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November 11, 2019 ♦ Issue 24 |
| Fighting Your FearFear has been a steady companion for Bonita Shields, the new vice president of Church Ministries for the North American Division. “Fear has kept me from many good things: fear of others’ opinions of me, fear of physical danger, fear of failure,” she said. “It almost kept me from pastoral ministry. It’s like an onion: The Lord has peeled off many layers of the ‘onion’ called fear. There are still some layers, but He continues to peel away!” So, when she talks about how not to let fear determine your destiny, she knows the journey from personal experience.
“The new role to which the Lord has called me excites me, but makes me nervous too!,” said the author of Living in a Man’s World. “However, Elder Dan Jackson [NAD president] said to me, ‘Bonita, if you weren’t nervous, then the job isn’t big enough!’” Shields will be speaking on the topic of fear in Adventist Women Leaders’ first webinar scheduled in January. Stay tuned for more details in next month's newsletter. “I’ve shared this with many women and sometimes I feel like, ‘Bonita, you’ve shared this enough.’ But … it speaks to women at a deep level, so I continue to share it,” Shields said. “And I am amazed at how God uses this topic to strengthen women in their personal and professional lives, and how He brings it around to me continually!” Fear is directly related to confidence, as a lack of confidence is based on fear, according to Shields. “But God is a God of boldness! And He wants us to have a confidence based on Him as the source,” she said. “And I love the verse that says, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7). |
| | — Michele Joseph, managing editor, Adventist Women Leaders newsletter. |
| | Next Up on AWL's PodcastNew episodes are released the first and third Mondays of the month on Spotify and iTunes. Please subscribe and give positive reviews and ratings to raise the podcast's visibility and encourage others to listen. Email the co-hosts Natalia Lopez-Thismon and Natalie Boonstra at flourishthepodcast@gmail.com.
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| | Flourish: Episode 3 (Available Now) Andrea Luxton talks about "What Makes a Good Leader" with guest host and AWL co-founder Celeste Ryan Blyden. Luxton, the president of Andrews University and the first woman to hold the position, shares leadership lessons she's learned, what she would say to her younger self, and how to effectively handle the many crises that leaders face. |
| Flourish: Episode 4 (Nov. 20)
Heather Thompson Day talks about leadership and mentorship in this episode on "Learning How to Find a Good Mentor and Becoming a Mentor." Day earned a doctorate in higher education administration and is currently an associate professor at Colorado Christian University. She is also an author, blogger, speaker, wife and mother. |
| Flourish: Episode 5 (Dec. 2)
Jennifer Jill Schwirzer talks about "Self-Care and Mental Health," and how to view each from a Christian perspective. Schwirzer is a licensed professional counselor and founder of ABIDE Counseling based in Orlando, Fla. Schwirzer is also a musician, having recorded more than 150 original songs, an author and a speaker.
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| | Meditations
"The Sovereign LORD is my strength! He makes me as surefooted as a deer, able to tread upon the heights." — Habakkuk 3:19 New Living Translation |
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| | AWL's Prayer Circle This month we are praying for: |
| Dora Desamour Human Resources Director
Guam Seventh-day Adventist Clinic desamourd@gmail.com
Hannah NdunguEmergency Management Coordinator ADRA Africa
hannah@adra-afro.org |
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| | Question: What would you do if you were not afraid? This will be the topic of our first AWL Webinar coming January 2020. We’ll talk with Bonita Shields, a pastor, author and administrator about fighting fear and becoming all that God wants you to be in life and leadership. Look for details in next month’s newsletter and consider hosting a watch party in your office or home. |
| | Coming Next Month
Sheila Burton, associate superintendent of Dayton Public Schools in Ohio, talks about her journey with God and being content.
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| AWL is a community of women affirming, encouraging, and celebrating God's goodness to those He has called to lead. |
| AWL Committee: Celeste Ryan Blyden, secretary/director; Brenda Dickerson, Carolyn R. Forrest, Tamyra Horst, Natalia Lopez-Thismon, and Ann Roda AWL Support Team: Michele Joseph, managing editor; Carla Conway, graphic designer; Frenita Buddy Fullwood, event coordinator |
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