MAKING HEADLINE NEWS WELCOMES SHAWONIA THOMAS
Shortly after midday EST on Thursday, Shawonia Thomas took to her Facebook timeline, where she staged a rather intriguing, spirited image that displayed a familiar Biblical passage.
The scripture reddish colored image reads: God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
For the record, Thomas, a devout woman of faith, deemed it necessary to share before her 500-plus social media followers such an empowering passage for a variety reasons.
“I was given the vision about a year ago,” Thomas told Making Headline News during an interview this week. “I was introduced to the offer of a collaboration of writing with some awesome women, then instantly recognized the opportunity and took advantage. I saw where telling my story would help liberate my soul and help enlighten someone else’s healing process.”
That Thomas steadfastly obeyed the Voice of God by joining forces with Flint, Michigan businesswoman Precious Brown and a few other accomplished writers to assemble the spiritually empowering book, “I Rise, Living Beyond The Bruises,” has benefited her mightily, particularly as she continues to share with the masses how God has strategically moved of her behalf for such a time as now.
A book that is forwarded by Brown, the founder and CEO of Kilgore Publishing, “I Rise, Living Beyond The Bruises” is scheduled to be officially released in December.
Having begun contributing to this awe-inspiring book in May 2018, Thomas recently completed her segment which, to her credit, is a testament of her immeasurable body of work as an author.
Prior to “I Rise, Living Beyond The Bruises,” Thomas made her presence felt when she co-authored the best-selling book entitled, “Transition: Ashes Emanating Beauty.”
As for her latest project, Thomas emphasized, among other things, that had it not been for the Lord, Who is on her side, there’s no telling where she’d be.
By and large, while such a suggestion is synonymous to the words of a familiar classic gospel song, Thomas would be the first to admit that, well, she’s a living testimony.
“The divine message is how God carried me through the abandonment period in my life and my unspoken rules and steps of how I survived as a young lady in a foreign land,” Thomas, native of Flint who resides in Atlanta, said. “My purpose is to mentor and guide our youth girls through their destinies and help them recognize their gifts and talents to value, to respect and to nurture them.”
As Thomas vividly recalls, God essentially revealed to her in a dream that He was positioning her to form a kingdom-based, life-enhancing connection not just with Brown and Co., but other women in the Body of Christ.
Much to her delight, one spiritually enhancing development had ultimately led to another.
Yep. That’s just like God.
“God gave me the vision in a dream of my divine purpose with young women,” Thomas said. “In my lack of guidance, I discovered my strength, and my experiences in that lost period inspired and led me to create a nonprofit (organization) called Jabez Society Chambers, Inc. Jabez was a son of a woman born out of pain in the Bible, and he then changed his story by praying to God to enlarge his territory and take the pain away and he was granted his prayer.”
As for sharing her story in her latest written document, Thomas said her great deal of transparency was extremely vital as it relates to appropriately getting her message across to those who need to read and hear of it.
“I believe that I’ve gained a level of respect and trust by telling my story, because it will allow destinies to be fulfilled, including my own,” Thomas said. “This book will be a tool that will hopefully encourage someone that they are not alone and no matter the circumstances, (they must) keep walking and don’t give up.”
While her Jabez Society organization appears to be her primary focus in the meantime, Thomas has not ruled out the notion that she will compose other books.
“Although I am sharing my story, that does not exempt me from learning more on how to overcome,” said Thomas, who is schedule to be on hand for Brown’s I Rise Women’s Empowerment Conference in Flint in April 2019, during which she will be a presenter and be a part of a book signing.
“Life is forever learning and teaching me that you must be diligent in my faith walk with the Creator because life bows to commanders,” Thomas continued. “Keeping my joy of the Lord is my strength and seeking Him first so that everything else will be added is my mission statements that lead me through my destiny beyond the bruises.”
Because after all, God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”
For more information about Atlanta-based Author Shawonia Thomas, or to schedule her for a public appearance, a book signing or speaking engagement, connect with her via Facebook under: Shawonia Thomas. Also, send email to: sdtb1973@gmail.com.
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