glamgirl40

Hi LG...

thank you for sharing such a beautiful and gracious letter.

hawkxs3

Thanks for writing in Andrea~
Greetings, LG~

I see that you, much like myself, has had the opportunity to view something that made a shift occur on the inside of you. I don't have to tell you that w/each passing day, the emotions you received today will carry you all the way, if you allow Him to direct your paths. I know, I re-live a scene from Oprah's movie "Beloved" w/each breath I take.

13 years ago, I stood on the movie set of 'Beloved" (much like what you have described above) and saw the world as a new day and new beginning. My whole world changed after that experience, it made me change my words, my thoughts, my prayers, my friends....everything!

The scene in the movie took place in 1873, there a child stood w/out a voice or choices, she stood as her grandmother spoke words that no child should ever hear or have to endure. ( they took your mother many times, only you she put her arms around ) Child Sethe watched as they hung her mother (at the hanging tree) w/out a tear in her eyes, for Sethe was brave as a child and adult.

The role of younger Sethe was played by our daughter, the child that stood there was the children of the world crying out in silence. (children today have problems that we never had growing up, some don't even play outside) The spirit spoke loudly in my ears, I had to make a difference in the world, I surrendered it all to Him and He opened up a whole new world for us.

The movie inspired me to open up a daycare center. A Beloved Start Learning Place was born and I'm so grateful for the experience. Our daughter found her calling while working in the daycare, she's off to college to become a child psychiatrist. This month we celebrate 13 years and 60 plus children later, we have never advertised and we remain full, not one child hurt, that's a AMEN moment!

See Andrea, everyday brings fourth different challenges. In 1996, I lost a nephew, he was 10 years young, born premature (like our child, born premature too..4lbs) weighting only 2 lbs. his mother acidentally ran over him w/the car. My first thought was, here I am, taking excellent care of other peoples children, yet, one of ours is killed. The pain was unbearable at times.After sometime had passed, I ordered a shed to store daycare stuff in. I recall after all of the children had been picked up from daycare oneday as I was putting away the outdoor toys, I began to sob remembering what we had lost. I sat down on the floor of the shed and questioned God. Did he ( my nephew) suffer? I continued to shed tears, then the screaming began, then I became silent. As I picked myself up off the floor, my eyes became focused on the stamp on the wood in the shed, it was stamped w/my nephew's b/d. In my mind, God had spoken to me, the date gave me peace, peace like a river.

In Jan.09 as I was getting up for church, I could hear water running, I followed the sound.(pipes had bursted in the walls in 3 different places) Our inspired daycare center was underwater, I was devastated. I questioned God again, how could I be lead here to loose my only income? Why, Lord, why? I was totally,lost,frustrated and I think I cried for several days. I called all my daycare parents, letting them know that the center and everything in it was ruined. The parents showed up to support me, my neighbors came forth to offer their help and guess what? Not one child left me while I was rebuilding, they stayed. Have you every had to touch everything you owned before, even if it had little or no value? Lord Have Mercy, it will make you grateful. As I was going through, God revealed to me that my 13 years of notes I had been jotting down about my journey to Beloved were spared in the flood. When all was done, God had made everything new. I just needed to BELIEVE in Him, thats all, just trust and BELIEVE.

Thanks Andrea for fueling the fire this day, just remember to never allow the fire to go out in your experience today. It's not by chance you where given this task, take it and run on to see what the end will be. Just remember...(last line in BELOVED) You,your best thing! When things get busy,rough, tuff, reflect. Reflect and it will put you back on track, I guarantee it, I tried it for myself.

~Utterly Beloved

uwaodefa

Hi Andrea,

Thank you for your post and sharing that letter. It is words like this that rekindle my passion to do similar things (bringing joy and hope) to my fellow countrymen. My dream is to be an Oprah (of sorts) in Africa. TO help my people, show them they can do better, rise above every situation, find inner strength to go on and be the best they can be in this life. I do not have the technical know-how and someone has taken time to inform me that I can never achieve that dream. But I dream on and I know that though there are so many odds against me, I will achieve that dream of being an instrument for opening doors to my people.

Thanks again.

P.S. I want to learn about setting up a talk show (nothing as fancy as The Oprah Show! but of good quality and high standards). Are there any sites you could direct me to? I'd appreciate this.

voiceover1

Oprah, i think you should have dedicated the entire show to micheal jackson's "this it movie". The best you could do was tito and jackie via skype...get real!

mariahz

Stephanie's story moved my husband and I to tears! Thank you to all of Harpo's staff for delivering such an inspiring, wonderful show!! God bless!