University Graduation - 25 years late

The mere fact that I wanted to attend Biola University proves the existence and cleansing power of the Holy Spirit.

“For I was lost, but now am found.
Was blind, but now, I see.”
John New­ton, Ol­ney Hymns (Lon­don: W. Ol­i­ver, 1779)

Most adults reentering academia have a great story to tell. My story isn’t great, but it is of the great guiding love of the Holy Spirit. Prodded by the Holy Spirit and Douglas Grisham’s father, C. S. Lewis, who constantly reminded me on Biola’s radio commercials, “Education without values, as useful as it is, seems rather to make man a more clever devil”, I approached Admissions Counselor Vanessa Velasco about attending Biola University. Emboldened by the Holy Spirit, I sought admission on a Friday and signed up for my first class, Acts, with Chico Goff, to start the next Tuesday. Off I went to class; my timing was perfectly in sync with God’s timing.


I thought.


The university had other thoughts. Biola is a leading Christian academic institution with a process for admissions. My admission was a little problematic. I had to write a letter explaining my dismal G.P.A. I had to write a letter explaining my “lack of academic progress.” I wrote another letter explaining some youthful indiscretions. I had to be interviewed by Biola’s BOLD faculty Advisor, Emilio Nunez. This took a few weeks and I was still attending Tuesday night classes with Chico. I was sure I wanted to be at Biola. Biola wasn’t so sure if or when they wanted me. But they were sure of one thing, that I shouldn’t continue taking the Acts class until I completed all the proper steps for admission. They requested that I stop coming to class. In anger, I continued attending and finally had to attend my last class, listening from the lobby. Chico taught the class and could look out the door and see me listening.

Finally at the break, he came out and returned my graded work and said that since I was not on the roster, he could not continue to grade and accept my work. He counseled me to take the class later. He said that maybe it was not in God’s timing that I should attend the class.
I did not hear the Holy Spirit saying, “In My time, not yours.” The Holy Spirit had been there the whole time watching me. So instead of fighting the system, the Holy Spirit gave me Kathy Mavity. She shepherded me (rod and staff-like) through the process and had me admitted as a “Pre-BOLD.” As a “Pre-BOLD” I was not assigned a cohort group. But the Holy Spirit led me to take another Bible class with a student who heard my story and said, “Pray for your cohort group. Pray for the students that will be a part of it, they will be integral to your success.” The Lord answered my spoken prayers and those that were unspoken and surrounded me with a group of friends will liver forever as “The McGee Group.” We are cohesive, loving, caring and strong in His love. The Holy Spirit was so tangible and apparent in our classes, we sometimes would leave class and immediately e-mail one another and say, “Was that you or the Holy Spirit?” The Holy Spirit was working and active at Biola San Diego.


What other proof do I have about the Holy Spirit’s existence besides, my admission, Kathy Mavity and the workings of the McGee group?


My professors. I’ll only name a few.

Dr. Charles Bradshaw
Dr. Forrest Weiland
Pastor David Fandy
Dr. John Coe
Dr. Jason Wilson.

Jason was my Statistics professor. I used to love Math and was fairly good at it. I loved the precision and the wild mathematical theories. But not all students had those positive feelings. Jason has an enormous heart for the Lord and seeks to help those who came with fear and insecurity into a Statistics class. So Jason sent an e-mail prior to the first week of class to all of the students. He asked that we pray about what God wants us to learn in Statistics and how God will use that to grow the Kingdom. He asked us to pray about any bad experiences we had or about anyone who said that we weren’t good at Math or said we weren’t smart enough. Then he asked us to forgive them and come to class with an open, loving heart. Jason may look like a mild-mannered Math professor, but he is a titan of Faith.

These are only a few reasons why I know the Holy Spirit is alive and well in my life, in your life and especially here at Biola University. So as I write this and think of my graduation day, 29 years after my high school graduation, I see the words of a writer, John Bingham, who wrote about completing his first marathon. He said, “The miracle isn’t that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start.”

As I close, I say thank you to all of the family, friends, brothers and sisters in Christ that helped me. And I thank them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Amen