God Put Us on a Time Out - Now Go And Think About What You Did!!

By Gloria Dulan-Wilson

Hello All:

I was going through some research for an interview I'm getting ready to conduct, and just had a flash on what GOD must be thinking right about now, looking down on us - especially with T-rump, McConnell, and the novel coronovirus - and I could just hear Him saying - as Mary Shelly did in her book, Frankenstein: 

"I'VE CREATED A MONSTER!"

 It's a good thing He's in charge, and not us - We humans, His creations, with our free will,  would have long ago destroyed the earth and wiped each other out to a man/woman! We pontificate a lot, but we don't really have a true sense of our own mortality, so we don't see the harm we're causing each other. 

Nothing is more true than the predator in chief in the White house and the Repuglycon party, his MAGA Maggots, as well as  his other sycophantic  cohorts in crime and treason.  

Joel Osteen says that nothing that happens is a surprise to GOD.  So that means that He knew we were going to do some thing stupid and that our solutions to that would result in something even more ignorant, and so on, and so on until we've pretty much destroyed each other.

We've been given the power and capacity to create, and what we've created is confusion and catastrophe - from our music, to our relationships, to our families, to our government.  We know the right thing to do, but ignore His guidance and promptings and continue to do anything but - and rationalize it with some of the most ignorant excuses and rationalizations.  

We've shown, that after over 2000 years of civilization and evolution, and so called modernization, that we know no more than we did, really, when we began to stand up on two legs, instead of walking around on all four. 

We have technology, and practically every modern convenience known to man - at least some of us do - but are no more developed in our humanity than when we emerged from our cages.  And, in this pivotal year - 2020 the decade of "insight and wisdom,"  we haven't a clue, and are looking to others who are even more clueless than we are for leadership and guidance.  

I am not so naive as to say that this pandemic is some kind of "wrath of God" phenomenon - but it should give us serious pause - what in the world is going on?  We're on the brink of becoming a totalitarian society in America, and still have not taken appropriate measures to curtail it.  We've watch children be abused and snatched from the arms of their loving parents and have done no more that write some terse phrases on our social media as if that was really going to take the place of stepping in and protecting them.  We had so put our families on remote control that we thought if we saw them on these devices, we were truly making contact - parents and youth are as guilty of this one.  Parents languishing at home, while their children are thousand miles away, "keeping in touch" on their cell phones, as if that takes the place of the hugs, eye contacts and human interaction they need.

We are now scrambling for solutions, pointing fingers of blame, but really haven't learned anything.  The fact that in three short years, the US could be pushed to the brink of destruction by the unchecked acts of a megalomaniacal fool who appears to be untouchable because he holds the title of "ersatz president,"  shows that we're stuck on stupid - or don't have enough of the human quality of self preservation to stand up for ourselves and each other.

God may not have created the monsters who we've become, but you can best believe, this is not how He originally designed us.   We're like the kids who asked for additional freedom and responsibility - and once we had it - ran amok.  And now we have to deal with the consequences of what we've done. 

So GOD, THE LIVING SPIRIT ALMIGHTY has given us a "TIME OUT" so to speak, like any good parent;  go stand in the corner and look at what you did! And when you come out this time, get it right.

We've got a lot to mediate on while we're sitting in our homes being "socially distant."  Is this what we want for our lives? For each other? For our children?  HELL NO!!  So go home and think about what you did and tell me what you're going to do differently so you can be trusted again with this wonderful world GOD gave us to live in.

Stay Blessed, Stay Healthy, Stay Well, Stay Loving &

ECLECTICALLY BLACK

(c)Gloria Dulan-Wilson

03/24/2020

-->

Bill Cosby and Job

By Gloria Dulan-Wilson

Hello All:

BILL COSBY

 
This past month has seen the reputation of a man I admire, an Icon, and a brother who has spent his life doing good things for people, trashed in the court of public opinion.  The social media has locked on to the multiple allegations of rape against Dr. William H. "Bill" Cosby, and are having a feeding frenzy on it.


