Issue link: http://digital.corporatepress.com/i/886821
Grace Magazine | www.fbcglenarden.org 11 arose when it was time for me to step out and trust God in ministry and when I became an entrepreneur. Even when my daughter became ill, fear arrested me! All of my journeys emanated with ROARS like a lion and some of yours will too. As quiet as it's kept, nowadays, there are the occasional moments of pondering, "Do I stay? Do I go and leap by faith and do what Jesus said or lay down in the comforts of life, in hopes that at some point the 'growls of uncertainty' will subside?" We have all wrestled with various areas of fear. Nevertheless, I have discerned that because Jesus loves me, this determination has caused me to know, shaky bravery is still courage! Likewise, two brave women, Lisa Hamlett and Dr. Ganelle Moultry-Leach are proof that shaky bravery is still heroism -- as they ran towards their fears. Grace: Tell us a little about yourself. What do you do … ministry, profession, hobbies? Hamlett: I'm a 54-year-old project logistic analyst contractor for General Services Administration supporting the deputy director's daily management to the White House Operations and White House Projects. I'm actively involved in Queen Esther, Divine Disciples for Sisters and Time to Fly ministries. Moultry-Leach: My name is Dr. Ganelle Leach. I am an industrial and systems engineer. I have served in the Children's Bible study Ministry as the snack coordinator and now I serve as a registrant. My greatest passion has been to serve my community through providing Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education to African-American youth and young adults in order to increase their numbers in STEM professions. Grace: Have you ever been terrified to the point of giving up? Hamlett: Yes, there were many times that I felt like quitting and I have been terrified over and over again. The failure of my marriage and the moving of my family was one of my biggest fears that I had to overcome. Moultry-Leach: After I was accepted in the Ph.D. program at Virginia Tech in Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISE), I was subsequently terrified of being out of school and working in an industry for three and a half years and having people tell me I was not going to be able to handle the rigor of the program because my Masters was from NC A&T State University in (ISE), a historical black college and university (HBCU), and Virginia Tech's (ISE), whose graduate program was ranked number six in the nation. I knew the odds were against me, I was at the point of giving up before I even started. Grace: How did you reconcile that you needed to run towards this particular fear instead of running away from it? Hamlett: I settled that I had to face this giant head-on in order to save me -- myself. Moultry-Leach: I knew God had given me the desire to pursue my Ph.D., to be a role model and mentor to African-American young people in engineering. When I got accepted to Virginia Tech, I received a generous amount of scholarships, fellowships, and stipends. I also had a job awaiting me as well. I had to be courageous and hold God's hand and walk with Him in fulfilling His purpose for my life. That was 27 years ago. Grace: What was your modus operandi in this particular situation? Hamlett: My methods were many. With God's help, prayer, getting counseling and outside help from various centers; all were tools God used to inspire me to run towards my fears. Moultry-Leach: My techniques prayer, obedience and being willing to follow God wherever He was leading me -- even when it did not make sense to my natural mind; case in point, deciding to attend graduate school at Tech. I still follow these strategies today. Grace: What advice would you give to others who are facing giants which may mean they have to run towards their fears, regardless of the end? Hamlett: Knowing that God is in control regardless of how things turn out is essential to ending strong. I would advise others to trust God moment by moment because this will help them to be obedient. God wants us to be continued on page 21