Honoring The Stars, Part II
Dear Hearts,
I am happy to continue celebrating Women’s History Month spotlighting women who have impacted my life. This month has made me realize that we as women are exceptional beings and we are all deserving of being celebrated because we have endured a lot and many of us have taken care of others who neglected us. Some of the same people took advantage of our kindness and now we are walking in vindication. The freedom we have always prayed for, God has ordained this time for us to not wear any more pain in this season. All things are made new. Therefore, I am glad to share with you my prayer partners who helped me get to a place to focus on God more than the outside world concerning my life. This week, I am sharing with you the women who I consider my spiritual mentors and dear friends. Each one of them has unique attributes and personalities but they are all bold, brilliant, and beautiful to me. All these women have one thing in common, they are all ordained elders/ministers of the gospel. I have known each one of these ladies for almost 20 years and we have shared some great times praying and laughing. These ladies have all especially touched my heart by praying for me when I could not pray for myself in my darkest hours. These ladies would all check on me and send me encouraging words to uplift me. I am honored to share these gifted and talented women this month with the world.
My first honoree, Elder Glory Holt was born to a family of ten. She’s a native of Meriwether County where she graduated from Woodbury High School in 1988. Elder Glory Holt was called into ministry in 1997 where she served at the Mount Venus Baptist Church under the leadership of the late Rev. F.M. Few Jr. She currently serves under the leadership of Pastor James C. Marable of Bethel Baptist, Barnesville, GA. Elder Glory Holt has a heart of gold and always willing to help anyone in need. She enjoys serving at Food Banks and she also spearheads several fundraisers in her daily occupation each year. Elder Glory Holt is very family-oriented woman who loves her husband, parents, siblings, nieces, nephews, etc. What I love the most about my dear friend is that before COVID-19, she would contact me at least three times per week in the morning on my commute to work just to give me positive words for the day or pray that I made it to and from work safely. Words can’t express how much this meant to me for her to take time out of her schedule each day. I am appreciative to this phenomenal woman of God for who she is and for her commitment to serve others not seeking any accolades.
My second honoree, Minister Demonica Banks is a native of Griffin, GA. She’s a loving mother of two handsome sons. She is a lover of God and His people. She is a nurse by trade, minister of the gospel, and a certified life coach that has a passion to see people healed, set free, and walking into their God-ordained purpose. She has dedicated her life to teaching, loving, and giving wisdom to those in need. Many call her their pusher because she has a natural gift to push others to follow their passion and to live their dreams. She is a visionary with a strong gift to birth ideas. She is the founder of Sons of Destiny, LLC which started out as a hobby to help keep her children out of trouble and off the streets. She is also the founder of Destiny Chaser Enterprises, Inc. She has a mission to assist in helping others to heal and get back on the right track to living their best life now. Demonica truly has the heart of a servant. She is a mentor for the youth which we both have in common and an empowerment specialist for many others. She has recently obtained her grief specialist certification and is on a mission to help the world understand and heal from grief. I have watched this woman endure life’s challenges and arise above them all. She exemplifies someone you would call a purpose pusher.
Finally, the calling and the ministry of Elder Jacqueline Y. Phillips is a 21st Century living testament to the charge of the Apostle Paul. She now walks worthy in the two-fold purpose that God clearly spoke to her. Focused on a professional career, God redirected her with the call, “Your purpose will be two-fold, M and M – Medical and Ministry at all times.” Since this encounter with God, she has completely yielded to the commitment to advance the Kingdom of God through her medical profession and ministry. A respected physician assistant, she is a Facilitator/Teacher for the Too Good for Drugs Program in Collaboration with Morehouse School of Medicine at the Loving Hands Community Development Corporation. She is also an ordained elder and serves at the Bethel Baptist Church, under the leadership of Pastor James C. Marable, where she was ordained on March 12, 2017. She was licensed to preach the Gospel on August 6, 2012, by Pastor James E. Allen and the Macedonia Christian Ministries, Columbus, Georgia, August 6, 2012. A native of Lamar County, she is a 2001 honor graduate of Lamar County High School. She is a 2006 graduate of Columbus State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Exercise Science and a 2015 graduate of the University of Alabama-Birmingham with a Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies. Elder Jacqueline Y. Phillips, a servant of God, fulfills her purpose with lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love as she remains a dedicated sister, aunt, and daughter to her parents Charlie F. and Carol Phillips, sister, aunt, and my personal spiritual advisor.
I am truly grateful for these three women being a part of my life and I love each of them dearly because sometimes we give so much credit to everyone else and we forget to love on those who helped us to overcome. Those who selflessly give of themselves to help others become better people. I appreciate each of them for their fervent prayers and for pouring into me unselfishly for me to pour out to others. I pray we can normalize seeing women succeed in society without competition, so we don’t have to think they did something wrong to win, and I pray a supernatural outpouring of God’s favor into each of you reading today.
Be Blessed,
Adriane Phinazee
I AM Matters of the Heart