A Tribute to Mabel Warren; One of the Directors of A Free Tutoring Service                   

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December 22, 2006......6:00 A M   Mabel and grand son, Devin (click!)

It came upon me all of a sudden: This sudden "Rush of Joy".  It came a few seconds before this 6:00AM hour. This sudden happiness caused tears to form, yet caused a smile on my face.......

"This Joy that I have....the World didn't give it and the World can't take it away"   ... was the song that issued from my lips. It caused a wider smile. It caused more tears to form and flow down my face. 

Mabel has been laying sick in bed at a Torrance Hospital out on Carson Street. She has been laying there in deep pain. She lies there unaware of the pain, and unaware of the cancer that now threatens to take her earthly being from us. She has (perhaps been) recently pronounced "brain dead over 90 percent" by the Doctors in attendance. 

Yet, I feel a sudden Rush of Joy! I felt that same joy when I sat in the hospital room of my oldest brother, Webster Jr. ....38 years of age (1965)....as he tossed and turned in pain...as cancer ripped through his body. I felt this pain would soon be over....and I felt a Sense of Total Joy.

Joy can come in the midst of trials and tribulations! Even Death can not take this Joy away. The Joy comes in knowing that a Child of God is being called home. The Joy comes in knowing that this is truly a Child of God. In the midst of the tears  of sadness... are suddenly Tears of Joy.

My Brother, Webster, was closer to me than any man could ever be. There was a true love in knowing this "Self-Sacrificing" individual that God had placed in life for Me to know. God places those individuals in life to let all know of our True Purpose in Life: That is, to assist those that are less fortunate. To Sacrifice in order to bring all mankind into the image of God. Webster was one such individual that God placed in my life to make me understand the true reason that I am here. To help others who are in need of help. For in that light, God steps in....to deliver a Joy that can be felt in the presence of Death!

Mabel Warren is one of those individuals God placed in my life to make me know the True Meaning of life. Again, God stepped in to deliver on His Promise to deliver unto me Untold Joy! The Joy in knowing there are others who would sacrifice everything to make those less fortunate happy is truly a Miracle for me. 

Mabel served as one of the Directors of A Free Tutoring Service. She went silently along her way and offered me suggestions as to how to assist the students;  advice on how to structure my tutoring;  counseling on how to deal with parents and students.....and the motivation to continue tutoring for free when I seriously thought about giving up.....time and time again . For what seemed like a fruitless and useless journey for me some of the times, was but a "glitch in the road" for Mabel...when she would tell me.....just keep on going!

"I'm going to bring over food for those kids today", Mabel would say. I oftentimes wondered how much money she actually had!  She always had enough food for herself as well as others. She always made it convenient for all of the kids, including her own grand children to share in the Field Trips, such as LA Sparks Basketball games, and the like. She would help me set up fundraiser- bus- trips, help prepare food plates for the travelers to Viejo's Casino in San Diego (fundraiser), donate from her own  savings, set up fund-raiser Art shows, encourage friends and family to make purchases from us in order to raise funds for "A Free Tutoring Service", have a warm congratulations for students when they improved their grades and she was....... an Educational Giant! What a wonderful "Free Tutoring Director"! She brought me Joy....untold Joy in knowing there were others who shared in my dream....of making education a level playing field...... available to all .....for free....regardless of one's ability to pay.  "Make Everything Free", she would say! I have continued along the path that God and Mabel placed before me, and I always will! As Mabel would say, "No weapon raised against you shall be able to prosper"!

Thank you, God, for once again causing my eyes to tear with Happiness. Thank you God, for another Witness of Your Love. Thank you, God for making me know that I must continue to give all that I have to give...and to work in Your name for the sake of Education among those less fortunate.....or even with the ability to pay......for therein lives True Joy!

Materialistic things might be wonderful to possess......but they are not, I repeat... not....long lasting. What is long lasting is the Joy in one's heart in giving to those who are desperately in need. Through Webster Jr.  and Mabel, I am led to know this.....That the Joy I feel:  "The World did not give it and the World can't take it away"..........Thank you O' Lord for reminding me of this once again.....as Mabel lies "dying in body" at a Hospital.....but not in the "Hearts of Man!"    Thank you God, for Another one of your Angels.......

Cleophas Mike McAlpin.............6:30 AM.  With Joy in My Heart!!!!!  

2:00 PM   December 22, 2006..My wife, Eddie Gayle had Jarrell (20), Shalay (14) Ne-Ne (2) and me, Cleophas, to hold hands. We held each other tightly as Eddie Gayle pronounced......"Mabel has passed away......Her daughter, Joyce, just called me to let me know of this...."

I thank you, again, O' Lord....for this "Rush of Joy!"

2:30 PM....I went to the mail box to check the mail. There was a check for  $100 from Doctor Oscar Jackson of San Francisco, payable to  "A Free Tutoring Service"! Last week, there was a check for $200 from his brother, Charles in Los Angeles! Two months ago, Mary Wilson, Travel Agent for our Cruise Trip (first vacation in more than 6 years of tutoring for free) announced she would reduce the cost of our Cruise by a substantial amount, absorbing the cost herself because of our determination to elevate the grade point average of her grand daughter! This Organization will go on and on and on......God has deemed that it be so! Mabel simply entered my mind for a little while this morning to let me know of that! There are those like the Jacksons, who believe in giving back to those less fortunate; all deserve a chance at "educational excellence"...and the Jacksons and others of their kind are so wonderful in making a monetary sacrifice, as well as a "Spiritual Uplifting"  to let me know that I am truly doing God's work, and to continue at all cost, in spite of words or deeds that might be done against me:  I am now led along a path of renewed intensity! God, continue to order each and every one of my steps,  and continue instilling this Rush of Joy in my heart! There is an awful lot of work to be done in Your name; This "Tribute To a Wonderful Human Being" is but one of them!