It has now been more than a week since the most historic presidential election that America has ever experienced.

I am extremely happy, proud and thankful that what I HAD believed would come to pass has actually become a reality.

It has been a long time coming, but wasn’t it just amazing to watch Americans and all the world rise up in love, admiration and celebration when it was announced that Sen. Barack Obama had won the election. Sen. Obama is the first African-American ever to be elected to the highest office of our government.

While America spoke loud and clear for “change,” it is now our responsibility to do our part to help bring about the change we all are hopeful for. We, too, must have “the audacity of hope” that President-elect Obama built his life around in preparing for the day he could use his God-given talents and abilities to change America for the better. President-Elect Obama has brought to this country a new hope.

He has given us hope that this nation will finally rise up and live up to the proclamation “that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

We all are Americans and deserve equal opportunities, treatment and respect from one another and to one another.

The country is in the worse economic condition it has ever experienced. Isn’t it ironic that the first African-American president in the history of this nation has been elected at this time? Think of the awesome responsibility that will rest upon his shoulders.

First of all, he has the task of trying to rebuild the economy then to restore a sense of honor, integrity, trust and and respect, not just in this country, but throughout the world.

President-elect Obama has been chosen by a wide margin of voters, which implies that people are truly ready for change. However, let us use common sense and try not to rush for change that will take the efforts of the best combined minds. The trouble the nation is experiencing did not occur overnight; neither can it be corrected overnight. It will take time to effect the necessary policies and plans, then time to initiate and materialize them.

We are aware that our economy is in distress and our relationship with other countries is strained and uncertain. President-elect Obama, nor any other candidate, can magically untangle the enormous web of corruption that has been created and allowed to escalate.

I believe President-elect Obama has the ability, wisdom and courage to not only address these ridiculous situations but get them resolved. However, he cannot do this without strong, reliable, outspoken and active support from the leaders we send to Washington, D.C., to represent us.

I have worked on campaigns for many elections through the years, but none like the Obama Campaign for Change. I found the entire campaign team to be well-organized and professional. The work of the volunteers was encouraging and inspiring. It gave me an extreme sense of pride and joy to have contributed to this amazing part of history. On behalf of those of us who worked with the team who came in from out of town to man the campaign, we are eternally grateful to you.

Certainly, I don’t believe our community would have been proud of going down in history negatively in this historic election. Forget about the color of President-elect Obama’s skin. Just give him the opportunity or support you would give, or have given, to your favorite candidates for more than 200 years. Be true to yourself and true to God.

I am sure many of you do not believe that God is still in control of our lives. I believe that it was God’s plan that Barack Obama was born to the parents he had, in the place he was born, at the time he was born, and was fortunate to have had the kind of life and experiences he had.

All this was in preparation to accept what is the will of God. He has accepted this call to service with grace, dignity and with strong faith and hope to bring about change. Change that will open minds to a brighter, more inclusive and trustworthy nation of people, living together with a desire to improve our relationship with those we have not ventured to know or learn about before.

While doing this, we can restore due credibility to the office of the President of the United States of America.

Let each of us be supportive and do our part in this extraordinary opportunity to make history we will be proud of for many years to come.