[ Draft ]

[berenice W. Gray]

I am Berenice Gray, a 58 year old christian woman from East TX with two adult daughters and 3 grandchildren. I am a freelance writer who is blind. I am presently working on a book of short stories and I am enrolled at the veterans school for the blind in Tucson AZ. I do much of my work on a talking computer, and I am also working on a novel on life in rural East Texas in the early sixties, from the point of view of a young black teen, paralelling the societies of then and now. And of course, in this novel, since church was the center of the community, the black church that is; it is the cutting edge of the book. I have a male friend that I am hoping will become more than a friend in Sep o8. He is a hunk, big and pretty, 62, and blind, too. We are on the same page. He writes, more a storyteller, intelligent, recites prose, knows the Lord and he's a little kinky. But, but, but, we have vowed, to obstain, that's mispelled, until marriage.

Many of the pastors that I listen to range from T.D. Jakes to Andrew Womack, and all in between, My favorites being G.E. Patterson and Adrian Rogers. I was married to a black minister who was not in the true sense, and I lost my faith, but regained it when I realized he was not indictive of a real man of God. My relationship now is with God and not with a particular denomination and I do not attend a church regularly, I do however tithe religiously, and I support several missions. I have tired of programs, and banquets and dinners and fund raisers. Forgive me lord. If money is needed I will give, but I do not have a desire to dress up and beg.

Bea Gray in East Texas

[Helen M.Bedford]

God bless you Sister Bernice, the favor of God is resting on your life, stay encourage, keep writing for the Lord,
my home is in Lufkin,Tesas, I live in Houston Tx. but my family is in Lufkin, that is the Davis family.