In in the fact of all the jumping on the bandwagon from females coming from out of the woodwork, under rocks, and out of the shadows, as it were, shows, contracts, interviews have been cancelled.  Though not a shred of concrete evidence has been presented, Bill Cosby is being lynched in the worst possible way.  Interestingly enough, Whoopi Goldberg nailed it when she said, on The View, aren't you supposed to produce a rape kit, when the allegations or charges of rape are involved? 

And as far as I'm concerned, Bill Cosby is a good man - in fact a Fine Black Man - at least in my eyes, and through my experience of knowing him, having interviewed him, being around he and his lovely wife, Camille, at many an event.   No, I didn't say he was a saint; nor did I say he was "perfect."  But he's no rapist, either.  

CAMILLE AND BILL COSBY

But definitely over the great scheme of things, Bill Cosby has spent his life in the service of and helping others - primarily Black people - but people in general - through sharing his largess with universities, via scholarships, through developing and underwriting educational program; doing charitable shows; and what the late Maynard Jackson would call "Good Works."  He's helped thousands of aspiring actors, writers, producers succeed in their careers, giving them opportunities they would never otherwise have had - showcasing their talents in ways that made it possible for them to go forward on their own and continue to succeed.  

Not only has he been "America's Dad" he is also a Dad and a Granddad, one who's raised his family, along with his wife and partner, Camille, to be, do and have great things.  

So when the ersatz comedian deigned to target an Icon, to further his career, no one really saw any serious cause for alarm.  He wouldn't be the first person to take a bit of gossip and use it in jest against someone of note.  It's been done over and over countless times.  Political satire is made of innuendos and controversy turned into comedy.  But, owing to the tenor of the times, the opportunity to see how far down one can drag an icon - especially one so highly placed as Bill Cosby - this one grew legs and began to take on the size of a leviathan - to the point of now, here we are, with several women claiming to have been "raped" by Bill Cosby. And the more information is published, the more they come out saying the same thing. And now, a man who was enjoying the pinnacle of success is looking being accused of heinous behavior, totally uncharacteristic of the man we've all come to know and love.  


And I had to ask myself "WHY???"  Why is this happening to Bill Cosby?  Why now? 


And as I rode home the other evening, riding the bus and listening to some ignorant people "talking loug and saying nothing" mention Bill Cosby, for some reason the Book of Job suddenly popped into my mind, as a comparison to what he is going through.  And I remember that one of the main things in that story was why bad things happen to good people? 
If you don't know the story of Job, or are fuzzy about it, let me "refresh your recollection" as the late Johnnie Cochran used to say.  I'm paraphrasing from a post by Jack Wellman on December 31, 2011, entitled: Job Bible Story Summary with Lesson:


"The Accuser: All was going well with Job.  He had it all: A large family, wealth, and blessings of every kind imaginable.  At that time, Job may have been the richest man on the face of the earth.  Job 1:2-3 describes his wealth as “He had seven sons and three daughters, and he owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen and five hundred donkeys, and had a large number of servants. He was the greatest man among all the people of the East.”  

JOB - News BBC

"Clearly, Job had it all.  This must have bothered Satan because he came to God.   What did God say to Satan about Job?  God bragged on Job in 1:8, saying, “Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.”   Can you imagine the God of the Universe bragging on Job from heaven?  Might He also brag about you and your righteousness found in Jesus Christ?  It is entirely possible however Satan was not convinced and said to God, “Does Job fear God for nothing?” Satan replied.  “Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land.  But now stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face” (Job 1:9-11).

