"God is working all the time and He invites us to join Him to further His plans. If we choose to accept His invitation, He will accomplish His plan through us and we will experience His love, power and even His sense of humor." So says Sandra Carringer, a resident of Apex and a member of Apex United Methodist Church. Her words are heartfelt, Scripture based and the explanation of what has been happening to her since September 28, 2004.

On that day Sandra attended a meeting to discuss a fundraising effort for a church located in the community of Aulander, Bertie County, North Carolina. Aulander is not a community known to many. It is the home of 1200 people, black and white, with high unemployment, crime in the streets, rampant drug addiction, low test scores, single or no-parent households and little hope. Yet in the midst of this poverty is a little church with a congregation, mostly of children, that calls itself All God’s Children United Methodist Church and its preacher, Rev. Laura Early, better known as Miss Laura.

All God’s Children has had its doors open to the community of Aulander for 8 years now. That’s how long Miss Laura has been reaching out to the people with hope and love not to mention food, clothing and activities for the children. Filled with the spirit of the Lord, Miss Laura has captured the hearts of the people of this community. She has stayed on, year after year, when many thought she would leave, reaching out with a creative energy, bringing children off the streets and into an after-school program, a preschool, service group, athletic activities, a choir/drama team and church on Sunday.

As Sandra sat in this meeting Miss Laura shared God’s revelation. His plan was to build "The Place of Possibilities," a community center for Aulander which would continue to draw children and adults into an environment embracing love, fellowship, respect and opportunities for bible study, basketball games, dance, gymnastics, martial arts, tutoring, and food and clothing distribution.

Miss Laura had the details of operation on paper, an architectural design of the center, the land donated and the children excited with anticipation. It was time to raise the money, approximately $350,000.00. How would the funds be raised? Miss Laura did not know, but she was sure God had brought Sandra and others to this meeting for that reason. The meeting adjourned with no fundraising decision however, God’s plan to use Sandra to help raise this money was already in the works.

On the way home from the meeting, Sandra told her friend that they needed to get Laura Early to The Oprah Show, because Oprah would love all the incredible ministries that take place at All God's Children. Sandra is a huge fan of Oprah. She works out of her home and turns on Oprah each day. Over the years Sandra had been fairly aggressive but not overly obsessive to click on Oprah’s website to try to get a ticket. Unfortunately, her steadfast diligence had not paid off. She had recently concluded with a laugh and sigh, if God wants her to go one day, then she’d go.

Less than 24 hours after meeting with Miss Laura, The Oprah Show called Sandra! Not only would Sandra be in the audience but she was being asked to participate in the show! Oprah was cleaning out her closet and would auction off some clothes with the proceeds benefiting The Angel Network, Oprah’s charity. If Sandra was willing, she would be one of the bidders.

A dream come true, Sandra was finally going to The Oprah Show. Yet Sandra soon discovered that her dream was God’s plan unfolding. She had no idea what items would be auctioned, what she would buy or what cost she would incur. She only knew that what she bought would somehow benefit "The Place of Possibilities."

Excited but nervous, Sandra sat in the audience as Oprah’s closet items were presented one by one on stage. She bid briefly on one item and then another. She was quiet during some presentations. Suddenly she was panicked. A number of items had been purchased and she had yet to be the highest bidder. What if there were no more items up for bid and she had missed her chance to buy!

Then it happened. Oprah’s little black dress was brought out on stage. It was simple, elegant and Sandra’s size. When the bidding was over, Sandra was its new owner. The price was $3800.00, money well spent to benefit Oprah’s favorite charity.

In the excitement of the day God’s plan continued to be revealed to Sandra. The little black dress should be shared by others and benefit many. Sandra would auction the dress, just like Oprah had done, to raise money for her favorite charity, "The Place of Possibilities." The highest bidder of the dress would follow suit -- buy it to auction it, to benefit a favorite charity. Sandra’s auction would be a special event, a charity ball in honor of the dress. Each new owner would do the same, host their own Little Black Dress Charity Ball. According to Sandra, "If God can use a burning bush, why not a little black dress!"

Miss Laura wept as she learned about the little black dress. Her tears flowed as she recognized God’s incredible sense of humor. You see, several months earlier, Miss Laura had met with a rancher out in Oregon on business. They were strangers but had talked business for hours. As they were parting, the woman rancher suddenly said she had something to give Miss Laura. She left the room only to return with a little black dress in her arms! The rancher told Miss Laura that she felt compelled to give her the dress. As a horse breeder, she had no use for the dress but believed Miss Laura was supposed to wear it one day at a charity ball! Puzzled, Miss Laura had politely accepted the gift, placed it in her closet at home and assumed that one day she would understand the reason for the gift!