Reflection Paper

On September 6, 2017, I were documented for an incident that involved a University Housing policy violation. I was charged with violating the University Housing Alcohol 1.2 policy. With my violation, came consequences. I met with The Residence Conduct Coordinator to discuss my actions and came to the conclusion that I would have to schedule a meeting with The Campus Alcohol and Drug Education Center (CADEC) and with that, a reflection paper.

I arrived on a Wednesday and observed a women’s basketball game hosted in the gymnasium. As I witnessed the game, I thought to myself, “surely God wants me somewhere else,” unfortunately the women’s team was not the best of the colleges that I had visited, but I continued with my experience. After the game Coach Sanders came and sat down with me and asked if I had any thoughts over the game, compassionately I gave him some constructive criticism and he gladly listened while agreeing with most of the ideas that I had. We concluded the conversation then my family and I headed toward Helen, Coach Sanders benevolently bought us a hotel room for the night because he wanted me to be the first recruit ever to have the opportunity to experience the Chapel service that next Thursday

It all began in Forth Worth, Texas on June 9, 1964, when Mr. and Mrs. Tisdale celebrated the welcoming of their third baby boy entering the world of curiosity. With the biggest smile ever, from there his parents knew something about Wayman. That God has something big planned in his future that will change his and his parents live, but his parents didn’t know how big. Suddenly, a loud church bell sounded the whole street, herded in like a herd of cattle everyone to Friendship Baptist Church to hear the word of God be spoken by Dr. Louis L. Tisdale. Cries erupted from the congregation from the Holy Ghost spreading from the tongue of one powerful man. Exclaiming how wonderful God is, and is promised for a better life. Little did the Tisdales know how powerful this statement would be to their lives.

We started the Bible Study, and the kids were hanging on every word that was said. The same thing happened the next day, but you could feel something different. God had prepared a soul to be harvested, and that soul was my kid Joel. That afternoon I walked him back to his apartment, and I asked Joel if he knew Jesus. He told me that he did, but he didn’t know if Jesus lived in his heart. So, we sat down and talked for a while about his relationship with Christ. So on that day, July 20, Joel gave his life to Christ. I was so humbled and shocked that I didn’t tell anyone what had happened until that night. I had first-hand experienced God work, and it was so

During the latter part of my 15-year career, the Lord blessed me with opportunities to grow in my leadership and public speaking skills. I managed a staff of seven, a budget of several million dollars and made presentations to professional boards and potential business partners. After the Lord called me to be home with my children full time, I struggled with the meaning and usefulness of the opportunities I had been blessed to experience. They felt wasted in light of the carpool driving, diaper changing and house cleaning duties that were now the staples of my new “career” at home. After a semester in my church’s MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) group, I was asked to co-lead the steering team. This invitation was definitely from the Lord, as I

It all started in June of 2015. God had been bugging me with something for a long time. I had suddenly felt called to Woodcrest to have with their ministry. Flashback to March of 2015. I had found myself going to a conference at Woodcrest. When at the conference I began to realize that Woodcrest was full of people with faith, despite what I had thought. I thought the preacher was high and mighty but at the conference he was sitting among the people learning with us. I also was greeted with a smile by everyone. These people I had never seen before where so nice. Having trust with Woodcrest I showed up with my grandma, since my parents were out of town. I went in and the message was deep, what I didn’t know what God was going to do in the next

In the summer of 2015, I went to Tennessee on a youth retreat. The purpose of this youth retreat was for my peers and I to make our bond with our God stronger. We were in the mountains, for a week, with plenty of space and time to talk with our God. On the last night of our stay we

This was a time to listen to a sermon with our church while on a retreat at the beach. Of course my friends and I jumped at the opportunity as quick as we could. Although, we were more focused on getting away from our parents rather than focusing on God. The theme of the camp that week was “Set Apart.” This theme focused on how Christians are not meant to be like everyone else. I had already entered the camp with the mindset that it was just a time to spend with friends, not a time to focus solely on Jesus. The conference lasted a total of five days, and while the first four days were a great experience, they did not impact me or my spiritual life in any way. The fifth day, however, was different. As I walked into the crowded, dimly lit building filled with rambunctious teenagers, I viewed my peers differently. As I looked at the kids around me, I saw the passion that suffused some of them that could only derive from Jesus. I saw those who were lost, like me, with a small gleam of hope gripping their eyes, wanting so badly to be saved from what had drained the rest of their hope away. As I was looking into that crowd, it hit me: the realization that although I was hurting, I was not the only one. I went in with a different mindset after that. I had hoped that those kids in that building would be filled with that same passion I saw in a few