"Satan’s name means “adversary” and he has been called the “accuser of the brethren” (Rev. 12:10). God sets out to prove to Satan that Job is not righteous just because he is being blessed.  God challenges the Devil telling him, “Very well, then, everything he has is in your power, but on the man himself do not lay a finger” (Job 1:12).  Job lost just about everything; his sheep, his oxen, his camels, his servants, and all of his sons and daughters – but remarkably he did not lose his faith in God. What was Job’s response?  “Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped. And he said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; Blessed be the name of the LORD.  In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong” (Job 1:20-22).

"Here we can plainly see Job’s reaction:  he worshiped God, he said that he came into this world with nothing and will return with nothing, the Lord has taken away all he had except his wife – and his wife told him to “curse God and die” – and Job also blessed the name of the Lord.  In all of this, “Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong!”   He blessed God’s name, he worshiped God, and he did not sin.  Satan must have been angry at Job’s response.  Job suffered unjustly and yet he did not blame God or say, “why me?” 

"Fair Weather Friends:  Job’s friends tried to console him but they soon started to blame him for his own troubles inferring that he must have sinned in order for all these trials to come upon him.  That is something that is far too easy for believers to do.  When they see a Christian suffer, they unfairly assume that there must be sin in that believer’s life.  But suffering is not always a result of sin as we see with Job.  In many cases, those who are sinners suffer little while those who are saints suffer much.  Many people see this as a stumbling block for Christianity and ask why God allows suffering.  Instead of asking “why” they might be better off asking “what”.  What is God up to?  What is He trying to produce in us?  Like the refiners fire, God often uses suffering to produce righteous character in believers.  Sometimes He wants those who suffer to be more dependent upon Him.  It may be that He is trying to get our attention.  We might even be sinning; however we can not always equate suffering with sin in a believer’s life as we see with Job’s experience.

"At first Job’s friends try to help Job but they quickly turn to accusing him of some sort of hidden or known sin.  Job knows that this is not the reason and tries to justify himself against their accusations.  But his justification quickly turns to self-righteousness and that is sin before God.  Job’s friends say, “Is not your wickedness great? Are not your sins endless? You demanded security from your brothers for no reason; you stripped men of their clothing, leaving them naked.  You gave no water to the weary and you withheld food from the hungry, though you were a powerful man, owning land– an honored man, living on it. And you sent widows away empty-handed and broke the strength of the fatherless. That is why snares are all around you, why sudden peril terrifies you” (Job 22:5-10). This brings God’s righteous indignation upon Job’s friends (Job 42:7-17).

God Answers Job: "Job is not guiltless as no man is without sin (1 John 1:8, Romans 3:23). Job becomes discouraged, partly because of the blame game played by his friends. Job begins to question God Himself and this is when God answers Job out of the whirlwind (tornado?), He says, “Who is this who darkens counsel by words without knowledge? Now prepare yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer Me.“ Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding” (Job 38:2-4).  God puts Job in his place and in effect tells Job, who are you to question the God of the Universe?  God never does answer Job’s question on why He allows suffering. God, in His sovereignty, chooses not to tell us everything.  That is God’s prerogative. Also notice that God spoke to Job out of the “whirlwind” which is the terminology for a tornado or great and destructive windstorm.  This could indicate that God is in all things going on this world.  He is sovereign and nothing happens that is not within His perfect will.  This things include natural disasters and calamities.  God is never caught off guard or by surprise.

"God Restores Job If Job had known that God would have restored to him more than he had in the first place, would he have questioned Him at all?  God rewards Job for his faithfulness and his endurance through such suffering.  This story has an incredible ending.

"Job 42:10-17  “After Job had prayed for his friends, the LORD restored his prosperity and doubled his [previous] possessions. All his brothers, sisters, and former acquaintances came to his house and dined with him in his house. They offered him sympathy and comfort concerning all the adversity the LORD had brought on him. Each one gave him a qesitah and a gold earring.

