on the screen  of them  at them  at La Jolla Beach ; Christmas day 1999. I hear him saying to her how much he misses her love 
and her good common sense;  help with his health, good diet, matching clothes to wear and reminding him to stand up straight so he won’t be hunchback.  She trimmed his toenails & massaged his  neck & back .He 
misses her kisses at the end of the day and loving words on the telephone from adjoining rooms. .In  his loniliness, he thinks about their 68 years together since  college days at the University of Redlands where they met. 
The Family have established a Scholaship in her memory at the University to help 2nd year students having difficulty staying in school. 
For the most part Caleb is a very happy guy.  He ignores me in his busyness and attendance at classes. He likes the  wonderful place where he and Carol came to live  five and a half years ago.. 
It’s a 40  acre mountainside Senior Residence  built by the Methodist denomination , in 1964  as a “state of the Art”, earthquake proof Facility. From the Lanai’s on each floor  You can see the Ocean; 
La Jolla, Pacific Beach, Sea World ,downtown San Diego and the Mountains of Mexico’s Tiajuana on  a clear da.y..and there’s are lots of them.  A breeze from the  Ocean comes up the hillside most afternoons and it is 
a very pleasant place to live all of the year. 
There are 320 residents in the 5 story Hotel and 40 cottages. Caleb says ‘there’s no place on earth he’d rather be than right where he is; with a his daughter Susan,Son’in law Judge Styn and John& Jim 
; grandsons only 10 minutes away in University City. 
 
Caleb has cliches for nearly everything“The “Afternoon” of Life’. is the term Caleb uses most of the time.; though he is really in the Evening at 90 years of age!   he spoke yesterday at a Martin Luther 
King Celebration about his relationships with the King Family’; since his heart .after 7 bi-passes troubles him some lately as he walks up the hill ,and at the Beach 3 mornings a week.; where 12-15 residents  have a 
Walking club. 
To Caleb, Wesley-Palms is a “Learning Center” “Laboratory on Aging”‘Cacoon’.”University of Life”  “God’s Waiting room”  The average age of his classmates  is 84 with less than 80 men on 
campus.  Often when Carol was alive he would come home to their cottage at the end of the day ,and Carol would ask him:  ‘How are you getting along with your Harem? 
Well I hear Edna motioning with her paw for me to come over so I must go,,,,Lancelot , the Teddy Bear. 
(Thanks for Scrolling)g Center” “Laboratory on Aging”‘Cacoon’.”University of Life”  “God’s Waiting room”  The average age of his classmates  is 84 with less than 80 men on 
campus.  Often when Carol was alive he would come home to their cottage at the end of the day ,and Carol would ask him:  ‘How are you getting along with your Harem? 
Well I hear Edna motioning with her paw for me to come over so I must go,,,,Lancelot , the Teddy Bear. 
(Thanks for Scrolling)

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