As I sit in the library at 8:00 a.m. on this Monday morning, I’m enthralled by the students, professors, and library staff who are up and at it early on a Monday morning. I see focus, diligence, and grit. Are you living a focused life? 3 KEYS TO LIVING A FOCUSED LIFE: 1. Ability to process conflict. All of us experience conflict in our relationships. The difference, however, is how we handle it. Most are consumed by conflict, while the rarity is to know how to process it in a way that one is still able to remain focused on what’s important. If you are unable to handle conflict the…
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Get Focused & Stay Focused
It’s easier to get focused than it is to stay focused. Just as it’s easier to start something than it is to finish something. It’s even easier to decide to do right than it is to stay persistent in doing right. Why is this the case? We’re too easily distracted. If we are to make real progress in life, we must get focused & stay focused. In order to stay focused on the most important things in life, we have to constantly remind ourselves of our priorities. We have to continually reflect to ensure we are keeping everything in its proper place. We have to constantly assess our heart to ensure…
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Professor Woodward:
I am now Professor Woodward. How did I get here? In a few words: Faith, hard work, decisions. Faith: I would’ve never made it to where I am in life had I not put my faith in my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He is my everything. He is the reason. He is the rock upon which I stand and I know apart from Him I can do nothing (John 15:5). He is the One who called me out of darkness into His marvelous light (I Peter 2:9). The only reason I’m here is because He chose me for this. He saved me from a dark, hopeless, and insecure place. He…
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Awareness Precedes Maturity
Awareness precedes maturity, and maturity is a process. Before we are able to mature in an area, we must be made aware that our current state is insufficient. We have to know better before we can do better, and even when we know better it takes time to act on what we have learned. We have to be intentional to grow and change the way we’ve always done things. In order to change, we have to make an intentional decision that we are no longer going to do things the way we’ve been doing them. This in itself is tough. It takes humility to say: I can do better. It’s…
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Preparation Precedes Success
So often we strive for things that we aren’t even prepared for. We think we want something, but we have no idea how to even handle it. We should spend more time preparing ourselves than we do striving to get it. Preparation Precedes Success. The Lord has given me glimpses of things to come in my life, and at the same time He slowed me down, assuring me that I don’t have to strive to try and make it all happen. Instead of striving, we must focus on bettering ourselves today so we will be prepared to handle what will come tomorrow. So often we overlook the needs of today…
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He Chose Me For a Master’s Degree
May 15, 2017 I received my master’s degree, and all I can say is: He chose me. The apostle Paul wrote in I Corinthians 15:10: “But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.” In other words, I can’t take the credit. Everything I am is only because of His grace. He chose me. On the day of my graduation, the Lord reminded me that I could not even attribute my success to my intellect, as I…
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Graduate School Update: 7 months shy of holding my master’s degree
Today it hit me: I am 7 months shy of holding my master’s degree. My first thought was “Wow, I can’t believe it’s so close.” Secondly, I’m sitting here asking myself “How did I get here?” 7 months shy of holding my master’s degree: How did I get here? 1. Purpose. I remember when I used to go to college intermittently because I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life. Education has always been important to me, but I haven’t always been clear on my purpose. I thank God for saving my soul and growing me up in Him. One of the greatest gifts that He…
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Graduate School Update: 2 Courses Away From a Master’s Degree
This semester I’ve started my second and final year of graduate school so I want to share a quick graduate school update with you all. You know what has amazed me the most? How fast the time has gone. It seems like it was more of a challenge to complete my associate’s degree than my master’s degree. Maybe because while working on my associate’s degree I was younger, less mature, less grounded, and had less figured out about life. The early 20’s can be complex to say the least. Being in graduate school at 30 helps me I’m sure. I’m more stable, more focused, and more grounded which helps me…
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Graduate School Update: “I feel so inspired & focused.”
Tonight I presented a lecture over ethics in news and it was my longest presentation ever. My partner and I were responsible for the full lecture for our 2.5 hours class. I must say, everything went well. I feel so inspired & focused. Walking away feeling from the experience I felt inspired and relieved. The primary reason I’m going for a master’s degree is because I want to teach communication at the college level. I feel capable. It has been quite a journey so I am just so thankful to God to be where I am today. I recognize that I am in a very special place, and I…
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SET BIG GOALS: Time Moves Regardless
What are you doing with your time? Sometimes we’re afraid to set big goals due to the amount of time they will take, but we must remember that time moves regardless. When you determine what you are doing with your time, you will understand what you are doing with your life. A few years ago, when I was considering law school, I read something that has stuck with me. It basically said: 3 years is going to come anyway. At that point my thinking shifted from saying: “law school will take too long” to “I want to do whatever the Lord’s will is for me to do.” It was a complete…