"So Job ended up much better off than he was in the beginning.  He had considerably more than when he began his suffering and even though God did not answer Job why he was allowed to suffer so terribly, in the end Job had more blessings than any man or the face of the earth at that time.  The application for Christians today is that God will bless those who endure to the end and that someday, God will reward us with unbelievable blessings that can not compare with what we have today (Rom 8:18, 28).  We will all suffer in this life.  It is appointed to mankind to suffer. It is a fallen world.  We may not know the “why” today but some day we probably will.  Instead of asking “why”, we should ask “what”.  What is God up to?  What is God trying to do in me?  The “why” will have to wait for someday in eternity.  Until then, we can not fully grasp the purpose of God but we know that He will not allow us to suffer into eternity.  One thing that is important is that Satan could not lay a finger on Job, nor can he us.  God will not allow this (Job 1:12. I John 4:4).###"

Bill Cosby has maintained his silence throughout this ordeal.  He's not trashed his accusers, nor given in to the taunts and controversy. This is admirable in a day and age when most people would have been all over the media bad-mouthing and hurling accusations across the board, making threats and filling the meanstream media with headlines.  No, Bill's silence is aggravating to the meanstream because they can't take his words and distort them, or use them against him.  He's keeping his own counsel, and, by not dragging friends and associates into this melee, he's also showing his confidence in the truth prevailing in the end.  

So, in that way, he is also very much like our hero, Job, who continued to struggle and move forward despite the "slings and arrows of outrageous 'mis'fortune."  

Cosby's even offered to refund monies to those who had paid to see him perform at his annual December event at New York's famed Apollo Theatre.  There's much to be said for this kind of demeanor - valiant, steadfast, honor bound - something very few of our youth, or our contemporaries - know of in this day and age.  With the advent of the so-called reality TV genre, you're more likely to see people standing toe to toe calling each other m-f's and other negative names, than taking the role of not rolling on the ground in the mud with the swine. 

Frankly, I don't know what Bill Cosby's religious beliefs are.  I remember him saying once that Camille was brought up as a Catholic - but I don't think he would be as beloved or insightful, or dedicated as he is, had he not had some spiritual background and underpinning to carry him through.  He more walks his talk, than talks about it.  By his works he has been known.  And they stand on their own.

And, as Job was made whole and restored by the Divine, Cosby will likewise be vindicated.  Taking a departure from the Bible, I had a Grandmom, Cornelia, who used to say that just when the enemy thought he had you by the shorthairs, "the worm do turn."   I've witnessed it in the worst of situations; I've witnessed it in my own life, as well.  And Cornelia's message is as valid in this case as it has been in others.  

As in the case when Cosby wanted to buy NBC-TV, New York, and his fair weather friends betrayed him, this may be a period of housecleaning as well.  It's also a test of the faith of people who have been admonished to judge not lest you be judged; and when you do judge somebody, make sure you're doing it with righteousness.

BILL COSBY IN 1969

Look at motives on the part  of the accusers - what is there to gain from such accusations?  Money, fifteen minutes of fame?  Is there a vendetta that's being fed by this?  Possibly.  Why would a man with the mega millions money and  chocolate good looks of a Bill Cosby (especially 30 to 40 years ago) need to rape anybody - when women, who were falling over him to be noticed, would have cheerfully jumped into bed with him at the slightest invitation or provocation?  Makes you wanna go hmmmmm?  Is there a secret bet going on between the equivalent of God and Satan to see who can tear down an icon?  And are we playing into their hands?   


It's not so outlandish as you may think - the movie, TRADING PLACES - with Eddie Murphy, Jamie Lee Curtis and Dan Akroyd was based on this same premise. 
 
Please note, I didn't mention, and don't intend to, the names of any of the accusers in my Blog - nor the ersatz comedian who made this a part of his comedy routine, because he lacked originality.  I'll leave that to the purveyors of gossip and negativity to do that.

I am and will remain an admirer of Bill Cosby -You certainly do have to have spiritual underpinnings to successfully make it through 50 years of marriage; to lose a son and continue to move forward; to put together wonderful programs; be gracious when you're falling out on your feet.  He has indeed been blessed.