I had to wrestle with some things, I had to have some very serious conversations with God, and wrap my mind around Him giving me just one more thing to put my hands to. Especially when the one more thing was not something I desired to do. I called a great sister friend of mine to have a gripe and vent session, but as only God can, my plan was foiled. As we began to talk about the ministry that God was birthing in me, the why, what, when, and how of it all began to come together. We talked about the vision of the ministry that God began planting over nine years ago. We talked about how God had begun to put people in my path that were integral in birthing the ministry. We also talked about how I would be required to take on roles that I had never thought about. Finally we also talked about surrendering to the process of what God was calling me to do. As the conversation went on I realized that my gripe and vent session had turned into God’s planning session for the ministry. As we were wrapping up our conversation she said to me, “I am going to pray that God gives you the grace for even the more.” At the time she spoke those words it did not dawn on me

On 06/15/15, God gave me the opportunity to witness to a 57 year old African America about the Lord. The conversation was very unique because Peggy Myers began to convey to me the problems she was having in her immediate family. She stated that she was no longer in love with her husband because she later found out in their marriage that he had father several children in his first marriage that he never told her about. She also stated that he was married when they first met 27 years ago, but he never told her. I asked Peggy did she love him, she replied, “no.” She said that the feelings that she had for him no longer exist because he was living a double life and that he never told her. I asked her was he still married to the other women she replied, “He was not honest with her.”

In 2005, I moved to East Tennessee and began to understand the importance of seeking God in all aspects of my life. Through daily prayer and reading of the Holy Scripture, I realized I had forgotten that Jesus Christ was my confidant and counselor. I remember the afternoon that

Over the course of the semester, there has been numerous amount of areas where I believe I have improved in comparison to high school. What has helped me in my writing is the writing class and the in-class writing workshop. The writing class that is located in the Kremen education building has helped me with my writing greatly because in the writing center the person in charge teach us lenses and we apply those lenses to the writing, draft, or reading that someone brings in. The in-class writing workshop has helped me because other students get to read my writing. This is helpful because I get feedback from many students and they let me know what needs to be fixed. A new tool I have been using is They Say I Say. The book is very helpful because of the information and examples it provides such as the templates. I have been applying the templates into my essays and I have seen a significant difference.

Since the beginning of the semester, my writing has changed and evolved to accommodate and sustain longer essays. With longer essays, there is more room for in-depth analysis. Further analyzing a topic has led me to findings that I did not know existed. As I continue to write, I uncover addition and superior methods to approach my writing to the benefit of me and therefore, my audience. Throughout the semester, I have incorporated techniques to further my narrative throughout my writing.

Walking in the same spots throughout the church that I had years before brought back memories of the little girl I once was, this strong willed girl who was so in love with Jesus and His mercy that she thought nothing would ever change the way she felt. Back then it was so easy to think that things were perfect and that they’d all work out perfectly, and that I would feel God’s presence wherever life took me. Back then it was so easy to imagine life without pain and suffering. I was so happy when ever I even began to think of God’s glory that if something bad had happened I thought of it as His way of testing my faith. I saw it only as a small obstacle in finding my way in the world.

I was 12 years old when I started to play volleyball. I can remember going to the gym for the first time bounces echoing off the walls for the balls being played. Before this, I was a competitive cheerleader for 4 years and had made it to the highest level possible. Hearing the crowd roaring wit =h every hit trick was what I lived for. My friend from my neighborhood finally connived me to try out volleyball and go to a camp. When I got there I remember always doing cheer moves on the volleyball court. In one drill we had to throw the ball across the room “bang bang” went the ball as I hit the back wall every time. The coaches were so impressed and immediately started talking off my parent's ear after the camp.