Salvation Testimony:

I grew up in a Christian home as a “PK” … “Pastor’s Kid.” While I don’t remember a time when I didn’t believe there was a man named Jesus who died on the cross for my sins, I specifically recall making the decision to accept Him as my Lord and Savior as a pre-teen.

Because my father was a pastor in the Pentecostal church, much of my experience living a Christian life was under a doctrine that was quite legalistic. As a result, the manifestation of my faith was predominately filled with a lot of “do’s,” but even more “don’ts.” Although I was taught and truly believed that my “salvation” was not earned, and that it was received by grace alone through faith alone, I simultaneously believed that my “sanctification” had a physical appearance. I readily identified another woman as being “saved” if she, like me, didn’t wear pants; or adorn herself excessively with makeup or jewelry; if she didn’t go to dances or movies; or if she only listened to gospel or contemporary Christian music.

Unbeknownst to me, all of those legalistic beliefs would be greatly challenged as soon as I entered my dorm room in my freshman year at Messiah College, a Christian liberal arts college near Harrisburg, PA. There I shared a room with two beautiful Christian young women who did everything I didn’t do, but boy did they have a heart for serving the Lord! It became evident that their joy came from having a personal relationship with Jesus, and that manifested itself in their desire to serve others, study God’s word, pray for God’s direction in their lives, and to worship. It was clear to me that “one of these things was not like the other,” and that “one” was me! And thus began my journey to “find myself” spiritually … a journey that would include my gaining a greater understanding of what it means to have a genuine heart to serve the Lord, the importance of having a personal relationship with Him, and the necessity of continuing to develop that relationship throughout my lifetime.

What God is Currently Doing in My Life:

As I reflect back on my spiritual journey over the past two years, I have often paused to ask myself “How did I get here?” More specifically: “How did Brad and I come to visit First Boynton, eventually join that church, only to resign our membership there in less than a year, and subsequently join with David and Jennifer to plant Gospel City Church?”

I have resolved that the answer is simply that even when we didn’t know what was happening, God was always working in the background, moving the pieces of the puzzle together, to bring us to this place, at this time, for HIS purpose!

This year I have committed to responding to the call of becoming more like Jesus in my behaviors and in my desires. I realize I need God to change my heart so that I will have the desire to surrender to His will, even when I don’t know or understand what His will is, and even when His answer to my prayer is “no” or “not yet.” I know that God has brought me to Gospel City Church to serve His people. My desire is to give of my time and talents to serve in a capacity in which I am uniquely qualified, and in a manner that will ultimately be to the glory of God.

Family Description:

My husband, Brad (Sheares), and I have been married for 17 years, and we currently live in Highland Beach. Although we split our time between Ambler, PA and various locations in South Florida for most of our marriage, we have lived in Highland Beach full time for the past 7 years.

I have 3 adult stepdaughters, all of whom live outside of Florida. Our closest relatives here are my brother and his wife. They live in Tampa with their two boys.

Professional Background:

I am a retired lawyer and CPA. I started my accounting career as an auditor at KPMG (formerly Peat Marwick, which, at the time, was the largest public accounting firm in the world), auditing banks and financial institutions in Manhattan. Throughout my accounting career, I held various roles of increased responsibility in large and mid-sized accounting firms, as well as positions in the internal audit and finance departments at Merck, a multinational pharmaceutical company, supporting the manufacturing, sales, and marketing divisions.

While a Finance Manager at Merck, I completed my law degree, but ultimately left Merck to pursue a law career as a litigator, practicing in the product liability and employment law departments at Dechert, and in the antitrust law department at Latham & Watkins. My law career also included assignments supporting the corporate law department at Samsung Electronics.

Once I officially retired from practicing law, I decided to pursue my passion for all things fashion related, and launched a wardrobe styling business. My private clients ranged from entrepreneurs and small business owners to high-level corporate executives and local celebrities. I was the official wardrobe stylist for Fox 29’s “Good Day Philadelphia,” appearing regularly in fashion segments, and I served as the assistant fashion editor of a local magazine.

Although my chosen careers were certainly demanding of my time, I have always committed to allocating a portion of my time to serving others. For over 10 years I was actively involved with the Indian Valley Boys and Girls Club. In addition to serving on their board of directors, I designed and gifted a teen girl lounge called “Club Glam,” which served as a safe space for the Club’s teen girls to develop a sisterhood with each other and meaningful relationships with their team leaders. Club Glam’s overall mission was to immerse the girls in activities, workshops and events that would enhance their social, educational and emotional development.

In addition to serving at the Indian Valley Boys & Girls Club, I was actively involved with the Support Center for Child Advocates, both during my years of practicing law and post-retirement. There I served as a child advocate attorney, representing children in the foster care system on a pro bono basis, as well as serving as chair of their annual toy drive.