Perhaps somebody doesn't like that, and started a "what would happen if......?" campaign.  Machiavelli, in the Prince, spoke of the "big lie."  A lie so big that even though it was a lie, the more the person tried to prove his or her innocence, the more people believed the lie.  After all, why would anyone go to the trouble of doing something like that, most people would think, using logic as their basis.  Most regular people would never think that deviously.  It takes someone with big stakes to tell the big lie and see if it mushrooms they way they want.  The fact that Bill Cosby has not engaged in the mind game partly thwarts the purpose of the rumor mill.  The shadow of a reasonable doubt should be something the public would stick to - it's part and parcel of our justice system.  And when a man, especially Black man of the caliber of Bill Cosby, is suddenly excoriated and raked over the coals, there is something very sinister going on.

Whether or not this matter is ever cleared up in the court of public opinion, there is a law in this country that a man is innocent UNTIL PROVEN guilty.  And it most certainly would not be the first time that a Black man has suffered massive character assassination only to be found totally innocent of the charges at a later date.  Supposedly reputation, once trashed, can never be resurrected.  So I would caution all who read or watch the meanstream media to be very careful about how much of this you swallow, or how much you repeat to your friends - you may have to eat those words.  

My prayers and support go out to Bill and Camille Cosby, the Cosby family, friends, relatives and supporters during this madness.



Stay Blessed &
ECLECTICALLY BLACK
Gloria Dulan-Wilson
www.gloriadulanwilson.blogspot.com/ECLECTICALLY BLACK NEWS




-->

THANKSGIVING GREETINGS 

BY

GLORIA DULAN-WILSON

To all my Loved Ones, Associates and Friends

Know that my love for you never ends

And as we celebrate this great season

I give to you my special greetings

And The Blessings of Gratitude and Thanksgiving

For making it through to keep on living

Today we express our deep appreciation

For joy and love and inspiration

I'm grateful for you and all that I treasure

And it's deeper than any one can measure

Tho the holiday may have started from acts that were hateful

Today everyone can find some reason to be grateful

As we bow our heads and pause to say grace

In our heart we know blessings have nothing to do with race

Asian, Indian, Black and white, stressed or sublime

We all owe Thanks to God, Who is Good All The Time!!

Call it Gratitude, Blessing, Appreciation, Thanksgiving, or any other name

As long as you're counting your blessings it still means the same

So in conclusion allow me to say

HAPPY THANKSGIVING-GRATITUDE-APPRECIATION-BLESSING-INSPIRATION DAY!

Stay Blessed &

ECLECTICALLY BLACK from

GLORIA DULAN-WILSON & FAMILY

(c) PoeticLicenseGloriaDulanWilson/11/28/2013

-->

Love and God and Redemption: A Love Story

by Gloria Dulan-Wilson

I just had the most remarkable conversation with a childhood friend. He's someone I have not seen since I graduated from high school and went on to college. I'll call him "The Kid"(I must admit that I had some not very complimentary names for him when we were teens - then he was the Brat, the Pain, you know the drift when you have a younger brother or sister and you're trying to be "cool").

His sister was my very best friend from the fifth grade through high school; however she also is someone I had not seen since graduating (I'll call her "Sis"). We used to practice the latest dances in her mom's living room; listen to all the latest records, and learn ALL the lyrics; scout boyfriends; swap gossip, participate in social events -- NAACP Youth Council, Fidi Amici Clubs, Y-Teens and other organizations. She used to cut through our yard to get to the Black owned mom and pop store that was then across the alley in the other block. She was the last one my mom would send home after we had completely exhausted every topic we could think of. She was my best friend.

Our little close knit community in Oklahoma City makes it impossible not to know each and every little secret, or scandal, that goes on; so I was peripherally aware that both The Kid and Sis had undergone some serious drug addiction challenges in their adult lives; especially after their mother, whom I affectionately called "Momma P", had passed. She was the guiding light of the family, and as special to me as she was to them.

Like most Black Oklahomans, we were Black and Indian (Cherokee). "Momma P", and the family had deep roots in a little town called Claremore, Oklahoma. Her father was first cousin on her mother's side to the great Goodwill Ambassador, Will Rogers, whose mother was Cherokee as well. I had the privilege, when I was a kid, of visiting her family on brief trips to take gifts to their maternal grandfather, Poppa Bill (who lived to be 101).

However, as adults, those ties of youth appeared to be broken forever. It was at least 17 years before I even returned home to Oklahoma City. It really was cost prohibitive, and cost nearly $1000 to fly from NYC to OKC, while I could go to the Caribbean for less than $200 - and that included hotel accommodations! So,needless to say, during that time I had traveled a great deal in and out of the country.

Over the next 20 years or so, I had been in and out of love/marriage twice; had three children, a couple of "failed" careers, and was returning to New York City forever, after a mutual agreement with the state of California that we would not bother each other any more. They could stay on the west side, and I was (and am) perfectly content to stay on the East Coast - New York City, more specifically.

I had by that time missed several high school reunions, and was not totally apprised of how dire things were with my two friends, who used to live in one of the most beautiful, custom designed homes directly across the street from me. (I mention the home because "Momma P" designed it and had it built when we were still babies. It was a gorgeous split level home with a huge living room, master quarters, children quarters, swimming pool, guest house - the works! Unique and way ahead of most designs of the day. I went to many a party there!)

But fast forward 40 years, and at our Douglass Senior High School reunion, I learn that things are truly not well with them. The Kid was in California, after having several near brushes with death; and my former best friend, "Sis", who has not been seen or heard from at all, was actually somewhere here in New York City!

But where? No one seemed to know! My classmates implored me to find her, and I pledged to do so; but haven't a clue as to where or how to start.

In the interim, we elect Barack Obama president of the USA; and like the rest of the world, I was going through the repercussions of a miscreant's (Bush) taking the economy down the toilet, literally. So my focus turns away from the search for "Sis", to the more mundane, and oh so important issues of money, food, job, place to live, health, etc. I.e. I had to go into survival mode big time, and searching for long lost friends had to wait in line behind searching for just a basic job.

But here we are now in November 2011, and I though I'm still trying to get that elusive job, I suddenly remember that my friend's birthday happens to fall on 11/11/11!! So, I again began to wonder where she is, and whether she's celebrating this awesomely unique occasion. So I put a call through to OKC to the only relative I still have communication with, her sister-in-law, "T", who was married to her elder brother (he was 20 years older than we were). She's 81 now and is just as energetic and actively involved as she was when we were kids (Aries - you just can't keep us down, you know). She stated that had not heard from my friend, but she had some startling news for me, which is why I'm writing this piece in the first place:

"The Kid" had moved back to Oklahoma City from California, and - wonder of wonders - had gotten married!

Of, course, I couldn't believe my ears, and had to have "T" repeat that a couple of times.

Me: "Wow! What happened? How did that happen? The last time we spoke, he was so glad to hear from me he cried. But he sounded like he was really not very well. What brought about the turn around?" I was totally incredulous.

T: "I'll give you his number and let him tell you himself. All I know is that this young lady went to California to see about him. They got married out there and she brought him back to Oklahoma City."

After obtaining the number, I couldn't wait to call "The Kid" and see what the story was. Mind you, not having seen him since I was a kid, and not knowing his new wife, I hesitated for a moment. This could be an imposition. What if he doesn't want to hear from me? What if she's "hostile"? Nah! This is Oklahoma City. We have a permanent open door policy for family and friends. So it is a little late, it's 11:00PM, New York Time, 10:00 Central Standard Time. But I place the call, anyway. Of course, on first try, there was no answer. So, being the New Yorker that I am, I try again. And this time I meet with success.

Me: "Hey Kid!"

The Kid: "Hi, who's this!"

Me: "It's Gloria Dulan-Wilson!"

The Kid: "Wow! Gloria! How are you? Man it's good to hear from you! Where are you, in New York?"

Me: "Yep! Still here. Just spoke with "T" and heard you had a wedding and congratulations are in order."

The Kid: "No. Didn't have a wedding. I just got married last year, that's all!"

Me: "Nevertheless, congratulations are in order! Wow! That's fantastic!"

The Kid: "You know, Gloria, it's even more fantastic because my wife is a wonderful person. Not just because she married me, but because she cared about me enough to come see about me when I was at my lowest."

Me: "Really?"

The Rest of This is The Kid:
"I was a basket case. I was in a nursing home. I had had two operations because of problems with my spine. They had had to go in and refuse my spine from both the back and the front. I died on the operating table twice! The first time for 31 seconds, the second time for 41 seconds. And both times God kept bringing me back. When they finished the surgery, they put me in a nursing home for 10 months.

"I had reached out to a friend of mine that I had grown up with in Oklahoma City, and was kind of telling him what I had been through. While I was talking, his sister overheard the conversation. She got on the phone and said she was sorry to hear that I had gone through so much, and that she would come out to see about me. So, I said, thanks for the concern.

"In the back of my head I was thinking, "yea right" she's just being sympathetic and polite. The next thing I knew, she was in California. The next thing was that she spent time boosting my morale. I couldn't belive it! Then she checked me out of the home. We got married and she brought me back to Oklahoma City. Now things have been wonderful between us. We don't have a lot of money, but I have someone in my life who loves and cares for me, and that has made all the difference for me. I don't know where I would be had she not cared for me.

"But what was even more important was how God just kept showing up in my life and bringing me back when I thought I was gone forever. When I thought there was no hope whatsoever. He not only brought me back, but he brought me love. I don't know how to tell you how special that is.

"I have been invited by local groups to talk about the evils of doing drugs, and what a long journey it is back to health. And I'm glad to do it. I've also decided to go back to college and finish my degree. I know that God has something for me to do, which is why I am still here, so I'm going to be about doing it. I'm just following His lead now.

As for "Sis", she's in New York. I'll give you her number. I had thought it was her calling when I saw the area code. She will be so glad to hear from you."

I had really wanted to speak with this wonderful sister, but she had already gone to bed. When you hear of a story like this, you kind of want to reach out and touch the person and have some of that miracle rub off on you. It was like watching a beautiful movie unfold. I could see the script for this one right now. And I'm such a romanticist when it comes to love stories for and about us. (We get a lot of the low life crap, you know where all they know how to do is show cleavage and knock boots. That's not love, that's just sex.)

No, this is for Black people who know and believe that we can, and do, still really have love, affection, respect, caring and tenderness for each other (despite what the world tries to do to undermine it). This is about God, love, redemption, transformation, happiness and fulfillment! And this has the makings of a true monumental, inspirational, tear jerker - at least six Kleenex - perhaps the whole box!! (Calling Tyler Perry!)

Truly, though, I was totally blown away by "The Kid's" wonderful story and had to take the time to relate it here in my blog. For those of us who believe in miracles - and I'm one of them - this is truly a monumental one! What an absolute blessing! And how really wonderful to be able to share this with you, rather than the run of statistics we usually regale each other with about how bad things are, how dire things are, who shot who, who hates who, who hit who, etc.

This is the kind of "happily ever after" I'm talking about. And "The Kid" is already paying it forward by talking to youth, adults and peers about the horrors of drugs and how they can take a chunk of living out of your life. He could be called one of the "lucky" ones. But I prefer to call him "blessed" because The Infinite, God The Living Spirit Almighty, really did reach in and pull him through to give him a fresh start and a greater understanding of Who really is in charge.

I told him to stop by and say hello to my mother, who will be so happy to see him. We still live in our same home, directly across the street from where he grew up. He was happy to learn that my mom, 88 years young, was still living, and promised to pop in on her soon.

Joel Osteen said, in one of his many inspirational sermons, when we think things are totally over, and the problems are insurmountable, when we are going around beating ourselves up over things we could, would, or should have done; or when we and the rest of the world thinks we're not worthy, God is a God of "Suddenlies," and he can (and did) suddenly turn things around and put you up on top. It's not how big our challenges or problems are, it's how big our God Is. My friend, "The Kid" has suddenly been blessed and his life has been transformed.

I'm saying this to all of us. My friend, PR Diva, Terrie Williams, wrote a book entitled "BLACK PAIN", that details how we look great on the outside, while we're dying on the inside, and some of the things we do to mask that very real angst. We think we're enduring, coping, handling it. But what we're really doing is allowing it to eat us up alive. For those of us who really do need a message of hope, of promises fulfilled, of really staying in faith - I am sharing this with you. It is definitely never too late, and things can, and do, and have turned around on a dime.

So, get your faith up, and stand for the fact that we all are deserving of God's great good, love, redemption, happiness, abundance, health and joy in our lives###

PS SOME NEWS: I am currently a part time rental agent at ALOTTA APTS in Brooklyn, if you either want to list or rent an apartment, or know someone who does, email me at nynjaalady@yahoo.com. See my listings on CraigsList.

PPS: If you're facing Foreclosure or are behind in your mortgage, NACA is holding an exclusive 5 day nonstop workshop in New York City, beginning November 17, 2011 and running through November 21, 2011. It's free and open to the public. I will be posting the information on my next Blog, or you can log on to www.naca.com, and get the details there. Tell them you heard it from Gloria Dulan-Wilson

Stay blessed &
ECLECTICALLY BLACK
Gloria Dulan-Wilson

Thank God for ANGEL/FRIENDS

By Gloria Dulan-Wilson

This is a personal, but essential Thank You Note.

I could not in clear conscience let another second go by without having done this: I must express my sincere and profound gratitude for a set of ANGEL/FRIENDS who would not let me go down in the dust.

When you have people in your life who absolutely have your back, like I have just discovered that I have, you know that these are no ordinary people, but have to be elevated to a new level of being. Therefore I have coined the term ANGEL/FRIENDS.

I had recently hit a wall, which so many of us in the US are facing, where we've run out of options, and everything appeared to be crashing down around me. I had prayed, meditated, and done everything I could do in my human capacity to try to avert the inevitable. But it looked as if everything had tanked, and I was going down for the count.

Though I continued to pray and meditate, I had quite frankly, literally run out options. At least I thought I had. As Joel Osteen often says, while we operate on the natural, God operates on the Supernatural, and makes a way out of no way.

And that is exactly what He did. He gave me a band of ANGEL/FRIENDS, who rallied around me - despite hurricane Irene; despite the fact that they themselves were facing challenges of their own; despite the fact that on the natural realm it was deemed impossible, they pulled me through, jerking me out of the very jaws of seeming defeat.

In paying tribute to my ANGEL/FRIENDS, I am also thanking God, the Living Spirit Almighty for having brought them into my life. Without His empowering them to move heaven and earth collectively, I doubt seriously I would be sitting here writing this to you today. As Israel Houghton says in his song, "I'm Still Standing!" "Thanks Be to God."

So to my ANGEL/FRIENDS: Asante Sana, merci beaucoup, gracias, danke schoen, arigato, and above all thank you so very much for being there for me. I extend my sincere appreciation to each and every one of you; my blessings, my gratitude, and my hope that your lives will always be filled with love, peace, poise, prosperity, success, happiness, health, wealth, abundance, fulfillment - or the next best thing.

Stay Blessed &
ECLECTICALLY BLACK
Gloria Dulan-Wilson